Life Update

 My mental and physical health have been tanking recently. I've been diagnosed with another ailment that basically can only be treated, but ineffectively so I'm a great deal of pain and/or discomfort. This has been it increasingly difficult to focus on reading. Because of this, I've decided that in order to try to reach my goals, I really should limit reading books from the library because I'm not making a dent on my owned TBR. It also doesn't help matters when I keep buying more books. However, sometimes a bit of retail therapy can boost my mood so I'm not going to put myself on a book-buying ban.

I do have 2 ARCs coming up that I will make efforts to read early and review but many of my goals this year will likely not be reached and I will just have to make peace with myself. I seem to be able to read 4-5 books a month and I have to remind myself, that's pretty good.  Sure, compared to 10-12, it's a bit meager but quality, not quantity is something to keep as my mantra.

It's weird how this pandemic has really changed my reading. I used to love dreary sad literary books and now I primarily want escapism through science fiction and fantasy. I'm especially enjoying children's books because they always contain some hope, even if they focus on sad subjects. I'm curious if my reading tastes will change back, or if this will be more permanent. 

April TBR

 Well, my slump continues so I'm going to curate a very small list of books I hope to get to in April.

1.  The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

2. Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson

3.  The Familiars by Stacey Halls

4. Kent State by Derf Backderf

5. Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna

March Wrap Up

I usually wrap up my reading in at least two parts, but this month I only read 5 books. 

I started off March reading my ARC The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. I've written a separate review so to sum up, I gave it 4 stars.

Eagerly, I read The Push by Ashley Audrain. It has been compared to We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver and I loved that book. It is very similar, but unfortunately it didn't do much new with it and there weren't any twists I didn't see coming. It was enjoyable during the time but ultimately forgettable. I gave it 3 stars.

Since I was participating in Middle Grade March, I then read A Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. This was a sweet story of a Deaf child wanting to help out a whale that sings in his own pitch and cannot communicate with other whales. While the story was good, I found part of the plot very implausible. I gave it 3 stars. I think children would like this better than I did.

I was in the mood for funny when I choose I Want to be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom. I have seen her t.v. show and thought she was fun and wacky and I would enjoy her essays. While the writing is standard, some of her stories were just so hilarious. I listened to this on audiobook that she narrates herself, and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.

Lastly, I finished Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert. This is the third book following the Brown sisters and focuses on the youngest of the three, Eve. She is a hot-mess and impulsively decides to interview for a cook job at a B&B. She and the owner do not like each other at first, but the quickly warm to each other. This is my least favorite of the three, but I still found it compulsively readable. I award it 3 stars.

Trying out the Book Oracle at my Library

 My library has started a new service where you can fill out a short reading survey, and in 1 week, they will curate a list of 8-10 books for you to read. I already have so many on my TBR but was hoping it might overlap with my current TBR to let me know what to prioritize. Even if it's all new books, that's fun too! Here's the info I put in, and here's what they recommended.

I liked fantasy, science fiction, and literary fiction. I mentioned I do not like stream of consciousness, war, or romance. I also included some favorite books and authors. I wanted strong friendships and inclusive writing.

Here's what I was recommended:

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik- This wasn't on my list but I recently read another book by Novik that I really enjoyed so I'll add it to my ever-expanding TBR.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong- Also not on my list but definitely fits a lot of my criteria.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune- An absolute favorite. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab- I've read it but didn't want to continue on.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee- On my TBR. Probably will move it up.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells- I've also read this and enjoyed it. Perhaps I should continue on in the series.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi- Also read and really enjoyed

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson- Another I've already read but thought was "meh"

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- Another I've read and enjoyed.

Of these 9, I've read 6 so they were pretty spot-on with my tastes. I'll try it again in a few months and with different criteria to see what else I'm recommended. Maybe I should link my goodreads account next time so they don't duplicate books I've already read. 

ARC Review of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a debut novel that includes two timelines. The past timeline focuses on an apothecary woman named Nella who creates poisons for women who want to kill their abusive or adulterous husbands, in addition to making remedies that help women's medical issues. In the present timeline, a woman named Caroline flies to London for what is supposed to be an anniversary trip, but ends up traveling alone after finding out her husband cheated on her. She goes mudlarking in the Thames and finds a vial which leads her to research the apothecary. The stories eventually come together.

Overall, I really liked this story. In the beginning, I was definitely favoring the past timeline and was less interested in Caroline but as the story proceeded, I became interested in them both. Both women have been wronged by the men in their life. The character development was really well fleshed out, especially for a debut novel. There is a little twist at the end which I found enjoyable and did not anticipate. I listened to the audiobook which was well done and I would recommend it. I gave it 4 stars.

This book comes out March 2, 2021. Thanks to Netgalley for an early audio proof.

February Wrap Up

Well, I guess my February TBR was too ambitious knowing that the new Mario game was coming out too.

I only read 4 books this month but they were all enjoyable so that's great.

First I read Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. This was a fascinating look at a family with 12 children, in which half were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Their DNA helped advanced research into schizophrenia and also gave a look at how the healthy siblings were affected. I gave it 5 stars. 

Next I picked up The Second Mango by Shira Glassman. This was a fun fantasy book I found out about from a list saying it was similar to TJ Klune's writing. This was a fun romp about a lesbian princess looking for her love with the help of a cross-dressing knight and her dragon/horse. It was fun, hilarious, touching, and even surprising. I gave it 4 stars.

Because I was in a slump, I wanted a page-turner so I chose No Exit by Taylor Adams. This follows a college student who is on her way to visit her mother when a snow storm forces her to pull off at a rest stop. She discovers a child being held in a cage in one of the other cars and tries to figure out who is the kidnapper. I liked it but felt it went on a bit too long and became unrealistic. I gave it 3 stars.

Lastly, I picked up our book club pick which was The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels. I fell in love with this book and the main character Brian who is dying of AIDS. It is set in the 1980s and a young gay man who has AIDS goes back to his rural conservative home in Ohio to die. He faces all sorts of criticism, rejection, and downright hate. It was incredibly moving and I gave it 5 stars.

So, two 5 star reads in a month is really great. I think it helps make up for the fact that I read so little.

March TBR

 Well, February was a bit of a slumpy month for me so I'm a bit apprehensive putting up such an ambitious TBR. However, that's what I do. Here's what I'd love to read in March.

These first three are for the readathon "Middle Grade March"

1. Where the Mountains Meet the Moon by Grace Lin

2. Song of a Whale by Lynne Kelley

3. Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

4. Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

5. The Push by Ashley Audrain

6. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

7.  Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus 

8. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah