Happy Thursday everyone! Today I'm sharing my wrap up and mini reviews for my Spring Equinox 2025 classes at Orilium for the Magical Readathon, hosted by G. @ Book Roast. I've followed the Novice Path, completed the Traveller's Key, have Geared Up, completed the Spring Equinox 2022 and August Equinox 2022, visited Old Favour Pass in 2022, completed the Choose Your Own Adventure: Year In Aeldia 2023, completed the Spring Equinox 2023 and Autumn Equinox 2023, and visited Old Favour Pass in 2023. I completed the Spring Equinox 2024, Autumn Equinox 2024, Choose Your Own Adventure: Year In Aeldia 2024, and Old Favour Pass 2024. I'm currently working my way through Choose Your Own Adventure: Year In Aeldia 2025, The Boardgame. Anyway, as usual, this Spring Equinox semester ran all of April and I kept studying for the Calling of a Scribe as I have during my previous studies (which means that by the end of this year I'll be graduating as a Master Scribe). I took 5 courses this semester and completed all of them. You can check out my original tbr here if you like. Keep reading to my thoughts on the books I read this semester:
Elemental Studies - Course Focus: Earth Fruits - Fruit on the cover
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The Villa by Rachel Hawkins has been on my tbr since it was new and I'm glad I finally checked it off because it's a pretty nice little mystery thriller. I don't know if Chess was supposed to set my teeth on edge so much, but if so congrats to the author for that. Also, the 1974 scenes really reminded me of a cross between Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Villa Diodati during the Summer of 1816.
My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
Inscription - Course Focus: The Hook - First sentence challenge: Try three, pick the best
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I had no particular expectations for Cry Pilot (Cry Pilot #1) by Joel Dane, since before I picked it up at a thrift store for a buck I'd never heard of it. Turns out it sucked me right in. I really got a kick out of the style and that it just drops into the world. I might have to try the rest of the series in the future.
My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
Spells & Incantations - Course Focus: Spell: Copy & Paste - Word from your last book title
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House of Marionne (House of Marionne #1) by J. Elle is one of those books where the premise sounds much better than the final product. It's like it mashes up several YA favorites, but doesn't wind up with what made those work so well. More often than not I found myself both confused and annoyed by the world-building, the one dimensional characters, and all of the terms/ events aren't explained to the reader. This book had plenty of potential, now if only it could have lived up to it.
My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
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I loved Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula From Novel to Stage to Screen by David J. Skal! It's was fascinating finding out some of the things that could have been with the 1931 film, especially that Louis Bromfield was originally tapped to write the screenplay. One of these days I need to watch the Spanish one that was shot back to back with it. I also will have to check out the 1970s movie with Louis Jordan. I would very much like to see what David J. Skal thinks of the new Nosferatu, the new Interview with the Vampire tv series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Forever Knight, Moonlight, and Blood Ties, and many others, please and thank you.
My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
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I haven't read any of the other books in the series before picking up The Devil in Music (Julian Kestrel Mysteries #4) by Kate Ross and I was a bit out of the loop, but I did end up liking this one. The atmosphere and the world-building quite especially worked for me. I haven't decided if I'll read the first three books, but this was a nice stop over at least.
My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
I really enjoyed The Villa too!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear it, Tammy. :)
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