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 by $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 interesting book to listen to. 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 that you’re rooting for the most. 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 TBR 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 the 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 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, but 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 ten when his stepfather, Luke Ryder, was murdered. The murder has gone unsolved for close to twenty 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 hyper-focused 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, but I 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 addictive 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 was 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 to read in a single month. 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 try 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 my husband and me 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 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 that I may not have a high priority to read. My reading interests have changed over the past five or ten years, so I wanted my shelves to have 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 pop culture today because of the lyrics 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 also 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 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 steamy 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 fewer books and focus on reading everything on my shelves. 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 of which 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 audiobooks 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. 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 at 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 go back and re-read 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 subgenre 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. I will never look at cookies & cream ice cream the same again. I rated Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver four stars on Goodreads.

CW: Violence, Torture, Flashbacks to SA, Emotional Abuse. (I will not go into detail about any of this in my review.

It took me two and a half months, but I finally finished reading The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I purchased this book at Tropes & Trifles after seeing the book described as The Hunger Games with vampires. I couldn’t agree more. I’d also add that anyone who enjoys Sarah J. Maas would probably enjoy this series. The Serpent & The Wings of Night has me hooked, and I’m curious to see how the rest of the series will play out.

Oraya is a human woman rescued by Vincent, the King of the House of Night. Vincent has been training Oraya to be more than her human self, so she can defend herself when necessary. Part of that training was to aid Oraya as she entered the Kejari, a bloodthirsty competition where the winner would receive a gift from Nyaxia, the goddess of vampires. Oraya is introduced to Raihn, a Rishan vampire and Vincent’s sworn enemy. Oraya and Raihn team up as they need to survive all the trials, each having their own agenda for winning. As they train together, their bond strengthens, and Oraya is tested between her allegiance to her father and the love she’s developing for Raihn.

I am obsessed with all the lore in this book. I loved Obitraes, the three vampire houses, how they came to be, and how Nyaxia fits into this. As a Dungeons & Dragons player, Nyaxia was giving Raven Queen vibes. The similarities between the two are uncanny. The book has this darker tone and shows the horror the vampires inflict on humans and each other. I’m glad there was a map to reference with a glossary list of terms, so I could quickly page back and forth if I was ever confused about any of the terminology. If Carissa Broadbent were to write more books within Obitraes, I would buy them all.

As far as the characters, I loved Oraya. She was angry, scorned, and strong. She can hold her own against the vampires she seeks to destroy. The only thing I would have wished for is for Oraya to have something else about her besides only wanting to kill vampires. Her personality was a little lackluster because she only has room for vengeance, and I’d like to see more from her as a character. Raihn is the stereotypical romantasy male character, and I’m here for it. I liked the banter Oraya and Raihn had. I liked how much consent was present throughout this book. With vampires, there’s always a blurry line with vampires feeding from humans, and I felt this book was respectful in developing Oraya and Raihn’s relationship.

I’m highlighting everything I loved about this book, so this should easily be a five-star book, right? I mentioned this already, but this book took me two and a half months to finish, which is way too long. Every time I read this book, I’d read fifty pages and then not read for several weeks. It’s funny because every time I read a chapter, I enjoy it. This book has so much lore dump, which slowed down the book for me. While the Kejari was interesting, seven trials were a lot. This book could have benefited from cutting some things, and the story would have been the same.

I’m hooked. There are so many cliffhangers, and I’m curious how much will be revealed in the next books in the series. I rated The Serpent & The Wings of Night four stars on Goodreads.

I have quickly been incorporating audiobooks into my routine. I listen to audiobooks the most while I’m at work, and if the audiobook is interesting enough, I will listen to it while driving. I had With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson on hold since August. I heard mixed opinions about her books, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one. I was pleasantly surprised! With Love, From Cold World was so cute, and I plan on reading more of Alicia Thompson’s books in the future.

Before I get into the review, I just have to say that it’s so odd when female audiobook narrators try to mimic male voices. The audiobook narrator, especially during the intimate scenes, was trying to lower her voice, but it did not work. It was so CRINGE. Can we please have more male audiobook narrators out there? Please and thanks.

Lauren Fox works at Cold World, a winter-themed theme park in Florida. Lauren enjoys what she does, but she contemplated going back to school. Lauren has been bickering with her co-worker, Asa Williamson, as he constantly bothers her. Lauren and Asa are paired up to create a proposal to help generate more revenue for Cold World. Lauren and Asa’s partnership develops into something more as they spend more time together.

I liked both Lauren and Asa as characters. They both had interesting stories and perspectives that I think contributed to how they interacted with each other. In romance, I think it’s easy to have two characters, they hook up, break up, and then stay together in the end, and that’s the whole book. In With Love, From Cold World, listening to Lauren and Asa as they talked about their pasts, I felt for them! They both had been through so much, and I think they bonded over their hardships. At first, I wasn’t fully convinced they would be good together, as I initially thought they were better off as friends. By the end of the book, these two were adorable together.

Besides the romance, I thought there were so many memorable moments. One scene that comes to mind is Lauren berating Asa’s parents for abandoning him. I listened to this while driving home from a friend’s house and was like “YES LAUREN”. We love seeing the female lead calling out Asa’s problematic parents. Besides this scene, I liked how the theme park served as the setting for the story. If this existed in Florida, I’d go to it, why not?

With Love, From Cold World was so cute. Besides the cringe audiobook narration, this was a book I looked forward to listening to. To avoid any more cringy audiobook narrations, I’m going to read Alicia Thompson’s physical books in the future. I rated With Love, From Cold World four stars on Goodreads.

CW: Suicide, Claustrophobia (will not be discussed in greater detail in this review).

I finished reading We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix last week. I’m not sure what I just read. I don’t read horror often, and I don’t mind weird books, but I still want to understand what’s happening. If I had to summarize We Sold Our Souls to someone, my summary would be all over the place, which is how it felt reading this book. We Sold Our Souls was interesting; however, it’s my least favorite Grady Hendrix book I have read thus far.

Kris Pulaski is broke, working at Best Western, and unsatisfied with her life. In the 90s, she was a part of a moderately successful metal band called Dürt Würk. That is, until Terry Hunt, the lead singer, threw the rest of the band members under the bus for a solo career. After a horrific event, Kris is led to believe that Terry sold their souls away for a successful career. After escaping a rehab center, Kris is out for revenge.

For a book that’s supposed to center on a deal with the devil, that’s not a central plot point to the story. Instead, there are references to “Black Iron Mountain” and this organization that finds vulnerable people to make deals with. There’s a sleazy-looking lawyer who has connections to the devil, but I don’t know if he’s a demon in disguise or if he’s human. There are also these white creatures that feed on souls. If this all sounds odd, it’s because it is. Nothing felt fleshed out or explained, and I’m left feeling lost. We Sold Our Souls reminds me of Kill Bill if Kill Bill took place at a metal version of Woodstock. Kris is trying to explain how dangerous Terry is, and no one from her former band believes her, so they lock her up in a rehab center. Kris breaks out and begins her revenge. I liked following Kris as she got closer to confronting Terry. I think it’s easy for the reader to root for her to succeed.

Without spoiling the book, the ending is left to be interpreted, and I hate that. The pinnacle confrontation occurs on stage at this music festival, and something big happens. Some of the fates of the characters are unknown, and it feels unsatisfying. On top of that, there are also unanswered questions about the devil and how these deals are made. It was frustrating. I think We Sold Our Souls could have been a longer book if it had expanded on some of these story points.

I struggled with how to rate We Sold Our Souls. It sounds like I hated the book. I wouldn’t say I hated the book; I think this could have been a much better book if things had been expanded on. I rated We Sold Our Souls two stars on Goodreads.