It took me longer to get into the 3rd book in the Loyal League series than any of the others. Janeta's perspective was hard to read, as a mixed race Cuban woman initially spying for the Confederecy who didn't understand the horrific system she was helping to perpetuate while also falling victim to. That said, her journey was handled with thoughtfulness and honesty that I think is important to show, and I was eventually fully swept up in the story.

A recently escaped counter-intelligence operative for the Union and a botanist helping him hide right under the noses of the Sons of the Confederacy fall for each other despite the danger in the second book of Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series. This was my favorite of the series. I loved Marlie and Ewan so much.

I really enjoyed Six of Crows but was less a fan of Ninth House so I'd been undecided on picking this one up before getting it on my #AuldLangSpine list from @Laughterhp . It took me a moment to get into it but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting of the Spanish Inquisition was great for a historical fantasy book, and I really loved the character of Santangel. @monalyisha

I've been so caught up by Alyssa Cole's Civil War historical romance series. I love the care toward historical accuracy, especially about a time as painful as the Civil War in the US, and I love the many different aspects / perspectives of that time that she gives us. In the first book, a spy for the Loyal League with an eidetic memory and a Pinkerton detective fall for each other despite all the risks and obstacles standing in their way.

Getting into the last of Alyssa Cole's Loyal League romances and finally starting one of my #AuldLangSpine picks from @Laughterhp @monalyisha

#WeekendReads

#WeekendReads

What are your most anticipated releases of 2025? I have so many.

https://bookriot.com/most-anticipated-books-of-2025/

My first read of 2025 by one of my favorite authors of 2024! Elizabeth Lavenza's story is centered in this Frankenstein retelling full of dark machinations and obsessive relationships. As a Frankenstein lover, I adored it and fully endorse this retelling.

Madness was my last novel of 2024. It took me a few months of on and off reading to get through it because of its sheer density and the difficulty of its subject matter. The history of mental illness and asylums is horrifying to begin with, and when segregation and racism are added into the mix, that horror is only compounded. It was an edifying read, though, and I'm glad to have read it for the greater context and understanding I have now.

That'll do it. I read and reviewed 4 cute little picture books yesterday on Netgalley, leaving my total books in 2024 at a nice even 140. I try to focus more on the quality and joy of my reading than a number total, and 2024 was a great year for me. I had 15 5 star reads and 101 4 star reads. Not too shabby! I'm hoping 2025 brings me just as many great books!

I was really torn between advancing James or Sorcery and Small Magics in my bracket, but I knew it was a bit of a moot point in the end since The Stars Too Fondly has long since been my favorite book of the year. Doing a book bracket is always such a fun way to track yearly reading. Thanks for putting this one together @CSeydel #BookBracket2024

Anyone else trying to finish a few last books before the New Year? I'm determined to get through the tagged book, which I've been working on for several months. It's a hard read, both in subject matter and density. (I had to take a break after reading about forcibly electroshock and lobotomies today.) Still, it's the kind of information that is important to have a record of, and I'm grateful for Hylton's work to preserve it. #WeekendReads

#WeekendReads

This was fine, it just wasn't geat--and it should've been. A guy who finds out he's a prince a la Princess Diaries gets etiquette lessons from a gay prince from a controlling family, and the two fall for each other. I wish this was as good as the premise, but the execution was somewhat lacking.

This was a cute collection of Christmasy romance short stories, some more festive than others. My favorites were Ali Hazelwood's friends to lovers story and Alexis Daria's short story about two neighbors realizing they each liked each other at a holiday party. No total standouts but a fun overall collection.

This was a fascinating read about some of the creepier early Christmas traditions and folklore that dissapeared from the holiday for many around the time of the Victorians. Clegg covered lore from Krampus to the Icelandic Christmas Witch Gryla, debunking myths about the origins of many of these figures along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the history of these holiday traditions and would absolutely read more in a similar vein.

My jolabokaflod present from @sebrittainclark . Very excited to read this new-to-me novella!

I've got a really random mix going this weekend #WeekendReads

If you're looking for a good holiday romance novel this December, these LGBTQ romances are just the thing!

https://bookriot.com/2024-lgbtq-holiday-romance-novels/

An adorable house swap Christmas rom-com with barely any drama. Bea and Clover each need a change of pace for the holidays--but they weren't expecting to fall in love while they were at it! This was such a sweet romance. Definitely a new holiday favorite for me.

A teen with a head full of dark fairy tales struggles with his mental health and a crush on his best friend. But when danger encroachs from the forest, it's only the two of them against a never ending deluge of monsters. This was so wonderfully dark and twisty. Reminded me of Wilder Girls just a bit, and I think it may be the best asexual rep I've ever read! Wasn't totally taken with the ending, which felt abrupt, but it was still incredible.

Here are my picks for the 5 best historical fiction published this year. Are there any others you would add?

https://bookriot.com/the-best-historical-fiction-of-2024/

This adorable witchy Christmas / Yule romance follows a reclusive witch and the human artifact hunter he really shouldn't get involved with. When a spell sends them both back in time, though, they'll have to confront their pent up feelings and figure out how to make it back to the present before their time is up. Super cute, and I had no trouble following it even though it's the third in a series I haven't read.

A second chance romance between two men whose marriage is on the rocks. But will saving Christmas save their marriage too? When they mistake Santa for an intruder, Quinn and Patrick knock him out, leaving the world without a Santa Claus on a Christmas Eve. Now, they'll have to take over to save Christmas. This was a cute read. I especially enjoyed the fantasy aspects of life at the North Pole and all the Santa Claus lore.

Leila, thank you so much for my #StuffedStockingSwap ! The mug and hot chocolate are perfect, and I don't even think I mentioned loving hazelnut but I do! I don't know how I haven't read either of these beautiful fantasy books yet but I'm so excited to have a good reason to now! Can't wait to use all the cute stickers in my journal, too. It's all perfect. Thank you so much @Catsandbooks and thank you @Avanders for putting this swap together!

I'm saving my #stuffedstockingswap package as a treat for once I finish all my work today. So looking forward to opening it tonight! @Avanders

Exes get a second chance in this Sapphic Christmas romance. Charlotte and Brighton haven't talked since the day they were supposed to get married. Now, 5 years later, they've both spending the holidays with friends who happen to be sisters-- and instead of explaining their past, they pretend they don't know each other at all. This wasn't my favorite Ashley Herring Blake romance, but I'm glad she's branched out into the world of holiday romance.

This book was everything I want in a historical fiction book. A young woman in post-WWI England makes a bold new friends running Hazelbourne's Motorcycle and Flying Club who changes her life. It's a book about class and war and pandemics and societal change and feminism and racism/ xenophobia and so many other things. I absolutely adored it.

My #StuffedStockingSwap package arrived today! Can't wait to open it @Avanders

One last wild travel day. I usually get a lot of reading done on airplanes but entertaining a toddler has really gotten in the way of any reading time 😅 ##WeekendReads

I found the beginning of this book a bit too focused on the minutiate of guild functioning and the wool industry in a way I was having trouble getting invested in. But once the relationship between Matti and Luca started to develop that's when things really got interesting. I didn't love this as much as The Last Binding trilogy, but it was still a solid 4 star read.

So excited to be paired up with @Laughterhp for the first time since my first #AuldLangSpine back when it was still called #NewYearWhoDis ! There are a lot of interesting books on the list, including several that were on my TBR. I decided these four will be my top priorities for January. Can't wait to start!

Thanks so much for all your hard work to put this event together @monalyisha ! You're a Litsy rockstar.

What a gorgeous sapphic Beauty and the Beast retelling with fantasy and sci-fi elements. A scholar sacrificed to a dragon realizes her life isn't over when instead of eating her the dragon tells her she will serve as a tutor to her children. But the palace the dragon lives in is a relic of the Vanishers who ravaged this land and left behind deadly diseases. If she's not careful, the dragons may not be the most terrifying thing she faces.

Cant believe its the last #bookspinbingo of the year! I've got a lot of holiday romances on my board to get in the Christmas spirit @TheAromaofBooks

I had so many 5 star reads in November that I filled out both my bonus slots in addition to my Nov pick! James, Hell Folows With Us, and Lucy Undying all made their way to the bracket.

#BookBracket2024 @CSeydel

Told in the voices of the murdered Indigenous women from an El Salvador community, The Volcano Daughters follows sisters kidnapped at the whim of their father, step-mother, and the supernatural-obsessed dictator, El Gran Pendejo. Forced to take part in his regime, the sisters do their best to survive a country determined to erase their Indigenous roots. Heartbreaking and beautiful, revealing a horrifying history I knew nothing about.

The story we learn of Sacajewea glorifies her but leaves out all the horrifying truths about how she came to be on the expedition. As a girl, she's taken and sold to a white man, pregnant with his baby by twelve. Earling's writing is sparse and evocative but may be off-putting for some. I loved how it changed and shifted as Sacajewea was exposed to new people and ideas and languages, though. The writing really brought the story to life.

Playing review catchup today. When their youngest daughter goes missing in Maine during berry picking season, all the members of a Mi'kmaq family are left reeling, with consequences cascading down the years. But they aren't the only ones with questions. Norma has always known her parents kept secrets, but when her mothers worsening dementia reveals the worst one of all, her entire life is brought into question. A haunting read.

If you haven't read this book yet, what are you doing? It's on every best-of list this year for a reason. Jim from The Adventures of Huck Finn, who actually prefers James, finally gets to tell his own story. It's subversive and brilliant. Read it.

My cozy #WeekendReads . Things are finally getting wintery in Arkansas so I am staying bundled up this weekend.

A wintery new #WeekendReads !

My #StuffedStockingSwap package is on its way @Avanders

My favorite reading event of the year! #AuldLangSpine @monalyisha

Check out Book Riot's Best Books of 2024, and scroll down for my pick, The Stars Too Fondly. How many have you read? How many are on your tbr? I'm curious.

https://bookriot.com/best-books-2024/

The younger Christmas Prince is forced to make nice with obnoxious prince of St. Patrick's Day when some of Christmas's joy is stolen. If only Loch didn't barrel right through all of Kris's carefully built defenses of diplomacy and politeness. It's enemies to lovers yall, what can I say? Then drama felt a little more contrived at the end than in the first book, but I'm still thoroughly enjoying these royal holiday rom-coms!

I've been jumping between a lot of books recently (this isn't even all of them) but I'm primarily focusing on The Lost Journals of Sacajewea and The Fox Maidens today #WeekendReads

A new #WeekendReads background for November. Whatcha reading?

Coffee shop reading

Went to pick up a bunch of holds from the library (research for some BR end of the year lists) and couldn't help snagging one bonus book and checking out the gorgeous new art they've added in a recent (and on-going) remodel

When Coal, heir to the Christmas throne, is forced into an engagement with his best friend, the Easter Princess, he doesn't see any option other than to go along with it. Then he meets the Halloween Prince. What an adorable fantasy holiday romance. I love an ovwrdramatic king, and Coal is that on steroids. Obsessed with this book and the whole premise of holiday royals so much that I'm already reading the sequel.