Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/16 – 3/22

Yes! I’m on time today! Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a good week! It’s time for another Weekly Wrap-Up!

Last week wasn’t too bad, but it could’ve been a little better. I did read a book, though, and posted a few times on here, so I’m relatively content with it all.

But yeah, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!

Tuesday 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day

Last Tuesday was St. Pat’s, so here’s a belated Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! ☘️🍻💚🇮🇪 It’s one of my favorite days of the year; I just love how it almost always feels like spring, as well as the green theme. I really like the color green. And the food is always amazing.

Wednesday 3/18: WWW Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. It focuses on the Three Ws of Reading: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you’ll read next?

Friday 3/20: First Day of Spring / First Line Friday

This past Friday was the First Day of Spring!! 🌸🌱🌼🌿 So long winter! And goodbye to freezing cold weather! Honestly, though it wasn’t as bad as in 2024, I’m still ready for some warmer temperatures.

This past Friday, I participated in First Line Friday again. First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words. It’s where you guess what book the post is highlighting based on the book’s first words.

Saturday 3/21: Brighter Than Nine Book Review

On Saturday, I posted my book review for Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan. It was the sequel to Darker By Four, and the second half of the Darker By Four Duology.

It was one one my most anticipated reads (and sequels) for the first half of this year, and it didn’t disappoint. I actually enjoyed it more than it’s predecessor, and thought that it wrapped things up well. I gave it ★★★✫☆.

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, that’s what I did last week. I’m hoping to either at least match it this week, or to surpass it. Like reading more books or something, as well as maybe posting a little more.

For my blogging this week, I want to participate in a few of the weekly posts, as well as doing a monthly post. Concerning my reading, I’m planning on finishing up the Dressrosa saga of One Piece, and then hopefully moving on to Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. My spouse reading and liking the series, as well as literally everyone else at the moment, has finally worn me down, and I want in on that. And if I finish that before the end of the week, then I want to do a book review on it.

Not much else went on outside of books and blogging last week. There was St. Patrick’s Day, and the big cleaning day of the month came along, but that’s kind of it. It was a pretty chill week, honestly.

Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/17 – 3/23

Ugh, late again with this one. Oh well. Anyway, hi everyone!

So I’m mostly happy with everything I did last week. I would’ve liked to do one more blog post, and I almost did before I lost track of time on Thursday and Friday last week. I also would’ve liked to have read more books, but well… I’ll explain that a little later.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Without further ado, let’s get on with the weekly wrap-up!

Monday 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day / The River Has Roots Review

Last Monday was St. Patrick’s Day!! ☘️🍻🍀🪙 Yay! We didn’t really do anything to celebrate, though. Except eat some St. Pat’s themed donuts, I guess.

I also posted my review for The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. It’s a new fantasy novella that came out a couple weeks ago. I ended up giving it ★★★✯☆.

Tuesday 3/18: Top Ten Tuesday

On Tuesday, I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday for the first time in a few weeks. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. The prompt for last week was Spring TBR.

Friday 3/21: First Day of Spring

Last Friday was the First Day of Spring!! 🌸🌱🌼🌿 Woohoo! Goodbye winter! I was kind of getting tired of the cold – not to mention March has been really nice so far where I live.

I was also planning on posting something on this day as well, but the time got away during part of last week. I’m a little disappointed about that, but it’s honestly fine.

Saturday 3/22: Birthstone Book Covers

On Saturday, I finally got around to joining in on my favorite Monthly post, Birthstone Book Covers. Birthstone Book Covers is a fun little post created and hosted by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black.

Each month, for the post, you feature book covers that are either the same color of the month’s birthstone or include the color in the title. This month was March, and its birthstone is aquamarine. So the colors are aquamarine and light blue.

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I’m a bit disappointed with my posting for last week. But only a little – I’m actually pretty okay with the stuff I was able to do on the blog overall. Novel reading on the other hand… yeah that definitely could’ve gone way better. And it already is for this week! I’m making my way through another book, finally!

I’m hoping to at least start another book before the end of the week as well. Not necessarily finish another book, just start one. I’m also hoping to do four blog posts this week in addition to this weekly wrap-up. Fingers crossed.

Also, regarding the reading thing from last week… I was actually stressing myself out a little with trying to finish The Dragon Heir. I just didn’t feel like reading that book and trying to force it was getting me all anxious. I guess it’s still not time for me to read it – at this point, I’m not sure when that time is gonna come. Oh well. A similar thing also sort of happened with The Shattered Realms. I just didn’t want to read that major character death again (I actually DNF-ed Flamecaster about nine years ago, about halfway through). I also know that there’s like eight POVs by the last book in this series and that there’s several loose ends… and I don’t think I’m up for that, honestly. So yeah, that’s why I didn’t read anything last week.

Last week I also did some spring cleaning. The third Wednesday of the month is usually Cleaning Day, and that was also the case with March, so that’s what went on. It was pretty productive this time as well – I cleared out a couple of things I’d been meaning to get to, as well.

For this coming week, I’m planning on finishing the book I’m currently reading – Dragonfall by R.L. Lam – unless I decide it’s not for me and DNF it (though I don’t anticipate that happening). I’m hoping to at least start another book after that as well; right now I’m thinking either The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson or A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand. We’ll see what happens.

Anyway, I’ve talked more than enough here. As always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Whoops, it’s been a couple of weeks. Oh well, Happy Tuesday everybody!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week’s topic is Books on My Spring 2025 to-Read List. And… I think it’s pretty self explanatory, haha.

I have a lot of books that I’ve acquired recently. Firstly, because the holiday season was just a few months ago and I got several books for Christmas. And also because I went to a book fair a few weeks before that where they were practically giving the books away, so I accumulated several there. So yeah, who knows which of everything I’m eventually going to end up reading, but several of these novels are on my TBR nonetheless.

So anyway, in no particular order (because I don’t really have a planned order of reading most of these), here are the books on my spring TBR!

  1. Luminous by Silvia Park: I’m not sure when exactly I’ll read this, but I’m hoping in the next month or so. This one looked interesting to me.
  2. The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson: I’m not super sure when I’ll read this one either, but I’d also like to read it in the next month.
  3. The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: I’d definitely like to get to this one sometime this spring.
  4. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallero: I’d actually been planning to read this one earlier this year in like January or February, but it didn’t happen. It’s also one of the books I got during the holidays. Now I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but it’s still on my more immediate TBR, so…
  5. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas: This one has been on my To Be Read Pile for forever. Like, at least a year or two. Hopefully I’ll at least get started on this book by Easter, but I’m definitely planning on finally knocking out the Crescent City novels sometime this year.
  6. Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima: This is something I’m going to read very soon, actually. It’ll probably even be what I read next. I’m feeling nostalgic for The Seven Realms quadrilogy, so what better to read than its sequel series?
  7. The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah: I really enjoyed The Stardust Thief when I read it a couple years ago, and I’ve been watching for the sequel ever since.
  8. A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand: This is another book that I’m not sure when I’ll get to. I’m hoping sooner rather than later, however.
  9. The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde: This is another novel I got during the holidays. I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but like the rest of the books here, I’d like to read it sometime this spring.
  10. Drwgonfall by L.R. Lam: Once again, yet another novel on my To Be Read Pile that I’m not sure when I’ll get to. Hopefully soon, though.

Are you looking forward to spring? It’s just a few days away now – March 21st is this Friday! How’s the weather where you’re at? What new books are coming out this spring that you’re excited for? What’s on your TBR this season?

As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope that you have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/20 – 3/26

Gosh, it’s a new week already. Time sure flies when you read a bunch of books, haha.

I got a ton of stuff done last week that I’m happy with, but at the same time, I didn’t quite get to everything that I wanted to get finished (or posted). But I’m reading a lot more and posting a lot more than I was in December and January, so I’m really happy with what I’ve gotten done (and read) in the past couple of months.

Without further ado, let’s go over last week.

Monday 3/20: Spring 2023 Equinox

Hello Spring

Last Monday, I forwent a Majestic Monday post, and instead did special spring post. It was basically about whether or not I’m a seasonal reader, what I generally read, and some of the stuff on my immediate TBR.

Spring Reading 2023

Wednesday 3/22: WWW Wednesday / Shelf Control #12

Wednesday I was able to double post! Yay! I did a WWW Wednesday (hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words), and a Shelf Control (hosted by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies).

WWW Wednesday 3/22

Shelf Control #12

Thursday 3/23: A Court of Wings and Ruin Review

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Last Thursday, I finally posted my review for A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. It was a big book, so it took me a couple days (and then I like to spend a day ruminating on what I read and getting my thoughts together). But I finally finished it and posted the review!

A Court of Wings and Ruin Review

Friday 3/24: First Line Friday #8

On Friday I participated in First Line Fridays (formerly hosted by Wandering Words). I had a lot of fun with the post. The eighth time I joined in, and it hasn’t gotten old yet!

First Line Friday #8

Books That I Read Last Week

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Goals for 3/27 – 4/2

I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. Aside from this weekend, I did fantastically last week. (I usually take Saturday off from blogging, and I was feeling under the weather yesterday.)

I was gonna post my A Court of Frost and Starlight review yesterday but… yeah, didn’t feel good. So you can expect that review later today! And I finished A Court of Silver Flames this morning, so I’m gonna try to post that review tomorrow!

Thank you for reading, and have an excellent day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spring Reading 2023

Happy Spring everyone! 🌱🌈🌞🏵️ March 20th was the spring equinox this year, so I wanted to get this post out before the end of the day. So, Spring Reading 2023, here we come!

With this post I’m gonna start a new thing here. It’s a thing that I made up, but is inspired by this post, where I talk about the books I feel like reading depending on the season. And what better one to start with than spring, the season of new life?

So without further ado, let’s jump right in!

The Kinds of Books I Like to Read During Spring

In general, I’ll just read all kinds of different stuff throughout the year. I read different genres and stuff sometimes depending on the season, but I’m not a seasonal reader in the way that you’re probably thinking.

I’ll read fantasy books of all sorts throughout the year, regardless of the way different times of the year “feel” to me. But in spring, I start getting in the mood for some weird sci-fi, post apocalyptic, and dystopian fiction for whatever reason. Actually, no scratch that, it’s probably because of that thing that happened in March 2020. So yeah, that’s what I love reading in spring.

A Few Random Things From My TBR That I’d Like to Read This Spring (From Soonest to Not Soonest of When I’ll Read It)

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

I’ve decided to finally finish the ACOTAR series, after starting it years ago. I got my mom into it, and we’re currently buddy reading A Court of Wings and Ruin, which I’ll most likely finish by tomorrow night.

It’s a long series full of long books though, so depending on how I feel after I finish A Court of Frost and Starlight, I might put off A Court of Silver Flames a couple of weeks and read other stuff. My mom will need time to catch up anyway. (She’s a slow reader and she spends a lot of her free time during the day doing other stuff she likes.)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

This was a book series that I absolutely devoured about fifteen years ago. But I was young, and I lost interest in the political machinations going on, so I lost interest after Brisingr. Thus, I never read Inheritance when it came out in… 2011?

But yeah, I absolutely loved Eragon when I first read it – so much so that I read it a second time just a few months later in the same year that I first read it! I rather liked Eldest too, and I love the setting that Paolini created. (Parts of it make me feel the same way I do when I play Legend of Zelda games, and I love it.) So I’m gonna finish it this time – the whole dang series!

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Locked Tomb series is still on my TBR!! I just… keep getting distracted by other books that I want to read, unfortunately. But I’m definitely still interested in it! I already have the first two books, waiting on my shelf, ready to be read. Plus lesbian necromancers in space!! How can I not try reading that?!

Also, it’s a weird science-fantasy, possibly post apocalyptic, and definitely dystopian series of books. So yeah, absolutely gotta read it now!

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

This is one of the books coming out this year that I’m ridiculously excited for. (Other books I’m excited for include: everything that Martha Wells is publishing this year and Murtagh by Christopher Paolini.) In the Lives of Puppets is another book that falls into that weird sci-fi category that I love. And it has found family to boot! (I love the found family trope.)

The End

So yeah, these are some of the things I’m planning on definitely reading in the immediate future. I’m looking forward to all of them. (To a degree. I’m looking at you, ACOTAR series.)

It’s not as weird science-y and post apocalyptic as you might think, but as I said: I’m not really a seasonal reader. Half of the list here is though, so I say it’s enough to be a thing.

As always, thanks so much for reading and have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar