November 2025 Wrap Up

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In November I read six books and watched one movie.

Books:

Dracula by Bram Stoker I listen to as the podcast Re:Dracula which takes the original novel and breaks it up chronologically so you are listing to events as they unfold and has a full cast narration. This is one of my favorite ways to read Dracula. Dracula is my favorite classic but I know that trying to read the novel can be a little bit of a struggle. I would recommend anyone trying to get into the original story to try out this podcast.

Mate by Ali Hazelwood is the sequel to Bride Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance omega verse book and I have a full review also posted. We follow Serena who is the first know human were hybrid and she has become a target that is seems everyone is after. The Alpha of the Northwest pack Koen Alexander turns out to be Serena’s mate but doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with her. This is a more slow burn romance that I would recommend anyone who liked Bride to try out.

Elantris is Brandon Sanderson’s first published novel and is part of the Cosmere. Set in a fantasy world where ten years before something happened where the city of Elantris was essentially destroyed as those who have the power of the Elantrians are not considered dead and there is no hope for them. We follow prince Raoden who has been taken by Shoad and is sent to live in the city of Elantris, Sarene a princess who was meant to marry Raoden, and Hrathen, a high priest of Shu-Dereth while all of them have different paths their stories become intertwined. Raoden wants to figure out the secrets of Elantris, help his new people, learn to survive and hopes that Arelon doesn’t fall apart. Sarene to help her own people stays in Arelon and gets involved in the politics. Meanwhile, Hrathan has been sent to convert the people of Arelon and if that doesn’t happen they will be wiped out. While Elantris is one of Sanderson’s weaker novels I loved the characters and concepts. Similarly to the Mistborn series there is a focus on religion and how one’s faith can change over time.

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson is one the secret project books. This is both a fantasy and sci-fi novel where a man wakes up in a version of Medieval England with no memory. When he finds parts of the Frugal Wizard’s Handbook it turns out that he has chosen to travel here. I find the ideas in this book interesting but didn’t love the main character having memory loss for much of the story.

Dumbledore: The Life and Lies of Hogwarts Headmaster An Unoffical Exploration by Irvin Khaytman is exactly what it says it is. This is a nonfiction book that reads more like an article about Dumbledore and what he is doing through the Harry Potter books. The focus is on what he knew, when he knew it, and how his decision impacted other characters. An interesting deep dive on Dumbledore but a little boring in some areas. I would only recommend this to fans that want to research different theories and understandings of these characters as this is a book that I feel only a select few will enjoy.

The last book I read was Saiyuki Reload volume 8 by Kazuya Minekura. This once again continues the Saiyuki story and I plan to have a more thorough review of Saiyuki Reload posted at some point.

Movies:

The only movie I watched in November was Hell House LLC: Lineage. Lineage is set after all the other Hell House movies. We follow Vanessa who survived Russell Wynn’s Insomnia production at the Abaddon Hotel and who now lives in town. It turns out that she and others are connected to the Abaddon Hotel, Carmichael Manor, and Andrew Tully. Going into this movie I believed that is would be the last movie in the series but with how this movie ends there are too many loose ends and I would expect another movie at some point. I enjoy the Hell House series but this one is no longer a found footage movie and because of that I feel like it loses some of the charm of the others. I have never found these movie all that scary this one is I didn’t find scary at all just creepy.

Book Review: Mate (Bride #2) by Ali Hazelwood

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Mate is the sequel to Ali Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance and omega verse book Bride. We follow Serena, the first known human were hybrid who had become the target of pretty much everyone. The Alpha of the Northwest pack Koen Alexander turns out to me her mate but doesn’t seem to want a relationship or does he? Serena has been feeling sick and thinks that she might be dying but to keep Anna, a child hybrid, safe Serena is willing to take on the world.

This is a great paranormal romance that allows the relationship to grow and is a little bit of a slow burn. However, I didn’t like is how long it took other characters to realize that Serena was going into hear when it felt like that I something they picked up on when she spoke to different were doctors. I’m surprised that no one sat Serena down and explained were society and biology to her as we are told she is an orphan and doesn’t know what everyone else does. I also didn’t enjoy the cult that becomes the main antagonists.

I know that the main characters would have to get together and that it’s more of a slow burn but at a certain point the will they/won’t they got a little tedious. Overall, a good paranormal romance but I did enjoy Bride more than this one and at times plot point just seemed very convenient.

October 2025 Wrap Up

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In October I read eight books and watched one movie.

Books:

The first book I read was Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America’s Most Legendary Haunted Places by Amy Bruni. This is a cookbook written by paranormal investigator Amy Bruni. She takes recipes that are connected to haunted places and uses this to tell the story of these places. A cool concept and I liked the stories but some of the recipes are out there and I’m not sure many people would make them.

Next I read Queen Demon by Martha Wells and I have a full review posted as well. This is the second book in the Rising World series and we follow Kai and his companions after the event of Witch King. The story focuses on the fact that Dahin believes that he knows the location of the Hierarchs well of power and the possibility of a new Hierarch rising. I greatly enjoy this series and based on the ending I do expect that there will be at least one more book in the series.

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston is a Star Wars canon novel following Ahsoka after the end of the Clone Wars and surviving Order 66. She is traveling to different planets and working odd jobs while hiding that she used to be a Jedi. To save the people she has grown to care about Ahsoka realizes that she never really stopped being a Jedi and starts to work with the Rebellion.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark is a short story set before A Master of Djinn. In an alternate Cairo where magic and supernatural entities exist, when an odd suicide happens investigator Fatima must find out the truth and stop a plot that could unravel time itself. While connected to A Master of Djinn it doesn’t require you to have read any part of the series before this short story. I enjoyed this and plan to read more of the series in the future.

Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom by Christine Brown Woolley is Christine’s story from the show Sister Wives. This book starts with her childhood, follows into her early marriage with Cody, then starting the show to eventually leaving both the Church and Cody. It’s nice to see this story told by one of the wives. Though I do feel like this is Christine’s truth which might be different for other members of the family.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher follows a young woman, Mouse, who agrees to clean out her grandmothers horded house but there are things in the woods. A creepy horror story but does tell you that everything will be fine at the beginning. The ending is fairly cathartic for the characters. This was a reread for me as my book club was reading it and I still really liked it.

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the seventh book in the Wayward Children series and I have a full review posted as well. After having been to the Moors Cora is having nightmares and decides to transfer to the Whitethorn Institute the “sister” school to Eleanor West’s but this school focuses on making the students forget about their door and reinter society. However, it’s clear that something not quite right is happening at the Whitethorn Institute. I didn’t like this one as much as others in the series but I think some of the information introduced will come back in future stories.

The last book I read was I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider. An illustrated book/comic about books, book lovers, and writers. Cute but doesn’t have much substance though I would recommend to big book lovers.

Movies:

The only movie I watched this month was 28 Days Later. I’ve never watched 28 Days Later before but since 28 Years Later is now on Netflix I decided it was time to watch it. Overall, I enjoyed this zombie movie and can see why it was so popular.

Book Review: Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children #7)

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Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the seventh book in the Wayward Children series. After having traveled to the Moors, Cora is having nightmares and decides to transfer to the Whitethorn Institute the “sister” school to Eleanor West’s where they try to get students to forget about their door and reinter “normal” society.

Cora starts to realize that something is going on at the school and no one knows what happens to the students that don’t graduate, those who still think about and believe in the doors. Whitethorn is very strict and regimented to try and help the students but it doesn’t always work. This book introduces a new, possibly larger villain that could come back.

While I understood why Cora felt she needed to change Whitethorn stifles who is as a person. I didn’t like this one as much as others in the series but it has information that I think will be needed for future stories in the series. Also Cora is not my favorite of the characters and I still feel like there is too much emphasis on her body and size.

Book Review: Queen Demon (The Rising World #2) by Martha Wells

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Queen Demon by Martha Wells is the second book in the Rising World series. We follow Witch King Kai and his companions in the aftermath of the first book Witch King.

Once again the story is split between the past and present. In the past we follow Kai as he is fighting against the Hierarch’s and the growing relationships between the companions. While in the present the story focuses on the aftermath of Kai disappearing and the current politics. The main focus of Queen Demon is on Dahin who believes that he knows the location of the Hierarch’s well of power but he is hiding information from Kai. If the Well has been found then a new Hierarch could rise and they might not be able to stop them.

While I loved this continuation I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. I feel like this book is providing a lot of information and more focused on the politics that will be important later in the series but much of the action is at the end. I also think I would enjoy this series more if the past events were told to us all at once followed by the present day story.

A third book has not yet been announced (at this time) because of how this book ends I would bet that we are getting a third book.

August and September 2025 Wrap Up

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 In August I only finished one TV show and one movie so I decided to combine the August and September Wrap Ups. In September I read five books, watched two movies, and played the demo for a new video game.

Books:

The Unwanted Guest by Tamsyn Muir is a short story in the Locked Tomb series. Palamades Sextus and Ianthe Tridentarius match wits on a dreamlike battlefield. Mostly a discussion between these two characters which I don’t feel like I understood but I liked it. Honestly, most Locked Tomb things leave me confused.

The Cautious Traveler’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks is a historical fantasy where the Trans-Siberian Express train travels the wastelands to connect Russia and China. We follow different passengers on the train and learn how the wastelands are changing and how that impacts the passengers.

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright is a dark fantasy set in a world where society is divided by between those who are blood workers and those who are not. Blood workers use blood to do different magic and is vampiric in nature. We follow Shan who is trying to protect her brother and Samuel who has a terrible gift as they have been tasked to find out who has been committing murders in the city. I liked the story overall and was not expecting how it ended. I look forward to continuing this series.

Manga Classics: Dracula is a manga retelling of Dracula by Bram Stoker and I have a full review posted. While it is a retelling based on changing the medium the story is told in it is using the original text of the novel and is fairly accurate to the novel. I enjoyed this take on Dracula and would recommend this as a way to get in to the story if you didn’t enjoy the reading experience of the original novel.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass is the first book in this romantasy series inspired by Beauty and the Beast. We follow Feyre who kills a wolf in the woods to use the pelt for money to feed her family. However, it turns out that the wolf was a fae and now Feyre must go to the fae realm and live there for the rest of her days. This is a reread for me as I intend to continue on with the series but I didn’t remember much from the first time I read it. While I understand that not everyone will like Mass’s world and stories I enjoyed it and would recommend it as an intro to romantasy.

TV:

The only TV show I finished was season one of The Terror. The Terror is a drama/supernatural anthology series where each season is a contained and unconnected story, the first season is based on a book by the same name. Season one follows the events of the Franklin expedition to find the North West Passage through the Arctic Ocean and was supposed to be a sea lane connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The expedition gets stuck in the ice and after an encounter with some of the natives a something starts terrorizing them. This is an interesting take on a historical event and while I enjoyed it, it’s a very slow start. I do intend to watch the next season which is set during World War II at a Japanese internment camp.

Movies:

The first movie I watched was A Quite Place Day One. Which heads up the cat survives because I did look that up before watching. This is the third A Quite Place movie but is a prequel to the other two as it follows the events of what happened when everything fell apart and the aliens appear. We are in New York City following Sam, a hospice patient, and Eric, a law student, who end up helping each other.

Next I watched Annabelle Creation which is the second Annabell movie and part of the Conjuring Universe. I’m slowly making my way through the Conjuring movies and trying to watch them in release order. Annabelle Creation focuses on how the Annabelle doll became possessed and what happened before the Warrens obtain it. While I’ve enjoyed all of the Conjuring movies so far I didn’t like this one as much and didn’t really care about most of the characters.

Last I watched The Nun. This is the first Nun movie in the Conjuring Universe and tells us some of the story about the Nun demon Valak before the Warrens become involved. We follow Sister Victoria and Father Burke as they investigate the suicide of a Nun at a remote monastery in Romania. I enjoyed this Conjuring Universe movie and expect that some of the characters will return from how the movie ends.

Game:

The only game I played was the demo for Draculesti which is a romantic horror visual novel where you play a Tans Renfield who is working for Dracula and might find romance along the way. Currently a Demo on Steam and has had a successful Kickstarter to finish the game. I enjoyed the demo and can’t wait to play the full game when it’s released. While not accurate to the original Dracula story I would recommend it to fans of vampires and visual novels.

Book Review: Manga Classics Dracula by Bram Stoker

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Manga Classics: Dracula is a manga retelling of Dracula by Bram Stoker. While it is a retelling due to changing the medium of the story it is using the original text of Dracula, though some has been left out to help condense the story, and is accurate to the novel.

I would recommend this as a way of getting in to Dracula if you have tried the novel and didn’t enjoy the experience. Much like other ways of reading Dracula, such as Dracula Daily, you get to understand the horror of Dracula and how different adaptations have changed the story over time.

For instance, in the original novel Mina is not Dracula’s reincarnated wife and Dracula while probably inspired by Vlad the Impaler he is not that historical figure. Unlike movies and other adaptations Dracula is a horror story and is not a love story at least not for Dracula.

In this manga adaptation the visuals are amazing and they take the time to give each character a slightly different writing style to help tell the story. I love Dracula and I love different adaptations so I figured I would enjoy this manga.

July 2025 Wrap Up

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In July I read four books and watched one movie.

Books:

The first book I read in July was Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson. This is a nonfiction book that tells the story of witchcraft and the witch trials in thirteen different trials/events. While interesting take on how to tell the story of witchcraft and a different way to study it I found that I wanted more information than this book gave. I also personally didn’t enjoy the more modern tales as I feel like it became more about the author’s opinion then what happened.

Next I read Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup which I have a full review also posted. Just Stab Me Now is a fantasy comedy story similar to the Princes Bride. We follow Caroline an author who is trying to write a fantasy romance with many popular tropes but the character’s won’t listen to her and take the story in a different direction.

Blood of Elves by Andrezj Saplowski is the first full novel in the Witcher series. We follow Geralt as he helps raise the prophesied child Ceri but evil forces are out to get her. I wanted to love this but I found myself not caring about what was happening and feel like I only got part of a story without a stratifying ending. While I’ve like the games and TV show I don’t know if I will continue with the books.

The last book I read was And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from The Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves. This is a humor book with different takes on things that one can learn by playing The Oregon Trail and how it can apply to adult life. A combination of art and writing that I think those who love the Oregon Trial would get a kick out of.

Movies:

The only movie I watched this month was Alien Romulus. The most recent Alien movie and one that I liked but didn’t love. Set between the events of Alien and Aliens we follow a small group trying to steal cryostasis equipment from a Weyland-Yutani station which had picked up a cocoon from the wreak of the Nostromo. I enjoyed this Alien movie and I wouldn’t mind a sequel to it. I loved the combination of practical and CGI effects.

Book Review: Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

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Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup is a fantasy/comedy story with similarities to the Princess Bride. We follow Caroline an author trying to write a fantasy romance book but her characters just won’t listen and take the story is an unexpected direction. For the Fantasy parts we follow Lady Rosamund a thirty-six year old widow who with the help of Captain Collins must stop a war and who has no time for fantasy tropes.

The book is inspired by the Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts where Jill plays all of the characters including the author and all the different characters in “her” book. The shorts and the book play up a lot of the tropes of Fantasy and Fantasy Romance. Specifically, Caroline is trying for enemies to lovers but the characters are not in that headspace and end up changing the plans.

I would love more and the book and shorts while wrapped up could continue but Jill Bearup has stated that she is not really an author and it was the fans who more or less bullied her into writing this and doesn’t plan to continue it. The book itself is very meta and is probably not for everyone but I loved it. I would recommend checking of the YouTube shorts first because if you enjoy those or not will tell you if this book is for you.

June 2025 Wrap Up

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In June I read five books. All of them which I enjoyed.

Books:

The first book I finished was The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski which is a collection of short stories set in the world of The Witcher and is chronologically set before the first novel. This is where many people recommend to start the Witcher series as we met Geralt and many others before the events of the novels and can better understand the character relationships. I liked the short stories but some I found too long and I didn’t personally like the ones that put so much focus on Dandelion.

Next I read John Green’s new book Everything is Tuberculosis. This is a nonfiction about Tuberculosis how it has shaped the world and Green’s personal obsession with it. While interesting and thought provoking at times it doesn’t seem like it goes far enough but I can see this as a small step stone towards change.

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski is another collection of short stories following Geralt of Rivia set in the world of The Witcher. While some of the stories are hit and miss the last one goes directly into the events of the first novel. I do feel like if you are just starting the Witcher series you should start with the short stories collections.

From the Wizarding World Archive: Curated Writing from the World of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is a collection of articles and anecdotes about the world of Harry Potter. Though it does contain interesting information I didn’t feel like there was a lot of new information or stuff. I personally would only recommend this to fans who like to read everything.

The last book I read in June was Queen B by Juno Dawson. Queen B is a prequel novella in the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series. This follows Anne Boleyn who really is a witch and her coven in the aftermath of her beheading. I loved this historical fantasy and look forward to reading more in the series.