alsvidur's 2025 list

Hello! I'm Emilie, a mid-life veterinary nurse who resides in Michigan with her husband, Rhodesian ridgeback, cat, and mustang pony. I enjoy riding, reading, and a tiny bit of gardening (some years).

Unfortunately for you, most of my reads are non-fiction horse books. I read some others - romance, general non-fiction, children's books - but I think it's about 2/3 horse books. Pretty boring unless you're REALLY into horses. (If you are, please introduce yourself! Much like Joey from Friends when once asked about preferring women on one hand or food on the other, I enthusiastically say "put your hands together!" when it comes to books and horses.) I read a fair amount, around 200 books a year, so at least a few a month are general fiction. I do not go into deep reviews of my reads. Most of the time I have to look up the main characters names when it comes time to record my reads here; I can remember the gestalt only and it feels unfair to write an essay when it went in one eye and out the other.

Now that you are looking for the 'ignore this topic' button (it's off to the upper right), I also enjoy sunshine, butterflies, surfing, the idea of sailing, many colors, goldfish/carp, and staying warm, lest you think I've lost my sense of whimsy in my enthusiasm discussing my hobbies. I sometimes stumble upon entirely new genres so maybe this year I will fall in love with something you also love. Suggestions are deeply appreciated but not always followed up on; I read where the wind takes me. (Hopefully somewhere tropical.)

Welcome back Emilie.

Nothing wrong with sunshine and butterflies. Just saying. xx

Welcome back, Emilie!

Hi Emilie. I didn't post on your thread last year but I kept up with it. I once had a Rhodesian ridgeback, he was a great dog. Looking forward to seeing what you're reading.

Happy New Year, Emilie. Did you read Perestroika in Paris? I am not a horse person (don't hold it against me), but I really enjoyed this horsey novel.

Happy new year, Emilie!

Happy New Year Emilie! I vow to be more diligent in visiting threads in 2025. I hope your year will be filled with wonderful reading!

Happy 2025, Emilie

Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

>5 BLBera:: I haven't heard of it, but I love the author's other books, so I'll keep an eye out for it this year. Thanks for the suggestion!

Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you lots of good reads!

Hello and Happy New Year! I laughed at your "unfortunately for you" comment - you do you! :)

Happy New Year, Emilie!

Book #: 1
Title: Equine Behavioral Medicine
Author: Bonnie Beaver
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Well-referenced and cited text book- could even be used as a starting guide for further research instead of PubMed

Most of this is summarizing behavior studies and not medically treating behavior, so the title is a bit misleading. Still a good reference though.



Book #: 2
Title: Young Women in the World of Race Horses
Author: Larry Adler
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, horses/ Non-fiction, feminism
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1978
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Rating: 4.5

This book is the bee's knees. I wish I had access to it when I was younger. Not only does it detail what the trail blazers stood through (rocks being thrown, protests against them, etc), but how other young women of the time could get into the field and pros and cons of where to start (eg the farm or the track). Even as an adult, there were cool things I didn't know: the reason Kathy Kusner wasn't the first female jock in a race was that one of her horses at the WIHS fell on her and as she was recovering from a broken leg, another girl was able to be successful. There are copious black-and-white photos with stylin' 70s fashion depicted on the random grooms photographed. This is a good find.



Book #: 3
Title: Getaway Girl: A Novel
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 2

Addison is in town crashing her cousin's wedding, but when the groom is left at the alter, she ends up being the getaway driver. They become friends and then more-than-friends, but the optics his political career requires causes problems with Addison, who has a reputation she doesn't deserve.

This is a pretty smutty story. Bailey can be hit-or-miss in a big way, and I wasn't feeling it.



Book #: 4
Title: Flygirl
Author: Sherri Smith
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

Ida Mae passes as colored and joins the WASP so she can fly planes again in WWII. She braves not only the sexism of the times, but the racism of the south - where if she was caught out in certain states, she would be killed.

While this is a fictional story, it was still really good. Could you tell certain events would happen? Yes. Was it a problem? No.

I have been on LT and in the 75ers for 15 years now! I started with 800 books and now I'm up to 3,500 (not including the >1 alsvidur:,000 books I've purchased, read, and then donated). LT has been here for it all from the year I wrote good reviews to the year I read 365 books to now. My views on reading also evolved - there is no shame in not reading, audiobooks are valid, e-readers are not the actual devil, and I've even been able to DNF a few books. I've met some amazing people through the 75ers. I'm so lucky I found LT!



Book #: 5
Title: David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 155 / BF
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Gladwell chooses college selection, Civil Rights, and law enforcement to illustrate that what we automatically think is the best may not be.

Ooo - that Young Women book sounds good!

>15 DFED:: I know! I mentioned it at the barn and a bunch of older women at the barn are going to borrow it.



Book #: 6
Title: Conversations with Cosmo: At Home with an African Grey Parrot
Author: Betty Jean Craige
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 2

Betty Jean purchases an African Grey and spends the entire book gushing about her pet. It was like being stuck in an exam room with a client at work and not being able to extricate yourself politely. {And here I deleted a very long rant about people who think the sun shines out of their mediocre child/pet's bum and the rest of the world wants to hear about it for hundreds of pages.} The author sounds like a lovely lady; I was just expecting something more along the line of Pepperberg's Alex studies and less like a bird lady talking about her pet. I will be donating this one, but if you think pets are pretty cool and have never met a parrot in real life, this might be a better read for you than I.



Book #: 7
Title: The Illustrated Guide to Saddle Fitting
Author: Beverly Harrison
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4

Basics of saddle fitting and buying. There are more in-depth books out there, but this would be a well-rounded introduction to someone who was looking for information about a first saddle or the like. The illustrations are paintings by the author; photos might illuminate things a bit better but the illustrations are able to show exactly what the author wants.



Book #: 8
Title: Horse Handling & Grooming
Author: Cherry Hill
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1997
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

Black-and-white photos illustrate the very basics of horse handling - how to halter, tie, and do basic grooming. It would be a good start for someone brand new to horses or a kid that doesn't mind "old" books. I would have liked how clear and step-by-step everything was when I was younger.

Book #: 9
Title: The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 4

Andie and her friends are spending the summer before their senior year working and hanging out. Andie's plans have suddenly changed and she is no longer going to a college prep camp but walking dogs. She meets people, learns to relax, evolves her relationship with her father, and becomes less obnoxious. I was pleasantly surprised by this one - not bad.

>17 alsvidur: I really liked this one! It has a lot of things that make it kind of tailor-made for me (dogs, fantasy author love interest, scavenger hunt plot element) all wrapped up in one package. I think I've read it twice.

>18 curioussquared:: I was a bit nervous picking it up: I had become tired of teenage drama and dogs in fiction are usually a negative (like a busman's holiday) - but I was impressed by the character growth and the romantic hero. I was sad about the scavenger hunt - they just left it like that? A bunch of competitive kids? But otherwise it was encouraging to know that maybe I could get back into some YA.

Book #: 10
Title: Silence of the Songbirds: How We Are Losing the World's Songbirds and What We Can Do to Save Them
Author: Bridget Stutchbury
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 598 / QL
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 2

So pretty much everyone knows we have fewer bugs, fewer birds, etc now than we did 30 years ago. This briefly covers some of the reasons for the general decline of songbirds - sun coffee being grown instead of shade during their wintering season in the tropics, forest fragmentation, light pollution, deforestation of the Boreal forest, pesticides, etc.

This was a family member's book from his science classes at a liberal arts school and it felt like it - a very brief overview of general science-y things with 'how do you feel/what can we do about it' as the focus.



Book #: 11
Title: Zoo Careers
Author: William Bridges
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 1971
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 3

An overview of jobs at the zoo for high schoolers in the 60s. It was very biased and outdated - women, you get to be secretaries and librarians; men, you can be a director if you work your way up and keep pets at home. Of interest for collectors in the field only.



Book #: 12
Title: The Office: Counting with Office Supplies
Author: Malcolm Shealy
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 3 weeks ago
Rating: 2.5



Book #: 13
Title: Who Are These People?
Author: David Croatto
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 3 weeks ago
Rating: 1.5

I am unsure why my husband got these as a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law. I hope she's not expecting them to be used by a niece or nephew....

The Seinfeld book is not terribly appropriate for small children - calling people idiots, etc. The Office book is a normal counting book. I guess I don't get the appeal of Funko pops.

>20 alsvidur: I must agree, Emilie, I wouldn't have thought that Jerry Seinfeld's sense of humour - as funny as he can be - is appropriate for small kids.

>20 alsvidur: Re: Silence of the Songbirds, seems vaguely interesting but 2007 is probably too old at this point. I have switched entirely to shade-grown coffee, which makes me feel better about my habit

Re: Zoo Careers, interesting how that's aged! The zoo where I volunteer has a significant majority of female zookeepers, likely because it's a caretaking role with very low pay. We currently have a female zoo director, who worked her way up from being a rhinoceros keeper

>21 PaulCranswick: I'm a heathen that doesn't even get Seinfeld in the first place. My husband loves him though.

>22 norabelle414: I don't drink coffee so I'm not bothered by my choices there, but I do use some of the brands of paper (tissue, toilet, writing) that she mentioned use only virgin boreal forest wood. I'd like to change but it might require some effort there to parse out which brands are actually better. The proportion of women in animal fields grew in the 70s and 80s, was slight more even in the 90s, and tipped more recently. Now it's weird when there are men in a veterinary practice. (For example, we have 2 techs, 1 assistant, and 4 docs that are men - the rest of the 70-some employees are female.)

Book #: 14
Title: Ride Big: The Ultimate Guide to Building Equestrian Confidence
Author: John Haime
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 3

Much about focus and goal-setting using corporate motivational speak. The author was a corporate speaker, moved to working with pro athletes of many fields, and wrote about equestrians. He at least did try riding a bit and get familiar with the sport, but it seemed very broad all the same.

If you need confidence because you get nervous when people watch you, this would be a good fit. If you need confidence because your horse has tried multiple times to yeet you head-first, maybe pick up something else like Brain Training for Riders. (The author here even said in a few places 'confidence is a choice' etc.) If you play a different sport and want to come at your issues with a new angle, this might be a good pick for you too. I did write down a few bits in my riding journal so it wasn't a waste - just not what I was looking for at the time.

Book #: 15
Title: The Complete Calvin & Hobbes: Book 1
Author: Bill Watterson
Genre: Comics
Classification: 741 / PN
Pub date: 2012
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Rating: 4

I've been rushing through and not simply enjoying recently, so I pulled a sentimental favorite off the shelf. I don't think this comic strip collection needs a summary.



Book #: 16
Title: The Joy of Bird Feeding
Author: Jim Carpenter
Genre: Non-fiction, birds
Classification: 639 / QL
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

While a lot of this was marketing Wild Birds Unlimited products that the author developed, still most of the book was about how to attract birds to your yard, keep them there safely, and in general, start people off on the bird feeding hobby. It was comprehensive (to this very novice birder), full of clear color photos, nicely organized, and sizable. While it's probably too basic for an advanced birder, for a beginner, I think it's a very nice introduction. There is a clearly laid out plan on how to be successful in your area of the country, in your yard, and while shopping for seed.

Book #: 17
Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldan
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1991
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Reread due to Elorin's reviews - "the competence" of the characters is soothing.

Claire, a WWII nurse, gets sucked back in time to 1970s Scotland. She misses her time and her husband, but the events of the 1700s sweep her away - and into Jamie's arms. Much like most people, I really love this series.



Book #: 18
Title: Into the Woods
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Gretchen is a take-charge boss of her own dance studio. She helps out a friend by teaching a few weeks at a camp for the arts. She bumps into Teddy, a rock star whose band just broke up - who is teaching the instrumentalists. Gretchen's goal was to use the summer to turn into a crone and stop dating, but does it count if it's at camp?



Book #: 19
Title: Magical Meet Cute
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Faye is a Jewitch potter who is scared of the town's new neo-Nazis and is sick of the dating scene. She makes a golem for protection, and the next day she runs over a guy who ends up with amnesia. The guy stays to help, but Faye is torn - is he her golem come to life or is he a real guy? If he's real, where is his family?

Book #: 20
Title: Preparing Your Horse or Donkey for Veterinary Care
Author: Helene Roche
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 4

Roche details how to train your horse to participate in cooperative care - the concept that animals can be trained to accept veterinary procedures without restraint or struggle (think zoo animals). As a veterinary nurse, I want EVERY pet owner to do this for both the pet's sake and the veterinary staffs' sake. She breaks down into tiny steps the order you need to practice things and why. She has ideas for substitutes if you don't have things like syringes handy. There are also 3 alternative methods of training every procedure - clicker training vs approach and retreat vs targeting/stationing. There are short troubleshooting tips for common mistakes in training specific tasks. This is, so far, the only book published on training horses for cooperative care and deserves a spot on the shelf of both behaviorists and veterinary staff.

This is broken down into such baby steps that I am willing to try things. Most of the time I think I will but then I move on to the next thing. This will help with deworming, alcohol swabs, strangers restraining her, and getting her prepared for things like any medications in her future - eye meds, oral meds, injections, etc.

Book #: 21
Title: Life's Too Short
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

A typical great novel by Jimenez with well-rounded characters with a topical thesis question: if you knew you were likely to die due to genetic disease or if the sun was hurtling towards the earth: would you try to stop it? would you look at the sun or would you go about your life? would you try to have fun in the meantime and focus on the joy or try anything you could to stop it even if it made you miserable? what if it were inevitable? what if the balance between quality and quantity of life now involves other people?



Book #: 22
Title: Bitch: On the Female of the Species
Author: Lucy Cooke
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 591/ QL
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 3

Differences between sexes in different animal species - behavior, sexuality, evolution, etc. There was also a focus on how Darwin's Victorian hangups affected (and still affect) research being done today.



Book #: 23
Title: Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America
Author: Penny Colman
Genre: Non-fiction, history
Classification: 305 / HQ
Pub date: 2000
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3

This was a bit painful once you hit the 70s - every paragraph they would talk about the strides made in equality and each time was 'well, we don't have that anymore. well, that was repealed. well, that's gone too now.'

This felt a bit disjointed since there was only a line or two about each primary source, but it was a good intro for older kids.

Book #: 24
Title: Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog
Author: Susannah Charleson
Genre: Non-fiction, dogs
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 4

Susannah got into SAR work by way of being a pilot than assistant to dog-handling teams. She details her time from assisting to getting her first SAR dog, getting Puzzle certified, and going on her first official runs. She includes information about SAR, but this is definitely a narrative memoir and not how-to. She writes with compassion and knowledge.



Book #: 25
Title: The Darcy Myth: Jane Austen, Literary Heartthrobs, and the Monsters They Taught Us to Love
Author: Rachel Feder
Genre: Non-fiction, literature
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Feder's thesis is that Darcy is a main contributor to the Zeitgeist that 'if you are good enough, you can fix him!' She lays out points that bring Byron, vampires, and gossip into the mix, and says that many of us got the Gothic-ness of the novel wrong. It's supposed to be a scary story, not a happy one, is her thought.

She writes with a fresh voice and is enthusiastic and approachable about her area of expertise. I enjoyed it. My favorite bit though, was in the introduction, when she briefly touched upon *MY* personal thesis: the zeitgeist for young white women often leads to a "Oh, I *love* animals!" thing as an adult - but these people don't know anything about animals. Sure, they enjoy them, but shouldn't love mean knowing something about what you're doing? Is it really just virtue signaling? Where exactly did it come from? Disney is a big one: animals are naturally attracted to the kind and gentle princess, but it comes way before that - Victorian times for sure, but before that, how did the signal for virtue come from the signal for 'will protect "innocents" AKA offspring? I mean, I wouldn't say to a professional surfer I was seated next to "Oh, I *love* surfing!" when it means I've done it a handful of times, read some books and magazines, and follow the pros and media. I enjoy it, sure. There is a difference here between virtue signaling and American enthusiasm/over-statement, I think. There is also a difference between cultures - this is largely a Western European thing/American thing. So what is present in the consumption of media there that is lacking in the rest of the developed world? It is rarely present in materials by those involved in the field, aside from materials for ages 12 and under. In teaching people kindness to those weaker/'less than' you, are we teaching things that ultimately the animals pay the price for? (And they absolutely do - the amount of damage good-intentioned people do to their own pets that I see every day at work is soul-crushing.)

What do you think?

I like this one enough that I might buy a copy of my own if I come across one.

Book #: 26
Title: A Blunt Instrument
Author: Georgette Heyer
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1938
Acquisition: 7 years ago
Rating: 3.5

A murder of a generally likable guy happens in the 1930s. The superintendent needs to figure out who did it - but how can he, with no murder weapon to be found? Was it the weird nephew who stands to inherit? The neighbor woman who needs to get some IOUs back to avoid a scandal? Her husband who thinks she might be cheating? Someone else?

I needed something to distract myself from the world. Heyer was only moderately successful.

Book #: 27
Title: always Jane
Author: Jenn Bennett
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Rating: 4

Jane is the chauffer's daughter caught between two wealthy brothers - the ne'er-do-well older brother that she worships and the younger black-sheep who she connects with. The brothers have their own issues, Jane has physical limitations caused by drowning (and oh yeah, which brother actually pulled her out?), and she needs to figure out what she wants out of life, because it sure as heck isn't being a personal assistant to rich socialites.



Book #: 28
Title: Lily's Crossing
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1999
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3

Lily lies - a lot. She lies that neighbors are spies, she has war hero relatives, and she tells a refugee that she can row/swim out to the convoys, hitch a ride, and make it to Europe to see her father off fighting in WWII. Her friend Margaret has moved away and Lily is alone for the summer, leaving just the refugee boy Albert to hang out.



Book #: 29
Title: Willow Run
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

Lily's best friend Margaret has moved to Willow Run with her family so her father can make bomber planes. She adjusts to a new way of life - apartments, pavement, and new friends. She misses her grandfather and processes what it means to be German American, brave, and right. When her brother Eddie is reported MIA at Normandy, she tries to keep her family together.

Book #: 30
Title: Under Loch and Key
Author: Lana Ferguson
Genre: Romance, paranormal
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

I need something to distract myself from the world - non-fiction isn't cutting it enough. I'm willing to try some humorous plots at this point: even a guy who turns into the loch Ness monster at night. I did like the treasure hunting part of the story, the side characters, and the romance - it wasn't too weird for being *that* kind of book. You can't take life too seriously when reading stuff like this, and it's exactly what I needed.



Book #: 31
Title: Not in My Book
Author: Katie Holt
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Rosie and Aiden are in grad school together studying creative writing. Their arguments lead the professor to force them to work together on a novel to learn to appreciate each other's chosen genre.

This was well done and very sweet, even if a bit 'meta' at times; I hope this author writes more. She mentioned a book I enjoyed previously in her acknowledgements, but I couldn't remember the scene she called out, so the Bailey book below is a reread due to this.



Book #: 32
Title: Fix Her Up
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Travis has been dumped by the national baseball league and is back in his hometown to lick his wounds. His best friend's little sister Georgie (not so little anymore) has had a crush on him for ages; she tries to get him out of his slump but realizes that crushes in dreams are not human beings.



Book #: 33
Title: The Fake Mate
Author: Lana Ferguson
Genre: Romance, paranormal
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Grumpy cardiologist Noah is in trouble with his employer for not disclosing his status as a werewolf. Sunny resident Mackenzie (also a werewolf) is in trouble with her grandmother for not dating enough. They decide to team up and pretend to be in a relationship to solve both of their problems.

This was...interesting. At least it left me laughing at times. And I still really like this author; she's moved up to an auto-read.

Book #: 34
Title: Ciao for Now
Author: Kate Bromley
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Fashion student Violet is on a one-month internship in Italy for fashion school. She has one month to compete against classmates for a job after graduation. Too bad she's distracted by the professor's adult son. Should she focus on her career or a fling? Is it a fling?

While I was enjoying it, the words didn't grab me. The concept was great. The relationship felt a bit weird at times. I just wish it could have distracted me from my phone more.

Book #: 35
Title: What to Do when the News Scares You
Author: Jacqueline Toner
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 155 / BF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Better for younger elementary school kids instead of older (or even adults) since many of the answers are simply 'ask your parents or another adult who cares for you to explain it'. Perhaps useful for small children, but unfortunately not helpful for adults who are stressed about the news, haha.



Book #: 36
Title: Funny Story
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Daphne's fiance Peter ditches her close to the wedding date - after Daphne has moved to a new town, lost her friends, etc. Daphne moves in with Miles, the ex- of the woman Peter left her for, since she has nowhere else to go. Daphne needs to stick out the summer for her job, so Miles offers to be the tour guide to the new town (someplace near Traverse City, MI).



Book #: 37
Title: The Honey-Don't List
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Carey has been working as an assistant for Chip/Joanna Gaines-like Melly Tripp and her husband for years. When Melly and her husband hit the rocks, Carey and James (the husband's assistant) are tasked with keeping them together during a PR tour. Melly and the husband are pieces of work, but Carey can't leave without losing her health insurance.

Book #: 38
Title: The Leopard Prince
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 20
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Georgina, a wealthy spinster at 28, travels to one of her holdings to investigate sheep poisonings. The land steward is also figuring things out - but to save his own hide since he's accused of it all. Georgina and Harry are pulled together as they sleuth.



Book #: 39
Title: Game On: Stephanie Plum #28
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Stephanie Plum, bail bonds agent, is after an international cyber hacker, when Diesel (from the Between the Numbers spin-off) drops in. He's after the same g uy. Cant hey catch the guy before an international incident happens? Why are things going so well for Stephanie lately?

Book #: 40
Title: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Maggie Chase writes a cozy mystery series. Ethan Wyatt writes popular action thrillers. They do not get along. They are unfortunately both invited to a Christmas party held by their biggest fan. When that person disappears from a locked room and looks to be the victim of attempted murder, everyone must figure out whodunit out of the party guests.

This was cute. I liked the mystery aspect more than the romance actually.



Book #: 41
Title: Dream Girl Drama
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Sig the pro hockey player runs into Chloe - and they share an 'encounter' and are excited to meet up again for another date. Too bad later that same night, they find out that Sig's dad is engaged to Chloe's mom. When Chloe moves to the big city, Sig tries to escort her around without risking their jobs.

While the first 50 pages took adjusting to the societal taboo about the relationship, it didn't really bug me after that. While it wasn't my favorite in the series, it was still better than some of her others. I'm usually much more strongly in support of or in dislike of Dailey's books, but this one was solid middle ground for Bailey. (She's still one of my go-to's, so don't let that sway you away.)



Book #: 42
Title: Bull Moon Rising
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Fantasy romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

O.M.G. I checked this out to get a giggle - a romance between a human and a minotaur; seriously?!? - but the fantasy world-building is ah-maze-ing and totally made me into a Dixon convert. The cover just called to me in the library; it's a beautiful book.

Aspeth's father gambled away all of their powerful magical items, and she has to get some back before neighboring holdings find out that she has no magic left to defend her territory. The only way to do this on the DL is to join the archeology guild that digs these items up from the crumbled civilization their world is built over. Too bad she's a girl and girls can't join the guild without a sponsor. How does she get a sponsor? She bargains with a minotaur guild member to exchange his help with the guild for her help with the (please excuse me here, I can't even say it with a straight face) minotaurs' big rut.



Book #: 43
Title: Something Bad Happened: A Kid's Guide to Coping With Events in the News
Author: Dawn Huebner
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 155 / BF
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

This one is for kids that are slightly older than the intended audience for What to Do When the News Scares You and seems a bit more proactive, but still no joy for helping grownups....

Book #: 44
Title: Against the World: Anti-globalism and Mass Politics Between the World Wars
Author: Tara Zahra
Genre: Non-fiction, politics
Classification: 909 / D
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Is history repeating itself?



Book #: 45
Title: Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life
Author: Annie Spence
Genre: Non-fiction, literature
Classification: 028 / Z
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

The subtitles on this bunch pretty much say it all.

This was pretty cute and I gsaw a few books I might look into.



Book #: 46
Title: Going Rogue: Stephanie Plum #29
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Although I was ready to drop the series a few books ago, Stephanie has turned her life around a bit. There's still action, but it's not one terrible thing after another happening to the heroine anymore - she seems to be coming into her own as a bounty hunter finally. I'm actually looking forward to reading the next books in the series.



Book #: 47
Title: We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler
Author: Russell Freedman
Genre: Non-fiction, history
Classification: 943 / DD
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Although intended for middle grade readers, this was a wonderful read for adults as well.

Book #: 48
Title: Twice in a Blue Moon
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Tate is the daughter of a famous movie star but keeps it tight under wraps. When she meets Sam on a trip to London, she falls in love and entrusts this information to him. The information gets out and she is swarmed by paparazzi and forced to 'come out' and has her life changed. Many years later she runs into Sam at work.

Not your usual Christina Lauren fare but equally amazing in a different way. More of the book than I thought covers Tate as a young adult, so a lot of the book feels like warm-lighted, Instagram-filtered innocence of first love. It was lovely. The second half is about hope, trust, and being adults - both hero and heroine can communicate (amazing!). This is a lovely romance - not quite closed door, but definitely not smut - and was very sweet.

We Will Not Be Silent looks like a winner, Emilie.

Have a lovely weekend.

Book #: 49
Title: Dirty Thirty: Stephanie Plum #30
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Stephanie tracks down what really happened during a jewelry store robbery - two separate thieves doing a job on the same day? three? more? - while balancing Ranger and Morelli. Same as usual in the series.



Book #: 50
Title: Between the Lines
Author: Katie Naymon
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Leigh and Will went to high school together, had crushes on each other but had miscommunication typical of high-schoolers, and somehow ended up in the same MFA writing program in another state. They need to get over themselves while managing a graduate degree.

This wasn't a rom-com, nor smut - it technically qualified as a romance but I would also call this borderline literary fiction.

Book #: 51
Title: Now or Never: Stephanie Plum #31
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Stephanie needs to escape from a serial killer who thinks he's a vampire, track down Robin Hoodie (a criminal who is robbing the rich and giving to the homeless), and bring in a man connected to the mob. She also needs to decide what to do in her personal life: she's somehow engaged to both Morelli and Ranger.

Book #: 52
Title: Deep End
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Vandy is on a NCAA dive team. She is balancing school and athletics but is failing at dating. She doesn't mind, though her captain jokes that Vandy should date the captain's ex due to their romantic preferences. The captain's ex (also a NCAA swimmer) is on board with this plan. Vandy and the swimmer try to keep things as friends-with-benefits as possible, but they end up falling for each other.

While not my cup of tea, Hazelwood still writes sympathetic characters that flow quickly through the plot.



Book #: 53
Title: First Time Caller
Author: BK Borison
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

In an homage to Sleepless in Seattle, Lucie's daughter calls into a radio show helpline for advice for her single mother. After the town falls in love with Lucie's thoughts, Lucie starts working on the show so the host can help her find a date. She and the host have their own chemistry though.

Like many of Borison's books, the side characters are super intriguing.

Book #: 54
Title: Love and Other Words
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Told in a back-and-forth between timelines, Macy and Elliot were best friends through middle and high school. Their relationship ended suddenly (and you don't find out why until the end of the book). In the present day, they bump into each other and remember why they liked being each other's friend.

Book #: 55
Title: Bound to the Shadow Prince
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Every 30 years, the princess is trapped in a tower for 7 years to appease the gods. She is bricked in, all alone - aside from the prince of the warring tribe. Is it to bring the nations together? Is there another purpose? Why are the gods still angry? Can the princess keep from falling for the winged prince? Will their nations remember to bring the yearly supplies?



Book #: 56
Title: Understanding Your Horse's Weight
Author: Shannon Pratt
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

This is super convenient. All of the notes from my equine science degree are spread over multiple binders. I poured through everything regarding putting on weight on horses (I usually have to worry about my ponies gaining weight too easily). Then I read the book. I should have just read the book first. It's easy to use yet has enough information to allow energetics calculations. Very useful quick reference.

Book #: 57
Title: How Democracies Die
Author: Steven Levitsky
Genre: Non-fiction, politics
Classification: 321 / JC
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

One of the authors studies politics of South America, the other, the history of European politics. They write about how democracies have fallen and why they changed to authoritarianism. Not only do they talk of the politician habits, they write how the politicians brought the public over to their side. What makes this book the scariest is that they were writing this book during Trump's first year in his first term and they were sounding the alarms: most of their 'checklist' items have been checked off in the meantime. This was not a dry read and I was able to finish it quickly.

Book #: 58
Title: The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy
Author: Anand Giridharadas
Genre: Non-fiction, politics
Classification: 320 / JK
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

The author makes the point that to generate democracy, people need to stop isolating themselves from 'the enemy' and start talking. This does not mean compromising but listening. He follows activists including AOC, Bernie, and more local policy enactors.

Reading books like this makes me more secure and less freaked out by current affairs - knowing *how* people go from being mostly middle of the road to extremism is helpful.



Book #: 59
Title: Hot
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt / Julia Harper
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 2

Turner has been waiting 4 years for the opportunity to show that her boss framed her uncle for embezzling. When she gets the chance, it happens to be when robbers come for the bank, so it means that she looks guilty of being part of the robbery. She goes on the run to get the final evidence. The FBI agent in charge of the case falls for her.

Now, Hoyt is one of my favorite historical romance authors. This pains me to say, but I don't think this book lived up to her usual standards. There was insta-love after only a few lines of conversation over the phone. They ended up engaged after less than 7 days. I didn't buy the connection between the two. It seemed like it would have made a better movie than book.

>47 alsvidur: I've been meaning to get to The Persuaders for ages. I'm glad you liked it.

Book #: 60
Title: Runaway Girl: The Girl #2
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 3.5

Naomi ditches her fiancé at the alter after realizing they don't know each other; they were just pushed together to make good PR and please their ritzy parents. She heads down to FL and needs to get a job to survive on her own. She ends up being a beauty pageant coach for a high schooler under the guardianship of her older armed forces brother Jason.

I like this duology - it's not bad. Watching Naomi grow into her own and Jason grow up as well was nice.

Book #: 61
Title: The Blonde Identity
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Adventure
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

A girl wakes up laying on the group in the streets of Paris with a head wound. She cannot remember who she is or what she was doing. People are shooting at her. A spy saves her and they end up trying to solve the mystery of who she is while running from enemies and figuring out why the spies are after her.

Nice.



Book #: 62
Title: The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-fiction, history
Classification: 940 / D
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

In WWII, there was a rift between those who wanted to use bombers for precision hits - putting the army into obsolescence - and those that thought terror raids of indiscriminate bombing of civilians were actually the more humane option by shortening the war. In this short piece, Gladwell asks us to debate each side with ourselves.

Very Gladwell-y. Not terribly engrossing for how exciting he finds the topic.

Book #: 63
Title: Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1)
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1930
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

The first Miss Marple book: There is a murder at the vicarage. (haha). The vicar is the narrator and he tags along with the police to figure out whodunit, but the old lady Miss Marple is attuned to gossip and knows everything and everyone in the tiny little English town.

Good but I felt very impatient in the middle. This is more a reflection on my patience than the author's skill, obviously.

Book #: 64
Title: Non-Commercial Horse Transport: New Standards for Trailers in Canada
Author: Sharon Crieger
Genre: Non-fiction, transportation
Classification: 388 / HE
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: class
Rating: 4.5

Although technically a paper, it comes in at over 250 pages, so I'm counting it as a book.

This is the most comprehensive source, sadly, about horse trailering. It goes through each part of the trailer, what can fail, and how to ensure it doesn't fail. It was originally written as a guideline for manufacturers interested in making better trailers. There is little technical information thankfully.

Book #: 65
Title: Book Boyfriend
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

Jennifer just got broken up with. She goes to a week-long immersion experience vacation for her favorite fantasy book series (think ACOTAR) but strangely bumps into her work nemesis Scott - who is there to learn 'how to be a hero' to help him get girls. She begins to be attracted to this Scott, but which Scott is the real one? What does Jennifer learn about herself and what she values during this experience?

This is a lovely one. I enjoyed how the main characters were fully fleshed out (granted, the side characters were less so) and seemed 'real'. It contained cringe, sweetness, tropes, and a bit of insight without being totally generic. I immediately went to the library to get more books by this author pair.



Book #: 66
Title: Ice Planet Barbarians
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Romance, sci-fi
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

A woman gets abducted by slave-trading aliens and crash lands on a 'not Hoth' ice planet. She ventures out from the wreck to find help and encounters large blue humanoid aliens - that happen to be short on females. There is a bond between mates and the alien that finds her has that bond with her. She needs to figure out if she wants to stay or leave the planet.

This concept is absolute gonzo but it works as really fun brain candy. I will be continuing this series.

Book #: 67
Title: The Breakup Tour
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Max and Riley were college sweethearts, but they broke up when Riley went to pursue their music career and Max needed to stay at home for his family's business. Years later, Riley's ex-husband is trying to take credit for the hit breakup song she wrote, but it's actually about Max. She convinces Max to help her combat the image; he ends up going on tour with her to get some money for the family business.

Like Book Boyfriend was to books, this book takes music appreciation seriously. It was pretty, but I kept getting weirded out by the similarities to Riley and Taylor Swift. I also felt that the characters had some more growth to get through before the HEA came. Still really enjoying this author duo though...

Book #: 68 - DNF
Title: Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945
Author: Halik Kochanski
Genre: Non-fiction, history
Classification: 940 / D
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

I got halfway through this 900-page brick of a book before I stopped. It's me, not you, Book. I was expecting a more general history with stories but you were very scholarly investigating the armed freedom fighters of various factions and organizations. I was looking into more what a regular Joe could do to resist, not what militia could do. This is a very nicely researched book and was actually not bad to read for fun, but I fizzled out and gave up after a few weeks. If it were my book, I would leave it halfway finished in my TBR for a bit, but it needs to go back so I need to cut it loose.

Book #: 69
Title: Do I Know You?
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Graham and Eliza's marriage has become routine and distant. On an anniversary trip, a quirk of fate has them pretending to meet each other for the first time. They decide to keep it going - not for the spice/role-play, but for trying to rediscover each other.

I really enjoyed the sensitivity the authors displayed while writing this, but for some reason it's only averaging 3 stars. I guess they found their audience in me though, because I'm going to keep going through the authors' catalog. I usually avoid the 'tired marriage' trope (my husband and I have been together for 20 years and are still pretty good), but this did at least start some conversations between us.



Book #: 70
Title: Barbarian Alien
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Romance, sci-fi
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

#2 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series. Abducted by aliens, crash landed, and then kidnapped by one, Liz is having a tough time, but her attitude keeps her going.

I am not a fan of Liz nor Raahosh. They were awesome side characters in book #1, but when they get their own book, they are rude and crude. I was looking forward to their stories being told with a bit more sympathy, but different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Book #: 71
Title: Swept Away
Author: Beth O'Leary
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Oops, forgot to log one earlier.

The heroine and hero end up in a one-night stand on a houseboat but forget to tether the boat to the dock. They wake up the next morning out to sea with no cell signal. They are stuck together for a long time while trying to get rescued, keep the boat afloat, and learn about who they are stranded with.

Enjoyable but with a plot twist at the end that leaves you an option of character A being a lying brat or character B being a...lying brat. Not fun.

Book #: 72
Title: The Roughest Draft
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Nathan and Katrina are co-authors who no longer speak with each other or write with each other. They are forced to cohabitate while writing their contracted next book. Dual timeline flash backs slowly tell the story of why they broke up while the current timeline goes over how they are trying to remain professional and repair their relationship.

It was a very good book, but I was a little weirded out by the 'meta'-ness of the relationship of the two actual authors.



Book #: 73
Title: Horse Hoof Care
Author: Cherry Hill
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2009
Acquisition: 14 years ago
Rating: 4

A very good, well-illustrated introduction to hoof care and farriery for horse owners.

Book #: 74
Title: Healthy Hooves
Author: Equus
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2008?
Acquisition: 6 months ago
Rating: 4

A surprisingly good and very well illustrated introduction to hoof care, especially evaluating trims



Book #: 75
Title: Barbarian Lover: Ice Planet Barbarians #3
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Romance, sci-fi
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Kira, the quiet one, is pursued by the happy and friendly alien Aehako. She needs to get the alien translator out of her ear before the bad aliens come back.



Book #: 76
Title: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Author: Brian Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Tress goes on an adventure from her tiny island across many seas to rescue her love, who has been kidnapped by an evil sorceress. Witty narrator with many asides, similar to The Princess Bride



Book #: 77
Title: Farenheit 451
Author: Ray Bradbury
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1953
Acquisition: >15 DFED: years ago
Rating: 4.5

Less about censorship and more about the decline of society from consuming everything while not stopping to think about what you read/watched/etc. I had some thoughts about Bradbury's interview published in the back of the 50th anniversary version, but I'll keep them to myself as much as possible, like I do when Grandpa would rant at the dinner table.



Book #: 78
Title: Dressage: A Study of the Finer Points of Riding
Author: Henry Wynmalen
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1971
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 4.5

This took me almost a year to read. It's one of the good ones that's too good for its own good: every paragraph or section requires a break to digest the info and go practice it for a week or more.



Book #: 79
Title: Oliveira to Oliveira: The Spirit of Baucher
Author: Manuel Jorge de Oliveira
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Rating: 4

The design of this is the best part - very pretty - of this memoir about Nuno Oliveira from one of his close students

Book #: 80
Title: Riding with Oliveira: My Time with the Mestre Forty Years Later
Author: Dominique Barbier
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 4

Barbier wrote a very pretty memoir/homage to Nuno Oliveira, a classical dressage master.



Book #: 81
Title: Method of Equitation Based on New Principles
Author: Francis Baucher
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1842 / 2017
Acquisition: 1.5 years ago
Rating: 4.5

Going directly to the source of one of the classicists of dressage... Although there were the usual digressions common of the times (how everyone else is stupid and wrong and the author is so magnificent etc), this translation was surprisingly readable and easy to reference. The only drawback I can find directly from the work is that a double bridle from the start of breaking is a requirement of anything to work. How are the flexions to modernize into a simple snaffle? And yes, following his program verbatim is sure to bring misery to those attempting it, the principles in his second method he talks about are very important.

Congratulations, Emilie, for rushing beyond 75 books so adroitly.

Congrats!

Book #: 82
Title: Bitting
Author: Elwyn Hartley Edwards
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1999
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Not as detailed as Hartley's other books, but this does have a good portion devoted to the history of different kinds of bits



Book #: 83
Title: Starting in the Middle: How Horses, Those Who Study Them, and 265 Minutes with One Colt Helped Me Find Myself at Midlife
Author: Tik Maynard
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Rating: 5

Tik Maynard is a guy who wants to learn. Even though he'd already made it to the top of the eventing world, he wanted to try a competition where you have 3 days to get a horse from pretty much feral to saddled and (mostly) safely completing an obstacle course. He writes about how he prepared, who and what he learned, and the ethics of competitions and riding in general. Amongst all this, he sprinkles in LOADS of literary references and directions to check out other authors, both literary and horsey. This was a lovely book, even better than his first, if possible. Highly recommended for horse people, still recommended for 'normies'.



Book #: 84
Title: Barbarian Mine
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Fiction, sci-fi/romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Harlow, already kidnapped by aliens and stuck on an ice planet, is knocked out and wakes up in the cave of an alien who isn't part of the 'normal' alien civilization. He speaks no Khui or English. They work to communicate with each other, much like Tarzan-tropes.

This one had an interesting concept, but each novel feels VERY much like the others with different characters inserted. It might be time to take a break.



Book #: 85
Title: Where Does My Horse Hurt?: A Hands On Guide to Evaluating Pain and Dysfunction Using Chiropractic Methods
Author: Renee Tucker
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2011
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Rating: 4

Tucker is a veterinary chiropractor for horses. She explains what chiropractic is and does, the language used (and how it differs from conventional medicine), and a brief history. Most of the book is a well-illustrated guide on how to perform a physical examination on your horse so you may know what the chiropractor does, sees, and needs to know about. There is no treatment reviewed - it is all on how to be a more informed owner and NOT on how to treat.

Book #: 86
Title: My Life in the Wild
Author: Ivan Tors
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 591 / QL
Pub date: 1979
Acquisition: 14 years ago
Rating: 3

Movie producer Tors made several animal films and invested in an exotic animal park where animals could be trained for films. He writes of some of the animals and of his family trips to Africa.



Book #: 87
Title: Princess Ellie to the Rescue: Pony-Crazed Princess #1
Author: Diana Kimpton
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 2006
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3.5



Book #: 88
Title: Princess Ellie's Secret: Pony-Crazed Princess #2
Author: Diana Kimpton
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 2006
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4



Book #: 89
Title: Princess Ellie's Mystery: Pony-Crazed Princess #3
Author: Diana Kimpton
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 2006
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3.5

This is a really cute series for 7-9-year-olds. Princess Ellie is forced to wear pink and be a princess, but she is obsessed with horses and would rather wear overalls and muck boots while taking care of her ponies than a dress while at a ball. In the first in the series, Ellie gets a new groom. The problem is that her old groom did everything for her and she doesn't know how to do things to impress the new groom. The new groom ends up teaching her all about her horses. In the second story, Ellie's parents want to sell her pony that she outgrew. Ellie and her friend figure out how to keep the little pony and also please her parents by entertaining a cranky elderly relative. (I love that driving is involved - most pony stories are either boys acting a cowboys or girls riding hunters.) The in third story, she has to host a visiting Prince but Ellie is more concerned with solving the mystery of the ghost in the woods.



Book #: 90
Title: Two Dogs and a Horse
Author: Jim Kjelgaard
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1964
Acquisition: 14 years ago
Rating: 3

Three stories by Kjelgaard feature the wilderness as the antagonist in each. Sam Savitt illustrated. I started this a LONG time ago and finished the last story, so I don't even remember the first story or two.



Book #: 91
Title: The Beauty of the Beasts
Author: Ralph Helfer
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 791 / PN
Pub date: 1990
Acquisition: over 15 years ago
Rating: 4

Helfer worked with Tors to make a lot of animal movies and TV shows in the 60s and 70s. He also ran an exotic animal park where he cared for and trained the animals. It seems that Helfer was the guy who actually put in the time with the animals where Tors was the money. The care that Helfer shows in his writing is strikingly contrasted with Tors, who emphasized the 'manliness' of it all while still allowing his trainers to be kind to their charges (a revolution in training at the time). I'm not sure why he decided to end his stories with a traumatizing sad one, so heads up there.



Book #: 92
Title: Song of Wild Laughter
Author: Jack Couffer
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 591 / QL
Pub date: 1963
Acquisition: 14 years ago
Rating: 3

Couffer is a cinematographer/videographer who filmed a lot of animal movies in the 50s and 60s. He writes little bits on certain nature films he shot.

Book #: 93
Title: Behind the Dolphin Smile
Author: Richard O'Barry
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 1991
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 2.5

O'Barry was a dolphin trainer for the Flipper TV show, as well as a dolphin capturer. He worked with them at Miami Seaquarium for a long time before changing his mind about dolphins in captivity and working to release them all. There were bits missing in the story. For 80% of the book he is all for the training and care of captive animals, until he spends a paragraph saying he took a trip to India, and then suddenly he is trying to 'steal' dolphins to release them. He starts a non-profit to help him in his efforts, but it sounds like there was no board, no goal or vision, etc - he buys dolphins to release them, but keeps them for several years doing experiments and only releases them when he runs out of money. When he gets more money, he buys more dolphins to do the same.

The first 80% was coherent and educational. The last bit....



Book #: 94
Title: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
Author: Mary Roach
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 591 / QL
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

Much like Gladwell, Roach writes essentially long-form articles. Each of her books covers different broad topics (death, military, sex, space), and this one covers interactions between wildlife and humans. This is a great topic, and one that can be done well, but what makes Roach's other books so approachable (assuming the reader has no knowledge of the topic at all) makes this a big fail in my world. It barely skims the surface: it floats ABOVE the surface of the topic. It's hard not to feel Roach's squeamishness and human hang-ups throughout the book. She is definitely a 'there are humans and then there are animals' person and not a 'humans ARE animals' person who has not deeply examined the ethical issues of which species we keep, eat, or control and why, before coming to this book (and I don't think she does so afterwards either). Laughing to herself that she is asking questions to authorities about animal control shows that she doesn't take the topic seriously.



Book #: 95
Title: The Serpent and the Wings of Night
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

Zero stars. Zero. I hate my coworkers who recommended this. I am left with a huge TEABS over a holiday weekend. it has been a very long time since I have been left with such a gaping hole after a book was done. I am SO angry. It's not even a new release so I can't stalk Instagram for evidence that others are upset either.

I was skeptical for the first 50 pages. The font bugged me. I was sure it was going to be a dud. My coworkers can have very different taste. But then I stopped counting pages and noticing time or noticing anything at all really.

Oraya is a human that was adopted by the winged vampire king. He rules over warring factions of vampires (bat wings vs angel wings vs crazy magic ones - and thankfully, they can magic away their wings as needed). She takes out her anger about her situation (constantly being thought of as dinner) by patrolling the human districts and saving people from being eaten by killing vampires a la Buffy. She enters a huge, long tournament a la Hunger Games/Throne of Glass/bazillions of other series to win a boon from the goddess. Most vampires enter to win power, but she wants to win to find her family. To win the boon she has to defeat all the other competitors to the death and of course avoid dying herself.

I hate this. I have to wait for the interlibrary loan system, over the holiday, to be a complete human being again. I have been restless all day. Even different genres aren't getting me out of this hole. I have no idea why this isn't available on the Nook. I refuse to support Amazon and I don't have the money to drop on a hardcover right now.

Do NOT read this book unless you have #2 ready on deck. Gosh, I miss good fantasy like this.



Book #: 96
Title: Beg Borrow or Steal
Author: Sarah Adams
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Emily and Jack are rivals - have been since college and compete for everything all the way though their jobs as teachers in small town Kentucky. Jack moves away. Emily breathes a sigh of relief. Jack moves back - next door to Emily. Emily tries to sabotage his life to get him to move but ends up becoming friends with Jack.

So, reader beware, this is part of a series apparently. No where on this copy does it say this is part of a series. No where. I picked it up at the library wanted to try a Sarah Adams book. Mistake. About 1/3 of the book is a big spiderweb of previous characters. Obvious in-jokes, back references, expositions on what the side characters were doing now, etc take away from the main plot. I don't really care about how this side guy styled his house - it's not relevant to the story. That big pain aside, it was a standard romcom.

Book #: 97
Title: Ashes and the Star-Cursed King
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 4

Oraya has found herself married and a prisoner of the new regime of vampires. Can Raihn convince her that his goal is the same as Orayas? Is it? Can Oraya pull everyone together to save her kingdom?

Although not quite as engrossing as #1, it's still a wonderful fantasy series.



Book #: 98
Title: Six Scorched Roses
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Novella featuring the general of Nyaxia series - Lilith is dying but now so is her whole village. She is a scientist who has a theory about vampire blood being part of the cure for the plague that has cursed her village, but how can she get vials of vampire blood to test? By exchanging magical roses for the blood of Vale, the vampire general from books #1 and 2.



Book #: 99
Title: The Thrashers
Author: Julie Soto
Genre: YA thriller
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Emily committed suicide but rumors around the school are that she was pushed to it by The Trashers - a group of friends of Zack Thrasher. Creepy things are happening along with lawsuits. The suits are based off a journal, but the journal talks about fake incidents. Who is framing the Trashers? Is the journal actually fake? Why is one of the friend group being left out of all the commotion? Are they being haunted? Who knows what happened?

This is quite a genre jump from Soto's previous works (smutty romance) but still a terrific story with an ending that leaves you rethinking the whole story.



Book #: 100
Title: Crash Landing
Author: Annie McQuaid
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Two ex's on the way to a friend's wedding end up crash landed on a Caribbean island. They have to survive until rescue.

A good debut - nothing sparkling but very solid; I'd read a lot more by the author when it comes out.



Book #: 101
Title: Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved My Life
Author: Sarah Boston
Genre: Non-fiction, medicine
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Sarah Boston is a veterinary oncologist who has written articles for the field before. Several years ago, she found a lump in her neck. Trying to advocate for herself in the human medical field was about as fun as you can imagine. She compares cancer journeys for herself, others, and pets.

Those in the vet field are horrified by the human medical field. This felt like a conversation with a colleague but with the addition of information I wish pet owners knew about medicine - not just cancer, but in general.

Book #: 102
Title: Say You'll Remember Me
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Fiction, romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Xavier and Samantha have a terrific first date - so good that they know they want to pursue something serious. The hitch? She's permanently moving from Minnesota to California the day after the date.

Jimenez's books are good because they are real: there is no easy solution like in a romcom. I requested this book from the library before even reading the book flap; once I got home and realized the male main character is a veterinarian I almost didn't even read it. I'm glad I did. While it wasn't THE most accurate, it didn't grate on me like other books with veterinary characters.

Book #: 103
Title: Always Never Yours
Author: Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Megan needs an acting credit to get into her college theatre program. She wants a tiny role, but she gets the lead in Romeo and Juliet. She's a bit boy crazy and has a playwright friend help her with a newly attractive crew member in exchange for her help with his new play.

The best part was the reminiscing about high school theatre; not sure there was a lot else to it but I'm sure it'd be great for actual, you know, *young* adults.

Book #: 104
Title: Great Big Beautiful Life
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Alice is up for a chance to write a book on a favorite old celebrity but is in competition with another journalist. The Tabloid Princess gives each author a month to prove themselves.

I had no idea that the celebrity's story would make up a large portion of the book, so if you haven't gotten to this one yet, don't brush off the story within the story.



Book #: 105
Title: One Dark Window
Author: Rachel Gillig
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Elspeth has a secret. She has a Nightmare inside of her. She has magic in a world where natural magic is feared; the only permissible magic comes from enchanted cards. Her town is under attack from mist.



Book #: 106
Title: Two Twisted Crowns
Author: Rachel Gillig
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Continuing the story above and wrapping things up, Prince Elm, Elspeth's cousin Ione, captain Ravyn, and Elspeth are racing against the evil king to see who can collect the magic cards first.

This was a nice little fantasy duology that could have been just as good without the single 'romance' scene thrown into each book. It felt like the author was told to put it in to market this to romantasy readers. The series didn't need it; it was engrossing enough with a concrete world and magical system.



Book #: 107
Title: Gild
Author: Raven Kennedy
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

Auren lives in a cage and is King Midas's favorite concubine. Everything is gold. When a night with her gets 'traded' to another king for an army, things start happening.

Gross. This book is gross. To be super fair - it's because the heroine is a king's sex slave and she is in a terrible situation. I almost gave up a few times in the beginning but stuck with it because everyone says the series gets better. This book didn't get better until about 2/3 through when adventure started. I will continue the series because I think it's just getting started. Perhaps this book could have been a long prologue or something? The author isn't bad.

Book #: 108
Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Diem is a mortal in a land of demigods with magic. She is going along as a healer when her mother disappears. Things start rolling along, and she ends up being healer to the King and bantering with the Prince, while managing her family, keeping her younger brother in school, investigating her mother, fending off a suitor she is ambivalent about, and getting involved in a revolution.

The world building is good, the banter is good, the magic is good - let's see where this series takes us, shall we?

Book #: 109
Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4



Book #: 110
Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Diem is now ruling Lumnos (or is she?) while trying to destroy the monarchies without destroying any people. It's harder than she thinks.

This series is so terribly predictable, the author drops anvils of hints several hundred pages before the plot details become relevant, so you know what's coming and you're just waiting and waiting and waiting for it to be revealed. You ever want something so long that you give up wanting it? That's what the romance in this series does to you as well. There are steamy looks to make you think that something will happen romantically between the leads (something that the author has left hints about that could change the plot) but geez, it keeps you waiting and cranky. I don't even care about the steaminess, I just want the bond to happen bc I know it's going to be important. The heroine is a bit naive. The last book in this 4 book series has had its publication date pushed back several times, so it's an incomplete series. All those negative points aside, the author is really good, the magic system is amazing, etc etc.

Book #: 111
Title: Glint
Author: Raven Kennedy
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5



Book #: 112
Title: Gleam
Author: Raven Kennedy
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4



Book #: 113
Title: Glow
Author: Raven Kennedy
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Continuing the series. Auren meets Commander Rip, King Ravinger, and gets involved in politics and gets accused of stealing other people's magic.

It's a very uneven series. I get why people like it - it seems like a knock-off of ACOTAR - but sometimes it really drags. I don't really like the main character. I'm not sure if I'm going to finish the series.



Book #: 114
Title: Give Me a Shot
Author: Gia de Cadenet
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Jess has moved to Michigan after the death of her sister. She starts archery again at the local folk school, where she meets Mo, one of the blacksmiths. Mo is a Highly Sensitive Person (apparently a thing?). Jess realizes she never grieved her sister, Mo deals with handling other people's emotions, and they work together to host a RenFaire to benefit their folk school.

This was an issues book - both with grief and with neurodivergence. The plot was the characters dealing with those issues and not the RenFaire, etc.

It was a bit weird that the location was local but some tiny things were out of place (Warrendale instead of Warren, someone specifying they went to UM Ann Arbor it's usually assumed unless you go to UM Flint, Rockford was a 5-hour drive instead of a 2 hour one, etc). I wonder how the Michigan Folk School felt about being used as a failing business in the book....

Book #: 115
Title: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
Author: Jaron Lanier
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

In more of a manifesto than a normal non-fiction book, Lanier (a big tech guy) makes the case on why the Google and Meta algorithms are destroying some good parts of our lives.



Book #: 116
Title: Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking, and Watching
Author: Adam Alter
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Alter's book comes from an addiction slant and focuses a lot on heavy addiction to gaming.



Book #: 117
Title: Quicksilver
Author: Callie Hart
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

Saeris is a blacksmith and thief, trying to make enough money and water to survive. When she gets caught stealing from the Queen's guard, she meets Death and gets transported to a different realm where she makes a deal with a fae.

This was a lovely book - enough to break my book buying ban and go out to get my own copy. I caught myself smiling a lot. The characters were (mostly) rounded, the world is awesome, and the story is interesting - it keeps you guessing but not pulling big reveals and plot bombs until later. It reminded me of ACOTAR/ToG in the best of ways. 'BookTok' and word-of-mouth has let me down a lot lately but this was a nice surprise. While it had some good romance, I felt that the fantasy side was the emphasis, and that made it even better.

Book #: 118
Title: Digital Minimalism
Author: Cal Newport
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 303 / HM
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

This is a self-help book about reducing dependency on cell phones and social media. There are concrete steps to follow with things to look out for.

Book #: 119
Title: Problematic Summer Romance
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Indeed problematic - it kept me up to finish reading in the middle of the night so I want to give it 5 stars, but it was slightly disturbing enough in the beginning to bring it down to a 3.5 so I compromised on the rating. This is a spin-off of one of Hazelwood's other books (the one starring Rue, the woman with food scarcity issues).

Maya is deep in love with an older man. The older man has some issues that make him cognizant of the power imbalance - money, age, power, and prior family connections - so he tries to stay away from Maya (who he loves as well). They are both invited to a destination wedding in Italy. The groom is Conor's best friend and Maya's much older brother.



Book #: 120
Title: Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism
Author: Sarah Wynn-Williams
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 343 / HM
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Sarah worked at facebook when it was in the positive growth stage and stuck through and witnessed the direction of the company change to just business, growth, and who-cares what country/people it hurts to do it. It is less a 'get off social media' help book and more a 'listen to my old work gossip' story. Yes, the directors/CEOs are out of touch. Yes, there is a toxic white bro culture. I was shocked by none of it.



Book #: 121
Title: Never Been Shipped
Author: Alicia Thompson
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Micah and John are former bandmates of a one-hit wonder band who is hired to get back together to play on a fan-based cruise ship.

Book #: 122
Title: Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting
Author: Lisa Genova
Genre: Non-fiction, medical
Classification: 8153 / BF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

This is really a response to the author's frequent 'I think I'm getting Alzheimer's' comments she gets after her talks on Alzheimer's: no, you're not, everyone forgets things.

It was mostly a quick and bland coverage of telling us to get sleep, eat well, and pay attention to things if we want to remember things more. Ironically enough, I cannot remember the last half of the book at all.

Book #: DNF
Title: Do Your Worst
Author: Rosie Danan
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

'It's not you, it's me.'

A curse breaker is commissioned to break the rumored curse of an old castle that has new owners that want to develop the property. She battles with the science-loving archeologist who is recovering from a family betrayal.

I just couldn't get into this. It's a bummer, since so many things suggested that I would love it. Maybe I'll try again later.



Book #: 123
Title: Gloves Off
Author: Stephanie Archer
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

There are no pretentions with this one - it is unabashedly sports smut without a plot, but it pulls off the miracle of not being low-class. While they still fulfil the reliable tropes, the characters are well done and the writing flows well.

Georgia is a sports medicine doctor who worked hard for what she has. Alexei Volkov is a really grumpy hockey player who is past due for retirement. Georgie doesn't correct Volkov's assumption that she is a spoiled rich girl. Volkov keeps his sappy side close to his chest. When Volkov needs a green-card marriage to avoid his family being deported to Russia and she needs to be married to fulfil the terms of her inheritance so she can save her non-profit, they decide to get fake married even though they can't stand each other.

This is the 4th in the series but I haven't read any of the others. It was great as a standalone. The side characters and events mentioned added depth without being so invasive that you were left wondering what you missed.

I would love for there to be more of these sports romances with older characters - sometimes I get sick of all the college age characters acting their age and having so much energy and naivety.



Book #: 124
Title: The Wingman
Author: Stephanie Archer
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3.5

I liked Gloves Off so much (it got me out of a bad book funk) that I bought other books by the author. This one sadly wasn't as good as Gloves Off. The characters were younger and stupider but I guess as I mentioned above that it's authentic to their ages.

Hartley has had a crush on Darcy since they met the first week of college. He keeps his attraction under control when his friend snags Darcy, but when Darcy breaks up with Kit and moves back to Vancouver, Hartley jumps at the chance to live with his best friend. Darcy is trying to find herself after being subsumed under Kit for so long. When she wants to try dating, Hartley agrees to be her wingman to give her a chance to see what she really wants. What Darcy really wants, though, is Hartley.



Book #: 125
Title: Wild Horses Black Hills Sanctuary
Author: Cris Peterson
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 599 / SF
Pub date: 2003
Acquisition: library
Rating: 1.5

A really simple story of the creation of a mustang sanctuary. It did not touch on the ethical issues of mustangs or 'rescuing' mustangs (and yet still allowing them to breed) at all but featured a bunch of photos and simple text.



Book #: 126
Title: Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World
Author: Jennifer Thermes
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

A children's history of horses and human use of horses that uses a lot of maps

Cutely illustrated



Book #: 127
Title: Crow Smarts
Author: Pamela Turner
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 598 / QL
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Scientists in the Field series is one of my favorites. Each book for kids is engaging and correct. It's been a long time since I read all of the books that had been published to date and now I have a lot to catch up on.

There is a species of crow in the South Pacific that not only uses tools, but makes tools, and uses tools to get tools to use. While I was hoping for more generic crow smarts, this book is just about the New Caldonian crow tool use and two of the doctors who study them.



Book #: 128
Title: Pony Confidential
Author: Christina Lynch
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

This book is SAVAGE.

Pony Confidential is told from two points of view - Penny, who has been framed for a cold case murder; and Pony, the pony who is on a mission to seek revenge on Penny for selling him a long time ago. Pony learns from other animals along the way. Penny tries to get through the US legal system.

Most reviewers focus on the theme of the humanity of animals and the bestiality of humans. I was more shocked by the take downs of horse culture that could only come from inside the house. Of course, the obvious stuff that comes up later in the plot should be exposed, but the snark about horse culture in the beginning had me gasping every page. It was right on.

I am really not doing well in this book hole.



Book #: DNF
Title: Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It
Author: Tobias Rose-Stockwell
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

This would make a great junior high/high school textbook about social media/technology use. For adults, it reads a little too simple. Each chapter has a summary at the end. There are simple drawings and graphs. The language is very low-reading-level. The concepts and topics about psychology are basic. I couldn't keep reading such a basic review that presents each finding as something amazing and new and shocking when there are other ways to spend my time. For me, low stars. For its potential for kids, many stars. (This was not marketed as a book for younger readers but I think it should have been.)



Book #: 129
Title: Good Boy
Author: Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 4 months ago
Rating: 2

Jess has pivoted degrees and career paths often enough that her family is getting a bit sick of it so she really needs to do well when she changes her game plan again and wants to be a nurse. She moves to Toronto near her brother, who is married to a player on the Toronto pro hockey team. The hockey team often spends time with Jess, especially Blake - who keeps wanting to repeat his one-night stand with Jess.

Sigh.

The hero thinks he's god's gift, sends unsolicited d*** pics to the heroine, and even when the heroine tells him she is too busy, he continues to push her - sometimes even physically grabbing her and taking her out to his truck for "romance". He is just. So. Dumb. How can people this immature actually function? I guess the rest of the book (plot, writing, etc) wasn't bad but the hero was just to unlikeable that it overshadowed everything else.

Summaries are pending - my hand is acting up and typing hurts but I need to put these in or they will be forgotten forever



Book #: 130
Title: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
Author: Soshana Zuboff
Genre: Non-fiction, technology
Classification: 306 / HF
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

This was a door-stopper of a book. While the other books I've read recently were focused on how social media affects the consumer directly, Zuboff focuses on the bigger picture: the philosophy of economics and how selling other people's information will lead to the loss of individualism. She was very verbose and seemed a bit crazy in some of her conclusions, but I'm no economics professor. I did end up deleting a lot of my apps and got myself a huge amount of space on my phone by deleting cookies/caches/permissions from my web browser.



Book #: 131
Title: Battle of the Bookstores
Author: Ali Brady
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Josie works at a literary fiction bookstore. Ryan works at a nearby romance bookstore. When they get bought out by the same person who wants to merge their stores, Josie and Ryan have to compete to see who gets to keep their job and who gets fired.

This is very much an homage to You've Got Mail - but in a good way. It was just the right level of sweet.



Book #: 132
Title: Zodiac Academy #1: The Awakening
Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Genre: Fantasy/paranormal fiction
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Artful this is not, but I still enjoy the characters.

Darcy and Tory grew up as twin orphans in Chicago. When they turn 18, someone from fairy takes them away and tells them they were changlings and are actually fairy royalty. They have to make it through fairy college, where their magic will be tested, to assume the throne. Darcy and Tory just want the money so they can stop scraping by. Getting through school is made harder because the guys who are current heirs to the fairy throne want to keep their throne and not let the girls have it. The story is told mainly by alternating between Darcy and Tory's points of view. Tory is my favorite; she is a bit rough around the edges and Darcy is a bit sweeter.



Book #: 133
Title: The Next Wave: The Quest to Harness the Power of the Oceans
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Genre: Non-fiction, science
Classification: 621 / TC
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Everyone knows about solar power and wind power as alternative energy sources, but there are several scientists working to see if we can harness wave power - something that will continue during cloudy weather or no winds. There are a few designs being tested but nothing has come up as a sure thing yet. The Next Wave considers some of the prototypes and how they evolved.



Book #: 134
Title: Eye of the Storm
Author: Cherrix
Genre: Non-fiction, science
Classification: 551 / QC
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Predicting weather. Eh.



Book #: 135
Title: Beetle Busters: A Rogue Insect and the People Who Track It
Author: Loree Burns
Genre: Non-fiction, science
Classification: 595 / SB
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

An invasive beetle arrived from Asia and can decimate the forests consisting of common North American trees. The question the book poses is 'is it better to cut down trees to stop the spread or to let the bug spread but save neighborhood greens?'. I only took a few wildlife and population medicine classes in school, but I am amazed that people think letting it spread just so THEIR backyard trees aren't cut down right away is the right choice.



Book #: 136
Title: Mission to Pluto: The First Visit to an Ice Dwarf and the Kuiper Belt
Author: Mary Kay Carson
Genre: Non-fiction, astronomy
Classification: 629 / QB
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

I am not a hard science person (I only picked this up since I am trying to complete the series), but this book was amazing even for me. There are cool photos illustrating different types of radiation. The crew that worked so long to get this project going, waited the years for it to GET to Pluto, and then had only a short time for their probe to take photos and analyze the environment before going past it is huge. I liked how it described how some of the scientists had to pivot from other NASA jobs after setbacks and how they succeeded at their new jobs too. The slang and personalities mentioned made some of the science a bit more relevant to younger kids.



Book #: 137
Title: Life on Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island
Author: Loree Burns
Genre: Non-fiction, ecology
Classification: 577 / QH
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Ecologists study the island of Surtsey to see how life spreads to new environments. Surtsey is a volcanic island formed in the 1960s. From bare rock came a few plants. Then a few bugs. Then a few birds. Then more plants. etc etc.

>79 alsvidur: Hey, I was the System Assurance Manager for New Horizons. Great that you picked the Pluto book!

>80 drneutron: That's so cool! What does the system assurance manager do? I am very much at the level of 'fire bad, tree pretty' when it comes to space, but the Pluto book sparked my interest.

Book #: 138
Title: Zodiac Academy #2: Ruthless Fae
Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Genre: Fantasy/paranormal fiction
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3



Book #: 139
Title: Zodiac Academy #3: The Reckoning
Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Genre: Fantasy/paranormal fiction
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Continuing the trials of Darcy and Tory - they make it through the end of the first term exams and finally know what magical beings they can change into. They deal with their bullies, fool around with the cool kids, and try to determine if maybe they do in fact want the throne - or at least to stay in fairyland.

>81 alsvidur: I was responsible for making sure the spacecraft did what it was supposed to - did we build it right, did we test everything the way we're supposed to, is the software correct? That kind of thing.

>83 drneutron:: Did you do that the whole development period? It took a long time to get the project going, correct? It sounds like you did quality control over the different 'departments' of getting it through; that also sounds like you need to know everything from all topics associated with it. Wow. Was the big part of your job done once they got it into flight or did you have to continue afterwards? Were you involved with other exploration projects as well?

Book #: 140
Title: Phantasma
Author: Kalyie Smith
Genre: Paranormal fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Ophelia goes into a trial of the undead to win money to save her sister and family home. She needs to survive 9 nights in a haunted house with demons, ghosts, and hauntings while solving nightly puzzles in a competition with others. Only one competitor can win - others resign or die. While there she needs to avoid bargains with devils, but without one, how can she survive? Especially when one of them seems drawn to Ophelia in particular...

This was OK. The 'plot twist' was pretty clearly hinted, but the people who loved the book didn't see it coming. I didn't feel any sort of attraction in the romance. I'm willing to try again in the second book in the series that focuses on the heroine's sister.

>84 alsvidur: Quality control was part of my responsibility, also anomaly resolution, requirements verification, stuff like that. I worked from 2001 to a bit after launch in 2006. It was my first big launch!

After that I led the Parker Solar Probe team from concept development through build and launch, and the first five years of operation. Led that one for 16 years! These days I’m responsible for managing our mission concept development, proposals, and technology development. It’s been a fun career!

>86 drneutron: That sounds really neat!

Book #: 141
Title: Overruled
Author: Lana Ferguson
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Ezra and Danica are lawyers on opposing sides of a big divorce case but are f-buddies outside of work.

I felt like this was written for people in the legal field. I didn't care for the focus on their work. It left too little time to focus on the characters and plot. I'm sure lawyers will love this book since it feels like the mumbo jumbo was all correct (and therefore a bit boring).

Book #: 142
Title: Impact! Asteroids and the Science of Saving the World
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 551 / QB
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Covering the detection of bodies that could hit Earth, the information in this book is good but the photos are a let down. There just isn't that much varieties of photos, so half of them are of meteorite hunters simply pointing in random directions.



Book #: 143
Title: The Call of the Osprey
Author: Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Toxicologists study how the environment of a former mining site is altering predator populations and bringing in public support by putting up bird cams.



Book #: 144
Title: Rose in Chains
Author: Julie Soto
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

So many fantasy books talk about saving kingdoms from war, but what happens after war is done?

Princess Briony is captured by the conquering nation and sold into slavery to be used for her magic. She is bought by a former classmate and his family - but what are the family's real political aspirations? What did their seer see?

This one left me in a book coma so terrible that I almost ventured into the author's Harry Potter fanfic. Now I wait another year for the next in the series.



Book #: 145
Title: Offside
Author: Avery Keelan
Genre: Romance
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 3

Bailey breaks up with her boyfriend and ends up with the captain of the opposing collegiate hockey team.

There is a tiny plot point at the end but most of the book is just about their relationship.



Book #: 146
Title: Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cat
Author: Sy Montgomery
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Montgomery does a great job of explaining that to save a species isn't cuddling the animals, but working in genetics labs, problem solving by involving the 'enemies', and getting a good education.

Book #: 147
Title: Shadow Princess: Zodiac Academy #4
Author: Caroline Peckham
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Darcy and Tory try to manage the shadows invading their souls, fight off bullies, have some romance, and make some life-changing decisions (one is actually a lot twist).



Book #: 148
Title: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Author: Nicholas Carr
Genre: Non-fiction, technology
Classification: 612 / QP
Pub date: 2011
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

A larger history of technology - including how writing itself, books, and internet changed our brains and communication.



Book #: 149
Title: How To Break Up With Your Phone
Author: Catherine Price
Genre: Non-fiction, technology
Classification: 616 / RC
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

A short and simple plan to reduce dependence on cell phones for things we don't want (social media, etc)



Book #: 150
Title: The Dolphins of Shark Bay
Author: Pamela Turner
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

A small population of dolphins uses tools, but this covers not just tool use but social structure, etc - and in the back of the book, how papers are written and encouraging tips for kids on reading academic papers



Book #: 151
Title: Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Sylina is a blind assassin follower of the spider goddess of fate - her matron gives her the task of killing a vampire general who is taking over their island country but maybe Sylina finds that the conqueror is doing a better job of ruling than the current king

Book #: 152
Title: Fall With Me
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 3

Roxy is being stalked and Reese (her old high school crush) is the cop assigned to her case.



Book #: 153
Title: Dream of You
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 3

Abby witnesses a murder and Colton (her old high school crush) is the detective assigned to her case.

Yes. They are the same.

Book #: 154
Title: When the Moon Hatched
Author: Sarah Parker
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Raeve is an assassin when she gets targeted politically, arrested, and sentenced to die by dragons. While waiting in jail, she is rescued by Kaan, the king of the kingdom next door. He has been looking for her for hundreds of years, but she doesn't remember him.

This is full of adjectives - almost too full of flowery language. I will continue the series since the world is interesting and the dragons are cool, but this wasn't an unputdownable book.



Book #: 155
Title: Behind the Net
Author: Stephanie Archer
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

Pippa gets a new job as an assistant to a pro hockey player who ends up being her old high school crush. He encourages her in her music career and she gets him to accept help with his family.



Book #: 156
Title: Pucking Wild
Author: Emily Rath
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 2

Tessa is running from her husband who just won't grant a divorce, even after several years. She ends up staying at a friend's extra house, but her friend's partner also is lending the house to a pro hockey player. Much is made of the age difference between Ryan and Tessa.

This was a much cruder story than the Vancouver Storm series I just read, both in language of the book and the intimate scenes. It gives a blue-collar/adventurous vibe like some of Tessa Bailey's cop stories. I think I prefer the happier stories of other authors, but your milage may vary.

New job taking up a lot of time, went 2 weeks without reading anything



Book #: 157
Title: Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon's Shadow
Author: Ilima Loomis
Genre: Non-fiction, science
Classification: 523 / QB
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

The study of the sun's atmosphere can be tough when you can't see it due to brightness, so these scientists get 2 minutes every 18 months to take photos with fancy equipment during eclipses throughout the world



Book #: 158
Title: Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard
Author: Mary Kay Carson
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 333 / QH
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

A brief survey of how park rangers do research in various areas



Book #: 159
Title: Sea Turtle Scientist
Author: Stephen Swinburne
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 597 / QL
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Working to change local population attitudes about conservation



Book #: 160
Title: The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk
Author: Sy Montgomery
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 594 / QL
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

Absolutely lovely. Much like in Sy's adult book on octopodes, the awe for the animals she has comes through. An she wrote about what I feel like was missing in the other Scientists in the Fields series entries - a brief bio of the scientists involved and how they got their jobs - education, passions, etc.



Book #: 161
Title: Maid for Each Other
Author: Lynn Painter
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Cute, will look for more

A woman is working several jobs, including cleaning homes, when she is mistaken by a wealthy client's parents as the client's real (imaginary) girlfriend. The client ends up hiring her to pretend to be his girlfriend to get job security.



Book #: 162
Title: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
Author: Brigitte Knightley
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Aurienne is an excellent healer. Osric is an excellent assassin. When Osric needs to get a healer to provide a miracle cure for a disease affecting his magic, he goes to Aurienne and asks for help. Aurienne doesn't want to help an evil assassin, but when Osric offers loads of money to help children dying of the pox, Aurienne sets out to find an old cure.

The author is super witty, loved the puns, ended with a smile even though it's only the first in the series. Went so far to read the author's other work, very similar to the TIUtFfYE (which is on AO3 as a Harry Potter fanfic - which was a surprisingly good read and featured adult characters acting like adults so I didn't feel gross reading it).

Book #: 163
Title: The Road of Bones
Author: Demi Winters
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Silla is on the run from the queen. She gets taken in by a band of mercenaries and they share a journey to a safe house. On the way, she deals with attraction to the second-in-command warrior Wolf and tries to prove herself to the leader Axe Eyes. Meanwhile, she is learning about the lies her family told her, avoiding being stoned to death as a magic-wielder, and seeing apparations.

Slow to get going and adjust to the Nordic words/names but really gets going after like 120-200 pages or so. Love that the heroine is a regular girl, not some super talented and experienced yet hardened assassin.



Book #: 164
Title: ZomRomCom
Author: Olivia Dade
Genre: Romance, paranormal
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 1.5

Edie lives in a world with supernatural beings. She lives in a containment zone for zombies - it's cheaper to live there and she has memories in that home. When she tries to save her neighbor from being eaten by zombies, she learns that he is a vampire who has been watching her. He wants to stop her from making stupid decisions so they fight the zombies together.

Olivia Dade is an auto read for me, but this was a disappointment. She is still funny and witty, but the romance was unbelievable intsa-love. Sleeping together after a few hours? Him risking his life for her (because he was stalking her a bit for years)? That part being the unbelievable part in a novel about zombies and vampires is a bit depressing.

Book #: 165
Title: Cursed Fates: Zodiac Academy #5
Author: Caroline Peckham
Genre: Romance, paranormal
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Tory decides to defy the stars and Darcy deals with romantic problems. The heirs decide to fight WITH the twins instead of against them. (Why do I keep reading these?)



Book #: 166
Title: Romance Rivalry
Author: Susan Lee
Genre: Romance, YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Irene is off to college - one she chose for her parents, in a major she chose for her parents, and starts a relationship she chose for her bookstagram influencer audience. Aiden is another blogger who is up for the same sponsorship as Irene - and he's at the same school. Irene is getting overwhelmed with school. Aiden tries to help her.

I liked how they explored romantic tropes. I wasn't a fan of Irene's experience at school; it reminded me too heavily of my own but felt like her parents were almost unrealistically supportive once she comes clean. Leaving the guy she's crushing on in a lurch multiple times may be realistic but it doesn't ender me to Irene.

Book #: 167
Title: Pitcher Perfect
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Rookie pro hockey player Robbie (a side-character in other entries in the author's sports series) falls fast for Skyler, a softball pitcher. They fake date during the week of Skyler's family's annual sports competition to make the guy Skyler is interested in jealous. When Robbie wants to try dating for real, he has to convince Skyler that he won't miss his playboy days.

I am really surprised by the emotional maturity of Robby. It's super refreshing. Although much was made in other books in the series about how immature and young he is, I think he's more together than the other male heroes. This series is my favorite one of Bailey's. (Although the ending of this entry makes you think of the timeline of the story and raise your eyebrows a bit....)

Book #: 168
Title: Role Playing
Author: Cathy Yardley
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Maggie is 48 and has just sent her kid off to college. Her kid is worried that divorced Maggie is becoming a shut-in, so she joins a social online gaming guild. The leader, Otter, thinks that 'Bogwitch' is a crotchety old lady friend of his mothers. Maggie thinks Otter is a 20yo college kid. They eventually meet in real life.



Book #: 169
Title: The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Romance, action
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Alexandra and Kingsley are spies. They do missions together - sometimes - and try to be good at their jobs. They fall for each other and break up. Years later, they wake up handcuffed to each other. Who kidnapped them? Why?

It's an enjoyable action romance. The time jumps were sometimes a bit rough in the transitions and made you question where you were sometimes.

Book #: 170
Title: The Illustrated Horse's Foot
Author: Christopher Pollitt
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

A veterinary atlas for horse feet, looking at cadaver sections, computer models, radiographs, histology, and aterio/venograms

Lots of good images, especially focusing on the lamellae and venograms. The few case studies were extreme and fascinating.

Book #: 171
Title: Worth Fighting For
Author: Jesse Sutanto
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Retelling of Mulan where Mulan pretends to be her father in order to secure a deal acquiring a manly whiskey company ran by Shang, whose family only wants to work with men. She's forced to go on a camping trip on a ranch to prove herself to the family.

Cute.



Book #: 172
Title: The Fake Out
Author: Stephanie Archer
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 3

Hazel and Rory fake-date to improve his image and get back at her ex. He falls first.



Book #: 173
Title: First Down
Author: Grace Reilly
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Another sports fake-dating novel, this time getting an ex-off her back while tutoring him. James's father wants him to focus on football and not romance so he can make the NFL. She is tied to a diner in New York and is unlikely to fallow James to wherever he gets drafted to.

I knew it would be 'new adult' and less adult before I started it, but it still felt like it caters to a younger audience.

I am not doing so well at reading lately - my new job is taking up so much more of my free time (going from part-time working to over-time is a real time suck) and it's hard to focus when I do get a moment.

Book #: 174
Title: The Co-op
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

LaRynn and Deacon used to date in high school, but now they are living on opposite ends of the country with different lives. When they both inherit the same house, they have to work together to remodel it to sell.

While nothing in particular stands out with this one, it was still overall nicely done with a nice balance of sweetness/romcom and realism.



Book #: 175
Title: Fate Inked in Blood
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Bless completed series. This is part 1 of 2 of a Viking-based fantasy/romance and it's lovely.

Freya is a fishmonger's wife who hides her magic powers and heritage. When she is outed to the king, the king binds her to him so he can bring the South together and conquer the North. She has a forbidden longing for the king's son. She also has a longing to be free of being a pawn and doesn't wish to cause mass destruction like the seer's vision tell.

I was worried that it would end on a cliff-hanger so I made sure to get the next in the series before I got to the end of this one. My library's copy was out, and I can't spend $35 on a book right now, so I drove down to a library in my county's co-op and got a copy. It was a long drive, but I enjoyed exploring a new library, and worth it - I'm happy that I get to flow into the next in the series without interruption.

Book #: 176
Title: A Curse Carved in Bone (#2 in series)
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Great series. Freya and Bjorn go to see Saga to see if they can change the prophesy but are torn between King Harald and King whatshisface. Who to trust?



Book #: 177
Title: Mate (#2 in series)
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Paranormal romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Companion to Bride. Serena has discovered that she is half-werewolf and fated-mates of the head of the pack. She tries to finagle politics, protecting the pack, and mastering her werewolf-side.



Book #: 178
Title: Heartless Hunter: Crimson Moth #1
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Rune is a witch in a land that is burning all the witches. She hides her identity as the Crimson Moth, a masked protector of witches, while acting as a socialite in a Victorian/steam-pinkish world. To get information on how to track a specific witch, she decides to allow military men to court her - including Gideon, the opposition leader.



Book #: 179
Title: Rebel Witch: Crimson Moth #2
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Rune and Gideon are caught in a war between the evil witch Cressida and the evil regime killing innocent witches. No one is a good side to be on.



Book #: 180
Title: A Duke Never Tells
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Genre: Historical romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Meg wants to see if the rumors involving her arranged-marriage fiancé are true, so she and her aunt Clara pretend to be ladies touring the country and simply visiting the estate of her fiancé - who happens to be at home. James wishes to avoid giving them a tour so says he is the butler, and he makes his man of business pretend to be the lord. Everyone falls in love with the wrong person.



Book #: 181
Title: Kingdom of Claw: Road of Bones #2
Author: Demi Winters
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Silla is in the north now, still avoiding the queen, and working on developing her powers. Saga is trapped in the castle as a hostage of sorts. She tries to help the uprising. A pseudo-Russian envoy comes to the castle.

This is a fantastic series with life-like characters, Viking-inspired lore, and a setting you can easily imagine.

Book #: 182
Title: Swordheart
Author: T Kingfisher
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

Halla inherits some money and her family imprisons her in her room. When she unsheathes an old sword, a magic man appears like a genie. His mission is to protect the bearer of the sword. They escape to the city, grab a lawyer to defend her case, and go back to her house - all on a long quest.

I probably would have rated this 5 stars if I were still in high school. It was witty, but the romance was not done very well. Your milage will vary.



Book #: 183
Title: Horse Housekeeping: Everything You Need to Know to Keep a Horse at Home
Author: Michael and Margaret Korda
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2005
Acquisition: library
Rating: 1.5

I usually enjoy this author and had high hopes for this. It fell down hard. This was 200 pages of 'let me tell you how to keep a few horses at home: get yourself a good full-time employee (or three)' that was a memoir of a point in the author's lives, not an instructive text. If you care to know which types of bits the female author prefers, what years their landscaper cut down some trees - or wait? was it this year? or maybe that year? -, and how the male author can't find help that folds towels correctly, sure, this is the book for you. If you actually want tips and things to watch out for to move your horses home, find yourself another book.



Book #: 184
Title: Holiday Ever After
Author: Hannah Grace
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

The heroine goes to a small town in hopes of getting a promotion. She is supposed to smooth over an oopsie her large family company made in ripping off a Christmas doll design from a small business. She falls for the town and the designer.

This didn't let me relax into the 'stupidness' like Grace's other contemporary romances (usually involving college sports). The adults were stiff and it felt very contrived. (Saying that, I am aware that this is a holiday romance book that was written to be like a Hallmark movie. It still felt off.)



Book #: 185
Title: Care and Rehabilitation of the Equine Foot
Author: Pete Ramey
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2011
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Ramey is a proponent of barefoot trimming, mostly based off feral horse feet. He worked with vets at MSU to write a book about anatomy and trimming. It was nicely illustrated, but a good portion of the book focused on proper nutrition.



Book #: 186
Title: Equine Podiatry
Author: Andrea Floyd
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

A veterinary text, not a farriery text, this focuses on imaging and care of hoof disorders.

Book #: 187
Title: Your Dog Can Talk: A Step-by-step Guide to Button Training
Author: Christina Hunger
Genre: Non-fiction, dogs
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

Linguist/speech-therapist Hunger taught her dog Stella to 'talk' using alternative communication by pressing buttons that say different words. Bunny the sheepdog is another famous dog that uses buttons, but her owner teaches others from a psychologist's angle instead of a linguist. I found the Fluent Pet online guides more helpful than Hunger's memoir that was released a few years ago. Those combined with this entry make a really good into though. It wasn't just the basics but had how to introduce advanced concepts and tips for those as well. (My dog currently uses about 20 buttons and makes short phrases.)

Book #: 188
Title: Commander Speaks
Author: Jody Jaffe
Genre: Fiction, mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 3

Isabel is an animal communicator. When she is hired by a lady to talk with her show horse, Isabel learns that the horse saw the trainer having inappropriate relations with his teenage students and framing foreign staff for drug use. When murder becomes involved, Isabel tries to prove what she 'heard' from a horse.



Book #: 189
Title: The Home Run Horse: Inside America's Billion-Dollar Racehorse Industry and the High-Stakes Dreams that Fuel It
Author: Glenye Cain
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2004
Acquisition: 17 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Cain focuses on the breeding industry, people who were involved in the early 2000s, and why people become involved in racing. She managed to walk the line that showed these people can be crazy but not everyone who works with horses is.

Book #: 190
Title: The Bridge Kingdom
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 4



Book #: 191
Title: The Traitor Queen (Bridge Kingdom #2)
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 3

The Bridge Kingdom series is made of 3 duologies in the same world. The first duology is about Lara, a princess trained as a spy and sent in marriage to the king of a neighboring kingdom. Obviously, they fall for each other, but where does that rank on Lara's wish for revenge on an enemy kingdom? Is she fighting for her kingdom, her love, or her own existence?

Book #: 192
Title: The Inadequate Heir (Bridge Kingdom #3)
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Rating: 4.5



Book #: 193
Title: The Endless War (Bridge Kingdom #4)
Author: Danielle Jensen
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4.5

I liked this duology more than the first - the characters are a bit more fleshed out and are dealing with 'real world' problems (ie there is no good answer) in a fantasy world. There is a larger focus on politics in this pair of books, and it works in favor.



Book #: 194
Title: Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy
Author: Siva Vaidhyanathan
Genre: Non-fiction, technology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

This professor has written a nice report, but unfortunately, who doesn't already know that facebook doesn't allow reasoned, thoughtful, and time-taking discourse?

Book #: 195
Title: Digital Madness: How social media is driving our mental health crisis - and how to restore our sanity
Author: Nicholas Karadaras
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Karadaras is an addiction psychologist and therapist. He has some interesting thoughts, but towards the end, the 'and how to restore our sanity' part was a Greek philosophy dive.



Book #: DNF
Title: Zucked: Waking up to the facebook catastrophe
Author: Nicholas Karadaras
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 1

So this guy's qualifications for discussing the ramifications of social media are...he once loaned money to Mark Zuckerberg. This, he feels, deserves him referring to Zuckerberg and facebook as 'Zuck' about once or twice per sentence - even somehow weaving this into his chapter-long autobiography.



Book #: DNF
Title: Indistractable: how to control your attention and choose your life
Author: Nir Eyal
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 302 / HM
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: x

The layout was so disconnected and unorganized that I couldn't focus. The text itself was more self-help-y than I wanted. Maybe I'll come back to it, maybe not.

Book #: 196
Title: Gilmore Girls: A Stars Hollow Celebration
Author: Lauren Clauss
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2025
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 2

This was a gift and is probably more enjoyable if you like Funko Pop figurines.

Best non-fiction horse books: Starting in the Middle - Tik Maynard

Best non-fiction (other): Mission to Pluto - Mary Kay Carson / The Octopus Scientist - Sy Montgomery (both in the great 'Scientists in the Field' series)

Best fiction books: Book Boyfriend - Emily Wibberly / The Serpent and the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent / Quicksilver - Callie Hart / Rose in Chains - Julie Soto

Honorable Mentions: The Road of Bones series, The Bridge Kingdom series, Fate Inked in Blood series, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy series, Non-Commercial Horse Transport: New Standards for Trailers in Canada

2025 stats
Total books read: 196
Total books acquired: 78

Rereads: 4
Borrowed: 0
In the TBR Pit of Despair >6m: 33
Time in the Pit: 1 day – 17 years
From library: 134
Not new books: 87%

Non-fiction, animals: 53
Non-fiction, other: 30
Fiction: 123
Pony books: 4

Genre:
Non-fiction, horses – 23
Non-fiction, animals – 19
Non-fiction, sociology/psychology – 8
Non-fiction, history – 4
Non-fiction, literature – 2
Non-fiction, politics – 3
Non-fiction, ‘science’ – 7
Non-fiction, transportation – 1
Non-fiction, medicine – 2
Non-fiction, technology – 4

Fiction – 4
Comics – 1
Fantasy – 26
Mystery - 8
Action/adventure - 2
Romance/historical - 2
Romance/paranormal – 10
Romance/fantasy -3
Romance/contemporary - 46
Romance/sci-fi -4

Pony book – 4
Juvenile fiction – 3
Picture book – 3
YA – 7

DDC Classification
1-028 (library, reading)
1-153 (conscious mental processes)
3-155 (developmental psychology)
4-302 (social interaction)
1-303 (social processes)
1-305 (social groups of people)
1-306 (social culture)
1-320 (political science)
1-321 (government systems)
1-333 (economics of energy)
1-343 (military law)
1-388 (transportation)
1-523 (astronomy)
2-551 (geology)
1-577 (ecology)
4-591 (natural history of animals)
2-595 (arthropods)
1-597 (herps)
3-598 (birds)
5-599 (mammals)
1-612 (human physiology)
1-616 (human diseases)
1-621 (applied physics)
1-629 (engineering, other)
18-636 (animal husbandry)
1-639 (hunting, conservation)
1-741 (drawing)
1-791 (public performances)
8-798 (horsemanship)
108-813 (American fiction)
15-823 (English fiction)
2-940 (history of Europe)
1-943 (history of Germany)

LoC Classification
4-BF (psychology)
3-D (history, general)
1-DD (history of Germany)
1-HE (transportation)
1-HF (commerce)
6-HM (sociology)
1-HQ (women’s studies)
1-JC (political theory)
1-JK (US politics)
2-PN (literature – general)
25-PR (English lit)
83-PS (American lit)
15-PZ (juvenile fiction)
3-QB (astronomy)
1-QC (physics)
2-QH (biology)
14-QL (zoology)
1-QP (physiology)
1-RC (medicine, IM)
1-SB (plant culture)
27-SF (animal culture)
1-TC (ocean engineering)
1-Z (books about books)

Publication date:
1840s - 1
1930s - 2
1940s - 0
1950s - 1
1960s - 2
1970s - 4
1980s - 0
1990s - 6
2000s – 16
2010s - 47
2020s – 117

Year Over Year Comparison

Books Read
2025: 196
2024: 228
2023: 162
2022: 81
2021: 107
2020: 114
2019: 78
2018: 132
2017: 54
2016: 94
2015: 112
2014: 293
2013: 365
2012: 286
2011: 228
2010: 121

Fiction Books
2025: 127
2024: 142
2023: 114
2022: 68
2021: 93
2020: DNR
2019: 72
2018: 135
2017: 40
2016: 58
2015: 93
2014: 164
2013: 266
2012: 245
2011: 149
2010: 79

Non-Fiction Books
2025: 73
2024: 88
2023: 48
2022: 22
2021: 23
2020: DNR
2019: 13
2018: 12
2017: 13
2016: 23
2015: 19
2014: 158
2013: 102
2012: 83
2011: 84
2010: 57

Audience Breakdown (fiction)
2025: 101 adult, 7 YA, 10 children
2024: 75 adult, 16 YA, 51 children
2023: 79 adult, 12 YA, 25 children
2022: 32 adult, 14 YA, 13 children
2021: 16 adult, 8 YA, 47 children
2020: DNR
2019: 46 adult, 12 YA, 10 children
2018: 76 adult, 16 YA, 32 children
2017: 10 adult, 31 PZ
2016: 39 adult, 40 PZ
2015: 28 adult, 35 YA, 37 children
2014: 19 adult, 57 YA, 83 children
2013: 57 adult, 50 YA, 171 children
2012: 54 adult, 181 PZ
2011: 77 adult, 51 PZ
2010: 75 adult, 38 PZ

Top Genres/Topics
2025: Contemporary romance, fantasy, non-fiction horses
2024: Non-fiction horses, romance
2023: Contemporary romance, non-fiction horses
2022: Contemporary romance, non-fiction horses
2021: Kids’ books, non-fiction horses
2020: DNR
2019: Romance
2018: Romance, urban fantasy
2017: American fiction, kids’ books
2016: American fiction, kids’ books
2015: Pony books, YA paranormal, YA fantasy
2014: Kids’ books, zoology, animal husbandry
2013: Children’s picture, contemporary YA, kid’s non-fiction
2012: Kids’ books, fiction, animal husbandry
2011: DNR
2010: DNR

Re-reads:
2025: 4
2024: 10
2023: 17
2022: 13
2021: 8
2020: DNR
2019: 12
2018: 30

Owned vs. Borrowed
2025: 134 library, 0 elsewhere, 33 pit
2024: 51 library, 3 borrowed, 125 pit
2023: 40 library, 3 elsewhere, 69 pit
2022: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 27 pit
2021: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 54 pit
2020: DNR
2019: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 12 pit
2018: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 24 pit
2017: 0 library, 9 borrowed, 8 pit
2016: 9 library, 6 borrowed, 20 pit
2015: 11 library, 0 borrowed, 26 pit
2014: 149 library, 2 borrowed, 14 pit
2013: 148 library, 14 borrowed, 32 pit
2012: 149 library, 12 borrowed, 26 pit
2011: 126 library, ? borrowed, 22 pit
2010: 16 library, ? borrowed, 14 pit

Books acquired:
2025: 78
2024: 96
2023: 151
2022: 126
2021: 84
2020: 169
2019: 159
2018: 234
2017: 108
2016: 113
2015: 432
2014: 451
2013: 409
2012: 303
2011: 427
2010: 343

My 2025 thread is up here