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7 months ago
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7 months ago
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a year ago
Download ![✨recent audiobook reviews!✨
it’s been a while since I did one of these even though I’m often listening to audiobooks!! have you read any of these?? tl;dr these were all really, really good 😎
[image description: the background for all slides is a picture of my hand holding up a pair of headphones in front of some pink flowers! this slide has arrows drawn from the headphones pointing to the covers of three audiobooks I’m reviewing: Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm, The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe, and Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee. the text says “recent audiobook reviews”]
Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm
Narrator: Victoria Nassif
Source: Publisher (thank you @macmillan.audio for the free ALC! #MacAudio2026]
[image description: there is a picture of the book’s cover with an arrow pointing to a text box with my review in it: Wow, what a debut!! This was such a haunting and devastating story, but there was a lot of love and beauty in it as well. This was such a refreshing take on a haunted/sentient house and once I started this book I had a hard time pausing my listen. The pacing was great and I found myself quickly immersed in the story.
I love the depth we get from multigenerational stories and seeing how past events ripple into the future and have unexpected effects. I don’t think I’ve ever read a horror book with multigenerational POVs and I have to say that it worked really well here. Also, the blend of real world and fiction in this book was seamless.
Also!! Can we talk about that ending because I’m still not okay and also it kind of went over my head until talking it through with a friend (thank you Chloe/@bookishthingswedo).
I really liked the narrator and definitely reccomend the audiobook if that’s accesible to you!]
The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe
Narrator: Barrie Kealoha
Source: Library
[image description: there is a picture of the book’s cover with an arrow pointing to a text box with my review in it: When I heard the premise of this I knew I needed to read it because it sounded incredible, but also how often do we get a Native Hawaiian urban fantasy??? In a surprise to no one, I LOVED THIS! This is action packed from the beginnin by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/851782793_18017021915959607_1114115675621114608_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/851782793_18017021915959607_1114115675621114608_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p828x828_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ig_cache_key=NDAwOTIxOTIzMDkxOTkwMDY4NQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNBUk9VU0VMX0lURU0ueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Dz3OdroVL10Q7kNvwEnQl08&_nc_oc=AdpLVjs9OCsD9GTepjzM7bszI_QyiTn4oEPzUmdox9Laf9YxQJ2bENATgFP794Ur8aveL3wKdqloMzrMw7TidO44&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQNoarF52CfPF6C5F-4Qn0pJRv-qPt4F6q2lJUJVIxDCCQ&oe=6AD91615)
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19 hours ago
Download ![alternate title: mfw I see my friends posting their 10s before the ends 🥴
did you/are you making a 10 before the end??? do we have any overlap?? how many of these do you think I’ll read???
[image description: background pic for first 4 slides is a mid-blink picture of me that i’ve used multiple times in the past and will continue to use until i take another picture that makes me laugh like this one does. the text above my head says “10 before the end” and then smaller text that says “+bonus: see how succesful my past “10 before the end”s were”]
my 10 before the end! i have many doubts that i will stick to this but who knows! i could do it! maybe!
clockwise from top left:
When Shadows Burn by Vanessa Le
To Burn a Kingdom by Gabi Burton
The River She Became by Emily Varga
A Deal in Death by Jaclyn Rodriguez
Such Familiar Magic by Natasha Ngan
Wet Ink by Abigail Avis
In Every Future, It’s Us by Katie Naymon
Madder Lake by Katie Wu
Milkiverse by Kelly Murashige
Firstdawn by Lana Harper
[image description: covers of the 10 books mentioned are arranged in an oval around my face]
my 2025 10 before the end!
clockwise from top left:
Red City by Marie Lu (read)
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley (read)
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley (read)
WHen Death Gives You Lemons by Alice G. Brook (read)
Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander (read)
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran (read)
The L.O.V.E. Club by Lio Min (read)
The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann (read)
When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur (not read)
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (not read)(yet)(I NEED TO!)
[image description: covers of the 10 books mentioned are arranged in an oval around my face, there is a green check mark if i read them]
i didn’t make a 10 before the end in 2024
[image description: there is variations of “2024?????” pasted around my head and the text box says “my face when i find out that i didn’t make a 10 before the end in 2024 but i already made my 2025 slide so i have to commit to the bit...”]
my 2023 10 before the end!
from left to right, top to bottom:
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
Courting Samira by Amal Awad
Felix Ever After by by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/849040523_18016716572959607_3818400203270955206_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/849040523_18016716572959607_3818400203270955206_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p828x828_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ig_cache_key=NDAwNzc5NjAwNjM2MzM3Mjk0OQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNBUk9VU0VMX0lURU0ueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=BULOODJRPnYQ7kNvwFFzod-&_nc_oc=Adqv5xdJBW0P1Ng4tcZooAXe3ZjZsCIWYr9EibjiHGEudrm2ZZNvntAJv9GEyvRgl7uwiQ1_U7hNFIfs0Nqo1BFE&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQPSLOCmt7b8OpzICddHVVB5uQAZbJz2qVL72-Nb-OlBRw&oe=6AD902F8)
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3 days ago
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4 days ago
Download ![✨weekly wrapup!✨
last week was so busy over here!! i can see why monthly wrap ups are so hard bc i’m having a hard enough time remembering the last week lol. how are YOUUUUUU?
➡️ swipe for books i finished and music i listened to and pictures from last week!!
[image description: background pic for all slides is a picture of me taken through a kaleidascope! there is a speech bubble that says: “swipe for: books i finished, music i listened to, pics from last week”. there is also text that says “weekly wrapup”]
✨books finished✨
The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause
Queen of Lombard Steet by Lisa Kleypas
Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. West
[image description: there are pictures of the 3 covers of the books I finished this week!]
✨this week’s tbr!✨
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee (reread)
Mark of the Warrior by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee (pub date: Oct 27th)
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (The Diverse Baseline read)
[image description: there are pictures of the 3 covers of the books I’m planning to read next week!]
✨music listened to!✨
top tracks:
1. Venom by Stray Kids
2. Turning Page by Sleeping At Last
3. God’s Menu (Japanese Version) by Stray Kids
4. LALALALA by Stray Kids
5. I am YOU by Stray Kids
top artists:
1. Stray Kids
2. LiSA
3. Sleeping At Last
4. Tiger JK
5. New Constellations
[image description: on the right there is a screenshot of my weekly wrap up from stats.fm that shows my top tracks and top artists for the week. to the right is a text box that says “ so, funny story, i set my birth control alarm to play my most hated skz song (affectionate): God’s Menu (Japanese Version) so i have incentive to turn off my alarm quickly and I guess it’s counting that as streaming it lmao also if you are wondering why i don’t like this version please just listen to it and lmk your thoughts hehe”]
✨pics from last week!✨
from top to bottom, left to right:
1. a screenshot of my recent pull history from Love And Deepspace showing my 2 back to back 5 stars. the text says “for xavier’s bday card i went to PITY and lost my 50/50 to caleb BUT xavier showed up immediately after!”
2. a picture of my hand hold by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/846101568_18016423100959607_8014559665889533940_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/846101568_18016423100959607_8014559665889533940_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p828x828_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ig_cache_key=NDAwNjMzMTI5NzMxNTUyODAzOQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNBUk9VU0VMX0lURU0ueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=5-6lLnh0_xYQ7kNvwEDbKFI&_nc_oc=AdrY0ytuBia-TqnT5AHuKUxRqRYYDEwRe3r1JkeXVX4ibho8DRURqCKu_vMdM2uyFZrLpDgUYWatn8vzT7BTtbdX&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQOoT_qoDTmn2Zlgq89QiPDPDN_aHZWEY5xVY6gfgOXuwg&oe=6AD8F6B3)
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5 days ago
Download ![The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause
(thank you @getunderlined & @loveunderlined for the free copy!)
I was so excited to pick this up as the premise is so interesting and I had yet to read a story set in a WW2 Japanese internment camp. Add in fantasy/magical realism and it should’ve been a winning combo, but while a lot of things worked really well in this book— there were also issues.
I really enjoyed the prose and the historical fiction aspect of this book. Autumn Krause does a great job at showing the devastation, uncertainty, and cruelty of these families who are forced to leave their homes and belongings just for being Japanese. There are a lot of devastating moments in this book and all of them felt pulled from reality.
What worked less for me was the magical realism and romance parts, which is a bummer because those tend to be my favorite bits! The romance was sweet, but instant and with no real building of their bond. The magical realism was interesting, but did not feel necessary to the plot. The pacing also felt off and dragged in a lot of places, and then rushed through in places I wish we had spent more time in.
I combo’d listening and reading this and I enjoyed both narrators: Sophia Oda and Major Curda. They both did a great job with infusing emotion and depth to the story and I think Autumn Krause’s beautiful prose really shone through in the audio. I feel like Major Curda has narrated a bunch of books I’ve listened to recently, and I’m a fan.
[image description: my hand holds up a copy of The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause in front of an overgrowth of tiny, white flowers (they could be weeds idk)] by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/838985553_18015583379959607_1834342051716424253_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/838985553_18015583379959607_1834342051716424253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p1179x1179_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ig_cache_key=NDAwMjA5MjcxMjA2MzY2OTcyMQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTM1MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=yAvUXwxrnu8Q7kNvwEyRWeP&_nc_oc=Adq4Md3_uKRrFDF3y-MzLEd52FmHFbe6GShFlqp61Vvg4czd6As7kvL2qx8idfb8eVMsnxlEq2VHNDh6PiUrLCCs&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQPgCXz2uafPURUVRbyrG-o_mc19IJIhhoqPb-0-vxgi-g&oe=6AD8EF87)
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11 days ago
Download ![✨weekly wrapup!✨
it’s october!!! scorpios are thawing rn 😈😈 what’d you do last week??
➡️ swipe for books i finished and music i listened to and pictures from last week!!
[image description: background pic for all slides is me squinting in the brightass sun and with editing to look moody for no reason besides i liked it. there is a speech bubble that says: “swipe for: books i finished, music i listened to, pics from last week”. there is also text that says “weekly wrapup”]
✨books finished✨
Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances
BG3: Astarion by T. Kingfisher
Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig
ayyyy I finally finished Astarion! everyone clap for me!!
[image description: there are pictures of the 3 covers of the books I finished this week!]
✨music listened to!✨
top tracks:
1. Venom by Stray Kids
2. Haunted by Poe
3. Domino by Stray Kids
4. This & That by Stray Kids
5. Taste by Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix
top artists:
1. Stray Kids
2. Poe
3. The Last Dinner Party
4. Felix
5. LiSA
[image description: on the right there is a screenshot of my weekly wrap up from stats.fm that shows my top tracks and top artists for the week. to the right is a text box that says “ i hadn’t heard Haunted by Poe in like a decade and it’s been stuck in my head all week after using it in a post... “]
✨pics from last week!✨
from top to bottom, left to right:
1. a picture of my hand holding up a baja blast from taco bell. the cup has a picture of Olivia Rodrigo and text that says “you seem pretty pink for a baja blast”. the text box says “i didn’t try the pink baja blast yet but i did get this cute cup!”
2. a picture of my hand holding up an ARC of A Deal In Death by Jaclyn Rodriguez! the text box says “i was so surprised and ecstatic to win A Deal in Death from @slowburn.reads!! if you haven’t read book 1 (A Vow in Vengeance) this is your sign to do so!! it’s incredible and i can’t wait to read book 2!”
3. a picture of my hand holding up 2 movie tickets to resident evil! the text box says “we saw resident evil! it was good and funnier than expected!”
4. a picture of me getting my book signed by the one and only SABAA TAHIR!!! i cannot say enough good things about her or by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/834284872_18015413171959607_5395080115658243705_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/834284872_18015413171959607_5395080115658243705_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p828x828_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ig_cache_key=NDAwMTI0MjEzMDY0MjQ1NjA2MQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkNBUk9VU0VMX0lURU0ueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=CHUP3pHhlGMQ7kNvwFu2eWK&_nc_oc=AdrI2k_xEmspBOOi-0EDnqxoIy3g2PEfDN72v1NV2HIlhNGWCE9fDlu3ABIPfgGmO73AffiDDvt46oBVMjBZdAGE&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQMJw193upbBBsBEIh3WicMdqGb7ZgJgFNjjMh7vfAvB7g&oe=6AD90415)
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12 days ago
Download ![Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances
(thank you @berkleyromance for the free copy! #berkleypartner)
I think I loved this? Actually, I’m really confused about how I feel about this book because on one hand I read it in less than 24 hours and couldn’t stop thinking about it and on the other hand a few things in it really annoyed me (storywise, not writingwise because I loved the writing). I’m stunned that this is a debut and I’ll definitely be reading whatever Heather Frances writes next.
Things I loved:
•The writing!! I literally stayed up until 2 am because I tried to sleep but my brain was like WAIT BUT WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?
•The tension!! Immaculate!!!
•The migraine scene 😭 😭 😭
•Learning about storm chasing!! This was super interesting and a topic I had zero knowledge about but now I want to know more!!
•Uncomfy parental/sibling dynamics! I didn’t relate to the specific issues but I did think they were believable.
•The third act conflict made sense!!
•The cover!!
Things I didn’t love:
•Wes not noticing the rampant misogyny until it was pointed out to him. C’mon, bro!!
•Wes being impulsive/reckless and not really having on the page growth out of that
•The way the FMC talked about food (ie: foods being “healthy” and “unhealthy” and a some almond mom adjacent talk without pushback)
Things that confused me:
•WDYM the showerheads at these hotels are consistently at around nipple or shoulder height for Wes. HOW TALL IS THIS MAN???
[image description: a picture of my hand holding up a paperback copy of Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances in front of a field of wildflowers. There is a lot of editing to make the picture look moody.] by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/832926086_18014957138959607_3758439083681157258_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/832926086_18014957138959607_3758439083681157258_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p1179x1179_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ig_cache_key=Mzk5OTA5NjU2NDg4MTQ4ODkxMg%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTM1MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=aJy1amY7mYoQ7kNvwHgmVem&_nc_oc=AdoUfibVWzKFlmlYbhXMRQikPcbs2zWW-Qi_xTwE3dC324gcnlPEuB6uLMV8aa3TQ5eZqM7tShJ6iVcdrtlo04hq&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-3.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQPlsigGTa9-jK5mKxI-Nn6s1NKMU8sAoWZEd9ZUdyy0Bg&oe=6AD91B90)
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15 days ago
Download ![She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth
(thank you @duttonbooks for the free copy!)
CALLING ALL THEATER KIDS! On top of being a perfect moody fall read, parts of this book also felt like a love letter to weird (affectionate) theater kids. In She Haunts Me Still, we follow Mallory Webb, who has felt haunted her whole life, as she pursues a theater major at her deceased mother’s school and quickly begins to wonder if the school has anything to do with her mother’s death.
This story has so much drama (😈), action, romance, and also it’s really creepy! I love when I don’t know what’s real in books and when I’m as confused as the main character. I had so many guesses as to where the plot was going and most of the time I was wrong.
Also, it’s been a while since I read a satisfying love triangle but I really liked the way it was done in this book. I did feel like this was perhaps longer than it needed to be, but also I was enthralled the whole way through and perhaps my want for answers was making me antsy!
[image description: don’t ask me what kind of angle is this, because i also don’t know hahahhaha i give travis artistic freedom and...anyways! this is an aerial (lol) shot of me sitting in grass and in it i am holding a paperback copy of She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth and a drink] by @hyperfixatedreader](https://s3.imginn.com/831466800_18014687330959607_2833019705864129224_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/831466800_18014687330959607_2833019705864129224_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p1179x1179_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ig_cache_key=Mzk5NzcyMDk0MjU2MTUyNzUxOA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTM1MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=KX7klmcgpT8Q7kNvwE66X_i&_nc_oc=Adq3SXb1tUV111P93CEyQqFoDQmAZn4cBVLY1OKADwHMGnVJXfRYZXYfwBnddAaM_3iTX-XvI-1pvbhReTyIGu_d&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=hCaQ9s3Ht25Yoc4dlx2dUQ&_nc_ss=7a22e&oh=00_AQNF_cOTTtMrbx2BrmoLgFecgRc1dVvwQEV_UfefKLpToQ&oe=6AD91C96)
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17 days ago
Download 
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18 days ago
Download 
