Book Haul #95: It’s Been a While

Published on by Zezee1 Comment

Here’s a question: When did I last do a book haul?

Not since last August, says my blog. Well, this is a good thing. It means I’ve slowed down a lot on inundating my shelves with unread books. But it also means this book haul will be long. It’s not like I stopped buying books. I just wasn’t purchasing them as often.

So here’s everything I got since last August, excluding library books. I doubt I’ll have another haul until close to the end of the year.

Purchases

Physical
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Vol. 1 by Yoshiki Tanaka, illus. by Hiromu Arakawa, transl. from the Japanese by Lindsey Akashi
Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski, transl. from the Polish by David French
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie
The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie
Joker by Brian Azzarello, illus. by Lee Bermejo & Mick Gray

This first batch kicks off with a manga that Hiromu Arakawa illustrates. I love Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist and got The Heroic Legend of Arslan simply because her name is associated with it (heh, heh!). Having read and liked the first Witcher book earlier this year, I’ve decided to continue with the series, hence the Sword of Destiny. Hopefully I’ll get on better with David French’s translation of Sapkowski’s work. 

I read and liked Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, so maybe I’ll like travelling Around the World in Eighty Days too. I’ve since read the two Abercrombie books and like them. (Here’s the review of the Trouble With Peace; the Wisdom of Crowds review is coming soon.) And I forgot why I got Joker, but the cover looks cool.

A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. from the Japanese by Amanda Haley
Batman: Damned by Brian Azzarello, illus. by Lee Bermejo
Monstress, Vol. 10: Hollow Gods by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Interactive, Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illus. by Karl James Mountford
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

A Stranger in Olondria was recommended to me years ago by a professor, but I’m just now getting around to acquiring a copy. It’s one of a few books I picked up at The Strand, in NYC, last year. Obviously, I picked up Daemons of the Shadow Realm because Hiromu Arakawa created it. I know it’s gonna be good. (Also, I saw that there’s an anime for it on Crunchyroll!!) 

Batman: Damned I got because of the cover; I wonder if I bought it the same time that I got Joker… I’ll be making my way to Monstress, Vol. 10 soon. I love the comic-book series (I recently chatted about the first five volumes) and will continue to collect it. I can’t pass up a Harry Potter book; I love the interactive ones. And I love the cover of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, which has been on my TBR for some time.

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illus. by Avery Fischer Udagawa, transl. from the Japanese by Miho Satake
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Tiny Worlds: Fairy Homes: An Artist’s Coloring Book of Dreamy Fairy Abodes by Alex Oxton (illus.)
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 14 by Kamome Shirahama (illus.), transl. from the Japanese by Stephen Kohler
Coloring With Coco: Rest and Reflect by Andrea Ballo (illus.)
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso, transl. from the Spanish by Megan Mcdowell, Leonard Mades, and Hardie St. Martin

I read Kashiwaba’s Village Beyond the Mist last year and fell for its charm, so I had to get my own copy. And I’ve been looking forward to Braithwaite’s sophomore novel ever since I read her My Sister, the Serial Killer, but I’ve been dragging my feet on reading Cursed Daughters.

Tiny World: Fairy Homes and Coloring With Coco are both coloring books, which I’ve gotten into again because it’s such a relaxing activity. It eases my mind.

I read and liked the early volumes of Witch Hat Atelier, so I’m continuing to collect the series. There’s a dark, mysterious undercurrent to its light, bubbly tone. I really want to read The Gunslinger, and I have no idea what the Obscene Bird at Night is, but I want to find out.

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan
Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan
Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan
Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan

I’m a book shy of owning the entire Legends of the First Empire series, with all the books signed by the author. How did this happen? Well, I was watching booktube videos when I learned from one that the author, Sullivan, was having a sale on his website — all the hardcover books for just $10 each! Well, say less, I thought. I immediately hopped over to the website to see if that was so and, indeed, it was. So I got these. The third book wasn’t available. I’d only read a few chapters of the first before making this purchase, but I’m optimistic that I’ll like the series… (I’ll be mad at myself if I don’t.)

Free

Physical

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Omnibus by Alan Moore, illus. by Kevin O’Neill

I got this from a Little Free Library or similar thing inside of a pizza restaurant. I was so happy for the find because I’d been thinking about getting a copy a few days before, and there it was just waiting for me in the pizza shop. It was in pretty good condition too.

Free

Digital

Legacy of Bois by Justin C. Charles

This is a dark fantasy novel set in Trinidad and steeped in the country’s folklore. Full disclosure: It’s a friend’s novel, and he gave me a free copy. I’m very curious about it.

ARC

Physical

Mortedant’s Peril by R.J. Barker

I got the ARC of Barker’s new book from Tor. It’s slated to be published on May 19. It’s fantasy, of course, and the description mentions “sleeping gods,” so obviously my interest is piqued.

Let me know if you’ve read or plan to read any of these.

Let’s Rewind: April 2026

Published on by Zezee11 Comments

Let’s rewind April right quick so I can get it out of the way. May is supposed to be all about fantasy, or as much as I can make it about fantasy.

Let’s Rewind is my version of a monthly wrap-up but instead of talking about only life updates and books (first two sections), I include other stuff, like:

  • articles
  • interesting blog posts
  • bookish things
  • podcasts
  • TV shows and movies

These posts tend to be long, so just hop around to whatever catches your attention. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

Compared to March, not much happened in April. What did I do? Work and color. I guess I needed a chill month, and I was grateful for it. It was relaxing. I got into coloring again (hopefully it will lead me back to drawing too), and I had a lovely time hanging out with family and friends and prepping for one friend’s milestone event.

Continue reading “Let’s Rewind: April 2026” →

Wyrd & Wonder 2026: It’s Time for Some Mystical Moonlit Merriment!

Published on by Zezee21 Comments

May is just a few days away, which means my favorite bookish event will kick off soon — Wyrd & Wonder. I look forward to it every year, am always unprepared, but I end up having fun with it anyway. This year is no different. Again, I’m unprepared, though I’ve managed to get this post done early at least.

WHAT IS WYRD & WONDER?

Wyrd & Wonder is a monthlong celebration of all things fantasy. It’s a laidback event, so you determine how you want to participate and on what platform(s) you want to do so. That means you can post book reviews on a blog, do themed videos, just read or watch shows on your own, or act out scenes from your favorite fantasy stories for your friends’ enjoyment. It’s totally up to you.

There are events as well that are hosted by the fantastic Wyrd & Wonder crew — Imyril at There’s Always Room for One More, Lisa at Dear Geek Place, Jorie at Jorie Loves a Story, Annemieke at A Dance With Books, and Ariana at the Book Nook. You can visit each of their blogs for more details about the events.

Continue reading “Wyrd & Wonder 2026: It’s Time for Some Mystical Moonlit Merriment!” →

Top 5 Tuesday: Book About Religion

Published on by Zezee13 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm, and now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

Last week’s topic:

Top 5 books about religion

I was going to skip this topic because I thought I didn’t have anything that’d fit. Luckily, I checked to see if that was in fact so. The following are books I’ve read that touch on religion in some way. If I did a review, I’ll link to it.

GENERAL

World Religions by Robert Pollock

It’s a nonfiction book that gives a brief overview of various types of religions around the world. It was an eye-opening read for me back when I tried it. I recommend it if you want a simple introduction to the religions it covers.

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Comics Roundup: “Monstress, Vols. 1-5”

Published on by Zezee7 Comments

I haven’t been blogging much lately, so I’m shakily getting back into the habit of writing up a reflection. Last month I got sucked back into the Monstress comic-book series. I’d read volumes 1-3 several years ago but took a break while continuing to collect each new volume. Now I own 10 of them and recently breezed through five. Here’s what I thought of them.

Monstress, Vols. 1-5 by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda

GENRE

Fantasy

SERIES

Monstress, volumes 1-5

PUBBED

2015

FROM GOODREADS

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. (Goodreads)

WHAT DO I THINK

I tried the first issue of Monstress 10 years ago (wow!) and immediately fell in love with the story and art. I felt as if I was starting an engrossing high-fantasy novel, and I felt the same when I returned to the comics a month ago.

My issue when reading comic books is that the story feels too short and episodic sometimes. Not so with Monstress. Compared to other comics I’ve tried, I’d say it’s a little slower paced with a lot of information to take in as it takes its time with the world building and developing the main characters.

Continue reading “Comics Roundup: “Monstress, Vols. 1-5”” →

Quarter-Year Crisis Book Tag

Published on by Zezee9 Comments

I’m in a book tag mood, so I’ve decided to do the Quarter-Year Crisis Book Tag, which I found on Janette’s Wicked Witch’s Blog. It was created by the booktuber Roisin’s Reading.

How many books have you read so far?

18

I’ve read a combination of 18 books and comics. Surprisingly, it breaks down to half that number for both.

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2026 favourite? If not, what was your favourite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie
The Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo by Tom Feelings (illus.)
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda

Continue reading “Quarter-Year Crisis Book Tag” →

Let’s Rewind: February & March 2026

Published on by Zezee19 Comments

It’s been a while. My blogging has fallen off this year, which I didn’t expect. I thought it would have increased since work is less hectic so far, compared to last year. But I guess I still feel a little mentally wrung out from all I had to do last year, so blogging has taken a backseat while I recoup. But although I haven’t been blogging and blog hopping as I used to, I’m still reading a lot, which I’m happy for.

Since I forgot to do one of these for February, this will be a pretty long post.

Let’s Rewind is my version of a monthly wrap-up but instead of talking about only life updates and books (first two sections), I include other stuff, like:

  • articles
  • interesting blog posts
  • bookish things
  • podcasts
  • TV shows and movies

These posts tend to be long, so just hop around to whatever catches your attention. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

February was a pretty chill month. Not much happened in my personal life, other than hanging out with friends and checking in on family. The majority of the month was spent prepping for a busy March, I think. Workwise, though, I ended up doing a couple things outside my comfort zone (i.e., interacting more often with people in a professional setting, which means lots of small talk — ugh!) that turned out not to be as bad as I thought they’d be. I even had fun at those work events, which helped prove to me that things outside my comfort zone aren’t always bad — it just feels horrible working up the nerve to do them.

Continue reading “Let’s Rewind: February & March 2026” →

Top 5 Tuesday: Anticipated Reads

Published on by Zezee14 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm, and now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

This week’s topic:

Top 5 anticipated reads for Q2

I’m heading into the second quarter with the same reading energy I had in the first: ready for every and anything I’m in the mood to read. Most likely I’ll read mostly fantasy in this quarter too since it’s when my favorite reading event is held — Wyrd & Wonder, in May. (For more about Wyrd & Wonder, see here.)

Here’s what I might get into.

Continue reading “Top 5 Tuesday: Anticipated Reads” →

2026 Reading Wrap-Up: First Quarter

Published on by Zezee12 Comments

I haven’t been blogging much lately, but I have been reading. I feel as if I’m on a roll, blazing through these books and comics. I’ve been leaning into what I’m in the mood for, which is fantasy, of course, and have been enjoying what I’m reading immensely. I hope to switch things up genre-wise in the second quarter, but we’ll see if that actually happens. For now, here’s how my reading went in the first quarter. 

BOOKS | AUDIO | COMICS | PICTURE BOOKS

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Splendid Spring Book Tag

Published on by Zezee5 Comments

Spring will start soon. I’m ready for it; my plants are ready for it. I just want it to come so I can see my lil plants grow and hopefully get better weather too, although it also means sneezes and sniffles. Oh well.

To celebrate spring starting soon, I’m doing the Splendid Spring Book Tag, which was created by booktuber Victoria Mann. I found it over on Life of a Female Bibliophile.

Everywhere you look flowers are blooming.
Choose a book you love or think you will love with flowers on the cover.

The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay (illus.)

I haven’t yet read this, but it’s one I think I’ll like. It’s an illustrated nonfiction book of flowers that lists their meaning and the lore around them.

Continue reading “Splendid Spring Book Tag” →