Books read in 2025! More stats and slides under the cut, but I didn't want to overwhelm someone. I looooove making these but it can be a lot. Feel free to ask me anything about it! For more details, feel free to check out my Goodreads page or The Storygraph.
If you made it this far, thank you so much for checking out my Year in Books!
(these slides and this description aren't doing justice at all to my excitement about some of these books so I'd love some interaction about any of these plzzzz) (thank you, byeeee)
Only two books in the month of May, still in a bit of a slump. One was a huge success, the other one was a bit of a drag.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐: Second book I read by this author and it's settled, I really do love their writing style. Something about it tickles my brain just right.
The Last Bookshop - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ : The idea was there, but it felt like the author got lost (ha) trying to fit too much into a single story. Tried to do a lot and got nothing concluded.
2025 was the year I got back into reading, and I went all in! I was learning what I liked and what I didn't. My average rating was 3.5, and I hope it's higher for 2026. I'm trying to be more intentional about the books I pick this year. If you have any specific questions about these books let me know!
Time for the six-month check-in! seeing as June starts tomorrow (how is that possible? it should still be January???) lets see how i'm doing on my reading goals!
I have officially read almost 60% o fmy total collection, which has gone up to 166 books from the original 150-ish.
I need to stop buying books, but that will never happen lol.
All Lore from the Dragon Age: Official Cookbook: Taste of Thedas
This is going to be a long post with all the lore from the cookbook collected in one post. This is only going to be counting the lore in the "blurbs" so to speak as the actual recipes themselves, which are not meant to be set in-world.
Additionally, it should be noted that I am unable to say one way or the other if the props used in the photos or the etching art shown on some recipes are to be taken as reflecting the canon the cookbook narrator is in. For the sake of completeness, I have included the less conclusive elements.
Shoving everything below the cut for length as well as to help people avoid spoilers. Think I got everything... There is a lot in this book honestly.
Cookbook Lore
World State
Cassandra is Divine.
The Hero of Ferelden is a Cousland Warden.
The Warden gave Leliana Schmooples.
Hawke is a non-mage, as Varric knows Bethany.
Hawke is diplomatic in personality.
Bull's Chargers, Krem, and Bull are all alive.
Cullen stayed off lyrium.
Celene is empress; Briala and Gaspard are still alive.
Alistair is king.
Varric is viscount.
Uncertain aspects of the world state:
The suggested lore based on the art, props used in photos, and vague wording in blurbs. These are not for certain this is the canon.
Briala is described as a spymaster and lover, implying she was possibly reunited with Celene.
Celene, Briala, and Gaspard are possibly working together in the truce. But the wording is vague it could simply be Celene ruling alone while Briala and Gaspard live.
Cole was encouraged to be more human and is traveling with Maryden Halewell.
Cullen got his mabari.
Josephine was romanced by the Inquisitor.
Morrigan has Keiran.
The Hero of Ferelden romanced King Alistair.
Food Lore
Lentils and onions are common ingredients to find in pantries across Thedas.
Ferelden has reliable access to tomatoes that allows them to use them regularly in their food.
Fereldans are known for their love of soups, stews, pickled eggs, and turnips that it is regularly joked about and seen as a stereotype. Devon regularly comments on the known expectations.
Turnip and Mutton Pie is a classic Fereldan dish served in taverns across the nation.
Nevarra food culture holds that food is suppose to be a feast for the eyes and mouth. Leading to their plating to be dazzling and seen as works of art.
The Jade Ham, is a smoked Anderfels ham with a particular glaze made from wildflowers and turns the ham as hard as jade.
The Anderfels are hostile and often considered inhospitible in certain areas. But despite the harsh environment, pigs farm well there and as a result are much larger than elsewhere in Thedas.
There are custard connoisseurs across Thedas.
Lichen ale is toxic, though most dwarves are able to handle it. However, non-dwarves can only tolerate a few sips of the drink.
Isabela has a drinking game based on how many enemies you have, it has killed at least one person.
The Rivaini tea blend is said to have healing properties such as helping alleviate headaches.
Dwarves underground raise giant spiders like people on the surface raise cattle and goats.
Orzammar has a contest where one is crowned as Orzammar's Best Sauce, the competition is so fierce people get underhanded in their attempts to acquire recipes. This has led to eateries, and in general people of Orzammar, to guard their recipes from others.
Orzammar also farms various mushrooms for eating.
Rice is commonly found in Antiva and Rivain, however it is not a large export for Antiva so it is a rare grain for folks in Ferelden. Due to it not being exported, rice is a cheap food item in Antiva and is very common in the more mundane foods of commoners.
Wyvern, like phoenix, can become deadly poisonous if eaten when they aren't prepared properly.
A jam maker lives in Orzammar, importing individual ingredients so they can make the jam themselves and hopefully sell it cheaper than imported jam.
Fauna
Mentioned through out the cookbook, not necessarily as ingredients themselves but sources for other food items.
Ayesleigh gulabi goat - Rivain
Cattle
Cave Beetles - Underground
Chicken
Crab
Cuttlefish
Dracolisk
Giant
Giant Spider
Goat
Gurgut
Halla
Lamprey
Lurker
Mackerel
Mussel
Nug
Pig
Prawn
Quillback
Sheep
Shrimp
Snail
Turkey
Wyvern
Additional Lore
The golden nug statues do exist in Thedas, Devon mentions seeing one in Haven and hearing rumors of there being more.
Fereldans who worked for the Inquisition would leave Commander Cullen pickled eggs on his desk while he was going through the worst of his lyrium withdrawal symptoms.
Spring time is gurgut mating season, and travelers are advised to keep their distance.
Starkhaven is oval in shape, shaped by rings of tall, grey stone walls, is filled with lavish estates, fountains, and sits on the Minanter River.
Makes reference to the ambient events of where Cole dumped a bushel of turnips onto a fire.
Food: Dishes, Ingredients, and More
Foods/Dishes
These are mentioned, referenced, and/or introduced in the cookbook description of the food, these aren't including the ingredients or foods mentioned in the recipes.
If the item is marked with **, it means there are multiple cultures with the same dish but the cookbook is offering specifically that as the reference point.
Apple Grenade - Antiva
Bark Bread - suggested alternative to black lichen
Biscuit
Biscuit, sweets
Black Lichen Bread - Orzammar
Blancmange - a white pudding dish from Orlais
Blood Orange Salad - Nevarra
Boiled Turnip
Bun
Bun, sweet - a pastry served as dessert
Cabbage Soup - Ferelden
Cacio e Pepe
Cherry Sauce
Cherry Cupcakes - Tevinter
Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cream
Cinnamon Rolls
Couscous Salad - Rivain
Crab Cakes - Kirkwall
Croissant - Orlais
Crow Feed - Antiva
Custard
Dark Bread
Eggs à la Val Foret - Orlais
Fish Chowder - Antiva
Fish Wraps/Fish Pockets - Seheron
Flat Bread - Nevarra
Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - Ferelden
Forest Fruit Cobbler - Dalish
Found Cake - Ferelden
Fried Crab Legs - a substitute version of fried young giant spiders
Fried Young Giant Spiders - Orzammar
Gnocchi - Antiva
Goat Custard - Rivain **
Grilled Poussin - Chasind
Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce - Avvar
Hearth Cakes - Dalish
Hearty Scones - Ferelden
Honey Carrots - Orlais **
Jade Ham - More suited for a weapon, stated to not be suited for eating.
Lamprey Cake - not made of real lamprey, just a cake modeled after it.
Lentil Soup - City Elf **
Llomerryn Red - Rivain
Mashed Turnip
Merrill's Blood Soup - Dalish
Mushroom Sauce
Nettle Soup - origins unclear
Nug Bacon and Egg Pie - Ferelden
Paella - Antiva
Pastry Pockets - recipe originates with the Grey Wardens, cookbook provides the Orlesian Grey Warden variation **
Peasant Bread - Orlais
Pickled Eggs - Ferelden
Pickled Lamprey - Free Marches
Poached Egg
Poison Stings - Chocolate-coated orange peels from Tevinter
Potato and Leek Soup - Ferelden
Pumpkin Bread - Tevinter
Red Grape Compote
Rice Pudding - Tevinter
Roasted Fig
Roasted Cave Beetles - Orzammar
Roasted Prawns - a substitute prawns for cave beetles
Roasted Turnip
Roll, pastry
Snail and Watercress Salad - Avvar
Sour Cherries in Cream - Orlais
Spiced Jerky - Dalish
Steamed Turnip
Stir-fried Turnip
Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler - Ferelden
Stuffed Cabbage - Ferelden
Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - Orzammar
Stuffed Vine Leaves - Tevinter
Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup - Ferelden
Toasted Almonds
Traviso Energy Balls - Antiva
Tzatziki - Tevinter
Turnip and Mutton Pie - Ferelden
Unidentified Meat - a common tavern food in Tevinter
Yogurt Dip - Nevarra
Drinks
Chasind Sack Mead
Chasind Wildwine
The Emerald Valley
The Golden Nug
The Hissing Drake
Hot Chocolate
Lichen Ale
Pomegranate Juice
Rivaini Tea Blend
West Hill Brandy
White Seleney wine
Ingredients
These are only listed in the lore entries and not the actual recipes themselves as whether or not they are canon is questionable as the recipes recommend store bought items as well as ingredients that have unique Thedosian counterpart names.
Almond
Antivan Pasta
Apple
Apricot
Bacon
Bacon, Nug
Bark
Barley
Beef
Beetroot
Bell Pepper, red
Bitter Greens - this is a class of salad greens known for their bitter flavor.
Black Lichen - Underground
Blood Orange - Nevarra
Butter
Butter, Halla
Cabbage
Cave Beetles
Celery
Cinammon
Cheese
Cherry
Cherry, black
Cherry, sweet
Chicken
Chickpea - Rivain
Chocolate
Cocoa Powder
Corn, yellow
Corn, checkered
Couscous - Rivain
Crab
Cranberry
Currant
Deep Mushroom, various varieties
Dracolisk - The narrator suggests it being a potential meat in a recipe in Tevinter.
Dried Fruit
Eggs
Fig
Flour, semolina - Rivain
Giant - Suggested that Tevinter might serve giant
Giant Spiders - Underground
Goat
Grape, red
Grape Leaves/Vine Leaves
Grease
Guimauves - Orlesian
Gurgut - Avvar
Heavy Cream
Honey
Jasmine
Mackerel
Mango
Mint
Mussel
Mutton
Lamb
Lamprey
Leek
Lemon
Lemon Juice
Lemon Verbena
Lentil
Lichen
Licorice Root
Lurker - Avvar
Oat
Oil
Onion
Oregano
Pastry Dough
Peanut
Peanut Butter
Peppers, Hot
Peppermint
Plum
Pork
Potato
Prawn - said to have the same texture and flavor as cave beetles.
Puff Pastry - Orlais
Pumpkin
Quillback
Raisin
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Rice - Antiva and Rivain
Salt
Semolina Flour - Rivain
Shrimp
Snail - Avvar
Spinach
Strawberry
Sugar
Tomato
Turkey
Turnip
Watercress - Avvar
Wheat
Whipped Cream
White Chocolate
Wildflowers
Wyvern - Avvar, Orlais
Charts and Stats
Because I love a good visual rep of data, I collected some stats of the types of food, how many recipes are from where, and the amount of time a character was mentioned.
Types of Food
I did percentages for the course of food as well as the portion of options that are vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, meat based, and alcoholic.
Food Types Stats
These charts show the ingredient percentage in the actual recipes and not the lore blurbs themselves. This is out of 72 recipes with the amount they were used in (-) after their percentage.
Stucky Friends - I want to draw your attention to two books here:
The Scottish Boy - this is a published (and scrubbed) Stucky AU fanfiction! (Like, legitimately, the fic name didn't change so you can find posts about it still on this very app) It was a great read and I absolutely rec it - if you're down for a Medieval AU. There were parts I sent to friends exclaiming "Steve Rogers I SEE YOU". 👀 I loved it and almost read it a second time this year.
Full Service - this is NOT scrubbed fanfiction, but full disclosure that I absolutely picked it up because the boys on the cover looked easy to imprint Stucky onto AND I WAS RIGHT, it can totally read as a Stucky Professor AU. It is also smut right out of the gate, so not for the faint of heart. That being said it KNOWS what it's about and is outrageously fun and funny and I had a blast reading it, which is a huge compliment.
This data btw is from Storygraph and it is The Best app for book tracking, I love it so much! Okay goodbye.
