From the introduction: ...“today's fashionable hostility to empires“...

Sir, what? Am I about to read a book lauding everything the Roman Empire ever did...?

No possible question here -- Everything is Tuberculosis was my best book of March 2025. It's a topic I love a lot, of course, and Green's treatment of it is very readable and informative on a topic that people don't realise is still as vital as it is.

#12BooksOf2025 @TheEllieMo

This is fascinating, covering various lost sites and even whole towns in Wales that were demolished or abandoned mostly in the last 50 years. Some are known to my parents; some of the sites at least are known to me.

Given the timing and theme, the lack of inclusion of Capel Celyn feels odd. Maybe it was too similar to some of the other stories -- or too politically charged for ITV, where the documentary this is based on was aired.

I started on this on Christmas morning, while waiting for my wife to get up (we got to bed late because of Christmas prep, but I can't sleep in on Christmas morning). I was tearing through it, already pouting about the wait for the next volume because stuff won't be shipped for a few days...

Look what my sister-in-law (to be) got me for Christmas! Whew...

Feat. my “new old friend“, a little plush Hythlodaeus from FFXIV, which my wife got me. 😁

I waited way too long to read The City in Glass, but I always love Nghi Vo's work so it once again pips the Sarah Caudwell books I read in the same month to the post. The City in Glass is a strange fever-dream of a book, and beautiful.

#12BooksOf2025 @TheEllieMo

This was my only five-star book in January, so I think it takes this spot by default! Sarah Caudwell's Thus Was Adonis Murdered is a close runner-up, but I loved that this was a self-contained story with relatively personal stakes and small daily magics.

The way Tao's ability works and her attempts to pick out small, less-consequential fortunes (which nonetheless can tug on big threads despite her efforts) was fascinating.

#12BooksOf2025

Definitely some aspects of food history I had little knowledge of, but this one's a bit slow (or at least, it was for my tastes).

And that's my #DoubleSpin, and at least one line for #BookSpinBingo. Wooo.

My list was carefully planned to meet my reading goals, and I could technically complete it in the remaining time, but it's tight... and I'm in a mood reading moment.

I kinda still want to get a #BookSpinBingo blackout and complete #10BeforeTheEnd, but at the same time, a couple of new books are calling to me, and I don't think I can read those and manage the lists.

In the end I should go with my whim and not make reading a chore.

David Hone's books have all been most excellent for this dinosaur nerd, and Witton's illustrations help me picture what some of the speculations here would've looked like. I'm not particularly interested in the spinosaurids per se, but I enjoyed all this all the same.

Discusses how pleasure-seeking is part of activism, sometimes in ways I don't personally “get“ (like raves) but also in ways I do (taking care of one another and finding community). It was interesting to read.

I'm having a lot of fun with this world! Kinda mad there's not more volumes of the official British translation, I kinda want to tear through it all. Oh well.

I love that Dokja doesn't sound particularly altruistic, but he IS hoping to save people.

Very cute, as ever. They make nice filler books between more serious stuff.

I found the dismissal of the bond between an adoptive parent and a child rather weird, and worked out the culprit fairly swiftly based on instinct as much as clues, but it was okay. Not a favourite, but a pleasant enough read.

This was pretty fun! It definitely manages to capture some of the sense of the magic of Paris and of creation, and I got pretty into Clara's adventures (and her romance).

This was my #BookSpin, too.

Fun book in which two girls start reading a shoujo manga together to get close, and start revealing themselves to each other, fall in love, etc. It's really cute.

Aaand I decided to do do another #ComicsBingo card since I said it'd be until the end of December, and I need to read some extra books to catch up with my reading goal! The illustrator of this book is Brazilian.

Oh nooo, cuteness overload: another kitty joins the party!

Again, it's more or less more of the same, but it's cute light fun.

Another cute volume, pretty much just more of the same, but it's good light fun.

I enjoyed this quite a bit! I didn't know a lot about it, but I'd seen people being enthusiastic about it, and saying that I'd like it if I liked Solo Leveling, so I thought I'd give it a try. Surprisingly quick reading, and pretty fun worldbuilding.

This one was fun. Lots of atmosphere and tension in the last few chapters! I'd pretty much figured out what was going on, apart from a few points; it's quite a fair-play mystery, even if it does try to lead you astray.

Both the female leads are completely amoral, and completely obsessed with each other. The plot's a bit all over the place, but it does come together if you're patient; I had fun.

I liked the art.

The plot is a little bit incoherent/badly paced, but I knew I had to get this one for my sister once I hit this illustration... She'll go feral for it. 🤭

(They're eating an orange slice there, that's not a tongue.)

A user at work asked permission to buy my team Christmas presents. I approved it, and so did my boss, and we provided wishlists/email addresses for everyone on my team, including me at the user's request.

I did not expect to receive all these. 😭💙💙

This volume's really cute too! It gets a bit cringe at times how Riko puts everything in terms of games regardless of audience... but it's mostly fun.

I've been meaning to read this ever since I saw it announced -- I'll probably get it for my sister for Christmas. I'm glad I'm somewhat used to the genre because of reading danmei, else I'd be a bit lost.

I like the art, they haven't been too stingy with it. Chapter opening pages have pretty designs. I think they skimped a bit on paper quality compared to their danmei though (unless everything they're printing at the moment is on thinner paper).

Very cute and silly, a nice light read.

I feel like the main plot maybe fizzles out a bit? There's a tense scene, but it feels small compared to everything before.

Still, the extras are so so cute, for the most part. It took me a bit longer to love Wangxian than it took me to love Bingqiu or Hualian, but I got there.

Last volume available for now! 😭 But I loved it, hanging out with Trom (a blind Deinonychus) and seeing the psittacos working in the petting zoo. Aaah.

The cutest thing though is the series dino consultant's fact files. He is SO excited about dinosaurs and uses a bunch of hearts and music notes to show enthusiasm (at least in translation), aaah!

This didn't work for me, pacing a bit jerky, motivations and people unclear. Might've helped to know the original source text that it's a sorta modern update of?

This volume covers Umeko's surgery, a turn with the pterosaurs, and a visit to baby Benkei (who is no longer so baby!) in the lab. Once again, Suma's enthusiasm wins converts, despite initial friction...

Is there maaaaybe a hint of romance between Suma and Kaidou? I don't know if I hope for it!

I have never had a Christmas sweater before nor wanted one, but I guess I've started now! It's technically a Christmas present from my wife, but they washed it and gave it to me early so I can have much joy of wearing it.

(Feat. Archimedes Horatio Wol, an owl-cushion who sits on my reading chair and leaned back into the shot at the last minute.)

Okay, just a first warning: this book includes a dinosaur having cancer (an osteosarcoma). That might be worth knowing since it does make it a tad less cosy to me.

Anyway, still a fun volume, but it's worth knowing. I liked the way Suma and that guy came to somewhat of an understanding but it still wasn't, like, warm liking.

There's another funny chapter opening image too.

I liked this volume a lot, though I kinda hope Suma doesn't immediately win over this guy too. 😅

Bahaha the Sherlock Holmes get-up!

Each volume is pretty similar because it's mostly "dinosaur has problem, solve it, dinosaur is happy", but I enjoy them all the same. This one had Pachycephalosaurs! I used to adore them as a kid. I didn't know we think maybe Dracorex was just a juvenile form, or that we have little skeletal evidence below the wrist for their anatomy.

This took me longer than I'd expected, I guess I didn't fully get into it. It doesn't feel much like it relies on Christmas for the mood/setting, except by getting Liane into the whole thing (which could be produced by any visit). So, not a super-seasonal read. I saw the culprit quite early, because it's pretty fair-play as a mystery.

Overall, not a favourite, but pleasant enough.

And hey, one of my #10BeforeTheEnd.

Every year during December I give my wife a present a day. Sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes it's a fandom meme... Behold, Bingpup!

Oof, the final message from Christabel, once revealed, makes me feel more sorry for the killer than anything else in the whole book did. After seeming like an angel the whole time... that seems like a low blow.

Overall, another one I rather liked from Fitt. More psychological than most of her contemporaries' work.

I had trouble settling down to read, but this is on my #BookSpinBingo list and it was convenient so I decided to give it a try, and read 38% more or less in one go. Hurrah for finding something that could tickle my brainstem.

I'm definitely curious what's going on here, which side of the whole thing is lying/perhaps killed or conspired to kill Christabel. Curious structure to it, too.

This is super cute and I love the dinosaur consultant's commentary between chapters. The bit with baby Benkei is just aaaaah. 💙

This was the cute, fairly low-stakes manga I needed today, due to the loss of a pet (Hulk, for those who know us). I love the little fact files between chapters -- it's obviously aimed at kids, but I'm enough of a dinosaur nerd to enjoy it all the same.

Masaruuu. 💙
(That's the triceratops.)

The goriness/sex focus of this was not super my thing, but I did enjoy the way it tried to play with language/orthography (the translators' note about trying to represent the things the original in Korean does is fascinating), and how it's obviously about queerness and gender, really.

This was a silly bit of fun, I enjoyed it, though it felt a bit rushed through toward the end. Still... lots of classic mystery moments + the Great British Bake-Off setup (and gentle mockery of the format). A light pick!

I should really do a new #ComicsBingo card...

This gets a bit dry and repetitive, unless perhaps you're super super interested in genealogy and chasing down the minute details of family trees. It rarely touches on the actual content of the postcards, just confirms birth/death/some family details/occupation, and moves on.

Welp, here we go! The #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin are the ones I most needed a nudge to read, so this has worked out well. I don't do a lot of seasonal reading, but there's a couple that seem apropos (The Palace of Illusions is a loose retelling of the Nutcracker, and Death in Ambush is set at Christmas. Murder Most Actual isn't, as far as I know, but has snow on the cover.)

#BookSpinBingo

This is a pretty random set of picks, ahaha. But this format's been working for me, so let's push it one more time. #BookSpinBingo

Hm. Maybe this would've been better if I knew the original book? It just seemed like Victor's story faded out and was totally subsumed in Marie's success, and some stuff was really rushed.

Oh no, the drunk chapter... I find all the drunk chapters excruciating but oh noooo this one.

But oh, MXTX sure does torture her characters. Wei Wuxian's golden core...

Oh boy, this is all going south so swiftly. Poor Wei Wuxian.

The relationship is a bit rushed (and the hoarding is resolved super quickly, all in all), but cute. A light pick.

I loved how this never quite pinned itself down to anything about Rose and Aimé, they just enjoy one another's company and the love is perfectly clear. I liked the art a lot.