
I had another post all written, a rant about current events; but I realize as I was reading over it that I didn’t want to publish that much vitriol even if it is warranted. I don’t have any ideas or insights to actually help the situation; it was just me working out a fraction of my frustrations in public. I’m not sure that’s a good look for me.
So instead, let’s have something with no real connection to current events at all. I’m trying to read more these days, even though it’s really difficult to fit in given my day job and commute. I’ve amassed a lot of books I want to read. Have you read any of these? Let me know what you thought! I’m normally a nonfiction girlie but I’m trying to branch out to help get my own creative humors humoring me. Time was I avoided reading anything remotely close to my own genre because I have a tendency to be very strongly influenced by whatever I read or watched most recently. (Right now it’s the Shadowhunters TV show, which OMG, I loved.) (Well okay, I was 80% there for Magnus/Alexander, but it was still a cool show even without my precious boys.)
I’m not going to go into much depth with these, just give you an idea what it’s like in my brain these days.

Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles
A review stated this novel is “An immersive horror fairy tale marrying Crimson Peak to Pan’s Labyrinth upon strange foundations.” (Hailey Piper). That sounds bloody amazing to me!
I’m making an effort to expand my literary horizons by including more POCs, LGBTQIA+, and other minority authors, especially genre novels in fantasy and magical realism. If you have any recommendations of books with great characterization in those categories, let me know in comments down below.

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
A novel all about Lucy from Dracula ? Hell yes! I’m excited about this one. I read the first page and my brain got a style boner. If the rest of it is as lush and gorgeous as the first page, I’m doomed!

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
From Amazon: Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
This one is pretty famous – I don’t really follow bestseller lists but apparently it’s won some awards as well.

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham
I was a kid at home sick watching the launch the day the Challenger broke apart in the clear blue sky, and ever since it’s been a fascination of mine. You could say it’s my Roman Empire, although there are several other disasters that share that spot. Like a lot of people I love learning about disasters of all sorts; I want to know what led up to the events, how many tiny mistakes and decisions brought it about. I want to know how the people involved either rose to the occasion or didn’t – figuring out how people tick is one of my favorite things. Understanding how something comes about and how it unfolds – what could be more fascinating? It’s why I don’t mind spoilers for shows; just knowing what happens isn’t what I’m there for, I want to see why it happened and how it affected people.

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
I don’t know a whole lot about this one other than a) a friend recommended it over on Facebook and b) it sounds suspiciously like angel/demon porn. I’m not one of those women into reading about giant monster dicks and the women who love them over and over and over again, but this one sounds like a good story. I believe it’s a trilogy?

How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe
I’ve heard great things about this one. Ever since I started realizing this was probably my reality, I’ve had it on my stack. I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with my brain, just that it isn’t wired the same as the majority of people’s, and trying to act like I can just “life hack” my way into normalcy is impossible and unnecessary. I want to learn more about this important part of who I am, and apparently this is the book to do it with!

Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground by Mirabai Starr
I didn’t look too hard at the blurb for this one – I’ve read and enjoyed Mirabai Starr’s work in the past and this is definitely right up my alley.

Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose by Martha Beck
I’ve been a Martha Beck fan for over a decade but somehow I completely missed she had a new book out!
I can’t really think of a book title that sounds more appropriate for life right now.

What the River Knows: A Novel by Isabel Ibañez
You may not know this about me but I LOVE ancient Egypt and archaeology. (Also paleontology, which was my major for one semester, lol). That’s what this entire novel series is about. From Amazon:
The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez’s lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.
Also, The Mummy is one of my favorite comfort movies of all time. (The one with Rachel Weisz, not the Tom Cruise debacle.)

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I finally watched the Studio Ghibli movie version a while back and loved it. As I understand it the book is pretty different, but people do tend to love both on their own merits. That’s what I like to hear!
There are a ton more, but I don’t want this post to be completely endless. What’s next up on your TBR?