October 2022 Reading Wrap Up

Here’s a list of the books that I finished in October of 2022. This does not include any graphic novels or pictures books that were read for my job.

• How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • A haunted house book that is very well done, very creepy, but beware! If you don’t like possessed dolls and puppets then this book is absolutely NOT for you.
• The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • Since I’m enjoying The Rings of Power show I decided I should check out the book that inspired it all. I think this was a mistake.
  • This book is not for most fans of LotR or The Hobbit because it is not like the fiction books at all. This is a straight up textbook. I likened it to reading the Bible with 1/6th of the words/phrases in a language where you only recognize some random slang.
  • Only read if you want a dozen unpronounceable names tossed to you over the course of two to three paragraphs.
• Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • A group of arts/film oriented students are trying to get into film school and they want to film a vampire movie.
  • Through a weird series of events they end up in Romania at Vlad’s castle with intentions to film their movie. But then the teens start to die.
  • There turns out to be a pretty big twist but I’m not entirely sure it works.
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • I finally got around to this book and I really wish I had read it sooner.
  • This was incredibly sweet and I liked how the importance of family, magic, and self were all wrapped up together so nicely and addressed the many issues that trans individuals face in a way that seemed organic.
  • It was a book that was all about the trans journey but it also wasn’t. That may be confusing but once you’ve read it, you’ll know.
• City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • It was an okay book. I kept having to remind myself that it was written for a younger audience than most YA books, it’s actually more of what our library would call a Juvie book. And though the material (ghosts and awful deaths) and stuff felt like it was addressed in a way that would work better with older audiences it was definitely not written for older audiences.
  • The protagonist annoyed the crap out of me.
• The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • I read this because it was on a list of reads for Stranger Things fans. I can kind of see it.
  • Also, just plain gross. Too much animal body horror for me.
  • Also made worse by the fact that there was no real explanation.
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • The trials and tribulations of humans in faerie world and the first book of the Folk of the Air series. I loved it!
  • I kind of like that none of the characters are especially good. Normally I don’t like that but given the circumstances I found it totally believable.
  • Definitely a quick, fun read.
• Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • For the longest time I didn’t know what I was going to end up rating this book. Honestly, even after reading it I’m not entirely I understand half of what was happening.
  • I ended up really liking it, primarily for the characters since the plot was confusing.
  • Would absolutely recommend to fans of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.
• The Wicked King by Holly Black
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • The second book of the Folk of the Air series. A solid second book.
  • Honestly, I kind of ended up liking it better than the first book which is pretty unusual.
  • Great ending.
• The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • The third book in the Folk of the Air series. A very great ending.
  • Pretty fast paced and I felt as though it wrapped everything up nicely.

The Devouring Gray by C.L. Herman

Note:I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four Paths is a small town in New York with a big history. And in Four Paths, family and history are very important, especially when you're a member of the founding families. And in the beginning of the book, Violet, whose sister has just recently passed on, is pulled back to her mom's old home and Violet finds out that she her mom, and therefore her, is one of those founding families. And the founding families of Four Paths have a very important job: protect the town from The Gray and the evil that lurks inside it. Violet seems to have a special link to The Gray which is set to devour anyone and anything in its path.

A lot of reviewers mentioned that this book is kind of like a cross between Raven Boys and Stranger Things. I suppose I can see the comparison, especially to Stranger Things (the Gray does seem a bit like the Upside Down) but I'm not so sure about Raven Boys. First of all, I really disliked the Raven Boys and I really liked the Devouring Gray. I'd liken it more to Vampire Diaries with the small town, spooky feel and the importance of certain Founding Families and their history.

I felt like the characters were well-written and easy enough to tell apart which can be kind of hard when you have so many characters that are the same age. I liked the memory loss aspects and how the parents weren't in the forefront but were still important to the story. So many YA books have completely absent parental figures which happens but not nearly as often as books seem to suggest.

Overall, it was a pretty good book.

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake

I received an ARC of In Every Generation by Kendare Blake from NetGalley. I actually read this last October but didn't get around to posting the review on here even though I was incredibly excited about this book and absolutely loved it!

In case you hadn't already picked up on it based on the title, In Every Generation is a book that is set in the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

Years after the end of Season 8, Sunnydale is more or less thriving. Willow Rosenberg and Oz are still in California, Willow raising her daughter Frankie and Oz more or less raising his younger cousin who is best friends with Frankie. But then an explosion rocks a conference where all the Slayers activated in Season 8 were gathered and it appears that all were lost. Then a new Slayer is called.

When I first heard of this book I was really excited given that I was a pretty big Buffy fan back in the day. Then I was a little apprehensive because of two things. 1: A couple of YA books based on the series have come out recently and I was less than pleased with them. And 2: I was a little concerned by how they would handle the idea of Willow having had a daughter after being unwillingly impregnated by magic.

BUT, all of my worries were unfounded. Though there were a few inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense. The town was a huge sinkhole after the finale so how exactly did we build on that? How did Willow recognize that they were near where the original Magic Box had been when there was no way that should be possible given the changed terrain? But I just assumed something magical had happened and shrugged it off and kept going and I was so glad that I did.

I definitely thought the dialogue and the tone of the book matched that of the old episodes. The wittiness and banter were there and the old characters didn't seem out of character which was fantastic. Sometimes it's so hard to get that down pat and Blake nailed it. Honestly, I love the idea of Spike as a Watcher! And the new crew were engaging but didn't seem like carbon copies of the old Scoobies so that was refreshing.

I really hope that Kendare Blake gets a chance to do a couple more in this series because I will absolutely be snatching them up if she does.

I would absolutely recommend In Every Generation for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Tattoos Bookish and Otherwise

Today is my birthday! So, in lieu of a full on book blog post I want to do something a little bookish adjacent. Today I am going to tell you about my tattoos, starting from first to most recent.

1. Purple and teal butterfly
   • I always wanted to get a butterfly tattoo. When I was younger I collected stuff with butterflies on it and the last present I got from my grandma before she passed was a butterfly mobile.
   • I got this one when I was in Daytona Beach for spring break. No, there was no alcohol involved.
   • There is a slightly funny slightly “Oh no, I should not have done that” type of story that is associated with this tattoo.
   • It’s honestly not a great tattoo. I didn’t know much back then and just went with a flash piece and didn’t ask for a black outline or anything.
   • I go back and forth on wanting to cover it up with something else and leaving it.
2. Quill pen
   • I like to write and the quill was the symbol of my college sorority so I thought it was fitting to get one on my wrist.
3. Ladybug
   • Grandma’s nickname was “ladybug” so mom and I got matching ankle tattoos in honor of her.
4. Fairy
   • Along with butterflies, I also collected fairy items so I felt like I needed a fairy as well.
5. Golden Snitch
   • Sigh…back before a certain someone was problematic I was all in for a book series about a young wizard. This was one of several tattoos I got to honor a fandom I’d been a part of for a very long time.
6. Owl
   • Grandma also collected owls!
7. Hummingbird
   • This one was for my grandpa who loved sitting on the porch swing next to his hummingbird feeder. Plus, hummingbirds are very pretty.
8. Book stack
   • How else would you show everyone how much you love to read but a tattoo of a stack of books on your thigh?
   • Since I’ve gotten this I have seen so many book stack tattoos that are even better and I kind of wish I had shopped around for artists but this one is still up there on my favorites list.
9. Deathly Hallows
   • Another one from the fandom who must not be named. Only personalized in several different ways!
   • I still really like it for what it meant once upon a time but I also question still having it on display given what’s been going on.
10. Star Wars Rebel symbol
    • Galaxy themed rebellion! A simple symbol turned a little intricate because of the layers of color to make it look like a true galaxy.
11. Kady Grant
    • I absolutely loved the Illuminae Files book trilogy for a whole myriad of reasons and I wanted something to honor the book.
    • I found a great portrait artist and he made a literal piece of art on my arm and I love it.
    • (I just really wish I wasn’t always cold and therefore covering it up.)
12. Ramiel Mountains
    • A tiny little piece to represent the mountains and stars that are so important to another favorite fandom, A Court of Thorns and Roses.
13. ACOTAR
    • I worked with an artist to create a bigger piece of the above tattoo with mountains, moons, stars, and flowers.
    • Simple black and shading and it’s so, so pretty!
14. 8 point star
    • I read Crescent City and needed a tattoo and it just so happened that there was an idea that was perfect for a tattoo.
    • In the book Bryce gets starborn powers which is reflected by the scar of an 8 point star in between her breasts. Bam! 8 point star tattoo on my chest!
15. Triple Goddess
    • Triple Goddess imagery is prevalent in fantasy and myth and what not and I worked with someone to create a pretty little piece full of moons and flowers.
16. Buffy Summers
    • The same person who gave me Kady Grant is currently working on a Buffy portrait for me and I’m so happy!

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

Note: I received a free copy of These Witches Don't Burn from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Also, I actually read this book and wrote this review back in the beginning of 2021 and am just now uploading the review to the blog so my memory is a little fuzzy. 

This book is, of course, set in Salem, Massachusetts because where else would you set your witchy book? I can see the appeal in doing so but also wonder exactly what the percentage of modern witch books are set in the same location just because of the history. Not that I wouldn't be tempted to do the same but...

In these book we are presented with Elemental Witches who are able to control fire, earth, water, and air. Witches though, have to keep their powers secret, which makes it hard for some of the teenagers in the book to have friends and relationships outside of the coven. So Hannah, the main character, has to worry about existing as well as the dark magic that starts making itself known throughout the course of the book.

I have very mixed feelings about These Witches Don't Burn.

I wish there had been more background on the magic system. A lot of the rules that Hannah mentioned seem to be counter productive and it would have been nice to get more information about it. 

The parents seemed super shady and were kind of horrible in regards to to some of the issues but were otherwise great and that didn't seem to make much sense. I wish they would have been a bit more consistently written.

This book better have had trigger warnings for the abusive relationship that was portrayed between Hannah and Veronica.

It was decently written and I wanted to know how it ended but there were too many things that didn't have enough detail or the background information was given too late and there were so, so many characters that just kept doing things that didn't make sense. I could see that with the teens but all the adults were making even more bad decisions left and right that I couldn't believe it.

This ended up being okay because of the high intensity of the ending but I will not be picking up any other books in this series.

10 Favorite Bookish Quotes

October is my birth month! So, like in past Octobers, I’m going to celebrate with some various lists of ten favorite bookish things. This post will be about my current favorite bookish quotes while other posts may involve current favorite characters or books.

Let’s get started! And, in no particular order, these are my current favorite quotes.

1. “To the stars who listen – and the dreams that are answered.” – Written by Sarah J. Maas for A Court of Mist and Fury and spoken by Rhysand
   • Yes, I am absolutely Maas trash but this is absolutely a quote that speaks to me though I kind of feel like a basic bitch for saying that because I think most ACOTAR fans would say the same. But I like this quote and I kind of made it part of my current Dungeons and Dragons character because a Druid and follows the path of Circle of Stars so…seems logical.
2. “There are good days and hard days for me – even know. Don’t let the hard days win.” – Written by Sarah J. Maas for A Court of Mist and Fury and spoken by Mor
   • You may sense a theme here with the first two quotes being from, not only the same author, but from the same book. But for anyone who has struggled with mental health, I feel like this is a great quote to remember.
3. “Libraries were full of ideas – perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.” – Written by Sarah J. Maas for Throne of Glass and spoken by Celaena Sardothien
   • As a librarian in a world where book challenges have become the norm again, I think this is a very important and powerful quote.
4. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…the man who never reads lives only once.” – Written by George R.R. Martin for A Dance With Dragons and spoken by Jojen Reed
   • Absolutely one of my favorite quotes. I even used it as part of my wedding. (I put it on a page that went with a bookmark that I gave out as favors.)
5. “One must always be careful of books…and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” – Written by Cassandra Clare for Clockwork Angel and spoken by Tessa Gray
   • As a reader and a writer, this quote has always spoken to me.
6. “Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer.” – The opening narration of Seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
   • Okay, okay, okay. I know I originally said this would just be about book quotes but I had to include this one just because Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been such a big part of my life. Literally the entire reason I started reading and writing fanfiction.
7. “You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.” – Written by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman for Illuminae and spoken by Ezra Mason
   • This has gotta be one of the sweetest love quotes ever. Just think about it.
8. “Far over the misty mountains cold/To dungeons deep and caverns old/We must away, ere break of day/To seek our pale enchanted gold…” – Written by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Hobbit and sung by Thorin and the Company
   • I memorized all 44 lines of this poem in eighth grade and have always remembered (mostly correctly_ the first four lines ever since. Definitely one of the starts of my love of fantasy.
9. “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Written by Neil Gaiman for Coraline
   • I literally used this quote in my college senior seminar.
10. “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Written by Stephen King
    • A very sweet sentiment for any book lover

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Note: I read this book and wrote this review back in 2021 but realized I had yet to post it on here. So, just in time for the spooky season, here’s a recommendation if you’re the type of person who wants to see more of Hocus Pocus 1693!

The Year of the Witching was the perfect blend of historical fiction, creepiness and feminism! I’m so glad I waited to read it during the spooky season though I feel a little bad about waiting so long since this was a NetGalley book I received an ARC of last year and probably should have read much earlier.

The Year of the Witching actually tackles quite a few issues. The setting, the town of Bethel, is a very Puritan type of place where people of darker skin are outcasts and women are meant to sit down, shut up, and do whatever the men tell them to. But there’s an additional factor for why everyone should listen to . The Darkwood, the former home of witches and dark magic, surrounds the town of Bethel. Now, in our main character Immanuelle’s time, the Prophet (the holy man of the town) tells everyone to stay out of the wood because it’s still cursed even though the old Prophet killed the witches. But Immanuelle(an outspoken, mixed race girl whose very existence goes against everything Bethel stands for) soon discovers that the witches are still very much alive and they are very interested in her.

What ends up happening is a series of plagues that descend upon the town, just as Immanuelle starts to discover what her and her mother have to do with the Darkwood and the secrets it holds. It honestly gets a little creepy at times with the way the stages of the plague presents. People literally try to smash their own heads into walls until they die at one point.

Immanuelle was a great character and I really enjoyed her PoV and her journey as she discovers more about herself in a world where she’s everything her town doesn’t want.

October TBR: Hocus Pocus Readathon Edition

As per tradition, at least the tradition of the last four years ago, I will be taking part in a Halloween/Hocus Pocus themed readathon! This readathon is one of my favorites and I will link to the website at the end of this post but here, in the body of the post, I am going to tell you what books I plan to read and what prompt they fulfill.

For the readathon there are three teams: Team Sanderson Sisters, Team Trick or Treaters, and Team Undead. I have actually chosen a different team each year but will be returning to Team Sanderson Sisters this year basically just because I like their prompts best. There is a particular book that everyone who participates is supposed to read and then seven different prompts per team with a few little extras.

Here are the prompts!

1. Read a witchy book or a book with magical characters!
   • Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
   • I am choosing to read a book that I’ve actually owned for several years now. It was on my birthday wish list when it was new back in 2020. It’s all about Latinx culture and brujo and brujo magic and is also about trans representation, mystery, and romance and just sounds like an all around cute little Halloween-y type story to read.
2. Read a cookbook or a book with food on the cover.
   • The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
     • I’ve really been getting into Grady Hendrix’s creepy books lately and I’ve also owned this one for awhile.
     • With peaches on the cover and the promise of blood I thought it would fit perfectly for the spooky season.
3. Read a coming of age novel.
   • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
   • There’s a lot of discussion about what does and does not qualify as a coming of age novel. This one was on a list that I found and the trilogy has been on my TBR for quite some time as well.
   • It’s all about the fae!
   • Yet another book that I’ve owned for awhile and haven’t managed to get to yet.
   • (Honestly, I think October is just going to be a month for me to finally read books that I actually own. Maybe I should just do that the whole rest of the year too.)
4. Read a book about siblings, or read a book about a group of friends.
   • The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
   • I found this one on a list of books to read if you were missing Stranger Things and it’s all about a group of friends that reunite after having drifted apart so it fits the bill about friend groups. Only it’s supposed to be a little bit creepy and haunting so yet another fit for the spooky season.
   • Guess what I’m going to add now? Yep, I own this one too.
5. Read a book about magic and curses, or read a book from the perspective of the villain.
   • The Wicked King by Holly Black
   • This trilogy is all about magic and villainous characters so yay!
   • (And I have a boxed set of this trilogy that I’ve had for awhile, so yes once again, I own this book.)
6. Read a book about a necromancer, or a book about the undead.
   • Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
   • This series is literally about sexy necromancers so this gives me the perfect excuse to read it.
   • Also, guess how long it’s been on my Kindle?
7. To celebrate, watch the movie! Hocus Pocus or Hocus Pocus 2!

And a couple little extra things because each team in this readathon has an additional strength and weakness just to make it a little more interesting.

Strength: You can steal a prompt from another team and switch it with one of your own! ( I chose NOT to do this.)

Weakness: For the first five days of the readathon, you can only read at night. (I usually have two or more books going at once, so if I want to read earlier in the day on those days, I’ll read something else.)

September 2022 Reading Wrap-up

Just a little taste of the novels that I read or listened to as audiobooks during the month of September. This list does not include graphic novels, pictures books that I read in preparation for storytime at the library, or overly short novellas.

• This is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • This was a book that was more or less about how sometimes it’s liberating to obsess over something when you’re in your thirties or older the same way you would have allowed yourself to obsess over it when you were in your teens. For the author, that obsession was Benedict Cumberbatch.
  • Although I also rather like Benedict Cumberbatch, him being the framing of this book was just too much. Also, a lot of the points she made made me feel even worse about being obsessed over my fandoms instead of feeling better about it.
  • Some of the interviews made me feel uncomfortable.
• The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Creepy and atmospheric and I liked how the “now” portions looped around to the “then” portions and back again. It felt like it all made sense.
  • I have a huge qualm as to what happened in regards to the mystery that was to be solved in this book. It was a classic case of someone wanting to solve what had happened to missing people once upon a time. Only the solution was the most obvious one (literally the first place I would have looked) and there was literally a bullshit excuse for why that location hadn’t been searched.
• Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • Just supposed to be a cute little book that took place sometime during the movie/story that we all already know.
  • Not only was it unnecessary but it also didn’t really make sense, at all. Also, unsure who it was actually written for because the content seemed a little more mature than how it was written.
• Too Sinful to Deny by Erica Ridley
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Another gothic love story. A little creepy and atmospheric but really nothing special barring the surprise appearance of some ghosts.
• I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Rishi
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • This book is about what happens when aliens contact Earth, with a message that human life may be about to end.
  • It was kind of interesting to see what different people did in light of the news but some storylines just didn’t reach the conclusions that I was hoping to read more about it.
  • Do not read if you don’t like cliffhangers.
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • A story about a lonely witch finding her place amongst a bunch of little witches and the “humans” who aren’t really supposed to know about them. But do the witches really need to stay so hidden?
  • Adorable with some not necessarily surprising twists but overall just fantastic.
  • If you liked “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune you’d probably like this book as well.
• The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Another little ghost story that I choose to read for the spooky season. Unfortunately I didn’t really think it was creepy at all.
  • Interesting enough but nothing special here.
• Nobody’s Princess by Erica Ridley
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wild Wynchesters are at it again!
  • A must read if you like regency romance with wacky family members and representation.
• Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • A good next addition to The Wayward Children series.
  • This book is based in one of the darker worlds with a bit of a Frankenstein vibe.
• Death Overdue by Allison Brook
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • This is the first book in a cozy mystery series set in a library and featuring a main character who is a library.
  • Cozy mysteries are always kind of silly in regards to the mystery and feature lots of tropes.
  • As a librarian, I found a lot of the library scenarios pretty laughable.

Back to Normal?

As some of you may know, I am a Youth Services librarian. And let me tell you, Covid really effed everything up for my teen programming.

Back in the day, early 2020, (if you can possibly think back that far) was a glorious time at the library. My book club had a mighty following, usually garnering the attendance of a dozen teenagers with a core group of five that typically showed up to absolutely every program I put on. Then I had about another half dozen who would religiously attend all of the other, non-book club programs, which usually cycled between arts and crafts, food related activities, and various programs where they were competing to be the best at any random activity. It was fun, it was great, and I very rarely had to worry that I’d need to cancel a program because of low attendance.

Then March of 2000 and a little thing called Covid struck. I remember the week when the first shut down was announced and the panic kind of spread. Everyone was confused and unsure of what the next several weeks were going to look like. Programs were canceled. Then the library shut down all together. Then things started back up, slowly and virtually in regards to programming. But teens didn’t want to do virtual programming, not after the debacle that virtual school had become.

Then, finally, the library opened back up and we started tp do programs in person. But something had happened while everything had been put on hold. Something I hadn’t really thought about when we notified of those first few program cancellations. I found myself in a weird position. The position that comes with doing Youth Services programming, programming that is typically very much reserved for children of certain ages. And that was the fact that, during the year or so we were on hiatus, my original group of teens suddenly weren’t teens anymore. They’d aged out of my programming and were well on their way to graduation and college and future careers.

It was sad to see them go when I’d missed out on so many programs with them, so many fantastic book discussions. And it was also sad because I just was not getting the younger teens into the library to replace them. It wasn’t just me, though. All programming seemed to be slow on returning to the statistics that we’d seen before. People were afraid to go out. People just didn’t really want to do things in big groups.

But finally, finally things are starting to return to normal. My September program numbers are much closer to what they used to be once upon a time. I’m just hoping that the rest of the year will continue that trend.

I’m ready for normal to be normal again.