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~