I finished a larger number of books in Feb, but I failed to find any new 5-star standouts. I was definitely doing a lot of mood-reading, and ended up with a romantasy-heavy month. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 10

Black History Month: 3

Romantasy: 4

BOTM: 1

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race, edited by Jesmyn Ward (4 stars) – I’ve had this nonfiction anthology on my TBR for a long time, and since I read and loved James Baldwin for the first time in 2025, it seemed like the right time to pick it up. The thing about anthologies is that inevitably some pieces are stronger than others, but I thought it was overall a very good collection.

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams (4 stars) – As someone who loves an interesting nonfiction read, I’m not quite sure why this one flew under my radar in 2025. Once I heard about it, I was instantly interested enough to read it, and I was pretty invested during the experience. It was interesting and smartly written, but failed to reach all of the conclusions I think it needed to.

The Plot to Save South Africa by Justice Malala (4 stars) – I have an upcoming trip to South Africa coming up this year, and a family member gave me this book as a gift because I’ve been wanting to learn more about the country’s history prior to my trip. This book goes into extreme detail and takes place over the course of a single pivotal week, which I think is both a strength and a weakness for readers like me, who probably could have used more of the broader context going in. I still felt like I learned a lot, though.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon (4 stars) – Even though this was a 4-star read, I still felt a little bit disappointed by this fun romantasy just because I think it got a bit overhyped for what it is. Guanzon’s The Hurricane Wars is, in my opinion, far stronger in almost every aspect, and it just made me want to return to that series instead.

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die by Greer Stothers (4 stars) – This was a really fun satirical romantasy that was a bit of an impulse purchase for me, and I had a good time with its humor and unexpected twist.

Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (3.5 stars) – This cozy fantasy didn’t quite live up to expectations for me; it was okay, but I wanted it to be stronger and delve deeper into its characters and themes.

A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley (3.5 stars) – I picked up this Amazon short story because it’s by the author of The Ministry of Time, one of my favorite books of last year, and I liked but didn’t love it.

Outdrawn by Deanna Grey (3.5 stars) – I’ve been seeing this contemporary Sapphic romance between two comic book author/illustrators around for awhile, and I enjoyed it; it was definitely a peek into a career that I know very little about.

Bonds and Blooms by Polly Maple (3.5 stars) – This was a cute KU read that I picked up because I’m impatient for the next books in the Cozyverse series; it was cute but not as strong.

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles (3 stars) – This was a fairly nonsensical Amazon story in their Valentines collection from a new-to-me author; I liked the beginning, but the plot twist just wasn’t anything that made sense.

I kicked off 2026 with a very “quality over quantity” reading month, battling a reading slump but finding some favorites along the way.

Stats

Total books read: 6

Physical books:

Short stories: 1

Romantasy: 2

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily R. Austin (5 stars) – I related so much to the main character’s internal struggles in this book, and I thought the discussions about compulsory heterosexuality and the complexities of being a queer woman to be especially poignant. I don’t need to relate to a book’s main character in order to love it, but in this case, it was nice to have a story resonate in this way. This is definitely more character-focused than plot-driven, and the audiobook was performed beautifully. I love how for me, Emily R.  Austin’s books seem to get better with every new release, although this one is probably tied with We Could Be Rats for my favorite. It’s also great to have the first 2026 release that I pick up be a 5-star read.

“Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim (short story) (5 stars) – If you haven’t already read the classic science fiction short story from Ursula K. LeGuin (“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”), do it now. Give yourself time to reflect and digest it, and then read this response story. This is actually the second story I’ve read that was written in response to the original (it’s an extremely impactful work that I think about a lot) and by far the stronger. I’ll be interested to see what else this author comes out with!

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (4.5 stars) – This was an absolutely fantastic romance by a new-to-me author, set in the world of Australian academia and featuring an academic rivals-to-lovers romance with a marriage of convenience and so much yearning. The romance between these two brilliant English professors was so sweet; Jonah fell for Sadie immediately, and their long-standing rivalry was explained so well that we could feel the history between these characters. I also loved all of the side characters and the emphasis on complex sibling relationships. Highly recommend.

Africa is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin (4.5 stars) – This was a really interesting nonfiction book that was a survey of the history and present of Africa, providing lots of information while still barely scratching the surface and stimulating more curiosity. I thought it was really well-written, and I learned a lot, while also learning how much else I need to learn.

For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn (4 stars) – This chunky romantasy was on my top 10 TBR for the year, and the glowing reviews lead me to really hope for a 5-star. Instead, I got a very enjoyable and sweet 4-star romantasy, set in the Afterlife and featuring a found family and friends-to-lovers romance. I enjoyed it a lot, but did feel that it could have been condensed down further to distill its power.

Bound by Ali Hazelwood (4 stars) – Ali Hazelwood, once again, gave me a really enjoyable romance read, this time featuring a forger and an immortal revenant. At times I wished this was available in print rather than exclusively in audio; at other times I really did like the narration aspect and accompanying artwork.

I had an AMAZING reading month in November! Not only did I have multiple reads in the 5-star range, but I discovered fantastic new authors and read a mixture of fall and winter seasonal reads. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 11

Physical books: 4

Fall vibes: 4

Winter vibes: 4

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake (5 stars) – Olivie Blake blew me away with this biting, satirical, unconventional dark academia story featuring two heroines with intertwining narratives, a successful sorority with mysterious practices, different forms of misogyny and discussions of inclusive feminism, and the author’s signature gorgeous prose. This may be my favorite book of 2025.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (5 stars) – I’ve been meaning to read James Baldwin for years, and this month my brother and I both finally read The Fire Next Time. His writing is incredible, and I’m definitely going to be reading more from him.

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke (4.5 stars) – This was a very tough read emotionally, but extremely brave and well-written. I ended up voting for this one in the Goodreads Choice Awards in the memoir category.

Mate by Ali Hazelwood (4.25 stars) – I loved this even more than Bride; I think part of that was being more used to the worldbuilding. I’ll read anything Ali Hazelwood comes out with, and this one exceeded expectations. It was my romantasy pick for the Goodreads Choice Awards this year.

A Pack for Winter by Eliana Lee (4 stars) – This was the second Cozyverse book I read this month, and I honestly would have gone straight into another if it had been published already. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until spring and summer to read the next installments, but I unexpectedly liked this one even more than the Autumn book. Our heroine this time is very career-focused and tends to over-work herself, which I can definitely relate to, and this author’s writing voice fit in seamlessly with the previous book’s. They both are great at relationship development among multiple partners, and this series is just so cute and sweet.

Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (4 stars) – This was the third, and unfortunately final, book in these co-authors modern Jane Austen retellings, and I’m really sad to see the series end. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one, despite loving the others, since Persuasion isn’t my favorite story of Austen’s, but I really liked how the authors adapted it. The second-chance romance worked well, and the side characters were excellent.

A Pack for Autumn by Emilia Emerson (4 stars) – I discovered this delightful new series, the Cozyverse quartet, co-written by two authors and set in a small, apparently very seasonal, town, and featuring poly relationships in an Omegaverse world. I liked that this one featured a plus-size heroine, and the author did a great job building relationships between her and all of the male leads. The multiple perspectives worked well, as did the fun cat instigator. I immediately started the second book in the series after I finished.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson (3.5 stars) – I love dark academia, and have been meaning to read more of it in 2025. I’m glad I finally got to An Academy for Liars; there are a lot of really interesting things about this book’s form of magic, and I enjoyed the protagonist and the friendships she finds at school. However, the romance didn’t really work for me; I just don’t like a student/professor relationship, and I also think the worldbuilding could have been more thorough.

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen (3.5 stars) – This was a fairly fun Chrismakkuh holiday novella, which I appreciated, but it needed more time and development. I’d maybe read from this author again, but I checked out her full-length novels on Goodreads and didn’t vibe with the premises.

All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan (3 stars) – This holiday novella was fine, but needed more time for its relationship to develop. I think it could have worked in a longer format.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson (2 stars) – Ugh, reading this book was so frustrating. It had a premise with potential, but the main characters (actually, all of the characters) had absolutely no depth or personality, and therefore the romance was also completely dull. The family secrets plotline was really the only thing that kept me reading, and it just wasn’t worth it.

My fall reading started off with a bang with these great September reads! Even though I didn’t have a full 5-star, I really, really enjoyed almost everything I read this month, and the seasonal vibes were perfect, even though the weather still thinks it’s summer. I was on vacation for the end of the month, and finished 4 books during that time, which I was very happy with. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 9

Fall vibes books: 8

Physical books: 5

BOTM: 2

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (4.25 stars) – This was a really great fantasy read, my first from this author, that was an interesting combination of dark academia, complicated friendship dynamics, murder mystery, Sapphic rivals-to-lovers romance, and historical commentary on anti-Semitism. I thought the writing was great and the characters complex, and the romance worked very well for me. The plot went in different directions than I expected, which wasn’t at all a bad thing, and I was left really glad I finally picked this one up. This definitely won’t be my last read from Allison Saft!

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (4 stars) – I have high expectations when it comes to Rachel Harrison, and so even though I think this was a great book, it wasn’t close to my favorite of hers. I did really like how the book’s present-day action was interspersed with snippets of her mother’s book, and also the protagonist’s relationships with her two older sisters that really anchored the story. The romance, though, didn’t really feel necessary to me, and I could have used a bit more horror in its place.

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa (4 stars) – This was a really well-written mystery/thriller that I apparently wrote down years ago when it was recommended on a BookTube video and never really thought about picking up until I was scrolling through audiobook options on Libby. The wedding setup, friendship/family relationship gone wrong, “unlikable/unreliable” narrator, and influencer aspects all really added up to a great book that I’ll be recommending a bunch.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey (4 stars) – A very fun romance with a murder mystery subplot that I really enjoyed reading while I was on my own vacation, which thankfully included no murders. I’m glad this was a Tessa Bailey that worked for me; I’ve read a bunch that have, and a few that haven’t, but this was great.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (4 stars) – Why are mystery/thrillers featuring podcasts so much more appealing to me than those without? I really enjoyed this on audio, despite the fact that I’m not much of a mystery/thriller reader. It’s a good hook, and even though I find an amnesia plot kind of frustrating, I enjoyed the pacing, mystery, and podcast segments in this one.

ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade (4 stars) – This was less zombie horror and more spicy romance with a side of quirky fantasy characters than I was expecting, but definitely not in a bad way. I liked both the romance and the plot in this one, and Dade sets us up well for possible sequels featuring other characters and supernatural species in the future.

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (4 stars) – This series continues to be a fun and funny romantasy, with a combination of action, romance, and silliness that works great when I’m in the mood for it. I’m less interested in the overarching plot than I am in all of the lovable characters, and I’ll definitely be continuing on with Accomplice to the Villain at some point.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir (3.5 stars) – This was a short, creepy horror audiobook that really worked for me this month. Even if it wasn’t a perfect read, I was intrigued and enjoyed the writing style as well as the dawning horror of the plot.

Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford (3 stars) – This was my only disappointing read this month. I’ve had it on my TBR for years, and always assumed that I’d really enjoy this short horror novel. Instead, I really wasn’t into either the writing or the story itself.