so it goes

Hi there! I'm Lizzie, 32, ace, a teacher, reader, fan and equestrian. What you'll find here: book photography, weekly bookish questions and other book-related posts. [This is a sideblog, I follow from inexplicablyfandom-ish]

[annes-room]

banana bread and books for breakfast this week 🩷

[lizziethereader]

June 2026 wrapup

June was in some ways better than expected and in some ways disappointing - that balances out, I guess?

favorites of the month: The Correspondent by Cirginia Evans, My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

nonfiction of the month (1): The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen

graphic novel/manga (3): One Piece Volume 11 by Eiichiro Oda, Wo kein Wille ist, ist auch eine Couch by Tobias Vogel

[lizziethereader]

May 2026 wrapup

May was a nice reading month, I had a good time with most of my reads!

favorites of the month: Platform Decay by Martha Wells 

nonfiction of the month (1): Useless Etymology by Jess Zafarris

[lizziethereader]

Weekly Bookish Question #500 (July 12th - July 18th, 2026)

How different of a reader are you now compared to 10 years ago? How have your preferences and habits changed? [yes, I know, 500 questions is not quite 10 years but we'll just pretend it's roughly the same]

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 15 by Hiromu Arakawa

what I wanted: more Ed and Al!

what I got: a volume that has pretty much got it all

what I thought: This series is just so good! There's adventure, there's heart, there's great characters - good stuff! I rate this 4 out of 5 potential homunculus containers.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

One Piece, Vol. 8: I Won't Die by Eiichiro Oda

what I wanted: to read more of this series

what I got: an okay sequel

what I thought: This series certainly has some stubborn characters... I rate this 3 out of 5 lemons from the orchard.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

One Piece, Vol. 7: The Crap-Geezer by Eiichiro Oda

what I wanted: to continue reading this series

what I got: a backstory volume

what I thought: I liked learning about one of the character's backstory in this one! I rate it 3 out of 5 of the last provisions left.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Freedom: A disease without cure by Slavoj Žižek

what I wanted: some thought-provoking philosophy

what I got: honestly, a boring read

what I thought: There are a few interesting thoughts in this every once in a while, but overall it reads like a long stream of consciousness, not all of which is necessarily really about freedom - or the connection is not quite made clear, at least. (It also spoils the plot of quite a few books and some movies). I rate this 2 out of 5 images that give me a feeling of freedom.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

what I wanted: something to help me get better at having better connections

what I got: good information!

what I thought: This certainly provides a lot of helpful tips for becoming better at conversations and discusses relevant related aspects of personal identity and communication. I did think that the last third was much weaker than the first two and the book lost be a bit there, but overall I still think it's a good read and rate it 3.5 out of 5 little tidbits you learn about the other person in interesting conversations.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life by John Gray

what I wanted: an entertaining philosophy read

what I got: not enough cats

what I thought: While cats are mentioned in this book sometimes (mostly at the beginning of a chapter to bring up a new point), they don't feature enough, considering the title. There are definitely interesting links and comparisons between cats' attitude to live and philosophy but there were also parts of the book that I thought connected too tenuously to be relevant, which is why I rate this 2.5 out of 5 cats.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Let Sleeping Cats Lie by Brian Bilston

what I wanted: cat poems

what I got: pet poems, but not super exciting ones

what I thought: Honestly, considering how much enjoyed some of Brian Bilston's other work, this was a bit disappointing. It is less witty than other collections of his and did not manage to impress me, despite the lovely subject matter, which is why I rate it 2.5 out of 5 cats.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

what I wanted: a magical, bookish story

what I got: a book that isn't as bookish as expected but definitely magical

what I thought: This was a really enjoyable read! I liked the different POVs and how they interlocked, the very vivid images the writing style created, and the way feminism featured in this book. Although I usually don't really enjoy magical realism, I didn't mind it in this book. It's not perfect - there are some details that I didn't love, but it's certainly a good read. I rate this 4 out of 5 bookmarks from bookshops.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party by Chelsea Fagan

what I wanted: a book that provides tips to make me a better host

what I got: some really nice idea and a good reflection on the value of having people over

what I thought: This book features beautiful photography, cute illustrations, and some helpful tips. It could go into a little more depth, but I like the focus on community and what can be achieved without having to unnecessarily spend large amounts of money on trendy things that are not what hosting should be about. I rate this 3 out of 5 serving dishes for some nice treats.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

what I wanted: an immersive fantasy read

what I got: a character-driven quest story

what I thought: This quest story told from the perspective of a magical creature rather than a human is a good read. It features some very vivid descriptions and intriguing characters, but for some reason the group of heroes, while working together, never really felt like they turned into a found family - a trope I quite enjoy and have almost come to expect in these kinds of stories. I think it's for that reason that I did not feel as emotionally involved in this story as I was hoping to feel. Still, it's a good read and I rate it 3 out of 5 gold pieces from the hoard.

[modern-fairy]

Nothing more poetic than the swaying of trees 🌳

[tinynavajoreads]

Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The most recent book put out by Adrian Tchaikovsky and it's really well done. Skotch, a genetically modified raccoon who used to do the work unwanted by humans but still needs to be done, now freelances for information and the ability to think clearly. When his old boss pulls him in on a job with pay just a bit too good, all to find one little genetically modified mouse, he takes it, knowing that he's getting himself into deeper trouble than his life may be worth.

As he stalks, questions, and makes his way around this new green city in pursuit of information of a mouse, he starts to question the worth of this job and what exactly this mouse holds that is attracting so much attention, both wanted and unwanted.

This is detective noir in the background of a city that doesn't acknowledge the work done by the animals that clean and sweep and serve them. But the animals are there nonetheless and are closer to humanity than humans may know.

Skotch has all the trimmings of a down-on-his-luck investigator in a noir film, done to the femme fatale and the hangers on who want the next juicy bit of gossip for their employers. A very well done story that calls you to think on what humanity it, and what happens when humans dick around with animals to do our unwanted jobs. What does that do to a person? Human or otherwise.

[lizziethereader]

I last read...

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

what I wanted: a deeply emotional novel

what I got: a story about a shitty man

what I thought: I quite enjoyed the main character's journey of growth and the characters and plot lines revolving around her life at the cemetery. What I really disliked, however, was how much of this book is about a man treating women horribly. I get that this provided the foundation for those women's growth, but I am just not interested in reading about women suffering because of shitty men. The extent to which this book focuses on all the ways this man is behaving horribly was simply too large for me to be able to enjoy the rest of the book, which is why I rate it 2 out of 5 ways to water flowers.