JANuary BOOK TAG (2023) | Never Hollowed By The Stare

I did this tag last year and I’m making this a yearly tradition.

Found this tag on Berries and Books. It was originally from Youtube by Jan Agaton.

WHAT WAS THE LAST (& FIRST, IF YOU REMEMBER) BOOK YOU READ LAST YEAR?

The first and last reads of last year weren’t quite as memorable as the previous but still entertaining.

Mitsumei has a very interesting setting. It’s a forbidden love affair set in the Russian military. The story has all the twisty-turny intrigue that we love about spy novels. Also, a great chance to ogle men in military uniform!

Life Lessons is a police procedural and a romance between a closeted detective and a teacher. I wouldn’t have picked this since I’m not keen on reading about people in the closet, and this one was also angsty to boot. But I ended up completely drawn to the characters and story which was made even better by J.F. Harding’s heartfelt narration.

Sensei Datteyarashii Koto Shitai is a super cute teacher+teacher romance between two opposite personalities. I recommend this for those who like gay couples with children.

The Spectral Files is a psychic procedural that had languished in my TBR for years. I should have picked this up sooner because this is a very binge-able series.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST READ THIS YEAR?

Call is a devastating manga about a NEET who hatched an enjo kousai scheme on an innocent gay man. The twist had my heart dropping to the floor. But fortunately, this ended happily.

Why the Devil Stalks Death is the 2nd book of, dare I say, classic MM action suspense series, Death and the Devil. While it didn’t have the same impact as the first book, it gives us a peek inside the mind of the legendary cinnamon roll assassin, Ethan Blade.

SHARE 3 OF YOUR READING GOALS THIS YEAR.

I wouldn’t say I’m not a goal-oriented person, but I’m not the type of person who sets goals, especially reading goals. I guess because when I want to accomplish something, I immediately find ways to get it done as soon as possible. I am a solutions-oriented person, and I feel that the time it takes to write down goals is time I can use to accomplish what I want. Not something I would recommend, but it works for me.

SHARE 3 OF YOUR MOST ANTICIPATED TITLES.

Manic is the much-awaited conclusion of the glorious madness that is Necessary Evils. It’s releasing soon!

Dangerous has yet to unveil its cover, but I’m already ridiculously excited after that bombshell of an entrance in the last part of Notorious, Shifter Scoundrels Book 1.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman has a gorgeous cover and the great K.J. Charles behind it that it had to be read. Hopefully, it would break my historical romance slump.

WHICH GOALS DID YOU REACH/NOT REACH LAST YEAR?

Last year wasn’t my year for historicals. I wanted to read more, but nothing stuck. Even the objectively brilliant Will Darling Adventures left me apathetic. I’m hoping this year will change that.

Blog-wise, I was slumpy too. I wanted to continue my Last Year I Was Reading series posted on Wednesdays, but weekdays make me lazy. Especially with the weekday time crunch I always feel hanging over my head like the Sword of Damocles because I have to sleep early. I enjoyed doing this series, so I’ll probably move it to the weekends.

On a more positive note, I’ve read 122 books last year! And I’m happiest about the fact I was able to finish some series.

ARE THERE NEW RELEASES THIS YEAR YOU’VE HEARD OF THAT YOU HAVE NO DESIRE TO READ?

These are books I’m conflicted about.

I loved Dickhead’s premise, but I don’t get along with K.A. Merikan’s writing.

The Alpha’s Gambit also piqued my interest, but I’m not a fan of omegaverse.

Silvia Violet/Silvia Onyx’s stories are pretty much predictable, but she always has a hook to tempt me.

WHAT ARE SOME READING HABITS YOU WANT TO CHANGE THIS YEAR, IF ANY?

It’s the same as last year’s. Try to finish one book at a time instead of juggling 5-8 current reads.

ARE THERE ANY ADAPTATIONS YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT?

FAVORITE BOOKISH MEMORY OF LAST YEAR?

One of the most memorable bookish moments of last year was being able to attend Onley James‘s panel at Fujocon and asked her questions! Check out the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@FujoCon/videos. I couldn’t link the individual videos because of the age restriction.

Fujocon is a virtual BL con I have been looking forward to during the pandemic years. I hope they will continue the event even though things are going back to the way they used to be.