Monday, December 29, 2025

Love Your Library: December 2025 (November 25th-December 27th)

Welcome to the final "Love Your Library" of 2025! This month between holidays and getting sick earlier this month, I did less reading and checking library materials out than usual. I finished three library books this month, one in each formant: one physical book, one eBook, and one audiobook. Also, I returned more books than I checked out. Hopefully, this sets me up well for the new year with more space to check out books on my library card. On Goodreads, some of my "Year in Books" statistics are very interesting. This year, I read 94 books, a total of 23,858 pages. My average rating for 2025 is 4.1-stars. When I checked last year's "Year in Books," I noticed my average rating was higher at 4.3-stars. Let's get into what I read (and forgot to read this month). To be honest, writing this blog felt a bit like one very long confession.

READ

Finish Your First Novel: A no-bull guide to actually completing your first draft by Char Anna - Here is my first confession: I picked up this book because last month, I was supposed to write a first draft, however, I've spent the last two years trying to read through a 100K+ word first draft. I don't think I can keep any of that first draft to write a second draft with a better story. This book really discusses which elements are needed to start writing a good first draft. It talks about creating characters, plotting stories, and putting it all into an outline before starting to write. I would highly recommend it for any authors frustrated with their first drafts. Now, I have a new problem is. I need follow its advice and start working on a new novel. ★★★★★ IG Post
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash - I read this historical novel as one of the titles from this year's 12 Recs From 12 Friends reading list. Set during World War II, young Beatrice is sent to America to live with the Gregory family as she grows up alongside their two boys, William and Gerald. After the war she returns to her family in England, but the war has forever changed both families. This book is about growing up, the effects of war, and the healing power of connection. It's a beautiful story and the audiobook narrator was fabulous to listen to with her light British accent. The pacing was slower than I usually enjoy, however I enjoyed the bittersweet story enough to cry a few times. ★★★★☆ Listened to on Hoopla Read for 12 Recs From 12 Friends
Look out for the Little Guy! by Scott Lang and Rob Kutner - Here is a science fiction novel, written like a memoir, perfect for fans of superheroes, especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Scott Lang, the Ant Man takes readers through his journey with the Avengers in Ant Man, Ant Man and Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame. There are also references to several other MCU movies, but it mainly focused on those three. Each chapter was a self-contained anecdote that was often humorous and occasionally heart wrenching. If I say more, I will spoil the book and the Marvel movies. I gave it a four out of five on Goodreads, it's not a masterpiece, but it's well-written for what it is. ★★★★☆ Read on Libby

Currently Reading

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Climbing Rejection Mountain: An Actor's Path to Success, Stability, and Self-Esteem by Nick Wyman, Michael X. Martin
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
A Knight Before Christmas by Cara Stout

Checked Out, To Be Read

Batman: Soul of the Dragon (Blu-ray)
The Easy 5-ingredien Meal Prep Cookbook: Meal plans and recipes to save time by Michelle Ann Anderson
The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents by Terry Hewitt
Craft Inc.: The ultimate guide to turning your creative hobby into a successful business by Meg Mateo Ilasco
You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock
Meet Me at Wonderland by Julia DeVillers

In The Reservation Queue

Famous Anonymous 1 by Morgan Baden
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore
Some Like It Scot: a novel by Pepper Basham

On Hold, To Be Picked Up

None at this time.

Returned Unread

Batman: Soul of the Dragon (Blu-ray) - I checked out this Batman animated movie, but haven't watched since it is rated R, and I would need some privacy. It stars David Giuntoil from Grimm as the voice of Batman, and I promptly checked it back out so I can watch it.
Meet Me at Wonderland by Julia Devillers - This one I found at the library after seeing it at Barnes and Noble, I thought the middle grade romance sounded so sweet and innocent, and I could use more of that in my life. I didn't have time to read it and had to return it; I have also rechecked this one out.
Purple Hearts: a novel by Tess Wakefield - This is the second time I have checked this one out and had to return it. It's one I really want to read. Would some give me a round Toit, so I can finally get around to it. 😉🤣
The Jewel Thief by Jeannie Mobley - Used this book for a spell the month bookstack back in July (I think). Since it is a historical young adult novel about a mistaken jewel thief, I thought if I got the chance, I would read it. I did not.
Four Days a Week: The life changing solution for reducing employee stress, improving well-being, and working smarter by Juliet Schor - The subtitle caught my eye on this one. Some of the employees at my workplace have switched to a four-day work week, and I was curious if this book might have some valuable insight. I must be working too much (or possibly checking out too many books) because I also didn't read this one.
The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents by Terry Hewitt - I checked this one out and then promptly returned it to try out a new library service. The county library recently begun a library conglomerate. The library system in the city where I live is large, so I alreadt have access to a wide variety of books, but the county has asked all city libraries to share titles with a "Max" catalogue. I requested this title that I didn't really know anything about to check it out and see how it works. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't much different from putting a book on hold from my local library. The biggest difference was the shipping time; it took about two weeks.
Grace Notes by Karen Comer - This book has a beautiful illustration of a girl playing violin on the cover. I don't think I even read the synopsis before I checked it out. I've wanted to learn how to play the violin. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that when I can't even find the time to read a book about it. It had to be returned because I had used all my renewals.
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron - Thriller/mystery, it is about an author whose work is used as the inspiration for a killer. Here at INSPIRATIONAL SKAI, I hope people find my blogs inspiring, but I will not accept any liability for illegal activity that may be inspired by my writing. I will however accept that I also ran out of renewals before I could read this book.
Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson - Finally, this book was used for a spell the month bookstack, while I knew that I wasn't going to get around to reading it, I didn't really have the heart to return it, until I ran out of renewals.

Wrapping up not only December, but also 2025 with you all was good fun. Even though I've felt like I've been in a reading rut the past couple of months, and my overall reading pace has slowed down, this was fun year of trying new books. I have read some of just about every genre, including many I seldom read. It was a very wide variety ranging from horror, to memoir, to historical fictions. Exploring horror has been a new genre to me the past couple of years, and I hadn't read a memoir since finishing school. Historical fiction also isn't my first choice of genre, that would be either romance or mystery. I usually find historical fiction too slow, but thanks to my local library I was able to try all these different titles and genres without worrying about the cost, that is why I will be back in 2026 with yet another Love Your Library post.

Thank you all for joining me this year on my library reading adventures. I hope you all had Merry Christmas, a happy holiday season, and will have a blessed new year in 2026. May your bookshelves never be too full for new books, may your local library be well stocked, and may the books you read resonate and inspire you, in the best possible ways.

Over on Instagram, I have been sharing 2025 Reading Reflections this month, a sampling of what I have read all year long. Many of those titles have yet to be fully reviewed, so this annual IG tradition is the most exhaustive look at my year in reading. Since I've been sharing daily, the best place to start is on December 1st, with the first book that I finished this year, Later on We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel. I have also chosen my "12 Recommendations from 12 Friends" for next year. Most of this year's titles were borrowed from my local library. As it is arranged right now, all of next year's titles will be available at the library, so stay tuned for those reviews next year. I know that I typically like to share a fiction post to end, but this month it only felt right to throw it back to my first Love Your Library blog from January. Looking back at that blog, I see how I started with the format that I saw on Bookish Beck's site, and while I've kept something similar, it has also developed my own personal flare. Thank you for reading! See you next year!

#LoveYourLibrary

Thank you, Rebecca for coming up with this blog challenge that encourages me to read and write every month. Check out her blog, Bookish Beck

I love making Bookish Friends! Follow me on Instagram Skai_BooksAndBracelets

Stay up to date on all reading and reviews by following me at Goodreads.

Monday, November 24, 2025

Love Your Library November 2025 (October 28th-November 24th)

November is supposed to be Novel November, so I haven't been reading very much. More on that at the end of this blog. This blog is supposed to be a reflection of my library reading. In November I've read three books. Two were eBooks, one of them was a manga, and the third book was an audiobook. I'm currently listening to a book which I would like to finish this month. It's my November pick for 12 Recs from 12 Friends (more on that and my plans for 2026 at the end of this blog, too). The audiobook is a historical fiction which is a genre I seldom read, but I've been trying to branch out this year. To finish out the year, I am hoping to clean out some of my currently reading titles, and on that note, the trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping dropped this week, so I really need to finish reading that one before I watch the trailer. Here is the rest of my library usage for the month of November.

READ

Cat Massage Therapy Vol. 1 by Haru Hisakawa - I needed a quick, fun read at the end of last month, so I picked up this one as an eBook. It's about a stressed-out businessman who discovers a place where cats give massages. It was really cute and made me want to see how it felt to have my cat walk on my back. Spoiler alert: It's not actually as comfortable as this manga makes it look. ★★★★★ for the book, not my cat's massage skills. 😆 Read on Libby
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller - I read this at my sister's recommendation, Reb's Recs. This book is nothing at all like most of her recommendations. Alsoa, the daughter of the Pirate King, descended from a long line of an old family of pirates. When the story begins, she is kidnapped by a rival pirate clan. Only she's really on a secret mission for her father. Her mission to find the rival clan's portion of an ancient map that leads to a legendary treasure. If only her captor's young first mate wasn't so exasperating or handsome. My sister loves action novels, but this was more about the romance than the action. I enjoyed it, but it was steamier than I expected especially considering it's a YA novel. CONTENT ADVISIORY: Strong language, violence, kissing including foreplay and attempted rape. ★★★★★ Listened to on Hoopla
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston - The final book in the Once Upon a Con trilogy is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Rosie is grieving her mother's death when her best friends drag her to ExcelsiCon. There she meets a masked cosplayer who prefers to be the villain and for a night she gets to forget her grief. After a perfect night, she returns home to her small town, but she can't stop thinking about him. Yet again, movie star Vance Reigns is in trouble with the press, and his parents decide he should spend the rest of the time until his eighteenth birthday away from the world. Rosie's father sold her mother's beloved book collection to help pay their debts, but when she chases a lost dog into a recently moved into castle (mansion) she finds a rare, priceless copy of her mom's favorite book and accidentally ruins it. She has to work with Vance to catalogue the library to repay her debt. I'm obsessed with these modern, geeky fairytale retellings. I wish she had written more, and I am toying with the idea of writing my own. Additionally, this book was a reread, and there is already a full review for it over on Instagram. CONTENT ADVISORY: Occasional strong language, kissing and embraces (including a reference to grabbing her bottom), and LGBTQ+ characters. ★★★★☆ Read on Libby IG Post

Currently Reading

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins IG Reel
Climbing Rejection Mountain: An Actor's Path to Success, Stability, and Self-Esteem by Nick Wyman, Michael X. Martin
The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril by Miffie Seideman I purchased this book earlier this month at a local author fair at my library and got it signed, so while I'm not quite done reading it, I will be striking it from the list "Currently Reading" library books. If you are a writing and need information on pharmaceuticals and toxicology, this book is a wealth of information and more importantly she tells readers what research they need to do to understand and use any sort of pharmaceutical or poison in their stories in a believable manner.
Finish Your First Novel: A No-Bull Guide to Actually Completing Your First Draft by Char Anna IG Reel
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
Look Out for the Little Guy! by Scott Lang and Rob Kutner

Checked Out, To Be Read

Cupcakes Cookbook: 30+ quick and easy recipes for cupcakes by Weldon Owen
Write a Romantasy: 99 writing prompts to craft a tale of heart and heroism by Erik Patterson
When It's Real by Erin Watt
Styling for Instagram by Leela Cyd
Rogue Princess by B. R. Myers

In The Reservation Queue

Famous Anonymous 1 by Morgan Baden
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore
Some Like It Scot; a novel by Pepper Basham
The Easy 5-Ingredient Meal Prep Cookbook: Meal plans and recipes to save time by Michelle Ann Anderson
A Knight Before Christmas by Cara Stout

On Hold, To Be Picked Up

None at this time.

Returned Unread

White Fox by Sara Faring - I used this book over on Instagram for last month's themed posts, "October Mysteries and Thrillers: Part III." For three of the last four years, I've used October as a time to share different Mystery and Thriller books. It's brought quite a bit of attention to my IG page over the years since readers are often looking for these types of books during October. I returned this book after I took a picture of it to clear some space on my library card.
There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer - I also used this book for "October Mysteries and Thrillers." IG Post
Aliens (DVD) - Watched this horror movie with The Drum Show (He does great drum covers on YouTube). This was supposed to be watched in October, but I wasn't able to finish it until November. This is the sequel to Alien (1979). Ellen Ripley returns to Earth after surviving the aliens and drifting through space for 57 years. The world has changed drastically including her young daughter who had grown to adulthood and has since died. As she's dealing with that grief and the trauma of surviving the Aliens, another space colony is invaded by the same Aliens. Ripley is invited to join them as the expert when they go to rescue any survivors and destroy the Aliens. What starts as a high-tech war movie, becomes a story of motherhood and survival as Ripley bonds with Newt, a young survivor and learns more about the Alien's motivations. Ripley and Newt's relationship is my favorite part of the movie because it becomes Ripley's motivation for survival and helps her to understand the Alien Queen. Even though it's a long movie, it's well-paced and doesn't get boring, because there's constantly more danger and excitement.
How to Draw Manga Stroke by Stroke - I did some doodling from this book, but I didn't actually feel like I learned how to draw manga. I may check it out again when I feel like doing more drawing.

I've been in a bit of a reading rut. This month I tried to only start new books when I finished a book of the same reading format. I've done pretty well. The only book I added to my currently reading list that wasn't to replace a previous current read is Finish Your First Novel which I am reading to help me make a neat outline for my next novel project. This month is Novel November. I set out to write fifty thousand words on November 1st, and on November 24th, I should have written forty thousand words, but I have only twenty-two thousand. Maybe I shouldn't be too upset because in the first week of writing, I managed to finish the story that I had been working on. I keep trying to get to outlining and haven't done it. In the meantime, I've been finishing some old fanfictions. I finished one, I had already written all but the final chapter. Then I moved on to another. That one was probably only a quarter of the way through the story, so it's provided plenty of story to write. This also means that my mind has been divided between writing old stories and trying to decide what to write for my next story, and I am overthinking it. In conclusion, that it why I am so behind on my writing for this month...sigh.

Usually, I share my most recent Instagram review, but this month I decided that I should share a reading challenge that I am hosting for 2026. At the end of last year, I saw a few people on Instagram doing this challenge where, you ask on Instagram for book recommendations and read twelve. For 2025, I have been reading these books. I have found some great books this way, but one of the biggest challenges last year was getting people to leave me recommendations, so this year I decided to put a reading challenge group together. On IG, I am hosting a challenge group, and we are all sharing our posts, leaving book recommendations and engaging on each other's posts. If you are on Instagram, please check out my post and leave me a recommendation, and if you are interested in joining, head over to IG and send me a DM, I'm still accepting people through December 7th, 2025. Here is the 12 Recs from 12 Friends 2026 post.

As always, I like to finish off with a plug for another story, typically here on my blog. Here is one, that is unfinished but feels timely seeing as how this week is Thanksgiving. This one is about some of the challenges of spending the holiday with your family when you are a teenage superhero, it called Thanksgiving con la Familia. Maybe I should have added it to the list of stories to finish this month. 😉 Thanks for reading to the end. And have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

#LoveYourLibrary

Thank you again, Rebecca for coming up with this blog challenge and I have enjoyed making it an important part of my writing life. Check out her blog Bookish Beck

I love making Bookish Friends! Follow me on Instagram Skai_BooksAndBracelets

Friday, October 31, 2025

Love Your Library October 2025 (September 30th-October 27th)

October has been very busy for me. Between October Mysteries & Thrillers: Part III on Instagram, a work conference, and taking an acting class. I'm not sure how I found time for anything else. This blog is mostly a long list of the books I checked out and returned to take pictures and share them on Instagram. However, I did finish reading four books this month, and actually all the books I have completed came from my library.

READ

Marvel Rising: Heroes of the Round Table by Nilah Magruder, illustrated by Roberto Di Salvo - A children's graphic novel about a team of lesser-known superheroes. I picked this on up because it has Daisy Johnson, Quake in it. She is my favorite part of the book. It had a simple plot, colorful illustrations, but even though it had a full story arc across all five stories, I didn't feel like there was any actual characterization, i.e. character growth. ★★★☆☆ IG Review
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein - I read this at my sister's recommendation, Reb's Recs. She loves the puzzles and book references in Grabenstein's series. I listened to it as an audiobook. It is a fun library story packed with book references, great for getting kids interested in their local library. I wouldn't recommend the audiobook because, the puzzles didn't translate well. ★★★★☆ Listened to on Libby
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - I thought a Werewolf book would be fun for October. I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed both narrators that read Grace and Sam's split narrative. A lot of worldbuilding went into this young romance, most of it was in the first tenth of the book. After I got past the first hour in the audiobook, the story began to pick up, and by the end I was in tears hearing Grace and Sam work together and fall into a forbidden love. This is another title for 12 Recs From 12 Friends. CONTENT ADVISORY: Occasional strong language, violence, death, and romantic embraces including implied s*x. ★★★★☆ Listened to on Hoopla
Ready Player Two by Erenest Cline - Continuing Wade and his friends adventure from Ready Player One, readers are introduced to a new headset that allows people to connect their minds directly to the Oasis. It has once again revolutionized their world. Three years later a new contest is set into motion and rogue computer program holds the world hostage. My co-worker convinced me to give this a try. It was so much better than the first book. This could be a master class in how to improve as a writer. CONTENT ADVISORY: Strong language, violence, kissing and LGBTQ+ characters. ★★★★☆ Listened to on Libby

Currently Reading

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Climbing Rejection Mountain: An Actor's Path to Success, Stability, and Self-Esteem by Nick Wyman, Michael X. Martin
The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril by Miffie Seideman

Checked Out, To Be Read

Going Dark by Melissa De La Cruz
It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand
Descent by Roland Smith
Codependent No More: how to stop controlling other and start caring for yourself by Melody Beattie
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardley
Aliens DVD IG Post
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Underworld DVD
Tell Me No Lies by Andrea Contos
Beautiful and Terrible Murder by Claire M. Andrews
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver
Girl Forgotten by April Henry
Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane
Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
10 Hours to Go by Keely Parrack
Wednesday: A Novelization of Season One by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Sanctuary by Caryn Lix IG Post
The Pioneer by Bridgit Tyler
Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams
Miss Austin Investigates: The Hapless Milliner, a novel by Jessica Bull
Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald
The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed
Power Rangers: Force of Chaos by Diana Ma
White Fox by Sara Faring
There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer

In The Reservation Queue

Famous Anonymous 1 by Morgan Baden
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore
Some Like It Scot; a novel by Pepper Basham

On Hold, To Be Picked Up

None at this time.

Returned Unread

Going Dark by Melissa De La Cruz - Over on Instagram I've shared October Mysteries and Thrillers all month, and I don't really get that many new books in one year, so I absolutely turn to my local library (system) and get most of the books from them for my posts. However, since I can only check out so many books at one time, I returned books throughout the month to make room for more books. Other books that were checked out and returned for this reason will simply be noted as "October Mysteries and Thrillers."
It Watches in the Dark by Jeff strand - October Mysteries and Thrillers
When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington - I wanted to read this book during the summer, but I had too many others to finish that I couldn't get to this one.
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout - October Mysteries and Thrillers IG Post
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Prey (DVD) - I watched this horror movie at the suggestions of my friend The Drum Show (Check out his awesome drum covers out over on YouTube). I don't watch stuff with ghosts, demons or the occult, so he enjoys the challenge of finding great horrors that don't have those, but do have interesting stories, relatable characters, and the most creative plot twists. We've done this for four years now and the movies are always so good! This is my favorite one, from this year so far. It has a strong but relatable female lead and a monster with a unique and terrifying motive. I enjoyed the way it delt with girls being underestimated, and how the MC proved them all wrong. IG Post
Genesis Gril by Jennifer Bardsley - October Mysteries and Thrillers.
You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See - I picked this up a while ago and didn't get around reading it, but I love a good romance about musicians.
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasglow and Liz Lawson - This is mystery I would like to read because it's about two friends written by two authors. It's been too far down the TBR backlogs for too long and I had to return it.
Seven Days in Utopia (DVD) - This is a sweet Christian movie based on a book with the same name. I've seen it before, but I was watching Netflix's Daredevil recently and saw that Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) plays in the main character's love interest in this movie and it was a good excuse to give this movie a rewatch.
Write Fearless, Edit Smart, Get Published: a master class for fiction writers by Lisa Mangum - I have a 300+ page messy first draft that I need to read through to turn it into a cleaner second draft, but I haven't really read this book to figure out what to do for my second draft.
Make a Living Living by Nina Karnikowski - I read some of this one. It's about the courage and planning that goes into turning a hobby or passion into a livelihood. I was fascinated by the concept.
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Tell Me No Lies by Andrea Contos - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane - October Mysteries and Thrillers
The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Girl Forgotten by April Henry - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay - October Mysteries and Thrillers
The Descent (DVD) - This is the second movie The Drum Show recommended for October. If I understood correctly, this horror movie is from the UK. It was unique from most American monster movies, and I liked how in the beginning the six ladies, trapped while cave exploring, supported and cared for each other. Unlike in Prey, I felt like the monsters' motives were unclear, unless they were only protecting their territory. The ending was also very abrupt, but The Drum Show explained that that is the American ending and UK ending is better.
10 Hours to Go by Keely Parrack - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald - October Mysteries and Thrillers
The Pioneer by Bridgit Tyler - October Mysteries and Thrillers
Marvel: Powers of a Girl: 65 Marvel women who punched the sky & changed a universe by Lorraine Cink - I checked this out to use this for Instagram back in May, but I didn't end up using it, I thought it would be some fun reading because the illustrations are gorgeous. I don't know if they are, but they look like acrylic paintings.
Wednesday: A novelization of season one by Tehlor Tay Mejia - October Mysteries and Thrillers

This month as been very busy, and I meant to get this blog done on Monday, but I was too tired last Saturday after the work conference. Then on Sunday I was at work all day. I've been working on this blog a little at a time this week. Additionally, I haven't had much time for reading, this month's books were mainly audiobooks (3 out of 4) and the other was a comic book compilation. Next month is Novel November, so I will be busy writing 50,000 words. I don't know how much time I will have for reading, I may take a month off from this blog, but I hope to be back to do December. Maybe I'll even finally get a new fiction piece posted, either here or on a fanfiction site. That would be a real holiday treat!

Over on Instagram, I've mostly been posting mystery and thriller books this month. It's my third time doing this, so I've called it October Mysteries & Thrillers: Part III. I explain each book in three parts. Besides that, I've written two book reviews this month, Marvel Rising: Heroes of the Round Table is my most recent. The link to that review is above and the other review is Spider-Man: Secret of the Sinister Six by Adam-Troy Castro. Since I always include another piece of writing, I'll share a short piece. It's a rant about some research I did while I was writing Fairy Troubled. I was hypothesizing as to the science behind why fairies can fly in "Failed Scientific Arguments for Fictional Cases." Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

#LoveYourLibrary

Thank you again, Rebecca for coming up with this blog challenge and I have enjoyed making it an important part of my writing life. Check out her blog Bookish Beck

I love making Bookish Friends! Follow me on Instagram Skai_BooksAndBracelets

Monday, September 29, 2025

Love Your Library: September (August 26-September 29) Hosted by Bookish Beck

For the past week, I have been blogging obsessively. I stayed up until 1:30AM on most nights, my record was 2:30, and I had to get up at 6AM most mornings for work. Needless to say, I'm tired. I'll keep this intro short. I didn't want to lose the momentum, so I'm still doing Love Your Library for September. This month's period was over 30 days, so I'm not surprised that I was able to finish 6 books. The rest of this month has been about preparing for Five Fall Favorites last week and October Mysteries and Thrillers. I have lots to say about that next month. Today, here is my library activity for September.

READ

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler - I read this for Reb's Recs. It's the final week of summer and Jenni's family is on vacation with her best friend, Autumn's family. When she accidentally time travels a year into the future, everything's changed, and Autumn's family is unrecognizable. This book is a mixture of sci-fi, family drama and coming of age. I found it engaging as it took me on an emotional journey. ★★★★★ Read on Libby
Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer- Evie Sage started as The Villain's assistant and has since made a name for herself. Now, she is known as The Wicked Woman, second evilest person in Rennedawn only after The Villain. Evie's falling for her boss, even as the prophecy says they will be each other's undoing, but first they will have to gather the objects of Reneedawn's Story to bring back the magic. While book three isn't my favorite, I am absolutely obsessed with the humor and sweetness of this romance. CONTENT ADVISORY: S*x scene with some description, strong language, and LGBTQ+ characters. ★★★★★ Listened to on Hoopla
Ultimate Spider-Man: Volume 8: Kings and Cats by Brian Michael Bendis - In the first half Peter fights against a politician who hates Spider-Man and has ties to Kingpin, while in the second half Spider-Man gets mix up in burglary with Black Cat. This is one of those book series, I pick up another when I want a quick fun read. Because the first half focused on Peter and how Spider-Man complicates his civilian life, I had more fun when I got to second half with Black Cat. There was more action, and I just like Black Cat. ★★★☆☆ Read on Hoopla
Geekerella by Ashley Poston - In this Cinderella retelling Elle is a sci-fi geek, stranded with her cruel stepfamily after her father's death and Darien is an actor cast as the lead in the upcoming Starfield movie. Their romance involves a viral blog post, a mistaken phone number, and a cosplay competition. I have a full-length summary and review on Five Fall Favorites: 2025. Check out that post if you'd like to know how obsessed I am with his story. CONTENT ADVISORY: Mild language and LGBTQ+ characters. ★★★★★ Read on Libby
Spider-Man: The Seceret of the Sinister Six by Adam-Troy Castro - Peter continues to investigate the mystery of Carla Mae Mendelson, his long-lost older sister as the Sinister Six, led by the Gentleman, prepare for their next attack. After breaking into a laboratory and stealing a machine with ability to cripple New York's electronic banking system, they launch their next wave of assault on New York and Spider-Man. I kept reading this one because I'm invested enough to get it from my library's inter library loan program, but it wasn't as much action as the previous book, so it took me a lot longer to finish it. While this story wandered through the plot and didn't get proofread before publication, Castro's love for the characters definitely shines and keeps it interesting. CONTENT ADVISIORY: Violence and language. ★★★★☆
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett - During their sixteenth year, girls are said to have magic that drives men to madness. For that year they are sent to live in the wildness at an all-girls encampment. Outside the camp are dangers from the elements and poachers that kill young women for their magic. However, staying inside the camp is just as dangerous. Tierney James dreams of a little girl who can lead them to freedom, but with an arranged marriage upon her return, those dreams seem impossible. This book reminded me of A Handmaid's Tale and Lord of the Flies. It accurately depicts a society that oppresses women and captures how they can turn on each other. The audiobook finished with an interview with the author and from what she said, I don't know think she understood the full weight of the story she was telling and wasted the opportunity. CONTENT ADVISIORY: Violence, death, strong language, s*x scene with some description and LGBTQ+ characters. ★★☆☆☆ Listen to on Hoopla. Read for 12 Recs from 12 Friends.

Currently Reading

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein IG Post
Marvel Rising: Heroes of the Round Table by Nilah Magruder
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Climbing Rejection Mountain: An Actor's Path to Success, Stability, and Self-Esteem by Nick Wyman, Michael X. Martin
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril by Miffie Seideman

Checked Out, To Be Read

Murder on a school Night by Kate Weston
Mighty Marvel Masterworks Presents: The X-Men, Volume 1, The Strangest Heroes of All by Stan Lee
DK's Cupcakes for Any Occasion: 50 clever creations anyone can make by Rachel Lindsay
The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Prey DVD
The Descent DVD
Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin
Finish Your First Novel: a no bull guide to actually completing your first draft by Anna Char
How to Write a Romance Novel: a beginner's guide to getting it written and getting it published by Susan Palmquist
Writing Crime Fiction by Rosemary Rowe

In The Reservation Queue

Power Rangers: Force of Chaos by Diana Ma
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Descent by Roland Smith
Famous Anonymous 1 by Morgan Baden
Codependent No More: how to stop controlling other and start caring for yourself by Melody Beattie

On Hold, To Be Picked Up

None at this time.

Returned Unread

The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold by Ally Carter - I read this one as an ARC on Net Galley. I'm still figuring out how Net Galley works, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish this title after the final book released, but I was able to finish it on Net Galley, so I didn't need to read it from my library.
The Beginner's Guide to Procreate by Roché Woodworth - This book looks so cute, and I want to work on my digital drawing, but I haven't really had time to try it.
Climbing Rejection Mountain: An Actor's Path to Success, Stability, and Self-Esteem by Nick Wyman, Michael X. Martin - Earlier this year, I was discouraged in acting, this book talks about acting as an art and a business, talking about the challenges and offering encouragement. I kind of just forgot that I was reading it.
Actions: The Actor's Thesaurus by Marina Caldarone - This is an acting method which uses actions to understand and create performance choices. I read some but didn't finish this. I'll probably buy a copy when I can find a used one.
The Actor's Life: a survival guide by Jenna Fischer - This one is also about acting. I didn't get the chance to start it.
Star Wars: The High Republic Defy the Storm by Tessa Gratton - I used this for a May the 4th be with You post.
Star Wars: Queen's Hope by E. K. Johnston - I also used this one in that post.
Star Wars: The High Republic, Tales of Light and Life by Various Authors - Same thing.

This month I really tried to focus on finishing books more than starting new books, I only started two that I finished, Geekerella and The Grace Year, and one that I haven't finished, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Next month's list will be crazy. I'm doing a month of themed posts on Instagram. The theme is "October Mysteries and Thriller III" For 31 days, I'll pair mysteries and thriller with bracelets. I get most of the books from the local library.

I don't typically talk about TV shows, but I have been watching and loving Wednesday, Season Two on Netflix. It amuses my inner goth, but once I finish watching season two, I'll have to figure out something else. I would recommend re-experiencing season one as a novel. It was a great way for me to prepare for the second season. You can read my most recent review on Instagram, Wednesday: A Novelization of Season One by Tehlor Kay Mejia. On this blog, I've spent the past week blogging for Five Fall Favorites hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Rebecca from Read Another Page. All blogs are available now, so if you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, I'll share the links to my posts below and you can find all the other amazing bloggers at Once Upon an Ordinary's site.

Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Recommended

Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Need Sequel

Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favorites: 2025: Non-Fiction

Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Unusual

Read Friday's blog here: Day 5 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Re-Read

Read Saturday's blog here: Day 6 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Favorites of 2025

#LoveYourLibrary

Thank you again, Rebecca for coming up with this blog challenge and I have enjoyed making it an important part of my writing life. Check out her blog Bookish Beck

I love making Bookish Friends! Follow me on Instagram Skai_BooksAndBracelets

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Day 6 | Five Fall Favorites 2025: Favorites of 2025

Welcome for the final time! (Of Fall Favorites 2025. I would love to have everyone continue to come back. I'll mention some of the other projects I have in the works at end of this blog. Also yesterday, we had rain all-day, and it finally felt like Fall!) Today is bittersweet as we come to the most fun day of the week. The day when all of the free books are available! Do check out the other bloggers, and the hosts sites for all the freebies. I'll throw a book bracket down at the bottom that people are welcome to save and use, but I unfortunately don't have any free books to offer, at least not yet. All of my available stories can be found for free on this blog. I love to write, and welcome any feedback, (beyond that I need to proofread more carefully. I already know that.) Let's get to the best of 2025!

I got very excited thinking about today's picks. While I have a few other favorite reads of this year that I've already shared, these are just too good to not share. My most read genres of mystery and romance are here, as well as some genres that I am started to read more often, such as thrillers. I do have one lone fantasy book, I'll explain later why I read something outside of my usual. For now, all you need to know is that I loved it. The suspense is killing me (but not literally), so maybe I should end this intro so we can get into the final five favorites of 2025.

1. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is discussing her next mystery novel with her literary agent in a Panera when she's overheard and mistaken for a contract killer. Then a wealthy woman pays Finlay to kill her husband, and she poses as her own ex-husband's new fiancé to follow her target into a bar. Upon seeing the man slip a drug into an unsuspecting young woman's glass, she switches it with his glass. After he passes out, she puts him into her minivan to takes him to his wife, but when she stops by her place, the garage door gets closed with the engine running. Feeling responsible for the man's death, she recruits her children's babysitter, Vero to help bury his body on her ex's farm. She knows that she didn't close the garage and leave the car running, but she'll have to find the real killer before anyone can find the body to avoid being arrested herself.

This is my newest favorite series! Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is perhaps the most Nancy Drew like adult mystery series that I have read so far. If Nancy Drew were a struggling author and single mother of two, Finlay Donovan would be an all grown up Nancy Drew. She's an armature detective who mysteries and murders find her, even when she doesn't want them. Because I've been rereading the old Nancy Drew books, I've noticed that while Nancy is always trying to help others, she skirts the law quite often, even though she doesn't want to. She's willing to do what it takes to solve the mystery. Finlay Donovan is the exact same way. Constantly torn between doing the right, lawful thing and solving the mystery to protect herself and her family. Also, like Nancy often dressed up during her cases, Finlay and Vero are always wearing disguises and pretending to be other people to get to the bottom of these mysteries.

View on Good Reads.

Read the full review on Instagram

2. Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Elle is spending the summer working at food truck and avoiding her stepsisters and their snobby friends. If only she could also avoid the excessive demands of her evil step-monster—stepmother. When the movie remake of her late father's favorite tv show is announced, it's announced that the lead, Prince Carmindor is to be played by Darien Freedman, a young star from a teeny bobber soap opera. She knows he will ruin the franchise and takes to her little blog to tell the world, at least her handful of readers. Darien is an actor disillusioned by pressures of Hollywood and price of fame, but playing his favorite character in the movie remake is still a dream come true. More than anything he wants to please the fans. When Elle's blog goes viral, Darien decides he definitely won't be doing any fan conventions, especially not ExcelsiCon. Looking for someone with the power to take him off the con's guest roster, he finds a contact number online for ExcelsiCon's founder, Elle's late father. He contacts Elle instead and they start to bond over texts about sci-fi and family problems, but neither can tell the other who they really are.

I finished this book earlier this month, so another book held this slot until about week and a half ago. Ever since seeing Hillery Duff and Chad Michael Murray in A Cinderella Story as a girl, I'm a sucker for modern fairytale retellings. Poston writes one of the best. It's got all the right character elements of a Cinderella story and so masterfully weaves a split narrative together. Additionally, it appeals to my geek heart with characters that are obsessed with sci-fi shows and fan conventions. The details on this fictional show and movie remake, wholeheartedly makes me want to read or see this fantasy world's story too. I now have a crush on Prince Carmindor and absolutely want to a geek charming of my very own, and if he happened to be a movie star, I think I'd be okay with that. 😉 Elle and Darien's inability to take control of their own lives at times annoyed me, but I think it's because it makes them so relatable. I would highly recommend Geekerlla by Ashley Poston for anyone who loves a modern Cinderella story.

View on Good Reads.

Read the plot summary post on Instagram

3. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

After her brother is missing in action fighting the war between Enva and Dacre, Iris drops out of school and takes a job as a typist for Oath Gazette to care for her mother. Roman has his future laid out in front of him by his influential father. He's to work for Oath Gazette, become a columnist so he can spread his father's propaganda, and marry the daughter of a wealthy man that he doesn't even know. At Oath Gazette, Iris and Roman have competed for each typing assignment, when a columnist position opens, they intend to compete for the job, but then Iris's mother dies. Suddenly, Iris knows her heart isn't in Oath, it's missing in action on the frontlines. She takes a job as a war correspondent to find her brother. When Roman learns how much his father is profiting from the war, he can't stay and follows Iris to the frontlines. Living in constant danger and seeing the true cost of war, they learn what is most import to them.

Overall, my impression is that this is a World War I novel, that the author realized wouldn't have been period accurate for a girl to be on the frontlines, so Ross changed it to a fantasy novel. The magical typewriter is the only magical element that has a strong impact on the first book in this duology. There is so much set up before this story truly gets into the action of the plot, but none of it is wasted. That expert writing is why this is one of my favorite reads of 2025. I picked this title up as part of a 12 Recommendations From 12 Friends Challenge this year. It's fantasy/romantasy. So, it's definitely not one I would usually read, but as I was looking it up, it was a well-loved YA book. I decided to give it a chance. For the first portion, I was bored as the story was slowing building the world and laying the foundation for the action later. I listened to it as an audiobook, and I was so confused after the first few chapters when the narrator went from having a female narrator to having a male narrator, but his smooth British accent kept me intrigued long enough for the story to get good. Before the book was over, I was hooked by Iris and Roman's love story. The way they were so devoted and caring toward each other. This reminds me that I need to read the second book still, because that ending was brutal. I was crying, but I won't say anymore.

View on Good Reads.

Read the full Review on Instagram

4. Hearts Overboard by Becky Dean

When Savannah's boyfriend calls her boring and dumps her on the final day of school, she has no idea how she's going to cope with the unexpected changes to her summer plan. At least she's got a week, while she's on an Alaskan cruise with her parents to figure something out. If only her school nemesis, Tanner wasn't going to be there, too, but it's for her mother's job and his mother works at the same company, so they are stuck with each other. Their parents ask them to get along for the week, and since the two of them are (somehow) the only teenagers on the boat, they end up spending a lot of time together. Tanner even offers to help her use the excitement of the cruse, to show her ex-boyfriend that she can be fun. As they embark on this adventure together, she learns that Tanner might not be as annoying as he seems.

This is just the sweetest, cleanest, contemporary romance I have read all year. Contemporary romance is one of my favorite genres and I am always looking for a fun clean one. Hearts Overboard by Becky Dean has a sprinkling of action, as Tanner and Savannah have Alaskan adventures and misadventures which only adds to their enemies-to-lovers plot. So many times, I was laughing out loud while I was eating my lunch at work. Actually, annoying Tanner proves to be a really nice guy, and Savannah gets out of over comfort zone as she feels safe with him. Savannah reads like she may be autistic, being obsessed with her routine and uncomfortable with anything that's different, however it is never mentioned. When I say this book was clean, there only an occasional byword of language, and the only physical interactions between the main characters were the occasional unromantic hand holding, and a couple kisses. Besides a bear attack, there's no other content that I would caution readers. It's the perfect romance for a clean read, I would say it's safe even for younger teens.

View on Good Reads.

Read the full review on Instagram

5. The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver

When a young woman, Sophie is abducted, her father hires a reward seeker and expert tracker, Colter Shaw. Shaw was raised in the wilderness and trained by his father as a survivalist. Skills which he now uses to find missing people. Tracking down Sophie leads Shaw to a bigger mystery, a madman imitating a video game villain, The Gray Man. In the video games players are stranded in a remote location and challenged to escape or die with dignity. Shaw's quest leads him to investigate video game makers, professional game streamers and obsessed fans living in their parents' basement. When another person is taken, it's a race against the clock to find a madman and save the next victim.

Over the past few years, I've gotten into reading thrillers, and this year I've read a few different adult thrillers. However, they often have unreliable and unlikeable main characters. This one is different. Colter Shaw is one of the kindest MMC's I've read. Always helping people, he gets paid in finder's rewards, but he never takes anything more. Also, he helps others along the way because it's the right thing to do, even when it's the hard choice. One thing that confuses me about this series is that the first book about a wilderness expert is in the concrete jungle and about video games. It doesn't make sense. There was never a dull moment, as he's hunting a killer racing the clock to find kidnap victims. I loved that this story started at the most exciting moment and then started over at the beginning. More thrillers need to start with a climatic and exciting moment. It may have also helped my enjoyment that this novel inspired the show, Tracker starring Justin Hartly. Hartley's best known for This Is Us, but he played the Green Arrow in Smallville before that. I will happily watch Oliver Queen in another action show.

View on Good Reads.

Conclusion

I reread last year's final conclusion before starting to write this one. Yet again, this list reflects my yearly reading habits, but when I compare it to last year's final five, I also see how my reading has changed. I'm reading more adult novels and thrillers this year. The 12 Recommendations from 12 Friends challenge has also pulled me out of my comfort zone. I read both Finlay Donvan and Divine Rivals for that. Somethings still haven't changed. I love a good, clean romance, or an exciting mystery I'm a sucker for a book that's inspired a TV show. And I will always talk about book crushes, probably more readily than real crushes.

Thank you to everyone for reading Fall Five Favorites this week. I am honored that you would take time out your busy reading schedule to read my bookish ramblings. Looking forward to some of the projects that I have in the work: I have a 300+ page first draft of a novel I wrote that I'm reading, so I can write a second draft. You can read the original opening for that on my blog here, although those characters are almost unrecognizable from the ones I have now. Other writings I'm looking to share include a huge backlog of fanfiction; I only have one published now. You can read it on Fanfiction.net by clicking here. Next Monday is also the final Monday of the month, which means I will be writing a Love Your Library post. You can check out August's post here. Finally, join me on Instagram in October for a third year of October Mysteries and Thrillers. Additionally, if you read about my 12 Recommendations from 12 Friends books and thought that would be a neat challenge to join, I will be putting together an Instagram engagement group for 2026, comment on this IG post if you'd like to join.

I'll close this blog and challenge by once again thanking our gracious hosts, Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary, and Rebekah of Read Another Page for putting this all together. I would also like to thank all the bloggers and authors who are offering their stories and monetary support to this blogging challenge's giveaway and final day freebies. I would like to commend the other bloggers who have been sharing their own favorites and thank them for being so supportive this week. I have been reading what of their blogs I can, and will continue to read the other blogs, until I've seen everyone's. Until we blog again!

What are your favorite reads of 2025?