What are you reading 2024

[Brittany]

Liliana wrote: "A couple of days ago I finished and I really enjoyed it! I didn't think it was as atmospherically creepy as Dead Silence, but it wasn't bad. I liked the story an..."

I agree about Britney's book. I enjoyed hearing things from her side, even if at the end of it I wanted more of it.

I'm so uncertain about reading Ghost Station when it's out

[Brittany]

Gord wrote: "Time for that weekly wrap up and I've been on a manga and comic tear this week so I have a few entries. Now some of these entries are going to be super short and sweet and for some I'll have a few ..."

So Secret, Book, & Scone Society series gets better as it goes? I liked book 1 well enough, wasn't sure if Id continue on but maybe I should.
Nice manga selections!
Also yay murderbot time!

[Brittany]

Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "My updates from last week.

Finally finished on audio. While the premise sounded awesome, I really didn't gel well with this one. I almost DNF'd a number of tim..."

Too bad One Dark Window didn't work for you. I agree the premise sounds great. Sucks you were bored with Eternal Ones, I know how much you've enjoyed the series. Hate when it takes so long for events to get moving like that.
Happy to hear Highly Suspicious worked for you, that's one I still want to get to eventually.

Yay for new SJM. I'm going to finally start that series in the next month or two and probably binge all 3.

[Brittany]

In the last week I finished these all 3ish stars except Archangel's Blade which got 4.

I'm at 17 books (10 novels 7 manga) already this year which is ridiculously high for me this early

[Gord]

Brittany wrote: "So Secret, Book, & Scone Society series gets better as it goes? I liked book 1 well enough, wasn't sure if Id continue on but maybe I should."

I would say that it has. There was something about the third that just worked for me. It was just something a bit more then your by the numbers cozy mystery.

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

Brittany wrote: "Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "My updates from last week.

Finally finished on audio. While the premise sounded awesome, I really didn't gel well with this one. I a..."

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on CC when you read it. My copy got delivered today so I'm super excited to dive into it tonight after work.

[Jo]

Brittany wrote: "Jo wrote: "Finished my first book of 2024, my audiobook hangover from last year and it was really fun, I had a great time reading it. Great characters, reall..."

I will!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

In the last couple of days I have finished and . These are the first two memoirs I have ever read and let me tell you, reading them back to back was not a good idea 😭 I don't want to say that I enjoyed these two books because that feels kinda icky given everything they went through. However, I was invested in their story from the start and appreciated how real they were about their lives and the abuse they suffered. But honestly, I am so ready to crawl back to my fantasy worlds where the pain is only fictional 😭

Which is why finally started . It's so nice being back in a fictional world. I'm really enjoying this! I will probably finish it tomorrow!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Brittany wrote: "Liliana wrote: "A couple of days ago I finished and I really enjoyed it! I didn't think it was as atmospherically creepy as Dead Silence, but it wasn't bad. I li..."

It definitely wasn't as good as Dead Silence, but it wasn't bad either.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Brittany wrote: "In the last week I finished these [bookcover:Between Sha..."

17 books in the first month of the year is not bad at all! Nice job!

[Brittany]

Thanks Lili then I probably wont bother with Ghost Station, I liked Dead Silence but didnt love it.

Also thanks! Im pretty impressed with 17 books myself.

Well done on reading 2 memoirs! There are some good ones out there.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked at myself for picking up not one, but two memoirs. Lol. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more, but I think I'm done with them for a long while. They are just really hard reads. At least the two I picked up were.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

So I finished and the ending had me STRESSED. The Six of Crows duology taught me that this author is not afraid to kill off characters and now I will never not be worried while reading one of her books 😩 Lol. But then I finished it and I was fine because the characters were fine... more or less. And then I started immediately after and I only made it two chapters in today, but omg things are so bleak again 😭 All that being said, I'm really enjoying myself. Lol. I'm loving this! Not as much as Six of Crows, but this is still good.

[Gord]

Bit of a smaller week for me this week as I'm still working on my audiobook.

The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash (Light Novel) Vol. 2 -4 Stars
I was not prepared for how good this book was. The first book felt like a bog standard slice of life in a fantasy world with a hint of isekai sprinkled in. Not horrible but nothing to write home about it. This book picks up the plot right from the end of the first book and just runs with it. The main plot of this book is the MC working with the two veteran adventuring groups that took her in to bust up a kidnapping slaver ring. These are the really bad kind of slavers who target kids not just for slavery but the extra mile shall we say. Yes, it's a random spot of really dark subject matter in this novel but I don't really hate it. It's not in your face about it and really bad things do happen. Man, this is going to sound so weird but hear me out. It's like some sort of twisted middle ground between the hyper innocence of something like My Little Pony and the soul destroying darkness of something like Berserk. Now this story is not without its flaws shall we say. First, and foremost, is the isekai aspect. Now in most isekai we get at least a glimpse of the person before they woke up in the fantasy world. They were a business man, an idol, a high school student, etc. It doesn't have to be a lot but we get some basic idea of who they were. In this one we never get that glimpse and that previous life kind of feels like a MacGuffin for the author. In the fantasy world we have this nine year old kid cooking up these strategies for everyone to use to bring down the slavers. Now the people do initially question things but after a while everyone just goes with but I want to know is how the previous life person knew how to do all this stuff. There are a lot of things that just feel like it's hand waved away by the author as something from the past life person. Cooking, trapping, cleaning, strategy, etc. It's far from a deal breaker and I doubt it will ever be explained but I am very curious. Regardless, our young MC has a bunch of character growth, makes a bunch of new friends, and brings down a slaver ring with ties all the way up to royal family. I really want the next volume to see where things go but no library has it and it could be months if I request it. There are only three more books in this series so I'm thinking of just buying them.

Forgotten in Death -5 Stars
More In Death and man this book was a good one. This had what felt like three cases on the go. Two that were linked to one victim and then a third that was essentially a cold case as it involved a corpse that was nearly 40 years old. It was interesting seeing all these different cases being worked through and that inevitable moment of justice as the bad guys are caught and broken by Eve. These books are just a fun read for me.

Made in Abyss, Vol. 1 -4 Stars
Made in Abyss, Vol. 2 -4 Stars
I am finally getting around to reading the official English release of this series and I am stoked. I initially read the fan translations of this series many years ago and I loved the world building in this series. This island in the middle of the ocean that contains an abyss under it that draws people in. How the abyss is so easy to access but oh so hard to leave. The deeper you go the harder it is to leave to the point where eventually you just can't leave the abyss. The lore around those brave souls that venture into this pit looking for artifacts and history. The red whistles that are essentially apprentices, the blue whistles that are leaders of the apprentices, the moon whistles for those that are teachers, the black whistles for those that can delve deep into the abyss, and finally the white whistles. Absolute monsters that travel deep within the abyss. Folks that are larger than legends and with abilities to back it up. Performing feats so far beyond human comprehension. At the core of this story is a young 12 year old girl venturing forth into the abyss to find her missing mother, a white whistle legend called Lyza "The Annihilator". Now I know some people take manga recommendations off of my reviews so I feel I need to give a warning for this series. I haven't gotten far but I know that this series gets extremely brutal and is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of trauma in this series and some of it is down right horrifying. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Now for that is next.
Network Effect
I'm about 60% of the way into this book and hoping to have it done today. I'm absolutely loving this book so far. More next week when I've got this done and I find out where things are going.

Tomb of the Queen
Now that I am getting caught up on my audiobooks I can start tackling my buddy reads that I need to catch up on. So many books to read and never enough time.

The Apothecary Diaries 09
The Drifting Classroom: Perfect Edition, Vol. 1
I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 6: Last Gert Standing
These are the three comics I want to focus on getting done this week as well.

[Gord]

Alright, an extra one for this week but I need to talk about Murderbot.

Network Effect -5 Stars
This book, oh this book was such a blast to read. I had some concerns going in as this was the first full length Murderbot book in a series of novellas. I had heard some mixed reactions to it but I can happily say that I really enjoyed it. If I really had to choose though I'd pick the novella format. I think it's just what I'm more used to and the format forces the book to really move. That being said this book did a couple of important things in my opinion. There was a ton of important character growth for Murderbot and for their relationship with ART. Speaking of ART *insert fangirling scream here* seeing these two characters just bounce off each other is awesome and probably my favorite part of the book. Outside of the great character moments this book does something else important. We get into what ART and his crew does and it's rather fascinating because it sets up so much potential for future story lines. Both in corporate space as well as out in the more unexplored regions of space. This series just has so much potential and that is such an odd thing to say when we are five books into it but it just feels like this series keeps unlocking new potential. I am so glad I finally picked up this series and gave it a try.

[Elena]

Another small update. To be honest, I was just too lazy to write anything, but I guess now it's the time.

- 4 stars. Basically the atmosphere and the narrative are as good as they were in the first book. I also love the science aspect and all the explanations. But this is exactly the case, when too many different things and concepts become overwhelming to the point where the story loses its charm and mystery.
- 5 stars. Oh my! I’m hooked! Jacks and Evangeline… Evangeline and Jacks… Their story is so captivating. Apart from the romantic line I’m really enjoying the narrative. It’s very easy to read yet complex and lyrical. Not to say that the plot is so engaging, I caught myself not even wanting to do anything before I finish the book. And I’m diving right into the next one!
- 3 stars. I don’t read descriptions or reviews before reading the book. So most of the time I just follow my intuition to pick the next one. In this case I loved the first 3 books in the series and wondered, what’s next? Rebel features other characters, I didn’t expect that and wanted something really different. I guess that affected my overall impression. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the world, the narrative, but the story itself not so much.
- 4 stars. Well, it was almost 5, but still 4. The book is so controversial and the topics it raises are very sensitive. The unease of the main character is palpable, the struggles are real. At first I thought that publishing another author’s work under your name is 100% bad, but while reading the book from June’s perspective you start to realize that even obvious things are not so obvious and straightforward, especially when it comes to intellectual property and co-authoring. As usual, Kuang surprised me with a twisty plot, exquisite writing style and the selection of topics.
- 4 stars. It was a re-read as I’m planning to continue the series, but it was a long time ago since I’ve read the first 2 books. It’s the darkest fantasy I’ve ever read. Not horrific, not horrible, not disgusting, but exactly dark with the most unlikeable characters. Yet somehow I ended up loving them so much! It’s so unusual to read the story from a POV of a very unattractive villain.
- 5 stars. I was craving something like that: scientific, realistic and unbelievable, dark, thrilling, mysterious, unpredictable and with a great love story. Even reading for the second time was an interesting adventure.

[Brittany]

Liliana wrote: "So I finished and the ending had me STRESSED. The Six of Crows duology taught me that this author is not afraid to kill off characters and now I will never not ..."

Lol I am enjoying your updates! Glad you're liking them!

[Brittany]

Liliana wrote: "Yeah, I was pretty shocked at myself for picking up not one, but two memoirs. Lol. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more, but I think I'm done with them for a long while. They are just really ha..."

Tom Felton's was a good one to listen to if you do look for another one

[Brittany]

Gord wrote: "Alright, an extra one for this week but I need to talk about Murderbot.

Network Effect -5 Stars
This book, oh this book was such a blast to rea..."

YES!! I love the growth between Murderbot and ART. I love the feelings that show up in this one, that terrible f word Murderbot wishes they didnt have.


Also great update in general. Made in Abyss does sound good, might see if I can find it anywhere.

[Brittany]

Elena wrote: "Another small update. To be honest, I was just too lazy to write anything, but I guess now it's the time.

- 4 stars. Basically the atmosphere and the narrative..."

Im jealous you get to jump straight into book 3 after finishing The Ballad of Never After. I hated waiting for that one! Happy you've been enjoying the series so much.

[Gord]

Another week and more books. As has been the theme for a while now it will be a lot of manga and comics again this week. As mentioned before I am in a cycle right now with the library where I'm getting slammed with manga and comics. I'm nearly caught up as I run into more wait queues and the end of what the library has available. Soon I'll be back to reading more novels.

Spartan Frost -3 Stars
I had a craving for a novel but I was busy with other stuff so I compromised and read a novella. Not a lot to really say about this as it was super short. It basically covers what Logan has been up to after the end of the last novel. Basically Logan wakes up, tags along with his dad, gets into a fight with Reapers, decides to go back to school and Gwen. That's it, that's all. It wasn't bad but it didn't really do much either.

Now for all the manga/comics stuff

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 6: Last Gert Standing -5 Stars
I was browsing Hoopla and noticed the latest edition in this series was out and I had to read it. I love this franchise and just how absolutely unhinged things are. This comic kind of broke my brain trying to figure out how the results of certain actions are going to play out. I'm not going to spoil anything as this is a new comic but lets just say it involves all sorts of timey wimey things. I mean Fairlyland has always played by its own rules but this one was... odd. Cool, but very odd. I'm totally in for more of this franchise and I need the next volume when ever it comes out.

The Apothecary Diaries 09 -4 Stars
More of this series and it was everything I wanted. Maomao solving mysteries, hints at greater mysteries, etc. The series is great and I love it.

The Drifting Classroom: Perfect Edition, Vol. 1 -4 Stars
I have been waiting a long while for my copy of this edition and I have some mixed feelings about this one. A lot of my issues with this manga stem from it's age which is something I kind of forget when reading it. I'm not a big fan of the art style for this subject matter. This manga first started publication in 1972 which places it somewhere between something like Astroboy and the manga we know today. I just don't like it for the horror genre and that opinion is influenced by modern horror. The weird loop I get stuck in is that modern horror is influenced by this author and my brain just kind of short circuits after a while. Basically this art style doesn't have that impact that I expect from a horror manga. That experience of turning a page and having an image burned into your nightmares for the next week just isn't here. The story kind of shows it age as well but once the story gets rolling it's pretty interesting. Basically an elementary school disappears one day with all the students and staff in the school. It's discovered that the school, and all in it, have been transported to the future somehow. There are a lot of plot lines going on in this story. You have the future thing, the local wildlife and fauna, the mental breakdown of people when faced with the reality of the situation. I feel that the author may have been influence by Lord of the Flies. Lets just say the adults didn't last long and there are a lot of kids that get messed up in this manga. That and kids can't really fly no matter how much they believe they can. I'm super curious where this manga is going and I can't wait for the next one. I guess that is another nice thing about a book from '72, I don't have to wait for the next one to be published.

Sakamoto Days, Vol. 9 -4 Stars
I said this back when I first started this series but this volume really makes me want to see this series made into an anime. The action scenes in this manga are mind blowing and seeing them animated by the right studio would be wild. I'm kind of salivating at the thought of it honestly. The story is alright, it kind of gets lost in all the action and the large roster of characters. Now this could also be due to the fact that I had a large break between volumes and my memory is kind of rusty. Regardless, I can't wait for the next one.

Dark Gathering, Vol. 2 -4 Stars
Dark Gathering, Vol. 3 -4 Stars
Last time I talked about the first volume I mentioned that this was a blend of the cute and the horrifying. I might have been a wee bit off on that one. This series is just straight up horror and I'm down for it. This story is interesting and I want to know more. It kind of has a monster of the week vibe while also being clear that there are at least two different overarching stories that are motivating our characters forward. The horror elements right now have an urban myth kind of feel to them that is super fun and the third volume ended at a point that really has me wanting the next volume. It kind of ended on a cliffhanger that is potentially the biggest threat we've seen the whole series so far and maybe a new group member (???). The unfortunate side of things is that there is only one more volume available and then I'm back at the mercy of the library again.

Now for what is next

Tomb of the Queen
I'm about halfway through this one and I'm reserving my judgement currently. Compared to a normal urban fantasy this is a longer book at nearly 500 pages and it kind of feels like it. I feel that a normal urban fantasy has a pretty snappy pace to it overall. This book really feels like it's taking its time to set up a lot of different things. I feel like a lot of elements have been set up and now I have to see if the payoff was worth the wait. Not to sure what is next or if I'm getting to it this week. This is 14.5 hours long so I still have a fair bit of book to get through.

Outside of that is, say it with me now, more manga and comics. I know, I know, it never ends but I am getting caught up, I swear, maybe, ignore the latest stack of manga I just got.

[Brittany]

Nice update Gord. Ive started the anime for Apothecary Diaries and enjoying it so far. One day maybe Ill get the manga, it isnt digital through the library though and not sure about physical.
I still agree Sakamoto Days would make a fun anime. I need to get back to reading that manga.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Finished last week and while I enjoyed this for the most part, I definitely liked it less than Shadow and Bone. The beginning was exciting and so was the end, but the middle was filled with political stuff and war strategy. And while it wasn't uninteresting, I was just wanting more action. Lol.
I'll be starting tomorrow though so we'll see how that goes.

[Brittany]

That is about how I felt about it too Lili. And well I hate Mal so I had a struggle with it.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

You do?! I actually really liked him... at first. But yeah, he was frustrating in the second book. The issues he and Alina were having were really annoying. And I also didn't appreciate the threat of a love triangle lol

[Brittany]

I'd have liked the original trilogy better without his existence. When you finish if you want my rant Ill share.

[Brittany]

I started today on audio and so far its really good. Bonus its read by Saskia Maarleveld!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Okay, so I finished yesterday and it was fine. I did not like this as much as I did Six of Crows, unfortunately, but I also didn't hate it. Lol. I do like the world and the magic, but idk... the political stuff and the frustrating relationship between Mal and Alina did not do it for me. For those of you who have read the King of Scars series, how much did you guys like it compared to SaB and SoC??

I'm taking a break from the Grishaverse because I've been craving some sci-fi horror. I'm about a third of the way into and so far it's okay. I am intrigued by the mystery.

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Brittany wrote: "I'd have liked the original trilogy better without his existence. When you finish if you want my rant Ill share."

Please do share! I am so curious! I didn't exactly hate him, but I did not enjoy the will-they-wont-they of their relationship. It was annoying.

[Brittany]

First, King of Scars was amazing and you should absolutely read it. I have a hard time saying which duology I like better.

Okay rant with spoilers for shadow and bone trilogy incoming (view spoiler)[
Mal is the only person Alina has ever really had to rely on and he only comes back to her when it is convenient. She craves acceptance but he makes her feel unimportant so much of the time in the early books. He is also so damn jealous. He cant love her for her. If she is more than him, with her Grisha powers he is constantly whining. He doesnt really accept her until she loses those powers and he can "protect" her. He is selfish and only cares about what he wants. He orders her when he can, never seems to care about her feelings or ask how she is doing. He blames her for his choices. He only wants her once someone else shows interest.
Mal is a boring character who causes so much heartache for no reason. Alina has better relationships with everyone else. I'd have loved for her to end up with the early version of the Darkling at least he accepted her power. Even if he wanted to control it.
Alina was never good enough for Nikolai for me which is why I didnt like that potential. Nik is such an interesting character and only gets moreso which is why you should read king of scars.


I didnt write this rant but I rather like it https://www.reddit.com/r/Grishaverse/... (hide spoiler)]

[Brittany]

It has been years since I read it so I was sad I didnt have my original rants. Then I remembered the group read in this group. So if you want more thoughts, read this thread
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Gord]

I'm back for some more updates and this time I have novels to talk about.

Tomb of the Queen -4 Stars (really 3.5 but I rounded up)
This was a buddy read for one of my groups and this was an odd one. It was an urban fantasy and this was a long novel. It was 500ish pages which for an urban fantasy novel is rather long. This book had a lot of ground to cover though which would explain the longer page count. This book felt like a 500 page novel. That is a weird statement but hear me out. There are some long books that feel like you are reading something a lot shorter and then there are some shorter books that feel like they are a lot longer then they are. This book felt exactly like it should. This statement can apply to pretty much everything in this book. There was some interesting ideas in this book, the MC was interesting, etc, etc, etc but none of it really jumped up and excelled or shined. Take the MC for instance, I enjoyed her nerdy charm but I wouldn't be fanboying if she kicked down the door like some like Eve Dallas or Mercy Thompson. Don't get me wrong I would be down for some coffee and book discussions though. Same with most of the twists. It spent a lot of the book building up these reveals and they delivered exactly what they promised. There was only one twist that caught me off guard and even then my reaction was more "huh, that makes sense". I know it sounds like I'm panning the novel but it was legit entertaining. Yes, it was kind of middle of the road but it was solid. I can't really point to anything that I didn't like or that annoyed me. I'm going to read the second one and see where this series goes.

Abandoned in Death -5 Stars
One step closer to finally getting caught up with this series. I can see the end, it should be this year, as long as the series doesn't get crazy popular and I have a massive wait list blocking me. As for this book it was another solid read giving me want I want from this series. The mystery was both a ticking clock situation where you have a victim that needs to be saved and a cold case that involved the back story of the big baddie. This cold case, back story, was rather sad but also heartwarming. Just another great read in this series.

The Great Cleric (Manga) Vol. 5 -4 Stars
More of this fun popcorn series. We are starting to get to the point where story elements got trimmed for the anime and it's about the point that I figured it would be. The anime, and this series, has a few moments where you would have a large time skip. You would be reading along and suddenly you would be 8 months into the future. It makes sense here because the MC doesn't step into this fantasy world with the powers of a god. He has to train and work his but off to get ahead. As for what was cut, basically the last half of this volume was cut. It was basically a lot of training. He was learning to ride horses, Lumina and her regiment were gone on a mission, etc.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Book 1 -4 Stars
I finished this one this morning and I have two trains of thought that have been warring in my head most of the morning. This is a reread for me and I have a lot of fond memories of this series. This was the big magic girl series for me. This was series that made the whole magic girl things make sense to me. I didn't read it when this first came out as my anime/manga nerd side hadn't woken up at that point in my life. According to Goodreads I first read this seven years ago but I swear I read it before then as well. My first time reading this was with fan translations if I remember correctly. I just have a lot of memories and nostalgia tied up in this series so rereading this was a lot of fun.

That being said there are a lot of really problematic elements in this volume and I have no idea how I never noticed these the first time. Basically these all revolve around romance. On the tame side of things we have the MC, ten years old, crushing on a boy five years older then her. Not really a big deal here. Then we have the MC's best friend crushing on her. Again, pretty innocent lesbian romance until you realize that they are first cousins. Relax, put away the banjos, nothing comes of this outside of feelings. Then there is the MC's mother who got married at sixteen, to her teacher, who was twenty five. There is a lot to unpack here that is just yikes. Then we get to the really bad. One of the MC's classmates talks about dating someone older than her. It's later revealed that it's their teacher who gives this girl an engagement ring. A ten or eleven year old child is engaged to an adult. Where do I even start with this. From what I've read, understand I haven't dug to deep into this, CLAMP wanted to portray true love as a pure love that is not restricted by things like age, gender, etc which on a surface level is kind of sweet but at the same time rather dangerous especially considering the target audience of this manga which is young girls. I do plan to keep reading this as I have a lot of nostalgia tied up in this series but it would have felt wrong to not talk about these elements this time around.

Now, what is next on my list of never ending books.

Ink and Shadows
Once again this series comes in clutch to fill a monthly challenge slot. Not that it took a lot to really twist my noodly arm to read more in this series especially after the last one. I started reading this one my walk yesterday and I'm interested to see this books take on the topics it's tackling which are CBD and book banning.

After that it's more, say it with me now, manga and comics. I have the original Dragonball, a new isekai series, and a romance comic. On top of that I have a nonfiction book looking into the history of sc-fi movie posters ranging from the silent movie era up to the first Star Wars movie. I'm really looking forward to this one as I have a soft spot for some of that old art.

[Brittany]

Nice update Gord. I still need to make time for Tomb of the Queen. Ive never read cardcaptor but yeah those relationships sound all kinds of problematic.

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

I can't even remember when my last update was. I think I was reading which I rated 4.5 stars. It was so cute.

Also read I rated this one 4 stars. It was a good instalment, but I found that there was pacing issues for me in the second half. It was a good 150-200 pages longer than it needed to be.

Finished an ARC of I haven't given this one a proper rating as it's not actually a novel. It's a companion with information on the world/list of characters/gods etc with a few bonus scenes. Will be very useful for when I read the next book because my memory is terrible and it has some good recaps in it.

Finished and absolutely loved it. 5 stars. It's got mystery and intrigue and is fast paced and action packed. Loved the setting of Egypt. It had some serious Mummy vibes and as that's my favourite movie I was bound to love this one.

[Elena]

Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "I can't even remember when my last update was. I think I was reading which I rated 4.5 stars. It was so cute."

Nice update! What The River Knows was on my TBR for ages, now reading your thoughts I'm so tempted to start it :D

[Elena]

I also don't even remember when I last updated, but I guess let's try to keep the tradition :)

3 stars. The first book was new and fresh, the second not so much. It becomes very repetitive, everyone is so beautiful, Callypso and Desmond are so in love and powerful, sex is so amazing, and so on. The antagonist is annoying and boring. The whole soulmate and bond idea didn’t click. I still love the narrative though.
“Never apologize for loving someone. Even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.” 5 stars. Oh my, how to put it? It was a long time since I’ve read something so emotional. Great, interesting, captivating, definitely unputdownable and so unique! And I didn’t know that I’ve already read another series by the author and liked it too. Though The Prison Healer is more mature, solid and better-crafted. Loved every page!
5 stars. Again, interesting chapter of the vast Dune universe, featuring mentats. There are lots of political lines, many different perspectives, I love the pacing yet again. When you have a solid understanding of the history of Dune, it’s much easier to concentrate on the plot, all the twists and turns, and the hot mess that the human race created after defeating thinking machines. Well crafted, solid sci-fi series I’m currently deeply in love with.
5 stars. Some time ago I read the original Hades x Persephone series and almost loved it. Interesting thing is that I love Hades’ perspective more. Basically this series describes the same events, but from Hades' POV. It still has issues (obviously), but somehow his perspective makes more sense. And I love the narration a lot, the author got Hades’ character very accurately.
3 stars. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the second installment as much as the first one. The narration is brilliant, the plot is still crazy and hilarious. The whole idea is bizarre. I laughed a lot while reading, but that was more situational. As a whole I guess here is the case, when too much goodness leads to not a very good book. Unfortunately, it didn't click, but I want to continue reading the series as it has a lot of potential.

[Brittany]

Elena I totally agree about Prison Healer. Loved the whole trilogy but the first was my fave.

[Gord]

Another week and another stack of books behind me.

The Art of Classic Sci-Fi Movies: An Illustrated History -4 Stars
This was an absolute treat to read. As the title implies this is more or less an art book of all sorts of movie posters stretching from the first silent films up to the release of Star Wars. It touched on directors, artists, styles, and popular (or not so popular) movies. We would get to see movie posters from around the world for the same film and how it things were changed with different rules and different size requirements. Like I said, just an interesting read and if this intrigues you in the slightest, go read it.

Ink and Shadows -4 Stars
I read this to help with a challenge but it didn't take a whole lot of effort to twist my arm into reading this series. This series has really grown on me from the first book and I love this weird little niche that it sits in. Not a full fledged cozy but at the same time no where near as intense as a full fledged thriller. I enjoy a good cozy mystery but there are so many that just kind of feel like clones of each other. This series also isn't afraid to tap into current issues but it doesn't feel like it's being rammed down my throat. In this one it touched on the issues of religion and it's attempt to ban books they deem "offensive". Of course our MC has a strong opinion on this seeing as she is a bookstore owner and just in general a lover of books. There is also a murder that needs to solve and this is where it gets another bonus point from me. In a lot of cozy mysteries the MC inserts themselves into mystery for reasons even if it doesn't really fit the character. For instance and introverted baker suddenly grilling people on poisons, doesn't really make sense for the character. In this one the police are running the investigation and the MC investigates certain points that she is either involved with or curious about. Sometimes she finds things that might help the police. Other times she just discovers things that the police already know but haven't made public. Then there is just the slice of life stuff that happens in everyday life. Her friendship with the other members of her club, her old life popping up in this one, and just stuff like that. It's this great blend of all these elements that just feels good to read.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1: Includes vols. 1, 2 & 3 -4 stars
This is the other manga series I'm rereading this year with Cardcaptor Sakura. It's been several years since I read the original Dragon Ball and I think the last time I read it they were fan translations. This series originally started in the 80's and I have to day that it holds up pretty well. The art still looks good, the story is good, the characters are interesting. The humor is a bit juvenile but for time it came out and the target audience is younger so it makes sense. Now I've never really got into this series like others have. Outside of reading the original Dragon Ball manga my knowledge is limited to pop culture osmosis and memes. The biggest change I wasn't ready for was the decision to stick to the original names. I know certain characters by their English names like Krillin but in this book his name is Kiririn. The Nimbus also has it's original name as well, I can't remember it off the top of my head and I've already returned the manga. I'm looking forward to my read through of this series and maybe I'll even continue on to the other content after the original manga.

If You'll Have Me -4 Stars
This was one of those random snags from the library and it was a super cute book. It's a sapphic romance about two opposites attracting towards each other and overcoming their personal hangups. If you think the comic looks interesting then give it a try.

I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 1 -3 Stars
I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 2 -3 Stars
This was another random series I stumbled across at the library and I'm a bit of a sucker for isekai manga/light novels. It's... alright. I think this series has some potential but I don't feel like it has hit its stride quite yet. As the title implies our MC accidentally got summoned to another world with some other folks. He wasn't supposed to be part of this summoning and the original target was immediately swept off the be trained on his duties as the "Hero" who will perform a certain ceremony to reunite all the different factions of this world. It's pretty clear right away that they are training the wrong guy and the real hero is our MC. There is also implications of shady factions at play who may or may not want this ceremony to fail. Regardless our MC lives a quiet life in this fantasy world while accidentally attracting the attention of very powerful and beautiful women. I very much see a harem happening where our MC gets surrounded by all these various powerful characters which will lead to the unification of the factions. I'm also very much curious about this shadowy plot that has only been teased up until this point. I'll keep reading just to see how this all goes but I don't expect this series to be this super awesome and amazing thing either.

Now, what is next

Snowed In
This is my next audiobook and this is purely a challenge book. This book looks to help kick start some long stalled challenges which is good. It's a YA contemporary romance set around Christmas and I'm not expecting much of anything from this book honestly. This is very much one of those situations where I'm plugging my nose and just taking the plunge. It's short and I can finish this in under a week.

On the physical book side of things I'm still working through my never ending stack of manga and comics from the library.

[Brittany]

Nice update Gord. I've never read the DragonBall manga but iI was a huge DBZ fan of the anime as a kid. Interesting that they kept the names like that.

[Gord]

I think the name thing is an effort to undo the localization of the 90's and return the material to the original state. There is more of a demand for better translations and better localization now a days.

[Brittany]

Gord wrote: "I think the name thing is an effort to undo the localization of the 90's and return the material to the original state. There is more of a demand for better translations and better localization now..."

Very true. I appreciate that the demand for better exists

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Brittany wrote: "First, King of Scars was amazing and you should absolutely read it. I have a hard time saying which duology I like better.

Okay rant with spoilers for shadow and bone trilogy incoming ..."

Oooh you make some very good points! I never thought about him in that way, but you're so right! Though I definitely liked him more than you did. Lol. He had his good moments, but overall he was a frustrating character. Though I can't say Alina was much better, in my opinion 👀 I liked the series overall and enjoyed getting to know that world better, but it's nowhere near as good as Six of Crows! And I'm definitely going to be reading King of Scars! I was asking because I wanted to know where I should be aiming my expectations 😂 I'm very excited to start that duology though!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Gord wrote: "Another week and another stack of books behind me.

[book:The Art of Classic Sci-Fi Movies: An Illustrated History|797..."

Ooh fun! I was also a huge DBZ fan! I've been keeping up with the anime up until Super, but have never read the manga. Maybe one day lol

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Last week I read and it was a good book. Nothing amazing though. I liked the mystery and I really enjoyed the horror element. However, I just didn't connect with the characters. But it was good for what it was. I was wanting horror, and it definitely delivered.

Up next... I don't know. I thought I wanted more horror but now I'm thinking of switching over to some contemporary romance?? I don't know what my mood is doing 🤦‍♀️😂 We'll see what tomorrow brings lol.

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

Elena wrote: "I also don't even remember when I last updated, but I guess let's try to keep the tradition :)

3 stars. The first book was new and fresh, the second not so much..."

I am so glad you loved The Prison Healer. It's one of my favourite series.

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

Just a small update from me this week. I didn't read much with me being back to work.

- read this for my book club and I'm so glad this was chosen. I absolutely loved it. It has plus size rep, the characters are in their mid to late 30s (which i find isn't done very often in romance so I loved that) and it has a cosplay/fan fiction plot in it which I loved. 5 stars.

- DNF'd this one. I'd been listening to it for a month and has just grown bored with it. I might go back to it at some point but for now I'm done with this series. It should have been a standalone in my opinion. It felt drawn out in this one so not sure how it goes on for another 3 books.

[Brittany]

Liliana wrote: "Brittany wrote: "First, King of Scars was amazing and you should absolutely read it. I have a hard time saying which duology I like better.

Okay rant with spoilers for shadow and bone trilogy inco..."

I agree Alina isn't that much better hence (view spoiler)[ why she would never be good enough for Nikolai! (hide spoiler)] Look forward to all your thoughts on King of Scars

[Brittany]

Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "Just a small update from me this week. I didn't read much with me being back to work.

- read this for my book club and I'm so glad this was chosen. I absolutely ..."

Never a good sign when it feels drawn out by book 3 and that it should be over but there are 3 more books to go...

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Brittany wrote: "Liliana wrote: "Brittany wrote: "First, King of Scars was amazing and you should absolutely read it. I have a hard time saying which duology I like better.

Okay rant with spoilers for shadow and b..."

Oh I completely agree with you!! I'm definitely going to start it sometime this month!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

I finished last week and... good god I almost DNF'd it. I am so bad at DNFing books, and I wish I wasn't because this book just made me mad. This was pitched as this sort of romantic adventure... NO!! It's just a romance and not a good one at that. I have said this many times, but romances, where the relationships have no substance and rely heavily on physical attraction (that felt forced at that), are the worst! And this book was exactly that! I liked the premise and was very excited about all the Aztec stuff, but the romance and constant objectification of the characters drove me insane! It was the worst!

Immediately after finishing that ⬆️ disaster, I started because I needed a romance that was done right. Plus, I knew I was going to love this one since I love pretty much anything Marissa Meyer writes. Lol. I'm about halfway through with this one and I am really enjoying it! It's cute and it's nerdy and I swear, I was 3 pages into With a Little Luck when I wanted to cry with relief because this book was so much better 😭

I also started . I'm about 60 pages into this one and it's very interesting so far! But this one is nonfiction, so it might take me a while to get through it.