January 2026 Birthstone Book Covers

January 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. January's birthstone is garnet which is a pretty red color that looks like this:

Book Covers

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Once Upon a Holidate by Susan Mallery

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

Outro

While I did have to dive into my early reads of last year to find enough red covers, it was really fun. It brought back a lot of memories of me giving these books a try. Have you read any of these? Tomorrow I'll be here for a fascinating Free For All Friday!

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Enjoyed Outside of My Comfort Zone

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... books I enjoyed outside of my comfort zone

These are in order with most recently read first

1. My Roommate From Hell by Cale Dietrich
2. Meant to Burn by Shae Ruby
3. You Too?: 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories by Janet Gurtler
4. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
5. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty

For the most part, all of these are in one genre I am comfortable in, and one (or more) that I am just starting to dip into. This blend makes them less intimidating to pick up an give a chance. I'm proud of myself so far this year with how much I have given various genres a try. Hopefully I can keep it going in 2026! What genres are outside of your comfort zone?

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

This past week has been so relaxing and healing. Being able to actually get a decent night's sleep definitely helps. I've been bale to read a lot more and am becoming a content machine due to my upcoming Indie Author Advent. I'll see you again tomorrow for some gushing!

 Free for All Friday: In My Audiobook Era Tag

Intro

I am very much in my audiobook era lately. As such, this challenge is absolutely perfect for me right now! I cannot wait to gush about all of my favorite audiobooks with all of you lovelies!

I found this from Dini Panda Reads, so thank you for the inspiration!

As always, anyone who sees this and is interested is allowed to do this tag. 

The Prompts

• What is the first audiobook you ever listened to?
• Who are your favorite narrators?
• What audiobook platform do you use?
• What book did you love on audio that you might not have enjoyed reading physically? 
• What is your go-to audiobook speed?
• Do you prefer single or dual/multi-narration?
• Do you listen while multitasking, or do you sit and listen like a movie?
• What's your biggest audiobook pet peeve? 
• If you could have any book made into an audiobook, which one would it be?
• What's your all-time favorite audiobook experience?
• Have you ever listened to an audiobook that made you pause and say, "Wait... what did I just hear?!"

My Responses and Discussion

What is the first audiobook you ever listened to?

Becoming by Michelle Obama

This was the first audiobook I remember reading, and I must say it was a fantastic choice! It is narrated by her, and that adds oh so much value. Hearing her read her own life story was truly inspiring. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it already! It certainly opened up the world of audiobooks for me. 

Who are your favorite narrators?

Jacob Morgan

Admittedly, I do not know many narrator names. It is something I want to work on. Jacob is one of the few ones I recognize, and I know I enjoy his intonation. 

What audiobook platform do you use?

Libby, Bookfunnel, and occasionally Spotify

Libby is the platform I use the most by far. I love using my local library, and bonus points that it is free! It also allows good speed customization and scrolling, which I appreciate. Bookfunnel is usually how I get and listen to any ALCs (advanced listener copies) of audiobooks. It is always exciting when I get the chance to use them. Every once in a while, I use Spotify for audiobooks. I do enjoy the platform for listening, so perhaps I will use it more soon.

What book did you love on audio that you might not have enjoyed reading physically?

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

This book would be way too scary for me in any format other than audio. With audio, I am able to let the scary parts play very quickly, so it went by speedily. It makes sure I do not focus on my fear too much, but get to enjoy the whole narrative. 

What is your go-to audiobook speed?

3x speed

Yes, really. I do, in fact, listen to almost all books that quickly. My ADHD works better when I can process words faster. Especially on low focus days, if I wanna read, it's gonna have to be a quick audiobook. My partner says it is my superpower, which I do not really deny.

Do you prefer single or dual/multi-narration?

Multi-narration

I enjoy multiple narrators because I feel it makes the experience feel a lot more immersive. Then you get the feeling of real dialogue and different accents as applicable. That said, I will never skip a book just because it has single narration. 

Do you listen while multitasking, or do you sit and listen like a movie?

Multitasking

As mentioned before, my ADHD makes my listening needs and experience unique. As such, I often use audiobooks to make mundane tasks feel bearable. Things like laundry, grinding in video games, or even calming activities like coloring are made so much better with an audiobook for me. That said, there are times that I do just listen to the book if I have nothing else I need to be doing, or I feel like the book requires more attention to follow. 

What's your biggest audiobook pet peeve?

Continuous mispronunciation

To be clear, I am not talking about different accents or dialects. I am talking about things like the "freesh ava ca do" meme. It does not happen often, but when it does, I cannot stand the book and have to turn it off. 

If you could have any book made into an audiobook, which one would it be?

Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy

I have mentioned this book countless times on my blog this year, but it is for good reason. It is an incredible story that absolutely needs more love. I highly enjoyed the story and think the banter and funny moments would transfer fantastically to audio. 

What's your all-time favorite audiobook experience?

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

This was an incredibly tough choice to make for me, but I remember thinking the narration for this one was truly perfect! The tone and sarcasm at various moments translated so well and made me feel like I was really there with the characters.

Have you ever listened to an audiobook that made you pause and say, "Wait... what did I just hear?!"

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs by Caitlin Doughty

I feel like the name says it all. It definitely had moments that were surprising, but I still quite enjoyed it for its informative nature. I've discussed this book many times on here, so I shall not rant more. 

Outro

This challenge was a lot of fun! It has a nice variety of questions that really made me think. Are you an audiobook fan? I'd love to hear all about your favorites! See you next Friday for another something fun!

Free for All Friday: Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2025

 Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

Intro

Is it still close enough to mid-year to do this, right? Given how little I've read in July, I totally think it is. If anyone would still like to do this at the end of July, consider yourself tagged. 

This tag originated on the Earl Grey Books YouTube channel. I found it from the bookchestirecat blog. Thank you to them for the inspiration.

Now it is time to reflect on my reading so far and hope that the second half of the year lives up to it!  Let's get into the prompts and my picks!

The Prompts

• Best book you've read so far
• Best sequel you've read so far 
• New release you haven't read yet, but want to 
• Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025 
• Biggest disappointment 
• Biggest surprise 
• Favorite new (to you) author
• Newest favorite character
• Book that made you cry
• Book that made you happy
• Favorite book-to-screen adaptation
• Favorite review
• Books you need to read by the end of the year

My Picks and Discussions

Best book I've read so far

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

I unsurprisingly totally loved this one! It really made me think and provided a lot more information about the world and the start of Death Cast. I enjoyed tandem reading it. This story will stick with me for a long time which is why it is currently my number one.

Best sequel I've read so far

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I have tremendously adored both of the books in this series so far. I am truly obsesessed with the characters in particular. Having a whole cast of morally grey individuals is fascinating and creates a lot of wonderful tension. I ate up every additional tidbit this sequel provided. 

New release I haven't read yet, but want to

Caught Up by Navessa Allen

The audiobook for the first one was truly fantastic! I am excited to see what I think of the second, and yes, I will absolutely be consuming the audiobook for it too!

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025

Red Card by Maren Moore

Maren Moore is quickly becoming my favorite sports romance author to date. The way she writes swoony chemistry moments is incredible. This is her first trad published book, so I am so happy for her! I have the ARC for it, which I will be starting very soon!

Biggest disappointment

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson

The publisher actually reached out to me to offer me the ARC for this one. I was totally ecstatic to be working with a major publisher. Unfortunately, this book was a huge DNF for me. I could not tolerate the utter lack of development of the characters over time. Needless to say, I probably won't be working with the publisher again for a while.

Biggest surprise

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty

To clarify, I am not sure that I enjoyed this book. I have loved her YouTube channel for years and the way she tells stories. What surprised me was how much value I think this book has. Yes, it is a bit morbid; any book about death will be. The way that death is discussed feels so natural (as it should). I would totally recommend this book to anyone with any kind of questions about death. It discusses everything in a very approachable way.

Favorite new (to you) author

Courtney Peppernell

I will be discussing the book of hers I read further below for another prompt, so here I will simply discuss her writing. Her approach to poetry is beautiful and eye-opening. Her poetry made me feel not only seen but understood. I am not usually one to pick up a poetry book, but I happened to find the book below in a little free library and decided to give it a shot. I am so glad I did and hope to read more of her poetry in the future. 

Newest favorite character

Donna from the Colson Creek series by Erin FitzGerald

This is a character that very quickly wormed her way into my heart. While she is not a main character in the books, she is absolutely a prominent one. She is the caring mother figure we all need in life. Her spunk, wit, and caring nature made her rise quickly to the top of my list. I am usually pretty terrible at remembering character names, so it is saying a lot that I will never forget hers. 

Book that made you cry

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

I told you I would be discussing Peppernell's book more, well, here I am. This book covers a lot of very relatable subjects pertaining to love. Some happy and some sad. It made me think thoughtfully about loved ones I have lost, which brought about a few tears. I am very happy I read it, and the tears honestly just let me feel even more connected to the poems. If you think there is even a slight chance you would enjoy a bit of poetry, this book is worth picking up. 

Book that made you happy

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This book gave me that stereotypical summer read feeling I was craving so bad. Yes, her books are all pretty similar, and I'm happy about that because I adore her writing style and would love more of it. It gave me all of the warm fuzzies and hope for life. I listened to this one on a road trip and spent most of the time just envisioning being on the lake with the characters, which was glorious. 

Favorite book-to-screen adaptation

The Hunting Wives (by May Cobb)

I'll be honest, I do not watch a lot of book-to-screen adaptations, especially if I read the book. They often are totally ruined because they are not like what I pictured in my head. The Hunting Wives on Netflix is not that loyal to the book by the time the season is over. It reminded me of the Riverdale series in that it seemed to mostly borrow all of the existing characters and what their relationships would be, and add a ton to it. If I were solely wanting it to be a loyal adaptation of a book I was obsessed with, I would be disappointed. That said, if I judge it as a series of its own, I quite liked it and plan to watch any future seasons. 

Favorite review

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford

This book was a delightful read that I gave 5 stars. I am one of Harriet's friends now, and honestly, my review totally showed that. It is definitely a lot of praise for her, but I love it for that very reason. You should check it out to witness me gush if nothing else. 

Books I need to read by the end of the year

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The Autist's Guide to the Galaxy by Clara Törnvall

I could probably put my entire physical TBR here, and it would be a reasonable response to this prompt. I picked two books that I am in the middle of because I do not want them to further fall to the wayside to never be finished. They are both non-fiction because I made it a goal to read notably more non-fiction books this year than I did last year. I want to keep at least 10% non-fiction if not higher. I am loving both of these books a lot, but they do require me to think and truly process what they have to say, which is why they are currently unfinished. Help keep me accountable to finish these, y'all!

Final Thoughts

This was such a fun (though time-consuming) tag! I appreciated the chance to reflect on my reads so far this year and consider what I want to be part of my reading for the rest of the year. Do we have any in common? Now I am looking forward to further reflection at the end of the year. I wonder how many of my picks will be different. For now I bid you adieu and hope to see you next Friday for another fun tag!

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Non-Fiction Books

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! This week, I wanted to dive into a genre I often don't appreciate enough

This week's prompt is..... non-fiction books

I have read all of these books this year. I might go back at the end of the year and see if my list changes at all. They are in order based on my star rating. 

1. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty
2. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
3. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
4. The Manicurist's Daughter by Susan Lieu
5. Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

Can you tell I like Caitlin Doughty? She has a YouTube channel called Ask a Mortician. It's where I first discovered her and fell in love with her style of storytelling. If you don't mind learning about death, I highly recommend her books and videos.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

Hopefully, I'll see you back here next Tuesday!