Let’s Talk Bookish: Pride Month Book Recs! | 6/6/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

June 6: Pride Month Book Recs!

Prompts: Happy Pride Month! To celebrate, we’d love to hear about your favourite LGBTQIA+ books, why you love them, and what books you’d recommend for a summer Pride reading list. Are there any new releases you’re looking forward to reading this Pride Month?

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To celebrate, we’d love to hear about your favourite LGBTQIA+ books, why you love them, and what books you’d recommend for a summer Pride reading list.

This Poison Heart by. Kaylynn Bayron

The House in the Cerulean Sea by. TJ Klune

The Song of Achilles by. Madeline Miller

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by. Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Guncle by. Steven Rowley

Pumpkin by. Julie Murphy

Are there any new releases you’re looking forward to reading this Pride Month?

I don’t have anything specifically being read for Pride Month, but I don’t do monthly TBR’s. I feel like so many arcs I’m reading have LGBTQIA+ characters already which is awesome. So here is a list of some books that I read recently with LGBTQIA+ characters:

Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven

Well, Actually by. Mazey Eddings

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by. Lyndall Clipstone

June Topics:

~~June 2: Pride Month Book Recs!~~

June 13: Traveling for Literature

Prompts: Many books are inspired by real-life settings. Have you ever visited places inspired by books you’ve read? What places are on your bucketlist? If you could visit any fictional setting come to life, where would you go?

June 20: All About Audiobooks (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you like to read audiobooks? Where do you typically get audiobooks? Do you have any favorite narrators, or platforms for listening to them? Do you find it easy to access audiobooks, or can it be more challenging compared to ebooks and physical books?

June 27: Mid-Year Check-In

Prompts: Now that we’re halfway through the year, let’s check in! How has your reading year been so far? What reading/blogging achievements are you most proud of? Looking forward, is there anything you want to change up for the rest of the year?

Let’s Talk Bookish: Literary Palette Cleansers | 5/23/25

This week’s topic is:

May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers

Prompts: Do you ever feel like you need a reading reset? Maybe you’ve been reading dense literary fiction, or in a reading slump. Are there certain books you read to help reset? Do you ever take a break from reading? Do you find yourself needing those literary palate cleansers at certain times of year?

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Do you ever feel like you need a reading reset?

I need a reading reset once a week I think! At the end of the year I slow down on reading and try to give me a whole month break – if I can’t do that because I’m addicted to reading, I at least give myself 2 weeks without reading.

Maybe you’ve been reading dense literary fiction, or in a reading slump. Are there certain books you read to help reset?

I read a lot of fantasy or romantasy and when I do too much of that, I switch over to contemporary romance or a thriller/horror. Thrillers are always a good palette cleanser haha and a short book is good since fantasies are so long sometimes.

Do you ever take a break from reading?

YES. I have to take a break if I read more than 13 books a month. I always feel like more than 13 books a month is pushing my limit. I’ve been only reading more this year because of how stressed I feel with reality. So I’m allowing myself to go overboard but I also tell myself not to read for a week if I’ve read too much.

Do you find yourself needing those literary palate cleansers at certain times of year?

I don’t think I need them at certain times of the year – just certain times of the month! I saw a tiktoker say her mood reading is based on her menstrual period cycle 😅 and I think she is totally onto something!!!

May Topics:

~~May 2: Bookish Fandoms~~

Prompts: There are very popular bookish fandoms out there, especially in the romance fantasy genre (Maas, Yarros, LOTR, etc.). Are you part of a bookish fandom? If you are, what do you love about it? If not, do you think you’d ever want to be part of one? Does being part of the online book community help you connect to fandoms?

May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: How do you motivate yourself to sit down and concentrate on reading? Do you have a set reading time/schedule that works best for you to focus? Do you have tips/tricks that you would recommend others try?

May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)

Prompts: Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that? What are some story elements that put you off while reading? What about books others dislike that you love? Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa! 🤭

May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers

May 30: Freebie

Prompts: It’s the fifth Friday of the month, so this week is a freebie! Use this week to revisit an old LTB topic, or write about something you’re interested in! You can check out a bunch of topics on our blogs (Dini’s & Aria’s) and Rukky’s blog for more ideas!

Let’s Talk Bookish: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? | 5/16/25

This week’s topic is:

May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)

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Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that?

Yes. 😅 The latest one is Onyx Storm. I love the series, but this book I didn’t love like the first book. I might have to do a re-read because I’m wondering if it was because I was in a bad mood? But yes there are a lot of people who loved it and I didn’t but hey…reading is subjective and we are all not going to love the same books. Plus I’m a mood reader so yeah…also I’ve found I don’t love cozy romance as much as others do.

What are some story elements that put you off while reading?

Miscommunication, a FMC who is always making mistakes and never learning her lesson; lately so many romantasy has the same, predictable things happening – secret identity/secret powers – so now I’m trying to find romantasy that is unique but that’s hard to do.

What about books others dislike that you love?

Yes there are some – like I said reading is subjective so it’s fine if people dislike what I like – that’s how it’s supposed to work I think!

Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa!

I know lots of people didn’t Shatter Me by. Tahereh Mafi and yes it was very different but I was intrigued enough to read the second book and then fell in love with Warner! But people definitely hated this one!

I didn’t love Deep End by. Ali Hazelwood, like everyone did – I gave it 3 stars I believe. There were parts I enjoyed like the sports romance of it all but I felt cold about the two characters. I didn’t like that she always cried and I didn’t like that he came off just bland to me even if they were both into BDSM.

Just for the Summer by. Abby Jimenez was so popular I had to read it and it was the first book I read from her and didn’t love it. It was just okay for me.

The Grandest Game by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, is part of a beloved series The Inheritance Games or a spinoff of it and I loved The Inheritance Games series but I think I outgrew it? I’m not sure, but I wasn’t into this one.

May Topics:

~~May 2: Bookish Fandoms~~

May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)

May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)

May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers

May 30: Freebie

Let’s Talk Bookish: Motivation to Read | 5/9/25

This week’s topic is:

May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)

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How do you motivate yourself to sit down and concentrate on reading?

I actually have lots of motivation to read to escape from reality! lol…so I have no trouble doing it.

Do you have a set reading time/schedule that works best for you to focus?

I actually like to read at night when it’s nice and quiet, when everyone is asleep. If I’m blogging and doing stuff on the computer or stamping out orders for my Etsy shop then I try to find an audiobook or not. Sometimes I have an hour in the day before picking up my kids from school. But mostly I do my reading at night.

Do you have tips/tricks that you would recommend others try?

Yikes, I’m not sure how to motivate anyone to read. I suggest it to my son only because sometimes he can’t go to sleep right away and reading a little does help him, I think. Audiobooks does help if you are determined to knock some titles off your TBR list or something like that and don’t feel like picking up a book. If you don’t have any motivation to stay still, sit and read, then you can even work out and read – I’ve definitely walked on the treadmill before with my kindle app on my ipad (or audiobook) and read a few pages of a book in the 30-45 minutes I work out.

May Topics:

~~May 2: Bookish Fandoms~~

May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)

May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)

May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers

May 30: Freebie

Let’s Talk Bookish: Bookish Fandoms | 5/2/25

This week’s topic is: (whoops forgot to post this one on May 2, so here it is on May 4th ☺️)

May 2: Bookish Fandoms

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Are you part of a bookish fandom?

Hmmm, I guess I am a fan of S.J.Maas and I have read all her books. I am a fan of Fourth Wing series but haven’t read anything else by Yarros. I definitely love Holly Black books and so many I can’t list them all.

If you are, what do you love about it?

I just love when you find other people and fans that love the authors or books as much as you do. It’s nice to know others feel the same way you do about a certain book or author.

Does being part of the online book community help you connect to fandoms?

Being on social media definitely connects me to fandoms, especially popular ones like S.J.Maas books. If I wasn’t online I wouldn’t know who to fangirl with! It is only now that one of my best friends have gotten back into reading and she just picked up the ACOTAR series and I gifted her the Fourth Wing series so basically I’m telling her to hurry up and catch up so I can have someone to talk about them with! 😅. I can’t say I’m active in the fandom in that I’m always posting about my favorites, (it gets tiring, I don’t know how you the social media booktokers, boostagramers, etc… do it!) but I like to see all the posts, so you people keep posting it!

May Topics:

~~May 2: Bookish Fandoms~~

May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)

May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)

May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers

May 30: Freebie

ARC Review | Gravemaidens

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Gravemaidens

Author: Kelly Coon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: October 29, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.

In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.

When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.

But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.

Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gravemaidens is about a young woman named Kammani who is following in her father’s footsteps to become the best healer in Alu. But her family’s reputation was tarnished years ago when her father’s healing talent couldn’t save someone very important. So they went from a renowned family in society to being outcasts and her youngest brother is sent to live at the palace as punishment. Kammani’s life and family has fallen apart.

A very fascinating ritual takes place in this book. The Lugal, their ruler, is on the verge of death but when he dies tradition follows that three of the most beautiful girls will accompany the Lugal into the tomb and die with him. These gravemaidens will travel with him to the netherworld. Kammani’s sister is chosen as a sacred maiden. Where everyone saw this role as a true honor, Kammani only sees death and vows to save her sister.

I love the strong female characters and female relationships in this book. I especially loved Iltani, who is Kammani’s best friend. She’s funny and spunky, she really made the scenes come alive. Kammani is a strong young woman as well but sometimes I thought she was rash with her actions and thoughts concerning her sister and the Nin (princess). Her reasoning for who was trying to cause harm to her and the Lugal came to her so quick, even I questioned her accusations. Nanaea, who is Kammani’s younger sister comes off as materialistic but there is more to her than what everyone sees.

Kammani does have a romantic interest in Dagan. Their relationship is a slow burn, friends to lovers clean romance. Kammani is wary of becoming a wife and mother and nothing else, so she is conflicted about marrying Dagan. Dagan is patient, loyal and a good friend to Kammani. He really is just a good guy who loves her.

Gravemaidens is a story about the bonds of family, friendship, finding love and navigating the expectations of being a young woman. Overall this is a very solid debut and an engaging young adult fantasy novel.