Book #126 of 2025: Arcana Academy by Elise Kova 4/5 ⭐️ The magic system and the world were interesting but underdeveloped. The story was trope-y and didn’t feel very original. I liked the interpersonal dynamics and found family but I wish that was more of a focus. #booksky

Book #124 of 2025: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer 🎧 4.25/5 ⭐️ This book was genuinely terrifying. The ending wasn’t completely clear, but it was more satisfying than most creepy books. I wish we had gotten to know some of the characters more outside of the creepiness. #booksky

🌩️ August reading wrap up Busy work/life month, so fewer books than average #booksky

September 2025 TBR 📚 Katabasis by RF Kuang 📚 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 📚 Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid 📚 Ledge by Stacey McEwan 📚 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins #booksky

Book #123 of 2025: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 4/5 ⭐️ After DNFing this a couple years ago, I was convinced to pick it up again but it still wasn’t my favorite story. Most of the husbands’ stories were underdeveloped. #booksky

Book #122 of 2025: Apprentice to the Villain by Hanna Nicole Maehrer 🎧 3.75/5 ⭐️ This book was definitely a step down from the first book & was clearly a bridge between the beginning & the conclusion. The story really wandered and the “will they/won’t they” without a resolution got old. #booksky

Book #121 of 2025: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab 🎧 5/5 ⭐️ This was fantastic, the writing was lyrical with a strong beat & the story was interesting & woven together perfectly. I don’t usually like multiple timelines but it really worked. The characters felt real. #booksky

Book #120 of 2025: The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold by Ally Carter 🎧 4.5/5 ⭐️ This was a fun book and engaging story - the jumps in timeline/location/narrators got pretty confusing, especially listening to the audio. The characters were surprisingly complex #booksky

Book #119 of 2025: Julia Song is Undatable by Julie Soto 3.75/5 ⭐️ I found this book a little boring, and I wasn’t really rooting for any of the characters - they all felt pretty flat. The setting fell pretty flat too. I appreciated all the aspects of Korean culture woven in though #booksky

Book #118 of 2025: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 4.5/5 ⭐️ I’m glad I finally got around to reading this and I’m excited for the rest of the series. The magic and world are interesting and well developed - but a little confusing. I wish the characters had been aged up, they feel too young. #booksky

Book #117 of 2025: The Goldens by Laura Wilson 🎧 (ARC) 4/5 ⭐️ I loved this premise & the writing style worked well. I also loved the characters & setting. But there was so much foreshadowing that detracted from the ominous feeling the story tried to build. The ending was very abrupt.  #booksky

Book #116 of 2025: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher 🎧 (ARC) 4.75/5 ⭐️ I love the way that Kingfisher writes characters Anya is such a fully formed character, aware of her flaws & strengths. The story was incredible & such an unusual idea. The world & magic system were well developed.  #booksky

Book #115 of 2025: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade (ARC) 4.5/5 ⭐️ I loved Max and Edie - the romance was very insta-love but it worked for the story. The world was interesting, if slightly underdeveloped. And the ending felt pretty rushed & abrupt - I was really hoping for a long epilogue. #booksky

August 2025 TBR 📚 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 📚 Arcana Academy by Elise Kova 📚 The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters 📚 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 📚 Witch King by Martha Wells #booksky

🌻 July reading wrap up Lots of audiobooks this month!! 🎧 #booksky

Book #114 of 2025: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez 🎧 5/5 ⭐️ This was a reread & it was just as good the second time. So much data/stats packed in to support every argument. It’s really eye opening how far women’s rights have come, and yet far we still must go for equality. #booksky

Book #113 of 2025: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson 5/5 ⭐️ Wow this book was amazing - the world building and magic system were fantastic, the scenery was so vivid, the story was so compelling. I loved all the characters (human and god) so much. I cannot wait for the next book!! #booksky

Book #112 of 2025: The Library of Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw 🎧(ARC) 3.5/5 ⭐️ The gore was gratuitous & very repetitive. The premise was interesting but there wasn’t a story arc/character development. The narrator didn’t follow the dialogue tags for tone/accent, which was frustrating. #booksky

Book #111 of 2025: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 🎧 4.25/5 ⭐️ The backdrop was a fascinating (and awful) slice of US history. The actual story was too dark and weird for me personally but excellently done. I especially could have done without the modern sections. #booksky

Book #110 of 2025: You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon 4/5 ⭐️ This was a cute rom com but I hated the main characters. The lead tried so hard to not be a “not like other girls” girl that she came off as extremely judgmental of the other women. The hate to love also didn’t work here. #booksky

Book #109 of 2025: Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham 🎧(ARC) 4.5/5 ⭐️ I like that Willingham’s trillers have a solid story for the mystery to anchor onto. The interpersonal dynamics were really well done & I loved the setting. This was definitely more intriguing than tense, which I like. #booksky

Book #108 of 2025: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen 🎧(ARC) 4.5/5 ⭐️ The characters all felt very real & had interesting motivations. This was great use of the second person point of view The story had enough twists & turns to be interesting & conclusions felt earned but not obvious. #booksky

Book #107 of 2025: Ink Ribbon Red by Alex Pavesi 🎧 3.5/5 ⭐️ I get the structure is central to the plot but I found it confusing & choppy. Listening to the audio I wasn’t sure if the physical book noted the stories vs plot. Could have been interesting without the “story within a story” #booksky

Book #106 of 2025: An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating by Cecelia Edward 3.75/5 ⭐️ This was genuinely funny & I loved the cats. The actual writing wasn’t my favorite & the dialogue was clunky/ awkward. For a book about witches, the magic system was not well developed/interesting #booksky

Book #104 of 2025: Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws 3.5/5 ⭐️ I appreciated the focus on confidence/body issues - but I didn’t feel like the growth was shown on page. I also didn’t love the banter, it seemed forced & meanspirited.  I don’t think I’m a fan of rugged mountain man romances #booksky

Book #103 of 2025: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica 4/5 ⭐️ This was an interesting thriller - it kept me entertained on a long drive. The ending did seem to come out of nowhere through & I prefer thrillers where the reader has a chance to piece together the truth on their own. #booksky

Book #102 of 2025: Madness by Antonia Hylton 4/5 ⭐️ The subject matter is incredibly important & taught me a lot but the writing wasn’t my favorite. The chapters didn’t flow well into each other & the timeline jumped around. The inclusion of the author’s personal history didn’t fit well #booksky

Book #101 of 2025: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 5/5 ⭐️ This was incredible- one of the few books where all the terrible things happening to a character AND the character’s response feel realistic. The subject matter was dark but to make a point & not just for the sake of it. #booksky

Book #100 of 2025: My Wife, the Serial Killer by HJ Garbett 3.5/5 ⭐️ This book had a cool concept but didn’t work for me. The pacing was weird & there wasn’t a story arc, just a series of events. The main characters had some depth, but the other characters were very flat/stereotypical.  #booksky

Book #97 of 2025: Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (reread) 4.75/5 ⭐️ I reread an Ali Hazelwood anytime I’m feeling sick/in a reading slump or just need a pick me up. I hadn’t read Love Hypothesis in a while, & while I think her writing has improved since this one, it’s still so much fun #booksky

Book #96 of 2025: Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu 4/5 ⭐️ This was enjoyable, but it was one of those fantasy books where luck & magic gets the main character out of every snag. It felt disjointed and didn’t flow very well. The world & characters were fun but I won’t pick up the sequel. #booksky

Book #95 of 2025: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4/5 ⭐️ I never read this growing up & I’m trying to read more classics. I can see why so many people love this, especially when they read it in their formative years but I was expecting so much more. I hated most of the characters #booksky

Happy release day to one of my favorite books of the year! 🎉🎉 Highly recommend for fans of romantasy #booksky

☀️ June reading wrap up Between moving and work, I’m so behind on my reviews! 🙈 #booksky

July 2025 TBR 📚 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 📚 An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating by Cecelia Edward 📚 You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon 📚 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 📚 Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez (reread) #booksky

Book #94 of 2025: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 🎧 5/5 ⭐️ This is such a wonderful book about family, love & figuring out your place in the world. The setting is so beautiful and immersive, and all the characters feel very real. The audiobook is read by Meryl Streep and I highly recommend it. #booksky

Book #93 of 2025: Fighting Spirit by Anna Harrison 4.25/5 ⭐️ This book ended up being way more serious and thoughtful than I expected based on the concept: a college mascot is kidnapped by the rival football team, the mascot falls in love with one of the players. #booksky

Book #92 of 2025: The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee 3.75/5 ⭐️ This has a cute concept: every chapter is a romance trope that the main character is living out. But I don’t feel like the book delivered on the concept - the tropes seemed like an afterthought forced onto an existing story #booksky

Book #91 of 2025: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig 4.5/5 ⭐️ This was a great story, I loved all the characters but especially the gargoyle. This book didn’t feel as atmospheric as Gillig’s other books & I felt less absorbed. The plot and the writing were fantastic #booksky

Book #90 of 2025: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood 🎧 (reread) 4.75/5 ⭐️ I had to reread this after finishing Problematic Summer Romance. It was funny to see the hints to Maya & Hark’s relationship in this book. I love that this book has such a solid base story along with a great romance. #booksky

Book #89 of 2025: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 5/5 ⭐️ I love how Henry writes, I always feel so immersed in the world & connected to the characters. This wasn’t my favorite relationship paring of hers, but I loved the story. The ending was quite predictable but well done. #booksky

Book #88 of 2025: The Thrashers by Julie Soto 3.75/5 ⭐️ I hate when thrillers hint at a paranormal element, it feels lazy. I liked how this book dealt with popularity & what it feels like being pushed out of a friend group. The concept/writing are solid but the ending was weird. #booksky

Book #87 of 2025: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood 4.75/5 ⭐️ I love interconnected standalones! I really loved this book, it was really well paced and I loved the two main characters and all the side characters. I did miss the academia settings of most of Hazelwood’s books. #booksky

Book #86 of 2025: Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 4/5 ⭐️ This book was beautiful & I loved the writing/story, but I hated the character of Achilles & I think that really ruined a lot of the book for me. I get why people love this book but I much preferred Miller’s book Circe. #booksky

Book #85 of 2025: The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs (ARC) 4.5/5 ⭐️ I loved the first 75% - the world was interesting but underdeveloped, the characters were lovable, the banter was great & the Legally Blonde nods were fun - but the ending was incredibly rushed. 🗓️Pub date: Oct 14, 2025 #booksky

⛈️ May reading wrap up #booksky

Book #84 of 2025: The City and the City by China Mieville (reread) 4.5/5 ⭐️ This is one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever read & rereading it, I understood the world even better. The police investigation, especially the conclusion, are a little weak but the setting makes up for it #booksky

Book #83 of 2025: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker 🎧 4.5/5 ⭐️ This book starts slow, and I DNFed last year, but I’m so glad I stuck it out this time. I like how the different elements of the story weave together and the pieces fall into place. It’s longer than it needs to be #booksky

Book #82 of 2025: Lore of the Tides by Analeigh Sbrana (ARC) 3/5⭐️ The banter was not good, the relationships didn’t feel realistic & I didn't root for the characters. The stakes didn't feel high, all the problems were quickly solved & the magic system was poorly explained. 🗓️Pub date 7/8 #booksky

June 2025 TBR 📚 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 📚 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 📚 The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig 📚 The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee 📚 My Wife, the Serial Killer by HJ Garbett #booksky