Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent is a short novella that takes place in the Crowns of Nyaxia / Obitraes world. Obitraes is the main setting of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, which is a series that I love. It’s vampires with wings, what is there not to love? With the Crowns of Nyaxia books and romantasy books in particular, they tend to be hundreds of pages. Six Scorched Roses is 187 pages and takes place between Serpent & The Wings of Night and The Ashes & The Star Cursed King. For being less than 200 pages, Six Scorched Roses has no business being as good as it is.

Lilith is dying. Her town of Adcova was stricken with a plague by Vitarus, the god of abundance and famine. Lilith is desperately trying to find a cure for the plague to save her sister, Mina. Lilith stumbles upon Vale, a vampire from the House of Night. He agrees to give her his blood, and Lilith provides him with roses in return. Vale is intrigued by Lilith and eventually agrees to loan her his research and other academic books. Lilith faces a challenging concept: she knows how dangerous Vale is, but she needs him, and Vale comes to terms with the fact that he needs her, too.

I flew through this book. I felt the pacing was fast, and everything was set up quick. Lilith and her disease, meeting Vale, asking for Vale’s help, moments where Lilith and Vale started to fall for each other, Lilith and Vale hooking up, and eventually, Lilith risking everything to save her sister. This book didn’t waste any time, and everything was succinct. For Lilith and Vale, I thought they had great chemistry together. I didn’t find the story to be rushed; instead, any extra scenes were cut, and it showed only what was needed to. I liked Lilith as a character. She’s a scientist by heart and dedicated to her cause. Vale was moody and lonely, and Lilith brought out things in Vale that he had long since buried. I wouldn’t mind reading other novellas starring Lilith and Vale throughout the moments of the Obitraes books.

I have no notes; this book was everything I needed it to be. I’d love to see more authors writing shorter novellas set in their fantasy worlds. Not everyone has the time to read hundreds of pages. I rated Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent five stars on Goodreads.

A Court of Mist and Fury is the second book in the ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) book series. I read the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, in 2023 while I was in Europe. I liked it, but not enough to want to rush into reading the second book. I was contemplating whether I wanted to continue the series, and shortly thereafter, I received the box set of the series from my father-in-law. If you’re wondering why my father-in-law read this series, his response would be, “None of the Amazon reviews told me this series was going to be so pornographic”. My father-in-law is not on BookTok / the book side of TikTok, so he was out of the loop. Anyway, he gave me the box set of the series that he bought, and here we are. I read A Court of Mist and Fury, and I feel like this book redeemed the series for me.

Feyre is trying to rebuild after what she endured under Amarantha’s wrath. She’s fae now, and she’s trying to understand the weight that carries. Tamlin has been pushing Feyre to get married, and her wedding date quickly approaches. Right away, she recognizes differences between herself and Tamlin, and when she walks down the aisle, all she wants is out. Sure enough, Rhysand hears this through their bond and whisks Feyre away from her wedding. In those weeks, Rhysand teaches her to read, and Feyre can take a breather. Through Rhysand, Feyre realizes that Tamlin has hidden so much from her and that a war is on the horizon.

A Court of Mist and Fury blows ACOTAR out of the water. This book was much more interesting. I liked reading about the Night Court and Velaris, this secret city that Rhysand protected. I liked hearing about Rhysand’s court, including Mor, Azriel, Cassian, and Amren. I would ride or die for Mor. Give Mor her own series! I found myself reading hundreds of pages in one sitting and getting completely lost in this portion of Prythian.

I liked Feyre more in this book than in ACOTAR. She seems to have matured, and I liked how she wanted to pursue knowledge. She saw through Tamlin, putting her in a box as a wife, and that’s it. Towards the end of the book, she knows what she must do and how she will try to fight back to save Prythian. Feyre grows a lot as a character throughout the book. I can’t talk about this book without talking about Feyre and Rhysand. I don’t think I am as obsessed with them as other fans are. I think Feyre has been through so much, and it would be good for her not to be matched with someone else so quickly. I don’t mind them together. I wish Feyre had moments on her own, and they would have gotten together in the third book.

The last thing I wanted to mention is the amount of sexual violence that is in these books. I have talked about including sexual violence in media before, specifically regarding Alan Moore. I can’t ignore this in Sarah J. Maas’s books. There’s one character who, in her backstory, is beaten because she was no longer a virgin. It’s not just this character; Feyre experiences her own abuse in ACOTAR. On top of that, it’s hinted at that in fae society, females are seen as lesser than and are there to provide pleasure to males. It gets to a point where this book teeters on the line of where this is a bit much. I felt this towards the end of ACOTAR with all of Amarantha’s trials and what Feyre has to go through. There are plenty of ways to build hardship into the women in your story without it being sexual violence. It seems like Sarah J. Maas relies on this as a plot device. I will be fully transparent in that I am sensitive towards sexual violence. If it’s in a book series, I tend to avoid that series altogether. I wonder if this is something that’s in every Sarah J. Maas series, or is it specifically in this one?

With all that said, this book was a page-turner. I am curious to see how this series plays out, especially with that cliffhanger at the end. I rated A Court of Mist and Fury three stars on Goodreads.

While in Florence, we found a bookstore that sold books in English along with books in Italian. I thought I had brought plenty to read while on vacation, but I was wrong. I bought two books to read, the first was Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose, and the second was Funny Story by Emily Henry. I finished both while on vacation and on the flight back to the US. Home Is Where the Bodies Are is a predictable thriller, and I’m not even mad about it.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael are three siblings who reunite at their mother’s funeral. While going through her belongings, they find old VHS tapes. On one VHS tape, they see their parents covering a dead body. They are shocked, and while Beth and Michael may be okay to sweep this under the rug, Nicole goes digging. What were their parents trying to hide, and does that have to do with why their father left?

Listen, the plot was predictable, but you know what, I like to be smart some of the time. I actually don’t mind when I figure out the spoiler early on. I think it’s satisfying when what was revealed was what I thought this whole time. I get why some readers may not like that, but for me, I’m all about it. There are times when books give me whiplash with the spoiler coming out of left field, and I like how Home Is Where the Bodies Are was a standard thriller.

I love the fact that this book is short and succinct. It’s more often than not where I read a book that goes on forever. I appreciate how this book introduces the plot, the plot hook, and the twist in less than 300 pages. With shorter books, it’s difficult to get attached to the characters, but I think that’s the point. I don’t need a life story about Beth, Nicole, or Michael. They are there, and I want to find out what happens in the end. I’m not expecting to get a feel for them as characters; I want just enough to form opinions about them.

Home Is Where the Bodies Are was exactly what I needed while on vacation. I needed a quick read that would captivate me and something shorter that I could finish quickly. I rated Home Is Where the Bodies Are five stars on Goodreads.

For my June TBR, I knew one book I immediately wanted to read. It has 624 pages. To compensate for reading a longer book, I picked two other books with page counts of less than 300 pages each. Each book in this month’s TBR is vastly different, so I think it will keep things interesting throughout the month. If I really commit, I can read all three books, but I have to focus. I will share what I read in May and which books I have picked out to read in June.

In May, I read seven books. They are as follows:

• When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Asha Bandele, and a Foreword written by Angela Y. Davis. 5/5 stars
• Snotgirl Volume #3 Is This Real Life? by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung. 3/5 stars
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Unrated.
• Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose. 5/5 stars
• Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski Unrated.
• The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. 4.5/5 stars
• Funny Story by Emily Henry. 4/5 stars

Okay, so I sort of cheated. I started Come as You Are and The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King in April, but didn’t complete them in May. Both When They Call You a Terrorist and Just Mercy were the two hardest books I read this month. They both tackle similar topics, but in different ways. When They Call You a Terrorist focuses on the Black Lives Matter movement, while Just Mercy focuses on Bryan Stevenson’s role as a lawyer in Alabama. If you haven’t read either book, you need to. There wasn’t a book I read this month that I didn’t enjoy. I’m working on writing more detailed reviews for both Home is Where the Bodies Are and Funny Story, so I hope to have those up later this month.

Now onto the books I want to read this month:

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

I read A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first book in the series, back in 2023. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get the hype. I’ve heard many things about this series, one of which is that the first book is the weakest. I was gifted a box set of this series, which led me to read A Court of Mist and Fury this month. If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have read the rest of the series had I not received the set of books.

For those who are unfamiliar with this series, it centers on our protagonist, Feyre, as she deals with the aftermath of the first book. She’s brought back to life by the high fae from the various courts, which has consequences. Feyre feels trapped in her relationship with Tamlin as her wedding is expedited. Before the wedding happens, Feyre is sent to Rhysand in the Night Court per the deal she made with Rhysand in the last book.

I’m 150 pages into A Court of Mist and Fury, and I’m shocked. I’m enjoying this way more than A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is not at all what I was expecting. I’m curious to see what my final thoughts will be on this book.

Roll for Love by M.K. England

Roll for Love is a book about Harper, who moves back to the small town where her grandparents live. She’s reunited with Ollie, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen in years. Ollie invites Harper to their Dungeons & Dragons game, where sparks between them fly. This is not the first TTRPG-themed romance I have read, and I can’t say it will be the last.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

The final book I want to read this month is A Dowry of Blood. A Dowry of Blood focuses on the story of Constanta, one of the brides of Dracula. I know nothing else about this book, but I’m looking forward to reading it. Dracula is one of my favorite books in classic literature, so I’m curious to see how the story develops.

This is a bit ambitious for a TBR, but I have a set plan about how I will finish all three of these books by the end of the month. I love how each of these books is from a different genre. I think it will keep me invested throughout the month.

Spoilers for both The Serpent & The Wings of Night and The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King

While in Italy, I finished a few books that I had been reading before the trip. With the two 9 1/2 hour flights and multiple trains that we took, I had plenty of time to read. One of the books I read was The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. This is the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series starring Oraya and Raihn. I loved the first book when I read it last year and received the sequel as a gift, so I knew I wanted to continue the series. I loved The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King and can’t wait to read more books in Obitraes.

After the violent end to the Kejari, Oraya is a prisoner, and Raihn becomes the King of the House of Night. Raihn faces challenges as his background as a former slave doesn’t bode well with those who feel he doesn’t deserve nobility. Raihn offers Oraya a deal: help him deal with his betrayers, and he will let her walk, even if Oraya chooses to kill Raihn to avenge her father. Oraya is confronted with her past and faces her destiny as the chosen heir to the House of Night.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I love Obitraes and the world these books take place in. I like reading about the vampire houses and their history. In this book, we learn more about the House of Shadow, and this impacts Mische and her story. I like how the gods shape the world. In my first review of the book, I said it reminds me of the gods from Dungeons & Dragons, and how Nyaxia reminds me of The Raven Queen. I still find that to be the case in this book. Writing this review is going to be heavily biased. The story could have sucked, and I’d still rate this book highly because I love this world so much.

This book truly feels like Oraya’s story. Raihn has a point of view in some of the chapters, but this story centers on Oraya. I liked reading about Oraya’s past (how she’s half-vampire, her abilities, and who her mother is!) Oraya’s mother has a strong bond to one of the other gods, and I thought that was interesting. I read other reviews for this book, and some readers were unhappy with the story and how Oraya united with Raihn, even though he killed her father. I can see why readers would feel that way, but I disagree. Oraya’s father, Vincent, is not a good person. It’s strongly emphasized that he sexually assaulted the previous queen of the House of Night and killed the king. He lied to Oraya about her past and about killing her mom. I don’t want this book to be a revenge story because Vincent’s past caught up to him. Instead, I liked how this book portrays Oraya’s relationship to power and what kind of queen she wants to be. Sure, Raihn is still in the picture, but I fully believe Oraya has the power to kill Raihn if he steps out of line.

The one grievance I have with this book is that the story felt rushed. Oraya’s learning about her past was told in 100 pages, and I think this could have been elongated into multiple books. I understand that this is a duology for Oraya and Raihn specifically, but I would have loved another book to dive into this more.

I was contemplating what to rate The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King. I ended up rating this four stars, but leaning towards 4.5 or five stars depending on the day. The next book in this series will focus on Mische, and I’m excited to read more about her! She was a standout character in this series, so the fact that she’s getting her own books, I couldn’t be more thrilled.

When I was in Chicago, I stopped by a comic book store. I found several volumes of various comic series that I needed. I’m working my way through them now, and one of those volumes is Snotgirl Volume #3, written by Bryan Lee O’Malley with art by Leslie Hung. When I first started reading comics, I read the first issue of Snotgirl and did not like it. I returned to this series several years later, and I’m glad I did. Snotgirl has an interesting premise, but it’s the art that keeps me reading through the series.

Snotgirl follows fashion influencer Lottie Person as she lives her life in California. In the first volume, Lottie meets a mysterious woman named Caroline. Caroline becomes fast friends with Lottie and very quickly integrates into her life. There’s always been something about Caroline that seems off. In the third volume, secrets are revealed that Caroline hasn’t been aging since the 90s. Who is Caroline, and why did she seek out Lottie?

My biggest gripe with this series is how the story keeps getting dragged out. Each volume shows a shadier side of Caroline, but who is she? Is she a vampire? a demon? Did she sell her soul to a devil to remain ageless? Each volume seems to blend together with all the shady things Caroline has done without revealing what her goal is. I hope the next volume provides some much-needed answers.

Snotgirl is one of the few comic series I read solely for the art. Leslie Hung does an excellent job of bringing the world of Snotgirl to life. Lottie’s hair is this bright lime green, and that color is featured throughout the panels. Each page is an explosion of bright neon hues, and each of Lottie’s friends has their own distinct style. It makes the series memorable. Leslie can illustrate all the comics, and I’d buy every single one of them.

Snotgirl is a series that I enjoy reading. It’s not my favorite series, but I find it a page-turner nonetheless. I want to know what Caroline’s deal is, and hopefully that’s answered in the next volume.

I decided not to write a TBR post for this month. I will be on vacation for most of the month and wasn’t sure how much time I would have to read. Instead, I wanted to write about a recent reading goal that I surpassed. For the first time ever, my TBR is less than 100 books. When I say TBR, I mean my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf has fewer than 100 books. This hasn’t happened ever. I was always the reader who consistently added books. At one point, this shelf had close to 600 books. I wanted to share how I got to this point, along with how I will approach reading in the future.

I started using Goodreads in 2014 when I got back into reading after a major reading slump. A few of my friends had Goodreads, and I liked using social media to keep track of what I had read. When I first started using Goodreads, I added any book that sounded interesting, which is why my shelf had 600 books. Several years ago, I condensed this down to 300 books because I knew there was no way I’d be able to read all 600 books on this shelf. Since then, I have focused on reducing this even further. Right now, I have 87 books on my TBR. I can’t believe I got this below 100. I’m proud of myself for prioritizing books that have been on my TBR for several years.

Besides reducing the books on my TBR, I have noticed that my reading habits have changed. I have been prioritizing reading from authors I have read before and finishing series. I used to have several books from different authors, and I’d read a book from a new author and think it was okay. That time could have been spent reading from an author I know that I will love. Lucy Foley, Ali Hazelwood, and Emily Henry are a few of my favorite authors, and I’d love to read every book they write. I know that I will like their books, so why read a book written by an author I may not like? For series, I want to finish more book series. I read several first books in several series, and it takes me years to read the second book. I remember the days when I’d read Hunger Games or The Series of Unfortunate Events and read every book in the series. I want to get back to that.

I would not have reached this point in my TBR without audiobooks. I did not think I’d be an audiobook person, but here we are. I downloaded Libby on a whim last year and started listening to books while I drove to and from work. When I listen to a book, I tend to only listen to romance or nonfiction. As much as I’d love to listen to fantasy, I’m afraid I’ll miss key details if I zone out for a second. If I zone out while listening to a romance, it’s fine because, oh well, if I missed the two main characters going on a date. Audiobooks will forever be a part of reading as a hobby for me, and I’m thrilled. I’m glad I can use the audiobooks my library has.

I don’t ever want my TBR to be more than 100 books again. There’s no way that I will read them all, and I want to read what I want to read. I went through ten years of reading, and on average, I read about 56.7 books in a year. I figured this out by going through my past Goodreads challenges, adding up all the books I read, and dividing by the years I participated. Math rules. Having this information, I don’t want my TBR to be more than 60 books. If I want to add books to my shelf, that’s fine, but I will re-review what’s on my TBR shelf to make room. I’d realistically want to have enough books on there that I can finish in a calendar year.

I’m excited that I have made substantial progress with reading. I feel confident that when I add a book to my shelf, I will actually read it. Reading is a lifelong hobby of mine, and I always want to make reading a priority in the years to come.

While on the train coming home from Chicago, I finished reading A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. This is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I read the first book in this series while on my honeymoon in Europe a few years ago. I love the setting of this book and Veronica as a character. A Perilous Undertaking did not disappoint and solidified this series as a series I’d recommend to anyone and everyone.

Veronica Speedwell is summoned by Lady Sundridge, who is requesting her assistance. She asks Veronica to investigate the murder of Artemisia, an artist with many talents. Miles Ramsforth is set to hang for killing Artemisia, but Lady Sundridge isn’t convinced that he committed the crime. Miles refuses to provide an alibi, which adds an extra layer of mystery to the murder. Veronica and her associate and friend, Stoker, agree to help and find themselves at the beginning of unraveling a conspiracy.

It did not take me long to fly through this book. I was invested in the mystery, and part of that was due to how the mystery was set up. Miles refuses to talk about his alibi, Lady Sundridge’s true identity, and how she was connected to Miles. Each book in this series seems to center around a conspiracy, and I’m here for it. It adds an extra layer of drama to the book. While I wasn’t surprised by the killer’s reveal, it felt satisfying, especially to see how Veronica and Stoker eventually took down the killer.

This series focuses on Veronica and her expanding partnership and friendship with Stoker. These two have such a slow-burning relationship. They need to kiss already and be done with it. Their banter is flirty, snarky, and perfect between the two. At the core of their partnership is their friendship and mutual respect for each other. Veronica is labeled as a spinster, which is a term Veronica uses to describe herself. In the late 1800s, women were getting married and having children. Stoker is a man ahead of his time since he sees Veronica as an equal and her own person. It makes their friendship that much better because of the mutual respect they have for each other.

I like how each book in the series builds upon itself. In this book, we find out more about Stoker and his family. It’s hinted at in the first book that Stoker is the black sheep of his family, and we find out more as to why this is. I like how the book ends on a positive note, where Stoker may end up rekindling the relationship with his brothers. Part of that is due to Veronica’s influence, but I think Stoker, deep down, cares for his brothers even though he has a horrific relationship with his father.

This is a series I genuinely look forward to reading. If anyone needs a series recommendation, my first question to them will be, “Have you read the Veronica Speedwell series?” I rated A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn five stars on Goodreads.

CW: SA, Forced Pregnancy. I will mention this in my review.

I listened to The Show Girl on audio last month, and this book stuck with me long after I finished reading it. The Show Girl reminds me of another book I loved, The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. There are similarities between the two books since they both focus on women who want to break societal norms for that period. The Show Girl was a book I genuinely looked forward to listening to every chance I could get.

Olive McCormick follows her dreams by moving from Minneapolis to New York to become one of the stars of the Ziegfeld Follies. While Olive is happy, she doesn’t get the support from her family and is seen as an embarrassment. Olive meets Archie Carmichael and falls for him, but is she ready to fully commit to him and give up her career? She also has a secret that she’s been hiding from everyone. Will this be revealed to Archie?

Reading The Show Girl now hits different, especially regarding access to reproductive healthcare. Olive ends up getting pregnant in the first few pages of the book. Since this book takes place in the 1920s, she gives birth and puts the baby up for adoption. Listening to Olive’s story, my heart breaks for her. Olive has big dreams of becoming a showgirl and moving to New York. She feels scared of the unknowns of pregnancy, but also of not being able to follow her dreams. I think about women like Olive, who may have had to give up their dreams to become mothers. I feel grateful I had more of a choice to live the kind of life that I wanted.

The Show Girl follows Olive’s life and details how her dreams impact her relationships. Starting with her parents, there’s something about seeing a daughter sticking up to her old-fashioned dad; I’m here for it. While Olive misses having her parents’ support, I appreciate how she keeps pushing along. It’s sad because when Olive meets Archie, the man she wants to marry, her mother is happy. Although she isn’t as happy regarding Olive’s other accomplishments, once Olive has a man, her mom is happy for her. I think it’s interesting reading about Olive’s relationships and how they impact her life.

I loved everything about this book. Olive was an interesting character to read about, and even if she wasn’t always doing the right thing, I think it made her more real. I rated The Show Girl five stars on Goodreads.

I am on a mission. I am going to try to finish more book series. There are so many series I have started reading and never finished. Since this has become a pattern for me, I decided to make my TBR for April dedicated to reading the second book in a series. All the physical books I picked are the second book in a series. As far as audiobooks, I am listening to the second book in a romance series, and I have another book lined up that’s also the second in a series I never finished. I wanted to share what I will be reading this month.

In March, I read five books. They are as follows:

• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper 5/5 stars
• The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 3/5 stars
• Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk 4/5 stars
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 4/5 stars, re-read changed rating to 5/5 stars
• The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison 5/5 stars

Even Though I Knew The End is a book, I wish was a series instead of a standalone book. I liked the world-building and how Helen’s abilities shaped the story. The Kiss Quotient was a book I wanted to read in February, but instead, I ended up casually reading throughout March. I rated The Kiss Quotient four stars when I read it the first time. Shame on me. This book was everything I remembered and so much more. It’s nice to reread a book I loved a few years ago and still love today. The last book I read was The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison. This book ripped out my heart and stomped on it, and I would re-read it again. Olive, the main character, goes through so much and stands up for herself. The Show Girl is a homage to all the women in history who challenged social norms.

Here are the three books I want to read this month:

A Perilous Undertaking: A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn

I read the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series while I was in Europe in 2023. I loved it! Veronica was such a fun character, and she did whatever she wanted. The chemistry and banter she has with Stoker is something I can’t wait to read about in future books. In A Perilous Undertaking, Veronica is tasked to save an art patron from being executed for the murder of his mistress. I’m curious if this book will explore more of Veronica’s past like the first book did.

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King is the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. I described the first book as Hunger Games if Hunger Games had vampires and was a fantasy instead of a dystopia. The second book deals with the aftermath of the first book, which I won’t go into. Oraya and Raihn’s dynamic has been forever changed, and I want to know how Oraya will deal with that.

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver (Not Pictured)

Leather & Lark is the second book in The Ruinous Love Trilogy. I read Butcher & Blackbird last year, and while dark romance is not usually a sub-genre I read from, I enjoyed the first book. This series is a serial killer romance where one or more of the main characters are serial killers. In Leather & Lark, the male character is a contract killer who falls in love with a musician. This book series is wild, and I’m here for it. I have my copy on hold at the library, and I didn’t pick it up in time before writing this post.

This will be a fun reading month. It will be nice to go back to a series I am familiar with.