Book Review | The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Posted January 17, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #50: Set in the 1940s)

The Reason

It was a buddy read and a reread, and I remember loving it before.

The Quotes

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”

“Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”

“People tend to complicate their own lives, as if living weren’t already complicated enough.”

“I could tell you it’s the heart, but what is really killing him is loneliness. Memories are worse than bullets.”

The Narrator(s)

Jonathan Davis. I have no complaints about the narrator. He was very good and I loved the listening experience. I do have a bone to pick about the production though! Throughout the whole book at certain points at the end of chapters, there were music playing that made it very difficult to hear the narration. At the end of the book in the credits, we learn that they were original music composed by the author. Which is great, the music sounds good! It just really made the narration difficult to hear, and I want to iterate that this is an issue with the sound engineering and not the music itself. The audiobook I listened to is produced by Penguin Audio.

My Thoughts

Okay, this book. It’s very meta, it’s very drama, it’s very thrilling, and I’m here for it! However, I have to admit that I find it a little melodramatic at times, and I find it really hard to relate to the characters. This is also a reread, and I remember loving it the first time and rating it 5 stars. This time I feel like I’m only going to give it 4 stars.

To be fair, it is a very good book, written very well with an incredible plot. I love how meta it is; the story within the story, the parallel lives of the characters. There’s a lot of excitement and thrill of trying to figure out the mystery and wanting to know what happens next, and although I didn’t like the characters, I found them very interesting. I also think the intricate plot was done masterfully and the way everything ties together was very satisfying.

It’s just, the characters and the drama feels very “reality-tv-ish”. They are childish and toxic and make a big deal out of everything, holding grudges and getting offended over every little thing instead of just talking things out, ffs. It makes for good tv, lots of drama, and let’s be honest, we hate the villains on reality tv but we also know they bring the most drama, which brings the viewers in!

The stakes in the book are much higher than in reality tv, and the atrocities that happen are a lot more serious, but it still feels like it could all have been prevented if they only talked to each other, find better solutions, and didn’t immediately go scorched earth on everything! They essentially brought it on themselves and blamed everyone else for their misfortunes.

I can appreciate the mastery of the author’s plotting and storytelling. And I can even appreciate the character-building because of how interesting and vibrant they are, but I can’t relate, so it’s 4 stars for me this time. Still a very good book, and well worth reading!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Posted January 17, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

‘Salem’s Lot is a small New England town with white clapboard houses, tree-lined streets, and solid church steeples. That summer in ‘Salem’s Lot was a summer of home-coming and return; spring burned out and the land lying dry, crackling underfoot. Late that summer, Ben Mears returned to ‘Salem’s Lot hoping to cast out his own devils… and found instead a new unspeakable horror.

A stranger had also come to the Lot, a stranger with a secret as old as evil, a secret that would wreak irreparable harm on those he touched and in turn on those they loved.

All would be changed forever—Susan, whose love for Ben could not protect her; Father Callahan, the bad priest who put his eroded faith to one last test; and Mark, a young boy who sees his fantasy world become reality and ironically proves the best equipped to handle the relentless nightmare of ‘Salem’s Lot.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #45: Author releases more than one book a year)
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge

The Reason

It was a buddy read with my online bookclub, and I’m also doing a personal challenge to read all of Stephen King’s books!

The Quotes

“If a fear cannot be articulated, it can’t be conquered.”

“Only library books speak with such wordless eloquence of the power good stories hold over us.”

“At three in the morning the blood runs slow and thick, and slumber is heavy. The soul either sleeps in blessed ignorance of such an hour or gazes about itself in utter despair. There is no middle ground.”

“The town knew about darkness. It knew about the darkness that comes on the land when rotation hides the land from the sun, and about the darkness of the human soul”

The Narrator(s)

Ron McLarty. No notes, it was great!

My Thoughts

This is a reread and I had very fond memories of reading it the first time during a thunderstorm. I loved the vibes but I think I remembered the vibes more than I remember the details of the book, so I had a lot of fun rereading the book and being surprised and shocked all over again!

I’ve also watched the latest adaptation of the book but didn’t like it very much. It felt very rushed, and rereading the book, one of the things I appreciate about it is that it takes its time. The slow burn was just perfect; the feeling of dread and futility, the anticipation of what’s happening and what’s going to happen, the desperation of trying to do something about it. Oooh, shivers down my spine!

The characters are another wonderful thing about the book. They are all so compelling. Stephen King is so good at getting inside their heads and giving us glimpses of their lives and who they are. I also really love how he writes about “regular” people and show us that sometimes the real monsters are here amongst us.

I also feel like I appreciate SK the more I read, and reread, his books. I tend to miss a lot when I read but every reread helps me to see more details and there is so much to get from SK’s books. This one was such a great reread, and I love it even more now than I did the first time.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Posted January 12, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #3: Title starts with the letter “M”)

The Reason

I’m not kidding, I just found it in my borrowed books on Libby one day. I didn’t click on this book, I didn’t even know about this book, it was just there. Then I saw the narrator was Julia Whelan and I love her so I thought I’d give it a try.

The Quotes

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. That makes it hard to plan the day.”

“The great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, ‘It is not the length of life, but the depth of life.’ You don’t need a long lifetime to make an impact on this world. You just need the will to do so.”

“Once you know something, you forget what it was like to not know it.”

“We segment ourselves based on race or class or religion or whatever fucking distinctions we decide to make up, and then we insist on treating each other differently.”

The Narrator(s)

Julia Whelan. The only reason I read this book without knowing a single thing about it. And I’m glad I did!

My Thoughts

This book has such an interesting premise; people all around the world are receiving a special box with a string inside that supposedly measures their lives. They start to separate themselves based on their short or long strings, they start Other-ing each other, a lot of philosophical questions are asked and discussed. We see the stories of a select few people whose lives intersect, and we come to care about them.

Coming into this story with zero expectations, I ended up really enjoying it. It felt so dystopian and sci-fi, but also down-to-earth in a way, and horrifying in other ways. I love that it explores the value of a person’s life regardless of how long or short that life is. I hate that the Other-ing and fear-mongering is so true to life. The first part of the book was really intense and exciting, but the ending seemed a little flat, like the author wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen. It was still a very well-written book, and a fine exploration of the premise, and I enjoyed it overall.

In a way, it also tracks that ending wasn’t clear-cut and tied up nicely in a bow. It fits the theme that we don’t know what happens next and that it’s up to us what we want to make of the story, what we want to get from it and what we want to make of our own lives from here on out.

I mostly find it curious that I found this book on my borrowed list without ever hearing about it or clicking on it. It’s almost like the characters having those boxes of string just appear out of nowhere. It’s spooky and weird and it’s very possible that aliens have sent this book to me as a gift. 😂 Still, I’m grateful for it because it turned out to be a great story and I really enjoyed it!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Fred, the Vampire Accountant series by Drew Hayes

Posted January 12, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Fred, the Vampire Accountant series by Drew Hayes

Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort.

One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

I read the Super Powereds series and loved it, and someone recommended this series to me by the same author.

The Narrator(s)

Kirby Heyborne. He is amazing, I love his narration so much! Listening to him over 8 books in the series is just so wonderful, his voice is Fred for me.

My Thoughts

This is a general review for Books 1 through 8 of the series. There is supposed to be a Book 9 coming out and I’ll probably update this review once I’ve read that, because I purely intend to read it. As of right now though, I’m reviewing the series as a whole.

One of the things I love most about Drew Hayes’ books are the characters; they are all so vibrant and larger than life. Each story in the books really allows us to get to know the characters, and the deeper we get into the books, the better we get to know all of them and come to love them. Fred is such a compelling character and we can’t help but find him charming and relatable. He grows as we go, and there are things he learns as a vampire in the parahuman community that requires him to adapt and evolve but he tries hard to stay true to his values and protect the things and people he cares about.

Another thing I love about the author’s books are the found family element. You know I cannot resist a found family story, and this series is so strongly found family-oriented. I love these characters like family and I was so sad when I thought Book 8 was the final book because I never wanted it to end. I found out there was going to be a Book 9 and I’m estatic! Obviously I know all good things must come to an end, but I’m glad I’ve still got another book to spend with these characters.

I love this series and I believe it will be one I come back to in the future for multiple rereads!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Posted January 12, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.

As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #44: A celebrity on the cover)

The Reason

I’ve been wanting to read this and it was available as a Skip the line loan for 7 days from Libby, so I jumped on it!

The Quotes

“History is a merciless judge. It lays bare our tragic blunders and foolish missteps and exposes our most intimate secrets, wielding the power of hindsight like an arrogant detective who seems to know the end of the mystery from the outset.”

“There was one question that the judge and the prosecutors and the defense never asked the jurors but that was central to the proceedings: Would a jury of twelve white men ever punish another white man for killing an American Indian?”

“There never has been a country on this earth that has fallen except when that point was reached…where the citizens would say, ‘We cannot get justice in our courts.’ ”

“Stores gone, post office gone, train gone, school gone, oil gone, boys and girls gone—only thing not gone is graveyard and it git bigger.”

The Narrator(s)

Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell. They were great, no complaints on the audio production. Will Patton is a familiar voice to me and it was good to hear it here.

My Thoughts

The horror that was done (and is still being done) to the Indigenous people of America has been talked about for a while now, but I know that a lot of it has been covered up and/or glossed over throughout history and it’s difficult to get a real sense of what actually happened and all the things that happened. This book was a brutal look into one of the things that happened.

I haven’t watched the movie but I am very interested to see how the story is being portrayed. It’s horrifying in and of itself, but more so now because the hate, corruption, and racism is still happening and may possibly be getting worse. It’s crazy to think that in these times, we have not learned or grown from the mistakes of the past. It’s crazy to think that we may even be regressing, and that what has happened before can still be happening.

Some of the crimes that have been committed against the Indigenous people were so blatant and yet, the perpetrators of the crimes are not scared or ashamed of being caught because they had the support of other hateful people. It’s so sad to me that we can look at another human being and think that they are beneath us and don’t deserve basic respect. I’m glad that I read this book and gained some perspective on human nature and the unforgivable things that have been done to Indigenous people, but it’s also a little scary and depressing to realize that it’s not completely behind us. I still think this is a very important book to read in order to open our eyes to the truth, and I would definitely recommend reading it.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Posted January 12, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Lovelace was once merely a ship’s artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in an new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who’s determined to help her learn and grow.

Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced readers to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for – and learned to live with, and love, her rag-tag collection of crewmates.

A Closed and Common Orbit is the stand-alone sequel to Becky Chambers’ beloved debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and is perfect for fans of Firefly, Joss Whedon, Mass Effect and Star Wars.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
None

The Reason

This is the second book in the Wayfarer series; I just reread the first one, The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet and this is also a reread and a buddy read with my online bookclub. I plan to read the next books as well.

The Quotes

“I love learning. I love history. But there’s history in everything. Every building, everybody you talk to. It’s not limited to libraries and museums. I think people who spend their lives in school forget that sometimes.”

“And seriously, anybody working in a job that doesn’t let you take a nap when you need to should get a new job.”

“Owl had said it was important to know how swearing worked, and it was okay under the right circumstances, but that Jane shouldn’t swear all the time. Jane definitely swore all the time. She didn’t know why, but swearing felt fucking great.”

“Just because someone goes away doesn’t mean you stop loving them.”

The Narrator(s)

Patricia Rodriguez. Same as with the first book, I loved her narration and I was completely immersed!

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the Wayfarer series but they’re only tangentially related; set in the same world with a few of the same characters from the first book, but otherwise, a completely different story. This one follows Lovelace/Lovey as she navigates a new body and a new identity for herself. She becomes Sidra, and she’s living with Pepper, whom we also meet in the previous book.

One of the core themes of this book is about finding out who you are, and almost all the main characters in the book has different stories that cover this same theme. One of the things I love most about Becky Chambers’ books is how she explores diverse peoples with different cultures and beliefs and yet show us that they all have some things in common. I also love it because we have the same issues in real life in trying to figure out who we are.

I’ve read the first and second books in this series and loved them, but I haven’t read the next books and I’m eager to get to them and have my mind blown over again with the interesting insights the author shares with us about humanity. I also love the found family aspect in her books, which is so very present here as well. I highly recommend these books!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Posted January 12, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
None

The Reason

It was my in-person bookclub’s BOTM for December.

The Quotes

“Maybe we should do things because we love them, not because we’ve always done them that way.”

“I’ve essentially handed my heart over to the person who’s had it on reserve for half my life, and I’m terrified that he doesn’t realize what he’s holding.”

“It never occurred to me that you might be mine.”

My Thoughts

My bookclub voted for this book for our December BOTM and most of us enjoyed it while also rolling our eyes at how cheesy it was. A lot of our previous BOTMs had been heavy books and I think we just wanted something light-hearted and fun for December, and we got what we wanted!

It was definitely light-hearted and fun, and definitely cheesy and very convenient with how it all wrapped up. There were also some really cringy parts, but you know, this was a low-stakes Christmas holiday story for entertainment’s sake and I’ll allow it. I actually really like Maelyn and her chemistry with Andrew. I also love the other characters, specifically Benny, and I found it interesting how Mae and Andrew navigated their new-found romance in front of their families because that’s not an easy thing to do.

Of course, there were stuff I didn’t like; I didn’t really like Theo’s character and there was allusions to some not-so-great behavior from the parents too, but in a way, that’s often true to life. I won’t go into detail on the convenient and cringy stuff because you’ll know it when you read it. It’s not the authors’ best work but it was still a fun read and exactly what I needed for a holiday read. Plus, my bookclub had a good time laughing about the book so it’s all good.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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2024 End of Year Book Survey

Posted January 7, 2025 by Haze in Book Tags / 3 Comments

I found Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey through Jana @ The Artsy Reader Girl last year and decided to do it again this year! Please feel free to do this too and leave a comment with your link so I can check out your answers!

Here’s my 2023 End of Year Book Survey if you’d like to check it out. I’m late with my 2024 book survey but I got it done! I was still logging in some of the books I read in 2024 because I wasn’t up to date, and there are several reviews for 2024 books I haven’t written yet. The 2024/2025 end of year season was a really hectic one for me and I haven’t been very present in the blogosphere but hopefully I’ll get things squared away soon. I’ve missed visiting with everyone!

2024 Reading Stats

Click here to check out My Year In Books in detail. You can also use it to check yours.

Number of books you read: 172

Number of re-reads: 20! So many this year for some reason!
1. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
3. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
4. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster
5. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
7. Anne of Green Gables Books 1-5 by L.M. Montgomery
8. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
9. Cujo by Stephen King
10. The Shining by Stephen King
11. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
12. The Outsider by Stephen King
13. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
14. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
15. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
16. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Number of books you DNFed: I didn’t keep track of them this year!
Number of pages you read: 62,076
Most read genre: Fantasy at 80 books
Number of new-to-you authors you discovered: 69

Firsts and Lasts

First book you read: Holly by Stephen King
Last book you read: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
First 2023 release you read: The Improbable Meet-Cute series by various authors

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2024:
There were so many amazing books this year it’s honestly hard to choose. I did make a list for the top ten best books I read in 2024, but they did not include rereads. If I had to choose one new read, it’d be the Heartstopper series. If I could include rereads, it’d be The Count of Monte Cristo.

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was a disappointment. It sounded so good and there was so much praise for it, I thought I was going to like it a lot more. To be fair, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read:
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, and the Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes. I didn’t have very high expectations for both; I thought they were a couple of generic YA stories that would be somewhat entertaining but not memorable. I am happy to be proven wrong for both! They are very entertaining! And also very memorable!

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):
Interestingly, Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. Someone was looking for a book to fit a prompt and I recommended this book. Before I knew it, it became a buddy read, and I got twelve people to read it! Plus, one more person from my irl bookclub! And another bookblogger who read my review! So altogether 14 people? Not too shabby!

5. Best first book in a series you started in 2024. Best sequel of 2024. Best series ender of 2024.
Started: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Sequel: Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2) by Stephen King
Ender: Super Powereds Year 4 by Drew Hayes

6. Favorite new-to-you author you discovered in 2024:
I read so many new-to-me authors in 2024 and I enjoyed so many of them, but I have to go with Drew Hayes on this one. I read his whole Super Powered series, and also Fred, the Vampire Accountant, and I have to say they’re just so much fun to read, plus his characters are all so wonderful!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone:
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I listened to it on audio, but it’s listed as poetry and it sounds very poetic while I was listening, that’s for sure. I don’t typically read a lot of poetry, so this was definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was so beautiful to listen to and very emotional.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year:
The Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes! I couldn’t put them down and it was just one thrilling thing after another! I love the relationship dynamics, the action-packed challenges they had to go through, the storyline. It was four books with a total of approximately 160 hours on audio and I breezed through them because they were so fun!

9. Book you read in 2024 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and/or Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. For the “simple” reason that they’re both first books in a series that have quite a complicated world-building and I listened to them on audio. I’m probably going to have to refresh my memory for these books before moving on with the rest of the series. Oh, also Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, for the same reason.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2024:
The Emily Wilde books! I read both the first and second book in 2024 and they are both gorgeous!

11. Most memorable character of 2024:
Boris from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I don’t necessarily like him as a person, but he’s very memorable as a character! Here’s what I said in my buddy read discussions for the book;

“He is the most exasperating, annoying, toxic, incredible, idiotic, brilliant, CRAZY person, and I think I wouldn’t have any idea what to do with a friend like him. You gotta love him but you also gotta hate him. And I think I’d stay far far away from him and his antics, he’d drive me to an early grave!”

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2024:
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. It was such an experience listening to this book on audio. Such painful topics told so lyrically, so beautifully, in such an expressive voice. It was incredible.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2024:
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown. It’s basically an encyclopedia of emotions, which doesn’t seem like it would be life-changing, but the definitions really got me to understand my own feelings and why I was feeling them. It was very validating and still makes me think.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2024 to finally read:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. There was a lot of talk about it when it came out and I was very curious. It’d been in my TBR since but I hadn’t read it until 2024!

15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2024:
Omg, I have so many! But I’ll narrow it down to these few, for now!

“I’m one of those people who doesn’t really know what he thinks until he writes it down.” – 11/22/63 by Stephen King

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” – Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

“Science is not the truth. Science is finding the truth. When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It learned more.” – Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2024:
Shortest: Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory (40 pages)
Longest: Super Powereds Year 4 by Drew Hayes (1981 pages)

17. Book that shocked you the most:
Don’t Call It A Cult by Sarah Berman. The things they did were horrendous and unbelievable. You never think you’d be susceptible to being influenced into joining a cult, but you never know. It’s that whole slow boiling the frog thing, and I honestly can’t say for sure I wouldn’t fall for it. It’s scary.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!):
Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, hands down! I love them and I would die for them!

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Carl and Donut from Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. I love their dynamic, I love their chemistry, I love the way they work together, I love how hilarious they are! I love them!

20. Favorite book you read in 2024 from an author you’ve read previously:
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. It was such a magical, whimsical fairy-tale that made me feel like I was transported to a whole other existence while reading it. I love the MC and how mysterious she is. I loved how the story unfolded and how we find out more about her and her life. It’s a beautiful story.

21. Best book you read in 2024 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. So many recommendations by so many of you, but yes, I only read it because it was so highly recommended and I trust your judgments!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2024:
Carrie Soto from Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. She’s so strong and inspiring, and I’ve got a thing for strong, inspiring women. She also has her moments where she can be a little abrasive, but I think seeing her weaknesses and vulnerabilities only makes me love her more.

23. Best 2024 debut you read:
Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer. I think it was the only 2024 debut I read; I would’ve had others but I didn’t get to them in time, and now I’ll have to read them in 2025!

24. Most vivid setting you read this year:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I don’t know why but it really stood out to me. Every scene was so vivid and descriptive to me, I could imagine it all so clearly.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read:
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. I was cackling gleefully while reading it because it was just so unexpectedly good! I also want to say Dungeon Crawler Carl, but it’s been praised so much already so I wanted to give Long Live Evil a mention.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2024:
There were several books I read this year that made me cry or almost cry; The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and Carrie Soto Is Back made me sob like a baby.

27. Hidden gem of the year:
I’ll admit that I’m not very up-to-date on what’s being hyped up out there in social media, but I haven’t heard a lot of hype around Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, and I also personally didn’t expect much from it and was pleasantly surprised.

28. Most unique book you read in 2024:
Oooh, maybe I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. It’s an interesting format with an interesting premise, but I really enjoyed it.

39. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it):
This year it was the non-fiction that made me mad; The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, the injustice and exploitation of both these women for albeit different reasons just really gets to me.

My Blogging/Bookish Life

1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2024:
I don’t know, I wrote so many I can’t remember them all! Possibly the ones with additional discussion and notes because I had so much more to say about them!

2. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog:
I really enjoy doing my Sunday Posts, but I’ve been missing them for a couple of months now. I’m still trying to catch up with regular life stuff at the moment. I hope I’ll be back soon.

3. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.):
My in-person bookclub’s road trip to The Royal Tyrrell Museum in conjunction with our Book of the Month, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte! It was the most fun book-related event in 2024!

6. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views):
I don’t really look at my stats (not sure how?) so I had to check manually but my Top Ten Tuesday Most Anticipated Books for 2024 Jan-Jun has 58 comments.

8. Post you wished got a little more love:
I’m pretty happy with the love I got, and very grateful for all of it!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.):
It might be a little basic but it’s Audible for me. I know it’s been around for a while, and I had definitely heard of it before, I just didn’t know how it worked and how much fun I would have with it. I got a year’s membership for a discount and it includes a lot of free audiobooks I would otherwise have never listened to or learned about. I’m really happy with it so far!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year:
I finished all my reading challenges in 2024 except two – I signed up for ten. I’m pretty happy with how I did on the challenges, but I definitely felt overwhelmed a couple of times. I’m cutting down on challenges in 2025 and hoping to take it easier!

Looking Ahead in 2025

1. Book you are most anticipating in 2025 (non-debut):
I have a few books I’m anticipating in 2025 and I made a Top Ten Tuesday post about it. I’m very excited about a lot of them actually; Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, Never Flinch by Stephen King, but I think I’m most excited about TJR’s Atmosphere because I loved the last book I read by her and this one sounds really good!

2. 2025 debut you are most anticipating:
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson. I have no idea if it’s going to be good, but it sounds good and I’m really excited about it!

3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2025:
All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan, the sequel to Long Live Evil, which I absolutely loved! It’s expected to be released September 16, 2025, a long wait, but I’ll be ready for it!

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2025?
I want to be more present on the blog. I am starting out this year very frazzled and behind on everything! I have been contemplating cutting down on book clubs, book challenges, and buddy reads, and even blogging, because of irl stuff getting busy, but I would be very sad if I had to do any of that. I’m hoping that it’s a temporary thing while I adjust and I’ll get better and more organized in time.

What are your answers to these questions? If you do this survey, let me know so I can visit your post and check out your answers. You can also leave your answers in the comments!

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Top Ten Tuesday | Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

Posted January 6, 2025 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 9 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

So many books to be excited about this year and these are just for the first half of the year! As if I didn’t already have tons of backlist books on the TBR, I’ve got new ones to contend with! I can’t wait!

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

  1. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros – Expected publication date: Jan 21, 2025. The third book in the Empyrean series. The second was a little disappointing but I have to see this through!
  2. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – Expected publication date: Mar 18, 2025. I wasn’t interested in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes when it was released but have since read it and now I’m all in for any other book in the THG universe.
  3. Swept Away by Beth O’Leary – Expected publication date: Apr 10, 2025. I love her other books and I’m sure I’ll love this one too!
  4. Never Flinch by Stephen King – Expected publication date: May 27, 2025. I know some people are tired of reading about Holly but I love her, so I’m totally here for it!
  5. The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb – Expected publication date: May 6, 2025. I’m anticipating this alright, but I’m also scared to read it because I cried so hard with two other books from the author I loved.
  6. The Love Haters by Katherine Center – Expected publication date: May 20, 2025. I’m completely sold on Katherine Center and I’m excited for this next one!
  7. Overgrowth by Mira Grant – Expected publication date: May 6, 2025. I read a couple of her books a long time ago and they made an impression on me. Curious to read this one and see how I feel about it.
  8. Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett – Expected publication date: Feb 11, 2025. More Emily Wilde! More Wendell! More faerie hijinks! I can’t wait!
  9. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Expected publication date: Jun 3, 2025. I love everything TJR, and this one sounds so good!
  10. A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson – Expected publication date: Jan 7, 2025. Dragons, languages, dark academia! I mean, how can I resist?!

Are you anticipating any of these books? Have you read any books by these authors? What books are you looking forward to?

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Monthly Wrap Up | December 2024

Posted January 2, 2025 by Haze in Monthly Wrap Up / 2 Comments

Welcome to the Monthly Wrap Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction to share our monthly wrap-up posts that summarizes our month in books, our favorite books of the month, what we did on our blogs, and anything noteworthy we want to share.

December 2024 Wrap Up

Happy New Year 2025, everyone!!

I’ve been so frazzled and disorganized these last couple of months that I haven’t been very present on the blog at all, or in other areas of my life. Things haven’t settled down yet and I’m still catching up but I’m trying to be a little more organized. I’m also cutting down on reading challenges this year because I got so overwhelmed last year with more than ten of them!

At this point, I’m still just trying to catch up, so I don’t have a complete picture of my goals and plans yet, but I’ll get there eventually! Thank you for being patient with me!

My December 2024 TBR Intentions

Well, the good news is that I read 5 out of 7 of the books on my TBR in December! Yayy!

  1. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
  2. In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren
  3. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
  4. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  5. The Outsider by Stephen King
  6. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
  7. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Books Read in December 2024

  1. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  2. Bloody Acquisitions (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 3) by Drew Hayes
  3. The Fangs of Freelance (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 4) by Drew Hayes
  4. Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
  5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
  6. Deadly Assessments (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 5) by Drew Hayes
  7. The Outsider by Stephen King
  8. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
  9. Undeading Bells (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 6) by Drew Hayes
  10. In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren
  11. Out of House and Home (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 7) by Drew Hayes
  12. Posthumous Education (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book 8) by Drew Hayes
  13. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Notable Books This Month

I ended up spending most of the month reading Drew Hayes’ Fred, the Vampire Accountant series! They were so fun and enjoyable, and I really loved reading about Fred and his friends. I’m a huge fan of found family stories, and Hayes really has a talent for writing interesting characters. I was so sad when I finished the last one, but I found out there’s going to be a Book 9, so I’m eagerly waiting for its release!

I also really loved The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, and I’m completely invested in the story and intend to read the rest of the series.

The Outsider and A Closed and Common Orbit are both rereads, but worth mentioning because they’re both still so good the second time around.

And finally, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was such an eye-opening read. I’m glad I finally got around to reading it, I learned so much and it made me feel so many things. I’m also very curious about the movie and I’ll probably want to watch it sometime soon.

Reading Challenges

I’m going easy on the reading challenges in 2025 because I got a little overzealous last year. These are the ones I’m committing to this year:

  1. The 52 Book Club 2025 Reading Challenge – I’m doing this one again this year because I enjoyed it so much last year!
  2. The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge – My own personal challenge because I’m a fan of SK but have plenty of his books I haven’t read yet. No time limit, and everyone is welcome to join me if you’d like.
  3. The Classics Club – This is a 5-year challenge and I’m on Year 2.
  4. Reading From My TBR Challenge – Also a personal challenge because I figure I should be at least trying to read from my TBR, but I haven’t figured out the parameters yet so I’ll come back to this later.

January 2025 TBR Intentions

I’m just taking it one month at a time. I hope to read these books in January! What about you?

  1. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
  2. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
  3. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
  4. ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
  5. The Terror by Dan Simmons
  6. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

How was your month in December? What were your most memorable bookish moments? I hope you have a wonderful 2025 with lots of great books!

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