**Middle Grade Enthusiast's Delight**

I'm thrilled to share my experience with this captivating middle grade novel, which has left me utterly enchanted. The story is set at its core around Tristan, a dynamic and relatable main character who embodies the essence of middle-grade fiction. I'm constantly drawn into his world, eager to explore the rich mythology and adventure that permeates every page. What sets this book apart, however, is its thoughtful exploration of complex themes such as grief, trauma, and emotional intelligence.

The author's decision to incorporate talking therapy sessions with Tristan, as well as promoting positive messages about understanding and confronting emotions, resonates deeply with me. As a middle-grade enthusiast, I appreciate the importance of addressing these issues in a way that feels authentic and accessible to young readers. The story tackles these difficult topics with sensitivity, making it an invaluable resource for kids struggling to navigate their own emotions.

One aspect that I find particularly impressive is the author's use of African mythology as the foundation for the fantasy elements in this book. This creative choice not only adds a unique layer of depth to the narrative but also provides a platform for exploring complex historical and cultural issues. The way these mythological stories are woven together, often highlighting their connections to slavery and generational trauma, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of shared experiences and collective understanding.

As I continue reading this book, I'm struck by its impressive pacing, which effortlessly balances action, adventure, and emotional depth. The author's writing style is evocative and immersive, drawing me into Tristan's world with ease. I find myself becoming increasingly invested in his journey, eager to see how he navigates the challenges that lie ahead.

What truly sets this book apart, however, is its heart. Tristan is a character who defies traditional middle-grade tropes, embodying both vulnerability and strength as he grapples with his emotions. His growth and development feel authentic, if not always easy to watch at times. The author's portrayal of trauma and recovery resonates deeply, offering hope and reassurance that healing is possible.

I must confess that I'm thoroughly enjoying this book, and I'm confident that it will become a new favorite series in my middle-grade reading repertoire. The writing is superb, the pacing is expertly managed, and the characters are multidimensional and relatable. I'm also excited to share this discovery with fellow middle-grade enthusiasts, knowing that it has the potential to captivate young readers and inspire meaningful conversations about empathy, understanding, and personal growth.

As I wrap up my reading vlog, I feel invigorated by the experience, grateful for the opportunity to explore this captivating world. My enthusiasm for middle-grade fiction is rekindled, and I'm eager to continue discovering new titles that share this book's unique blend of adventure, mythology, and emotional intelligence. With its thought-provoking themes, engaging characters, and immersive storytelling, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers of all ages.

**A Note from the Author**

In recent days, I've had the chance to reflect on my reading journey, and I'm thrilled to report that I've made significant progress through this captivating middle-grade novel. As I continued reading, I found myself becoming increasingly enthralled by Tristan's story, eager to uncover the secrets hidden within the narrative. The author's writing style has proven to be both engaging and authentic, drawing me into the world of African mythology with ease.

I must confess that my enthusiasm for this book knows no bounds. The pacing is expertly managed, balancing action, adventure, and emotional depth with ease. The author's use of mythological stories serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of shared experiences and collective understanding. I'm also struck by the way the narrative tackles complex themes such as grief, trauma, and emotional intelligence, offering hope and reassurance that healing is possible.

As I near the end of my reading journey, I feel grateful for the opportunity to explore this captivating world. My love for middle-grade fiction has been reignited, and I'm eager to continue discovering new titles that share this book's unique blend of adventure, mythology, and emotional intelligence.

**A Special Message from the Reader**

As I wrap up my reading vlog, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the author and publisher for creating such an incredible story. It's been a true delight to immerse myself in Tristan's world, and I'm confident that this novel will become a new favorite series in my middle-grade reading repertoire.

To fellow readers, I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR list – you won't regret it! With its thought-provoking themes, engaging characters, and immersive storytelling, this novel has something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned middle-grade reader or just looking for a new adventure, this book is sure to captivate.

Finally, I want to extend my gratitude to the video sponsor who made this reading vlog possible – GlassesUSA.com! As I mentioned earlier, they provided me with a range of stylish glasses that have become an integral part of my reading experience.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi guys it's regan and welcome to the start of another reading vlog so this is very much a work week reading vlog and i'm going to try to actually show as much of like my like how i stay productive of my day as possible but also this is going to be reading vlog hopefully full of reading but before we chat about the books first a word from this video sponsor which is glassesusa.com hi guys so this video is sponsored in part by glassesusa.com and if you have been watching my channel for any amount of time you would know that they are a long time partner of my channel and also the maker of literally every single pair of eyeglasses i own i would say one of my most asked questions is where are my eyeglasses from and the answer is always glassesusa.com but if you're not familiar glassesusa is an online glasses retailer and they're incredible not only for their huge vast collection of both eyeglasses and sunglasses in literally any style shape color you can imagine but they're also able to provide you those glasses at incredible prices basically sending the glasses directly to you at your door making them not only more affordable but also more convenient and it's also incredibly easy to shop their site not only from just filtering from different colors and shapes that you might be looking for but they also have online tools like the virtual try on tool which allows you to upload a selfie so you're able to see what the frames actually look like on you before purchasing you also have great add-ons you can add to your frames like for example adding blue light to any of your lenses or i jump into the haul itself i of course have an offer for you guys which i will leave linked down below for my glassesusa.com haul this time around i wanted to do a bit of a greatest hits haul feature the frames that i would say i wear the most and are my current favorites specifically starting out with this pair which i would say i wear about 90 percent of the time if you see me wearing glasses it's most likely this style these are the ray-ban 3-4-4-7-v and i have them in the gold medium size i also have them in a gold with a tortoise surround but they have a lot of different metal colors and color combinations you're able to shop from these are just my favorite glasses i think the size the weight i just love a wire rim frame glasses i just think they're the best it's my favorite i wear these so often and if you're ever curious what make and battle they were i have it linked down below and you can likely get them for a good deal the next frame i have to show off are the hilary duff clara frame and i have these in the clear beige color which again i just love not only the shape which i just think is really really flattering but i think this color is incredible it's such a nice middle place between a tortoise and a clear frame i also think this frame shape and frame color would be flattering on so many different people and this frame also comes in a variety of other colors as well but i like the clear because it doesn't really interrupt my field of vision too much but yeah the size color of these just primo i talk about these a lot and i would say these are my second most worn pair of glasses and then the last frame i have to show off are the muse modern m glasses and these to me are like my power frames if i ever had a meeting where i needed to do like a client presentation when i still was going in the office i would always wear like a intense tortoise eyeglass because it just makes me feel like i can take on the world at a turtleneck do i own an art gallery she's all of a sudden very mysterious clark kent vibes you know these i think are just incredible not only is the price point amazing but i think the shape is really cool and modern but obviously still very classic i love the darker tortoise shade i think it's a really nice color and again a great shade for so many people already guys that is my glasses usa frame haul i will of course have all the frames i showed off today including a unique offer for you guys all linked down below so be sure to check that out again big shout out to glassesusa.com for partnering with me for this video i love them oh so much but let's go ahead and jump back into the vlog so in full transparency i am in a complete reading slump which is so disappointing and it's actually a reading slump that has nothing to do with my desire to read i actually really feel like reading but i am just really distracted and i'm having a hard time concentrating when i pick up a book you know that feeling when you're like trying to read and you read like a sentence and then your mind wanders and just have no idea what you've just actually read you have to keep rereading it and i'm just finding that that's kind of where my headspace is so with that in mind i'm trying to get my reading back on track by picking out some books that i feel like are really good like distracting stories or books i know that for me personally when i'm feeling this way can kind of pull me back in um nothing too intense and i just feel like that might be the recipe for success here so let's talk about the books i hope to read so the first book i feel like is exactly what i feel like reading and that is some urban fantasy romance so i've decided to pick up murder of crows by anne bishop this is book two to the novel of the other series which is an urban fantasy series following our main character meg who's a blood prophet who's basically running from the sort of human organization and is staying in a place called the courtyard in this world supernatural creatures exist and they have a very tenuous relationship with humanity and they live on like very divided lines whereas the others kind of control most of the natural resources and a lot of the land and humanity has kind of expanded in cities and are more focused on technological advancements meg lives in a place that kind of has a bit of interaction between humans and the others um and this has like a slow burn romance and i don't know i'm just hoping this will be like a great book to kind of pull me in distract me nothing too wild nothing too intense but just like entertaining you know so i feel like this tends to be urban fantasy romance tends to be the books i pick up when i'm feeling the most slumpy so i'm hoping this is a story that i'll be just very engaged and entertained by so this is the first book i hope to read for this vlog and then the other two books are two from my tbr that i'm just really excited about um and i'm hoping just again fit the bill in defeating the slump i haven't decided which of these two books i'm going to read i'll just show them both off the first is arsenic and adobo which is a cozy mystery which just sounds delightful it centers family and food basically follows a woman who's trying to kind of bring her family's restaurant back um but a food critic comes who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and he dies shortly after eating the food there and so begins a mystery i've heard really good things about this again the idea of a cozy mystery absolutely calls out to me i love who done it but i love the idea of a story not being like too scary or too intense and i feel like a thriller book will kind of propel me through the pages and will really capture my attention so this is one of the books i'm considering reading and then the other is a middle grade option which middle grade is another book i tend to look out when i'm feeling a little slumpy i'm just always so delighted by their stories the writing and just the characters it's just so easy to root for and fall in so i have tristan strong punches a hole in the sky which follows a young boy who literally accidentally punches a hole in the sky and kind of creates a portal to another world um where he meets the black american gods he tries to fight his way back home i've heard so many fantastic things about this i'm also thinking about checking out the audiobook for this um but yes so that is my tbr a little undecided but the goal is to defeat my reading slump and also just feel productive this week i feel january is like just a hard month and i know a lot of you guys can relate to that i just haven't really been putting in a lot of effort like to myself like i haven't really feel like i've been like trying to get dressed i haven't been doing my journaling or my planning because that helps me feel on track like i've just kind of let some of my routine slide a bit and i've just been feeling a little la so i'm trying to get back on track and also get back on track with reading so anyway that is a long ramble welcome to the vlog it is monday morning so cheers it's monday i usually i'm like having this it's so weird i usually like to try to plan my week out i have a journal which i love hello but i also got this like weekly sticky note pad which i really like i'm a big list maker so this is nice i can like visually see it all and i just leave it out on my desk um so i like to do both i think for this morning i'm gonna do this really quickly get organized mentally and then go work on some emails for a while so i'm gonna do this to get my rj pen and we're done small steps to bringing back productivity in my life hi so i'm up and dressed as i mentioned a goal this week is to get dressed every single day and also clay made a green smoothie so delicious getting those getting that spinach in and my little vegetable powder in vitamins alrighty it's lunch time so i'm actually working on making the dressing i'm gonna be using for the next couple days it's like a healthier ranch i saw this salad on tick tock i've been having a lot of success with tik tok salad so i thought let's keep it going so i'm gonna chop all this up mix mix mix and make the salad all right here's the dressing it's just greek yogurt some sour cream lemon and just a bunch of seasoning or herbs lots of dill some mint chives uh garlic yummy super good this must be a really good like dip for like carrots and stuff um but anyway this is my dressing for the salad flake i'm gonna put it in here all right salad is all here i have croutons cucumber egg radishes carrots red bell pepper and then my dressing so i'm just gonna toss it now and enjoy and salad is complete time for my afternoon coffee and i think i'm gonna sit down and start murder of gross so do you think i should grab one of these because i think yes all righty it got all my necessary things it's going to be a really rainy week in texas a cold one too i don't even get snow so i'm just going to embrace it and help it and hope it fuels my reading so i can get out of this slump and also i feel like i always have to be super careful when i sit down on the couch because i just never know if matilda is there or not so it's like sit with caution you know hi friends so i've just been reading i'm actually about to start making dinner so i'm making a chili tonight so i wanted to cook for a little while but i'm happy to report i read the first 60 pages of murder of crows which again is book two to the others series so so far i would say this book has pulled me in much quicker than the first one which i'm happy to see i'm very engaged in the second book in the series i would say book one which is very logical is very focused on setting up the world but mostly just kind of following meg our main character as she's getting settled and situated within this courtyard community kind of making friends making acquaintances having this complicated relationship with simon the leader of this courtyard and also a wolf and then also kind of learning a bit about her past which kind of culminates in a sort of attack on the courtyard in the second book and again this is a many book series the second book so far has been much more about kind of jumping into the action right away which i like with the attack uh that occurred in the first one you kind of got hints escalating tension between the others and humans um and you're definitely seeing more of the political aspect of that in book two you start to see hints of organizations that have interest in trying to stir up um like societal conflict against the others in their courtyards to the point of violence and also seeing how there are different strategies to make this occur specifically with the introduction and the distribution of a certain drug and there just seems to be a kind of conspiracy occurring around us and also rumblings of some sort of planned attack but we're not entirely sure who what where or why but you start to see the pieces of what seems to be like a larger issue at play the other element to this as well as we see again more behind the scenes of even where meg was previously kept politics around blood prophets types of facilities and just the overall terrible situation that many people who have this particular ability are kept in and it's just appalling to read about um but we also get points of view of different people powerful people in this world outside of our sort of main points of views with simon and meg which i do feel like has kind of cracked the world a bit more open and has provided a little more political overlay to this book that we didn't have nearly as much in the first one so i'm enjoying that quite a bit the tension between meg and simon i will say has been turned up a bit until until it's hitting the doors quickly but the tension between them has definitely heightened um it was like barely hinted at in the first one and now we're starting to see them at least being friends and having like moments of confusion that they're both feeling which i'm liking to see developed but so far i'm really liking the second book it's captured me right away i feel like ann bishop has kind of worked to color in some of the larger conflicts in this world which obviously can only be built out of the foundation of the first one kind of getting us settled with meg our characters and our location and the history of the others and humans kind of interacting side by side just an interesting book it's definitely like urban fantasy vibes has some elements that are by no means perfect but it's definitely entertaining and i'm liking it and i am reading it rather quickly which is what i need right now because literally i've barely been able to concentrate while reading so this is feels like a breath of fresh air like it just feels nice to be able to pick up a book and like fall into it you know so i've read 60 pages i am going to take matilda out and then i'm going to start making dinner okay guys i'm about to start actually making dinner for real but i bought some jeans that tiktok loves i bought the levi straight rib cage jeans and i'm actually like flabbergasted okay because normally levi's never worked for me because i'm too curvy and normally straight leg doesn't work cause it always looks like a skinny jean and then rigid denim i have a hard time with because it's too tight too big whatever these jeans fit perfectly they're perfect they fit so nice i'm i'm amazed i'll link them down below they're always writing a sale so don't buy them full price but these are fully worth the hype they're also like an 11 inch rise which i personally like a really high rise because i think it's flattering i'm shook i i just i bought these fully expecting to hate them but then they fit me perfectly very rarely happens to me with jeans so i just had to share all right i've put together my lazy chili which i make with uh like canned tomato soup and beef broth i just like that it adds a little bit of sweetness and then i make it really spicy add a bunch of seasonings chili powder garlic cumin salt pepper smoked paprika the whole nine yards and i know i'm from texas but i like my chili with beans and i personally think the beans are the best part of a chili so you'll never see me make a beanless chili and i don't care if that's controversial then i'm gonna let this cook for a little while and then enjoy and a bone appetit baking cookies and we're also hello matilda finally finishing run on we randomly watched 14 episodes of the show and didn't watch the last two episodes so we're finishing that we finished strongwoman which i'll probably talk more about tomorrow and then we're going to start our beloved summer this week which i'm so excited about we did not make the bed this morning but time to read good morning everyone starting this additionally gloomy day with a nice cup of coffee and i'm gonna read over there and matilda did not want to hang out but that's all right it's time to read and drink some coffee day two of getting fully dressed wearing my new jeans of course also happy to report i have passed 150 page mark of murder of crows i'm really liking that book i do feel like there's been a lot of growth from book one to book two and i have thoughts which i will talk about more in depth in a bit i'm actually about to skedaddle because i have a dentist appointment big day i'm getting my permanent crown put on i'm gonna take off this temporary thing and have a real tooth once again and i am jazzed about it so good vibes all around just wanted to say hello i got dressed i'll check in after my appointment because i have thoughts and feelings but for now i need to get ready to go a nice soft lunch of mac and cheese and i'm watching real housewives reunion before i get back to email hi everyone it is like 7 p.m today kind of sucker punched me in the face of it but we're making it through wanted to come and talk to you guys about murder of crows because i am on page 150 and i do plan on reading more tonight um but i want to talk about all the reasons why i'm really liking this book i have to say first and foremost i feel like this book has just increased in quality from book one to book two which i like um and i just wanted to speak to a few other elements of just the choice of the plotting that i'm really appreciating first and foremost i want to speak a little more about this slow burn romance which i actually really appreciate because the author is approaching this romance not just because slow burn romances are fun to read but our main character meg has gone through a lot of traumatic things in her life and she also has not been exposed to a lot of like normal relationship dating things so she's kind of encountering all of that for the first time so this relationship is slowly being built because the author and simon are giving her space to become fully comfortable with one just being friends with someone or with a guy and then two if that wants to develop into something else it possibly could at no point does it feel like simon has some sort of like ulterior alt ulterior motive or like they're all just playing koi with one another it feels so burned because it just feels like we're on a journey with meg and these characters who likely discover that they have feelings for one another and obviously two simon having a relationship with a human is incredibly uncommon and i just feel like how the author is kind of plotting along with it is unusual and i appreciate it number two this book is a lot more intense and it's mostly because we're really getting a lot more insight and just dialogue about some of the like heightened political elements which i've already kind of referenced with these movements that are anti tara and jin that are like pro human anti any type of supernatural creature and the other thing about this book too is in book one we had secondary points of view that i just kind of felt they felt a little flat in comparison to like simon and meg but the supplementary points of view that were given i do feel like add a lot more to the plot in book two than we kind of experienced in book one either because they're intense or frightening or just the characters feel a little more fully realized which i like so just generally speaking really positive things to say i'm just really pleased to see how this second book is developing and it also just feels like the author is taking their time with kind of developing the romance and the characters and everything like that so positive thoughts all around and i'm happy about it but yeah that's my reading update today has been a lot i'm wait i can't wait for it to be over but i do plan to hang out and play later watch kdramas and read my book chili round two for dinner tonight hi everyone good afternoon ish it is pouring down rain we're about to have a winter storm tonight i started my day getting my hair cut which hopefully you guys think is cute i have little like short frenchie bangs which i think are always fun um so oh hit my tripod so today is wednesday yesterday was a bit of a fail but today i'm feeling positive i'm feeling excited things are looking good and i'm ready to take that momentum throughout today it is about noon again i had my hair appointment very early this morning and i've just been working since i've gotten back i also plan to start the process of filming my bookshelf tour unfortunately it is raining so the lighting and the weather isn't like perfectly ideal but i think it'll be okay but yeah anyway i didn't do a lot of reading last night clay and i really just focused on finishing run on um and today we're both feeling much better um but none the less i don't know what else i was gonna say i think i need to make lunch here in a minute but just wanted to say hello happy wednesday i did get dressed this is definitely a more casual outfit and normally i wouldn't count it but i did wear this exact thing out in public so therefore i'm counting it as getting dressed because strangers saw me wearing this so i feel like that counts for something these leggings are from girlfriend they're the best anyway okay hello let's make some lunch for today's lunch we are eating what i am calling an adult lunchable got some vegetables some hummus cheese and crackers delish trying to get matilda all comfy so she just sticks around here i i can't tell if she loves me she hates me from that look but i am going to now start filming my bookshelf tour my bookshelves are very high which i love but i think i'm gonna get pretty creative because that's how high my font goes those are my bookshelves i have my step stool i need to clean up a bit this is the stuff that i will not show the video but let's begin all right candle is lit i have a evening cup of coffee it is so gloomy outside it's about to storm which is going to turn into an ice storm late tonight and tomorrow morning so i'm going to stay very cuddled up but i'm going to do a solid bout of reading as i just haven't um had a lot of time to read well i didn't make a lot of time last night so i'm trying to get back on track so i'm gonna sit there and read and i'll check in once i've done so hello and great news i have read over the 250 page mark of this book which means i've just about 100 pages left so for sure plan to finish this tonight gonna be taking a bit of a break i'm actually going to start dinner but i wanted to do a reading check-in because i am really enjoying this book i know i sound like a bit of a broken record but i just feel like the jump from book one to book two has just been so excellent i was really intrigued by this world i think creation of this sort of supernatural setting where humans and supernatural creatures have lived alongside each other for like thousands of years and how the society is kind of formed around this through time which is such an interesting idea and concept and to see how in this current state in this current reality it's beginning to heat up in terms of tension and then you can see in the current reality about how that tension between humans and the others otherwise also called the terra dijin um is beginning to heat up again it's really not the others heating it up it's more that the humans in their constant pursuit of expansion capitalism just wanting more and more and more become unhappy with the agreements that they have made um and try to push the boundary or fight back and then they have to deal with the consequences of the terror and gene fighting back but then they just blame them even though it's like the consequences to their own actions you know what i mean um in a very human-like fashion like humanity acting a fool within this book is not a surprise let's just say that and i just feel like the tension of that is just such a kind of fascinating element of this book and i do feel like how the author is elevating it and evolving it is really great then we still have these sort of small scale interactions of the courtyard that this book is primarily set in is in a small community that there is some interactions between humans and the others and specifically you really see how the others courtyard kind of deals with issues much more differently than humanity but are also like looking out for their own but also looking out for people that have looked out for them really like a loyalty situation and then obviously meg your main character who is human um has been living there now for a while and kind of learning more and a lot of this book too is meg kind of trying to learn and understand and try to control her blood profit powers which obviously are really complex for a variety of reasons and i do want to say a trigger warning for cutting as that is a component of this book because she is a blood prophet the reality that maggie's had to face her whole life as well as so many other girls trapped in this situation is definitely becoming a larger plot point i just feel like the writing and the characterization and the setting has really just been amped up a bit in this second book which has just made me very engrossed i'm having a hard time putting this book down super fast pace i'm really attached to a lot of the characters and yeah i'm looking forward to the series i do feel like this is going to be a series which i'm just going to read a lot of the books this year because it just feels like the perfect like break a reading slump kind of series to read um but yeah i'm going to finish this i just i'm really enjoying the connection between meg and simon the slow growth of their relationship both from a friendship but just kind of like on a deeper level as well and i just think it's been a great book too so far so i am going to start dinner now and i'll check in with you guys in a bit so dinner tonight is really fast and easy basically anytime i ask clay what it feels like eating it's always beans and rice so i just try to think of versions of beans and beans and rice recipes so tonight we're doing chicken thighs which i have seasoned um and then i'm going to cook the so i'm going to sear these and then i'm going to saute the onions in that and then cook the rice in that and then pop these in the oven i'm also gonna make some broccoli and then mix some beans in at the end with the rice um should be good just using my regular cayenne cumin garlic powder chili powder salt pepper garlic onion you got you get you get the gist so i'm just searing both sides of the chicken i cook like five minutes per side helps get the skin crispy and then i'll pop it in the oven but it also makes all these delicious juices which i'm gonna cook the onions and again the rice in it'll be like extra flavorful there's something about deglazing the pan that just makes me feel incredible i'm like am i a chef now because i deglaze this pan look at all that flavor in the rice now and dinner is ready it's finally time we're starting our beloved summer and matilda is getting triggered by the door uh bell ringing but i'm so excited i've only heard amazing things about this drama apparently it's beautiful indie movie-like and also like second chance romance which we're all fans of in this house still getting used to my short thanks so sorry if i keep messing with my hair in every clip but we watched the first episode of our beloved summer tonight and i have to say i'm already hooked sold i don't know just how it's shot it's beautiful i love that it's kind of like a second chance romance i love that there's this connection through time so far it's just delightful and i feel like it's going to like make me cry but i am looking forward to that um it's on netflix so if you're interested in checking it out there you go it's on netflix easy to watch clay what were your thoughts on the first episode i liked it a lot really vibey baby seems like uh it's gonna be pretty cute and funny and it seems like the contrast between the two leads can be really good yeah like the main girl character is like more serious and intense the main guy is like more of like a puppy dog um but yeah definitely good vibes from the first episode really looking forward to watching more but now i'm gonna get to reading i want to get the rest of this book read tonight then i will update you in the morning and also start my second book i think i know which of the two books that are on my tbr that i want to pick up next but i'm not sure i also feel like i might be influenced by the snow day we're supposed to have tomorrow um but nonetheless definitely a successful kdrama watching night we also finished run on which i'm not sure we mentioned which we also really enjoyed also vibey a really nice like slow slice of life romance which i actually really appreciate in kdramas like obviously sometimes i want like loud obnoxious ridiculous like crazy plot points but sometimes i mean they all kind of still have wild plot points but sometimes it's nice if it's just like a true slice of life which i do feel like run on is but anywho i'm gonna read now and i will see you guys in the morning hi friends good morning i am up and dressed and also enjoying the icy weather outside we had a bit of an ice storm through this morning which if you're from texas you know that can really shut things down rather quickly but i'm really happy to report i finished murder of crows last night and i really enjoyed this book so much so much in fact that i am craving to just go ahead and jump into the third book because i just feel so invested in the characters in this world and i just think everything that ambitious has created is just so fascinating but i absolutely flew through the ending of the book it was intense and engaging and i would also just say i do feel like between books one and two and bishop has kind of i don't even want to say like has made it darker because like the darkness was there in book one but i think she's making us kind of confront that darkness and i think she's i don't know i think she just added a level of like awareness didn't feel like she glazed over anything like she really if she was gonna include something that was dark or dramatic it was serving the plot for one but also ensured that we as the reader had to confront that darkness and it was a conversation and characters were talking through it and i just felt like it everything was just taken it felt like more seriously in book two which i enjoyed i have to say i really like meg as a main character i think she is such an interesting character to kind of follow and just the space that anne bishop is giving her to kind of come into her own i think is just wonderful seeing her growth between books one and two not only in her own confidence and ability and just this woman has basically had to confront the world for the first time after being confined her entire life and seeing her just kind of gain the confidence to do things for herself for the first time it's just really wonderful to see also seeing the growth of her relationships not only from a friendship point of view which she hadn't which she hasn't had the opportunity to have up until this point is just really lovely and i really think just adds a lot of characterization to the story seeing her interact with other humans and other members of the courtyard and just seeing how everyone really cares about each other i think is really wonderful and makes you really invested i just appreciate like we're going into book three and just like the amount of space i feel like meg has had in the narrative is just spot on and i'm really liking it so often i feel like those types of plot lines are really rushed or like kind of blanketed over just because it might be more convenient but again i just feel like ann bishop is giving the space and again just the politics and just the complexities of this supernatural world i think is just really interesting and i do feel like this was the perfect book to pick up to help me defeat my reading slump because it was just such an easy like book to fall into which i like i also think i've decided i want to start tristan strong today i've been craving some middle grade i think that'll be a really good option and i've just heard so many good things about it i think i'm going to love it so that is going to be my next pick up but for now i do have to get some work done um but i did want to give you guys a check in this morning and just let you know i finished a book and i really liked it due to the very cold icy weather matilda is wearing her sweater which turns her into a slug so i don't expect her to move from the spot all day but you can kind of see from the window look at that ice looks slippery it's not snow it's just ice pellets so kind of the worst winter weather you can get but matilda doesn't mind so much back again with an adult lunchable this time i'm using some of my leftover dressing for my salad earlier this week i have officially finished filming my bookshelf tour and also wrapped up some of my other projects i needed to do today so i'm gonna sit down and start tristan strong which i'm so excited about i know i gave kind of a brief synopsis but i thought i would just kind of give a more in-depth one so this is the first book to a middle grade trilogy we follow our main character tristan who at the beginning of the story is feeling anything but strong after he and his friend were in a tragic bus accident resulting in his friends passing at the beginning of this book he travels to his grandparents house in alabama and basically is going to be spending the summer there on their farm this family hoping that will give him some space and time to grieve at the beginning of this book a strange creature appears on tristan's bedside sill like windowsill and steals his best friend's journal which is the only thing he has left to remember his friend by and so he chases him into the night which brings him to a strange tree on his family's property where he accidentally punches a hole in the sky which opens up a portal to a another like alternate or other world and there he meets the black american gods and they are exhausted because they have been fighting this war for many years and tristan finds himself kind of in the center of this and he's trying to make his way back home i'm so excited i'm gonna pick this book up now i just feel like i'm gonna love this book i mean look at the map like look at this look at incredible just incredible so i feel like i'm gonna fall into this immediately and truly cannot wait hi it's me i'm happy to report i've already read 60 pages of tristan strong punches a hole in the sky and wow i love middle grade fantasy it's been too long since i've read a middle grade fantasy because okay like this book and so many of my other favorite series i just feel like middle grade fantasy has the ability to kind of combine fun adventure like whimsy as well as just like quirky characters that like make you laugh but also have such heartfelt stories centering main characters that you just fall in love with and root for and you just want to see their character arc and journey and i just know so quickly that that is how i'm gonna feel about this book 60 pages in but wow it's been a whirlwind so far so much has happened obviously i already gave the synopsis in the previous clip and that is very much true um you're reading from tristan's point of view and you basically opened the book on him traveling to his grandparents house you just can't help but fall in love with him and immediately root for tristan and i just like know it's going to be an emotional journey obviously tristan himself is going through a hard time as you can imagine based on the synopsis of this book losing his best friend and he's also struggling in the sport he loves too which is boxing his family has a history with boxing and he's just it's just difficult all around which which makes sense uh he has many people in his life that love him and are trying to help him and that's kind of the inspiration again for him traveling to his grandparents house he's very close with his grandmother though he does have some strife with his grandfather as they kind of a hard time understanding i would say where the other is coming from um but as i mentioned this book is fast i mean the first 60 pages so much has happened it doesn't feel rushed it's more or less that i'm like already so hooked already so engaged and again it just walks this line of being really aware of the emotional depth of our main character but again sort of beginning to introduce those quirky characters and also tristan encountering some of these stories come to life right before his eyes our eyes and it's just so incredibly engaging so far just the writing the characterization i just am so looking forward to going on this adventure with tristan and seeing his arc i'm just rooting for him so much um and yeah the first 60 pages of this book was amazing he has just gotten to this new mysterious place uh after like punching a hole and i'm really looking forward to encountering it with him he's already run into this sort of whimsical character called gum baby who is really funny and rather mischievous and you just get this sense that tristan is going to encounter all sorts of things pulled right from folklore which i think is going to be so cool to encounter i love it love any mythology based story and so far this has absolutely captured my intention i'm gonna be reading more tonight gonna read more tomorrow my hope is to get about 150 pages read which i don't really foresee being an issue because of how quickly i read the first 60 pages but yes i love it so good can't wait to read more i forgot to take the chicken out to defrost so we picked up some pizza clay went and walked and grabbed this and then and then i think we've decided to watch kdramas tonight and maybe have some soju and beer oh yeah many episodes of kdramas later i am now going to go back to reading good afternoon everyone um i have been spending most of my day so far editing my bookshelf tour but i did want to do a reading check-in because i'm on page 120 of tristan strong punches a hole in the sky i do hope to read more but kind of treating it like a reward after i finish editing i'm loving this book again this just encapsulates everything i love in middle grade it has adventure it has mythology and so many things to like explore and learn but rooted at the heart of the story is just such a dynamic main character in tristan he's just such a wonderful character to read from the point of view of i keep talking about this because it's truly real i know we're gonna go on such a journey with him and there's also just like small things that the author includes in the story which i just love to see and i know is like so important thinking about um middle grade audiences reading this like the inclusion of talking about things like therapy and like applying lessons that tristan has learned from his counselor and just speaking positively towards things like understanding and confronting your emotions and obviously tristan is going through that himself right now as he's grieving and he's not perfect and he's but he's trying his best and i just think that whole story that whole thing around him just this boy who has to confront so many different emotions but you also see him take on and tackle so many great things as well so far i have fallen head first in this book the pacing is fast the adventure and just the mythology is there this is a story that is using african mythology as really the center of a lot of the fantasy components of this book but it is also including these sort of mythological stories and their evolution and their connection to slavery and the story itself also confronts things like generational trauma as well as like the importance of sharing stories even if it might be painful and just the overall message of this book is just so incredible it's so well written it's so well realized just like the plot fast pace but within this like adventure filled plot it also has just so much emotion and characters you fall in love with so many different fun characters that you love like you're gonna laugh cry be shocked i just i love middle grade i'm loving this book i really feel like this is going to be a new favorite series it's just incredible and it's just like i love writing middle grades it also makes me excited because i think about like when i was a kid picking up books and loving stories and i just think about all the kids that have the opportunity to read this book and it almost like makes me tear up because like this is just such a great story and i know so many kids love it are going to continue to love it and i just like can see this being passed around you know like in the lunchroom and stuff anyway so that's my check-in i'm gonna try to get over the 150 page mark but again i have to edit i'm like behind i gotta go i gotta go i gotta go so goodbye remnants of my lunch ramen and my computer i'm halfway done everyone i'm halfway done hi friends and welcome to the end of the vlog a few days later i just wanted to pop in and wrap up everything i was able to read over the course of this vlog i wanted to start with tristan strong punch the hole in the sky because i'm happy to report i actually read to page 170 of this book and continue to read it and i'm just absolutely flying through it i'm just truly like as i kind of was describing in the last clip just delighted by this narrative so far i love tristan i love the message i love that the author is continuing to include like just important elements that i feel like are important things to discuss from fears and anxiety but also seeing our main character still confront those things it's full of so much wonderful folklore and storytelling is absolutely central to the book itself so fast-paced i am gripped and it's just such a fun adventure so far i can't wait to finish it and then also just move on to the rest of the books in the series and then i of course spread the 350-ish pages of this book murder of crows which i really enjoyed as well and talked about at length i am craving to pick up book three just this series has just completely captured my attention and i find it to be so so entertaining so i'm happy i picked this up so soon after reading the first one written in red but that is the end of my reading vlog i did read over the 500 page mark which i am rather delighted with but i hope you guys enjoyed this video i'm also happy to say i feel like i am back officially in a reading mood in that i am a little less distracted while picking up a book alrighty guys so that is everything i read um again big shout out to this video sponsor which is glassesusa.com and i'll have a link to all of my glasses i showed off at the beginning of this video linked down below as well as a special offer i hope you guys enjoyed this video and i will see you soon with another one soon goodbyehi guys it's regan and welcome to the start of another reading vlog so this is very much a work week reading vlog and i'm going to try to actually show as much of like my like how i stay productive of my day as possible but also this is going to be reading vlog hopefully full of reading but before we chat about the books first a word from this video sponsor which is glassesusa.com hi guys so this video is sponsored in part by glassesusa.com and if you have been watching my channel for any amount of time you would know that they are a long time partner of my channel and also the maker of literally every single pair of eyeglasses i own i would say one of my most asked questions is where are my eyeglasses from and the answer is always glassesusa.com but if you're not familiar glassesusa is an online glasses retailer and they're incredible not only for their huge vast collection of both eyeglasses and sunglasses in literally any style shape color you can imagine but they're also able to provide you those glasses at incredible prices basically sending the glasses directly to you at your door making them not only more affordable but also more convenient and it's also incredibly easy to shop their site not only from just filtering from different colors and shapes that you might be looking for but they also have online tools like the virtual try on tool which allows you to upload a selfie so you're able to see what the frames actually look like on you before purchasing you also have great add-ons you can add to your frames like for example adding blue light to any of your lenses or i jump into the haul itself i of course have an offer for you guys which i will leave linked down below for my glassesusa.com haul this time around i wanted to do a bit of a greatest hits haul feature the frames that i would say i wear the most and are my current favorites specifically starting out with this pair which i would say i wear about 90 percent of the time if you see me wearing glasses it's most likely this style these are the ray-ban 3-4-4-7-v and i have them in the gold medium size i also have them in a gold with a tortoise surround but they have a lot of different metal colors and color combinations you're able to shop from these are just my favorite glasses i think the size the weight i just love a wire rim frame glasses i just think they're the best it's my favorite i wear these so often and if you're ever curious what make and battle they were i have it linked down below and you can likely get them for a good deal the next frame i have to show off are the hilary duff clara frame and i have these in the clear beige color which again i just love not only the shape which i just think is really really flattering but i think this color is incredible it's such a nice middle place between a tortoise and a clear frame i also think this frame shape and frame color would be flattering on so many different people and this frame also comes in a variety of other colors as well but i like the clear because it doesn't really interrupt my field of vision too much but yeah the size color of these just primo i talk about these a lot and i would say these are my second most worn pair of glasses and then the last frame i have to show off are the muse modern m glasses and these to me are like my power frames if i ever had a meeting where i needed to do like a client presentation when i still was going in the office i would always wear like a intense tortoise eyeglass because it just makes me feel like i can take on the world at a turtleneck do i own an art gallery she's all of a sudden very mysterious clark kent vibes you know these i think are just incredible not only is the price point amazing but i think the shape is really cool and modern but obviously still very classic i love the darker tortoise shade i think it's a really nice color and again a great shade for so many people already guys that is my glasses usa frame haul i will of course have all the frames i showed off today including a unique offer for you guys all linked down below so be sure to check that out again big shout out to glassesusa.com for partnering with me for this video i love them oh so much but let's go ahead and jump back into the vlog so in full transparency i am in a complete reading slump which is so disappointing and it's actually a reading slump that has nothing to do with my desire to read i actually really feel like reading but i am just really distracted and i'm having a hard time concentrating when i pick up a book you know that feeling when you're like trying to read and you read like a sentence and then your mind wanders and just have no idea what you've just actually read you have to keep rereading it and i'm just finding that that's kind of where my headspace is so with that in mind i'm trying to get my reading back on track by picking out some books that i feel like are really good like distracting stories or books i know that for me personally when i'm feeling this way can kind of pull me back in um nothing too intense and i just feel like that might be the recipe for success here so let's talk about the books i hope to read so the first book i feel like is exactly what i feel like reading and that is some urban fantasy romance so i've decided to pick up murder of crows by anne bishop this is book two to the novel of the other series which is an urban fantasy series following our main character meg who's a blood prophet who's basically running from the sort of human organization and is staying in a place called the courtyard in this world supernatural creatures exist and they have a very tenuous relationship with humanity and they live on like very divided lines whereas the others kind of control most of the natural resources and a lot of the land and humanity has kind of expanded in cities and are more focused on technological advancements meg lives in a place that kind of has a bit of interaction between humans and the others um and this has like a slow burn romance and i don't know i'm just hoping this will be like a great book to kind of pull me in distract me nothing too wild nothing too intense but just like entertaining you know so i feel like this tends to be urban fantasy romance tends to be the books i pick up when i'm feeling the most slumpy so i'm hoping this is a story that i'll be just very engaged and entertained by so this is the first book i hope to read for this vlog and then the other two books are two from my tbr that i'm just really excited about um and i'm hoping just again fit the bill in defeating the slump i haven't decided which of these two books i'm going to read i'll just show them both off the first is arsenic and adobo which is a cozy mystery which just sounds delightful it centers family and food basically follows a woman who's trying to kind of bring her family's restaurant back um but a food critic comes who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and he dies shortly after eating the food there and so begins a mystery i've heard really good things about this again the idea of a cozy mystery absolutely calls out to me i love who done it but i love the idea of a story not being like too scary or too intense and i feel like a thriller book will kind of propel me through the pages and will really capture my attention so this is one of the books i'm considering reading and then the other is a middle grade option which middle grade is another book i tend to look out when i'm feeling a little slumpy i'm just always so delighted by their stories the writing and just the characters it's just so easy to root for and fall in so i have tristan strong punches a hole in the sky which follows a young boy who literally accidentally punches a hole in the sky and kind of creates a portal to another world um where he meets the black american gods he tries to fight his way back home i've heard so many fantastic things about this i'm also thinking about checking out the audiobook for this um but yes so that is my tbr a little undecided but the goal is to defeat my reading slump and also just feel productive this week i feel january is like just a hard month and i know a lot of you guys can relate to that i just haven't really been putting in a lot of effort like to myself like i haven't really feel like i've been like trying to get dressed i haven't been doing my journaling or my planning because that helps me feel on track like i've just kind of let some of my routine slide a bit and i've just been feeling a little la so i'm trying to get back on track and also get back on track with reading so anyway that is a long ramble welcome to the vlog it is monday morning so cheers it's monday i usually i'm like having this it's so weird i usually like to try to plan my week out i have a journal which i love hello but i also got this like weekly sticky note pad which i really like i'm a big list maker so this is nice i can like visually see it all and i just leave it out on my desk um so i like to do both i think for this morning i'm gonna do this really quickly get organized mentally and then go work on some emails for a while so i'm gonna do this to get my rj pen and we're done small steps to bringing back productivity in my life hi so i'm up and dressed as i mentioned a goal this week is to get dressed every single day and also clay made a green smoothie so delicious getting those getting that spinach in and my little vegetable powder in vitamins alrighty it's lunch time so i'm actually working on making the dressing i'm gonna be using for the next couple days it's like a healthier ranch i saw this salad on tick tock i've been having a lot of success with tik tok salad so i thought let's keep it going so i'm gonna chop all this up mix mix mix and make the salad all right here's the dressing it's just greek yogurt some sour cream lemon and just a bunch of seasoning or herbs lots of dill some mint chives uh garlic yummy super good this must be a really good like dip for like carrots and stuff um but anyway this is my dressing for the salad flake i'm gonna put it in here all right salad is all here i have croutons cucumber egg radishes carrots red bell pepper and then my dressing so i'm just gonna toss it now and enjoy and salad is complete time for my afternoon coffee and i think i'm gonna sit down and start murder of gross so do you think i should grab one of these because i think yes all righty it got all my necessary things it's going to be a really rainy week in texas a cold one too i don't even get snow so i'm just going to embrace it and help it and hope it fuels my reading so i can get out of this slump and also i feel like i always have to be super careful when i sit down on the couch because i just never know if matilda is there or not so it's like sit with caution you know hi friends so i've just been reading i'm actually about to start making dinner so i'm making a chili tonight so i wanted to cook for a little while but i'm happy to report i read the first 60 pages of murder of crows which again is book two to the others series so so far i would say this book has pulled me in much quicker than the first one which i'm happy to see i'm very engaged in the second book in the series i would say book one which is very logical is very focused on setting up the world but mostly just kind of following meg our main character as she's getting settled and situated within this courtyard community kind of making friends making acquaintances having this complicated relationship with simon the leader of this courtyard and also a wolf and then also kind of learning a bit about her past which kind of culminates in a sort of attack on the courtyard in the second book and again this is a many book series the second book so far has been much more about kind of jumping into the action right away which i like with the attack uh that occurred in the first one you kind of got hints escalating tension between the others and humans um and you're definitely seeing more of the political aspect of that in book two you start to see hints of organizations that have interest in trying to stir up um like societal conflict against the others in their courtyards to the point of violence and also seeing how there are different strategies to make this occur specifically with the introduction and the distribution of a certain drug and there just seems to be a kind of conspiracy occurring around us and also rumblings of some sort of planned attack but we're not entirely sure who what where or why but you start to see the pieces of what seems to be like a larger issue at play the other element to this as well as we see again more behind the scenes of even where meg was previously kept politics around blood prophets types of facilities and just the overall terrible situation that many people who have this particular ability are kept in and it's just appalling to read about um but we also get points of view of different people powerful people in this world outside of our sort of main points of views with simon and meg which i do feel like has kind of cracked the world a bit more open and has provided a little more political overlay to this book that we didn't have nearly as much in the first one so i'm enjoying that quite a bit the tension between meg and simon i will say has been turned up a bit until until it's hitting the doors quickly but the tension between them has definitely heightened um it was like barely hinted at in the first one and now we're starting to see them at least being friends and having like moments of confusion that they're both feeling which i'm liking to see developed but so far i'm really liking the second book it's captured me right away i feel like ann bishop has kind of worked to color in some of the larger conflicts in this world which obviously can only be built out of the foundation of the first one kind of getting us settled with meg our characters and our location and the history of the others and humans kind of interacting side by side just an interesting book it's definitely like urban fantasy vibes has some elements that are by no means perfect but it's definitely entertaining and i'm liking it and i am reading it rather quickly which is what i need right now because literally i've barely been able to concentrate while reading so this is feels like a breath of fresh air like it just feels nice to be able to pick up a book and like fall into it you know so i've read 60 pages i am going to take matilda out and then i'm going to start making dinner okay guys i'm about to start actually making dinner for real but i bought some jeans that tiktok loves i bought the levi straight rib cage jeans and i'm actually like flabbergasted okay because normally levi's never worked for me because i'm too curvy and normally straight leg doesn't work cause it always looks like a skinny jean and then rigid denim i have a hard time with because it's too tight too big whatever these jeans fit perfectly they're perfect they fit so nice i'm i'm amazed i'll link them down below they're always writing a sale so don't buy them full price but these are fully worth the hype they're also like an 11 inch rise which i personally like a really high rise because i think it's flattering i'm shook i i just i bought these fully expecting to hate them but then they fit me perfectly very rarely happens to me with jeans so i just had to share all right i've put together my lazy chili which i make with uh like canned tomato soup and beef broth i just like that it adds a little bit of sweetness and then i make it really spicy add a bunch of seasonings chili powder garlic cumin salt pepper smoked paprika the whole nine yards and i know i'm from texas but i like my chili with beans and i personally think the beans are the best part of a chili so you'll never see me make a beanless chili and i don't care if that's controversial then i'm gonna let this cook for a little while and then enjoy and a bone appetit baking cookies and we're also hello matilda finally finishing run on we randomly watched 14 episodes of the show and didn't watch the last two episodes so we're finishing that we finished strongwoman which i'll probably talk more about tomorrow and then we're going to start our beloved summer this week which i'm so excited about we did not make the bed this morning but time to read good morning everyone starting this additionally gloomy day with a nice cup of coffee and i'm gonna read over there and matilda did not want to hang out but that's all right it's time to read and drink some coffee day two of getting fully dressed wearing my new jeans of course also happy to report i have passed 150 page mark of murder of crows i'm really liking that book i do feel like there's been a lot of growth from book one to book two and i have thoughts which i will talk about more in depth in a bit i'm actually about to skedaddle because i have a dentist appointment big day i'm getting my permanent crown put on i'm gonna take off this temporary thing and have a real tooth once again and i am jazzed about it so good vibes all around just wanted to say hello i got dressed i'll check in after my appointment because i have thoughts and feelings but for now i need to get ready to go a nice soft lunch of mac and cheese and i'm watching real housewives reunion before i get back to email hi everyone it is like 7 p.m today kind of sucker punched me in the face of it but we're making it through wanted to come and talk to you guys about murder of crows because i am on page 150 and i do plan on reading more tonight um but i want to talk about all the reasons why i'm really liking this book i have to say first and foremost i feel like this book has just increased in quality from book one to book two which i like um and i just wanted to speak to a few other elements of just the choice of the plotting that i'm really appreciating first and foremost i want to speak a little more about this slow burn romance which i actually really appreciate because the author is approaching this romance not just because slow burn romances are fun to read but our main character meg has gone through a lot of traumatic things in her life and she also has not been exposed to a lot of like normal relationship dating things so she's kind of encountering all of that for the first time so this relationship is slowly being built because the author and simon are giving her space to become fully comfortable with one just being friends with someone or with a guy and then two if that wants to develop into something else it possibly could at no point does it feel like simon has some sort of like ulterior alt ulterior motive or like they're all just playing koi with one another it feels so burned because it just feels like we're on a journey with meg and these characters who likely discover that they have feelings for one another and obviously two simon having a relationship with a human is incredibly uncommon and i just feel like how the author is kind of plotting along with it is unusual and i appreciate it number two this book is a lot more intense and it's mostly because we're really getting a lot more insight and just dialogue about some of the like heightened political elements which i've already kind of referenced with these movements that are anti tara and jin that are like pro human anti any type of supernatural creature and the other thing about this book too is in book one we had secondary points of view that i just kind of felt they felt a little flat in comparison to like simon and meg but the supplementary points of view that were given i do feel like add a lot more to the plot in book two than we kind of experienced in book one either because they're intense or frightening or just the characters feel a little more fully realized which i like so just generally speaking really positive things to say i'm just really pleased to see how this second book is developing and it also just feels like the author is taking their time with kind of developing the romance and the characters and everything like that so positive thoughts all around and i'm happy about it but yeah that's my reading update today has been a lot i'm wait i can't wait for it to be over but i do plan to hang out and play later watch kdramas and read my book chili round two for dinner tonight hi everyone good afternoon ish it is pouring down rain we're about to have a winter storm tonight i started my day getting my hair cut which hopefully you guys think is cute i have little like short frenchie bangs which i think are always fun um so oh hit my tripod so today is wednesday yesterday was a bit of a fail but today i'm feeling positive i'm feeling excited things are looking good and i'm ready to take that momentum throughout today it is about noon again i had my hair appointment very early this morning and i've just been working since i've gotten back i also plan to start the process of filming my bookshelf tour unfortunately it is raining so the lighting and the weather isn't like perfectly ideal but i think it'll be okay but yeah anyway i didn't do a lot of reading last night clay and i really just focused on finishing run on um and today we're both feeling much better um but none the less i don't know what else i was gonna say i think i need to make lunch here in a minute but just wanted to say hello happy wednesday i did get dressed this is definitely a more casual outfit and normally i wouldn't count it but i did wear this exact thing out in public so therefore i'm counting it as getting dressed because strangers saw me wearing this so i feel like that counts for something these leggings are from girlfriend they're the best anyway okay hello let's make some lunch for today's lunch we are eating what i am calling an adult lunchable got some vegetables some hummus cheese and crackers delish trying to get matilda all comfy so she just sticks around here i i can't tell if she loves me she hates me from that look but i am going to now start filming my bookshelf tour my bookshelves are very high which i love but i think i'm gonna get pretty creative because that's how high my font goes those are my bookshelves i have my step stool i need to clean up a bit this is the stuff that i will not show the video but let's begin all right candle is lit i have a evening cup of coffee it is so gloomy outside it's about to storm which is going to turn into an ice storm late tonight and tomorrow morning so i'm going to stay very cuddled up but i'm going to do a solid bout of reading as i just haven't um had a lot of time to read well i didn't make a lot of time last night so i'm trying to get back on track so i'm gonna sit there and read and i'll check in once i've done so hello and great news i have read over the 250 page mark of this book which means i've just about 100 pages left so for sure plan to finish this tonight gonna be taking a bit of a break i'm actually going to start dinner but i wanted to do a reading check-in because i am really enjoying this book i know i sound like a bit of a broken record but i just feel like the jump from book one to book two has just been so excellent i was really intrigued by this world i think creation of this sort of supernatural setting where humans and supernatural creatures have lived alongside each other for like thousands of years and how the society is kind of formed around this through time which is such an interesting idea and concept and to see how in this current state in this current reality it's beginning to heat up in terms of tension and then you can see in the current reality about how that tension between humans and the others otherwise also called the terra dijin um is beginning to heat up again it's really not the others heating it up it's more that the humans in their constant pursuit of expansion capitalism just wanting more and more and more become unhappy with the agreements that they have made um and try to push the boundary or fight back and then they have to deal with the consequences of the terror and gene fighting back but then they just blame them even though it's like the consequences to their own actions you know what i mean um in a very human-like fashion like humanity acting a fool within this book is not a surprise let's just say that and i just feel like the tension of that is just such a kind of fascinating element of this book and i do feel like how the author is elevating it and evolving it is really great then we still have these sort of small scale interactions of the courtyard that this book is primarily set in is in a small community that there is some interactions between humans and the others and specifically you really see how the others courtyard kind of deals with issues much more differently than humanity but are also like looking out for their own but also looking out for people that have looked out for them really like a loyalty situation and then obviously meg your main character who is human um has been living there now for a while and kind of learning more and a lot of this book too is meg kind of trying to learn and understand and try to control her blood profit powers which obviously are really complex for a variety of reasons and i do want to say a trigger warning for cutting as that is a component of this book because she is a blood prophet the reality that maggie's had to face her whole life as well as so many other girls trapped in this situation is definitely becoming a larger plot point i just feel like the writing and the characterization and the setting has really just been amped up a bit in this second book which has just made me very engrossed i'm having a hard time putting this book down super fast pace i'm really attached to a lot of the characters and yeah i'm looking forward to the series i do feel like this is going to be a series which i'm just going to read a lot of the books this year because it just feels like the perfect like break a reading slump kind of series to read um but yeah i'm going to finish this i just i'm really enjoying the connection between meg and simon the slow growth of their relationship both from a friendship but just kind of like on a deeper level as well and i just think it's been a great book too so far so i am going to start dinner now and i'll check in with you guys in a bit so dinner tonight is really fast and easy basically anytime i ask clay what it feels like eating it's always beans and rice so i just try to think of versions of beans and beans and rice recipes so tonight we're doing chicken thighs which i have seasoned um and then i'm going to cook the so i'm going to sear these and then i'm going to saute the onions in that and then cook the rice in that and then pop these in the oven i'm also gonna make some broccoli and then mix some beans in at the end with the rice um should be good just using my regular cayenne cumin garlic powder chili powder salt pepper garlic onion you got you get you get the gist so i'm just searing both sides of the chicken i cook like five minutes per side helps get the skin crispy and then i'll pop it in the oven but it also makes all these delicious juices which i'm gonna cook the onions and again the rice in it'll be like extra flavorful there's something about deglazing the pan that just makes me feel incredible i'm like am i a chef now because i deglaze this pan look at all that flavor in the rice now and dinner is ready it's finally time we're starting our beloved summer and matilda is getting triggered by the door uh bell ringing but i'm so excited i've only heard amazing things about this drama apparently it's beautiful indie movie-like and also like second chance romance which we're all fans of in this house still getting used to my short thanks so sorry if i keep messing with my hair in every clip but we watched the first episode of our beloved summer tonight and i have to say i'm already hooked sold i don't know just how it's shot it's beautiful i love that it's kind of like a second chance romance i love that there's this connection through time so far it's just delightful and i feel like it's going to like make me cry but i am looking forward to that um it's on netflix so if you're interested in checking it out there you go it's on netflix easy to watch clay what were your thoughts on the first episode i liked it a lot really vibey baby seems like uh it's gonna be pretty cute and funny and it seems like the contrast between the two leads can be really good yeah like the main girl character is like more serious and intense the main guy is like more of like a puppy dog um but yeah definitely good vibes from the first episode really looking forward to watching more but now i'm gonna get to reading i want to get the rest of this book read tonight then i will update you in the morning and also start my second book i think i know which of the two books that are on my tbr that i want to pick up next but i'm not sure i also feel like i might be influenced by the snow day we're supposed to have tomorrow um but nonetheless definitely a successful kdrama watching night we also finished run on which i'm not sure we mentioned which we also really enjoyed also vibey a really nice like slow slice of life romance which i actually really appreciate in kdramas like obviously sometimes i want like loud obnoxious ridiculous like crazy plot points but sometimes i mean they all kind of still have wild plot points but sometimes it's nice if it's just like a true slice of life which i do feel like run on is but anywho i'm gonna read now and i will see you guys in the morning hi friends good morning i am up and dressed and also enjoying the icy weather outside we had a bit of an ice storm through this morning which if you're from texas you know that can really shut things down rather quickly but i'm really happy to report i finished murder of crows last night and i really enjoyed this book so much so much in fact that i am craving to just go ahead and jump into the third book because i just feel so invested in the characters in this world and i just think everything that ambitious has created is just so fascinating but i absolutely flew through the ending of the book it was intense and engaging and i would also just say i do feel like between books one and two and bishop has kind of i don't even want to say like has made it darker because like the darkness was there in book one but i think she's making us kind of confront that darkness and i think she's i don't know i think she just added a level of like awareness didn't feel like she glazed over anything like she really if she was gonna include something that was dark or dramatic it was serving the plot for one but also ensured that we as the reader had to confront that darkness and it was a conversation and characters were talking through it and i just felt like it everything was just taken it felt like more seriously in book two which i enjoyed i have to say i really like meg as a main character i think she is such an interesting character to kind of follow and just the space that anne bishop is giving her to kind of come into her own i think is just wonderful seeing her growth between books one and two not only in her own confidence and ability and just this woman has basically had to confront the world for the first time after being confined her entire life and seeing her just kind of gain the confidence to do things for herself for the first time it's just really wonderful to see also seeing the growth of her relationships not only from a friendship point of view which she hadn't which she hasn't had the opportunity to have up until this point is just really lovely and i really think just adds a lot of characterization to the story seeing her interact with other humans and other members of the courtyard and just seeing how everyone really cares about each other i think is really wonderful and makes you really invested i just appreciate like we're going into book three and just like the amount of space i feel like meg has had in the narrative is just spot on and i'm really liking it so often i feel like those types of plot lines are really rushed or like kind of blanketed over just because it might be more convenient but again i just feel like ann bishop is giving the space and again just the politics and just the complexities of this supernatural world i think is just really interesting and i do feel like this was the perfect book to pick up to help me defeat my reading slump because it was just such an easy like book to fall into which i like i also think i've decided i want to start tristan strong today i've been craving some middle grade i think that'll be a really good option and i've just heard so many good things about it i think i'm going to love it so that is going to be my next pick up but for now i do have to get some work done um but i did want to give you guys a check in this morning and just let you know i finished a book and i really liked it due to the very cold icy weather matilda is wearing her sweater which turns her into a slug so i don't expect her to move from the spot all day but you can kind of see from the window look at that ice looks slippery it's not snow it's just ice pellets so kind of the worst winter weather you can get but matilda doesn't mind so much back again with an adult lunchable this time i'm using some of my leftover dressing for my salad earlier this week i have officially finished filming my bookshelf tour and also wrapped up some of my other projects i needed to do today so i'm gonna sit down and start tristan strong which i'm so excited about i know i gave kind of a brief synopsis but i thought i would just kind of give a more in-depth one so this is the first book to a middle grade trilogy we follow our main character tristan who at the beginning of the story is feeling anything but strong after he and his friend were in a tragic bus accident resulting in his friends passing at the beginning of this book he travels to his grandparents house in alabama and basically is going to be spending the summer there on their farm this family hoping that will give him some space and time to grieve at the beginning of this book a strange creature appears on tristan's bedside sill like windowsill and steals his best friend's journal which is the only thing he has left to remember his friend by and so he chases him into the night which brings him to a strange tree on his family's property where he accidentally punches a hole in the sky which opens up a portal to a another like alternate or other world and there he meets the black american gods and they are exhausted because they have been fighting this war for many years and tristan finds himself kind of in the center of this and he's trying to make his way back home i'm so excited i'm gonna pick this book up now i just feel like i'm gonna love this book i mean look at the map like look at this look at incredible just incredible so i feel like i'm gonna fall into this immediately and truly cannot wait hi it's me i'm happy to report i've already read 60 pages of tristan strong punches a hole in the sky and wow i love middle grade fantasy it's been too long since i've read a middle grade fantasy because okay like this book and so many of my other favorite series i just feel like middle grade fantasy has the ability to kind of combine fun adventure like whimsy as well as just like quirky characters that like make you laugh but also have such heartfelt stories centering main characters that you just fall in love with and root for and you just want to see their character arc and journey and i just know so quickly that that is how i'm gonna feel about this book 60 pages in but wow it's been a whirlwind so far so much has happened obviously i already gave the synopsis in the previous clip and that is very much true um you're reading from tristan's point of view and you basically opened the book on him traveling to his grandparents house you just can't help but fall in love with him and immediately root for tristan and i just like know it's going to be an emotional journey obviously tristan himself is going through a hard time as you can imagine based on the synopsis of this book losing his best friend and he's also struggling in the sport he loves too which is boxing his family has a history with boxing and he's just it's just difficult all around which which makes sense uh he has many people in his life that love him and are trying to help him and that's kind of the inspiration again for him traveling to his grandparents house he's very close with his grandmother though he does have some strife with his grandfather as they kind of a hard time understanding i would say where the other is coming from um but as i mentioned this book is fast i mean the first 60 pages so much has happened it doesn't feel rushed it's more or less that i'm like already so hooked already so engaged and again it just walks this line of being really aware of the emotional depth of our main character but again sort of beginning to introduce those quirky characters and also tristan encountering some of these stories come to life right before his eyes our eyes and it's just so incredibly engaging so far just the writing the characterization i just am so looking forward to going on this adventure with tristan and seeing his arc i'm just rooting for him so much um and yeah the first 60 pages of this book was amazing he has just gotten to this new mysterious place uh after like punching a hole and i'm really looking forward to encountering it with him he's already run into this sort of whimsical character called gum baby who is really funny and rather mischievous and you just get this sense that tristan is going to encounter all sorts of things pulled right from folklore which i think is going to be so cool to encounter i love it love any mythology based story and so far this has absolutely captured my intention i'm gonna be reading more tonight gonna read more tomorrow my hope is to get about 150 pages read which i don't really foresee being an issue because of how quickly i read the first 60 pages but yes i love it so good can't wait to read more i forgot to take the chicken out to defrost so we picked up some pizza clay went and walked and grabbed this and then and then i think we've decided to watch kdramas tonight and maybe have some soju and beer oh yeah many episodes of kdramas later i am now going to go back to reading good afternoon everyone um i have been spending most of my day so far editing my bookshelf tour but i did want to do a reading check-in because i'm on page 120 of tristan strong punches a hole in the sky i do hope to read more but kind of treating it like a reward after i finish editing i'm loving this book again this just encapsulates everything i love in middle grade it has adventure it has mythology and so many things to like explore and learn but rooted at the heart of the story is just such a dynamic main character in tristan he's just such a wonderful character to read from the point of view of i keep talking about this because it's truly real i know we're gonna go on such a journey with him and there's also just like small things that the author includes in the story which i just love to see and i know is like so important thinking about um middle grade audiences reading this like the inclusion of talking about things like therapy and like applying lessons that tristan has learned from his counselor and just speaking positively towards things like understanding and confronting your emotions and obviously tristan is going through that himself right now as he's grieving and he's not perfect and he's but he's trying his best and i just think that whole story that whole thing around him just this boy who has to confront so many different emotions but you also see him take on and tackle so many great things as well so far i have fallen head first in this book the pacing is fast the adventure and just the mythology is there this is a story that is using african mythology as really the center of a lot of the fantasy components of this book but it is also including these sort of mythological stories and their evolution and their connection to slavery and the story itself also confronts things like generational trauma as well as like the importance of sharing stories even if it might be painful and just the overall message of this book is just so incredible it's so well written it's so well realized just like the plot fast pace but within this like adventure filled plot it also has just so much emotion and characters you fall in love with so many different fun characters that you love like you're gonna laugh cry be shocked i just i love middle grade i'm loving this book i really feel like this is going to be a new favorite series it's just incredible and it's just like i love writing middle grades it also makes me excited because i think about like when i was a kid picking up books and loving stories and i just think about all the kids that have the opportunity to read this book and it almost like makes me tear up because like this is just such a great story and i know so many kids love it are going to continue to love it and i just like can see this being passed around you know like in the lunchroom and stuff anyway so that's my check-in i'm gonna try to get over the 150 page mark but again i have to edit i'm like behind i gotta go i gotta go i gotta go so goodbye remnants of my lunch ramen and my computer i'm halfway done everyone i'm halfway done hi friends and welcome to the end of the vlog a few days later i just wanted to pop in and wrap up everything i was able to read over the course of this vlog i wanted to start with tristan strong punch the hole in the sky because i'm happy to report i actually read to page 170 of this book and continue to read it and i'm just absolutely flying through it i'm just truly like as i kind of was describing in the last clip just delighted by this narrative so far i love tristan i love the message i love that the author is continuing to include like just important elements that i feel like are important things to discuss from fears and anxiety but also seeing our main character still confront those things it's full of so much wonderful folklore and storytelling is absolutely central to the book itself so fast-paced i am gripped and it's just such a fun adventure so far i can't wait to finish it and then also just move on to the rest of the books in the series and then i of course spread the 350-ish pages of this book murder of crows which i really enjoyed as well and talked about at length i am craving to pick up book three just this series has just completely captured my attention and i find it to be so so entertaining so i'm happy i picked this up so soon after reading the first one written in red but that is the end of my reading vlog i did read over the 500 page mark which i am rather delighted with but i hope you guys enjoyed this video i'm also happy to say i feel like i am back officially in a reading mood in that i am a little less distracted while picking up a book alrighty guys so that is everything i read um again big shout out to this video sponsor which is glassesusa.com and i'll have a link to all of my glasses i showed off at the beginning of this video linked down below as well as a special offer i hope you guys enjoyed this video and i will see you soon with another one soon goodbye\n"