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.