Part biography of two great writers, part examination on what makes myths and fairy tales, part memoir of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien‘s friendship & influence on each other‘s writings, this graphic novel manages to be deeply moving and an encouragement for creators of any kind to find their community to grow.

This was an absolute delight. And the ending brought me to tears on my bus ride today. Absolutely would do it again. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

And the #BookHaul ! My favorite Jane Austen, and the only one of hers I haven‘t read, and, of cruise, another copy of Frankenstein.

And found this delightful #LocalBookstore while walking back to the hotel!

Found the Jane Austen Centre while in Bath! It was a delight!

Me: Lord Carnarvon!

Mom: Downtown Abbey!

After a devastating loss, Ester decides her purpose in life is to hunt the manticores. Her quest for vengeance with a partner in the ferocious roc she trains may cost her everything.

Loved this novella! It starts immediately this amazing partnership that Ester builds w/ her roc, & escalated into this fantastically described hunts. But there‘s also a very human thread of obsession in the face of loss & what Ester is prepared to sacrifice🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

When Sera casts a spell to resurrect the only family member she has, she spends all her magic. For 15 years, she stays @ her inn until her nephew comes crashing through w/ an idea to restore her magic.

This was so lovely! The found family, the familial relationship w/ Sera & her aunt. The magic! & the ending actually surprised me multiple times! & the romance was just enough for me. I can see this becoming a comfort read for sure.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

And got a really, flipping gorgeous book! Signed too! ❤️

Second #LocalBookstore of England! Took the train and the underground into London, wandered all around yesterday, and found Cecil Court! A street full of bookstores and antique shops!

Unfortunately, as it was a Sunday, this was the only one open, but I sure had a fun time exploring it!

#WeeklyForecast

The Mythmakers is about the friendship between CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien and I can‘t wait to read it while here in England. ❤️

#BookReport

So glad I was able to finish Trixie Belden before my vacation!

And the spoils! 💚 #BookHaul I‘m going to have to be very careful, because I only have the one suitcase this trip. 😅

First bookstore of vacation is Waterstones! In the rain, because of course. #LocalBookstore

I saw Hadestown last night. Did I know what was coming? Yes. Did I still cry? Also yes.

This is one of my favorite Greek retellings right now. I love the sub genre of these stories taking the supposed villains, especially the women, and telling their sides.

#SundayFunday Have a safe and wonderful day today, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

Xishi, a famous beauty, is offered to the war mongering king after her village is attacked & her sister brutally killed. Before she meets the king, however, she will be trained as a spy & a saboteur, & fall in love w/ the man training her.

This was epic. The prose was beautiful, the scope was huge, & I‘m always a sucker for revenge tales. But I‘m just not a fan of the forbidden romance trope. & I‘m still unsure how I feel about the end.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Have a game while I‘m airborne! #BookEmojis

I am literally sitting in an airport right now, on my way out of the country for a two week vacation, so I have no idea how well I‘ll do!

My goal is that I‘d like to finish one ARC a week for the #NGGReadathon !

But my new habit of opening the Kindle app every time I‘m tempted to check Facebook has been doing wonders for my TBR stack!

“It was hardly ideal weather for the resurrection of one‘s great-aunt, but Sera Swan‘s magical power, while impressive, hadn‘t the slightest influence over the obnoxiously blue skies.”

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Oh. ❤️‍🩹 I‘m going to love this.

Meg thinks the most difficult thing about her new job is faking the outdoor experience her boss thinks she has. Then, while reporting on an outdoor race, Meg witnesses what appears to be an accidental death.

A publishing of Alexander‘s debut mystery! So it doesn‘t read as smoothly as her later books & the mystery isn‘t as strong, but her strength lies in making me care about all these characters, & I loved seeing her start as a writer.🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

When the Bob-Whites get the chance to travel the Mississippi, they couldn‘t be happier. Then Trixie & Honey find a bundle of papers that lead them to a mystery bigger than anything they‘ve seen before.

Wow! This was much higher stakes than we usually get in this series. But also the whole group acting more responsibly when higher authorities get involved. You‘d think everyone would be more trusting of Trixie‘s instincts by now, though. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

To get back on his sister‘s good side, Prince Kadou undertakes an immense investigation Toni the counterfeiting of the kingdom‘s coins. A new bodyguard assigned to him is distractingly handsome & taciturn.

When Rowland says slow burn, she means it!😂 While I loved the world building, & all the interesting characters, the pacing is really lopsided w/ a slow initial 2/3s, climax happening in like 20 pages, & then slowed down for the rest.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

The suitcase full of clothes, toiletries, and other necessities has been packed for over a week.

But of course, the most important packing hasn‘t been finished yet. What books do I take? 😂

I‘ve been rotating through a bunch, but these are the ones I think I‘m settling on. #TravelReads

My flight to England is in two days, and I am vibrating with excitement! I‘m so ready to be free of responsibilities and on vacation!

#WeirdWordWednesday #WeirdWords @CBee

Doing some last minute #AudioWeeding before my trip on Friday.

And by weeding, I mean pulling out the mint that continues to propagate and smother my tomatoes ten years later.

Falsely accused of a robbery, Silas Marner packs up & moves to a new town only to become a victim of robbery himself. He finds solace in rescuing a young girl & raising her as his own.

I forgot just how much I like this. The story of Silas finding joy after all he has been through, the love between Eppie & Silas, & of course how the wealthy take being told no (very poorly). Of course, listening to an Irish accent read this was perfect.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

#WeeklyForecast

I cannot wait to get to start A Witch‘s Guide to Magical Innkeeping!

#BookReport

It has been many, MANY years since I last read Silas Marner. This will be an interesting reread.

Maia returns to the island where she wrote her first book, met & lost a great love, & still holds the secrets of her parents. When her host is found dead, it‘s up to her & the other residents to find out what is happening before the next victim falls.

Quite a ride! Loved all the Greek mythology references, the mystery kept me guessing, & feminine rage bleeds through the whole novel. Maia was a lot bit more relatable than I expected!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

My favorite in the Rivers of London series. And y‘all my flight to London leaves on Friday and I am so excited!

The suitcase is packed, the itinerary is planned, I am ready! 🛫

#SundayFunday Have a wonderful day, and remember to tag me in your posts!

Ava thinks going back to her retail job after breaking up w/ a coworker is going to be hell. & then both of them are voluntold to rescue a lost customer through a multidimensional wormhole. Should be easy, right?

Such fun! We get clear views of who Ava & Jules are, & then wacky adventures! Such world building for such a short novella. A bit more ambiguous ending then I usually prefer, but I‘ll hope that‘s because there will be a sequel.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

When Toto & his human Dorothy are swept away in a tornado, he was not expecting a land of magic, political feuds, & revolution. Being a Good Dog was going to get him taken away by Animal Control, so it‘s time to see what a Bad Dog can do.

I laughed out loud so much. A modernized retelling, poking fun @ a lot of tech bro culture & far right wing masculinity, while also providing loving references to the wide spread cultural impact of Oz.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

The story of 3 generations of indigenous Hawai‘ian women, & the legacy of colonization, familial trauma, & secrets.

Such a powerful story. The real history of the overthrow of the Hawai‘ian govt & societal violence forced upon the indigenous population is masterfully woven w/ a story about coming to terms w/ legacy & future, while also paying homage to the beautiful tradition of hula dance. POV & phonetic accents takes getting used to.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

Happy #WeirdWordWednesday ! #WeirdWords

This one‘s one of my favorites. @CBee

I spy the big, blue, wet thing! 🌊

@Reecaspieces #TagYoureIt ! Find another post with the ocean in it if you‘d like to play along!

@Chrissyreadit has the original post here: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2881339

Stella & Nick have joined their engaged friends at a Mexican resort to celebrate their wedding. Everything would be perfect, if the gossipy older lady also @ the resort hadn‘t unexpectedly dropped dead.

This was charming! Stood on its own okay, I loved the friendships between all the characters, the mystery was just twisty enough w/ lots of plausible red herrings, & the ending really surprised me! I also really enjoyed the setting. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

#WeeklyForecast

Really looking forward to starting A Taste of Gold and Iron and Finna this week!

#BookReport

Some really interesting reads this past week!

For Lara‘s gap year, she decides to get a job aboard a luxury train. The trip across Europe is supposed to give her a clean slate. Instead, there‘s a confrontation w/ an old friend & train cars full of mysterious plants.

Gotta love some plant horror! The creepy factor was really well done, the characters were interesting, & the ending made me gasp out loud. But the flashbacks really killed the momentum, & the romance felt unnecessary. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

I‘ve had specifically the tagged book for years on a recommendation from a cousin, because she thought I‘d like the author. And I just haven‘t gotten to it yet! It‘s just sitting there, waiting for me. 😅

#SundayFunday Have a wonderful day, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

Leftover Gruyère and Irish cheddar cheese and leftover bacon = scones ❤️

#DinnerByTheBook

June was such a fun month for books! #MonthlyRoundup

#WeirdWordWednesday

It‘s been too hot to do anything except lounge today! ☀️

@CBee

I can‘t begin to tell you how excited I am for this #BingoBoard ! #BookSpinBingo

#BookSpin breath of Earth, #DoubleSpin A Witch‘s Guide to Magical Inkeeping

#Roll100 Final Harvest, A Kingdom Strange, Breath of Earth

#OokBOokClub Feet of Clay (one of my favorites!)

#BobWhiteBuddies Mystery on the Mississippi

#BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad The Scarecrow of Oz and Rinkitink in Oz

#QueerBC Finna

#ThematicCozies Foul Play at La Playa

How exciting! My #BookSpin read is also a #Roll100 book! And my #DoubleSpin is my buddy read with a friend!

Guns are invented on the Disc, & we can all agree it‘s a terrible idea. & while the City Watch begins its own DEI initiative, there are mysterious murders, & a lost heir. & Angua! ❤️

I don‘t know if this would have hit as hard in a reread if I had read it last year. A powerful examination of racism & prejudice, the benefits of a diverse workforce, & what kind of people call for a monarchy made for a very interesting experience in 2025. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Doctor‘s appointment: Boo!

Toto‘s Point of View: Yay!

June #StoryGraphWrapUp ! I really need to work on reading more nonfiction! 😅

#StoryGraph

Happy July everybody! #BookSpinBingo