Writer Grrl Reads

And just like that, the first quarter of 2024 is over! I had less favourites this quarter than I usually share in these posts, but some of that is due to the fact that I read some big chonky books (so less books overall) and also the fact that the books I loved with my whole heart I ADORED, and I think that overshadowed some books that may have been higher up the favourites list if it wasn’t for the fact that I read them amongst the Boys of Tommen.

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh. My first book of the year, and what a stellar way to start the year! My husband got me this book for Christmas as I was curious about the series after seeing it was heartbreaking. When I found out that the first printing of the series had ombre spines, it propelled me to pick it up over the holidays because I knew if I loved it, I would need to order the rest of the series to match. By the time I was halfway through the book, I’d already ordered Keeping 13.

Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh. This book BROKE MY HEART in the best possible way, but also put it back together again. After finishing this book, I sat and hugged it for a while, and then spent the next month listening to Spotify playlists for VIBES while I waited for the release of the next book.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas. Was this my favourite of Sarah’s books? Maybe not. Did I still love every moment of it? Absolutely. Going to the store to buy a copy on release day was so much fun, but then I had two trips while I was reading it, and I think the length of time I spent with the book, as well as just being so tired from travelling and trying to digest fantasy while tired, was what impacted my reading experience. I’m always still happy to be back in the world, with the characters I love, and will fully still read anything that SJM graces us with.

For the Fans by Nyla K. When my two besties said “Pick a book and we’ll read it together and then go out for dinner to talk about it” as a birthday gift, I picked three new to me authors and we picked this one. For a 500+ page book, it was a quick, easy read, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It was VERY spicy, but also really heartwarming as the main characters tackled with some growth and trauma.

Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh. I didn’t quite love this one as much as the first two, but I still loved it a lot. It goes backwards in the timeline and takes place before the first two books, so it loses the element of wondering what’s going to happen next, but I still loved seeing Joey and Aoife’s relationship grow, and I’m no less excited to dive into Redeeming 6.

Consider Me by Becka Mack. I’ve been hesitant to pick up another hockey romance after loving Mile High last year, but this was the other book my hubby got for me for Christmas and it’s another author that I wanted to read this year, so I dove in and found myself loving it! It has a great ‘found family’ within the team and friend group, and I’m finding that this trope in a romance novel is my absolute favourite — it’s not just about the couple, but the people that they have in their lives with them. I would have given this a full five stars, but I had to remove half a star when the character was sitting by English Bay and looking at the glittering ice on the surface – THE OCEAN DOES NOT FREEZE.

Where’s Molly by H.D. Carlton. I had such a fun time with the Cat & Mouse duology last summer and after I saw the author’s post about the delay on Sibby’s book, it had me craving more of her writing, so I downloaded this one on a whim. I knew Lauren had loved it, and I absolutely DEVOURED this book in a single day! Definitely check your trigger warnings on this series, and you have to read the Cat & Mouse duology first, since they’re connected.

Honorable Mentions

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez. This is part of a five (or six?) part series of novellas, but I was only interested in a couple of them since I saw reviews that they were the best of the series. I flew through this in one sitting, and I just love Abby’s writing so much — it was perfect to hold me over until the release of her new book this spring.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren. I was surprised that I loved this one just a tiny bit more than Abby’s, and again flew through half of it in the car on the way to Sun Peaks, and the other half later that evening before bed. I love it when stories use emails or texts to tell the story, and this one was such a unique premise of sending an email to the wrong person initially, and then the friendship that blossomed.

Are any of these books your favourites too? If not, hopefully I’ve convinced you to pick them up!

I got this one up closer to the end of the quarter — and I think I will continue these posts in 2024. When I was putting together my top books of the year post for Instagram, I realized that with these quarterly stacks, there was no way I could narrow it down to only ten books — I ended up with over 30! A happy side effect of mood reading the year away.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle. I started out just liking this book because it goes into Glennon’s past (the things that I knew she’d been through, but I forgot that I’d have to live them with her in this installment of her story), and it was tough to read. But in true Glennon fashion, the second half of the book skyrocketed back to my love of her writing, and it was imbued with so much of the goodness that I associate with Untamed (which is a forever favourite) that I immediately pulled Carry On Warrior off my shelf for next month.

Heartstopper vol. 5 by Alice Oseman. I was distraught when I found out that we weren’t getting the fifth volume in February this year, but I also fully understood that Alice needed more time to tell this story, especially with the series taking up time too. I’m so grateful that we got the second season this year, plus this volume, with the sixth and final volume and season three still to look forward to.

Hopeless by Elsie Silver. Are we surprised to see Elsie on all four stacks this year? No, no, we’re not. Also a shoutout to Christmas in Chestnut Springs, which was the epilogue to the entire series that I didn’t know I needed. This series is PERFECTION and Beau’s story was the perfect conclusion.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Did this book have its problems? Yes. Could it have used a bit more editing? Yes. Did I devour it anyways? Absolutely. After chatting about it with some friends, I have THOUGHTS about what might be yet to come and I am HERE FOR IT ALL.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. I absolutely loved this book on audio, and decided to purchase the second book in audio instead of physical form because the audio was so good.

Juniper Hill (and the entire Edens series) by Devney Perry. I’m not usually a binge reader, and I’m not sure if it’s this series or KU that has changed that, but the way I INHALED this series was something else. Fully plan to explore more of Devney’s backlist, especially after doing the same with the Holiday Brothers novellas!

King of Greed by Ana Huang. Another author that has made multiple stacks this year! This series is so good, and I loved how different this one was — it was a couple that divorced, and then found their way back to each other.

Caught Up by Liz Tomforde. I saved the best for last – I read so many great books this year that it would be hard to pick a favourite, but if I was forced it, it would be this one. It’s been over two months since I finished it, and I’m still thinking about Kai and Miller’s story, and counting down the days until we get Play Along!

And just like that, it’ll be 2024 tomorrow – 2023 flew by (I’m starting to feel like a broken record for saying that every year, but it’s true)!

For 2023, the word that I chose was STRIVE. In 2023, there were so many things that I wanted to accomplish, from putting more focus on being active, eating healthy and drinking water consistently, to helping to grow our new business to stretching myself creatively. I decided to not set any concrete goals (i.e. no ‘lose X pounds’) but the word strive meant that I would keep this word at the forefront of everything I did. Did I slip up every now and then? Absolutely. When I did, the intention was to pick myself back up and strive to do better.

My reading last year was probably my biggest accomplishment. With no set TBRs and after bidding farewell to ARCs, I mood read the crap out of 2023 and found so many new favourite books and authors. It also saw my most extravagant book purchasing in the recent past – I was reading almost as fast as I was buying, but I still added a ton of new books to my shelves, leaving a lot of the older, dustier titles untouched (more on that in a bit). I also had a goal in my book journal of reading every day, which I accomplished! It became a bit onerous to track this every day, but I liked that I was intentional about picking up a book in some format, each and every day in 2023. For fitness goals, I could have done better – but I am still proud of myself for each and every walk that I went on, or every time I hit the gym.

My word for 2024 is TRANSFORM. I actually contemplated INTENTIONAL, until I looked back at previous blog posts and realized I used that word already, but after giving it some more thought, I think TRANSFORM is where it’s at for 2024.

For my reading, I’m sticking to less formality and fully embracing the mood reader, but I also want to do a deep dive of my physical books. I’ve changed a lot as a reader in recent years, and I’m sure I have books on my shelves that past me would have enjoyed, but current me is no longer interested in reading and I need to really look at what I have and decide if I’ll ever read it. The genres that I am specifically focusing on is adult literary fiction, YA and middle grade — the last two I don’t have too many books left on my shelves, but adult literary definitely makes up a large percentage of my backlist. In this way, I intend to TRANSFORM my library into a collection of books that I have read and loved and books that I am genuinely interested in reading.

For my health, TRANSFORM represents a shift in exercise and eating habits. I’m going to be more intentional with prioritizing movement every day, especially getting up from my desk during the day. We also want to be more intentional with meal planning / grocery shopping, especially with so many chess clubs in the evenings, so that we prep meals for the week on the evenings that we’re home, and less need for takeout during the week.

Finally, I’ve been doing a lot of reorganizing and decluttering around the house over the past few months, and plan to continue that journey to TRANSFORM my home into a place that is peaceful, organized and a happy home for my family.

Happy New Year, friends, and may 2024 be everything that you’ve hoped for.

This is one of my favourite things about the end of the year, but I haven’t done it since 2020! Since the blog was pretty quiet this year, I’m skipping the blogging section, and just focusing on books read and plans for next year. This annual survey was created by the incredibly talented Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.

2023 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read: 121

Number of Books You Re-Read: 5

Genre You Read The Most From: Romance

1. Best Book You Read in 2023?

Oof, impossible to pick just one — but the book that I have yet to stop thinking about is Caught Up by Liz Tomforde.

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

I’ll go with my most recent disappointment, All I Want for Christmas — I adored The Holiday Swap, but the ‘manager’ in this book was just too icky combined with the miscommunication and it wasn’t the sweet Hallmark type story I was expecting.

I also have to mention Happy Place by Emily Henry – she was an auto-buy author for me, but after purchasing this one in hardcover, and unhauling it after I finished, I’ve decided that I’ll be borrowing her next book from the library because I’m super hesitant.

3. Most Surprising (in a good or bad way!) Book of 2023?

The Edens series by Devney Perry — I am not a binge reader, and I’m not sure if it was because this was my first Kindle Unlimited series, or if it’s just Devney’s writing, but I tore through the books one after the other, unable to stop!

4. Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (and they did) in 2023?

It’s a toss up between the Chestnut Springs series and the Windy City series … if you have not yet read Elsie Silver or Liz Tomforde’s work, please add both to your 2024 TBR lists!

5. Best Series you Started in 2023?  Best Sequel of 2023?  Best Series Ender of 2023?

ALL OF THEM. Chestnut Springs, the Windy City, Kings of Sin, the Edens, and the Empyrean!

6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2023?

Again, all of them: Elsie Silver, Kennedy Ryan, Liz Tomforde, H.D. Carlton, and Devney Perry.

7. Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?

Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood — I usually stay away from novellas, preferring a full length novel, but these were so good on audio – and the second one was the best of the three! But also an honorable mention to Haunting Adeline – a book I wouldn’t have picked up if it weren’t for bookstagram, and I absolutely loved it.

8. Most Action-Packed, Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2023?

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding — I got to attend her book launch party and meet her, and she’s absolutely lovely in person. I tore through the book, unable to put it down, and am eagerly awaiting her new book next year.

9. Book You Read in 2023 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

When I have no more of Elsie Silver’s books left to read, I’m sure I’ll be rereading on audio.

10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2023?

While not the most stunning cover ever, I have to document the search for the sprayed edges copy during the initial hype over this book and the PANIC induced purchase of three copies within an hour!

11. Most Memorable Character in 2023?

Elliot Page’s memoir, Pageboy, taught me so much about gender dysphoria and I found myself thinking about his story long after I’d finished it — I don’t think I’ve had a memoir stick with me as long as his did.

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2023?

I didn’t really read any literary books this year, but I’ll have to go with The Land of Stories because of how it intricately wove fairytales together and the audio production with the sound effects and music in the background was stunning.

13. Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2023?

Still Beating was my first foray into dark romance (and I read quite a few after it), and it taught me how healing these books can be.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read?

Now that I’m fully on board the indie romance train, I’m just sad I didn’t buy a Kindle earlier — I am so ready to read ALL THE THINGS on KU!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2023?

I need to be better at writing down quotes when I hear them, but I’m sure if I had written things down there would be something from Elsie Silver’s books that I could share because I love her writing!

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023?

How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.

Longest — Christmas in Chestnut Springs (43 pages)

Shortest — Cursed Fates (886 pages)

17. Book that shocked you the most?

I usually gravitate towards thrillers for this question, but I’m going to go with Credence by Penelope Douglas this time — it’s a romance about a girl and her step-cousins. I knew it was going to be a bit taboo, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I also have to mention the Cat and Mouse duet by H.D. Carlton – this book was shocking and dark, but also hopeful and healing at the same time.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)

Kai and Miller – two months have passed and I am STILL thinking about them.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?

The girls’ friendships in Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan or That First Night/Date by Jenn McMahon — I love a good girls’ group and the love they share.

20. Favorite book you read in 2023 from an author you’ve read previously?

Probably The Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score — I think this may have been my first grumpy/sunshine book — and Knox set the bar HIGH for grumpy!

21. Best book you read in 2023 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else?

All of the books that I picked up for the It’s (Most Likely) Spicy Book Club would fall into this category, but so many others! The Ali Hazelwood novellas were a friend’s recommendation. I picked up both Still Beating and Credence after I started following tierney.reads on Instagram. You, With a View and Same Time Next Summer were two favourite summery romances that I saw all over bookstagram.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023?

All of Elsie’s heroes (but definitely Cade) and Liz’s too (but definitely Kai) — apparently I have a thing for the single dads?!

23. Best 2023 debut you read?

Maame by Jessica George — this book was another that I was influenced to pick up, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to see what Jessica writes next.

24. Best worldbuilding / most vivid setting you read this year?

The Land of Stories – I was absolutely amazed at how well the author blended together all of the fairytales into this incredible vivid world.

25. Book that put a smile on your face / was the most FUN to read?

The Bone series by Jeff Smith – my son asked me to read them, and it was so much fun to discuss each one with him after I finished it! I’m already planning to dive into another of his favourite series in 2024 so that we can do the same thing.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2023?

The entire last chunk of Caught Up – my friend warned me it was coming, but I still cried through the last handful of chapters.

27. Hidden gem of the year?

I’ll go with my last book of the year – Love Warrior. When I started it a couple of months ago, I wasn’t super in love with it the way I had been with Untamed, I think because it was going into all the painful parts of Glennon’s past. But by the end of the book, Glennon’s writing was reminding me of all of the things that I loved about Untamed – I love the power and feminine energy in her writing and I ended up loving the book.

28. Book that crushed your soul?

Only because I’m back to waiting for more after I read it in a single sitting, Heartstopper vol. 5.

29. Most unique book you read in 2023?

Divine Rivals – I didn’t five-star-love-it like nearly everyone else I know, and I found the audio better than the book itself, but it was so unique and different. It reminded me a bit of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, which is also one of the most unique books I’ve read.

30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Britney Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me. I wish we’d talked more about PPD so that she would have had more mental health support when she was a new mom.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2023 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2024?

ALL the Devney Perry backlist, plus continuing to try out some new authors that are coming to BB4E!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2024 (non-debut)?

SO MANY! House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas, The Women by Kristin Hannah, Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, Wild Love by Elsie Silver, Crossroads by Devney Perry, This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, Play Along by Liz Tomforde and (maybe if we’re lucky) Silverborn by Jessica Townsend.

3. 2024 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I haven’t seen any that caught my eye yet…

4. Series Ending / Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2024?

House of Flame and Shadow is definitely my #1 – less than a month to go!

5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging in 2024?

Continue to mood read the crap out of 2024 — this year was one of my best reading years ever, and I think it was because I stopped with TBRs and ARCs, and just read what I wanted with no obligations. I am definitely still easily influenced by reading whatever is popular online, which led to a lot of book buying last year. In 2024, I’d like to make use of KU for more of those impulsive reads rather than rushing out to buy the book, and leave the purchasing for my auto-buy authors and books that I’ve read and loved on KU but that I need to add to my physical collection.

If you filled out this survey, please leave me a link to your post and I’ll stop by!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to visit my little corner of the internet.

Only a couple of months late, but at least I made it before the end of the year! If you follow me on Instagram, I did have this post up closer to the end of September, but also realized when I posted that the top book was actually finished in early October … oooops!

King of Pride by Ana Huang. I absolutely loved King of Wrath, and the second book was just as good — the hard part now is the wait until the release of each book!

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. The audiobook for this book absolutely blew me away — as the characters were crossing the river, there was the sound of rushing water in the background, and lots of soft music throughout the story that really added an extra layer to the story! I’ve now listened to two more books and sadly the others are not as epic as the first one, but I really do love how the series blends so many fairytales together – it’s so whimsical and fun, and it’s been a long time since I’ve fallen in love with a middle grade book!

Off to the Races and A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver. Are we surprised to see Elsie on this stack? No, we are not. I was hoping to finish the series this year, but it looks like it’ll be a 2024 priority instead, but I’m also saddened by the fact that there will soon come a day when I have no more Elsie books waiting for me on the shelf.

The Cat and Mouse Duology by H.D. Carlton. My first foray into dark romance and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the series! I had planned to just finish the first one when I was working on clearing my currently reading shelf before my summer vacation, but ended up adding the novella and the second installment to my to-read list before holidays — and I devoured the books so quickly!

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann. This book has such a stunning cover, but the story is quite dark, but also strangely hopeful? It was my second dark romance and, like the Cat and Mouse duology, I think a dark romance is as much about healing as it is about the trauma. Will definitely be reading more by this author!

The Right Move by Liz Tomforde. As soon as I finished Mile High, I’d ordered The Right Move and it was even better than the first one – and then the tormented wait for Caught Up began. I absolutely adore this series!

And now, off to start working on my Q4 stack!

Here we are, halfway through 2023 already … well, more than halfway, as this post is a tad late! I have read SO MANY great books this year, but we’ll start with the two not pictured above, as they’ve been loaned out to friends, and then work through the stack.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding. After attending Robyn’s book launch party, I immediately dove into this book. I’d been craving something unputdownable, and this book DELIVERED. I couldn’t stop flipping the pages until I’d finished it – ignoring all household responsibilities for the weekend, and I loved it.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. The Soulmate Equation made my top ten list for 2021, so I had high hopes going into this one, and it met those expectations. I felt like this book was a love letter to romance novels and reality TV and I loved it.

Reckless by Elsie Silver. The entire trilogy made my top books of Q1, so no one is surprised to see the fourth book on this stack! I’m still amazed by how each of Elsie’s books is better than the one that came before it — if the series keeps going as it has, be prepared to see Hopeless make the Q4 stack, and probably her other trilogy too!

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. Abby never disappoints, and this book was just as good as all of her prior ones. I usually don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope, which was the basis for this book, but it worked so well in this one that it was completely believable instead of something that made me yell at the characters to just TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY. Highly recommend, but read Part of Your World first, as this one is a companion novel.

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin. I hosted an all-staff meeting at work and wanted to make it a bookish theme, so I asked my colleagues to recommend the best book(s) they’d ever read, or a book that had a lasting impression. One of my favourite colleagues (who is also a dear friend) recommended this one, and I immediately had to go out and buy it — it’s now a lifetime favourite for me too.

Off the Map by Trish Doller. I liked, but didn’t love, Float Plan. If you felt the same, please don’t give up on this series, as each book gets better than the one before — and Off the Map I listened to in a single day and found myself choking back tears (while driving – yikes) because the storyline between Carla and her dad was so well done.

Mile High by Liz Tomforde. This was a pick for the It’s (Most Likely) Spicy Book Club and I did not expect to love it as much as I did! It’s a romance between a hockey player and a flight attendant, but it has so many great themes in it, especially mental health and healing from past (unhealthy) relationships. After I finished it, I immediately dove into the second book (spoiler alert: expect to see it on the Q3 stack) and I am counting down the days ’til the release of book three.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune. I don’t think I loved this one quite as much as Every Summer After, but it was still a solidly good read. Plus, I got to meet Carley in person at a local bookstore and get my books signed, which added to the reading experience – she is lovely, and I will definitely continue to buy and read her books!

King of Wrath by Ana Huang. I liked Twisted Love last summer, and bought the rest of the series (even though I haven’t yet read them), so I knew I’d probably like this one, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. It was an arranged marriage, which I don’t think is a trope I’d read before, but I absolutely adored it and I have King of Pride preordered already.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. The hype for this book was UNREAL so I went into it with sky high expectations — and the hype is fully deserved. The writing was a bit YA, but the world is so amazing (a DRAGON SCHOOL) and the relationship was so well done too. And did I mention the DRAGONS?! I already have Iron Flame preordered to make sure that I get the pretty sprayed edges version.

With so many great books in 2023 so far, it makes me SO EXCITED for all of the great reading yet to come for the rest of the year!

And just like that … we’re a quarter of the way through 2023!

My reading this year has definitely been slower than prior years, but I think that’s just a result of shifting away from a focus on how many books I can read in a month and truly savouring the books that I’ve picked up. I’ve read some big books too, over 500 pages, and loved each one of the bigger books.

Today I’m sharing my favourites of the year so far, in no particular order.

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score was my first book of 2023 and it truly set the bar high for the books that followed. I’ve never read a romance novel that was over 500 pages before but it took me only four days to polish off and then I wished there was more because I wasn’t ready to let the characters go. Fortunately, the sequel was released the following month (which I’m hoping to pick up soon) and there’s a third book coming out later this year as well. Lucy Score is definitely a new favourite author and I’ve added two more of her books to my shelves this year.

The Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver. I never thought cowboy romance would be my thing, but THIS SERIES HAS MY HEART. I love that Elsie is a local author and each one of these books was better than the one that came before it. While I was sad to turn the final pages of Powerless, I’m already counting down the days until Reckless releases and I can’t wait for Winter’s story.

Before I Go by Kennedy Ryan. My first Kennedy Ryan, but definitely not my last. This book had SO MUCH HEART and emotion and it was a wild ride. I started it on audio from the library while commuting to and from the office, but I couldn’t two more day ’til I was back in the car again to keep reading, so I ended up buying the ebook so that I could continue with Yasmen and Josiah’s story. On Storygraph, it lists the book as Skyland #1, so I’m hopeful that we get one of Yasmen’s friends’ story next.

Maame by Jessica George. This book was all over Bookstagram and I bought it on a whim when I took myself on a solo bookstore date and I was BLOWN AWAY. It’s a debut novel and I’m so in awe of Jessica’s writing, and I also can’t wait to see her craft grow even more with future novels. Maddie’s story was poignant and captivating and absolute perfection.

I’m excited to see where my reading goes from here – the year is certainly off to a pretty fantastic start!

Before I get started, I wanted to share a post that I wrote on my old blog way back in September 2014 – it’s been rattling around in my brain for a while and I wanted to share this first as a preface to what will follow from Current Me.

ARCs (or Advance Reading Copies) are a definitely perk for book bloggers.  Whether it’s physical copies shipped in packages from the publisher, or e-galleys downloaded from NetGalley or Edelweiss, many bloggers have access to titles before they are released to the general public and are able to read these uncorrected proofs in exchange for a review provided to the publisher.  ARCs are given to the bloggers with the hope that the blogger will love the book, share a positive review and help increase sales for that title.  A blogger with a significant readership can have a big impact on the sales of a particular title, so it’s a marketing gamble that can swing sales significantly, depending on the blogger’s review.

When I first started blogging, close to three years ago now, I would often watch other bloggers’ vlogs or scroll through lists of received books, marvelling at the fact that these bloggers, who really weren’t that different from me, were receiving BOXES of books for FREE from the publishers!  Books that weren’t even available to the general public!  How awesome is that?!?  I dreamed of the day that my blog would be big and popular, with thousands of followers, and then publishers would approach ME, offering me boxes of books, glorious books!

Then I had my very first instance of ARC envy.  This isn’t something that we bloggers admit to frequently, but I’m 99.9% sure that this has happened to each and every one of you.  What is ARC envy, you ask?  Here’s how it works: you’re sitting at your laptop, watching the latest Stacking the Shelves vlog from your absolutely favouritest blogger of all time.  You know, the one who has the most beautifully and perfectly organized bookshelves of all time?  The one who has just the cutest and coolest wardrobe of all time?  The one who always has perfect hair and make-up who starts off by saying “Don’t mind my messy hair — I just came back from the GYM!” and you wonder how someone can look SO good right after the gym?  But no, I’m not talking about envy of those beautiful bloggers who look so amazing 24/7, it’s envy of the books that those ladies are showcasing: the beautiful books that are new to their shelves this week.  And as you listen to them show the covers and talk a little about the books, you think about adding a couple of books to your own TBR list, until you see her show the cover of THAT BOOK.  THAT BOOK THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE YOUR HANDS ON THIS VERY SECOND OR YOU WILL DIE.  You know that book?  The one in your favourite series?  Or the newest release by your all time favourite author ever?  We all have that ONE BOOK on our TBRs that we would do anything, ANYTHING to get our hands on right this very second.  And that moment when you see that beautiful book in the hands of another person months, MONTHS before it’s release date, MONTHS in advance of the moment that you will be able to open that first page and take a deep inhale of the beautiful story contained therein… THAT moment when you feel that tiny little ache in your heart, that quick stabbing pain?  That, my friends is ARC envy.

As I mentioned earlier, my first instance of this experience was when the ARCs for Requiem started arriving in bloggers’ mailboxes.  I was so happy for these bloggers, while watching their excitement on holding that final installment in their hands.  Their excitement was infectious and I found myself unbelievably happy for each any every one of them, because how can you not be happy for someone when they’re as excited as you are to read a book?  Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love of reading with others.  At the same time, I still felt that tiny little tugging at my heart, wishing that I got to experience the world of Requiem ahead of time, instead of waiting like the rest of the world.

Now, here’s the funny part: It’s almost two years post-release date, and I still actually haven’t read Requiem.  It’s one of the books that I pledged to read in my fall TBR post last week.  I have featured this book on my blog numerous times, saying that I’ll read it, yet it still sits on my shelves.  Originally, it was one of my most eagerly anticipated releases but it still remains unread to this day.

The main reason that I haven’t read it is that I’m almost certain that I’m going to be disappointed.  I eagerly gobbled up some of the early reviews, and saw that many of my favourite and trusted bloggers didn’t care for this one.  Of course, there are a few that did like it, so I am hopeful that I’ll be in the minority, or that my low expectations will pay off, as was the case when I read Sever earlier this year.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the experiences that I’ve had with ARCs over the past year, and the moments in my 2014 reading that have really stood out for me, both good and bad.  Honestly, the low points for me were trying to keep up with my review pile, and reading some review books that were just not very good.  My reading highlights over the past year have been a few books that I have had sitting on my shelves for a year or two, and I just hadn’t had the chance to get to them.  This made me wonder: am I taking time away from reading some amazing books, just to enjoy the privilege of reading some books before release date?

Don’t get me wrong: I am incredibly grateful for all of the titles that I have had the ability to read and review prior to their publication date.  It’s not something that I take for granted, but it has given me pause in the last few days to reflect on how I select the titles that I read.  Many of the books on my shelves have been purchased based on recommendations from friends, or books that I have researched really well before I purchased them, either because I’d seen good reviews popping up on Goodreads, or it’s a book that had a lot of bookish buzz around the blogosphere.

So, I started thinking: I have lots of books on my shelves that I bought trusting that they’d be solid reads.  I don’t spend my money frivolously on books, so I always choose a book that I know I’m going to want on my shelves as part of my forever collection.  When I choose an ARC to request or download, I don’t have any reviews to read first, or trusted bloggers to follow.  It’s a bit more a gamble in the dark.  Sure, I might stumble across the next phenomenal read that’s going to take the reading world by storm but I also might stumble across a dud.  Since I have a lot less reading time than I used to, I want to surround myself with books that I’m almost positive that I’ll love, rather than one that I’m just hoping to love.

Going forward, I’m going to be a little more selective about the ARCs that I request, either books from authors that I already enjoy, or maybe the odd ARC that a blogging friend has already read and loved.  Then, I’m going to fill that extra reading time with books that are already on my shelves or on my TBR that I just know that I’m going to fall head-over-heels for.  There’s truly nothing better in the world that a five-star, goosebump-inducing fan-freakin-tastic read.  Right?

Rereading that post, I still connect so deeply with what past me felt, but I’m also so cognizant of the shift I’ve made as a reader these past few years. First of all, I generally steer clear of early reviews for books that I’m super excited about. When House of Sky and Breath released last year, I actually deleted Instagram off my phone and stayed off the Internet until I had finished reading it – I didn’t even want to see a starred rating before I’d had a chance to make my way thorough the entire story. It was the perfect reading experience, especially as I completely sunk into it over a long weekend, partly driven by my eagerness to get back online to see what others had thought, but also because it’s amazing how much time I had to read when I wasn’t scrolling.

I also made a pretty big decision last year, which was the driving force behind dusting off this post and typing these final thoughts. I’ve closed both of my egalley accounts, so I’m no longer requesting nor reviewing advance copies of books. I found last year that I wasn’t always in the mood to read them the week before release date, and most of the time I’d already preordered the book and wanted to wait until I had my own copy in my hands before I dove in. It’s also really fun to be reading a book when it releases and other fans have cracked open their copies on release day too. It also ties into my reading goals this year of focussing on my own shelves, and fully embracing the mood reader that I am.

So, it’s a farewell of sorts – it was fun reading those advance copies, feeling like I had really made it as a blogger and reviewer, and sharing early thoughts to help others decide whether the book was for them or not. I’m now settling into reading just for me, but I will continue to share my thoughts on the books I read and love, as I have been doing online for over a decade. So farewell to ARCs, but embracing the journey ahead.

Here we are, at the end of another year – can someone please explain to me how that happened? The past 12 months have been such a whirlwind, and yet January 2022 feels like five years ago.

My word for 2022 was INTENTIONAL and I feel like I did a decent job at being intentional with how I was spending my time. Did I occasionally spend too much time scrolling the ‘gram? Yes, I absolutely did. Did I still manage to read over 100 books again? Yes, I did that too. Going into the year, I wanted to be cognizant of the fact that sometimes I needed that mindless time, and that it was okay to not read. Coming out of the year, I’m glad I gave myself that grace because there were more than a few times I needed it.

COVID hit my household twice, the first time when my son tested positive in January and then again in April when my husband did, followed by me a few days later. The reading moments were few and far between while my brain went through the full range of emotions, from unbearable sadness that despite following every health restriction to the letter, the virus had still managed to find its way into my home. Having my son hit first, before he was eligible for his second dose, was one of the hardest things my mama’s heart has had to handle. Fortunately, he was only really sick for a couple of days, and then he bounced back quickly, and we made the most of being quarantined together, even if we were all in masks at home. Then, when my husband tested positive, we rallied again together, and it’s one of the reasons I love my little family so much – the tough times really do bring us closer together as a family.

In the fall, I also hit a crazy reading slump – the husband and I are starting up a chess academy in our community and the number of ‘to do’ items running through my brain, combined with my son getting one cold after the other when he went back to school, had reading taking a backseat once again. Yet, with INTENTIONAL at the forefront of my mind, I tried to be focused when I needed to get things done, but also give myself some mindless evening time of watching Netflix instead of forcing myself to pick up a book, and it worked. My reading mojo gradually came back on its own.

This brings us to 2023, and the word I’ve chosen is STRIVE. In 2023, there are so many things that I want to accomplish, from putting more focus on being active, eating healthy and drinking water consistently, to helping to grow our new business to stretching myself creatively. I’m not setting concrete goals (i.e. no ‘lose X pounds’) but the word strive means that I will keep this word at the forefront of everything I do. Will I slip up every now and then? Absolutely. When I do, I will pick myself back up and strive to do better.

For my reading, this also means no concrete number goals this year. I set my Goodreads goal at 50 again, which I always easily hit, but that’s only because I can’t not set a goal this year. I have a list of 23 books to read in 2023 as well, but I’m not posting it publicly for the first time, and I think that it might help me to actually read them all — there’s nothing that un-motivates me to read a book quicker than when I post online that I’m planning to read it. I’ve also started a reading journal this year, which ties into the creative piece I mentioned earlier. It’s been so wonderful to write about books in a space that isn’t public, so I’m planning to keep it up. I may share about it later, but we’ll see.

Happy New Year, friends, and may 2023 be everything that you’ve hoped for.

I participated in the Magical Readathon for the first time in 2020 … and I loved it! Then the world started hating on Harry Potter because of JKR’s actions, and G. decided to not continue with the traditional O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. approach and re-invented the readathon to still be magical, but held in an entirely new world of her creation.

The first part of the readathon began last September with the Novice Path, where we had a series of challenges to complete, as listed above. I tried to read them all, but I missed one. I read:

• Dark Triumph
• Gutter Child
• The Heart Principle
• (skipped the Ruin of Skye prompt)
• The Guilt Trip
• The Chicken Sisters
• Legendborn

We then had until April to read our character prompts.

This is my character, an urban elf from Kerador. For the character prompts, I read the following books:

• Urban: a book set in a city or town (When the Stars Go Dark)
• Kerador: a book from an ongoing series (Lover Unleashed)
• Elf: moon or stars on the cover or title (House of Sky and Breath)

Then, in March, there was a Gear Up mini magical readathon to get ready for the official start of the readathon in April. I had previously decided to be a member of the Order of the Crescent (simply because it reminded me of Crescent City), so I chose a quarterstaff as my conduit. For this challenge, I had to read a book that’s part of a quartet — and I’ve been itching to get back to the UnWind dystology (not to mention that it’s one of my Unread Shelf challenges this year), so it was the perfect time to pick up UnSouled. Order of the Crescent members were also challenged to pick a familiar and read a book with that animal on it. I have Hollowpox on my 22 books to read in 2022 list, but I knew I needed to start with reread of Nevermoor. Listening to it on audio was an absolutely delightful experience, and I know I’ll do the same with the next two books. What better familiar to have than, not just a cat, but a magnificat!

This month, the readathon officially begins with the Spring Equinox (announcement video is linked here) and I love that G. is still keeping the same exams format that there was in the previous version of the Magical Readathon (I still miss the Harry Potter theme, and I’m a bit sad that I only joined it during the last year it was held). For this readathon, we are challenged to pick a calling and, depending on which one we pick, we have to sit a series of exams related to that calling. I’ve chosen Story Weaver (it reminds me closely of Trader of Magical Tomes, which I had picked during the 2020 Magical Readathon).

For the Spring Equinox (the month of April), I will need to sit four exams:

• Inscription:
• Art of Illusion:
• Psionics & Divination:
• Lore:

The challenge for Inscription is to read an intimidating book and, as Tome Topple also falls during the last half of April, I can think of no better book than A Little Life, a book that I have started twice and put down because I’m afraid of how much it will break my heart.

Art of Illusion will be an easy challenge to check off the list because it’s to read a book with a trope I like. I have quite a few romance egalleys for May, and I’m sure at least one of them will contain a trope that I enjoy, because I honestly don’t think there’s any romance trope that I don’t like, other than a love triangle, but that is more of YA trope than a contemporary romance trope.

For Psionics & Divination, I have to read a book set in the future and I think I will finish off the UnWind dystology (and check that Unread Shelf challenge off at the same time).

Finally, the challenge for Lore is to read a mythology book and this was a trickier one for me. I was going to bend the rules and pick something that’s more fairytale inspired, until I realized that the Grishaverse is based on Russian mythology and folklore and I have the audiobook for King of Scars as well as the physical copy. It will also be the perfect time to (finally!) finish watching the show.

For the Autumn Equinox (which will be in August), I will need to need to read six books because of the grades that I need to achieve:

O = 1 book
Q = 2 books
D = 3 books

As I’ll be on vacation for a big part of August, this feels more than achievable.

I’m excited to dig into my Spring Equinox books this month and start my educational journey towards becoming a Story Weaver!