#extradirty
todays bird
Xuebing Du
Sade Olutola
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
Cosmic Funnies
Andulka
Sweet Seals For You, Always
occasionally subtle
dirt enthusiast
roma★
almost home
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
trying on a metaphor
⁂
Today's Document
DEAR READER
Misplaced Lens Cap
seen from Saudi Arabia
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seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
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@moonlightmysti
Who is Mysti?
I am a reader/writer/educator. I am a nonbinary lesbian and my pronouns are they/them. When I’m not teaching I spend my time reading and I love to share my thoughts on those books. I graduated with a degree in English because of my love of books.
If you’re an author and would like an honest book review please feel free to reach out.
Creeps please keep away from me I’m not really here for any of that.
August Recap
Here's a list of everything I read in August including physical, ebook, and audiobook:
📖 Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
🎧 Aurora's Angel by Emily Noon
📱 The Woman from the Waves by Roslyn Sinclair
📱 Our Dark Mirror by James Chance
📱 Blood and Embers by Jordan Michelle
📱 Ghosts, Garters, and Grimoires by Theresa Crater
📱 The Demon's Collar by Lyra Sterling
🎧 Without Sin by Rachel Ford
🎧 No Bones About It by Rachel Ford
📱 The Blood Divide by Zan Lowell
Under 100 pages:
📱 Moth Woods by Amara Lynn
please support this blog
Sapphic September
This year I plan on trying to complete the board for Sapphic September. I have most of my reads lined up but I am missing books for a few categories. I don't want to double dip at all. I think my biggest challenge will be a translated book. Let's see how this plays out. I will keep you all updated on my progress as I go!
Check out my brand new Tik Tok account moonlight.mysti to follow along there 📚
I always welcome recommendations even if I don't read them for this readathon.
(really late) ARC Review: The Blood Divide by Zan Lowell
5/5 Stars
I have to start this review with the biggest apology to the author Zan Lowell. Ze so graciously sent me an early digital copy but I was unable to read and finish it in time for its release.
Now, I will say that ot took me a few chapters to really get into this book. That being said I can say with utter certainty that it his an under-appreciated jem. This book deserves all of the love. It had a great plot and multiple POVs that really added to the book. It has a lot of what you would expect from a book that could be part of the supernatural genre. Witches, and shifters, and vamps... Oh my! But the book isn't great because of those elements. For me it was the insane amount of diversity found in the characters throughout the book. Not just one or two but basically every character was diverse. We get different cultural, illness, and LGBTQIA+ representation. And I have to say this may the first book that I've read with a character who uses neopronouns. I was so excited to see it because even though NB gets some representation, we do not get to see the whole beautiful spectrum.
I have to also say that the last half of the book really pulls you in and towards the end there I am sure a certain infamous author whould have been proud. I don't want to spoil the ride for anyone so I will leave it at that. If I name the author you'll know what's coming. I desperately hope that this will be a long series, not because of the ending, but because of the world building and lore painstakingly poured into this book.
You really cannot go wrong by reading this book. In fact I will actually be linking a few of the stores that sell it.
Queer Supernatural/Urban Fantasy eBook
Barns & Noble
ARC (audiobook) Review: Without Sin by Rachel Ford
2.5/5 stars
This is the first installment of the Owen Day thriller series. I wish I could shower this murder mystery with all of the accolades but it really didn't impress me. I didn't have my ear buds glued to my ears because I just had to find out what was going to happen next. This book reads like many other books in the thriller and/or murder mystery genre. There were no amazing plot twists and the story felt very formulaic. I have read many a thriller and murder mystery over the years and this one just wasn't for me.
I was a bit irked by the fact that the author chose to give her MC a "quirk" that reads as OCD. Most humans do not have to do everything in threes and if they do they don't usually call it their favorite number. I believe that mental health and disabilities need to be seen in every day literature and media but I believe it should be done correctly with research and sensitivity readers. The author may end up divulging that the character has OCD in a later novel but I, personally, do not like to see illnesses portrayed as "quirks".
The narrator did a decent job portraying the story but it must be hard to try to voice something that is just not that interesting. I know it's probably me, and I am not hating on the author, but I will likely not read anything else from Rachel Ford.
ARC Review: The Demon's Collar by Lyra Sterling
5/5 stars
This is exactly how Dark Fantasy Romance (or any romance for that matter) should be written. Our MMC is a demon, and yes even an asshole, but he is in no way abusive or toxic. I always am so tentative to read anything like this because, in my opinion, too many books in this category are glorifying the wrong kind of morally grey characters. I think the reason this author did the genre justice is a mix of great writing and the use of what can only be described as bdsm dynamics. Our FMC is not a push over and doesn't blindly do as she is told. She pushes boundaries at every turn. Though it does get her into some trouble at times.
I love both Ero and Bvk so much. I love the spice and the dynamics. I love the world building and the lore. I love the storyline as a whole. This is also another great example of how to write compelling smut. There is no reason that the characters need only focus on sex. As a person who largely focuses on reading queer fiction I can easily say that I enjoyed this book. I actually read it in under 12 hours, though it was spread over a weekend. I love books that are unputdownable! A great story lives in your head rent free and stays with you long after you have finished it. I was always trying to get back to the book to see what would happen next. I would also get upset when I had to put it down.
This is the first in a series and even though this first installment has not officially released yet I cannot wait to see where else the story leads.
If you are sensitive to certain topics please be sure to check the content warnings before hand.
ARC Review: Moth Woods by Amara Lynn
2.5/5 stars
I know this isn't my highest or most generous rating but I do want to talk about the good parts of this story first and foremost. This novella clocks in at under 100 pages so it is a great quick read. I was finished with it in about 2 hours. There is amazing LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent representation in this. I also have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the new take on one of the cryptids in this one. And the spice was fun.
Now for the parts I wasn't so fond of. The plot felt so incredibly rushed that I didn't feel any real connection withe the characters. Considering that this was novella length it would have been doable to add a little more depth to the story and characters. They deserve the attention. I also felt that the "Appalachian/country bumpkin" narative of the male mc was overdone and not consistent. There were times that the narration read normally then all of a sudden it went real country, real fast.
Largely, this isn't for me and I hope that you fins this review helpful. I didn't find it engaging but that doesn't mean that everyone will feel the same way. Do not let me stop you from reading this if you find it interesting.
ARC Review: Ghosts, Garters, and Grimoires by Theresa Crater
4/5 stars
I had so much fun reading this book. It is a great murder mystery with paranormal elements. The women in this book are mature women who all have a special ability. We have an empath, a woman who can communicate with animals, and one who can see ghosts. I honestly loved the characters and the way the author wrote them. The use of traditional Irish names was great as well and there was plenty of diversity. The author also wrote the pagan/magical elements very well and true to facts as opposed to the stereotypical and sensationalized witches that we get in most paranormal stories. Either she walks the path herself or did amazing research. Either way her care shows. Rosa the Havanese was just precious and the personalities of the animals was so fun to read.
I read this book fairly quickly and the pacing was right on the mark. This is the second book of the series but it can certainly be read as a stand alone. If you like cozy mysteries, paranormal fiction, or both I suggest you give this book a read.
Review: Blood and Embers by Jordan Michelle
4/5 Stars
The most important thing I have to say about this book is that I love smut that has a really strong plot. This book is just that. It has a lot of spice but it also has an amazing plot set in a vivid and unique world filled with its own lore. I was riding the best roller coaster ride as I read the duel POVs. Lilith and Ellis are such rich and complex characters that you can't help but to love them. Even if they are going back and forth in regards to their relationship. My heart was in my throat every time I thought that things would come to fruition and frustrated when it wasn't, the way only a good story can accomplish. This book takes place in the same world as her previous release, Tides of Enchantment, and includes some characters from it but this one can easily be read as a stand alone. I will not post any spoilers so I can't expand too much on this book but believe me if you love wlw, sapphic, smut, etc. you will adore this book.
misa amane, ai detector
Audiobook ARC Review: No Bones About It by Rachel Ford
3/5 stars
This book wasn't awful but it also wasn't anything to write home about. I was given an advanced copy of the audiobook to review so here we go. The story was alright. It is a crime noir with many a paranormal element. The main character is trying to fin her missing wife and hires a skeleton PI to help her. The focus in this book seems to be the relationship between these characters during the course of their investigation. The wife seems like an afterthought to me. The urgency was stated but never truly felt. The plot is rushed and the story suffers for it. The characters bounce from one location to the next and we are jerked around for the ride.
The narrator for this book is just plain awful. She reads way to fast and doesn't put thought into the emotions that are being expressed. Perhaps this is why I struggled with the story. And don't even get me started on her voice for the skeleton Flinty Jack.
If you want to read this book I'd skip the audiobook and go straight for a written format.
Doing my best to catch up on the ARCs I am behind on after my book slump. Keep your eyes out for a few more posts as I’m trying to schedule them around my school hours. I have at least 4 ARCs left I believe after finishing Blood and Embers today.
ranpoe
my pookies...
i'm not coloring more than this
(late) ARC Review: Our Dark Mirror by James Chance
4/5 stars
This book was refreshing even though it is about college students solving a mystery in a paranormal setting. We've all read many a YA novel in this vein. The breath of fresh air is that the main character is actually a hellhound expelled from hell in order to find an escaped soul. Yes there are vampires, werewolves, and ghosts but they are all side characters. Vincent enters a world he has never known and tries to hide amongst the local college students. Through this farce he comes to learn a lot about himself. He doesn't understand many of the feelings that he is feeling as he has only known an unforgiving hellscape for his entire existence. He makes friends, and yes enemies, along the way as well. The romance is the slowest burn imaginable and they still haven't gotten past a kiss. It is so sweet how Vincent connects with Henry. Henry accepts Vincent in a way he has never known and without even realizing it Vincent falls for Henry. This is the first book in a trilogy so I'm sure the author will be torturing us with a long wait until this romance fully blossoms. Hopefully they manage to save the world in the process.
Review: The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
4.5/5 stars
This review will be short and sweet because this book is clearly a classic. This novel, written in 1972, tells about a suburban neighborhood that is not quite what it seems. There is a reason they made movies based on this one. It is scary in a way that blood and gore cannot be. The real monsters here are the men who are literally recreating their wives in robot form. None of this is explicity stated but the main character Joanna pieces it all together for us. It is horrifying how far men will go to get their ideal subservient women. The fact that this is still pertinent in today's climate makes it even scarier. It's crazy to think that this was meant as a satirical feminist novel but has taken on more of a realistic horror, at least to me. I swear I could visualize tradwife instagram accounts whenever the robot wives talked about cleaning all day and night and fawned over the men saying how much they deserved to be taken care of. Thinking of how far robotics and ai has come makes this such a real possibility in the not so distant future. It's possible that this novel can soon be seen as dystopian. The open ending makes it a truth just waiting to happen. If you are looking for a cerebral or feminist horror then this book is definitely for you.
Review: Aurora's Angel by Emily Noon
5/5 stars
So I've really been into a few genres as of late. Which are horror, fantasy, and sapphic. So it's easy to say that sapphic romantasies have really been scratching that itch and Aurora's Angel really scrached the itch. I was obsessed from the very beginning. These characters are loveable, complex, and flawed. They are incredibly relatable as well even though they are shifters. This is not a book that just jumps straight into smut territory. The author takes her time building the world and building the character's connection to one another. There are good times between them and there are bad times. They heal from trauma and they grow throughout the story.
The story and characters stayed with me even when I had to stop reading the book. I desperately wanted to know what happened next. And yes there was a lot of spice and it was burning hot but it was woven into the story wonderfully. I read this book via audiobook and I have to say that the narrator was masterful in creating the voices of Aurora and Evie.
I only wish we got an epilogue for these amazing characters. I felt like there was more that we could have gotten from their story with a little time jump. I always love when a romance story jumps ahead in an epilogue to show us how the characters are doing in a few years time. It feels like the author has wrapped the story up in a little bow for their readers.
If you are looking for a great story with genuine connections and some amazing spice to it, I highly suggest this book!
