Happy New Year, everyone!

I don’t know why I said that with so much enthusiasm. I don’t actually feel enthusiastic about it. But it’s still a new year, regardless of how I feel, so *shrug*

I managed to squeeze in one last finished art piece though, and I am enthusiastic about that! It’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Centaur! (His nose gets cold.) (Also technically he’s a cervitaur.) I’m surprisingly happy with how it turned out, considering I had to rush to finish in time, and how festive and wintery it feels.

(One day I’m going to find a website to put all my art or just put it all in its own little area on my blog, just to have it all in one place. But that day is not today.)

I also played some games in the World Land Trust Bundle (or whatever it was called) from itch io. A Good Snowman is Hard to Build was adorable with challenging but chill and fun puzzles. I’ve also tried out Cosmic Express, Cloud Gardens, Art Sqool, and Coffee Talk so far, and they’re all very chill.

Anyway, I hope everyone is starting off their new year by trying to stay safe and well <3

Blog/Bookish Updates:

I don’t have plans to change anything for the new year. I’m just gonna keep chugging along! I’m looking into trying to make a dark mode for my site that people can turn on or off, but so far I can only get it so that you have to click to turn it on every time you visit a new page, so I don’t know if that’s worth it (but feel free to try it if you want, button is in the upper left or middle, depending on screen size, though cache may prevent it from showing). Maybe I’ll try to make a new header again with some sort of image to go with the text? Who knows.

Not exactly an update, but my end of the year best characters and best books posts didn’t get a lot of love, so maybe check those out if you haven’t?

Oh! I will be joining the Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight, yet again! I’m going to aim for one discussion a month, so that puts me in the “Creative Conversationalist” tier as my goal.

(Also, I just won the Discussion Challenge giveaway for November, so that was an awesome way to end the year!)

Books I Received for Review:

Yagi the Bookshop Goat by Fumi Furukawa from TOKYOPOP, which looks really cute. Dark Factory by Kathe Koja from Meerkat Press, which looks intriguing.

Books I Finished:

If you’re considering buying one of the books below from Amazon, I’d really appreciate if you’d use my affiliate link!

I ended up reading a lot of books (though most were pretty short) because I went on another KU Christmas book spree. (Also, all the books I read in December, except the last one, were mlm, so I’m not gonna say that for each one.) (Also, sorry that I get a bit ranty, I had some bad book luck.)

Machine Metal Magic // The Wayward Prince // Black Sky Morning by Hanna Dare – The first one didn’t super hook me, but I kept reading, and each book got better and better! An enjoyable sci-fi space romance series with different couples.

Wishing on a Dream // Building on a Hope by Michele Notaro – Some nice m/m and m/m/m romances about wizards set around Christmastime.

Have a Hellish, Lousy Christmas by Catherine Lievens – Another fun, light book in this series about different couples, each about a different archangel.

Rise of the Snowmen by Emmi Lawrence – The second book in a very action-packed Christmas series. A little too much action for me, perhaps, but I like the idea and the relationship progression.

Santa’s Naughty Boy by Wendy Rathbone – Unfortunately there’s not much in this book for you if you don’t like a focus on sex and daddy kink and instalove, and I’m just not into that.

The Vet’s Christmas Familiar by TJ Nichols – A tragic but hopeful story with a neat premise and shifters and witches and romance.

Hensley Manor by Jaclyn Osborn – A very Christmassy romance, rather focused on sex, but sweet.

Ethan & Jag Destroy the World by Maz Maddox – Another book with insta… maybe not love, but very strong feelings, and a romance that was very focused on sex, but there was some fun holiday stuff.

A Villain for Christmas by Alice Winters – A fun and funny superhero/supervillain romance! Though not very Christmassy, given the title.

Christmas Spirit by Ali Ryecart – A cozy snowed-in Christmas romance.

A Very Armitage Christmas by Eliot Grayson – A fun little extra in the Mismatched Mates series. I enjoyed seeing how these couples were doing.

The Daddy Clause by J S Grey – Started off well, but turned into another book with instalove and a relationship that was all about the sex.

A Faerie Story by Barbara Elsborg – Simultaneously not a bad book but also one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time. The individual characters might’ve been interesting had they had more room to grow, but I felt nothing between them because of, you guessed it, the instalove and immediate focus on sex, but in an even stronger, stranger way than the other books on this list. A really unique premise and story though.

Colder Than Fiction by Amanda Meuwissen – Turned out to not quite be the fantasy story I was expecting, but a cute short story.

The Omega’s Krampus Christmas by Lorelei M. Hart – This didn’t feel like a book, it felt like a detailed outline. Very surface level. But it would’ve been cute with more depth.

The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection Volume 2 by Jordan Castillo Price – This was another fun, somewhat silly collection in this series, the relationship became even sweeter, and I enjoyed this even more than the first book!

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta – This one sounded so weird, but all the reviews said it was sweet, so of course I had to try it lol. It’s about someone taking a job “milking” minotaurs. (Hint: They don’t have udders.) It was in fact weird, and not quite for me, but it actually was surprisingly sweet.

In Case You Missed It:

– I reviewed Proper Scoundrels by Ali Therin, a cute m/m historical paranormal romance.
– I created and did the Christmas Book Covers Tag.
– I reviewed A Villain for Christmas by Alice Winters, a fun and funny m/m superhero/villain romance.
– I shared my top ten favorite covers from books I read in 2021.
– I shared my top ten favorite characters from books I read in 2021.
– Last but not least, I shared my top ten favorite books and series I read in 2021 (+ some non-bookish media).