GREAT BOOKS & CONTROVERSIAL OPINION? November Reading Wrap Up

[@aineaileen]

I would LOVE a cozy sci-fi mystery recommendation video!! Sci-fi/mystery & fantasy/mystery are two of my favorite sub genres

[@lusalma5404]

I did a lot of rereads that the beginning of the month - Patti Briggs Sianim series, Ilona Andrews Kinsmen books, Molly Harper's Mystic Bayou :) The Standout of the month was Teller of Small Fortunes. I dnf'd 5 books, but mostly stuff from my KU list. I think they have been categorizing things as romances that really not. Even Sarah J Maas Throne of Glass and etc are more fantasy vs. romance. I liked Ilona Andrews definition - if you take out the romance do you still have a plot? I don't really review books because I don't always analyze them well. Maybe I'll have to read something about how to review and rate :)

[@jessicastraw6593]

Your sweater is so cute! Skin sounds really interesting, I’ve added it to my Goodreads list. Oh Not in My Book sounds good too! Okay cozy sci fi mystery sounds good! I’ve given up on trying to get through by TBR by end of year, I’m just reading whatever now 😂

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Thanks!! I love this sweater. So many good books this month!

[@ohladysamantha]

I'm trying to read down more of my physical TBR, especially BOTM books. Honestly hoping to finish the reading challenge - I have 4 more to go! But I do have some ARCs from NetGalley that come out in January (and a few that have already released I need to read sooo...) it is a balance. Worst case, I get to my NetGalley Jan releases in Jan.

[@colleenh1992]

I rarely read my arcs too far in advance bc I tend to forget to share about them on release day if I do. So I haven’t started any 2025 and, unless I have a very early January arc that sneaks in, I probs won’t.

[@manolitita_gafotas]

I would be very interested in cozy sci-fi mystery recommendations. I really enjoy this sub-genre.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I think I had the same ratings my first read but on re-read The Kingdom of Gods maybe became my favorite? But probably cause I was prepared for the weirdness and understand the thematicness. Are you going to read the novella?? That might be my favorite in that entire world by her.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Okay, I can kind of see that. I do want to read the novella at some point! I don't have it yet.

[@ChantaalReads]

Such a stressful month for so many of us, but glad you had such good reading! I’ve already reviewed one 2025 book…so yeah 😂

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

It has been stressful but books help some! Nice, one down!

[@Tarasreadingnook]

Depending when the 2025 books come out & the archive date is on netgally cause that's the only place I can get Arcs

[@timeoccupied]

In December I usually go back and finish or dnf anything that’s partially read. I like to start January with a clean slate.

[@dangerkayutak2032]

If To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is not Romance, why is it being marketed as Romance? Perhaps the problem is that people went in with a certain expectation and then were disappointed. I have it on my TBR, hopefully I will get to it soon and see what I think about it.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

I didn't see it marketed as a romance, more as a fantasy. But maybe that was going around somewhere. See what you think!

[@Frea_]

​@@BeautifullyBookishBethany yes it was. During the promotion (?) period, the author used the hashtags fantasy romance and romantasy. And in 1 post, she described the book as a dark Chinese romantasy. That's why the controversy happened, because it was marketed as romance.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

@@Frea_ Oof, okay yeah that's not good. I was not aware of that, and should look into it. I will say, it doesn't read as a romance to me.

[@sashamoons868]

Oooh. Immediately added (S)kin when I heard the synopsis and immediately knew it's about soucouyants which is such a common folklore here in Trinidad.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Yes!! I thought it was really good.

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

I also really liked A Discovery of Witches. I never continued the series and i don't think that i will, but i liked it when i read it. QOTD: I really need to read The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart and The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim before the end of the year. They're both on my 24 to read in 2024, are on a list with series to finish before the end of the year that i made in July and have both been on numerous monthly TBRs so i refuse to let this year end without having read them!

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Good luck with your goals!

[@ribbonquest]

I'd love to see a cozy sci fi video. I see people looking for recs in the cozy fantasy groups I'm in about once a month.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Good to know!

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

I'm trying to keep things separate, som I'm saving 2025 Arcs for January. I only have 2, so it's not a ton. I also have a bunch of 2024 releases that I wanted to get to before the end of the year.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

That makes sense! Best of luck finishing the year!

[@GwenCooper-l1b]

Definitely need a video on cozy SF mystery books! 💖💖💖

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

I'lll have to see what I can do!

[@emilyreads5207]

I am so glad you loved Discovery of Witches! The original trilogy is one of my favorites. A couple of things- DoW is not a Netflix show. I believe Starz is the company thst originally produced it.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Good to know! I just know it’s Netflix right now. But the book was great!

[@zoelaird3354]

wasn't To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods one of the books that suffered in that review scandal a while back?

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Yeah, I think you might be right!

[@heabooktubes]

Thanks for mentioning what age They Called Us Enemy is appropriate for. I’ll be reading it with my 12 year old now.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Yes! You should!

[@jrthepinwitch1911]

I'm checking out Streetlight People and Interabled, thanks for the rec.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@KristinKravesBooks]

Ah Murder by Memory sounds incredible! I need to read anything and everything that is comped to Becky Chambers!

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Yes!! It's great.

[@iheartwalle]

I'm excited for the Olivia Waite book

[@SarahAsYouWish]

You have definitely added to my TBR this month. Wishing you well on your job search.

[@booksvsmovies]

Side tangent about To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods but I’m so annoyed by how often Del Ray markets it’s titles. I think they’re often courting YA audiences with books that aren’t actually YA. This was years ago but they 100% did this with Red Rising trying to ride the dystopian boom by consistently comping it with The Hunger Games And with to Gaze Upon the Wicked Gods I think the cover is deliberately misleading about the books age category. It looks waaay to similar to the design style of other YA fantasy novels for this not to be deliberate positioning by marketing and sales. Sorry for the rant but Ive been noticing this trend to years from Del Ray and I think it genuinely does a disservice to both the books they’re selling and readers

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Yeah, I definitely see what you're saying. It gets messy because a lot of adults are also buying YA.

[@AwkwardBookworm]

I have an earc of the davenports 😵‍💫

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Hopefully you like it!

[@parkercrystal1]

My advice is to not continue A Discovery of Witches. It's gets EVEN slower and the romance gets more problematic.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Oh no!! That's unfortunate.