The Cozy Owlet

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Fantasy politics with a mystery twist in A Drop of CorruptionApril 14, 2025
Robert Jackson Bennett is back! And he’s advancing the stories of Ana and Din, an imperial investigator and her assistant. Regular readers know how much I adore RBJ, and I’ve been extremely excited for this next release. A Drop of Corruption rejoins Ana and Din months after the events of The Tainted Cup. They’ve been traveling the empire solving crimes… Read more: Fantasy politics with a mystery twist in A Drop of Corruption
March 2025 Roundup: a packed month ahead of a promising AprilMarch 31, 2025
The sun finally came back out to play this month in the Bay. Of course, this meant lots of lovely reading picnics or afternoons with the Kindle on our sunny rooftop. Spring has sprung – and so, apparently, has my reading pace. 52 Book Club: A series of beneficial binges I managed to read 13 books for this challenge in… Read more: March 2025 Roundup: a packed month ahead of a promising April
The Ragpicker King: Layering tropes to create tensionMarch 24, 2025
I was an avid reader of YA fantasy back in the late aughts. Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, everything Tamora Piece penned – you name it, and I’d at least skimmed the first chapter. And yet, I could somehow never get into Cassandra Clare. I was firmly in the high fantasy camp, and her more urban approach in The Mortal… Read more: The Ragpicker King: Layering tropes to create tension
Warm, healing, rebellious, comforting: The flavors and facets of fantasy teaMarch 17, 2025
Perhaps the most consistent part of my reading experiences over the years has been my beverage of choice. Whether I’m reading mystery, fantasy, or epistolary, I’m always accompanied by a steaming hot mug of tea. (In summer – or in the Bay Area “summer”, aka late September, you may catch me with an iced version.) The right cup of tea… Read more: Warm, healing, rebellious, comforting: The flavors and facets of fantasy tea
February 2025 roundup: a mystery here, some history thereMarch 3, 2025
Somehow, February is already over. I’m not sure how we got through two months of the year so quickly! This month has been a busy one, both at home and at work. But, I still got some reading in, most of it accretive to my 52 Book Club goals. Plus, I finally caved and got a Steam deck, which means… Read more: February 2025 roundup: a mystery here, some history there
Funny, thoughtful fantasy in Tress of the Emerald SeaFebruary 25, 2025
Sometimes, you read a book you love so much it takes you a couple of weeks to process it. I’ll confess – I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up Brandon Sanderson’s Tress of the Emerald Sea. I know Sanderson has a big fan following, and some of my closest friends love his work. But I just can’t get into… Read more: Funny, thoughtful fantasy in Tress of the Emerald Sea
Reading adventures: Mysteries in the Tahoe snowFebruary 11, 2025
It is truly Winter here in the Bay – the skies are grey, the streets are drenched. Which means, of course, that it’s the right time of year for a trip to Lake Tahoe. I love Lake Tahoe, even though I find Winter Tahoe to be strictly worse than its summer sibling. I’ve been up to Tahoe with friends almost… Read more: Reading adventures: Mysteries in the Tahoe snow
January 2025 Roundup: Falling further in love with readingJanuary 27, 2025
I committed this year to monthly updates on my 52 Book Club Challenge, with short blurbs on anything I hadn’t written about yet. I am pleased to share that this approach seems to be working! I’ve already tackled 16 books from the challenge in January, and many are books I may not have touched if I expected to write an… Read more: January 2025 Roundup: Falling further in love with reading

Welcome to The Cozy Owlet, a home for all things bookish. If you love reading (especially of the cozy mystery, snarky fantasy, and meta-fictional variety), you’re in the right place. New posts on Mondays.

The Cozy Owlet

A bookish blog for curious readers

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