Tag: reading wrap-up

January 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

~ LynnDee ~ Leave a comment

This might be one of the most successful January’s I’ve had when it comes to reading! I’ll have to do some research of my reading stats so stay tuned to see if I’m right. Here’s what I read:

  • The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi #1) by Shannon Chakroborty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a fantasy about a lady pirate coming out of retirement to do one last job and then shenanigans ensue? Sign me up. I loved the world building, the characters, and the way the plot played out. Anxiously awaiting for the sequel!
  • After Delores by Sarah Schulman: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ this one is for the sapphic babes who love A24 films. I really liked the writing because when it it hit, it hit. And the way New York City was described made it feel like it was its own character. But overall, I felt disconnected from the main character, even though we were reading from her point of view.
  • Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody: I can’t say too much about this one because I reviewed it for Booklist but just know it’s a romantasy for the horse girls.
  • Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this one is for those of us who watched One Tree Hill religiously when it was on the CW. Bethany (aka Haley James Scott) recounts how she joined a cult while also filming the show, and the aftermath of leaving said cult. I definitely recommend this one on audiobook as she narrates it and other One Tree Hill actors make some appearances!
  • The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All (The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All #1) by Sumaki Arai: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is a manga about a teen who likes alt music and has a crush on an employee (thinking he’s a guy) at the local music store, but the employee turns out to be one of her female classmates. I don’t read a lot of manga so take my review with a grain of salt. The teen angst was real but I don’t know that the format is for me.
  • I Hate Fairyland, volume 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ being 37, if I was stuck in my 10 year old body and have been trying to escape a make-believe world for almost 3 decades, I also might become a little homicidal. This was a fun read but not memorable for me. I will continue with the series though.
  • One Dark Window (One Dark Window #1) by Rachel Gillig: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ my first 5 star of the year and what a banger. I loved everything about this–magic tied to the land, legends that might be real. I just needed a little bit more of the Spirit of the Wood.
  • Two Twisted Crowns (One Dark Window #2) by Rachel Gillig: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a great follow up to One Dark Window and a satisfying conclusion to the duology. I could still have used some more Spirit of the Wood though–like give me a book or a series with just her.

So that’s what I read in January! Have you read any of these? Let me know!

Until next time,

October 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

~ LynnDee ~ Leave a comment

We are already a week into Nonfiction November, but here are some stats and quick reviews of what I read in October!

The stats

    The books

    • The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: this is the first in a young adult series that has been likened to Knives Out. A teen girl finds out she’s inheriting like Elon Musk levels of money from some tycoon she’s never met and has to deal with his family who are NOT happy about it. The family includes a set of brothers and the girl (Avery) is attracted to two of them. I listened to this on audiobook and thought it was fine but I could have done without the love triangle aspect. I wasn’t compelled to continue with the series immediately but I may in the future.
    • Femina by Janina Ramirez: the subtitle of this one is “a new history of the Middle Ages through the women written out of it” and like yes, but also, no. I’m always drawn to titles about women’s history, so that’s why I picked this one up. I did enjoy it for the most part, but I just felt it was very Eurocentric with the women it focused on, and really English-centric if we want to be specific. While it was fascinating to learn about how women were more integral to medieval politics and society than we might think, I wish it had more of a worldview perspective to it.
    • Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman: this is a fiction novel about a drug that lets people see ghosts. It’s supposed to be a look at addiction and grief which like, it is, but the execution was just not great (poor writing, a lot of telling and not showing, boring characters) so it didn’t really have the affect on me that I think it was supposed to.
    • The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard #3) by Scott Lynch: this is the third in a series so no spoilers but this series is fun and I really like the banter and friendship between Locke and Jean. I do think this series could use an editor but overall it’s a good time.
    • Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas: yes, I have started ToG. And yes, I am enjoying it. Since this is book 2, no spoilers, but SJM just has a way of writing that makes me want to turn the pages. I did think the emotion felt over a certain character’s death was a little contrived, but overall I’m currently enjoying the series ride.
    • The Hidden Witch (The Witch Boy #2) by Molly Knox Ostertag: this is the second in a cute juvenile graphic novel series about a boy who wants to be a witch, even though in his community the men are shifters and the women are witches. This second book is about learning to trust others and found family.
    • Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang: this is both a biography and a historical account of the Republic of China and the rise of communism within it. Jung depicts both her grandmother’s history and her mother’s history alongside the shifting political background in China and how that affected their lives. This is was dense and intense, but ultimately captivating and insightful.

    So that’s what I read in October! You might have noticed that I only mentioned 7 books when I said I read 8, and that’s because one of them was an advanced reader’s copy of a title sent to me for review for Booklist, and the review hasn’t been published yet.

    Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know!

    Until next time,