Everyone enjoying this bleak, dark, late-winter weather?

I’m sure not!

Thankfully, this past month I’ve been escaping into other worlds nearly non-stop. That’s right, I’ve just concluded my very first Out of This World Month, where I read only fantasy and sci-fi books.

I continued on with some series I’d left unfinished and also read some great standalones.

Also, this won’t be a 20-minute read like my post for Horror Month last year- given that I’ve lowered my book goal to 75 for 2026 to allow more time for writing, I really tried to trim back and take my time with books.

Let’s get right to it! Here’s everything I read in January for Out of This World Month!

1. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas (2020)
2. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (2025)
3. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (2023)
4. Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber (2009)
5. The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (1990)
6. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (2016)

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A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas (2020)

Dates read: 1/4-1/5

Format: Physical

Rating: 3.5/5

I can definitely see why ACOTAR fans call this the “holiday special”. It’s basically just our cast of characters stressing over the equivalent of Fae Christmas- buying each other gifts, eating dinners, and complaining about the cold. I honestly could’ve done without this entry; I liked where we left our main pair at the end of book three, and at this point those two characters are really starting to feel stale for me. I can tell their character arcs are pretty much done. I am comforted by the assurance that the next entry features someone else as a main POV character.

I did like the last quarter of the book the most. It was nice seeing some emotional threads tied up, and I did really like the choices Feyre made regarding her future. It was a nice bow to her story. I’m definitely excited to start following someone else now, though.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (2025)

Dates read: 1/6-1/18

Format: Physical

Rating: 5/5

This was my very first John Scalzi, so I had no idea what to expect. But I know I definitely wasn’t expecting a story about what would happen if the moon randomly turned to cheese.

I also wasn’t expecting to cry. Multiple times.

If you liked the style of World War Z (tiny vignettes from all walks of life discussing the same occurrence), you’ll love this one. It takes an absurd “what-if” and somehow makes it about humanity, love, and how people may react if their reality is turned on its head in a moment. It’s hilarious, touching, ridiculous, and incredible.

Go read it. Trust me. When I finished this thing, I immediately opened my phone and ordered Starter Villain from Bookshop.org.

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (2023)

Dates read: 1/6-1/8

Format: Audio

Rating: 5/5

This baby has been on my Libby list for probably over a year now. And boy am I glad I finally got to it.

It’s the definitive feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Medusa and her experience before and after Perseus. The structure was fantastic, I loved the pace, and there were some really unique POVs in here- including that of Medusa’s snakes! The long-suffering women of Greek myth are put in the spotlight in this narrative in heartbreaking and captivating ways.

I ate this baby up in three days and I’m already ready to read it again.

Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber (2009)

Dates read: 1/8-1/9

Format: Audio

Rating: 4/5

I read Red Harvest last year and had a great freaking time. You know the audiobooks have sound effects? Like, lightsaber sounds and robot filters over droid dialogue. It’s a delight.

So I figured it was time to keep going! This one was a great time with a loveable protagonist, great body horror, and an eerie setting. Also, you might run into someone you recognize…

Definitely check these out. You won’t regret it.

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (1990)

Dates read: 1/18- ?

Format: Physical

Rating: –

I read The Eye of the World last year (year before? I read a lot of books) and had a decent time. It was very dense, but I’ve been told (vehemently) that it’s worth continuing in the series. So I acquired book two and it’s been snubbed ever since by the TBR Wheel gods.

Until now.

Aaaand I did not finish this book in time for this post. Too much of my time was stolen by writing and our book club read. Oops!

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (2016)

Dates read: 1/22-1/31

Format: eBook

Rating: 4/5

Book club time! This was Olivia’s pick for our “Same Author, New Book” round where we choose a title from one of our favorite authors that we haven’t gotten around to yet (Saige’s was a non-Dresden Files Jim Butcher, and mine is Stephen King’s Rose Madder).

I’ve read Cinder, the first in her Lunar Chronicles, and enjoyed it pretty thoroughly.

But this book? A really good time. It’s a romance set in the world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and our love interest is a court joker (if you know me at all you know I’m a clown enthusiast). You should probably know, though, if you’re going to read this one, at least a little bit about Alice. Where we end up can be incredibly jarring and a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with those characters. I was not, and I was really, really confused until Saige and Olivia explained what it meant in the world of Alice.

As a fun side note, this story had a lot of elements in common with Wizard and Glass, which is pretty fun.

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And that’s all! I am really liking this slower reading pace I’ve adopted this year; I feel like I’m digesting much more of the content and I’m able to analyze my reads much more thoroughly.

While I did have a lot of fun living in worlds of make-believe, I can definitely feel myself aching for something scary and messed up. Time to reintroduce gluten into my diet!

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MONTHLY WRITING GOALS UPDATE

JANUARY

29,832 / 20,000

Goal CRUSHED!

FEBRUARY

1,161 / 20,000

This week I finally made some progress in Cursed Sword, and I started a new project!

Project Name Venetian Mask has been cooking in my head since October- I’ve left it on the burner since I already had three active projects (plus Father Cruz was still unfinished at the time), but this weekend I finally decided it was time to let this thing out. According to Saige (yes, I’m quoting you) it’s my best idea yet. It has a lot to say about themes that we tend to wrestle with in the tumultuous decade that is our twenties: society’s expectations for us, our own aspirations for the (supposed) height of our youth and beauty, fear of missing out on other avenues, and the constant nagging feeling that the grass is greener on the other side.

It’s also steamy, scary, and speculative. It’s going to be quite clearly inspired by Jennifer Thorne’s Diavola, mainly in that it will follow a young woman on vacation in Italy with some unresolved personal turmoil. But that’s about where the similarities end. I won’t say anymore until I’m far enough along to create a dedicated post for it, but I agree with Saige that this is going to be my most cerebral, thematic story yet.

I am a little bit intimidated by working not only in the real world, but in a very specific and real place and time (Father Cruz also takes place in the real world, but the setting and time are not players in the story like they will be in this one). I’ve got a lot of research ahead of me, including books, National Geographic travel guides, and definitely a playthrough of Assassin’s Creed II.

Wish me luck!

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PEN & SWORD SUBSCRIBERS:

I realize I may have picked a terrible day for my “subscribers only” very extra special post on Saturday (nobody checks their emails over the weekend, duh) so if you’re a subscriber and you don’t remember seeing something hit your inbox on the 31st, here’s a link to that special post!

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