I hinted at this, but I finally created my Comic Series Tracker! I created my Book Series Tracker last year, and it helped organize my reading, so I knew I wanted to create one for comics specifically. It took me two hours to put it together, which sounds like a long time. It takes a bit to catalog everything and track how many volumes I have left of that series. I wanted to share how I put this together because my Comic Series Tracker is set up differently from the one I have for books.

I have five different sheets, which are as follows:

• Comic Series I’m Working Through – Indie
• Comic Series I’m Working Through – Marvel & DC
• Comics Reading List
• Completed Comic Series
• All-Time Favorite Graphic Novels and Comics

I decided to separate my comic series based on whether they were indie, so anything that’s not Marvel or DC, and then keep everything superhero-related on a separate sheet. I found keeping everything on one list made it long, so I think keeping it separate kept things more concise. This way, I can pick and choose the series I’m in the mood to read. The Comics Reading List is a list of comics that I want to read; it’s basically my TBR. The only graphic novel on that list so far is Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King. This is the Supergirl graphic novel that inspired the Supergirl film coming out in June, so I’d like to read this before then. Completed Comic Series are series I’m all caught up on. I was surprised because there were more comics on here than I thought. Finally, I made a list of All-Time Favorite Graphic Novels and Comics, so comics I loved, but they were standalone and not part of a series. Unlike my Book Series Tracker, I don’t have a sheet created for series I am no longer continuing because I want to focus on what I love, not what I didn’t like.

If that wasn’t enough, I decided to redownload WEBTOON as it’s been a while since I started reading web comics. I may track Web Comics in this series tracker because why not?

I am excited to keep updating this as I go. I have since finished The Manhattan Projects, and I read the Yasha Origin graphic novel, Critical Role made with Dark Horse Comics. I’m happy to have gotten back into reading comics, and I want to continue that momentum throughout the rest of the year.

I finally finished my TBR. At this current moment, both my Goodreads and Storygraph Want to Read and To-Read Shelves list 0 books. This has been a long time coming. It was a few years ago that I decided to commit to and read every book on these shelves. I even went so far as to stop adding books to my TBR, so I could fully focus on this. Now, I have finally reached 0. I feel so proud of myself for finally achieving this. Throughout this process, I learned a lot about how I liked to read and I wanted to share different ways I will approach reading differently moving forward.

Setting a Maximum Amount of Books on my TBR

I will never, ever, have hundreds of books on my TBR. This stressed me out and made reading more of a chore than I wanted it to be. On top of that, it would take me years to finish my TBR and I want a TBR that could be managed or completed in one calendar year. When I think about what this magical number could be, my thought was twelve. If I were to read one physical book every month, I’d finish my TBR, so that’s why I think this number makes sense.

Re-Reading Books

Why bother reading a book if I wouldn’t want to re-read it in the future? My rule of thumb for a re-read is if it’s been at least five years since I first read the book, or if I pick up the book and don’t remember anything about it. I have a ton of books I love on my bookshelves that I’d like to pull off and re-read at some point. I want to keep prioritizing this as I don’t want to be a reader who only reads books once. One thing I love about Storygraph is there’s a notes section where you can type notes about a book as you read. I plan on utilizing that more with books I’m re-reading. I believe Goodreads has this too, but I never used it and I like the way Storygraph has this laid out.

Adding Comics to my TBR

I will keep this one short since I already wrote about my comics reading slump. I’m going to create a comics version of my Book Series Tracker and start consolidating which comic series I want to complete. I want to do a graphic novel cleanout and donate anything I don’t see myself re-reading again. On top of that, I want to create a list of all the graphic novels I need to purchase in order to finish that series. When I go comic shopping, I’d always forget which volume I need, so I want to have this organized, so my comic book store trips are more productive. I want to create this Comic Series Tracker in the next few weeks.

Logging Audiobooks with Libby, not through Goodreads or Storygraph

I used to track audiobooks on both my Goodreads and Storygraph shelves. I will no longer be doing this. The reason for this is that most of the time, the audiobooks I want to listen to are on a several month wait before I can listen to them. I feel they take up valuable space on my TBR, especially because it’s out of my control as to when I can finally listen to them. I figured out in Libby that you can create tags, so I created a TBR tag where I have been marking which audiobooks I want to listen to. This keeps me organized without clogging my physical TBR with audiobooks I won’t be able to listen to for at least three months or more.

Finishing More Series, BUT, discontinuing a series if I no longer enjoy it

Since creating my Book Series Tracker, I have completed at least five book series I was in the middle of. I’m on track to finish two more book series by the end of the year. While my book series tracker has kept me organized, I want to normalize discontinuing series that no longer bring me joy. If I’m not on the edge of my seat, counting down the days until I can read the next book in a series, it’s time to move on to something else.

As a reward for finishing my TBR, I decided that I won’t add any books to my Goodreads Want to Read shelf or my Storygraph To-Read pile. I am going to let myself mood read instead. Mood reading is what it sounds like, picking up books I’m in the mood to read instead of sticking to a set schedule of what I will be reading every month. I’m going to mood read for the rest of the year and then come back in 2027 with a full pile of books on my TBR.

I didn’t realize this, but you can rent e-books from the library through Libby and read them on your Kindle. That’s so slick! I was exclusively listening to audiobooks on Libby and didn’t realize that renting e-books was an option. To test this out, I rented We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark. I found out about this book from thtgrlreads as she read this book earlier this year and loved it. We Who Will Die is a solid first book in a series, and I’m excited for the next book to come out.

Spoilers for We Who Will Die Below

“Because a man has wronged you. Women have been each other’s sword and shield since the beginning.”

Arvelle Dacien lives a rough life with her brothers. Her brother, Evren, has a lung disease, which Arvelle doesn’t have the resources to treat. Arvelle is offered a deal: Evren can be healed if Arvelle can kill the Emperor. To do so, Arvelle has to enter a competition called the Sundering, and if she wins, she could be placed on the Emperor’s guard. While Arvelle may be offered a losing deal, she would do anything to make sure her brother gets the cure that he needs.

This might be a longer book review, but I have a lot of thoughts! Starting with Arvelle, I like how she’s portrayed as being rough around the edges. She isn’t this sweet protagonist. She’s cold-hearted and has trouble trusting people in her life. This comes from the death of her friend Kassia, who died in a competition both she and Arvelle were competing in. When Arvelle agrees to this deal, she takes Leon with her to act as her mentor. Leon happens to be Kassia’s father. There are times when I genuinely don’t like Arvelle, nor do I agree with her actions. However, I understood why she was the way she was. The way that Arvelle treats Maeva, another competitor in the Sundering sucked and Maeva calls her out for it later in the book. As the story unfolds, Arvelle matures and grows as a person. She starts to build upon her relationships and realizes she can’t keep living her life this way. I liked seeing that growth from her. It leaves potential for Arvelle to grow in future books.

While this is Arvelle’s story, another thing I liked about the book was all the side characters. Maeva is one character I highlighted already, and I adore her. Give Maeva her own book. I liked her story and her family dynamic, which led to her competing in the Sundering. Maeva and Arvelle end up becoming good friends. There are all the other gladiators, like Hester, who gets what’s coming to her. If you know, you know. Leon, what a gem. Leon keeps Arvelle in line and calls her out when she isn’t paying attention or is planning on doing something she shouldn’t. While we don’t get to meet Kassia, she plays a crucial role for both Arvelle and Leon. There are so many interesting characters in this book, which adds to my enjoyment of the series.

With this book being advertised as romantasy, I have to talk about the romance. Our book boyfriend is Tiernon, a former lover from Arvelle’s past who left her without warning. There’s a lot to unpack there since he did leave for a reason, which is revealed later. I think it’s safe to say there’s a love triangle being built with Tiernon, Arvelle, and Rorrik, Tiernon’s vampire brother. I am waiting for the ball to drop for Tiernon. I think he’s hiding something, and he doesn’t want to tell Arvelle about it because he’s afraid that he will lose her. I could be wrong, but something doesn’t feel right about him. The romance is fine, but I think it needs more time to develop.

When I write a book review, I like to read other reviews from other readers. There were a few critiques other readers brought up that I agreed with. The first is that Arvelle is portrayed as almost too weak at times. This goes beyond being out of shape and having an ankle injury. It seemed that every physical fight she was in, she struggled. It was almost to the point where I was questioning how on earth she won the Sands? There was never a moment when Arvelle won her fight by a landslide. This might be me being too nitpicky, but if she won this competition, why does she seem like such a beginner during her training? The last thing I wanted to say was how I feel like there’s too much going on in this book. Dare I say that vampires felt out of place? This book features vampires, gladiators, sigil magic, gods, pixies, centaurs, and wyverns. I think if Stacia had taken two of these things and honed in on them, it would have made the book better.

We Who Will Die is if the movie Gladiator had vampires. I think this was a great first book in a series, and there’s a lot of hype for the second book. If anything happens to Maeva, I will rage quit this series. I rated We Who Will Die four stars on both Goodreads and Storygraph.

I read Mallory Marlowe’s first book, Love and Other Conspiracies, last year, and I loved it. I like how her books are standalone, meaning you don’t necessarily need to read the first book to understand the others. There will be small references here and there, but not enough to distract you from reading. Her second book, Love at First Sighting, was released last year, so I knew I wanted to read it eventually. As a Christmas present last year, I received Love at First Sighting, so I ended up saving it for February, as that’s when I read romance. Love at First Sighting was adorable, albeit the plot is a little far-fetched, but I don’t care.

Influencer El Martin truly believes she saw aliens. She posts it in her livestream, not really thinking much of it. However, this is quickly put on Agent Carter Brody’s plate as he works for the government to cover up all potential alien sightings. He meets her and is floored by who El is. She isn’t like what he sees of her online. They both end up finding commonality in figuring out what El saw that day. When they investigate, they realize something more sinister is happening, especially when it comes to what happened to Carter’s father all those years ago.

I loved Carter; he’s such a sweetheart. When Carter was young, his father passed away, and Carter saw something that day. Carter’s story is arguably more interesting than El’s because of wanting to find answers. Carter is a gem, and he needs to be protected at all costs. El grew on me eventually, but I did find her grating at first. She’s an influencer, and she has that attitude of advertising products she doesn’t believe in, but it’s fine because it’s for Instagram. Her friends are insufferable, and while El realizes this, she doesn’t stick up for herself. She lets her friends be shitty people. El eventually comes around and calls out her friends and sticks up for Carter. This book does a great job at portraying influencer culture as being as cringe as it is.

This was adorable. Mallory Marlowe’s books have all been great, and I look forward to reading whatever she publishes. I rated Love at First Sighting four stars on both Goodreads and Storygraph.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent is the third book in the Crown of Nyaxia series. What’s interesting is that each portion of the series is categorized on Goodreads as a duet, meaning two books complete that story. Each duet is centered on one of three vampire houses: the House of Night, the House of Shadow, and the House of Blood. Oraya and Raihn’s story was the first duet taking place in the House of Night, while The Songbird & the Heart of Stone begins the story from the House of Shadow. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone follows Mische, who was a standout character from the first two books. I’m happy to say this book lived up to the hype and might be my favorite in this series so far.

Potential Spoilers for The Previous Crown of Nyaxia Books & The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

Mishe’s life changed when she was forcibly turned into a vampire. Now at odds with the god she devoted her life to, she still tried to appease him whenever possible. When revenge fell into her lap, she took it. She was eventually captured by the House of Shadow, and when she was about to be executed, she was rescued by Asar. Asar needs Mishe’s help with a secret mission, which involves undergoing the trek to Morthryn, the journey into the Underworld. The Underworld is not a kind place, and as Mishe and Asar journey through Morthryn’s depths, they start to care for one another.

Ride or die for Luce, Asar’s necromantic dog companion. She’s the best girl. If something happens to her in the next book, I’m going to be livid. I love how much this book feels like Mishe’s story. Asar is there, but the focus is clearly on Mische, which is what she deserves. She was always this ray of sunshine, evident in her friendships with Oraya and Raihn, and that’s clearly continued in this book. I like how the power dynamic is illustrated through Atroxus, the god that Mishe worships, and Mishe’s devotion to him. It’s incredibly toxic and shows how religious trauma is a core theme of Mishe’s story. At times, I felt so angry on Mishe’s behalf with the way Atroxus treats her. It wasn’t her fault that she was forcibly turned against her will, and Atroxus blames her at times, despite Mishe wanting to support him. Karma comes full circle for Atroxus, though, and it was so satisfying to read, go Mishe.

Asar, what a gem. I didn’t mind Raihn, but I am all in for Asar. I thought Asar’s story was interesting, especially with his ties to necromancy. I like how he also hated Malach because Malach sucked. Malach was the one who forcibly turned Mishe. This mutual hatred was what brought both Asar and Mishe together in the first place. Asar and Mishe’s relationship was slowly built and didn’t feel rushed to me. I don’t think they even got together until the last 100 pages, which I thought was perfect.

I loved reading about the Underworld. This book reminded me of Persephone and Hades in the best way. I’m sure that was intentional by Carissa when she wrote this. I liked reading about all the creatures, like the undead wraiths who aren’t put to rest. Mishe sees that one of her friends, Eomin, was one of the wraiths she saw. Asar, feeling bad about it, takes the time to put his soul to rest, so Mishe doesn’t have to be constantly tormented by him, and Eomin can be at peace. I thought each layer in Morthryn was fascinating, like how one layer would focus on memories while the other showed various individuals from both Mishe and Asar’s pasts. It was all interesting to read about.

There are so many cliffhangers at the end of this book. I felt like this book didn’t go in the direction that I had thought, which left me wanting more. I knew this would probably be the case, so when I started reading The Songbird & the Heart of Stone, I ordered the other two books I haven’t read yet. I’m planning on reading those in March, so I’m fully caught up on the series. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is the epitome of why I love reading, and I’m curious to see how everything unfolds in the next book. I rated The Songbird & the Heart of Stone five stars on both Goodreads and Storygraph.

I have been using Goodreads for a long time. It’s been an excellent way for me to track my reading, set goals, and write reviews on the books I have read. With that said, Goodreads is owned by Amazon, and there has been a lot of discussion about moving away from Goodreads because of this. The challenge is that I have been using Goodreads since 2014, and that’s a lot of book information to re-enter somewhere else. There would need to be something equitable in size, and have the online book library Goodreads has. With that said, The Storygraph might be a suitable option to switch to.

I have been using Storygraph on and off, and I think there are vast improvements over Goodreads. The first one is the ability to rate books in half or partial stars, where Goodreads only offers one through five stars in its reviews. The spoiler tag in Storygraph actually works. To hide notes under spoilers, you would add <spoiler> include the text that’s a spoiler and end it with </spoiler>. It wasn’t brought to my attention until a few years ago that spoiler tags don’t work on the mobile app version of Goodreads. All this time, the reviews I thought were hidden from spoilers weren’t. I have now been hiding my entire reviews on Goodreads for this reason. In Storygraph, my content is hidden where it needs to be. Storygraph also offers more stats on the books you read. It shows the pages you read in the year, genres you read from, and what books you gravitate to on average. I didn’t think I would be as interested in the stats as I thought I would, but I find them intriguing to read.

One thing I recently completed was transferring my Goodreads books to Storygraph. I didn’t realize this, but you can go into Goodreads and export your library. Storygraph allows you to upload this file and adds your books from Goodreads into Storygraph. I had a large upload as I have over 800 books that I have read. The file took a few days to process, but sure enough, I received an email from Storygraph once this was completed. For the most part, everything was accurate. There were about seventy books where I had to manually add in dates read and copy and paste a review. It didn’t take long, as I would work on this when I came home from work, editing a few books at a time. It’s really slick.

Will I ever move away from Goodreads? I don’t know. I feel similarly to Goodreads as I do to Facebook. I never post on Facebook, yet it’s one of the ways that I keep in touch with relatives I don’t see often. I deleted Facebook from my phone, so I’m barely there anymore. Goodreads, I feel more nostalgia for because I’d attribute Goodreads as one way I was able to get back into reading after not reading for a few consecutive years. With that said, I think Storygraph has a ton of potential, and I’m looking forward to utilizing it more going forward.

CW: Torture, Rape, Dark Web, Snuff Films, Animal Cruelty (The dog does not die!)

Spoilers for Killman Creek below

I recently finished reading Killman Creek by Rachel Caine. This is the second book in the Stillhouse Lake series. I went into reading this book expecting I would love it. I loved the first book, and I felt this was a series I would complete. This changed when I finished Killman Creek. It’s not that I hated this book, but I felt this book was so dark to the point where it felt like a chore to finish. I like reading thrillers and mysteries, but occasionally, I will read a book that goes to those places where it feels like it’s a bit too much for me. How dark is too dark in thrillers?

I will be spoiling Killman Creek and touching on some of these darker themes in the book. If any of the content warnings are upsetting, this might be a blog post to skip. As mentioned, Killman Creek was dark. The premise of the book is that Gwen is raising her two kids from the aftermath of her husband, Melvin, being a serial killer. At the end of the first book, Melvin breaks out of prison, so in Killman Creek, Gwen is going to face her ex-husband. Gwen uncovers a fake video created on the dark web where she is shown as an accomplice to Melvin’s crimes. This fake video is seen by someone close to Gwen and the FBI. If that wasn’t gross enough, this video was sent to her two children, so now they think Gwen is a murderer. If you’re like, wow there’s no way this book can get any darker, you would be incorrect. At the final climax of the book, Gwen is kidnapped, held captive, and is going to be tortured on video on the dark web by Melvin.

Listen, I’m all for the protagonist of a story of any genre to go through their perils. I expect Gwen to face an uphill battle while going after her ex-husband, but this? I would have been fine if the fake video existed, and Gwen fights Melvin to be exonerated in the end. I think where this book went further than I would have wanted was to send it to her children, so they are exposed to the violence of it all, and the ending. When I think about this topic, it boils down to one thing: if there is no way for the protagonist to win, or the protagonist wins, but at a cost to their humanity or sanity, why am I reading this series?

With that said, Gwen is successful and kills Melvin. My thought after finishing Killman Creek was, well, maybe this is a blip. Gwen can finally start over. I read through the other plot summaries of the books remaining in this series. One plot summary mentions how her town turns on Gwen, and another mentions how her kids are put in danger. I’m out. I already read about Gwen overcoming this massive event from her past, and she is put through so much.

It saddens me to not continue with this series, but it’s for the best. I know I wouldn’t be able to read these books without thinking negatively about them, and I have so many other series I want to read. There’s nothing wrong with thrillers and mysteries having dark themes, but when it comes to continually putting the protagonist in several awful situations with little to no hope of seeing them win, then I have to ask myself why I’m bothering to continue with their story.

It’s that time of year again, another reading year has come and gone. I felt this was a successful reading year. I’m getting closer to finally finishing my TBR. At the time that this post is scheduled, I have three books left. Looking ahead to 2026, I want to read more comics, finish my TBR, and approach reading differently than I have in the past. For this post, I utilize Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Book Survey. Here are my answers to the questions.

2025 Reading Stats:

Number of Books Read: 62

Number of Re-Reads: 3 – (The Kiss Quotient, Geekerella, and Volume #1 of Manhattan Projects)

Genre You Read The Most From: Romance

Library Savings: $480

I read 62 books in 2025, which is less than what I read last year. Last year, I would average two, sometimes three books a month. This year, I focused on reading two physical books every month. While I love to read, I have other hobbies, and I wanted to dedicate time to them. I didn’t want reading to become a chore. I re-read more books this year than I did last year. When I finish my TBR next year, I want to prioritize re-reading books I own. As far as the genre I read from the most, I quickly scrolled through all my books, and I feel romance is the correct answer. Finally, my library savings. $480!??!!? That’s a lot. I calculate this by reviewing the books I read and counting how many of them I rented from the library, whether as a physical book or through Libby. The number was 32. I multiply 32 by $15 as I feel the cost of a book varies between $10 – $18. This was way higher than last year, which is a good thing! I want to continue utilizing my local library.

Best in Books

Best Book You Read in 2025?

I had two books in mind for this. The first was A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher, and the second was Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent. It’s a tough call, but ultimately I decided to give it to Six Scorched Roses. I LOVED this book. I like how some romantasy series have these short novellas in between stories. This book was less than 200 pages, and I was invested from start to finish. It’s nice to have shorter books in between the longer books I read.

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More, But Didn’t?

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. I have talked about Lucy Foley a lot, as I have enjoyed every book she has written. The Midnight Feast, I rated one star on Goodreads. I was shocked; this didn’t feel like a book she wrote. This felt like a one-off.

Most Surprising (In a Good Way or Bad Way) Book You Read?

Told You So by Mayci Neeley. Mayci is one of the women on the show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, so I think it would be easy to discount this book because of that. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought. Mayci goes into detail about her abusive relationship, finding out that she was pregnant and losing her baby’s father. That’s a lot for anyone to go through. This book reads more like Mayci’s private diary, so it felt personal while I listened to the audiobook. I am glad I read this and enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.

Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2025?

T. Kingfisher. I have seen her books pop up, and every reader raves about her. I bought A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, and it was so good. It was a cozy fantasy about a young girl who’s a wizard, and her familiar is a sourdough starter. This lived up to all my expectations, and once I’m finished with my TBR, I will go through the rest of T. Kingfisher’s books and pick out the one I want to read next.

Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates. I tried to read another Darcy Coates book a few years ago, and ended up DNFing it. I had this book on my TBR and listened to the audiobook. This book, shit really hits the fan. It’s a thriller where a group of people are stuck in a blizzard. They arrive at a cabin and see a severed head on a stick. After that, people start dying, and everyone’s messy secrets are revealed. If an audiobook entices me to want to clean my house, you know it’s going to be good. I used every excuse I could to listen to this. Darcy Coates may be an author whom I listen to rather than read as physical books, and I’m okay with that.

Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2025?

The books in the Castle Knoll mystery series by Kristen Perrin are so aesthetically pleasing. The first book in the series was sky blue and orange, while How to Seal Your Own Fate is green and yellow. These are books I own because I like the series, but also, the covers are gorgeous.

Most Memorable Character in 2025?

I’d like to nominate Veronica Speedwell from the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn. These books don’t end up nominated for awards in this survey, but I always look forward to reading them. Veronica is such a fun character to follow, and she’s so quick with her clapbacks. She could be the permanent answer for this question, and I’d be fine with that.

Book You Can’t Believe You Waited Until 2025 to Read?

The World of Critical Role by Liz Marsham. I received this book as a gift in 2022, but didn’t read it until this year because I wanted to wait until I finished The Mighty Nein campaign, which I did. This book is a love letter to TTRPGs, but also to Critical Role and how the show came to be. This is a book I’d page through again in the future.

OTP Of The Year?

I have so many choices since I read a lot of romance. I decided to go with Hallie and Hayden from Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe. This book was so stinking cute. Hallie and Hayden were a great couple, and I wish their supernatural show were real. I’d watch it. I have Mallory’s second book on my TBR to read next year.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I’m going to nominate Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros for this. Fourth Wing is popular, and as such, I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Fourth Wing blew me away. I had originally rented this from the library, loved it so much that I bought my own copy, along with Iron Flame, the second book in the series. I don’t really care for Xander much as a character, but the dragons are the real stars of this book. I liked reading about Basgiath and how Violet’s family is intertwined with the college. I have heard mixed feelings about the other books in the series, but I’m committed to finishing the series.

Book That Was The Most Fun To Read?

Vox Machina: Stories Untold was a highlight of my reading year. This is a book of short stories featuring some of the NPCs from Critical Role’s first campaign, Vox Machina. The Trinket story had me close to tears in the best way. It’s a bear protecting children, of course, I’m going to get weepy about it. The Mighty Nein short story book comes out next year, and I already have it tagged on Libby.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

New Favorite Book Blog?

I discovered Thtgrlreads on Instagram first and then subscribed to her YouTube channel shortly thereafter. She focuses primarily on romantasy and dark romance, with the latter being a sub-genre I’m not normally into. Some of her book recommendations I have saved because they sound interesting. One book she recommended was A Wrecking of Salt and Fire by E.K. Condos, which features pirates and an enemies-to-lovers romance. Sign me up. I was obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean, so this seems like something I’d like. If you see me reading more romantasy in my future, it’s probably because of Thtgrlreads.

Best Bookish Event That You Participated In?

I went to two adult book fairs, one in winter and one in summer. While both events were packed and I didn’t buy anything, it was cool to go. Minnesota has a strong book community and a ton of small bookstores to support. I am glad that I was a part of it, and I hope that more book fairs pop up in the future.

Looking Ahead

One Thing You Hope to Accomplish in 2026?

Finish my TBR!

To end this post, there were a few books that I read that I loved, but I couldn’t find the perfect award to nominate them for. I decided to list them out below because I wanted them to get mentioned at least once.

• A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey
• Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk
• The Showgirl by Nicola Harrison
• The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid