Hello, reader!

Here’s me trying to catch up on my backlog of tags once again! I love tags so much, both reading and doing them, but they usually get lost in the book review/bookish memes/blog tour ether. Take this tag, for instance. I saw the Three Bookish Things tag floating around awhile ago and loved everyone’s posts! Yet it’s taken me forever to actually do it 😅 Still, I’m excited to finally participate because this one looks like fun!

First, I want to thank the ever-awesome Jenny @ JenJenReviews for tagging me! She runs an incredible blog where she reviews books from a variety of genres. She and her partner also host the Trope-ical Readathon which is A) super fun and B) one of the only readathons I look forward to every year. Go check her out when you have a chance!

I couldn’t locate who created this tag originally. If any of you know, please pass the info on because I would love to give credit where credit is due! Now, let’s get to it.

Three read once and loved authors

• Jordan Ifueko: You know the author of Raybearer was gonna be at the top of this list! I fell in love with that book and Ifueko’s writing. She has a way of weaving a world that is completely enthralling. And the worlds she creates are so vivid and exciting! I can’t wait to read everything she writes.
• Margaret Owen: Similar story with this author! I read her debut novel, The Merciful Crow, and knew I wanted to read everything else she would ever write. I love the sinister bend to her stories and the way she tackles social issues in a fantasy setting. I also love that her heroines tend to be of the snarky, irreverent sort! I’m currently reading her most recent novel and it’s just cementing my love of her writing even more.
• Rebecca Roanhorse: The story here is a bit different. I haven’t read Rebecca Roanhorse’s debut. In fact, the first thing I read by her was a short story in the vampire anthology Vampires Never Get Old. And I freakin’ LOVED IT! After reading that, I knew I wanted to try one of her novels. Luckily for me, I got approved for an e-ARC of Black Sun. That book is currently my favorite read of 2021, hands down. Now I want to go back and read all her backlist!

Three titles I’ve watched but haven’t read

• Invincible: I recently watched the show on Amazon Prime. It’s kind of funny because I’m not a huge TV watcher, but my husband watched the first episode and insisted I try it. We watched it together… and ended up binging the entire season in the next couple of nights 😅 It certainly made me curious about the comic series!
• The Silence of the Lambs: I kind of hint to this in this week’s 5 On My TBR. I love this movie but have yet to read any of the source material. There’s something so intriguing about Hannibal Lecter as a character and I can only imagine we delve into him so much more in the books. I dunno if I’m gonna make it through the whole series, but I would like to at least read the first two books.
• Dune: Imma be honest with y’all. I fell asleep watching this movie 😂 That makes me less than eager to try the source material. Maybe one day… perhaps if I make it through the new version they’re making, I’ll be hyped up enough to pick up the book(s).

Three characters you love

• Zachary Ezra Rawlins from The Starless Sea: I think one of the reasons I love The Starless Sea is because I connected with the main character so much. He reminds me of myself as a young and slightly anti-social college student. I love his bookish-ness, his curiosity, and his determination to see things to the end. I’m also a sucker for his love story, omg. Dorian + Zachary 4eva!
• Tarisai from the Raybearer duology: And the Raybearer series has made another appearance on this post! What can I say, Tarisai is one of the main reasons I adore these books. She’s so strong, but in a way that feels vulnerable. She makes mistakes, she learns, she adapts, and she refuses to give up on what she believes in. I love her determination and her stubbornness. Though I also love when she allows herself to rely on others. She’s just so multifaceted and I think that’s why she’s stuck in my head so much.
• Mosscap and Dex from A Psalm for the Wild-Built: Okay, okay, I know that’s two characters, but I LOVE MOSSCAP AND HIS TEA MONK BFF!! This is a more recent love, but no less intense! Becky Chambers has a way of writing compelling characters that worm their way into your heart and her newest book is no exception. I can’t wait to get more stories with these two!