I Read 50 Books and Now I Talk About Them

 I didn't think I'd reach such a lofty goal again in adulthood, 50 whole books in a year! (Grad school certainly didn't give me such free time), but perhaps there are joys to months of unemployment. I may not reach such a goal again, especially once I have kids. But for now I have managed to read 50 whole books and I plan to read a few more before the year is done, so let's go over what I have delved into so far. Since 50 is kind of a lot of books I will simply be presenting you the cover, title, and author, the rating out of five stars, and some very brief thoughts (spoiler free of course)ss. I will be starting with the book I finished first and go in chronological order up until the book that marked my challenge officially met. Let's get right into it.

~1~

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume IV by Matthew Mercer, Jody Hauser, and Noah Hayes

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Started off the year with a graphic novel for the campaign I have barely gotten into, I think I'm on episode 26 ish? I hear the animated show is great, I love meeting the characters in graphic novel form and the fourth one in the series is pretty decent. Might be a more niche pick if you're not into DnD. 

~2~

Medusa by Ayana Gray

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I picked this book up for two reasons: 1) Greek Mythology retelling so cool and 2) Stunning cover and sprayed edges. I really liked this retelling, wasn't completely sold on all the plot choices the author made, would have liked a little more character growth, the ending was a bit abrupt, but still enjoyed it. 

~3~

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Listened to parts of this on audiobook. Was nice to learn more about ancient history since it's not one of the areas Ive studied much at all, a little theory heavy at parts but it's not like anyone truly knows what cause the Bronze Age collapse and I think Cline has a solid premise, skipped around a little bit on some parts which could make it harder to follow. 

~4~

Pompeii - The Life of a Roman Town by Mary Beard 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Bought this in Italy after visiting the actual ruins and it took me a while to get through. Always a big fan of Mary Beard, her books can feel a bit dense in parts but always fascinating. Good overview of different aspects of life in Pompeii from social life to gender roles to taxation and religious practices, highly recommend. 

~5~

Boleyn Traitor (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #11) by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

I was most of the way through the Plantagenet and Tudor series when Gregory put out this novel so of course I had to get to it straight away. Gregory already explored Jane Boleyn's experience in The Boleyn Inheritance but the Jane Boleyn of this novel is a different character, more fleshed out, more actionable. However, I didn't like this novel quite as much as others in the series and that may be partly because I already read about her in the last novel but also the plot was somewhat slow and I wasn't convinced by this novel that Jane's story needed its own book (which is the whole premise for Gregory writing this in the first place). Still, I love the overall series too much to dislike it too much. 

~6~

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I read The Lunar Chronicles about a decade ago and have been a big fan of Marissa Meyer's work since then, so of course I ran to pick up this new novel and read it right away (which is unusual for me, I usually take a couple of years to read a book I bought brand new at release date). This novel is a retelling of the bluebeard wife-killer fairytale and it was overall good fun, good pacing, and likeable characters. I felt the plot started going off the track a little bit towards the end but otherwise it was a good time. 

~7~

The Queen's Fool (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #13) by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

This was the only book in the Plantagenet and Tudor series that featured a completely fictional character as the main character and so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it as much but I was pleasantly surprised! This is easily one of my favourite books in the entire series, Hannah Green really grew on me and I was so invested in her own story just as much as her bearing witness to real historical events. Highly recommend. 

~8~

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

This nonfiction history book discusses the life of Hatshepsut, a woman who became pharaoh of Egypt. Cooney covers Hatshepsut's girlhood, her marriage and motherhood in her early teens, and how she slowly consolidated power and influence to seize the throne of Egypt even with a viable but too young male heir waiting in the wings to take his throne. Given the 

~9~

Fighter, Worker, and Family Man: German-Jewish Men and Their Gendered Experiences in Nazi Germany, 1933-1941 by Sebastian Huebel

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Honestly can't rave about this book enough, in fact, I loved it so much I wrote a book review of this work which was accepted for publication in the University of Toronto's Journal of History, due to be published any day now. (Small brag? It has been a rough year, let me have this one small thing). But I digress. This book is one of the very few works examining the gendered experiences of men (women's history automatically gets classified as a "gendered" experience in a world where the masculine and male is seen as the standard and the lens of gender is almost exclusively applied to "deviation" from said standard, i.e. the experiences of women or queer men). Huebel's work examines the intersectionality of gender and race (male and Jewish in this case) and how this uniquely shaped German Jewish men's experiences as the Nazi Regime took power and consolidated it into the war years. But please don't be put off by my academic terminology, this book is actually pretty accessible to non-scholars, though at least a background knowledge of Nazi Germany or the Holocaust certainly helps. 

~10~

A Court of Silver Flames (ACOTAR #5) by Sarah J. Maas

⭐☆☆☆☆ 1/5 Stars

Whew, where to start on this one? FIRST OFF, don't come for me if this is your favourite series of all time and I'm clearly the worst person on earth to rate it so low (we don't all have to like the same things). I read Throne of Glass back when the books were still being published (why yes I do prize my OG covers), TOG became one of my all-time favourites so of course I had to read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series next and admittedly I did not like it as much, though enough to keep reading it. I had ACOSF sitting on my shelf since release day (busy with school) and finally got around to it and imma be honest, it was a drag. It was 700 pages of filler and 100 pages of "finally some actual action!" (outside of the bedroom I guess, that's a whole separate issue). No I'm not a prude, I am just very much not into Maas' sex scenes (why is everyone growling and biting? Ew.) and also I personally think Nesta and Cassian don't have that much chemistry. And you know what? I actually liked the quest part of this book but it was horribly overshadowed by everything I didn't like. I might keep going with the series, though Bloomsbury is definitely putting me off by changing the covers AGAIN---I figured okay the first four in OG covers match but the spinoff from ACOSF onward will match to each other at least.... right? Nope. That too might be a whole separate rant. 

~11~

Island of the Blue Dolphins (Island of the Blue Dolphins #1) by Scott O'Dell [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

I read this book as a kid and really liked it (still do) and mainly read it again because at some point I was gifted the sequel and wanted to refamiliarize myself. It is still everything I once loved it for, poignant, emotional, well-paced, and centred on a character you can't help but feel everything with. Honestly no notes, its a must-read. 

~12~

The Virgin's Lover (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #14) by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Continuing on with the Tudor series, this book is from the perspective of Elizabeth I's advisor William Cecil, and Robert Dudley (alleged lover of Elizabeth I) and Dudley's wife, Amy Robsart. I thought the choice to talk from a man's persepctive (when everything has been so very women-centred for all of the Plantagenet-Tudor books) A lot of people hated this book for how unlikable Gregory's Elizabeth is (the issue of readers needing "likable" characters needs to be dissected another time). I didn't hate it, I didn't necessarily love it. I think Gregory did a good job of presenting all of the characters as flawed but real and even sympathetic at times. I was engaged the whole time but it just wasn't quite 5 whole stars, it lacked a little bit of something I can't quite put my finger to right now. 

~13~

Zia (Island of the Blue Dolphins #2) By Scott O'Dell

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Another book a lot of readers didn't really like (mostly because it didn't give them the ending they wanted which I think is unfair in an of itself but especially when the ending was based on historical evidence in a book that is based on said historical people). Also if you need a happy ending, I definitely do not recommend Scot O'Dell, his stories will break your heart. I thought the story was sweet, raw, and classic Scott O'Dell in every way but I was not as into the book as its precursor, hence 4 not 5/5 stars. 

~14~

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Marissa Meyer

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

I've had the Gilded duology on my shelf for quite a while and finally had the time and energy to tackle it. I love the premise (a German fantasy fairytale setting for a retelling of Rumplestiltskin). I liked the characters well enough, I was invested in the story, I liked the setting and the premise, but the execution lacked a little bit. Parts of the book dragged and felt like excessive filler (the duology could probably have just been one book). It fell flat in a few places and I felt like Meyer had a really good idea but didn't quite know how to bring it to life; maybe some ideas need to marinate a bit longer before they are typed up and published. 

~15~

The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

This novella-prequel-short-story-collection might actually be my favourite in the Throne of Glass series. I got my husband to read the series (starting with Throne of Glass) of course but it had been a while since I read the series myself and I wanted to be able to discuss the books with him (and also felt the itch to read them again) so I started chronologically this time, listening to the same soundtrack as I did the first time I read them (highly recommend having a specific playlist for certain series). Anywho, love it, love it, love it, love this series. 

~16~

How to Behave Badly in Elizabethan England: A Guide for Knaves, Fools, Harlots, Cuckolds, Drunkards, Liars, Thieves, and Braggarts by Ruth Goodman

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

I mean if that title alone doesn't pique your interest I don't think much does. It seemed appropriate to add this to my reading this year given I was still working my way through Philippa Gregory's Tudor series, and I am just generally interested in this time period. This book is about social conventions, how they were flouted, and what that reveals about the values of Elizabethan England. You don't need a history degree to read this book and if you are at all interested in social history (the history of the every day and of ordinary people and their lives and values) then I highly recommend this book. 

~17~

The Last Tudor (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #15) by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Another excellent addition to this series. The book is split into three perspectives, each featuring one of the Gray sisters, First, Lady Jane Gray (famously, perhaps infamously, Queen of England for a mere nine days before being ousted by Mary I and who became a Protestant martyr after her execution); second Katherine Gray who also faced the ire of her cousin Queen Mary I and who spent most of her cousin's reign in the Tower of London or under house arrest, and thirdly the youngest, Mary Gray, who also got in trouble with her cousin the Queen (this time Elizabeth I). I think The Last Tudor does an excellent job of exploring the rivalry, fear, bitterness, jealousy, entitlement, and pain that plagued the Tudor dynasty where family and politics were one and the same. 

~18~

Cursed (Gilded #2) by Marissa Meyer 

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

The Conclusion to the Gilded duology was about the same as the first book. I was invested enough in the characters and plot to keep going and find out what happened to everyone and how the story would end but there was once again a lot of filler and just fluff that could have been taken out to make the duology one good book instead of two meh works of eh. I liked Cursed more than Gilded but it felt a bit disjointed and the ending felt a bit forced. 

~19~

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) By Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Oh how I loved being back in Rifthold, in the glass castle, among old friends in Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol. Again, no notes, love this series. 

~20~

The Betrothed (The Betrothed #1) by Kiera Cass

☆☆☆☆☆ 0/5

On Goodreads I had to give it one star cause I couldn't go lower but this was truly abysmal, worst book i've read in a good long while, maybe ever. Utter trash (and not even enjoyable trash, just a stinking pile of absolute nothing). I have a review on Goodreads I plan to post on here at some point, I will link it here and move on cause yikes. 

~21~

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

I heard nothing but good things about this book (and the audiobook narrated by John Green himself) and they were all correct, this is an excellent book. It covers both the history, how the disease was viewed in art and literature, how it was treated in the past, treatment today, and how the disease still affects people today and the barriers for the poor and marginalised in receiving the care they so desperately need for this deadly but treatable disease. The biggest takeaway is a reminder that Johnson & Johnson is a greedy evil company whose price-gouging directly kills those who need this treatment the most. 

~22~

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I kept my original read-through 4/5 star rating but one my second read it was probably closer to a 5/5, a Fable 4.5/5 if you will. The book mainly bridges the story told in Throne of Glass to the later books and you can see how some of Maas' early vision for the series changes and develops as the series takes on a life of its own. 

~23~

The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I started reading this series a couple of years ago and wasn't overly enthused with the first couple of books and took a long long break (again, got busy with other things). In the end I decided it would be good to at least finish this off and I actually liked this one a lot more than the previous books

~24~

The Tyrant's Tomb (The Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Went right from the third book and into the fourth, Apollo (sorry, Lester), and Meg really grew on me and it was great so see some of the characters from Camp Jupiter again. This was a really good addition to this series, had some heartbreak in it as well and important character moments that flesh out Riordanverse

~25~

The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

Clearly I was on quite a roll because I went straight to the conclusion of this series after books 3 and 4. This one didn't quite live up to the standard I had come to expect after the last two books, some plot choices and character moments were just not that great, but I didn't dislike it either, it was okay.

~26~

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal (The Trial's of Apollo #4.5) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

I sort of missed that this was a novella between books 4 and 5 of The Trial's of Apollo series but I got to it after. It was fine, it added a little something (but only a little) to the bigger storyline, my main issue was that it was written a bit more juvenile than the rest of that series, less middle-grade and almost more early reader level. Again, it was "okay."

~27~

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Previously my favourite book in the series on my first read-through, as the first book in the series with a big battle it is still one of my top. Nothing much else to say, pretty good. 

~28~

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I have so many classics still to read and I get through or two here and there, this was decently high on my list. I think it was an interesting tale, I'm not necessarily (okay, not at all) someone to read classic dystopian tales as cautionary or something I need to take to heart, so I'm rating it mainly on how much I liked the story, how much I was invested in the characters and plot, how thought-provoking I found the tale, And on those points, I quite liked the tale, I think it would give me inspiration if I was ever to delve into writing my own dystopian fiction. 

~29~

The Other Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #16) by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

We get at last to the end of those series which I started almost three years ago for a seminar on historical fiction. I kinda wished Gregory had gone with Mary Queen of Scots' perspective on events and maybe included more of what happened to her in Scotland. I know why she wanted to look at this through the eyes of Bess of Hardwick and her husband, Bess is a formidable character, a shrewd business woman who climbed the social ladder on nothing but wits and marriages. However, I think Mary Queen of Scots would just have been more interesting in this series, I would still love for Gregory to write a book from her perspective. Other than those personal gripes, the book was fine. It was a bit slow, I think focusing on Bess but only during the time she was guardian of the Queen of Scots was an odd choice, if you're gonna focus on Bess then focus on more of her life, commit to it. 

~30~

The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus #2.5) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

And back to the Riordanverse. This novella would have been better if I had read it when I actually read The Heroes of Olympus series back in High School, but it was still okay. Didn't love it but didn't dislike it either, probably best sandwiched into its series as a lil extra something.

~31~

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Camp Half-Blood Chronicles) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I read the Percy Jackson guide to Greek Heroes some years ago, and the artwork by John Rocco is absolutely stunning too. This was a very good introduction to the major gods and goddesses of Percy Jackson's ancient greek world, told, of course, in that sarcastic and witty style we all love. 

~32~

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

This is where the story really begins to pick up, I think I even liked it better on my second read than my first but it is still a decent amount of filler and for that it stays at four stars out of five. 

~33~

The Chalice of the Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures #1) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

The first in a new trilogy (the third is set to be published next year) and it started off really well; love the premise, love getting back to Percy Jackson as he grows up, honestly highly recommend.

~34~

The Ratline: The Exalted Life and Mysterious Death of a Nazi Fugitive by Philippe Sands

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Full stars for this book because it is well-written, the interviews well done, the history well-researched. The only thing that annoyed me (to no detriment of this book) was the constant downplaying done by the titular Nazi Fugitive's son who simply cannot live with the idea that his father was an evil Nazi and I personally have no patience for such nonsense; I too love my father very much but if he turned out be a nazi-sympathiser let alone in charge of deportations and shootings, I think that probably kill off my sympathy pretty quickly. At any rate, I don't fault the guy for loving his dad or struggling to reconcile actions with the man he knew, but even worse he asserts that his dad was actually "helping" Jews and that others would have been worse.... give me a break man. Anywho, all this is to say, this book might make you angry, but it's still very good, if you're interested in this sort of topic---admittedly it's not as accessible to those who have to background nor interest in this period, this is not introductory, it assumes some knowledge of events discussed. 

~35~

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Speaking of books and history that will make you mad, how about the tale of a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery which he is unable to escape for over a decade? This true story, written by the man himself, covers the 12 years Solomon spent in chains and in fields, the work he did, the enslaved people he met, the observations he made, the steps he took to get his freedom back. I think what upset me most was reading this account knowing the Trump administration (and Republicans generally) have been trying to cover up this history, have waved it aside, or have even honoured the men (Confederates) who fought in a war to retain their "right" to own and abuse other human beings. Occasionally I see a Confederate flag flown here in Ontario and I wonder what witless individual decided putting that up was a good idea. (And while I'm on this rant, I don't wanna hear nothing about it being "heritage," the Third Reich lasted longer than the Confederacy and you don't see me flying the swastika in my yard, hell at just over fours years of Confederacy, my bachelor's degree lasted longer than that, I've had crackers sitting in my pantry longer than that). 

~36~

 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

Another retelling of Ancient Greece, this one centred on Achilles and told from the perspective of his beloved Patroclus. Overall, it was fine. I think retellings really need to do something different in order to stand out, and I felt this book didn't really do that. It was a retelling sure but of course predictable, and not a lot of character growth for anyone nor did anything particularly stand out, pretty middling. 

~37~

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Action, heart-break, alliances, epic battle, magic, romance, it has everything you could have ever asked for, love this book. (Also I tandem read this with ToD).

~38~

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Honestly tandem read is the way to go on a second read-through (I didn't tandem read on my first read-through because this book had not been published yet when I read EoS). Also I know a lot of people dislike this book or Chaol, but I always really enjoy it and I think the book is vital for the conclusion, I would definitely advise against skipping it, even if you are rereading the series. 

~39~

Looking for Alaska by John Green

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

My dear husband spoiled the main thing that happens in this novel because he assumed everyone had studied it in grad nine English like he did (not so my love); but I still really enjoyed this book even though it is not something I read too often (I really do need to get into coming-of-age novels). 

~40~

Ephesians: Growing in Christ by Lydia Brownback

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

Counting this book even though it was mainly a study guide with questions which I completed in a lady's bible study. It was a meh guide insofar as the questions were often vague or hard to understand and some of her points were a bit convoluted, we didn't hate it but it wasn't the greatest guide either.

~41~

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

I had this book on my TBR for quite a while and then found a hardcover version of it while thrifting. I really liked this story, I liked the characters, I think it was a story that needed telling (in light of several very real similar stories hitting the news at the time this book was written and published); honestly the only thing keeping it from five stars was that some of the storyline began to drag after the first half and the plot didn't seem to really be there in some sections. Still, I highly recommend it. 

~42~

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

The thrilling and epic conclusion (that also drags a little teeny bit). I think Maas was slightly milking it for page count on this one, it took a little too long for the real action to happen and I always wonder if money plays a role in lengthening books excessively in this way when the story doesn't really need it. Still, as I said, I love this series. 

~43~

Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures #2) by Rick Riordan

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

Unfortunately I expected more from this novel given how good the first book in this little series was. The plot is fine but Riordan went overboard on the bathroom humour that I guess he thought would really cement this as a favourite with young readers? The problem was it seemed to come out of nowhere, his other books, even the first in this series, do not have that same tone and style and it made me wonder if he just couldn't come up with anything else (or good) to flesh out this second installment.

~44~

Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern by Mary Beard

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Another history book that I wouldn't necessarily recommend to those without a background in history (either through schooling or interest and lots of reading on the topic), but for those with this background, especially if you are interested in how the caesars have been interpreted throughout the centuries, this is for you. The book is not about the caesars or who they were or how they lived (and died) rather it is about their memory and their depictions and legacy---it is heavy on the historiography which might make it a rather niche read even for those with an interest in this topic. 

~45~

Normal Women: Nine Hundred Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

A history book? On women's history? By one of my favourite authors? I could not have been more sold on this. It's a fairly big tome but decently chronological and organized by topic. It is also rather depressing but that's because reading hundreds of pages of how women's have been treated at best as second-class citizens and at worst as "deformed-men with too many hormones" who should be owned and feared will probably do that to you. Not every aspect is depressing, but one generally gets the sense that being a woman in England at any point after the Norman invasion is pure misery. In that sense, I don't entirely agree with Gregory's perspective, but it was still a decent and well-researched work.

~46~

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1) by Jenny Han

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Well I did say I have to get into more coming-of-age stories and I picked up this trilogy on a whim. I also really liked Jenny Han's other series, To All The Boys I've Loved Before and needing something a bit lighter to get me back into reading after a July reading slump. This book was easy to read, likeable, and the cover being pretty didn't hurt either. 

~47~

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

I've been meaning to reread The Hunger Games for a couple of years, especially as I still had to read the two prequels that were published while I was still busy with university. I finally took the plunge and got through this very quickly. I missed dystopian fiction quite a lot and I honestly forgot how good this one was, absolutely full stars. 

~48~

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins [Reread]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Sometimes the middle book of a trilogy is slacking because it far too many cases it is simply a filler for getting to the third and final book but not here, once again the novel is fantastic from start to finish and the trilogy could not stand without it. 

~49~

It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2) by Jenny Han

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 Stars

Once again a pretty decent and easy read, nothing epic but also not too bad, I liked where the story was going and the developments in plot and character growth.

~50~

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 3/5 Stars

It was a toss up on whether by 50th book would be the conclusion to the Summer series or The Hunger Games. In hindsight the latter would have been a better end because the Summer conclusion (belly)flopped and hit its head on the way down. Honestly it was closer to a 2.5 than a 3, it was just a bit of a mess and the conclusion was pretty awful too. Still liked the overall series and the covers are pretty but not the best end, I don't think it was meant to be a trilogy. 

~~~

Whew! That was a whole lot of books (and kind of took forever to write up and I am now very behind on my chores). For now, that is all.

Cheers to reading a few more books before the year is done.🍹

The Rediscovering of a Blog

I forgot about this little ole blog, this small corner of the internet that I once staked a small claim to. Now I did not forget I had ever had a blog, but I had forgotten this particular one, the one I wanted to dedicate to reading and writing and I have rediscovered it after eight long years because the urge to share my thoughts on reading and writing (even if there is no one to read my thoughts) was so strong I returned to this blogosphere and here I found I had once possessed that same urge years ago. At least that much has not changed, but almost everything else in life is almost unrecognisable (but in a good way, I assure you). 

In 2018 I was only 18 years old, I had just started working at a restaurant where I would be employed for nearly half a decade, I had not yet had my first kiss, I hadn't visited Germany where I had emigrated from at the age of 7 over a decade earlier, I hadn't started university yet, in fact I had barely started applying for programs. This still a teenager's world, a pre-covid world, a world I felt I had barely travelled, and all that changed not long after I simply phased the blogging out of my life. Perhaps I simply outgrew it for a time. 

Now it is the summer of 2026, I am a whole 26 years old, I write this from my reading chair in our designated "craft room" as my husband paints his minatures at a table (18 year old me definitely didn't dare to hope she'd find a husband!) and a good one too I'll have you know, so good and supportive in fact that he will be the first and perhaps only soul to read this, a captive audience out of equal parts duty and devotion. I went to university, twice in fact, because I did not know where life should go after my Bachelor's and like many academics, the allure of putting off real life with grad school was simply too much to resist. I did my BA in History and Medieval & Medievalism Studies (a double major) with a minor in English. My MA was in History with my focus on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. I've travelled more too, including to various sites of the Holocaust, both concentration and death camps, but more fun sites as well. To Berlin and London and Edinburgh and Krakow and Venice and Florence and more. I revisited the sites of my childhood in Germany, a month ago my husband got to see them too and practice the language he has worked so hard to learn for my sake.  

Throughout all this time and all these changes I still read and I still wrote. Innumerable volumes of diaries take up a box in our spare closet (okay maybe not truly innumerable but I surpassed twenty some years ago and haven't counted again since then); I've kept them since I was 12 and haven't missed a day since I was 18 at some point they no longer felt like a "silly" past time of teenage girls, at some point I got old enough that it was respectable to keep one again. Not that I ever stopped regardless of perception. Of course I wrote many essays in schools too and a Master's Research Paper, perhaps some will be posted here too. I'm not sure yet what I want this blog to be. I had thought briefly that perhaps I should have a bookstagram revived (I refuse to download tiktok and have another endless scrolling app in my life). But I don't think I'm suited to the world of social media, the world is too petty, too cruel even. I'd rather write my thoughts for the abyss of the blogosphere than deal with the influencer world of opinions without nuance. Besides, I am no natural in front of the camera, my place has always been in a reading chair in a corner, typing out my thoughts. After so many years of writing I almost think in the written word. 

Primarily, I think, this blog will be dedicated to my love of books. I've officially surpassed 1,000 books in my private collection and I'll be reading them still in my grave if I want to get them done before judgement day. For so many years my degrees and the books required for my studies took up most of my reading time, and if you will recall the focus of my studies, it was often a rather depressing lot. I still read books about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, there are books of interest I have not gotten to yet. Non-fiction history remains one of my main genres but since finishing up my MA almost a year ago it has felt good to return to the world of fiction and to reread some of my beloved series. Today I finished my 49th book of the year, my Goodreads reading goal is 50 so it looks like I will surpass it. (Don't be jealous, I was unemployed for much of this year, I am no better reader than anyone else). 

Speaking of work, I am currently employed in what I fondly like to refer to as a "nerd store." The kind that sells lots of board games and puzzles and collectibles and Warhammer and Magic the Gathering and yes, even books. It is right up my alley, perhaps those things too will feature on here occasionally--after all, who is gonna stop me? If I want to post a puzzle on my reading and writing blog you'll just to deal with it. History will probably come up as well, I'm technically an amateur historian now after all. So this blog is mainly about books, mainly about reading and writing but maybe it will also have a little bit of other things because it must have a little bit of me and a little bit of me delights in far too many hobbies. But reading is my one true love, always has been, always will be, I'll always come back for it.

Hi, I'm Alicia, and this is my blog and I think this is all I have to say for the moment. 

The Night -A Free Verse Poem

The Night

The night settles in slowly as the sun recedes into her western bed

Darkness creeps in from the east and paints the sky with stars

Dusk unites the fading daylight to the creeping shadows

Twilight peels back the curtain to the universe as the day-star takes her last bow

A glowing moon shines upon the sleeping earth

And a million stars sparkle in the deep night sky

The lunar cycle begins its ascend over the earth

And cool light dances over streams and seas

Celestial bodies twinkle in the sky, letting through the light of heaven

A guide of hope set up above, that the darkness cannot consume

The constellations play within the zodiac, a belt stretches across the vault

And navigators train their eyes, to dippers leading north to home

Summer breezes give way to the coolness of a world asleep

And all is tucked into its own, from cave to warren to house

And only the songs of crickets pierce the stillness of the night

Honeysuckle and lavender perfume the air with their sweet scent

Gardens full of flowers tuck away their blossoms at the departure of the light

Dreams of adventure and happiness abound in the minds of children

And thoughts of fun and friendships take root in peaceful sleep

All find solace in the comfort of routine

Deep slumber washes away the hardships of the day

Troubles to be conquered still, flee before newfound strength and hope

And promises of a new morrow comfort the broken

The countryside draws a new breath of life as

The pale light wanders listlessly over the the fields

The owl and the fox stalk their prey side by side

The tides obey the crescents beckoning

The leaves rustle and the grass stirs gently

And the moon and her patron hunt along beloved trails

The city-scape illuminates the sky, drowning out the dark

The city does not sleep but goes on ceaselessly till dawn

Time has no authority over its inhabitants

Like the waves upon the sea it moves ever forward

Peace and tranquility settle over land and sea

Midnight passes into the morning hours

And as dawn creeps upon the dewy fields

and drives away the dark of night

The day starts spirited and cleansed

And new experiences lie ahead

The Tales of Agrozan: An Excerpt

Over the summer I started writing a middle-grade novel for my siblings. The premise is about a young girl born in a different world (though she doesn't know it) but living in ours. The name of the other land (as you can tell by the title) is Agrozan. It all starts when when someone shows up at her apartment to take her back that a series of events unfold and she finds herself in the midst of a land in turmoil under the rule of an evil queen. (Everything is based off of Grimm's fairy tales, I especially liked to include the not-so-well-known ones).

I have not yet finished the novel (who has the time?) and it  is fairly rough so far, but I want to share the first part of it on here anyways.

Chapter One

I Fall Down a Fountain

My day started out fine, just like every other Saturday morning since I could remember. I slept in,
was rudely awakened by my cat Honey and had a bowl of cereal in front of the T.V. Just  a normal
twelve year old’s version of paradise because my parents had gone grocery shopping and so of
course I did what everyone does when they find themselves home alone: I turned up the thermostat
and watched T.V.; with the volume up as high as I pleased. No one to yell ‘Turn it down Samantha’!
I know I’m in trouble when my parents call me by my full name, you can call me Sam thank you very
much. Honey settled down on my legs and purred contentedly. I rummaged around my cereal bowl
for the last Lucky Charms marshmallows and set aside the rest, which Honey quickly dug into
himself (yeah I know it sounds like a girls name, I was a weird kid). I flipped through the available
channels. A dart throwing contest of two men sweating profusely as they threw their darts at the
board in front of a large audience. Did anyone seriously pay to see this live? Click. Some doctor
swearing by a weight loss pill, a yellow one this time, last weeks pink had caused some sort of
scandal. “Just once a day and your fat melts away!”. Judging from the doctor’s shirt buttons, which
were barely hanging on in an effort to accommodate his large beer-belly, Dr. Dan didn’t believe in
trying the pills himself. Click. A tennis match in progress. I loved watching tennis, mind you I had no
idea how the game actually worked. But I found it absolutely hilarious how into it the players got.
‘Ha!’. ‘Oof’. ‘Ha!’.
The ball bounced out of the field amongst polite claps from the audience. Click.
Throughout all of this I had the weirdest feeling that I was being watched, which is ridiculous because
Honey was asleep again and I didn’t have any siblings. On a whim I turned and looked out our
apartment window, my heart stopped. I could have sworn I saw a man looking into the room, a funny
little man with a long beard and round nose. Living on the 6th floor in the middle of a Minneapolis
high-rise building, it’s not everyday you find someone looking through your windows. I waited with
baited breath.
Should I call the police? Mom always said ‘Call 911 if the kitchen’s on fire’ or ‘Get
Mrs. Larson to help you if Honey dies again.’ (yeah that was quite a story too). She failed to mention
the protocol for dealing with small bearded men peeking through the living room window. Our fire
escape was on the other side by the kitchens which meant he was standing on the ledge below the
window. I turned off the television and crept closer to the spot I thought I’d seen him in, not sure how
I would react if he suddenly popped up again. Scream? Call the police? Mrs. Larson? Scratch that
last one, she would probably offer him her Swedish butter cookies and ask if he had any kids. I was
under the window now, should I look?
I debated for a minute, perhaps I was being silly. Maybe it was just a pigeon. The ugliest pigeon in
Minneapolis. ‘It’s like ripping off a bandaid’ I told myself. I stood up and looked out, and screamed.
The small man had come up at the exact same time, mouth wide open.
I think he was screaming too, though I was too busy using my own vocal chords to properly
note what he was doing with his. Suddenly he disappeared. Had he fallen? I ran to the window but
I couldn’t see over the ledge. Mumbling some words which would probably have gotten me grounded
I ran out of our apartment, making a mental note to throw a quarter in the swearing jar later. The jar
was half full so far, not my doing (well maybe just a little, mostly it was Dad). Mom made him put a
quarter in everytime he swore, but I’m pretty sure the jar wasn’t nearly as full as it should be. I got
down the hall and half the stairwell before regretting my rush out, I’d forgotten my shoes. Suppose
the funny little man (well kinda creepy little man) was dead?  I couldn’t take the chance. I made it
through the lobby and out the door on to the sidewalk. But there was no one there. No small-man-
pancake on the sidewalk, not even a dent in the flower beds. But there was a brick, which suspiciously
matched those of the ledge. I looked up, there was indeed a brick-sized gap below our living-room
window..

‘Looking for me?’

I spun around, there he was, leaning against the bike racks. I stared at him.

He was perhaps four feet tall, no more, his brown beard went past his belt. He was clad in all leather,
a small axe hung at his side. If you’ve ever seen a picture book with a dwarf in it, you know the kind,
they seem to be very generic.

‘You’re a dwarf!’ I sputtered.
Before remembering that that was not a polite thing to say. ‘Sorry. I meant little-person.’
Was that the proper thing to say? I couldn’t remember.

‘Little person?’ the dwarf looked at me. Then he laughed, a deep resounding bellow.
‘Har, har that’s a first!’ He wheezed. ‘Sorry she says! Little Person! Hee hee.’.
I waited for him to regain composure, I was sure little-person was better than dwarf.
‘Well it can’t be midget.’ I said half to myself, but I think the small man heard me, he stopped abruptly.
‘Nuh uh!’ he retorted, dead serious. ‘I’m a dwarf short and proud!’.
I stared at him, was he making fun of me? Was it sarcasm? A twinkle returned to the little man’s eye,
he started laughing again. ‘By the fairies she doesn’t believe me!’ he threw his head back and roared
with laughter. ‘Did you see that Gunnhild?’.
A raven materialized on the bike stand next to him. ‘Yes.’ It croaked solemnly.
‘She doesn’t know a thing.’.
That was kind of a rude thing to say, it’s not like I couldn’t tie my shoes by myself. I must still have
been staring because the Dwarf wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes and cleared his throat.
‘Let’s get straight to the point.’ he said. ‘You must be wondering why we’ve come now and who you
are and all that.’
I had in fact been wondering how he survived a six storey fall and was still in any condition to laugh
at me, and why he was here, and why he had a solemn raven named Gunnhild. Personally I’ve
always thought of Ravens as Edgards and Edwins or maybe Edwards and Edmunds. Don’t ask me
why. And I certainly had not been wondering who I was. I was 100% sure that my name was Sam
Lilton of apartment 47, floor 6, James Street Minneapolis. Just a regular twelve year old who liked
cupcakes and hated middle school with a burning passion.
‘No. Why aren’t you dead?’. I blurted out.
That was probably kind of a rude way to phrase it, but hey can you blame me after the scare he gave
me?
‘Ha what a girl.’ said the Dwarf with a chuckle, then to the Raven: ‘I’m beginning to like this one.’.
‘As opposed to the other ones?’ I asked.
Apparently this was a regular occurrence.
‘You catch on quick!’ the Dwarf said proudly.
I still wasn’t getting any answers.
‘So is this like your day job, climbing on people’s window sills then pretending to die so you can
laugh at them when they find you very much alive on the sidewalk?’.
I said it as a bit of a challenge, I was rather grumpy because I had just remembered that we had
some cake left in the fridge and if I could get back up before my parents came back I could have a
slice for breakfast to make up for the lack of marshmallows in my cereal.
‘We really should get going.’ the raven Gunnhild croaked to the Dwarf, ‘We can answer her questions
on the way there.’.
The raven disappeared, simply vanishing into thin air. Except in was June so the air was rather thick
and stuffy.
‘To answer your question, you scared me and I fell off your ledge.’ The Dwarf said. ‘You really ought
to me more considerate you know.’.
He wagged his finger at me like it was my fault he was up there in the first place.
‘How’d you survive?’. I asked, more curious than anything.
‘I’m a dwarf!’. The Dwarf answered proudly, as if that should explain everything.
‘Gee I forgot. Look my parents will be back any moment now and I have things to do.’
I racked my head for something. ‘Gotta feed the cat.’.
‘Looked plenty fat to me.’ the Dwarf laughed.
Let’s just say Honey had a healthy appetite for junk food.
‘Look mr-dwarf-whoever-you-are, only I get to insult my cat.’ I said in a low voice. ‘Good day!’.
With that brave exit I turned to find the door behind me locked. In my rush to get outside I’d forgotten
the key to the front door and our apartment door. And I still had no shoes. I turned to find the Dwarf
still standing by the bike rack, arms crossed, smile on his ugly face.
‘No key huh?’ He said somewhat smugly. ‘And I can’t imagine you’re as good a climber as I am.’
‘You fell off.’ I reminded him.
He shrugged, ‘Like I said, your fault.’.
I was getting more than grumpy, I was angry.
‘What do you want with me?!!’ I half-shouted, half-hissed the question at him.
He didn’t flinch.
‘Yup. Strong parentage.’.
He nodded to himself apparently satisfied that my anger had confirmed something. I had no idea
what he meant, my mom and dad were of the very average variety, both teachers at Jemison High
and except for the aforementioned swear jar it was a pretty boring life, the kind of boring all parents
want for their children.
‘Look kid this will go a lot easier if you just cooperate and come along peacefully.’

‘You’re a stranger.’ I said.
Really I simply didn’t feel like being told what to do by some man shorter than me who had the
audacity to say it was my fault he fell off a six storey ledge when I hadn’t asked him to be there in
the first place.

‘Name’s Fred.’ The Dwarf replied briskly. ‘You’re Sam. Now we’re not strangers. Come along.’. He
turned, apparently expecting me to follow.

I called after him. ‘How do you know my name?’.

‘You’re on my scroll.’ Fred called back.

I ran after him as fast as I could in my not-so-clean white socks. I caught up to him slightly out of
breath, I never liked exercise much and as a city kid I had no practise in going around without some
form of footwear.

‘I don’t have any shoes!’ I complained loudly.

‘That’s a shame.’ replied Fred, like it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I tried again.

‘Why do you have a scroll with my name on it? Where are we going? Am I going to be back in time
for dinner?’. Fred chose to only answer my last question.

‘Doubtful.’ he said.

‘Is this going to be one of those adventures like in books and movies?’.
‘Depends.’

‘On what?’

Fred stopped and I nearly ran into his backside. ‘Hey why’d you…’ before I could protest Fred
clapped a hand over my mouth and pulled me into an alleyway. I struggled but the Dwarf was
surprisingly strong.
‘Stop it!’ He hissed. I stopped. Fred un-clapped his hand from my mouth, which now tasted like steel
and earth. He kept me out of sight and held fast behind his back as he peered out into the street.
‘What is he doing here?’ He whispered to himself.

‘Who?’ I asked. Fred didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t, it was probably just another regular day
kidnapping kids who forgot their keys and shoes.

‘Ok I think he’s gone’. The dwarf gave the street one more scan and pulled me back out into the
daylight.

‘He?’

‘I’ll explain later’ said Fred.

‘Why can’t you tell me now!? And where are we going?’ I asked, anger creeping back into my voice.
I’m not sure why I was still following him, but the city had started to look unfamiliar and I wasn’t
sure how to get back on my own. How far had we walked? There was a hole in my sock, Mom
wasn’t going to be happy… Mom.

‘My parents are going to call the police when they find out I’m gone.’ I told the Dwarf defiantly.
‘Oh don’t worry about that.’ Fred replied calmly. ‘We left them a letter.’

‘I don’t think a ransom note is going to reassure them very much.’ I spat. Fred laughed. ‘Ha! You
are a smart one aren’t you? One of the cheekiest I’ve had in a while, they’re going to love you!’.

‘Who?’. I was starting to sound like an owl, I’m not sure why I bothered, of course Fred didn’t answer.

To be continued in a future post...

~*~