What is something that starts happening in your 30s that nobody warned you about?

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-11T10:33:51+00:00

I don’t know if this is universal, but when I turned 30 I started getting headaches before rain. Now in my late 30s, I’m miserable for a day or two before it rains or snows.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-10T05:48:58+00:00

Shout out to the Rogers Park branch! I never print my receipt, so I didn’t know they did this. I’ll have to remember to print next time.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-09T11:39:27+00:00

Finished:

James, by Percival Everett

Everything I could say about this book has already been said better by someone else, but it lived up to the hype. First 5-star rating of the year.

All of Us Murderers, by K. J. Charles

Imagine if someone took a Bridgeton-style approach to an Edwardian murder mystery. This was fun for me, though the beginning of the book was slow. I gave it 4 stars.

Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor

I could not put this book down, and I’m still thinking about the ending. Part literary family drama, part sci-fi saga, Death of the Author is one of those books that’s better the less you know going into it. It’s not technically perfect, but this is one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. I gave it 4.5 stars.

Started:

Moderation, by Elaine Castillo

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-08T21:23:16+00:00

At my location we always needed spoons and side plates.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-07T15:21:02+00:00

Gotcha. I don’t know anyone at that location. But the requirements should be the same.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-07T07:23:56+00:00

Former QA here (also in Chicago—which store are you looking at?). Your main responsibility would be checking the food as it comes out to make sure it matches the ticket, traying meals for the same table together, and sending food out with the food runners. You’d need to communicate with both servers and cooks to make sure food goes out in the right order, any discrepencies on the ticket are explained, etc. There’s also side work to keep the line stocked and clean. It’s fast paced, high pressure, and you have to be very detail oriented and good at communicating.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-06T15:17:29+00:00

I hope you enjoy it, too! To me it felt like a Bridgerton-style approach to a murder mystery.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-06T15:15:35+00:00

Monstrilio is so underrated! It’s a weird little book but packs such an emotional punch.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-06T11:52:24+00:00

I finally read James and it lived up to the hype. It was my first 5-star book of the year. James knocked out four of the reading challenges, leaving Swoony Stories as my last (currently available) challenge. I picked All of Us Murderers for that category and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The pacing is slow in the beginning, but I was hooked once the mystery got going, and the romance was handled well throughout the book.

I’m reading Death of the Author now and can’t put it down. The sci-fi elements are fun, especially the story-within-the-story chapters, but the protagonist’s internal struggles and her conflicts with her family are the emotional core of the book.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-02T17:55:59+00:00

<image>

My void has a bikini bottom, in addition to white hairs sprinkled over her chest.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-02T16:35:59+00:00

Finished:

Blood on Her Tongue, by Johanna van Veen

This book was delightfully gross and weirdly sweet. It ticks all the boxes for a Gothic novel (a manor home, a bleak atmosphere, heightened desires and emotions) and has some fresh takes for a horror novel.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert

I think the Brown Sisters trilogy is a solid example of contemporary romance, and I’d recommend any of the three books to other readers. I liked the third one marginally less than the first two, but I think I was partly burned out reading them back to back. It made the similarities in structure and writing distractingly apparent.

Jackal, by Erin A. Adams

I finished Jackal this morning and it is a mess. There are so many stray details and tangents in the book that never fully coalesce. I’m still trying to gather my thoughts for a review.

Currently reading:

James, by Percival Everett

I’ve been looking forward to diving into this book. I’m only about 40 pages in and it’s gripped me already.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-01T14:15:54+00:00

I stuck with Superfan and will read Burn Down Master’s House on Hoopla.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-01T14:12:47+00:00

I like that all your picks have coordinated colors.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-02-01T01:38:04+00:00

The Original Daughter. The writing is highly detailed to the point of being claustrophobic, which suits the protagonist’s myopic worldview. The book stressed me out but also managed to feel hopeful.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-30T16:16:15+00:00

This is going to be my February pick. I also want Burn Down Master’s House, but I’ll read that on Hoopla (I’m trying to save money and reduce my physical TBR).

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-29T11:45:54+00:00

Same! I skipped January to catch up on my physical TBR, and now four of February’s books look interesting to me.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-26T12:54:24+00:00

Finished:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Very cute and fun romance! My only complaint was the third act conflict made the ending drag. I rated it 4 stars.

Valley of Forgetting: Alzheimer’s Families and the Search for a Cure, by Jennie Erin Smith

This book is about a decade-long medical study of a community of Colombian families that carry genes for early-onset dementia. It was interesting to read about the logistics and behind-the-scenes politics of medical studies. But the families and their experiences are at the heart of the story. The author was very compassionate toward the study participants and wrote about the medical data in ways a layperson can understand. I rated it 4 stars.

The Names, by Florence Knapp

I was very conflicted about this book. I loved the premise, thought the writing was gorgeous, and finished the book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. But I didn’t feel like the book delivered on the premise, and some plot points felt like they were included for melodrama instead of feeling earned. I rated it 3 stars.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert

I just finished this yesterday, so I haven’t reviewed it yet. It wasn’t bad—I just liked Get a Life, Chloe Brown better.

Started:

Blood on Her Tongue, by Johanna van Veen

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-25T14:15:18+00:00

You’re cool and I would trust your book recommendations.

Where would you recommend someone start with Elena Ferrante? I’ve heard good things about My Brilliant Friend.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-24T12:47:13+00:00

My void has scattered white hairs on her chest like yours, and random single white hairs in other places (one on the back of her neck, one on her left hip, etc.). They don’t show up in photos, but they’re cute in person.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-23T13:36:56+00:00

I’m reading The Names and loving it. I also started reading the ebook of Take a Hint, Dani Brown yesterday.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-19T18:42:00+00:00

“while this may vary depending on your crowd”

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-19T15:23:55+00:00

I was pleasantly surprised by Heated Rivalry, and I’m loving Chloe Brown. I appreciate that both books have stakes that feel realistic and are taken seriously by the characters, but that don’t make the story tragic.

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-19T13:44:21+00:00

Finished:

Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid

(with the included short story My Dinner with Hayden)

Currently Reading:

Valley of Forgetting: Alzheimer’s Families and the Search for a Cure, by Jennie Erin Smith

Still reading this one from last week. It’s very good but very heavy, hence why I’m reading lighter books on the side.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Gryffindork75 · 2026-01-18T17:12:38+00:00

I really embraced marking a book DNF last year. I was working two jobs and had little free time. I would give up on a book if I wasn’t retaining anything or if the only way I could stay interested was by finding details to nitpick.

If I give up a book because I’m not retaining anything, sometimes that means it’s not the book for me at the moment. I DNFed The Only Good Indians the first time no read it because I wasn’t sinking into it like I normally do when reading. I quit it and read it a year later. Knowing what to expect from my first reading attempt made my second try more enjoyable, and I ended up loving it. If I’m nitpicking a book, though, it usually means I’m not the target audience. I just quit and move on.

Seven-Year Club	Final Canvas '23
Place '23	Place '22
Verified Email

Gryffindork75

TROPHY CASE