throwing my TBR out the window lololol (but two amazing reads!)

**A Blast to Read: My Experience with "Empire of Exiles"**

As I sat down to finish reading "Empire of Exiles", I couldn't help but feel like it was a breath of fresh air. The author's dark and sinister world-building drew me in, and I found myself completely absorbed in the story from start to finish. The protagonist, Sinister, is so Earnest that they're almost like a breath of fresh air in comparison. I loved how their character evolved over time, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for them as they navigated this complex world.

One of the things that really stood out to me about "Empire of Exiles" was its intricate world-building. The author created a rich and immersive environment that felt like it had been crafted with care and attention. From the moment I began reading, I knew that I was in for something special. The magic system, in particular, was fascinating, and I loved how it added an extra layer of depth to the story. But what really drew me in was the cast of characters. They were all so unique and dynamic, with their own distinct personalities and motivations.

As I delved deeper into the world of "Empire of Exiles", I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for the characters. There's something about Almondia and Richa that drew me in, despite their complicated pasts. They're both fascinating characters, with their own strengths and weaknesses, and I loved watching them grow and develop over time. And then, of course, there are the older, more experienced characters who add a sense of depth and nuance to the story.

One thing that struck me about "Empire of Exiles" was its pace. It's not exactly a slow-burning novel - at least, not from the beginning. The author expertly ratchets up the tension and suspense, making it impossible to put down once you've got your bearings. And when the reveals come, oh boy... they're just fantastic. I won't say any more, but let's just say that I'm excited to see where the story goes from here.

As I finished reading "Empire of Exiles", I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. It was truly a blast to read, with its unique characters, intricate world-building, and expertly crafted plot twists. And now, I'm off to listen to some Super Mario Sunshine - a perfect contrast to the dark fantasy that just consumed my weekend.

**Audiobook Review: Listening to "Gideon the Ninth"**

I've always been a fan of audiobooks, especially when it comes to fantasy novels. "Gideon the Ninth" is one such novel that really shines in this format. The author's quippy dialogue and snarky banter between Gideon and Haro Hawk had me grinning from ear to ear. I loved how listening to the audiobook felt like a natural extension of the story, with its complex characters and intricate world-building.

One thing that stood out to me about "Gideon the Ninth" was its unique blend of dark humor and intense fantasy elements. It's not exactly a light read - there are plenty of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. But at the same time, it's also incredibly fun and engaging, with characters that feel like old friends by the end of the first book. And let's be real... necromancy in space is just awesome.

I'm excited to see where the series goes from here, now that I've read about 125 pages. For now, I'll leave you with my thoughts on this reread: it was just as enjoyable as my initial read, and I loved watching the story unfold once again through Haro Hawk's narration. With its complex world-building, snarky dialogue, and unique blend of dark fantasy and humor, "Gideon the Ninth" is a must-read for fans of science fiction and fantasy alike.

**My Reading Experience: Taxes and Audiobooks**

As I sat down to finish reading my taxes, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. It was a long night, but finally, it was over. And as a reward, I decided to play some Super Mario Sunshine - one of my favorite games of all time. There's something about the bright colors and cheerful music that just lifted my mood.

But I didn't stay in this game for long. My attention turned back to "Empire of Exiles" and its sequel-less companion audiobook, Gideon the Ninth. I listened to about 125 pages of Gideon's story, which had me grinning from ear to ear. The dialogue between Gideon and Haro Hawk is just so well-written, with a snarky back-and-forth that had me chuckling.

**Conclusion**

It was a blast to read "Empire of Exiles" and listen to the audiobook adaptation of "Gideon the Ninth". Both books exceeded my expectations in every way, with their unique characters, intricate world-building, and expertly crafted plot twists. I loved watching the stories unfold through the pages and audio alike, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I finished both novels.

As I put down my books and settled back into my day, I felt grateful for the experience of reading "Empire of Exiles" and listening to "Gideon the Ninth". It was a true blast to read, with its dark fantasy elements, snarky dialogue, and complex world-building. And now, as I look forward to the next installment in the series... I couldn't be more excited.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enguys it's Reagan and welcome to the start of another reading Vlog I am dubbing this reading Vlog as a chaotic one because I feel like I'm throwing my TBR completely out the window like my reading this month has been successful I've completed three books but it is a bit at like a slower click than what I'm wanting it to be so I've decided to just like really try to pin down exactly what I want to read and then try to just focus my attention on that um so the TBR is out the window uh so without further Ado let's go ahead and talk about the books I want to read so these are the two books I've picked out for this Vlog this is on my February TBR and it's like a thriller a fantasy story I feel like it'll be really fast paced and action-packed and this is kind of a genre combination that I'm really obsessed with right now this is also a newer release so I'm just excited to see how I feel about it but then I don't know I just got struck with wanting to reread Gideon the ninth I have downloaded the audiobook from my library and I just can't stop thinking about it I'm also kind of Cravings just start a new puzzle this week so I feel like that will pair very very nicely and then I can reread this and kind of hopefully jump start me finishing the rest of the series throughout this year this is a necromancy in Space story also kind of has a weird uh murder mystery-esque Thriller element too it's very strange I've heard such good things about the audiobook particularly how it captures the dialogue between Gideon and our other main character Haro it's fun and dramatic but also has lots and lots of action which I can't wait to read you welcome to the start of the Vlog I'm really excited about both books it's currently like Tuesday very early afternoon like right before lunch which spoiler alert I'm about to go make lunch but I wanted to start this Vlog tell the books I was going to read because I do plan to do a little puzzling this afternoon and start Gideon which I'm really really looking forward to but nevertheless hopefully these are both Five Star reads I have a feeling it really could be so crossing my fingers lunch is one of my go-to favorites I'm making a little Mediterranean a salad bowl just kind of prepping all my ingredients also tick tocking it as I do now it's time to just put all the finishing touches together almost said lunch is served but wait a second forgot the hummus but now lunch is served alrighty friends I am gonna start a new puzzle and enjoy my afternoon this puzzle is very spring it's the same puzzle I actually started when I lost power we didn't get very far because it's just too hard to see now I'm ready to give it my full attention the book I'm pairing with it which is Guinea the ninth does not match this Vibe at all which I kind of enjoy the contrast I have my headphones I'm gonna sit here and start puzzling initial progress of the puzzle getting started is always the hardest part I also wanted to give we take these off initial progress of Gideon the ninth because I've listened to the first three chapters which is like an hour and a half I want to say and the audiobook of this book is fantastic Gideon the ninth is written in such a way where it's really fast there's lots of dialogue and how Gideon thinks and talks is like really really quippy so listening to it and having the characters be brought to life with the narrator I actually find it much easier to follow um when I read it the first time like I had to read it slowly because for some reason reading it I just felt jumbled around quite a bit it didn't mean I didn't enjoy it but it was just like part of the narrative style if that makes sense but I'm really liking the audiobook a lot it's very very engaging so far so Gideon the ninth is like a sci-fi thriller in space we're introduced to our main character Gideon and she is a character she's got lots of personality and she lives on Ninth house and in this sci-fi world there's these different planets where each house kind of specializes kind of specializes in a different uh necromancy type um and Ninth house is kind of struggling for a variety of reasons and Gideon has also been trying to get off this planet her entire life and her arch nemesis Haro Hawk who's about her age as well has always thwarted her at the beginning of this book ninth house receives a summons from like the Lord sorcerer emperor of the solar system kind of giving them an opportunity to raise their Rank and get the help that the planet so badly needs and and they basically strike a deal with each other Gideon says she will go with Harold Hawk if she can get her Freedom um from this planet and that's kind of the setup of the book it starts off initially like I don't know like a typical sci-fi romp um with some politics but it kind of has a lot of different elements to it obviously I haven't encountered those elements this is a reread for me so I'm excited to encounter it once again via the audiobook but I'm really liking the style and so many of y'all said you loved the audiobook and I can see why it works stylistically so well with the writing like it almost feels like hearing it written out loud like almost makes more sense for some reason for me but three chapters haven't listened to I don't know how many pages that is I think I'm gonna go take a shower and then I'm gonna make dinner there's clay um but that is my update goodbye all right toodaloo do dinner unlocked rigatoni I love vodka sauce ah I can't wait to eat this it is time to start the second book of this Vlog good morning to a very gloomy day today making some coffee or other the coffee is made and I am making some toast I have made really successful damage on my jam Advent calendar and today I am using a apricot Bergamot spread which sounds Divine oop toast is ready till the very nicely snuggled up as she should be alrighty guys I owe you a reading update of the empire of Exiles I've read about 50 pages of this book book and I'm kind of Obsessed the reason why I've only read 50 pages is kind of slow going but once you kind of get oriented I feel like I'm not gonna be able to put this book down but let me backtrack a bit so this is as I've mentioned in the TBR portion of this video like a thriller fantasy story but having already read a chunk of it it's very political and it's not like by any means a simple book and it has a rather like complicated fantasy setting to its benefit but it's a multi-pov book and it's set in a fantasy world where there was basically this attempted uprising like this usurping of the throne by one very powerful family like a generation or so ago and they use Certain Magical artifacts to basically try to accomplish this it was thwarted and all the necessary parties were arrested and everyone has kind of since moved on but at the beginning of this book um some artifacts are requested from the archive and it's a very mysterious thing and then some murders occur that kind of rocked the city this is a multi-pov book you're following a scribe a mage an archivist and an investigator and I haven't actually even met all the characters yet but it's working so well so first off the fantasy world is fascinating writing this book it's honestly like a little confusing the author really throws you right into the book it does not hold your hand I think that feeling of disorientation um works though um and basically from what I've been able to glean so far like this is a city that is surrounded by a wall and like many many years ago there are these evil creatures called changelings which attack the wall there and in response to that there are these saints that were very powerful magic users that basically spiraled and sacrificed themselves to their magic to create protections around the city to basically you know protect future Generations um in the city now we're following a variety of characters first to subscribe who is kind of a Goofy character his name is quill and he basically just works for this like powerful individual who has clients and they broker sort of connections and things on behalf of their clients he's just kind of vibing to be honest like he's Charming he's fun and he's excited because he has a job now at the archive for a client like their client requested specific artifacts and he's there to like ensure that it all goes smoothly we follow an archivist amendia who like oversees a wing of this archive she seems to have like a mysterious past we don't really know much about her yet but she's really good at her job and a big part of her job is basically wrangling the sorcerers that live in the archive so there are one a variety of groups of people in this fantasy world not just human and they all have like different religions and like political point of views and different political powers like within this land but there's also magic which has a lot to do with like your innate connection to a inaminant like thing so for example some people have a strong Affinity towards bronze so depending on the time of year they can like see touch bronze and not just perhaps like fix something that's broken but also understand the history its origin of this item so obviously working in an archive makes sense and there's Sorcerers that have connections to Bone to ink to paint to Salt so basically anything you could think of but there's a select group of magic users that live in the archive that have to do with specific obviously historical artifacts it's important to note though that Sorcerers can spiral and basically depending on the calendar year there's like periods of time where their Affinity to Magic is much much stronger which also gives them a possibility of spiraling and like losing themselves within the item itself this is like everything I've learned within the first 40 50 pages of reading this book like there was a lot I felt like I had to like understand unpack um I read it super slowly but there's like this moment that just like clicks like I kind of understand the pieces on the board and something absolutely bananas happens and I just can't wait to see how everything's going to unfold the setting is also so cool from the magic which I kind of just described to like the different groups of people to the origin of the city like I'm excited to learn more it has a very like Italian Florentine um renaissancey sort of vibe like powerful people wear masks and the names are very like italian-esque um and have to love and have a lot to do with like family name and family power the names are taking me a minute to like track I'm like who is this person who are they connected to and she throws a lot of names at you very very quickly but again kind of once you get your bearings it's good and I feel like it's only going to get better all the characters I've read from have such good personality um and it's cool too to have them interpret different situations from their expertise and their point of view so anyway I haven't read much but what I have read has been excellent and I'll be reading more today I just wanted to let you know how I'm feeling about this so far which is very positive Taylor Swift is playing and I'm making some grilled cheese for a late lunch we love grilled cheese in this house little afternoon reading session this book is just getting better and better I love how it's written though I do really have to pay attention and reference the character list often but it's so good hi so I've read to page 80 of Empire of Exiles and that book is excellent it's getting better and better the conspiracy is just delicious because it's a murder sure but it's very clearly setting up to some sort of larger political like backhandedness and just the fantasy world itself is fascinating to learn about and it's like as we learn about the world we begin to draw connections to the case itself like everything is pairing hand in hand so well but now I'm pivoting to do some puzzling Clay's doing the dishes behind me apologies um but um later tonight clay and I are actually doing trivia with some friends I'm just gonna puzzle for a little bit relax and then get ready to go out into the world but uh that's why we're gonna Puzzle first obviously headed out for uh some trivia and wings tonight it should be a fun time and a perfect combination if you ask me who came in first all right go ahead it's like that we're back home oh please taking selfies I'm using an AI filter he loves a tick tock filter um anyway we got fifth play 24 teams in trivia not bad I'd say and now I'm going to read more of Empire of Exiles because this book is so flipping good and I just can't wait to see what happens next but I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty sleepy trivia tuckered Me Out friends cheers good morning I am just sitting down to read more Empire of Exiles which I am kind of obsessed with I'm not going to lie this book has gripped me just immediately and just the mystery just the characters the writing everything about it I'm just really really enjoying it's also very very detailed which I appreciate it's just very very immersive so I'm going to read here for about an hour um and then get on with my day and my work and stuff but I woke up early specifically to read so we are going to do that now books are everywhere but I have also made lunch so I'm gonna go eat this watch some reality TV get back to work I owe y'all a reading update I also want to read more this afternoon also work on my puzzle in there grand plan guys I owe you a vlog update so I have been painfully productive today well we lost you I've been so productive today which honestly feels good because I feel like sometimes I don't know if anyone else is like this maybe it's like a bad trait of my personality it is actually a bad trade of my personality but I've been feeling like down on myself because I've been feeling like less productive um and I get self-conscious about my productivity sometimes and I'm never not actually productive it's like definitely in my head thing but I had a really focused work day like I wasn't distracted by my phone I like got through a lot of those tasks that are like really small but they like pile up and I just felt like they were in my head needing to be done and like I got through so many of those today I even started my taxes right I feel like this is enough like the taxes have been started Bravo Reagan um so all that to say is I'm done I'm done and I'm going to read now do a puzzle I have my tea kettle going I want to make some tea which sounds incredible but enough about my taxes um I do want to talk about hold on Empire of Exiles because I really feel like I'm truly obsessed I'm on page 150 and it's so good like it is a murder mystery but it's much more about a larger political conspiracy and it's just hooked me I really like all the different character povs we have again we have the young sort of like scribe character quill we have Amanda who is kind of an overseer of the archive who I love who has like a very mysterious past we have someone who works with the archive too who is a maid her name is yinji and then we also have Rita Rika Rica who is like an investigator and they're all like good people like you all root for them but they're also very different and seeing them interact with each other's lives too I'm like really really enjoying but I also wanted to talk a bit about the fantasy setting which is also incredible so the reason why the conspiracy is just so delicious is the fantasy world that the author was able to create which is complicated so like the concept of these changelings which I've already talked about are like these I almost want to think of them as like fantasy zombies but they basically have destroyed humankind and there's this like last remaining Kingdom protected Again by the salt wall but culturally it's very unique because as the changelings were like taking over the entire world different cultures all fled like different kingdoms fled to this one city and the city like let them in so it's this true Patchwork of all of these different groups of people over you know now over many generations that are obviously still keeping their cultural heritage and their cultural history but are existing within this now very overarching Empire obviously gonna rub some people the wrong way which is the result of like separatist movements that are existing in this world but it just creates like such a storied and complex fabric of an Empire and a city that this world is playing out in because there's just so many cultures living and existing with each other because the end of the world basically almost happened and they're all stuck now behind this wall it's interesting it's just so interesting so anyway I'm gonna make tea I'm gonna read more of this I'm reading it really slow because I don't want to miss anything but it's just dang good and honestly I feel like I'm just on a high because I've started my taxes you know the worst part of some tasks that you're dreading is just getting started so now I'm going to be able to complete and cry you know I mean taxes are never fun at any point but at least at least I've started tonight I decided to make burgers I've already oven roasted some corn I'm just going to toast off the brioche buns and actually make the Patty Patty double cheeseburger and roasted corn unlocked clay and I watching our couple show of choice and a pump rules show that brought us together but this was Clay's introduction to Bravo and from here I've gotten him addicted to many other Bravo shows so good on you vanderbump in my faux fireplace era of course but I've snuggled into bed early because all I want to do is read this book I'm very obsessed um I meant to read or listen to more Gideon the ninth tonight but then I got away from me but I have actually listened to 100 pages of Gideon and I am still really enjoying the audiobook I actually think it captures like the dialogue so well and it's actually elevating my reading experience but Empire of Exiles is just so much better than it even like needs to be in some ways like the mystery is so compelling the fantasy world is so interesting and it's book one see books of the usurper one and it just makes me so excited for the future I also I'm just like so endeared to the characters in this book they're such a great range of characters too and there's such lovely character moments and just it's so good but anyway I'm gonna read now I need to get off my phone so I'm doing this reading update I'm in bed we're gonna read as much as possible that's that good morning everyone I'm grabbing this cup of coffee and I'm gonna have a nice little reading session before I go get ready for the day hi friends I thought I'd do like a get ready with me moment I have my pug makeup bag um I don't know acting like this is a tick tock or something but I thought it'd be a good gossip session for us so last night our power went out for like a couple of minutes and I swear clay and I had like flashbacks to a couple weeks ago when we lost power because that ice storm for three days like immediately we were just panicked luckily it came back on but I was like oh my God but then it got me thinking um I guess more specifically about like climate change just because Austin specifically has had now two really crazy winter storms in February impacting our infrastructure but anyway it got me thinking about this is my concealer how I think like for a long time when I thought about global warming I thought about the world getting hotter but it's so much more about just like the climate changing resulting in like more extreme weather events like the winter storms in Texas basically there's this polar vortex and it can allow like really extreme winter air to like sharply come down into states that don't usually experience it which is basically what's been happening you know which is a frustrating scary reality and I was reading about that last night I was like oh lost my power again maybe I should read about climate change my blush is the Ilia dream or blush a bit of a light in the dark about this is the inflation reduction Act was passed which in the bill it does have policy to help reduce admissions but also in like a more immediate way like invest in infrastructure which includes like helping to winterize our infrastructure which is now definitely a positive step in general which made me feel like a little bit better about the whole thing but I was like dang climate change real top of mind tonight um that being said if you guys are curious to read about this like me I'll have some links down below if you want to read more about climate change or uh the inflation reduction act which was passed curious and want to like read up on it like me this is my very broken rare Beauty eyeliner ignore how terrible it looks but all sad to say I'm tired of winter and I'm looking forward to Spring weather um my mascara is it's brown and vegan I don't know what this is called there's a t on it does anyone recognize this packaging in other news it is Friday which is exciting and I got the page 300 of my book which is also exciting tragedy this is the worst get ready with me of all time anyway to get to page 300 of my book this morning it's so good I need to do like a proper reading update for y'all in itself it'll be really fun but I'm also getting ready to film a video which I'm trying to sneak in around lunchtime which is a common thing I do if I'm being honest lunchtime filming session let this dry before I remove it my last step is this Ilia balmy gloss which I love this is literally the lip color I wear every day so if you're ever curious I was on my lips is this I'll also link all this makeup down below this is literally what I wear every day anyway that's my get ready with me a little chat about climate change a little makeup show off a little minor disaster that we fixed and uh you know here we are let's make lunch we're doing grilled cheeses Again by the way I ran out of sliced cheese last night because I made burgers so we're gonna grate some cheese for these uh grilled cheeses today done Bon Appetit guys delicious the perfect Friday meal hello I have an afternoon cup of coffee I've been really good and I've been trying to not have afternoon cups of coffee but it's Friday so I feel like rules don't apply I'm also gonna have some of these peanut butter patties Girl Scout cookies delicious coffee treats and I'm gonna sit down and finish the Empire of Exiles but I'll also do reading updates so let's get comfortable hello so I am in the home stretch of this book I have about 80 pages of this book left and I'm gonna sit down and finish it now I feel like a broken record but I've just been really enjoying this book it somehow has it all and it's all working so well I want to speak more specifically about how great the characters are they're such a good mix of like old and young I have two younger characters with quill and Tawny and their relationship is so cute and endearing and within a book that is so dark and Sinister like they're a breath of fresh air in the way that they both are so Earnest and they kind of have like this budding thing that is definitely there from the beginning and they're just so cute and you just have so much hope for them and you just get attached to them so quickly and then in contrast you have almondia and Richa who you both really really likes dope but they both clearly have a past a history that they're trying to kind of leave behind and pursue these new jobs and occupations and so you kind of have these like bright untarnished individuals if you will with these like older more experienced people who are also very very caring and seeing them all kind of work together is just fantastic the reveals kind of going into the end part of this book have been great I feel like there's going to be more like there's already been like shocking reveal after shocking reveal but I have 80 pages left so I feel like there's probably going to be even more like shocking moments and I'm so excited to see where we're gonna go next I'm just really liking this book I win it with very high expectations and I feel like they were exceeded um I just feel like the world and the world building was just so much more intricate and interesting than I was anticipating I'm taking off my earrings um and for that I'm just having a blast um with when I finish this book I'll also have read 100 pages of Gideon the night so I'll be at almost 500 pages I do plan to listen to more of my audiobook today I think I'm gonna play some Super Mario Sunshine I just had a craving I love that game and listen to my audiobook those two things could not be in more contrast with one another style wise but hey maybe that makes them the perfect pair but anyway I'm gonna finish this now play some Mario and just have a nice rest of my Friday my little reward for doing a lot of my taxes last night you know guys I finished this book and I cannot wait for a book too which I know I'm gonna have to wait probably a long time because this literally just came out hi guys guys and welcome to the end of the Vlog the next day I'm happy to report I was able to read over 500 pages this Vlog and two books that I really really enjoyed so obviously the star of the show was Empire of Exiles this was just such an action-packed Thriller more murder mystery more conspiracy political leaning fantasy story with fantastic characters such an intricate World such an interesting magic system the culture like everything that the author created in this first installment I was just so into so so hard to guess plus all the twists and turns just made it impossible to put down I do feel like it definitely has not necessarily like a slower beginning but a beginning that kind of took me at least like a minute to follow along with what exactly what was going on but once you get your bearings in this fantasy world I was obsessed and I can't wait for the next installment I just feel like this story is rooted so well by such a likable cast of characters that are also so unique and dynamic and it was just a blast obviously I also listened to about 125 pages of Gideon the ninth this book is fun and the audiobook is proving to be the perfect vehicle for a reread for me not only is the audiobook just super well narrated but I also just feel like listening to it fits the style of the writing so much it's so quippy the dialogue the back and forth between Gideon and Haro Hawk is great this series is also just one of the more unique series I've read in a long time I really enjoyed the first one and I'm looking forward to checking out the later installments but just how bizarre this book becomes is just wonderful I've again I've only read about 125 pages of this so I would say at this point in my reread I'm still very much in the exposition but just like the snark and the fun that this book feels right away you'll really enjoy but it's not like a light read either like while the characters are like kind of a romp and they really pull you in the setting and the politics of this are like something to try to like digest and uncover what is going on which makes it like a really fun combination like it's somehow light-hearted really dark and really complex like it's a really interesting mix which makes it for me anyway a really interesting read plus who doesn't love necromancy in space like everyone should enjoy that but anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this reading Vlog a bit of a departure off of my planned TBR but you know what it happens but I hope you guys enjoyed this video and I will see you soon with another one soon goodbyeguys it's Reagan and welcome to the start of another reading Vlog I am dubbing this reading Vlog as a chaotic one because I feel like I'm throwing my TBR completely out the window like my reading this month has been successful I've completed three books but it is a bit at like a slower click than what I'm wanting it to be so I've decided to just like really try to pin down exactly what I want to read and then try to just focus my attention on that um so the TBR is out the window uh so without further Ado let's go ahead and talk about the books I want to read so these are the two books I've picked out for this Vlog this is on my February TBR and it's like a thriller a fantasy story I feel like it'll be really fast paced and action-packed and this is kind of a genre combination that I'm really obsessed with right now this is also a newer release so I'm just excited to see how I feel about it but then I don't know I just got struck with wanting to reread Gideon the ninth I have downloaded the audiobook from my library and I just can't stop thinking about it I'm also kind of Cravings just start a new puzzle this week so I feel like that will pair very very nicely and then I can reread this and kind of hopefully jump start me finishing the rest of the series throughout this year this is a necromancy in Space story also kind of has a weird uh murder mystery-esque Thriller element too it's very strange I've heard such good things about the audiobook particularly how it captures the dialogue between Gideon and our other main character Haro it's fun and dramatic but also has lots and lots of action which I can't wait to read you welcome to the start of the Vlog I'm really excited about both books it's currently like Tuesday very early afternoon like right before lunch which spoiler alert I'm about to go make lunch but I wanted to start this Vlog tell the books I was going to read because I do plan to do a little puzzling this afternoon and start Gideon which I'm really really looking forward to but nevertheless hopefully these are both Five Star reads I have a feeling it really could be so crossing my fingers lunch is one of my go-to favorites I'm making a little Mediterranean a salad bowl just kind of prepping all my ingredients also tick tocking it as I do now it's time to just put all the finishing touches together almost said lunch is served but wait a second forgot the hummus but now lunch is served alrighty friends I am gonna start a new puzzle and enjoy my afternoon this puzzle is very spring it's the same puzzle I actually started when I lost power we didn't get very far because it's just too hard to see now I'm ready to give it my full attention the book I'm pairing with it which is Guinea the ninth does not match this Vibe at all which I kind of enjoy the contrast I have my headphones I'm gonna sit here and start puzzling initial progress of the puzzle getting started is always the hardest part I also wanted to give we take these off initial progress of Gideon the ninth because I've listened to the first three chapters which is like an hour and a half I want to say and the audiobook of this book is fantastic Gideon the ninth is written in such a way where it's really fast there's lots of dialogue and how Gideon thinks and talks is like really really quippy so listening to it and having the characters be brought to life with the narrator I actually find it much easier to follow um when I read it the first time like I had to read it slowly because for some reason reading it I just felt jumbled around quite a bit it didn't mean I didn't enjoy it but it was just like part of the narrative style if that makes sense but I'm really liking the audiobook a lot it's very very engaging so far so Gideon the ninth is like a sci-fi thriller in space we're introduced to our main character Gideon and she is a character she's got lots of personality and she lives on Ninth house and in this sci-fi world there's these different planets where each house kind of specializes kind of specializes in a different uh necromancy type um and Ninth house is kind of struggling for a variety of reasons and Gideon has also been trying to get off this planet her entire life and her arch nemesis Haro Hawk who's about her age as well has always thwarted her at the beginning of this book ninth house receives a summons from like the Lord sorcerer emperor of the solar system kind of giving them an opportunity to raise their Rank and get the help that the planet so badly needs and and they basically strike a deal with each other Gideon says she will go with Harold Hawk if she can get her Freedom um from this planet and that's kind of the setup of the book it starts off initially like I don't know like a typical sci-fi romp um with some politics but it kind of has a lot of different elements to it obviously I haven't encountered those elements this is a reread for me so I'm excited to encounter it once again via the audiobook but I'm really liking the style and so many of y'all said you loved the audiobook and I can see why it works stylistically so well with the writing like it almost feels like hearing it written out loud like almost makes more sense for some reason for me but three chapters haven't listened to I don't know how many pages that is I think I'm gonna go take a shower and then I'm gonna make dinner there's clay um but that is my update goodbye all right toodaloo do dinner unlocked rigatoni I love vodka sauce ah I can't wait to eat this it is time to start the second book of this Vlog good morning to a very gloomy day today making some coffee or other the coffee is made and I am making some toast I have made really successful damage on my jam Advent calendar and today I am using a apricot Bergamot spread which sounds Divine oop toast is ready till the very nicely snuggled up as she should be alrighty guys I owe you a reading update of the empire of Exiles I've read about 50 pages of this book book and I'm kind of Obsessed the reason why I've only read 50 pages is kind of slow going but once you kind of get oriented I feel like I'm not gonna be able to put this book down but let me backtrack a bit so this is as I've mentioned in the TBR portion of this video like a thriller fantasy story but having already read a chunk of it it's very political and it's not like by any means a simple book and it has a rather like complicated fantasy setting to its benefit but it's a multi-pov book and it's set in a fantasy world where there was basically this attempted uprising like this usurping of the throne by one very powerful family like a generation or so ago and they use Certain Magical artifacts to basically try to accomplish this it was thwarted and all the necessary parties were arrested and everyone has kind of since moved on but at the beginning of this book um some artifacts are requested from the archive and it's a very mysterious thing and then some murders occur that kind of rocked the city this is a multi-pov book you're following a scribe a mage an archivist and an investigator and I haven't actually even met all the characters yet but it's working so well so first off the fantasy world is fascinating writing this book it's honestly like a little confusing the author really throws you right into the book it does not hold your hand I think that feeling of disorientation um works though um and basically from what I've been able to glean so far like this is a city that is surrounded by a wall and like many many years ago there are these evil creatures called changelings which attack the wall there and in response to that there are these saints that were very powerful magic users that basically spiraled and sacrificed themselves to their magic to create protections around the city to basically you know protect future Generations um in the city now we're following a variety of characters first to subscribe who is kind of a Goofy character his name is quill and he basically just works for this like powerful individual who has clients and they broker sort of connections and things on behalf of their clients he's just kind of vibing to be honest like he's Charming he's fun and he's excited because he has a job now at the archive for a client like their client requested specific artifacts and he's there to like ensure that it all goes smoothly we follow an archivist amendia who like oversees a wing of this archive she seems to have like a mysterious past we don't really know much about her yet but she's really good at her job and a big part of her job is basically wrangling the sorcerers that live in the archive so there are one a variety of groups of people in this fantasy world not just human and they all have like different religions and like political point of views and different political powers like within this land but there's also magic which has a lot to do with like your innate connection to a inaminant like thing so for example some people have a strong Affinity towards bronze so depending on the time of year they can like see touch bronze and not just perhaps like fix something that's broken but also understand the history its origin of this item so obviously working in an archive makes sense and there's Sorcerers that have connections to Bone to ink to paint to Salt so basically anything you could think of but there's a select group of magic users that live in the archive that have to do with specific obviously historical artifacts it's important to note though that Sorcerers can spiral and basically depending on the calendar year there's like periods of time where their Affinity to Magic is much much stronger which also gives them a possibility of spiraling and like losing themselves within the item itself this is like everything I've learned within the first 40 50 pages of reading this book like there was a lot I felt like I had to like understand unpack um I read it super slowly but there's like this moment that just like clicks like I kind of understand the pieces on the board and something absolutely bananas happens and I just can't wait to see how everything's going to unfold the setting is also so cool from the magic which I kind of just described to like the different groups of people to the origin of the city like I'm excited to learn more it has a very like Italian Florentine um renaissancey sort of vibe like powerful people wear masks and the names are very like italian-esque um and have to love and have a lot to do with like family name and family power the names are taking me a minute to like track I'm like who is this person who are they connected to and she throws a lot of names at you very very quickly but again kind of once you get your bearings it's good and I feel like it's only going to get better all the characters I've read from have such good personality um and it's cool too to have them interpret different situations from their expertise and their point of view so anyway I haven't read much but what I have read has been excellent and I'll be reading more today I just wanted to let you know how I'm feeling about this so far which is very positive Taylor Swift is playing and I'm making some grilled cheese for a late lunch we love grilled cheese in this house little afternoon reading session this book is just getting better and better I love how it's written though I do really have to pay attention and reference the character list often but it's so good hi so I've read to page 80 of Empire of Exiles and that book is excellent it's getting better and better the conspiracy is just delicious because it's a murder sure but it's very clearly setting up to some sort of larger political like backhandedness and just the fantasy world itself is fascinating to learn about and it's like as we learn about the world we begin to draw connections to the case itself like everything is pairing hand in hand so well but now I'm pivoting to do some puzzling Clay's doing the dishes behind me apologies um but um later tonight clay and I are actually doing trivia with some friends I'm just gonna puzzle for a little bit relax and then get ready to go out into the world but uh that's why we're gonna Puzzle first obviously headed out for uh some trivia and wings tonight it should be a fun time and a perfect combination if you ask me who came in first all right go ahead it's like that we're back home oh please taking selfies I'm using an AI filter he loves a tick tock filter um anyway we got fifth play 24 teams in trivia not bad I'd say and now I'm going to read more of Empire of Exiles because this book is so flipping good and I just can't wait to see what happens next but I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty sleepy trivia tuckered Me Out friends cheers good morning I am just sitting down to read more Empire of Exiles which I am kind of obsessed with I'm not going to lie this book has gripped me just immediately and just the mystery just the characters the writing everything about it I'm just really really enjoying it's also very very detailed which I appreciate it's just very very immersive so I'm going to read here for about an hour um and then get on with my day and my work and stuff but I woke up early specifically to read so we are going to do that now books are everywhere but I have also made lunch so I'm gonna go eat this watch some reality TV get back to work I owe y'all a reading update I also want to read more this afternoon also work on my puzzle in there grand plan guys I owe you a vlog update so I have been painfully productive today well we lost you I've been so productive today which honestly feels good because I feel like sometimes I don't know if anyone else is like this maybe it's like a bad trait of my personality it is actually a bad trade of my personality but I've been feeling like down on myself because I've been feeling like less productive um and I get self-conscious about my productivity sometimes and I'm never not actually productive it's like definitely in my head thing but I had a really focused work day like I wasn't distracted by my phone I like got through a lot of those tasks that are like really small but they like pile up and I just felt like they were in my head needing to be done and like I got through so many of those today I even started my taxes right I feel like this is enough like the taxes have been started Bravo Reagan um so all that to say is I'm done I'm done and I'm going to read now do a puzzle I have my tea kettle going I want to make some tea which sounds incredible but enough about my taxes um I do want to talk about hold on Empire of Exiles because I really feel like I'm truly obsessed I'm on page 150 and it's so good like it is a murder mystery but it's much more about a larger political conspiracy and it's just hooked me I really like all the different character povs we have again we have the young sort of like scribe character quill we have Amanda who is kind of an overseer of the archive who I love who has like a very mysterious past we have someone who works with the archive too who is a maid her name is yinji and then we also have Rita Rika Rica who is like an investigator and they're all like good people like you all root for them but they're also very different and seeing them interact with each other's lives too I'm like really really enjoying but I also wanted to talk a bit about the fantasy setting which is also incredible so the reason why the conspiracy is just so delicious is the fantasy world that the author was able to create which is complicated so like the concept of these changelings which I've already talked about are like these I almost want to think of them as like fantasy zombies but they basically have destroyed humankind and there's this like last remaining Kingdom protected Again by the salt wall but culturally it's very unique because as the changelings were like taking over the entire world different cultures all fled like different kingdoms fled to this one city and the city like let them in so it's this true Patchwork of all of these different groups of people over you know now over many generations that are obviously still keeping their cultural heritage and their cultural history but are existing within this now very overarching Empire obviously gonna rub some people the wrong way which is the result of like separatist movements that are existing in this world but it just creates like such a storied and complex fabric of an Empire and a city that this world is playing out in because there's just so many cultures living and existing with each other because the end of the world basically almost happened and they're all stuck now behind this wall it's interesting it's just so interesting so anyway I'm gonna make tea I'm gonna read more of this I'm reading it really slow because I don't want to miss anything but it's just dang good and honestly I feel like I'm just on a high because I've started my taxes you know the worst part of some tasks that you're dreading is just getting started so now I'm going to be able to complete and cry you know I mean taxes are never fun at any point but at least at least I've started tonight I decided to make burgers I've already oven roasted some corn I'm just going to toast off the brioche buns and actually make the Patty Patty double cheeseburger and roasted corn unlocked clay and I watching our couple show of choice and a pump rules show that brought us together but this was Clay's introduction to Bravo and from here I've gotten him addicted to many other Bravo shows so good on you vanderbump in my faux fireplace era of course but I've snuggled into bed early because all I want to do is read this book I'm very obsessed um I meant to read or listen to more Gideon the ninth tonight but then I got away from me but I have actually listened to 100 pages of Gideon and I am still really enjoying the audiobook I actually think it captures like the dialogue so well and it's actually elevating my reading experience but Empire of Exiles is just so much better than it even like needs to be in some ways like the mystery is so compelling the fantasy world is so interesting and it's book one see books of the usurper one and it just makes me so excited for the future I also I'm just like so endeared to the characters in this book they're such a great range of characters too and there's such lovely character moments and just it's so good but anyway I'm gonna read now I need to get off my phone so I'm doing this reading update I'm in bed we're gonna read as much as possible that's that good morning everyone I'm grabbing this cup of coffee and I'm gonna have a nice little reading session before I go get ready for the day hi friends I thought I'd do like a get ready with me moment I have my pug makeup bag um I don't know acting like this is a tick tock or something but I thought it'd be a good gossip session for us so last night our power went out for like a couple of minutes and I swear clay and I had like flashbacks to a couple weeks ago when we lost power because that ice storm for three days like immediately we were just panicked luckily it came back on but I was like oh my God but then it got me thinking um I guess more specifically about like climate change just because Austin specifically has had now two really crazy winter storms in February impacting our infrastructure but anyway it got me thinking about this is my concealer how I think like for a long time when I thought about global warming I thought about the world getting hotter but it's so much more about just like the climate changing resulting in like more extreme weather events like the winter storms in Texas basically there's this polar vortex and it can allow like really extreme winter air to like sharply come down into states that don't usually experience it which is basically what's been happening you know which is a frustrating scary reality and I was reading about that last night I was like oh lost my power again maybe I should read about climate change my blush is the Ilia dream or blush a bit of a light in the dark about this is the inflation reduction Act was passed which in the bill it does have policy to help reduce admissions but also in like a more immediate way like invest in infrastructure which includes like helping to winterize our infrastructure which is now definitely a positive step in general which made me feel like a little bit better about the whole thing but I was like dang climate change real top of mind tonight um that being said if you guys are curious to read about this like me I'll have some links down below if you want to read more about climate change or uh the inflation reduction act which was passed curious and want to like read up on it like me this is my very broken rare Beauty eyeliner ignore how terrible it looks but all sad to say I'm tired of winter and I'm looking forward to Spring weather um my mascara is it's brown and vegan I don't know what this is called there's a t on it does anyone recognize this packaging in other news it is Friday which is exciting and I got the page 300 of my book which is also exciting tragedy this is the worst get ready with me of all time anyway to get to page 300 of my book this morning it's so good I need to do like a proper reading update for y'all in itself it'll be really fun but I'm also getting ready to film a video which I'm trying to sneak in around lunchtime which is a common thing I do if I'm being honest lunchtime filming session let this dry before I remove it my last step is this Ilia balmy gloss which I love this is literally the lip color I wear every day so if you're ever curious I was on my lips is this I'll also link all this makeup down below this is literally what I wear every day anyway that's my get ready with me a little chat about climate change a little makeup show off a little minor disaster that we fixed and uh you know here we are let's make lunch we're doing grilled cheeses Again by the way I ran out of sliced cheese last night because I made burgers so we're gonna grate some cheese for these uh grilled cheeses today done Bon Appetit guys delicious the perfect Friday meal hello I have an afternoon cup of coffee I've been really good and I've been trying to not have afternoon cups of coffee but it's Friday so I feel like rules don't apply I'm also gonna have some of these peanut butter patties Girl Scout cookies delicious coffee treats and I'm gonna sit down and finish the Empire of Exiles but I'll also do reading updates so let's get comfortable hello so I am in the home stretch of this book I have about 80 pages of this book left and I'm gonna sit down and finish it now I feel like a broken record but I've just been really enjoying this book it somehow has it all and it's all working so well I want to speak more specifically about how great the characters are they're such a good mix of like old and young I have two younger characters with quill and Tawny and their relationship is so cute and endearing and within a book that is so dark and Sinister like they're a breath of fresh air in the way that they both are so Earnest and they kind of have like this budding thing that is definitely there from the beginning and they're just so cute and you just have so much hope for them and you just get attached to them so quickly and then in contrast you have almondia and Richa who you both really really likes dope but they both clearly have a past a history that they're trying to kind of leave behind and pursue these new jobs and occupations and so you kind of have these like bright untarnished individuals if you will with these like older more experienced people who are also very very caring and seeing them all kind of work together is just fantastic the reveals kind of going into the end part of this book have been great I feel like there's going to be more like there's already been like shocking reveal after shocking reveal but I have 80 pages left so I feel like there's probably going to be even more like shocking moments and I'm so excited to see where we're gonna go next I'm just really liking this book I win it with very high expectations and I feel like they were exceeded um I just feel like the world and the world building was just so much more intricate and interesting than I was anticipating I'm taking off my earrings um and for that I'm just having a blast um with when I finish this book I'll also have read 100 pages of Gideon the night so I'll be at almost 500 pages I do plan to listen to more of my audiobook today I think I'm gonna play some Super Mario Sunshine I just had a craving I love that game and listen to my audiobook those two things could not be in more contrast with one another style wise but hey maybe that makes them the perfect pair but anyway I'm gonna finish this now play some Mario and just have a nice rest of my Friday my little reward for doing a lot of my taxes last night you know guys I finished this book and I cannot wait for a book too which I know I'm gonna have to wait probably a long time because this literally just came out hi guys guys and welcome to the end of the Vlog the next day I'm happy to report I was able to read over 500 pages this Vlog and two books that I really really enjoyed so obviously the star of the show was Empire of Exiles this was just such an action-packed Thriller more murder mystery more conspiracy political leaning fantasy story with fantastic characters such an intricate World such an interesting magic system the culture like everything that the author created in this first installment I was just so into so so hard to guess plus all the twists and turns just made it impossible to put down I do feel like it definitely has not necessarily like a slower beginning but a beginning that kind of took me at least like a minute to follow along with what exactly what was going on but once you get your bearings in this fantasy world I was obsessed and I can't wait for the next installment I just feel like this story is rooted so well by such a likable cast of characters that are also so unique and dynamic and it was just a blast obviously I also listened to about 125 pages of Gideon the ninth this book is fun and the audiobook is proving to be the perfect vehicle for a reread for me not only is the audiobook just super well narrated but I also just feel like listening to it fits the style of the writing so much it's so quippy the dialogue the back and forth between Gideon and Haro Hawk is great this series is also just one of the more unique series I've read in a long time I really enjoyed the first one and I'm looking forward to checking out the later installments but just how bizarre this book becomes is just wonderful I've again I've only read about 125 pages of this so I would say at this point in my reread I'm still very much in the exposition but just like the snark and the fun that this book feels right away you'll really enjoy but it's not like a light read either like while the characters are like kind of a romp and they really pull you in the setting and the politics of this are like something to try to like digest and uncover what is going on which makes it like a really fun combination like it's somehow light-hearted really dark and really complex like it's a really interesting mix which makes it for me anyway a really interesting read plus who doesn't love necromancy in space like everyone should enjoy that but anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this reading Vlog a bit of a departure off of my planned TBR but you know what it happens but I hope you guys enjoyed this video and I will see you soon with another one soon goodbye\n"