Category: Weekly Blog

Week in Reading 1/21-1/27

This was a pleasant week of reading where I got to do a little mood reading. I’ve done so well with my planned TBR this month that I added a few books last week, but got back to the plan this week (those un-planned books were really helpful palette cleansers).

1/21: I finished The Man Who Died Twice. Read to the 43% in Throne of Glass.

1/22: Finished Throne of Glass. Now I have a new theory about this universe based on the other books. I love how reading is so prevalent in each of the books. Started Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune and read to page 38. Too tired to form an accurate opinion right now.

1/23: Read to page 94 in Under the Whispering Door. This book is so boring so far. Nearly a hundred pages in and nothing has happened. There’s no real tension.

1/24: Read to page 306 in Under the Whispering Down. Finally the plot is picking up a little bit.

1/25: Finished Under the Whispering Door. Started reading Husband Auditions. Made it to the 23% mark.

1/26: Finished Husband Auditions. I’m not sure I knew when I requested it that this one was a Christian romance, but it was an enjoyable read.

1/27: Started my re-read of Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, book 2 in the Throne of Glass series. Made it to the 10% mark.

I slowed down a little with my reading this week, but I finished 2 books from my NetGalley Shelf of Shame, so that was a big win. Reviews of those coming soon.

Week in Reading 1/7-1/13

This was another really good week in reading and I made good progress on my January TBR and my yearly goals.

1/7: Read to page 180 in The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.

1/8: Finished reading The Frozen River. I want to buy a copy of this and create a book club kit for it. This is a really strong historical fiction title that I think will have broad appeal.

1/9: Started reading Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I made it to page 73. I’m not as hooked as I thought I would be and I forgot more details than I thought that I would.

1/10: I started and finished Lore Olympus: Volume Three because it was due back to the library soon. It deals with some pretty heavy themes, but I really like the character work and the play on Greek mythology. Read to page 128 in Iron Flame. Still a little disappointed in the story.

1/11: Started reading Obsidio. Read to page 544. I so badly wanted to finish this one, but I was just too tired.

1/12: Finished Obsidio. I know the series is just the same story over and over, but I still enjoyed it. Read to page 188 in Iron Flame. Started and finished Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge. Read 1% of Throne of Glass. This was my biggest reading day of the year so far because I needed to stay awake for a while and reading helped me do it.

1/13: I read to the 11% mark in Throne of Glass. This is a re-read for me, and it is taking me some time to really get back into the story.

All in all, a really good week in reading with 4 books completed. These numbers will probably drop pretty dramatically when I have to go back to work in February, but I’ve had to spend a lot of time keeping myself awake these past few weeks while I’ve been acting as caregiver for a loved one, and reading has really helped me stay sane when I’m so tired.

Week in Reading 12/31-1/6

This was a remarkably good week of reading for me, helped by a few days off of work and a desperate need to procrastinate from my stresses.

12/31: I finished Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel. Why did I wait so long? That was awesome. You better believe I’m going straight to Only Human next. —Later that same day…Okay, I finished Only Human right before midnight. A great way to end the year and my 10th book this month. Great trilogy. Will definitely be keeping the physical copies to read again in the future, but I highly recommend the audiobooks as well.

1/1: I started and finished the manga for Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki. I wanted a quick win to start off this year after the end of last year was so productive. I want to read the novel versions too, but getting my hands on them may be tough. Read to page 143 in The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. Why does she write Three Pines in such a way that I wouldn’t mind living in a town with so much murder?

1/2: Read to page 241 in The Brutal Telling. Lots going on today and tomorrow. I need reading to be a refuge.

1/3: Listened to 14% of Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanna Fluke. I didn’t realize how short this one was going to be. 14% is chapter 2. I also finished The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. It was an excellent story, but sad.

1/4: Finished Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke. My least favorite entry in that series so far. Really short. Plot felt flimsy. Ending came out of nowhere. I also started and finished Giant Days, Vol. 7. This continues to be a great storyline with great art. I can slip right back into the story without worrying that I’ve forgotten something.

1/5: Started and finished Giant Days, Vol. 8. Busy day, super tired. Hard to motivate myself to read. Began The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Read to page 29.

1/6: Continued reading The Frozen River. Read to page 108. Enjoyed a quote from page 39, “Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality. That, I believe, is why so few women are taught to read and write. God only knows what they would do with the power of pen and ink at their disposal.” I’m really enjoying the writing so far, even though I don’t normally reach for historical fiction as a preferred genre. This is the first book that wasn’t already on my January TBR, but I’m on a time crunch to get this one back to the library because there’s a holds list for it. I read a book by this author many years ago called I Was Anastasia, which I remember enjoying. Nothing groundbreaking, but the subject matter interested me because Anastasia was one of my favorite animated films as a child.

Week in Reading 12/17-12/23

This was a pretty good week in reading considering everything that was going on in preparation for the holidays.

12/17: Finished Bibliophile. 4 stars. Would recommend to people who love: books, authors, writing, bookstores, and libraries. It’s the kind of book you want to own instead of borrowing from the library. I wanted to mark it up and put checkmarks next to the books that I have read on the many lists. Read to page 198 in The Marvellers.

12/18: Listened to 52% of The Girl and the Stars. Read to page 254 in The Marvellers.

12/19: Listened to 59% of The Girl and the Stars. Did not see that twist coming!

12/20: Listened to 72% of The Girl and the Stars. I can’t see where this one is going. There’s been a few references to a big picture, but I don’t think we have enough info to understand that yet.

12/21: I finished The Girl and the Stars tonight. I got to the 82% mark listening and then finished it physically. We’re left with a great cliffhanger. 4 stars.

12/22: Listened to 25% of Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. This is a re-listen for me because I want to complete the series this year. I originally read the book almost 3 years ago to the day. The story is coming back to me better than I thought it would. I like the multi-cast audiobook. Read to page 277 of The Marvellers.

12/23: Read to page 328 in The Marvellers.

Week in Reading 12/10-12/16

12/10: Read to page 86 in The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton. The story is starting to pick up. We’ve sort of met a potential villain and a backstory has been vaguely alluded to that is definitely going to come into play at some point. Borrow The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson on Libby. Also borrowed audiobook for The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence. Got to 85% of All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. It is more gruesome, but there has also been more humanity.

12/11: Finished All the Sinners Bleed before work. 5 stars. Started The Girl and the Stars. Reading and listening to this one. Got to page 14. Also started Bibliophile by Jane Mount on my lunch break. Made it to page 42. Easy to consume. Beautiful illustrations. Fun facts. Read more before bed. Made it to page 63.

12/12: Read to page 96 in Bibliophile. Still loving the fun facts and illustrations. Listened to 16% of The Girl and the Stars. I like the story but I’m having trouble with all the characters when I can’t see how to spell their names.

12/13: Listened to 22% of The Girl and the Stars. Read to page 109 of Bibliophile.

12/14: Read to page 135 of Bibliophile. Every day I think I’m just going to power through and finish this book, but I find myself wanting to linger with it. Listened to 33% of The Girl in the Stars. I’m starting to see this one come together and I’m really liking the characters. There’s a little bit of a Hunger Games/Divergent feel to the story, but possibly more complex.

12/15: Read to page 138 in Bibliophile. Listened to 42% of The Girl in the Stars. It’s really getting me hooked now. I didn’t want to get out of the car tonight.

12/16: Read to page 164 in The Marvellers. I struggle to pick this one up, but once I do, I’m intrigued.