FFAF: Did I Read It? Fall 2025 TBR

My Fall 2025 TBR

1. Galloway's Gospel by San Rebellin
2. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. The Girl from Devil's Lake by J.A. Jance
4. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
5. The School for Thieves by Peter Burns

Did I read them?

So funnily enough, this is mad embarrassing for me lmao. That said, let's get into it.

I did not read Galloway's Gospel, but it is still on my physical TBR. Maybe I will read it this fall.

Even worse for me was The Final Gambit... I still have not even finished the book before it in the series. I love this series and basically all of her books in general. As such, I am terrible about saving them for "a rainy day" that seems to never come. 

In the case of The Girl from Devil's Lake, it is also still on my physical TBR. I may get to it in April though as it can fulfill a prompt for the Magical Readathon.

Finally I can feel a tiny bit better about myself. I read and gave Cemetery Boys 5 stars. It was fantastic. I was even sent another book by this author because I loved that one so much!

Lastly, I do not even recognize the title of The School for Thieves. I decided to look it up and am even more confused. Was it a lapsed library hold as it definitely wasn't an ARC.

 

Outro

Welp, this was not a fun time for me XD at least I read one. Even if I also did not recognize one. This is why my TBRs I make now are all ARCs or books I already have out at the library. That is really the only way I will ever stick to it.

  

Spell the Month in Books: March 2026

Intro

This is a fun challenge that I am going to try for 2026. This is inspired by Mehsi-Hime! You can check out their picks here!

This month I decided to do this based on the first manga series I could come up with. I want to read month, I'm back to using my recent (or recentish) reads to spell the month. Shall we begin?

The Books

M - Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

A- Attention Seeker by Darcy Michael

R - (The) Rival Upgrade by Lauren Blakely

C - Caught Up by Navessa Allen

H - Hurt Me Not by Davidson King

Outro

All but "R" I was able to pull from within the last two months! Go me! R is a smidge of a stretch I know, but my goal is to minimally repeat so here we are. See you next month for another fun twist on this challenge (I think I might pull from my shelves!)

CWW: Rules for the Summer

  

This week's book is.... Rules for the Summer

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publisher: Bloom Books

Release Date: May 5th

Series: n/a

Blurb:

He clicked "yes" on a dare. She bought a failing candy shop. Now they're neighbors for the summer―and neither is ready for what comes next.

Renley Gossage has one shot to prove she's more than Cape Meril's favorite cautionary tale: restore her favorite candy shop before the town writes her off like they did her father. No help, no shortcuts, and definitely no rich men wielding engagement rings and making things messy.

Theo Williams never planned on ending up in Cape Meril. A drunken game of truth or dare turned into a botched online engagement, and now he's across the ocean, escaping his father's control with nothing but designer shoes, misplaced confidence, and a rental next door to Renley.

She's practical, stubborn, and covered in paint. He's posh, persistent, and willing to use a sander if it means earning her trust.

Between collapsing drywall, gossiping neighbors, and the chaotic schemes of Renley's aunt, their forced proximity turns into something dangerously close to real.

But Renley's future depends on standing on her own two feet, and Theo's past isn't done with him yet. By the time the candy shop doors open, they'll have to decide if this is just a summer fling―or the happily ever after neither of them saw coming.

Explanation:

I have enjoyed all of Quinn's books I have read thus far. I am confident this will be no different. She truly excels at the humor in romcoms for me. As such, if she writes it, I will happily give it a try. I am also SO ready for all of the summery romances as they are among my favorites.

T10T: Books On My Spring TBR

   

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! Happy spring! The sun is shining and there is no snow on the ground and I couldn't be happier!

This week's prompt is..... books on my spring TBR

These are in no particular order

1. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind
2. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
3. Open Roads, Open Hearts by Isabelle Peterson
4. Much Obliged by D.P. Clarence
5. The Analyst and the All-Star by Mel Walker
6. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
7. The Shippers by Katherine Center
8. The Final Target by Nora Roberts
9. The Good Girl Exception by Maren Moore
10. Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian

All of these are ARCS, books for promos, or library holds so I am pretty confident I can actually accomplish this list. Please keep me accountable if you do not see these books in upcoming monthly wrap-ups. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

What does your spring TBR look like? Let's do what we can to make sure we get them all read!

 Book Feature: Stride for Stride

Stride for Stride by Kim Stephenson is a wonderful story out now with wonderful LGBTQ+ rep!

Tropes

• Rivals to lovers
• Only one tent
• Olympics
• Coming out
• Secret relationship

Cover design: 100 Covers

Connect with Kim ➤ FB: kimstephensonauthor | IG & TikTok: runningfortheromance | Bluesky: kimstephenson.bsky.social

Blurb

Rivals on the road. Teammates on paper. But could they be more?

Jackson and Elliot have been neck-and-neck since their first race. Two elite marathoners, constantly pushing each other to the limit. But with the Olympics looming, they’re forced to do the unthinkable: train together.

Altitude camp means long runs, cold nights, and the kind of tension that’s not just competitive anymore. When a single kiss shatters the fragile line between enemies and something much more complicated, both men are left breathless—for reasons that have nothing to do with their last tempo run.

But between the pressure of the Olympics, increased media scrutiny and career-threatening injuries, their chance at love might not make it to the finish line.

Can they go stride for stride toward something real, or will the world pull them apart before they’ve even begun?

Stride for Stride is the sizzling follow-up to Your Pace or Mine. It is a standalone medium spice, MM Sports Romance and book 2 in the Running for the Romance series.

If you loved Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid and Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffrey, you’ll fall hard for Jackson and Elliot in Stride for Stride

CWW: Our Perfect Storm

 

This week's book is.... Our Perfect Storm

Author: Carley Fortune

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 5th

Series: n/a

Blurb:

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

Explanation:

I have loved each and every single one of her other books so far. They are true peak summery reads for me. As such, I have massive levels of hype for whatever she puts out next. Do you like her books too?

T10T: Books with Green Covers

  

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! Yay for being able to do the prompt it its entirety! Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate!

This week's prompt is..... books with green covers

These are in no particular order

1. Stolen Moments by AB Jackson
2. Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
3. Unseen by Molly Burke
4. Sweet On You by Dani Galliaro
5. Thinky Thoughts by Gwenna Laithland
6. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
7. Destructively Mine by Krista & Becca Ritchie
8. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
9. Game On by Navessa Allen
10. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Yay for pretty green covers. They are all so gorgeous, especially together.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

I am so happy this week went a lot smoother than previous weeks. It was getting rough not gonna lie. What color do you think is most prominent on your shelves?

Book Mail Monday #6

     

Intro

Welcome back to Book Mail Monday! The one where I bought some books for once. Check out some of my most hyped book mail!

The Book Mail

Books Included

-  Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

- Free Fall by Kathryn Nolan

- Guilty Pleasure by Suzana Thompson

- Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

- Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Discussion

Perfect Cover is the first one I bought. It is in a duology with the other book by her in this book mail. This is actually one of her backlist titles that got new modernized covers which was much needed honestly. There are STUNNING and a proud addition to my shelves. This one has pink sprayed edges that have a splattered, almost glittery effect coming from both corners. It also says "The Squad" (the series title) in dark pink lettering. 

Killer Spirit is the second book in this duology. I am happy to finally have these books in my Jennifer Lynn Barnes collection as she has been my favorite author for other 10 years. This one has the purple version of the sprayed edge, which is also gorgeous. 

Celestial Monsters was a total surprise to me sent by the publisher. I am guessing they must've seen by positive review of Cemetery Boys which you can find here. The only unfortunate thing about it is that it is book two in a series for which I do not have book one. But no real complaints for surprise queer book mail!

Free Fall was sent to me by the author for me to promote. Stay tuned on Instagram for my content about it! It is signed by the author. 

Lastly, Guilty Pleasure was also sent to me by the author. I have a flat lay post planned for it in a few days so keep your eyes peeled! It is personally signed for me which I appreciate oh so much!

Outro

Needless to say, this way some very anticipated book mail for me. I cannot wait to dive into these! I'm so happy Barnes is now mainstream so even more people love her works. Thank you to the lovely publisher and authors who were kind enough to share their books with me. While it has meant I've needed to reorganize my shelves, I'm proud to give them all a home with me. 

See you next time I have some exciting book mail to share!

Blind Ride by B.A. Tortuga Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Blind rep

➮ Cowboy romance

➮ Gay rep

➮ Friends-to-lovers

➮ Hurt x comfort

Blurb

Jason Scott has everything a bull rider wants—success, money and traveling partner Andy Baxter. When he loses his sight in an accident, he stands to lose it all.

Jason Scott is at the top of the bull riding game, on his way to a winning season. Along with his traveling partner, Andy Baxter, he’s riding hard on the circuit, working around the country with all of the other bull riders and bullfighters, living the good life. The only thing he wishes he had is Bax, but he’s afraid to take the step that would make them more than friends, worried that it will ruin everything.

When a terrible accident leaves Jason unable to see, his whole life goes south. Jason decides to chuck it all, determined to go home and hide at his momma’s ranch. Bax has other ideas. He wants to make sure his best friend doesn’t give up, and he hatches a plan that stuns Jason and makes their friends and family think he’s crazy.

With the help of the other bull riders and a very persistent bull fighter named Coke, Bax convinces Jason to give life one more try. With Jason cautiously learning to hope, and his relationship with Bax going to the next level, life gets pretty complicated. Everyone gets in on the project, from Jason’s strong-willed mother to an entire ranch full of children, all of them working to help Jason do what he loves. 

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

I thought it was well-done and respectful overall. I just feel like their identities could've played more into their characterization. Especially in a realm filled with homophobia, it feels like it could've mattered more.

My Thoughts

The narration of this one truly made this book shine! I felt like it brought the story to life. The narrator's Southern drawl added to my immersion immensely. 

This book also does a great job with pacing given it is a shorter story. The relationship development felt natural. Speaking of, I of course commend the gay rep in this book. It was respectful and thoughtfully done. 

Due to the cliff hanger, I am very excited to dive into the rest of the series!

This book does contain a good bit of open-door spice. If that is not your thing, I do not recommend this book. 

Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for the ALC! My review is honest and voluntary. 

FFAF: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

   

Intro

I am so happy that spring is upon us! At the time of writing this blog it's in the 80s outside which is so warm! As such, I've got the cleaning bug. That's where the spring cleaning book tag comes in! I found it on the Book Cheshire Cat blog. The tag is originally from Between the Shelves. Let's clean up!

The Prompts and My Picks

Getting started: a book series you've been wanting to read

The Addicted/Calloway Sisters series by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I absolutely adore the Webs We Weave series that these sisters also write. I've heard amazing things about this series. The only reason I have read it yet is that I want to read it physically. As I am trying to maintain a book buying ban, I am only very slowly able to obtain the series. So far, I have collected the first two books.

Cleaning/organizing the closet: the best way to organize books

The simplest answer is, however they fit and works for you. 

I think in my official library I hope to have once I move, I would sort by genre and keep series together. Other than that, just a vibe really.

Getting rid of unnecessary things: book/series you no longer need

Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp

I have read this book and don't think I would ever reread it. As such, I do not find the need to keep it.

Get some air: you favorite lighthearted read

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This was one of my top reads of last year. It was oh so good and perfect for me during the time I listened to it. I loved it on so much. Highly recommend! 

Clean out the kitchen cupboards: favorite food-themed read

Café con Lychee by Emery Lee

This was such a nice YA read. It's got queer rep and portrays culture so well! You should absolutely check it out if given the chance.

Dust the shelves: what's the fifth book on your bookshelf

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

As she is my favorite author, her books come up first on my shelves. This series is currently ongoing so I look forward to finishing it!

Wishing for the end: a 2026 release you are excited about

Game On by Navessa Allen

I have just read the second book in this series. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first book in the series, I still enjoyed my time with it. I'm curious to see if book three works better for me.

Long but satisfying: the longest book series you've read

The Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald

I am not counting any of the series that I read as a kid and know I never finished (as some are still getting books added). As such, this series with 5 main books and a novella is the longest series I have finished as an adult.

Outro

Are you feeling cleaner? I know I am! If you are interested in doing this one, consider yourself tagged!

CWW: The Escape Game

 

This week's book is.... The Escape Game

Author: Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 7, 2026 

Series: n/a

Blurb:

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and... Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

Explanation:

I have always thought any books inspired by escape rooms or involving thriller games is totally up my alley. As such, I am very down to check this out. It sounds like the perfect level of both twisty and entertaining. That said, I have been burned before, so I will take it all with a grain of salt. 

T10T: Book Titles The Feature Numbers

 

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! I have to slightly bend the prompt, as I have listed every book I read featuring an ordinal number and that was only 4 books lol

This week's prompt is..... book titles that feature numbers

These are in no particular order

1. The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
2. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
3. The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
4. The Second Wave by Krista Street
5. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
6. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
7. Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg
8. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
9. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
10. Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

Clearly I nee to prioritize more books with specifically ordinal numbers. I feel like they may be more common in the genres I do not read much of? I feel like I need to read a lot more books so I have more to talk about.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

I am happy to take suggestions for any books you know of that fit this category. At least I had 10 books with numbers. See you next week where I hope I'll struggle less!

FFAF: 2026 Bookish Predictions

  

Intro

As we are still at the beginning of 2026, let's do some predictions shall we? I got the idea from Mehsi aka Twirling Book Princess. The original is from Book Princess Reviews.

The Prompts and My Picks

Next Read

The Spiral Key by Kelsey Day

I am due up for a thriller honestly, and this one just released which I had an ARC for.

Next 5 star read

The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney

I have already explained my excitement for this one. I have also seen some great early reviews that encourage me.

Next 1 star read

To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast

This is a fantasy books that I got an ARC for. As I'm sure you remember, I am not much of a fantasy girlie

Next love interest (or character you think will be cool)

One of the many MCs of 13 Little Love Stories by Elise Bryant; Jennifer Dugan; J. Elle; Jessica Goodman; Sloan Harlow; Crystal Maldonado; Krystal Marquis; Katharine McGee; Julie Murphy; Lynn Painter; Laura Sebastian; Sara Shepard; Jesse Q. Sutanto

There are so many characters here, I feel like I'm destined to like at least one of them. 

Next book you'll be buying

The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Barnes is my only auto-buy author (as I am too low income to have more than one). I quite literally just ordered this because I was able to get an exclusive signed edition for a good price!

Next book that will give you a book hangover

How to Fake a Husband by Bella Rivers

This one has such a pretty cover, I feel like I might not want to pick up anything else for the fear it will be a downgrade. 

Outro

If you'd like to do this yourself, go for it! It was easy and has me excited for my future reads! What are some of your bookish predictions?

  

March 2026 Birthstone Book Covers

Intro

This is a fun challenge where I match book covers to each month's birthstone based on their colors. It is a fun way to look back at a rainbow of reads by the end of the year! I got this idea from Books Are the New Black so thanks to them for the fun challenge! Let's hope I can keep up with this for the whole year! If you would like to tackle this challenge yourself, consider yourself tagged!

For each month I will find 5 books that match that month's birthstone. March's birthstone is aquamarine which is a blue color that looks like this:

Book Covers

Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp

It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely 

Hurt Me Not by Davidson King

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Outro

I was actually able to use all books I read this year, so I consider that an accomplishment! I hope I can keep this as a streak for the rest of the year. Wish me luck!

 

February 2026 Birthstone Book Covers

Intro

This is a fun challenge where I match book covers to each month's birthstone based on their colors. It is a fun way to look back at a rainbow of reads by the end of the year! I got this idea from Books Are the New Black so thanks to them for the fun challenge! Let's hope I can keep up with this for the whole year! If you would like to tackle this challenge yourself, consider yourself tagged!

For each month I will find 5 books that match that month's birthstone. February's birthstone is amethyst which is a gorgeous purple color that looks like this:

Book Covers

Tough Guy by Rachel Reid

Cubby Season by Bindi Kennedy

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

The Rival Upgrade by Lauren Blakely

Between the Lines by Olivia Hayle

Outro

Gosh I love a good purple cover! Aren't they all so pretty! I truly adore them so much. Next month should be a bit a challenge but we shall see. (Also yes I did forget to upload this on time but shhh, don't worry about that).

CWW: Game On

 

This week's book is.... Game On

Author: Navessa Allen

Publisher: Slowburn

Release Date: March 31st

Series: Into Darkness

Blurb:

I hate that woman.

Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he'll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge.

Including Stella McCormick. She's everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it's time she finally paid the price. Whether she's ready to or not.

I hate that man.

Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight - no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he's the devil planning to make her life hell.

Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family's glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler's ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn't know which is being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.

Explanation:

I absolutely adored the audiobook of the first book in this series (Lights Out). I finally got my library hold for the second book (Caught Up) this week, so I will be up to date when this book comes out. I can handle a pretty dark romance if there is some humor included, which Allen excels at. I am also sure the audiobook will have great narration too so I am very excited!

T10T: Romances with LGBTQ+ Representation

  

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! This week is a genre-related freebie. As such, you'll not be surprised I'm picking LGBTQ+ romances

This week's prompt is..... romances with LGBTQ+ rep

These are in no particular order

1. Cubby Season by Bindi Kennedy
2. Hurt Me Not by Davidson King
3. Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur
4. Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks
5. My Roommate From Hell by Cale Dietrich
6. Meant to Burn by Shae Ruby
7. In Love's Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro
8. Kitty Season by Bindi Kennedy
9. When Ivy Met Adam by Jennifer J. Coldwater
10. Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

Absolutely none of you should be surprised that I decided to take a queer approach to this prompt if you've been around my blog for any significant about of time. I am here and proudly queer, and will absolutely champion books with LGBTQ+ rep whenever I can. I am also a big romance girlie, so here we are. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

Have you read any of these? I am so down for any kind of LGBTQ+ book recs if you have any! See you tomorrow for my gushing!

February 2026 Reads

 

 February 2026 Reads 

This month I read 16 books 

I DNFed 1 book

These books were 63% fiction

They were 19% physical, 13% digital, and 69% audio

The most popular genres were LGBTQ+, romance, and contemporary

My average rating was 4.18 stars

My longest reading day was the 23rd

The Books

➽ The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

➽ Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White

➽ Stolen Moments by A.B. Jackson

➽ Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

➽ All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

➽ Cubby Season by Bindi Kennedy

➽ Tough Guy by Rachel Reid

➽ This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us by (too many authors to list here)

➽ The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

➽ Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

➽ Hurt Me Not by Davidson King

➽ Attention Seeker by Darcy Michael

➽ It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely

➽ Delusions by Cazzie David

➽ Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp

➽ Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

T10T: Books I Can't Believe I Read

 

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! This week I am doing another backlist prompt... because I am awful about keeping track of quotes. I am very happy to see what everyone else pulls though!

This week's prompt is..... books I can't believe I read

These are in no particular order

1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
3. My Hero Academia Volume 1 by Kōhei Horikoshi
4. Your Honest Deceit by Sakufu Ajimine 
5. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
6. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
8. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
9. Madumo, a Man Bewitched by Adam Ashforth
10. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Let's get into the why for all of these, because I feel like this prompt needs some explanation.

In terms of The Hobbit... well, I am not at all a fantasy person and this book reminded me of that tenfold. It was required summer reading for one of my classes in high school and I HATED it, to the point of not being able to finish. Longwinded fantasy books will never be my cup of tea, but I'm not here to yuck your yum.

Another fantasy Crimson Bound was not actually that bad for me. I enjoyed the retelling aspect a good bit actually. But it was not the first book in the series, it was just something randomly available at the library. I don't know why I wouldn't start at the beginning. Needless to say, I never went back to the series.  

For the manga representation on this list, I have My Hero Academia Volume 1. At the time, I quite enjoyed the anime (this was like season 4 time-period, okay?), so I was like "why not try the manga?" Looking back, I cannot help but cringe a bit, knowing a smidge of where the series ended up.

Another manga was Your Honest Deceit. This one was SPICYYYYYY. Which at the time I read it, was something I primarily avoided, so I was shocked I got through it back then.

While the OG book was a fond memory of my middle school years, Love, Stargirl is not a book I needed to pick up. That could've been left back then, with a book good for a middle schooler that truly did not require a sequel. This sequel was not good, I would gladly unread it not gonna lie. 

Impulse was so intense, again especially for me at the time (spoiler, none of these were read in the last 3 years). That said, it did convince me to check out the thriller genre more. 

I read Fangirl before we knew how not great of a person Rainbow Rowell is. This was also well before I had my bookish social media. I did not mind the book, being honest. But I will not be supporting this author in any way ever again. 

Oh wow another fantasy with Howl's Moving Castle. I again, did not love it as I cannot be a fantasy girlie no matter how hard I try. This was required reading for one of my college classes. I did like the discussion about it though.

The only non-fiction on the list is Madumo, a Man Bewitched. This one was quite fascinating, and I actually enjoyed it. I read it for an anthropology class, which was great. I just never thought I'd pick up a book featuring medicine men. That said, now I know I can be open to it. 

The unfortunate horror on this list is The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I definitely thought this book was a different one, whose title I cannot remember and was  not a disgusting horror. This book genuinely traumatized me. Way too many ample body horror descriptions for my tastes by far. But I got far enough in, I struggled through it. I am not happy to report I know the power of a DNF. 

Once again, none of this was to diss any books that others loved, I just know what is the vibe for me and what isn't and that's okay. We are all unique, including our reading tastes, and that is what makes the community so fun.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

What are some books you can't believe you read? Was that a good or a bad thing for you? See you next week, where maybe I will actually do the original prompt XD

Book Mail Monday #5

    

Intro

Welcome back to Book Mail Monday! I've got 2 pieces of book mail to gush about. Let's dive into it

The Book Mail

Books Included

-  What Happened That Night by Nicci French

- How to Fake a Husband by Bella Rivers

Discussion

What Happened That Night was sent to me by the publisher Harper Collins. It is a first printing that releases tomorrow. I'm happy to get another thriller for my shelves.

The other piece of book mail is How to Fake a Husband. This was sent by the author for an upcoming promo. Isn't the cover stunning??

Outro

Another chill week of book mail. Makes it a lot easier to store them. Did you get any fun mail this week?

See you next time I have some exciting book mail to share!