Wednesday, March 6, 2024

February Review & March Preview

 



January seemed to move at a snail's pace, and now I feel the year is already flying by.  I don't even know where February went and I already feel like Easter and Spring Break are upon us!  I am in the middle of about 10 books right now and trying to remind myself to just slow down and enjoy each one, rather than feeling anxious about getting through MORE each month!  Someday, I will make a TBR list for the year that only includes books over 600 pages.  Then I will read 10 books that year and force myself to feel satisfied!  Remembering that reading is a purely hobby - meant to bring me joy and never stress - is a strangely hard thing to do sometimes.  But, a fun thing to keep working on!

Books read in February:

1. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Non-Fiction/Library)

2. The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons (YA/Library)

3. The Wake Up by Michelle MiJung Kim (Non-Fiction/Book club/Library)

4. Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala (Mystery/Shelves)

5. The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler (Fiction/Shelves)

6. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (Mystery/Library)

7. The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman (Mystery/Shelves)

I don't have any specific goals for March.  Just trying to clear the decks a little of the books that I have been meandering my way through, and we'll see what happens!!

Happy Reading,

Anne

Monday, February 5, 2024

January Review and February Preview!

 


Despite T.S. Eliot's view, January seems like the longest month.  I finished a lot of books this month, and it's hard to believe that the week I took off at the beginning was even in the same year, much less just a couple weeks ago!  I know I won't be able to keep it up all year, but it's a solid start!

Books Read in January:

1. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (Romance, Library)
2. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Romance, Library)
3. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (YA Sci-Fi, Library)
4. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami (Short Stories, Library)
5. The 5 AM Club by Robin S. Sharma (Self-Help, Audio)
6. The Racism of the People Who Love You by Samira Mehta (Non-Fiction, Library)
7. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (Mystery, Library)
8. Reading People by Anne Bogel (Non-Fiction, Library)
9. Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom (Non-Fiction, Travel, Library)
10. The Tradition by Jericho Brown (Poetry, Audio)
11. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Fantasy, Audio)
12. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction, Shelves, Book Club)
13. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (Mystery, Library)
14. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam (Self-Help, Audio)
15. The Truth About Stories by Thomas King (Essays, Shelves, Book Club)
16. The Buddhist and the Ethicist by Peter Singer & Shin Chao-Hwei (Philosophy, Library)

It's taking me awhile to get my February goals in order.  I'm feeling overwhelmed about reading and may need to give myself a little break to remember to enjoy it.  I'm looing forward to being on vacation so that I can only read one book at a time and won't be faced with an incredible number of options!  We'll see how it all plays out.

Happy Reading!

Sunday, December 31, 2023

December Review and the end of 2023!

 

Goal Books for December

  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  2. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (Mystery/Library)
  3. Superfan by Jen Sookfong Lee (Non-Fiction/Library/Book Club)
  4. Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood (Mystery/Library)

Books read in December

  1. DEI Deconsructed by Lily Zheng (Non-fiction/Library/Book Club)
  2. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (Mystery/Library)
  3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (YA/Audio/Library)
  4. Allies by Shakirah Bourne and Dana Alison Levy (Non-Fiction/Essays/Shelves)
  5. Stay True by Hua Hsu (Memoir/Library)
  6. Superfan by Jen Sookfong Lee (Non-Fiction/Library/Book Club)
  7. Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood (Mystery/Library)
  8. The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett (Mystery/Library)
  9. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Mystery/Library/Book Club)
  10. Biting the Hand by Julia Lee (Memoir/Library)
  11. How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis (Non-Fiction/Library)
  12. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (Fiction/Library)
  13. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen (Fiction/Library)
  14. The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange (Fiction/Library)
  15. The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (Fiction/Library)
  16. Poverty by Matthew Desmond (Non-Fiction/Library)

Goals for 2024

  1. Read books from my shelves!
  2. Listen to more audio books
  3. Make a plan for getting some of those longer books read over time!
  4. Keep enjoying reading as a hobby and not as a chore.
Happy reading in 2024,
Anne

Saturday, December 2, 2023

November Review and December Preview

 



Goal Books for November:

  1. Trust by Hernan Diaz (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
  2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton (Memoir/Library/Bookshelves)
  4. Someone Else's Shoes by JoJo Moyes (Fiction/Library)

Books Read in November:

  1. Trust by Hernan Diaz (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
  2. Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy (Non-Fiction/Library)
  3. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton (Memoir/Library/Bookshelves)
  4. Someone Else's Shoes by JoJo Moyes (Fiction/Library)
  5. The Marlow Murder Club  by Robert Thorogood (Mystery/Library)
  6. Finding Me by Viola Davis (Memoir/Audiobook)
  7. The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction/Library)

Goal Books for December:

  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  2. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (Mystery/Library)
  3. Superfan by Jen Sookfong Lee (Non-Fiction/Library/Book Club)
  4. Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood (Mystery/Library)
Happy Reading!  Only one more month in the year to go!

~ Anne

Monday, November 6, 2023

October Review and November Preview



October was a slow month for reading and I'm not quite sure why.  It seems like the weather and waning daylight would be more conducive to crawling into bed with a book early each evening.  But, instead the days seem to be flying by with too many activities on the calendar and obligations to tend to before the holidays and the year get away from me.  But, while I haven't been reading that many books, I have certainly been buying and borrowing them, so there is so much to choose from and I'm looking forward to find time here and there in the next month to sneak more reading in!

Goal Books for October:

  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Fiction/Library)
  4. School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (Fiction/Library)

Books Read in October:

  1. Solito by Javier Zamora (Memoir/Shelves/Book Club)
  2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (Fiction/Library)
  4. Nevada by Imogen Binnie (Fiction/Library)

Goal Books for November:

  1. Trust by Hernan Diaz (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
  2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton (Memoir/Library/Bookshelves)
  4. Someone Else's Shoes by JoJo Moyes (Fiction/Library)
Happy Fall Reading!

~ Anne


Friday, October 6, 2023

September Review and October Preview

 


Moving into the cozy reading months.  I'm taking some time here and there to go through my bookshelves - try to give away the ones I've read - and make room for the stacks I've brought back from bookstores and the library.  Hoping to find more time to curl up for a few hours and make my way through them.

Goal Books for September:
  1. True Biz by Sara Novic (Fiction/Library)
  2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Fiction/Library)
  4. The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
Books Read in September:
  1. True Biz by Sara Novic (Fiction/Library)
  2. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Fiction/Library)
  3. The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
  4. Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabeas (Fiction/Library)
  5. Boxers  by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel/Library)
  6. Saints by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel/Library)
  7. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (Romance/Shelves)
  8. Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer (Non-Fiction/Library)
  9. Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox (Graphic Memoir/Library)
Goal Books for October:
  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction/Shelves)
  2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Fiction/Library)
  4. School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (Fiction/Library)
Happy Reading!

~ Anne

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

August Review & September Preview

 


Goal Books for August:

  1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Vergese (Fiction/Book Club/Shelves)
  2. Something New by Lucy Knisley (Memoir/Graphic Novel/Library)
  3. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Fiction/Library)
  4. L'Appart by David Lebovitz (Memoir/Library)
Books Read in August:
  1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Vergese (Fiction/Book Club/Shelves)
  2. Something New by Lucy Knisley (Memoir/Graphic Novel/Library)
  3. L'Appart by David Lebovitz (Memoir/Library)
  4. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune (Fictin/Shelves)
  5. Happy Place by Emily Henry (Fiction/Shelves)
  6. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Shelves)
  7. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (Fiction/Shelves)
  8. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll (Fiction/Shelves)
  9. The Way of the House Husband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono (Graphic Novel/Library)
  10. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse W. Sutano (Mystery/Library)
  11. Dear Ann by Bobbie Ann Mason (Fiction/Shelves)
Goal Books for September:
  1. True Biz by Sara Novic (Fiction/Library)
  2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Fiction/Shelves)
  3. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Fiction/Library)
  4. The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland (Non-Fiction/Book Club)