Book 123 is Tough Guy by Rachel Reid (Adult Fiction). I've been watching (and rewatching) Heated Rivalry on HBO so I figured I'd better finish reading the series.

It is possible the beauty shop healed my soul today.

Book 122 is Good Spirits by B. K. Borison (Adult Fiction). This is a VERY loose retelling of A Christmas Carol. I was hesitant at the premise but ended up loving it.

Book 121 is Felon by Reginald Dwayne Betts (Poetry). I'm finishing up my doctoral classes for the semester and read this one for Poetic Inquiry. Heartbreaking. "The link between us all is tragedy."

Book 120 is Fight by Sloane St. James (Adult Fiction). Bummed I fell for the TikTok hype on this one. The juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

Book 119 is Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws (Adult Fiction). Couldn't put this one down. So funny and spicy.

Book 118 is Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean (Young Adult Fiction). I read this one for student book club. This is The Princess Diaries in Japan. Some parts of it were really great (especially loved all the Asian representation in the friend group) but some parts fell flat for me.

Book 117 is Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone (Adult Fiction). A very satisfying conclusion to this erotic trilogy. Also loved the plot twists and the teaser in the epilogue.

What did you think? I got bogged down by all the numbers but I appreciated their honesty and transparency.

Book 116 is An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (Adult Fiction). Love love loved this rivals-to-lovers, nerdy, quirky romance.

Book 115 is Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Adult Nonfiction). A frustrating look at why a country with so much has gotten to a place of its people having so little. "Scarcity is a choice."

Book 114 is Blackthorn by J. T. Geissinger (Adult Fiction). Really enjoyed this very very dark fantasy. And there's a raven shifter!

Book 113 is Mate by Ali Hazelwood (Adult Fiction). I didn't love this one as much as I loved Bride but I did enjoy the werewolf lore in this one.

Book 112 is Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (Young Adult Fiction). A most satisfying conclusion to this romantic fantasy duology.

Book 111 is Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (Young Adult Fiction). I reread this one for Romance Book Club and still love it. It reads like WWI historical fiction with fantasy and a love story.

Ohmygod I was talking to Twin B about his ashy knees and Twin A yelled at him: "You have a Black mama!" ☠️

My oldest boy is 8-years-old today!!! 🎉 He asked for a YES day. As you can see, he enjoyed it.

Book 110 is The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Adult Fiction). I loved this clever, witty, enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romantic fantasy. Really looking forward to the second book.

Book 109 is Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver (Adult Fiction). Another horror rom-com from this author. I liked the side characters the most, but also appreciated the love that developed between the two main characters.

Book 108 is Knot Her Shot by Ari Wright (Adult Fiction). Another very cutesy hockey Omegaverse romance.

Book 107 is Model Home by Rivers Solomon (Adult Fiction). I read this haunted house thriller for one of my book clubs. So many webs of generational trauma were woven into this family saga. This is going to stick with me for a long time.

Book 106 is Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson (Poetry). I got to hear her speak in Philadelphia this summer, and she soothed my soul. Hoping to use this book in my dissertation. It is such a phenomenal exploration of Black girlhood.

Book 105 is Garron Park by Nordika Night (Adult Fiction). A rough and rugged enemies-to-lovers. Took me a while to get through all the angst in this one.

Book 104 is Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds (Young Adult Fiction). Get this book for the music, the full cast, the music, the sound effects, the music, the found family, the music, the struggles of a boy on the brink of adulthood, the music...

Book 103 is The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith (Poetry). The inside of this book is just as beautiful as the cover. These poems gutted me and put me back together. Even if you don't usually read poetry, pick this one up. Also, I just saw it's a finalist for the National Book Award.

Thank you!!

Read in Love: Centering Joy, Justice, and Black Girlhood was a success!

Book 102 is Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi (Adult Fiction). Another super cute witchy ghosty romcom.

Hi my name is Jessica and my desk is always messy.

Book 101 is Love At First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi (Adult Fiction). I absolutely loved this spicy romp between a horror writer and the actor who stars in one of her movies, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the ghosty side story.