November Wrap Up

 I read 8 books in November. This was probably my best reading month this year!

I read Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin. This was a story about a young woman who died on vacation and her sister investigating what really happened several years later. I was enjoying the story but the ending felt unfinished and left me unsatisfied. I gave it 3 stars.

Because of my reading slump, I decided to reread my favorite book: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I love this story and the characters so much and feel it helped pique my interest in reading again. I always give it 5 stars.

Comedy Sex God by Pete Holmes was the first nonfiction book I read. This was a comedian telling his life story about growing up in a religious household and how his spiritual journey evolved. I loved this first half, it literally had me laughing out loud. However, the last part wasn't funny and felt more philosophical which wasn't for me. I gave it 4 stars.

After that I was in the mood for American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Essentially, it's a road trip novel with old gods and new gods preparing for war. I didn't like it as much as I hoped but it was still enjoyable. I awarded it 3.5 stars.

My second nonfiction pick was In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Even though it's a classic, I'd never read it nor knew any of its content. I was blown away by the writing and the story. Very compelling narrative nonfiction. I gave it 5 stars.

Then because I was feeling in the mood for a fast paced mystery, I picked up A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. The whole premise is completely unbelievable and I almost DNF'd it but I looked at some reviews that said the ending was worth it. It was fine and I agree the ending was satisfying. I gave it 3 stars.

The last nonfiction book I read this month was All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks. Incredible! This woman is like a modern-day Mother Theresa in the way that she helped several AIDS patients get care, file for government help, and held their hand while they died. It even was left to her to dispose of their bodies as nobody wanted anything to do with AIDS patients. She narrates the audiobook herself and it was phenomenal. 5 stars!

Finally, I read the novella Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. It's a historical fictional novel set in Ireland that focuses on a man. Because it's so short, I don't feel I can say much else. However, the pacing was off, and the main plot was left unfinished. It deserved more pages. I gave it 2.5 stars.

November TBR

 Like every November, I am participating in Nonfiction November. Because of my slump, I'm only choosing to read 3 nonfiction books along with some fiction choices. I'm also ignoring the key word challenges.

1. All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

3. Comedy Sex God by Pete Holmes

4. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden 

5. City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

6. Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos

October Wrap Up

 Well, I read 4 out of the 6, and DNF'd 1 so I think I did pretty well. However the last few days I've been starting and stopping loads of books, never fulling invested in any of them. November may be a difficult month for reading.

The first I read was Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte. This was a middle grade novel about a young Deaf girl who tries to teach another child a way to communicate. The historical information about Deaf people near Martha's Vineyard was fascinating and the story was compelling. I gave it 4 stars.

Then I picked up The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. I liked this sequel, but was disappointed with the cliffhanger at the end. Additionally, the cliffhanger from the first book wasn't answered. Even so, I enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars.

Next was a highly anticipated read called Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. So many people compared it to Becky Chambers' books but it fell flat. I found myself bored and the pacing was quite uneven. I gave it 3 stars because her characters were fantastic but the plot was lacking.

Then I chose Bread Givers by Anzia Yezeriska. This is a classic about a young woman from an immigrant family growing up in the early 1900s. She bucks tradition and society by refusing to support her father who doesn't work and only wants to study the Torah. I felt charmed by this book and by her convictions. I gave it 4 stars.

The last one I finished was Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm. This is a middle grade science fiction story about a traumatic event on a space ship that forces the children to take control. They have to navigate fixing ship features, running from space pirates, and navigating to a safe place. I felt this story was great up until the ending. I felt it lacked an ending and needed another 100 pages or so. I gave it 3 stars.

I started but ultimately DNF'd We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida. I gave it 20% but I'm in a slump and it wasn't holding my attention.

October TBR

 I did a much better job reading this past month so I will set a TBR. I'm still a bit slumpy so we'll see if it happens.

1. Set me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte

2. The Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

3. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

4. Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska

5. We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida

6. Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos 

September Wrap-Up

 Well, I completed all 7 challenges for the Orillium Readathon. However, I definitely switched out some of my choices. This is what I read.

1. Read a book with a map- I read Malamander by Thomas Taylor. This is a middle grade book focusing on a local legend of a fish man who lays a magical egg one night. Two children get caught up in the mystery. It was fun, but nothing special. I gave it 3 stars.

2. Top of my TBR- I eagerly picked up TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door. The very latest of his books focusing on a man named Wallace Price who dies and only learns his humanity after he meets a ferryman who is supposed to lead him to the next stage. I felt Wallace was so unlikeable that his growth seems unrealistic. Also it was dark, missing the levity of his usual books. I gave it 3 stars.

3. Read a standalone- I read The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Maryanne Cronin. A heartwarming story of a young girl who befriends an elderly woman while they're both in the hospital. Through flashbacks, we see what happened in their lives to shape them into the people they are today. Plus queer rep. I really enjoyed this though it was very sad. I gave it 4 stars.

4. Read a book featuring supernatural elements- For this one, I picked up The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. This is the second in the trilogy, focusing on politics of the capital and a shifty sorcerer. I can't say much due to it being a sequel but I enjoyed it immensely. I gave it 4 stars.

5. Read a thriller or mystery- I finally decided to try a Nicci French novel with Losing You. It's about a woman whose teenage daughter is missing and she searches desperately to find her or figure out what happened. I found the pacing incredibly slow, especially since the plot happens in one day. Additionally, I guessed what happened about halfway through. Not believable or enjoyable really. I gave it 2.5 stars.

6. Read a 5 star prediction- I chose When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. A graphic memoir that also had an audiobook. It tells the story of Omar and his brother growing up in a refugee camp. It was very compelling but not quite a 5 star book. I gave it 4 stars.

7. Read a book with a school setting- I chose another TJ Klune book with Flash Fire. Another sequel, this time following teenage superheroes. I liked the characters and felt their growth was believable. I gave it 3 stars.

Orillium Readathon/September TBR

 The Youtube channel Book Roast is resuming her magical readathon with all new fantasy worlds. I'm hoping this will be the kick I need to get out of my reading slump. There are seven prompts but I need to complete at least 2 to participate in the upcoming April readathon. I will pick 7 books but will still consider it a success if I can read 2. I'm a mood reader so some of these are subject to change.

Here are the prompts:

Read a book with a map- Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Top of my TBR- Climbing the Date Tree by Shira Glassman or The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

Read a standalone- We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida

Featuring ghosts or supernatural elements- The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Thriller or mystery book- Losing You by Nicci French or Hostage by Clare MacIntosh

5 star prediction- When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson

Book with a school setting- The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan or The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

August Wrap Up

 Surprisingly, I finished one book this month. I'm actually proud of it, because I started several books and fizzled out quickly.

The book I finished was How to be a Movie Star by TJ Klune. This is a companion novel to How to be Normal. It focuses on Josiah Erickson who lives in L.A. trying to make it as an actor. He's an affable stoner who is great at radio trivia and wins a prize to see a poetry reading. There he meets Q-bert and the rest of the story is their relationship developing. They were fun, likable characters with some real issues and great representation for mental health and demi-sexuality. A lot of it was absurd, but it made me laugh out loud and hopefully broke my slump. I gave it 4 stars and highly recommend.