A new month means it is time for a new TBR, and the start of December means the Reindeer Readathon is upon us. This is one of my favorite readathons, and I always look forward to participating each year. Without further ado, let’s jump into what I hope to be reading this month!
Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing a sequel that I’ve been so excited to read, Shadow Baron by Davinia Evans. I enjoyed the first book in this series, Notorious Sorcerer, last year, and you can find all my thoughts about it in my review. I had high hopes for this sequel after loving the world the author created in the first book. Read on to find out if it lived up to those expectations!
December is a bit of a quieter month when it comes to book releases. Although, there are still plenty of great things to choose from if you are looking for a last minute holiday gift. Here are some of the books I’m looking forward to the most in December:
Today I’m participating in Top Ten Tuesday, which was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week there is a new theme/topic, and participants choose ten books that fit it.
This week’s theme is Books Set in X, and I’ve chosen to focus on books set in a school. I’ve come up with quite an eclectic mix of fantasy, dark academia, YA rom-com, and middle grade adventures. I’m a huge fan of a school setting, and this list barely scratches the surface of my favorites. 🙂 Do you enjoy books set in a school? What are some of your favorites? Let me know down in the comments!
Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher. I fell in love with the cover when perusing NetGalley almost a year ago, and I’m super excited to finally have read the book. I also obsessively read everything Arthurian-related I can get my hands on. So, I couldn’t pass this one up. It will be released in the U.S. tomorrow, November 28, 2023. Although, I saw it out early on the shelves of my local Barnes & Noble last week.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States (and anywhere else you may be celebrating)! 🦃 I did this tag last year and thought it’d be fun to repeat with choices from books I’ve read this year. Thank you to Anna’s Book Nook for creating this tag!
The Rules
Thank the person who nominated you
Give credit to the author (Annasbooknook)
Answer the prompts
Tag others if you desire!
The Questions
1) Friends and Family: A Book with Characters that Feel Like Family
Only This Beautiful Moment follows three generations of Iranian American men on the cusp of adulthood. I learned so much about Iran and what it means to be queer there from this book. By the end, I felt like part of their family, and this one is a huge contender for my favorite book of the year.
2) Fallen Leaves: A Book that Fell Flat (didn’t meet your expectations)
The Three-Body Problem was interesting, but the structure of the narrative just didn’t work for me. I was so excited to read it because of all the hype around the series, but I definitely won’t be reading the rest of the series.
3) Thanksgiving Dinner: A Book You Want to Read Every Year During This Season
I don’t re-read certain things by season, and I rarely re-read anything at all because there’s always so much great new stuff being released. I’ve been in the mood to re-read A Marvellous Light (and the other two books in the series), Jade City (and the other two books in the series), and The Darkness Outside Us. I have a special edition of the latter coming in the mail soon and plan to re-read it when I get it.
4) Turkey: A Book With a Bird in It
The Raven Boys and its sequels were the first books that came to mind for this prompt. Chainsaw was such a great animal companion.
5) Ham: A Book that Made Your Eyes Glaze Over (Boring)
I wanted to DNF Immortal Longings so bad, but I somehow made it through it. I was so excited to read it, too, but it just did not capture my interest at all.
6) Dinner Rolls: A Book that Melted Your Heart and Made You Feel Warm
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was ADORABLE. I had so much fun reading this book and laughed so much. It definitely warmed my heart.
7) Mashed Potatoes: A Book With a White Cover
Academy Arcanist was a cute start to a fantasy series with such great creature companions. Different for Boys was a really cool mix of illustration and story that explored the queer experience of boys. These are very different books, but they both were really great in their own ways.
8) Gravy: A Book You’re not Totally Sure Why You Love, but You Do
The Navigating Fox was a recent read that I enjoyed quite a bit. Although, I’m not quite sure why. lol. It was weird, with talking animals and humans living side by side. The messaging and symbols felt super important, though, as if I was reading something profound guarded by the absurdity of it all.
9) Pumpkin Pie: A Dessert Book That You Love
Last year I answered this prompt with a sickeningly sweet book that I adore. This year I’ve decided to take a different approach by choosing a series of books that are guilty pleasures. I started reading some more manga this year, and one of my favorites was On or Off. This story was steamy with graphic depictions of sex, and I came away from them feeling a little dirty, which is half the fun. 🙂
Bonus: Black Friday: The Top 5 Books on Your “I want to buy them” List
As I said last year, I don’t really have a list because I typically just buy a book when I want it (or borrow it from the library, if available). So, instead I’m going to list the last five books I bought on a whim…
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft, Emmett by L.C. Rosen, Fangirl (10th Anniversary Edition) by Rainbow Rowell, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
I Tag
Anyone who wants to participate. I recognize that today is Thanksgiving. So, if you’re bored, feel free to have some fun and consider yourself tagged. Otherwise, bookmark it until next year!
Ihope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of good food and great times. I’ve already stuffed myself full of turkey, ham, and too many sides. I think it is time for a nap…
Today I’m participating in Top Ten Tuesday, which was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week there is a new theme/topic, and participants choose ten books that fit it.
This week’s theme is Reasons Why I’m Thankful for Books. I thought it would be difficult to come up with ten reasons for this list, but it was surprisingly easy. Books bring an immeasurable amount of joy into my life, and I’m incredibly grateful to live in a place and time where they are so easily accessible. Here’s all the reasons I thought of:
December is rapidly approaching, which means the end of 2023 is right around the corner. That makes it time for the End of the Year Book Tag. I did this one last year, too, but I’m still not sure where it first originated. If you know the creator, feel free to link them in the comments.
Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper. I enjoyed the first two books in this historical fiction trilogy and have been eagerly anticipating this final installment. You can find my thoughts on book one (The Wolf Den) and book two (The House with the Golden Door) in previous reviews, which are linked via the aforementioned titles.
Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing a book that has been sitting on my TBR for quite a while, Dark Theory by Wick Welker. I’ve been in the mood for science fiction recently, and this book definitely helped to scratch that itch.