A political drama set during the Sui dynasty with a slow burn romance featuring espionage, hate flirting, and political machinations.

It is slow to start and there is a lot of information which can be difficult. I read up a bit because I was getting lost with what kingdom was where and why they didn't like or did like the Sui dynasty (this helped a lot).

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More books should have embellishments

The second half of this was much better. There are just too many characters and too much going on and yet it's still so slow. I skim read.

#RiordanverseReadalong

This is going up early because I‘m slammed this week and the weekend is Eurovision!

June‘s pick for #QueerBC is Zen Cho!

If you‘ve read this author before, drop a recommendation or let us know what you‘ll be reading.

I loved Black Water Sister, can‘t recommend that enough. I‘m going to try Sorcerer to the Crown as it‘s been on my shelf for ages.

I'm going to be running a few of the heists from here. I think I'll do a review for each one and how it went 😅

I really didn't connect with any of the characters. It wasn't a bad read, it just didn't work for me.

The actual story finished in volume 3 and volume 4 is just extras, fan service extras. It's a bit whatever.

If these were extras added to volume 3 or available to read online then I'd be fine with it. I just don't think they are good enough to have their own (expensive) book.

Additionally, there is a trans slur in one of the stories. It was very distasteful.

#Doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

I love time travel fix it fics. This series has a lot of the tropes I enjoy, plus the idea of being transported into a series and having a chance to fix the plot holes and learn more about side characters

It's got a good blend of humour and plot. I like the trope subversion and calling out common tropes in wuxia fiction

This really worked for me but I do like crack fics and unhinged stuff

May #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

This is an accessible book that shares other experiences with ADHD, not just the authors. Each section also has information from two professionals. These aren't just ADHD professionals which I find really interesting.

One thing I really liked was the encouragement to outsource mental load. Nearly every section had recommendations for apps or services to use to help.

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🤣 Read nothing then have a day reading. I think there were a lot of Kindle romance books which I basically switch my brain off when reading

#MonthlyWrapUp #PuddleJumperWrapUp

This is my first book in this series. There was some stuff I think I missed that can't up on earlier books but not enough to affect my understanding of what was going on.

I thought the premise was interesting but was a little let down by the execution. It was almost too much for such a short book.

It was quick and easy with a fluffy winter feeling. Would definitely recommend as a winter/holiday cosy that isn't too serious.

A good mix of books from my shelf and library books this month. A lot of the books were Kindle books so couldn't donate them but I'm clearing down my backlog of terrible free Kindle books

No surprise that my favourite was SVSSS 2

#2025stats

Not even trying to name books in May 🤣

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I love this series. It's unhinged crack

YA romantasy need to stop having such pretty covers. I get drawn in and then it's tropetastic nonsense.

This was a fun premise that was badly executed. The pacing was off, the writing wasn't great, and it was utterly predictable.

This was my least favourite installment of this series. It was a bit too technical and had lost the charm of earlier books

Still a great read

I cannot believe it is nearly May! This year is flying by. Disgusting 😅

How is everyone doing with #GottaCatchemAll

I think this is the highest number of books logged and Pokémon caught so far

Easy, cosy Christmas murder set in New Zealand

There was something about the writing style that I didn't like. It wasn't badly written, just didn't connect to it but it was quick and easy

How are we all feeling? #RealmofElderlings

How did you find the second book? Did it live up to expectations?

What did you enjoy, or not enjoy about it?

May-June will be the last in the Farseer Trilogy: Assassin's Quest

This is the first discussion post for #QueerBC

This is for both Alan Hollinghurst and Ocean Vuong

I've put up a few questions that you can answer or you can just comment with your thoughts about the book you read

As a reminder May‘s author will be Neon Yang

Well that was a weird little book. It was a bit too shallow for me, nothing was developed and I didn't care about the characters.

I don't think I enjoyed it enough to carry on with the series.

This book is all tell and no show. We're told about the interesting and amazing histories of the two main characters, yet the characters, a fallen god and a man-killing fox, sound and act like teenagers.

The world was interesting, if underdeveloped, and I liked the mix of Korean mythology and urban fantasy tropes.

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There were 6 books for May‘s #Roll100 I went with the ones I was most likely to read

Rivers of London has been recced multiple times and I own it, I just never go for it

The Murder Next door has been on my #Scarathlon & #HauntedShelf lists and I never get around to it

Divergent Mind i bought a year ago when things were clicking that I might not be neurotypical. Heh. Got my recent diagnosis of ADHD and possible ASD (waiting on that assessment)

This year is flying by! May is nearly here and it got a bit weird with the #Roll100 rolls

Roll 1 = 4 or 40

Roll 2 = 3 or 30

Roll 3 = 7 or 70

You can pick any of the numbers or all of the numbers! Happy reading!

GDrive with everything in it is here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KiRjVpUKlBbbxCPYw42YsKQsDBZxRkqt/view?usp=shari...

I'm trying to clear down my Kindle freebies. I think I got this because the cover is hilarious

This is a fantasy rom-com that doesn't make sense but might be good 'stuck on a train' pick

General consensus was to have one author in May and the other in June.

So May‘s #QueerBC author will be Neon Yang!

What do you think you'll read? If you've got any recommendations, drop them in the comments

Don't forget April we're reading Alan Hollinghurst and poetry by Ocean Vuong

There's a tie between Neon Yang and Zen Cho for May's #QueerBC author

This is the first time this has happened, so we can have a tie breaker or have both authors

Let me know what you would prefer

Here are my selections for #CampLitsy25

@Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

Giving this a try tonight. Has anyone watched it?

February's part of my #readingsnake Lighting isn't great, it's a mix of non fiction, fantasy and contemporary romance

Will I actually read my #LibraryHaul or will I ignore it in favour of fanfiction ....

I stuck with this because the audiobook narrator was really good. If I was reading this, I would have given up.

The first few chapters were rough. It was clumsy and awkward. Lots of concepts which weren't fully explained. World building in general was poor.

In general the plot was predictable but that wasn't the point. This is a bodyguard slow burn romance in fantasy clothing. I wanted a political fantasy with a romance subplot.

This is a very accessible book for people learning about ADHD and autism. It's casual, there's a lot of Internet speak, anecdotes, and it's very supportive.

It's a validating read if you are struggling with a diagnosis or starting to see you might be neurodivergent.

That's the extent of it. There's nothing new, or actionable. It was affirming.

This was a bit too kitsch and cosy for me. It was well written and short! Only 70 pages.

I wonder if this was supposed to be a series vibing off Leverage (TV). There's a lot of unnecessary characters introduced.

It's not awful, it's just a bit boring.

This has been on my #ReadYourKindle list for ages @CBee

Thank you to everyone that gave their feedback on #QueerBC It's been really useful reading it all

I'm going to include more information about the authors and more reminders of the monthly authors. It's easy to lose track when everything is a month in advance.

There were several requests for an end of month discussion or check in post. How you enjoyed the author etc.

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Very behind on my #ReadingBracket2025

As much as I love Assassin's Apprentice, I went with SVSSS as my favourite because of how much joy it brought me

No wild cards yet. I think I'm going to leave them until Jun/Dec and pick a book that has stuck with me, made an impact etc but maybe wasn't my favourite that month

I wasn't very consistent this month, I either read nothing or loads.

It wasn't a great month physically, emotionally or mentally. I think I read a bit more to cope with that and since I have now time when I was ill

#MonthlyWrapUp #PuddleJumperWrapUp

One outstanding book this month and several meh books

I hit my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin and at least one #Roll100 pick

I owned everything except Running Close to the Wind which was a library book and I donated the Heroes of Olympus books

I did buy the Trials of Apollo series but that will likely also be donated when I read it. My library doesn‘t have the entire series

#2025stats

I'm sticking with categories and a few named books for #BookSpinBingo This seems to work best for me at the moment

@TheAromaofBooks

This was an absolute delight of a book with unbridled feral energy. My new comfort read.

I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. The voices are amazing and the narrator gives Avra the right amount of manic, racoon energy that brings him to life.

Voting for #QueerBC May's author!

Vote here: https://forms.gle/jU6pQiU5659bLsqr9

April's author is Alan Hollinghurst whose written several novels, poetry collections, and short stories which gives you a lot to pick from

If you are on Storygraph and want to join the book club, you can do that here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/book_clubs/ec1d5a86-5de9-4315-a128-fcab4d27c31d

Suggest authors here: https://forms.gle/nLwAy72Zufi4brty6

April is National Poetry Month and #QueerBC has voted to read the works of Ocean Vuong!

A Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist, his poems often explore transformation, desire, and violent loss

We also voted on several individual poems. The two favourite poems;

April's book for #RiordanverseReadalong is House of Hades!

It is the penultimate book of the Heroes of Olympus series

@mom2bugnbee @LitsyEvents

#RealmofElderlings book is Royal Assassin. Aim is to have this I've read by the end of April and then move on to the last book in the Farseer Trilogy

How is everyone finding it? I haven't started my re-read yet 🤣

It's nearly April! How are we all getting on with #GottaCatchemAll

Congratulations to @PuddleJumper and @Yuki_Onna for catching their first Pokémon!

Stuffed full of cold and unable to breath so decided to try an audiobook. I'm hoping the unbridled feral goblin energy this book is giving isn't my fever because it's delightful

My #Roll100 for April and can't say I'm interested in any of them 😂

Death as Fine Art is an ARC I picked up without knowing it was a series

Blood of Elves ... I want to, just not at the moment

Serpent & Dove is too big!

Spring is desperately trying to emerge here so I went with some yellow, green dice for April‘s #Roll100

Roll 1 = 24
Roll 2 = 36
Roll 3 = 16

Tag me if you want to share what you are reading!

Template and trackers are available in the GDrive: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nSSxkd6v2jAZmu_J-KXOPmNijsyt22vFUa74xU43...

Time to pick the poet and poems for April‘s National Poetry Month #QueerBC

Pick the poet you want to read in April and 2 of your favourite poems from the list
Voting will end Sunday 30th March

Vote here: https://forms.gle/9fEvsgB4o7zVqNQY6