April Reads 2025

🐇 April Reviews 🌷

April 1st- 30th

I had another great reading month in April. This was my best of the year so far with 19 books and 5854 pages read. I found so many new favorites, especially Words of Radiance. 

Book 55: The Dragons of Winter

(The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #6)

By James A. Owen

Read April 1st-3rd

Pages: 400

Release Year: 2012

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I absolutely adore this series and cannot wait to read the final book.

Book 56: The First Dragon

(The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #7)

By James A. Owen

Read April 4th-5th

Pages: 304

Release Year: 2013

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 A perfect ending to this wonderful series. I love how James A. Owen decided to conclude this story so much. This just makes me want to reread the entire series and see the pieces I missed the first time around. It has been a joy to watch these characters grow and I can only hope for further books in this world. There is an eighth book which is a collection of short stories which I will be reading next. 

I highly recommend reading these books. They are great!

Book 57: Witch Week

(Chrestomanci #3)

By Diana Wynne Jones

Read April 7th

Pages: 304

Release Year: 1982

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Another brilliant book in the Chrestomanci series. Oh, how I love Diana Wynne Jones's writing style.

Book 58: The Dragon Knight

(The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #8)

By James A. Owen

Read April 6th-8th

Pages: 224

Release Year: 2021

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I like how this had a framing device to connect each of the stories to the overall story in this collection. My favorites were the ones about John, Bug, and Quixote. Also, I like how this ends in a way that makes me think that there will be more stories from this world. Here’s hoping.

Book 59: The Dam Keeper (Dam Keeper # 1)

By Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

Read April 9th

Pages: 160

Release Year: 2017

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I like this graphic novel quite a bit and am looking forward to continuing with the other two volumes. The illustrations are so beautiful. Definitely want to check out the animated short.

 

Book 60: The Great Gatsby 

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Read April 10th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 1925

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April 10th, 2025- 

Happy 100th anniversary Old Sport! This is my fifth time rereading this book and I love it so much more now. Rereading will always be one of my favorite things and seeing how a book changes for you each time you read it. Gatsby is a beautifully heartbreaking story that I adore with all my heart. 

April 10th, 2023- 

I decided to reread this wonderful book on the 98th anniversary of it’s publication. It’s been ten years since, I first read the book and I love it just as much as the first time. I will forever adore the beautiful writing. 

February 9th, 2019 reread-

This is the third time that I have read this book and I cannot help but adore it everytime. It's beautiful and heartbreaking. There are so many lines that I could pull out as favorites. Especially those about the green light.

I have still to this day never read another F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. I hope to this year.

 

Book 61: Assistant to the Villain

(Assistant to the Villain #2)

By Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Read April 9th-12th

Pages: 342

Release Year: 2023

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Another favorite from a year full them. I loved the relationship between Evie and the villain so much. It was an absolute joy seeing them interact with each other and their banter. I cannot tell you the amount of times I laughed out loud just from their inner thoughts about each other. This was everything I wanted out of the story and so much more. I’m very happy that I have the sequel after the ending. Looking forward to seeing what happens next with these characters.

 

Book 62: The Dam Keeper: World Without Darkness (Dam Keeper #2)

By Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

Read April 12th

Pages: 160

Release Year: 2018

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Just as beautiful as the first. This is such a sad storyline, though I do love the message about family in this with Van.

Book 63: The Dam Keeper: Return from the Shadows (Dam Keeper #3)

By Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi 

Read April 12th

Pages: 208

Release Year: 2019

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A beautiful finale for this series which surprised me by making me tear up at the end. I do really enjoy how they decided to end Pig, Fox, and Rhino’s story.

Book 64: Apprentice to the Villain

(Assistant to the Villain #2)

By Hannah Nicole Maehrer 

Read April 13th

Pages: 368

Release Year: 2024

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Never have I wanted to bang two people's heads together as I did Evie and Trystan. Their romance is so sweet at times but also frustrating. I'm not usually a fan of such a slow burn but there is just something about them that I cannot get enough of. They play off each other very well and I adore the banter. I haven't laughed this much at a book in a long time that also tugs at my heart. 

It was nice learning more about the secondary characters this time around. I like that we got more perspectives, especially Rebecca's. Also, the world building was great in this one. One of my favorite aspects of a fantasy is learning about the world, its magic, and creatures. We get so much of that here and I look forward to learning more in future books.

I cannot wait to get more from Evie, Trystan, Kingsley, Becky, Blade, Lyssa, Tati, Claire, Fluffy, Edwin... all of this gang of misfits. I love this found family so much!

Book 65: Beetle & the Chimera Carnival (The Beetle Books #2)

By Aliza Layne

Read April 15th

Pages: 368

Release Year: 2025

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I enjoy this series so much, especially the stunning illustrations throughout. This a great new adventure with Beetle and her friends.  She, Penny, and Kat are dealing with injured and disappearing dragons. Also, Beetle is having problems with her magic and is starting to transform at the moon like other goblins. Kat’s parents come to town and make the girls believe they will not have a chance at a relationship because of them. 

This book deals with identity and learning to be yourself even if others might not like it. I love the representation in this story. Perfect for young readers. 

I will definitely be picking up a copy of this sometime to go along with the first. Cannot wait to see the finished illustrations with color. 

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.*

Book 66: A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

(Adenashire #1)

By J. Penner

Read April 15th-16th

Pages: 288

Release Year: 2023

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I have been an avid watcher of cooking and baking shows for a very long time, so I knew I had to read this book. It is a great cozy fantasy, with a dash of romance. It was interesting learning about this world throughout the story and I am looking forward to seeing more in the other books. 

J. Penner does an incredible job describing these "magical bakes" throughout the entire book. It really made me want to eat them. I love how there are also recipes included in the back. Perfect for a book all about baking.

The side characters were my other favorite part of the book, especially Arleta's neighbors, a cute orc couple who are adopted dads for Arleta. They were great. I wish there was a book just about them.

There were parts of the romance I really enjoyed and parts that I didn't. I won't spoil them here. It was cute, but not my favorite.

If you are a fan of cozy fantasy stories, I would recommend picking this up. It was a lighthearted and wholesome story with a lot of heart. 

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

 

Book 67: Gary of a Hundred Days 

(The Unwanted King #1)

By Isabel Murray

Read April 16th

Pages: 172

Release Year: 2022

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I did like the first couple of chapters but not most of the rest. There wasn’t enough plot for me. Also, the fated mate relationship is just one I did not like at all. Or how childish Gary felt in this. I was hoping for a cozy queer fantasy but this was not what I wanted.

 

Book 68: The Layover (The Layover #1)

By Roe Horvat

Read April 17th

Pages: 117

Release Year: 2017

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Roe Horvat has a beautiful writing style which I definitely plan to read more of in the future. I saw this heavily recommended on multiple sites for a great take on the sick/comfort trope and this definitely was what I was looking for. The relationship was one I connected to quickly. I loved watching Ondro and Jamie fall for each other. I only wish this could have been a bit longer. Roe did an incredible job making this not feel like insta-love even with the shortness.

 

Book 69: Swordheart

By T. Kingfisher

Read April 17th-19th

Pages: 448

Release Year: 2018

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One of my favorite tropes in fantasy is an inanimate object coming to life, especially a sword. I loved seeing how T. Kingfisher twisted this in a way I have come to love in her books. Instead of being the sword itself, Sarkis is an immortal man trapped in the sword who comes out when the sword is unsheathed. It was so interesting to learn about how this worked throughout the book.

Sarkis is meant to guard whoever is wielding the sword, with his life. When Halla tries to use the sword to end her troubles with her terrible family, Sarkis meets someone quite different than he has seen wield it before. It is his duty to protect and help her. 

T. Kingfisher's humor is some of my favorite to read. I was hooked in this story from the very first line until the very end. I adore how much she can make me laugh out loud from the inner thoughts of the characters, the dialogue, and the banter. Halla is absolutely hilarious. I love how how cleverly she uses her questions to get people to think she is naive. It was great to see her get everyone out of trouble because others underestimate women like her. She's so damn clever.

The romance between Halla and Sarkis was wonderful. I loved seeing them play off each other. They are so different and it was adorable to watch them fall in love. Also, the banter was top-notch between them. Grumpy x sunshine works so well here. Their dynamic was endearing and you just want them to succeed. 

Along with our couple, I enjoyed following the side characters, especially Zale and Brindle. Found families will always be one of my favorite dynamics in a story. This became a fantasy road trip of my dreams. It was interesting to learn about the different religions and cultures throughout. We got to see different people who represented many of the different gods, including Zale, who is a priest of the White Rat. This has a good amount of world-building which had me wanting to read even more from this world.

Another great book from an author who is becoming one of my all-time favorites. Definitely, looking forward to picking up the other books from this world.

 

Book 70: Words of Radiance

(The Stormlight Archive #2)

By Brandon Sanderson

Read April 21st-26th

Pages: 1088

Release Year: 2014

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A brilliant follow-up to The Way of Kings that surprised me by being even better than the first. I love this series. 

We learn so much about Shallan in this book, especially of what happened in her past. I like how we switch back and forth between what is happening in the present to the past with what happened to her, the same as Kaladin in the first. Good lord, she is lucky to be even sane after her childhood. 

There was more of Wit in this book, which was an absolute joy. I love the scene where he is telling Kaladin the story of Fleet. Brandon Sanderson does a perfect job balancing the humor along with many terribly tragic scenes. Wit’s scenes are hilarious as usual and I love the banter between Kaladin, Adolin, and Shallan. I could not stop laughing with some of their scenes together. 

This is a world I look forward to learning more about in the rest of the series.

 

Book 71: Thinking About Thinking: Impossible Thoughts and Complicated Feelings

By Grant Snider

Read April 26th

Pages: 128

Release Year: 2025

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I love Grant Snider’s comics so very much. This is a great work.

Book 72: Darwin’s Watch 

(The Science of the Discworld #3)

By Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen

Read April 27th- 29th

Pages: 346

Release Year: 205

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I really like the overarching story in each of the books in this series with the wizards of Unseen University causing different things to happen on Roundworld. These scenes are some of my favorites for the wizards. 

The science in this book interested me quite a bit more than usual and I liked learning about Darwin. Not only does this have information about natural selection but it goes into the history of how he came about these ideas. Though, I do enjoy the Discworld story much more and do not like how it cuts off in the middle of the story. Oftentimes, the story elements feel so short and then it switches yet again.

Book 73: Macbeth

By William Shakespeare 

Read April 29th

Pages: 249

Release Year: 1606

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April 29th reread: 

This is my fourth time reading through Macbeth. It is my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, one I love so much. I decided this time to finally watch the David Tennant version and follow along with my copy. They did an absolutely incredible job performing this play, though I will say they changed it around a bit from the original. Shakespeare is so much better when it is performed. My favorite scenes will always be the witch scenes.

The Vibes I Bring to the Function

 

I’ve seen this type of post around quite a lot recently, so I figured I would make one too. Had a lot of fun with this. 

Books with the Word “Song” in the Title

  

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books with the Word “Song” in the Title

For the Top Ten Tuesday this week, we were supposed to pick books with a specific word in the title. I wanted to have something different for my word than I would normally pick for myself, so I asked my mother to pick a word. One of her choices was the word “song” and I easily found 10 books that I have read with “song” in the title. Here are those ten books in order by when I read them. 

1. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks- I used to read a lot of Nicholas Sparks’s books back in high school and the first couple of years of college. One of my favorites of his books will always be The Last Song. It is about a 17-year old named Ronnie who is spending the summer with her estranged father in Wilmington, North Carolina. While there she grows closer to her father again and finds first love. It is a beautiful novel, that I know would probably break my heart even worse if I read it again now. 

2. Song of Myself by Walt Whitman- A great collection of poetry that I really enjoyed in my American Literature class back in college. Walt Whitman is one of my favorite poets. 

3. Confessions of a Serial Songwriter by Shelly Peiken- In 2017 and early 2018, I had a job where I was reviewing audiobooks for AudioFile magazine online. Each month, I would listen to 2-3 audiobooks and review them. They would all go onto their website and many of my reviews made it into their print magazine. I would have never found this book if not for this job. Shelly Peiken wrote music for many of my favorite singers including Britney Spears, Natasha Bedingfield, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, Cher, Reba McEntire, *NSYNC, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez, Idina Mendel, David Archuletta, Demi Lovato, and so many others. 

It was so interesting to listen to her tell stories about her life and her writing. My favorite story was about how she came up with the lyrics for the song “Bitch” that she wrote with Meredith Brooks. She tells about how you can be sitting in the most random place and have random thoughts for writing come through your head. This happens to me a lot for my own poetry and stories. It is why I have to carry around a notebook with me just in case I get inspiration. You do not want to forget a great line and then try to remember it again later. 

4. Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi- This is the second book in the Aru Shah series. I have to get back into these books again and finally finish them. I loved learning about the Hindu Mythology and enjoyed the characters so much, especially Subala, who is a talking pigeon. 

5. Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross- This was the first book I read from Rebecca Ross back in 2020. I enjoyed the story of sisterhood in this book and the bond that Evadne and Halcyon had with each other. Also, Rebecca created her own interesting mythology for this world. I’d like to reread this again soon. 

6. Lumberjanes: Campfire Songs by Shannon Watters- A collection of short comics that are additional material to the Lumberjane world. I particularly enjoyed the story “A Midsummer Night’s Scheme” which has Puck in it who will always be a favorite literary character for me. 

7. Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller- The story of the original Disney version of The Little Mermaid told from Eric’s perspective. Linsey added a bit to the story and gave Eric an interesting backstory, but stuck pretty close to the story beats from the original. I enjoyed seeing the events from the movie, especially the scenes when Ariel was doing something Eric didn’t notice, like at their first dinner together when she gets Sebastian out of Grimsby’s food. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the addition of Eric’s curse and how that plays into his story as a whole. I also love the dynamic between him, Grimsby, Carlotta, and his friends that are introduced in the book. The best part of the story is the relationship between Ariel and Eric and that we get to spend more time with them in this book together.  

8. Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erick Didriksen- I love books that take modern-day writing/stories and rewrite them as if they were by Shakespeare. This is a clever book which takes a chorus or verse from a song and reimagines them as if they were a sonnet by Shakespeare. I’d love a version of this with Disney songs. 

9. The Song of Orphan’s Garden by Nicole M. Hewitt- I love novels written in verse and knew I had to pick this one up as soon as I heard about it. The formatting fits perfectly with the story and helps it feel even more lyrical. I love the magic system Nicole created with the music and how it was used throughout the book. Nicole does an incredible job with the various poetic forms to create this powerful story. 

10. A Song for You & I by K. O’Neill- K. O’Neill always creates such beautiful graphic novels. They are an amazing artist and storyteller who I will always highly recommend. This is a wonderful graphic novel with a power story of self-acceptance. It was great to see both Rowan and Leone grow throughout the story and support each other in their dreams and identities. The story has a powerful message and the artwork went along perfectly with it. A perfect example of cozy fantasy with so much heart and charm. 

Happy Birthday, Terry Pratchett! 🐢

Today is Terry Pratchett day. Every year fans honor him on his birthday and “speak his name.” These are my two Terry Pratchett shelves which have all of my books by him. The first shelf is the entire Discworld series with a couple of his other books. The second shelf has some of my other copies of the Discworld books with many more of his. 

I started reading his book Darwin’s Watch, yesterday. It is the third book in The Science of the Discworld series which has a story from the Discworld dealing with the Wizards of Unseen University and also Science from our own world. They are written by Terry, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen. I’m enjoying this one quite a lot so far and am looking forward to continuing with it today. 

Happy Birthday, Terry. Your name lives on with all of your fans. 

Books that Surprised Me

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books that Surprised Me 

 These are all books that surprised me by how much they affected me. Many of the books in this list are in my top-ten favorite books list. 

1. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- I first bought Howl’s Moving Castle back in 2013, put it on the shelf, and didn’t read it until 2020. It surprised me by how much I fell in love with it from the very first page. Diana Wynne Jones had an incredible style of writing which I have seen in every one of her books so far. It shines through in Howl’s Moving Castle. I have read the book two times and it is definitely my favorite book I have ever read. This was my first of Diana’s books and I just adored every part of it. 

The characters are some of the best I have found in literature, along with the interesting magic system. Diana made her worlds feel just as alive as the characters. Howl is a piece of work who I just love to read about along with Sophie. She is a heroine I have related to on a level unlike any other before her. I love how she interacts with the characters and world around her, especially with Howl. Howl is a drama queen wizard, who is eccentric, sassy, and so much fun to read about. I enjoyed his introduction through the stories that are told about him in Sophie’s town. How the citizens believe he steals young women’s souls and hearts. This is an aspect in many fantasy books and I loved watching Diana play with it. 

It will never not be a joy picking up one of Diana’s books and I look forward to picking up this wonderful novel again very soon. The world she has created here plays with popular fantasy and fairy tale tropes, with a fantasy world that feels unique and authentic. 

2. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher - T. Kingfisher was an author I had heard nothing but great things about for years before I read some of her books last year. A Sorceress Comes to Call was the second book I completed by her. Similarly, to Diana Wynne Jones, T. Kingfisher has a distinct style which I cannot get enough of. I love her humor and the ways she takes tropes, fairy tales, and stories and twists them in her own ways. 

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a loose retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale “Goose Girl.” It is quite dark at times but also is absolutely hilarious. The story drew me in through both Hester and Cordelia’s narrations. They are both characters that I enjoyed reading about, but Hester was definitely a favorite. I like how T. Kingfisher often has older characters in her books as protagonists. She shocked me with how many times Hester made me laugh out loud while reading. Her narration was great. Going into this book, I didn’t know how much I would love it and never would have thought I would find a new favorite author. Now six books in, I look forward to reading even more of T. Kingfisher’s writing. 

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Little Women is another book I had owned for a very long time before reading it. My aunt had given it to me when I was about 13 (so around 2006-2007) and then I didn’t read it until 2022. My mom and I were going to see the musical version of it in 2022 and I knew I wanted to read the book before seeing it. Little did I know how much I was going to love the book. I adore the story of the March sisters so very much. Beth, Jo, Amy, and Meg are some of my favorite siblings in literature and I love reading about them. I have yet to read the sequel and hope to do so very soon. 

“There are many of Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.” 

4. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- Terry Pratchett is my favorite author. My first time reading any of his writing was with Good Omens, in 2013. I had read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and looked at a list of books similar to the humor in that book on Goodreads. In that list, Good Omens was mentioned, along with most of the books in the Discworld series. I read Good Omens and instantly fell in love with it (wish it was just by him and not that other man). At the time, I promised myself I would read the Discworld series someday but put it off because of its size (there were 39 books at the time and the series would grow to 41). Terry passed away two years later in March 2015 and I happened to see one of his quotes online that day “No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.”- Reaper Man. I knew I had to read more of this man’s writing. 

I didn’t pick up my first Discworld book until early 2017 and finished the final novel, The Shepherd’s Crown in 2022. Over the years, it went from being one of my favorite series to my favorite. It is a long one that I loved reading through for so many years. I cannot recommend it enough. It’s incredible. Terry has been an inspiration of mine as an author ever since The Colour of Magic. I read the series mostly in publication order and I personally recommend doing so if you plan on reading the entire series. There are many different ways of getting into the series though, which I can explain more if anyone is interested. The only book I read out of order was Hogfather because I wanted to read it at Christmastime that first year I started the series. It’s one of my go-to rereads every year. 

Even though I didn’t find myself loving the first couple of books in the series, they still had me wanting to read more from this brilliant man. Terry’s writing style is one of a kind and I will never get enough of reading one of his books. I have read close to 70 of his books now and I plan on reading the rest eventually. They are insightful, funny, and so damn clever. When starting the Discworld series eight years ago, I never realized how much it would take over my life. I’m so happy I chose to pick them up. 

“People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact it’s the other way around.”- Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

My favorites from the series are: Hogfather, Night Watch, Witches Abroad, Thief of Time, The Wee Free Men, Going Postal, and Wyrd Sisters.  

Each year, I celebrate Terry Pratchett Day (April 28th- his birthday) by reading one of his many books. This year, I am going to read the third book in The Science of the Discworld series: Darwin’s Watch. 

5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- I had heard about The Great Gatsby many times throughout high school but never had any interest in it. In 2013, my best friend Rebecca, asked me to go see the movie with her and told me that I would love it. Needless, to say I did fall in love with it and had to read the book. I was surprised by how much I adored Gatsby’s story.

In the years since, I have read it five times and love is so much more than I did that first time. The last time being on April 10th of this year which was the 100th anniversary of its release.  Rereading books will always be one of my favorite things and seeing how a book changes as you read it at different times in your life.

6. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- Hitchhiker’s is probably the funniest book I have read in my life. It is the book I remember the most from the books I read in my free time during college. I read it for the first time back in college. It was recommended to me by one of my professors at the time. Thank god for that man’s literary tastes because it was one of the best reading experiences of my life. Over the years since, I have read it 9 times (most being on Towel Day, May 25th- a day to celebrate Douglas Adams’ life). It is one of my top five books I have ever read. 

7. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson- I was late getting into any of Brandon’s books. This was again another book I have owned for many years before I decided to pick it up last year. A lot of the time, I love huge books but they can be a bit intimidating. Especially this one since there are supposed to eventually be ten books in The Stormlight Archive. There are five books out at the moment in the series and I started Words of Radiance yesterday. Oftentimes when I read a book over 1000 pages (even when I love them), there are parts that feel like filler. I was shocked that nothing felt like that in this book. 

My favorite of the perspective characters in this book was Kal. I could not believe how much I got invested with his bridge crew in this book, such a great found family. Wit is my favorite character from the Cosmere and I am looking forward to seeing more of him throughout the many various books he is in. 

8. The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series by James A. Owen- It surprises me by how much I adore this series because I did not love the first book when I read it. It actually took me three times to finish it and I only liked it. Little did I know, how much the rest of the books would grow on me. It is one of my favorite series now and I am looking forward to picking up the first book again after knowing what occurs with the characters. I know there will so many scenes which make so much more sense now. A time travel series of my dreams. 

9. The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor- The Ghostkeeper is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a creepy gothic aesthetic when it was needed for the story. It is about a young medium, Dorian, who has had the ability to see ghosts since he was a child and had a traumatic near-death experience. He is basically a ghost therapist who takes the time to listen to each ghost he comes across and helps them get over their emotional turmoil so they can pass on. When the ghosts’ way of getting to the afterlife is threatened, Dorian wants to do everything he can to try and help fix the problem. 

This is one of the most hard-hitting graphic novels I have read. It deals with many heavy topics such as dealing with grief, burnout, and the importance of keeping boundaries with others. Dorian believes he has to do everything he can to help the ghosts, even overworking himself to exhaustion.

I was surprised by the emotional depth of this graphic novel. Going in I knew I would love it, but didn’t realize how much it was going to hit me. I adored watching Dorian’s development and growth throughout the story. He was a great character with pure intentions, which ultimately caused him to always take everyone else’s needs before his own. I’m glad he had someone like Brody in his life to help with his growth and to learn that he needs to take time for himself. They had such a beautiful relationship which I adored. 

10. The Adventure Zone, Vol. 5: The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Carey Pietsch- This was my favorite book from the entire The Adventure Zone series, well out of the first six. I have enjoyed the other books in the series quite a lot but never thought I would love them as much as I did for this one and the one which follows it. The Eleventh Hour is filled with heartfelt moments as we learn about Magnus, Merle, and Taako’s backstories. It holds the same about of humor but it feels more poignant. Also, I will always love a time loop story.