A liiiittle late, but I wanted to join in with this one! I spotted it on Confessions of a Serial Reader and really liked the questions, so here we are.
First books I read:
Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kid is the second book of one of my new favourite mystery series! The publisher sent me this as a secret arc, and I just LOVE Nora Breen.
Ancient by Luke Barley was also sent to me, and I really enjoyed this non-fiction following a forester around his favourite woodlands.
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings was read for the Pagebound Mardi Gras + Carnival 2026 Readalong, and it was a ride of a book!
First books I reviewed:
Lanny by Max Porter, a short, mysterious literary novel, following people around the titular Lanny in their small village.
Ragwort by Sam K. Horton, a dark folklore sequel, one of my favourite books!
Ancient by Luke Barley, a nature focused non-fiction that I mentioned above.
First book I added to my shelf:
The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao.
I preordered this as soon as it was announced because I loved Water Moon so much!
First debut books:
I’m actually surprised to have read so few debuts this year! Usually I read quite a few.
Ancient was the first (I didn’t expect this book to feature so much!).
The Gods Must Burn by T.R. Moore is a fantasy debut about a wolf god protecting his Forest Goddess.
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is an older non-fiction debut, a memoir from a female scientist.
First new to me author (that I will read again):
Sourdough by Angela Slatter.
I am surprising myself with this choice, since this is actually a horror book of short stories! However, it is not scary horror, it’s more along the lines of folktales that are a bit darker, kind of like the Brothers Grimm.
I really want to read more of Slatter’s works.
First book by an author I’ve read before:
As I already said, Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd was a sequel, to the brilliant Murder at Gulls Nest. An excellent cosy mystery series following ex-nun Nora Breen in the 1950’s as she turns her hand to solving murders.
Way of the Walker by Salinee Goldenberg is the sequel to The Last Phi Hunter. A very cool fantasy series filled with Thai mythology.
When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard is the second book by one of my favourite writers, and it follows Simard on forestry restoration projects in Canada and is filled with wisdom.
First book that slayed me:
I actually don’t know what this question means (I am not down with the lingo). Is this a book that made me cry? Made me laugh? Gave me a crisis?? I am assuming it’s a book that impressed me, so I’ll go with this one:
The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O’Keefe.
I had zero expectations for it, and it was brilliant. Space pirates!! Need I say more?
First book I wish I’d never read:
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.
I wanted to like this. I did not. A woman writing about her experiences in STEM (specifically botany, my field) should have been great, but I was disappointed that she spent the entire book insulting her students and glorifying the toxic side of academia.
First 5 star read:
Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta.
I don’t star rate, but if I did, this would have every star. One of the best things I have ever read. I will be rereading it this year.
Laleh and Myung are the Keepers of the Whale of Babel. They roam its infinite chambers and tell each other stories of themselves and of their creator, Great Wisa. Myung dreams of more. More people, more stories, and so she leaves the whale…
Pages of Emma 
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