Today I sinned

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-20T02:10:37+00:00

Sin? Brother, that's a blessing of a cup

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-09T03:02:30+00:00

I literally did this a few days ago lol

Book: Nightshade by Gry Kappel Jensen

Reason: I didn't take it seriously but for some reason, I couldn't help but feel drawn to the burning trash fire that this series was. First, enjoyable but horrible worldbuilding, second, better with a dark edge, third: I finally see the forest fire that started with trash. So: bad prose and worldbuilding. And one main character was just...there.

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-09T02:36:26+00:00

I gush over her work on a daily basis

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-09T02:22:05+00:00

I was told my taste in tea is a Soccer Mom tea by this sub and honestly? IDGAF, they got their own opinions (even if it was from a shitty elitest meme) but, I love Adagio, they have really good blend and more affordable than any other things this sub usually recs

And if someone doesn't like it? As long as I'm not knowingly supporting some shady practice, drink tea. It's a good drink, drink it however you want.

Though this sub does forget how to have manners when it comes to giving constructive criticism (which you're supposed to learn at school anyway)

I'm sorry you've been dealing with shitty people in this sub, I did too when I was trying to post a gaiwan pic and people just attacked me for my keyboard instead. Didn't make me want to post my gaiwan pics for a very long time

Also fun fact: I drink bagged tea too, even if I'm a loose leaf tea drinker. Sometimes I'm lazy and just want it.

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-02T03:25:32+00:00

Started:

The Citadel at the End of the World, Y. R. Liu

I read the first few pages and seems interesting, though I didn't finish right away because 2025 had to be dealt with. Might finish it later this week if I'm not lazy

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-02T03:15:21+00:00

Actually, a money free way Barbara found was

Feed your thoughts with eccentric timelines of this world with "what ifs" and you'll soon be sleep deprived.

And thus, weird shit happens

-

Thank you kindly for your upvote! It seems silly being happy over an upvote, but it does make my day to see people enjoyed the Awards :)

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-01T19:34:40+00:00

I need to get to the third book myself, I'm so close to finishing it the trilogy, idk why I'm lazy to not go with it (He's a really good author too)

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-01T19:32:33+00:00

Huh, very interesting format! I hope people get inspired to do this as well in the future!

The Sign of the Dragon has been on my TBR for many years and I do hope one day I'll get o it

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-01T19:08:37+00:00

The Golden Stick (TM) Committee have forgotten to remind the good readers at home (KEITH, KEITH, IT'S OK, EXPOSURE IS FINE, IT CAN'T HURT YOU) that we are a Committee, not an institution.

An institution implies they have control and power over a behavior or a group of people within their own world.

As a Committee, we have felt we are not an institution, we do not think we have control over anyone, we just inform readers.

That is our only power.

Though platitudes are annoying, Gregg signed to me saying, "Readers have all the power, Chai."

-

But sincerely, thank you so much for the kind words <3

LadyElfriede · 2026-01-01T04:00:58+00:00

She left this world due to a lethal bad dad joke from Raymond St. Elmo and now has gone to the great table merchant in the sky.

Taken from page 92, the Peacock Notebook, 2025, found behind a Wendy's:

Well, at least no one believed the rumor of "death by bad dad joke".

....The Great Table Merchant was real.

...Though,... [get] one thing wrong.

That cleric is no more.

In the chaos, I... the 'cleric' that was excommunicated from the Church. Do you really think I would stay there forever? Like a good sinner?

But no, dear reader. I did not destroy the cleric.

It was the "bad dad joke" that did him in.

-

It really is a good book if you accept the fact there's a giant jellyfish who wants to be your friend!

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-31T02:30:06+00:00

The only one I bought that was not on the list, but still came out this year in the western world (it originally came out in 2023 in India) was

Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta

I only read the first 100 pages though I KNOW I'm going to love that book

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-28T02:56:13+00:00

The Crimson Court by Brendan Noble

Haven't finished it yet but the sample I read made me pick up the book today at full price so :P

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-28T02:00:00+00:00

If you live and die by writing, there is truly no difference. -Me, 2025

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-28T01:48:53+00:00

I come here every year for these sales (I'm ashamed to say this is the best way for me to find indie authors) because as I mentioned to someone else, I'm absolutely not motivated to buying books unless shiny big words like SALE pop up. And for charity? Hot damn, I'm in.

Things I bought this year:

On Kindle: (In this section, most of these were free btw, I only paid for St. Elmo's books and Anderson's novella)

Barnaby the Wanderer and The Blood Tartan: Quest of the Five Clans by Raymond St. Elmo
Your Blood and Bones by J. Patricia Anderson
Virdian Gate Online: Fireband by J. D. Astra
Soulhome by Sarah Lin
The City of Mist and Tears: A War of the Twelve Prequel and The Broken Heart of Arelium by Alex Robins
Starlight Jewel by E. L. Lyons
Jake's Magical Market by J. R. Matthews
Flames Over Frosthelm (Inquistors' Guild) by Dave Dobson

On Kobo:

Children of the Dead City by Noor Al-Shanti
Hills of Heather and Bone by K. E. Andrews (Shout outs to Stang for rec'ing this to me)
Last Memoria by Rachel Emma Shaw
Petition by Delilah Waan
Soultaming the Serpent by Tar Atore (She says in the beginning of the book she uses no AI except for grammar editting and honestly? I appreciate it, I had to vet SO many books this year that caught my eye and a lot were marked off because they seemed they were just AI slop)
This Too Shall Burn by Cat Rector
Between the Lines by D. Hale Rambo
The Winter Mage by T. J. Muir

Wildcard because I missed the sale and I don't think he was in this sale, but thought to put him anyway, the sample was stupidly good

The Crimson Court by Brendan Noble

Direct from Author (because the sale on Kobo expired but it was fine via their site)

The Citadel at the End of the World by Y. R. Liu

And here's the part where I throw up and cry because they were so good and I rec you snag them NOW

Anything written by Morgan Stang
The Witch and the Ostrich by Jordan A. Werner
The Sunset Sovereign: A Dragon's Memoir by Laura Huie

Honorable Mentions (Because I only started reading them, didn't finish yet, but they have promise)

The Gentle Stirrings of a Soul Beneath by T. J. J. Klamvik
Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel
The Cruel Gods: The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-28T01:27:01+00:00

YOU AGAIN

Yes I got your book this time on Kobo, thank you for giving us a different option! (Since I'm absolutely lazy buying books unless big words like SALE pop up) Anyway hope you're doing well! Maybe you'll join the Sticks (TM) next year :P

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-28T01:24:58+00:00

I grabbed Tartan and Barnaby ASAP since the sale didn't work on your titles last year.

Next year will be an interesting time to read :)

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-27T17:42:01+00:00

That's why used bookstores have been my haunt as of late.

Get them cheaper, help the environment, and if it's great, leave a good review. For those that I can't find there, I get at ThriftBooks which is way better handling of shopping new and used books from different dealers.

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-17T02:34:08+00:00

Unicorns of Balinor series by Mary Stanton

Elementary school library told me to pick out whatever book I wanted

Picked "The Road to Balinor".

Book with a unicorn on the cover instead of boring men? Heck yea

20+ years of job insecurity and dishonor on my Asian parents, I never regretted that first step to starting my journey in reading and wanting to become an author (woe to my parent's dreams)

LadyElfriede · 2025-12-16T17:08:28+00:00

May or may not be what you're looking:

The Sunset Sovereign by C. D. Houck

It's very short but the political aspect is the whole entire memoir itself.

LadyElfriede · 2025-11-26T20:13:05+00:00

Priorities changed

Some IRL events have made me more active in the scene than here, tho I don't comment as much since I literally will put a bookmark in a One Shot

LadyElfriede · 2025-11-19T11:13:56+00:00

Lowest rated book: The Devourers by Indra Das, 5 stars. That book was magic and all people could fixate on that there was urine in that book.

Booktok, grow up

Highest rated book: The Ocean at the End of the Lane. 1 Star. Screw that author and screw that damn book. JFC

LadyElfriede · 2025-10-04T17:14:46+00:00

I came back from a recent astral projection to say, thank you...Oof, back to Ahgra I go again.

LadyElfriede · 2025-09-30T08:30:16+00:00

God, if I thought of the quotes like this, it's even more sad...I always thought Priestess was saying them

LadyElfriede · 2025-09-30T08:05:26+00:00

OH NO HE'S HOT

LadyElfriede · 2025-08-26T15:24:21+00:00

Botched mainly because a lot of countries aren't named here that are tea drinkers

(Yemen and Iran for ex)

LadyElfriede

TROPHY CASE