Read a Book Set on an Island: The Will of the Many by James Islington

Vis is an orphan of the Catenan Republic--or so the Republic believes. He's worked hard to keep his true identity, the last royal of it's most recent "bloodless" conquest, a secret. Harder to avoid the expected cedeing of his willpower into the Hierarchy's magic pyramid scheme. When a strange man shows up at his work and Vis catches his eye, he's drawn into politics as he strikes a bargain to attend it's elite academy on a remote island to uncover it's secrets in exchange for his freedom. This was fun! Chunky, but I tore through it--I liked the characters and the magic system. The plot was intriguing and the cliffhanger baffling (positive). Vis is a little bit of a prodigy but it's okay I like him <3 4/5 !!

Read a Book About Sports: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Honestly there's so little hockey in this book it feels like it shouldn't count, but it's the closest I had access to. Everyone's heard of it. It's the secretly gay and fucking your hockey rival book. I watched half the show and thought it was fine, but not for me, and that's about how I felt about the book too. It's a mindless read, and has pretty surface-level writing. I can see why some people latch on, I respect the appeal of a "bad" "cringe" book, but this one wasn't mine. By the end it felt pretty repetitive and I don't think the characters were fully developed. is this a safe space to admit i think, for once in our lives, the adaptation was better...? feeling an inoffensive 2.25/5 I think

Reread a Book You Had Mixed Feelings On: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Instead of a full reread, I picked up a book I had put on hold a few years ago. We follow Alex Stern, the newest member of Lethe, one of the nine houses that comprise an occult secret society at Yale. Lethe makes sure no one breaks any rules, and Alex has been training under Darlington--except he's gone missing, leaving Alex to frantically try to cover. Which turns into a tall order when a girl turns up dead on a ritual night. (Un)luckily for her, Alex can see ghosts and is used to rough. I don't remember why I originally put this on hold, but it wasn't what miffed me this time--which was the pretentious academia. Personal -_-. I think the book was fine, but I probably should've waiting until I was actually in the mood, because I only felt 3/5 but it probably could've done better

Read a "Beach Read": Platform Decay by Martha Wells

Is this a typical beach read? No. But for these I like to draw from books I already own (mostly), and I don't own a "beach read." However, beach reads are meant to be indulgent, fun, light, quick, and relaxing--and for me, that's Murderbot! We're at the quil beach. The queach, if you will. Anyway, I love Murderbot, so this newest installment, where MB has a highly important retrieval mission of people important to its people, which gets more complicated (of course) than it originally expected, was sooo much fun. The pacing is fast, the characters are endearing, I love the writing voice. Can never go wrong with Murderbot. 4.25/5 maybe?

Create Art Based on a Book Cover: Green & Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons

See my art here. Jenn Lyons has been my favorite author for years, and this book was delightful. Mathaiik is a novitiate of the Order, which protects the world from necromancers--or, Math is a failed novitiate who can't control the plants that always seek him out, and that's what the Order claims. When weird things start to happen to the trees, and Math stumbles upon one of these necromancers, that story starts to unravel. I enjoyed the world, the plot, the characters. I did have some lingering questions and some things that didn't hit for me, but overall fast, fun, and around 4/5 :)

Read a Book Out of Your Age Range: The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente

A middle-grade book--my dad got it for me when I was 8, and I remember I only made it a few chapters before I stopped. The writing style and themes, to me, make it read as older middle-grade, so it's no surprise little me was overwhelmed. But, giving it another chance, I actually really enjoyed it! We follow 12yo September, who is spirited away to a Fairyland under the rule of a mean Marquess, and September must figure out what on earth she is to do, collecting quests and friends along the way. I don't think this writing style is quite for me, but being no longer 8, I can work with it. I actually think I enjoyed it way more as an adult than I would've as an kid given the reflections the book has on courage, and stories, and childhood--3.75/4!

Write + Share a Book Review: Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás

I wrote a longer review here! This was a queer retelling of Lucifer's fall from heaven--and the only thing I knew going in was Lucifer was an angel who'd fallen from heaven. I thought the religious subject was approached well, the prose was pretty, the characters served the narrative well, and it was all thought provoking. I did expect the queerness to feature in Lucifer's fall more than it did given the blurb, and I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but I still overall had an good experience reading. 3.75/5 I'd say!

Read a Book Rec'd by a Friend: The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou