Overall, the pieces of gothic horror were there and worth waiting for. I enjoyed the culture of the Nahua People. There were hard hitting truths in some aspects of the horror (colonialism, racism, police brutality, etc). I think these moments were understated for its benefit. I had two big gripes with this book. I found that Gout‘s depiction of women entirely missed the mark and the editing was truly horrendous.
3/5 stars. The ending saved it!

A solid sequel to an interesting fantasy world! I love the political aspects and the rising war. This book also developed the couple much more and actually made me want to root for them. I look forward to the next and I‘m glad I gave the series another shot!

I was left disappointed with this book after the first book. It was kind of tough to get through. There were so many storylines to follow and it truly felt like the pacing of the whole book was off. I think it‘s meant to set up the 3rd book (which I will read). Idk I‘m interested to see what‘ll happen but it was kind of a slog!

I was between pick and so-so. This book‘s plot was really good. I love the actual fantasy and world building. I think the tension between the love interests falls flat. If you‘re reading for romance, skip this one. If you‘re into cool world building and black markets, this is a pretty good one for you (if you can get over the cringe of the forced love thing). 3/5 overall, 4/5 fantasy, 2/5 romance

If you bleed red, you‘re destined for servitude. If you bleed gold, you‘re destined for death. In The Gilded Ones, 16 year old Deka goes through the purity bleed and is found to be a demon. Whisked away to a world of death shrieks, violence, and found family, she has to learn her true power or die (multiple times) trying. This is a YA but I do think the concepts were on the darker side. Check triggers for this one! 3.5/5

A beautiful mix of folklore, heroes, and love triangles, this book was truly wonderful. The writing was lyrical and the lore within the world felt *so real* I ached for it to be true. I love how Lynn Tan weaves in bits of mythological tales within the story. Gorgeous 5/5!

I picked this book up on an impulse and I am SO GLAD I did! Dubeau weaves an intricate tale of gods, cults, prophecy, and a circus? If you break it down, this book has a lot of horror tropes in it, but I didn‘t even think about that until I was finished. Dubeau does an excellent job adding all of these elements without making it a mess. A wonderful, gruesome, and at times disgusting read! 4.5/5!

Slewfoot was a wonderful balance between joy and horror. I‘ve always had an odd obsession with the Salem Witch Trials and this book had all the elements of interest. It had the most satisfying ending! 4.5/5!

Thank you so much @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the giveaway gift!! This was so wonderful to come home to today!!

This book is all vibes and no plot. I loved every second of it. Lydia is half human and half vampire. She is also biracial. This story explores humanity, morality, ethics, sin, and eating…well, lack thereof. Basically nothing at all happens in this book but Lyd‘s character is so compelling that I couldn‘t stop listening. 4.5/5! Check triggers!

I knew I should have DNFed at 10% when I wasn‘t sure. My New Years Resolution was to DNF books I don‘t like. I did. so at about 70% of this book. Judge this book by its cover.

The writing is like Wattpad fanfic level. The romance is meh at absolute best, extremely uncomfortable at worst. Kamsin is happy when hanging out with an 8 year old thief than with this weirdo king. Overall BORING! 1/5 for bamboozling me to continue until 70% of the book.

Another 8.5 hours for #sharreadathon! I forgot to add my last reading session on the graphic though lmao.
Yellowface kept me truly entertained for hours. #listy #readathon

This book enthralled me. I picked it up Wednesday while I was doing the dishes and wasn‘t able to put it down. This satirical work was so heavy handed it broke into cringe territory, but somehow managed to make this novel even better. I found myself gasping out loud at some of the thoughts or things the protagonist said. This book is one where you peek through your fingers because “omg did she just say that?” meets I can‘t stop reading. 4/5 stars

3 hours and 55 minutes for #sharreadathon! I‘m reading The Winter King by C.L. Wilson in honor of Sharon‘s memory. I hope wherever she is, she is able to see this #readathon and know how loved she was/is!

It's been almost 2 years since we lost Sharon @sharread. In January we will have a #readathon in her honor on Litsy from January 20-27. The hashtag is #Sharreadathon. Set your own goals and make it as low-key as you want. Share what you're reading in honor of Sharon or a loved one.
Let's come together and celebrate life and our community!

Please share and repost!

I‘m the second book of this series, we return to Oraya and Rhain‘s story. I overall enjoyed this book but I was slightly disappointed in Oraya‘s character. In the 1st, she‘s a viper- relentless, ruthless, and vengeful. For the first 200 pages of this book, she was just…sad! Where WAS she? I was happier in the later half of the book when she began to find herself again. 3.5/5 stars! I‘ll be reading the next with higher hopes to salvage a 5 star!

This YA fantasy has pirates, witches, mermaids, and so many diverse characters. The novel follows a few character arcs including Imperial born Evelyn, orphaned non-binary Flora/Florian, and a pirate, Rake. We also get interludes from The Sea. I adored the writing in this book, the diversity, and the interesting lore. 4/5!

Thank you, @shortsarahrose for recommending this for #auldlangspine #alspine I look forward to reading more from your list!!

14,468 points for the second half of #wintergames for #readitandwreath! I had such a wonderful time doing this!! Thank you to our hosts!

Starting off 2024 VERY strong with this 5 star book. WOW! Oraya is a viper made to feel like pray- a human in a kingdom of vampires. She enters a 4 month long death match for power and builds an uneasy alliance with a vampire named Raihn. Factions, politics, and violence are their only lifeline.

Broadbent‘s writing was truly astonishing. She swept me into her world and I pictured every detail. Truly a fantastic work! Cobb‘s performance is A+!

1. Party dress
2. Stay up
3. Champagne!
4. Usually dance floor but this year couch
5. Slippers because I hate high heels

My typical NYE is spent at a house party with some lifelong friends. This year is a bit different where my fiancé and I are at home. We haven‘t decided what to do yet! ? #wintergames #readitandwreath

My 52nd book for this year is done! I‘m SO pumped I got this high. The Viscount Who Loved Me doesn‘t follow the Bridgerton television series, but it was a fun read nonetheless. It took me a while to get through as an audiobook. Overall, 3/5! #wintergames #readitandwreath

1. My favorite physical read was Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo and listen was The Magnus Archives!
2. Least favorite was The Trouble With Tinsel. Big yikes
3. Honestly not really. I thought I wanted to go out to a bar but now I would prefer to stay in!
4. No idea what that is
5. Brown Christmas. I was not disappointed- I don‘t really like snow and I could bring my dog for a walk! #wintergames #readitandwreath

A photo of my family tradition for #wintergames! Every year on the 22nd, we have my family over for games, drinks, and a Yankee swap! #readitandwreath

I read this book in 5 hours. Maybe it‘s because I‘m stuck on a train or because it was just this enjoyable, but I couldn‘t put it down! This book explores how soul mates can become enemies in a sexy, mysterious, and downright sinful way. If you leave your morals at the door, this is a book for you! It‘s truly a dark romance. 4/5 #readitandwreath #wintergames

Number 2 in Katee Robert‘s Wicked Villains series, Learn My Lesson is a MMF erotica between Hercules, Hades, and Meg. I‘m a bit more used to the flushed out world of Dark Olympus, so this one took me by surprise at how flat it was. The smut was fantastic though! This is for the readers who just want BDSM and not plot. #readitandwreath #wintergames

This book was about 200 pages longer than it really should have been. I also wasn‘t super into the whole cheating thing and making the fiancé seem crazy for being angry about it. Overall, maybe a 1.5/5 yikes

The third book in this series and a fantastic finish for Feyra and Rhysand‘s arc! I truly loved this book and series. My fiancé became invested in it while I was listening and it has been our thing to listen to while he plays video games for half a year. So happy there‘s other books to listen to! #wintergames #readitandwreath

13,452 points for team #readitandwreath! I‘m having so much fun during the #wintergames

Addie LaRue is invisible in the way that we forget exact patterns of stars in a night sky. We‘re vaguely aware they are there, but they are fleeting, fickle, and change at the whims of darkness. This book was truly beautiful. It captures the essence of the human condition, desperation, desires, the arts, love, hate. Lyrical and gorgeous. 5/5 and I‘d sell my soul to read it for the first time again. #wintergames #readitandwreath

Weekend Reads for me! What are you reading? @MsRadioSilence @dabbe

My Christmas movies so far this holiday season! I had my student do A Christmas Carol play and then compare it to Patrick Stewart‘s movie, so it‘s my fave so far! #wintergames #readitandwreath

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

#wintergames #guessthecover

This book was just SO MUCH FUN! Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan fall in the same month- with a wedding to attend! When a plane emergency lands in a small town, Snow Falls, our main characters are forced to change their outlook on life and forge a new path. A firm 5/5 for me! Thank you for choosing this, @StayCurious !

This is one of my favorite rereads every year! I‘m currently teaching my 7th grade students the play version of this so we can watch Patrick Stewart‘s movie version!

This week‘s #wintergames! What do you think this cover is from??

1,000 points for #readitandwreath! I love these games! #wintergames

A fun holiday romance filled with witty writing, hilarious side characters, and two disastrous bisexual leads. I was surprised at how much this book meant to me. It‘s representation of bisexuality, a fat protagonist, and bipolar representation truly made this book stand out in my life. I‘m really happy I read this. 4/5!

“It was the cruelest thing about bipolar disorder, I thought; there was never one thing that worked forever. No one med, no one dose, no one routine. My mom said it was like walking on a rope bridge, where every step is slightly different from the last and sometimes you had to stop and just hold on until you could find your balance again. But she also liked to remind me that sometimes the view from her bridge are incredible too.”

Minor league hockey player Landon Stackhouse is pulled up to the NHL and meets superstar Cacey Hicks. He‘s offered a place to stay with Casey and they both wonder if their bromance could turn into romance.

Such a funny read! I absolutely adored their dynamic. I always like when a Queer romance is just lovely without focusing on discrimination. This book made me laugh out loud multiple times! 4/5! #readitandwreath #wintergames

Isolde, forced into an arranged marriage with Vampire King Adrian, feels an undeniable and instinctual bond to him. As she learns more of vampire history, the world as she knows it burns away.

I actually liked this one more than St Clair‘s A Touch of Darkness. The writing needs more editing and I was confused at points, skipping back to reread to see what I missed. Overall, I stayed for the smut and the plot. 3/5! I will be reading the next.