Bookshelf


Let's talk HB-710 and a few other ridiculous measures we ought to be challenging.

Happy Hour and Book Bans
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Feb 7


Dry January is over… bring on Endless TBR February. 📚 Shirt from @Out of Print #gifted #outofprintpartner

Feb 6


Things everyone tells you about grad school: it is a ton of reading.

Things they emphasize when it's a literature degree: it's even more reading.

I mentioned it counted when I read for MA research, which is why I'm including The Handbook to Literary Research. No, I don't expect anyone to pick this one up. While it certainly has its interesting points and is valuable to my current purpose, it's also fairly dry in comparison to my usual titles. I don't expect that particular link to get a lot of clicks.

Amidst dissertation proposal research, I did finally get to Only When It's Us, and while I was appropriately warned in advance that I would weep, I was not expecting it to be so persistent! The tears didn't let up for a good twenty or so pages in there, and I'm expected to recover enough to focus on dissertation prep?? Rude. I recommend that one to any contemporary romance readers (specifically sports romance folk) who can handle a good cry.

I also made headway in Onyx Storm (nearly done!), and I'll go ahead and admit that it won't be getting a high rating from me... please don't come for my neck.

Coming up this week, aside from yet more grad school reading, I really want to reread Legendborn and Bloodmarked in anticipation of Oathbound coming out in March. I did also download the ebook of House of Frank earlier this week, and I'd love to have something cozy and hopeful lift my spirits in a time of turmoil.

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Feb 2


In which I sip my favorite cocktail and yap about SOME of my favorite books. Follow me on Bindery here to enter the GIVEAWAY! https://pepperobrien.b...Show more

Jan 31


In which I remember that sipping a cocktail is clearly the easier path.

Jan 28


The extremely short and quick read of the week was Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi, which takes a handful of hallmarks of classic fairytales (think Twelve Dancing Princesses meets The Three Princes) and mashes them together in a tale of love, first cursed then renewed. 

I'll go ahead and say that it's not my favorite of hers. I don't think I can do sitcom-level humor in a fantasy. (Am I broken? Is there something wrong with me??) I had a similar issue with Assistant to the Villain. I love to laugh as much as anyone, but there are too many times it feels overdone—the horse cloak in Once More Upon a Time was entirely unnecessary.

Again, a very fast read, but not my cup of twisted tea.

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My audiobook of late is R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War, which (I must admit) I think I might already like better than Babel?? I have the entire series on audiobook, but I tend to consume them somewhat slowly (I'm a 1.2x speed kinda gal), so it may be some time before I can offer a meaningful update there. Bear with me.

Probably two or more years ago, my beloved sister-in-law gifted me a copy of Chloe Liese's Only When It's Us, and as delighted as I was that she was getting into romance, I didn't get around to reading it. Two good friends of mine knew about this utter failure on my part, and one texted the following last week...

"This is your quarterly reminder to finally read Only When It's Us."

Point taken. I started it last night, and I can feel the tears already forming. Stay tuned.

I also completely broke my "Dry January" rule. For those of you who didn't happen to see that TikTok, I told myself I wouldn't buy any books during the month of January. I'll fall on my sword in video form soon, but I went ahead and picked up What the River Knows and Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez. (I'm getting the sense that the first is a little better than the second, but I'll be reading them both soon enough to determine that for myself.)

Oh, did you think "Dry January" meant no drinking? Bless your heart. New "Liquor in the Library" coming tomorrow...

And no, I have not read Onyx Storm yet and have been dodging spoilers on TikTok with agility that would make the dragons proud. I did reread Fourth Wing and Iron Flame seeking out textual evidence of a couple of theories, but those rereads highlighted a handful of inconsistencies that make me want to shake my fist at Red Tower. (PLEASE stop rushing to print! Calm down with the blatant cash grabs, I beg you!)

On to what I plan to read this coming week, I'll be finishing up Only When It's Us, and I imagine I'll have some research reading to do for preparing my thesis proposal (it COUNTS, okay??). I do want to get to Onyx Storm, but also on my list is The Guncle by Steven Rowley, which I've heard is charming.

Comment below with what you've been reading lately!

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Jan 27


Here's what you need to know about my Bindery tiers.

Well, hi!

Thank you so much for popping in to check out my Bindery. This aims to be a place of stories, chit-chats, and (probably) a strong drink or several.

What to Expect in "Here to Mingle"

  • Every Sunday night, I will post here (you'll get an email) with updates on what I've read and what I'm looking forward to reading.
  • Intermittently throughout the week, I'll chime in with other bookish content, like upcoming releases I'm excited about and what books suit various vibes (just you wait for spooky season to come back around...).
  • Yes, "other bookish content" includes cross-posting from my BookTok account. You can still see me humiliate myself with "Liquor in the Library" videos.
  • Every Thursday, I'll post a "Happy Hour" video with a cocktail recipe alongside something a little more in-depth... stay tuned!

What to Expect in "Sipping Society"

  • All of the above.
  • I'll grant you access to the private Discord server where we will keep the conversation going! This will have daily pictures and general gab.
  • You'll be automatically entered into my monthly giveaway—YES, obviously, a book will be in there, but we'll see about treating folks to some extra goodies, too.
  • Vote! If I'm undecided over what to read next, steer me in the right direction. If I'm torn between which new finds to pick up, give me your recommendations. There will be polls all over the place so you can tell me what content you're after. I'm a very good listener.

Questions? Comment below and let me know!

I'm so happy you're here.

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Jan 24