Currently Reading #10 [05 May to 11 May 2024]

Currently Reading

- Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer [32%]

- Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams [13%]

- Ink, Iron, & Glass by Gwendolyn Clare [39%]

- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones [37%]

- When The Stone Shepherds Awaken by Mark Barkley [00%]

- Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick [12%]

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Yearly Goal

25/100

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Well, I've officially made it a quarter of the way into my reading goal for the year. A bit over a third of the way into the year....but who's counting? Oh, right. Me. According to StoryGraph, I'm only 11 books behind schedule. If only we could magically make a 13th month appear. I suppose it's not all that bad. I'm on track to hit the 90s at least. I could be 20-30 books behind! Could you imagine!

I've also started two new notebooks for reading recently. One newer than the other... 

     

My plan, which may yet fail, is to keep records of books I want (219 at the writing of this) and books I've read (25). Through as long as the notebooks will hold. I don't know if this is something I will stick to or not. There is really only one way to tell properly....

I have half a mind, on Thursdays or Fridays, to look at that week's books finished and withdraw it from the bank using the cash back feature at work. Its not like I'm not going to be there anyway. This week it would be not but $5. I can then put that money away into my little folder, along with the exchanged change, to use toward books. Or do I want to put it into Savings? I will think about it more over the rest of May. My final decision will be in the last update for the month...

My pre-order came in and I'm so horribly excited. I can't wait to get it started. In fact, by the time this post is being written (08:15 on Friday morning), I am already reading it. It's interesting. There are words and phrases I don't quite understand, but that's alright. I'm sure I can at least figure out enough to understand. 

I've been adding books to my currently reading (oddly all blues ones?) instead of actually reading them. If I can get through what I have, then I'll get at least closer to my goal. I'm surprised that I haven't managed to finish any more books. I've got all the time now to read whatever I want, and it's just...nothing. I think I'm going to take the rest of the afternoon to read my books while I do the other things that I have to do...

Until next week, friends~

Happy reading!!

Currently Reading #9 [01 to 04 May 2024]

 Currently Reading

- Ink, Iron, & Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (15%)

- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (37%)

- Moon Rise by D.D. Line (02%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

24/100

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I apparently skipped all of April. Not that it matters. I pretty much just read my books for the Orilium Spring Equinox Semesters. Aurin passed all his 'mid-terms' for the year and is now getting ready to head into the full exams in autumn. He's a Third Year Godseer and a Second Year Star Whisperer. I can't wait to see what happens with him. 

Nothing else particularly exciting has happened. I've decided to put myself solidly back on the restriction. I cannot acquire (by any means) new books without having read a few from my ungodly TBR first. Currently the restriction is at 1 for 3. I can only get 1 new book for every 3 books I finish. I'm not counting my Book of the Month box in that since it's montly and I hold myself to the one book usually unless there is something I find out they have that I absolutely need. So far, um, it's going? I have neither finished nor purchased anything. 

I started two new notebooks for my reading. The first one is a log of all of the books I've finished. I'm starting it in 2024 and will just keep going until I am no longer reading at all. I've decided to just continue the numbering from where I left off. I'm curious. On the right hand margin, when the year changes, I'll just put the year and maybe (or not, undecided) change the pen color to something else. Pink, teal, or purple. Something to help differentiate it from the previous year? 

I've also started up a wish-list book. I have this terrible habit of having my wish-list spread across several different sources. There's one on Amazon, one in a journal, one on the wall, one on Barnes and Noble...just...everywhere. I'm going to consolidate my lists into one "master" list and just refer back to it every time I buy or add a book. Try to keep myself more accountable that way. 

I guess, that's all then. I'll see you all in the next one.

Happy Reading!

April 2024 Wrap Up

Apparently I just forgot last month to hit publish. Ah well, here's hoping I remember to hit publish this time round. 

April has the Orilium Spring Equinox Semester (henceforth called OSES) and I read pretty much just for that. I got through seven books, completing his required coursework for the semester!! Let's get on with the wrap up!

1: This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero - I loved this book. Not nearly as much as the previous novel of his that I read, but this one was definitely up there in scope. I loved following Adrian and Zooey and what they get up to sharing the single body as they do. I'm not sure that the whole gang plot line worked, but it did give it a somewhat Holmes & Watson vibes as they tried to solve this ridiculous mystery. I'd definitely recommend it (but also would highly recommend reading Meddling Kids first). 

2: The Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley - This was wonderful. I picked it for my prompt "read a book you think could break a slump" and boy was I right. We follow Mariel, a witch who is really bad at being a witch, as she learns exactly how to access her power properly. I liked watching as Mariel finally learned that maybe her family did not have her best interest at heart and that she was a good and powerful witch in her own right. I liked as she learns who she is and what she wants and how to go about getting it. 

3: Jackaby by William Ritter - This reminded me a lot of Lockwood & Co. And I'm not sure if that's good or bad? I had just watched that series (which I think is based on a graphic novel series? Don't quote me), and Jackaby himself made me think a lot of Anthony Lockwood. The 'detective' who is confident in his skills to the point of nearly being an incompetent imbecile. Who has a new female partner who is actually the brains. I liked it well enough. 

4: The Last Heir to the Blackwood Library by Hester Fox - Beautifully written. I loved the way the new lady of the house was just so confused as to why or how she was even the heir. I did pick up immediately on the things are not as they appear thing. Something was very wrong. I knew it had something to do with the Library itself and I was surprised to find out what it actually was. I liked it. It was well written and I am looking forward to reading more books by her.

5: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes - This was funny. It was a retelling of the story of Medusa and Perseus, but it wasn't anything like any other retelling or even the originals. We have a handful of the various perspectives from around Olympus, Ethiopia, Greece, and probably other places I'm not remembering. I loved how this was basically told through Medusa's side making her not the villain, but definitely a victim. She did not ask for any of it and was punished for things that she had no control over.

6: The Cloisters by Katy Hays - The lowest rated book on my list so far. I didn't really like it. It's felt like the book itself was just the filler sections from another much longer book. Surprisingly boring for all it was worth. There was no intrigue of any nature. We literally only followed a girl as she just went to work and went home and got a prospective boyfriend. It wasn't captivating at all. I accidentally figured out the mystery before there even was a mystery to figure out. One of the characters was obviously skeevy right from the start. Would constantly ask really invasive questions and needle until they were told what they wanted to know, but would then deflect completely and shut down if they were asked the same questions. I knew they had done something terrible when they were first introduced. They just...hadn't done it yet. I'm unlikely to ever reread this one. 

7: The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen - I did enjoy this one mostly. It was a good break up from the things I'd been reading. I liked the predictability of it. Its your standard first novel in a fantasy series. I liked how the main character is not the damsel in distress type and instead helped herself out of trouble in very unique ways. I thought it was well written and I'm looking forward to possibly getting the next book in the series.