Book Haul

 

It started with one book I had on hold at the library coming in, followed by another, and the next thing I knew I was dropping off one book to pick up four. I can never read them as fast as they come in. Just like I can't read them as fast as I buy them, but at least the library is free. Seriously though, how do half my holds always seem to come in all at once. The only saving grace this time around is they're all graphic novels. Higher chance I'll get these read before their due date, even more so because in theory I only have one more week of long weeks.

On top of a chunk of holds coming in, there was also a thrift store run. My parents got me a new bookcase for my birthday which led to me dehauling five bags of books, along with a few other things that no longer spark joy. Of course, I hit the book section while I was at the said bookstore and came home with two new books: one retro horror and a new Fear Street. Then I remembered I still had some birthday money from my Mim, and Barnes and Noble was only ten minutes away from where I was. So I popped over there. I just discovered The Decagon House Murders a couple of weeks ago, and the wait is super long at the library so I thought I'd check,k and if they had it I'd take it home. Lucky me! They had it! I've been on both a Sherlock Holmes and Manga kick, so I jumped at the chance to combine those into obsessions. 

So yeah, this was not a planned book haul. I left it unattended on a day off with a little bit of overtime and a birthday month in my pocket. So, I did a bit of whimsy shopping on top of an unplanned library haul! Luckily, it looks like the weather is trying to warm up, so it'll be outside reading season soon! 

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

Listen, back in October I loaded up my Kindle full of quick, spooky reads, and they've been sitting on the TBR shelf collecting dust. So the other day while I was getting a tattoo, I thought what a perfect time for a quick read. This was the perfect distraction because in under thirty pages, Goodwin wrote something ridiculous and spooky that left my mouth open and distracted me from what was happening to me for a few minutes. This book was full of nostalgia for me, as a child of the 90s, but I can say I've never been out on my bike and found a VHS tape. Though there is a good chance I would bring it home and watch it too. I've always been nosey. The concept of this was also super creepy, and that ending was absolutely amazing! I definitely will be picking up more books by Michael R. Goodwin!

This was a fun way to re-read one of my favorite classics! It's been a long time since I last picked up The Count of Monte Cristo, and with the 'Read in High School' square on our BINGO board, it seemed a perfect time to pick it up again. Even more so when I stumbled on the Manga Classic version of this story at my local library. It's been so long since I read this book that I forgot how many players are in this game and how many moving pieces there were in this story. I felt like they did a good job of capturing this story and its characters, and while some of my favorite moments for the novels weren't in this version, I still enjoyed it as much as the original. Also, some of those moments weren't filler and honestly not really missed other than just being some of my favorite moments with Edmond. However, now I have an urge to find the audiobook version of this book before year-end, maybe a full cast and a really deep dive into the story.

This is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. So when I saw it was getting a comic book it was a no-brainer to add it to my collection. This was just as fun as the movie, the best part of the movie was in it. The jokes still make me giggle, Madame Mim is still one of my top favorite villains, and Archimedes is still a whole mood. This was a fun, quick read on a rainy day. 

I've always loved the classic Disney villains, even as a kid, and Maleficent was always one of my top favorites. It was a hundred percent because she had a pet crow, and she could turn into a dragon. So when I saw she was getting a graphic novel series, I cannot explain how fast I ran to my local library and placed this on hold. I liked that this wasn't another prequel but a moment in what I can only assume was a long life. I'd love to get more of these to see because this plot wasn't exactly wrapped up, I was satisfied with this ending, but I'd love to see what other chaos Maleficent got into before her role in Sleeping Beaty, maybe this even ties into. Either way, I'd read a series of these.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is murdered by a serial killer, Cyra knows better than to expect  justice from the hands of the police department. With the investigation already dying its own slow death, Cyra follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward. 

Using insider information–don’t ask–Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one herself in the hopes of finding the person who ended her sister’s life. Proving herself to them comes at a cost–but it’s one Cyra is willing to pay in the name of revenge.

Unfortunately, the dangerous men in the group aren’t the only obstacle in Cyra’s path for vengeance, and the further Cyra descends into the deadly world of serial killers, the harder it becomes to hold on to her own humanity. 

This dark, witty debut novel is a cunning homage to women’s wrongs that will have you wondering exactly exactly how many monsters walk unseen among us.

Why I'm Waiting: I have so many questions, and this book might have all the answers!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

Newly minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she’s been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain and anxiously contemplates her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother’s death from years ago.

Then she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day, and he has a proposition for her: Thirteen-year-old Alice Webber claims a witch is haunting her. Living with her family in the remote village of Banathel, Alice finds her symptoms are getting increasingly disturbing. Taking this job will give Mina some experience and much-needed money; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better—Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice’s behavior becomes inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of…dealing with it. And they don’t expect outsiders to understand.

HAPPY READING!!

March Silent Book Club

As always, a huge thank you to everyone who was able to come out and read with us last week! There were so many new faces! I love that our little group keeps growing. If you couldn't make it to February, no worries because we'll be back again in March, and the next Silent Book Club is a special one! On March 19th, Edmonds Silent Book Club will celebrate its first anniversary! So come join us for this special Silent Book Club. As always we will be eating at Leftcraft in downtown Edmonds at 7pm, by 7:30pm we'll start reading for the next hour.

So, if you're in the North Seattle area and need something to do, come join us for good food and an hour of silent reading!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

   

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes, the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday, I'll post some of my favorite book covers. Coming soon!

Mary Darling is a pretty wife whose boring husband is befuddled by her independent ways. But one fateful night, Mary becomes the distraught mother whose three children have gone missing from their beds.

After her well-meaning uncle John Watson contacts the greatest detective of his era (but perhaps not that great), Mary is Sherlock Holmes’s prime suspect in her children’s disappearance. To save her family, Mary must escape London—and an attempt to have her locked away as mad—to travel halfway around the world.

Despite the interference of Holmes, Mary gathers allies in her quest: Sam, a Solomon Islander whose village was destroyed by contact with Western civilization; Ruby, a Malagasy woman on an island that everyone thinks is run by pirates (though it’s actually run by women); Captain Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger; and of course, Nana, the faithful dog and nursemaid.

In a witty and adventurous romp, The Adventures of Mary Darling draws on the histories of women and people indigenous to lands that Britain claimed, telling the stories of those who were ignored or misrepresented along the way.

HAPPY READING!!

Reading Update

This felt like a great time to get a little reading update. We're two months into the year, and I'm making some progress on my Reading Goals. February might end up being my slowest reading month of the year, maybe. Whatever funk has been going around finally hit where I work, so I've been picking up as many hours as they'll allow me. A little bit of overtime never hurt no one. Still, I've been reading, but I've been doing the thing where I've started a lot of books, and been really good at starting books. I haven't been good at finishing them.

At the moment I'm currently in the middle of this, this is the part where I stopped to count, and the number six. I've started six books: three physical books, two Kindle books, and one audiobook. The audiobook is what I've been listening to early in the mornings at work while I'm preparing for service, and on my bus ride home. So even if I don't count that one because I'm actively reading it, it doesn't make it better. Five, five books! I don't even... 

Well, I guess I know what I should be doing on Sunday. Maybe finishing one, or two, of those. 

To make matters worse, I have a book ready to pick up at the library, a book just in on my Libby App, three NetGalley reads, and a physical TBR ready to capsize on me at any time. Somehow, this started as a hobby and grew into a living, breathing thing. However, I couldn't pinpoint exactly when I lost control.

Still, on the upside, I'm not that behind on my reading goal—one book this early in the year—which is peanuts. I've also managed to cross off three BINGO squares. To double down on that upside, three of the books I'm reading are BINGO books: Animal in the Title, Home State, and Read in High School. So, there is, in fact, that! 

Hopefully, everyone else is having a good year reading so far! And, hopefully, none of you have managed to start reading six books. Who am I?

HAPPY READING!!

Monsters of Fife: Sea Dragons - Review

Author: Jane Yolen

Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy

Format: Kindle

Pages: 128

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Moves for allowing me to read Monsters of Fife: Sea Dragons early. It officially hits shelves on June 3rd, 2025!

Look at this cover?! How could I not smash the request button with this as the cover? Because it looks like an absolute delight! Also, sea dragons, monsters hunters, and a full of illustrations. It was calling my name to read despite having two other books from NetGalley and a full work schedule. Monsters of Fife did not disappoint on any front. This was an adventure and a half.

Now, while this book is a lot of fun, and great for readers of all ages, it is geared toward younger readers, and Jane Yolen knows her audience. Everything about this book is geared toward middle-grade, and slightly younger, readers. Cat is the perfect main character for the readers because she's brand new to the Royal & Ancient, monsters hunters. So everything we see comes from her point of view. She's a great main character because she's imperfect, while brave she's also scared, but she stays the course to protect her friends, family, and community from monsters.

One of the things I loved about this was Yolen dropped us in the middle of the story. Cat had already been accepted into the Royal & Ancient some time ago and learning to hunt monsters by the time we arrived to hear her story of the sea dragon. So we learn about the monsters, about Cat, and about her friends as the story unfolds. Which is one of my favorite ways to go about fantasy novels. No long chapters about the history, just quickly filling us in on the way to go after a monster with a really big butt (and no I'm not making that up).

The plot moves quick, at times it feels a little rushed, but with what age group this book is geared for, maybe not that quickly. Short attention spans don't need long drawn-out plots, and Yolen does great at not falling into the trap of too many plot holes. There are a few things where it felt like I got whiplash, but that also might have been me coming off a ten-hour shift and reading before bed. Still, I never got lost in the plot, there was enough happening to keep my exhausted mind to keep reading.

I also really liked the addition of the graphic novel panels and illustrations. The panels added a bit of fun to the story, as we got to see the characters interact with each other. The illustrations were great, as we saw the characters' uniforms and the monsters themselves. They do add to the story to get a look at what you're reading about. Could the story have gone without them? Yeah probably, but there's no whimsy in that, and this book has a lot of whimsy. 

There was one little piece of the story that felt a bit like a reach when it came to the wrap-up of Cat's dad, but again this was meant for younger readers. So I honestly let it go. Maybe it'll lead to a bigger plot in another book, but like an odd thing to add at the end of the book after killing the monster. But, again it was an easy thing to let go for the bigger wrap-up, which was really good. And left you wondering what the Royal & Ancient were going to hunt down next!

Again, a huge thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Moves, Monsters of Fife was absolutely adorable, and I cannot wait for Book Two!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

There’s a reason CJ Smith’s hometown of Satterville is known as Slasherville: it was the site of not one, but two Friday the 13th-style massacres. CJ’s dad survived the first attack; only CJ survived the second. And thanks to the mysterious writer Moon Satter’s bestselling novels based on the events, the town—and CJ—will always be defined by this horrific past.

Then a new, unpublished Moon Satter manuscript shows up addressed to CJ. But unlike the others, this story isn’t about the past. Instead, it predicts new murders. On the day the book says the first murder will occur, CJ sets out to stop it. But in saving one classmate, the final girl ends up dead. CJ and their friends have suddenly gone from extras to leads—and they’ll have to use everything they know about the rules of horror to make it out alive.

Why I'm Waiting: This sounds like a wild ride, and I'm all in!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

From the easily disproved to the wildly speculative, to  straight-up hucksterism, Pseudoscience is a romp through much more than bad science—it’s a light-hearted look into why we insist on believing in things such as Big Foot, astrology, and the existence of aliens. Did you know, for example, that you can tell a person’s future by touching their butt? Rumpology. It’s a thing, but not really. Or that Stanley Kubrick made a fake moon landing film for the US government? Except he didn’t. Or that spontaneous human combustion is real? It ain’t, but it can be explained scientifically.   

Pseudoscience is a wild mix of history, pop culture, and good old fashioned science–that not just entertains, but sheds a little light on why we all love to believe in things we know aren't true. 

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

   

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes, the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday, I'll post some of my favorite book covers. Coming soon!

When a teen has an unexpected vision about a future murder, he must juggle newfound interest from the supernatural community with trying to prevent the murder from happening in this new romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F.T. Lukens.

Tired of being known as the artsy oddball, fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds hopes to fly under the radar when he changes high schools as a sophomore. It shouldn’t be too hard, considering he’s a human going to school with kids who have super-cool paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch, Al, and longtime werewolf crush, Miguel.

Then Cam has a psychic glimpse of the future in front of most of the student body, seeing a gruesomely murdered teen girl from the point of view of the killer. When Cam comes to, he knows two things: someone he goes to school with is a future murderer and his life is about to change. No longer a mere human but a clairvoyant, one of the rarest of supernatural beings, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time.

As the most powerful supernatural factions in the city court Cam and his gift, he’ll have to work with his friends, both old and new, to figure out who he can trust. Because the clock is ticking, and Cam and his friends must identify the girl in the vision, find her potential killer, and prevent the murder from happening. Or the next murder Cam sees might be his own.

HAPP READING!!

Mini Reviews

I adore this series and every single fourth wall break in between. Radish is undoubtedly my favorite of all the characters, but Lasser is a quick second. I was so excited to see him getting a maybe love interest soon. It was great for this book to be about Declan and his wings. Though his family does leave one wanting for affection, at least Callie is in his corner ready to defend his honor. The best thing about this book though, is how unserious Katie Cook is. It makes this serious great because at its heart it's about family and doing what can for them, and that not all family is blood. It's also about adventure, but this book is also meant to make you smile. Which you do every single time Cook breaks the fourth wall either with herself as the writer, or with the ghost veggies. Yes, I said ghost veggies. Seriously if you haven't read this series, you need to check it out. Absolutely adore!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Not all is as it seems in the small village of Ascension, Massachusetts. A mother wasting away from cancer is suddenly up and about. A boy trampled by a milk cart walks away from the accident. A hanged man can still speak, a broken neck and all. The dead are not dying. When Rabbit and Sadie Grace accompany their friend Rose to Ascension to help take care of her ailing cousin, they immediately notice that their new house, Bethany Hall, is occupied by dozens of ghosts. And there’s something in the attic that neither wants to investigate. New England in the 1880s is notoriously unwelcoming to the weird, and the villagers are wary of their visitors. As the three women attempt to find out what’s happening in the town, they must be careful not to be found out. But a much larger—and dangerous—force is galloping straight for them…

Why I'm Waiting: I'm currently reading Red Rabbit and I'm really enjoying it. So I'm excited to see what other kind of trouble Sadie and Rabbit are going to get into.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Explores the architecture of haunted houses, uncanny domestic spaces, and how the horror genre subverts and corrupts the sanctity of home.

The history of horror begins with a house. From Otranto to Amityville, the haunted house story endures because it perverts what is equally the most universal and the most personal of the home. Our home is an extension of our self, a manifestation of our identity, and a repository of our memories. It is a micro-universe of our own creation that we control. It is also where we are the most vulnerable because we are supposed to be the most safe.

Whether it is a decrepit Victorian mansion, a modernist luxury high-rise, a little cottage in the woods, or a starter house in the suburbs, Sick Houses explores how the horror genre in film, television, and literature uses architecture and the ideology of the home against us. It looks at the mythology of the American Dream and how the lure of homeownership becomes a trap. It celebrates the witch house, the power of the crone, and the fear of aging women who live alone. It explores how concrete utopias became ready-made mise en scene for urban terror.

From the betrayal of sentient shape-shifting houses to shadow-self dollhouse doppelgangers, Sick Houses examines how the horror genre subverts and corrupts that which is the most sacrosanct.

HAPPY READING!!

February Silent Book Club

Just a reminder to mark your calendars! Edmonds Silent Book Club is back on February 19th. We'll be meeting at Leftcraft in downtown Edmonds at 7pm! Reading starts at 7:30 pm and we'll be reading until 8:30 pm. While we do have three large tables reserved for readers, we are still in a restaurant with house music. So if you need reading tunes, don't forget the headphones! I will be wearing mine, so you won't be alone. We welcome readers of all ages and all kinds of reading. So bring your book, Kindle, or your knitting and audiobook! There will be good food to order and all kinds of drinks to enjoy! We hope to see you there!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

   

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes, the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday, I'll post some of my favorite book covers. Coming soon!

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms Unboxing

 

February Theme: Lost & Found

IT FINALLY CAME! It's not just that book mail arrived in the form of Night Worms, it's also birthday book mail! Double bonus points! It is even better that one of my favorite authors was included in this month's package. At the Bottom of the Garden is one of my most anticipated reads of this year. I'm a huge fan of Camilla Bruce and own all of her books. So this is definitely on top of my TBR, so I am putting that right on the spinny bookshelf!

It wasn't until January, when Night Worms announced the books for February, that I heard about Mask of the Deer Woman. I know a little about the lore of the Deer Woman, and the author is from my home state, so there was an extra reason to support her debut novel. It's also been on my roommate's TBR, so the whole house wants to read it!

Last, but never least, the goodie bag! Tomorrow I am taking that hot chocolate and putting it into my coffee. Because it will make the best at-home mocha, I can feel it! Also, I love both of these stickers. I have no idea where I'm going to stick them, but they are super cute! 

I really needed this book mail from Night Worms. It's been a really long two weeks at work. So many people are out sick with whatever is going on. I was one of them, and I got hit pretty hard, only to turn around and rack up some major overtime. So, this month's Night Worms was well-needed!

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

Okay, this was a little out of my wheelhouse, but it just sounded so cute. So I took a chance on it, and I'm so glad I did. It was actually very cute. I'm still new to the world of Manga, so it always takes me a second to remember how to read them. But I'm so glad I gave it a chance. This was absolutely adorable. I could read a whole series with the two of them and probably not get bored for half a second that's how adorable the two of them.

I was super excited when I found this on Audible. Two of my favorite fictional characters in the same book, I was a hundred percent sold. I had no questions I was ready to go. However! About an hour into this book, I realized I should have asked a couple of questions because this is book three of three. So you know, I was a little confused, but this book does a good job of assuming at least someone is going to make this mistake. So I caught onto what was happening pretty quick, spoiled two other books but I'm not exactly sure how, I'll figure that out when I go back and read them. Which I will do. Because this was a lot of fun! John Watson is easily the worst vampire in fictional history, but it was part of his charm.

As I mentioned I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator was good, I enjoyed the different voices he used, especially Dracula's voice (I hope he uses that voice for the entire book that Dracula is in). My only issue is as the book went on it felt like the narrator was speaking faster and faster without me asking him too on my audible controls. So for the last few chapters, there was a lot of going back and re-listening to parts because I swear I missed something because he was speaking so fast. Besides that, this was a lot of fun and I need to go back and start this series from the start!

HAPPY READING!!