The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I know this seems like a weird answer. I suppose I should say that it didn’t heal my “soul”, per se. It more healed my reader’s soul. I had been in a massive reading slump for going on a year (I know…) and I decided to pick up this chunker to see if it would help. Fantasy is my comfort zone and I had been hearing so many good things about it. It took me an entire month to read but, when I was done, I felt revived. I remembered why I loved reading so much… for the adventures and the glimpse outside of my small sphere into worlds unknown. I ended up crushing my Goodreads reading challenge that year and have been keeping steady ever since! Sometimes we just need to go back to what’s familiar to reignite that reading spark 💕

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Look. Vin is a kickass, metal-eating, warrior and absolutely my favorite character in the entire original Mistborn trilogy. She’s smart and stubborn. She’s quick and deadly. And she fights for the people she loves. I definitely wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, that’s for sure. It’s been incredible watching her grow throughout this series. I love that she has a lot of nuance to her character. She’s not some shining beacon of virtue. She’s relatable and I love her all the more for that. Now I just need to actually read the last book… haha 😅

SLAY by Brittney Morris

I’m gonna go with Kiera’s parents for this one. Probably because they remind me so much of my parents! Let’s talk a minute about the family dynamic in this book. Because, yes, I love the game aspect of it. Yes, I love the social commentary. But what really made me connect with this book was finally seeing a family that looked like my own, felt like my own… it was like a family reunion in book form! Both my mom and dad were strict and stern, but fair. They just wanted my brother and I to be able to achieve whatever we wanted to do and they knew it would take work, which is how I feel Kiera’s parents think. I couldn’t find books like this when I was growing up. It was a welcoming feeling to read this and see a family like mine represented.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Look. I’m a person who hates to be cold. So a desert kingdom like Ziran appeals to my soul! Plus, the descriptions throughout the book just made it seem like such a beautiful city. And I want to be able to participate in Solstasia! It sounds like it would be incredible, what with all the festivities and a burning comet streaking through the sky. Then there’s the fact that we’ve seen but a small chunk of this world. I do love to explore new places, so knowing there’s more to discover makes this world really appeal to me!

The fact that it’s matriarchal is a nice bonus, as well 😉

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

I HELD OUT FOR AS LONG AS I COULD, OKAY?! Seriously, though, I can definitely imagine myself in the world of Aritsar. If I managed to make it onto the Council, I would be the High Lady of Husbandry. I do have a B.S. in Animal Sciences, after all. I would travel the country, helping farmers with their cattle (cows are the best!) and other creatures. I would know everything about all the various critters that inhabited the world and I would sneak at least one (or five) into the palace. It would be incredible!

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Why?

A) The cover is already stunning, so can you imagine what a special edition would look like???

B) Mayhaps they would sneak in some fanart on the endpapers. I NEED FANART.

C) We need more special editions of diverse books, damnit!

The fact that this was one of my favorite books in 2019 certainly helps it’s case, as well. And it’s the first in a series, so there’s the potential for even more beautiful special editions! Let a girl dream…

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I know this book and it’s twists are… pretty old, but there may be some slight spoilers in this next bit. You have been warned!

I am going to begrudgingly say Amy from Gone Girl. Why begrudgingly? Because I despise Amy. Would literally stab her with a rusty fork if she magically appeared in front of me. But damn if she wasn’t always at least fifty steps ahead of everyone else in this book. She was evil, but she was definitely strategic in a horrifying and methodical way. I definitely wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, that’s for sure…

Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

There are a lot of books where food is glazed over as a simple necessity. There are books where food seems to be the main focus and is described in great detail. And then there are books where they happens to be a cozy cafe in a cute bookstore where the man who works the counter has a fondness for sweets. Which, with that rather specific description, is clearly this book 😂 The descriptons of the delicacies that were being made in the cafe at Pages & Co made me so hungry! Probably because I have a weakness for sweets, lol. Either way, I would love to cozy up in that bookshop with a brownie and a mug of hot cocoa anyday!

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

I do love a book with a dragon or two and this one has a plethora! I think what made me choose this book over the multitude of others featuring our favorite scaly creatures are the descriptions. There are many different types of dragons in this world and they all sound incredibly cool! I also like the unique way that they bond with their riders. What I’m basically trying to say is that I would like a dragon now, please.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology, but we can all admit that’s rampant with misogony, yeah? Which is why I love retellings where we get the women’s prespectives in all these classic myths. This book blew me away! I loved being able to see the myth of Circe through her own eyes. It was imaginative and poked at a lot of tough questions. And, of course, the Greek gods in all their awfulness make frequent appearances.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This is one of the most ambitiously imaginative books I’ve read in awhile! I love the story within the story aspect of it. I love that we get snippets of three other books as we weave our way through the tale of Zachary Ezra Rawlins. And I love how everything eventually ties together. Add to that Erin Morgenstern’s beautiful writing and you’ve got a book that I want to fall into again and again.