 Hello, hello, everyone. My name is Laura. This is my channel Laura's Little Library and welcome to this week's vlog Which is my dark academia reading vlog for the spooky season spectacular So I'm sorry if my voice sounds a little like I'm stuffed up and I'm tired The weather has changed. It is a lot cooler. It is perfect sweater weather for me And so generally when the weather changes I get a little stuffed up And I have to change some of my sleeping habits and some other of my daily life habits So I just get a little snuffly, but I'm really excited for this week's vlog So in the past two weeks, I've only read one book for the theme This week I have three books that I would like to read and I think I have a good chance of getting through two of them So the group book that I am probably going to focus on First is my dearest darkest by Kayla Cunningham. This is a sapphic queer dark academia So I believe these kids um find some demon under the school and they do some possibly body horror So just keep that in mind. I think I had heard somewhere that there was body horror So just keep in mind of the triggers But they end up summoning this demon in the bottom of their school and now they have to do things for this demon I am super excited to read this. I bought it the day it came out back in April And I've just been waiting for the time to be right to read this. So I'm very very excited I'm really hoping it's gonna be super good Then I also have The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. I own The first book is a deadly education Um, and I loved it. It was a five star It was one of my favorite if not my favorite book of 2021 For me, so I'm really excited to finally pick up the second book. I have it from the library I also have it over audio So it'll probably be the first book I read over audio for this week So I'm really excited to pick that up and then with all the time that I hopefully have left I want to pick up Babel by R.F. Cuom so I'm sure you all have heard of this because it is everywhere. Everyone has bought it. Everyone is starting to pick it up and everyone is loving it I'm included in this. I I bought it right when it came out. I'm really excited for it It deals with colonialism as well as a magic through Translation and magic through languages, which as someone who is studying to be a translator and someone who is studying Multiple languages. I am super super stoked and excited So it's a bit chunky, which is why I'm saving it for last of these But I also feel like if I have the time I could read through this really quickly I think as long as it like captures me and keeps my interest, which I'm sure it will I'm going to end up reading it really quickly but Um, but this is a read-a-thon and this is a chunky book So that's why it'll be the third on my priority But hopefully I'll be motivated enough to get through the other two to get to this with plenty of time to finish it So That's the plan for this week. Those are the three books that I want to read This week. So we shall see Hopefully it goes well Yeah, so it's monday. It is my day off. I'm taking it really easy today Because I am in so much pain because like I am I had gotten used to performing a lot when I was younger back when I was like Actually dancing five to six days a week and performing multiple times out the year But the the thing with this year is that we performed at ren fest the renaissance fair And that stage was absolutely terrible Like it was at like a 30 degree slant There were holes and cracks and it was super slippery like we were in our hard shoe Trying to like do things and it was like sliding all over the place. It was Not the best stage to dance on but it was still like a ton of fun and I absolutely loved it But that just caused my muscles to work even harder than what I was used to just with dealing with the slant and the slipperiness and everything And of course the adrenaline of oh my gosh. I love ren fest. I get to be there for two days and I'm so excited. So today. I'm just kind of recovering from that physically. I've got I would like to film Two videos I I need to film one And I would like to film another I haven't done any prep work for it though So Yeah, so I've got some filming I need to do I would like to start planning my october bullet journal So that it I don't film it late and then it doesn't go up late if I can get it planned and Maybe even filmed before september ends. That would be Wonderful and then I've got some instagram photos to take. I want to start making tiktoks again. Like I've got All kinds of fun bookish things that I want to do Otherwise, I'm going to take it really easy and probably just watch some book too. Maybe watch a spooky movie I've watched like they slash them which is a new thriller horror. It's a slasher film this year, but I haven't Really watched any other spooky movies So I kind of I kind of really want to watch a spooky movie Just because like I have a stuffy nose. I'm gonna cozy up with a blanket like some hot chocolate or coffee or something and just Five just chill, but I also want to get started on listening To uh the last graduate so Yeah, today is probably just gonna be super super chill I will let you know what I've started reading and how it's going It is much later in the day and I've had a lovely time just getting other things set up for the week and honestly just laying on the couch with a YouTube fireplace video and just having the sun stream on my face and curling up my scarf and sweater It was very nice. It was very restful. It was exactly what I needed So but I am finally going to start reading a dark academia book for this week The two books that I really want to get to and I think I can are these two Uh, I have Babylon here just kind of for the end of it. I hope I get to it, but we'll see This is a group book So I think I'm gonna prioritize this so I get it done because it's worth more points And I can talk to people about it and it feels like I should prioritize the group book and I do really want to read it Um, but I also do really want to read this. So it's a library book, but I have it for some time even after the dark academia week I also have the Audio book from the library on my phone for this I but I also really want to read this because it left off on such a cliffhanger But I think for today I'm probably gonna read My dearest darkest Um, just because it might take me a little longer. I don't have the audio with it I just feel like sitting here and and reading Um versus this I have the audio for and so maybe like and especially because I'm home alone right now When I'm home alone right now, it's actually quiet That I can read versus something like this It's like if my husband is home and is doing homework or is watching tv or youtube or whatever It's easier for me to pop in headphones and follow along while he's here. So I'll probably read this until he comes home. Um, yeah, so I think I'm going to start my dearest darkest I am so happy and so excited. This is gonna be and it's gonna be dark, which I really wanted something dark Breaks or kind of get up stretch around just have something to distract me a little bit more So I could kind of refocus on the book But I sat here and read a hundred pages Easy So it's it's really nice how it's captured me. I it's dual pov So we have one character finch Who is a transfer student to the school and her parents and her were driving back from her audition saw this creepy stag thing and Drove off the bridge and her parents died But finch finch also drowned but then somehow came back to life and she's got this whole like super pale white hair kind of ghostly like Slower heartbeat various like things that are kind of unexplainable And then we've got selena who is this like kind of leader of a popular group And she's actually bisexual and I think our main character is also like finch is also bisexual, but doesn't know it yet um, but selena Has quite a bit of an attitude and normally wouldn't mind it but Well, no, sometimes I don't mind it, but a lot of times I do Like if selena is supposed to be our love interest I don't like her attitude very much But it seems to be changing or it has like the potential to Soften up again. It just kind of seems like she's always been like that Bossy leader of the group kind of popular girl So I'm not a big fan of her. I really hope that changes But it's just hard to get on board with that. But other than that. I'm liking it. It's very creepy Lots of creepy scenes and mysteries. I think I'm starting to piece together Some things but I still have a lot of questions as well. So I'm really happy about like My theories versus what I have no clue on so Yeah, I'm gonna sit here and keep reading But I knew that if I didn't give an update on 100 pages I probably wouldn't give any updates till the end of the book. So Yeah 100 pages in it's 350 pages exactly So I'm just under one third of the way through but I'm going to keep reading it And uh, depending on how much progress I make tonight if I make significant progress I'll update you again. Otherwise, I'll probably update you tomorrow morning I Love coffee, which I don't normally drink coffee, but I just felt like coffee and editing go together I've got half an hour before I need to go to work and I am editing the last week's vampire vlog I read a little bit more of my dearest darkest. I read like Yeah, 25 pages since I last updated so not too much has changed Um, other than I don't think there's a well, I think it's too early to say that there isn't body horror Because like they are the ghost that they found ghost. We don't know what she is Um, it's like making their skin clear and doing their hair nicely and like kind of fixing them up and things like that So I I'm curious if that turns gruesome or not. Yeah, like we've got the spooky is kind of getting out of relaxed a little bit, so I'm I'm intrigued to see as to where this is going So I'm just gonna keep editing, but I guess that's my update. I'm hoping to finish it By sometime tomorrow. I I want to finish editing this to this morning if I can which I don't know if I can um, and then I would love to read more tonight and Hopefully finish it tomorrow so that I can listen to slash read the last graduates Before the weekend and then over the weekend have babble um, I do have plans this weekend outside of work because I do work on the weekends, so I definitely won't be able to finish babble, but I I really want to get these two books done before the weekend though Just just to be sure here's my update for this morning. I'll probably see you Probably later tonight after I read some more so Bye All right I am about to head to bed because we are tired and I have to get up for work tomorrow But I am two thirds of the way through this. I am at like two page 235 uh And oh my goodness. This is Getting so good. Like there are certain elements that I'm like, okay. This is kind of a debut novel like Don't quite think this is how that would go or just Wasn't quite there just with a couple of small elements But I'm really enjoying this. Yes, there is Body horror in it. It is coming into play now. So Keep that in mind if you're gonna pick this up But like the characters are really growing on me I keep like every time we learn new information about like the ghostly character Uh, I my theories have to reform because it's like, oh Well, the maybe it's like this or maybe it goes this way. Like I'm constantly Because I'm learning new things and I'm always wrong It's just so like twisty and I'm like, oh, I bet she has to do this in order for this to happen and like It's It's so good. I very much enjoy it this I just I don't want to put it down. It keeps my attention Like and I just I felt like I haven't had that with the book in quite a while of just a book that I'm physically reading No audio just sit on the couch and read for a few hours It's just wonderful. I'll wake up and I'll probably immediately go to work I won't update in the morning and I'm not gonna read anymore tonight. Like I'm gonna go to bed But then I'll come home And I'll try and read more of it I would really love to finish this tomorrow. Like I said, I only have about one third of it left So I've got just over a hundred pages left. So it is entirely possible I do need to like do some laundry and I would like to Um edit some days video But for the most part, I don't have a lot that I need to do tomorrow So hopefully I can just like sit and finish it tomorrow after work So I'm very very excited about that and then I can move on to the last graduate, which I'm also super excited for Yeah, so that's my update for tonight and I will talk to you all tomorrow Hi. Hello. Happy Wednesday. Um, so it is oh geez It's 5 40 I got home from work a little bit ago and instead of being a good little booktuber and Editing my video for sunday I am actually gonna head to the pub early Normally I get there a little before 7 as Irish dancing is from 7 to 9 And I am just gonna read I'm bringing headphones so I can listen to music and kind of Blur out any noise. There may be in the pub already. Um But I really want to finish my dearest darkest and then if I do finish that I can start The last graduate. I'm not bringing the physical copy with me just because I didn't have enough room in my, um Uh book sleeve, but I don't think I'll finish my dearest darkest In the hour I have before Irish dance people start showing up but Yeah, I'm just gonna head there early and chill and vibe. So I don't know if I'll update again But that's the plan. Hopefully I can finish it or get close to finishing it so I can finish it later tonight All right, let's go. Okay It is saturday The first of october, woohoo um, so I Finished my dearest darkest the other day. I really liked it. I think I'm giving it 4.5 out of five stars There were only a few things that was kind of wishing Uh from it there were just a few elements that was very clear. This is a debut novel and Something that could have been fleshed out or wasn't as realistic for our like demon character She started off as like you don't know what she is if she's a good thing or not So I wish there was a little more doubt in my mind At the beginning like she had done things to throw Us off the trail a little more about she might actually not be the worst thing in the world um Even if it's not throwing off the reader but just to throw off the characters because it was a very fast switch So I wish that there had been a little bit more to thicken it up there But otherwise I loved it 4 out of 5 4.5 out of 5 stars would very much recommend if you like Queer body horror Uh thriller horror books. So her newest book is Just announced to come out next year. Um, I don't know if I'm I want to pick it up because I liked this book and I like her writing But the premise of her other book sounds very creative and interesting But I don't know if it's super out of my alley So we'll see we'll see next year. Um, and then I have started The last graduate like very very briefly started like 20 30 pages in so I want to spend some time reading this it is Saturday and I have plans tonight So I don't know gonna be able to finish it by the end of this week. I really want to I love I the thing is is I want to read this and then I want to immediately read Babel because they're both very Dark they're both dark academia with heavy language focuses because like our main character here studies like a bunch of languages And has spells and different languages and has to translate. I forgot that was one thing that I loved so much about this book um with studying ancient languages like arabic and sanskrit and greek and All those and then we've got babel, which is dark academia studying old languages latin greek So I really want to read Both of them. I just don't really have the time But I'm not feeling well. I am sick. I'm surviving off of tea um So hopefully I will feel better soon As I said, I finished my dearest our guest the group book And I have actually started the last graduate by neominovic This is the second book in the skolamance trilogy the third one the golden enclaves just came out Um, I am borrowing it from the library, but I on the first one Anyway, I I am about a quarter of the way through and I'm really enjoying it so far I am going to try and finish it today So that it can count in a perfect world. I would finish this and then start babel, but Yeah, we just went on a beautiful walk in and the weather is actually surprisingly warm. So I am feeling quite under the weather So I will not be going out tonight as I normally do but that just gives me more time for reading so I'm gonna go ahead and read this. Hopefully we can finish it So let's go Is the end of this vlog there are a couple of things I want to do in this last few clips though Yes, I am still sick, which is why I sound Very different to how I normally sound But I want to say so it is Monday and the vlog or The week ends on Sundays. Um, and last night I did actually stay up and finish the last graduate by Naomi Novick Um, I am giving this four out of five stars. I thought it was really good I think I enjoyed the first one a little bit better because I Took issue with this one What a lot of people take issue with like the first one in the entire series is that there is just so much Information and like ranty about the world I personally I really liked it in the first book I loved all these long canyons that the author went on about the world about the magic system about the school How it all works and this one it got to be a little much I think it started to take away and distract from the book, which is why I Finally noticed that it was happening. So that kind of got to be a little bit I also wish there was more character development with orion the love interest I think he just wasn't here very much in the book. I want he was it was just so simplified I wish he had been a little more dynamic in the book And there was a little more to him But it did end on another cliffhanger and the golden enclaves just came out at the end of september So I am definitely going to have to finish it up I still very much Loves in the book and that all the directions it took there is so much logic in this book But I love how Naomi Novik Like clearly lays it out so that you can understand because I would not have followed Everything without a clear explanation. I love that. I'm in character stick to who she was Even though we started the book series with her being like, I'm probably going to end up being an evil person I don't want to so I'm not going to do evil things But also I'm probably going to end up like that way and I'm just going to be rude and fun for myself She was more against being an evil person, but she still kept to the I I'm rude and I don't care what you think of me and I just need to live my life But now my life is going to be saving your life as well Like I don't know I loved that kind of main character and that attitude that she had and I thought it was nice and consistent Which was really cool. So I really look forward to it. I love how in this book We got to see more of the outside world building even though we were still stuck in the skull of mans Like we were still stuck in the school There was a lot more talk about the politics with the enclaves outside the school And I love how those the issues that they face mirror our real world issues of like white people making something great and then not diversifying or just You know controlling other people's and it was just it being such a bad thing and an unfair thing So I thought that was really cool to kind of read about that in this world That's also happening just a lot to it. I feel like and this was I think a great sequel Normally in trilogy the middle book is like the worst for me But I think it could still end up being the worst one, but I still really liked it And I don't think it will end up being the worst one, but I Still very much enjoyed this so If you're okay with lots of Explanation and but yet a very in-depth world and a highly logical situation You should pick this up. I finished this book Uh, which is another 25 points and I finished this book Which is 75 points because it is the group book. So there. I just gotta 100 points right here. So I am now at 250. I'm 50 points away from Um crossing over to being goblin ruler like uh goblin queen, so Uh, but next week I should have no problem with that as the theme is witches and I have A whole bunch of witchy books and some of them are a little bit shorter So hopefully I can zip through them and really start racking up those points The other thing is that in an earlier clip I mentioned going to half price books and I did that and then my camera decided that I didn't have enough storage To film any of the experience So I'm just gonna do a quick little haul of what I got there quick a minute So in this mini haul, I'm gonna start off with spyx family volume seven and eight Oh, I gotta take these stickers off Um, but it's volume seven and eight. I have volumes one through six Now I have these I can read them and I am watching the anime And I'm almost caught up in the anime to where I was in the manga So now it's good that I have these next two that I can continue on in both ways I also picked up the school for good and evil quest for glory Which is the first book in the second trilogy or the fourth book if you're looking at it as a six book series I own the first three books and I want to own them all I have read them all Which is why I want to own them all also the movie adaptation for the first one is coming out in a couple weeks That's why I wanted to finish the series was to prepare for the movie adaptation And now I am starting to try and get all the books in the series So now I have book number four Yay, this is a pretty big book haul for 30 books I was so pleased because we still have a whole other trilogy that I bought Okay, like it's insane. They were each five dollars and I was like what no way But that is the grishaverse Trilogy so shadow and boom station storm Rune and rising um Yeah, I bought this entire trilogy And I have read the entire trilogy and I have feelings about the entire trilogy I bought this because I I still really wanted to own the books even after I read them I think that the first one is nostalgic enough the world-building idea is powerful enough That even if the second book sucks on the third book is okay. I still really want these on my shelves I still really want to have The Leigh Bardugo collection. I have six of crows. I haven't read it yet. That's kind of my next Leigh Bardugo journey thing is getting six of crows and The second book and the duology for that one and I'm going to get the other Set duology set thing. So I want to own all the books and I want to read all the books They're not the original covers that I've read, but I don't mind. I do like these covers I think they are very pretty the only thing that really bothers me, but I also know that there's I wouldn't get the books in good condition Without the Netflix adaptation sticker this thing does not come off and it's printed on the cover of the book And that's really annoying So I know that it was going to be very difficult to try and get all matching covers in as really good conditions Like these are in a really good condition Um without that sticker So I just kind of bit the bullet and accepted the fact that they were going to have to have the Netflix sticker on them Sigh So yeah, those are all the books that I got for $30 at half price books like that was A lot I bought six books Um this month. So that is my october uh book thing However, I still I forgot to bring the books that I was going to sell to half price books And whatever money I made selling was going to add on to my book budget So there is also the possibility that I could buy another book or two with this big old stack that I am going to uh Sell to half price books So hopefully I'll do that soon if you're interested in that it'll probably be in the next vlog Which again, I said is witchy themed super excited Lots of good books Uh, yeah, if you like this video, please give it a thumbs up comment down below if you are participating Or if you have any suggestions for any of the weeks I will have the spooky season Spectacular and that's my video linked down below as well So you can know what I'm talking about what I'm doing feel free to subscribe I post videos twice a week generally on Sundays and Wednesdays I also have bookish social media instagram tiktok twitter goodreads all that jazz You can follow me on those and see what I'm reading in current time and what my thoughts are on it But yeah, until I see you all in the next video. I wish you happy reading