Enjoyed reading this book about a bookshop makes an impact on a small town. Many interesting characters that you love and some that are redeemed.

A very cute, somewhat unlikely read. SPOILER AHEAD: I am glad that they did get married, Annie trying to break it up felt uncomfortable? Was that just me? Overall a cute read!

This is a very cute, quick read that doesn't shy away from difficult themes about changing bodies or challenges queer people face in their lives, both internally and externally. I wasn't sure where the book was going to go, but it ended up being more about right to free speech and sex education than I was expecting, which worked in its favor. Definitely a good, maybe even important read for kids in that tween age range, as it approaches both puberty and standing up for one's rights (through the lens of tween perspective) in a respectful, but still entertaining manner.

This book both attacked and healed me? The academia and fantasy combination that I never knew I needed!

Nice quick mystery read that'll have you going through the clues and red herrings in real time with the butler himself.

Revisited this for the DGPL 2026 reading challenge. This was a favorite of mine growing up and I was curious how well it holds up. I was, mostly, pleasantly surprised. The character work is a little flat even for a middlegrade book, I think, but not offensive. The story is fine as well, not complicated or anything. I think the thing that makes this book shine is in the themes and messaging. One of the angles in the early part of the book is this emphasis on how important it is to respect knowledge and the pursuit of it. It very much encourages acting with intent and good faith. I think some of those themes get a bit lost in the plot as it progresses, but I think it works for the most part. There are some aspects of culture and society that are taken for granted, most prominently that of gender roles. It's not a deal-breaker and it even goes out of its way to break with gender norms for ways that were definitely subversive in 2004, but might fall a little flat in 2026. Either way, it's not disappointing and I think it's still a fun ride and there's a lotttt of very enjoyable takes on different mythologies being referenced, especially Norse. It was definitely my intro to it, and I still value it for that.

Gave this book a shot based on some friends' recommendation and because I needed something to listen to on my runs, and despite my difficulties getting the audiobook to function on my watch, it was well worth the effort. DCC has undoubtedly been taking off in popularity, and it's not hard for me to see why. The humor is extremely tailored to millennials, especially those immersed in a variety of nerd culture (but especially gaming), and the jokes pretty consistently (for me at least). I found the character of Carl to be quite endearing, which I wasn't expecting; I often struggle to care much for traditionally masculine male leads. But he's a good blend of reserved and proactive as a protagonist, and he bounces off Donut and the other supporting characters well. Complementing the strong humor and character work, the worldbuilding definitely appeals to me in the way that things are "gameified." One of the many gripes I had with media that portrayed video games while growing up in the mid 00s was a lack of understanding and generic portrayals of alleged game mechanics. It was, about 99% of the time, very easy to see at a glance that the writers of a show or book never played many games (or at least that material had been edited to appear that way to be more palatable to a general audience). But DCC has nuance and understanding of game mechanics that are, in turn, translated to be both fun to read and learn about, and gets one thinking about how those mechanics naturally expand on each other. That all is to say, there are no references to high scores or extra lives or other wildly outdated game mechanics that don't make sense in the context of the world and story, and instead, the book explores the element quite in-depth in a way that rewards those who already are familiar with that material. I quite enjoyed this first entry and I look forward to listening to the rest of the series on my runs.

Your classic cheesy Hallmark movie style rivals-to-lovers story. Tea vs coffee and a small town tragedy creates quite the storyline.

A classic Nora Roberts romance, with ghosts, and starting new lives. Sonja inherits and 200 year old mansion from an uncle she never knew existed. The only requirement is live there for three years. Not only is it haunted, it is cursed. Can she break the curse and find love?

Not your typical end of the world tale. Don & Rodney spend their last month remembering the life they built together, fulfilling a promise, and meeting others along the way who are seeking meaning as the world ends. A poignant story of love and purpose.