January 2024 To Be Read

So I'm bringing this back as well, the To Be Read that I sometimes posted and sometimes didn't post. You never truly knew what I was going to do....in the spirit of starting over in the new year, let's bring back some old posts!

Print

1. Y/N by Esther Yi - I've seen this one a few times between Booktok and Booktube and it looked absolutely bananas. A young Korean-American girl abroad is obsessed, hardcore, with this K-Pop band called Moon. When she learns that one of it's members goes missing, she takes it upon herself to go to Seoul and look for him. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen and I am so excited to actually read this. 

2. The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone - I'm already reading this one, but I doubt I'll finish it by the end of the night on 31 December 2023, so I put it on my January 2024 To Be Read. We follow Micah Dalton, a 'cleaner' for the CIA as he learns about something within the agency itself that goes very deep and gets him potentially into more trouble than he is equipped to deal with. It looks really good. 

3. Mercury by Amy Jo Burns - It's set in a PA river valley town. I live in a PA river valley town. I can't wait to see just how close to home this hits. It follows a girl as she moves in with family members to escape from something and then meets the three brothers next door and then what develops from there. Sounds fairly exciting to me. 

Digital

4. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - I know this is about a transgender boy who wants to be a brujo and prove himself to his family and he accidentally summons the spirit of his bully instead of the spirit he was trying to. Then they have to go on some kind of adventure to send the spirit back before its too late? I don't recall. I know someone from one of the reading servers I'm in suggested it, so I'm going to put it at the top of my list for January. 

5. The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan - I had started this within the last three weeks of the year and hadn't made it far. I don't remember what it is about, but as is current RAW, we just moved it to the next month's TBR and will continue it from there. 

Audio

6. The Will of the Many by James Islington - I am still working my way through this. I don't listen to audiobooks as much as I used to, so of course it's going to take me months to get through a 28 hour audiobook. I am making steady progress and plan to try to listen more throughout the month!!!

2024 Reading Resolutions

It's that time again where I post a list of resolutions for myself that I only mostly adhere to. I wish other lists were as easy to keep up with as this one is! With no further adieu, let's get into it!

1. Meet/exceed my reading goal for the year - This year I decided to keep it somewhat simple and set my goal for 72 books. Something I'm sure I can reach and I will feel great when I read over the goal. Anything more is almost beyond my capabilities as a reader at the current level I am at. 

2. Review all of the books I read - I had this same goal last year and I think I got nearly 100% completion on it. I realized I didn’t actually post my review for a few books, but I did write them...

3. Finish IT by Stephen King - I started this book in November 2023, and figure if I read at least 50 pages a day, I will finish it around the middle of January. I've been trying to read this book for years and I keep starting and stopping it, even though I am enjoying the story. Makes no sense that I haven't read it.

4. Stick to my book buying restriction - It's not so much a "ban" (I could never stick to one of those anyway) on book buying. I think a restriction is necessary. I have hardly any room in my house. I am only allowing myself to purchase one (1) new book for every three (3) books that I read (this will also give me the money for your average paperback). 

5. Stick to my TBR - I'm not actually very bad at this one any more. I go through and select books I am actually interested in reading. I want to build up my ability to follow through. We will be retaining the 3-2-1 method for TBRs. 3 Physical/2 Digital/1 Audio.

6. Keep track of Hauls, Unhauls, TBRs, and Wrap-Ups - More for myself than anything else. I like to keep track of what I've already done. Be it in the form if hand writing or keeping digital records elsewhere. 

7. Put away $5 for every book finished - This goal is to help me build and maintain my savings. Each time I finish a book, I will put $5 into my Growth account.

8. Read the Book of the Month Selection every month - The third Physical book of the month for every month will be that month's choice for Book of the Month. I've been slacking in my reading. I may even add more to the TBR until I've read all of my selections from the past.

9. Allow DNFs to happen - Sometimes you just don't like a book or connect to it. I will be giving myself until 15-20% of the book to decide if I want to continue it. 

10. Make use of PangoBooks to unhaul - Something new in 2024. I'm going to start using PangoBooks more to get rid of the books that I no longer want. Just because they are not for me, does not mean someone else will not want them. There are no nearby Free Little Libraries near me, and the local public is not [currently] accepting donations, so PangoBooks it is.

Currently Reading 10 - 31 December 2023

Currently Reading

- The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill (21%)

- Keys to Perception by Ivo Dominguez, Jr (05%)

- IT by Stephen King (37%)

- The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone (58%)

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan (03%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (44%) 

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

87/72

(121%)

* * *

2023 actually went fairly well as far as my reading went. Some months kind of didn't see as high a quantity of books, but those were also the months were I was reading larger books. So I am still counting it as brilliantly done. I'm proud of myself for hitting the number that I did. I've seen people get all twisted up about not hitting their goal of 200+ books and panicking because they still have like 20+ to go? Be happy you read what you did. Who really cares if you read 1 book or 100? You still read something. 

I keep starting books without finishing what I'm reading now. I have to nip that in the bud before it becomes too big of a problem. Perhaps starting in 2024, I will limit myself to not being allowed to start a book until I finish one. No more than four on the go at any given time (grandfathering in what I'm already reading, of course). That way I can also kind of not end up with 16 books on my currently reading list again. Even four is a bit much. Time will tell if I keep that up. 

I'm going to continue on with the old plan of putting away money each time I finish a read. If I just hit my goal, and nothing else, I'll make $360 for the year reading. I'm deciding between flat out withdrawing the money from the bank at the end of the week/month, or allowing it to build up in my savings. But the bank likes to autodefault to the wrong account if I happen to overdraft. I keep money in the other for that....ah well, we will see if we can change that. 

Christmas was not a disappointment this year literarily speaking. I didn't get books, but then I haven't since I was like twelve. I did, however, get bookish items. I got a new coffee mug with a print of books all around it and a little bookish lamp thingy. I've been using it as a nightlight. Dad thought I was going to hate the items because they are not what he had thought they would be. I thought they were perfect. I'm always down for a little chaos in one's things. Perfection is for the birds. 

As per usual, Barnes & Noble did their end of year hardback sale. They changed it up this year. Instead of a blanket 50% off all hardbacks, they did 33% off all hardbacks, with the bonus 10% for Premium members. Then you got $20 in rewards for every $50 spent (I think they owe me $60? I spent $151....) and you get the points for it on top of that. So like, you get a much better deal out of it than just a straight 50%. I went on Thursday the 28th. And walked away with a total of 11 books. I think the ones I'm most excited for are The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill (which I've already started) and Y/N by Esther Yi. The first one has the short story for the Blumhouse movie of the same name that I saw and loved. The second follows a girl obsessed with a member of a K-Pop band and what happens when he goes missing. 

Hmm...what else happened in the last, what 3 weeks? I sold a few more books online at my PangoBooks shop, which you can see here. I have been getting better at unhauling books that I don't think I'll ever read, or ever read again. Between putting them up for sale and taking them to the nearest Free Little Library. I think it's a win/win, too. Since I plan to keep the money that I earn in the app there to use it for bookish purchases. Feels like I'm not spending anything on books when in reality it's like $2? For a bubble envelope. 

I guess that's it for now. I will see you all in the new year. Have blessed new year and may all your dreams come true!!

Best and Worst of 2023

I'm changing it up slightly this year. Instead of the top 10 Best and 5 Worst, I'm just going to do 5/5. Makes my counting easier. So let's get into it!

Top 5 Best Books

1) The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne - One of the first books I even read in 2023. I half read the physical book and half listened to the audiobook. The narrator was brilliant. I adored the way he brought the characters to life. It was so good, that I immediately went out and bought the next volume of this series, and the first book in the Faithful and the Fallen series. (I have yet to read either)

2) Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - I am a huge fan of Scooby-Doo (I've seen the various cartoons, I have owned and read a few of the novelizations, I once had a talking Scooby-Doo toy). So I was definitely interested in this. It was just as goofy as I was hoping it would be. I adored the Weimariner, Tim, and his methods of helping his friend out of a tough situation. I liked the jokes and how they interacted with each other. I believe this was my first 5-star read of the year and everything. 

3) A Song of Sin and Salvation by L.H. Blake - I know full well that this is a thinly disguised Eddie x Chrissy novel. Eddie is my favorite character. The story itself was also really good. I loved the way Rebecca and James were portrayed. You could really connect with them. The girl who is being basically groomed by her parents/church and the boy who is villified for the sake of being different, despite being the sweetest man in the whole town (and the most understanding). I am looking forward to any new L.H. Blake books. 

4) Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Yeah, I fell into the hype train. It was worth it though. I wanted to kick Xaden many times. With a steel-cap boot. While I'm not for the "chosen-one" trope, this one actually had it work out really well. I liked how Violet is really good at what she does. She definitely did not want to do it. It was well written.

5) Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - Great big villain is too big of a chicken to tell the girl he likes that he likes her. I loved how they kept up this almost 'will they won't they' thing going that was entirely one sided. I am excited to get my paws on the sequel and find out what happens to the characters and where we go from here. Now that they know how each other feels and whatnot. It was wonderfully written and Ms. Maehrer is now on my list of autobuy authors.

Top 5 Worst Books of 2023

1) Wicka by Christy Deveaux - I thought I was getting into something good. It is based on a magickal family/community. It was dumb. I absolutely couldn't understand why this was written at all. I don't even remember much about it at this point, other than I didn't care for it. I read it back in March and disliked it so much that I didn't bother rating it. 

2) The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman - I hated this. The characters were way too wrapped up in themselves to really worry about what was going on with each other. It was so ridiculous that just talking to each other could have solved all of the problems and dropped the book down to like, five whole pages. Forget miscommunication trope, this was flat out no communication. One of them was so wrapped up in what she wanted that she wasn't even really listening to anything anyone else was saying. I unhauled the book immediately after finishing it.

3) Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour - It was just weirdly bad. I didn't even dislike the book. I have virtually no opinion on it. It wasn't memorable in the slightest. The best review I could even come up with was "Well, I read it..." because it was just that meh. 

4) The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - This one was just all kinds of ick for me. I couldn't take the way the 'eaters, as they call themselves, treated humans and then female 'eaters and then the mind-eaters who had absolutely no control over it. It was just horrible on so many levels that I didn't even want to keep the book in my possession any longer than was necessary. 

5) Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo - This book seemed to be more about prohibition than the reported LGBT+ that it claimed itself to be. We got her questioning herself a little, but that was it. They barely explored the relationship of the girls. More emphasis was put on the "illegal" bar and risk of a bust. I didn't much like it and I am glad it was only a library book. 

Currently Reading #1 [01 - 06 January 2024]

Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [49%]

- The Will of the Many by James Islington [59%]

- A Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [03%]

- Keys to Perception by Ivo Dominguez, Jr [05%]

- The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill [52%]

- Mercury by Amy Jo Burns [01%]

* * * 

Yearly Goal

2/72

[03%]

* * *

You'll notice that I've slightly changed how I title things. I've decided to update it a little and begin counting the blog posts. There is no real reason for this other than just so I can keep better track! I'm numbering them now in an effort to recall just which one I'm on. I know I'll forget so when I do, I will just put the time gap in them and update that way. I hope to keep up better with my reading blog this upcoming year. 

I have so many books are now on my 2024 reading list that I don't know what to do with myself. Right at the end of 2023, I purchased some new books and I am struggling with myself to not drop everything (even the books I'm more than halfway through) and read those instead. Barnes & Noble was doing the 2023 End of Year Hardback sale and of course I couldn't help myself and picked up a few [read: 11] new books. So many that I want to read that I am like eyeballing the stack. 

Someone on my Threads made a comment that I think was directed at me, but I'm not sure. They said that 'she is not well read, she is well bought' and I presume they were talking about me. Which, I'll be frank, is half true. I like buying books. I like being able to see a collection that is mine, that I own and no one else. I've heard it's a psychological response to poverty at a young age. You instinctively hoard things as an adult to fill that gap. However! In the same light, I [try to] only buy books I'm actually interested in reading. With one notable exception. The Poetic Works of Alexander Pope edited by [name], from 1859, which I only bought because it was in stunning condition and the seller only wanted $5 for it at the local flea market. Of course I wasn't turning that down. 

I had meant to curb my book acquisition in 2024, and I've already sort of broken it. 01 January 2024 was Stuff Your Kindle: Fantasy day. I looked through the list and ended up adding 23 books to my Kindle. I didn't actually pay for any of them, so I assume that means that they don't count toward my bookish restriction. I'm saying no, but it will make the Book Haul at the end of the month insanely long. Much longer than normal. Ah, to acquire free books. I love it. 

I've already finished 2 books for the year within the first 5 days of January. If I keep up this reading streak, I'll end the year with 104/72 [144%]. Which to me sounds brilliant!! I''m hoping to at bare minimum hit that 6-8 per month. That way I can at least get from 72-96. Something I can easily do! I am working on that now with several books that are quite interesting that I'm hoping to see the way to the end of. 

I've found a new thing that I like that will also definitely help in reaching my goals. Short story collections. I bought The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill (previously published as 20th Century Ghost Stories) during the B&N Hardback Haul, and I've been reading, or at least attempting to read one short story every night before I go to bed. I should be finished with it by the fifteenth? Then I'm kind of considering getting another out, one of the others that I have on the shelf that I've read maybe the first few of and never continued. Gonna start that as a habit. So far, it's been working. 

Um, nothing else exciting has happened. I'll see you all for the next installment in a week!!

December 2023 Wrap Up

Starting off December strong finishing a book on the first. Let's see if we can keep that momentum going and read a good chunk before the end of the year!!!

1: The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman - I didn't care for this. At all. Hannah was self-absorbed and just about destroyed her found family while trying to keep her found family from falling apart. She was so worried about keeping things exactly as they were from years past, that she never noticed how the people around her were chng and growing. I have since sold this.

2: Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour - I didn't like this one. December does not seem to be going well. It was dull. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't a good one either? The most accurate description I can give is "Yes, was book." I took literally nothing away from this read. 

3: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - Picking up on the slack, this one was a solid 4.5 stars. It was good. I enjoyed going back and forth in time in it. We weren't just told that Macy and Elliot had a history. We got to go live it. The resolution was worth it in the end. Sometimes, when you know, you know. 

4: Poems of Hate ed. by Rich Hazelton - This book came free with a purchase at BN, since I am a Premium member. I read it the same day I got it. It was surprisingly good. And that's coming from someone who doesn't normally read poetry. I will definitely now give its sister book, Poems of Love, a try!

5: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall – This was amazing. I loved the way he told the story. Both the Duke and Viola deserved so much better than what they got in the beginning. I loved reading the history of Gracewood and his friend and the reveal for him and how he must have felt the same kind of love the whole time. I'm proud of Viola for leaving her comfort zone and trusting that the people around her won't hurt her. She got the man of her dreams in the end. Very well written and I'm reasonably sure Lady Marleigh and Miranda de Vere are now my favorite characters.

6: Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - This was a really quick read. I loved the way we are shown that the lives of  "privileged" women in 15th-16th century China was not all that much better than that of their working class counterparts. If anything it was more restricted. Girls forced to bind their feet and maintain a 100% blemish free face in order to be able to marry, only being permitted outside of the family's compound to move into her husband's, having to answer to her mother-in-law at all times, even if it would cause harm. I'm glad we've moved away from that. I adored the way Yunxian helped her family however she could, knowing the risks she took. Especially when she basically stood up to the most powerful man in her entire country. She proved that women were more than just ornaments to be gawked at. I wholeheartedly recommend this. 

7: Pond Water by Brenda (FireEagle) Biddix - I didn't know what I was getting. This book left a lot to be desired. It rushed through the plot. Many places could have used a lot more development. They just jumped from scene to scene with kind of...no sense of direction.

December 2023 Book Haul

I am going to let myself have one last huge purchase in 2023. Then it's on to the book buying restriction (1:3). 

With that in mind, here's what I acquired during December!

1. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - My December choice for Book of the Month. I wasn't particularly interested in any of the other books available on the site, so I went with this one. I've heard a few good things about it and I'm curious if it will meet my expectations. I do like historical fiction set in China, so I have highish hopes for this one. 

2. The Tethering by Megan O'Russell - Some sort of isekai nonsense with a dude being suddenly thrust into a strange new world and falling in love with the local princess. Cheesy for sure, but still something amusing that I am looking forward to reading. I think it's even on one of my TBR lists this upcoming year. 

3. Forsaken Kingdom by J.R. Rasmussen - A fantasy novel about a Prince named Wardin who intentionally gives up his kingdom (and memories?) to protect them from certain destruction. Many years later his power and memories are unlocked and he goes on a mission to regain what is rightfully his. I like the sound of this. It's another that just sounds wonderfully suspenseful. 

4. Zombabe by I.S. Belle - LGBT zombies. Do I need to say more? Is it possible to? Henry dies and just two weeks before graduation, he's resurrected by Eugene, who he's got a crush on. Now chaos reigns as they freak out the townsfolk and try to sort out Henry's hunger and prevent him from going feral on the town. I can't wait. It looks silly. 

5. A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall - I went in with the intention of only getting the book a friend of mine had asked for. Which was certainly not this, but then I saw it and just had to have it. I do already know the basic idea behind it and am so looking forward to it. I want to see how the topic is handled. 

6. Poems of Hate by Rich Hazelton - I picked this at random from a table of free chap-books. It came with my purchase at the local Barnes & Noble. It looked the most interesting of the chap-books we didn't already own. 

7. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - All I know is that this is a political fantasy. My best friend, CH, told me about it while we were standing in the Fantasy section and I was like "Why not?" I'll try to put it on my February 2024 TBR. It has a character who grew up away from court who suddenly has to take command, and he has no idea what to do. 

8. The Black Phone by Joe Hill - I have seen the Blumhouse movie already (and will totally admit to Vance Hopper being my favorite), and I learned it was based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill. I've read his book The Fireman and loved it, so I wanted to give this one a go. 

9. Y/N by Esther Yi - Saw this reviewed on Booktok and heard it was an absolutely wild ride and of course I had to know. I got a brief synopsis all about some super obsessed fan going to look for a missing K-Pop idol or something. It sounded absolutely ridiculous and I had to have it. 

10. This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede - It looked interesting and tat's all I know. I had it on my BookOutlet and I found it in BN during the end of year hardback sale. I am pleased. 

11. A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli - I have never heard of this until I stumbled across it at BN. It follows a girl who has to solve/prevent her own murder? She helps the wrong guy to the throne or something and he kills her. She asks the gods to help her fix it. They send her back in time to undo the damage she has done. And solve her own murder (all cover flap info!) 

12. Spirits of the Dead by Keith Gilman - I saw it on the Horror endcap and was curious about it. Dude is like being chased by death and ends up having to make the impossible choice to save someone he loves. I can't wait to actually get into it. It will be going up fairly high on my 2024 TBR, there's no way I'm waiting until Autumn. 

13. Dragonfall by L.R. Lam - I'm literally just falling to the hype train. I have heard a lot about this, mostly that it's just a better version of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and they had only one copy remaining at the bookstore, so while in Rome, yeah? I figured I'd grab it during the sale and give it a try. 

14. Daughters of the Madurai by Rajasree Variyar - I've been looking at this for a few months. It follows girls from India who are not exactly....desired is the word I'm going to use. Much like in China, boys were prized and girls were considered bad. I think this follows some girls who were meant to have been 'disposed of' who were actually just sent off to other homes. I dunno. It looked interesting and I have been dying to try it. 

15. September House by Carissa Orlando - Okay, so I was born in September and I also like to annoy people in hopes they will go away. I presume that's what's going on here. The house is doing the haunting, not being haunted. I say it on Kayla's channel not all that long ago and I want to know what is going on. It looked wonderful. 

16. Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano - This island somewhere were they are stuck in 1994. I lived through 1994 (I was 5 at the time, but it counts), so I am very curious to see what sort of shenanigans he gets up to in the novel. I love the fact the cover is an old VHS tape. It is brilliant. I cannot wait. 

17. Atalanta by Jennifer Saint - I adored her other books, Ariadne & Elektra, so naturally I had to pick up the next book in her retellings of Greek mythological women. I like that she's also going for the moderately lesser known ones. You don't hear the stories of any of them as often as you hear Persephone, Circe, Medusa, Psyche....and the like. They kind of get lost in the sands of history. I am excited to read Atalanta and see what she does with it. 

18. Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun - I'm sure there was a good reason originally why I had this on my wishlist on Amazon (which is here if anyone is curious), but I do not remember what it even is. Either way I still picked it up because it looks beautiful and I cannot wait to get to it. Not a clue what it's about. Other than it's a fantasy. 

Currently Reading: 03 - 09 December 2023

Currently Reading

- Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour (65%)

- Making it So by Patrick Stewart (15%)

- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (59%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (44%)

- IT by Stephen King (29%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

81/72

(113%)

* * *

I haven't made much progress in the reading projects that I started, but that probably has something to do with the fact that I've been at work most of the day any more. And by the time I get home from work, all I do is rest for an hour, make dinner, then go to bed. I try to read as much as I can before I go to bed, but lord is it hard....that and the fact that the books I've started are either meh at best (but short so I'm pushing my way through) or LONG. I'm hoping to finish the books either in December 2023 or early in January 2024. 

My writing is on pause apparently for the end of the year. I just am so tired. I will start again in January for sure. I have a project that I want to restart and a few things that are due for edits and posting within the first week. I want to start up again before the end of the year to at least edit the chapters that will need to be posted. I have a few already up that will need to just be changed to Story vs DocX but other than that....yeah..

That's all for this week folks, I'll see you on the 16th! 

Currently Reading: 25 November to 02 December 2023

Currently Reading

- Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour (13%)

- IT by Stephen King (29%)

- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (13%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (44%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

81/72

(113%)

* * *

I finished a book on 01 December. And immediately put it up for sale because I did not like it. At all. It wasn't for me. The book wasn't written poorly or anything. I just couldn't stand the characters that were in it. They were so involved in themselves that they made it nearly unbearable. 

I've also really started getting into PangoBooks. I know that there are books I likely won't read again (or ever) so why not sell them off on a website dedicated to it? I've also come to the decision that any money earned on PangoBooks will be left as PangoBucks to spend on new books there. So there may suddenly be an uptick in books acquired from PB. Since I will use mostly the money generated there. At the end of the month I may withdraw to my PayPal or something, but I know I'm likely enough going to buy books anyway. 

I'm trying to get through the rest of my books on my reading list before December. Hopefully I can and then I can start fresh in 2024 with a brand new reading list. I'm not expecting that, but it's worth the shot. The book that I think is going to give me the most trouble is The Will of the Many because it's such a long audiobook. And I don't really listen as much as I read everything else. I tend to read print the most and then more digital than audio. I will prioritize it while I'm doing things that have me moving about.

I suppose that's all for now....I'll see you all in the next update~

December 2023 To Be Read

In keeping with tradition from the last few months, and actually doing the things, here is December 2023's To-Be-Read list! 

Print

1. IT by Stephen King - I started this book in November and just want to see if I can finish it or get close to finishing it. I'm starting in December at page 335/1153, so that's only 818 pages left to get through in December. I think I can handle it!! I fly through it when I actually sit down to read, so here's hoping. 

2. Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour - I picked this book up for $1 from PangoBooks and it's been sitting on my pile (not shelf) for the last two or three months. I cannot stand to just see this wee tiny thing on the top of the pile anymore. I will see if I like the book enough to continue the series. 

3. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - As is the [new] plan, this is my December 2023 Book of the Month selection. I didn't really jive with anything they had for Decemnber, so I went with an older title that looked interesting. I've heard nothing but good things about this so far and am greatly intrigued to see what the hype is all about. 

Digital

4. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - Another book from the book club I'm no longer in. I started it and it's really not that bad, I just don't read as fast as they do. I'm enjoying it so far. I'm starting December at 13% of the way in and hopefully I can get it done before the end of the month. 

5. The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan - I saw a request by the author for ARC readers for the next book in this series and I looked at the synopsis. This looks really intriguing and I cannot wait to find out what is going on. I'm definitely jumping right to it once I finish with my other book. 

Audio

6. The Will of the Many by James Islington - I am determined to finish this!! I started it in SEPTEMBER. I can't keep putting it off. Maybe I'll listen as I do housework or something. Keep myself immersed in the world and finish the dang book. I'm at 12:22/28:14. So....15:54 left to finish it. Not quite 16 hours. I really want to get to the end before January. I don't want to have to bring it over for another month. It's really good and I actually like it. 

December 2023 Book Unhaul

We are starting a new thing. I'm not sure if I'm going to post the books I'm getting rid of as I do it or once they are available online. I'll make up my mind eventually. If you're interested in any of the books you can find them here. I've been putting up more things as of late as I've come to realize that I am just hoarding books I'm never going to read/reread. 

1. The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman - I didn't like this book. Not quite enough to actually hate it, but enough that I did not want to reread it or even keep it on my shelf. It was one of the books for a book club that I am dropping from now (they read too fast for me to keep up). Hannah was so obsessed with her own happiness and keeping things exactly so, that she didn't even notice the damage she was causing. I get the feeling she has OCD/Autism combo and is definitely not diagnosed or being treated for it. I put the book up at like 08:15 and it was gone at 09:45. 

2. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce - Its one of the last books I had gotten from Once Upon a Book Club. I had absolutely no interest in reading it at all. It was nothing that was remotely close to my tastes in a book. Maybe someone else will like it more than I did.

3. Moon Magic by Diane Ahlquist - Picked it up at the local Pagan Pride Festival and was rather disappointed by it. I have absolutely no idea where she got the information for the zodiacs, because to my knowledge it was all wrong. Nothing she put made any sense. I don't see myself ever rereading this, so off it goes to someone else's shelves.

4. Writing as a Path to Awakening by Albert Flynn DeSilver - I don't really remember where I got this (probably library sale?), but after letting it stew in my mind for a little bit, I've come to realize I'm never going to actually read it. So....yeah. Going to put it up on Pango for someone else to pick up and enjoy. It just isn't for me. 

5. Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour - I didn't like it. KS will be like "I told you so" about it, but I want to experience something before deciding whether or not it is something for me. This was not it. Everything seemed to fall into place way too easily. I just couldn't believe people who didn't know this random man from the fens would start following him all over multiple continents. It made no sense. I'm glad I got this for cheap online ($1) so I'm not spending a lot on a book that I will never touch again.

6. Everyday Magic by Samra Haksever – I know I'll never read it again, so why put myself through the torture of keeping it? I have taken pictures of the handful of things I'm interested in and then the book can just go to a new home. I think it's time.

7. In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo – I read this book, and I thought it was rather good. I also know I'm not much of a contemporary literature fan and I'm highly unlikely to ever want to pick it up again unless a very specific set of circumstances occurs, so onto Pango it goes.

8. Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser – I remember reading this last year. I remember liking it okay. I have not thought about it since. I picked it up from the pile of books in my living room and went “Oh yeah, I forgot I had that....” which is kind of a signal to me that it's time to let it go. I've put it up on my Pango to hopefully let someone else who will have more interest in it get it. 

November 2023 Book Haul

I've managed to keep the book buying down, but the book borrowing is still pretty...well...yeah....I've at least managed to finish one of the books I've acquired already. It came in on the 2nd and I was done on the 4th. 

1. Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan - Eddie Munson is my absolute favorite character from Stranger Things. The second I saw the title up for pre-order I grabbed it. I didn't even need to wait to see who it was about or what the cover was. Anyone worth their salt would have known. Each book is given a song title that somehow relates back to the character that the book is about. Any metal fan would immediately recognize Iron Maiden's Flight of Icarus and know that it was Eddie.

2. The Root Witch by Debra Castaneda - A friend of mine has read this book in October and recommended that I get it. So clearly I couldn't pass it up when I saw it available for $0.00 through Kindle Unlimited. I have yet to start it, but it was on my possibilities list anyway. Hopefully SL does not steer me wrong and this is a good one. 

3. Ghosts by Iain Rob Wright - I forget precisely why I wanted this. It's a creepy book that looked good, but that's as much as I can currently remember. It looked absolutely insane on the cover. There is something about summoning rituals and sacriments and I am totally hooked and want to know what's going to happen. 

4. Upside Down by N.R. Walker - It has asexual representation. It's a cute little love story between two ace boys. Jordan learns he is asexual and wonders what that means for his life while Hennessy already knows he is ace and moves after it ruins yet another relationship. I am super interested in reading a story featuring some homoromantic asexual boys as an asexual individual myself it's neat to see my own story kind of...

5. Flight of a Thousand Embers by P.N. Vang - I saw the author posting about this on Threads and I immediately went to check it out. I am a big fan of high fantasy books, as we all know and when I read the synopsis, I had to get it. It looks brilliant and I am very curious about how everything is going to wrap up in the end. It looks quite political, too, which will be interesting to read about.

6. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez - I'm convinced somewhere along the way while reading about it, I saw the phrase "for fans of The Mummy" and I couldn't resist. I loved the Mummy growing up. I'm a big fan of Egyptian mythology and this one is set in Egypt in the 1800s. I couldn't resist picking it up just to see what it is all about. 

7. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - I had pre-ordered this almost as soon as it finished Fourth Wing. I don't plan to start it until December (It's 600+ pages and I have 2 1,000+ page books on my currently reading already), but it looks brilliant. I cannot wait. 

8. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig - I saw this in somone's video earlier in the year and I just couldn't resist it. It looks beautiful and it's from my favorite publisher in the whole universe (currently), Orbit Fantasy. Do I have a clue what it's about? Nope. I know a girl has to unleash the monster pent up in her mind to save her town, kingdom, something like that. It looks brilliant and I am looking forward to it. 

9. A Dead and Stormy Night by Steffanie Holmes - I saw some ad for this one on BookTok. I am easily influenced, let me tell you. The premise is a girl returning to her little English village hometown and working at Nevermore Bookshop. She ends up with James Moriarity, Heathcliff, and Quoth (the Raven) and I was too taken with it to pass it up. 

10. The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman - I picked this one up for a book club (that I'm not even 100% sure I want to be in? They are adding so many books that some people won't be able to keep up). This looked kind of interesting and hey, why not give seasonal books a try? 

11. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - Look, I would have ended up with this book no matter what.  It's about a woman who falls for someone over reading. I couldn't resist. Bought it to read with JB, who is already done and I'm on like 13% (work sucks), but I wanna work on it during the rest of the weekend. It's good. I like it. 

12. The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdman - I saw ARC requests go out for the sequel and found this one available on KU and thought why not give it a try? It lookes good and I am curious about the fantasy books that we find on KU. 

13. A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley - I saw this one on CloudLibrary and was quite interested, but then I found it for cheap at BN so I had to pick it up. All I know is that a witch accidentally summons a demon and the demon refuses to leave until they strike a deal. Sounds pretty interesting. 

14. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett - Reagan from PeruseProject raved about this series a while back. I just now found it at my local bookstore and so I figured I would give it a try. I am looking forward to getting into it when I actually make it that far. It's on my January 2024 TBR already. So this ought to be wonderful. 

15. Jade City by Fonda Lee - I heard people talking about it for a while and finally broke down and bought the first volume when it appeared (at last) in BN. I'm hoping that I actually like it. I've heard good and bad things about it. It does sound kind of cool with the whole Jade Bones thing and I am curious. 

16. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo - Not even sure what made me pick this up. My church has a Little Free Libary half hidden in a stairwell (there's a perfectly sized random shelf going down to the Fellowship Hall), and I saw it and was like "I want that." I may add it in the 'Other' category on my TBR for December or January to see just why I wanted it. 

November 2023 Wrap Up

In November, which started out far better than October, I've read 2 books...

1. Witches of the Dead Kingdom by Ash Oldfield - I got this book from the author in return for an honest review, which you can find here. I loved it. It was a quick read and I'm excited for the next volume in the series. I want to know what happens. We follow Motoki, a mortal prince of Annwn, his stepbrother Gil, a sorcerer named Gwydion fab Don, and a magickal shop owner named Louisa, and her cousin, a witch named Erin. I loved how we slowly integrated all of the characters together. The plot was well written and I fell in love with the characters. I loved how Gil was willing to do a lot to keep his stepbrother, someone he owes no allegiance to, safe. 

2. Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan - I read this in a day (kind of). I started it at work and made it ten pages. Then I finished the book, read from page 11 to page 272 over the whole day. I was completely sucked in. Eddie is still my favorite and I'm so pissed that his chance was blown. If I ever saw Al Munson, I'd probably hit the man. Eddie didn't deserve the treatment he got just because he had the Munson name. Hawkins almost made it into a self-fulfilling prophecy. He stopped bothering to try because everyone was expecting him to fail anyway. By the end, I think Eddie need a hug, a girlfriend, and probably a large sum of money in reparations. 

Currently Reading: 19 - 24 November 2023

Currently Reading

- The Christmas Orphan's Club by Becca Freeman (22%)

- IT by Stephen King (26%)

- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (13%)

- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (05%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (38%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

80/72

(111%)

* * *

I haven't made any progress over the last week. I've been horribly distracted by my writing. I did get a few new pages through on The Christmas Orphan's Club, but that's been about it. I've also removed Malleus Maleficarum for the time being. It's not that I don't want to read it, it's just that book is probably a "dedicate the whole month to just that" kind of thing. I don't have the necessary mental focus for it. 

My writing has been moving along swiftly. In the fanfiction, "Among the Living" [A Stranger Things Fanfiction], I'm already up to 13,532 words. That's impressive considering I'm only tracking the actual words written in the draft and not my notes and outline and shit. (I was going to refrain from cursing, when I remembered I'm an adult and not monetized so I can say what I want with no repurcussions.) 

The original works are kind of stagnate again. I'm looking at the ones that I have "active" and am deciding which one I want to work my way through. There's Project Book, which is the furthest along as far as word-count goes at 17,077 words...just barely beating out Project Living (13,532). But as far aso technically originals goes...Project Dragon/Star is the longest at 44,328 (again, not including outlines and notes). So much needs to be done with that one to bring it up to speed. I'm tempted to see if I can't at least finish the thing and get it over with so it's no longer hovering above my head. We will see. 

Nothing else really happened? I have been just working on those things. I'll see you all with an update next weekend~

Review: Witches of the Old Kingdom (Davies Witches #1) by Ash Oldfield

I have received this book from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you, Mr. Oldfield. I can only hope I do your book justice. 

* * *

Once upon a time the almighty Dhia walked the realm of Earth, setting themselves up as gods over the humble mortals. Centuries have passed since their banishment and the Dhia have fallen out of human memory. The only connection between the Otherworld and Earth that remains is the crossing to Annwn, where the souls of the dead go to rest.

Odd, then, that Arawn, King of Annwn and High Lord of the Dead, has a mortal wife and stepson. The Dhia have turned a blind eye to this oddity for now, but Motoki is nearing the age of adulthood and his very presence in Annwn is dangerous. It would be wise for the Dhia to remember that High Lord Arawn is not to be underestimated when it comes to protecting his own.

Across the narrow divide on Earth the spirits of the dead are growing restless. Spirit Seeker, Louisa, is growing concerned, but none of the witches in her life seem to be too bothered by it. Louisa's suspicions turn into alarm when she runs into a young man from another world who needs her help to return to the Otherworld. But nothing is as it seems and hidden family secrets could, at best, get them killed and, at worst, could spark a war.

Witches of the Dead Kingdom is the first book of an exciting new Contemporary Adult Fantasy series by Australian author Ash Oldfield that blends Welsh mythology with modern day magic.

* * *

I did like that we started out immediately with Gwydion stuck in a pickle. Of his own doing. He knew full well what he was doing when he went into the woods. I adored the novel. The story itself was amazing. I loved every minute of it. We start with Gwydion fab Don, whom we know is a powerful sorcerer of some sort, trapped in some sort of chains made of water or something. 

After that, we are sent to Annwn. Here we are introduced to another character who will play an intriguing role in the story. A human who is stuck in Annwn because his mother was pregnant with him when she died. It was an interesting take on a portal fantasy.

He grows up there, not really ever leaving the family estate until he does by accident when someone on the mortal side opens a portal in their sleep. We then follow him as he learns the ways of the human world he would have come from and how to get back home again. 

There were some parts I did not understand the inclusion of, such as grandma and the leader of another part of the Otherworld. As far as I could tell, aside from throwing a few of the characters into unrelated chaos, they served no other purpose. You could have replaced grandma with anything and Erin still probably would have just left. She didn't seem like the kind of person you could tie down for any amount of money. 

I am curious to see where the flirtation between Louisa and Gil is going. That was just strange to have been included. I'm looking forward to the second book there to see if it is continued or left behind. In that same light, I kind of also now want to know why Gwydion was trapped in the first place and what he plans to do now that he's free. Is he going to try to take over Annwn or something? Is he going to seek revenge? The world may never know. 

I did rather enjoy how protective the King was of the child that didn't belong to him in any way. How Arawn would make sure Motoki was safe no matter what, even though he had no kind of bond or tie to him other than he had married Motoki's mother. That was nice to see. 

Overall I gave this book a 4/5. It was really interesting, but lacked something to give it that final star. Maybe if we had gotten a little more on the relationship between the cousins or a better explanation of Louisa's powers (or lack of) then I would have been more inclined. 

* * *

This title is available through Amazon and other retailers.

Currently Reading: 12 - 18 November 2023

Currently Reading

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (10%)

- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (05%)

- What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez (01%)

- IT by Stephen King (23%)

- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (13%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (38%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

80/72

(111%)

* * *

I haven't made much real progress in my reading since last week. I've been busy with work. I get home, veg out, then go to bed. It's been hard adjusting. The most I read all week was the hour or so on my way in to work. And that was 60-something pages....hopefully I can pick up more as we go. 

NaNoWriMo is going well. I've heard a few really unsavory things about the website, so I don't actually use it any more. I don't know if anything I've heard is true, but it doesn't actually hurt to use another website. One that I prefer a lot more than theirs anyway. I didn't like how just cluttered their site is now. Badges to earn that make it feel more like a task and less like something I want to do. I would just not update for days at a time because I hated the pressure. I use myWriteClub now. It's super simple. Just your project, and the word count. You can put as many projects as you'd like and you can comment on others' work. And that's all. There is no pressure to write so many words per day or update your work every day. I much prefer it. I'm glad it's returned. 

I've got four projects going there all due at different times of year. I am hoping that maybe I can get things done better. I also love that you don't get locked into time frames. I can change an existing project if I want and not have to upload a new file if I want to just change a due date or word count. 

Um. Hmm...yeah that's about it? I guess. I don't know. There was nothing else really going on. I'll see you all next Saturday~

Currently Reading: 05 - 11 November 2023

Currently Reading

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (10%)

- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (05%)

- What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez (01%)

- IT by Stephen King (06%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (38%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

80/72

(111%)

* * *

So far so good. I've managed to read 2 books in 3 days. I think that's a pretty good deal as far as reading goes, don't you? I am still going to keep the track record of giving books until the 15% marker, maybe up to 20% to decide if I want to continue them or not. 

Writing is going well as well...sort of? I'm just shy of the actual goal for the day today (5 November), but I think I'll be able to catch up fairly quickly. I'm aiming for ~2,000 words per day. I missed yesterday so today I kind of want to get to 4,000 if I can. 

I'm doing none of the things. It all went off the rails. I've removed one book from my currently reading because I just wasn't into it. Then I added another 1,000+ page tome because apparently I want to torture myself? I don't know. Instead of The House in the Cerulean Sea (which I think the problem may have just been the format), I'm working on IT by Stephen King. It's only got 1,153 pages. I got this. 

Uh, well, that's all. I am off to read the many overlarge books I've purchased!

November 2023 To Be Read

I've started this back up again and I plan to [try to] keep it that way!! Let's goooooo!!

Print

1. Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger - I am determined to read this. I want to finish it and get it done. I have been interested in reading it for years, bought a copy, lost my copy, and then bought a replacement. I will finish this book!!

2. The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin - I started this book, knowing full well I probably won't finish it before the end of the year unless I dedicated all of my time to it. It stands at 1,443 pages long. Yet the premise is interesting and I am finding myself reading it quite quickly. Another political fantasy book, we follow the lives of the ruling class and their intricate almost dances of power. It is pretty good so far. 

3. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox - I just grabbed something at random to fill out the last section on the print list. It's relatively small and looks like it will be a quick contemporary read. I have no idea what it's about and that is okay. 

Digital

4. The Witches of the Dead Kingdom by Ash Oldfield - Got this one as an eARC from the author in return for a review. The book is available for purchase on 24 November 2023. I will hopefully read it and get my review up quickly. I am looking forward to it. It sounded really good. 

5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - (before anyone whines, I'm borrowing the ebook from my library....) I have had this one on my list of books to read for quite some time. I found a copy available through CloudLibrary on my phone/tablet and figured I'd give it a go. It's fairly interesting so far and I'm looking forward to see if it's worth all the hype it once got. 

Audio

6. The Will of the Many by James Islington - I started this book in October, made it 33% of the way through, and am just carrying it over to November. It's a 28-hour audiobook, 14 at 2x speed. I'm enjoying it so far. It's inspired by the Roman Empire, and I like the way the power structure is going. I am totally hooked by the various subplots happening and who is spying on who and why and who possibly killed who and what affect will that have on other people...it's well done. 

Bonus

7. Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan - Came in after I made up the TBR, and if I can get to it now, I would absolutely love to. I have been counting down the days until it arrived. One of the two pre-orders that were due in November (the other is Iron Flame). I am so excited for Eddie's story. Long live the FREAK!!

8. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez - My Book of the Month selection for November. I want to definitely start putting these in the main Print TBR section in 2024, but for now we will assign it to Bonus reads. This book is set in the 1800s and follows a Bolivian-Argentinian woman as she goes looking for her lost archeologist parents in Egypt. That's what I know. It looks good and is giving strong Mummy vibes. I can't wait!!!

October 2023 Book Haul

I am doing much better at keeping the number of books read to the number of books purchased down. In October I've acquired 2 books through various means. (I've picked up samples of others)

1. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow - I rather enjoyed her previous work, The Once and Future Witches, and thought this one would be equally enjoyable. This book takes place in Starling House and follows Opal as she tries to find a way to make life better for herself and her brother Jasper. 

2. Stealing by Margaret Verble - It is about a young Cherokee girl who is basically abducted from her people and forced to attend a Christian boarding school. It is very poignant with today's atmosphere and I am looking forward to reading it. 

3. The Bone Curse by Carrie Rubin - The third book in this series was available for free via Kindle Unlimited, but since it seems like one of those kinds of series where you have to start at the beginning or you won't understand what's going on, I decided to spend the $2.99 for the ebook. I'm looking forward to it. 

4. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - I have been seeing this everywhere and the only copies on the bookish site I use are like $150? They are ridiculously expensive. When this popped up on BookBub for $2.99, I absolutely couldn't pass it up. I have no idea what it's about, and I kind of want to keep it that way. 

5. Witches of the Dead Kingdom by Ash Oldfield - I was sitting in the break room at work when I got a ping for an email. 'Click here to download your ARC!' from Bookfunnel (I have received books from them before, so I was not concerned), and I have no recollection of asking for it. It looks really good and I'm looking forward to reading it and figuring out what is happening. Something to do with Welsh/Arthurian folklore is all I got. 

6. Sword of the Dead by Morgan Rice - I somehow managed to miss that this was a Persephone retelling. I saw the title and the briefest piece of the synopsis and I had to have it. I have no idea what it's about, and I'm looking forward to reading it. 

Currently Reading: 29 October to 04 November 2023

Currently Reading

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (10%)

- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (05%)

- Witches of the Dead Kingdom by Ash Oldfield (51%)

- The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (02%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal:

80/72

(111%)

* * *

I gave up on The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. It wasn't holding my attention and I'm not going to leave books sit indefinitely on my reading list partially finished if I can avoid it. I have decided to be okay with DNFs!! The whole premise of the story was the discovery of some old papers in a house that was being renovated. I went in thinking it was going to be something brilliant. It was just the housekeeping ledger of a Rabbi from the 1700s. It only held value to a museum and after about 10%, I just lost interest completely. I DNF'd at 14%, just shy of my goal. Starting in November, I'm giving myself 15% of a book, which I will calculate out depending on the edition, to decide yay or nay to a book. I would go like 50 or 100 pages, which could be unfair depending on the book, like 50 pages of Witches of the Dead Kingdom is nearly 20% of the book, while 50 pages of The Inheritance Trilogy is only like 3.5%. Kind of unfair, don't you think? In one the action will have started, in the other we've barely met the characters. 

Nothing else particularly exciting has happened. I started NaNoWriMo and am at 15% of the way done? Something like that. I don't know. I'm off to go write for the rest of the weekend!!!

Currently Reading: 22 - 28 October 2023

Currently Reading

- The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (05%)

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (10%)

- Witches of the Dead Kingdom by Ash Oldfield (02%)

- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (51%)

- The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish (14%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (23%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal:

77/72

107%

* * *

We made a rash, odd decision to start a 1400-page behemoth of a tome right at the tail end of October. This was definitely not the best idea, but hey....am I ever known for my good ideas? I think not!! I've read and adored the first two books in the Broken Earth Trilogy and I figured why not? They were easy to read and definitely 4-4.5 star reads. I am blazing through this at nearly 2-3 pages a minute. I read for 45 minutes and stopped on page 74. I think I will be able to get through this fairly quickly all things told!! Maybe not in 2023, but definitely early in 2024 for sure.

I have also learned (and will implement it from now on) that I need to write down not only pre-orders of books that I'm interested in, but any time I request an ARC. I was sitting on my break at work when my phone lit up with an email. The ARC I had requested was ready for download. You can imagine my surprise. I have absolutely no recollection of requesting it at all. It looks good, and I've already started reading it. I really hope I can get it done before the publication date and get that review up and on its way to the blog!! 

I've been suddenly lacking in my reading for the year. We only a few days left in October and I've only read 2 books. That's not like me. I'm not in a slump at all...I'm just not finishing anything. I still enjoy reading. I wonder what's going on. 

October 2023 Wrap Up

In October, I've read 3 books. 

1. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland - This book was definitely interesting. We primarily follow Iris Hollow, the youngest of three sisters who were abducted while on a family vacation only to turn up again a month later. Ten years later, her eldest sister vanishes without a trace and we go with Iris on the journey to figure out where she's gone and what happened. I kind of guessed a little what was happening. Like I was going down the right path and missed the mark by inches. I did like the book and may even read it again. I'm not sure. 

2. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - It was okay. I was interested in the storyline, but I think a lot could have been changed to make it better? The just aggressive way the 'eaters thought of anyone who wasn't an 'eater (and some who were) was appalling. They looked down on humans as a lesser sort of creature that was not particularly worthy of their empathy or something? I don't know. It just rubbed me the wrong way. And how instead of trying to sort out what to do with Mind Eaters, they just abused the power they had and basically turned them into weapons. I've already put the book up for sale on Pango. I know full well I will not ever reread it.  

3. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - I was talking to someone in a Discord about banned and challenged books and we got talking about this one, which was recently removed from several libraries. I can understand why people wouldn't want it in schools,  but I also think people should read it. I felt for Peter and Josie the whole time and I am convinced that Jordan was right and it is what is now called cPTSD. 

Currently Reading: 15 to 21 October 2023

Currently Reading

- The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish (14%)

- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (34%)

- The Will of the Many by James Islington (23%)

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (10%)

- The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (65%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

76/72

(106%)

* * *

Progress has definitely been made on some of my reads. Ended up adding one to the pile. I had been speaking with a fellow from one of my writing groups, and we got to talking about banned and challenged books and reasons why some may have been banned or challenged in the first place. I discovered my library's ebook app had a copy of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, which I had learned was recently challenged in a Florida school and removed from many school and public libraries. I had to know. I couldn't not. Reading what I did so far (I am only a third of the way in as of the writing of this), I kind of understand why there was concern, but I do not understand why parents thought it should be removed. It teaches a valuable lesson. 

I've been working steadily on my ideas for 2024's writing season and then we got an idea for 2025. I am thinking of doing one project per year? Like the rest of this year (because it was already so late in the year when we started) and 2024 will be for Project Secret. Then Project 2025 will be written from 01 January to 31 December 2025. This should help me hone my creative flow. I'm going to mark various things for the years that I plan to work on them....hmm...I don't know. I need to think about this for a while. 

Nothing else has really happened? I picked up some books on Kindle, which you will no doubt be seeing in the October book haul. That's been it. I've had a slow month. I suppose I will close for the week, then. 

See you all next week!!

Currently Reading: 01 - 14 October 2023

Currently Reading

- The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (19%)

- Malleus Maleficarum by Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger (08%)

- The Spells We Cast by Jason June (01%)

- The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish (14%)

- The Will of the Many by Jame Islington (20%)

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

76/72

 * * *

Reading has been going fairly well the last few weeks. I'm over goal and I've even finished a book already in October. Which was a very interesting one, I must say. They didn't know what they were not. It was something else. 

I keep seeing this statement floating around Threads where if a person becomes a published author, then they are no longer supposed to express their opinions on books they've read unless that opinion is a 4-5 stars. That seems awfully gatekeeperish to me. It is my own personal opinion. You don't have to agree with it. You don't have to like it, no one is forcing you to. But do not tell someone they are not allowed to express how they feel. If I personally did not like a book, I am likely to explain why I didn't like it. Maybe those same reasons are why someone else will like it and it will help spur them to purchase and read it. Maybe those reasons will resonate with someone and stop them from buying it and prevent a traumatic response. It is not up to a handful of people on the internet to decide whether or not I get to say how I feel about something. You don't wanna read a less than stellar review? Then don't. 

I'm going to keep writing reviews because they aren't for other authors anyway. They are for the readers. 

I've added one fanfiction to my 2023-2024 writing goals for the year. Just something for when I need a break from Project Secret. It's something super silly.  You need that now and then. Something to help take your mind off the heavy stuff and just let you play or get the sillies out. I think my little fic will work well for that goal. My goal is to reach 100,000 by the end of next year, which means I have to write about 220 words per day on it to get there. Brings my current average word count to 725 per day between the two. 

Um...hmm....I think that's about all for now? Nothing else exciting has happened except th trip to Mass, which for personal reasons I will not be actually discussing. Other than to say that it was really good and just what I needed. I came home exhausted and so happy. 

See you all next time~