Reading With Tyler

Wow, what a whirl-wind month January was… And yet I have a feeling February will be no different as some of my most anticipated reads of 2025 release in February! Which by proxy means March will good too as some release at the end of February… 2025 is really starting off on a publication high for me! Let’s get into the TBR for February, shall we?

January Left Overs

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The Series Continues

War by Laura Thalassa – (The Four Horseman #2) – After the ending of Pestilence I knew there was no shot I was not picking up War. I started The Final Empire first, because I still had time in January to make a start on it… But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I almost picked up War immediately.
Foxglove by Adalyn Grace – (Belladonna #2) – I read a couple of new Book 1s in January but Belladonna was the series I knew upon finishing that I had to continue in February. That cliffhanger just had me!
The Wolf and the Witch by Charissa Weaks – (Witch Walker #3) – I also can’t believe that I’m choosing to continue the Witch Walker series over some of the others I’ve read, and yet here we are! Guess that tells you how good the cliffhanger was!
The Liar by Steve Cavanagh – (Eddie Flynn #3) – Gotta have my monthly dose of Steve Cavanagh and Eddie Flynn!! I wonder if Flynn’s family will be safe in this one? I cannot wait.
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas (25 Challenge) – (Throne of Glass #0.5) – I’m in unknown territory now. Though it honestly seemed like completely unknown territory with Crown of Midnight also. I barely read much of Heir of Fire so I already consider it unknown territory… I’m both nervous and excited!

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New Adventures

I had a really hard time picking my TBR this month, so I have my main TBR (of which these 6 books are a part of) as well as a secondary TBR… ya know, just in case I breeze through this TBR / need something different to what I expected. So, first let’s talk about the planned TBR for February.

Iron & Embers by Helen Scheuerer – (The Ashes of Thezmarr #1) – Did I know this series was going to exist when I started reading The Legends of Thezmarr? No. Am I hyped? Hell yes. It releases early February and I absolutely intend to pick it up the moment I get my copy. I’m beyond excited for this one! Helen Scheuerer is absolutely one of my favourite author discoveries of 2024 and I cannot wait.
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez – (Secrets of the Nile #1) – This popped up on my radar because of it’s ‘For The Mummy fans’ recommendation. And I adore those movies! I literally did not need to know anything else. And finally I am getting round to reading it!
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang – After Blood Over Bright Haven was that good and that much of a surprise, I knew The Sword of Kaigen had to jump the ranks and be read as soon as possible. Do I know much about it? No. All I know is the author wrote a brilliant book and so she probably wrote another brilliant book. Everyone seems to love The Sword of Kaigen on TikTok too!
For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn – (Hell’s Belles #1) – I have followed this TikTokers creation of Hell’s Belles for ages – not quite from conception, but it feels pretty damn close. I knew her book was coming out, but the release of it in January caught me off guard and so I didn’t get to read it. Therefore it’s a priority read in February.
Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider (25 Challenge) – (Fire & Metal #1) – Another ‘going in blind’ pick up here – it’s recommended heavily by multiple TikTokers and landed on my ’12 reads for 2025′ challenge. It’s been described as Quicksilver with Pirates, and I’m here for it.
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson – (The Courting of Bristol Keats #1) – One of my favourite BookTok creators, Amber, loved The Courting of Bristol Keats and since I got a copy of it at Christmas I have been dying to read it… I don’t know much about it, but I do love going into a book blind!

These books are my back up TBR – the ones I’ll be pulling from if my regular TBR doesn’t quite tickle my fancy that day… or if I (miraculously) finish my TBR and need something else to read! Odds are, these will form at least part of my March TBR but I’m okay with that. If they do form part of my March TBR, they won’t be in the ‘February Left Overs’ section as they aren’t actually part of my TBR, just books I’d like to get to if I have a chance!

The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi
Five Broken Baldes by Mai Corland
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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Book Club Read

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How realistic is the above?

January was such a great start to my reading year. I’d like to keep that momentum going because reading is bringing me so much joy at the moment! It never feels like a chore to pick up a book, and it doesn’t feel like ‘I have to meet my reading goals’… I’m just loving it. That being said, I do want to continue building a balance between reading, my other hobbies and looking after my home, myself and my family (fiancé and cat!).

So I’ve got a decent TBR size of 13 books and then a ‘continued’ TBR just in case I do manage to finish the planned TBR or perhaps I just fancy something else than what I planned… but I did this mostly so that I’m not at any point pressuring myself into reading all of these books (that would be almost 20 in Februray!!). This will allow me the freedom to choose what I’m reading from a wider TBR without the pressure of completing it all, and allow me to continue working on splitting my free time across all of my hobbies not just one…

Of course, this could all be for nothing and I could spend every free moment in February reading… But for now, the plan is simple. Read what I’m enjoying, and enjoy what I read. You know the drill! Let’s grab a book, blanket (still cold enough for it!) and a cup of tea because we’ve got a lot of reading to do!