It’s finally (already?) Augusts 1st! Which means we have a bit of a confluence of events happening here on the blog. The first event is the start of #blaugust, which is a blogging event running the whole month of August which encourages folks to restart, continue, or increase their blogging output during this last month of summer, with the help of fellow blogger’s encouragement (please see the Blaugust 2025 Announcement Post over on Nerd Girl Thoughts for all the ‘official’ Blaugust details).

I think that during this first day of the event, we’re supposed to introduce ourselves, and our blogs, and give some examples of what makes our little part of the internet fun (or at the very least unique). Not a lot of what I do here at Alligators and Aneurysms has changed since I did this post last year, so for anyone new here, please check out my first Blaugust post. And if that doesn’t sate your thirst (or put you straight to sleep), you can also learn a little bit about my process in my responses to the Blogger Insider Tag, and my post about what things I do to stay creative.

The second part of the confluence, is that I’ve been completely remiss on doing a Mid-Year catch-up type post. I just can’t put it off any longer, and so to prompt myself to actually get something written (ahh the aforementioned processes at work), I decided to try the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag which I discovered over at SFF Book Reviews.

I’m tagging a few folks I from the Blaugust discord channel: Kluwes over at Many Welps, Keerok over at Keeroks Space, Rabbit over at Jackalope Talk and finally Jaedia over at The Dragon Chronicle.

Please go check out their blogs!

Alright let’s get to it!

How Many Books Have I Read So Far?

A pretty easy question to start. Goodreads is showing that as of the writing of this post, I’ve only managed to read 18 books so far in 2025 (and of those, 2 were graphic novels and a few more were novellas).

A bit behind where I’d like to be, which is 35 books for the year. I mean I’m actually on track to hit that goal, but on track is behind for me hahah.

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2025?

Probably Mickey7. Certainly there are books I’ve this year, like A Wrinkle in Time, that have done more in terms of asking hard questions, or grappling with important issues — and Mickey7 does this to some extent — however in terms of just pure entertainment, Mickey7 has so far been the best.

Ashton has a dark sort of wit, but ultimately a hopeful outlook, and his ability to make hard concepts easy to understand is incredible. I may have read “better” books this year, but this is the one I keep recommending to my friends.

Best Sequel You’ve Read so Far in 2023?

I think Onyx Storm will occupy a few spots on this list, and is technically a ‘threequel’ not a sequel but it is definitely the book I enjoyed most so far this year that wasn’t the beginning of a series or a stand alone.

Ultimately, I felt it does what any good sequel (or threequel) should do: expand on what the earlier installments have done without abandoning what made the original books good. Onyx Storm spends a good bit of time away from The Continent, island hopping and adventuring in unknown terrain. I think these were my favorite portions of the book.

With two already impressive volumes in the series, I’m amazed that Yarros could top her previous work, but she managed to do just that. Apparently, lightning strikes thrice!

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To?

I couldn’t quickly figure out if these two novellas have already been published somewhere else, but I just impulse bought a copy of Stephen Graham Jones’ Saga Double: Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives. I don’t even know the premise for either one. I just know Killer on the Road could be a Doors reference (Riders on the Storm), and the cover looked amazing.

And though I still need to review it on the blog, Mapping the Interior was incredible so . . . Insta-bought hahah.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year?

I’m not really in touch with upcoming releases that much these days. What Stalks the Deep appears to be the next installment in the Sworn Soldier series by T. Kingfisher which comes out September 30, 2025. I thought What Moves The Dead and What Feasts At Night were genuinely excellent.

Just googling around a little I stumbled across Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan which ALSO comes out September 30th, 2025 (woah). Daedalus and Icarus have always been some of my favorite characters from Greek mythology so I’m very interested to read this “. . . delirious and gripping story of fatherhood and masculinity . . . “

Biggest Disappointment?

Anji Kills a King. I was sooo excited for this one as it was from a creator I follow on Tik Tok. And it did have a lot of the elements I typically enjoy in a fantasy book, however they just didn’t seem to grab me in this story. I’ll still be continuing to follow Leikam on Tik Tok, but I’m not losing sleep waiting for a sequel.

Biggest Surprise?

I don’t think I was expecting to like Tress of the Emerald Sea very much even though I love pretty much all things Brandon Sanderson. But I actually really did like it!

I haven’t read many Cozy Fantasies books before Tress, and this book was being marketed very aggressively in that vein. Anything that talks about itself so definitely I tend to distrust and roll my eyes at regardless of whether people are saying it lives up to the hype.

So when I finally got around to reading Tress (like two years after it was released), I think there was enough distance there that I could regard it on its own merits, and form my own opinion. And it turned out . . . it was great!

It has deep implications for other Cosmere stories; however, readers will enjoy it just fine if they’ve never read another of Sanderson’s books, or even another FANTASY book before.

The book has a real sense of wonder with a (literally) colorful world, and high-seas adventure taking place despite its non-traditional ocean. For long-time Fantasy readers, there’s a lot here you’ll recognize from other beloved Fantasies, and for newbies, all the good stuff is right in one place.

My only annoyance was with the narrator which is our first time hearing directly from a certain character we’ve all come to know an love from other Cosmere books (Hoid). His voice — and Sanderson’s efforts to invoke the prose and humor stylings of his hero Terry Pratchett‘ — are a bit strong at first. But the narrator (and maybe Sanderson himself) seem to undergo their own character arc alongside Tress, and are much more palatable by the end of the story.

All in all, a great read!

Favorite New Author?

So I debated how to answer this question as I wasn’t sure if it was asking for my favorite debut author? Or about any authors that are new to me which might have taken that prized spot of favorite?

Debut authors are looking a bit thin on this year’s roster, but authors which are new to me is a much fuller list with 11 of the 18 books I’ve read this year (61%) penned by folks I’ve never read a book from before.

I don’t think any of them have unseated Brandon Sanderson as favorite, but Edward Ashton (again Mickey7) is probably closest this year so far.

Newest Fictional Crush?

Sooo . . . she isn’t exactly ‘new’, she’s been in two books previous to this one, and I don’t think we’re supposed to like her (or crush on her) because she’s a Gryphon flyer, but maybe Cat from Onyx Storm (aka Catriona Cordella aka Xaden’s Ex)?

I don’t know. These are not really things I think about when reading . . . Or maybe I just haven’t read anything spicy enough yet this year hahah.

New Favorite Character?

Probably Ridoc from Onyx Storm. Obviously he appeared in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, but I felt like he and Aotrom had a much more prominent role in Onyx Storm, and the book was all the better for it. I almost just want a side series of just those two pranking each other.

Underrated Gems you Discovered Recently?

I don’t think Here Beside the Rising Tide by Emily Jane has made as much of a — ahem — splash as it should have, but it’s an excellent book.

It’s just the right kind of weird, with many different and seemingly strange but fun pieces combining together into something fresh and charmingly bizarre. Emily Jane has a real talent for writing children and participating in literary discourse in a way that is easy to read and not overbearing or pretentious. Finally, of course I enjoyed the inclusion of some references to The Grateful Dead and assuredly other jam bands as well (Lotus is also mentioned).

I’m hype to check out her debut On Earth as it Is on Television before the September release of American Werewolves.

Book That Made You Cry?

I was really trying not to quadruple up, but this one goes to Onyx Storm as well. I won’t spoil anything but there is one character death which really got the water works going. And like a bunch of other small things too hahah.

Book That Makes You Happy?

His Majesty’s Dragon was just a fun read. The bond between Laurence and Temeraire is just so wholesome and sweet. I’m in a better mood every time I think about it.

Favorite Book-to-Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year?

This feels a bit like cheating, but I rewatched the entire Jurassic Franchise in the lead up to Jurassic World Rebirth, including the original Jurassic Park movie which was of course adapted from Crichton’s original Jurassic Park novel.

Otherwise, I’m kinda having a bit of trouble remembering what I’ve seen this year. Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler is hands down my favorite movie of the year so far, but it doesn’t appear to have been adapted from a book. Coogler references a whole bunch of movies as influences, and Salem’s Lot which I have not read.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year?

I haven’t bought a ton of books this year; but I did pick up SunBringer and FaithBreaker by Hannah Kaner, which are of course sequels to her debut Fantasy: Godkiller. All three have incredible covers. I can’t wait to finish reading the series!

Wrapping it Up

Well, that’s all I have for this time. Thank you for making it this far, I hope you enjoyed catching up with what I’ve been doing so far this year. I know it was fun for me to take a look back and revel briefly in these small wins.

And happy Blaugust! I’m hopeful to write a few more Blaugust themed posts on top of my regular reviews this month so pleases stick around, or stay tuned, or whatever your preferred idiom for paying attention to a blog is. We should have some more fun along the way.

And please let me know your thoughts in the comments! Is there a book you read this year that made you cry? Or a book that let you down? Who is your new book boyfriend/girlfriend? I’d love to chat some more about all this so let me know in the commnets!

See you next time!