December 2021 Haul and Wrap Up

I'm doing really good at not just buying everything my eyes land on. I'm rather proud of myself. 

Haul: 6

1) Lore Olympus #1 by Rachel Smythe - I saw it and just had to have it. It was one of those webcomics that’s been on my to-read list for a while, but again, I’m no good when it comes to remembering to actually keep up with them. I’m sure it's gone past where book one stops, but that’s cool. I’ll just keep picking up the volumes as they are released in print so I can actually keep up!

2) A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw - It looked the most interesting of the options for the month. Made me think of WandaVision a bit, where people are kind of disappearing on the edge of a town. I've read something by Shea Ernshaw before, and right this minute all I can remember about the book is that it was either black or midnight blue. I remember nothing else. I know I liked it, so I'm hoping I like this as well.

3) The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - I have only read one of Kristin Hannah's other books, and again, I do not remember the title offhand. I really ought to keep a list nearby so that I can reference it or something. In any event, this book looked interesting and of the finalists for this year's book of the year from Book of the Month, it was the one that seemed the most intriguing that I haven't already read.

4) Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I have seen The Untamed (live action adaptation), I've seen what's available of the donghua, I've heard parts of the radio program that came out. So when I heard that they were finally releasing an English adaptation of the original novel I absolutely had to jump on it. I have wanted to know the original version of the story for so long that I barely even waited to start reading it. I just dove headfirst right in. I'm already enjoying it and hope to get it done by the end of the month.

5) Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - Is anyone really that surprised? I saw the donghua on Netflix (and I am kind of following the production for the live action, which I hope we get to see). I was already a huge fan of hers from her book Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), so of course I had to grab this one as well, being familiar with the storyline and all. Also, who doesn't love a good romance where someone became an all powerful ghost king just so they would be able to wait to see the person they love?

6) Scum Villain's Self Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I have no idea what it is about other than I heard it was MXTX roasting herself before anyone else got the chance. If memory serves, this one is actually her first that she wrote. Don't quote me, I could be wrong. It's just what I heard through the grapevine. I figured may as well get it alone with the other two and have all of her available works at hand. I am excited to see what it's about.

Wrap Up: 8

1) The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson - 4 stars for sure. I started this back in November for another readathon, but for the life of me I cannot remember what the readathon even was. Anyways, this book follows Immanuelle Moore, a young woman born in the village of Bethel. Bethel is a very strict place. More or less run by the church, everyone in Bethel follows rules set out for them by a man known as the Prophet. Then there is the Darkwood. A place forbidden for Bethelans to go into.  There is a rumor of witches that dwell within the forest that want nothing more than to corrupt the inhabitants of Bethel and turn them to the dark ways of the Mother. We follow Immanuelle as she unravels secrets about Bethel and her own birth. I adored the book. I loved how we learn more and more as Immanuelle herself learns. 

 

2) The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket - This was a reread. I read most of the series as a kid in middle school. I don’t actually remember if I made it all the way to volume 13 or not. I have distinct memories of getting volume 8 from my library and that’s it. I read this for the 2021 Shelf Space Reindeer Games bingo board under the prompt “What Child Is This?: Read a Middle Grade” because it was literally the only middle grade I could think of that I haven’t read yet this year that I own. I did like it, but there were definitely points where it registered that it was not meant for someone over the age of say 14 at best. There were a lot of instances where it was confusing. An example of this would be when Klaus says he and Violet could get jobs. I’m not sure when they are set, but I highly doubt anyone would hire a 12 year old and a 14 year old, despite any of their natural talents. 

3) Lore Olympus #1 by Rachel Smythe - Aaaaah it was so good. I loved it. We really see how possessive Demeter is of her daughter in this book and we get to know just how lecherous, that’s not the right word, but it’s the one I got, Zeus and Poseidon are. I enjoyed how they ruthlessly teased their elder brother even when he was very clearly not in the mood for it. I feel bad for Hades. The whole story is set in like some modern alternate universe where Olympus and the Underworld are their own unique cities and the gods dwell within these cities. We follow Persephone as she goes out and ends up being abandoned with Hades, not really abducted. It was well written. I love that Cerberus is not his only dog either. Hades definitely strikes me as a businessman. He gives off the vibes of someone who will protect whomever he is married to. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series to see where it goes from here. 

4) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui - I think this book was based on a manga or anime series? Or possibly both. In either event it went way too quickly for my taste. Something was not quite sitting with me right when they would almost speedrun through scenes. She goes from not really having any kind of emotional attachment to her one friend to bawling hysterically because she loves him and he's going away. What is that? This one got a 2 from me because it was just garbage. I think the original manga/anime version would probably make sense.

5) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - It was...it was interesting. Once I got past the first few chapters, which I found dry and boring, I really got into it. The action picked up and you kind of had to follow Wade and the others through this literally life-threatening situation. I didn't understand quite how the power worked if they were in the middle of a global energy crisis, where were they getting enough power to even use the stuff? It kept me on the edge of my seat when they got closer to the prize though. I'm glad Wade made friends, though. I'm highly considering getting Ready Player Two just to see how it compares to the first book in the series.

6) Scum Villain's Self Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I think I read this over the course of two days. It was really interesting. The translation left a bit to be desired, but I won't fault them for it. We follow Shen Yuan, who gets transmigrated into the plot of a novel he disliked greatly. He becomes one of the supporting characters, the leader of a branch of the sect known as Shen Qingqiu. He is given the mission of changing the plotline to something he would like more and that's about as much information as we have. It was definitely a very unusual start to a series and I'm going to have to order the next when it comes out so I can find out if he even accomplishes his goal or not.

7) Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I love this. It was well written, and mostly well translated. Some things got a bit lost or mixed up in the translation, but it didn't take away from the story at all. I liked the way some people recognized him immediately while others were entirely clueless about his current identity. I look forward to getting the rest of the books in the series and continuing on.

8) Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - It was amazing. I enjoyed it greatly. I liked how even though no one trusted or liked Xie Lian, he didn't let that stop him. He kept doing what was right and what he thought he had to regardless of the opinions of anyone else around him. It was funny how quickly he figured out Hua Cheng and how he didn't let on that he was aware that it was him. The book follows the donghua right to the end, so I'm very much interested in the next volume to see where it goes from there.

2021 Fourth Quarter Review

I know I didn't do this for the second or third quarter. They were both fairly intense. Moved to a new county and had an interesting time getting everything set up. However, that is no excuse to not do the fourth. So here we go!

1. Read 100 books - I got to 92 books completed for the year. Not bad all things considered. Hopefully I'll make it in next year's goal now that I am (hopefully) not moving anywhere else. I'm glad that I did reach more than 90.

2. Buy fewer books - I did manage this one despite being closer to two big box stores. I rarely go out to the bookstores now or order online unless it's something I really want. It has definitely been an effort in self-control, but I am glad I am managing it. 

3. Use Kindle more - This one did kind of fall by the wayside. I kept losing the actual Kindle, and forgetting I have the Kindle app on my phone. This will be a better goal for 2022.

4. Do not force reviews - I kind of don't? I post my really basic thoughts, but I don't go in depth any more with like multiple paragraph reviews unless I have something to say. 

5. Restart reading blog - We can definitely call this one a success. I started my blog back up and have been keeping up with it pretty decently for someone with mild forgetfulness. 🙃 

6. Stick to TBR - Kind of? With the exception of various reading challenges, I'm not actually doing that much reading outside of my to be read. Another definite success for 2021.

7. Keep track of Hauls, TBRs, and Wrap-ups - You all were present for the update to my Haul & Wrap-Up change. That worked well. I may change it back to the old way, I may not. Time will tell. 

8. Read Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - This one was a flop. I made it...I don't know, 16% of the way in and just...stopped. I'm not even sure where in the book pile my copy even ended up. Hopefully I so better with next year's big book of the year.

Best and Worst of 2021

I thought I would take the time to work out my top best and worst reads for the year. I got through a fair number of reads, but I'm not going to tax myself too much. I'll just do the top 5 of each. With that said, these are in no particular order, just in what came to mind. Let us begin...

Best

- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - I enjoyed the way it was written and how long it took for Addie to figure out the reason why the young man could remember her. I got this one from Book of the Month and I am so glad I did. It was good. 

- The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - I loved it. The dual timeline was something else. I found the way we were told what the people in the modern era believed versus what actually happened. I felt bad for Caroline and what caused her to end up alone in London in the first place, but the story itself was brilliant. I am definitely going to look into more books in the future by Sarah Penner. 

- Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - I bought this on a whim during a spike in my Voltron obsession. I remember that. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it nearly as much as I did. It was brilliant. You just get tossed right into the middle of things. I believe we start with them discovering Aurora in the midst of a battle. Nothing gets better from there. We follow them through one harrowing event after another from being trapped with what I can only imagine as like some big feral dinosaur looking thing to having to outmaneuver a political opponent. It was great. I've been keeping my eye out for the sequels. 

- She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - This was one of the few books I preordered this year. I love Disney's Mulan and this is like a retelling of the original ballad. We follow an unnamed young girl as she takes on the life of her deceased brother and tries to live up to his destiny of greatness. She refused to be nothing, so she took the greatness for herself. It was wonderfully written and full of intrigue. 

- Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I had been waiting for this book for a long time and it did not disappoint. Stumbled across the live action adaptation by accident (and watched it all the way through). When I heard there was a novel it was based on, I was quite upset to discover it was only in Chinese. I was one of the people rallying for an English edition so I could read it. Oh my is it so different from the live. It's pretty well in line with the donghua though (not sure about the radio program, as I've never seen it). I love how Wei Wuxian is both a genius and the dumbest one in the room at the same time. I am looking forward to the rest of the volumes. 

Worst

- All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace - Over the course of this not very grueling journey, they barely learn anything and seemed almost surprised when the villain beats them soundly. They literally had no training and were squaring off with someone who had spent more than a decade preparing. In a real world situation, the four would probably have died quite quickly. Not one of them had military training. What made them think they stood even half a chance? It reads like a debut novel of someone who had never read that genre before in their life. 

- American Witches by Susan Fair - I....yeah. The tagline of this is that it's a broomstick tour through four centuries. It is not. It is through ~2 centuries with a smattering of 1999 thrown in. Susan Fair talks almost exclusively about the 1600s and 1800s. I was expecting there to be something about modern witchcraft, or the witchcraft revival of the 1950s. No. She literally just babbles for a while about the Salem witches and then talks about her interview with a mayor about a movie? It was not what I thought I was going to get nor was it what I wanted. The tone was way too sarcastic. Clearly Ms. Fair is just making fun of what was perceived as witchcraft in colonial America.

- Sweet Dreams by [someone or other] - Not even remotely what I had been expecting. According to the synopsis, we are getting this cute story about a little girl who is afraid to sleep because she doesn't want to miss out on what happens when she is not there, so her mother tells her fantastical stories about things she could dream about. We are then to follow the little girl as she dreams. Nope. We get 10 pages of text and 13 pages of illustrations, which the art gives us more of the story than the text did. I can't even remember what culture we are meant to be shown (according author, it's the Mayan/mestizo culture).

- Tales of Pennsylvania by Thomas White - This could have just been done better. Some of the tales were very very short. Like one or two sentences at best, meaning they weren't tales so much as a passed along rumor. I also would have liked if they had done more eastern Pennsylvania things. There seemed to be a lot more for southwestern Pennsylvania than any other part. I liked that it was a bunch of tales set here where I live, but I mean, come on. I'm sure there are many many more tales you could have used from across the entire state to balance it out more. 

- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui - I think this is a novelization of a manga series? In which case that explains much. The plot seemed to moved just far too quickly for it to make any nature of sense. We go from barely being friends with some teen that we know well, to being in love with an eleven-year-old boy in the course of what feels like five minutes. Never mind the fact that the teenager and the eleven-year-old are the same person. I didn't care for the plot...or what was meant to be a plot that just kind of didn't work. 

2022 Bookish Resolutions~

I am going to post up my 2022 Resolutions, and see if I can actually stick to them this year. I've been doing better and better to actually not break them. Hopefully this is the year that all goes according to plan! 

1. Read 100 books - I got to 92 books completed last year. I kept changing my goal and with moving it became a bit of a challenge to even find time to read. Now that I'm settled in the new apartment, with most of the moving done (bookshelves are presently living in the minivan until I make the room for them to go up), I figure I'll have plenty of time to actually get more done!

2. Buy fewer books - I want to read more of my own books as opposed to buying new ones. Granted, I don't count Book of the Month toward this, because it's one to three books a month that I pay a subscription fee for. So any books purchased outside of that will go toward the soft ban.

3. Use Kindle more - I own two of them and have the app on my phone and tablet, yet I barely read any ebooks. I want to start using it more so I am making myself only use the Kindle when I'm out of the house. I will take my Kindle (a 2011 Kindle Touch 4th gen) and one print book with me. Hopefully I can start talking myself into more Kindle books read. 

4. Do not force reviews - I really only write short short reviews for like Instagram and StoryGraph, but I won't force myself to write multiple paragraph reviews unless I really have something to say about the book, whether that be gushing about it or complaining mercilessly. 

5. Stick to TBR - Another goal that is easy enough to stick to. I tend to make short TBRs for the month, with the exception of say April 2022, where we will get the Orilium readathon prompts. Other than that, yeah, it will be easy to stick to a 6-9 book TBR each month. 

6. Keep track of Hauls, TBRs, and Wrap-ups - I have set aside specific areas of my journals and reading blog to keep track of these things. I think I'm doing pretty well over all right now, as I have been keeping the records. My only issue now will be remembering to post said hauls, TBRs, and wrap-ups. 

7. Put away $5 for every book read - This is a two-fold goal: First, it will spur me to actually read more as I want to see the number get higher. Second, it will also help me put away money for the future since I intend to keep the money that I save reading in my savings account. 

8. Keep up with Bookstagram - Okay. Hear me out. I want to better use the Instagram subcategory of Bookstagram. I started doing this last year, and kind of fell off the wagon. In the bio, I will track what book I am reading and in the main feed I can put wrap-up piles, haul piles, TBR piles, and short reviews of books as I read them with like "Book 1: [Insert Title and Author Here] of 2022" and "Book 24: [Insert Title and Author Here] of 2022" and then my thoughts. I have a plan!

9. Read The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan - I just pick one gigantic book each year and try to read it over the course of the whole year. This year it's Robert Jordan. I found this glorious 30th anniversary edition of the first book in the Wheel of Time series and now I am reading that one for the year. Here's hoping I can even get through it without stopping like I did with Les Mis. 

January 2021 To-Be-Read

We are going to try. Hopefully this goes well! The general idea is to post 6 books each month, just like last year > 3 physical, 2 digital, and 1 audio. Those will be the books that I must finish that month (or at least try to anyway). Any books I don't finish from the month will just be put on the next month's TBR to be finished. 

Bonus books are always allowed. If I say, finish all my physical tbr books and start another one, that's fine. It will just become the hold-over book if I don't finish it in the month! With that in mind, let's go~

Physical

1. Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward - I started this back in December of 2021, and as I've made it exactly 31% of the way through before the end of the month...I figured I would just toss it onto the To Be Read pile for next year. It is pretty good so far in what I've read. Far more complicated than I had originally thought. This is Mr. Ward's debut fantasy novel and boy did he come out swinging. I look very forward to finishing it. Really I shouldn't be surprised. It's an Orbit book and I adore Orbit publications. 

2. The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart - My other holdover from December. Also, ironically, another Orbit. This one is also an epic fantasy. First book in the Drowning Empire series. It is pretty good. I'm just about a quarter of the way in now and I am enjoying what I read so far. I'm wondering if we will get an explanation for the bone shard magic? Like how it came to exist in the first place and what the intended purpose of it was. Also why it needs to come from the source it does. So many questions that I hope to get answered!

3. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - I think I started this once, a long time ago. I had originally borrowed it from my library. I can't remember a thing about it though and thought I'd give it another go. I got my own copy from the local bookstore...early 2021? Late 2020? I don't remember. All I know for sure is that I have had it for about a year now and still haven't read it. So, it's going up on my TBR for January~ 

Digital

4. Critical Failures by Robert Bevan - Another book I've had for quite some time. I believe I picked this one up from FreeBooksy, an online service that sends like a mini catalogue of free or discounted books from various sites. This one was one of their LGBT+ selections (this one is M/M, I do have an F/F one called, ironically Critical Hit). I am interested in this to see how they go about it as they poke fun at a game I have been playing for years. The central theme is love over Caverns & Creatures (a play on Dungeons & Dragons, surely). It looks quite amusing. 

5. Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee - No clue. I just saw the cover, thought it was pretty and wanted to read it. I haven't any idea what it's about other than what I think is a fantastical Asian-themed nation? There was a picture of what looks like a giant mech dragon on the cover. I've got another book by Yoon Ha Lee. I think the main character in this is nonbinary? I don't recall. But I do know they use they/them pronouns, so it is likely they are either nonbinary or genderfluid. I will definitely let you know when I know~

Audio

6. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso - It just takes me a while to actually get through audiobooks. I don't walk to and from work any more, so I don't get that 30-45 minutes of solitude. Nor do I really have the time to just go for a walk around the block or anything. I mostly listen while I'm on the way down to like my family's house or doing housework. I started this audiobook in December and it's amazing (and another Orbit book). I want to start listening more and finish it!!

Currently Reading: 19 December to 25 December 2021

 Currently Reading

- Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (21%)

- The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso (20%)

- The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (19%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

92/100

* * *

Hello my darlings~

I realize now that I won't finish the books I'm on for the challenge. That's okay. I still had fun. I got close! If I hadn't gone with Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward early on, I may have done more. It's my own fault for choosing a large book that I knew I wouldn't be able to finish in a month. Ah well. We will just work on finishing it in January. 

You noticed my post is a day late (as if it's never been a month or better late...)? It was Christmas here and I was not in my own house most of the day. Ended up spending a fair amount of time with my mother and my sister, building Legos. It was a good day. I didn't get any books, which means I will have to just buy my own. I will wait though, and get them on Epiphany (Jan. 5th). 

I wasn't gifted any books (yet) this holiday season, nor was I gifted any cards I could use at the bookstore. Perhaps people are realizing that with the current state of my living room that I shouldn't get more books until I downsize what I already own....or at least put the shelves up. Who knows? 

Not much else to update you on this time. I bought myself a new calendar for 2022 that is a reading themed one with boxes for your daily page count. I fully intend to make use of it. It even has a section for a mini review. I think I'm going to use it for one new read of the month. Not whichever book is a holdover from the previous month. So like in January, it will be for Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan, which is the print book that I'm reading new, and not Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward, or The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, which are both from December. 

Well, I'll leave you go for now. See you in a week~

Currently Reading: 05 December to 18 December 2021

 Currently Reading

- Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (21%)

- The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso (20%)

- The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (19%)

- Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (33%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

90/100

* * *

There has been a little bit of editing as far as books go for the readathon, because I know there is no way I'll be able to finish that many HUGE books in December alone. I'm jumping Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward, which has 758 pages, over to 500+ page book and instead of An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington, I'm going to read The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter. It features a monarchy. Reducing the amount of pages I have to read by a fair amount and putting something interesting on my reading list. This way I have more of a chance to actually finish at least one bingo line. Been listening to The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso.  

• White Christmas: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

• Taming of the Scrooge: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

• Oh, Tannenbaum: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

• We Three Kings: Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

• Jingle Bells: The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

• Feliz Navidad: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui

• Do You Even Dreidel, Bro: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

• A Long Winter’s Night: Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

• All I Want for Christmas: Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

• Chestnuts Roasting on the Open Fire: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

• Remember, Remember: Enchantée by Gita Trelease

• Not the Gumdrop Buttons!: Edie in Between by Laura Sibson 

• Tis the Season: Scum Villain's Self Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

• What Child is This?: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

• Snow Miser: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

• Nightmare Before Christmas: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 

• First Noel: The Boneshard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

• Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

• Celebrate Around the World: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

• Fifty Shades of Sleigh: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

• Christmas in July: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

• The Solstice Approaches: Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

• Festivus: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

• Light a Hanukkah Candle: Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boully

• Last Christmas: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski 

I think so far I'm not doing so bad. Got a bunch of books together to be able to finish rather quickly enough. I'll go through them again to make sure, but yeah. If I manage to actually read before and after work, then I can get through many more than I normally would have.

As you can also see, some of the book have changed as well. I got three books I've been DYING for in the mail on the 14th, and I absolutely had to find ways to work them in. The very second I heard that Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation was being released in English (by Seven Seas Publishing, whom I am a fan of), I raced to the preorder links to get it. I'm so excited. 

Currently Reading: 28 November to 04 December 2021

 Currently Reading

- Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (10%)

- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui (21%)

- The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (07%)

- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (05%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

87/100

* * *

Somehow I don't want to think I've read 11 books in a week, but then I went hog wild with manga and I read a few standard novels, so it's entirely possible that I did read 11 in a week. I read like 6 on Monday alone. I am proud of myself for actually getting so far in such a short amount of time. I'm only behind by six books now! I can totally make that up at my current reading speed. 

Not sure if I mentioned this before now, but NaNoWriMo was definitely a flop this year. I think I got about 19k words before the end of the month? I don't even remember. I know I got a good start on like character profiles and stuff, and the background plot, but then it just sort of died. I will continue working on my idea in December though, so that's good. Maybe I'll finish filling out all the character profiles and stop adding more characters. I think I'm up to 43 that need descriptions? I don't remember. 

I found a new reading challenge that I'm going to take part in in December: 2021 Shelf Space Reindeer Games.

I know it's a bit hard to read, but they are doing a bingo board. For each bingo you get, you are entered to win an Amazon gift card. I don't recall how much it's worth, nor do I particularly care. This will definitely help me to just spur my reading and maybe hit my upped goal of 100 books. As I said earlier, I'm only down by 6 now. 

So far I've taken out 3 of the prompts. I'm on track to hit a 4th today. I've already completed "What Child Is This?", "Fifty Shades of Sleigh", and "The Solstice Approaches". If I keep up the pace after I'm done with my blog post, I'll be able to knock "Feliz Navidad" off the list as well, as I'm reading a rather short book that was originally published in Japanese. Here are the prompts and the books I've chosen for each one: 

• White Christmas: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

• Taming of the Scrooge: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

• Oh, Tannenbaum: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

• We Three Kings: Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

• Jingle Bells: The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

• Feliz Navidad: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui

• Do You Even Dreidel, Bro: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

• A Long Winter’s Night: An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington 

• All I Want for Christmas: Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

• Chestnuts Roasting on the Open Fire: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

• Remember, Remember: Enchantée by Gita Trelease

• Not the Gumdrop Buttons!: Edie in Between by Laura Sibson 

• Tis the Season: Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

• What Child is This?: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

• Snow Miser: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

• Nightmare Before Christmas: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 

• First Noel: The Boneshard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

• Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

• Celebrate Around the World: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

• Fifty Shades of Sleigh: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

• Christmas in July: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

• The Solstice Approaches: Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

• Festivus: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

• Light a Hanukkah Candle: Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boully

• Last Christmas: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski 

Not exactly a fully manageable list, but definitely not that terrible. I can get through a decent number of them before the month is out and I can put a few on my TBR for January then. 

I'm still going with the first version of a TBR I had thought of, too. 6 total, 3-2-1. 3 physical, 2 digital, 1 audio. That seems like the best for me as far as planned TBR goals go. I will always allow myself to read outside of it, but I want to try to aim for structure! I even dug my Kindle out from under my bed to charge and use again (especially at work). 

I guess that's it for now. I will see you all again next weekend!

November 2021 Book Haul & Wrap Up

So far so good. I think right now November is my best month in the back half of the year. I've been reading a little more than I usually would. I'm also keeping myself accountable!!

Haul: 3

1) Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker - When I read the description (and shared it with friends), it was agreed that this book sounded very much like Bleach fanfiction. I needed it. I absolutely was enamored with the art and the synopsis and had to add it to my collection of books. 

2) Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward - Do I have any idea why I wanted this? Nope. None at all. I saw it when I was browsing the fantasy section and the synopsis kind of just struck me. We follow a few different POVs of people who are either out to keep the status quo or to turn it on its head. I'm not sure yet who I root for more (I'm only just now on page 81/780). 

3) Heartstopper #1 by Alice Oseman - I've been hearing about this for a while, but hadn't gotten a copy of it until now. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. It started as a webcomic, which I'm admittedly terrible at keeping up with. I'll get distracted by other interests and just sort of forget. I always look forward to when one I'm interested in is suddenly printed as a graphic novel. 

Wrap Up: 13

1) Servamp #1 by Strike Tanaka - Purchased on a whim from a friend of mine back in...uh, probably somewhere near April (before I moved), I finally got around to actually reading this series. Or at least as much of it as I own. We follow Shirota Mahiru after he finds and "adopts" this little black cat. Turns out that cat is a type of vampire known as a Servant Vampire, or Servamp for short. Because Mahiru gave him something and named him, he is now the master of that particular Servamp. I loved the way it was told. It was interesting reading about this kind of vampire and the powers they have. 

2) Servamp #2 by Strike Tanaka - In this volume, we meet Tsubaki, who for all the world just looks like an evil Shigure Sohma to me? Though I'm sure had I read Servamp first, Shigure would look like Tsubaki. Anyways, we get a lot more to go on in this one than in the others. Still definitely good reading and worth it for the storyline. 

3) Servamp #3 by Strike Tanaka - Not really saying much more about the plot from here on out, because you will kind of need to start at the beginning to know what's going on. It was pretty good. The plot thickened. I did start to struggle a little here, not wanting to continue with a lack of excitement going on. I powered through, though!

4) Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker - Definitely worth the read. I loved it. Following Ren on a harrowing journey with her brother was just the book I needed to get me moving on my own reading. It actually spurred me into reading well, as many books as I did. I was impressed by her resolve and loved how she just kept going despite the threat almost everyone posed to her. I will be keeping my eye out for more books by Ms. Baker in the future. 

5) Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson - This one was...interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect with the title, but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't at all bad. Not exactly what I thought it would be though. Imagine the story of Theseus, only told in modern times. It was worth the read. I think I read it for a readathon, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what readathon it was. I enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of Ariadne instead of through Theseus. I think it was a unique spin to the legend of the Minotaur and it definitely is going on my favorites of the year. 

6) Heartstopper #1 by Alice Oseman - It was beautiful. I naturally have already forgotten all of their names. Nick and Charlie are the main protagonists and I loved their development and slow burn kind of romance. I felt bad that Charlie was being pressured by what's his face, but I'm definitely glad it worked out in the end. Charlie deserves better. 

7) Servamp #4 by Strike Tanaka - It took me a bit to get to this one. I think I was getting a little burnt out on reading manga, but I powered through. We get more history on other places and people and it was good. I rather enjoyed it once I passed the halfway point. 

8) Servamp #5 by Strike Tanaka - I don't know what to say. I liked it, but I don't want to spoil it.

9) Servamp #6 by Strike Tanaka - I don't know what to say. I liked it, but I don't want to spoil it.

10) Servamp #7 by Strike Tanaka - I don't know what to say. I liked it, but I don't want to spoil it.

11) Servamp #8 by Strike Tanaka - I don't know what to say. I liked it, but I don't want to spoil it.

12) Servamp #9 by Strike Tanaka - I don't know what to say. I liked it, but I don't want to spoil it. (This is what happens when I don't review them as I finish them. I have no idea what to say about the books!)

13) Servamp #10 by Strike Tanaka - The final volume I happen to possess of this manga series at the moment. I cannot get into much in the way of detail for spoiling it. It was definitely good and I am definitely going to be going right to the manga section of my local bookstores to see if I can find #11 to see what happens with Mahiru and the others. I need to know!!