2026 #38 Psalm for the Wild Built - Monk and Robot #1 (Chambers)

 

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars! Admittedly, this started slowly for me, but I think it is largely due to the fact that the only time I really give myself to read is right before bed. It was perhaps the perfect follow-up to my reading of _Siddhartha_ and strangely similar. Sibling Dex, a non-binary tea monk who may be having a bit of a crisis, is very much a seeker like Hesse's Siddhartha in that they feel a gap in the life they have chosen. Unlike Siddhartha, however, Dex has a companion--the robot Mosscap. I'm not giving anything away given the name of the series.

Once Mosscap entered the narrative I became much more invested. There's a tremendous beauty to this book. The theology and history that Chambers builds is very intriguing. We learn of the "Factory Age" that we might assume has some parallels to our current Anthropocene. Robot consciousness develops (as "an accident") and there is a climactic event/transition wherein robots decide to leave and humans revert to a more agricultural lifestyle, informed by a pantheistic (?) religion, that seems more akin to some indigenous understandings/approaches of/to religion. The world is not devoid of mechanics, but what exists is there in the service of recycling and renewing, such as Dex's greywater filter that they use in their mobile shower as they pedal across the land with their wares.

Oh could we ever use tea monks now. "Everybody needed a cup of tea sometimes. Just an hour or two to sit and do something nice, and then they could get back to whatever it was." (88%).

The book, largely through Mosscap, asks us to consider the purpose-driven life and how much of that defines our humanity. How much do we miss of the exhilaration of consciousness?

This is a book to read with intention, not as you drift off to sleep.

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2026 Reading Goals: 38/60

2026 #34 The Mirror of Her Dreams - Mordant's Need #1 (Donaldson)

 

The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is rather epic world building, but I just didn't love Terisa (late 1980s sensibilities or lack thereof notwithstanding). I wanted to see Geraden through someone else's eyes, and I came away not really understanding King Joyse's motivations. And "spice" is fine, but older creepy womanizers "claiming" young women (while they sleep, no less) is not sexy and pretty gross. For me, the most interesting character was Adept Havelock. The premise of mirrors and "translation" is terrific, but I'm not sure I was engaged enough to read the second in the series. If I happen upon it, I probably will read it, because I am curious and the first book ends without conclusion.

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2026 Reading Goals 34/60

#192030 Challenge: 1986

TYPTBR 16/18

2026 #32 Blessed Water (Sister Holiday #2) - Douaihy

 

Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
While I'm still invested in the series, Blessed Water didn't quite work for me as well as its predecessor Scorched Grace. With the first book, I noted that everything seemed to accelerate at the end for the sake of resolution, and that was also the case here. But the main issue I had is that the elements of the story seemed to be uneven in how they popped up. Sister Holiday's brother makes a weird appearance, which is welcome if he's going to stick around, but seemed quite extraneous to the mystery. We don't really get any more reveals about her shady past, although "Nina" comes through a bit more.
There are some subtle clues that I got only after reflecting on the story, so I enjoyed that. Sister Holiday's foul mouth is fine, but her penchant for violent thoughts, particularly against Detective Grogan and the purposeless Alex, got a bit tiresome (just overdone, I would say). Her relationship with Riveaux develops nicely, and holds a lot of promise.
You don't need to have read the first one (there are plenty of references to it), but I'd recommend it before launching into this one. A good installment, and I look forward to seeing where this goes.

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2026 Reading Goals 32/60

#2026 #29 All Systems Red - Murderbot Diaries #1 (Wells)

 

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I absolutely see why this popped up in my algorithms after I finished (and LOVED) Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. I'd heard good things about this series outside of that, so I figured I'd give it a try here at the end of when I actually have a life before school begins. I won't judge it against PHM, especially since it is a novella. Both do share a similar sense of humor.

It is entertaining! I was disappointed in the ending only because I was enjoying what developed between the bot and the crew. The short length was a bit of a let down in that regard. It is a very interesting negotiation of non-human sentience, and I applaud that. Kevin R. Free's reading was quite excellent, and Dr. Mensah became my favorite character. I definitely enjoyed it enough that I've already started no. 2 Artificial Condition, but the only one available via Libby was the Graphic Audio production and I'm already not excited about the abundance of underscoring...

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2026 Reading Goals 29/60

#192030 Challenge: 2017

2026 #22 Dawn - Xenogenesis #1 (Butler)

 

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In contrast to the Patternmaster series (and certainly also the Earthseed books), this falls into the category of what I would call more generic science-fiction. That isn't a criticism, but reading this made me realize that I'm less drawn in by aliens vs. humans than her books that bring in more socio-political commentary or dystopia. (I make an exception for Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary which is my favorite book that features an alien. Blame the fact that I'm of the E.T. generation, I guess.)
In Dawn, there's little in the way of world-building, but a lot of species-building (one might guess, with the name of the series). Lilith is an interesting character, but I found her hard to place because she is both an observer of humanity and an actor of humanity. Butler doesn't give us a lot of time to adjust to the other human characters in the book, so I had trouble feeling much toward them other than viewing them as archetypes of different foibles. Maybe that was the point.
Did I enjoy it enough to read the rest of the trilogy? Maybe, but those will go on the back-burner "to read" list.

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Challenges on Storygraph (@rebcamuse):

2026 Reading Goals 22/60

#192030 Challenge:1987

2026 #15 Harlem Shuffle (Whitehead)

 

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For reasons not totally clear to me, it took me a LONG time to get into this book. In truth, it was only Part 3 that really engaged my interest, but I think that had a lot more to do with the fact I was traveling and unfocused. I loved The Underground Railroad so I had big hopes here, and when I sat down and read carefully, I felt much more connected to Ray Carney and the book. So I'm probably going to go back and read the first two parts at some point.

This historical backdrop isn't easy (partially because some of the same issues persist), but the wry narrative works really well, and Whitehead peppers in scenic references to this historical landscape: the recently completed Pan Am building (now MetLife), the partially completed Lincoln Center, the demolition and clearing that made way for the World Trade Center. That alone cast an eerie pall over the last few pages of the book. I also thought the 1964 Harlem Riot was integrated in a very real way--in how it impacted real folks "on the ground". As someone who marks the 1992 Los Angeles riots as a formative experience of my life, I recognized the complex and wide variety of feelings from the city's inhabitants. Like the emerging space for the WTC, the weight that history repeated/repeats itself makes this way more than a "suspenseful crime thriller" (NPR blurb in book).

The detachment from violence and the sort of "everyman" qualities of the protagonist are very effective in conveying a sense of realism rather than sensationalism. Strangely, Pepper became my favorite character -- or at least Pepper's later interactions with Ray.

And there are moments of absolutely spectacular dry humor -- Ray's noting of the furniture in the board room in the final showdown, his complete "payment" to Pepper, descriptions of Aunt Millie: "She could have kicked the ass of a druggie or the ne'er-do-well nephew of her upstairs neighbor--her mastery of her weapon of choice, the hairbrush, went unchallenged..." (246). I also loved the descriptions of some of the less scrupulous characters: "Miami Joe was not a law-abiding sort and had no love for its earthly muscle..." (96).

Whitehead's writing is so clever in how it packs character into description: "[Carney] ran like a kid convinced that the whole grown-up world with its entire grown-up might was going to beat him silly." (291)

Or another favorite:

"No, its best not to hear your grown friends talked to the way Ambrose Van Wyck addressed his son. The humiliation splashes everywhere. You'll get it on you and it'll become your own bad time, the bloody resurrection of your own childhood sadnesses." (270)

Despite the rough beginning, I'm sold enough to read Crook Manifesto and my four stars acknowledges my own fault in not engaging with the first two parts of the novel.

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Challenges on Storygraph (@rebcamuse):

2026 Reading Goals 15/60

Tackle your Physical TBR 2026: no. 9

2025 #50 The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs - Professor Dr. von Igelfeld #2 (McCall Smith)

 

The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I haven't been reading the series in order, but unlike McCall Smith's serials, the experience doesn't really suffer for it. This is light entertainment, following the capers of Professor Dr. von Igelfeld, as he navigates the topsy-turvy world of human interaction. Whimsical and fun, this book was a good palate cleanser in between some weightier tomes. McCall Smith good-naturedly pokes fun at academia without turning Professor Dr. von Igelfeld into a complete caricature. With a fairly zany plot that ranges from operating on a dachshund to being accosted by aggressive widows looking for mates, this installment of the series gently reminds us of the perils of taking ourselves too seriously.

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2025 #42 The Fifth Woman - Wallander #6 (Mankell)

 

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of the series with Kenneth Branagh (we didn't have the opportunity to watch more than one episode of the original Swedish series), I was eager to compare the experience of reading one of the books. This did not disappoint. There's a lot happening. Lots of character development for Wallander, who is going through his own stages of grief. My only real complaint is that I wanted more of the catalyst to be involved in the plot. Instead, we get the trigger, and we know who the culprit is, but I was left feeling like the plot took a huge left turn, and used insanity as the defense. Still, there are truly interesting characters and it was a rich experience for a book that I'd normally designate as a "beach read" (nothing wrong with that, but this book was more intense and deep than anticipated!).

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2025 #35 Cocaine Blues -- Phryne Fisher #1 (Greenwood)

 

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a big time fan of the TV series, I was excited to finally start the book series!
Phryne Fisher is delightful, although her character is even more "scandalous" in the book than portrayed on the series (well, at least it is, unsurprisingly, more graphic). I'm impatient to see how Detective Robinson develops, and that is what I get for breaking my own rule about not watching a TV/movie adaptation before reading the book.

This installment is good, if a bit uneven. Firsts are hard -- the author has to hook you on the characters AND tell a good story. Greenwood deftly uses the dancer Sasha and the impressionable Dot to help show us Phryne's character, but also as pivotal plot pushers. Phryne is hedonistic, yes, but not just that, and it is ultimately a pleasure to get some insights beyond her roaring 20s persona. It does bite off a lot, however: poisoning, illegal abortion, drug smuggling, thugs, Turkish Baths. The whirlwind sometimes overwhelmed, but overall I'm happy to continue with the series!

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2025 #32 Espresso Tales (44 Scotland Street #2 - McCall Smith)

 

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, now I've really gone and messed things up. I started the series with #13 The Peppermint Tea Chronicles, and even thought I had already read Espresso Tales, which was not the case. But now that I've read two books out of order, I think I'll just keep going that route. What was interesting is how my feelings about the characters differed. For example, Bertie and his neurotic and over-protective mother, Irene, were centerpieces of this volume, whereas I was not so interested in them in Peppermint. Despite having skipped the first in the series, I felt that this was a delightful introduction to Bertie, Irene, and Stuart. On the other hand, Ramsey Dunbarton was a dreadful bore, and while I understand that is intended, I needed less proof of it. Big Lou has a larger role to play in Peppermint, but it was nice to see more of her origin story here. It is the characters that give these books a delight, and some of the plots are self-contained, so I think I'm ok to read these out of order.
McCall Smith keeps his characters vivid but also believable (for the most part). This is a wonderful summer read--lighthearted, entertaining, and sure to hook you in to the world of 44 Scotland Street.

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2025 #26 Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orïsha, no. 3)

 

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In my review of Children of Virtue and Vengeance, the second of the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, I wrote: "I am still invested. I want to know where they are headed. I want to be invited back to the world of purples and golds. But I hope that the third book will let me stay awhile before the fighting begins. There's more to say about what lies behind the strife. There's more to tell us about what will be lost before we actually lose it. "

I'm sad to say that the long-awaited book did not fulfill this wish. If anything, there's even more fighting, and less substance. We have new enemies: King Baldyr and The Skulls and new allies: New Gaians. We barely get any time on Orisha to even care about what is happening in healing old wounds. There's a formula applied to the four main characters: Zelie, Tzain, Inan, and Amari -- each has regrets, each thinks about those who have passed, each cuts down and fights enemies...but there's not a lot else that is happening. We see hints of the deeper character studies present in the wonderful first installment, Children of Blood and Bone, particularly with Zélie teetering on the edge of her power being usurped for evil or for good, and there is one particular scene with Tzain, who is going through a similar struggle, that invests in the deeper themes. The book is too short to really get into too much world-building, so the net effect is one of a passive interest in the mythologies and theologies that seemed so crucial in the first book.

I don't know what it is to write a trilogy, and I imagine the creative commitment is immense. Is it still a good read? Sure, and if anything one might benefit more if they haven't read the other two (although I also want to recognize I probably should have gone back and reread the other two books because I was a bit iffy on some of the details). Adeyemi's descriptive writing is a pleasure, and her skill with it enlivens this particular book, especially in how she captures the Green Maidens, Mae'e, and Zélie's transformation(s).

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2025 #24 The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection (McCall Smith) - No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #13

 

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a fairly long hiatus from this series, I'm not sure if absence made the heart grow fonder or what, but this installment had everything I was looking for. I missed Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi's shoes, Mma Potokwane, and all the sundry characters. This volume is particularly rewarding for devotees of the series, with a guest appearance of some significance (it is on the blurb on the back, people, but I'll not be blamed for spoilers). Mma Makutsi and Mma Ramotswe seem to have (mostly) comfortably settled in as ... associates, and this story shows how friends can band together, laying aside petty differences. The most charming and touching aspect of the book comes at the end, where we see that Mma Ramotswe's true gift is to find the value in most people and things -- maybe not Violet Sepotho, however. :-)

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2025 #22 St. Peter's Fair (Peters) - Brother Cadfael #4

 

Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps fairs just aren't my thing, but this particular installment in the series felt like a real slog. It did not hold my interest, but I'm too stubborn to DNF, so thank goodness my library does automatic renewals. I'd be tempted to give it two stars, but I want to honor the writing here, which is, as always, excellent. Only the last 30 pages or so sparked my interest (no pun intended and that is a very weak spoiler). Emma made for an interesting character at the end -- a good balance to the angelic Aline.

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2025 #21: Her Last Moment (James) - Jake Cashen #5

 

Her Last Moment: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 5 by Declan James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I seem to be invested in Worthington County, although I think Alexander Cendese's readings are half of it. Poor Jake still doesn't have a longer story arc to save his soul, but we get a clearer sense that he is a ticking time bomb in terms of his pent-up trauma and anger regarding his father. As I listened to the preview when I finished Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4, I was prepared for who the victim was. It felt a bit of a shame -- it isn't like a TV series where they have to write someone off the show. We hardly knew ye...But truly, it made me care less about her secrets since we had to get her entire backstory posthumously.

Things felt a bit formulaic without the interesting characters of the previous installment -- deadbeat ex clichés abound. This one brings back wrestling, albeit in small doses, so I found it tolerable. While I'm glad Birdie and Jake haven't gotten together (I was worried after Kill Season), the former also hasn't had much of a storyline either. In fact, everyone in Blackhand Hills is pretty much where we left them -- Jemma is about the only one with something new and interesting in her life. Grandpa Max gets to be a bit more than grouchy, semi-senile, and obsessed with dinnertime in this one. Meg Landry doesn't shine as much. Zender is starting to bore me.

Still-- a fun read, enough of the usual suspects to feel a comfortable familiarity, and a few new ones that I would hope would return but probably won't (go Grandma!!).



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2025 #18 Red Sky Hill (James) - Jake Cashen #4

 

Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4 by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
Well, I guess I'm fairly invested in the citizens of Worthington County by now. Red Sky Hill gives us a better look at the Knoxes and the Bardos, the latter familiar from the previous book. The book opens with the grisliest murder yet in the series, and we soon learn that relativism looms large as we see a whole lot of "wrong place, wrong time" and "in over his head" sorts of explanations for bad behavior. There is a definite red herring, but it turns out to be a bit more interesting than usual, because it calls up some moral questions for our detective Cashen, as well as others. This one does not wallow in wrestling or hunting, so I'm impressed that James has managed to keep these things contained to their respective books (for the most part). There is some sloppy editing--for example, Jake says "We'll burn that bridge when we get there" instead of "We'll cross that bridge when we get there" -- which made me laugh, but I don't think it was meant to. As far as the audiobook goes, Cendese is still great, although I noticed an unevenness and some obvious retakes in the recording.
His voicing of Meg Landry is still my favorite part of the entire series (as is her character) and I'd welcome a Meg-centric installment (or spin-off series). Disappointing here is that we get a Meg-centric subplot that fizzles out, although we hope it will be continued in the next book (Her Last Moment). If you haven't read the synopsis of Her Last Moment yet, do yourself a favor and do NOT, until you've finished this book. That's all I'll say.

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2025 #17 The Last Town (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #3

 

The Last Town by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This really swings back and forth between 3.75 and 4 stars for me.
No real spoilers here unless you haven't read the other two books in the trilogy, in which case you really shouldn't be reading reviews (any reviews) of this one.

--------------------
Surprisingly, I liked the ending. I even liked the epilogue---I never like epilogues. But, I have questions.

What happened to the solitaire-playing lady and the abbie? Maybe I missed it. I really thought we were going to go somewhere with that--maybe connect it back to Margaret. That was a welcome respite to the relentless violence. I would have rather than have been developed than the saccharine conversation between Ethan and Ben about an idealized future where they'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

The first quarter of the book was rough --- much like the endless fugitive scene in the first book (or was it the second?) this one spent way too long with the gory details--and they are truly that, gory.

Teresa gets to join Mae Holland (Dave Eggers's The Circle) in my winner's circle of obnoxious protagonists. The only time I liked her in this book was when she found the chutzpah to tell Ethan the truth and then told him to shut it when he started going all entitled macho man on her. But absolutely cringeworthy was the discussion with Hassler in the jail cell with Ben sitting right there. Have some self-respect, people. I guess maybe some people find that language romantic (Teresa's note, that we learned of in the previous book), but I don't (it isn't that I find it offensive...just doesn't make me feel a strong bond of love between two people...not sure what I was supposed to feel). Also, big UGH on her reasons for staying with Ethan.

I rather loved Kate and Hassler meeting up on the cliff, even if it did feel a bit cliché. David Pilcher's god-complex wore me down a bit, but I have to say that Max Meyers created such a picture in my mind--fantastic voicing.

This was a fun series -- it doesn't have the depth and sophistication of Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade (admittedly, I didn't love the latter)--but it has a pretty good sense of beginning, middle, and end and enough moving parts to hold interest when the story gets too wrapped up in being an action movie.

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2025 #10 Council of the Cursed (Tremayne) - Sister Fidelma #19

 

The Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The historical backdrop for this installment is the Council of Autun (in present-day France)-- c. 670-- that was convened under Bishop Leodegarius (Leodegar) to regulate the implementation of Benedictine Rule. The Bishop is a character in the story. Most significantly, a central area of focus was banning the compatres (special companions/spouses) for monks, a practice we know from Fidelma was still accepted in Ireland (Hibernia), although not without challenge. In the historical note, Tremayne defends his interpolation of wives of clerics being sold into slavery, albeit citing much later actions by Popes Leo IX and Urban II.

Some of the characters felt a bit overwritten -- the imperious Abbess Audofleda and Lady Beretrude, especially. Valretrade, on the other hand, often faded into the scenery, which was unfortunate given her role in the story.

However, this particular volume excelled in parsing regional differences not just in beliefs, but also customs, not just between Celtic regions and France, but even Franks vs. Burgunds. King Clotaire (aka King Clothar III) is another historical figure, who Tremayne only gives voice to toward the end, but it is effective.

Returning characters include Abbot Segdae, and from the previous book, Verbas of Peqini, who some may recall did not part company with Fidelma on good terms.

The mystery itself follows a fairly common formula (used several times in the series) wherein Fidelma is called to investigate a murder that seems obvious, but is not in the least (hence, a story). The reveal at the end was blissfully short relative to Fidelma's usual dramatic and drawn out conclusions, and Tremayne seems to be getting more comfortable in allowing the main protagonists (we can include Eadulf, sometimes) to be in harm's way as the series progresses.

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2025 #9 Bones of Echo Lake (James) - Jake Cashen #3

 

Bones of Echo Lake by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This had moments that are riveting, and another great performance by Alexander Cendese. By now, in the third installment of the series, James has settled in to some of the recurring characters, so they are less contrived and more dimensional --this particularly applies to Gemma, Jakes's older sister, who still occasionally becomes a caricature, but is definitely more likeable. Anya, on the other hand, is less sympathetic than I would have expected, especially given her role in this particular story.

Unlike the other two that have a niche area of interest at their core (wrestling for no. 1, and hunting for no. 2), this one feels a bit more like an old-fashioned mystery (in a good way) -- human remains are unearthed and we have a town with lots of secrets to hide. This one involved introducing considerable backstory and James does it fairly well, although it did get a bit tiresome trying to keep track of the victim's various "involvements." But throw in some juicy scandal and there's a great story.

As for the culprit? I was sure I had it figured out from the get-go, but let's just say I was very, very close. And that's good -- I don't like to be right in this case (and the actual murderer was plausible, as opposed to bringing in a bunch of material right at the end to justify it). I'm looking forward to Red Sky Hill up next.

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2025 #6: Dancing with Demons - Sister Fidelma #18 (Tremayne)

 

Dancing with Demons by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This particular installment of the Sister Fidelma series digs into the tensions between the "old ways" and the "New Faith" with much more detail than the previous books. While occasionally tedious to hear it explained via audiobook, the additional context adds a complexity and richness to the world of Fidelma that is more than just Druids vs. Christians. The plot, however, is very slow, and the reveal (in typical Fidelma fashion) takes almost 40 minutes in the audiobook. The motive itself does provide some twists and turns, but the answer to "whodunnit" was so complex and full of weird afterthoughts that I wasn't that interested in the end. This is often the case when there's an "obvious" murderer at the outset -- in this case Dubh Duin, chieftain of the clan Cinél Cairpre, who cannot unfortunately provide any defense or otherwise since he seems to have taken his own life after seemingly killing the High King Suchnussach in his bedroom. All is, as you might guess, not what it seems. This is the situation in which Fidelma finds herself.

Happily, in terms of character development, we start to see an increase in Fidelma's self-awareness, particularly of her treatment of Eadulf, who also seems to be coming more into his own.

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Series About Series Challenge 2025 no. 2 February

2025 #4 Wayward (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #2

 

Wayward by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really a 3.5 - 3.75 for me.
The second installment of the Wayward Pines trilogy is better than the first, as it is has more dimensions and sub-plots. While it is possible to read the second without the first, I don't advise it. The story is terrific, full stop. What isn't terrific is the weird amount of kink whenever it comes to most of the female characters (and their interaction with Ethan). The big "reveal" scene between Ethan and Teresa almost made me stop listening. Teresa's characterization is inconsistent, and Pam is WAY overwritten (the audiobook probably exacerbates this, but to no fault of Max Meyers, who does a great job).

The insertion of Adam Hassler as a character provides a lot of intrigue and tension, and Crouch deftly interwove that element into the book. I do have to say that I approach the third installment with some trepidation as I enjoyed the not-knowing when it came to Hassler, and I'm hoping that the third book does not rely on tired tropes.

The ending is an excellent cliffhanger and has the intended impact -- I will absolutely finish the series.

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Serious About Series Challenge 2025 - January