2025 quarterly reading log [1/4]
52 book challenge progress: 25% (13 out of 52 books)
I'm officially on track for my goal <3 Most of these are sapphic, I do have to say I've thorougly enjoyed the non-romance ones and they were the most memorable of the list. I got sucked into The Hunger Games series once again when Sunrise on The Reaping was released - I honestly can't get enough this universe (!!)
the snowball effect by haley cass
This is my first book of 2025 - I meant it to be an easy read to start me off with a momentum, and it was! As always Haley's writing is superb and I was swooooooooning.
the goodmans by clare ashton
This was nice, great characters and a good story about family, acceptance and the lot. In stories I've read before, parents' reactions to their children being gay is almost always black and white. Either, they kick them out, despise them or is 100% accepting of who they are. That's just not quite true in real life. Here, there's a scene at a dinner table where one of the characters is explicitly referred to as a lesbian. Mrs. Goodman says this line when talking about the lesbian's dating life:
I imagine many men and women would love to date her.
It was interesting how my mom was represented in this as Mrs. Goodman, in a way.
the love conspiracy by j.j arias
Just fine. Cheating husband, wife and the girl who was cheated on romance.
here we go again by alison cochrun
Proximity, road trips, opposing characters. Some parts are a hit and miss but yeah I'll take whatever I can get!
a tree grows in brooklyn by betty smith
I could not put this down. It's all too real, like a mirror. I wish I read this when I was younger but then I'm also sure I'll be reading it again in the future.
outdrawn by deanna grey
I love the concept and any other enemies to lovers story out there but... I don't know if I was just pre-occupied when I read this at a busy time because it came off like the premise carried the entirety of the plot.
earthlings by sayaka murata
I've read Convenience Store Woman before and loved the concept and the weirdness of it. I've come across this before and didn't know what to expect initially1 but afterwards I figured this is entirely on brand for Sayaka Murata. It is quite unhinged and graphic. Next thing I know the word "Popinpobonian" was stuck in my head for a week or so. I've since said it out loud countless times, for some reason, at random.
curse of the dragon shadow (1), legend of the dragon soul (2) by selina a. fenech
It's been a while since I've read fantasy! I was very impressed with the world building of this so far - I think I just lost a bit of momentum when I realized it's a total of 6 or 7 (?) books. Very, very, very slow burn. I saw this recommended in a lesbian book club forum by someone who has apparently already finished it. In fact, the romance was not even hinted at that much and the story revolved around the conflict concerning the main character's adventures, which was entertaining to me all the same.
loser of the year by carrie byrd
Story was great, I thought it was just like any other enemies to lovers trope in which suddenly the characters have the hots for each other just because of forced proximity... This has something that makes it all click and it makes sense and the premise doesn't carry the whole plot. It also featured characters well after their 20s so it was a refreshing read.
the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins
I've already watched the film before reading this and could not help but imagine the actors as the characters. Snow is a deranged man and a carefully curated villain. I loved how, albeit a little, I read more about Snow's father and Highbottom's relationship because that was something I was particularly curious about in the film.
sunrise on the reaping by suzanne collins
I never cared for Haymitch that much when I first watched The Hunger Games. I thought he empowered the main characters then, and in turn became a great support system. Suzanne was effective in changing the way I see him now. Reading this after the first prequel, it also gave even more depth to Snow as a villain. There are some scenes here that haunt me until now. The epilogue wrapped me up in a hug.
sunburn by chloe michelle howarth
Oh, the yearning! It's a story that I think has been told many times, but this kept me because of the unique way the main character (or the author, really) chooses her words. It also involves letters, which is strangely a component I really love reading in romance books.
Books I've started this quarter but have not finished yet:
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- I plan to get back to this soon! Hopefully it doesn't take me 100 years.
- The Pragmatic Programmer by David Thomas, Andrew Hunt
- I've been reading this in bits and pieces because I don't think it suits me to read it all the way but maybe, sometime, I could.
Always open to receive book recs ^^ I've also read this all on my phone. For the next quarterly list, it'll all be read on my Kindle! I am so excited!
13 Apr, 2025