Wow, January is finally over! Does anyone else ever feel like it lasts 84 years? So I didn’t finish or get to all of the books I had set out to read last month, which is fine, but I decided I’m still going to make a TBR to at least talk about the books I’m interested in reading and hopefully will get to.
As February is also Black History Month, I also want to be intentional with my choices and read books by black authors. This choice isn’t going to start and stop in February, though, as I will continue to read books by black authors throughout the year and beyond. This will continue for other months in which heritages and identities are recognized, as I want to continue to diversify my reading and broaden my horizons.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang – This book is one from my TBR last month and is the book I’m currently reading, so I want to finish it before moving on to another book. I’m only about 80 pages into it, but it’s an interesting read so far! I’m excited to see where it goes.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn – This was another book on my TBR last month, but as I didn’t get to it, I’m slotting it over into February. This book is an Arthurian retelling, which I’ve never read about before, and so I’m definitely intrigued to read about it and see how I like it.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler – Now I’ve heard amazing things about Butler for a long time, but I’ve never picked up one of her books before. This one takes place in 2024, and it’s about climate change and the effects of how economic strife can be so harmful to everyone and everything around it.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jeminsin – This start to a fantasy trilogy has been on my shelf for years (well, the whole trilogy) and I haven’t started it, BUT I’m going to rectify that this year and actually do it! It’s a critically acclaimed and award winning book, so I’m a bit intimidated by that, however I hear fantastic things about it. Just reading the synopsis alone has me dying for more, so I can’t wait to get to this.
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed – I’m trying to bring in more contemporary reads into my life, as most of my focus is on fantasy, so I figured this would be a good one to add! It centers a young black girl in high school and protesting and riots after officers from the LAPD are acquitted after beating a black man half to death. It sounds very hard hitting, and very important, too.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan – I’ve seen this pop up around TikTok a lot lately, and after reading the synopsis (and wanting more contemporary in my reading), I think this would be a fun, dramatic, and spicy read. It’s like a second chance romance between a once husband and wife pair, so I’m definitely interested to see how it plays out.
Now, will I get to all of these books? I hope so honestly. Trying to get back into reading after the hard time I’ve had with it for years is already a challenge, and I’m further challenging myself by listing all of these books that I’m interested in as part of my TBR. I do hope to get to all of them, though, but if I don’t I’ll probably do the same thing as last time and push one or two I’m interested in into the next month.
What’re you reading currently or planning to read this month? Any recommendations you have that you think I might like to try out for myself? Let me know!
Hello hello! I don’t usually do TBRs anymore because I’m very much a mood reader, however there are some books this month that I’d really like to get to, so this is going to be my loose TBR for the month.
Critical Role’s Vox Machina: Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp – This was actually a roll over book from December. I had started it mid month and skipped reading for a week or so before I picked it back up again and finished on the 2nd, but I figured I’d include it here anyway. This book follows the twins, Vex and Vax, from the D&D hit show, Critical Role, during a time of their lives before the events of Vox Machina took place.
Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon – The second book in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, I discovered that I can read these books pretty quickly, and they provide fun entertainment and spice (and even some plot!), so this would be a quick and easy read for me for the month. (As of writing this post, I already finished it!)
The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story by M.L. Wang – This is a standalone fantasy novel that I have heard nothing but good things about. A story about family, love, war, relationships, the complexities of being a human and the grief, joy, sorrow, and happiness that comes with it. It also includes elemental magic, which I am definitely here for.
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price – Now, I have this on my list because I wanted to join the History Sickos book club to at least give the history genre a chance, however it’s so far out of my comfort zone, and I only have a limited time with my library hold on it that I don’t know that I’ll actually get to the book at all. So this one is a tentative selection on my TBR, even though it fits one of my goals for the year to read a genre I don’t normally read bimonthly…
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – I once again heard many good things about this book and so I wanted to give it a try myself. As two rivals are at odds about an author in which has passed and his works and estate yet to be settled, it twines them into a fate that they don’t expect.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn – I’ve also heard good things about this book and so, once again, I’m giving it a go! It’s got magic, it’s got demons, it’s got secrets that are trying to be uncovered, and it sounds like a good time.
Freebies
These books are going to be “freebies,” or books that I might like reading as a palette cleanser or as something I know I can read quickly for the entertainment, the feels, the spice, or whatever it is I’m looking for!
Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon – Like the previous two installments, I know I can finish these books in a day if I really go ham with it. They’re fast paced and entertaining, and so I think this will just be fun to read sooner rather than later. Plus I’m very interested in reading about this pairing in particular.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree – I read Legends & Lattes last month (review to come!) and really enjoyed it. Even though this book is a prequel and follows a younger Viv, I’m very interested to see her adventures when she was a bit younger before deciding to retire and open a coffee shop! Plus, my wife read this book and rated it EEEE/10 (very good lol).
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (omnibus vol 1-3) – As a One Piece fan (we’re on episode 551), I would like to also read the manga to be able to compare what I’ve seen in the anime vs what’s written in the manga itself. I know it’s not a one-to-one, but I really love this show, and it holds a very special place in my heart, so I think this could be a fun one to get to if I feel up for it!
I feel like that may be all of the time I have for books in January. I don’t want to push myself too hard into getting back into reading, so I figure that some decently chunky books that sound intriguing to me will be a good start! And where I’m already ahead of my 25 books for the year goal? I think this will definitely be manageable.
What’re you reading currently or planning to read this month? Any recommendations you have that you think I might like to try out for myself? Let me know!
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.
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.
Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults
I haven’t read a memoir in forever, and wow did I forget how much I enjoy them. I just wanted to preface this review by stating that I think there’s a lot to be learned from memoirs, a lot of lives and stories to be shared through these works. We all have our own experiences and journeys, and having the honor and privilege to read them is wonderful.
With that said, I highly enjoyed this memoir. Within the first two chapters I found myself reflecting on my own life, upbringing, past traumas, childhood, etc. to see what happened in my own life. Getting to read about Johnson’s was a journey, for sure.
One important aspect about this memoir is that (almost) every chapter is filled with love. He expressed that numerous times about how his family was so full of unconditional love for one another, which I think is a truly beautiful thing. I love seeing it in fiction, but love hearing about it more in real life. He expresses how even though his family knew his secret from the time he was young, they never forced him to be anything other than himself, and they accepted him regardless of anything. I loved seeing that dynamic, for sure.
Johnson talks a lot about being Black in this book, and it was another prime example for me as a white woman to understand another part of the Black experience, if I may call it that. I think that Johnson connecting so heavily to his heritage and culture was something that was inspiring to see, and once again allowed me to reflect on my own dynamics not just in my family, but of the environment around me. I will say that even though I don’t understand on a fundamental level what his experience of being Black was like, I still appreciate being able to have a glimpse into what it was like – and continues to be – for him.
He also talked about what being queer and his sexual identity was like as a young Black boy growing up in New Jersey, and he stated multiple times that he hoped other young, queer Black kids would also be able to see themselves in his words. I think seeing his journey of identity was eye opening. As an adult, I’ve been struggling with “labeling” my own sexuality, even though I hate labeling myself for that specific category. This book is giving me a lot to think about and to understand that it’s okay if you don’t get it right away.
I think it’s also important to note that he talks about some traumatic times, including sexual abuse, so please be aware of that going into this novel (it’s not until much later on in the manifesto). I definitely felt uncomfortable, but only in the sense that I knew he was opening up a dark portion of his past that I feel I was not meant to see or know. If it helped him, though, I’m glad it was in there, and if it helps others work through their own traumas, I’m glad it’s in their for them (and you), too.
From family, to friendships, to sexual identity, to Blackness, to much more, I found myself captivated by this memoir. I have been reflecting a lot on myself, and how I’m digesting the memoir to understand what it’s like for Black LGBTQIAP+ people out there.
The writing is very straightforward, and he gives a lot of stories into his background to give weight to the words he shares with you as the reader. I think that’s part of what drew me in so steadily is because I could definitely feel his voice through the pages.
Overall, I think it’s a great book for anyone to read, understand, listen, and reflect on themselves and their own identities and such.
I’m conflicted on rating a memoir, given it’s about a person’s life, but for the purposes of this review:
So I know it’s Thursday, but I meant to do a post for TTT this week, I just completely forgot what day it was, so here we are!
If you don’t know what Top Ten Tuesday is, it’s a weekly meme hosted by Jana of That Artsy Reader Girl where you talk about your top ten ____ for that week. This week’s topic was a freebie, so we could create our own or go through the archives of TTT and pick one from there.
Today I wanted to talk about ten books/series I hope to reread over time for either nostalgia reasons, because I want to, or because I’m horrible at finishing series and need to reread because I forgot everything that happened.
Let’s jump into it! These are in no particular order.
10. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the ToG series, and I recently started rereading the series because I never finished the last two books due to life a few years ago. And let me tell you, I want to punch Celaena in the face to get rid of some of that arrogance she has, but I also know the series will pick up and evolve as it goes. It’s really interesting to reread this and see how I view it now versus then. But I hope to continue with and actually finish the series this time!
9. A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
Much like ToG, I never finished the last book in this trilogy because it came out right around the time where life really sucked and my reading habits plummeted, so I want to reread the first two books in order to read the third (and the novella). I’m also rereading these series because, well, they were some of my favorites when I read them, and also because I want to read them before reading Crescent City. I’ll get there eventually!
8. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
I started these a millennia ago, and, like every series on here, I am horrible at finishing reading the last book. I LOVED the first two books with all my heart when I read them, and I got through part of The Iron Queen before putting it down and never picking it back up. It wasn’t bad; my interest at the time just shifted and changed. So I hope to reread this trilogy (and the other novellas and others in this series eventually), and finally know what happens! Seriously, if you like fey, read these books. They’re quite good!
7. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
The first book in the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer! See where the futuristic YA fairytale saga all began, with the tale of a teenage cyborg who must fight for Earth’s survival against villains from outer space.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
With high-stakes action and a smart, resourceful heroine, Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that is at once classic and strikingly original.
Do I even need to say by now that I never finished this series? However, unlike the previous series I’ve mentioned where I never read the final book, this series in particular is one where I never finished the last TWO books. Ugh, I’m horrible. This was a series that was so hyped, and I remember not liking Cinder a lot (it was good, just not my favorite), loving Scarlet, and really enjoying Cress, but I just. Never. Continued. I think this was, again, around the same time where things in life got hard so I just didn’t finish. But I want to! I really do! One day~ *shakes fist determinedly*
6. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón’s bodyguard, “How old am I?…I know I don’t have a birthday like humans, but I was born.”
“You were harvested,” Tam Lin reminds him. “You were grown in that poor cow for nine months and then you were cut out of her.”
To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast. A room full of chicken litter with roaches for friends and old chicken bones for toys is considered good enough for him. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium—a strip of poppy fields lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico—Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA.
I read this book (for fun, I think) way back in my early-mid high school days and remember loving it SO so much. It made me creeped out, angry, shocked, and just a whole lot of emotions. I’ve been meaning to reread this one for years, and I hope to get to it soon. I mean, if you can remember how a book made you feel almost 15 years later, I’d say it’s in need of a reread, right? I wonder if I’ll still feel the same way or not.
5. The Unicorns of Balinor series by Mary Stanton
Introducing a new fantasy series about a girl, her unicorn, and her quest to restore peace in Balinor. After a terrible riding accident, Ari cannot remember anything of her past and is sent to live on a farm with foster parents. What Ari doesn’t know is that she is not from our world, but from Balinor, a land of sorcerers and unicorns! Her parents, the King and Queen, sent her to Earth to protect her from a raging war before they were banished from their homeland. Now Ari–Princess Arianna–has found the road back to Balinor. As she struggles to remember her heritage, she must face the challenge of restoring peace to Balinor.
This is purely for nostalgic reasons (and because I never read the last book. Shocker.) but this kids story about a girl and her unicorn friend were magical when I read them as a teenager (I had owned them for years and never read them until my teens). They’re super short books – about 120-ish pages each – with big font, and there’s eight of them, so I think these will be super fast nostalgia reads that I can’t wait to get to!
4. Fushigi Yuugi by Yuu Watase
When best friends Miaka and Yui open the pages of an ancient Chinese book, they are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods, a parallel world to ancient China. Now, to escape schoolwork and family problems, Miaka flees to the parallel world, only to find a lot more danger and romance than she bargained for.
A series I’ve actually finished before! Wow! This manga series is one I read in my teen years and fell in love with. I’ve been slowly rereading it for the last year or so maybe, and wow did I forget a lot, but also wow, is it cheesy lol But I love it because it brings back a lot of great memories I have with this series. There’s 18 volumes total and I’ve reread the first five already, so I’ll continue my reread over time.
3. The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she’d ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But the warship could be the least of their problems. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their biggest threat; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady plunges into a web of data hacking to get to the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: Ezra.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
I. Love. This. Trilogy. So. Much. I love the mixed media of story telling, and as a visual learner type of person, seeing the different forms of media really engaged me while I was reading. I thought each book held its own unique magic in this otherwise very stressful and scary situation that everyone went through. I want to reread this trilogy just for the pure pleasure of it.
2. The Daughter of Smoke and Bones trilogy by Laini Taylor
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”, she speaks many languages – not all of them human – and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
This trilogy was everything to me when I read it. I love Laini Taylor’s writing and how she can make sentences so beautiful. But this trilogy had a great love story of star-crossed lovers, of an age-old war, of finding oneself, and so much more. I want to reread it just for the sheer joy of it, and I hope to do it soon (after I read Muse of Nightmares, of course).
1 . The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson
In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.
On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.
Again…never finished this trilogy. I think when I read the first book on audio, and then the second book physically, I lost the magic of it. I remember not feeling engaged or intrigued enough in the story, but I think I can remedy this by reading all of the books on audio the second time around.
And there you have it! There’s some of the series/books I want to reread! I’ve mentioned a lot of these in pasts posts similar to this one, but since I have yet to reread them, this still rings true.
What are some books or series you want to reread? Do you reread books at all? If you do, is it purely for nostalgia or something else?
Today’s prompt: “Songs that remind you of your books! Explain why a specific song reminds you of a book. You can do five songs for five books or five songs for a single book, do what y’all feel.”
This one sounded like a lot of fun, so here we go~
5. Merry Go Round of Life by Joe Hisashi from/for Howl’s Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones
Okay, this is totally cheating, but I don’t care. Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorite Ghibli movies, and the song Merry Go Round of Life is so beautiful. I recently started reading the novel version for the first time (at the behest of my best friend who’s read it and loved it more than the film, which is saying something), and I got to say that even though I’m not very far into it, it’s already so different from the movie! In a good way, though. But of course, this song is obviously playing in my head while reading it, because how could it not be? Honestly, the whole soundtrack for the movie is, so yeah lol
4. Songs composed by Jeremy Soule for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Movie and video game scores are seriously inspiring when it comes to, well, anything, let’s be real. This particular compilation of songs are from various games such as Skyrim and Oblivion. I love listening to instrumental music a lot, and I can say that I often get lost in my own world when listening to tracks such as these because they allow your mind to really craft its own world to their sounds. I think that this mix really speaks to The Way of Kings because it’s an epic fantasy with many ups and downs, twists and turns, glory and defeat, and I think the varying music really speaks to that.
3. LION by (G)I-DLE for Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I love this song LION by (G)I-DLE. It’s so powerful and sultry and makes me feel strong and like I can kick ass. The first thought that came to my mind was Celaena and her journey to get to where she is, and I thought that it was an appropriate song for her.
2. Scared of the Dark by Lil Wayne & Ty Dolla $ign for The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
As I was listening to this song, I was thinking about how much strife Starr went through, and how she was scared of many things after what happened to her friend, Khalil. The Hate U Give deals with a lot of topics of racism, police brutality, self-identity, family, gangs, and more. This song really talks about not being afraid, even if your environment and the people around you are against you. I think Starr really learns that in this book, so it fits.
Also, the whole Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse album is a bop, so go watch the movie, then go listen to the soundtrack.
1 . Paper Rings by Taylor Swift for Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Alrighty, this series is probably one of the cutest, heartwarming, diverse LGBT+ reads I’ve ever read, and I love it so much. I also love the song Paper Rings, and I thought it was appropriate because it’s all about being content with the person you’re with, and how you want to be with them no matter the circumstance. I think it’s a cute song fitting for a cute series.
Alright, this was harder than I thought it would be haha! But I think that these songs fit these stories. Do you agree?
What song(s) do you think fit the current book you’re reading? Or what about a song that fits one of your favorite books? Let me know!
Reader Rayna 