I’m starting 2025 off strong by finishing my first book of the year. In January, I usually read thrillers. Thrillers are quick reads for me and I find it ramps up my reading year. I had wanted to read The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James for a while. I fully went into this book thinking it would be a new favorite of mine. On top of that, I added some of Simone St. James’s other books to my reading list as well. The Book of Cold Cases had so much potential, ultimately, this book didn’t work for me.
In 1977, Beth Greer was tried and acquitted for the murder of two men. Beth continued to live in Claire Lake, Oregon where the crimes occurred. Currently, Shea Collins is a blogger for her own True Crime website. She’s written extensively about the Lady Killer case, which Beth was linked to. After meeting Beth in a chance encounter, Shea asks her for an interview and is surprised when Beth says yes. Will Shea finally solve this infamous case and did Beth do it?
I was under the impression that The Book of Cold Cases was a thriller. This book is a thriller, but it’s also a ghost story. When Shea interviews Beth, she notices some odd occurrences at the house. It’s revealed to the reader that there are ghosts in Beth’s house. I will be honest, I was not a fan of the supernatural element to the story. I am fine with ghost stories if I’m reading a horror book. I had expectations for what I wanted this book to be, so when it wasn’t what I had originally wanted to read, I was disappointed.
Regarding the characters, Shea was a dull character to follow. She had a traumatic event happen to her as a child which is supposed to explain why she writes her blog. I would have loved to read more character development from Shea. What’s the goal of her blog? Does she want to solve these crimes? Does she want to be an author? Instead, she isolates herself, but that’s all I know about her. It would have been more interesting to hear about her blog and what motivates her to continue writing. The Book of Cold Cases is story-driven, but arguably not character-driven, which is fine. However, I like to care about the characters I’m reading about and I didn’t feel that way about Shea.
Leading into the story, it was okay. Towards the middle of the book, it’s revealed who the true killer is. I didn’t find the reveal to be particularly interesting. On top of that, once the killer was revealed, I stopped caring about the book. In my eyes, the book was finished and all Shea had to do was write the story and what happened all those years ago. Instead, the final climax of the book features Shea trying to escape a ghost.
The Book of Cold Cases boils down to personal preference. I like thrillers and horror, but I don’t need bits of both in one book. I don’t think this author is for me. I read the premise of her other books and they follow the same format of thrillers mixed with supernatural elements. I removed them from my reading list. For those who liked this book, I’m happy for you! This book wasn’t for me. I rated The Book of Cold Cases two stars on Goodreads.
For the holidays, a few family members asked me for gift ideas of what I would want for Christmas. After some thought, I decided to send a long list of different books I wanted. I like providing books as gift ideas because books are relatively inexpensive and it sets me up to have a great reading year. I wanted to share all the books I got for Christmas and hopefully when I will make the time to read them.
A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
I have wanted to read a book by T. Kingfisher for a long time. The various book bloggers I follow have raved about her books and I was feeling left out of the loop. A Wizard’sGuide To Defensive Baking is about a young wizard named Mona who doesn’t have the same magical powers as everyone else. Her magic only works when she’s baking bread. When a dead body is found at her bakery, she’s pulled into a conspiracy she didn’t want to be a part of. This premise reminds me of Legends & Lattes, so I’m curious if this is going to be a cozy fantasy book.
A Perilous Undertaking A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn
This is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series. This series takes place in London in the late 1800s. Veronica has rejected societal norms in which she is supposed to be married. She has teamed up with Stoker who has helped her solve various mysteries. In this book, Veronica is asked to help save an art patron before he’s executed for murder. I read the first book in this series while in Europe and I enjoyed it, so I wanted to continue reading the series.
Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
Love and Other Conspiracies is a romance between a web producer and a cryptid expert who also hosts a podcast. I don’t know about you, but I love cryptid conspiracy theories. I went to see The Mothman statue in West Virginia several years ago and now I’m a fan. I think the premise of this sounds too cute and most of the reviews have been positive. I hope to read this during February which is when I usually read exclusively romance.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
I loved Part of Your World when I read it last year. As a reading goal, I want to read more from authors that I have read before. Yours Truly takes off where Part of Your World left off. Yours Truly focuses on Alexis’s best friend, Briana, and her romance with a doctor. I loved Alexis’s friendship with Briana, so I’m looking forward to reading this.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
I own the original cover of Legends & Lattes, but I don’t own this edition. The artwork is stunning and I love the image on the spine with the sword through the coffee cup. I’m not normally someone who would collect special editions of books, but happy to make an exception as Legends & Lattes is a book I adore.
The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent is the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. I read the first book last year and I enjoyed it. I described the first book as Hunger Games with vampires. The second book builds off the climactic ending from the first book and I’m curious to see what Oraya will do.
It’s a good feeling to have something new to read.
2024 was a pretty solid year. It was a quieter year which was honestly kind of nice. I didn’t travel as much as I have previously, so I felt I had plenty of time to spend with friends and family, getting back into cosplay, and attending conventions. If I had to describe this year with one word, I think it would be stability. I made the time for things that made me happy and my husband has been working on various house projects. The projects have been small, but our home is becoming more like ours with each project. 2024 was a great year for me.
Movies I Watched
Barbie (2023)
Anyone but You (2023)
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road
No Hard Feelings (2023)
How to Be Single (2016)
The Predator (1987)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
The Polar Express
Without a doubt, the movie of 2024 was Deadpool & Wolverine. This movie was a callback to the early superhero movies of the 2000s. I loved all the cameos and Channing Tatum knocked it out of the park as Gambit. The fact that we probably won’t see a Gambit movie is sad. I liked the opening with Deadpool killing people and dancing to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. It’s no wonder that “Bye Bye Bye” was a top song I listened to this year.
The two other movies on this list that stood out to me were Anyone but You and No Hard Feelings. Anyone but You was the romantic comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell. Their chemistry was undeniable. In No Hard Feelings, Jennifer Lawrence made her comedy debut. Jennifer Lawrence is funny and I’d love to see her in more comedies.
I didn’t watch a lot of movies this year. I don’t go to the movie theater much anymore. With the decline of superhero movies, this could be a factor, but also, going to see a movie is more expensive and if it’s not a movie I really want to see, I don’t bother.
TV Shows I Watched
Star Wars Rebels
X-Men The Animated Series
The Kardashians
Jersey Shore Vacation
The Acolyte
What We Do In The Shadows
Hunters
Hunters was the show I most recently finished watching and I loved every episode. It usually takes me a bit to finish a show, but with Hunters, I was watching at least 5-6 episodes in one sitting. I liked the comic book feel of the show along with how this show had some historical accuracy to it.
Another show I adored was Star Wars Rebels. I’d argue that I enjoyed Rebels more than Clone Wars which sounds like a controversial opinion to have. I liked the group of characters and the friendships they had with each other. Unlike Clone Wars, I felt with Rebels, Lothal was the home planet that centered the group and motivated them to fight The Empire. In the next year, I do want to continue watching the rest of the Star Wars shows. I have Bad Batch, The Mandalorian season #3, Ahsoka, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
Speaking of Star Wars, I wanted to end with a few thoughts on The Acolyte. I watched The Acolyte and didn’t think it was bad. There were a few moments from the show that shocked me including some of the lightsaber fights. I liked the angle the show took in showing the Jedi in a different light. With that said, The Acolyte was my least favorite show I watched this year. I’m glad I watched it and appreciate Star Wars creating content in a different period. The Acolyte did not deserve to be review bombed by fans and the cast did not deserve all the hatred they got.
Video Games I Played
Nancy Drew: & The Silent Spy
Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness
Jedi: Survivor
Zodicats
Hidden Through Time 2
Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery
Nancy Drew Midnight in Salem
I may have mentioned this somewhere, but I didn’t play a lot of video games this year. It took me six months to finish Jedi: Survivor. The game is good, but the difficulty was a bit much. Jedi: Survivor is great if you’re a fan of Dark Souls or Elden Ring, but that’s not the game I want to play. I don’t have time to grind through tough video games anymore. Halfway through Jedi: Survivor, I changed the difficulty and it was a much more enjoyable game.
If I had to choose my favorite game I played this year it would be Hidden Through Time 2. I played the first game during Covid and I love the art style. It’s a game I would play after work and the sequel was no different. I quickly played through the expansion they released shortly after finishing the second game.
Ixalan Pre-Release Decks – Pirates of the Caribbean – I won a game!!!! Ah.
Vampire: the Masquerade – One Shot at Badwolf Adventure Studios
Vampire: the Masquerade – Campaign Bi-Weekly Fridays
Kingdom Death
Candela Obscura – mini-campaign
Bloomburrow Pre-Release Decks
While I didn’t play as many video games, I had a strong gaming year. One memorable moment was opening Queen by Midnight the game I picked up at Gen Con last year. I bought it on a whim without knowing anything about the game. Our gaming group had a blast! I loved the accessories to the game including the 3D clocktower shown above. I have only played the game once, but I look forward to bringing it to future board game days.
As far as TTRPGs, I am in three campaigns. The weekly game I’m in is Dungeons & Dragons and that’s been ongoing for a year and a half. I picked up a bi-weekly Vampire: The Masquerade game which I love! I haven’t had a chance to play Vampire beyond one-shots. With each session, I feel I’m learning more about Olivia, my vampire, and how she’s navigating her clan and the political scene. The last campaign I’m in is a mini Candela Obscura campaign that one of the players in my Vampire: group is running. I was planning on writing more about this in a future post, so I won’t say much more now. I feel fortunate to be a part of so many groups as I struggled for a few years to find a group to play with.
Graphic Novels / Comics I Read This Year
Blade #1 & #2 Hill, Casagrande, Poggi, and Bellaire.
Captain Marvel #1 & #2 Wong, Bazaldua, and Valenza
Teen Titans #1, #2, #4, and #5 Taylor, Scott, and Kwok
This list isn’t too accurate because I ended up losing count of what comics and graphic novels I read this year. I didn’t take as many trips to my local comic book store and when I did go to conventions, I didn’t buy many comics like I usually do. In 2025, I plan on doing a huge cleanout of all the graphic novels I own. From there, I plan on keeping a note on my phone of all the series I want to own along with volumes I still need to purchase. This way when I’m at a convention, I know what I’m looking for.
I listen to podcasts primarily while I’m at work although I have been listening more while I drive and when I get ready in the morning. When I compiled this list, I was surprised at how many different podcasts I listened to this year. If there’s a pattern, you may notice that there are various Vampire: The Masquerade podcasts which should come as no surprise. Blood and Syrup and Canada By Night are produced by Dumb-Dumbs & Dice. It’s been challenging to find a Vampire: live play podcast that’s still making episodes, so Canada By Night is the exception. When I started my Vampire: campaign, I found the podcast Lore By Night to be helpful! Lore By Night is a podcast that delves into the lore behind all of the World of Darkness games. It’s helped me roleplay my character more effectively, but also understand more of the terminology within Vampire.
Besides Vampire: the Masquerade podcasts, I started listening to Call Her Daddy which is primarily a celebrity interview podcast. I listened to the Megan Fox episode which was really interesting. Another podcast I wanted to highlight is I Tried To Be Straight. The two hosts, Nate and Susie, grew up in the church and realized they weren’t straight. They will answer questions about their sexuality along with interviewing guests who talk about the relationship between their religion and sexuality. I like this podcast because it’s listening to something that’s not my lived experience. I never grew up religious and when I was in college, I met a few Christians who held the belief that if you weren’t straight, you were going to hell. With these experiences, it led me down a path to look at religion negatively. With Nate and Susie talking about their experiences, I feel it’s opened my eyes a bit to how religion can be comforting and how someone could balance both their faith and their sexuality.
Catchiest Song in 2024
HOT TO GO! wasn’t my most played song according to Spotify. With that said, I would blast HOT TO GO! while I was stuck in rush hour traffic and it instantly made me feel better.
Conventions I Attended in 2024
Planet Comic Con – March 8th, 2024
CONvergence – July 4th – July 7th 2024
Gen Con – Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th
MCBA Fallcon – October 13th
Twin Cities Con – November 8th through 10th
I went to five conventions in 2024 which seems to be my average. Planet Comic Con is one I attend most years and it usually kicks off the convention season. I didn’t attend C2E2 this year because it was right after my trip to New Mexico, so I wanted some time to be at home. CONvergence and Gen Con are two of my favorite conventions along with Twin Cities Con. I’m not sure if I will ever travel to any other conventions. I’d like to attend New York Comic Con or Dragon Con, but if I do, I probably wouldn’t attend Gen Con. The idea of missing Gen Con genuinely makes me sad, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it to not go. If I have time to attend other conventions next year, that would be great, but I’m not holding myself to it.
Before writing this, I read my “End of Year Book Survey” posts from 2023 and 2022. I like consistency in my posts, especially those I write every year. For these posts, I follow Perpetual Page Turner’s Book Survey questions. I love this blog tag and if you aren’t currently following Perpetual Page Turner, you should. Her blog tags always have a series of questions and I like to pick and choose which questions I want to respond to. I’m doing something new that I haven’t done in prior posts. I’m going to share my library savings. My library savings are the money saved by renting books and audiobooks from the library rather than buying physical copies. 2024 was a solid reading year for me and I can’t wait to dig into it in detail.
2024 Reading Stats
Number of Books Read: 73
Number of Re-Reads: 1
Genre You Read the Most From: Historical Fiction
Library Savings: $300
I read 73 books in 2024. This is my third-highest reading year according to Goodreads (In 2022, I read 104 books and in 2021, I read 99 books). I’m happy with how this reading year went. I only re-read one book this year which was Snotgirl Volume #1. I read the first issue of Snotgirl several years ago and discounted the series, but ended up giving it another chance. I’m glad I did because this series has grown on me. I think my number of re-reads next year will be higher as I have already pulled books off my shelf that I want to re-read.
It’s tough to say what my most-read genre is since Goodreads focuses on the number of books read. I have started utilizing StoryGraph which does provide more data than Goodreads does. However, I only started using this a month or two ago, so I can’t say much more than that. I decided to highlight Historical Fiction not because it was my most-read genre, but because it’s the genre I rediscovered this year. I’m not sure why I was sleeping on Historical Fiction, but what a waste. I have already added more Historical Fiction books to my TBR to read in the coming years.
Finally, I wanted to talk about my library savings. In 2024, I rented 20 books from the library. On average, the cost of a brand-new paperback book can be anywhere from $10 – $18, so I decided to go with a middle-ground cost of $15. I multiplied 20 books with $15 per book and came to a savings of $300. That’s a lot! My go-to was to always buy my books, but knowing I can save hundreds of dollars by using my local library, makes a difference. I’m going to calculate my library savings in future reading years.
Best In Books
Best Book You Read in 2024?
The best book I read in 2024 was How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. This was Knives Out in book form. I loved the premise, the mystery, and the flashbacks. I liked how there was a partnership between the main character and the detective, but not a forced romance between them. This feels hypocritical of me to say since I love reading romance, but not everything has to be romantic. The second book in this series is set to be released next year and I cannot wait.
Best Series You Started in 2024
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine is the book I chose for this prompt. I loved this book. I liked Gwen and how protective she was of her kids. I liked reading about the town Gwen moved to and all the people she met. I felt this book set up the second book perfectly and created enough suspense to make me look forward to continuing the series. This was a book I rented from the library, but now I plan on buying the physical copies instead.
Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2024?
Fiona Davis is the author I love right now. Her book, The Spectacular was the last book I read this year. It’s a Historical Fiction book taking place in New York City in the 1950s. Marion is a young woman who auditions for the Rockettes but gets involved in a police investigation after she’s a witness to a bombing at a theater. This book was an emotional read and gave me a lot to think about. I added more of Fiona Davis’s books to my TBR. I’m not sure why I haven’t read more Historical Fiction in previous reading years.
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Out of all the books I read this year, I chose Murder In The Family by Cara Hunter. This book was so addicting, it was on the back of my mind while I worked from home. I looked forward to reading this book each night and ended up reading close to 200 pages in one sitting. I stayed up way too late to figure out what was going on and it was worth it. This was unlike any book I have ever read and I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with reading in the past.
Most Thought-Provoking / Life Changing Book in 2024?
My Body by Emily Ratajkowski was an honest and refreshing take on women’s bodies. I appreciated how honest Emily was and how her body propelled her career. There were certain quotes from this book that were thought-provoking and beautifully written. I listened to My Body as an audiobook and I’m glad I did because I felt Emily’s voice to be soothing. In most audiobooks, the narrator doesn’t get emotional, but since Emily narrated her own book, I could hear her voice breaking at parts which felt authentic and real. This is a book I would want to own as a physical copy on my bookshelf.
OTP Of The Year (You will go down with this ship!)
OTP (stands for One True Pairing) is the couple who you’re most rooting for. This was an easy choice for me. Alexis and Daniel are the couple that will be together forever. Their chemistry was off the charts and I liked how this was an age gap with a woman being older than a man. I find that to be less common in romance books. It’s interesting because these two had great chemistry without having a lot of smut. I love smut, but if you don’t want to read about the two characters having graphic sex with each other, Part Of Your World by Abby Jimenez would be a good book for you.
Favorite Book You Read in 2024 From An Author You’ve Read Previously?
For several years, I have started my reading year by reading a book by Lucy Foley. It’s become a tradition now and one I plan on continuing. I read The Paris Apartment and as always, I loved it. I think Lucy does a great job at capturing suspense and I tend to finish her books quickly. I have another book of hers that I will read in January.
Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent was interesting from a world-building perspective. I liked reading about the different vampire houses and what the vampires looked like. It reminded me of The Raven Queen from Dungeons & Dragons lore. While it took me a bit to get through the book, the world that Carissa created kept me going. I hopefully will read the second book sometime next year.
Your Blogging / Bookish Life
Best Bookish Discover (book-related sites, book stores etc.)?
One of the most memorable book-related memories in 2024 was discovering Tropes & Trifles. Tropes & Trifles is primarily a romance-only bookstore in Minneapolis. Each section of the store is a different type of romance trope. There is a dark romance shelf, contemporary, and paranormal romance. Books have stickers on them if they feature an LGBTQIA+ romance which I think is an added bonus. I have taken several of my friends there. One of the easiest ways I can support a local business is to go to a local bookstore. Tropes & Trifles is a store I look forward to visiting.
Looking Ahead
One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2024?
This is a trick question. I read all my unread books in my “to be read” pile on my bookshelf. This might be the first year I have ever done that. I will have new books to read in 2024 that I purchased recently or books I received as presents from friends and family. I have been committed to not buying more books when I haven’t read what I already have.
Books You Are Most Anticipating For 2025?
I have so many! I saw Goodreads had a list of all anticipated 2025 book releases, so I added a bunch of them to my shelf. I’m going to create a list of all my 2025 book releases I’m waiting on
How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin.
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
Critical Role: Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do In Your Reading / Blogging Life?
I have two things I want to accomplish. The first would be to continue listening to audiobooks. I want to listen to at least one audiobook in a month. The second would be to continually review my Goodreads TBR. My reading interests have changed a lot and some of the books I added back in 2019, I don’t see myself reading. I want my Goodreads TBR shelf to reflect all the books I want to read and I’d rather have fewer books on my shelf than have so many that I can’t keep track of them. I’m notorious for starting books and never continuing the series and I want to be better at committing to the book series I start.
This was a solid reading year for me. This was the year I rediscovered audiobooks and started renting books from the library regularly. I am looking forward to my reading year in 2025.
I didn’t write a TBR post for December. I decided that I wanted to read whatever I was in the mood for. I rented three books from the library that sounded interesting to me, who knows if I will get to them or not. The first book I rented was Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter. I didn’t know much about this book before renting it. Murder in the Family is like the “Hunt a Killer” boxes if the boxes were books instead.
Successful filmmaker, Guy Howard, was 10 when his step-father, Luke Ryder was murdered. The murder has gone unsolved for close to 20 years. Guy decides enough is enough and partners with a TV producer to launch a six-episode series reinvestigating the crime. Guy wants the truth, that’s all that matters to him. In six episodes, readers will become hyperfocused on the crime, the secrets, and who could gain from Luke’s death. Can you solve the crime or are you simply along for the ride?
This is unlike any book I have ever read. Throughout the book, there are images of newspaper clippings, emails, and text messages between several characters. Most of the story is told through the episode transcripts which highlight which characters are discussing what part of the story. That’s why I feel this is similar to the Hunt A Killer boxes because it feels less like a book and more like evidence being presented to the reader. I didn’t realize this when I rented the book and enjoyed this concept. I would read more thrillers from this author or more thrillers presented in this way.
When I began reading this book, I was immediately hooked. It’s not often that I stay up until midnight reading a book. I finished this book in a few days and towards the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to continue where I left off. Any book that feels addicting will automatically be a book that I rate highly even if I’m not a fan of how the story plays out.
With that said, I liked the first half of the story. The first reveal was jaw-dropping. I had to re-read it several times to make sure I fully realized what the reveal meant and how that changed the course of the investigation. I can’t say much more than this without spoiling the entire book, so I will leave it at that. While the book started strong, I felt the second half to be lackluster in comparison. I mentioned the similarity between this book and the Hunt A Killer boxes. I have completed some of the Hunt A Killer boxes where the killer reveal seems out of place and I’d put Murder in the Family in that category.
I’m glad I read this! The story could have been more refined, but it didn’t make me enjoy the book any less. I hope to see more books written in this format. I rated Murder in the Family four and a half stars on Goodreads.
2024 is coming to a close and I feel like I had a good reading year. I got caught up reading my physical books, started listening to audiobooks, and have been organizing my Goodreads shelves. I enjoyed getting back to writing TBR posts and have learned a lot about my reading habits and what works for me. I wanted to share what I took away from this year.
Picking Two Books to Read Versus Three
I wrote and published eight TBR posts (January, February, March, April, May, July, September, and November). Out of those eight months, there was only one month where I read all three books I picked out. I’m realizing that reading three physical books a month is ambitious. Reading isn’t my only hobby and along with working full-time, working out, and spending time with friends and family, I can’t commit to three books. Going forward, I will be picking two books a month to read. If I finish those two books before the end of the month, I will have a backup book ready. This could be a book to rent from the library or a book on my shelf that I have wanted to re-read.
I think this is going to work a lot better. I don’t want to feel rushed to read a book. When I tried to read three books in a month, it made reading not fun and more of a chore.
Regularly Listen to Audiobooks
I did not expect to love audiobooks as much as I do, but here we are. I listen to audiobooks when I clean or when I’m at work. Audiobooks work great when I’m on a long car ride because Libby doesn’t drain my phone battery as much as if I were watching YouTube videos. I tend to listen to Romance on audio because if my mind wanders, I don’t miss much versus if I were listening to Fantasy. I have been enjoying Memoirs and Non-Fiction as well.
I am going to aim to listen to one audiobook a month. I think that’s doable.
Emphasis on Graphic Novels
While I had a great reading year, I did not read nearly as many comics or graphic novels as in years past. I don’t have a good reason as to why. I will say, I haven’t been to my local comic book store regularly. With me and my husband focusing on our budget, I have cut out spending in certain areas including comics. One thing I want to do next year is reorganize my comics shelf. I want to start donating series I have no interest in completing. Additionally, I want to finish more comic series. I tend to read the first volume of a series and never return to it again. I would rather have fewer comics on my shelves but own the complete set versus a bunch of first volumes of so many series.
I want to get back into making regular comic book trips. I miss reading comics. It’s something I enjoyed and have gotten away from.
Keeping My Goodreads Shelf At 300 Books or Less
At one point, my Goodreads TBR shelf was at 600 books. That’s wild! There is no way I’m going to read 600 books. I have been going through this shelf and getting rid of books I may not have a high priority to read. My reading interests have changed over the past five or ten years, so I wanted to cater my shelf to books I am interested in. I think it’s good to have options, so keeping this number below 300 is a good idea.
2024 was a good reading year and I can’t wait to plan out the books I will read in 2025.
The music video for Blurred Lines came out in 2013 when I was a freshman in college. This was a moment in my life where me and my friends would blast music as we went out. This song climbed the charts at the time, but thinking about the song ten years later, I don’t consider it a memorable song. This song has been dissected in our culture today because of how gross the lyrics are and what they represent. The Blurred Lines music video made waves as one of the models, Emily Ratajkowski, was topless and dancing to music. This sparked discussion in later years as Emily talked about feminism and how she didn’t regret making the music video. Emily wrote the book My Body where she discusses her relationship with her body throughout her life.
There’s so much I want to say about this book. There’s a story Emily details in which she took naked photographs with a photographer before the Blurred Lines music video was released. At the time, she agreed to the shoot knowing the photos would only be used for a magazine spread. Years later, the photographer sold several art books of Emily’s naked body. When Emily went to sue the photographer, her lawyers told her it was fruitless since the photos were already out there and it would cost a lot in legal fees. This whole situation is icky. If you agree to do something under certain circumstances and someone violates that, I think that’s awful. I want to be clear, if the situation were reversed (a man agreed to naked photos and a woman sold art books of a man’s body without his consent) I would think this is equally bad. Another thing Emily talks about is how an agent can sign off on release papers for photos without getting a signature from a model. How is that legal? While Emily’s book doesn’t focus on this, the modeling industry is corrupt and we should protect models of all genders from this situation. I listened to the audiobook of My Body versus reading the physical book. I loved the audiobook. When Emily describes the above story, I can hear her voice crack. My heart breaks for her.
Another focus of the book is victim blaming. Emily lists some of the comments she received from both men and women. They blamed her for this. “Don’t pose naked if you don’t want to be taken advantage of”. “Don’t be a model.” “You knew what you were signing up for.” I think that commentary is sad. Shouldn’t we be united on this? All work industries should have protections in place for employees, why is modeling different?
Emily’s honesty throughout the book puts her in a vulnerable place. She talks about using her body for male validation and the attention she got in doing so. She talks about what this did for her career both positive and negative. There’s a quote from the book that sits with me. “I so desperately craved men’s validation that I accepted it even when it came wrapped in disrespect”. Let that sink in. Several quotes from Emily’s book are going to stay with me.
I could go on and on about this book, but I will say one last thing. I think it’s fascinating how our culture treats nudity. The fact that women are demonized for being naked, who cares? Why are some women respected and some women aren’t? I think this topic is interesting for both men and women. Are men treated the same way if they were naked? In some ways, I’d say yes in others, I’d say no. The first thing I thought of when I thought about male nudity was the Sex in the City movie that came out in 2008. In the movie, Gilles Marini plays Samantha’s neighbor and has a full frontal scene. I looked up Gilles’s career and after the movie came out, he had been in several TV shows, but nothing I recognized. Did nudity impact his career? If so, why is that the case? I think our culture, specifically in the US, treats nudity with disdain and I don’t get it.
I’m glad I listened to this. I liked Emily’s writing more than I thought I would. This would be a book I’d want to re-read in the future because there are so many things to take away from Emily’s experience with modeling and how her body was used against her. I think it says a lot about the culture we live in and while women are equal to men in some aspects, societal norms and rules still put women on a different level. My Body is a book I’d re-read in the next few years because it still is relevant in the world we live in.
I bought Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez earlier this year at a local bookstore. I had planned on reading this book in February but ran out of time. Part of Your World was making the rounds on social media and everyone was saying how much they loved this book. As a bonus, Abby Jimenez lives in Minnesota and runs a local business, Nadia Cakes, which has several locations across the metro. Part of Your World lived up to the hype; all romance books should aspire to be this good.
Alexis Montgomery has a chance encounter with Daniel Grant after her car slides into a ditch. Daniel digs her out and it’s clear they have amazing chemistry together. Alexis quickly learns that Daniel is ten years younger than her, which makes her anxious. On top of that, Alexis is facing enormous pressure from her family to keep the Montgomery medical legacy alive. Alexis can’t deny her growing feelings for Daniel, leading her to uncover some uncomfortable truths about herself.
Part of Your World is the 2005 Kate Hudson rom-com in book form. This book made me blush because it’s so STINKING CUTE. Alexis and Daniel are adorable together. From the get-go, Daniel falls head over heels for her and is genuinely a good person. Alexis doesn’t know what to do with Daniel and his feelings for her. She accepted the love she thought she deserved which is nothing compared to how Daniel treats her. One thing that’s worth mentioning is Part of Your World is not a smutty romance. Most intimate scenes aren’t described, so if smut has been a turn-off, this could be a good book to recommend.
Looking beyond the romance, Part of Your World tackles complex, emotional topics. Starting with Alexis, Alexis reflects on the type of relationship she has with her family. Her father has treated her poorly and doesn’t seem to be proud of her accomplishments. He wants Alexis to be someone he can brag to in front of his rich friends even if she isn’t happy with her life. There’s a moment where Alexis finally stands up to her father and it’s so satisfying to read. Daniel has his own things he grapples with specifically regarding how his mother leeches off of him. She wants to sell their family home not realizing how much the home means to Daniel. Another insecurity Daniel grapples with is how he will never be the wealthy man Alexis might be more accustomed to. It shows that finding a partner that treats you well will always be better than being with a partner for financial support.
Every romance book has the pinnacle fight or argument that ends the relationship. In this one, I felt Alexis and Daniel were mature about what they needed. Alexis talks about their age gap and why this mattered to her. Daniel was concerned about Alexis hiding their relationship from her family and friends. They both had to figure out what they wanted and what they were willing to compromise on. I thought this was handled well and while it was devastating that they broke up, it was the right thing for them to do until they figured themselves out.
How dare I wait the entire year to read this book? It’s a travesty. I understand the hype for this book now. This is a romance book I won’t forget about and a book I will constantly be pressuring people to read. I have already added the rest of Abby Jimenez’s books to my TBR and hope to read them next year. I rated Part of Your World five stars on Goodreads.
How is it already November? These next two months are going to go by in a blur with the holidays around the corner. I had been meaning to write an October TBR post, but I ended up switching around what I would read. For my TBR this month, I am going to read the remaining books on my shelf. I have two books I haven’t read yet and a manga. Once I finish these books, I will have read all of the physical books I own. I have been trying to buy less books and focus on reading everything on my shelves. It will be so satisfying to achieve this. Before getting into the books I will read this month, I wanted to do a recap of Spooky season.
In September and October, I read seven books, three were audiobooks. The books I read were:
The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams. 2/5 stars
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark. 5/5 stars
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix. 2/5 stars
With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson. 4/5 stars
The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. 4/5 stars
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver. 4/5 stars
Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp. 3/5 stars
That’s a solid reading list! Incorporating audio books into my reading has helped immensely in reading more. I didn’t think I would enjoy audiobooks as much as I have, but here we are. Now onto the books I plan on reading this month
The first book I’m going to read is Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. I’m a third of the way through the book and I LOVE IT so far. It reminds me of a Kate Hudson 2004 Romantic Comedy movie that takes place in Minnesota. The second book I am going to read is Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. If you’re sick of seeing this book pop up, I am too. I said I would read this book in three of my TBR posts? I am going to commit this time. The final book is Demon Slayer #1 by Kimetsu No Yaiba and Koyoharu Gotouge.
In addition to the physical books on my TBR, I’m currently listening to My Body by Emily Ratajkowski. My Body is a memoir where Emily talks about her beauty, her body and how those have both been exploited in this industry. I have had two audiobooks on hold for a long time. They are Icebreaker by Hannah Grace and What Doesn’t Break by Cassandra Khaw. I’m not sure when I will get access to both of those books since I have been in a queue for a least a month for both.
It will be a great feeling once I finish reading these books. I can think about what books I want to purchase for my collection and potentially going back and re-reading books on my shelves.
CW: Accidental Cannibalism. I am not making this up. Here’s a list of all content warnings for Butcher & Blackbird.
Dark romance is a genre I avoid, it usually feels a bit too much for me. With that said, I’m not here to dump hate on a subgenre as everyone has different book tastes. When I read the content warnings for Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver and saw Accidental Cannibalism as a topic covered in this book, I had to read it. Accidental Cannibalism, how does that even happen. This book was going to be a book I loved or hated. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver was unhinged; I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
Sloane and Rowan are serial killers who kill other serial killers. In a chance encounter, they become fast friends and decide to have a competition. They figure out where a serial killer lives and then compete as to who can find them and kill them first. After spending time together, they hook up and develop feelings for each other. Can two serial killers love one another? or are they destined to meet a grisly end in their violent game?
This book was SO FILTHY. This was the dirtiest, smuttiest book I have ever read. Sloane and Rowan’s chemistry was on fire. I don’t normally blush when I read smut, but my face was pink when I read certain sections of this. I think it’s easy to reduce this book to its sexier portions, but moving away from that, I liked Sloane and Rowan’s romance. Sloane drew this picture of a raven that Rowan tattoos on his body, that’s true love. They had this banter back and forth that felt natural. I love these two together.
As one would have it, this book is over the top. I hate to be practical, but I find it odd that Sloane and Rowan haven’t gotten caught yet. They leave their crime scenes without cleaning anything, how have they not been captured? I get it, this is a romance book, let’s suspend some disbelief. The biggest gripe I have with this is how unrealistic this concept is.
Butcher & Blackbird is a book I’m surprised is a new favorite of mine and I’m glad I gave this book a chance. Although, I hate how this book ruined Cookies & Cream Ice Cream. I rated Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver four stars on Goodreads.
Bizarre Brunette 