Tess || booksky 📚
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htessh.bsky.social
Tess || booksky 📚
@htessh.bsky.social
2.2K followers 230 following 830 posts
💖she/her💖
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✍️Writer
📘Librarian

Check my feed for recs, reviews, and a glimpse into my writing journey!

✨️Fantasy|💀Horror|❤️Romance
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htessh.bsky.social
#booksky 💙📚 Another decent month where I somehow read 16 books!
Storygraph May reading Roundup for @hallht98
May 1, 2025 at 3:06 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith
Rating: 2.75 ⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
I've noticed in several YA thrillers that the main conflict centers a boy with issues and the girl pursuing him. This doesn't escape that unfortunate fate. I'm begging YA MCs to PLEASE stand up. #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith. A mirror frame hangs on the wall. Coming through the frame is a woman, her face shrouded by her hair. Surrounding her are petals floating out of the water-like mirror. Her pose and the movement of the water imitate the painting Ophelia.
April 3, 2025 at 2:50 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Strange Case of Jane O. By Karen Thompson Walker
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
This was an interesting glimpse into the intriguing life of a woman with perfect memory, her trauma, and the responses of her doctor. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Karen Thompson Walker's The Strange Case of Jane O. Behind a static kaleidoscope of color, a woman's face can be seen.
April 1, 2025 at 5:51 PM
htessh.bsky.social
I did it! March was a slower reading month with some fantastic reads. #booksky 📚💙
A photo of hallht98's March 2025 reading wrap from storygraph. She Read 16 books. Her highest rated reads were sunrise on the reaping, the spear cuts through water, and the in-between bookstore. Below that information are some statistics about the books read during the month.
April 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
That ending... I'm in shock. I need book 4 right now!! #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Tracy Deonn's Oathbound. Against a blue background, Bree Matthew's is surrounded by swirls of purple and red magic. The red glows like veins along her chest and arms. Behind her, a hooded figure with red eyes watches over her. Black shadows seem to rise off of his shoulders.
April 1, 2025 at 5:12 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
Rating: 2.5 ⭐️
Reading Method: 📱
This was boring. The ending was the most interesting part, but was so rushed I was almost confused about what was happening. I feel like there could have been so much more intrigue. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica. Against a black background, a woman in a white to ombre religious robe and head covering raises her hands in the air, as if in worship. She stands to the left. The title and author's name are in a circle that is closed by her body.
April 1, 2025 at 3:44 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5
Reading Method: 🎧
This might have been better had I read it rather than listened to it, but there were so many POVs that I found myself confused many times throughout the story. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photos of Leslie J. Anderson's The Unmothers. Against a black background, a woman's hand holds a rusty horseshoe. Barbed wire is wrapped around her hand, tying her to the horseshoe.
March 25, 2025 at 4:27 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Reformatory by Tanarive Due
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
This was an extremely disturbing in-depth view of the horrors of the Jim Crow era South. I loved the characters, the way that none of them were flawless. It brought each of them to life beautifully. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Tanarive Due's The Reformatory. Against an ominous sunset, a small schoolhouse sits before a few trees. It seems like it is behind a thin veil of mist.
March 25, 2025 at 3:38 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Reading Method: 📱
I adored this. The slow unfolding of discovery and being lost in your own life was beautiful. Took 1/2 star away because I desperately wanted my version of a happy ending, but still superb. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Edward Underhill's The In-Between Bookstore. A book is open, the pages unfurling like doors. In the spine, a tree trunk flourishes, it's branches reaching out to display orange leaves against a starry sky. Between the pages, a man walks in on one side, and out on the other. The entire cover is in blue monochrome, save for the tree leaves.
March 23, 2025 at 7:46 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 📘
This started strong! It focused on different octopuses that came through the aquarium. But the second half felt meandering as it delved deeper into the author's personal life and the lives of those around her. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus. A purple octopus is at the center of the cover, its arms spreading out from the white center to the blue edges of the cover.
March 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
I waited 14 years for this story. Haymitch's Hunger Games is devastating and a stark reminder of each person's role in upholding corruption and injustice. #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. Against a purple background, a golden ring displaying a bird and a snake is displayed. Golden spikes are set against the ring.
March 19, 2025 at 7:34 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5
Reading Method: 🎧
I feel... kind of indifferent to this? It's a King Lear retelling, which sounded interesting, but the overall story fell flat. May be more enjoyable as a physical read? #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of Julia Armfield's Private Rites. A green and blue tinted landscape of a stormy night over a mountain is watercolored behind the white cover. In the foreground of the painting, there is a lake that juts against the mountain. There are lights dotted across the mountainside.
March 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 📘
Another childhood favorite reread in adulthood. I just love how DiCamillo held the narrative close, embedding the stories of the characters within the reader's heart as it unfolded. #booksky 💙📚
Cover photo of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux. A brown mouse with large ears and a sewing needle tied to his waist with red thread scurries through a castle hallway. A beam of sunlight through a window illuminates his way. A gold Newberry medal sticker is in the bottom left corner of the cover.
March 17, 2025 at 3:16 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading method: 🎧
Definitely a hard read, but I loved how the narrative is laid out. It feels intimate, like a story a friend is recounting. It's beautiful.
Cover of James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. In a black and white photo, a boy jumps off of a wood pole. A brick building is in the background. A black banner with the title cuts off the bottom half of the photo. It is replaced with a photo of a bright blue sky.
March 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Cultish by Amanda Montell
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
This wasn't what I expected exactly, but I loved it! The exploration of language as a manipulation tool was *chef's kiss*.

#booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Amanda Montell's Cultish. A black and white ufo photo is set against a beige background. In the foreground, there are waves of color in the top right and bottom left corners. The title and author's name are in black.
March 13, 2025 at 12:18 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid ARC
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Read by: 📱
I love Ava Reid's writing. I love the beauty they inflict with rich prose. However, this fell a bit flat. The characters weren't as rich as in ASID. The ending was rushed. Sad I didn't love it, but glad I read it. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Ava Reid's A Theory of Dreaming. A boy and a girl stand with their backs turned to the reader, holding hands. They are standing in knee-deep water in a flooded hall filled with statues. Papers are fluttering around the room and into the water.
March 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Here's the reading wrap up for February! It was another really good month!

#booksky 📚💙
A photo of @hallht98's storygraph reading wrap for February. At the top, there are several stats regarding books read (22), pages (6,584), hours (4.4 but this is inaccurate), and average rating (4.11). Below that are highest rated reads (Odder, House of Frank, and I Who Have Never Known Men). Finally, in the bottom half are several graphs to track my reading.
March 1, 2025 at 2:57 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Empire of Blue Water by Stephen Talty
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Reading Method: 🎧/📘
I absolutely love when a nonfiction reads like fiction. This account of Henry Morgan, the Spanish empire, and the fall of both was gripping. Great for my writing research. #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of Stephan Talty's Empire of Blue Water. The text is set against a ship on the ocean on a clear day. A cutlass pierced through the O in of. The subtitle is in red and states: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the catastrophe that ended the outlaws' bloody reign.
February 28, 2025 at 6:34 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Back to the drafting board 🤭 I'm so excited for this project. It's like a hyperfixation wonderland.

#writersky #booksky 📚💙
Part of a computer screen is shown in a photo. In the background, a TV screen with an art restoration video on can be seen. The computer screen has scrivener pulled up with a lot of tabs and folders.
February 27, 2025 at 2:31 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.75
Reading Method: 🎧
This was... fine? I think "cozy horror" is a bit too disjointed for me. I also think this would have been vastly better if it was a period piece. #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas. In varying shades of blue, a house is set against a set of trees. The house is bisected to show the room layout and the people inside. There are pale blue silhouettes of people in each of the rooms. The title is red, set before the house layout.
February 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Odder by Katherine Applegate
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 📘
This was SO precious. Telling the story of an otter in free verse felt as playful as the creatures themselves. I loved the illustrations and the story. Beautiful little book. Highly recommend this quick read. #booksky 📚💙
Cover Photo of Katherine Applegate's Odder. The cover of the book is a blue sky against an ocean background. From the water, an otter with his paws together is seen floating. The title of the book is above him in a navy font.
February 24, 2025 at 6:36 AM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Summer Sons by Leo Mandelo 🏳️‍🌈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Reading Method: 📘/🎧
This had so much of what I love. Southern gothic horror, murder (?), dark academia intrigue, ghosts, and toxic gay vibes. Highly recommend if you love any of these things (or street racing). #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Lee Mandelo's Summer Sons. Against a dark green and black background, a skeletal hand covered in vines reaches down for a human hand also covered in vines. The title is in white in front of the described photo.
February 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Ready to cry about this little otter children's book #booksky 📚💙
Photo of a hand holding the book Odder by Katherine Applegate. The cover of the book is a blue sky against an ocean background. From the water, an otter with his paws together is seen floating. The title of the book is above him in a navy font.
February 21, 2025 at 4:14 PM
htessh.bsky.social
I love my job because what do you mean I edited a picture of my dog so that she's surrounded by bubbles? I did that just to make some toddlers giggle? At a story time I lead? Wow.

#libsky #booksky 📚💙
Screenshot of a canva photo. A red long-haired dachshund with a purple leash and harness on is sitting in the grass. She is surrounded by multicolored animated bubbles.
February 20, 2025 at 7:16 PM
htessh.bsky.social
Review: Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield 🏳️‍🌈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading Method: 🎧
This was... strange? While I enjoyed the concept and the progression of Leah's change, the pacing was a bit slow for me. It lends itself more to literary fic than horror. #booksky 📚💙
Cover photo of Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield. Against a pink background, the ocean waves reflect orange and black. The title is in black against the soft pink background.
February 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM