I've read 131 books this year excluding kids books (1-3 every bedtime). I may finish more before 2025 ends, but here's the breakdown: • 42 physical books • 33 eBooks • 51 audiobooks • 40 ARCs (inc prior releases in the series) • 5 Beta reads (+2 short stories, with 2 more beta books in progress)

Bookstore of the week is one I've been really excited for: the Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA. It's a secondhand store housed within a gorgeous old mill building that's been standing since 1847. There's also a great cafe! montaguebookmill.com #indiebookstore #massachusetts #booksky #westernMA

Only 44% of Americans and read and understand a sentence written at this level. – (Level 3) "When selecting a security provider, homeowners often struggle to choose between the Guardian 500 and the SecureHome Pro. While both offer high-definition video, their service models differ significantly."

This week's bookstore is Barrow Bookstore in Concord, MA! This secondhand bookshop has a great selection including tons of gorgeous vintage and rare editions of books, especially from local authors. www.barrowbookstore.com #indiebookstore #mass #booksky

I finally got around to reading Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and everybody was right. I did, in fact, love it. Read the full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/emily-wildes... #booksky #review #emilywilde

This week's bookstore is Ten Trees Books in Natick, MA! It's an incredibly welcoming & comfortable place with 2 floors' worth of books. They use the space for a few regular book clubs and story times for kids. (Also great gifts if you're holiday shopping!) tentreesbooks.com #booksky #indiebookshop

When I'm burnt out or feel a reading slump coming on, I reach for the books in the How To series by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. How to Dream is the one about ambition and goal-setting. Read the full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/how-to-dream... #reading #booksky #review #reader #slump

This week's bookshop is the Used Book Superstore in Burlington, MA! They're constantly turning over their selection and donate anything that sits on the shelves longer than 6mo. The number of new releases and even special editions they have is amazing for a secondhand store. usedbooksuperstore.com

Waited until some of the holiday chaos had passed, but our featured indie bookstore of the week is The Book Oasis in Stoneham, MA! It's a super cozy spot that feels bigger on the inside and has a great collection of new and secondhand titles. thebookoasis.com #booksky #massachusetts #indiebookshop

I forgot to share the video here last week, but the featured bookstore was The Purple Couch Bookshop in North Andover, MA! They have a wonderful space and use it for lots of bookish events. purplecouchbookshop.com

I'm still getting caught up with reviews for my October reading, including for Daughter of Stone by B.A. Pepper, which came out on the 31st. This debut novel features witchy vibes, deadly trials, LGBTQ+ and plus-sized rep, and pulls from Welsh mythology. writing.hallidaynelson.com/daughter-of-...

Another great indie bookstore in Worcester, MA is Root and Press Coffee and Books! They've got delicious coffee and an excellent cafe. You can enjoy while browsing their incredible selection of books. Check them out online at rootandpress.com #worcester #mass #indiebookstore #booksky

Tatnuck Bookseller Gift Gallery & Cafe in Westborough, MA gets to claim the title of the largest bookstore in all of New England. Walking through their aisles is an experience you won't want to miss out on if you're in the area. www.tatnuck.com #indiebookstore #tatnuck #westboro #massachusetts

I almost forgot to share last week's bookstore here! Here it is if you need something good to focus on: Raven Used Books in Northampton, MA! www.ravenusedbooks.com #usedbooks #booksky #indiebookstore #massachusetts

Happy release day to Oblivion's Hymn by A.J. Peterson! I loved the unique magic system and the casually obvious representation of aging LGBTQIA+ characters. Full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/oblivions-hy... #bookreview #oblivionshymn #booksky

JR Cathers' Child of Shivay publishes today! I loved how propaganda and its effects are explored in this fantasy world where magic and politics are deeply intertwined. It's the first book in the Veils of Terr series. Read more: writing.hallidaynelson.com/child-of-shi... #bookreview #booksky

This -- seeing the books that are being targeted most NOW really makes what is being done hit harder. It actually undercuts the real threat to show books that are famous and still selling fine.

In 2024, ALA tracked 821 attempts to censor library materials, targeting nearly 2,500 unique books. That’s 10× more than five years ago. Join the fight for the freedom to read: UniteAgainstBookBans.org Donate to ALA: ilovelibraries.org/1984 #BannedBooksWeek

The other bookstore on the island of Nantucket is Mitchell's Book Corner, with the most extensive selection of books on the island. There's still a bit more time before ferries stop running at the end of the season, but there's always next year. #nantucket #indiebookstore #booksky #ma

If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust is a Native American southern gothic tale that is often uncomfortable, but ultimately healing. It's a lovely tapestry that will leave you wanting to grow & hold your loved ones tighter. Full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/if-the-dead-... #bookreview

Need something to read this week? The Outlaw Witch of Sherwood comes out on Tuesday. It's a genderbent retelling of Robin Hood with magic, a lot of great representation, and a few animal familiars. Read my full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/the-outlaw-w... #bookreview #booksky #outlawwitch

This week's featured indie bookstore is Nantucket Bookworks on the island of Nantucket, MA. They're one of two stores on the island who work closely in partnership. They were so lovely and we ended up stopping in several times the day we visited. #Nantucket #indiebookstore #booksky #mass

Once again, I forgot to share last week's bookstore video to bsky. It was a hectic week, but Brewster Book Store was absolutely lovely. I wanted to take home so much of their selection! #booksky #indie #bookstore #capecod

Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France by Christopher C. Gorham publishes tomorrow and you won't want to miss this one. The author has a way of making you feel like a fly on every wall and the story is both absolutely riveting and thoroughly inspiring. #booksky #review #matisse

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad releases tomorrow! This is the sequel/prequel to Bunny, which was one of my top ten favorite reads last year. Available on at bookshop.org/a/108637/978... and everywhere else books are sold. #bunny #monaawad #weloveyoubunny #booksky #review

One of the bookstores I loved on the Cape & Islands Bookstore Trail was Sea Howl Book Shop. They have over 5,000 titles in the selection, and they pay extra attention to voices that are all too frequently overlooked. www.seahowlbookshop.com #indiebookstore #booksky #mass

In case you need something good to focus on, indie bookstore this week is Belonging Books in Hyannis, MA ( www.belongingbookscapecod.com ) The space is both a bookstore and a gallery and specializes in uplifting marginalized voices. #belongingbooks #diversevoices #massachusetts #indiebookstore

This week's indie bookstore is Parnassus Book Service in Yarmouth Port, MA. Their secondhand collection has an amazingly wide variety, and you can feel the history here the moment you step in the door! Check them out at www.parnassusbooks.com #capecod #indiebookstore #massachusetts

New blog post published yesterday about the path I took into professional reading and what it looks like now that I've gotten here. blog.hallidaynelson.com/professional... #booksky #betareading #arc #proofreader

In case you need something good to focus on, this week's indie bookstore is Titcomb's Bookshop in East Sandwich, MA. They're one of the stops on the Cape and Islands Bookstore Trail and have been in this 330+ year old building for over 55 years now. www.titcombsbookshop.com #booksky #indiebookshop

The Call of Wind, debut novel from writer K. R. House will officially be releasing tomorrow! I love her videos where she creates magic systems on the fly and couldn't wait to read one she'd spent a lot more time on. I was not disappointed. Full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/call-of-wind...

With news of a reported settlement with Anthropic I went back to check the class action form and it now allows authors outside the US to input their address, so it may be worth adding your known pirated titles (from the LibGen pirate database) www.lieffcabraser.com/anthropic-au...

The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kinglsey will be officially releasing tomorrow! This vampire mafia dark romance was a lot of fun. I was so happy to get the ARC for it! Read the full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/the-serpents... #booksky #review #reading #arc #vampires #mafiaromance

I forgot to share last week's bookstore video to bsky! My sister and I also visited Isaiah Thomas Books on the Cape and Islands Bookstore Trail. It's the kind of indie bookstore you can really lose yourself in. #capecod #booksky #indiebookstore #travel #massachusetts

if the rage-bait works too well it might be fake ::clap clap:: if the rage-bait works too well it might be fake ::clap clap:: look, we’ve all been fooled before when a deep-fake makes us sore but kindly doublecheck your source, it might be fake ::clap clap::

Another can't miss stop on the Cape and Islands Bookstore Trail is Market Street Bookshop in Mashpee, MA. They've got an excellent selection from all ages plus plenty of little reading nooks. capeandislandsbookstoretrail.com #booksky #indiebookstore #massachusetts #capecod

Eight Cousins Books in Falmouth, MA is two bookstores in one. They have two full storefronts only a few doors down from one another: one for the grown-ups and another specifically geared toward kids. The selection at both is excellent! www.eightcousins.com #booksky #bookstore #capecod #falmouth

Japanese fiction is more than cozy vibes. 😓

The indie bookstore I want to feature this week is The Bookstore of Gloucester in (where else but) Gloucester, MA. Their selection is incredible and I had a lot of trouble sticking to my self-imposed limit of two books per store. #gloucester #booksky #massachusetts #indiebookstore

People sometimes ask why (in addition to the arcs I'm sent) I cover random books I find that have been out for a while but get no attention. The reason is that they've been out for a while and yet they're getting no attention. #booksky #bookreviews

Please and thank you. #writinglife #booksky #writingcommunity @sylviahubbard1.bsky.social and @lisasell.bsky.social thanks for the reminder.

Public libraries have overwhelming public support, so why are they under attack? Thank you to @itpi.bsky.social for highlighting how the fight for libraries is part of a broader assault on public knowledge and democracy. Read SHHH! NO MORE → inthepublicinterest.org/shhh-no-more/ #ForOurLibraries

House of the Beast by Michelle Wong makes my second five-star read in a row. While this is a debut novel, she previously worked on both Goosebumps and The Legend of Korra. Read the full write-up along with CWs at writing.hallidaynelson.com/house-of-the... #houseofthebeast #review #fivestar #booksky

Oops, forgot to post this here when it went up. Read the full review at writing.hallidaynelson.com/black-box-of... Another five-star read from one of my auto-buy authors. #booksky #review #reading

I hope you get so free that you stop mistaking survival skills for personality traits.