I recently finished reading Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater. SO SO good! Ronan was my favorite character from The Raven Cycle trilogy already, but this book still blew me away. I loved Jordan & Hennessy. Declan Lynch!! He's one of those characters I can't adequately explain how much I love. I relate to him, he is me, he is so different from me, he's also sexy as hell? Like I said, it's hard to say.

Also almost finished watching Jujutsu Kaisen season 1. I literally laughed out loud at several parts, but it's also dark and gory and intense. Megumi Fushiguro is still my favorite. Itadori/Fushiguro though ♥

Here are three more songs for the 30 days 30 songs challenge: ( under the cut )

For the five things challenge, here are five books I read in 2023.

1. The Molly Southborne Trilogy by Tade Thompson.

Thriller/horror series that had me on the edge of my seat! Molly is so competent and badass, and the whole story line is genuinely freaky - without saying too much, there are spies and clones and a bunch of Mommy issues. There's a lesson in there about only being able to trust and rely on yourself - except that's made easier when there's more than one of you. This is a trilogy I actually wish they'd turn into a violent movie. I have so many AU ideas from this premise.

2. All Systems Red by Martha Wells.

I finally was able to read the first murderbot book, and I get what the fuss is about! Such a great sci-fi premise. Murderbot's growing personality is so distinct, plus I love the gender neutrality of it all. Definitely too much to hope for when it comes to ChatGPT?? I am waiting for the second book on Libby.

3. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy.

OOF. I'm STILL thinking about this book. This is some heavy shit. She discusses her mental health issues in DEPTH and her eating disorders and I definitely cried reading it. There is some dark humor in it to lighten the mood, but I don't get why people are describing it as a comedy book. Make no mistake, this is a book about how deep mommy issues can go, and how hard it is to dig yourself out of childhood stardom when it goes badly for you. It is very well-done, and I'm glad Jeannette seems to be in a better place - and she's getting to live out her dream as a writer!

4. Pageboy by Elliot Page.

The nonlinear timeline was a challenge to keep up with at times, but everything was so heartfelt and earnest that I couldn't put it down. It's interesting reading about someone else's gender experience, because some of it I could really relate to (for example, wishing I could hide my boobs or have people ignore them), and some of it I couldn't (his boobs made him feel ill until he could actually get them removed). This difference doesn't make his experience any less valid, I loved that this book was willing to give so much detail. This was also interesting to read back to back after the McCurdy book, because for Page acting was an escape and a calling, instead of a prison.

5. A tie between Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark or We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

Both were completely different but great horror stories. The twists and turns were a blast. I think Ring Shout had a more satisfying ending but these are two authors very good at their craft.