iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Another Pride and Prejudice inspired murder mystery? Don’t mind if I do! 4⭐️s It was a good book with a fun interpretation of Lizzie Bennet and well-done mystery, even considering we readers already know who not to trust. (Looking at you, Wickham.) #booksky 💙📚 #bookreviews

Cover of Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Monte Cristo out here reminding me that being 100 pages into a book doesn’t always feel or look the same… The Song of Achilles (left) vs. The Count of Monte Cristo (right) #booksky 💙📚 #currentlyreading

The Somg of Achilles by Madeline Miller beside The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, unabridged and translated by Robin Buss.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I’m bored so here are some of my favorite goofy panels in Aurora Volumes 1 & 2 by Red (from @overlysarcastic.bsky.social) Some being the key word because so many are just *chef’s kiss* 🤌 #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Another unexpectedly great read! (No pun intended.) 4⭐️s I can’t attest to the historical accuracy but it was really fun and interesting. A very good heist story. Also, did anyone else think that Edward Pierce felt a lot like Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows? #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

Cover of The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

This one caught me by surprise! I didn’t expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did! 4⭐️s It was lots of fun, very unique and humorous. The book was bizarre and a bit satire. Overall, a lighthearted, quick read. Also, there’s a werewolf, because why not, lol #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

Cover of A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

This one was a delight from cover to cover :) 5⭐️s It was wacky and weird, and also hilarious. There were fun characters and emotional depth. Moist was a unique main character and quite compelling. I’m definitely going to read more of Discworld. #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

Cover of Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Yeah, so it’s a classic for a reason. Pride and Prejudice: 4⭐️s I enjoyed it a lot, especially as an audiobook. It was well-written and contained more humor than I expected. Any suggestions for other works of Jane Austen that I should try next? #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

Green and gold cover of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Been reading Going Postal, my first real introduction to Terry Pratchett’s writing, and the names are particularly fantastic. Moist von Lipwig, Adora Belle Dearheart…the list goes on The book’s been a wild ride so far and tons of fun, I can’t wait to finish! #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

So I’m late to the party reading this one but I just finished crying my eyes out so…The Fault in Our Stars, a book review. 5⭐️s, without a doubt Gut-wrenchingly well written with humor interspersed among the tragedy. Full of love, loss, heartbreak, and hope. #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

Cover of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Cinder House: Probably one of the most unique Cinderella retellings I’ve come across! 4⭐️ The prose was pretty, the magic involved was cool, and the book was a quick read (I found the audiobook so actually it was a quick listen, really; only 5 hours!) #booksky #bookreviews 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson? Definitely 5⭐️s Book #1 was awesome and I LOVED this one. It was cool getting to see all of our characters come together and there was some great character development too. The world building is so creative, same with the magic system. #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Words of Radiance (Book Two of The Stormlight Archive) by Brandon Sanderson.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

So I’m reading Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson) shortly after Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir) which means I’ve encountered two weird but adorable alien-ish creatures back to back and I’m all here for it. Does Pattern remind anyone else of Rocky? (Or vice versa?) #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Just finished reading Project Hail Mary! 5⭐️s, obviously It was great. I loved the realistic sci-fi and having lighthearted humor while handling heavy topics. Rocky was just the best and Grace’s character had compelling depth. (The movie was also very good, for those who are curious.) #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Finally cracked open the two blind-date books I got awhile ago Both titles are new to me, any thoughts on which I should read first, #booksky? 💙📚

Image of two paper-wrapped books with bookmarks and stickers tucked in the folds. One is labeled as fantasy and the other as science fiction

Image of the two books unwrapped. The fantasy one is Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn and the science fiction one is Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chang

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Another brief book review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 4⭐️s A nice, quick read of a sweet story that ended on a much happier note than I initially expected Marcellus’ perspective on humans was interesting and Tova was an easy character to relate and sympathize with #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

I’ve fallen a bit behind on posting these but here’s a (belated) review of The Testaments by Margaret Atwood: Easily 5⭐️s It‘s a fascinating world that I enjoyed getting to explore more thoroughly with valuable insights that remain ever relevant I always appreciate hope in dystopia #booksky 💙📚

Cover of The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, book two of The Handmaid’s Tale

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

I cannot express my delight at now having this comic physically; it’s truly fantastic #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Aurora, Volume 2, by Red of Overly Sarcastic Productions

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Editing my current WIP novel. Glad I caught this one. “I crane my next back” is now, as it was intended to be, “I crane my neck back”. This, my friends, is why we proofread. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

#booksky, what’s your comfort read? That book you always come back to eventually? (Mine’s most often Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.) 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Listened to Everything Is Tuberculosis as an audiobook. It was great, felt like a science/history/memoir podcast. It was a fascinating subject with a lot more complexities than you usually consider. I don’t normally read nonfiction but this one was interesting and engaging. 5⭐️s #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Anybody else regularly forget it’s actually “Barnes and Noble”, not “Barnes and Nobles”? I don’t know why but I’ve always said it with the s. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Ended March with a great read: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi! Amina was a refreshing, older protagonist and I adored the dynamics within her core crew. (I’m always a sucker for found family so no surprise there.) There was more magic than I expected but no complaints. 4⭐️s #booksky 💙📚

Cover of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Got the short story collection Nothing and Paper Airplanes by Aaron Andersen at a local bookshop and adored it! It was tiny (another of my recent reads for comparison below) but funny and entertaining. I could easily believe the fictional stories were from someone’s real childhood. 5⭐️s #booksky

Side by side comparison photo of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan and Nothing and Paper Airplanes by Aaron Andersen

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

I’ve acquired quite the collection of bookmarks over the years and yet half the time I still end up using: -a receipt -a sticky note -a business card -a scrap of paper -etc Such is the way of a reader’s life #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

And Book #2 gets 4⭐️s too! Much like #1, I enjoyed this adventure. The characters (old and new) were interesting and compelling; Isabella and Tom Wilker’s honest conversation being among my favorite scenes. Now just to get my hands on the rest of the series…I believe it’s five books? #booksky 💙📚

Cover of The Tropic of Serpents (A Memoir by Lady Trent) by Marie Brennan.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

4⭐️s for A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan! The perspective of an older woman looking back on her youthful adventures was unique and the whole book had a fantastical historical fiction feel. Also, the sketches were a cool addition. Fewer dragons than I expected though. #booksky 💙📚

Cover of A Natural History of Dragons (A Memoir By Lady Trent) by Marie Brennan.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Five authors by whom I’ve read at least five books: Rick Riordan Naomi Novik Leigh Bardugo Trenton Lee Stewart Sabaa Tahir (Honorable mention of Brandon Sanderson whose books I’ve only just begun to read but goodness knows he has more than five of them) #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Starling House becomes another 5⭐️ read from Alix E. Harrow! I loved the prose, like with The Once and Future Witches. The blend of first and third person pieces with the transcribed stories and footnotes gave it a unique structure. And I’m always a sucker for outcasts and found family. #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 4⭐️ That ending was just— Wow. Still processing, honestly. It was a very interesting book, lots of fun like the first. I was intrigued by the Thunderhead’s perspective. Can’t wait to read The Toll! #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Yet another 5⭐️ read from Leigh Bardugo with The Familiar! I loved the blend of history and grounded fantasy elements. I think getting to see the situation from side character perspectives also helped enrich the story. And the ending was just stunning. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Well I devoured that one! 4⭐️ Very fun! I loved all the characters and was absorbed from start to finish. Technically, I watched the movie first but it didn’t ruin the experience. I enjoyed the story in both forms though I prefer the book, as is usually the case. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

About 1/3 of the way through The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Seeing as I’ve only been reading it for two days, that should tell you how I’m enjoying it. (I am very much enjoying it!) It’s been a fast-paced, witty, and entertaining read thus far. #booksky 💙📚

Cover of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Was up late last night finishing The Dictionary of Lost Words and I’m still turning it over in my mind. 5⭐️, no questions about it. I’d give it even more if I could. It’s a beautiful story told through poetic prose and an ever-shifting understanding of words. Seriously, read the book #booksky 💙📚

Cover for The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Since it’s officially 2026… My top 3 books of 2025: 1. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 2. Artemis by Andy Weir 3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (Well…some of my top books, it’s difficult to just pick 3) #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Read “The Philosophy of Composition” by Edgar Allen Poe for school. It’s basically his how-to for The Raven. Found it pretty interesting, especially the part about needing to know the end of the story before you ever sit down to write it. Is this the case for any fellow writers? #booksky #poetry

Paragraph from The Philosophy of Composition by Edgar Allen Poe with the highlighted text reading: “It is only with the denouement constantly in view that we can give a plot its indispensable air of consequence, or causation, by making the incidents, and especially the tone at all points, tend to the development of the intention.”

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

About halfway through The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams and I’m loving it so far! It reminds me a lot of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in theme and prose. #booksky 💙📚 #currentlyreading

Cover of The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Finished Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia last night and had to spend some time staring at the wall. 4⭐️ It was solid throughout but that ending really got me. Very relatable as a writer. I liked how the romance wasn’t the whole point, it was Eliza’s growth and self-discovery. #booksky 💙📚

Cover of Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Name a book you bought just for the title: So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole. I thought the premise was fascinating and found it humorous but also spent much of the book confused. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Finally finished reading Sabriel by Garth Nix A 3⭐️ read for me. It was a good, classic fantasy with elegant prose. I did struggle with a few elements of the story. Seeing as it is the first of a series, some of my issues might be addressed later on. Will most likely finish the series #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor is definitely one for me. The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller were also both emotional reads. #booksky 💙📚 #bookskyclub

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Got this book from a little free library box near me mostly because the title sounded cool and the cover was pretty but the blurb was also promising! About to start reading and I’m excited 😊 #booksky 💙📚 #currentlyreading #library

Cover of Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, author of Made You Up.

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

4 books to get to know me 💙📚 (So difficult to pick just 4!)

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Had to read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Spiritual Laws” for school. He has some interesting commentary that I think much of the #booksky community would relate to This is the beauty of books 💙📚 #books #readers

Paragraph from “Spiritual Laws” by Ralph Waldo Emerson with two highlighted portions: “He may read what he writes” and “that author is a thousand books to a thousand persons. Take the book into your two hands, and read your eyes out; you will never find what I find.”

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Just finished rereading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo; yep, I’m still obsessed. There’s nothing quite like a band of criminal kids crazy enough to take on the entire world and also capable enough to actually beat it. #booksky #fantasy 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Got this cute booklet from a local bookstore! It’s got a handful of “pocket prompts” and “cozy reads recommendations” as well as the quote below. #booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Define your taste in books with 8 authors: ✨Leigh Bardugo ✨Travis Baldree ✨Brandon Sanderson ✨Naomi Novik ✨Maggie Stiefvater ✨Alix E. Harrow ✨Trenton Lee Stewart ✨Andy Weir #Booksky 💙📚

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Alexis Holdener @alexisholdener.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Just read Artemis by Andy Weir! Easily 5⭐ Jazz is a compelling main character, entertaining and clever as a small-time smuggler with an unshakable moral code. The city of Artemis itself is a fascinating exploration of human society. It feels both plausible and lived-in. 100% would recommend. 💙📚

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