*peeks in, the door creaking on its hinges as dust settles from the ceiling* Hello?
Well, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve blogged lol How have the last few years been treating you?
It’s been a rough few years for me, as it has for many others, but I hope that with the new year there is renewed hope in the future and that you will be able to find your way to where you want to be in your life.
But today, for the first time in… almost three years, I wanted to talk about some reading goals that I have for this year. I was debating on whether or not I wanted to do TikTok or this, and I decided to blog about it first because writing is much easier for me than speaking is when it comes to new experiences and whatnot. Like… talking to a camera just sounds daunting, but I’ll find a way to do it (maybe).
I’ve barely read in the last seven or so years, and I’ve been very slowly getting back into reading at the end of 2023, and I want to at least try to keep up that momentum if I possibly can. So here are my current reading goals for 2024:
Read 25 Books
Every year I set my Goodreads goal to 25 books. It seems like it’s doable, and though I haven’t read that many books in many years, I’m going to try my best to hit that goal this year. I’ve been using the app, Bookly, for a few weeks now (though I didn’t read the week of the holidays), and it’s been helping me read an hour a day at the minimum and keeping track of what I read. Highly recommend an app like this to help you form a habit if you’re struggling to read every day like I am!
Read Books I Already Own
This might seem obvious, but I’m affected easily by the excitement people show for newer releases, and so I have many books on my shelf – even from years ago – that I haven’t read that have just been sitting there and staring at me, waiting for me to give them the time of day. I’ll be doing another unhaul soon (I donate the books to a local library), so that’ll make space for more books I inevitably end up getting, so…
Basically, I want to read at least 2 books I actually own off of my shelves per month. This is extremely doable, and it’ll slowly cut down the amount of unread vs read books on my shelves. This doesn’t include my ebooks, which I need to go through and see what I actually want to keep, anyway.
Get More Books from the Library First
This coincides with my previous goal because I want to curate a collection that I personally want, a physical collection of books I’d either reread or just want to have on my shelves. Right now there’s many books I haven’t read that I’m still interested in reading that I own, however, over time my tastes change, space available changes, and I need to be realistic with myself about books that I want to keep. So, using the Libby app, I’m going to place holds on books that I’m interested in reading and then decide if I want to physically add them to my collection.
Read At Least One Diverse Book Per Month
I really liked what Sera of serareadthat on TikTok said about diverse books, in that it’s about reading books from authors who don’t look like you or are from a different culture/ethnicity/background that you, and so I want to read at least one book from a BIPOC author per month. I want to read stories from other cultures, with their own fantastical and mundane settings set in places I only wish I could see.
Read At Least One Book Outside of My Normal Genre Bimonthly
I, like many people, love to read fantasy. I love reading about rich and diverse worlds, magic and monsters, but I also know that there’s other genres outside of that that I should explore. For instance, this month (January 2024) I’ll be reading Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price along with a group of people on Fable called History Sickos hosted by Michael Kist. This is both a nonfiction and history novel, which are two genres of book I never really gravitate toward.
I might do this monthly, however I’ll keep my goal to bimonthly so that I can give myself time to warm up to the idea of it lol And this isn’t just limited to nonfiction, but also things like horror, thrillers, mystery, personal growth, middle grade, etc.
Read At Least One Indie Author Bimonthly
Again, I’m keeping this bimonthly only because of my goal to read more of my already owned books, however it’s always important to support indie authors when you can. And from what I’ve seen around TikTok, there’s a lot of great bangers out there that I’d be interested in reading, so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for indie books every other month.
Reread or Finish Rereading Books or Series
So there are still plenty of books that I own that I haven’t finished yet or finished off the series for, so that’s also going to be a priority for me this year. Will I have to reread a lot of books to get to that point? Yes, 100%, but that’s just how it is! I’m okay with it, though, because many of these books are ones I enjoyed in the past, so I hope to continue to enjoy them now.
Those are all of my reading goals for 2024! They’re broad and simple, but that’s what I need right now to get back into reading. So tell me, what are some of your goals for 2024? I’d love to hear about it!
I also don’t know how often I’ll be blogging again. Getting back into the swing of things full force is a bit daunting, but I hope that by easing back into it that I’ll be able to enjoy my time and rediscover my love for reading again.
Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea Author: TJ Klune Publisher: Tor Books Publish Date: March 17, 2020 Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+, Fiction Pages: 394 Format: Paperback
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
The best way I can describe this book is a warm hug when you least expected it but definitely needed it. This book was incredibly charming and whimsical down to the final word.
First off, the writing was very whimsical, as well as witty. There were many moments where I laughed out loud because of something a character said or did, as well as moments I cried because of how incredibly heart-warming the moment was. It was a roller coaster to be able to read something that could pack so much emotion into one story.
The characters were all so incredibly charming! Well, the main cast, anyway, comprising of the six kids, Linus, Arthur, and several others along the way. I have never felt so connected to characters and their stories before, but I felt my heart strings being pulled as I read this novel. You’ll find yourself head over heels in love with the kids – I seriously wanted to just protect them all and give them all the parental love ever. The adults in the story, too, were in situations often that could be reminiscent of the real world (as this story had real world aspects), and it was a joy to read about Linus’ growing attachment to the family and how he really discovered himself among them.
The romance in the book was subtle, interwoven expertly throughout the pages. There were definitely moments where you knew that something was brewing between the two, but then something would happen to cause them to have to break away. It was so very adorable and wholesome. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Let’s talk about the children because I really feel like they were the stars of the show. The kids were each very unique – not just in powers and what they were, but also their personalities. I found myself wanting to know more about them, to see how they progress into the future and what happens later on, but I guess that’s the beauty of this story is how contained it is. TJ Klune wrote the children in a way that leaves you wanting to care for them, of wanting to befriend them and spend time with them.
It definitely focused more heavily on one of the children, but the others were still woven very nicely into the story throughout and at different times were they allowed to shine. I do wish that more could have been delved into, but at the same time that wasn’t the true purpose of the story, plus sometimes it’s good to not know every detail and come up with a solution yourself.
I think the subtle magical and fantasy aspects were well done. There are orphanages who take care of magical youth, and this house by the sea happens to be one of them. The magic that the kids possess are very different, and sometimes surprising.
The story sets out to promise hope, love, familial connection, and finding your true strengths and place in the world. I think it accomplished each of those things and I highly recommend you check out this book if you just need a break from all of the hard things in the world.
Hey there! Today I’m doing a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is a weekly book tag hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl where we cover ten things for the selected topic of that week.
This week is all about colorful book covers! Who doesn’t love a good book cover? And when they’ve got lots of pretty colors on them? Oof, don’t even get me started! Here’s my ten choices for this week in no particular order:
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.
The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.
Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.
Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.
In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…
Welcome to the dreamlike pastel-colored world created by Meyoco. Discover all with Polaris, her first commercial work collection. Meyoco is an illustrator based in Southeast Asia who has gained popularity mainly on social media. Natural elements such as flowers, waves, leaves, stars, and bubbles are suddenly infused with a cute and lovely quality when Meyoco colors them in pastels. Meyoco’s wonderfully dreamlike illustrations have won her an increasing number of fans of her social media accounts; as of April 2020, the number of her followers has exceeded 1.22 million on Instagram and 270K on Twitter. This book contains about 240 illustrations that have been carefully chosen from those she has presented in her social media account. It also includes artworks that have been newly drawn for this book, along with some watercolor paintings from Meyoco’s early published collections: doujinshi, “Foliage”, “REVERIE” and “Bodies of Water”. Meyoco also explains the concept of her artworks in her own words. These cute characters and motifs drawn in lovely colors are sure to appeal to people all over the world.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
There are my picks for this week’s prompt! I know a lot of them have the red/gold thing going, but it’s such a pretty combo. What books have you read or own that have really pretty colors?
Hey there! It’s been some time since my last post. I hope you’re all doing well and being safe during this whole stressful time.
So, I know we’re already half way through April, but I wanted to briefly discuss my reading and other bookish goals for the year, as well as future plans for other reading goals I’d like to achieve over the next few years.
I’d like to read 52 books this year.
It’s not a strict goal that I’ll be devastated if I don’t hit it, but I just wanted to give myself the challenge of trying to read one book a week. I’m a bit behind, but that’s okay. I’m aiming to read four books per month, basically.
I’m focusing on reading for fun.
The past year has been, you know, Not Fun for anyone, and I just want to focus on reading things that genuinely interest me and I want to have fun doing so. I’m not really aiming to read critically or anything (though that might just come naturally the more I read, as it would with anyone), but I’m aiming to just find things that interest me and have a good time.
Read more diversely.
We can always all do our best and our part to read more diversely, so I’m making it a goal to read at least one book a month by a POC, disabled, own voices, and/or non-binary, etc. author.
I’m rereading books to finish series.
Alrighty, so because of stuff that happened almost five years ago, I never ended up finishing these series. Not because I wasn’t invested, but I went through a really dark time and have only very recently been getting the urge to read more again.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas books 1-5 to finish books 6 & 7. Novella can be read at any time. (As of the time I’m writing this post, I’m more than 50% through Heir of Fire, book 3.)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas books 1-2 to finish books 3-5.
Air Awakening by Elise Kova books 1-4 to finish book 5.
Unhauling books I’ve had for way too long that I know I won’t read, & not being afraid to DNF something I’m not enjoying.
Life is too short. TBRs get too long and ridiculous. I’ve had some books for years and years and haven’t touched them. Will I read them one day? I don’t know, but I don’t want to keep them if it means just more unnecessary stress or clutter. If I have the urge, I can always borrow from my library or repurchase them.
There are some books, however, that I have no idea if I’ll read them or not and have been debating on selling or donating, but I for some reason can’t bring myself to do it. These books include the Shadowhunter chronicles by Cassandra Clare, and the Lunar Cycle by Marissa Meyer. I’ve had them for so long, and I just don’t know if I can bring myself to read them anymore.
Getting my TBR down to zero (or less than 20) by the end of 2025.
It’s ambitious to say this as I have… way too many books I want to read, and obviously new books come out all the time, but I’m hoping to get my TBR down to zero by the end of 2025 if I can. Or at least down to 20. I think that would be so much more manageable.
Trying to read more from my library and only purchasing books I’d like to reread one day, or just have a spot on my shelf.
Because of where I currently live, the selection at my local library is not what I wish it would be, but I would like to try to read the newer releases of books through my library (or kindle unlimited or whatever) first to see if I enjoy them or not before spending my money.
Not shame myself for not reading a certain genre, age group, etc. anymore.
Hey, what a great goal to have. I know as readers – especially ones on the internet – many of us can feel like we have to read every genre and age groups out there, but we really, really don’t. The older I’m getting, the more I’m realizing how much I want to transition out of YA reads and focus on more adult reads. I’ve noticed that a lot of people who are close to 30 or are over 30 have felt the same way. There is nothing wrong with being any age reading YA, middle grade, elementary, etc. But I’m also at a point where I want to read more experiences from people who are in their 20s or in their 30s doing stuff, you know?
Blog related: I’d like to try to keep this blog alive and post at least once a week.
I’ve had this blog since 2014, and so it’s been a long time of talking about books and other things along the way. As a way to renew this place, I’m going to be focusing solely on reading material, but I’ll probably talk more about other things I’ve been enjoying in wrap-up style posts (such as video games, TV shows, etc.). Again, I’m not going to condemn myself if I decide to just stop blogging all together. The amount of energy for doing much of this hasn’t come back yet, but we’ll see what happens.
I believe those are all of the bookish, blog, and reading goals I have for this year (and into the future). Even though I’m a bit late, I hope you enjoy coming along with me through my reading journey.
Tell me what one of your goals for this year is. It doesn’t have to be reading related if you don’t want it to be.
Hey everyone, and welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Jana of That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s topic is about books I’ve read and loved but never actually reviewed. So for this topic we’re going waaaay back before I ever had this blog, because ever since I started I pretty much review (almost) everything I read at some point. So let’s go back in time, shall we?
I know I bring this book up a lot, but I really loved it when I read it as a teen. The story, atmosphere, emotions behind it and that I felt throughout reading it are something that still stick with me to this day. I hope to reread it eventually, though, and then I can give a review for it now as an adult!
Another book I read as a teen and fell in love with! It’s a story about werewolves and romance and angst, I mean… c’mon. I also saw the movie adaptation of it and… was not happy with it. Do not recommend the movie, even as a standalone if you haven’t read the book.
You bet your butt that I jumped on the Vampire Diaries train after the hype of Twilight. I loved this series a lot! The romance, the drama, the angst, the vampires! What’s not to love? I never watched the series adaptation for the STUPIDEST reason: the main female lead is supposed to be blond, not brunette. I KNOW. STUPID. Whatever lol I feel like I’ll have to reread this series again someday.
I read this for a project in freshman year of high school, and it was a tough read. I didn’t realize at the time that it’s a memoir, but I do remember how impacted and shocked I was by it and how family can be so cruel sometimes. This is another one I want to reread eventually.
I’ve talked a lot about this book on my blog over the years, but I have yet to reread it and review it. It was a book I read over summer reading and ACTUALLY enjoyed (because summer reading suuuuucked back in the day with choices that actually fit kids my age). And it was also the one year we didn’t have to do a book report or something related to it and I remember being pissed about that. XD “I did the summer reading for once and can’t do anything about it!?”
Anyway, I loved the story of this book about a young woman who’s a ghost that takes over someone’s body who isn’t really occupying their body, and how she falls in love with another ghost in another guy’s body… it’s a good story! One to reread for sure.
5. Manga. So much manga.
I’ve been an avid reader of manga since I was a preteen, even though it kind of dwindled a bit through my college years and for a few years after that. I don’t read as much manga anymore, but what I have read before was always fun to read! I was always engrossed in the worlds and characters and art styles.
Some series I recommend: Alice 19th, Fruits Basket, Tsubaki Chou Lonely Planet, and Chobits.
With the recent release of Midnight Sun, which is Twilight from Edward’s POV (and you know I definitely preordered and decided I’m reading for Tome Topple round 12), I had to talk about the Twilight saga. This series meant the world to me as a teenager. The writing, the story, the characters, etc. drew me in and hooked me from page one. It has a special place in my heart, for sure, and I think I feel the nostalgia a lot of people would feel toward something like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. I mean, Twilight is the only book I’ve read four or five times from cover to cover, which is a lot for someone who doesn’t reread often.
Another angsty teen romance that came out around the time Twilight was big, I was all over this book, too! The first two books, in particular, were the ones I loved, and then I don’t think I ever finished the third because I think I didn’t like the way it was turning out. I’m not sure, but I do remember really liking the whole falling angel falling in the love thing.
I was LIVID in freshman year of high school when my parents wouldn’t let me read this because of the VERY MINIMAL sex scene in it (when I had read various other things with sex and crap by that point) and got stuck reading The Life of Pi (which I hated because it was boring and I was just mad lol). So once I actually did read it a year or so later (or however later it was), I fell in love with it! I loved the setting and the characters and just reading something different from what we were reading in school. It’s a great story of love, loss, family, and what it means to be who you are.
I talked about this in another Top Ten Tuesday post, but I never finished the third book in the initial trilogy. I read this soon after reading Tithe by Holly Black (and loving it), and found myself on a kick of wanting to read fey books. This was a different tale about an iron kingdom and how the iron was making the lands of the fey die away. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series and need to give this a go again.
What kinds of books have you read that you loved by never reviewed? What book would you recommend to me from that list? Have you read any of the ones on my list and enjoyed them? Let me know!
Reader Rayna 