What are you reading in 2022?

[Gord]

Time for a bit of an update on my vacation reading.

-4 Stars
This will be a bit of a running statement this update but I snagged this for a challenge. I dug it up out of my TBR and figured I'd continue the series. I don't really remember the first book very much but between my rusty memory and the reminders from the book I got the gist of things soon enough. Our MC has a used bookstore and a mysterious guest shows up. Soon dead bodies start showing up in town and our MC, and her friends, have to insert themselves into the mystery. I know I'm a bit snarky here but it's that cliche cozy mystery flow. That aside I found this to be a real treat to read, especially after finishing The Guest List. The characters were good, the mystery was good, and the twist was good. I really need to continue this series.

-5 Stars
*Insert line here about challenge* This was also something I was meaning to read anyway. This was the conclusion to this duology and another success in my opinion. This series is a bit of an odd one compared to other series in this universe as it's not as action orientated. Our MC is a spy master which is not a character who is normally out on the battlefield fighting with sword and shield. There is a lot of political intrigue and maneuvering which is normally not something I find interesting but this was really engaging and enjoyable. I'm really enjoying this read through of the Tortall universe and I can't wait to get back to it in the new year.

-3 Stars
This was yet another challenge book and I'm rather baffled by this one to be honest. This was an award winning children's book and all that. Now I didn't hate it but I also didn't think it was that great. Honestly my biggest feeling that I got from this book was just confusion. What the heck was the point of this book? The book opens with our MC's father being out to sea when a tremendous storm comes up. The MC's mother grabs her up, drops her off at the neighbors, and sails out into the storm to save her husband. Neither come back and the town mourns their lost. Well, everyone except for the MC who is convinced her parents are still alive. That would initially make one think that it's about a young child processing their grief but it's not. Especially as the parents make it back by the end of the book. The neighbor takes care of her for a while but can't because of the money involved with raising a child. She then gets taken in by her uncle who moves back to the town. Everyone has expectations of her to be this grieving child, she gets bullied by other kids, and eventually finds a friend in the owner of a local restaurant. I just don't know what the point of this book was. Maybe I'm just stupid and can't read some subtle message between the lines but it's just kind of this slice of life feeling novel. I don't know, I'm baffled and ready to move on.

-4 Stars
More manga from this series and it's still good. I really like the budding romance between Komi and Tadano . We are also introduced to a new friend with Manbagi and I think this might be my favorite character so far. Don't ask me why but I just enjoy her character.

-4 Stars
I snagged this because it looked interesting. It was flagged as a spin on the classic Legend of Sleepy Hollow tale. This was surprisingly good. You have this cute LGBT romance, an interesting take on the classic tale, and just an interesting story. If you are interested in these kind of comics I'd give it try.

-4 Stars
I've said this before and I'll say it again, this manga is way better than I ever expected. This was the big finale to the Duelist Kingdom arc so there were a lot battles in this book. You knew the MC was going to win because he was the MC but there felt like there was some legit tension. Especially in the last battle with Pegasus. Then we get some more hints about the biggest mystery of the series, and the thing I am most curious about, which is the Egyptian magic aspect. I have so many questions about this part of the series and it just seems like everyone ignores it.

-3 Stars
I like the concept behind this comic but the art and execution were kind of meh. This was a dual love story. There is a love story in present time and there is a love story in the past. We get to know about the love story in the past because the MC can see ghost because she... drank to much coffee one day. I rolled with this when I was reading the story but now that I'm typing it up I have so many questions and this is never really explained. Apparently the more coffee she drinks the more physical these ghosts become. Again no real explanation and it's just an odd story direction. Any way, the two story lines kind of mirror each other and they both get this big happy ending. Like I said I like the concept of the story but the execution kind of left me wanting more.

As for what is next. I have to read some Yuna of the Dawn for a challenge. After that I've got and a whole bunch other stuff.

[Brittany]

Elena love all the reading! Im looking forward to reading book lovers and Magic Steeped in Poison myself so happy to hear you enjoyed them.
Also Eden's Zero sounds like fun

[Brittany]

Nice update Gord! I've now put a hold on Hollow, sounds like fun

[Gord]

I've been enjoying this vacation and some "light" reading

[Kayleigh {K-Books}, YA Fantasy Fan]

I really liked A Good Girls Guide to Murder... but I did read it like 2-3 years ago when it first released and before the hype, so I don't know how I'd like it now.

[Elena]

Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "I really liked A Good Girls Guide to Murder... but I did read it like 2-3 years ago when it first released and before the hype, so I don't know how I'd like it now."

I think if there was no hype, I might have enjoyed it better.

[Jo]

I really liked A Good Girl's Guide To Murder, but then I don't read mysteries all that often so maybe the predictability factor just wasn't there for me as much!

[Gord]

Small update time again

-4 Stars
I'm hooked on this series in a bad way. I read the first book way back in the beginning of the year but decided a reread was needed as it's taken nearly a year to get the second volume from the library. There is something about the simple story telling in this that just jives with me. It's got a lot of the classic tropes. Weakest player gets a unique skill to make them stupid strong. The whole video game logic to describe the fantasy setting. It's all here but it just works for me. Our MC is of course the weakest Hunter in the world. While on a dungeon raid he gets left to die and unlocks a secret skill that allows him to level up (other Hunters are locked into their rank upon awakening). He then goes about making himself into the strongest in the world. A lot of the first two books so far has been him leveling up, unlocking new skills, etc. While this is all happening though there are glimpses at the larger world of Hunters around him. There are a couple of things that keep my hyped for things. There is of course seeing how strong our MC is. By the end of the second novel he is looking to be potentially S rank (highest rank) but we haven't had that confirmed yet. The other thing that is keeping me hooked/hyped are those glimpses into the greater world around our MC. I don't want to get into to much stuff in regards to that but some of the things that are hinted are very exciting. Now I "patiently" have to wait for the third volume from the library. The library at least has this in their inventory and it's just a matter of waiting for my turn in the queue.

-5 Stars
Another unplanned In Death novel but it's one step closer to being caught up on this series next year. This is one of those ones that I would put into a bit of a slower burn. Especially compared to the last one. There is a murder, a monster list of potential suspects, and no definite leads. It's still and enjoyable read with the gang and I have fun with everyone of these books.

As my vacation winds down, 5 days left at this point, I find myself almost caught up on the novels I got from the library. For the next bit I have some manga and comics to catch up on. The one novel I have left is which I'll get to here sometime soon. I also plan to listen to next week now that I have my copy from the library.

[Elena]

Jo wrote: "I really liked A Good Girl's Guide To Murder, but then I don't read mysteries all that often so maybe the predictability factor just wasn't there for me as much!"

Yeah, it might be the point. I've been watching and reading lots of mysteries lately.

[Gord]

One last update before I return to work

-3 Stars
I snagged this because it was short and helped with a few challenges. The best kind of challenge book honestly. This book wasn't bad but it also had a lot of peculiarities while also triggering a whole lot of nostalgia for me. The primary focus of this book was the death of a young Chechen woman outside of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa. There was also a second mystery involving the death of a young woman in London but the two cases had nothing to do with each other. This is where the weirdness begins. Apparently in the first book the police officer from Ottawa was sent to London to work a case involving a Canadian diplomat. She ends up working with the main contact from Scotland Yard (or maybe the metropolitan police?) and they become friends. In this book that case is over and she returns to Ottawa. Both characters stay a part of the story though. So you have these two cases going on where the story swaps back and forth but outside of this small connection they have nothing in common. For the longest time I was waiting for some big twist to come that would link the two cases together but it never happened. About half way through the case in London just up and disappeared not to be addressed again until the final chapter. The case is never actually solved and we are just left hanging at the end. Why did you introduce this story line for it to go no where? I'm assuming that it will be solved in the third book (which I'm not reading) but it just felt weird. There was all this set up, all this investigation, and then nothing. For the case in Ottawa it just kind of meandered along and then all of sudden the case is resolved when some guy gets arrested for shoplifting. Our MC shows up and goes "ah you are really such and such person and you did the killing". What? Where the hell did this come from? Then things escalate like a Ferrari off the line. Suddenly you have this threat of Islamic terrorists, a terror cell, illegal immigration, forged document ring, etc. Again though before we really start getting into anything our MC basically shrugs and goes "meh, that is the problem of another department" and the story line ends. This isn't even getting into some of the weirder small things that bugged me about this book. Things like calling the suspect an expert marksman because they could hit a human torso from across the street with an assault rifle. Or how the London case was weirdly obsessed with the victims weight. You were constantly reminded that the victim was a big girl. Not in a malicious way but at the same time it felt kind of weird.

Now for the nostalgia aspect of the book. This book was set in January 1998 in Ottawa. One of the big aspects of the book was the massive ice storm that rocked the area that year. I lived on the other side of the country but I remember that event well. The Chechen refugees takes me back to the summer of '99. I was on a summer course in Ontario for cadets and we spent the summer sleeping in tents on the base because the normal barracks that would have been used were full of refugees from Chechnya. One of the witnesses talk about having to leave soon to get to their shift at Zeller's which is a name I have not heard in a very long time. Then there was the word tabernac. Tabernac is French Canadian swear word and probably one of the first swear words I learned in another language. With my life experiences this is a word I heard a lot for a while and it's seared into the back of my brain. There is still a small teenage part in my brain that snickers every time I see this word in a book and I kind of loved seeing it here.

Overall this book was dry, the budding romance between the two characters was awkward, and everything just felt like the introduction to a bigger and better plot that just never happened.

-4 Stars
My monthly installment of emotional damage. I've been very open in regards to my love of this series even for all the pain that it has caused. I don't think this was the strongest book in the series and it comes down to tone. This book is essentially two story lines that are interconnected. One story, the one that the book opens with, is a high octane, high stakes, active shooter and hostage situation. The other story is much slower paced small town murder mystery that is there to explore the characters. Either story line by themselves would be great but something about putting them together just didn't work for me. In particular the small town mystery was rather interesting with a rather shocking reveal that I didn't expect. Regardless of how I felt about this book I am ready for next months book.

-4 Stars
This was a manga that I've been aware of but never read. It popped up in the library feed and here I am. This is a josei manga or a manga marketed for adult women. This is an area of manga that I have little experience with. It's not as big of a section of manga and a lot of it just never gets translated. This was an interesting read honestly. Kind of a time capsule of life in the early 2000's. You have this apartment building that is for women only. The residents of this building are all women otaku's who are NEET's. NEET is an acronym for Not Employed, in Education, or in Training. There are a lot of story elements going on in this story. There is a budding romance, there is a development project buying up all the land in the area including the apartment all these women live in, the young male MC is a cross dresser (with reasons why), there are political elements. It's an interesting start to a series and I'm interested to see where this goes.

-4 Stars
More Komi fun and shenanigans. I'm really enjoying this series and I'm glad I picked it up.

-3 Stars
This was a random snag from the library that finally came in. It's a simple story of friendship, romance, and baking. Our young MC loves to bake and can come up with recipes on the spot. She gets noticed by a famous food critic and is invited to one of those food competition shows. It's middle grade and the message is a bit on the nose but it's still a decent book.

-3 Stars
Another random snag from the library and I have some conflicted feelings. On one hand I love the set up and the world for this book. It's kind of got a medieval Mediterranean vibe to it. The character is faced with this inescapable evil and must set out with a party to figure out how to defeat it. The artwork is great and the world building is interesting. I think the biggest problem with this book is the length. It's just to short and the book doesn't have time to properly explore the world, it's themes, or expand on the characters. So when it gets to the big reveal at the end it just feels undeserved. I'm not going to spoil the ending as this is a fairly new comic but I just don't feel like there was the set up for it. Also, slight nitpick, I'm not a fan of vague names like the The Distance for the big evil.

-4 Star
A stupidly cute manga about how cute cats are and then those cute cats giving massages.

-5 Stars
More comfy camping vibes from one of my favorite manga series.

-3 Stars
Another random snag from the library. Right before Christmas there was a big release of several things on my holds queue hence all the random snags. A high school romance where the jock discovers his interest in boys all with a heaping scoop of paranormal stuff on top. It's not a bad comic. There was a unique twist with the art in this one. There are two authors for this comic and each author took a turn drawing a chapter for the comic. The art styles would switch between each chapter. Enough that you could tell they were different but not enough that it was jarring. It was an interesting idea.

I've kind of decimated my reading pile from the library and I need to restock this week. On audio I'll be starting as I need to finish it this week. Today I'm reading as a final relaxed read before heading back to work. Depending on how busy things are at work will really determine what and how much more I read this week.

[Jo]

Finished a few comics in the post-Christmas period, all VE Schwab Shades of Magic comics in an attempt to actually meet my reading challenge goal this year. I've read three so far, so one more and my current audiobook and I should be at my challenge goal for the year! I'm liking the comics, it's a fun way of being back in the Shades of Magic world before the first Threads of Power book comes out next year.

[Elena]

It's been a while since my last update and I've read so much! Maybe I'll do an update in chunks :)

- 4 stars. A great vampire manga with such a good romantic line. I've never thought I'll be into vampires again, but here I am, enjoying and looking for more books and mangas featuring vampires.
- 5 stars. That one is almost classic. It has some casualty but at the same time very magical, I love that combination, also it's gorgeous.
- 4 stars. At first I really enjoyed the manga and couldn't stop reading it. But then it slowed down and the romantic line became really boring and so freaking slow, even too naive and stupid, all those supposedly cute moments became repetitive and annoying, But after a break it's kinda ok to read something like that for a change.
- 4 stars. I read the first book a while ago and forgot how festive it was. But I think the second book has even more of a Christmas theme to it.
- 5 stars. Every time I pick up the series, I feel like playing an RPG again. I like how NPCs are narrated here, like someone living, with their own character and mind. Scary, but interesting.
- 3 stars. The book was nice and cozy as it supposed to be, but rather boring. One more mystery to solve, but not much development to the characters.
- 5 stars. The anticipation of what comes next made me pick up this book as soon as I could. And it was magical! I really love the author's point of view on Hades and Persephone’s story. Yep, there are a lot of sex scenes, which I usually don’t like, but here they are not annoying and the narration is not overwhelming.
- 4 stars. This retelling is so dark and gruesome, it reminded me of good old German tales.
- 4 stars. The stories are interesting and diverse, though the basic lines are similar in all books. Due to some unfortunate events the main characters end up in Willoughby Close, broken, a bit depressed and in a way the place changes them for a better, happier life. Cozy romantic series with classical English setting.
- 4 stars. The book gives very strong Harry Potter and T.J. Klune vibes. Magical, cozy, witty and charming! Though I expected more than just vibes. With such a setting it might have been my all-time favorite until it wasn’t.
- 4 stars. I think this is my favorite book in the series. So much is going on here, from Halloween decorations to stalkers and deaths.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

These are probably the last books of the year for me:

I got the audiobook for The Trouble with Tinsel for free in the author's newsletter. I actually already read this novella last year, but the only reason I even decided to give this a listen is because of the ridiculous Sexy Santa song 😂 And it was totally worth it! It was so much fun! And the narrator captured Triana's sass and just all the other characters so perfectly! I really loved it!

How to Survive Your Murder was another mystery thriller with a time displacement component. And while I loved the premise, idk, I didn't end up loving the book as much as I thought I would. I thought the main character was pretty dumb, despite her being a horror movie fan, and the end was just... no. Not it. If this was a horror movie then yes, it would totally work! But I didn't love it here.

This book was so good! It takes place mostly in one day, which I always love, and it is set in an abandoned mall being ready to be torn down. And basically it's a bunch of teenagers running away from a killer. I loved it!

My Secret to Tell was another mystery thriller by Natalie D. Richards, and while I liked it, I didn't like it as much as I did Four Found Dead. I mean, the mystery was interesting, but some of the characters... idk. I did like the romance though! And I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Jo]

That's a shame about How To Survive Your Murder Lili, that one's on my TBR. Hopefully I have better luck with it that you did!

[Elena]

@Lili oh my! THAT amount of thrillers! I'm glad you enjoyed at least some of them.

[Elena]

And here is one more update, the second chunk :)

- 4 stars. It was a very random pick and for a long time I didn’t want to read the book at all. But it turned out to be a good one. The story is filled with old Europe vibes, it also has a huge chunk of sea setting, pirates and a little bit of humor and that indestructible optimism.
- 4 stars. That was a re-read and I totally forgot how hard this book hits. It’s easy when the events are fictional, but here you can’t even pretend that such events never happened, because no matter how cruel it was, all those struggles were real. That’s why I rarely pick books featuring WWII or any other depressive events. So vivid, written in an almost poetic way and so freaking scary! Loved the book, but was also terrified.
- 3 stars. That’s so frustrating. At some point I’ve lost track of who is a clone and who is not, who has one and who has no clones. Apart from that the story is weird and interesting.
- 5 stars. First I watched the movie and didn’t like it. Now I’ve read the book and it’s incredible! For now it’s one of my favorite books featuring Christmas.
- 4 stars. The whole idea with this game and magic, isolated place, gorgeous outfits, actors and real people reminded me of a circus, festive and beautiful, but at the same time so creepy.
- 4 stars. Once again, mr. Riordan is a master in turning legends and myths into brilliant, adventurous stories. One more series to read, one more world to explore.
- 1-2 stars. Why did I even read it? The second book is awful, the third a bit better, but not very good too. I don’t know where to start. The narration is not smooth, the sex scenes are filthy and out of nowhere. And yeah, the Mary Sue thing is definitely there. Why does everyone have to be extraordinarily beautiful? I don’t get it, the story is more interesting, when there are complexities in the character.
- 1 star. The story seems to be nice, but the narration is… how to put it, not good. It’s easy to read, because the language is simple, but it has lots of bumps and unnatural expressions. And because of that it’s not as vivid and lively as it should be.
- 3 stars. This is my first cozy mystery featuring flowers (and gardening in general). I love nature and used to spend a lot of time in the garden. It also has one of my favorite tropes - riches to rags, specifically when a woman moves to a countryside or a small town because of some money issues.
- 3 stars. After reading several chapters, I was pleasantly confused. Is it going to be a triangle? A very dramatic one? Are they going to struggle? Is it going to be creepy or sweet and romantic? Are they jealous? Who’s going to be the villain? What’s with that story? Why do I have the expectation of something creepy and cruel to come? In the end the book turned out to be not what I expected. It wasn’t bad or good, better described as a strong middle.
- 3 stars. It’s nice to read a cozy mystery series with a slightly different setting and characters origin. Apart from that, the book is not really different to lots of other books in the same genre.
- 4 stars. The snowy one was perfect for the season. I’m happy that even snow took some part in the story.

[Gord]

Alright, my final update of 2022. I basically took the week to just relax and read a lot of me reads this week.

-4 Stars
I'm now caught up again on the Kuma series or at least until the 5th of January. 11.5 was a collection of various short stories from the first nine volumes in the series. From my understanding these were all bonus stories that were sold in various stores as a bonus add on to the base novel. These stories were basically big events from various points in the story so far but instead of from the POV of the MC is from the POV of a different character. Some of them were pretty good and got a chuckle from me and some were just kind of meh. Volume 12 was a big one for me because this is where I finally get into some new content. I was originally following fan translations of the web novel back in the day before it got picked up for publication here in NA. The fan translations stopped right after the festival arc and we got just a hint of the next arc. Volume 12 finishes up the festival arc and we get more of a set up for the next arc. I'm super stoked for the next volume as this will be all brand new material for me and what should be a return to more adventuring.

-3 Stars
I'm super stoked to see season two of the anime starting here in the next week. I took some time this week to check out some more books in the series and to get a peek at what is coming up in the anime. These two books were kind of week honestly. Especially after what happened in volume 4. Volume 4 had this massive PVP battle in the game where you got to see Maple reveal her skills and just wipe the floor with her opponents. Volume 5 and 6 were basically two short volumes where the various characters checked out new content in the game, leveled up, gained some new skills, and just kind of messed around in the game. It's super chill and not a lot happens which isn't bad but after the last volume it just kind of felt like filler content. Sure Maple unlocked some new skills but it was nothing amazing like Machine God, Hydra, or Seeping Chaos. It even more frustrating when you get to the end of volume 6 and the story just stops mid event. They are working through this super difficult dungeon and after the second boss fight the book just ends. Give me more stuff like the dungeon and less filler feeling material please.

-5 Stars
I'm now caught up on the Hidden Legacy series until we get new content, if we get new content. This was another solid book in the series and just a great read. There were a few plot points that felt like they got a little rushed in the end just so they could be wrapped up but it wasn't horrible. Like many others I am now waiting for the Arabella trilogy part of the series. There was even a nice set up for it at the end of the book.

-3 Stars
This is one of the manga series I want to read in 2023 and I got a start on it now. I'm pretty familiar with the start of this series so this was kind of like a refresher for me. It's not a bad start to the story and I can't wait to read more.

-4 Stars
I'm totally not addicted to this series, nope, not at all. I totally didn't just read the next two books the same day I got them from the library. Joking aside this series is just a fun read for me. Sure there are some moments that might not be as good as others but when it's hitting it's stride the manga is some great content.

That's it for 2022 and I'm looking forward to even more great books in 2023.

[Elena]

@Gord love the amount of manga you've read during your week off.

[Elena]

I've started my year with one manga and a couple of cozy books :)

- 4 stars. It starts to become a little boring again. I think I'm going to take a break again. Though it's still gorgeous and extremely cute.
- 4 stars. For me it was a perfect book to start a new year on a cozy, cheerful, warm and heartfelt note.
- 3 stars. I loved that the main character in this book is Alison’s mother, but the mystery itself wasn’t as good as the other ones.

[Jo]

Finished my last reads of 2022 last night, they were:

, my final audiobook of the year. I enjoyed this one on the whole, Nellie Bly was an absolute fascinating woman and I have such admiration for what she did, so I loved reading about her and her experiences in the asylum, I will have to read 10 Days In A Madhouse at some point. However, the story on the whole was a little slow, I only really got into it once Nellie got to the asylum which was about halfway through the book. It also ended rather abruptly? I reached the end and was like, "Oh is that it?". I mean it's not that the story wasn't wrapped up or anything, but it just seemed to end at kind of a weird place.

The other was , and I have to admit I wasn't a fan of this one. It was kind of a dull instalment, not much happened until the end and I found it a little harder to follow than some of the other issues. I've still got two more issues from this arc to finish (and then I'm done with the series), so I'll probably get those done towards the end of this year when I'm scrambling to meet my Goodreads challenge goal again!

[Jo]

My first read of 2023, started on my weekly run is . I wanted to start the year off with something light and I loved Lauren Graham's previous memoir/essays book last year, so I'm looking forward to listening to this one!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Jo wrote: "That's a shame about How To Survive Your Murder Lili, that one's on my TBR. Hopefully I have better luck with it that you did!"

I hope you like it better than I did! I mean, it wasn't a bad book. The premise was really interesting, but idk, I didn't like the book as much as I thought I would.

[Brittany]

So much awesome reading. Too much for me to comment on