Space Station Mir

 An author whose work I really enjoy ( Book Review: The Shadow of Theron)  asked me to be part of her ARC readers/blogging promotional team for her next book, A Vision in Crimson, which means that I (and you!) get some pretty cool previews for the book, which comes out January 23, 2024--exactly one month from today! Today's "reveal" is the trope map, which definitely hits some of my favs: a witchy female protagonist, a secondary world, and a romance--I can go either way on vampires, but knowing how Troy writes, I'm sure I'll be interested in her take.  The cover is also gorgeous--I love the black and gold motif, and of course, with a word like crimson in the title, expectations must be met. I also like that split sword that gives me Excalibur vibes and reminds me of the sword-fighting in Shadow of Theron. I missed the official links, so I've just got a homemade trope map, so please don't blame the author/promotion team for my wonky photo editing but just t

 Happy Top Ten Tuesday! I have an urge to list a bunch of cute wintry reads OR list the books I actually think I will read this winter. I'll go with a mixture of both. Happy Sixth Night of Hanukkah to my fellow celebrants! Books On My Winter 2023-2024 TBR Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds--Ok, I'm cheating because I just finished this, but it's such an adorable Hanukkah romance with the perfect wintry cover that I couldn't not include it. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus--An upcoming book club read for January--I hope there's a reason for all the hype! Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey--Different book club read for January--kind of interested in this one although I don't know a lot about her. Promises Stronger Than Darkness (Unstoppable Book 3) by Charlie Jane Anders--Currently reading very slowly and the title is very appropriate for this winter. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree--Legends & Lattes was the ultimate cozy fantasy, and

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!   I don't know if this was on purpose or not, but it was a good week for a freebie.  It's hard to believe, but Hanukkah starts on Thursday night! So, actually, I'm kind of late getting this out. All I really want for Hanukkah is peace and freedom for all, but books can be small lights of joy in all the darkness. Chag urim sameach to all those who celebrate! Books I Want for Hanukkah (on Kindle only since I'm trying to save space!) All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries)-I've been meaning to start this series forever, and it sounds like this will be a fun and quick read. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki-I started reading a sneak peek of this and loved it, but never ended up buying it. Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater-It's time to finish the trilogy! The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz-Found this when I looked up cozy fantasy, my new fav subgenre. A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair--Cozy fantasy mystery. Chaos Terminal by Mur

 I spent November more focused on writing a book than reading any, but I did manage to finish reading one book (I've also been dipping in and out of a few more) as well as write over 35k words of a second draft of the novel I started in 2019. I was hoping to be a NaNoWriMo winner again this year by writing 50k words in 30 days, but I was running a bit behind and then had a cold these last few days, when I was hoping to bump it all up, which put an end to that. Still, I'm very proud of myself for getting a good start on the second draft (I'm...maybe halfway through? not entirely sure), and I'm hoping to finish the draft, which will probably be more than 50k words, in December.  Book Read in November We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu--I started watching Simu Liu on Kim's Convenience as the cool-guy prodigal son Jung ( a show which, sidenote, one of my students thought they had personally discovered and thought I was extremely hip for watching!) I was so happy when he was