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smawlie.bsky.social
Molly 🔮🌙📚
@smawlie.bsky.social
73 followers 330 following 73 posts
She/her

Cat lover, reader, PC gamer, occupational safety & health professional

CR: Legendborn
📚 35/30
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smawlie.bsky.social
Reading update!

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

(Detailed thoughts in comments) #booktok #booksky
December 1, 2025 at 7:10 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Carmilla by Joseph S. Le Fanu. Gothic, atmospheric, a tale of nascent desire on the part of Laura. A delicious sense of foreboding was interspersed as we slowly learned of the monstrous nature of Laura's newfound companion, Carmilla #booktok

(Art by IrenHorrors)
Art depicting Carmilla and Laura, the main characters of "Carmilla," by Joseph S. Le Fanu. The art is on a faded mauve background, bordered by a deeper mauve. Carmilla is in the upper part of the image, depicted upside down, laying head-to-head with Laura. Carmilla has lustrous black hair, pale skin, and a deep burgundy dress. Laura is in the lower half of the image and is wearing a dress of a deep, desaturated purple hue. Laura has light hair and pale skin.
November 2, 2025 at 9:52 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Recent reads:
1) Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," thought experiment
2) Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson ♾️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do," the sequel. My Cosmere journey is done 😭

#booktok #booksky
The cover to "Wind and Truth," by Brandon Sanderson. The cover features Dalinar Kholin in his military uniform, standing on the roof of Urithuru. He is depicted as reaching towards the Everstorm on the horizon. The cover to "Elder Race," by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The cover depicts a modern skyscraper amid verdant green mountains with two small figures in the foreground.
October 31, 2025 at 7:46 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
The weirdest warm hug I've ever received from a book. If you have ever been made to feel a little "othered" by life, then you may resonate with Shesheshen and Homily. This book tells the wholesome, if at times gruesome, story of a shapeshifter finding love from a human 💜 #booktok #booksky
The cover to "Someone You Can Build a Nest In," by John Wiswell. The cover features the human protagonist, Homily, in the foreground. She is wearing a blouse, mid-length skirt, sturdy boots, and her signature scarf. Behind her and much larger relatively is Shesheshen, a shapeshifter monster. Shesheshen is depicted as a large, dark, vaguely humanoid monster with tentacles, sharp teeth, and a witch hat.
September 8, 2025 at 3:52 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
"'This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again...'" -Wit

With that, the reread portion of my Stormlight adventure has closed. Next up: Wind and Truth (after book club)

#booktok #booksky
The cover to "Rhythm of War" by Brandon Sanderson. The cover depicts Shallan wearing her Veil outfit in Shadesmar (AKA the Cognitive Realm)
August 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A delightful short story collection that shows how much I can enjoy stories for the way they're written and the manner with which human experience is described. I think my favorite of the bunch was "Fried Dough," about two teenagers in a donut shop 💜 #booktok #booksky
The cover to "Belly Up," a short story collection by Rita Bullwinkel. The cover shows three orange hands circling each other on a yellow background. The text is blue
May 21, 2025 at 1:58 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "But in solitary life are rare moments when another soul dip near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me" - Circe about Daedalus. Only Madeline Miller can take a book this expansive and make it feel so intimate 💜💜
The cover to "Circe" by Madeline Miller. The cover features the face of a goddess, depicted in orange on a black background. The face is wreathed by laurel leaves, similar in style to Ancient Greek vases.
May 18, 2025 at 8:21 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I buddy read this with my close friend who's also a trans man. It felt really good to have found and shared with him something he felt so seen by. A saccharine sweet retelling of Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth Bennett is a trans boy named Oliver 💜🏳️‍⚧️ #booksky #booktok
The cover to "Most Ardently" by Gabe Cole Novoa. The cover features two teenage boys dressed in Regency era outfits - waistcoats, cravats, and overcoats that are short in the front with coattails in the back.
May 7, 2025 at 2:24 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
Finished & I'm sad to report this wasn't for me. I think the author is a wonderful writer and I aligned with a lot of the underlying messages in this book. However, this felt more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive plot. It was weird in a way that wasn't interesting imo. ⭐️ #booksky #booktok
The cover to Brother Brontë by Fernando Flores. The cover depicts a abstract painting of eyes over a volcano.
May 2, 2025 at 1:28 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
4/21/25: I finally finished Oathbringer! This journey took much longer due to trips and sickness, but we know what the First Ideal says. This is 1000% Dalinar's book. I loved to see the change from Blackthorn to Bondsmith. Unite them! #booksky #booktok
Art by Jemma Young. The art depicts Dalinar Kholin, a middle aged Alethi man, using Honor's power to recreate Honor's perpendicularity in Thaylen City. He is depicted with glowing eyes and the art is subdivided into three sections representing the Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual realms.
April 25, 2025 at 2:30 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
Edgedancer: ✔️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love how unique Lift's dynamic is with her spren and the insight into her character we get with this novella.

#booksky #booktok
The cover to "Edgedancer," by Brandon Sanderson. The cover is a yellow text on a navy blue background. The cover shows the symbol of the Edgedancer order of Knights Radiant.
March 18, 2025 at 8:16 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Words of Radiance re-read is complete! The highs of this book are incredibly high, while the lows incredibly low. The conflict is set up for the remaining books, and the Knights Radiant have returned. Man I forgot how much the Interludes drag for me.
The cover to "Words of Radiance," by Brandon Sanderson. The cover shows Kaladin in a half-kneeling stance on the Shattered Plains. One fist is down on the ground, wreathed in Stormlight. His other arm is raised behind him, wielding a spear.
March 9, 2025 at 6:54 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ re-read of The Way of Kings as I make my journey towards Wind and Truth was just as epic as I recall from the first time. It feels so good to be back in Roshar with Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, Dalinar, and company.

#booktok #booksky
The book "The Way of Kings," by Brandon Sanderson, held up by me. The cover shows a Shardbearer saluting with their Shardblade towards a spearman across a chasm in the Shattered Plains. My kitty, Eva, is asleep in the background on my lap. She is brown tabby and white.
February 24, 2025 at 4:02 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

20/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "The Way of Shadows," by Brent Weeks. The cover features a young adult male figure wearing a black cloak with the hood up and metal wrist guards. The figure is wielding twin daggers. There's a purple water color effect. Very cringe early 2000s fantasy cover
February 18, 2025 at 12:23 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The one time miscommunication trope in romance works for me. Also writing your lost teenage love through your books as a way to cope is just about the most romantic thing I can think of 😭💜

#booktok #booksky
The cover to "Seven Days in June," by Tia Williams. The cover features a black man hugging a black woman from behind. Their clothes are filled in by a color blocking effect.
February 17, 2025 at 4:33 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

19/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," by V.E. Schwab. The cover features gold text on a black background with a 7 star constellation superimposed on top of the text
February 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

18/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "Silver Under Nightfall," by Rin Chupeco. The cover is red and blue and depicts Remi's face, focused on his eye. You can see the reflection of a gothic castle in his eye. In front of his face is a blade and the same gothic castle is reflected in the blade. A night sky is present in the background behind the castle.
February 15, 2025 at 8:31 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And with that, Wax and Wayne is done for me. Brandon Sanderson has yet again made me cry with a major character death at the end of a series 🙃 This story so far has had the most crossovers from other Cosmere worlds and I found myself incredibly Invested 😉

#booksky #booktok
The cover to The Lost Metal, fourth and final book in Mistborn era 2 (AKA Wax and Wayne series) by Brandon Sanderson. The cover depicts Wax, wearing his signature duster and wielding two pistols, and Wayne, bearing his lucky hat and dueling cane. The city (Bilming, presumeably) is in the background with a reddish haze to the air. My cat, Mrs. Norris, "Nora" is featured in the background. She is a short-haired orange tabby.
February 14, 2025 at 11:20 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

17/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "Mexican Gothic," by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The cover depicts a young Mexican woman, face obscured from the nose up. She is wearing a primrose-colored off-the-shoulder 1950s-style dress. She is holding a bundle of yellow flowers and her hair is black and cut just above the shoulders. The background is a green damask print wallpaper
February 14, 2025 at 1:47 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

16/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "The Poppy War," by R.F. Kuang. The cover features an archer wearing robes, wielding a bow with a quiver of arrows on their back. The archer is depicted in a Chinese painting style reminiscent of one stroke paintings and water color. The background of the book is solid orange.
February 13, 2025 at 11:56 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

15/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "Ninth House," by Leigh Bardugo. The cover shows a black snack weaving through the white text of the title and author's name, on a black background
February 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

14/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover art to "The Song of Achilles," by Madeline Miller. The cover features a gold Trojan helmet on a turquoise background.
February 11, 2025 at 11:43 AM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

13/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The image depicts the cover to "Legendborn," by Tracy Deonn. The art is of Bree, the protagonist. Bree is dark-skinned with curly hair. One of her arms is held up, wreathed in red magical energy. The other arm is held down, wreathed in blue magical energy.
February 10, 2025 at 2:34 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

12/20

#BookSky #BookChallenge #20BookChallenge
The cover to "A Dowry of Blood," by S.T. Gibson. The cover depicts a portrait of a pale woman from the chest up. She's wearing a red off-the shoulder and low-cut gown, a string of pearls, and red earrings. Her hair is slicked back with a middle part, presumably into a bunch. There is a slash of red paint (or blood?) across her eyes.
February 9, 2025 at 7:55 PM
smawlie.bsky.social
Finished Mistborn: Secret History, and with that, I have also finished Arcanum Unbounded, aside from White Sand because it's no longer canon.

My mind is in shambles trying to parse what's going on with Kelsier and the implications for Scadrial in era 2. Once again, easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#booktok #booksky
The cover to "Arcanum Unbounded," by Brandon Sanderson. This is a cosmere short story collection. The cover depicts a robed person holding a tome, their face shrouded in darkness.
February 9, 2025 at 2:34 AM