I cannot believe we are already at the end of the third quarter for the year. What happened? Yesterday it was March and tomorrow is October. It feels like the whole year went by at 90 miles an hour. I blinked and the year was just gone. Anyway, let's talk about how we did as far as various goals for the year.
2023 Reading Goals
1. Read 72 books - So, as of 27-09-2023, I've read 75 books this year. This goal has been officially met for the year and now anything else I read is just going to be a bonus. I am at 104% of my goal and looking foward to seeing just how much I read in the last quarter. From July to September, I read 34 books, so there is a high chance I could actually reach 100 in 2023 if I continue on as I am with my average of 8-10 per month.
2. Buy fewer books - There were a few months where this was higher than average, but I think in July-September, I was actually lower than my normal. So I'm considering this a win for the quarter. Naturally I am not including the Book of the Month selection as that's a subscription box.
3. Use my Kindle more - I've not really done that. I have been using it a bit more regularly than in the first or second quarter (especially if we count the Kindle app on my phone), yet probably not as much as I'd like to be reading with it. There was that time when my old Kindle kicked the bucket and I had to wait on the new one. So halfway a win.
4. Do not force reviews - Yeah, that one is a win. I never force reviews. Sometimes all I will put like two or three lines about if I liked the book or not, but I don't force myself to actually go any way in depth with the review if I don't really want to.
5. Stick to TBR - Sort of? I do try to read as much from the TBRs as I can, but sometimes I change them. I do still port any unread books over and then just fill in whatever is missing from the rest of the list. We are still doing the 6 total, 3-2-1 plan. I am counting this as a win.
6. Keep track of hauls, wrap-ups, and to-be-read lists - This is my first solid fail. I kept forgetting to post things during the middle months of the year and ended up having to skip July and August (which both had a LOT of books). Definitely a fail there.
7. Put away $5 for every book finished - I have been doing this, but I have also had to dip into said savings to cover bills. I am planning on going back and replacing the money eventually that I have lost ($370 now) to replace what should be there. Perhaps on my off paychecks. So, technically, also a win.
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Let's look through this quarters reads and come up with the three best and three worst!
Top Three [Four] Favorite Reads July - September 2023
1. A Song of Sin and Salvation by L.H. Blake - I had originally picked up this book because of the cover. I would bet anything that it was based on Eddie and Chrissy from Stranger Things. Turns out, the story was actually brilliant. It was a very long book about how this girl learns how to stand up for herself against her own parents and a boy from 'the wrong side of the tracks' proving that reputation isn't all it's cracked up to be, you can't judge someone based on the rumors about them. I adored it and am considering reading it again.
2. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - This one was funny. I loved the facets of how this old Mystery Gang broke apart and then ended up getting back together again how many years later. Missing parts and then learning what happened and how. I loved it so much that I actually bought my own copy and then the companion novel to it (This Body's Not Big Enough for the Both of Us) which is on my reading list.
3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - One of the few that didn't actually let me down. I was unsure going in, with all the hype that it was getting and people losing their minds over the exclusive sprayed edges (I did mine in just black by myself to match my copy of Iron Flame). I was definitely not disappointed. I love how her power was revealed and what...happened to certain articles of furniture. I am so excited to see what happens in the next book.
4. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - I know, 4 of 3 books. I had to include this one as it was the only other 5-Star on the list in this quarter. I loved their relationship. The way the Villain would go out of his way to try to ruffle her feathers only to be met with an unflappable (on the outside) assistant was funny to read. I adored how if anyone else tried to be mean to her, he'd practically threaten their lives.
Three Least Favorite Reads of July - September 2023
1. The Enemy of the World by Road Warrior - It wasn't bad, I just didn't care for it. It read like I was watching a season of Sword Art Online but, not done as well? A lot of it seemed really convenient to be happening when it was and I just didn't much care for the personality of the main character. He was impressively arrogant.
2. The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman - Don't get me wrong, this was not below a three star (no book actually was), I just didn't care for this one as much as the others in this quarter. I kind of felt like there were places where it should have taken them a lot longer to figure something out. They had knowledge I think they wouldn't have normally? It was okay.
3. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo - This one struck me as odd. It was set in Chinatown, but the theme appeared to be closer to lesbianism and how that affected people. There was a little bit on the struggle of the Chinese, but not enough to really grab me. It felt sometimes like she was throwing in threat of deportation or discussion of the Communist party to remind us that the characters were Chinese, but if you took that part out and changed the nationality/ethnicity to anything else, the story would have likely read the same.
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My writing is going well. I failed Camp NaNo July spectacularly. I think I made it 3,000? Then kind of just stopped. Normal for me. I then started up writing again in earnest on the first of September and have made it an impressive 2,800 ish words. So, not the greatest, but I am handwriting it so it will take longer to reach the various milestones that I am aiming for. I have also decided to start putting away money like I was doing for the book reading. For every 1,000 words I hit, I am putting $5 into my Growth account. I could save a lot of money doing that. I don't know what I'm going to spend the money on, but hey, having it will just be comforting.
I'm hoping to hit at least 5,000 words in October. Then as everyone who participates knows, it's NANOWRIMO season again. I'll have to accustom myself to using either my tablet or my laptop instead of handwriting the draft for the month of November. There's no way I'd be making nearly 1,700 words per day hand writing. I barely make 700.
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That ought to cover my review for now. I will see you all at the end of December for the Fourth Quarter and End-of-Year Reviews!!
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