Elorin's Reads in 2026

Hi
I'm Robyn (with a y, please). I'm in San Antonio, TX and this is my third year with the 75 book challenge.
I'm married to my wife, Raine, and we have two male dogs, Lief and Kenzo, and three female cats, Moshi, Rohrschach, and Jade.
I'm a member of two book clubs, the Smut Book Club which picks two titles a month (dark smut and light smut) and the Kink Book Club which reads one non-fiction title per month.
Other than book club reads, I enjoy science fiction and fantasy, romantasy, historical fiction, and the occasional crime novel.
I rate most books a 3 stars out of 5, with a 1 star reserved for DNF.
Pictures of the baby beasts yet to come.

2025 75ers thread
https://www.librarything.com/topic/366862
2024 75ers thread 189 books read
https://www.librarything.com/topic/356126

Reserved for photos of the grrranimals
Kenzo on my lap

Lief then Kenzo

Jade

Moshi

Rohrschach.

Welcome back, Robyn!

>4 drneutron: Thanks doc!

Happy new thread!!

Lovely to see you back for 2026, Robyn.

Robyn:

I look forward to visiting your threads in 2026. I very much enjoy the images of all your lovely pets! After losing two Shetland Sheep dogs, my grief after each, was very deep. I vowed never -- nope, never to bring more animals into the house. But, when my granddaughter lived with me, she worked at a pet store, and a ferret behind the sales counter took a strong liking to her. She took me to the pet store in the guise of showing me where she worked. Alas, we came home with the ferret, food, toys and a cage. I very much like this highly intelligent animal.

And, a year later, her friend had a grandmother living on a farm where a cat had a litter of babies. She talked me into bringing one of the kittens home. Sadly, Meow, Meow has asthma and frequent trips to the vet are the norm.

We share the same liking of the categories of books that you listed.

Happy 2026!

>6 Berly: thank you!
>7 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. It's grand to spend time with others who get the love of reading and books.

>8 Whisper1: Thank you for visiting! I can't imagine a time in my life without animal companions. I will keep Meow Meow in my healthy thoughts! I had a cousin who raised ferrets when I was young but I have never had one of my own.
I'll keep an eye out for your thread as we enjoy the same genres.

Hooking my sled to the tail end of the rope and looking forward to the ride.

Hi - I was just given a bag of Souvenirs from MARFA, Texas - do you know of it?
My daughter and I did not.

>11 magicians_nephew: Hang on, it's looking like a weird start to the new year!

>12 m.belljackson: I had never heard of Marfa, TX before. Looks like it is about a 6 hour drive from me.

>14 elorin: Marfa is a really unusual isolated location, with a fairly amazing history and now a draw for artists.

I'm going now to look up Donald Judd who somehow inspired both art and architecture to follow him there.

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026

>15 m.belljackson: I will have to see what I can find about Marfa.

>16 PaulCranswick: It's an impressive skyline. What is the spiky bit at the top? Hope your new year's day started the year on the right foot. Here's to joy and good reads in 2026!

Happy New Year, Robyn!

Happy New Year and happy new books!

>17 elorin: My former husband was invited to show and sell his paintings in the Marfa exhibit hall last month.

He and his wife brought my daughter and I many Marfa souvenirs, including a very strange book,
MARFA FOR THE PERPLEXED.

Donald Judd built his own unusual sculptures and huge spaces to totally transform dusty old Marfa into
an international destination which no one I ever met has ever heard of.

Selling his own artwork from his New York location and rounding up grants and foundations,
he was able to support his dreams.

>19 Berly: Happy New Year Kim
>20 quondame: Happy New Year Susan!
>21 foggidawn: Happy New Year and many new books!
>22 m.belljackson: Thanks for the information about Marfa. I'm intrigued.

The year began inauspiciously. I tripped on NYE and plowed head first into a doorjamb. No major damage, more to my pride than anything, but I went to bed to finish my last book of the year and then went to sleep. I then slept in, forgot to take my morning meds, and slept most of the day away.

I did manage to close up my 2025 thread on NYE with the frustrating realization that The Palladium Wars has at least one more book to go. (According to the author's website the next book is 21% written.) I don't recall how I ended up getting Aftershocks on my Kindle, but once I started the series I was not able to read anything else. 4 books I read straight through thinking it was a 4 book series. About 50 pages from the end I realized there was no way they were wrapping up anything in 50 pages.

I started my next Kindle read, for the Kink Book Club, Enough to Make You Blush. In keeping with the adult theme, my bedside read is by the Marquis de Sade, Philosophy in the Boudoir, started the Sunday after Thanksgiving when I found it in the airport bookseller. To be honest I haven't been reading it consistently but I'm trying to finish a few pages per day in the new year.

My work book (the physical book I take with me in to the office to read at lunch in case I don't feel like reading the current Kindle title) is Fantasia Mathematica, which I also confess I haven't been working on consistently.

Tomorrow we're going to an event in Comfort, TX. It's about an hour drive and I will bring the de Sade as I will be riding in the back seat alone.
I will, however, also get Guards! Guards! off the bookshelf for the Terry Pratchett Watch books read along here in the 75ers group.

The Smut Book Club needs a nudge to discuss our December reads and pick out titles for January. When I know what I am reading I will work it in.

>24 elorin: I enjoyed reading The Philosophy of the Bedroom -- it helps to get a good translation.

Some translators seem determined to take all the juice out of the text and make it as unappealing as possible.

And some really lean in and find it.

Happy New Year and all best wishes

>25 magicians_nephew: The translater is Joachim Neugroschel. So far I would call it half juicy, half dry, but I just got through the denunciation of God. More to come.

>24 elorin: Your mention of Fantasia Mathematica takes me back to my high school years when the Geometry/Calculus teacher would read chapters from time to time - for sure during my sophomore year, but he may have done the same for the seniors.

Happy new year, Robyn! Love the pictures of the furbabies.

>27 quondame: If it is the book I think it is, I found it in the library in 7th grade and loved it. I haven't spent enough time reading it to figure out if it's the same book or not, yet.

>28 curioussquared: Happy New Year Natalie!

1. Enough to Make You Blush Princess Kali
A book on consensual erotic humiliation. With a great introduction of the topic including motivation, ethics, and safety plus a wonderful section on negotiation followed up with oodles of concrete examples of how to explore the topic.
I generally don't practice humiliation play anymore so I was skeptical about reading an entire book on the topic but I found it very well written and enjoyed it immensely.

Happy New Year, Robyn!

(not my photo - we had a quiet New Year's Eve in, with both boys at home)

I'm dropping by to wish you and yours (including the fur-babies) all the very best for 2026. Happy New Year and happy new thread Robyn!

>31 elorin: Interesting, Robyn. Maybe I am a bit sheltered but I didn't realize that that was a thing!

>33 humouress: Thank you Nina! All the 2026 good wishes for you and your family (and Jasper too)!

>34 PaulCranswick: I didn't think there was enough to say on the topic to fill a book, but I was quite wrong and pleasantly surprised.

Friday night and wide awake. Been catching up on LT threads in my own way. Got through the week successfully and looking forward to the weekend.
Raine and I are trying to work on the house for 15 minutes a day, cleaning, sorting, organizing, and even some decluttering. We got started late, but since the 4th have accomplished at least 15 minutes a day. (And at least enough more to have made up for one of those missed days.) The master bathroom is clean and sparkling and the surface of my bedside table is visible. I'm excited because when we did this 2 years ago we made major inroads towards getting the house looking better and this year hopefully we will occasionally have some help. That should keep us motivated to keep at it for longer.
Currently reading The End of Eternity by Asimov for my Kindle phone read. Found my Kindle today and might have a Kindle read in addition to a phone read going forward. Physical reads are the de Sade and Guards! Guards!. My TBR list developed itself a physical manifestation as we've cleaned the bedside table, so my physical reads are laid out for the next few months. The word teetering is an exaggeration but only because I put some of the books back in the living room. The number of bookmarks I have uncovered is both uncanny and amusing in the light of the gas station receipt holding my place in Guards! Guards!
Smut Book Club picked titles late for January. I want to read them closer to discussion time so the books are fresher in my memory when we talk about them. So, there's time.
Kink Book Club title for January I finished and I don't know what the title is for February. There's time for that, too.
Seeing my girlfriend tomorrow for a girly fun day and then having a potential submissive over Sunday morning to see how he gets on with the dogs. Our plans are preliminary how to give a pedicure, so even more girly fun time. (And maybe toenail polish!) Debating loaning him my copy of Real Service but I am not sure of that yet. I'm going to see how Sunday goes.

>37 elorin: The End of Eternity is an Asimovian curiosity = no robots, no space opera. But an interesting premise an almost Heinlein-ian time paradox.

And he tries to write a romance / slash / sex scene which he didn't try again until The Gods Themselves

I enjoyed it back it the day. Maybe it's time to read it again

>38 magicians_nephew: I am enjoying it. I have read almost if not all of the Robert Heinlein I could, but not as much Isaac Asimov. The romance makes it endearing. I'm looking forward to a happy ending (and hoping I won't be disappointed).

2. The End of Eternity Isaac Asimov
To be an Eternal is to be special, to be out of time. Technician Andrew Harlan is skilled at determining the minimum needed change to correct reality. But after he meets Noys and falls in love, his focus is not on his work. Could he be threatening Eternity itself?
The beginning of the story was confusing to me but I enjoyed seeing all of the pieces of the picture come together for a cohesive ending.

Reading streak: 80 days in a row on the Kindle app. 140 weeks in a row.

Cleaning mission complete! My bedside table had everything removed so it could be wiped down, then everything I was keeping on it neatly replaced. The only thing l have left to do is check all the pens to see if they all write, and go through the knick knacks in the base of my lamp. There's room for a cat to curl up on the surface, and I might put some soft cloth down for the cats. I'm quite excited that the task is done and how good it looks.
I also got the Christmas tree down and the ornaments put away, so it was a productive day overall.
Continuing to read Guards! Guards!, the de Sade, and Fantasia Mathematica in physical books, and now reading Heart of Thorns on the Kindle app and The World Played Chess on the Kindle.
TBR tower has Finding Fraser on top with Red Mars in second place and an abridged book I got as a blind date with a book in third.

Santa Thing (finally) arrived. I'm looking forward to reading Old Man's War and intrigued by The Eyre Affair. I'm meh about the third book, Dwellers but I got three books and I am happy about that.
The tottering TBR pile just got taller! Old Man's War is in the top 5 while the others are further down.

>43 elorin: The Eyre Affair is a real treat! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

>40 elorin: Just so remember the hero's aside "For the first time in his adult life, a woman shared his bed"

Dr. A. was such an old smoothie.

>43 elorin: The Eyre Affair was so good i eagerly awaited the sequels, which also were not half as good. But the first book is a ton of fun, a real joy.

>44 foggidawn: , >46 magicians_nephew: The Eyre Affair is working it's way higher up the TBR!

2. Heart of Thorns Nicolette Andrews
Catherine has always seen faeries. Her parents had her committed for it. Edward rescued her, married her, made her Lady Thornton. Now Ray Thorn appears to tell her that faeries are real and bring her through a portal into faerie. Can she trust him?
I liked this story, especially Catherine's struggle remembering being put in the room. How hard it would be to accept magic when you were punished every time it came up.

Starting Good Game, Gamer Girl by Reina Zoric

3. Guards! Guards! Terry Pratchett (re-read)
The Night Watch are the dregs, the remainder of the City Watch. There's only the three of them - Captain Vimes, perpetually drunk, Sergeant Colon, and Corporal Nobby Nobbs. Then they are joined by a 6 foot+ dwarf named Carrot. And a dragon appears above Ankh Morpork. Suddenly being in the Night Watch seems to mean something. For how long might be a different story.
Carrot is my favorite dwarf, ever. He's so literal and absolutely sincere. Other than Carrot, my favorite character is definitely Errol, eating everything in sight to generate a hotter flame. Vimes isn't at his best pickled in Bearhuggers, but it is his modest beginnings and that has something to be said for it.
The attached review I wrote when I read this in February 2024

4. The World Played Chess Robert Dugoni
A story in three timelines: Vincent in 2016 with an 18 year old son graduating from highschool, Vincent in 1979 as an 18 year old man graduated from highschool working with two Vietnam veterans, and 1968 William's journal of his time as a Marine in Vietnam.
This was a hard book for me to read. It was well written and engaging but the topic of the Vietnam war has always been challenging to me. I also have a tough time with underage drinking and the drink until drunk mentality. However, I think the overall theme of coming of age and "becoming an adult" straight out of highschool was a rewarding exploration. I'm glad I read this.

Starting Vicious by LJ Shen

5. Good Game, Gamer Girl Reina Zoric
Sexually Explicit
Emma plays NLA at the local cyber cafe. She's good - really good. One day she levels up and a stranger stops to compliment her game play. It turns out he's none other than MnstrX, one of the top rated players in the country. When he offers to coach her, Emma finds it hard to take his offer seriously. Could something be going right in her life for once?
This was a fun, lighthearted story with a little bit of spice and not too much drama. It was a fun read.

Starting The People's Library

>51 elorin: I feel sure that I have read something by the author but I cannot find any record of him in my library which is very strange as my memory rarely misleads me.

That book looks a decent place to start with him anyway, Robyn.

>55 PaulCranswick: Paul Robert Dugoni also wrote The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell as well as a series about Tracy Crosswhite. I enjoyed Sam Hell when I read it. I haven't read the Tracy Crosswhite books yet. I appreciate the treatment of the Vietnam War in a way that is accessible to me - it's not normally a subject I have been able to read about.

>56 elorin: Checked my catalog both on LT and excel and I don't have any of his books.

>57 PaulCranswick: Well, Sam Hell is a great place to start.

6. The People's Library Veronica G. Henry
Echo is the head librarian at the People's Library, where patrons can check out "virtus" or virtual renderings of historical figures. But not everyone agrees with the existence of the library and human.exe stages a resistance led demonstration, covering Echo in dark slime. And later a darker demonstration, leading to a death at the library.
I liked this book, especially the variety of virtus met in the course of the story. Echo is a valiant defender of her library's resources and a resourceful champion.

My reading is going slowly. This week I have only made progress on the People's Library, and twice I laid down to sleep and didn't remember finishing any pages when I woke up. The Kindle app says I read every day though so I will take it as a win.
We are prepared for the oncoming winter storm in that we have put the outside faucet covers on and wrapped the aloe in a blanket. Other than that I am charging the phone and the Kindle and we laid wood in the fireplace just in case.
More progress on the house 15 minutes at a time. Other than vacuuming, the bedroom is looking fabulous. The living room looks pretty good except for the bookshelves and a coffee table. My wife keeps complaining that we don't need to spend the time but every time I set the timer it runs out before we're done. So I will continue to call for the timer like the maniacal dictator that I am (my words, not hers).
I found the crochet hook I needed during a random 15 minutes last week so yesterday I started a project crocheting Santa hats. I'm designing them on the fly, and reluctant to unravel and start over, so they won't all be the same pattern. Plus my wife said the first was too big so I reduced the 2nd one. Another reason they will look different. The first one still needs the white brim and a white pom pom. Perhaps if I finish any there will be photos.
Currently reading: the de Sade Philosophy in the Boudoir, Vicious, Fantasia Mathematica. Don't know what my next Kindle app read will be. The next physical book I pick up is most likely going to be Finding Fraser.
Random moments of joy: Kenzo came in from outside and put his paws up on my wife's shoulders (a common enough occurrence) but then rather than stopping to lick all over her face, he proceeded to jump his back paws up into her lap as well, then of course proceeding with the face licking. He settled in like nothing was out of the ordinary, allowing me to get about twenty photos of the unique situation. None of which have both faces of course.
Photo to follow (including my horrible office as a backdrop).

7. Vicious L. J. Shen
Sexually Explicit, Smut Book Club Dark Smut selection January 2026
Emilia moved to California with her family for her senior year of high school. Baron "Vicious" Spencer made that year miserable. Ten years later, Vicious turns up in Emilia's life in New York City and she knows two things. The attraction she always felt for him got deeper with time. And Vicious wants something. Can Emilia use him while he uses her?
Vicious is despicable. I can't stand him no matter what his reasoning for his behavior. Spoiled rich boy, used to getting whatever he wants, tolerated by adults when treating fellow students like shit for no reason. His redemption arc is almost acceptable, but it happens so fast it's hard to swallow. This is, of course, in part because of the slow burn element to this story... which makes all the sense and makes the spicy passages super spicy. I object to the sex in the office where others can hear and know what is going on as highly improbable, but not operating in those circles I could be dead wrong.

8. Illegally Punk Damian Jay Clay
A Generation Vex prequel novella

9. Shadowborn: War of Secrets Damian Jay Clay
Prequel novella to Stormbringers
ETA: Stormbringers will not be published until March 1, 2026

10. An Uncontrolled Experiment in Human Interaction Damian Jay Clay
Ollie is young, autistic, and out of touch with his feelings. He's also in the closet and has just met a boy. Knowing very little but his first name, Zach, Ollie takes to Facebook to see if he can be located. But they run into one another in a bookstore first. Maybe someone is looking out for Ollie after all.
I love this! Dear Jesus letters are absolutely the best, especially snarky sarcastic ones. I'm wrecked that Ollie's story isn't continued until book 2. I will just have to wait.

Starting Land of Dreams on the Kindle
Starting Splice on the Kindle app on my phone

11. Land of Dreams Gian Sardar
Frankie is a fixer. With her boss Nico, she fixes situations with studio movie stars to protect their reputations. But Frankie is secretly dating a studio star, and the studio is arranging his wedding to another star. Who will fix this?
I enjoyed this Depression era novel about RCO studios. The earthquake and it's consequences were surprising. I can see myself rereading this in the future.

Starting Sit Down to Rise Up on the Kindle

It's officially February (how did that happen!?) and I am considering a monthly wrap up. 11 books read and pretty well enjoyed. No plans, per se, for February other than read what comes to me. The physical TBR grows as I work on cleaning up the house and come across more books. I've started a LT inventory, now that I figured out how to find the inventory feature.
Books I am reading: Philosophy in the Boudoir, Fantasia Mathematica, Splice, and Sit Down to Rise Up.

January reading:
1. Enough to Make You Blush Kink Book Club
2. The End of Eternity
3. Heart of Thorns
4. Guards! Guards!
5. The World Played Chess
6. Good Game, Gamer Girl
7. The People's Library
8. Vicious
9. Illegally Punk
10. Shadowborn: War of Secrets
11. An Uncontrolled Experiment in Human Interaction
12. Land of Dreams

And this is why we do wrap ups: I had two number 2 books and I am actually at 12 for the year. Will adjust the # with my first finished title in February.

13. Sit Down To Rise Up Shelly Tygielski
Kink Book Club February 2026 selection
This is not a series of skin care tips and that kind of self care. This book part memoir is a premise that you can't take care of yourself without help and part of taking care of yourself is showing up for others. There are definitely pointers amidst the message - the benefits of journaling, chunking items in a list, the strong recommendation to choose a meditation practice, selecting a word of intention for each day. More than anything, this is the encouragement from an extraordinary person to show up in love. Excellent writing and a beautiful message.

Hi Robyn! I'm just catching up on the threads (finally). Maybe I should take a photo of my bedside table with its towers of books.

14. Splice ZZ Adams
Splice is a split story with chapters alternating between Arthur and Elliot. It does bring them together in the end, with the promise of more adventures in the future. You have to read the bonus chapter to find out the meaning of the title.
I enjoyed the story although the alternating chapters were jolting at times. The writing lacked some polish, however I still look forward to reading more of the story in the following books.

Starting Zero Point Awakening book 2 Shadow War

15. Cruel Winter With You Ali Hazelwood
What is it like to grow up with someone and know they are the only one for you? Ask Marc. College dropout and self made billionaire, he's been in love with Jamie since he was 15 (and she was 17). And he opens the door on Christmas Eve when Jamie knocks looking for a copper pan...
It's hard to believe you can tell a complete love story in 7 chapters, but this one is great. History, angst, just enough drama and a healthy dose of spice.

It's Sunday morning and I am a pillow for Lief (my right hip) and Jade (my ankles). I'm waiting to get up after I read something. I broke my Kindle reading streak yesterday 😭 So I start over at day 1 today.
Physical books: Philosophy in the Boudoir and Fantasia Mathematica. I have gotten far enough in Fantasia Mathematica to confirm it IS the same book I recall reading in junior high.
Kindle: I accidentally ordered the sequels to Vicious so I am reading Ruckus on the Kindle.
Kindle app on my phone: I am reading the sequel to Splice, although I may put it down to read Wunderkind which is a prequel to the series. First the prequel, then book 2, Shadow War.
Smut Book Club: We are taking a break on the dark smut for the month, but light smut is reading My Funny Demon Valentine. I want to wait to read it later in the month so details are fresh in my mind for the discussion.
Yesterday was a busy day, with the Farmers' Market, a polyamory class, and game night.
I closed up the night with a long call to my mom.
My dad is in the hospital and contracted a highly contagious infection while he was there, so he's on IV antibiotics and waiting on an available bed in a rehabilitation facility for the duration of the antibiotic series. Meanwhile, nurses are giving my mom a hell of a time while she tries to coordinate Dad's care with the hospital and the VA. I'm too far away to be able to shoulder any of the hassle, so I am doing the best that I can to be a steam vent and let Mom get it out of her system in a safe way.

Starting Wunderkind

Spent time with Jared inventorying one of the bookshelves. It's a reasonably fast process with two people but I don't have the patience for more than one set of shelves at a go.
Identified 4 problem books. 2 were in the catalog already, one needed to be marked as Volume Two and the last needed to be added to the catalog. Not bad for a day's work and I might even start tackling the next bookshelf tonight.
Bookshelf #1 has authors starting with A and I spent some time remembering the joy of reading about Xanth and Phaze/Proton, and the Myth books. There's rereading in my future. I kept getting distracted by the anthologies going "which piece by X author is in this book?"
It feels good to inventory especially when I catch stuff that was missed the first time around.

>78 elorin: Ah, Piers Anthony I noped him for misogyny several books into Xanth, just before I noped Chalker. The distaste overcame the interest.

16. Fantasia Mathematica Clifton Fadiman
An anthology of stories with the common theme of mathematics. The first story is rather dark, being a tale of a young Italian boy first discovering the joys of mathematics who commits suicide when taken from his family. Most of the rest of the stories are much more lighthearted. There are quite a few about Moebius strips and Klein bottles. The one I remember most is the tale of the first Martian colony ship, Expedition.
I found this volume in the school library in junior high school and I remember reading through it more than once. Something brought it to mind last year and I hunted down a copy and ordered it for myself. Re-reading the stories recalled to me that ever so awkward period in my life and the refuge I took in books and the school library.

>79 quondame: I grew up reading Xanth and stopped about book 13 I guess. I don't remember misogyny but I wasn't looking for it when I was younger. Perhaps I will see them through a different filter if I re-read them.

>81 elorin: I read them in my later 20s and on as they came out, so I haven't any excuse for not noticing misogyny. In fact it was the inanity in the afterwords where Anthony would 1) complain about acute pain in his shoulders and elbows & 2) brag about how many push ups he did. Boggled, I started thinking. Always dangerous.

17. Wunderkind ZZ Adams
Prequel to Zero Point Awakening. Elliot starts at Oxford at age 14. Gunther and Hal are both assigned to protect him, though they haven't met each other yet. And a wraith-like beast is stalking Oxford leaving bodies in its wake.
I liked the writing better than the writing in Splice. It could have used a little bit more editing as there were hanging phrases in a few places. It's an interesting story and I am going to continue the series.

>82 quondame: I am sorry you couldn't enjoy the books. They have brought me a lot of joy over the years.

Starting Finding Fraser

Starting My Funny Demon Valentine

Friday the 13th, and local tattoo shops often offer $13 flash tattoos. Considering getting a tattoo.

18. My Funny Demon Valentine Aurora Ascher
Sexually Explicit. Smut Book Club light smut selection February 2026
This was a fun story about four demons and a musician in Montreal. The musician is unknowingly blessed with the Sight and sees more than she expects after a bar shooting.
I liked the way the story developed and how Eva shared everything that happened with her mother. The spice was delicious without overpowering the story.

19. Ollie and the Clingfangers in the Dark Damian Jay Clay
Ollie is just a boy who used to live in Switzerland and loves snowboarding. But the school bullies call him Frenchy and try to beat him up. One day, avoiding the bullies, he came across a little schoolhouse and a grand adventure.
I loved Ollie and his companion Urs, and the way Ollie set out to solve the problem of the world that was always "on." I especially liked Ollie's use of math to get up the stairs.
I don't know what age to recommend this book, I am a bit out of touch with books for youngsters, but it was a fun book with positive messages for kids.

20. Shadow War ZZ Adams
I can't find a touchstone for this one.

It's Sunday morning, and we're babysitting the neighbor's dog June. She gets along great with the dogs but gets overexcited about the cats. Our neighbor will be back this afternoon.
I just finished Shadow War, technically book 2 in Zero Point Awakening, although I have already read Wunderkind, a prequel novel, and there's at least 3 other prequel novellas/stories still to read.
I finally finished Fantasia Mathematica, and I am now reading Finding Fraser as my physical/work book (although I might finish it this weekend).
My Kindle book is Ruckus, which I purchased on accident, but is a decent romance with spice.
My Smut Book Club light selection was My Funny Demon Valentine and it was cute and sexy. No dark selection this month.
The Kink Book Club book this month is only available in paperback so I am waiting for it to be delivered.
My wife's birthday was Wednesday, so we celebrated yesterday with our friend Ben with games and her meal of choice (lasagna). We'll celebrate Valentine's Day on Monday I think, just the two of us. I don't know what we'll do, eat in or go out.
For today plans are June wrangling and reading and changing my toenail polish. If I am lucky we might dye my hair (the roots are really showing). I also need to make a poof for the top of my most recently crocheted Santa hat. V1 and V2 of the poofs were underwhelming. Hopefully my plans for poof V3 work out better.

21. Ruckus L. J. Shen
Sexually Explicit
One of the four HotHoles with Vicious, Dean Cole has had his eye on Rosie LeBlanc since high school. Now that Rosie broke up with Dr. Darren, Dean takes the opportunity to try to woo Rosie. But he dated Rosie's sister Emilia in high school and no one can forget it, or his promiscuous ways since then. Between their personal history and Rosie's chronic illness, not to mention Dean's secrets, does this love have a chance?
I didn't really like the first half of the book, but after reading Vicious I was partly invested in the characters so I kept reading. I'm glad I did, as it was worth it. The twist at the end was great and I liked the intro to the next book in the Epilogue.

Starting Scandalous on Kindle

22. Finding Fraser k.c. Dyer
Emma Sheridan has lost her job and decided to travel to Scotland in search of her very own Jamie Fraser. Nevermind that Jamie is a fictional character in Emma's favorite historical romance series. Emma starts a travel blog to document her journey and heads cross country from Chicago to New York to catch a plane across the Atlantic.
I was a little put off by the blog format at first, but I got used to it. Emma's adventures are filled with just my personal brand of calamity and I was rooting for her from the get go. Fun, funny, and very entertaining.
I bought this for myself for my Thingaversary two years ago, I had read about it somewhere and wanted to read it for myself. Will file on my bookshelves with the Outlander novels.

Starting Ascension

23. Scandalous L.J. Shen
Sexually Explicit
Trent is 34, one of the four HotHoles. His 4 year old daughter Luna doesn't talk. Luna's mother is missing, having abandoned Luna at 1 year old. Edie is 18, being blackmailed by her father and trying desperately to care for her mentally ill mother. This is their story.
This story is hot and tragic and filled with fear and uncertainty and imperfection. It's exquisite.

Starting At Her Feet

24. The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery translated by Richard Howard
A story of a plane crash, and a little prince, and a rose.
I'm familiar with the tale of the little prince, but I had never read it through before. It is beautiful, and sad, and hilarious.

It's Sunday and I am not going to get anything done today that I want to. On the accomplishment side of things, we went out and bought Milkbones and picked up all of my prescriptions. On the not accomplished list are seeing Jared, getting my hair dyed, cutting my bangs, trimming my hair, and going to a munch I was interested in. There's still time for some of the hair stuff but I don't think it will get done as it takes cooperation from my wife and she's not particularly happy today.
On the reading front, yesterday was Smut Book Club blind date with a book and dinner at Outback Steakhouse. It was great to see other people who share the love of reading. I picked up a new book, All Superheroes Need PR which looks cute.
I broke my daily reading streak on Kindle, so I am starting over today.
Books reading:
Work book: Wolf.e - this is either the first few chapters or an abridged version I suspect
Bedside book: Philosophy in the Boudoir
Kink Book Club February selection: At Her Feet
Kindle book: Bane
Kindle app on my phone book: Ascension by ZZ Adams
I have been going to bed and reading emails and messages on my phone and passing out this week so I am not making much progress in any of these. It's 2:30 in the afternoon on Sunday so I haven't done much reading this weekend, either.
The dogs are barking at the neighbors in the backyard and I can't get them to stop. However, on the plus side, we went mega-grocery shopping on Friday so there's at least food to choose from when we get hungry.

25. Accidentally Yours Christina Lauren
Veronica is looking for work and her severance check. Nothing brightens her day like seeing the guy from 2B at the mailbox. Until she accidentally crashes a Zoom meeting and tongue lashes the participants for their less than stellar slides. Enter one Jude Tilde, shrewd negotiator. When the banter turns to flirtation Veronica might have a date around Valentine's Day. But what about 2B?
This was a cute story with adorable details (like the freight elevator) and left me giggling a few times. The variable format from email to chats to standard narrative was fun.

26. Time Will Tell Hannah Bonam-Young
When her grandmother passes away, Georgia gets a letter from her grandmother as part of the will. In addition to a startling revelation, Georgia gets instructions on how to find a time capsule from grandma's past. But the time capsule is locked. Enter Callum. Grandson of Martha, and most likely owner of the time capsule key, the handsome Callum quickly becomes Georgia's overseas crush. From exchanging emails to hours long phone calls, Georgia and Callum form a bond. And with her sister and cousin, Georgia travels to England to unlock the time capsule and find out if what she has with Callum is real.
A beautiful story, if a bit tragic for the grandmothers. A sweet romance.

27. Second Act Romance Julie Soto
Bex plays Laurey in the production of Oklahoma! When food poisoning takes out 12 cast members, the show must go on. The only person found to play Curly opposite her is CJ Turner - someone Bex had incredible chemistry with years ago. Will they find their chemistry again despite the intervening years?
Too much explanation of how the theater works for me, in such a brief story.

28. A Play for Love Trilina Pucci
Who plans a midterm where you kiss a stranger? Rory is volunteered to read from Romeo and Juliet with Hot Guy for her mid-term. (His name is Oliver.) A memorable kiss on Valentine's Day and then she doesn't see him for years, when she happens upon him shirtless in gold shorts playing Cupid for a Galentines event. Cupid saves Rory from an overeager coworker and then shows her NYC in her farewell to the city.
This was a cute second chance romance. I loved the gold shorts!

29. Death to Valentine's Day Catherine Cowles
Sexually Explicit
Maia is partying at a Death to Valentine's Day party when her ex walks in. Her solution: kiss the next masked man she sees. The problem? That man was Decker, her ex's older brother, and the kiss was the best either had ever had. While pondering the kiss and other things, Maia stumbles across a body. The roads are snowed in so party goers are stuck overnight with a potential murderer on the loose. Meanwhile, things are heating up with Maia and Decker...
It's a good story but would have been better if it was a little longer, had a little character development.

30. Wolf.e Paisley Hope
Sexually Explicit
Brinley moves back home to small town Georgia and runs into her childhood friend Layla preparing for a wedding to a member of the Hounds of Hell motorcycle club. Good girl Brinley doesn't know what to think but finds herself fascinated by Wolfe, the club president.

I had purchased a blind date with a book a while ago and I got a little 100 page booklet entitled Wolf.e. I finally got around to reading it this week as my work lunch read and discovered, unsurprisingly, it was not the full book. But I liked the writing well enough so I bought the full length book on Amazon. It was worth it, in my opinion. The sex scenes are well written and varied enough to stay interesting throughout the book. I can see myself rereading this book in the future.

>89 elorin: That one just sounds like a fun read!

>94 elorin: Since I am a huge Outlander fan - I just read the entire series again 2 years ago - I may have to track down a copy of that one. Thanks for the review, Robyn!

>98 elorin: I am slated to read The Little Prince in March. It has been such a long time since I read it, I daresay it is going to be like reading it for the first time all over again. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did!

31. Valentine's Slay Navessa Allen
I swear I wrote the review last night when I finished it...
Sexually Explicit
What is worse than helping bury your highschool crush on Valentine's Day? Hearing her screaming to get out that night. Our hero works in the cemetery and isn't imagining things... Emma was buried alive! After rescuing her, Noah brings Emma safely to his home where he finds out how unhappy her marriage has been and that she thinks her husband tried to kill her. Noah helps Emma plan to investigate the shady hubby.
This was a cute story, with the second chance romance hitting just right.

>106 alcottacre: The Little Prince really is a good story. The illustrations are beautiful.
Finding Fraser was super fun.

Starting No Small Thing, obtained yesterday from Early Reviewers

>108 elorin: Good to know on both counts, Robyn! Thanks.

32. Ascension ZZ Adams
I can't find the touchstone for this one.
Where to start? Elliot, Kat, Arthur, Gunther, and add Millicent and Stanley (and Arlo). Elliot's brother Conal is alive and they are trying to rescue him. The Blood of Breogan are Elliot's extended family. What they want is not clear. Then there's Hellinix and the Children of Gaia.
The book is written with one chapter per character and it makes the story a bit choppy. Thankfully everyone comes back together in the end. Lots of challenges left to fight but respite for a short while.

Saturday morning and time for a check in.
Life has been stable for a few weeks, miraculously. Nothing of note to report.
On the book front, I read one of the mini blind date with a book books I had received. It didn't seem long enough to be a whole book and it wasn't, was just the first 100 pages. But I bought the complete book and felt like it was well worth the money spent. Wolf.e by Paisley Hope. My next work/physical book will be the other mini book, I don't recall the title but it's already in my work backpack.
The de Sade Philosophy in the Boudoir is still beside the bed, going very slowly, but making progress every week.
Kindle book is currently Bane by LJ Shen. Kindle app on my phone is going to be Mayday by ZZ Adams, I haven't started it yet.
I won 4 Early Reviewers books and those will be my focus for the near future, starting with No Small Thing.
Oh, and I need to read the Kink Book Club title At Her Feet that got buried on the bedside table.
Whew! Good thing it's the weekend and I can catch up on some reading!

33. Cephalopods Are So Last Year ZZ Adams
Cute short about dating with a symbiotic cephalopod companion.

February Reading
13. Sit Down to Rise Up Shelly Tygielski Kink Book Club
14. Splice ZZ Adams
15. Cruel Winter With You Ali Hazelwood
16. Fantasia Mathematica Clifton Fadiman
17. Wunderkind ZZ Adams
18. My Funny Demon Valentine Aurora Ascher Smut Book Club February Light Smut Selection
19. Ollie and the Clingfangers in the Dark Damian Jay Clay
20. Shadow War: A Military Sci-fi ZZ Adams
21. Ruckus LJ Shen
22. Finding Fraser k.c. Dyer
23. Scandalous LJ Shen
24. The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery translated by Richard Howard
25. Accidentally Yours Christina Lauren
26. Time Will Tell Hannah Bonam-Young
27. Second Act Romance Julie Soto
28. A Play for Love Trilina Pucci
29. Death to Valentine's Day Catherine Cowles
30. Wolf.e Paisley Hope
31. Valentine's Slay Navessa Allen
32. Ascension: A Military Sci-fi ZZ Adams
33. Cephalopods Are So Last Year ZZ Adams

Starting Blackwood Institute
Or not. The cover says Blackwood Institute but the pages are Wolf.e that I just finished.

Starting All Superheroes Need PR

34. Old Man's War John Scalzi
If you could sign up to serve in the CFA on your 75th birthday, would you do it? The Colonial Fighting Agency wants you - and your lifetime of experience. No one knows how they take 75 year olds and make them into a fighting force. Once you sign up you don't return to Earth. But anything's better than being 75 - right?
This book was fast and intense and full of surprises. I started it Friday night and finished it Sunday morning. I will definitely be exploring the series.

35. No Small Thing Harold Coyle
Finished 3/8/26
Follows 8 or so characters through the first battles of the American Revolution.
An exciting rendition of some of the early battles, giving perspective on how it might have happened for individuals drawn into the fighting.
The stories were engaging, but there was very little closure. The book just ended.

Starting Ronald the Ronin

The lilacs bloomed. And today I saw my first bluebonnets of the year. It's officially spring.

I haven't been writing, although I have been lurking around the threads.
I'm currently overwhelmed with books to read. I was awarded 4 ER books, I finished one and am working on the second. I have two smut Book Club selections, I am behind on kink Book Club so two there also. I'm a few pages in to the super hero/villain romance, 3/4 of the way through the Terry Pratchett for the month, and I haven't touched the de Sade for weeks. I have a book to read and review for an author I like, too.
Dad got pronounced non-contagious and sent home, and mom had a panic attack and her heart didn't slow down correctly so she is in the hospital now herself. I can't do anything from here and I'm feeling frustrated and helpless. The discussion about moving closer is serious now.
Meanwhile, the polka dot plant I was struggling with gave up the ghost this week. I have no idea what I did wrong.
Went to Pop! Madness at the San Antonio Central Library last week. Listened to Martha Wells and John Scalzi have a wonderful conversation, and waited in line to have my copy of Old Man's War signed. It was a fun few hours.
Back to reading.

36. Ronald the Ronin Curtis A. Deeter
Early Reviewer
Ronald trained beside his brother Jiro for the challenge of their lives. But only one of them came back. Now Ronald just wants to be a normal highschool student, but the past has a way of creeping back into his life.
The story was okay. I felt like it had too many climaxes, but it got where it was going, finally. I'm not familiar with a lot of the music references. I felt like they were dropped in chunks, rather than smoothly throughout the novel. I enjoyed the character of Ronald, anxiety and all, and found it easy to relate to most of his emotional trials.

I started Men at Arms this week, definitely after I finished Old Man's War, I will just call it March 9th.

Starting The First Harvest (Early Reviewer)

37. Men at Arms Terry Pratchett
A Discworld Nightwatch novel
Vimes is getting married and equal opportunity has come to the Watch, so welcome Cuddy the dwarf, Detritus the troll, and Angua the female werewolf to the night watch. Just in time to investigate civil unrest and a string of unusual murders.
I think Carrot comes into his own in this one and we see that simple doesn't mean stupid. My favorite part is Detritus in the pork futures warehouse and the entire Cuddy/Detritus arc. A favorite.

38. The First Harvest Anne Karppinen
This was an Early Reviewer book that I am delighted to have read.

Starting Heresy Alpha

Dental pain has me awake. My 10 AM appointment was rescheduled for Monday when the dentist had a "family emergency." I'm trying to get by with Tylenol in the meantime, but hopefully the tooth is extracted come Monday.

39. All Superheroes Need PR Elizabeth Stephens
Sexually Explicit
The 48 fell in pods from the sky and revealed children with extraordinary powers. As they grew up, some became superheroes and some became villains. The Pyro has just agreed to sign on with the superheroes, and Vanessa's firm is making a bid to be his PR team. But they pitched a "Lois Lane" clause and the Pyro wants Vanessa to be Lois Lane.
This was a remarkably real book to me, dealing with Vanessa's anxiety and childhood trauma, even while it was obviously fantastical. Roland was pretty well informed about getting Vanessa to "use her words". Fascinating premise of superheroes and villains. I really enjoyed it.

Starting Under Your Scars

40. Heresy Alpha Richard Warren
Early Reviewer
Finished Saturday March 21st
In a world where the holy spirit imbued a virgin named Justinia with the power to defeat armies; where the holy trinity is the mother, the virgin, and the holy spirit, and where the holy roman empire is a theology based on that worship, but with advanced technology (techne): Marcus is a governor facing the prospect of executing a heretic, Hypatia is Marcus's distant teacher wife indulging in fornication with her students, Agnes is a centurion and Marcus's protege, leading her century through the ruins of Thebes in search of smugglers, Alistair has come into his majority on the reservation where monks believing in the Alpha Heresy (Jesus as the Lord and Savior) hold sway, Vadim is a reluctant prospective priest, Zeno is a detective investigating a triple homicide, and Anastasia is a disgraced Vestal Virgin who tried to bring Marcus's heretic back into the fold and failed.
I'm sure that somehow some of this ties together in the next book. As it was, there were too many disparate storylines for my tastes, since none of them converged by the end of the book. Combined with the vocabulary of the book (highly intellectual and lots of unfamiliar terminology with not enough context clues to puzzle out, plus what one can assume is Latin and/or Greek with no translations) my desire to figure out what was going on was very low. I did take a personal shine to Agnes, but I almost lost all interest in the book altogether when an apparent drug intoxication led to hallucinations and seeing everyone as animals, a phenomenon which was unclear as character hallucinations or bizarre author metaphor.
All in all I'm interested in what happens next to some of the characters but not enough to endure another book like this one. The only reason I didn't quit the book with about the fourth character change is because I got it as an Early Reviewer selection. On that basis I would rate it one star, but Agnes elevated my interest enough to make it 1 1/2.

41. Under Your Scars Ariel N Anderson
Sexually Explicit. Read the trigger warnings.
Smut Book Club March 2026 Dark Smut selection
Elena's boss hates her and she's taking a second job to prevent eviction. Three men accost her in an alley and she's saved by The Silencer, Meridian City's resident serial killer. The next day her billionaire CEO fires her boss and starts courting her. Life is crazy. With a serial killer stalker and a whirlwind fantasy romance, Elena hardly knows what to think. Will her life ever be normal again?
This was a dark book. Definitely read the trigger warnings if you have any triggers. I enjoyed it and feel it was well written but it was very dark.

Starting the nightmare before kissmas 3/24

>131 elorin: I will steer well clear of that one, Robyn. Thanks for taking the hit for the team!

42. The Nightmare Before Kissmas Sara Raasch
Sexually Explicit
The Holidays have human personifications, and Prince Nicholas "Coal" of Christmas is the heir to the Christmas throne. A jokester who once kissed a man in a bar (who then disappeared), Coal is searching for his life's purpose. Until his father announces his pending wedding to his best friend Iris, the Easter princess. But Coal's brother Kris is in love with Iris, and then the representative from Halloween shows up and he's the guy from the bar. Christmas just got complicated.
This was a fun fantasy romance. The kissing was quite hot and the sex scenes were understated. There was some serious philosophy about joy and grief hidden amongst the silliness. I look forward to reading the next volume.

43. Go Luck Yourself Sara Raasch
Sexually Explicit
Smut Book Club March 2026 selection
Someone is stealing joy from Christmas. And they left behind a little clue... so Kris Claus heads to Ireland to investigate. And Prince Lochlan "Loch" of St. Patrick's Day is none other than Kris's rival for the study room at Cambridge. How will Kris endure 5 days in Ireland and will he solve the theft?
Far more swearing than the previous book, but just as fun and sexy. Kris and Loch are endearing and hot, and there's some great brain food for dealing with disappointment and abandonment and self image.

Starting Mayday

44. Mayday ZZ Adams
Finished 03-28-2026
The team is assembled: Gunther and Arthur, Millicent, Kat and Elliot, Stanley the talking orangutan. And the disembodied voice of Nel controlling Arthur's suit. They are going in to Hellinix to find out their plans and take them down. Can they make it in and out again?
This read super fast. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Starting Counterpunch

Finished 45. Counterpunch ZZ Adams
Wrote a review and lost it. Might rewrite it later. Maybe not.

Started Nation 3/30

Starting Beachhead

46. Beachhead ZZ Adams

Starting Incursion

47. Incursion ZZ Adams

Starting Tyrrany

48. Nation Terry Pratchett
Mau went off to become a man, and on his return to the island Nation the great wave came and changed his world. Daphne came to the island on the Sweet Judy on the same wave. With no common language and only the skills of two young people of very different backgrounds, they have to survive everything the island throws at them, including the voices of the ancestors.
This was a reread, but I had forgotten many of the salient points so it was almost like reading it for the first time. I remember I cried the first time and this time I didn't, but it's still quite a powerful story and one I look forward to reading again and again.

49. Tyrrany ZZ Adams

I finished the Zero Point Awakening 8 book series. I'm underwhelmed. The story really has a lot of potential and a great cast of characters. But when I read a review of book 5 that was exactly what I had just read in book 4 (I realized later it was probably misattributed) I started falling off the wagon. The writing style lacked... finish I guess you could call it. I didn't feel like I was reading an outline, but I definitely felt like it was all a draft that needed more polish.

Where I am today: I don't know. I have two physical books on the bedside table that I can't take with me to work (unless I make book covers for them): the de Sade Philosophy in the Boudoir and At Her Feet. I am missing an Ali Hazelwood book and no idea where to start looking for it. The physical TBR is guilt tripping me but I don't feel up to tackling any of it. I have Smut Book Club selections for April that I am meh about and I am two months behind on the kink book club.
I feel like I am whining, so I will end here and go browse my Kindle library and hopefully find something great to read.

Starting Stanley, a Zero Point Awakening prequel about one of my favorite characters

50. Stanley ZZ Adams
Stanley is an intelligent orangutan. He's been genetically altered and had an implant inserted into his brain. But his intelligence is fading and recent tests reveal cerebral decline. In fear for her career with Hellinix, Dr. Stephanie Klein obtains a serum from another lab and has Stanley injected. Because a talking, chess playing orangutan is not enough...
Stanley is my favorite character from the Zero Point Awakening series and I was happy to get some insight into his earlier development.

51. Swan Damian Jay Clay
Signus is 15 and an excellent musician. It's hard not to be with a famous guitar designer for a father. But Sig is also a SWAN - Syndrome Without A Name - dealing with body tics and Tourette's syndrome on the regular. He goes to a special school and has a small set of classmates with similar neurodiversities. The summer Sig turns 16 is a huge one for him filled with life, love, and challenges to overcome.
I am not a big music fan and I have to admit some of the music descriptions went right over my head. But I was captivated by Sig, his circle of friends, and his tight circle of family. Amazing descriptions of trauma and recovery and unconditional love and support from family and found family both.

52. Bane LJ Shen
Sexually Explicit. Trigger Warnings
Bane is a bad boy - a self employed escort running protection rackets along with his coffee and smoothie shop. Jesse is a depressed rape survivor with quite a reputation about town. When Jesse's stepdad offers Bane $6 million to entice Jesse out of her shell, he jumps at the chance. But the hard as nails escort never planned on Jesse.
This was an excellent edition in the Sinners of Saint series. It was also a very difficult read when it went into Jesse's past and some of her trauma and healing. I'm planning on reading the prequel and then I'll be done with the series I believe. I don't think I would reread most of the entries but this one I might read again.

Starting Defy

53. Defy LJ Shen
Sexually Explicit
Mel teaches Lit at All Saints High. Jamie is one of her students. When she backs into his car, she's convinced her finances are screwed. When he takes the blame she's grateful but confused. But when he blackmails her into sleeping with him, her world changes.
Jamie and Mel's story is hot and forbidden, bitter and sweet with a happy ending. I enjoyed it.

Starting When I Go I Go

54. When I Go I Go Damian Jay Clay
Sexually Explicit
Myles writes the story of his gay awakening and history to Raif. In a tale that jumps from present to various times in the past, we learn about Myles' first love, how he formed his chosen family, and the trauma that accompanied being the gay son of the British PM. Through it all, Myles is blessed with love and affection from all kinds of family.
I had a hard time keeping track of the various time threads but in the end they all came together. I struggle with the sex scenes and the age of some of the characters. Overall I enjoyed the novel.

55. Death Row Freida McFadden
Death Row inmate Talia remembers events leading up to her conviction as her execution looms. Mysteriously the chaplain looks like her supposedly dead husband. And what is that beeping alarm she hears?

Starting Sapphire Universe
Started book of forbidden words yesterday

56. Book of Forbidden Words Louise Fein
A historical novel in three timelines. Lysbette is the ward of Sir Thomas More. Reading his work Utopia has a profound effect upon her and ultimately inspires her to write her own manuscript. Charlotte is a Parisian book printer whose life changes when her paths cross with Lysbette and her manuscript. 400 years later, Millie is a house wife with a secret about how she spent her time during WWII. When a boss from her past brings her a manuscript to decode, nothing will be the same again.
Three strong women brought to life in alternating but entwined timelines. It's hard to pick a favorite from the three, but I think I liked Charlotte the most. I really enjoyed the explorations of women's power and comparisons of ways power is stolen in different eras.

Starting the Paris bookseller

57. The Paris Bookseller Kerri Maher
Historical fiction Sylvia Beach is an American in Paris in the 1920's. Amazed by the French bookstore named after proprietress Adrienne Monnier, Sylvia is inspired to open Shakespeare and Company, an English speaking bookstore and lending library. Famous writers come in and out of her doors, and Sylvia befriends James Joyce as he writes his monumental tome Ulysses. After Ulysses is ruled illegal in the US courts, Sylvia offers to publish it herself. The story follows Sylvia and her travails with Joyce and Ulysses through to 1936.
This story was so engaging, from the beginning to the end. The boldness of an American expatriate opening a bookstore in Paris captured my imagination and held it captive. I wasn't familiar with the publication of Ulysses and I may find some of the source material to learn more.

58. Sapphire Universe Devon Herrera
Sexually Explicit
Nina is a teacher and avoids men. Her life has taught her the dangers of trusting too much. Connor is visiting Cheyenne and finds himself enchanted by Nina. Can he break down her walls and earn her trust?
It's a book. The writing wasn't excessively great, but it didn't suck. A couple of examples of plurals with unnecessary apostrophes soured me though, and a mix up of peak with peek. The book is self published and I feel it could have used one more editorial pass.

Started Synthetic

59. Synthetic Ariel Sanders
The adventure of Ethan and Leo, interns at Novatech, rapidly becomes scary as they notice the mechanical behavior of the other employees. Are they candidates for integration?
This is a short novella written in parallel in Italian for help in learning another language.

Starting Caught Up

60. Caught Up Navessa Allen
Sexually Explicit
Lauren and Nic have history - bad history. But he's determined to be in her life and mend any broken fences. Their chemistry is hot but can it survive knowledge of how long he's been protecting her?
This was a great book and I love the idea of the play club Velvet.

I read that one so I could read this one...
Smut Book Club April 2026 selection light smut
Starting Game On

61. Game On Navessa Allen
Sexually Explicit, Smut Book Club selection April 2026 light smut
Stella is a tattoo artist, born with a silver spoon in her mouth and working to overcome the mistakes from her past. Tyler is a bookie with an axe to grind, set on blackmailing his way to revenge. Their chemistry is incendiary, even as their hatred for each other deepens.
This was a great book. I normally don't enjoy enemies to lovers but this was a brilliant exception.

62. Come Out, Come Out Alexia Onyx
The book starts out with a black then brutal opening, then follows Aiden the ghost as he "haunts" the house he died in. I had a hard time suspending disbelief enough to enjoy it. There were some glaring editorial failures where the wrong use of homophones yanked me out of enjoying the story even more. The use of cocaine was a bad element for me.

I didn't realize that there was a Smut Book Club, Robyn. The mind boggles!

Have a great weekend.

63. Cinder House Freya Marske
Ella is a ghost, haunting the home where she died. She reluctantly serves her stepmother and stepsisters. But one day she finds a way to leave her haunted house and meets a fairy in the market, who can see her, too. Then the prince announces a three day ball to select a bride. And Ella bargains with the fairy and changes her afterlife.

>171 PaulCranswick: Yes, here in San Antonio we read two Smut titles a month and discuss them online. It's fun.

I haven't been writing. I'm still reading and tracking my reading, and lurking on threads here and there. I even hunted for TinyCats (and found 8 of them).
Life here has been reasonably stable. My parents though have been through the wringer this year. After long hospitalizations for both of them, now Mom is scheduled for a heart procedure in late May. I'm flying to WA to care for her post surgery. Work is hectic training replacements for my absence.
I went through a period of feeling overwhelmed by my TBR, but I think I have it under control now. We'll see what the rest of April brings.

64. Perspective Damian Jay Clay
But the sketches won't stay still. Jonah is appalled by his movie critic father and thoroughly crushing on fellow first year Rowan. And everything he sketches comes out wrong. Can Jonah let Rowan in enough to help discover the source of the magic and make it stop?

Starting Party Hard

65. Party Hard D. Petrie
Finished yesterday
My first LitRPG book. Max and Kira are enlisted in a quest to save the game world of Noctem (and prevent economic disaster in the real world, too). Their team of 6 helps them take on Nightmares representing the four horsemen of the apocalypse. But is that enough?
I enjoyed the world building and the team of bad ass brawlers and magic wielders. I loved Kirabell the fairy with only 50 HPs, but healing and other spells out the wazoo.

Started pyramid game yesterday

66. Pyramid Game D. Petrie. Hoping to review it and add it to my LT catalog after work.
ETA
The characters from Party Hard are asked to look into a criminal doing his dirty work in Noctem. They come up with a plan to halt the criminal's online empire building with Kira in the reluctant forefront. With the help of a talented tailor, Ginger's two kids, and a few surprise allies they form House Lockheart and take on the dirty emperor in the way only they can.
I really am surprised at how invested I am in these characters now. The game dynamics are part of the fun and while I would like to see more development of some of the characters, it's only two books in and I am willing to see where the storyline goes.

67. Auction of Souls D. Petrie
A level 1 newcomer takes a job standing in at an auction for the busy ruler of Lucem. But all is not what it seems and the simple task complicates as Royal Assistant Seven meets Nix and House Lockheart aboard the flying cruise ship Night Queen, along with the other Noctem city rulers, to bid on unbound contract items.
I didn't enjoy this as much as Pyramid Game, but seeing a low level character get their start was interesting. There's definitely room for another novel although it looks like it hasn't been written yet. I might give the author's other series a try.

Sunday morning, almost afternoon. I have been doing nothing but reading and catching up on LT.
My books in progress have not changed much - I have been reading on my Kindle app on my phone almost exclusively.
Philosophy in the Boudoir Physical book
At Her Feet Physical book, Kink Book Club selection
The Men With Broken Faces Kindle app
TBR Red Mars Physical book
I'm wanting to read Dungeon Crawler Carl as my best friend read the series and loved it.
D. Petrie is working on book four of Pixel Dust. While I wait I was considering reading his other series.
L.E. Modesitt Jr has a series I haven't read yet, I have book 1 in my Kindle app just waiting for me to pick it up.
Feet of Clay is the Discworld book in the Watch read-through this month. That will be a physical book for me.

I haven't done a recap of my reading for March or April, so that's next.

March Reading
34. Old Man's War John Scalzi
35. No Small Thing Harold Coyle
36. Ronald the Ronin Curtis A. Deeter
37. Men at Arms Terry Pratchett
38. The First Harvest Anne Karppinen
39. All Superheroes Need PR Elizabeth Stephens
40. Heresy Alpha Richard Warren
41. Under Your Scars Ariel N Anderson
42. The Nightmare Before Kissmas Sara Raasch
43. Go Luck Yourself Sara Raasch
44. Mayday ZZ Adams
45. Counterpunch ZZ Adams

April Reading
46. Beachhead ZZ Adams
47. Incursion ZZ Adams
48. Nation Terry Pratchett
49. Tyrrany ZZ Adams
50. Stanley ZZ Adams
51. Swan Damian Jay Clay
52. Bane LJ Shen
53. Defy LJ Shen
54. When I Go I Go Damian Jay Clay
55. Death Row Frieda McFadden
56. Book of Forbidden Words Louise Fein
57. The Paris Bookseller Kerri Maher
58. Sapphire Universe Devon Herrera
59. Synthetic Ariel Sanders
60. Caught Up Navessa Allen
61. Game On Navessa Allen
62. Come Out, Come Out Alexia Onyx
63. Cinder House Freya Marske
64. Perspective Damian Jay Clay
65. Party Hard D. Petrie

68. The Men With Broken Faces Damian Jay Clay
This is a gritty, sometimes brutal novel about catching killers in a fictional Great Britain. I think it definitely needs trigger warnings concerning the childhood abuse recounted by the killers and other characters. The author tackled a difficult topic head on and did a good job of it.
There were a few places that I noticed continuity errors - and at least one place where it seemed like two versions of the material repeated a scene. Thankfully it didn't take me out of enjoying the writing.

Started Foundations of Rope Bondage yesterday.
Starting Red Mars today

Started Bananapants two days ago

It's Sunday, Mother's day here in the US. I plan to call my mom after this.
The week was quiet, with just a visit to my endocrinologist. He called me a rock star - my weight didn't go over my personal limit, my A1C was 4.6.

Physical books:
Readingwise I have actually cracked open Red Mars, but I haven't picked up the de Sade to make more progress on it, or At Her Feet. I don't know about the kink book club, I have stalled at At Her Feet and missed a few months of books. I might get back in sync if I finish At Her Feet. I did order Foundations of Rope Bondage by the Duchy and start reading it.

Digital books:
Digitally, I'm 95% done with Bananapants.

Smut Book Club the light title for the month is one I've read (Triple Sec). Dark Smut voting is still going on.

The new Murderbot just came out, I am debating rereading the series or just reading it cold.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is next up on my digital TBR.

This week coming up will be busy busy. Monday I have to get labs in the morning, a filling in the afternoon, and a vet appointment at 5:00 pm. With work in between. Tuesday is rope class, Wednesday rope jam, Thursday is advanced rope class. By Friday I will be super exhausted. I might start packing for the trip this week but I think that will wait until the weekend.

For now, Happy Mother's day to all the mothers out there. I'm going to call my mom and go mow the lawn.

69. Bananapants Penny Reid
Ava's best friend moved away when she was 15 and said he never wanted to hear from her again. She never got over it. While pretending to be a coworker at a secret society marriage event Desmond turns up and sends Ava into a tailspin. Here's her chance at the closure she never got 10 years ago. But does she want it?
Desmond was diagnosed with bipolar type I at a young age. His depressions are debilitating and his manias in the psychotic range. He manages his disorder with a healthy routine, medication, and an educated support network. I was diagnosed with Bipolar type 2 at 19 and the diagnosis was revised to type 1 many years later. My experience is not the same as Desmond's by any means, but seeing representation in a book is still huge.

Started and finished love investigation yesterday Started you are near yesterday. Finished it today.

Started and finished all the days after today

70. Love Investigation Damian Jay Clay
A prequel to The Men With Broken Faces. Callum Fraser is a police officer who nabs men trying to abduct a woman coming out of a pub. In addition to brutally taking down the miscreants, the victim sets one of the abductors' face on fire with spray propellant and a lighter.
Callum is transferred to night shift while his superiors decide what to do with him. So he visits a nearby restaurant mid shift and meets Alistair.
Precocious Callum is engaging and remarkably competent. I enjoyed seeing his early relationship with Alistair.

71. You Are Near Damian Jay Clay
Just hours after the final class of school, 18 year old Cathal witnesses an attempted suicide and saves the distraught young Elliot from rushing traffic. Drawn into Elliot's circle of influence, Cathal finds himself falling deeper and deeper in feelings for the beautiful soul he saved.
First love, lovingly expressed.

72. All the Days After Damian Jay Clay
After a glorious 16th birthday, Avery finds himself hallucinating on the way home from London. A particularly disturbing hallucination by the name of Carl suggests unbearable violence and, at his wit's end, Avery does the only thing he can think of to prevent himself from engaging in Carl's suggestions.
A disturbing, insightful look into what might happen if a young man had a psychotic break, and how to recover from it.

Started the gig yesterday. Finished today 5/13

Edited to add my review.

73. The Gig Damian Jay Clay
A "comedian" takes the stage with a risky set of material.
Maybe because I am not from the right culture, but I found very little of this funny. It read like a rant from an angry liberal. Some of the points are definitely head on accurate but I was not amused. I finished it because it was short.

Started the thousand year lie two days ago. Finished it today.

74. The Thousand-Year Lie Damian Jay Clay
Wilfred is a model military student of the SS in England. He loves his adopted family, especially his younger brother. Then he survives something no one should and the world crumbles around his ankles.
If the Reich had won the war, and their medical experiments were allowed unchecked.
This is a great what if story about following your gut, leading with your heart, and revolution.

Dear reader,
It is once again Sunday and I have very little sense of where the week has gone. It was a triple threat rope week, with rope class on Tuesday (topic: more bamboo), rope jam on Wednesday (working on my dynamic hip harness), and rope safety class on Thursday. Where Friday night and all day Saturday went, I am not sure. Sunday afternoon was fireplay 101 and I spent the rest of the day reading, before and after.
Reading wise, I finished all 6 of the novellas by Damian Jay Clay and got reviews up on Amazon for each one. I still need to give some feedback to DJC but the majority of the feedback is done.
I really started getting into Red Mars once I unearthed it this time (previous attempts bore no fruit). I'm on page 315 AND I found one of my favorite magnetic bookmarks when I started reading it this time.
I picked up Philosophy in the Boudoir on Friday (working from home was quite dead) but I am unsure which bookmark marked my place - that's what I get for letting it sit for so long on the bedside table.
Regardless, I'm rewarding myself for actually picking it up, and for getting so far in Red Mars, and I am rereading Feet of Clay this week on my lunch breaks.
Both of the Smut Book Club selections for May I have read before (Den of Vipers and Triple Sec if you're interested) so I am free to read a bit more this month than I have been. I need to find out what the Kink Book Club is reading this month (and finish At Her Feet) and I ordered three books from Thriftbooks - one because I am the model on the cover, one is Platform Decay the new Murderbot, and the last is Project Hail Mary. I don't know where I am going next on my Kindle app - I have so many books in my library but I suspect I am going to buy Dungeon Crawler Carl.
It's after 11 PM so I am going to draw this to a close. I should go to sleep but let's be honest, I am probably going to pick up Red Mars or buy Dungeon Crawler Carl instead.

>197 elorin: You're not going to tell us which book you're a cover model on????

>198 norabelle414: It's probably easiest to share the Amazon link. https://a.co/d/0bw5l966 This was before I went to red hair.

75. Darksight Dare Lois McMaster Bujold
A new Penric and Desdemona! I went to order Dungeon Crawler Carl and instead found the new Pen and Des story. I ~almost~ read it all last night, but forced myself to stop and sleep.
On to the review:
Captain Cinar lost his eyes in an act of war. General Arisaydia sent Cin to Penric on the small chance that Pen and Desdemona could restore Cin's eyesight.
But Pen is currently occupied with Iva, a hedge sorceress on the verge of death, and no trained sorcerer nearby to take her demon when she passes. Can she survive the trip from her home village in to Vilnoc? Can Penric request a potential sorcerer to arrive before her body gives out? Will the White God approve of demon Iva or will the saint Iroki swallow her whole in His own judgement?
What happens next is a little obvious but still a good story despite that. The stolen White God's funeral animal is fabulous.

Starting Feet of Clay, Dungeon Crawler Carl on May 18th

76. Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman
Carl is outside trying to catch his girlfriend's cat when the Borant Corporation comes calling. In an instant, everyone who was indoors is dead. Across the globe. Stairs open up into a dungeon. Carl, with Grand Champion Princess Donut in tow, (but no pants) makes his way to a stairwell and enters a galactic game show. With the occasional help of tutor Mordecai, Carl and Princess Donut begin learning about navigating the dungeon, killing mobs, and leveling up.

This book is hilarious. The game rules and stats make sense in the context of the dungeon crawling game show and don't really get in the way of the plot. Highly recommended for fans of LitRPG, D&D, and comedic combat.

I haven't started Feet of Clay yet, probably today
Carl's Doomsday Scanario starting today

77. Feet of Clay Terry Pratchett
What defines life? If the definition includes the desire to reproduce, the golems have it down. Vetinari is laid low by a mysterious poisoner, two old men are found dead in their homes, and Vimes is on the case. Meanwhile, Nobby is identified as the Earl of Ankh and invited to rub elbows with the upper crust.
I read this in one day, enjoying all of the clues that I remember from other reads of it. Cheery Littlebottom is a delight every time, and watching Carrot romance Angua with his grasp of the city leaves me jealous. Here's my last review of the book:

>204 elorin: Feet of Clay is one of my favorite of the Guards sub-series.

>202 elorin: Everyone seems to having a good time with Dungeon Crawler Carl

I'll have to get hold of it and see.

>205 quondame: I love Dorfl and his (re) creation story!

>206 magicians_nephew: My best friend read it and really wanted me to read it so we could talk about it. I gave it a shot and loved it! I'm most of the way done with book two now.

78. Carl's Doomsday Scenario Matt Dinniman
Dungeon Crawler Carl and Princess Donut have descended to the third level, picked their classes and races, and are learning about the overcity. And quests! And the good hearing of hobgoblins! Carl is exploding his way through the storyline while Donut's charisma is negotiating them great deals while shopping.

I love Carl and Princess Donut and I like the streak of humanity that they both share in compassion for fellow crawlers and even NPCs. This level was lots of fun and leveling up.

Congrats on blowing past the goal!

Starting dungeon Crawler Carl book 3: the Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook

Congratulations on reaching 75 plus already!

I am closing upon it myself and hope to be there within the month.

>210 drneutron: Thanks!

>212 PaulCranswick: Thank you! I hope you're having a great reading year!

Finished Dungeon crawler carl book 3 (and forgot to save my Amazon review)
79. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook Matt Dinniman
The fourth floor of the Earth Dungeon introduces Carl and Princess Donut to the Tangle, a Gordian knot of trains, subway cars, portals and platforms. Carl learns more about the NPCs and they all learn more about friendship, loyalty, trust, deception, and betrayal. And a Mimic!
It's hard to write reviews for books in a series without spoilers for previous books. The Tangle was hard for me to visualize but sufficiently convoluted. The relationships were pretty straightforward and satisfying in their permutations.

I woke up to a view of mountains out the hotel room window. I'm in Washington State for the next ten or so days. Mom's having dual heart ablations tomorrow and I am her caretaker until her follow up appointment when she should be okay to drive again.
I brought books to read, the Kindle app on my phone and my actual Kindle. I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl on the airplane last night and worked on Red Mars last night before I slept. I also have Project Hail Mary and the newest Murderbot tucked in my carry on bag. I will read more of Red Mars and probably buy the next DCC book for the wait in the hospital tomorrow. I left all of the kink books behind and will pick them up again in June.

Congrats on flying through 75 books

Starting DCC book 4 The Gate of the Feral Gods

>217 thanesh: Thank you! I hope you're having some fantastic reads.

Welcome to WA! I hope your mom's procedure and recovery goes well.

>220 curioussquared: Thanks. The procedure went great, now I just have to figure out how to keep her resting for a week. LOL

take care Robyn.

Red Mars is the Kim Stanley Robinson, no? A favorite of mine

>222 magicians_nephew: Thank you! Yes I am reading the Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars. I don't know if I will read the sequels or not yet.

Washington is nice and cool. It's not barefoot weather for me but my mom thinks it is. The procedure went well and she's doing good in recovery. I'm trying to keep her from lifting things but she's stubborn. Thankfully no side effects from the procedure so far and she is waking up with more energy already.
I'm working on Red Mars each night, slow but steady progress. When I want to read during the day I pick up Dungeon Crawler Carl book 4. Other than that I have Project Hail Mary and the new Murderbot on hold in my carry on bag. A new LitRPG by an author I like, Rachel Aaron, name of the series is Manarunners, is loaded on the Kindle.
Smut Book Club I have already previously read the two selections for the month of May. Kink Book Club I am behind - this month's book is Different Loving by Gloria Brame. I don't know if I will find time to read it. I want to finish In Her Shoes (is that the right title? No i don't think so) and I skipped another title because I have past issues with the author. I guess I will see what I have energy for.

Glad your Mom is doing well! I enjoyed Project Hail Mary and always Murderbot; hope you do too. Take care and enjoy the warm weather coming. :)

>225 Berly: Thank you! I liked the Project Hail Mary movie and I am looking forward to the book.

It's June 1st - my birth month and Pride month. I will celebrate both all month long. I recently came across an artist I really like who did a series of yoga poses in pencil and watercolor representing the 7 chakras. I'm considering spoiling myself with the 7 prints. https://midnight-magiq-musings.square.site/s/search?q=Yoga%20chakra
My other indulgence is potentially a custom painted kneeling bench for the play room. I have to convince my wife.
Meanwhile, I started the celebration of my birthday with a trip to the grocery store and buying myself some treats, including a fresh avocado, seasoning, and tortilla chips that I made into guacamole, a rare self indulgence.

May reading
66. Pyramid Game D. Petrie
67. Auction of Souls D. Petrie
68. The Men With Broken Faces Damian Jay Clay
69. Bananapants Penny Reid
70. Love Investigation Damian Jay Clay
71. You Are Near Damian Jay Clay
72. All the Days After Damian Jay Clay
73. The Gig Damian Jay Clay
74. The Thousand-Year Lie Damian Jay Clay
75. Darksight Dare Lois McMaster Bujold
76. Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman
77. Feet of Clay Terry Pratchett
78. Carl's Doomsday Scenario Matt Dinniman
79. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook Matt Dinniman

>227 elorin: Happy birthday and Pride month! Flip a coin and if you are disappointed in the outcome you know it should be the other one!! LOL. BTW -- Start bribing your wife. : )

Happy Birthday Robyn

Congrats on zipping past the goal!

Today's indulgence is treating my mom to a Color Street manicure. She picked a breast cancer awareness set.
>229 Berly: Thanks! I'm working on bribing my wife when I get back home.
>230 magicians_nephew: Thank you!
>231 drneutron: Thanks! We'll see if I can double it this year.

Happy birth month! It is mine as well. And it does seem like everyone is having fun without me vis-à-vis Dungeon Crawler Carl, so I'll have to hop on that train soon-ish.

>233 foggidawn: Happy birth month! Dungeon Crawler Carl has been very fun!

Today's indulgence: a Heath Blizzard at DQ. I decided against the munch in Bellingham - I wasn't up for the 30 minute drive back and forth.
But I finished the next Dungeon Crawler Carl and I am focusing on Red Mars for a while.

80. The Gate of the Feral Gods Matt Dinniman
Dungeon Crawler Carl book 4
After making it down the stairwell from the 4th floor, Carl and Princess Donut find themselves battling the 4 elements to unlock the next stairwell down. With the help of Katia, Mordecai, and some other seasoned crawlers they tackle land, air, water, and underground challenges. Using the group chats they reach out to as many crawlers as they can to defeat the dungeon and head down to the sixth level.
I enjoyed the story but it was hard for me to envision the layout at times. The middle of the book was slower for me. I'm looking forward to the 6th level.

Starting the unrequited

Robyn, I'm happy that you visited my thread and thus, got me over here. Hooray for your mom's ablations!!!! My DH had them done 12 years ago when he was 70 (I, of course, have no idea how old your mother is), and they gave us 3 no-a-fib years. He's a lone fibber, the term at the time for people whose a-fib can't be tracked to a cause, and is pretty much stuck with a-flutter which is treated with meds that slow him quite a bit. I keep telling him that being 82 should slow him quite a bit too, but he ignores me. My 78 year-old cousin just had the procedure as have another couple of our friends with good success.

You're doing good reading. I love and adore KSR and do have his Mars books on my list for rereading. If only people would stop writing books that I simply MUST read now - like *DCCarl*.

Today's birthday indulgence: a Pride kilt just for me.

81. Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson
100 scientists journey towards Mars, the first colonists of a distant frontier. Their initial troubles and decisions (such as whether to terraform and how) form the beginning middle of the book. Followed by those who follow from the great population pressure of Earth.
This is hard science fiction and I had some difficulty concentrating to make inroads into it. I did enjoy it, nevertheless. It's a book I think I might enjoy better the second time around. I'm not sure if I will seek out the other two volumes of the trilogy.

82. The Unrequited Saffron A Kent
Sexually Explicit
Smut Book Club June 2026 Light Smut Selection
Layla has an unrequited love. She hasn't seen or heard from Caleb in 2 years, but she loves him just as much as the last time she saw him. Layla recognizes the symptoms in the Poet in Residence, too. Going unloved is so painful, but perhaps Layla and Thomas can comfort each other?
This was a difficult read for me because of the Layla/Caleb connection and an early comment that Layla raped Caleb that wasn't readdressed until much later in the book. I also disliked how Thomas would tell Layla that she made him do things to her.

Starting The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl book 5)

>238 LizzieD: Lizzie Mom is 72, and she was told she had both a-fib and a-flutter. Hence multiple ablations. Her recovery has been excellent.
I enjoyed Red Mars but I think I need to reread it - no telling when that might happen! - and I am not sure if I will read the sequels. DCC, however, is like candy.

>196 elorin: Hello, and Happy Sunday Evening! It is good news regarding your mother's progress after surgery!. Also, thank you for the wonderful review of The Thousand-Year Lie. I've added it to my TBR list.