The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

Ahhhh the angst of falling in love. I love this food. 
Elionwy is literally my favorite.
Taran.... like...honey... Just admit your feelings
Ow my heart hurts...like one of my favorite tropes, but ow.
208 Pages

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

I love Rhy. Like. I love him. So much. He deserves the world. He is too pure. Cinnamon roll
And Kell. He cool. 
Aaaaaand my pirate son Alucard Emery. 
Lila is such a queen and honestly. We stan. I would die for her. 

When you read a lot of V.E. Schwab and then realize that she emotionally wrecks you and the endings are....like that.. and now you concerned. 
I still love the magic system; I love the new characters, and I love character growth...frick.
So that gave me some FMA Brotherhood vibes....
640 Pages

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

I love Elionwy.
And I miss my pig friend. The sweetie
Ahhhhh the exaggerating bard. Lovely. 
Taran my soft boy. 
208 Pages

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

I'm just waiting for someone to yell "Nerfhearder".... Also Spaceballs vibes...
Tarver's cool. I love guys who know things and can like....not die. 
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

NONONONONONONONONONNONO....Um no That didn't happen. 

I love people who are protective... I'm fine. 
Someone gon need therapy... (not including me)
I can't hear you I'm feeling things.
We stan Lilac in this house. 
416 Pages

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

sfjkldssfjklda. LIBRARIES. MAGIC LIBRARIES
Ok but finally someone talking about how "want" is actually meaning "to lack" like jkfldsasfjkld

When a guy is mentioned twice, and you start shipping it... Also where is my guy? Is it because I'm not social?

I'm not crying. You're crying. 
I'm not saying I need fanfiction with a more closed ending because I'm that kind of person, but like....please. IT'S WISH FUFILLMENT OK. LIKE I NEED TO KNOW THAT WHAT I PLAN FOR MY LIFE HAPPENS BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT A THING. NO I'M NOT HAVING A QUARTER LIFE CRISIS.
yeah I'm fine. Commentary of suicide and depression and living and I can't. 

304 Pages

Thank You Audiobooks!

Lately, I've been having trouble focusing for long enough to get through longer books. Thank you audiobooks for being there for me! This is a tribute to all the audiobooks that have helped me get through the past few months: 

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but I totally get why people liked it. I liked the conflicts between faith and science, adding the immigrant experience, grief, and drug addiction on top of it. The complexity of it made the story feel very real to me. I also enjoyed the little scientific discussions scattered throughout, giving context and relevant analogies to the story.  Plus it's narrated by my faaaaavorite reader, Bahni Turpin. It was an engaging read, and this book would be great for those who like literary fiction and novels highlighting social issues. 

261 pages

Rage by Bob Woodward

I know, I know. Everyone is sick of politics by now. Why would I put myself through this book? (To be fair, I read this in October) It's partly because I've enjoyed Woodward's other books. He asks very good interview questions, and the answers given by the subject in this one are... mindboggling. Not surprising, just perplexing. I really liked how the audiobook had the actual recorded interview segments included in the Appendix. That was cool. This would be a good read for anyone who actually isn't sick of politics right now (so what, that's maybe 50 or so people, if that?).

452 pages

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

The premise of the novel is really good! A family is on vacation, only the homeowners show up to stay while the world is falling apart around them. My biggest issue with the book is that the actual details of the apocalypse are never described besides flashes and tidbits. Was it nuclear war? Climate change? Power outages? Something else? Who knows! That isn't really the point though. This is a well written apocalypse novel for dystopian junkies and literary fiction lovers alike. 

241 pages

Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets by Luke Dittritch

Dittritch is a journalist, but his grandfather was the brain surgeon who sliced out Henry Molaison's hippocampus, leaving him incapable of storing long term memories. I remember learning about H.M. in a psychology course, but this book got so deep into the personal details of the people surrounding Henry's life. Dude, this doctor was nuts! He climbed the Brooklyn Bridge when it was still under construction! He experimented on (mostly female) asylum patients  just to see what would happen after chopping up their brains! He even conducted surgery on his own wife! That is seriously messed up. Also, the psychologist who worked with Henry later in life was so possessive of him and her research that we can't even look back at her research notes anymore. *insert anger emoji* This story was engaging and shocking, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medicine, psychology, or narrative nonfiction. 

440 pages

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Moggett gives me Salem the cat vibes, and I love it. 
Does this feel like a slow burn to you..... I'm here for it. 
I hear "Touchstone" and my brain thinks of Touchstone media. But I do like him.
The TikTok "Oh No" song.
I'm stressed, and I love this ship. sfjkldfjkldsa. Also Sabriel is a fricking queen and I love her. And I love Touchstone. 
352 Pages

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi

I love the representation in this series! The lgbts, the mental illness, the marginalized. I live for the outcasts and for the people who see the world differently. 
Also like. HISTORY.. like Poland and Russia and religion and drama.  fd;jklsajfgdsaklfjskl;ja
I would die for Zofia. I would kill for her. She is precious and she deserves the world and she so strong. 

I would also kill for Enrique and Laila. My sweeties. I would kill people that Laila is too nice to kill. Because she (we all know who I'm talking about) needs to go. Like...I get it, she envious and feels inferior and just needs to learn to accept herself, but we don't....we don't do Laila dirty like that. Laila loves so well and like...she is the glue of the fricking team. 
I love the treasure hunting and the adventures and the angst, and I can't anymore. The found family. 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T KNOW THE RELEASE DATE FOR THE NEXT BOOK. 2020 WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME. HAVEN'T YOU TORTURED ME ENOUGH?
416 Pages

Tiffany Black Series by A.R. Winters

While some people have been binge-watching TV shows in the last couple of months, I have been binge-reading this fun series. Tiffany Black is a part-time casino card dealer and a part-time private investigator, but always good for a laugh as she solves mysteries set in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here are the ones I have read since October 1, books 16-23...book 24 is coming out soon!

• Lounge Singers and Liars in Las Vegas - 227 pages
• Deceptions and Decisions in Las Vegas - 234 pages
• Snapshots and Suspicions in Las Vegas - 236 pages
• Pride and Prejudice in Las Vegas - 259 pages
• Just Desserts in Las Vegas - 245 pages
• Dinners and Disasters in Las Vegas - 262 pages
• Art and Apprehension in Las Vegas - 248 pages
• Masks and Malice in Las Vegas - 285 pages

TOTAL PAGES: 1,996, 8 titles

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Summary: "Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?

• Enjoy a drunken night out.

• Ride a motorcycle.

• Go camping.

• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.

• And... do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job."

A heroine with a chronic illness? Sign me up! Chloe was a wonderful heroine; I enjoyed her snark, her fears, her bravery and wit. 

373 pages

MOBIUS | goodreads

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

This is giving me very specific Sound of Music vibes.... And Frozen Hans vibes.... like.....I can actually hear that part of the soundtrack playing. 
And also Enchanted vibes....like...the whole Robert and Edward thing
I love all of the heart work.
Also Jennifer Donnelly's writing is beautiful and quotable. 
Will ... heart eyes. I love grumpy soft boys.
Ok but keeping your heart in a box. CS LEWIS
All the commentary on fear and love and death. I'm fine. Send help. 
320 Pages

Dream On by Kerstin Gier

Ok but Henry. We stan Henry. And Grayson.
I still love the mythology of this world. Because dreams in general are just weird, so like....
You can definitely tell that the characters are teenagers... Sigh. Communication, y'all. 

So much dramatic scheming.
352 Pages

Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

This whole book feels like the last 30% of another book.
That scene with the Te Ka from Moana. 
That scene where Fu and Buccaneer are fighting Wrath in FMA....cause....
Like I said....FMA vibes
My ship. fdsjklafjfl;sdafj
432 Pages

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

....what do you mean you don't know what the most dangerous emotion is.... LOVE. LOVE. Come on. Use. Your. Fox. Brain. You ding dong. 
My ships.
FMA GreedLing vibes...
464 Pages

Lightbringer by Claire Legrand

WHY DID THIS HAVE TO SHOW UP RIGHT BEFORE NANOWRIMO....
As I have said from the beginning, I love Simon and I love Audric, and I don't care what other people think.
So I saw those plot twists... 

Did Claire Legrand throw some shade on JK Rowling and one of her most iconic lines..... (I don't remember the page, but it felt like it).
Remy must be protected at all costs.
I honestly would die for most of these characters....I love watching them suffer, but I would die for them.
Yes queen! Say no to the toxic jerk. Toxic, verbally abusive, gaslighting jerk-face. I give all the standing ovations, and all the hugs. Yes you queen. 
Ummm.....So....that ending....Ummm....Can we talk about that. Like it was beautiful and amazing, but I'm in pain...Like I get it, but like.... I want to break something...besides my heart. 

WHY IS THE FANDOM SO SMALL. I NEED ALL THE FANARTS. AND THE FANFICTION. GUYS. ANYBOYDY.. please... I have a book hangover. 
592 Pages

Week of November 6

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager  

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings.

I like this book but it was a little slow to get off to a start. I have heard a lot of good things about this author and I will try another title or two so all in all I can recommend this book.
400 pages

Welcome to the Pine Away Motel by Katarina Bivald 

A charming tale of the folks who reunite at a ramshackle roadside motel in Pine Creek, Oregon, after the unfortunate death of Henny, a local who worked at the cabins all her life, and who isn't going to let a tiny thing like death stop her from living fully — not when her friends and her little town need her the most.

This book totally crashed midway through the book. I was really intrigued at first but instead of sticking with the “ghost” story it gets into political and social issues and focuses on that instead of the original plotline. I didn’t finish it. L

Well Met by Jen DeLuca 

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

This was a fun read. There are some serious points in this book but the most fun comes into play when the studious teacher plays the part of an unscrupulous pirate during the faire. Which personality traits are actually the real ones?
336 pages

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell 

Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

This book has a lot of unexpected turns in it. I highly recommend it to those who like a suspenseful mystery. 
340 pages

Read by Salena Morgan

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

(I'VE MET MY READING GOAL FOR THE YEAR).
I honestly checked this book out because V.E. Schwab plus long line. for a digital copy (yes I jump on bandwagons)...And now I'm an emotional wreck. My history nerd is geeking out, and my English major with my love of the arts is geeking out. 
This writing style is really pretty. I really liked how the timelines were weaved together. 
Also I'm sad now. How dare they make me feel things. 
The bi-cons.
I feel personally attacked by this book. How dare there be characters that I relate to on a spiritual level. 
MY BIRTHDAY GOT A DATE. AND I WAS ALIVE THEN. ahhhh I was 18.
And my sister's birthday! Oh my gosh... (June 13)
....why are there always cute boys...
Ok but Henry... I love him...like....I relate to him so much...All of his struggles and feelings, and I can't. He is me, but older (and you know, a guy). Send help.. Can I keep him? 
Like.... struggling with the idea of being known and loved and seen, and being remembered, and being free. 
And the idea of stories and words and I can't.
I do not have words to describe all of my feelings about this book. I am wrecked and I don't know how I will recover from this... Guys...I need someone to scream about this with.....Guys?
V.E. Schwab has murdered me.
448 Pages

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

Beauty and the Beast + Fandom. Sign me the frick up. "Let's do this" John Mulaney parking his bike gif.
I am seeing all of the equations...All of the Beauty and the Beast Easter eggs....like...so many.... Beautiful. As in I am seeing the Broadway references, the motifs, the live action and original references.
All of my favorite Beauty and the Beast things.
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite... Like I mean my favorite, so like....I read all of the Beauty and the Beast spinoffs and retellings and literally anything. Beauty and the Beast is my Pumpkin Spice Latte. 
....No this book isn't about me....shhh... I don't work in a library and like organizing books and want a cute boy...I don't have bangs and hazel eyes (ok they're hazel in the middle, and blue the rest of the way, but shhh)
Alexa play "No" by Meghan Trainor.
He gave her.... He gave her.... 
Soft grumpy boy who just wants to be loved and has depression. 
She really did pull a mixture of 10 Things I Hate About You and Frozen there. 

I NEED FANFICTION. SOMEONE HELP ME. 
304 Pages

The Trials of Apollo: The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

......so it got a little preachy about mental illness, but also like....it's for the kids. and I appreciate that books are actually talking about healthy coping mechanisms, and about manipulative and verbally abusive relationships and how awful that can be. 
"Sometimes you have to let someone else pay [the price]"....so like....don't talk to me about how with mental illness you have to allow people to help you and take burdens of their own volition.
Mt. Dew.....it does indeed do those things...unless you combine them with Starbucks and chocolate within a very short time period or have that all built up in your system.....We're just going to forget freshman year of college.

So I have feelings about my babies. with all their cameos. Percy is too good for this world. 
416 Pages 

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

so parents expectations of their children and all of that angst.....
and people being monsters....and I'm the type of person to fall for monsters, and then give them chances because there is good in them, until I'm proved hecka wrong.

I could tell the characters apart this time....
I have more sympathy for the guys (maybe because they're "misunderstood and brooding" shrug emoji).....Like Inan at the end reminded me of that scene in Batman Begins where Bruce is at his party.

Y'all just need to scream at each other and communicate....but like...obviously life is more complex than that. 
Overall: meh. Like.... meh
416 Pages

Haikyu!! Volume 45 by Haruichi Furudate

Alexa play "One Last Time"
I. Am. In. Pain. So much freaking pain. Like I'm happy, but I'm not.

ALL OF MY BABIES. MY ROOSTER BOY. I HAVE MISSED HIM. And I love him.
sfdajklsfdajklsfdajklsfdajksfdjkl
How am I supposed to handle friends and rivals switching bakc and forth. Oikawa and friend on opposite side. I'm in pain.
Owl head.
Nishinoya and Asahi
232 Pages

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

It is November which means I am reading The Scorpio Races.... I'm fine....Yeah no I'm not. Send help. 
STEVE WEST'S VOICE Y'ALL. TIS THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL AND I CAN'T. I CAN'T. I CAN'T. I CAN'T.
I love Sean and Corr together. fjkdslfsjklda
I say this every time, but I love Maggie's writing style.
I read a post about how Dove would have her winter coat (because November)...so picturing that fluff ball racing.
Puck and her relationship with confession #same
I love Sean making friends...A cute awkward Mr. Darcy sharing his feelings. Also George Holly. George Holly and Annie... I can get behind this ship. Like Church Bells by Carrie Underwood minus all the murder.
We stan Finn.
Tommy whyyyyy
But like.... I love Sean and Puck. And Sean and Corr. And Corr and Dove. And Dove and Puck..... And Puck and Corr.....LIKE WHY ISN'T THERE MORE FANART AND FANFICTION AND FANDOM. COME ON PEOPLE. THIS SLAPS.WHY ARE Y'ALL SLEEPING ON THIS BOOK...granted I was a horse girl, but like....still... THIS FRICKING SLAPS AND SEAN COULD STEP ON ME
Don't mind me, I'm a crying mess, and I'm dying alone. I love Sean and I love Corr and why can't I just be Puck.
416 Pages