WEEK: 1/12/2025 - 1/18/2025

Last week was such a good week for me and I feel like it went by in such a blur! I spent some of my weekend with my grandparents and we had a blast. They were able to witness firsthand how passionate I am about being apart of the book community and the things I plan to pursue. I spent this past weekend playing rummy, learning how to kill time at a casino, and getting into wine (finally! I used to hate it lol).

Since yesterday was Sunday, I will share my new Sunday tradition which has been fun to keep up with these last few weeks. Every Sunday, I choose a new wax melt to go into my wax warmers. My wax warmers are from the company, Broken Wax Co. and I absolutely love them. They sell dark themed candles as well as officially licensed candles and wax melt bundles by Dark Romance Authors which I love! This week my scents are ‘peachy patootie’ and ‘nightmare in hell.’ Stay tuned in to see which wax melt scents that I choose next week!

This week I finished the audiobook of Carnage by Shantel Tessier and the e-book of The Rules We Break by Katelyn Taylor. I didn’t even get to touch the physical read of For The Love of Layla by Callie Moss. I got wrapped up in the new ARC I received that actually goes live today - see my What Am I Reading section to see what book it is!

Here’s what you’ll be able to find in this Article:

1. Kindle Read
2. Physical Read
3. Audiobook
1. Bookstagram spotlight
2. Booktok spotlight
3. Youtube Spotlight
1. Author Spotlight of The Week
  1. C.J. Lucci!
2. 3 New-to-me Authors
  1. N.M. Jenson
  2. Akita Sparks
  3. K.M. Baker
1. Does Religion Have A Place In The Book Community?
1. The singular booktube video I was able to watch this week LOL

What am I reading this week?

Physical Read:

I didn’t get to crack this book open last week because I got so consumed in my other reads which is totally okay! For now, I will leave this as my physical read because I really am obsessed with the Dark & Disturbed cover I have of it. It is so spicy and NSFW and it really adds to the spice level that I can only imagine is in this book!

Kindle Read:

My current read is this ARC and it’s release day is today! I’m so excited for Katelyn with this release because it brings the Gallows Hill Series to a close and I am ridiculously obsessed with this why choose story. As of today, I haven’t quite made it to the end but I am over half-way done and this is by far the spiciest Katelyn Taylor book I’ve ever read. I’ve made my way through most of her backlog and I will say with absolute confidence that she is by far one of my favorite authors! If you want to read a completed series, you can now know that the Gallows Hill series is ready to be picked up by you!

Audiobook:

I am so excited to get into this series via audiobook. I have heard so many good things about it, but also specifically from other readers who have done the audiobook version. Sometimes I feel like audiobooks lose a part of the story, however, I have seen nothing but great things about the audiobook version and I’m so excited to start it this week. I’ll be listening to this Audiobook via Audible.

Influencer Spotlight

Bookstagram:

@**onethousandliveslived** on *Instagram*

Jasmine and I have been talking recently about the last book in Katelyn Taylor’s Alphaletes series because we cannot get over Trevor’s story! It truly is one of my favorite Katelyn Taylor books and I’m so glad that I have someone to gush about it with. Her content on instagram is also super memorable! If you haven’t seen her pose with a Dark & Disturbed bookstack, I’m just convinced that you don’t follow her!

Booktok:

I love when Brittany gives her dark romance recommendations! I can always find something new and fun to read. If you want funny content to consume while also getting your dark romance fix on, then she’s the gal to lookout for!

Booktube:

I recently found a video of Helen’s called ‘Dark Romance Reading Recommendations | How Dark Is Too Dark?’ I love a dark romance reader who gets into well known authors as well as new-to-me or Indie authors. I think it’s aways awesome to make sure we have some variety while reading. There are so many amazing authors and books that aren’t often heard about or read because they aren’t traditionally published. Check her video out and let me know in the comment section below if any of the books she recommended were new to you!

Author Spotlight

C.J. Lucci gave me some of my favorite reads of 2024! I have read both Isle of Beauty and Isle of Seduction and I cannot wait to get into Isle of Pain! We already know who it’s going to be about and I’ve been in C.J. Lucci’s dm’s practically begging for a sliver of the book since she started dropping teasers a few months ago! I fear I won’t stop until she releases those ARC applications! If you want Mafia vibes with The Moretti Chronicles or single-dad/nanny story with Forbidden Fruit - C.J. has exactly what you are looking for!

New-to-Me Authors

I’m kind of obsessed with these covers this week! I found all of these new-to-me authors through their own promotion of their books so shoutout to them for crushing it this past week! I am so excited to add these books to my 2025 TBR!

Sweet Touch of Venom by Akita Sparks.jpg

Bookish News This Week:

Does Religion Have A Place In The Bookish Community?

The simple answer is yes. Religion and spirituality and even atheism are all apart of people’s individual identities. You cannot separate your identities as it is the full picture of who you are. Your identity is not limited to your interests, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, education, profession, health conditions, religion, spirituality, finances, trauma, happiness, etc., but those are all included in what make you, YOU. The characters you read about and their curated identities include all of these things above and more. The discussion this week surfaced when a bookish influencer was actively homophobic and used their religious beliefs to justify their behavior.

“In recent days, this influencer used their platform to discuss how they chose to DNF Books based off of the characters being self-identifying and/or contextualized as members of the LGBTQ+ Community.”* It is never acceptable behavior - in any space. Justifying hate in any form for a group of people who simply just want to love who they love in peace is never something I could personally wrap my mind around. Your lived experience in this world includes interacting with queer and trans people in your everyday life whether you know it or not. No-one owes you their gender identity or sexual orientation, but it is a hope of mine that people operate with love and understanding with everyone no matter how they identify for either. The influencer proceeded to follow-up with letting people know that she could in turn sit down with queer people for a cup of coffee and a talk, but this same influencer expressed that they could not read a book about the LGBTQ+ Community. It really doesn’t seem like that would ever be the safest option for us.

It is unbelievably disheartening to know that there are readers and influencers around you who are determined to limit their worldview to the existence of just heterosexual couples. As someone who is both Christian and Queer, I could never imagine a world in which my beliefs wouldn’t include an abundance of love for those who also want to find love and be the truest versions of themselves. As we all navigate this space, keep in mind that there are many people in search of a safe space and in search of acceptance in this community. I hope those with the same views as this influencer are open to expanding their knowledge and working towards becoming a more accepting version of themselves.

*Direct Quote from Nina Keith.

Booktube Videos of The Week:

I was only able to get to one Booktube video this week, but let me tell you - it was absolutely HILARIOUS!

This was the first ever youtube video I watched by Fantasia and I’m telling you now, I just had to subscribe. She is a hilarious narrator from start to finish. She not only gives us the funniest summary of Haunting Adeline but she also tells us if the book was worth buying to put on her shelves! If you’re interested in learning about what decision she made, you’ll definitely have to check out her video!

My favorite out of context quotes:

“She’s the FMC. Of course she didn’t listen”
“So, now she’s finally come to the conclusion that she has a stalker. DUH!”

What This Week! (Vol. 2 2025)