It’s been awhile, but the weather is weird and the world is weird, so have some flowers.

I am low-key obsessed with trout lilies (Erythronium americanum)

They’re fascinating, ephemeral plants.

And old. Zack Fowler says the colony at the arboretum is several hundred years old.

Wood Anemone (Anemonoides quinquefolia) which I wish had another common name, since I always stumble over Anemone.

Spring Beauties! (Claytonia caroliniana)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

These covered some of the hills we drove by, so I had to stop to verify they were bloodroot. We also saw lots of white trillium along the roadside, but none were anywhere safe to stop.

This picture looks boring and empty, but that greenery covering the forest floor?

Ramps!

Every fantasy book I read (excluding the audio book) was a new read.

Every other genre was  all rereads with the exception of Deanna Raybourn‘s A Sinister Revenge.

Just that kind of month apparently.

Although I gave it an average rating, I need to reread Allie Therin‘s  Liar City before I feel like I can give it a true rating, because I lot happened, and I am certain I missed lots of things as I tried to figure out what was going on. Because we were dropped right in and had to pick up the workd building as we read. I like books like that (Paul Cornell’s London Falling jumps immediately to mind) but I tend to miss a lot of details on my first read, as I’m focused on figuring out what is going on.

If you’ve been reading the Veronica Speedwell series, A Sinister Revenge leans heavily on some of the events from the previous book.

Which I had almost completely forgotten. So there was a bit of a mental scramble to remember what had happened.

Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies. Serial killer PoV is hard for me to get into.

If you haven’t read K.D. Edwards Tarot Sequence, I don’t recommend starting with The Eidolon. It is a novella which gives us the events of The Hourglass Throne, only from the teens’ perspectives. I really like this series, but I don’t think this is necessarily a good jumping in spot, simply because you’re missing so much from Rune’s story. That said, I really want to know what happens with Quinn after this story.

Aside from that, lots of comfort rereads. I realized I have reread Michelle Diener‘s Regency London series almost every year since 2016 (skipping 2018 for some unknown reason). And I’ve reread Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut, Nearly a Lady, and Joy five or more times. So that may tell you something about those books.

~Fantasy~

The Eidolon (2023) K.D. Edwards (Magnus Academy) 8.5/10

Liar City (2023) Allie Therin (Sugar & Vice) 7/10

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) Misha Popp (Pies Before Guys) 7/10

Baking Up a Magical Midlife by Jessica Rosenberg
Bitter, Sweet, Magic (2022) 7/10, Sweet & Sour Spells (2023) 6/10

~Mystery~

Regency London by Michelle Diener
The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012) 8.5/10, Banquet of Lies (2013) 9.5/10, A Dangerous Madness (2014) 8.5/10

Grasmere Cottage Mystery by Dahlia Donovan
Dead in the Shop (2018) 8/10, Dead in the Pond (2018) 8/10, Dead in the Garden (2018) 8/10

Lindenshaw Mysteries by Charlie Cochrane
The Best Corpse for the Job (2014) 7/10, Jury of One (2015) 7.5/10, Two Feet Under (2018) 7.5/10, Old Sins (2019) 8/10, A Carriage of Misjustice (2020) 7.5/10

A Sinister Revenge (2023) Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell) 7/10

~Romance~

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper 9.5/10

Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson (Haverston Family) 9/10

Joy (2017) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) 8.5/10

Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter (2016) R. Cooper 8.5/10

The Agency by Ada Maria Soto
His Quiet Agent (2017) 9.5/10, Merlin in the Library (2018) 8/10

~Audio Book~s

The Lies of Locke Lamora (2009) Scott Lynch narrated by Michael Page (Gentleman Bastards) 8/10

A Curious Beginning (2015) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angèle Masters (Veronica Speedwell) 8/10