Why hello there...it seems I have once again disappeared for a month without explanation. The only real excuse I can come up with is being overwhelmed. Everything from school to all the book related responsibilities I have bestowed upon myself - all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

I feel like I keep falling into these ups and downs when it comes to content on the bookternet and my involvement. I love the book blogsphere and booktube and bookstagram - but to be actively involved in all three, how do people do that? It seems that setting goals for myself doesn't exactly work either because I can't remember the last time I posted weekly on any platform.

So...where does that leave me? Nowhere really, but I'm back and trying once again so hello. I'm determined to be consistent at least on one platform and because blogging is where my roots are, that's where I'm falling. 

Now, let's talk about books. We're halfway through February, I'm already loads behind my Goodreads challenge, and I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me genuinely excited. It's just been all around rough, but I did read three books in January so let's discuss.

empress of all seasons by emiko jean - (★★★)  - goodreads review - I genuinely enjoyed this story. It was a unique and empowering adventure that was filled with Japanese mythology and imperial court life. The writing wasn't spectacular but it was enjoyable at the moment. My Goodreads review goes a bit more in-depth on certain plot points, but to summarize my main gripe - the resolution of the story fell too quickly and it just wasn't as satisfying as the novel had built it to be.

the romanov empress by c.w. gortner - (★★★☆)  - I'm kind of sad I didn't get to write a review down for this when I first read it, but to summarize this account in one word: regal. If you've ever watched the animated Anastasia film that DreamWorks did and you can picture Anastasia's grandmother, this novel just amplifies that by 100. She was the definition of an empress and I enjoyed following the story of her life.

the mermaid's voice returns in this one by amanda lovelace - (★★)  - goodreads review - I can never turn down a poetry e-ARC from NetGalley because they're just quick to get through. I've mentioned my opinions on Amanda Lovelace before and this book just made it apparent that while I really appreciate and support her themes, her writing style isn't my particular style. I'm still on the fence in terms of poetry as a genre but her works have never really stood out to me as much as they have for others, which is totally a-okay. I'm glad they're impacting tons of people and I wish I could see the appeal, but the content is similar to her previous collections and fights for the same issues.

Three books isn't all too terrible but I just feel a bit lacking when looking back on what I did read - might have something to do with the ratings (?) I'm working through a couple of books that hopefully will be reviewed because I realized I hadn't posted a serious review on here yet this year and that's just disgraceful.

Here's to hopefully having a consistent schedule and being more active in the community. If I don't drown amongst the load of schoolwork, I'll see if I can another post up this week.