Hello Fiction Dwellers!

First of all. . . MERYY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a good year and have accomplished the things they wanted to accomplish. It is okay if you didn’t or haven’t because there is still time and you are never late. For me December has been kind to me and literally surprised me. Starting the month I was on the verge of a mental breakdown because of my constant anxiety induced thoughts about my visa. It’s been flying around in the ether of bureaucracy since April so I was really happy when I got that email on December 5th. After two years I can finally see my partner. FUCKING FINALLY!

That good news fueled me the whole month to prepare everything for the trip and I used that motivation to read only short books to achieve my Good Reads goal (which I did). Before I go into the monthly wrap up I will be planning a separate post for my yearly wrap up that will cover blogging, reading recap (statistics, etc.) and goals for 2022. The other post I’m planning is my 2021 list of favorite reads. It will take a while to post but I want to tell you all what to anticipate and to hold myself accountable.

Books

My goal for December is to achieve my Good Reads goal to read 100 books so to do that I picked up a lot of short stories, novellas, and short novels. In total I have read 16 books with a total page count of 2,083 pages. Compared to last month it is a big drop in page numbers. In all honesty I was burnt out from reading a lot of ARCs in November and it’s the holidays. I found some very good stories and I read the novellas that I’ve been wanting to read in 2021 such as In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu and A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. There are a few surprises too!

❁ The City Born Great by N. K Jemisin ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : September 28th 2016

This story is a love letter to New York and it’s many boroughs as Jemisin breathes life into it and gives it a united heartbeat that pulses with our main protagonist.

❁ Waiting on a Bright Moon by J. Y Yang ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : July 12th 2017

Neon Yang’s prose are as exquisite and beautifully rich with tenderness. The inclusion of Chinese lyrics into the story is a nice detail that I find charming.

❁ These Deathless Bones by Cassandra Khaw ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : July 26th 2017

I scrolled through this story in a heartbeat because of how easily I am immersed into the scene between a step mother that is a witch and her step son, the child from her husband’s previous marriage.

❁ A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : August 27th 2014

Yap’s writing is clear, simple, and intricate that readers can easily slip into the shoes of Makino. It is a story about the ugliness of love and the greediness of loneliness.

❁ The Water that Falls on You From Nowhere by John Chu ❁

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Release Date : February 20th 2013

Though the story is pretty simple and the premise can be found in many stories but the sudden summoning of thunder clouds and the themes of being queer as an Asian is what makes this story so relatable. Not the summoning of thunder clouds part. 

❁ The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèlí Clark ❁

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Release Date : April 28th 2021

Since I read A Dead Djinn in Cairo I fell in love with P. Djèlí Clark’s prose and incredibly vivid writing. Clark’s writing style stands out to me as the best amongst other short story writers I’ve read.

❁ Lullaby for a Lost World by Aliette D. Bodard ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : June 8th 2016

The horrors in this story is delivered with a straightforwardness as sharp as a knife. It is truly enchantingly horrifying.

❁ Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : May 4th 2016

What I liked about the story that it takes legends and myths telling them in a more modern way shaping them into a fantasy within a fantasy. Goss’ writing is accessible and immersive, the way Goss gradually picks up the plot is also well done.

❁ Variations on an Apple by Yoon Ha-Lee ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Release Date : October 14th 2015

Honestly, I don’t understand what I just read because non of it made sense to me. Right now I’m just grappling with whatever I picked up from it.

❁ Unsouled (Cradle #1) by Will Wight ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Release Date : June 13th 2016

Full review to come!

❁ St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid by C. L. Polk ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | Read for FREE here!

Rerelease Date : February 26th 2020

This story is enticing with the added magical realism in the story as a fantastical element that stands on its own, separate from the witchcraft moments.

❁ A Psalm for the Wild Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Rerelease Date : July 13th 2021

Full review to come!

❁ Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Release Date : October 13th 2020

Full review to come!

❁ In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Release Date : August 31st 2021

Full review to come!

❁ Seven Days in June by Tia Williams ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Release Date : June 1st 2021

Seven Days in June is intimacy fueled story filled with reckless decisions, bleeding emotion, and raw vulnerability. A truly addictive page turner.

❁ Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu / Translated by Tiffany Tsao ❁

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

Release Date : December 2021

Happy Stories, Mostly is a collection of melancholic and bittersweet stories that are proudly Batak and unapologetically queer. An enticing and fresh piece of fiction that weaves discussions of the Christian faith and heteronormativity of Indonesian society.

Blogging

I did not expect to pump out this many posts in December. My average have increased and I am here for it. The whole month I kept thinking to myself I posted four times but lo and behold I got two extra. What’s amazing is I also managed to post my most anticipated releases and a fun post like my mehs and no-nos of the year. For reviews I caught up with two ARC reviews that trickled in from November that will be released in 2022, The Red Palace by June Hur and Only A Monster by Vanessa Len.

Bookish Content Creator Shout Out!

☾ Prutha from Moonchild Lexicons celebrated her 2 Year Blogoversary by doing a Q&A. Happy Anniversary to my dear fellow blogger Prutha! Reading the answers is so fun and I love that there are a lot of questions about music not just about books. It is proof that Prutha’s taste is truly unparalled! If you like K-POP and books follow Prutha y’all!

☾ Maddie from Inking & Thinking just wrapped up their 2021 reading journey and her most anticipated releases & goals for 2022. Maddie’s 2021 wrap up flowed nicely, I really like the graphics she did for each rating and then the anticipated releases also included some pretty good looking sequels and new standalones. Definitely check out her blog!

☾ Katie from A Cup of Cyanide posted her hilarious review of Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore. When Katie sent me a message on Discord talking about this book I didn’t expect it to be a traditionally published book and from Tor of all publishers. If you read Katie’s review you will know how wild this book is. Katie also covered everything and wrote about the whole reading experience seem like a hilarious fever dream. This review is a masterpiece! If any of y’all have the ARC of this book please do check out Katie’s review before you read it and thank her.

☾ Cherelle from A Bolt out of the Book posted her 2021 Wrap Up as she reflects her year in books, all the stats, her overall growth, and Top 10 Books of 2021. Looking at Cherelle’s wrap up and the whole lay out of the reading stats is just so satisfying. The colors and the graphics UGHHH looks so gewd!! I love seeing Cherelle’s growth throughout the year and I hope she reaches 2022 will be another great blogging year for her.

☾ Gauri from A Book and Chai shared a post spotlighting books she is looking forward to in 2022. Gauri never fails to add more books to my list of books, I swear every time I see her post something I’ll add more books on to my TBR. In this post Gauri spotlights some 2022 releases she’s looking forward to, if you’re interested in looking for more books to check out do hop over to A Book and Chai!

☾ Gabriele from Queer Bookdom shares all the 2022 Queer January Releases they are anticipating. In 2021 I read a lot of LGBTQ+ fiction so this year is no different because I’ll be hunting down more queer books to read and thankfully Gabriele made a list of 2022 Queer January releases and its in LIST form y’all complete with dates and details, all that good stuff! Want to read something queer in 2022? Hop over to the Queer Bookdom! <3

☾ Jayati from It’s Just A Coffee Addicted Bibliophile posted her Top 20 Favorite Reads of 2021. Jayati delivers a list of her favorite reads in 2021 and I am here for it. I love seeing which books we both enjoyed and we seem to have a lot of overlap. Do check out Jayati’s blog and Instagram y’all!

☾ Nihaarika from Clouded Galaxy Reads recaps on her 2021 reading journey and shares her plans for 2022. In this post Nihaarika reflects on her year and thank you bestie for the shoutout !! <3 I see a few of my favorites on her list and a few that didn’t work out for me but no matter. Please do check out Clouded Galaxy Reads y’all because Nihaarika is a gem <3

☾ Sahi from My World of Books shares her 2021 Wrap Up, Goals for 2022, and a few 5 star predictions. Sahi’s recap is so detailed and I love that she incorporated predictions as well along side the goals and challenges. I admire Sahi’s ambition and I hope incorporate some of that into my year as well. Check out My World of Books and follow Sahi on all the socials y’all if you like adult SFF! <3

☾ Patri from Narrative Niche posted their December Wrap Up closing the last month in 2021 with some good books. It’s been a while since I saw Patri pass by my timeline and I’m surprised they rebranded their blog name to Narrative Niche. I love the new name <3 Patri’s wrap ups is just a joy to read because they read books I have never heard of before so it’s nice and their WRITING!! *chef’s kiss*

☾ Mesal from Earthly Abode posted their 2021 A Year in Review. Mesal is one of the best writers I know like seriously I love reading anything she writes. In this post she reviews her year from stats covering genres, page count, mood, most read authors, etc. The post is very well structured and I like that Mesal covered a lot. I’m definitely taking some notes. Speaking of notes, sign up for Mesal’s newsletter if you haven’t. Click here to sign up. <3

☾ Veronica from Little Corner Reads posted a list of 22 Retellings they are anticipating in 2022. Looking for retellings that will be released in 2022? Well hop over to Little Corner Reads because Veronica compiled 22 retellings that will be released in 2022. I’m most looking forward to Joan He’s because Zhuge Liang?? HELLO??

☾ Kashvi from Misty Realms posted her interview with Allison Saft the breakout author of Down Comes the Night and soon to be released A Far Wilder Magic. I gotta say I’ve been hopping over Kashvi’s blog a lot lately because I love the new YA releases reviews she does and of course her interviews. In this post she interviews an author I’ve been hearing a lot about Allison Saft. Kashvi and Allison talked about the inspiration of A Far Wilder Magic, book recommendations, thoughts while drafting, writing playlists, and more. Do check out this interview if you are interested or a fan of Allison Saft’s work! <3

☾ Jon (@londonsonas on Twitter) & Anna (@vxctorvale on Twitter) worked together on an amazing project to celebrate the release of Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee, the last book of The Green Bone Saga. They posted a tarot card series of all the characters in The Green Bone Saga that they have kindly let me feature on this blog. This project they did injected me with serotonin and just pure happiness because I love this series so much. I’ve been following Jon and Anna for quite some time and they both amaze me. I love this art so much and I am literally having a breakdown right now seeing all the characters lined up like that. Jon has a Red Bubble (linked below) shop y’all can check out prints, pins, T-Shirts, etc of their amazing art from books such as These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever and Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. Anna posts some of the best fan art of anything SFF that stuns me every time I see a new piece. Be sure to give both a follow on all platforms!!

Anna – Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads

Jon – Twitter | Instagram | RedBubble | InPrnt | GoodReads

January ?

Starting the year of 2022 I don’t want to pressure myself to read a lot. I just want to read a handful of a books and post the things I’ve planned. I will be flying to see my boyfriend by the end of the month of January, so I’m mentally preparing for that and making that my mental priority. I do have a few books I want to read in January and here they are ~ <3

This isn’t a fixed list so it might change depending on my mood! So far I’ve only finished The Ninth Rain and started Kith & Kin. If you have read any of these books please let me know <3

Thank you for reading!

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