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Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 18h

2025 - Book 80

Rivers Solomon
An Unkindness of Ghosts

app.thestorygraph.com/books/c4dd9b...

2.5 ⭐

Meh

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

2.5 ⭐

I see the vision, I get it and I had high hopes for the premise. But the execution is mediocre and very "look at me being raw and real".

The plot is flimsy at best and mostly supported by a disappointing attempt at exploration of gender and sexuality. It felt clunkily tacked on, very expositional and almost voyeuristic. "Look at these people! This is who they want to have sex with! Their gender will surprise you!"

Not to mention the exhausting amount of constant cruelty and over the top sexual violence. And then it just ends.

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 1d

You're too kind to say it looks nice 💛 And you're also entirely correct.
But in this case it's a 10x10 cm patch in a huge blanket, made with unplied 4-strand cotton. And the eyelets are separated by rows of reverse stockinette.
I'm not worried about biasing as much as about my fragile sanity atp 😅

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Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 1d

2025 - Book 79

C.K. McDonnell
Ring the Bells
Stranger Times 5

app.thestorygraph.com/books/0d0f5d...

5 ⭐

New seasonal reread unlocked 🎄🎅

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

5 ⭐

Simultaneously phenomenal and unhinged and endearing.
And also hateful, but only in the fact that Clint exists and is thrust upon an innocent reader.

I'm clinging to the delusional hope that a certain character is actually Mrs Tachyon, as a wildly obscure Pratchett tribute/reference. That is my Christmas wish, please let me have this.

This could have easily been a one afternoon breathless read, but I paced myself to be able to savor it for longer. I hate that it's over. It's going straight to the top of t
he reread pile.

2

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 2d

Beaudille - Patch 174

This pattern alternating yo-k2tog and yo-ssk per trellis row, only for it to make no visible difference in the end product 😭 could've just done k2togs all the way

More info and previous patches: beaudille.tumblr.com

#knitting #slowcraft #madebyme #portugueseknitting #knitsky

1 4

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 8d

2025 - Book 78

Rebecca Roanhorse
Mirrored Heavens
Between Earth and Sky 3

app.thestorygraph.com/books/c31009...

2.5 ⭐

Sweeping epic fantasy is tortuously epic and violently sweeping

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

2.5 ⭐

There is just too much going on. I don't know how she'd kept it all contained and manageable in the first two books, but this is all over the place. Where was the editor in all of this?

There are too many characters, too many alliances, too many time jumps and far, far too many cruelties. The casual atrocities against children, the gore, the body horror, it's all a bit much.

This was a hate-read, but I finished it, because I adored book 1 and 2. I'll never pick up this trilogy again.

1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 13d

2025 - Book 77

Ben Aaronovitch
Stone & Sky
Rivers of London 10

app.thestorygraph.com/books/49ad49...

3.5 ⭐

Have we jumped the selkie yet?

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

3.5 ⭐

If he wanted to crack that lucrative YA romantasy market, he should've written a separate Abigail novel, so I could've skipped it.

But even ignoring Abigail's weird fox/mermaid love triangle, there are too many superfluous characters. Mom, dad and the whole jazz band tag along, only because he needs Zach in the last chapter; the twins do some obvious but never resolved foreshadowing; Nightingale is mostly (unsuccessful) comic relief; nobody adds anything to the plot and the new characters barely have room to breathe.

This could have been at least 3 separate novels. Only one of which would have needed Abigail. At most.

2

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 13d

I step into the joint, my spurs clinking, the flappy doors creaking ominously behind me. I look my nail tech dead in the eye and demand the new McDonnell with my acrylic refill. The piano stills, the poker game falls silent. "This ain't that kinda place, missy", she clips. A true manicurian impasse.

1 2

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 17d

2025 - Book 76

T. Kingfisher
Hemlock & Silver

app.thestorygraph.com/books/fe00d1...

5 ⭐

Mirrors freak me out anyway. This didn't help

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

5 ⭐

I'm not au fait enough with Snow White lore to know how close this is to the original story (if told from a different angle), but to me, if she hadn't called the kid Snow, I don't think I would have clocked it.

Either way, it had me giggling and a little creeped out the whole way through. Solid Kingfisher.

4

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 18d

Thank you, that's so kind. And go for it! This is "self-drafted" only in the sense that I futzed with the 10-stitch blanket until it fit 30 st x 40 row patches. Just winging it is very doable, it turns out 😁

1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 20d

Aww, thanks!

Eventually, when I'm finished, I might make the charts for the patches available. I refuse to write out an actual pattern for this ridiculous endeavour, but I have the charts, so why not. But not until I'm finished 😅

1 2

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 21d

2025 - Book 75

Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Expert System's Champion
Expert Systems 2

app.thestorygraph.com/books/02d39d...

5 ⭐

This is the slimiest, most horrific loveletter to humanity I have ever read.

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

5 ⭐

I say this with all the respect, admiration and awe in the world: Adrian Tchaikovsky is deranged. Full hingeless behavior. Genius levels of complete cuckooness.

This is beautiful, the way a cluster of mushrooms growing out of decaying roadkill could be beautiful. For a given definition of beauty.

1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 21d

Beaudille - new yarn cake update

It's ✨WIP Wednesday✨ and I just started yarn cake 5 💪

Only 97 more patches to go. By this schedule, that'll be December 2027 😅

More info and previous patches: beaudille.tumblr.com

#knitting #slowcraft #update #madebyme #portugueseknitting #knitsky

2 18

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 23d

I should really put on my glasses when I write these, rather than blindly (hah) trusting autocorrect 🤓

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

5 ⭐

Okay, so maybe if you're a big ol' tough cookie who watches Poltergeist to fall asleep to, then maybe to you this isn't scary.

Me, I'm made of marshmallows and rainbows and the Care Bear movie gave me nightmares for weeks.

This was creepy. I was holding the book at arm's length the whole time. Nope nope nope.

Loved it, never reading it again. 5 stars.

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 23d

2025 - Book 74

Grady Hendrix
Horrorstör

app.thestorygraph.com/books/63601a...

5 ⭐

Cancel that trip to IKEA, babe, I'll knit the couch covers myself

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

1 4

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 26d

I visited Hay-on-Wye to celebrate my 1000 day streak of reading at least 1 page every day 📚

The streak counter is by far my favorite @thestorygraph.com feature 🤓

#booksky #HayonWye #TheStorygraph

3

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 27d

2025 - Book 73

Robert Jackson Bennett
Foundryside
The Founders Trilogy 1

app.thestorygraph.com/books/88e269...

4.5 ⭐

Programming, but make it magic archeology

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

4.5 ⭐

Robert Jackson Bennett got into an argument with his Alexa and decided to mock her through anti-capitalist anti-establishment YA heist fantasy. And it works.

Do I care that it's maybe a little clunky or a little overly explanatory here and there? Absolutely not, because the world building is fantasric and the magic system is ridiculous and very well crafted. The characters are believable, the story is twisty, the tech is incredibly stupid; it's perfect.

4

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 28d

I was being a little facetious here 😅 Portuguese knitting is more than just a different way of tensioning, it also affects hand and finger positions. My wrists and elbows barely move, but my thumbs move a lot.
If you think it might help, there's no downside to learning a new skill 😊

1 1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · 29d

Beaudille - Patch 173

If you hate knitting seed stitch as much as I do, give Portuguese knitting a shot.

Marginally easier, and now you've learned a new way to hate seed stitch 🤷

More info and previous patches: beaudille.tumblr.com

#knitting #madebyme #portugueseknitting #knitsky

1 13

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 20

MR Carey's Rampart Trilogy is my absolute favorite. First book is Book of Koli:

app.thestorygraph.com/books/b6e7c8...

The Book of Koli by M. R. Carey

The Book of Koli begins a breathtakingly original new trilogy set in a strange and deadly world o...

app.thestorygraph.com

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 19

2025 - Book 72

Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Expert System's Brother
Expert Systems 1

app.thestorygraph.com/books/42167f...

5 ⭐

Post-apocalyptic hopepunk, my beloved 💖

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

5 ⭐

Fan-bloody-tastic. The only gripe I have, is that it's too short. I know Tchaikovsky is perfectly capable of churning out thicc tomes and I could've done with the Children of Time treatment on this.

Similar vibes to M.R. Carey's Rampart Trilogy (so good), but with added Tchaikovskian Monstrosities (tm). Why is this man so obsessed excessively-legged critters?

2 3

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 17

Beaudille - Patch 172

I love deceptively simple lace like this.

(I'm a big girl creator now; tiktok restricted this video for promoting a brand, product or service 🙃)

More info and previous patches: beaudille.tumblr.com

#knitting #madebyme #portugueseknitting #knitsky

10

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 16

2025 - DNF 8

James Islington
An Echo of Things to Come
The Licanius Trilogy 2

app.thestorygraph.com/books/52f62c...

DNF - 9% - 66 pages

My kingdom for an email and a 90 slide PowerPoint

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph #DNF

A screenshot of my reason to DNF the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

Did not finish - 9%

I usually DNF when reading becomes a chore. This felt more like going to the office.

66 pages in and so far it's basically been the overly detailed minutes of a series of unconnected meetings, full of people smiling wryly, or keeping their faces smooth while internally seething. I think Islington was bitten by a radioactive memo in his previous career.

4

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 14

2025 - Book 71

Makiia Lucier
Year of the Reaper

app.thestorygraph.com/books/84e5c9...

4. 5⭐

Haley Joel Osment goes to Camelot

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

4.5 ⭐

A cozy YA-ish swords and castles supernatural fantasy full of plague, grief and horrible deaths type of deal. But somehow very tea, blanky, thunderstorm, read in one day coded.

The plot twist is juuust twisty enough and the 'will they, won't they, when will they finally' is well balanced.

Very cute, very enjoyable.

1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 13

Ik schreef dit om 23.30 zonder leesbril en mijn predictive text haat me 😅

#consequentzijniseengevolgvanknippenenplakken

Zo beter?

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

3.75 ⭐

But is the swan okay?

A little Bluebeard, a little Faust, a little Beatrix Potter and a healthy heaping of horror.

But also a little light on the plot and heavy on the rushing. Neat bow on the ending, no actual resolution.

It's a quick read and I had fun, but she definitely got better over time.

1

Thexscha @itspronouncedtessa.bsky.social · Sep 12

2025 - Book 70

T Kingfisher
The Seventh Bride

app.thestorygraph.com/books/74058c...

3.75 ⭐

But is the swan okay?

#booksky #2025ReadingChallenge #TheStorygraph

A screenshot of my review of the book on The Storygraph, which reads:

3.75 ⭐

A little Bluebeard, a little Faust, a little Beatrix Potter and a healthy heaping of horror.

But also a little light on the plot and heavy om the rushing. Neat bow on the ending, no actual resolution.

It's a quick read and I had fun, but she definitely got better over time.

1