If you follow my monthly review blasts, you may have noticed I skipped June. This is for two reasons: 1) all I finished that month were a few volumes of One Punch Man and 2) I was in the middle of a major move and really didn’t take any time to read, much less log what I was reading. So we’re skipping right to July! 

A couple of notes on my then current reads from May – I put down Traitor of Redwinter for a bit. Not enough that I’m DNFing, but it was definitely not the right mood for me in June. Also, I stopped The Spear Cuts Through Water in its audio form and restarted it in hardcover. There wasn’t anything wrong with the narration, but the overall style made it difficult for me to follow what was happening. 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	17 (+1)	48.57%	28
Audiobook	15	5 (+1)	33.33%	8
E-book	5	4 (-)	80.00%	6
Graphic Novel	175	59 (+18)	33.71%	97
Total	230	85 (+20)	36.96%	140

Currently Reading: 

• Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
  • 7/11/24 – TBD
• The Spear Cuts Through Water (physical edition)
  • 7/21/24 – TBD
    • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Book Everyone is Talking About)
    • Reddit Bingo ‘24 (Character with Disability)

Completed in July:

• Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
  • 5/31/24 – 7/11/24

I’ll just go ahead and say it: Words of Radiance is, at the time of writing, my favorite book of all time. It is the most complete work I’ve ever read. At ~1100 pages I can not think of a single component that isn’t a 10/10. Plot, pacing, characters, set ups, payoffs, politics. All of it is stellar. In a world with so many moving pieces, Sanderson has found so much depth and intrigue. 

Where The Way of Kings needed to build its momentum, this second entry is able to move smoothly into the action. Everything introduced in the first book is expanded on and little details you missed suddenly become hugely important on reread. 

Make no mistake. This book being my favorite doesn’t make me incapable of objective criticism – you’ll see that in spades as I review books 3 and 4. I just don’t see any opportunity (unless you think Kaladin’s depression was supposed to go away with the conclusion of the first book. Sorry, boo – that’s not how that works). 

When push comes to shove, if you liked The Way of Kings, you’ll love Words of Radiance. If you didn’t, you won’t. 

• How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
  • 5/27/24 – 7/20/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘24 (Prologues & Epilogues)

What if you were transported to a fantastical world where you had to train to be the Chosen One and rise up against the Dark Lord? What if, every time you died on your journey, you were reborn in the same pool and had to start again? What if this happened a hundred or more times? What if…you had enough? 

This brilliant satire of Chosen One tropes and portal fantasy from Django Wexler was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and boy did it deliver. Through Davi, we get to explore and deconstruct these tropes and the traditional setting of fantasy in a hilarious way. That said, the highlight of the book is the humor through footnotes. This brilliant little asides are like genius cutaway scenes that deliver so much in this wacky, delightful tale of violence and chaos. 

If you’re not comfortable with sexual humor or dark humor (death and suicide are frequent subjects), definitely steer clear. These jokes are a constant thread throughout. 

Graphic novels (Catchup): 

• One Punch Man (caught up)

Now that I’m fully caught up I can say what an absolute delight this series is, in its entirety. It is outrageous, silly, brilliant and manages to hit that beautiful balance of satirizing a genre while lovingly embracing it and highlighting its strengths.

• Fairy Tail

Ongoing Manga: 

• One Piece
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Jujutsu Kaisen
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8 B-Sides
• Boruto: Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• Shiba Inu Rooms

A few new series popped up and drew my attention and this one – oh man. All of six chapters in and this series is destined – DESTINED – to destroy me from the inside out. 

• Astro Royale

Of the two new editions, this is certainly the weaker one. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it isn’t good, but it really hasn’t done much to stand out either. I’m interested enough to continue, at least for a while. 

• My Hero Academia

Technically, Chapter 430 came out in August so I could put this off another month. This is the series that truly brought me back to anime and it will always be special to me for that reason alone. Not to mention the throughline of heart and inspiration that propels the story. I’ve seen a lot of takes on the ending and whether or not it stuck the landing. 

In my opinion, it did exactly what it needed to. There are certainly things I would have liked to see – and maybe Horikoshi will feed us through sketches and facts as time goes on – but that doesn’t change that the ending was perfect. It was right for the characters and showed that they didn’t save the world simply by winning a war, but by affecting change through what they learned in their conflicts. 

My Hero Academia has always had a fascinating take on superheroes on a societal level. They were far more integrated into the world than many Western readers are used to from Marvel or DC. But that came with flaws and Horikoshi was no stranger to pointing them out in the narrative. The final chapters of this story showed that the world can learn and heal through new generations, even as it seems like things are tearing themselves apart. I think it’s what we all needed to see right now.

May was one of those months where I was just bouncing off the walls and it shows in my reading. I didn’t give myself nearly enough time to sit and read (don’t let the finishing of Way of Kings fool you – that was the product of a multi-hour road trip to see family). But that’s just life! June will probably be just as chaotic (if not worse). It’s also possible that I neglected to update my manga reading but I’ll just capture that in June. 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	16 (+1)	45.71%	38
Audiobook	15	4 (+1)	26.67%	9
E-book	5	4 (+1)	80.00%	9
Graphic Novel	175	41 (+3)	23.43%	97
Total	230	65 (+6)	28.26%	155

Currently Reading: 

• Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
  • 4/21/24 – TBD 
  • Reddit Bingo ‘24 (Reference Materials)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Place in the title)
• The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
  • 5/8/24 – TBD
  • Reddit bingo ‘24 ()
• How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
  • 5/8/24 – TBD
  • Reddit bingo ‘24 ()
• Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
  • 5/31/24

Completed Books: 

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/11/24 – 5/19/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a Favorite)

It’s almost comical to consider reviewing a book only after losing track of the number of rereads. Yet, here we are! I first read The Way of Kings in 2014 after tearing my way through the available Mistborn books. Fortunately, I didn’t feel the need to put my opinions in writing at the time. To put it into perspective, I found Kaladin to be “whiny” and was convinced that Syladin would be a thing. 

So. A lot changes in ten years. 

These days, I appreciate the level of care Sanderson put into the depiction of depression and survivor’s guilt. This book, and the books to come, have played an important role in my understanding my own struggles and helping me find footing to push forward. 

That said, this is a tough book to recommend to someone. For instance, it’s wild that it starts with three separate prologues. Or that it has literal interludes that are largely removed from the plot. Or that it spends so much time setting up the world that you don’t really know what the plot is until halfway through. 

But with each reread, I see why these pieces exist and their value. Sanderson has proven himself a master of the long game and this series has proven it time and time again. I’ll be pacing up my rereads for the remaining three books and yes, once I finish Wind and Truth (the fifth tome of the series) releases this year, I will probably reread them all again. 

• Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker
  • 2/11/24 – 5/8/24 (DNF)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (You Own but Haven’t Read)

I ended up calling it on this book which breaks my heart since I really wanted to love this one. And if I’m being honest, I’ll probably try it again sometime. Thing is, it’s been sitting at like 8% for three months. As far as a review goes, the prose was just too dense early on. The narration didn’t hold my attention very well and I probably didn’t get far enough to properly connect with the plot. 

• Different Not Damaged by Andy Peloquin
  • 5/8/24 – 5/11/24
  • Reddit bingo ‘24 (Five Short Stories)

“Everything in this book is real. Sure the stories are fantastical (it’s fantasy, after all!), but the emotions, the feelings, the impairments and the limitations are all based on the experiences of real life people. They’ve allowed me to use their stories to showcase what it means to live with disorders: our bodies, minds or psyches may not be the same as you, but that only makes us different, not damaged.”

This quote from the book’s foreword encapsulates the heart of this short-story collection. It’s powerful and poignant and real. And with that reality there are a number of brutal sequences. This is grimdark at its finest: There is no sugar coating to this world but there is still an undercurrent of hope and strength. Yes, these characters are faced with mental and physical ailments that can turn every step into its own skirmish in a lifelong war but by taking those steps, the lights of hope shine that much brighter. 

I strongly recommend to readers who enjoy grimdark or stories that aren’t afraid to explore the ugly realities of the world. 

• Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
  • 5/6/24 – 5/27/24
  • Reddit bingo ‘24 (Multi-POV)

I wanted to LOVE this book and came out sorta okay with it. A cozy spaceship hotel feels like it should be right up my alley. Unfortunately the execution – with a new POV and backstory in each chapter – dragged the pacing more than I could really enjoy. 

The plot, when it finally crept out of the woodwork, was certainly interesting and had a more satisfying conclusion than I had expected, but it was too little too late for me. 

Graphic Novels (Catchup):

• One Punch Man
• Fairy Tail

Ongoing Manga:

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Jujutsu Kaisen
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8: B-Sides
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

It was a bit of a quiet April for me in the reading department but I’m not all that worried about it. I had a great time revisiting Tress of the Emerald Sea and also devoured the rest of Solo Leveling. It wasn’t a terribly productive month for Bingo or the Booklist Queen challenges but I think May will help with that. Either way, I’m super excited to finish Traitor of Redwinter and get into the rest of my TBR! 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	15 (+2)	42.86%	43
Audiobook	15	3 (+1)	20.00%	8
E-book	5	3 (-)	60.00%	8
Graphic Novel	175	38 (+8)	21.71%	110
Total	230	59	25.65%	172

Current Reads:

• The Way of Kings
  • 1/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a Favorite)
• Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
  • 2/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (You Own but Haven’t Read)
• Traitor of Redwinter
  • 4/21/24 – TBD 
  • Reddit Bingo ‘24 (Reference Materials)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Place in the title)

Completed Books: 

• The Storyteller
  • 3/28/24 – 4/27/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Inspiring Nonfiction)

I spent a lot of time growing up listening to music with my father and that usually meant a lot of rock. It should come as no surprise, then, that when I started to find music on my own, it followed that same energy. That led me to the likes of Green Day, Nickelback (don’t start) and naturally, Foo Fighters. That fierce, chaotic energy was a constant through my teens and has remained in the years since. 

Grohl maintained that energy when writing his memoir. Whether he is sharing stories about his tours with Scream, the meteoric rise of Nirvana or finding harmony in life as a father while remaining a Foo Fighter, Grohl’s vibrant passion for music and the way it is intertwined in his life is infectious. Every page is jam packed with love and pain and vulnerability as pure and honest as his own music. And as he talks about rubbing shoulders with icons of music, his humility tricks you into forgetting just how much of an icon Grohl has become in his own right. 

I’d naturally recommend this to any fan of Nirvana or Foo Fighters but honestly anyone with a passing interest in music and the life of touring over the decades should give this book a read. 

• Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
  • 4/1/24 – 4/6/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘24 (Self-Published) 
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Purple Cover)

If you’re not intrigued by the title, I really don’t know what to tell you. Kingfisher’s brilliant cozy fantasy about a wizard who can only manipulate dough is cheeky, brilliant and inspiring. I had high hopes going in since my wife LOVED this book and it still exceeded my expectations. Told through a laugh-out-loud funny first person narration this celebration of creativity had me about ready to get up and cheer. Yes I know it’s corny and I said it anyway. It’s that good. Special shoutout to the audiobook narrator Patricia Santomasso who did a fantastic job! 

• Tress of the Emerald Sea
  • 4/1/24 – 4/20/24

Fun fact: apparently I didn’t post my first review from last year to Instagram! I haven’t gone back to my review from last year and I don’t know if I will – at least not for now. Each reread is its own experience and I don’t want that review to influence this one too much. And I definitely don’t need to be tempted to just post that one and call it a day…

Anyway, I’ve always found that rereading a book is a great way to see just how well an author can plant little hints and ideas in their work. Sanderson is – surprise, surprise – excellent in this regard. Beyond that, the story is just so delightful that, even with a pretty clear memory of what happened, it’s still a fun ride. Granted, this is a book from my favorite author and based on my favorite movie (which he reveals in the acknowledgements). Obviously I was destined to love this one. 

At its best, this is a wildly creative world with unique and interesting magical mechanics even within the Cosmere. At its worst, It’s an experimental writing style that only works if you enjoy Sanderson’s sillier brand of humor. Also, random science lessons. 

There are plenty of juicy Cosmere lore drops for long-time fans but the book is still pretty approachable for new Sanderson readers (my wife started the book herself and has thoroughly enjoyed it so far – I’m trying so hard not to get too excited about that fact). 

Graphic Novels (catchup): 

• One Punch Man
• Solo Leveling
• Fairy Tail

Ongoing Manga:

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Jujutsu Kaisen (starting 2/17)
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8: B-Sides
• Dragon Ball Super
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• Black Clover

I’m going to tack my Black clover review on the end here since we got two chapters here at the end of April. Honestly, the two chapters were incredible and, on rereads or anime adaptations, I expect they will be looked on fondly. That said, this quarterly release is brutal and really eating into the hype for the series. I’m still enjoying it thoroughly but I have to wonder how it will fare in the long run as we wrap up the series. 

New Section: What’s my TBR?

After Traitor of Redwinter, I’m planning to follow up with a pair of quick reads: Shadow of Kyoshi – the sequel to F.C. Yee’s incredible novel in the Avatar universe – and Shadowblack by Sebastien De Castell, the second Spellslinger book that I have waited too long to check out. After that, The Will of the Many is on my list and I doubt I’ll finish it by May’s end (if I even get that far).

After Sixteen Ways (which I may DNF at this point) I will be checking out Different, Not Damaged – a collection I got from Andy Peloquin’s website recently. I’m very excited to check out his work and get a taste for his writing.

Last, I’ll keep plugging away at the audiobook for The Way of Kings and once complete check out either The Spear Cuts Through Water or Empire of Silence, both of which have received massive praise online.

March 2024 Reads and Reviews

Happy April my friends! After a very, very slow February I made it back with a strong March for reading! Even better, I was able to squeeze in my first ever completed r/Fantasy Bingo Card! But now it’s April and I have a new Bingo card to fill out. All that to say, I have a lot of super exciting reads coming up and I can’t wait to dig in! Meanwhile I’m still inching my way through The Way of Kings (this is like my fourth reread or some nonsense so it’s not exactly high priority) while also working to finish up two other reads.

I also joined the Fantasy Sicko’s book club run by Michael Kist which means I’m rereading Tress of the Emerald Sea this month as well! We are eating good, my friends. 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	13 (+3)	37.14%	51
Audiobook	15	2 (+1)	13.33%	7
E-book	5	3 (+1)	60.00%	11
Graphic Novel	175	30 (+10)	17.14%	117
Total	230	48	20.87%	188

Current Reads: 

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a favorite)
• Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K. J. Parker
  • 2/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Book you own but haven’t read)
• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
  • 3/28/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Inspiring Nonfiction)

Completed Books: 

• A Witch’s Sin by Daniel B. Greene
  • 1/3/24 – 3/11/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Audiobook)

I tried my best to go into this book totally blind and I’m so glad I did.

The setting for this story starts off quite familiar: the world is poisoned and civilization now lives in supermassive skyscrapers large enough that each floor is a city all its own. Where it starts to set itself apart is the inclusion of vampires and their place in this civilization – very cleverly stitched into the world’s social politics – and the oppressive presence of ads, running in the periphery and even in people’s sleep. It’s a very upsetting and very plausible step forward given the technology used.

Having read this as an audiobook, it took a little longer than I’d have liked to get hooked, but fortune brought me a long distance work drive which was all I needed to blast through the rest. On that note, I picked the audiobook image specifically to highlight the narrator Inés del Castillo who did a fantastic job, start to finish.

Highly recommended to sci-fi/fantasy fans, but only if you have a strong stomach.

• The Cartographers by Peng Shepard
  • 3/3/24 – 3/16/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Magical Realism)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Multiple POVs)

I got this from Book of the Month a couple years ago but only got around to reading it now as it satisfied the Magical Realism box for a challenge I’m wrapping up.

At its heart, The Cartographers is a love letter to maps and mapmaking which should tickle any fantasy fan’s soul, and in a number of ways it does just that while introducing an exciting magical element (eventually) that I desperately wish there was more of. For me, though, the focus shifted to the characters and their semi-toxic relationships from twenty years prior to the main events.

• The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee
  • 3/4/24 – 3/7/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Elemental Magic)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Five Star Read)

I think it’s natural, as a fan of major series like Avatar: The Last Airbender, to be a bit guarded when you see the publication of prequel books. You’re bringing in a different writer to tell the story in a different medium and it could very easily be a cash grab.

This is not one of those.

If you loved ATLA, I urge you to read this. If you thought ATLA was fun but could have used some more stakes and violence, READ. THIS. The entire story of Kyoshi’s early years and development as the Avatar is as brilliant and refreshing as any fan could ask for.

And I wouldn’t even say you can’t read the book if you haven’t seen the show. The premise of the world is pretty straightforward and once you have that, the story stands easily on its own.

• The Lost Dawn by Dan Neil
  • 3/16/24 – 3/27/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Bookclub)

Some years ago I started this book in a failed attempt at the Reddit Bingo and ultimately didn’t get far. That was less to do with the book itself and more to do with my being in a deep rut. Now, I finished it as the final piece of a successful Bingo Card! And honestly, I’m kicking myself for not reading this book back then. 

I had a blast diving into this world and learning about the characters and their stories. If anything, I’d have liked to learn a bit more about the magic itself – not necessarily a Sandersonian hard magic system, but just getting a better sense for how it all functions and such. I was deeply invested in the characters, though I admit the swordswoman POV wasn’t as compelling to me until later in the story. But even side characters were interesting and engaging and made the stakes of the climax feel so much higher. 

The only real issue I had was that some of the prose felt stiff at times and the POV’s felt more third person omniscient than limited. The latter may well have been a choice but either way it didn’t really work for me. That said it was a very minor note in the face of a brilliant and exciting self-published debut

I enthusiastically recommend this to any fantasy reader!

• Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee
  • 3/16/24 – 3/22/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Myths & Retellings)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Intriguing Premise)

As soon as I read the premise of this book, I was hooked. I grew up a huge fan of stories of Caemlyn and the Knights of the round table, but it’s no small thing to tell such a story today that brings something fresh to the table. But having the knights be reincarnated throughout time to participate in wars whenever Britain was in peril scratched the itch. 

So did Lee stick the landing? This feels like a ‘your mileage may vary’ type of experience. The first caveat to get out of the way is the political commentary, specifically around climate change. This England is one in the “near” future that is largely underwater, courtesy of the melting ice caps. The upside of that plot point is it moves cleanly into “the world is dying and as a result magic is affected”. The downside is, of course, it drags the escapism out back and beats it with a thick rope. 

Outside of that, I loved the story being told. The characters were fun and engaging. The primary knights in play Kay and Lancelot brought opposite extremes of reincarnation into perspective in ways that felt true to the legends in their tone. The world felt wild and magical even as it was dying around them in a debut that has surely put Lee on my radar for future releases. 

Graphic Novel Reviews: Q1 2024

• My Hero Academia

The new year started with a bang in MHA as Deku and Shigaraki continued their final battle. Horikoshi’s art has been next level and the fight, while it has been dragging a bit, has been exciting. Honestly, I think if it were something I was catching up on or watching in the anime, the pacing wouldn’t even bother me. 

The pieces are in place for an incredible finish. Now we just wait to see how he finishes up. 

• One Piece

I was skeptical about the Egghead hype when I finished in early 2023. Then it held up and I caught up and I thought, “Damn, Oda really is cooking with this arc.” Then it got better and I thought, “Holy shit.” and we cycled through that about four times until we hit 2024. 

And the madman is still escalating. This series is incredible and Oda is absolutely crushing it, with the tease of some even more incredible moments in the near future. My body is ready. 

• Martial Master Asumi

I wanted this series to catch on so bad. The characters were fresh, the art was excellent and the fights were killer. Alas, Asami didn’t sell and was canceled mid February. I still recommend it to anyone as it really was a great series with a rushed final chapter. 

• Kagurabachi

The evolution of Kagurabachi’s place in the manga community has been fascinating to watch unfold. Its initial chapter last year was very well received to the point of becoming a meme. Then it proceeded to linger on the low side of the polls with Shonen Jump. As we started this year, the first (or second depending on who you ask) major arc was reaching its climax and I love the way it has since evolved. The impact of that battle is still lingering even as we delve deeper into the world and see different forms of sorcery at play. 

Say what you will but I was blown away by the first chapter and have been a devoted reader since. 

• Sakamoto Days

Sakamoto Days has been one of my favorite series’ for a while now. The premise of a retired assassin taken to its silliest extreme has been fabulous, even as we explore the characters’ pasts and escalate the threats. The last few months have been dedicated which – I admit – hasn’t been my favorite, but it has delivered some wild fight scenes. Someone somewhere needs to make a show of this one. 

• Jujutsu Kaisen

Ah, JJK. Like many others I got hooked on the anime and started reading as soon as the Shibuya Incident destroyed my soul wrapped up. The Culling Game and Shinjuku Showdown have been incredible in their own rights. My only concern with these last few chapters is the current trajectory seems…well lets just say it’s not my taste. I’m still here for it and I have faith in Gege, but we’ll have to see. (note: I wrote this before the 3/31 chapter so maybe there’s still some kind of hope? Right? Guys?)

• Kaiju No. 8

I’ll admit that this arc seems like it’s been going since the dawn of time, but the last handful of chapters have really picked up the pace. That said, I tend to be on the more positive side of the discussion I see so it should come as no surprise that I’m super hype for the next few chapters.

• Kaiju No. 8 B-sides

I did not have a Hoshina flashback mini-series on my bingo card, but it has been an awesome ride! Add to it the last chapter focusing on Kikoru, and I think this side series will be an amazing way to flesh out the world and characters.

• Dragon Ball Super

It’s been a bit of a slog trying to wade through the end of the Super Hero arc, considering the film came out a year ago. That said the chapter or two that followed, featuring Beast Gohan training has been everything I could have wanted. 

More importantly, RIP to the man who created a foundational story in my life. 

• Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

I’m hardly a Naruto/Boruto superfan, but I also don’t see the appeal to hating on it the way some communities do. Two Blue Vortex has been a really enjoyable start post-timeskip and my only real criticism so far is Kawaki doesn’t seem to fit into the current events. Even so, Boruto himself shines and Shikamaru has continued to be my favorite character. Kishimoto is cooking and I’m here for it. 

• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

This series and all of the goobers it features have found a special place in my heart. Yes, it’s a zombie story, but more than that it focuses on enjoying the little things and finding happiness in its truest form. It’s absurd and I will never miss a chapter. 

• Solo Leveling

At the end of February, I mentioned only having read a few pages of Solo Leveling and by the 27th of March, that was still true. However, I kept seeing clips of anime influencers reacting to the show and was really impressed and finally sat down with the first volume and read a bit more. Then I finished it. 

Then I grabbed volume 2 a few nights later and blitzed through that in a night. This series is wild and thrilling and I need more inserted into my brain right this instant. Don’t be shocked if I’m caught up on all published volumes by the end of April.

• One Punch Man

What does one even say about this series? It’s absurd and silly and stupid but, even while openly satirizing shonen manga, it is so outrageously cool in ways only shonen manga can pull off. I’ve been reading the version re-illustrated by Yusuke Murata who does an absolutely unbelievable job. The development of the world and story in volumes 4 – 10 have been mind-blowing and I fully expect to catch up in the next month or two. 

I’m not sure what was in the water to start the year but someone needs to put it back. Honestly, that pace wasn’t sustainable anyway but it would be nice if I could find a happy medium. I made progress on the two audiobooks left unfinished in January but I also started a number of new books with varying degrees of success. Now I have a month to go until the end of r/Fantasy Book Bingo ends and I’m okay with that. I am. Really. Promise. Anyway. 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	10 (+3)	28.57%	58
Audiobook	15	1 (+1)	6.67%	5
E-book	5	2 (-)	40.00%	11
Graphic Novel	175	20 (+11)	11.43%	117
Total	230	33	14.35%	194

Books: 

• All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  • 2/1/24 – 2/7/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Three books by an author 1/3)

I really didn’t talk enough about The Naturals series last year. It was pitched to me by a bookseller as X-men meets Criminal Minds (with some extra emphasis on the latter). The whole series to this point has been fast-paced, exciting and brilliant, combining dynamic characters with fascinating serial killers. Each cat and mouse scenario flawlessly blends a gruesome crime with the past history of one or more main characters. Barnes is quickly emerging as a guaranteed read for me between this and the Inheritance Games. 

In this installment, murders set in Las Vegas casinos make it very clear which member of the team will see significant focus. But beyond that, details from the very beginning of the first book are given more context that proves Barnes to be a top-tier plotter and promises a showstopping endgame. The finale just crashed its way to the top of my reading list. 

• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
  • 2/3/24 – 3/3/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Middle-East Inspired)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (About Secrets)

This positively explosive first entry to Sabaa Tahir’s series was recommended to me by my lovely wife and exceeded the already high expectations set by her praise. The blending of cultures mixed with the enigmatic magic operating behind the scenes were the high points in a book full of strengths. Stir in a pair of POV characters you can’t help but root for in the face of a military academy that is as deadly as it is terrifying. All of this comes together in a page-turning first entry that hooked me in for the rest of the series. Lucky me, my wife already has copies!

• Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  • 2/7/24 – 2/11/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Three books by an author 2/3)

Man, I knew from the end of All In that this series would go out with a bang but I was *not ready*.

Barnes did a brilliant job with plotting out a finale that drew from everything these characters have gone through and continuing to develop the characters while facing them against their wildest threat yet.

Based on the ending (none of which I saw coming), the series will have excellent reread value – and yes I absolutely will be rereading. And it renewed my faith in the Inheritance Games which I enjoyed but wasn’t as absorbed by (but that’s a story for another day).

• The Order of the Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
  • 2/29/24 – 3/1/23
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (POC Author)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Flowers on the Cover) 

I’m starting this review two days after finishing this story and I’m still, in so many ways, unsure of what to say. For a book that’s all of 150 pages, Zen Cho has created a bold and vibrant world, brimming with character and culture. The story starts out in a most familiar way with a mysterious bandit in a small-town cafe but quickly expands to something far more complex. Challenging notions of faith and identity, this found family wuxia story is an immersive glimpse into a world I desperately hope is explored further. 

Bonus points for LGBTQIA+ representation

Review

Graphic Novels: 

• Jujutsu Kaisen

Well I’m finally caught up and while certain massive spoilers were spoiled for me, I can officially say that the ride was so absolutely bonkers that it doesn’t even matter. Those chapters of combat were fully next-level and I’m salivating over what they’ll look like once animated – and I hope that comes from fairly treated animators. 

• Solo Leveling

I’d love to share my thoughts on this series but I’ve read all of four pages so there’s not really much for me to say (yet).

• Spy x Family

I watched the first season and adored it – because of course I did – and ultimately decided I wanted to give it a full read. It’s especially nice as an option to break up some of the heavier books I read.

• One Punch Man

I read the first volume last year and just kept scooping up new things to read to the point where I forgot about it. Since I have Shonen Jump, I figured this would scratch a silly itch while also providing some fun action. So far so good!

What am I Currently Reading? 

• A Witch’s Sin by Daniel B. Greene
  • 1/3/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Audiobook)
• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a favorite)
• Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K. J. Parker
  • 2/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Book you own but haven’t read)

Ongoing Manga:

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Martial Master Asumi
  • Canceled at 32 chapters. Sad face. 
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Jujutsu Kaisen (starting 2/17)
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8: B-Sides
• Dragon Ball Super
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• Black Clover

January 2024 Reads and Reviews

I’ve always struggled with how to approach posting and sharing reviews for books I’m reading. Part of it is always changing my mind on how to format it but mostly, I’m just terrible at being consistent. I took a different approach last year with monthly posts (which devolved into quarterly) and I did like that method. Meanwhile on Instagram, I’ve been sharing mini-reviews of almost everything I read which I’ve also enjoyed. So here at the end of January, I’d like to collect all of my reviews as well as add some manga mentions. 

Want to see something from my reviews or this post? Let me know! 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	7	20.00%	82
Audiobook	15	0	0.00%	0
E-book	5	2	40.00%	23
Graphic Novel	175	9	5.14%	105
Total	230	18	7.83%	211

Books: 

• Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
  • 12/10/23 – 1/8/24

This book started a bit on the slow side and (trigger warning) has a super toxic relationship right out of the gate. Specifically there was some physical and emotional abuse. However once you dig into it a bit there’s a unique and fascinating magic system and a really creative twist on the “MC can see ghosts” trope. The main character’s development was gut wrenching but powerful; however, I’d include the disclaimer that this is coming from a male reader. 

I would have liked to learn a bit more about how the magic works but I have a hunch that will come in the next book. Speaking of, I have the sequel, Traitor of Redwinter on my TBR and, hopefully, I’ll be able to talk about that next month! 

• India Muerte and the Ship of the Dead by Set Sytes
  • 12/21/23 – 1/10/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Indie book)

Overall I was pretty mixed on this book. I think I wanted to like it more than I did but when push came to shove, the final 20% or so was incredibly effective. I think the series has a lot of potential based on this starting point.

• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
  • 1/1/24 – 1/3/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Mundane Jobs)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (About Starting Over)

I’ll be honest, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. It’s cozy, wholesome and beautiful. Easy five stars and a huge tone-setter on the year. 

Even as I try to expand on my Insta blurb, I find myself struggling. If there was one aspect I would touch on its this: the anxiety of someone taking risks for themselves to attain something they aren’t sure they deserved. You don’t need to be a battle-weary orc to feel like you don’t deserve the things you want. And you don’t need to be a battle-weary orc to be wrong. 

This book, at its heart, is a reminder that you deserve to be loved. You deserve to be happy and that’s nothing to be ashamed of, no matter how frightening the concept may be. 

• Jim Butcher Shorts:
  • 1/4/24 – 1/6/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Short Stories)

This was a tricky one for me for a few reasons. Reddit Bingo has a “Read five short stories” box every year. Having blasted through several Dresden books over the last year or so, I thought this would be a great time to read some short stories. Unfortunately that meant bouncing around and selecting five that wouldn’t spoil books I still haven’t read. Someday I’ll finish Brief Cases and Side Jobs in their entirety and give them a proper review.

• Hounded by Kevin Hearne
  • 1/10/24 – 1/23/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Druid)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Favorite Genre – Fantasy)

The depth of Celtic lore was really fun to see looped into a modern day setting. That said, the humor fell flat and the book dragged which is rough when it’s all of 260 pages.

• The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
  • 1/20/24 – 1/26/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Set in Paris)

This book was exciting, fast-paced and clever. Some reveals were predictable but others hit just right. My biggest issue came early on where all of the key players were introduced and the book felt so focused on making you suspicious of them that they didn’t feel like real people. That resolved itself as the story played out though and by the end I was really impressed by how everything came together. This is a really well mapped out mystery where every detail matters.

Crazy fun mystery ✅

Absolute page turner ✅

Super toxic people that make you feel better about yourself ✅

Recommended if you want a quick, thriller-mystery!

TW: Abuse and homophobia

• Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill
  • 1/27/24 – 1/28/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Couldn’t put down)

I’m usually a bit hesitant when it comes to post-apocalyptic sci-fi as it has a way of being a bit more cynical than I can stomach. And while I wouldn’t say this is a “cheery” book, it does have a very strong emotional core that still leaves you feeling hopeful.

It’s worth mentioning that there are some notable political mentions in the first half or so. Depending on your political affiliation this can range from inflammatory to depressingly accurate.

That said, once the thick of the story takes over, the political aspects fade away in favor of the themes of individual identity and choice.

I blasted through this book in one weekend and recommend it to any sci-fi fans!

• The Cage by Bonnie Kistler
  • 1/28/24 – 1/31/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Legal Thriller)

The awkward thing about me reading a legal thriller is I can only really compare it to one thing: Suits. And while there is a lot to love in this book, there are chunks of legalese that make me think, “God I miss Mike and Harvey.”

Despite all that, this book took a really fun premise – two women enter an elevator, one is dead by the ground floor – and really explored every avenue of it. Some reveals were predictable but others were a total (and satisfying) surprise. And in the end there were some true boss bitch moments.

All in all I enjoyed the book, but I don’t know that I’ll be going out of my way to read any legal thrillers in the future.

• Long Chills and Case Dough by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/28/24 – 1/28/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Quick Read)

Long Chills and Cold Dough is…weird.

This is the latest Sanderson Curiosity, pulled from some of his early years of writing. Before you think I’m on some kind of tear, this book comes in at all of 56 pages and I read it in a collective 45 mins.

The nutshell (which is tough for such a short story) is: a PI who lives his life like a 1920’s noir detective navigates a case in 2151 Chicago.

Sanderson seems to be lovingly embracing the classic noir style while poking fun at its inherent misogyny. It’s an odd vibe and, if I’m being honest, pretty low on my list of Sanderson works, but the short read time makes it easy enough to gobble up.

On one hand, I want to know more about this MC and his place in this world. On the other, I want someone to slap him stupid for calling women broads and dames and generally being a jackass.

Graphic Novels

• Doom Breaker by Blue-Deep

I picked up the first volume while browsing a Target and loved the concept. I haven’t continued (yet) but that’s not a reflection of the series. The pros are wildly fun art and (again) a crazy dope premise. For cons, it relies a bit too much on rpg styles which I don’t care for. Either way I like the setup from the first volume and will read through the rest in the future. 

• YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi

I was able to finish this series early in the year, specifically the end of Chapter Black and the Three King arcs. Obviously Togashi’s art was incredible as ever and I loved the large scale moral ambiguity of Chapter Black. I was a bit more mixed on Three Kings because the concept was thrilling but the conclusion was…kinda slapstick? I have read some other perspectives and I get the thematic value of it but the whole vibe didn’t really work for me personally. The good news is, I still love the series as a whole. 

• Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

Well after the Shibuya Incident destroyed me on a fundamental level in the anime, obviously I was going to continue. So I’ve begun my journey through the Culling Game – it’s been an interesting transition moving from anime to manga, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I look forward to catching up to all the spoilers that TikTok and Twitter have already subjected me to! Jokes aside I really am very excited to catch up and read the series real-time. 

What am I Currently Reading? 

• A Witch’s Sin by Daniel B. Greene
  • 1/3/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Audiobook)
• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a favorite)

Ongoing Manga: 

I don’t know that I plan on reviewing or commenting on every series below. I may do a quarterly or mid-year discussion on each? I don’t know! Either way, I plan on including the list. As I catch up to things or (crosses fingers) series’ end or are canceled I’ll update it. 

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Martial Master Asumi
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8: B-Sides
• Dragon Ball Super
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• Black Clover

Once again, I’ve neglected to write and post anything about what I was reading and suddenly an extra two months went by. So with that said, here’s my Summer reading roundup! This will cover everything I’ve read in June, July and August. 

Maybe I’ll actually stick to the monthly schedule to round out the year? Who can say, really. 

Completed:

• Redwall by Brian Jacques (5/16/23 – 6/4/23)
  • Read an old favorite

Redwall isn’t just an old favorite for me, it’s THE old favorite. Going all the way back to fifth grade when I didn’t think I liked reading. This story of a brave little mouse and his friends defending their peaceful abbey stole a piece of my soul and never let go. I read all of the available books over the next few years before moving on to other series as I approached highschool. 

It’s been twenty-three years since I read this first entry and, I’ll be honest, I was terrified. The world has changed a lot. Standards shift and, we’ve seen time and time again, that books find themselves left behind in those changes. 

This isn’t one of them. 

The characters are lovable and the plot is an exciting adventure. Basil Stag Hare is still one of my favorites ever and Constance the badger is an absolute unit – of course she is, she’s a badger fighting rabbits. It’s classic in the way that makes you smile. Like curling up in a warm blanket on a chilly day and sipping some warm tea. 

If there was any flaw worth mentioning, it’s the writing of Cornflower. She does stuff throughout the story and helps here and there, but in the end, the book makes it painfully obvious that her role is love interest. I mean “a warrior needs a good wife” obvious. But that comes with the territory for a book written in 1986. 

As a whole, I adore the book even now and will probably continue my way through the series over time.

• Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (5/23/23 – 6/7/23)

It’s common knowledge in most fantasy communities that the Dresden books take a bit to really hit their stride. Even so I always dragged my feet with the series. But by the time I rolled through Blood Rites in May, I felt like I was really feeling the series hype. 

Dead Beat cemented that. 

My very first note from for this book was “Fucking yes. I don’t care, the answer is yes.” which really highlights just how much I was loving it. The inclusion of necromancy was excellent and it feels like the overall series is taking it up a notch with power. 

I did notice through this book that I have a bad habit of suspecting people of villainy and getting it horribly, horribly wrong (and in hindsight I did this in the past). Either way, the book was a wild thrill ride and I gobbled it up and moved right into the next. 

• On Lavender Tides by Travis M. Riddle (5/1/23 – 6/7/23)

If one was to go swimming through my kindle library, you’d likely find a massive list of indie/self-published books that were free for a day. Since I am incapable of ignoring the word free, I gobble them up every time (and it supports these authors which is great). This is part of that pile. 

Also, and I can’t stress this enough, it’s based on Pokemon. 

Millennials hear me, this is Pokemon made fantasy! 

I had a bit of trouble getting into things early on since there was a deluge of information, between the jekua and how they actually work in-world but once that slowed down, I followed a much better. The MC was a bit tough at the start because he’s a kid and is accurately portrayed as angsty. Even his friendship with the other MC felt off for a while – almost like they were strangers stuck traveling as opposed to best friends. But later in the story, they open up a bit and finally settle into the vibe I was looking for. 

By the end of the book I was deeply invested and all of my criticisms above trickled back into noise. Excellent writing, a dazzling world and nostalgic battles. Plus, there’s a couple more books in the series and I look forward to checking them out! 

• Vinland Saga Book #1 by Makoto Yukimura (5/14/23 – 6/8/23)

Vinland is one of those series that everyone says is a must and I just cast a glance at it in the bookstore. Not that I wasn’t interested but…It’s like One Piece in a way. When everyone says “you have to read this” so much it almost puts you off from reading it.

So. You should read this. (and One Piece but that’s a different conversation) 

The art is spectacular, the story is rich and the early characterization is complex and thrilling. Thorfinn is, even in these early chapters, an amazing protagonist and I was so invested I exploded through half the book in one day. 

Also vikings. 

• Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (5/30/23 – 6/12/23)

To get the personal out of the way, I’m a pasty white American man who grew up The picture of privilege. As far as I knew racism just stopped in the 60’s and most of the global effects of racism were footnotes in school. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last several years deconstructing what I was taught and actually studying the world around me. 

Trevor Noah’s story about his childhood in South Africa was one of the most poignant and eye-opening books I’ve ever read. As far as I’m concerned, this should be required reading and I’ll recommend it at every available opportunity.

• The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan (6/10/23 – 6/24/23)

This fits in the awkward category of “I wanted to love it”. On one hand, the setup was great. Picking up twenty years after the traditional heroes-versus-villain story was inventive. On the other, I never really felt like I knew some of the key characters. 

The world itself was aggressively dark in ways that just don’t work for me and the secondary plot felt so far removed and lower in stakes that I was almost tempted to skip it. I didn’t and of course it tied itself in, but the investment wasn’t there. Then again, a malicious talking sword works so well for me. The ending also felt rushed to the point I almost lost track of some reveals. 

Not bad, but I was hoping for more personally. I’ll probably check out the sequel when it comes out. 

• Pines by Blake Crouch (6/24/23 – 6/25/23)

Once upon a time, I read Recursion by Blake Crouch. I loved the first half so much and then…the rest. Then I wrote a fairly scathing review and decided to keep my distance from Blake Crouch. In the time since I’ve found myself in the minority but that’s life. 

Sometime recently, I was looking for a quick mystery and my local bookseller suggested Pines. I hemmed and hawed because of my past experience with Crouch but eventually gave it a shot. Then I left the book on my shelf for a few months. When I finally decided to start it, I read thirty pages before bed. 

I finished the following morning. 

This book was like shooting lightning into my veins. Atmosphere, tone, characters, tension, imagery. Flawless. The mystery sucked me in immediately and I couldn’t stop myself from pushing through. 

If the book was a standalone, I’d probably have complained about the end feeling like a twilight zone twist, but with two more books to explore it just adds to the excitement. 

• Wayward by Blake Crouch (6/25/23 – 6/28/23)

When I finished Pines, I went out and bought the rest of the trilogy without hesitation. The end of Pines left our MC with a crushing decision and Wayward has the task of exploring the morality of these circumstances while also investigating a murder. For all of the mystery in Pines, Crouch reveals just how well realized this world is in Wayward. 

The only reason it took me three days to read this one was my stupid day job. 

In the final moments there are two major moments that dropped my jaw. One chilled me to my core and the other in frustrated shock because I see where it’s going (and it’s my lone criticism of this book). 

• The Last Town by Blake Crouch (6/28/23 – 7/2/23)

I confess that from this point on, all of the reviews are written well after the actual reading took place. However this book is wedged quite firmly in my mind. 

As Wayward concluded, all hell had broken loose and much of what followed was a game of survival. Continuing from where he left off, Crouch did an excellent job of forcing characters to make devastating choices in the most horrible of circumstances. The world is well thought out and brilliantly realized and while the ending might leave some dissatisfied, I felt it was perfect for the story being told. 

• A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers (7/1/23 – 7/4/23)

Science Fiction has, for decades, been used to warn against the increasingly poor decisions humanity is making. Becky Chambers got up and said, “yeah but what if the world didn’t fucking suck?” 

In this world, robots became sentient and instead of creating centuries of war, they just peaced out. Now one has returned and joined our non-binary tea-monk protagonist to help people in the simplest and most wholesome ways. 

It’s short, digestible and brilliant. 

• Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (6/8/23 – 7/28/23)

From the first few chapters, it was clear that certain events were on a collision course. That’s not to say Butcher is getting predictable – I’ve found that comes down to the reader – but it builds a sense of dread that hits just right when the book ends. 

As far as I’m concerned, this book is Butcher absolutely cruising on brilliant momentum. The only reason I paused the series after this book was to read Sanderson

• The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth (7/10/23 – 7/24/23)

You’ve heard of Jack the Ripper. And before you tell me you haven’t, shut up we both know you’re lying. But have you heard of the Midnight Assassin? This criminal essentially drove Austin, Texas into a state of chaos in the late 1800’s. 

Hollandsworth does an excellent job of highlighting the various pitfalls in the investigations as well as the ugly realities of the racism that was very much present at the time. 

• The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin (6/24/23 – 7/30/23)

I have had this book on a semi-distant TBR since it gained attention in the SPFBO a couple years ago. I dragged my feet for any number of reasons until hearing that Orbit picked up the series and was going to publish it. 

Given that Alexander Darwin himself is himself an experienced martial artist, it should come as no surprise that the highlight of the book is the fighting. Beyond that, however, there are engaging characters in an interesting world and some jaw dropping moments. 

I definitely had trouble getting into the book but later in the story, something clicked and I was absolutely locked in – not just for this book but the sequels as well. 

• An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten (7/30/23 – 7/30/23)

What do I even say about this book? In this we follow the surprisingly violent shenanigans of a little old Swedish woman who takes absolutely NO ONE’S bullshit. It’s such a short bit of storytelling that I won’t say much more, but if you like dark humor, don’t you dare miss this. 

• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (7/30/23 – 8/1/23)

I grabbed this book as a beach read for vacation. My expectations were a bit on the low side, but I figured it could be a fun little thriller right? Instead it grabbed me by the throat and dragged me through this absolute thrill ride like the train scene in Invincible. Intense, twisty and fucking wild, this book checked all the boxes I needed. 

• The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (8/1/23 – 8/3/23)

This book turned out to be one of those stories that was perfect, but I will never read it again. Tremblay introduced a brilliant conflict and compelling characters with just enough room for reasonable doubt to satisfy either side of the divide and while the ending was what I’d consider the “right” ending – fit the themes and characters and didn’t pull a deus ex cop out – it also deeply wounded me inside and I want to pretend it never happened. 

Brilliant. 

• The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden (8/4/23 – 8/7/23)

Despite my love for the first book, I was skeptical about a sequel. I mean, it didn’t really leave much room for the story to progress in my mind – at least not without being predictable. 

So. 

This book was as wild and unpredictable as the previous one. It did, in fact, build on the character and events in a satisfying way and definitely earned its place. On top of that, I’ll probably expand into McFadden’s other books

• The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (8/7/23 – 8/16/23)

I really, really wanted to love this book but honestly I struggled with it. The setting was interesting – a chaos-filled version of Victorian London where fae entities are the norm – and the characters were the highlight, but the prose and style didn’t fit my personal taste. That’s not inherently a criticism – sometimes a book just isn’t built for a reader. 

Recommended for literature lovers who want a badass female lead who loves books. 

• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (8/17/23 – 8/21/23)

This book came at the recommendation of my lovely wife who read it earlier in the year and *adored* it. Our reading tastes don’t always align but she assured me that this one would be a winner. 

Remember kids: Happy Wife, Happy life. 

It helps when she’s absolutely right. The titular Vera Wong is an absolute pistol and the book itself was brilliant and delightful. I’ll note that I’m pasty white so I can’t (and won’t) speak to the commentary on an upbringing in an asian-american household, but that didn’t prevent either of us from having a great time with the read. Around Vera is a strong group of supporting characters that you’ll come to understand one by one as you pick apart their connections to the murder victim in this clever mystery. 

Highly recommended to anyone who will listen. 

• Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maerher

What happens when an accident-prone young woman gets a job as an assistant to the Villain of her kingdom? An absolutely hilarious story is what. 

The first in a trilogy, it started with a laundry list of cheeky jokes, poking fun at the gothic setting and the Villainous workplace. But as the characters and their backgrounds filled out, an engaging story revealed itself. 

I’m wildly excited to see where this goes! 

• Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell

For both Reddit and the Booklist Queen Challenge, I used Spellslinger as the “book at the bottom of my TBR” mainly due to… well I forgot I had it. And I am FURIOUS. The idea that I’ve just been sitting on a book that was SO FUN is maddening. 

It fits into some familiar tropes like the MC without power in a world dominated by people with it, but it does well to expand the effects that has on a society. And being the first of a six book series (plus some novellas?) I have every expectation that the world will continue to be explored. 

In Progress/DNF

• Soulsmith by Will Wight
  • DNF’d. It didn’t grab me right away and at this point I was super flighty with books. 
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
• Preludes & Nocturnes (Sandman #1) by Neil Gaiman
• Wulf by Set Sytes
• The Man From St. Petersburg by Ken Follet
  • DNF’d. I’m gonna be honest. It took me all of 20 pages to realize this is just not for me.
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Manga (catchup): 

• Boruto Volumes 7-20
  • I really dug into this series in earnest once I was caught up on DBS and I am so glad for it. The anime gets a lot of shit but the manga really earned its place. 
• Record of Ragnarok Volume 1
  • I just finished this up from wherever I stopped in May. I haven’t continued yet but that’s just because my TBR is insane
• Sakamoto Days Volume 4
  • I’ll just keep filling in this series as I go. It’s still one of my absolute favorites
• Zom 100 Volumes 1&2
  • One of my current reads in manga – this series is just freaking hysterical and its commentary on the workplace conditions (specifically in Japan) is unreal. 
• Mashle Volume 1
  • What if Harry Potter wasn’t written by a transphobe was absolutely silly as all get out. Nothing makes sense but honestly who cares? Mash just does what he wants and I love it. 
• Demon Slayer 16-23
  • After watching all of the show I was NOT okay leaving things there so I read all of the manga from the point the show left off. 
• Cat Gamer 1 & 2
  • Do I really need to explain this? 

Manga (ongoing)

• Dragon Ball Super
• One Piece
• My Hero Academia
• Black Clover
• Kaiju No. 8
• Martial Master Asumi
• Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

Look at me, posting my monthly reviews on time! And good thing too, because I have a whole lot to talk about.

Books I finished in May:

• Spinning Silver (1/16 – 4/30)
  • Winter read/Empowering Read

After what feels like forever, I finally finished this one up (technically on April 30th but I won’t tell if you won’t). I won’t spend much time on this book because, in the end, it just wasn’t for me. If I wasn’t trying to hold myself to these reading challenges it would have been a DNF based on personal taste. 

The overall quality, however, I felt was very good. The characters were well defined and you certainly felt for each one of them and the situations they found themselves in as women in that time. I’d definitely recommend it as an empowering read for someone who enjoys that fairy tale reimagined vibe. 

• Redshirts (4/26 – 5/8)
  • Red Cover

I first heard of this book several years ago while listening to the Legendarium Podcast and was really intrigued by the concept. It sounded fun and meta and that sounded awesome. 

I was not prepared. 

Scalzi seemed to pause every thirty pages and ask if this was meta enough and say: “No, we need to go deeper.” Then he does. Again, and again, and again. And I know that sounds like a criticism but the truly insane thing is, it works. I loved this book so much it makes me angry. 

It’s a love letter to campy sci-fi that pokes fun at the flaws of the genre while also studying the relationship between stories and storytellers. As someone who writes themself, I’ll be revisiting this book and taking notes (in between laughing fits) for years to come. 

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros (5/8 – 5/15)
  • Book everyone is talking about

I feel like there are going to be two camps of reactions to this book. The first will bemoan how it’s derivative of other stories and if they want dragon riders they’ll go read something something something. The others are too busy riding the unstoppable hype train to care and with a 4.71 on Goodreads after north of 40k ratings, I’m thinking that camp has won out. 

And that doesn’t mean the first group is necessarily wrong. It is tropey, and derivative and *there is nothing wrong with that*. I’ve seen some posts where people get frustrated with any number of qualities and as I read them, I just shrugged and said, “yeah but it’s fun.” 

For me, the book took hold in the very first chapter and simply refused to let go. Some people may take issue with that sort of pacing but I’m here for it. I found Fourth Wing refreshing and exciting and just goddamn fun. 

Hard recommend.  

• The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson (4/10 – 5/15)

I wanted to love this book so bad. From the moment I heard the description from the kickstarter, I knew this book was right up my alley. And when I started reading it was…

Okay enough, I guess. 

This is largely a casualty of my own expectation but the first third or so was just really tough for me. Eventually, I pushed through and the latter half was excellent and most certainly up to what I would expect from Sanderson. 

However the recurring FAQ joke about sentient bananas was fabulous right from the start and never stopped being funny. Fight me. 

• Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (5/16 – 5/23)

It took blasting through this book for me to truly decide that listening to the Dresden Files with James Marsters narrating is the superior way of consuming the series. I’ve been reading the series on and off since 2017 and it’s been a mix of formats but this one finally locked it in. 

The irony of all this is I have a vague memory of some reviewer saying this was one of the weaker Dresden books. Maybe that sent me in with somewhat lower expectations but I had an absolute blast. 

Harry’s development as a character has been fascinating and I think by this point Butcher worked out how to write him as a bit misogynistic without making the book *feel* misogynistic. I’ve never disliked the series but it’s never been much of a hype train for me. 

Blood Rites finally turned that around. 

• On Lavender Tides by Travis M. Riddle (5/1 – 9%)

If you think I can be sold on a book by simply saying “it’s Pokemon but fantasy” you’d be absolutely right. I started this one up at the beginning of May when I was unsure what mood would take hold. I haven’t quite tabled it, but it isn’t my go to right now.

The early setup was a bit on the dense side but I’m still very much on board with the style and concept. 

• Redwall by Brian Jacques (5/16 – 21%)

Redwall is purified nostalgia. The very first book I ever read, and the story that got me into reading. The inspiring tale of a little mouse hoping to protect his peaceful home from a malicious rat. 

I’m still in the early stages of the story but it’s been a delightful trip down memory lane. 

• Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (5/23 – 23%) 

Oh Harry, what mess are you caught up in this time? So far it’s just getting a feel for the players of the book and learning what’s what but I’m really excited for where things are headed. 

Tabled Books: These are the books that I started at some point and still want to finish but I can’t quite get into them right now. 

• Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
  • I LOVED this when I picked it up. Then I got distracted and it seems like they’re caught in a slow point of the story. I’ll finish it for sure. Just not yet. 
• The Coward (Stephen Aryan) & City of Stairs (Robert Jackson Bennett)
  • These two books were started in an attempt to climb out of a rut but ultimately didn’t stick. I’m still very excited for them and fully expect to read them soon. 

My Immediate TBR:

• Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
• The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

Ongoing Manga:

• Do Retry
  • New Series. Post WWII Japan follows a street urchin who is trying to pay for his sister’s medical bill through a Yakuza boxing system
• One Piece
• My Hero Academia
• Black Clover
• Kaiju No. 8

Already Published Manga:

• Black Butler (Volume 1)
  • This one has had my eye for years and I’m finally digging in a bit. 
• Boruto
  • Ironically, I never read Naruto. I watched the whole thing through a while back and read so, so many negative things about the show that I never tried it. Eventually, I saw a couple recommendations to read the manga and avoid the show because the issues are filler based. So far so good! 
• Dragon Ball Z
  • Nostalgia over 9000
• Dragon Ball Super
  • An absolute blast. I’m really enjoying the developments. It’s definitely not perfect but at this point, who cares? 
• Vinland Saga Book 1 (Volumes 1 & 2)
  • Still early, but I’m really excited for this one. Vikings are a fascinating culture already and to read that through a manga lens (particularly with the praise the series has received) should be amazing. 
• Record of Ragnarok
  • This was recommended by a coworker and I’m pretty hyped about the concept.

I had planned on posting one of these each month and fell way behind almost right out of the gate. Either way, here I am with the last three months of reading! I included references to the Booklist Queen’s 2023 reading challenge where I was able to satisfy those requirements.

April also marks the beginning of the reddit r/Fantasy Bingo challenge! I don’t think any of my books will go towards that this month, but there will certainly be more to come.

Complete or DNF

• Einstein’s Dreams

This was a delightful read for me personally as it studies one of the most reliable and yet most intriguing elements of the physical world. This book is a series of shorts and essays taking alternative looks of time and how it would affect the world. It ranges from something as direct as time moving backwards to more conceptually complex ideas as time being a product of location. Each one examines the human element and how our perception of time influences our behavior. I expect to revisit this book every so often to see what sticks out to me with each read. 

• The Butcher and the Wren
  • Attempt at a 2022 Bestseller

I’d attempted to read this as a 2022 NYT Bestseller for my booklist challenge. The cover pitched it as a thrilling cat-and-mouse between a forensic pathologist and a serial killer from a writer who has in-depth knowledge of investigations. The reality was a series of interesting serial killer passages and POV chapters from the MC that were as interesting as a field report. Throw in a dream sequence at the 26% mark and suddenly I’m rooting for the serial killer. Okay maybe I wouldn’t go that far but the point is clear. 

• The Perfect Run by Maxime J Durand (Void Herald)
  • Recommended by a friend

If you read my January reviews, you may have seen this book pop up. I was still pretty early and waiting for something to hook me in. Well, suffice it to say…hold that thought.

• The Perfect Run 2 by Maxime J Durand (Void Herald)
  • An Audiobook

It…wait I’m not ready yet. 

• The Perfect Run 3 by Maxime J Durand (Void Herald)
  • Made me happy

Here we are. It did. I awkwardly sat on my couch listening to the audiobook so I could finish one night and started book two the next morning. It took nine days to listen through book two and start up the third. The final installment took just over two weeks. 

This little bit will serve as a mini-review for the whole trilogy to this point. I really did struggle with the main character for maybe a quarter of the first book. Eventually, there were moments with just the right mixture of humor and heart that I understood him. 

Ryan, the main character, gives off a strong Deadpool energy which will work for some more than others. Once you truly embrace it and realize there is a complex individual with a rich history beneath, the humor lands better and you start craving those hidden details. 

Devastatingly funny, wildly entertaining and, just when you aren’t paying attention, utterly heartbreaking, I was flabbergasted to find just how much I loved this trilogy. 

The series is very clearly aimed at gamers as the elevator pitch can be described as “what if you were the MC in GTA but real life and dystopian future?” But between the complex main character and the unstoppably lovable side characters, the emotional core of the story is simply brilliant.

• A Hard Kick in the Nuts by Steve-O
  • Genre I don’t usually read (non-fiction/memior)

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I’m not sure what I expected when I picked this one up. I’ve always been somewhat aware of the struggles he’s been through – as much as I expect anyone who grew up watching Jackass is – but the specifics were genuinely difficult to stomach at times. Steve-O doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities of his past and his present in a book that provides some life advice while playfully reminding readers to take it with a grain of salt. 

The biggest takeaway for me was genuine happiness in seeing the stability and optimistic future for Steve-O after years of putting himself through shit. He doesn’t pretend he’s perfect or ever has been, but he has acknowledged those mistakes and is rebuilding. 

In the end, is there anything else we can ask for? 

• Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
  • Set in the 1930’s

Reading the back of this book promised a story of a teenage boy trying to fit in while living on Alcatraz Island while caught up in the antics of the warden’s entrepreneurial daughter. Seems light and breezy, plus being set in the 1930’s qualifies it for a book challenge item! 

While most of that is true, the core of this book is really about how the family navigates the treatment of the young main character’s severely autistic sister. As far as modern medicine – specifically psychiatry – has come, the same cannot be said for the 30’s. The family bounces from doctor to doctor, trying out all kinds of experimental treatments and remedies to improve the daughter’s condition. Meanwhile there is a clear toll taken on them as they see relatively little progress. More importantly, it conveys all of this without compromising who she is as a character. Yes, she has autism and it affects those around her but she still has an identity and, more often than most would care to admit, that gets lost in the shuffle. 

The clear standout to me was how effectively these themes were presented in a book intended for younger readers. I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series, but that’s not in any way a reflection of the story’s quality. Honestly I just don’t know if I have the emotional stamina to go down that road. 

In Progress: 

• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
  • Winter Read

I can’t say I’ve made this book much of a priority since starting in January, but I’m up to 39%. I stand by my speculation that fairy tale style retellings don’t suit me. That said, this story has picked up a bit. I’m finally knocking other items off my “current read” list so I can hopefully make some more progress and see how this plays out. 

• Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the description of this story. A secret university in a secret location that teaches the art of murder? Sold. Not to mention the dark humor and pleasant tone of the writing. I’m only 28% in for now and I enjoy it, though I’d like to see some more plot development sooner rather than later. 

• The Coward by Steven Aryan

At some point I realized I had ventured so far out of my comfort zone that nothing (save for manga) I was reading could be called Fantasy. Obviously that won’t do so I pulled this one off my shelf. I’ve always insisted that cowards are more interesting than heroes and I think this story will prove me right. 

Only 6% for now but I’m very excited to see it through. 

• The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

After the incredible success of Tress and the Emerald Sea, I think everyone was expecting big things from the second kickstarter release. Early reviews didn’t inspire confidence and at 28% my feelings are mixed. On one hand, I’m engaged and want to see this through but it’s not on the same level as most of Sanderson’s work. I don’t find it bad in general, just bad for Sanderson, which is still quite good. 

• Redshirts by John Scalzi
  • Red cover

I first heard of this book years ago from a podcast and was hooked in by the concept. Essentially, what if the generic crewmen of classic sci-fi ships realized they were expendable? 9% in and I actually think the story is setting up something more complex than that, but I’m still super excited. This is a short book so I should be able to wrap it up pretty quickly. 

Manga Catchup:

• Dragon Ball

An undeniable classic, though deeply flawed. Toriyama’s original story of Son Goku and his friends laid the foundation of modern shonen manga. 

• Sakamoto Days

What if John Wick’s retirement wasn’t so aggressively tragic? Sakamoto is still married with a kid and runs a quiet little shop in town. Of course his past keeps trying to come back and he’s forced to show why he was the best assassin. 

• Fairy Tail

This is one of those series I’ve heard a lot about but never got around to watching. I’ve only read a volume so far but it’s been fun to start. 

• One Punch Man

Oh man what a fun satire on superheroes. A hero so incredibly strong that one punch is enough to end any fight which leads to boredom? What a setup. 

• Boruto

I never actually read Naruto, but I watched the show through. When it came to watching Boruto I heard such universal hate that I never bothered. Only later did I learn that most of the show’s hate came from filler and the manga is actually excellent. I’m a few volumes in and I’ve been loving it. 

• Dragon Ball Z

I don’t think anything can hit the level of nostalgia that this series does. Dragon Ball was fun but the soft reboot is what grabbed American audiences in the 90s and refused to let go. I’ve ripped through the series and reached the cell saga over the last few weeks and I plan to fully catch up an read through Super as soon as I can. 

Ongoing Manga: 

• My Hero Academia: I’m still loving everything I’m seeing from this series. The final battle is absolutely wild and the last few chapters have been highlighting other characters. 
• Black Clover: I’m not really sure what to expect right now. It almost feels as if we wrapped up the new setting subplot and jumped headfirst into the final battle with little setup. In all honesty, I expect everything to go horribly and both sides to regroup before a true final conflict. But what do I know? 
• Kaiju No. 8: Still gold. Absolute mayhem in this extended battle and I’ve loved every bit of it. 
• One Piece: After well over 100 chapters spent in Wano, Egghead Island has been a fascinating change of pace. Not to mention the most recent chapters following side-conflicts and each one being an absolute banger. The Final Saga of One Piece is in full swing and my body is ready. 
• Jiangshi X: I think I was halfway through the third chapter when I decided that this series wasn’t for me. It felt familiar to a lot of stories I’d already read without anything better. 
• Gokurakagai: No matter how objectively amazing it is that the demons of this series are called maga, I don’t have much investment in the characters and the artwork of chapter 3 was unimpressive. I doubt I’ll continue any further. 
• Kill Blue: it’s silly and campy but has some good potential. Only two chapters are out but we’ll see. 

• The Booklist Queen’s 2023 Reading Challenge

Am I a sucker for a challenge? Yes. Am I going to complete this challenge? Doubt it. 

Oh well.

Check out the hyperlink above for the challenge itself. It’s fifty-two categories to help push you to try new things! I’ve got a few under my belt here in January! 

• I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells

This is the only book I started in 2022 and didn’t finish before the new year started. It’s also one of the most intense books I’ve read in a long, long time. It follows a teenager named John Cleaver who is a diagnosed sociopath and has a passion for serial killers and is from a family of morticians. When a serial killer arrives in his sleepy little town, he can’t help but be fascinated. 

Wells did an incredible job of creating a character that is in equal parts terrifying and relatable. Even things that, as a third party, you can see he is simply not comprehending due to his condition, you can feel the frustration as clearly as if it was your own. On top of that, I read the audiobook narration by Kirby Heyborne who did an incredible job bringing John’s inner workings to life. If you’re an audiobook reader, I can’t recommend him enough. 

There’s really only one thing that I didn’t love about the book and, from what I’ve read, I’m not the only one and Wells is very aware. The book is marketed as a horror/mystery but nothing in the description really indicates the paranormal aspect that is very important to the story. Even the first half has some “oddities” but not to the point where I didn’t expect a reasonable explanation at some point. At least until the paranormal development is revealed in full. 

Even then, the writing was so engaging that I didn’t have a problem for long. Once the paranormal stuff is internalized I was all-in for the rest of the ride. 

There are a few more books in this series and I look forward to checking them out. I just might need to hug some stuffed animals and read something happy first. 

• The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
  • Attempt at “Winter Read” 

My first DNF of the year was The Bear and the Nightingale which was a major shame. I was really excited to check this story out but in the end, the style and pacing just didn’t work for me. After fifty pages out of 300, I didn’t really have any investment in the characters. The story spent more time than I would have preferred on setup events to the point that I really never hit the body of the story. 

I know this book is well-loved and I absolutely see why. In the end it just wasn’t for me. 

• One Piece Volumes 94-Current (106?) by Eiichiro Oda

I never posted any reviews about it and, besides a handful of tweets, I didn’t post anything about it online but I have been in love with this manga since I started it in May 2022. Once I hit Whole Cake Island, I refused to stop until I got myself caught up and oh my god was Oda on his game. 

I still don’t plan on posting much about the series. Maybe once the final arc wraps up, I’ll restart the series in defiance of the series ending and I can post some reviews then. But I’ll include it in monthly roundups like this! 

• Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
  • Released in 2023

Ah, the Year of Sanderson. I couldn’t help but back Sanderson’s historic kickstarter after his insane video announcement (plus being a fan for the last decade). This story was one of the most delightful reads I’ve had and at some point I’m gonna have to get my hands on a hardcover copy. I honestly wasn’t terribly enthusiastic by the premise when I first heard it but after learning it is “What if the Princess in The Princess Bride actively sought out her love?” I really shouldn’t have been surprised. 

It was slightly predictable but not in a bad way. Packed to the brim with Cosmere details and references but not (in my opinion as a huge fan) so much so as to make it unapproachable to those not read up on it. 

The biggest highlight, in a book full of highlights, was the in-world narration. Told by a side character in the story who just so happens to be a huge deal in Sanderson’s greater writing, I was living my absolute best life in the snarky tone. 

But special attention really should be given to Tress the title character and the Emerald Sea in which most of the story is set. 

Tress starts out as a delightfully subversive character in that she doesn’t make stupid choices or want to break away from her life. She is happy and is not like the other girls as they all insist on being, not like other girls. Instead she sees her best friend, works hard and lives simply. As she goes through her journey, her transformation into a fierce, brilliant woman is as inspiring as it is satisfying. 

Last, it’s impossible to talk about Sanderson without talking about worldbuilding. Shocker: it’s amazing. A world largely covered in oceans of churning spores that react violently when exposed to water is enough to make me want to hide under my blankets and keep reading with a flashlight. 

If you love Sanderson, check it out. 

If you haven’t tried his work out, give this one a shot! 

If you hate Sanderson, thanks for reading this far! I doubt this one will change your opinion but that’s life. 

• Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell
  • Recommended on TikTok

Where do I start with this one? I enjoyed the characters and was drawn into their world. The magic felt magical, the narration made me smile. The only issue I had was Aline’s dialogue being a bit mature for her age. The MC jokes about it but that doesn’t make it not feel odd. The world makes me hate humanity and the story really does a great job of making you loathe the villains. I look forward to where the story goes! 

• The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand
  • Borrowed from a friend.

I haven’t made my through quite enough of the book to weigh in much on quality. I’m definitely interested in this world, though I’m not the biggest fan of the main character. Still the pieces are in place for a wild ride and I’m giving my buddy’s recommendation the benefit of the doubt. 

• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
  • Take two of Winter Read

I made a small amount of progress on a plane and I’m a bit mixed. The more I try them, the more I can’t help but feel like I’m just not the guy for “fairy tale retellings.” There have been a number of beloved stories over the years that just don’t work for me and this is pacing to fall into that category. I’ll finish it all the same and maybe I’ll change my mind by the end. 

• Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman

Right out of the gate I adore this book. It’s essentially a series of essays exploring different philosophies of time and how each variant would affect humanity. I’m having a blast with each and every chapter. 

• Ongoing Manga
  • My Hero Academia – It’s received a lot of criticism for rushing but honestly I’m loving every bit of this
  • Black Clover – The surprise setting shift last year was…odd? I’ve loved the series enough that I have faith in where this series is going. 
  • Kaiju No. 8 – Gold. There’s nothing else to say. I love this series so goddamn much. 
  • One Piece – You’d think a guy would slow down after over a thousand chapters but damn it if Oda is still bringing absolute heat. 
  • Jiangshi X – I’ve only read the first (insanely long) chapter and at some point I’ll get to the second (also really long) chapter sometime soon. Either way, I’m interested in the setup. We’ll see how the series shakes out.