Natalie (Curioussquared) ROOTs in 2025

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I'm located in the Seattle area, where I live with my husband and dogs. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds Otter and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on fantasy and sci-fi, romance, YA fiction, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title.

I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008. The past two years I've hit 225+, but I'm going to keep my goal at a respectable 150. I usually want about half of my reading to be off my shelf -- If you count rereads, I read more off my shelf in 2024 than from the library! If you don't count rereads, the library won. Pretty good overall! I have a selection of books off my shelf I'd like to get to this year -- you can see them in a post below.

Here's a pic of two sleepy greyhounds and the view from the living room of our new house we moved into in November:

2025 Reading Goals

The TBR cart is back, in front of my larger TBR shelves in my new library room :) I've chosen 55 books off my physical and digital shelves to get through this year -- I did it in 2024 so hopefully I succeed again this year! This is a mix of sequels I need to read, books I've been meaning to get to, and newer releases I'm excited about.



1. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
2. Aurelie by Heather Tomlinson
3. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
4. Pyromantic by Lish McBride
5. A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
6. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
7. The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
9. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
10. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
11. Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
12. Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
13. Gwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher
14. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
15. The Well Wishers by Edward Eager
16. Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde
17. The Diamond Keeper by Jeannie Mobley
18. Wildbound by Elayne Audrey Becker
19. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
20. Swing Time by Zadie Smith
21. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
22. In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman
23. The Twisted Heart by Rebecca Gowers
24. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
25. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
26. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
27. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
28. Swordcrossed by Freya Marske
29. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
30. The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
31. Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik
32. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
33. Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat
34. Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
35. The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
36. Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff
37. The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos
38. The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
39. A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab
40. The Wicked King by Holly Black
41. The Siren Depths by Martha Wells
42. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
43. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
44. The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
45. The Trespasser by Tana French
46. Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans
47. The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol by Nikolai Gogol

And off my Kindle:

48. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
49. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
50. Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse
51. Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
52. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
53. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
54. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
55. Jade City by Fonda Lee

DONE: 39/55

Happy ROOTing in 2025, everyone! I hope to make it around the ROOT threads soon :) In the meantime, I've already finished my first ROOT of the year...

1 ROOT down: A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Ning loves the art of tea making -- her mother was a master and her sister her apprentice, but Ning learned as much as she could of the art as well. When a poisoned tea brick kills her mother and leaves her sister deathly ill, Ning's only chance to save her sister is entering the competition to be the next royal tea master. But the competition is less than straightforward, and soon Ning finds herself wrapped up in nefarious plots against the emperor and princess and unsure who to trust -- especially the mysterious boy she met at the market.

I loved the concept of a tea-based magic system, and the magic system was my favorite part throughout the book. Lin's writing was gorgeous when it worked, but I found myself confused by some of her turns of phrase and had to reread pages to understand what was going on 2 or 3 times throughout the book. This is a debut, though, and I think most of my issues with writing can be solved with experience and a good editor. Some of the plot elements were a little trope-y, but overall I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and setting and especially the tea and food descriptions -- I wanted noodles and dumplings so bad. 3.75 stars.

That's a gorgeous view you have there. Really breathtaking, Natalie.

Glad to see you back with the ROOTers. Happy New Year and happy ROOTing.

>5 curioussquared: Sounds like a library borrow in my "want to read" scheme! I too like the idea of a tea-based magic system :)

> I do too and it's part of my RL forumchallenge.

>1 curioussquared: What a comfy room and gorgeous view! Love the book cart -- happy reading.

>6 connie53: Thanks, Connie! Same to you :)

>7 rabbitprincess: I hope you like it, RP!

>9 detailmuse: Thanks, MJ! You, too :)

2 ROOTs down: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in high school, and everyone always thought they'd get together, or even were together already -- but they weren't, and they didn't, and then Cary joined the Navy and Shiloh got married and had kids and all of a sudden they basically haven't talked or seen each other in 14 years. But now Shiloh is divorced, and Cary's back in town for Mikey's wedding, and when they reconnect, it's like nothing changed. Except everything has changed, and no matter how much Cary and Shiloh might want to be together, neither is convinced it's a good idea or that it will work. Can they overcome the distance and obstacles between them, both from their past and in their future?

I started off unsure about this book -- it feels like a sort of romance in reverse. There's no getting to know you period -- Cary and Shiloh already know each other intimately, even if it's been years. But Rowell has a way of totally drawing me in with her writing and characters, and before I knew it I'd fallen in love with Cary and Shiloh and was rooting for them despite the impossibility of their relationship. By the time I hit the halfway point I was flying through it and couldn't put it down, and when I did finish, I was satisfied but sad I couldn't spend more time in this world. 5 stars.

Such a lovely view, Natalie! Good luck with your ROOTing!

glad you're back!

What a stunning view you have, I'm so jealous! And always so lovely to see Otter and Kermit being their gorgeous selves!

>12 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit! Same to you!

>13 cyderry: Thanks, Chèli!

>14 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie! Otter and Kermit are always happy to be models (as long as they don't have to get up from the couch, lol)

3 ROOTs down: A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab

Red London is under siege by Osaron. Can Kell, Lila, and Alucard figure out how defeat him while Rhy holds down the fort at home? And can they trust Holland?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the series itself. I thought this ending book was well done, but almost a little too pat in how it ended. There didn't really seem to be any twists -- once Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Holland decided their course of action, that was that. They went and completed their quest and saved the day without too much trouble. Sure there were a few bumps -- mostly random attacks along the way -- but nothing really went wrong. Idk, it just felt the tiniest bit anticlimactic to me. Also, while I enjoyed the worldbuilding, I think Schwab's characters in this series lack a little something for me. I didn't fall in love with any of them or have particular favorites. They were all the teeniest bit too polished. Holland was the most interesting for me. So overall, a technically well-executed series that was well done, but that didn't quite live up to the promise in book 1 for me. I'm glad I read it and enjoyed the experience, but can't see myself rereading it. 4 stars for the book and for the series overall.

4 ROOTs down: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

A few weeks after Lewis and Wren get married, Lewis receives a strange and rare diagnosis: his physical form will transform slowly into that of a great white shark. Over the course of the year of his transformation, Lewis and Wren struggle with his mutation's impact on their relationship and marriage, especially as Lewis's carnivorous instincts kick in.

This is a very weird, very good book. If you can accept the basic premise, I think it's phenomenal -- I flew through this in a few hours (helped by very short chapters) and cried at least twice. The writing was excellent and devastating. I'm interested in reading more from Habeck in the future. 5 stars.

That sounds really promising, Natalie. I think I will try to find it. 5 stars and a cry or two.

>19 curioussquared: I hope you like it, Connie!

5 ROOTs down: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma on a space ship barely knowing his own name, let alone how he got there and why he was chosen to be on this mission (or what the mission even is). His two other crew mates have died in transit. Can he figure out what he's supposed to do?

This was a ton of fun. I wasn't in love with it at first, but quickly got sucked in once Rocky was introduced. 4.75 stars.

6 ROOTs down: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

In 1985 in a small Irish town, coal merchant Bill Furlong uncovers something sinister going on at the local convent in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

What a lovely, impactful novella. It's short, but powerful, and beautifully written. 5 stars.

>21 curioussquared: Loved this novella.

and >20 curioussquared: I really should get this out of my wishlist and into my hands!

>20 curioussquared: and >22 detailmuse: Yes you should, MJ. It was a 5 star book for me. Loved it.

Just stopping by to drop a star and add a few to my overflowing TBR list. All the pets for Otter and Kermit!

>22 detailmuse: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

>23 connie53: Me too, Connie!

>24 Caramellunacy: Thanks, Caramel!

7 ROOTs down: Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

Princess Gwen and Prince Gabriel live in Camelot hundreds of years after the death of King Arthur. Gwen has been betrothed to another Arthur since she was a girl, although she hasn't seen him in years. The only problem? They hate each other. But now the king and queen have decided it's time for Gwen to be married, so Arthur has been summoned to court so they can spend time together. And then, a few days after his arrival, Gwen sees Arthur... kissing one of the dog boys. When she confronts him, Arthur blackmails her with her diary from years ago, where she's admiring a girl a little too much. So Gwen and Arthur make a deal -- neither will reveal the other's proclivities, and they'll both be free to chase whoever they want. But even as the two become friends, their marriage is still approaching, and unrest is stirring in the kingdom...

This was a super fun queer Arthurian remix. Very silly, with some occasional sobriety thrown in, too. 4.5 stars.

8 ROOTs down: Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

This is a direct sequel to Divine Rivals that starts up a week or two after the first book, and it's hard to say much without spoiling. Suffice to say that the war between Enva and Dacre is still raging, and humans, including Iris and Roman, are wrapped up in their fight. I found this to be a satisfying sequel and I hope to read more of Ross's work soon. 4.5 stars.

Looks like just two ROOTs in Feb - I don't think I'll finish Kushiel's Chosen today or tomorrow, but I'll try :)

Hi Natalie. Popping in to see what you have been reading. >26 curioussquared: sounds like a fun book indeed.

>29 connie53: It was a good one, Connie!

Hi friends! It's been a crazy few months as I've been working through some medical stuff and prepping our old house to go on the market. It should be listing on Thursday so that will be a huge weight off! I've been reading but I've been very bad at updating and keeping up with reviews, even over on my 75ers thread. Here are a few!

9 ROOTs down: Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey

After the events of Kushiel's Dart, Phedre should be at peace. Terre D'Ange is saved, partially thanks to her, and Melisande is still alive, but has retreated from the country. But Phedre can't let it rest, so she returns to Elua with Joscelin and her chevaliers to resume her service to Namaah and get as much information about Melisande's whereabouts and allies as she can. Her investigations lead her to another country, to La Serenissima, where she's not sure who she can trust -- and soon, she's fighting for her life and country once more.

Just as good as the first one. I love the intricate political plots in these books. Phedre has to use every skill at her disposal to survive, and she gets a lot of luck, too. I also LOVED her reunion with Joscelin in La Serenissima ❤️ 4.5 stars.

10 ROOTs down: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Cordelia's mother is a sorceress, and a scary one. Cordelia must behave, and if she doesn't, her mother makes her "obedient" by controlling her body with magic. When her mother loses her benefactor, she sets her sights on marrying an old rich man, and promptly manages to move herself and Cordelia from their isolated cottage into the home of the rich Squire she has her eyes on. Cordelia is terrified -- she's never lived in such a grand house, and one wrong move could turn her mother against her immediately. But at the same time, for the first time in her life, she might actually have a reason to hope, as the Squire's house comes with some potential allies -- his spinster sister Hester and her friends have sharp eyes, and they can tell that something's not quite right.

Kingfisher does it again with her signature blend of compelling fantasy storytelling, laugh-out-loud humor, and just a dash of horror. This is a very loose retelling of The Goose Girl, but you can enjoy it without knowing anything about that fairy tale. Hilariously, Kingfisher notes in the afterward that this book is what happens when she tries to write a regency romance novel, which I think says a lot about how her brain works :) Anyway, if you've read and enjoyed other Kingfisher, you'll love this book too. If you haven't had the pleasure yet, I think this standalone novel is a great place to start. 5 stars.

11 ROOTs down: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Ember Lee Cardinal is determined to make her way in the world. She has an entry-level accounting certificate from the local community cottage that should be enough to get her a starting accountant job, but all of her applications keep getting rejected and she's not sure how much longer she can stand working at her dead-end bowling alley job. So she decides to slightly fudge the truth... and adjusts her resume to list a full accounting degree and some accounting experience. When she applies to the job, she makes sure to skip checking the "Native American" box. Sure enough, her plan works, and she quickly secures a job with a tech startup. At her new job, things are great, but Ember can't seem to stop telling lies, even to the handsome Native guy in IT, Danuwoa. As her falsehoods start to spiral and she and Danuwoa get closer, Ember may be caught in a trap of her own making.

I preordered this when I saw it was the first traditionally published romcom from a Native American author. This debut romance novel had its issues, but I enjoyed it overall. Lying is never my favorite conflict mechanism in romance novels and I got a little frustrated with Ember, but overall I think it showed promise and I would try another book from Nava in the future. 3.5 stars.

12 ROOTs down: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

June Hayward's debut novel flopped and she hasn't been able to write anything else since. She lives in perpetual jealousy of her friend Athena Liu, whose books have been published to critical acclaim and multiple film options. When June is the only one present when Athena dies in a freak choking accident, she doesn't think -- she takes Athena's just-completed manuscript from her apartment. Soon, June has revised the manuscript and submitted it to her editor, convincing herself that she's done a good thing -- it's not like it was publishable as it was, and nobody needs to know it wasn't entirely her own work. But while June's pretty sure she's getting away with it, she can't shake the feeling that it all might come crashing down...

Oof, what a read. This was compelling and also hard to read because June is such an awful character and you're in her head the entire book. Well done, if maybe a little heavy-handed at parts -- but I guess it's satire. 4 stars.

April was just as wild as March. More medical stuff, our old house is under contract, some ongoing family drama, and some illness. Hoping May is calmer!

13 ROOTs down: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

The classic tale following Yuri Zhivago, doctor and poet, as he flees Moscow to protect his family during the Russian revolution and is torn between two women.

I'm glad I read this, but I didn't enjoy it as much as most of the other Russian literature I've read. I think I prefer a pre-revolution setting. 4 stars.

14 ROOTs down: The Wicked King by Holly Black

In this sequel to The Cruel Prince, Cardan is now King of Faerie, thanks to Jude, and Jude is his seneschal. Jude has Cardan mostly under her control because of their bargain, but Cardan, like most fae, is hard to truly keep under her thumb, especially while navigating the rest of the court politics...

I liked this even better than the first book. Looking forward to Queen of Nothing. 4 stars.

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>36 curioussquared: I hope May will prove a better month!

>42 curioussquared: what a funny mispronunciation! Would have made me laugh too.
Maybe it is how you are out of breath from holding it hoping your soufflé doesn't fall...

>45 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>46 Caramellunacy: Lol! Love that interpretation :)

>40 curioussquared: Cool! I didn't know there was finally a sequel to Shades of Grey. I'm going to have to do what you did, which is reread Shades of Grey before getting into Red Side Story.

>48 rocketjk: Enjoy! I had a lot of fun returning to the world. According to Fforde's website book 3 is apparently coming in 2026! 🤞

>33 curioussquared: >38 curioussquared: Loved both books too, Natalie

I hope you are doing better in day to day live.

>50 connie53: Thanks Connie! Unfortunately life has just been more crazy lately with one of my family members going through a mental health crisis which has required a lot of supporting other family members as they support the one in crisis. It's just exhausting and I'm not sure there's an end in sight. I'll try to update my ROOT reading soon, though. My 75ers thread is always more active but I haven't been over there as often as I'd like, either.

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And in some good news -- we're getting a puppy! We should be able to take him home in mid-August. We haven't picked one yet but got to meet the litter last Friday and they are all perfect sweet angels. The breed is borzoi.

Puppy spam!

>77 curioussquared: They all look adorable, Natalie! I am sorry to hear that family life has been so difficult, maybe a canine member will help you take your mind off things.

Wow, Natalie. That's a lot of adorable puppy's there and an enormous amount of ROOTs read.

Hope the family maters will ease up soon. I agree with Birgit about a little pup will be distraction.

>77 curioussquared: Oh, they're all adorable! Look at those snoots, just ripe for booping! I hope your new puppy gives you so much joy as you go through the stressful family stuff.

>67 curioussquared: I'm adding this to my wishlist, it sounds right up my street!

>69 curioussquared: I have this on my TBR - when it eventually comes out the Jar of Fate I'll try and remember the tissues!

Puppies! May they bring loving relief.

I agree about Peter Mayle's fiction :( But I've recently created a to-reread tag and A Year in Provence was one of the first I tagged, I loved it.

>56 curioussquared: I have Code Girls on my library list after initially hearing about it in connection with a YA historical mystery set at Arlington Hall. Looking forward to it being my turn!

Thank you everybody for keeping my thread warm! I'm sure the puppy will be a welcome distractor. Stressful, too, but the good kind of stress :) We should bring him home in 2-3 weeks.

I have been remiss! Enjoy some puppy spam, friends. This is from the first week he was home. He has already almost doubled in size.

Here are a few more from earlier this month. I will try to post some updated ones soon!

Catching up on reviews I've already posted on my 75ers thread. I am very behind on reviews still, but at least this will catch my ROOTs thread up a bit.

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Lovely puppy!

>84 curioussquared: >85 curioussquared: Oh look at that derpy boy! He's lovely, and I hope he continues to bring you much joy!

Ah! Such a cute dog! Looks like you've been busy!

Oh the new boy is so cute!!

>93 curioussquared: Sounds like such a good resource for you to have found.

Hi Natalie. Such great, lovely pictures of all three dogs. Love the new pup. He is adorable.

Hi everyone! It's been way too long since I posted. Here to catch up with the rest of my reading for the year. I am not sure if I'll participate in the 2026 challenge -- maintaining 2 threads was just a lot for me this year and I neglected you all over here. But you can always keep up with my reading in the 2026 75 books challenge.

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Glad to see you back here, Natalie