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MY TOP 10 READS OF 2025
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (January – December 2025)
This is a round up of the books I read this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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REVIEW: Bump in the Night by Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
Black Oasis: Bump in the Night – Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
You never know what’s hiding in your closet…At twenty-six, Ivy has their life figured out. They have a decent paying job at the London office of Somnus Entertainment–the gaming company behind the wildly popular game Black Oasis–a draughty flat they inherited from their wild great aunt, and a few select friends to pass the time. They’re a responsible adult, thank you very much, and while they might get lonely at times, they know better than to put too much stock into that fanciful notion known as love.
But when a skeevy encounter during a fun night at the pub devolves into a violent hate crime, their life changes forever.
Waking up in a demon dimension, beaten within an inch of their life, is bad enough. But add a snarky, haughty healer with the universe’s worst bedside manner, and Ivy knows they’re in for a long, excruciating recovery. Lau the Dreamwraith is prickly, arrogant, and entirely infuriating, but for some strange reason, he seems hellbent on nursing Ivy back to health. Despite Lau’s whinging over their “inferior human qualities,” there is a heat building between them that neither are able to fight. Like a match meeting kerosine, their chemistry ignites, but Ivy’s stay in the demon world is temporary and fire always burns out eventually.
Love is a dream, after all; it has no business in nightmares. Right?
Join Ivy and Lau as they nurture the sparks between them until they explode into an unexpected passion that crosses dimensions in Bump in the Night, the second book in Knight and Mayne’s co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis.
Bump in the Night is an M/X monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a fiery Brit and their arrogant sleep demon. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details
Black Oasis, the dark and humorous monster romance series by Nikole Knight and Lily Mayne, is also the name of the MMORPG game about monsters. The first book, Whispers In The Dark, gave us the cinnamon roll Texan gamer, Cody, and his adoring monster boyfriend, Nor.
I recalled the hilarious scene in Whispers In The Dark when Nor’s best friend, the then shit-faced Lau, made cryptic complaints about humans. I was thrilled to find out why in this sequel!
Bump in the Night stars computer programmer Ivy, who works for Somnus Entertainment, the developer of Black Oasis. Ivy is non-binary and wears either pants or a dress. One night, on their way home from a club, they were targeted by haters and left for dead in an alley.
Then they woke up to find themselves in another dimension with a broken leg and more, under the care of an arrogant lilac-skinned sleep demon, Lau. The demon, who’s also the town healer, complains about how inferior humans are while tenderly nursing Ivy’s injuries, even gently shampooing their hair while they bathe.
I lived for the scenes where Lau would fuss and get all annoyed because Ivy was around. The next day, Ivy would find Lau had made him some crutches or retrieved a book from the human world because of a casual comment Ivy had made. The demon is always so careful about Ivy’s broken leg, even during passionate moments.
There was also the scene that tickled me pink, where Ivy found Lau sneaking back to bed and being super cagey. By morning, they discovered Lau secretly changed the tea can labels from demon language to English because he learned Ivy was trying to make tea the day before but didn’t know which can was which.
Also, secretly repairing Ivy’s torn dress that they wore during that fateful night.
And true to his tsundere form, our dorky Lau had apparently been stalking Ivy for months before their attack, then became skittish as a cat when Ivy turned around and returned his very loud unsaid feelings.
So far, the first two books have not delved deeply into the world-building. However, the first book had a darker, angstier tone while the second had a lighter, cozier vibe.
The opening and later chapters focus on Ivy’s mundane life in London. The story employs the forced proximity trope, with most scenes taking place inside Lau’s house as Ivy recuperates. This setting felt somewhat claustrophobic, as I wished to explore more of Lau’s world.
The plot is mostly domesticity, comfort, and healing, with the authors weaving their monster romance magic in the amusing and squee-tastic antagonistic dynamics between the clearly besotted demon and the quickly-falling-for-that-demon human.
The banter was made me chuckle and Lau’s bold declarations of his superiority as a demon were hilarious. My heart, along with Ivy’s, melted at the easy way he accepted Ivy’s non-binary identity, which of course, came with him declaring he is a he as in “He is Lau, the fearsome sleep demon!”
And this is why Ivy and Lau gave Cody and Nor a serious run for their money! If you ask me which couple is my favorite, I loved them both so much!
Lau, our favorite tsundere demon, is a grumpy grump who grumbles, but inside, his heart is as mushy as our sweet sleep demon Nor! I highly recommend audiobooking this because Michael Ferraiuolo’s performance of Lau was spot-on, capturing the bravado and vulnerability so convincingly!
Another favorite part is Vary, Lau’s himbo brother, who frequently crosses over to the human world. Why? It’s a happy surprise! I hope Vary’s book is next.
Bump in the Night is a story where a whole lot of grumpiness delivered the tenderest care. Funny and heartwarming, the deep connection and the poignant moments between two delightful characters is a reminder that even in the dark, there’s always room for love, sass, and a cup of tea.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bump In The Night
Artist: Skittish
Album: The Perfect Shade of Green IIP.S.
Black Oasis should be read in order. Befriend that lonely monster under the bed in Whispers In The Dark.
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BUMP IN THE NIGHT: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Whispers In The Dark by Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
Black Oasis: Whispers In The Dark – Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
You never know what’s hiding under your bed…
At twenty-four, Cody has already lost hope of having a life of his own. All his time is spent playing nurse to a dying, spiteful step-father and maid to his bully half-brother. His only escapes are playing his favorite online fantasy game, Black Oasis, and talking to the strange, unearthly presence under his bed that may or may not actually exist.
But everything changes when his nightly visitor, who introduces himself as Nor, starts talking back.
As their connection deepens, Nor invites Cody into the surreal world existing just beyond his nightmares, filled with haughty demons, passion-killing pet bugs named Gef, and a dark landscape that is oddly familiar. With his sweet but monstrous companion by his side, Cody might finally gain the life of freedom and adventure that he’s always wanted.
Join Nor and Cody as they unearth the true meaning of hope, passion, and a love of endless depths that spans between worlds in Whispers in the Dark, the first book in Knight and Mayne’s co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis.
Whispers in the Dark is an M/M monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a redheaded Texan and his precious, six-fingered Deepdweller. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details.
I swear, this book was inspired by that cute meme where an anxious sleeper sought comfort by holding the hand of the creature under their bed.
Whispers in the Dark is the opener of Nikole Knight and Lily Mayne‘s monster romance series, Black Oasis. Downtrodden Cody, whose diabetic father hated him for being queer as much as he depended on him for his basic needs, and whose half-brother bullied him as much as he leered at him, discovered a sleep demon nesting under his bed.
Nor, a gigantic, six-fingered creature with dark, leathery skin and a tail, is protective of the young man he followed from dream to this world. Sensing that the unseen demon meant no harm to him, Cody started sharing everything from random things to his most embarrassing secrets.
Soon the two became friends and Nor became comfortable enough to come out from under the bed. These interactions were Cody’s only solace from a life of drudgery and abuse. Until one day, things took a turn for the worst and Cody and Nor had to get away from this world fast.
Both MCs were endearing and very likable. It’s hard not to root for Cody, even though I wished he would just walk out of his toxic family. Our boy’s trying. Nor was a surprise! He was this big scary claws and teeth sleep monster ready to rip anyone who’d dare harm his little rabbit, Cody. He kept his mystique until they’re back in his world, and he turned out to be a himbo! I loved this big dork!
Admittedly, I was underwhelmed. This story badly needed an adventure or a quest. Half of the plot takes place mostly in Cody’s bedroom while the rest happens in Nor’s world. There’s a “nothing going on” feel to it.
The bedroom scenes were pretty much standard human meets scary monster, scary monster becomes boyfriend. Cody and Nor kept the momentum going despite oft-repeated scenarios. Their dynamic was sweet and accepting. Together they kept me thoroughly invested in the book.
Cody’s jaunts to Nor’s world and then his permanent stay felt like missed opportunities to explore and create more action-centric scenes. Instead, the two mostly holed up in Nor’s hovel playing house a.k.a. fuck, which wasn’t very exciting.
My itch to explore Nor’s world is because of this huge but semi-low-key mystery the authors threw in. Black Oasis, the online game Cody played looked eerily similar to Nor’s world. This was mentioned a couple of times and then left by the wayside. Argh!
World-building wasn’t very detailed but it reminded me of Lily Mayne’s Monstrous. I imagined it’s set before the interdimensional rift of Monstrous happened and the game Black Oasis somehow caused it. It would be awesome if these series are related, they have a lot in common.
I’m sure answers will be revealed as the series progresses. Still, would be nice if we got more clues.
My favorite parts are Cody’s interactions with Lau, Nor’s best friend and self-proclaimed smartest creature in their world. Nor, bless this lovable himbo demon, whole-hearted believes that, much to Cody’s exasperation.
Cody and Lau love pushing each other buttons and these are the funniest scenes. Cody knows the demon is a blow-hard and feels protective of Nor. Lau loudly declares he hates humans and feels protective of his best friend.
The cocky demon is made for an enemies-to-lovers romance because we all know he has it bad for a human. Who? I’m dying to find out.
Whispers in the Dark is a sweet slow-burn romance about finding solace and acceptance in unlikely places. While it may lack some elements, overall, it is as heartwarming as the strange comfort of holding the hand of the monster under the bed.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Monster (Under My Bed)
Artist: Call Me Karizma
Album: The Gloomy Tapes Vol. 2
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WHISPERS IN THE DARK: Kindle I Audiobook
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RELEASE BLITZ: Popped: A Charity Anthology
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REVIEW: Impromptu Match by Lily Mayne
Goliaths of Wrestling: Impromptu Match – Lily Mayne
I, Taylor Hough, am a painfully average guy.
I have the soul-destroying corporate job, I iron my underpants, and I was unceremoniously dumped for an influencer hippie a few years ago. Every day feels the same, and I don’t know how much longer I can cope before I do something unhinged like rip off my shirt in the middle of my co-worker’s office birthday party and smear lemon cake all over my chest.
But then a case of mistaken identity suddenly lands me in the middle of a covert professional wrestling league, which is apparently being run in the basement of my office building. Weird. Even weirder are the wrestlers. They seem… otherworldly. So does the rest of the staff. And the audience. Pretty much everyone except boring old me.
And then there’s the owner, Holt Hector, with whom I have an extremely embarrassing first encounter. He’s ridiculously attractive, even in the inhuman cosplay get-up he’s wearing that only makes him hotter, if I’m being totally honest.
Then I discover it’s not a costume. And that the show put on by Goliaths of Wrestling every night is more monstrous reality than mindblowing special effects.
My previously boring life is suddenly no longer quite so average, and hot-as-hell Holt is inexplicably as interested in me, and my ironed underpants, as I am in him and his strange new world.
As someone who grew up on WWE, Goliaths of Wrestling, a paranormal series about a secret league of monster wrestlers, is a spectacle I cannot miss!
Hard to believe that this is from renowned paranormal romance writer Lily Mayne, author of Monstrous, a post-apocalyptic monster-romance series that is as emotionally gut-wrenching as it is heartwarming. She does a 180-degree turn, starting with the series opener, Impromptu Match.
I didn’t read the blurb, just knowing this is about professional wrestling was enough to hook me. So I didn’t know what to expect when the story started with 39-year-old office worker Taylor Hough’s 1st-person POV, telling us how boring his life is, always falling into the same humdrum routine the moment he wakes up, goes to work, and even his evenings.
Taylor swears he used to be fun. He became this average, boring office drone who hated his job because his ex wanted him to fit a mold. Only to declare Taylor boring and promptly left him for a long-haired surfer.
The mood was the sad-funny of black comedies.
A rush escape from an office birthday party, an oddly specific request from a mysterious individual, and a case of mistaken identity plunge Taylor headfirst into the secret world of monsters, the underground Goliaths of Wrestling league, and its gorgeous, long-haired, grey-skinned owner, Holt Hector.
Then everything was stupid and funny and so dumb it’s brilliant!
Taylor and Holt hit it off by drunkenly oversharing their deepest, most shameful secrets. Taylor confesses everything from ironing his underpants while watching sad British soaps to farting in his boss’s office. Holt remembers accidentally ripping his skin-tight pants and exposing his butthole to a group of Japanese businessmen. He also confesses to throwing his back out trying to suck his own dick.
It was the start of a great found family, a blossoming romance, and a supportive if chaotic dumb and dumber relationship that could actually be goals…
Meanwhile, we are also introduced to the other employees. Larkin is Holt’s PA and a doofus fae unwittingly instrumental in Taylor and Holt’s meeting. Seb is a werewolf working as Holt’s bodyguard and may or may not be into Larkin.
The wrestlers were a riot! It’s a diverse crew with everything from a dullahan, the cowboy Dullahan Dan, to an incubus wearing a nun’s habit, Gabe, to a female satyr, G.O.A.T., an honest-to-goodness Valkyrie, Val, and a pair called Frank and Beans, who look like halves of a bean with super long dicks they can connect to form some kind of limbo stick finishing move. There are also vampires, ghouls, werewolves, and mothmen.
The plot alternates between Taylor interacting with the paranormals, Larkin’s dumbass antics, and going through Taylor’s mundane routines to increasingly creative shenanigans with Holt.
The gags were hilarious and since the wrestlers have supernatural abilities, the wrestling matches were extra OTT! I loved that the author captured the cheesetastic camp of wrestling gimmicks and up the ante by making the athletes actual monsters!
So I was kinda annoyed that there are too many sex scenes popping up like unskippable ads in a YouTube video. Then belatedly realized that the book is actually erotica. Though, what I liked about the sex scenes, and their relationship as a whole, is that it shows Holt being as equally dorky as Taylor.
When Holt was introduced as the enigmatic paranormal who feeds on other people’s feelings, you’d think he’d be all dominant, broody, alphahole type. I mean, look at him at the cover.
Nope, this is a man who complains that his balls are not symmetrical and wears smokey eyeshadow, leather pants, and pink cat-eye glasses, anything bright pink really. And this dork, adores everything about Taylor, from his sad office worker ennui to his British soaps.
Impromptu Match is a ridiculous, silly, kinda cute, and surprisingly uplifting tale of a man tired of life discovering that the world is full of wonders if you know where to look.
And as my English teacher used to say, the moral of the story is about loving a person, farts and all. It’s all about finding that freak that matches one’s freak. And if that freak happens to be an actual monster, well that would be quite a match!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Nothing Worth Loving Isn’t Askew
Artist: Lemon Demon
Album: Dinosaurchestra
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IMPROMPTU MATCH: Kindle I Audiobook
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COVER REVEAL: Popped Charity Anthology
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MY TOP 10 READS OF 2023
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REVIEW: Gloam by Lily Mayne
Monstrous: Gloam – Lily Mayne
When a strange woman shows up outside our camp in the Wastes with monsters chained up to her RV, it feels like I’m the only one who actually wants to help them.
That big, grey-skinned monster with the cage on his head and the chain hanging from his back—something is telling me I need to help him. I need to free him. But I have absolutely no idea how I’m supposed to do that, especially when he can’t even talk to me to tell me how.
Collector Mary is finally leaving our camp to head back to her monster menagerie, so I do the only thing I can think of to help him. I go with her.
Now, this big beastie and I are traveling companions for the foreseeable future. Now I just have to think of a way to get that cage off his head, which seems like an impossible task. But I’m not giving up. He has no one else, and when I start to discover who he is beneath the cage, my motivation to free him becomes far more than just a desire to help.
This is so dangerous. The military is lurking. Vicious monsters are lurking. And when Mary turns out to be even worse than we could have ever imagined, my desperate bid to save this monster turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to die out here.
Gloam is Book Four of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of torture and violence.
Monstrous, Lily Mayne‘s brilliant post-apocalyptic series continues the trek through the monster-ridden wastelands of America with Book 4, Gloam.
Gloam started with a thirsty young raider, Rig, lusting over the muscles of a huge, grey-skinned monster chained to an RV with a cage over his head. The antoran, along with two other beasties, were captives of a sinister human named Collector Mary. Feeling sorry for the big guy, Rig set out to free the beastie, and he was prepared to take all the risks, including leaving the raider camp and going with Collector Mary.
We know Rig from Book 3, The Rycke, as Ghost’s impulsive best friend. He’s the camp’s mechanic, good at fixing stuff, hence the name. Rig is also naive and doesn’t have much experience outside the camp, so I was looking forward to see how our boy survives the Wastes.
Risking his life, limb, and sanity, Rig’s pursuit to free Gloam took him through the Wastes, cannibal cults, the military, Mary’s vile thoughts, and more monsters. It was an adventure as exciting and suspenseful as the others, if a bit less action-packed. The story focused more on building Gloam and Rig’s relationship, which developed beautifully.
At the heart of it all is a pure-hearted young man who is very determined to do the right thing because nobody, not even beasties, deserves to be abused. What gripped me the most was that Rig broke down, bawled like a baby, and blubbered like an idiot, but never, ever stopped trying to free Gloam. Even before Gloam could talk to him, and even before falling in love with the beastie! Our boy is a fluffy marshmallow with a core of steel!
Gloam spent most of the story unable to speak, but Rig deviced a clever way for them to communicate. The big beastie might be super brawny, but he’s also surprisingly cultured and scholarly. His voice really showed off that gentle side of him! I recommend audiobooking this and the other books because Michael Lesley is giving us his best voices in this series!
I loved the big guy! Gloam is one of the sweetest characters in the entire series who kept his innate goodness intact despite being betrayed by his own family, and forced to do the worst, most stomach-churning tasks by his captors, like impaling people in spits while still alive. He didn’t even seek revenge! Gloam has a calming energy that grounds Rig. They are a perfect match!
There are some loose threads that I hope the author will pick up in future books. Something needs to be done about the cannibal cult! These are the assholes who forced Gloam to do the above-mentioned crime. I hope Samson, the reluctant cult member, gets his own book or will be able to escape. He’s another good guy trapped in a hellish situation. I hope we meet the intriguing beasties from Mary’s menagerie again.
Gloam is an emotional tale of determination and kindness, a rousing dystopian adventure, and a tender romance that beat the odds. Overall, a moving portrait of the worst and best of humans and monsters.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Run Wild
Artist: John Tibbs
Album: Dead Man WalkingP.S.
Monstrous should be read in order. Fall in love with the cinnamon roll monster and their adorable humans.
Soul Eater
Edin
The Rycke
Wyn
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SOUL EATER: Kindle | Audiobook
EDIN: Kindle | Audiobook
THE RYCKE: Kindle | Audiobook
WYN: Kindle | Audiobook
GLOAM: Kindle | AudiobookIf you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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REVIEW: Wyn by Lily Mayne
Monstrous: Wyn by Lily Mayne
I am a monster.
A ghoul. A demon. The bogeyman. I have been called all of them. Most creatures fear me, but humans are repulsed by me. They are terrified of me. They have created legends about me, ever since they became aware of my existence when the tear between our worlds grew and we—the monsters from their nightmares—flooded through in our droves.
There is only one human who isn’t afraid of me. The only one who matters. And I will destroy anyone who tries to hurt him or take him from me. Danny is mine.
For the first time in my unfathomably long life, I know what it means to want another so much that the thought of losing him threatens to ruin me. I will do anything to keep Danny with me for as long as I can have him—for as long as he is willing to stay by the side of an ancient, scarred creature with a voice so inhuman it has sent some mad.
For some reason, Danny loves my voice. For some reason, Danny loves me. And when we both decide that his natural human life is nowhere near enough time for us to have together, we go on a journey between worlds to the one place where we can do what it takes for us to be together forever.
Wyn is a sweet, low-angst novella that is part of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read this series in order—if you haven’t read books one to three already, there are big spoilers in this!
Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of torture and violence, and very briefly mentions the lingering effects of PTSD
Wyn is more than a novella.
First, it gives us Wyn’s POV! I am thrilled to get inside his head! Our favorite monster is a snarky, grim bastard and totally putty in Danny’s hands. He would have gladly wiped out the entire military had Danny wanted it, but this sweet human is teaching the old fogey new tricks. Such as patience.
Second, it addresses Wyn’s, and mine, concern which is him being a near immortal and Danny having that short human lifespan. And this was resolved in a cozy meandering adventure/honeymoon of sorts that culminated in one of my favorite scenes in the entire series, the tethering. I love how this scene was written, with tension and awe so palpable mixed in with a bit of levity.
Third, this quest for extending Danny’s lifespan paved the way for the crossing to Wyn’s world. We learn more about the other monsters, their cultures, the flora, and fauna because Danny is prone to stopping and asking ten questions about everything and anything. The world-building was fantastic, especially the description of the towering fortress where Wyn and Danny were heading.
Wyn was adorably patient because he loved his human so much. It was pretty amusing how the telyth was such a doting boyfriend to his human, because had it been any other creature, he would have slit their throats without second thoughts. Who knew the Soul Eater could be such a romantic!
In the short time he appeared on page, Wyn’s ex, Orlith, made quite the impression. This bratty therin is a riot and I am dying to read his book!
I was as endlessly fascinated as Danny about Wyn’s world. The ones that piqued my curiosity the most were the mabs. Gigantic, godlike creatures eternally at war yet perpetually drawn to each other. Their character designs were cool AF. Wyn dismissed them as nothing more than Others, creatures who are so ancient they make a 10,000-year-old telyth like Wyn seem a blip in existence. I hope we get their story in future books.
“He was mine. He was always supposed to be mine. I had just needed to wait for a long time to find him. But the wait had been worth it.”
All in all, Wyn is the answer to our fervent Monstrous wishes!
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Tethered
Artist: Rationale
Album: VesselsP.S.
Monstrous should be read in order. Meet the monsters and their humans, starting with:
Soul Eater
Edin
The Rycke
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Monstrous. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
SOUL EATER: Kindle | Audiobook
EDIN: Kindle | Audiobook
THE RYCKE: Kindle | Audiobook
WYN: Kindle | AudiobookIf you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
