The next spread in my reading journal includes my BBBC (bulletjournal buddies book club) books which are selected monthly, and my series tracker. I didn’t like how I initially set my tracker up, and eventually realized I NEED the titles in there, so I re-did it and I added a tip-in, since I ran out of room! Of course I had to add my favourite stickers, chickens!
This book was beautifully written. I loved the language and while it was a very slow start, the last 25% of the book more than made up for it. I loved the world building, and the characters. The loss the main character felt was something I could feel and understand. It took me too long to read, but that is all on me. Very pleased with this book.
4/5 stars
I decided that 2025 would be the year I started my very first reading journal – and I’m so glad I did! I don’t have all of it planned out yet, but I do have quite a bit of it done, and I am looking forward to sharing it with everyone. I already wrote about the TBR page along with my star rating system, and this is the BINGO card I’ve added to the center of the book. I’ve already read two books this month so I’ve marked off two of the squares (Book w/a country you’ve never been & Listen to an audiobook) and I can’t wait to see how long it takes me to complete a line in this bingo game. I’ve got more pages I’ve set up and I’ll be posting those later in the week, so stay tuned!
It was an OK book that I probably won’t remember by the end of this year. I was looking for something relaxing and available as an audio book from my library. I’ve read a lot of Nora Roberts before but this book felt forced and played on so many stereotypes that it felt awkward. We know the best friend is gay, we know he works at a bar with cross dressers, but it felt like every single time he spoke it was to remind us, the reader, of these facts. It did not feel organic at all. I would have loved to have seen queer representation done better. 15 hours was also one incredibly long time for a book where almost nothing even happens for the majority of it.
2.5/5 stars
I borrowed this book from the library to listen to while I was working on other things like cross stitch. This system has been super popular but honestly I’m not as enthralled with it. I don’t like how little room there is for flexibility, and how relapse is guaranteed if you don’t follow the rules exactly. I did like learning how to fold clothes, but everything else was a lot of hit / miss. Sometimes it’s just not practical, plus what ‘sparks joy’ could change day to day, or year to year. What if Anne Frank threw out her diary one day while cleaning. I think it’s important to look at a bigger picture. So for these reasons it was an ‘OK’ read, but not the greatest.
2.5/5 stars
TJ BELL
In a land where magic exists but only a select few are allowed to control it, a pauper finds himself snowbound in a cottage in the woods, days before Christmas, with the princess who is supposed to wed his arch nemesis… They’re about to learn how very real the magic is.
Heat Level: Hot ***
JEFFE KENNEDY
Best friends and classmates, Han and Iliana are facing a bleak midwinter holiday. Despite their longtime craving for each other, their suppressed love will never be realized, and soon they will be separated forever. Unless they can find the courage—or desperation—to break the rules and acknowledge their deeper feelings. But true love cannot save them from the laws of the Convocation…It might just take some magic.
Heat Level: Hot ***
MEGHAN CIANA DOIDGE
Not all dragons breathe fire and horde treasure, some have a real thing for artifacts, rare books, and magical creatures.
Heat Level: Low heat *
AK MULFORD
In a world where red witches are hunted, eighteen-year-old Remy must keep her powers hidden to survive. Working at a tavern with her two brown witch companions, she dreams of freedom. But when she starts a secret tryst with the cobbler’s son, the risks grow. With a bounty on red witches, if anyone discovers her secret, Remy could lose everything—including her life.
Heat Level: Hot ***
SHAYLIN GANDHI
When Naia’s village is cursed with endless summer, she must confront the formidable beast who holds the key to restoring the seasons. But she soon finds herself torn between duty and an unexpected bond with the monster she set out to destroy. A 90-minute romantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast.
Heat Level: Smoldering **
The Nomadic Reader 