Hi frens! 🌼

I’ve been back and forth about sharing this, but here goes: a review of the books I’ve read since the start of the year! I’m proud of myself for sticking with it, and honestly, it feels like I just finished some of these yesterday—the year is flying by.

🚀 Let’s dive in!

Guilty Pleasures & YA Escapes

📖 I wrapped up the "My fault" trilogy I started in December—a total guilty pleasure, but no regrets! It was like scratching an itch in my brain. I even watched the first movie to decompress (it took me a week, dinner sessions only), but it didn’t really inspire me to rewatch or look for the books. Still, when the sequel dropped, my husband and I had a blast watching it together. The books themselves? Just okay, but they helped me disconnect when I wasn’t feeling great physically. So, thank you, Mercedes—now I know how it ends, and I’m at peace.

📖 Next up, I craved something similar but different, so I picked up The Summer I Turned Pretty series. Wow. It made me nostalgic for summers I never actually lived. I was swept away—mad, sad, desperate, excited. If you’re into YA, this is a sweet treat that’ll transport you to endless, sun-soaked days. Highly recommend!

Art, Exhibits, and Esotericism

🖼️ I got busy with the Sats n’ Facts Exhibit in Thailand ( https://satsnfacts.btc.pub/art/ )—my honey badgers were there! ( https://geyser.fund/project/honeybadgers )—plus a fun commission for Bread and Toast ( https://yakihonne.com/notes/nevent1qgsx56ly0wcj7gwasrc7707l9px39g5nzn82p35akhkdqj448e6w8cgqyq5qm2dnmqacjg3qs7nlk42y28pczwcav3p7jdwt92lz3m4wx0m52k3qzx6 ). Reading took a backseat for a bit, but I managed to finish Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed. It’s a gentle intro to esotericism—why polemics matter, why we believe what we believe. I was pleasantly surprised!

📝 If you’ve visited my blog ( https://samhainsam.art/blog/ ), you know I love painting and researching mostly (but not only) about paganism, occultism, Judeo-Christianity, animals, and how it all intertwines. So, naturally, I picked up Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley. Maybe not the best starting point, but if you have similar book recs, let me know! Crowley’s writing challenged me, and I had to reread a lot, but it was worth it. Like many figures in occultism, there’s a mix of ideas to agree with, question, or deep-dive into.

Magic, Jesus, and Jurassic Park

📖 Alongside Crowley, I read Jesus and Magic: Freeing the Gospel Stories from Modern Misconceptions. Spoiler: the answer is “no,” but the journey is fascinating. It explores the historical context, biblical passages, and what “magic” even meant back then. Super interesting!

✨ Now, I’m hooked on The Wheel of Time series. Magic, conspiracies, wars, witches, prophecies, friendships—all set in magical lands. There are 14 books, so this will take a while, but I can’t recommend it enough if you love epic fantasy.

🦖 And finally, Jurassic Park! I was hesitant at first, but once I restarted, I was hooked. Sure, it’s mainstream thanks to the movies, but the book is a wild ride with not-so-friendly (but still fantastic) creatures and some very human humans. Wrapping Up

I’ve read other books for my blog entries (gotta keep the research top-notch!), but these are my highlights so far. Hope this gives you a little insight into what I’m into!

What have you been reading? Any thoughts or recommendations?

See you later, alligator 🐊

Godspeed, frens! 🩷