2 hours ago
5
Hello BuzzFeeders, publication lovers, and different curious, bookish folks alike! I'm Dannica, and my extremity is to work 82 books successful 2026.
To execute specified a feat, I figured it'd beryllium mode much amusive to not bash it alone. So, each month, I'll beryllium sharing each publication I read, wherefore I loved (or hated) it, and letting you power what ends up connected my TBR list. This way, I'll beryllium capable to clasp myself accountable, perchance (likely) overshare each my thoughts and emotions, and instrumentality connected immoderate of your recommendations.
Here's wherever I'm astatine truthful acold (and if you wanna drawback up, instrumentality a look astatine January's edition):
Here's the vibe check: February transported maine to MANY antithetic phantasy worlds, and I had a bully clip successful beauteous overmuch each of them. There were galore beverage times, run-ins with a peculiar White Witch, adventures overseas, and a full batch of witty banter. Also, fto maine beryllium the archetypal to accidental that I tried squeezing a non-fantasy publication successful this month's slate, but the bosom wants what the bosom wants. I'll beryllium a spot much divers successful March; I promise!
(I besides work a bulk of my books connected Kindle due to the fact that I was successful New York for a bully chunk of February to sojourn my sister, nephews, and niece, and I didn't privation to bring my carnal books.)
That said, alternatively than being polite and making a modular database similar a mean person, I'm going to recap the books I work done thing a small much fun, chaotic, and honest: superlatives. Let's start!
🍵 A Magic Steeped successful Poison by Judy I. Lin:
This publication amazed maine successful the champion mode possible! I work it for my publication club, truthful I genuinely didn't cognize what to expect. First of all, the screen is GORG. The colors, the koi fish, the flowers, the whimsy?! Please. Second, fto maine commencement disconnected by saying that the magic strategy successful this publication is TEA — virtually and figuratively. As idiosyncratic who's work galore phantasy books and has developed a mild fatigue toward immoderate benignant of elemental oregon shadiness magic (especially shadiness magic), this tea-brewing magic strategy is simply a enactment of caller aerial and truthful unique. It's based connected accepted Chinese beverage brewing and rituals, wherever the mode you hole the tea, the ingredients you add, and the beverage leaves each impact the magic it exerts and its power. It's benignant of akin to potions, but way cooler. Reading astir the process and however the magic came to beingness was genuinely compelling — truthful overmuch truthful that I looked up a video connected accepted beverage making and was craving a blistery cupful of tea, like, each morning.
As for the crippled itself, determination were mode much twists and turns than I expected, and the writer really diverted distant from immoderate communal YA phantasy tropes, which I truthful appreciated. I recovered Ning to beryllium peculiarly relatable due to the fact that she's truly conscionable a miss who blames herself for her mother's death, her sister's illness, and her father's hardship arsenic a consequence. She believes that she is the crushed things spell southbound and that she tin ne'er bash thing right, yet she inactive chooses to beryllium brave, courageous, and an advocator for herself. Despite being successful the palace, wherever she is ridiculed by different competitors for wherever she comes from, and sees firsthand however otherwise she is treated owed to the wealthiness disparity, she refuses to fto that hinder her determination and her spot successful her abilities. TLDR; I emotion that girl.
OK, truthful my biggest gripe is that I privation the publication were longer. The book, arsenic it stands, is astir 384 pages, but I honestly deliberation it could've benefited from an other 150. Is that wild?! I don't deliberation so. The satellite and the magic strategy were truthful captivating, and I loved each the characters truthful overmuch that I virtually conscionable wanted more. After I finished the book, I recovered myself wishing determination was much contention (not to springiness a insignificant spoiler, but the archetypal situation virtually dismisses astir fractional the contestants), much interactions with Ning, the palace staff, and Lian, much governmental tension, and, of course, much of the romance! I liked however Ning and Bo (IYKYK) met and however the narration progressed...until I didn't. I cognize this is an wide duology truthful things person to gait a small faster, but I would've liked to spot those 2 lovebirds yearn for each different a small more, beryllium much confused astir their feelings, effort to fell it more, etc. I don't know, possibly this is simply a maine problem.
Anyway, I person yet to prime up the 2nd book, truthful possibly it'll extremity up being 500 pages and I'll beryllium happy. But overall, I adored this book, and can't hold to get to the adjacent one!
🍎 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis:
Last month, I asked you guys to assistance take a publication genre I should work successful February, and galore of you said (and I'm paraphrasing) 'Screw the genre, spell work Narnia.' And due to the fact that your guys' volition is my command, I started chronologically successful the bid with The Magician's Nephew.
Not gonna lie, I didn't cognize what to expect due to the fact that this was my archetypal C.S. Lewis book. I watched each of the movie adaptations yet ne'er thought to prime up the ~original text~, and I'm kicking myself for waiting truthful long. (I'm conscionable going to presume that everyone has seen the Narnia movie astatine slightest once, truthful if you haven't, um...spoiler alert?) I perfectly LOVED speechmaking astir the Narnia lore and learning astir however the satellite was made, however Jadis the White Witch came to be, wherefore the Narnian animals tin speak, however the wardrobe was made and wherefore it's magical, etc. Like, I ate it alllllll up.
The penning was elemental and straightforward for the astir part, prevention for immoderate somewhat archaic phrasing oregon narrating, but I evidently don't responsibility it since it was written successful the aboriginal '50s. Also, I cognize that these books' targeted assemblage is children, but I selfishly privation it were much of a fleshed-out caller and wide bid truthful that we could genuinely delve into the satellite and larn much astir the characters. Like, for this publication successful particular, I would've loved to spot much of Narnia successful its aboriginal stages, much scenes of Jadis, and much scenes of Aslan. But it's simply okay. (Also, tin I conscionable accidental that I knew this bid was giving precise overmuch spiritual allegory, but I didn't cognize it would beryllium truthful connected the nose.)
All successful all, I liked the publication for what it was, and I was conscionable blessed to beryllium there!
🦁 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis:
Edmund betraying his siblings for immoderate Turkish delights kills maine each azygous time. I'm gladsome the publication explained however helium was besides nether the allure of the White Witch's magic, but still. If I were successful his position, I would've asked for, like, a tomahawk steak oregon thing and person the White Witch's dwarf sidekick bust retired the charcoal grill and navigator it to a cleanable medium-rare. But that's conscionable me.
The publication moves a full batch faster than I thought it would, but I admit however concise it is and how, contempt its brevity, the story's lessons were casual to spot and instrumentality away. Again, I cognize C.S. Lewis wrote this communicative for his goddaughter, truthful I cognize it's nary large feat that my 28-year-old encephalon was capable to decipher the morals of Narnia, but I bash deliberation it's worthy applauding however intentional the writer was successful this abbreviated book.
That said, speechmaking this publication made maine admit the movie adaptation a full batch more, and I don't cognize if this is simply a blistery instrumentality oregon anything, but I truly deliberation the movie did the publication justice!? Maybe it's the fog of nostalgia clouding my judgment, but it stayed beauteous existent to the book, if you inquire me. In immoderate case, I'm ace excited to spot Greta Gerwig's adaptation of The Magician's Nephew travel to life, and I anticipation the satellite of Narnia lives on!
⚓️ Fable by Adrienne Young:
If immoderate of you recall, I work my archetypal publication by Adrienne Young past period (The Unmaking of June Farrow) and was itching to prime up different of her books. I decided connected Fable due to the fact that 1. I'm a phantasy publication girly astatine heart, and 2. I've really ne'er work a pirate phantasy before, truthful I was intrigued. Well, suffice to say, Adrienne Young's books are two-for-two with me, due to the fact that I liked this publication A LOT.
The world-building was immersive; I loved speechmaking astir the Marigold successful particular, arsenic it prompted maine to look up the names of vessel parts. I adjacent looked up the benignant of vessel it was — a lorcha — and it conscionable made maine consciousness Elizabeth Swann vibes. Like, I felt similar I was acceptable to spell connected an overseas voyage myself (let it beryllium known that I would NOT past specified a thing).
Fable, arsenic a character, was casual to empathize with, and it was wide what motivated her to scope her goals and what drove her to privation to past for truthful long. She's evidently inactive haunted by her mother's abrupt decease and besides carries immoderate analyzable trauma surrounding her father's abandonment of her (as astir radical would), and with that, I anticipation we get to spot much of who she is extracurricular of the grief and choler successful the adjacent book. Don't get maine wrong, Fable is close and valid to consciousness however she does, arsenic she ne'er got closure. I conscionable deliberation there's much to her that I'd emotion to see, similar her affinity for gems and jewels.
I loved each of the broadside characters and thought the recovered household was truly recovered family-ing successful this book. All the unit characters felt similar their ain idiosyncratic with antithetic dynamics, which I wholeheartedly enjoyed. As for the MMC, West...So, I liked him and Fable unneurotic until I didn't. UGH, I hatred to accidental it! Trust me, I was FULLY onboard with those two, reasoning I was going to get a begrudging-acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers slow-burn situation, but instead, it was thing else, which I thought derailed the relationship's momentum. Of course, the romance was inactive amusive to travel and held a batch of tension, though I did deliberation West was conscionable a wee spot boring 🫣.
Overall, it was a fun, speedy work that ne'er felt stagnant. The pacing was great, the characters were enjoyable, and the escapade of it each was ace compelling. I can't hold to work the adjacent book!
🎭 A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann:
So, to this day, I inactive don't truly cognize however to consciousness astir this book, hence wherefore I gave it 3.8 stars. Let maine commencement disconnected by saying a big, hearty congratulations to the author, Shannon J. Spann, connected releasing her debut novel! It's an astonishing accomplishment, and my favourite portion astir this publication (one of my favourite things, astatine least) is conscionable however creative, immersive, and unsocial the mounting is. I consciousness similar an mentation can't bash it justice, but this publication is heavy inspired by theatre: the stage, the tragedies, the comedies, the performances, the not wanting to interruption the 4th wall, the audience, the script, the costumes, and MORE. The book's ambiance is dark, a small whimsy, a small camp, and a small scary — each astatine the aforesaid time.
To me, Jude is the champion quality and the second-best portion of this book. His antics would enactment connected me, IDK! The banter, the charm, the looks (aka the idiosyncratic I'm imagining successful my head), the melancholy, etc., had maine kicking my FEET! Ugh, I loved him. As for Riven...she was not my favourite FMC successful the world. All she did for maine was marque dumb decisions and reiterate however huffy and aggravated she was. Closer to the extremity of the book, I understood wherefore she was acting the mode she was (I guess?), but meh. It didn't marque maine consciousness amended astir her.
(But honestly, sometimes I person to cheque myself and retrieve that I'm not expected to work books done what I deliberation I would bash successful the character's shoes. But still.)
Which leads maine to...the wide plot. Again, this is simply a VERY ambitious book, and I was thoroughly entertained throughout. However, I deliberation determination whitethorn person been a spot excessively overmuch going on, to wherever I privation the halfway of the publication had been much established. I would person loved to spot much world-building, successful particular: much astir the gods, much astir the wars, and much astir the antithetic regions — the South of Theatron, specifically. I wanted much clip with Riven earlier the Playhouse to research her relationships with her brother, her begrudging bestie, her aunt, and her mom, and I would person loved to research much of the North arsenic well.
However, the Players were each precise chill characters, and I loved their interactions and personalities, arsenic good arsenic the Craft magic. I didn't needfully similar the large ~reveal~ oregon crippled twist adjacent the end, and I thought it was a spot anticlimactic, but I deliberation the ending wrapped things up precise nicely. Despite what I thought was lacking, this publication was immersive and engaging, and I honestly couldn't enactment it down.
Now that February is someway implicit (she genuinely came and went), it's clip to spot what March has successful store! I don't cognize however I got myself successful specified a predicament, but I'm presently speechmaking 3 books that I anticipation to decorativeness soon. To beryllium fair, 1 of them is simply a small implicit 700 pages, 1 is astir 1,000 pages (!!), portion the different is benignant of my small palate cleanser, if we must. HOWEVER, the possibilities of what I extremity up speechmaking are genuinely endless.
All that to say, I've officially made this a squad effort and would emotion your input. Comment the emoji that correlates to your ballot beneath for what genre of publication I should see successful my monthly speechmaking slate, and I'll study backmost adjacent month! (Honestly, I'm speechmaking a phantasy publication regardless.) And if you privation to beryllium other involved, see a publication rec from the genre you voted for!
What publication genre should I work successful March?
• 👻 Horror
• 💖 Rom-Com
• 🛸 Sci-Fi
• ⚔️ MORE fantasy
• 📚 Historical Fiction
• 🦁 Girl, spell work Prince Caspian
English (US) ·