tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37189262361013885012023-11-16T02:41:41.932-08:00My Pursuit to Read EverythingTiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.comBlogger247125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-60161477082598330332022-06-08T10:25:00.001-07:002022-06-08T10:25:31.903-07:00June Wrap Up Part 1<p> I've read a ton of short things so I wanted to do a wrap up of what I've read so far.</p><p>The first short story I picked up was <i>Randomize</i> by Andy Weir. I love Weir for his great characters and humor but sadly, there just wasn't enough time to develop the characters much. It focuses on technology and gambling but the ending surprised me so I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>I read <i>Pet</i> by Awkaeke Emezi. I loved their writing but similarly felt this book was too short. I wanted more character development and world building. The story focuses on Jam, a 17 year old trans girl whose mother's painting comes to life. The painting, known as "Pet" has come alive to fight a monster in Jam's best friend's house. While this wasn't my favorite, I really did like the writing style and will pick up more from this author. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>Then I reread <i>Nimona</i> by Noelle Stevenson. I paired the audiobook with the graphic novel for a fun immersive experience. I love the humor, the artwork, and the three central characters. I gave it 5 stars!\</p><p>I listened to the audiobook of <i>Brokeback Mountain</i> by Annie Proulx. Her descriptive writing was beautiful but I wished we had more time with the characters to make the ending more impactful. I guess I'm picky about short stories. I gave it 3.5 stars.</p><p>Lastly, I've read the comic <i>Bingo Love</i> by Tee Franklin. I read this for a Read Harder challenge but I'm so glad I did. This focuses on two young black girls who meet and become best friends and girlfriends. When their religious parents catch them, they are separated but reunite nearly 50 years later. The story is of their second chance love and I absolutely loved it. 5 stars!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-2576925156323232592022-06-02T08:12:00.001-07:002022-06-02T08:12:32.875-07:00June TBR<p> It's Pride Month so I wanted to focus on queer books this month. I will likely be squeezing in some other books as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. <i>Pet</i> by Akwaeke Emezi (Or one of their other books)</p><p>2. <i>Pages for You</i> by Sylvia Brownrigg</p><p>3. <i>We Are Satellites</i> by Sarah Pinsker</p><p>4. <i>Annie on my Mind </i>by Nancy Garden </p><p>5. <i>The Irreversible Decline of Eddie Socket </i>by John Weir</p><p>6. <i>Rubyfruit Jungle </i>by Rita Mae Brown</p><p>7. <i>We Are Okay</i> by Nina LaCour</p><p>8.<i> Nimona </i>by Noelle Stevenson (re-read)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiTiMr1whGDrzey2D_nj1bNT1wixNdecfQ8BOSgDP1RkvJZH1ssIwnQJt2vvIi5k3Tp8nAe1aqu_ticjZXwCTH16f8Y2wVlq-XlpUhQdjCG_8bFzQ5Tg763RjffNm34Z2sFEbicHW_-KPDStokrz8l-9oxxhY-eh6ZMj-JyId8F2fBS8oDFjVqy4WPxQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="211" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiTiMr1whGDrzey2D_nj1bNT1wixNdecfQ8BOSgDP1RkvJZH1ssIwnQJt2vvIi5k3Tp8nAe1aqu_ticjZXwCTH16f8Y2wVlq-XlpUhQdjCG_8bFzQ5Tg763RjffNm34Z2sFEbicHW_-KPDStokrz8l-9oxxhY-eh6ZMj-JyId8F2fBS8oDFjVqy4WPxQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-3596866241279553252022-06-02T08:04:00.001-07:002022-06-02T08:04:11.135-07:00May Wrap Up<p> Well, the slump hit hard and I didn't finish anything until the second week of the month. I have read 5 books.</p><p>The first was <i>For We Are Many</i> by Dennis E. Taylor. Yes, I was drawn back into the Bobiverse. This is the second book in the series and I loved it. There was first contact with aliens that were destructive and the Bobs join together to defend the humans and other intelligent beings in the universe. It was lovely with its dry humor and wit. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Then my library had in my hold of <i>Blood Sugar</i> by Sacha Rothchild. This is a mystery book following the main character who has killed three people, but when her husband ends up dead, she was not responsible. There wasn't a huge amount of intrigue because her husband died of his illness and it was more to see if she would be held responsible or not. There is one twist, which I thought was good but overall, not super memorable. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>Afterwards, I picked up my ARC of <i>The Woman in the Library</i> by Sulari Gentill. I wrote a dedicated review for that so I'll just sum up by saying I gave it 3 stars as well.</p><p>I read <i>Gender Queer</i> by Maia Kobabe. This is eir graphic memoir of growing up with gender dysphoria and struggles with eir sexuality. The author identifies as nonbinary and asexual. I found the art to be simple but nice. The story was mostly well put-together until the end. It ends abruptly. I gave this 4 stars.</p><p>Lastly, I squeezed in one more listen in the month. I listened to <i>The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, The Vampire Accountant </i>by Drew Hayes. I knew nothing about this series but was drawn in by the intriguing title. It follows Fred who has turned into a vampire, but is still the safe, boring, work-focused person he was before. He goes to his school reunion and meets a real monster hunter. They get involved and his life is suddenly full of parahumans. It is dry, witty, and laugh out loud funny. It's almost a satire of paranormal stuff and I really enjoyed this book. I gave it 4 stars and was eager to realize it's a 7 book series. Looking forward to more!<br /><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-87777115756937571032022-05-29T10:51:00.000-07:002022-05-29T10:51:32.224-07:00ARC of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill<p> I received an ARC of <i>The Woman in the Library </i>by Sulari Gentill. The book starts off with a letter from a beta reader who is helping the author with her book. The story within a story starts with our four main characters in the library when they hear a woman scream. They didn't know each other previously, but are bonded by the mystery of the scream. When they later find out a woman was found dead in the library, they are curious and try to find out more. </p><p>At first, I felt like the framing device (letters from the beta reader) was unnecessary but it eventually became apparent why the author chose this. I did like the letters quite a lot as they helped build a sense of dread. The mystery of who killed the woman in the library was intriguing but there were several moments that I just didn't find believable. For example, a character falls in love with someone whom she's known for less than a month, when she finds out a big secret, she doesn't immediately tell the police or her friends, and some pieces of the story were just not wrapped up. The conclusion was fast and chaotic. For these reasons, I gave the 3 stars. Overall enjoyable but likely not memorable. </p><p>Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy. The book comes out June 7, 2022</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHUSWLU-Gzw0PjDA6LRRCUUD53dpauistPBElOc1EOVYhVSYrdty1CLQ_ooS6oacz2eRbVmUI9YDFCT5chXykpsJlemGSdGpy4OXm5nb2hpio3enfc3ChS-LcDIIGJqs4puEG1yX4jHWttqxbVeuoqjRmgNoX6QTXHbtZGbxl1qLMykdMpzUtwB1lo7A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="526" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHUSWLU-Gzw0PjDA6LRRCUUD53dpauistPBElOc1EOVYhVSYrdty1CLQ_ooS6oacz2eRbVmUI9YDFCT5chXykpsJlemGSdGpy4OXm5nb2hpio3enfc3ChS-LcDIIGJqs4puEG1yX4jHWttqxbVeuoqjRmgNoX6QTXHbtZGbxl1qLMykdMpzUtwB1lo7A" width="160" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-18397269442399925102022-05-07T14:01:00.001-07:002022-05-07T14:01:41.675-07:00Slump<p> Well....I guess having a good reading month in April was short-lived. I'm hardcore in a reading slump and keep picking stuff up only to set it back down again after less than a chapter. I really loved <i>We Are Legion</i> by Dennis E. Taylor and want to read the next book in the series but my library doesn't have it and I don't want to buy it.</p><p>Will it break my slump? Should I just re-read a favorite? Focus on non-reading hobbies?</p><p>I'll keep you updated. So far 7 days with little to no reading. I will at least read my ARC but I waiting until I'm in a better mood so I don't taint that experience.</p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-54289854050075053332022-05-01T07:00:00.001-07:002022-05-01T07:00:00.179-07:00May TBR<p> I've decided that starting this month, I really need to focus on books I own. I am allowing myself up to two non-owned books since I am still reading for challenges and do not own books to qualify for every challenge. Also, anything I'm super excited about can also be included.</p><p>Additionally, I've decided to add a tiny element of randomness by using a random number generator for my shelves. This month I picked shelf 13. I let my husband pick a book from that shelf and he chose <i>The Unseen World</i> by Liz Moore.</p><p>Here's what else I'm planning to read:</p><p><i>The Woman in the Library </i>by Sulari Gentill (ARC for June)</p><p><i>Washington Black </i>by Esi Edugyan</p><p><i>Triangle: The Fire that Changed America</i> by David von Drehle</p><p><i>Tears of Amber</i> by Sofia Segovia</p><p><i>A Pale Light in the Black</i> by K.B. Wagers</p><p><i>Kindred</i> by Octavia Butler</p><p><i>Unbroken</i> by Laura Hillenbrand</p><p><i>Chilling Effect</i> by Valerie Valdes</p><p><i>Four Treasures of the Sky</i> by Jenny Tinghui Zhang</p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-39744998236030545332022-04-30T10:26:00.002-07:002022-04-30T16:11:43.138-07:00April Wrap Up<p> Wow, this month has been a fantastic reading experience. I have read 13 books. I finished all 6 prompts for Archmage. I look forward to continuing the career in August.</p><p>I read <i>Mickey7</i> by Edward Ashton. This book was about clone iterations on a colony planet made for doing the most dangerous missions. I wanted more info about the life on the planet rather than the conflict of having more than one clone active at one time. Still it was interesting and I gave 3 stars.</p><p>I listened to <i>Ten Steps to Nanette</i> by Hannah Gadsby. After seeing her Netflix special, I knew I had to pick up this book. She is autistic and incredibly blunt and talks about her struggles with mental illness, violence because she is lesbian, and her journey into comedy. So much of what she talks about is triggering but such an impactful read and at times, hilarious. I gave it 5 stars.</p><p>For my short-story prompt, I read <i>The Secret Lives of Church Ladies</i> by Deesha Philyaw. I don't typically like short stories because as soon as I am attached to the character, the story ends. However, these were really well written and I enjoyed almost all of them. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>I finally read<i> 84, Charing Cross Road </i>by Helene Hanff. At the risk of offending some, I don't really see the hype with this book. It just a collection of letters between a reader and a bookstore owner from the 1960s &70s. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>I finished an essay collection called <i>Between Certain Death and a Possible Future</i> edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. Some of these essays were incredibly powerful, some were repetitive and poorly written, and others didn't seem to really need to be included. People wrote about their experiences growing up queer during the AIDS epidemic. I gave the collection 3.5 stars.</p><p>I was eagerly awaiting the release of <i>True Biz</i> by Sara Novic. It was set at a Deaf boarding school. Both are tropes I love! There was some really important discussion of cochlear implants, lack of language skills when Deaf can't sign, and the importance of accessibility. The book focused on three characters which showed different sides of Deaf life. The ending was not what I expected and was a bit of a bummer. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>I finished the <i>Wizards of Once</i> series by reading the fourth book <i>Never Forever</i> by Cressida Cowell. This was a fun casual read that was improved by David Tennant's narration. I gave it 3.5 stars and found it to be a satisfying conclusion.</p><p>For my romance prompt I read <i>The Romantic Agenda</i> by Claire Kann. This was an entertaining story of two asexual best friends and their foray into relationships with others. It was easy to read and shed light on the asexual spectrum. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>On a whim I listened to <i>Finlay Donovan is Killing It </i>by Elle Cosimano. This was a complete impulse check out of the library. While this was completely unbelievable, I found myself laughing and enjoying it. A writer and stay-at-home mom is paid to kill an awful man, mistaken for a hitwoman. A plan coalesces and she is drawn into organized crime. I gave it 3.5 stars.</p><p>After hearing a ton about <i>Elena Knows </i>by Claudia Pineiro from Jen Campbell I finally read it. It was very slow and not at all what I was expecting. However, the last 30 pages really make the story and tie together things that didn't seem related at first. I gave it 4 stars because I'm still thinking about it.</p><p>I picked up another new release about Deaf people and culture called <i>The Sign for Home</i> by Blair Fell. This was about a Deafblind man who gets a new interpreter who shows him he's capable of more than what his caregivers let on. They are deeply religious and intentionally cut him off from accessibility. I was excited to learn about the different forms of accessibility are available to the Deafblind community and felt compelled to keep turning the pages. 4 stars.</p><p>I listened to Wil Wheaton's annotated memoir <i>I'm Still Just a Geek</i>. This is an update of his memoir where he addresses his problematic thinking and also is more honest to his real feelings. He focuses on his abusive relationship with his family, his mental illness, and how he navigated his young life. There are times when he literally cries from addressing trauma or when talking about departed friends. It felt authentic, like I really got to know him. However, the writing is often chaotic, his apologies go on too long, and some of the material was repetitive. I decided not to rate it because of my mixed feelings. I'm glad I read it but be forewarned, it can be triggering.</p><p>And barely under the wire, I finished <i>We Are Legion (We Are Bob) </i>by Dennis E. Taylor. This is a fun space opera series where a human is given eternal life by being programmed into an AI. He makes several copies of himself (although they do differ) and he tries to help humanity find a livable world. This book was narrated by Ray Porter who also narrated my favorite <i>Project Hail Mary</i> by Andy Weir. Because they are both the same voice, similar humor, and focus on first contact with aliens, I would think many who enjoyed Weir will enjoy this too. I gave it 4.5 stars because a few of the perspectives were not as exciting but I'm hoping the next three books will be 5 stars.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-34076341751436769112022-04-08T07:22:00.001-07:002022-04-14T10:55:07.433-07:00Orillium Readathon and April TBR<p> This year is my fourth year participating in Book Roast's Magical Readathon. The six prompts I will be taking to earn my place as an Archmage are as follows:</p><p>1. Read a book with romance: <i>The Romantic Agenda</i> by Claire Kann</p><p>2. Read an intimidating read: <i>Elena Knows</i> by Claudia Pineiro</p><p>3. Read an Earth setting: <i>Invisible Child</i> by Andrea Elliot </p><p>4. Read short stories or essays: <i>The Secret Lives of Church Ladies</i> by Deesha Philyaw</p><p>5. Read a book with a trope you like: <i>True Biz</i> by Sara Novic</p><p>6. Read a book with a source of light on the cover: <i>Mickey7</i> by Edward Ashton</p><p><br /></p><p>I will likely try to squeeze in a few more. Here's what I'm hoping to get to:</p><p>1. <i>Between Certain Death and a Possible Future </i>edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore (currently reading)</p><p>2. <i>Piranesi </i>by Susanna Clarke</p><p>3. <i>Ten Steps to Nanette</i> by Hannah Gadsby</p><p>4. <i>84 Charing Cross Road</i> by Helene Hanff</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-86931286649183061132022-03-30T13:16:00.002-07:002022-03-30T15:46:06.409-07:00March Wrap Up<p> This month I read 10 books. I'll discuss the 4 middle grade books first.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>The Night Diary</i> by Veera Hiranandani. This was a story about a little girl in India who must make the treacherous journey to Pakistan during Partition. I found it a compelling story, but would've liked more explanation of how these decisions were made and more facts. I enjoyed it and gave it 3 stars.</p><p>I love listening to the <i>Wizards of Once</i> series and enjoyed the third entry: <i>Knock Three Times</i> by Cressida Cowell. I found some of it a bit unbelievable but really enjoyed the deepening lore in the magical world. I rated it 3 stars.</p><p>Another book I listened to was <i>Dark Lord Clementine</i> by Sarah Jean Horowitz. This was a fun story turning tropes on their head. She was the daughter of a Dark Lord and is understandably, not liked. She has to save her father from a curse and finds friends along the way. 4 out of 5 stars!</p><p>Lastly, I read <i>Small Spaces</i> by Katherine Arden. This was a spooky book about children who are sent to a parallel world where scarecrows can move and do the bidding of their master. I love Katherine Arden but only felt this was fine. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>I picked up<i> Girl at War</i> by Sara Novic. This focused on the Yugoslavian civil war in the 1990s. It had a non-linear sequence which I felt was unnecessary but I found the book informative and enjoyable. I awarded it 4 stars.</p><p>After re-reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, I decided to pick up his short story collection <i>The Egg and Other Stories. </i>These were mostly really short. Some were good and some forgettable. I gave it 3 stars for one story that I felt was phenomenal and wish it had been longer.</p><p>One brand new release I was excited for was <i>The Book of Cold Cases</i> by Simone St. James. She writes good paranormal mysteries. This one focused on a true crime blogger who gets to interview a potential serial killer who was acquitted of the crimes. This had the makings of a excellent story but the "ghostie bit" was not really believable or necessary. I assigned it 3.5 stars.</p><p>Another new release I wanted to read was <i>The Cartographers </i>by Peng Shepherd. I loved her first book with that crazy good twist so I went in with high expectations. It's a story about maps and paper towns and somehow the paper towns become real. None of the magic bits are explained which felt a bit lazy. I predicted the first twist, didn't see the second, and guessed the third. It's probably my fault for having such high expectations but my enjoyment was worth 3.5 stars.</p><p>After waiting three months for my inter-library loan, I was able to read <i>Doreen</i> by Barbara Noble. This is a forgotten classic about World War 2 in London and how children were sent out to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombings. A mother sends her young daughter to live with a family but regrets it when her daughter forms close bonds with her temporary parents. I gave it 4 stars.</p>Saving the best for last, I want to tell you about <i>What the Fireflies Knew</i> by Kai Harris. This is a coming-of-age story for a young black girl named KB in the 1990s. After her father has overdosed and died, her mother drops KB and her sister off at her estranged grandfather's house to focus on her well-being. That summer KB learns so much about family history, racism, and relationships. This felt like an instant classic. I gave it 5 stars and can't wait for the author to write some more books!<br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-4033923190601654572022-02-28T11:58:00.000-08:002022-02-28T11:58:20.547-08:00March TBR<p> I'm participating in Book Roast's one week readathon this month as well as Krista's middle grade March.</p><p>Here's what I plan to read:</p><p>1. <i>The Night Diary</i> by Veera Hiranandani <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span></p><p>2. <i>Bread and Roses, too</i> by Katherine Paterson</p><p>3. <i>When the Mountain Meets the Moon </i>by Grace Lin</p><p>4. <i>Girl at War</i> by Sara Novic</p><p>5. <i>Small Spaces</i> by Katherine Arden</p><p>6. <i> Doreen </i>by Barbara Noble</p><p>7. <i>We Are Satellites</i> by Sarah Pinsker</p><p>8. <i>The Bosnia List</i> by Kenan Trebincevic</p><p>9. <i>438 Days</i> by Jonathan Franklin</p><p>10.<i> Keeper of the Lost Cities </i>by Shannon Messenger</p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-28715292677893206432022-02-28T11:50:00.000-08:002022-02-28T11:50:08.984-08:00February Wrap Up<p> I had an awesome month reading-wise. I've read 12 books!</p><p>Randomly I decided to listen to <i>The Kind Worth Killing</i> by Peter Swanson. This is a domestic thriller about strangers making a plan to kill the man's wife. Some twists and turns. While this was compulsive, there wasn't that many twists and turn and relied heavily on coincidence for the plot. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>Then I picked up the graphic memoir <i>Dancing at the Pity Party</i> by Tyler Feder. This was a graphic memoir chronicling a young woman's life when her mom died. I didn't feel like it needed to be a graphic memoir and didn't really care for the art style but was interested enough. I gave it 3 stars.</p><p>Craving David Tennant's voice again. I picked up <i>Wizards of Once: Twice Magic</i> by Cressida Cowell. It was good though a little angsty. 4 stars.</p><p>Another challenge book, <i>Poet's Corner</i> compiled by John Lithgow. I enjoyed the audiobook with several narrators for the poems. I even found a few poets I want to read more from. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>I reread a favorite <i>The Galaxy, and the Ground Within</i> by Becky Chambers. Yay. I love to be back in this universe. 5 stars.</p><p>In the mood for memoir, I picked up <i>Golem Girl</i> by Riva Lehrer. This is about a woman who has spina bifida. She shares an honest account of the difficulties of her life and the blatant ableism directed towards her. I found it incredibly illuminating. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Next I read<i> How High We Go In the Dark</i> by Sequoia Nagamatsu. This was more akin to an interconnected short story collection. In a near-future dystopian, an Arctic plague has killed so many. It follows many people and how they are affected. Some of the sections hold less of my interest but there was a section that so perfectly summed up how I felt during this pandemic that I had to give it 4 stars.</p><p>Getting in another nonfiction, I picked up <i>A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them</i> by Neil Bradbury. This was very interesting and I was very interested in the stories of the crimes but the actual science-y info was dryer and more dull. I gave it 3.5 stars.</p><p>For one of my reading challenges, I picked up <i>Party Monster</i> by James St. James. I had already seen the movie a bunch of times but there were definitely bits that didn't make it into the movie. It wasn't well written, but it was a compelling read. It's about the Club Kid scene in the 80s and 90s and how the "club king" murdered his drug dealer and went to prison. The people are more likeable in the film so I prefer that, but I gave the book 4 stars.</p><p>A front list book I was excited to get to was <i>Notes on an Execution</i> by Danya Kukafka. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it. It's about a man who is on death row for serial murder. The story is told in flashbacks from women who knew him. There was no tension, no mystery, and I felt like it was a slog to get through. It really should be considered literary fiction. I gave it 2 stars.</p><p>Then, a book hyped by British booktubers, I read <i>The Appeal </i>by Janice Hallett. This is a murder mystery comprised entirely of emails, text, newspaper clippings, and other miscellaneous print. We don't even know who the murder victim is until 60% of the way through the book. I found this to be an interesting gimmick but once the murderer is revealed, I felt they only had tenuous circumstantial evidence and it fell flat. Overall, I gave it 3 stars for a very compelling first half.</p><p>Lastly, I re-listened to a favorite book from last year; <i>Project Hail Mary</i> by Andy Weir. despite being near 500 pages, I polished this off in 2 days. I loved it just as much as the first time. I see connections I didn't before. 5 stars easy!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-16299156289371295182022-02-01T08:21:00.000-08:002022-02-01T08:21:02.575-08:00February TBR<p> I have so many books I'm excited for, I don't know where to start. Here's what I'm hoping to read in February.</p><p>1.<i>Kingdom of Copper</i> by S.A. Chakraborty</p><p>2. <i>The Sympathizer</i> by Viet Thanh Nguyen</p><p>3. <i>Poet's Corner</i> compiled by John Lithgow</p><p>4. <i>The Children's Blizzard </i>by David Laskin</p><p>5. <i>Dancing at the Pity Party</i> by Tyler Feder</p><p>6. <i>How High we Go in the Dark</i> by Sequoia Nagamatsu</p><p>7. <i>The Appeal</i> by Janice Hallett</p><p>8. <i>Know my Name</i> by Chanel Miller</p><p>9. <i>Golem Girl</i> by Riva Lehrer</p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-38767797425889180932022-02-01T07:03:00.003-08:002022-02-01T08:22:34.109-08:00January Wrap Up<p> In January I read 8 books. What a great start to 2022 even though only 5 of them were planned!</p><p>I started with <i>Tell the Wolves I'm Home</i> by Carol Rifka Brunt. This was one of the oldest books on my shelves. It's a YA story about a young girl who loses her favorite uncle to AIDS, and then secretly befriends his boyfriend. This was a case of the right book at the right time. I grew so attached to the characters and ended up sobbing at the end. I gave it 5 stars.</p><p>Next I picked up the graphic novel <i>The Magic Fish</i> by Trung le Nguyen. This was a beautiful story about a young immigrant boy who is gay but doesn't know how to communicate with his mother. There were beautiful weaving of fairy tales into his story to tell his journey. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Then I read the ARC <i>Cost of Living</i> by Emily Maloney. I've written its own separate review but I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Afterwards I read another ARC <i>The Saints of Swallow Hill</i> by Donna Everhart. Again, it has its own review and I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>On an impulse, I decided to listen to <i>Wizards of Once </i>by Cressida Cowell. This was narrated by David Tennant, whom I love. It was a bit slow but picked up quite a lot. I really enjoyed the story and the narration. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>I read <i>Kaffir Boy</i> by Mark Mathabane. This is a memoir of a young man growing up in absolute squalor in apartheid South Africa during the 1960s-1980s. His story about being treated like a fourth class citizen and the fear of whites due to the excessive violence was absolutely eye-opening. He finds a way out and is one of the lucky ones. I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Another whim, I decided to pick up <i>David Copperfield</i> by Charles Dickens. This was my second Dickens novel and I really enjoyed it. It focuses on the life of David Copperfield (based on Dickens himself) growing up and becoming a writer. While it definitely dragged some in the middle, I enjoyed this more than I expected and gave it 4 stars.</p><p>And lastly I read <i>Oona Out of Order </i>by Margarita Montimore. This was a fluffy fun story about a woman who time travels every year on her birthday to a different year of herself. On her 19th birthday, she suddenly wakes up in her 51 year old self. She attempts to change her future but ultimately accepts her weird quirk. Nothing serious but fun so I gave it 3 stars.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-55133847386153241562022-01-25T08:10:00.001-08:002022-01-25T08:10:34.759-08:00ARC Review of The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart<p> <i>The Saints of Swallow Hill</i> focuses on two people working at the same turpentine camp during the Great Depression. The first perspective is Del Reese who is a single man who treats "negros" with respect and draws the ire from his racist boss. The second perspective is from a young woman named Rae Lynn who goes into the camp pretending to be a man. They strike up a friendship and we follow what happens afterward. The treatment of these desperate people during The Great Depression was awful and most likely illegal. This was incredibly eye-opening. I gave the story 4 stars because while I enjoyed most of it, I felt the ending was a bit saccharine. I was given this as an advanced audiobook copy by Netgalley for my honest review. The book is released today, January 25th, 2022.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEQcN-AVTBw9ys_OvhJV5CfOmfdNhXZqw0xzilOxrOyo1P8Lj71fC61qHqXRDhTxFyViGOz02iCCOY4zls-9mifPgYfgU1EGEw3D12wwhB8AdwcZrqGyCc_AEgq7rFgX216lx_oVJVuYb//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEQcN-AVTBw9ys_OvhJV5CfOmfdNhXZqw0xzilOxrOyo1P8Lj71fC61qHqXRDhTxFyViGOz02iCCOY4zls-9mifPgYfgU1EGEw3D12wwhB8AdwcZrqGyCc_AEgq7rFgX216lx_oVJVuYb//" width="160" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-77348284928515765362022-01-10T14:02:00.003-08:002022-01-10T14:02:58.341-08:00ARC of Cost of Living: Essays by Emily Maloney<p> I received an advanced audiobook of <i>Cost of Living: Essays</i> by Emily Maloney. This is a book of essays detailing her medical experiences as a patient and also when she worked in the medical industry, It starts with her suicide attempt at age 19 and the medical debt that followed her. She then worked a variety of healthcare jobs to try to pay off that debt. I thought this was going to be more about what it costs to live, getting medical care in the United States but that was just a small part. She also talks of the excess in the pharmaceutical industry, spending money to advertise and hold conferences. I found her thoughts on chronic pain patients and how insurance creates a dependency on medications, rather than seeking out alternative therapies interesting and enlightening. Overall, I enjoyed this collection, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I gave it 4 stars and would encourage anyone interested in medicine or disability to seek it out. She narrates the audiobook herself which I enjoy with nonfiction. The book will be published February 8th, 2022. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJMsmZJ5p3SauPMa9Vdc2v-Upp7fW8jGII24v8UEN1rjNm7UZoObP5eAEBiH-Tlz7kk9vAwalb9-zZ2Hsgts38yq6_ADQfKMn5hVESQGudRaa6vFzq-MJT0BrCqCdxvJxFD5INpQS4iv4//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="255" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJMsmZJ5p3SauPMa9Vdc2v-Upp7fW8jGII24v8UEN1rjNm7UZoObP5eAEBiH-Tlz7kk9vAwalb9-zZ2Hsgts38yq6_ADQfKMn5hVESQGudRaa6vFzq-MJT0BrCqCdxvJxFD5INpQS4iv4//" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-89006268188558336972022-01-07T15:50:00.000-08:002022-01-07T15:50:26.785-08:00Best Books I read in 2021<p> I read a total of 59 books in 2021. While quite a bit less than usual, I did find some really great books. Here's my top 10 list:</p><p>10. <i>The Broken Girls</i> by Simone St. James</p><p>9. <i>The Vanished Birds</i> by Simon Jimenez</p><p>8. <i>The Prettiest Star</i> by Carter Sickels</p><p>7.<i> The Galaxy and the Ground Within </i>by Becky Chambers</p><p>6. <i> In Cold Blood</i> by Truman Capote</p><p>5. <i>All the Young Men</i> by Ruth Coker Burks</p><p>4. <i>Broken (In the best possible way)</i> by Jenny Lawson</p><p>3. <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> (trilogy) by Katherine Arden</p><p>2. <i>Amari and the Night Brothers</i> by B.B. Alston</p><p>1. <i>Project Hail Mary</i> by Andy Weir</p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-5821492936695816802021-12-31T07:58:00.001-08:002021-12-31T07:58:56.593-08:00ARC Review for The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos<p> <i>The Storm of Echoes</i> by Christelle Dabos is the fourth and final book in The Mirror Visitor series translated from French. I was lucky to receive an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, the book was a huge disappointment.</p><p>While we get to know several great characters throughout the first three books, many of them are mere cameos in the fourth book. I wanted more Berenilde, Madame Rosaline, and Archibald. We get a fair bit of perspective from Victoria, a nonverbal child with the ability to dream-walk. Because she cannot warn any of the characters about what she's seen, these scenes are used to build tension by giving the readers info that the main characters do not know. I liked this in the third book as it was used more sparingly, but felt it was overused as a plot device now.</p><p>Two other things annoyed me before the ending. This book is translated from French, but the translator leaves in a lot of French words, something that wasn't done in the first three books. This gave the book an entirely different mood. Secondly, there is a lot of focus on infertility that seemed incredibly out of place, especially for a YA book. I know the protagonist is now a bit older, probably 20-21 but when facing the destruction of arks and losing great swaths of people, it felt like an odd thing to focus on.</p><p>Even with these complaints, I was still enjoying the book until the last 40 or 50 pages. The pacing suddenly speeds up, several reveals happens, making little to no sense. I felt the author didn't know how she was going to make some things happen so she shoehorned in events that she wanted to occur, even if there were no links or clues to these sudden reveals.</p><p>I ruminated on how to rate this and decided on 2 stars. I don't hate it, but I also don't recommend reading this book either. While this is a quartet, it really feels more like two duologies. The first two books focused on politics and magical societies whereas the latter two focus on religion/god/cults. </p><p>Both the book and the audiobook are out now. Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced copy.</p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-53916217935441518562021-12-31T07:36:00.003-08:002022-01-01T14:09:56.634-08:00January TBR<p>Here's what I want to get to in January.</p><p>1. <i>Kaffir Boy </i>by Mark Mathabane</p><p>2. <i>Saga</i> issue #55 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples</p><p>3. <i>How High We Go in the Dark</i> by Sequoia Nagamatsu</p><p>4. <i>Tell the Wolves I'm Home</i> by Carol Rifka Brunt</p><p>5. <i>The Sympathizer</i> by Viet Thanh Nguyen</p><p>6. <i>Tears of Amber</i> by Sofia Segovia</p><p>7. <i>The Magic Fish</i> by Trung Le Nguyen</p><p>8. <i>Kingdom of Copper </i>by S.A. Chakraborty</p><p>9. <i>Cost of Living</i> by Emily Maloney (ARC) </p><p>10. <i>David Copperfield </i>by Charles Dickens</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-21561846638053904122021-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:002021-12-28T08:26:46.941-08:00December Wrap Up<p> In December I read 4 fantasy books.</p><p>I picked up <i>The Winter of the Witch</i> by Katherine Arden to finish out the trilogy. A snowy wintery read that was nearly perfect. As it is the third book, I don't want to say what it was about but I loved it and gave it 4.5 stars.</p><p>I read <i>The Hatmakers</i> by Tamzin Merchant. This was a cute children's fantasy about different clans of "makers" and a king that needed their help. It was silly and fun and I gave it 4 stars.</p><p>Next I read <i>A Marvellous Light</i> by Freya Marske. I knew there was a M/M romance in this, but didn't realize it was smutty. A man who doesn't know about magic gets a cursed tattoo and a magician tries to help him. I enjoyed this quite a lot and will continue on with the series when new books are released. 4 stars.</p><p>I read <i>The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy</i> by Anne Ursu. I'd heard fun things about a magical school, and while that wasn't quite true, I still enjoyed this story immensely. A girl yells at a sorcerer and is sent to a troubled girls school where she has to learn "manners". She makes friends and uncovers a long-held secret. I flew through this and gave it 5 stars.<br /><br /></p><p>I'm in the middle of another book that is an ARC, so I'll review it separately.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-58320519137197948232021-12-28T08:15:00.001-08:002021-12-31T09:29:52.616-08:00Owned Audiobooks Prior to 2022<p> I will probably buy audiobooks next year, but since my resolution is to target audiobooks purchased prior to 2022, I'm writing out all of my options. I didn't pay full price for all of these but I did for some and need to read them. I have 60+ titles.</p><p>Audiobooks I bought before 2022:</p><p><i>Tell the Wolves I'm Home</i> by Carol Rivka Brunt</p><p><i>Middlesex</i> by Jeffery Eugenides</p><p><i>The Distance Between Us</i> by Reyna Grande</p><p><i>American War</i> by Omar El-Akkad</p><p><i>A Crooked Tree</i> by Una Mannion</p><p><i>The Ministry for the Future</i> by Kim Stanley Robinson</p><p><i>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</i> by Grace Lin</p><p><i>Tears of Amber</i> by Sofia Segovia</p><p><i>The Butterfly Garden</i> by Dot Hutchinson</p><p><i>The Light Brigade</i> by Kameron Hurley</p><p><i>Arcadia</i> by Iain Pears</p><p><i>The Axe and the Throne</i> by M.D. Ireman</p><p><i>Spin</i> by Robert Charles Wilson</p><p><i>Unmentionable</i> by Therese Oneill</p><p><i>The Traveling Cat Chronicles</i> by Hiro Arikawa</p><p><i>Keeper of the Lost Cities</i> by Shannon Messenger</p><p><i>Orphan Train</i> by Christina Baker Kline</p><p><i>The Lighting-Struck Heart </i>by TJ Klune</p><p><i>Wolf Song </i>by TJ Klune</p><p><i>Good Talk</i> by Mira Jacob</p><p><i>Foundryside</i> by Robert Jackson Bennett</p><p><i>Girl at War </i>by Sara Novic</p><p><i>The Collected Schizophrenias</i> by Esme Weijun Wang</p><p><i>The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat</i> by Oliver Sacks</p><p><i>Women of Copper Country</i> by Mary Doria Russell</p><p><i>The Sparrow</i> by Mary Doria Russell</p><p><i>A History of Loneliness</i> by John Boyne</p><p><i>The Glass Palace</i> by Amitav Ghosh</p><p><i>Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia</i> by Jean Sasson</p><p><i>Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx</i> by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc</p><p><i>Children of the Land</i> by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo</p><p><i>Song of a Captive Bird</i> by Jasmin Darznik</p><p><i>Follow Me to Ground</i> by Sue Rainford</p><p><i>Pines</i> by Blake Crouch</p><p><i>Ancillary Justice</i> by Ann Leckie</p><p><i>The Yield </i>by Tara June Winch</p><p><i>Alias Grace</i> by Margaret Atwood</p><p><i>Skyward</i> by Brandon Sanderson</p><p><i>Soulless</i> by Gail Carringer</p><p><i>Burial Rites</i> by Hannah Kent</p><p><i>Sin Eater</i> by Megan Campisi</p><p><i>Ayesha at Last</i> by Uzma Jalaluddin</p><p><i>Lost Children Archive</i> by Valeria Luiselli</p><p><i>The Familiars</i> by Stacey Halls</p><p><i>The Windup Girl </i>by Paolo Bacigalupi</p><p><i>Notes of a Crocodile </i>by Qiu Miaojin</p><p><i>Children of Time</i> by Adrian Tchaikovsky</p><p><i>The Sympathizer</i> by Viet Thanh Ngyuen</p><p><i>The Name of the Wind</i> by Patrick Rothfuss</p><p><i>The Glorious Heresies</i> by Lisa McInerney</p><p><i>The Five</i> by Hallie Rubenfold</p><p><i>Warbreaker</i> by Brandon Sanderson</p><p><i>Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls </i>by T. Kira Madden</p><p><i>From Here to Eternity </i>by Caitlin Doughty</p><p><i>Elantris</i> by Brandon Sanderson</p><p><i>The Collector </i>by John Fowles</p><p><i>Red Sister</i> by Mark Lawerence</p><p><i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i> by Ursula K. Le Guin</p><p><i>Lock In</i> by John Scalzi</p><p><i>Pachinko</i> by Min Jin Lee</p><p><i>Barkskins</i> by Annie Proulx</p><p><i>A Little Life</i> by Hanya Yanagihara</p><p><i>The Fifth Season</i> by N.K. Jemison</p><p><i>Ohio</i> by Stephen Markley</p><p><br /></p><ul class="bc-list bc-list-nostyle" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #141414; font-family: "Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="bc-list-item authorLabel bc-spacing-s0_5 bc-spacing-top-s0_5" style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-top: 4px;"><br /></li></ul><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-91406056214556139572021-12-26T09:32:00.003-08:002022-03-20T07:16:39.531-07:00Anticipated 2022 Releases<p> I wrote up a list of anticipated releases last year and while I didn't get to all of them, I liked organizing it all in one place. So I'm going to do it again this year.</p><p>Updated 3/20/22</p><p><br /></p><p><b>January</b></p><p><i>Saga Issue #55</i> by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>How High We Go in the Dark</i> by Sequoia Nagamatsu</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Notes on an Execution</i> by Danya Kukafka</p><p><b>February</b></p><p><i>What the Fireflies Knew</i> by Kai Harris</p><p><i>Where I Can't Follow</i> by Ashley Blooms</p><p><i>A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers who Used Them </i>by Neil Bradbury</p><p><b>March</b></p><p><i>The Cartographers </i>by Peng Shepherd</p><p><i>True Biz</i> by Sara Novic</p><p><i>The Book of Cold Cases</i> by Simone St. James</p><p><b>April</b></p><p><i>Still Just a Geek</i> by Wil Wheaton</p><p><i>A Sign for Home</i> by Blair Fell</p><p><b>May</b></p><p><b>June</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>July</b></p><p><i>Heat Wave</i> by TJ Klune (3rd in the series)</p><p><b>August</b></p><p><i>The Spear Cuts Through the Water-</i> by Simon Jimenez</p><p><i>Amari and the Great Game</i> by B.B. Alston (2nd in series)</p><p><i>The Book Eaters</i> by Sunyi Dean</p><p><b>September</b></p><p><i>The Golden Enclaves</i> by Naomi Novik</p><p><b>October </b></p><p><i>Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow</i> by Jessica Townsend (4th in the series)</p><p><b>November</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>December</b></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-24493568118994689072021-12-22T12:35:00.000-08:002021-12-22T12:35:37.658-08:00The 12 Books I want to get to in 2022<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I make a priority list of 12 books each year, and I've been getting better at actually reading them. So, here's what they are:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <i>A Snake Falls to Earth </i>by Darcie Little Badger</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <i>Party Monster</i> by James St. James</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <i>Piranesi </i>by Susanna Clarke</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <i>Kaffir Boy </i>by Mark Mathabane</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <i>Fences</i> by August Wilson</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. <i>Triangle: The Fire that Changed America</i> by David von Drehl</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. <i>Kindred</i> by Octavia Butler</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">8. <i>Amari and the Great Game</i> by B.B. Alston</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">9. <i>The Jungle</i> by Upton Sinclair</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">10. <i>We are Satellites</i> by Sarah Pinsker</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">11. <i>How High we Go in the Dark</i> by Sequoia Nagamatsu</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">12. <i>Don Quixote</i> by <span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-77414488433469974222021-12-21T13:10:00.002-08:002021-12-21T13:10:20.478-08:00Bookish New Year's Resolutions<p> Well, now that I've failed my resolutions, time to set up new ones for a new year. I will be keeping one from this year which is to DNF whenever I'm not enjoying reading.</p><p>1. Read at least 15 nonfiction books in the year.</p><p>2. Listen to 12 audiobooks I've purchased before 2022.</p><p>3. Read at least 24 books from my owned shelf prior to 2022.</p><p>4. Complete Read Harder's 24 challenges.</p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-7292380365076900042021-12-20T08:58:00.000-08:002021-12-20T08:58:21.213-08:00Goals Check-In<p> This year was a shitshow in terms of my physical and mental health. I read way less than normal. However, I wanted to check in on my goals in order to set realistic goals for next year.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Read 12 of my unread books where I own 2 or more books by the same author.</b></p><p>The only author I did this with was Simone St. James. I read both of her books I had on my shelves. </p><p></p><p><b>2. Read 24 books unread on previous TBRs. I've been making TBRs for a little over three years and have plenty of books I haven't gotten to yet.</b></p><p><i>The Broken Girls</i> by Simone St. James</p><p><i>No Exit</i> by Taylor Adams</p><p><i>American Gods </i>by Neil Gaiman</p><p><br /></p><p><b>3. Read 9 of my purchased Audible books.</b></p><p><i>The Vanished Birds </i>by Simon Jimenez </p><p><i>No Exit</i> by Taylor Adams</p><p><i>All the Young Men</i> by Ruth Coker Burks</p><p><b>4. Read 6 classics.</b></p><p><i>One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest </i>by Ken Kesey</p><p><i>Bread Givers</i> by Anzia Yezeirska.</p><p><i>In Cold Blood</i> by Truman Capote</p><p><b>5. Continue with series I've already started.</b></p><p>I finished The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert</p><p>I finished the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers</p><p>I read the next Scholomance book by Naomi Novik.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Lastly my Top 12 books I wanted to read this year:</b></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>1. <i>The Broken Girls</i> by Simone St. James</strike></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>2. <i>The Betrayals</i> by Bridget Collins</strike> DNF</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>3. <i>The Galaxy and the Ground Within</i> by Becky Chambers</strike></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>4. <i>In Cold Blood</i> by Truman Capote</strike></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">5. <i>Abbadon’s Gate</i> by James S.A. Corey</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">6. <i>A Fine Balance</i> by Rohinton Minstry</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strike><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">7. </span><span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif", serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest </i>by Ken Kesey</span></strike></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif", serif; font-size: 12pt;">8. <i>The Sparrow</i> by Mary Doria Russell</span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">9. <i>Blindness</i> by Jose Saramago</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>10. <i>American Gods</i> by Neil Gaiman</strike></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><strike>11. <i>The Bear and the Nightingale </i>by Katherine Arden</strike></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">12. <i>Tell the Wolves I’m Home </i>by Carol Rifka Brunt</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718926236101388501.post-28574727402397641982021-12-19T11:49:00.000-08:002021-12-19T11:49:15.717-08:00DNF'd books in the second half of the year<p> I'm getting better with stopping a book when I'm not enjoying it. As a result, the majority of my reading were rated 4 and 5 stars. Sometimes I worried I wasn't giving the book enough of a chance, but there are so many books that interest me, so I have to draw the line somewhere. These are the books I decided not to finish in the second half of the year.</p><p><i>All the Names Given</i> by Raymond Antrobus. This is his second poetry collection. I enjoyed his first, but these poems didn't impact me and after reading 60% of it, I decided to stop wasting my time.</p><p><i>She Who Became the Sun</i> by Shelley Parker-Chan. I read 200+ pages when I decided that it wasn't holding my attention. The narrative seemed meandering and more focused on war than I wanted. Definitely a taste thing, nothing wrong with the book itself.</p><p><i>We Run the Tides</i> by Vendela Vida. I only read 4 or 5 chapters but felt bored.</p><p><i>Sabrina</i> by Nick Drnaso. This is a graphic novel that won awards but I have no idea why. The art is plain and so nondescript, I couldn't tell if the characters were male or female or who any of them were. The plot wasn't at all compelling so I put it down.</p><p><i>The Betrayals</i> by Bridget Collins. This is her second book and I decided to pick it up after loving her debut. While her writing was pretty, it felt like nothing was happening. This was quite disappointing.</p><p>Only 5 in the last six months. I hope that indicates that I'm getting better at predicting which books I'll enjoy.</p><p><br /></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602991184363209965noreply@blogger.com0