Onyx Storm
Rebecca Yarros

I am 75% of the way through this book and all I want to do is rush to the end. I simply HAVE to know where this one is going. Yarros has managed to keep heightened tension and mystery through the entire book. My main issue is that the story has felt a bit forced with the pacing. It's this and then this and then this and then this. It's like she's checking things off a plot list. That doesn't hurt the story per se, but it makes for a weird reading experience.

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Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
Matt Paxton

I'm in the waning pages of this one. It gets quite practical at the end - I'm talking bullet points, checklists, and specific vendor/supply recommendations. Again, this is more for an older audience.

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Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
Matt Paxton with Jordan Michael Smith

I just started reading this book and it's fine so far. I'm always looking for excuses to read more about getting rid of "stuff." The writing is simple and understandable. I also like the storytelling aspects. But, this book is definitely written for an older audience. There is a lot of focus on things for the retired crowd.

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Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change
Angela Garbes
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I meant this to be a short read that I could put down when Onyx Storm comes out at the end of this month, but it’s really hitting me in the feels. Graber is building a case that we need to reframe caregiving AND be more supportive on the social change level. She's also mixing in a lot of family history. These memoir parts really drive home the personal impact of mothering.

House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J. Maas

I've hit the point of the book where it's really hard for me to stop reading every night. I literally have to tell myself to grab my bookmark, close the cover, and turn out the light. I love that I'm into the story but I hate that I can't devote more time to reading. I have to admit that I'm reading this one for the storytelling aspect. The plot itself is overly convoluted and probably full of holes, but I'm enjoying the ride. Also, this is now an entirely ensemble cast series. Yeah, there are leads, but they do seem any more important than the supporting characters.

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House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J. Maas

I polished off the second book in the Crescent Series romantasy series and rolled right into the third. It’s a good thing I had this book already on hand because book two ended on a cliffhanger with a twist (that I sorta knew was coming from spoilers) and I did NOT want to wait to find out what would happen next. Currently, I find myself most interested in the cross over storyline. The stuff having back in the "original" world is fine, but I really want to spend time with our heroine. That said, the full cast of characters is really rounding out. Some of them are less flat than they used to be. I like seeing the added depth.

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House of Sky and Breath
Sarah J. Maas
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Maas added an entire new section of her world in this book. It's incredible and I bet it would look great on the screen. There are also many new characters but, since they're not being info dumped, it's been easier to remember them. I do want to note that our leads seem to lack the chemistry of her other books. It might be that her world is so big that they don't get as much attention.

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House of Earth and Blood
Sarah J. Maas

I picked up this absolute door stopper of a book a few days ago. The first 100 pages have been a struggle. It's not that the story is bad. I love Maas's fantasy worlds. There is just so much lore and world building happening on top of learning myriad character names. It's a lot to keep track of when you only read in bed at the end of a long day. I've had to reread many paragraphs just to make sure I'm following along. Once I settle into the story, I am sure I will breeze through this one.

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