I have been scrolling the internets (as one does when one is attempting to avoid ones responsibilities) and stumbled across this rather peculiar trend: people declaring what they want to see “in” for the year, and also what they would like to see less of for the year. I figured I could jump on this particular bandwagon. Why not? Might be fun. So, with no explanation, and all the opinions this librarian can muster, here are my bookish ins and outs for 2024.
And there you have it. What are your thoughts? What would you add to this list?
Well hello everyone! And how are you doing today? Me, I’m doing pretty well. The hubs, the roommate, and I are all adapting to being, well, roommates. It’s going pretty well so far in the sense that no one has died from food poisoning…yet. She reads my blog and will be highly offended by that!
I also celebrated my birthday yesterday! So far, 43 is a lot like 42, except now I’m not a Douglas Adams reference anymore. The hubs and I did see a great movie called The Creator last night. It has a few plot holes, but we really enjoyed the movie. It was filmed largely in real-world locals, not green screen, so the scenery was spectacular. If you like original Sci-Fi stories, you might want to give this one a shot.
But on to the books!
I read 7 books in September.
Yours Truly still resonates with me a month later. It was one of the first books I read in September. The main male protagonist has some pretty bad anxiety, and I can relate to that. Abby Jimenez did a great job covering both of her character’s mental health issues. However if you aren’t a fan of the “they should just talk about this but don’t” trope, you may not like it.
Dating Dr. Dil has some fabulous Aunties in it. This book made me laugh and I can’t wait to read the sequel, which is out, just not on audiobook, which is how I want to read it. Sigh.
True Biz is a book about a deaf school and the community surrounding it. It has a lot of interesting perspectives in it and my book club had a lot of interesting and insightful things to say on the topic! It was a great read! I co-read (audio and physical at the same time) as there are actual depictions of sign language in the book.
Back in a Spell is the third book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series. Lana Harper is not scared of featuring diverse relationships in her stories, and this one was no exception, what with a pansexual female protagonist and a nonbinary (uses he/them pronouns) protagonist. It was a very good read and I will be venturing back to Thistle Grove for book four!
The Love Con was a book I really wanted to like, and I think if I had not read the audiobook, I probably would have. I will say that while stories about reality TV shows are not my favorite and that I usually DNF them, I did finish this one so, draw forth from that what you will. The narrator for the audiobook was just lacking something. I have the physical copy, so I may give it another try in the future.
Better Than Fiction was a fun romp into found family, actual family, and a truly chaotic bookstore situation. I found myself getting genuinely angry on behalf of the female protagonist every time her father appeared. I really enjoyed this read!
Go Hex Yourself was the second witchy book I read last month and I loved it. It was fun! I will say this much though, I had to look up the book to see what it was about because I forgot! So fun, but not hugely memorable.
The Matzah Ball was my one DNF this month. The writing style was great and I liked the female protagonist. That being said, the male main protagonist starts acting terribly towards her about halfway through in a way that I couldn’t stand behind. I know he would probably redeem himself, but women going on to be with men who treat them cruelly in some way just doesn’t sit right with me.
Well hello everyone! How have you all been? My life has been crazy. Between a back injury, a cruise, COVID-19, and a new roommate (the Hubs is still here, don’t worry!!) it’s been a little nuts.
Are we back to normal yet? Absolutely not. But I’m getting to read a bunch (audiobooks are my friend here recently!) so that is helping with everything.
But I thought I would share some of the good books I’ve enjoyed lately!
True Biz is one of those books that kind of sneaks up on you. I started listening to the audiobook but realized co-reading this book would be best. The pages have some actual sign language on them and it’s very interesting.
Yours Truly is an example of a sequel I enjoyed more than the first book. This romance has a lot of heart and deals with mental health issues really well.
Dating Dr. Dil was a fun romp, steamy as all get out, and the Aunties! Omg my goodness, the Aunties!! If you like romance that has interfering family members, read this, it’s great!
I’ve read Project Hail Mary before and loved it. I loved the audiobook of it this time around as well. They did a fun voice effect for you know who (if you know, you know).
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was one of the funniest books I have read in a very long time. Mrs. Wong is absolutely the interfering mom/grandma/auntie type, and I loved it.
The Savior’s Book Cafe in Another World was a cute manga series that I absolutely devoured. I discovered it on TikTok (I was influenced!) and I don’t regret it! It’s sweet and all the main characters want to do is read! It was a match made in heaven.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich was so adorable. It made me want to eat all the cheese for sure, but above all that, it’s a sweet love story.
Two Wrongs Make A Right is a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing and I couldn’t have been more impressed. I think it handled the neurodivergency well, and was pretty steamy! Also, I have two fake dating stories on this list, I love that trope!
I’ve been averaging about 6 books a month this year, which is down from last year, but I’m not mad at it because any amount of reading is still a good amount of reading!
Let’s just all admit that my posting schedule is going to be sporadic and insane, because reasons. But hey, more time for reading, right?
Speaking of reading, how about going over what I read in January?
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam was a book club read and I did not enjoy it. It has such an interesting premise: A family goes on vacation to the middle of nowhere long island when a few days into it a couple claiming to be the owners of the house they rented show up in the middle of the night claiming something terrible has happened on the east coast. It was one of those things where I didn’t enjoy the writing, the ending, or the characters. This book was not for me. But it clearly has an audience because it is being made into a Netflix movie set to air later this year.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick on the other hand was amazing. I have been spouting this story’s virtues to anyone who would listen, including my mother and she doesn’t even read! Everyone in the world over the age of 22, and then once they hit 22, gets a mysterious box that has a string in it. This string represents the measure of your life. It begs the question, how would society act with this newfound information? It was amazing. Didn’t I say that already? I highly recommend it.
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood was a fun compilation of novellas set in the Steminist series. Each one has a different plot, however, I have noticed that Ali Hazelwood tends to write different versions of the same romance trope: enemies to lovers. I know it’s a common trope and that lots of romance authors use it, but seems that is all she does. It’s a little disheartening. Not gonna stop me from buying the next book though.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is the cozy, sapphic, fantasy read I needed while I was on a plane ride. It was a great story about a queen’s guard who runs away to be with her mage lover and opens a tea/book shop in a small town. It is available on KU if you are curious and I do recommend it.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nigh Vo is the second story in the Singing Hills Cycle. They are short series of novellas about a non-binary traveling monk who roams around collecting stories. I really enjoy this series and have already bought the third one!
Once Upon A December by Amy E. Reichert was an adorable holiday rom-com about a mystical traveling Christmas market. It was okay? I started reading it when I was on my holiday trip with family and didn’t finish it until the end of January…because I forgot I was reading it. Sigh. Not a rousing endorsement, I know.
Pilu of the Woods by Mui K. Nguyen is a cute, middle-grade graphic novel that has to do with facing those not-so-nice feelings we all get. Oh, and magical tree spirits. It was adorable and fluffy and made me smile.
Taproot by Keezy Young is a heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel about a gardener who sees ghosts. This also made me smile.
Princess Princess Ever After by K O’Neill is yet another middle-grade graphic novel. I have got to spend less time on cozy fantasy TikTok. That’s where I found all three of these. I really enjoy K O’Neill’s work and think it’s quite sweet. A good time had by all…er me!
The Sandman Vol One: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman and various artists was something I had been meaning to get to for a while but had never managed to quite make it to. I’m glad I finally hunkered down and read it, it’s so good! The art is stunning and the story is fantastic. And no, I haven’t watched the Netflix series, I do have the audiobooks though.
The best book I read this month was The Measure, hands down. It was spectacular and I think everyone should read it.
Ya’ll, I meant to post this on Saturday! I forgot to schedule the post! I am so, so very special. I’m gonna go have a cup of tea now.
Welp, Halloween is over and all I’m left with is this pumpkin cheesecake. I take comfort in that. Well, also in the 12 books I read. Almost all of them anyway.
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling picks up where the Ex Hex left off, this time the focus is on Gwyn Jones and Wells Penhallow. It was a wonderful follow-up and I couldn’t have been happier to have been in the world of Graves Glen again. What a great sequel. If you like the Ex Hex, you will love this!
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher is the first book at the start of a brand new supernatural romance series about werewolves and witches. This one had to do with supernatural politics in a way I wasn’t expecting. Don’t worry, it’s still a rom-com. It was a fun read and I really enjoyed it.
Well Played by Jen DeLuca is the second entry in a series of rom-coms centering around a renaissance festival. I am enamored with the world the author has created and may have already finished the third book. I am also thankful there is a fourth book in the series coming out in December.
From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper is another sequel (I usually have a hard time reading sequels, what is going on?) that takes place in a town called Thistle Grove where the magic is held by four families. This time a fellow witch is attacked and members of two rival families must team up to solve the caper! I loved it! Thistle Grove sounds like a fantastic tourist spot!
If you want to read a cozy fantasy graphic novel, The Tea Dragon Society series by K. O’Neill is the way to go. This middle-grade story is adorable and I read all three in one go! It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited so you can enjoy it there. And how cute are those dragons?
Now meet the books I wasn’t too crazy about.
I know people are loving it, but I just didn’t like Fairy Tale by Stephen King. His writing style and I just don’t get along. I may try this one again later, as so many of the ladies in my book club enjoyed this one.
How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villany by AJ Sherwood was a choice. The wizard is very eccentric and the knight is very quick to just go along with everything the wizard says. It’s also absurdist comedy, which may be why they do that, but it wasn’t for me. I say that, but I read the whole thing.
Three Swedish Mountain Men by Lily Gold was a book I read. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I like my romance stories to have a plot, but this one was barely there. If why choose stories are up your alley, give it a shot. But nope. Not again!
The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Maris was a book I was really into until the third plot twist happened in the first half of the book. It was just a few too many plot twists for me.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean was just a wrong book wrong time kind of thing. I didn’t get very far into it, but I am determined to try again because the plot is about a family that eats books, and then here comes the kid who eats brains? Yes, I want to like that.
And that’s how my reading month went. How did yours go?
So Sundays In Bed With… is a meme hosted by Midnight Book Girl. It’s an opportunity to share what book is by your bed (or by your current resting space) at the moment. I happened across this meme on Wicked Witch’s Blog. She’s almost done with her Blogtober posts so go give her a follow! She’s fantastic!
Also, I can’t believe we have made it to the end of October! What a crazy month it’s been. The weather has finally turned here and fall has actually arrived which means cooler temps, rainy days, and, unfortunately, headaches. The migraines have been making their presence felt this season. But, I have been able to walk to work a lot, which has been fabulous. The crisp fall air does wonders for my mental health and it also means I can listen to an audiobook for the short walk to work.
Speaking of audiobooks, my current listen is Legends and Lattes. I’ve been listening to this cozy fantasy everywhere I go, or don’t go. I’ve been listening to it while I prep for my next D&D session on the sofa. It seemed appropriate. I’m also thinking of switching to the paperback copy that I have, as I want to know what happens faster than the audiobook can get to it!!!
Here’s the blurb:
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success ― not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
As a side note if you decide to read/listen to this the way the author, Travis Baldree, describes the food in this book is positively sinful. It makes me want to go raid a bakery every time I hear him describe something.
It’s fall, y’all! That means it’s time for apple cider, comfy sweaters, and cozy blankets…if you live somewhere that isn’t Texas. We still do pumpkin patches and hayrides though!!!
I saw this book tag on Book Are 42 (I love that blog name) and she was tagged by someone else, but I couldn’t track down the originator of the tag. If anyone has the info, please let me know!
In fall, the air is crisp and clear | Name a book with a vivid setting!
The Ex Hex/ The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
The world of Graves Glen is set in a whimsical small town full of colorful characters and I could not love this series more. Both books are excellent and the second story doesn’t suffer from the dreaded second book syndrome.
Nature is beautiful… but also dying | Name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
This is a book about death. The story is about a man who dies and goes to “live” in a tea house in a small village with a reaper, a ferryman, and some ghosts, including a ghost dog!!! And yes, I cried, but in the best possible way.
Fall is back to school season | Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.
The Player’s Handbook by Wizards of the Coast
So I know the prompt was probably looking for something a little less esoteric, but this, while about a fantasy world, is a non-fiction book as it is a technical manual for a role-playing game. And I learned a lot. It did take me two months to read it, because dense, but I still read it!!!
In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend time with the people we love | Name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.
In Death Series by J.D. Robb
For all that they are surrounded by mayhem and murder, the bonds of family and friendship are incredibly strong within Eve and Roarke’s group. What makes it even more special is that while Roarke and Eve are bazillionaire’s, that’s not the reason the people in the group are friends with them, they like these two on their own merits. I’d like to be friends with these people.
The colorfulleaves are piling up on the ground | Show us a pile of fall-colored spines!
Um…no? I just organized the shelf nearest to me a few days ago. I’m not messing that up…I’m picturing myself storming off like a petulant child who is being sent to their room. Baby Lauren would not be amused.
Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside | Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
So I’m not recommending this book as I’m still not sure how I feel about it (I’m not done with it yet) but it is told to you by the main character.
The nights are getting darker | Share a dark, creepy read.
A Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
This book very much creeped me out when I read it a few years ago. Just thinking about that scene with the rats…eww. But, it was very well written and made me want to read more by the author, which is saying a lot, as I don’t usually enjoy horror stories.
The days are getting colder | Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.
Monk and Robot Series by Becky Chambers
I have heard this series referred to as hope punk, and I like it. I would also call it cozy sci-fi. It’s a series that isn’t afraid to ask tough questions, but it does so in a nice and gentle manner, you leave the stories not only questioning your life but wanting more in the series.
Fall returns every year | Name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.
The Last Dragonlord by Joanne Bertin
I loved the first two books set in this series, and am always up for a re-read. It’s the story of Liden, a dragonlord (a being who is also part dragon), and his journey through political intrigue and a murder mystery at a human court. It’s a fun read and I would have loved to see more in this world.
Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights | Share your favorite cozy reading accessories
A Cup of Tea
Does a cup of tea count? I can’t really read without one and during the cooler parts of the fall will go through several cups while I am reading. A particular fall favorite is by Harney and Sons, the Pumpkin Spice. It’s quite nice.
What a fun tag! I don’t ever tag anyone in these, because if you like a tag, you should give it a try! Let’s see what fun you can come up with!
And as I am not a beloved toy cowboy, let me never say that again.
So in the few months I was away, I accumulated quite a few books. As a result, I thought you should be aware of a few of the things I picked up.
Ledge by Stacy McEwan
If you’ve been on BookTok you may have seen Stacy McEwan at some point. The Australian author started out self publishing this book and ended up selling it to a publisher thanks to overwhelming demand, helped out by her TikTok account. I loved watching her try to turn her husband into romance novel’s leading man. Twas hilarious.
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
I’ve had this book on my want to buy list for a while now, and when I saw the paperback in my local bookstore, I had to snatch it up. It’s all about the parts of feminism that the movement tends to overlook. I’m hoping to learn a lot from this one.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and art by Wendy Xu
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this graphic novel about a witch and a werewolf. It also helps that it looks adorable. I also accidentally order the special edition…so that’s nice.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Given my love for the Poppy War, a book series I have yet to finish, I had to pick this up. I have heard some mixed things about this book, which surprised me given all the early amazing buzz about the book. But that also means I’m probably going to like it.
The Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore
I’m not gonna lie, I picked this one up for the Hubs. He likes books to have a little humor to it and I had heard this one had it’s moments. He’s read it already and his opinion pretty much matches the blurb on the cover. But in a good way?
In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
This novella has some interesting ideas and, I’m just guessing here, a non-binary main character. The pronouns used in the description are very interesting. But it intrigued me and when I saw it at the used bookstore, I grabbed it up.
The Boy With the Bookstore by Sarah Echavarre Smith
I saw a TikTok about this book and knew immediately it was for me. A romance story about a bookshop owner and a baker? Yes please, I will take it. Here’s hoping it lives up to that TikTok. Also, I watch too much TikTok.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
What can I say, I bowed to peer pressure. No but seriously, I have two friends who spent days extolling this series’ virtues, so I figured I would at least give the first book a try.
Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter
Plus size rep and bingo playing. This rom com sounded so cute. I couldn’t resist it when I saw it in the store. Also, the cover is purple and purple is my favorite color…it was meant to be.
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
This is another one that was all over the internet, both BookTok and BookTube! It’s a regency fairy fantasy romance? Yeah, I think that’s it. I’ve also heard it’s on the cozy side, and I’m really enjoying the cozy books right now.
And that is just a small portion of the over 50+ books I’ve bough in the last several months. My TBR shelves overflow with the fruits of my many excursions. I should stop making excursions.
Also, can we take a moment to shout out the local used book store? I bought most of my recent acquisitions at Half Priced Books, and most of them were used copies. Thank you HPB!!!
October is my favorite month. Well, one of them, it’s tied with December if I’m honest.
I decided to do a bewitching TBR this month. I have collected quite a few witchy Rom Coms over the last few months, and this is the perfect month to read them! I also have one that is not a romance…spooky.
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.
Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.
When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late.
From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper
Wild child Isidora Avramov is a thrill chaser, adept demon summoner, and—despite the whole sexy-evil-sorceress vibe—also a cuddly animal lover. When she’s not designing costumes and new storylines for the Arcane Emporium’s haunted house, Issa’s nursing a secret, conflicted dream of ditching her family’s witchy business to become an indie fashion designer in her own right.
But when someone starts sabotaging the celebrations leading up to this year’s Beltane festival with dark, dangerous magic, a member of the rival Thorn family gets badly hurt—throwing immediate suspicion on the Avramovs. To clear the Avramov name and step up for her family when they need her the most, Issa agrees to serve as a co-investigator, helping none other than Rowan Thorn get to the bottom of things.
Rowan is the very definition of lawful good, so tragically noble and by-the-book he makes Issa’s teeth hurt. In accordance with their families’ complicated history, he and Issa have been archenemies for years and have grown to heartily loathe each other. But as the unlikely duo follow a perplexing trail of clues to a stunning conclusion, Issa and Rowan discover how little they really know each other… and stumble upon a maddening attraction that becomes harder to ignore by the day.
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne―the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.
The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance―along with Violet’s magic―they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….
Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
Emerson Wilde has built the life of her dreams. Youngest Chamber of Commerce president in St. Cyprian history, successful indie bookstore owner, and lucky enough to have her best friends as found family? Done.
But when Emerson is attacked by creatures that shouldn’t be real, and kills them with what can only be called magic, Emerson finds that the past decade of her life has been…a lie. St. Cyprian isn’t your average Midwestern river town—it’s a haven for witches. When Emerson failed a power test years ago, she was stripped of her magical memories. Turns out, Emerson’s friends are all witches.
And so is she.
That’s not all, though: evil is lurking in the charming streets of St. Cyprian. Emerson will need to learn to control what’s inside of her, remember her magic, and deal with old, complicated feelings for her childhood friend–cranky-yet-gorgeous local farmer Jacob North—to defeat an enemy that hides in the rivers and shadows of everything she loves.
Even before she had magic, Emerson would have done anything for St. Cyprian, but now she’ll have to risk not just her livelihood…but her life.
The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
Five octogenarian witches gather as an angry mob threatens to demolish Moonshyne Manor. All eyes turn to the witch in charge, Queenie, who confesses they’ve fallen far behind on their mortgage payments. Still, there’s hope, since the imminent return of Ruby—one of the sisterhood who’s been gone for thirty-three years—will surely be their salvation.
But the mob is only the start of their troubles. One man is hellbent on avenging his family for the theft of a legacy he claims was rightfully his. In an act of desperation, Queenie makes a bargain with an evil far more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced. Then things take a turn for the worse when Ruby’s homecoming reveals a seemingly insurmountable obstacle instead of the solution to all their problems.
The witches are determined to save their home and themselves, but their aging powers are no match for increasingly malicious threats. Thankfully, they get a bit of help from Persephone, a feisty TikToker eager to smash the patriarchy. As the deadline to save the manor approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and long-held secrets are exposed, culminating in a fiery confrontation with their enemies.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book’s content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon―like all other book eater women―is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.
But real life doesn’t always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger―not for books, but for human minds.
And that is my TBR for the month. And yes, it is ambitious for me, but I have already read three of them so I’m hoping I’ll be okay. What does your TBR look like?
Well hello, beautiful people! Pardon the lateness of my arrival with this post. I got a headache yesterday (It was seventy-five degrees!) and I still have a headache today (it’s thirty-five degrees!) because the Texas weather has gone nuts! We are also supposed to get freezing rain tomorrow! What! I can’t with this.
But despite all of that, the world still turns, and it’s Tuesday. It’s the two-est of Tuesdays! And that means it’s Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about Dynamic Duos. Interpret that as you will. It could be as duologies or pairings or friends or all of the above! I haven’t read very many duologies, so we won’t be focusing on that aspect of it, but friends and lovers? Heck yeah!
Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter by, well, you know.
For all I don’t like the author, the books are timeless. And Ron and Hermione are a big part of that. Watching their relationship grow over time in both the books and on-screen was quite fun. You were rooting for them since the first book.
Legolas and Gimli from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is a classic friendship that is about more than just becoming friends through hardship. It’s about two parties overcoming deep-seated prejudices to see the best of each other and form a lifelong bond. I loved seeing it on screen, but it’s also more moving in the books when you read the appendices and learn how this friendship ends.
Rohan and Sioned from The Dragon Prince Trilogy by Melanie Rawn
Rohan and Sioned are my favorite fantasy romance paring…so far. They balance each other well. Sure, it’s insta-love, but they face hardships as a couple and fight for their relationship. Their unshakable bond is forged through communication and respect. Also a healthy dose of sneaking away from their responsibilities to spend some quality time together.
Marcus and April from Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
I wrote a gushing review of this book just yesterday! Marcus and April, while flawed, are a couple that is built on love and respect. I loved watching them discover each other and grow together.
Eve and Roarke from the In Death series by J.D. Robb
These two are constantly surprising one another. I enjoy watching them discover who the other is, and find new depths to their partner and themselves. It also helps that they are both willing to go out of their comfort zones for each other.
Mercy and Adam from the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Mercy and Adam are two different species, he is a wolf she a cotoye, yet the love and respect (it starts as a need to irritate) they have for one another is outstanding. There is no length they won’t go to keep each other, and their pack/family, safe. This often leads to each of them thinking they know what’s best, which leads to poor communication, which, eventually, gets resolved.
Addie and Henry from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Addie and Henry are complicated, to say the least. When she meets him, she is almost desperate for his attention, as he is the first person in over 300 years to remember her. What forms is a sweet and enduring relationship.
Ryland and … from Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I can’t really say much about these two without giving it away. But this friendship is so pure. I love it so much.
Matthew and Diana from The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness
I’ve made no secret of my love for this series, and at the heart of that lies Matthew and Diana. The story of a witch and a vampire who have to defy a centuries-old law just to be together. There isn’t anything they aren’t willing to do to be together. And it’s a beautifully written journey.
Amelia and Zaira from the Swords and Fire Trilogy by Melissa Caruso
At first, these two have a contentious relationship that builds into a begrudging trust. It’s made all the more complicated by the fact that Zaira wants nothing to do with the institution she finds herself inextricably bound to.
And there it is. My list of dynamic duos. I can actually think of several more but managed to narrow the list down to these ten. It’s a miracle!
Lauren Corcur 