September TBR

How is it already September? This year has been flying by. Because I read 9 books last month, I've decided to go ahead and keep my TBR list kind of short so I can still read on a whim. In order to finish my challenges for Popsugar and Read Harder, I have 8 challenges left. I'm trying to pick 2 each month so that I don't get bogged down in "assigned" books.

1. Rain by Cynthia Barnett
2. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich
3. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
6.  Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

August Wrap Up 3

The past week I have finished 4 books.

First I finished Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers which is a character-driven space opera. This is the third companion novel to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. I loved this story. We follow five perspectives of people who live on the Exodus Fleet as they explain what their life is like. There is not a huge plot but I found I loved learning about their daily lives and didn't really need a plot. I think its nearly as good as the first, and definitely better than the 2nd. I gave it 5 stars.

Then I read Plainsong by Kent Haruf. This was a book I picked up at a thrift store awhile back and decided it was time to read it. This is another character-driven book but this time, I felt like the characters and world were not as richly described. I felt awkward and uncomfortable with the scene of two boys watching high school students having sex (and not exactly consensual sex either.) There were other descriptions of naked body parts that just felt weird and unnecessary. All in all, it was fairly boring. I gave it 2 stars.

Next I read The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel. This was a Nordic Noir mystery which I read specifically for the Popsugar challenge. I do not care for mysteries but I'm trying to "stretch" myself as a reader. However, my instincts were pretty spot-on. I didn't really like it. There wasn't any twists, except for the reveal which wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. Additionally, it didn't seem plausible. I gave it 2 stars. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit it into any N.E.W.T.s categories.

Lastly, I finished Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. I had seen the movie that this book is based on several years ago and it is a faithful adaptation. The story is about a pregnant teen who is deserted by her boyfriend at a Wal-mart where she secretly lives until she gives birth to her baby. She then relies on the generosity of strangers to help her land on her feet. I enjoyed it but felt the writing is overly simple and some of the characters seemed flat. Overall, I gave it 3 stars. I used it for my Ancient Runes challenge: A book set in the past.

So how did I do on my N.E.W.T.s? 2 Outstandings and 2 Acceptables!

Charms-
A- Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
E- What Lies Between Us by Nayomi Munaweera
O- When I Hit You- by Meena Kandasamy

Arithmancy-
A- Plainsong by Kent Haruf
E- Sick by Porochrista Khakpour
O- Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Divination-
A- Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

Ancient Runes
A- Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

August Wrap Up 2

In the last 10 days or so, I've finished 2 books. I'm definitely feeling a little slump-y which has probably contributed to my slower pace.

The first I finished was Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. This is the second in the Diviners series. It is a YA paranormal mystery set in the 1920s. Because its the second book in the series, I can't reveal much but it is about young people with special paranormal powers who band together to fight a source of evil. This book is over 600 pages and it definitely felt like the story dragged a bit but overall it was an engaging read. The audiobook was enjoyable, though nothing special. I gave this 3 stars.

The second was Sick by Porochrista Khakpour. This was a memoir written by a woman dealing with late-stage Lyme's disease and how it affects her life, her relationships, her job, everything. I really related to this because I have a chronic illness. It really felt like I had a friend who understood, and someone I could commiserate with. I don't think this book is for everyone but hopefully it will be a source of comfort for the chronically ill, and a wealth of information to help others understand. I do admit, due to her illness, the writing is not super organized. That was the reason I gave the book 4 stars.

I am in the middle of two more and I'm hoping to finish them before the end of this month.

August Wrap Up 1

I'm still busy unpacking so I didn't have time to write a post earlier. The past (nearly) 2 weeks I've read three books.

The first was Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo. This was to get an "Acceptable" grade in Charms. This was the fourth book in the series. I'm enjoying it but I feel like the characters are either good or evil; no in-between. This book did introduce some new characters but they quickly left. Overall, it was entertaining but not as good as some of the others. I gave it 3 stars.

Then I read What Lies Between Us by Nayomi Munaweera. This was a beautifully written and incredibly heartbreaking story of a Sri Lankan girl enduring trauma which bleeds into her life later as an adult. However, there was little that surprised me. From the very beginning, the author heavily foreshadows events which made the story predictable to me. I gave the book 3.5 stars. This earned me "Exceeds Expectations" for Charms.

Lastly, I read When I Hit You by Meena Kandasamy. Trigger warnings for abuse and rape. The book is not very long, but I had to keep putting it down because of the visceral reaction I kept having regarding the treatment of the main character. It made me cry, it made me angry, it broke my heart. The book is about an Indian woman living with a husband who abuses her in every way possible. Her family and society expect her to not only put up with it, but put the blame on her telling her she should change herself to please him better. The only thing I didn't like about the book is the author is a poet and that was evident with the flowery language and odd symbolic tangents. The writing style just wasn't to my liking and so I gave it 3 stars. This earned me "Outstanding" in Charms.


Yay! I've earned 1 N.E.W.T. so far. I'm hoping to earn 1 or 2 more!

August TBR/ N.E.W.T.s Readathon TBR

I completed 11 out of 12 of my O.W.L.s (all but Defense Against the Dark Arts) so I have plenty of choices. The N.E.W.T.s are much harder this time, requiring three books to achieve an “Outstanding”. The minimum requirement to “pass” is to receive at least one Outstanding and one additional Aacceptable; a total of four books. I am setting my goal a bit more challenging. I have a goal of 10 books; 3 Outstandings and 1 Acceptable. I’m going for Charms, History of Magic, Arithmancy, and Divination. These categories give me some flexibility so the books may change. This readathon lasts for the duration of August so this also serves as my August TBR.

N.E.W.T.s TBR

Charms:

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo (A book with magic)

What Lies Between Us by Nayomi Munaweera   (A cover that charmed you)

When I Hit You by Meena Kandasamy (A book that will leave a mark)

History of Magic:

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (A book that would fit in Hogwarts Library)

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (5+ years old)

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (400+ pgs)

Arithmancy:

Dune by Frank Herbert (300+ pg)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (ends on an even page number)

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray (not first in series)

Divination:

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (set in the future)

Weekly Update 4

Weekly update 4:

This week was moving week! I still managed to listen to the audiobook Dead Wake by Erik Larsen. This was the true account of the sinking of the Lusitania and some events that led to the United States entering World War 1. While non fiction is not my favorite genre, I found his writing gripping. He researched a lot into personal stories which helped me feel as if I was really there. We get perspectives from the Lusitania, the U-boat, and from political leaders in Washington D.C. and England. I enjoyed this book a lot and am eager to pick up some of his other books. I gave the book 4 stars.