We are only half way through 2025 and I am very proud to say I have already completed my reading goal for the year. After last year’s abysmal crawl towards the finish line, I have been soaring this year. I anticipated I would be really busy, but surprisingly when I actually just decided to read on my downtime even if I didn’t feel like it. I got through books quickly. 

If you want to see my reviews for the books I read the first few months check them out HERE

I have been reading mostly fantasy these past few months, here’s the best, worst, and most disappointing.

The Year: 2024

The Goal: 20 Books

The Total: 20 Books Read out of 20, woohoo!

Goal Completed…by the hair of my chinny chin chin. I finished 4 books in December to reach my goal. I would not say 2024 was a great year for books. I was in a GINORMOUS reading slump, but in the end, I stuck it out.

Here’s the complete lineup.

My energy has been squashed from the last few weeks of the school year. Second graders have been in summer break mode for a month now, so you can imagine what my classroom volume level has been like. (and if you can’t just message me and I will send you an audio recording of it haha) I’m a few books behind, but am still proud I’ve read anything at all.

Blade of Ash by C. F. E Black 3/5

“The only way to beat death is to chase it.” 

Struck with the same death curse his father, the king, died from just a few days before Red finds himself stuck. Will he have to accept his death, or will he have to learn to trust the very person he blames for his father’s death? The royal sorcerer. 

The magic world-building was fascinating. The royal sorcerers’ magic is tied to their King/Queen’s Truthwell. It was a slow build as this is just the first book in a series, but that was probably the most interesting part of the whole thing. While I did enjoy reading it, I didn’t feel totally invested in the plot because there are many qualities of the two main characters that bothered me. Probably won’t be continuing with this series.