2022 Reading Round-Up

 I completed 104 books in 2022.  By quarter, my reading broke down as follows:

Q1: 31

Q2: 23

Q3: 22

Q4: 28

My lightest reading month was April, where I read 5 books.  My highest reading month was December, where I read 14 books.  Fiction comprised 84% of my books, and 70% of my books came from the library.

Below are a few of my favorites from the year:

Fiction: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin

Romance: The Arc - Tory Henwood Hoen

Sci-Fi: Red Rising - Pierce Brown

Mystery: The Thursday Murder Club Series - Richard Osman

Non-Fiction: How the Word is Passed - Clint Smith

Middle-Grade Book: Ellen Outside the Lines - A.J. Sass

YA Fiction: Slay - Brittney Morris

YA Mystery: The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

In 2023, I really want to clear some of the books from my shelves at home, particularly ones that have been sitting there for more than a decade at this point!  My kids have started recommending more and more to me that I am genuinely interested in, and keeping up with a few things here and there that allow us to connect is very important to me.  I admit that I do like the feeling of finishing a book - and for that reason I don't always read the longest books available to me.  That being said, I have some very long books on my shelves that need to be read!  I also find that I end up borrowing so many books from the library - and I am so grateful for that privilege - but I know I can allow it to get out of hand!  I probably need to dial that back a bit, but it does allow me to check-out books for my book clubs and to keep up-to-date on recent releases that are on the Hot Picks Shelf.  I always waiver between wanting to lay out a reading plan for myself and wanting to just choose what appeals to me in the moment.  I think I can probably strike a balance there to ensure that I get through more in my to-read piles, but also do not feel constrained - remembering always that reading is supposed to be fun!

Looking forward to another great reading year!

Happy Reading,

Anne

December Review and Looking to 2023!

 

This may have been the first month of the year where I read all my goal books!  I enjoyed many of the books I read this month, and I think that may be a function of just having some time off and being able to relax.  I read my first audiobook - and while I didn't like the actual book - I think I am starting to get into the experience and I can see myself listening to more audiobooks while I cook and commute and do other things where I can't be reading a physical book.  We'll see what 2023 has in store for my reading habits!

Goal Books for December:

1. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed (Graphic Novel/Library)
2. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Shelves)
3. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery/Library)
4. Free Food for Millionaires  by Min Jin Lee (Fiction/Shelves)
5. Better Than We Found It  by Frederick & Porsche Joseph ed. (Essays/Shelves)

Books Read in December:

1. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed (Graphic Novel/Library)
2. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery/Library)
3. Free Food for Millionaires  by Min Jin Lee (Fiction/Shelves)
4. Better Than We Found It  by Frederick & Porsche Joseph ed. (Essays/Shelves)
5. Death by Bubble Tea  by Jennifer J. Chow (Mystery/Library)
6. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon (Non-Fiction/Library)
7. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction/Library)
8. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (Fiction/Library)
9. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (Romance/Library)
10. Less by Andrew Sean Greer (Fiction/Library)
11. 2 A.M. in Little America by Ken Kalfus (Fiction/Audio Library)
12. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach (Fiction/Library)
13. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (Romance/Library)
14. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (Mystery/Library)

Goals for 2023: Work on clearing my shelves of books that have been there for 15+ years!  I have several books that are quite long, and I think I have shied away from taking the time to read them.  But, even if it means I only read 12 books in 2023, I am going to get through a few of them - or make the decision to DNF and move on to clear the way for more books!

Happy Reading,

Anne

Books Read in November and Goals for December!

 

Goal Books for November:

1. Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
2. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction/Library)
3. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Shelves)
4. Nonfiction Book

Books Read in November:

1. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction/Library)
2. The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (Fiction/Library)
3. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (Children's Fiction/Library)
4. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Fiction/Library)
5. Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass (Children's Fiction/Library)
6. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Fiction/Shelves)
7. The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson (Children's Fiction/Library)
8. All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep by Andre Henry (Non-Fiction/Library)

Goal Books for December:

1. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed (Graphic Novel/Library)
2. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Shelves)
3. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery/Library)
4. Free Food for Millionaires  by Min Jin Lee (Fiction/Shelves)
5. Better Than We Found It  by Frederick & Porsche Joseph ed. (Essays/Shelves)

Books Read in October and Goals for November

 

My TBR piles are overflowing.  We had our school book fair this month and I bought "too much," after having already visited a couple bookstores with one of my kids and picking out just a few.  My kids have also received a lot of books lately - many of which look very interesting and I feel like I want to read before they outgrow them and don't want to talk to me about them anymore.  It's going to be a busy winter - and only two more reading months in 2022!!

Goal Books for October:

1. Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
2. The It Girl by Ruth Ware (Mystery/Library)
3. Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (Children's Mystery/Library)
4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Children's Literature/Shelves)
5. Nonfiction Book

Books Read in October:

1. The It Girl by Ruth Ware (Mystery/Library)
2. Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (Children's Mystery/Shelves)
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Children's Literature/Shelves)
4. A  Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (Non-Fiction/Shelves)
5. Nightcrawling  by Leila Mottley (Fiction/Borrowed)
6. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Mystery/Shelves)

Goal Books for November:

1. Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
2. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction/Library)
3. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Shelves)
4. Nonfiction Book

September Review & October Goals

 

Goal Books for September:

1. Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
2. Something from my shelves at home
3. A non-fiction selection

Books Read in September:

1. Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
2. Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny (Fiction/Borrowed)
3. Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta (Fiction/Shelves)
4. Stamped for Kids by Jason Reynolds (Nonfiction/Library)
5. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Fiction/Shelves)
6. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (Fiction/Library)

Goal Books for October:

1. Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
2. The It Girl by Ruth Ware (Mystery/Library)
3. Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (Children's Mystery/Library)
4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Children's Literature/Shelves)
5. Nonfiction Book

Happy Reading!

Review of August & Goals for September

 

Goal Books for August:

1. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Borrowed)
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (YA/Library)

Books Read in August:

1. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Borrowed)
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (YA/Library)
3. Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
1. The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (Romance/Library)
4. Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (Mystery/Library)
5. Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (Non-Fiction/Library)
6. Scat by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Library)
7. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (Fiction/Library)

Goal Books for September:

1. Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chen (Mystery/Library)
2. Something from my shelves at home
3. A non-fiction selection

Happy Reading,
Anne

July Review & August Plans

 

Goal Books for July:

1. French Braid by Anne Tyler (Fiction/Library)
2. Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
3. Squirm by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Library)
4. Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Romance/Shelves)

Books Read in July:

1. French Braid by Anne Tyler (Fiction/Library)
2. Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
3. Squirm by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Library)
4. Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Romance/Shelves) 
5. The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh (Mystery/Library)
6. The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward (Fiction/Library)
7. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (YA/Library)
8. The Lying Club by Annie Ward (Thriller/Library)

Goal Books for August:

1. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (Romance/Borrowed)
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (YA/Library)

June Review & July Preview

 

My summer reading brain is in full swing.  I think this past month I only read cozy mysteries, graphic novels, and children's literature/YA - maybe one romance!  Nothing too taxing!  And, I admit that I am loving it.  But...I haven't read a non-fiction book in awhile, so I do want to challenge myself a little in July to stretch a bit on that front.

Goal Books for June:

1. Hour of the Witch y Chris Bohjalian (Fiction)
2. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (YA)
4. Hoot by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature)

Books Read in June:

1. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
2. Hoot by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Shelves)
3. Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
4. Flush by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Library)
5. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum (YA/Library)
6. Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman (Graphic Novel/Library)
7. Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (Graphic Novel/Library)
8. For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington (Children's Literature/Library)
9. Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
10. Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman (Graphic Novel/Library)
11. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (Romance/Library)

Goal Books for July:

1. French Braid by Anne Tyler (Fiction/Library)
2. Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien (Mystery/Library)
3. Squirm by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature/Library)
4. Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Romance/Shelves)

Happy Reading!

~ Anne

 How is it already June??  I am getting my shelves organized for summer reading - a huge stack just came in on my library holds and I picked up some paperback beach reads from the local used bookstore.  I just wish I had the entire summer off!

Goal Books for May:

1. Slay by Brittney Morris (YA)
2. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
3. Hour of the Witch y Chris Bohjalian (Fiction)
4. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (YA)

Books Read in May:

1. Tell Me How it Ends by Valeria Luisella
2. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
3. Slay by Brittney Morris (YA)
4. Bob by Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead (Children's Literature)
5. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (YA)
6. The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
7. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Goal Books for June:

1. Hour of the Witch y Chris Bohjalian (Fiction)
2. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (YA)
4. Hoot by Carl Hiassen (Children's Literature)

Happy Reading,

Anne

April Review and May Goals

The weeks are flying by...we're already through the first couple weeks of May and I haven't had a chance yet to post about April.  I vaguely remember every year that May is busy with end-of-school-year events and planning for the summer, and yet, I always seem to be overwhelmed and falling behind on everything -a nd not mentally prepared for what that means.  It does also mean that I fall behind on reading because there seems to be no time!  And I recognize that not reading really brings me down.  So, I need to work a bit over the next few weeks on finding way to have balance, even though work is ramping up...perhaps I need to make time to get back on the treadmill (a little exercise to go with my reading)!  Here's what I was up to in April!

Goal Books for April:

1. Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala (Mystery/Library)
2. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (Fiction/Shelves)
3. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
4. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (Fiction/Shelves)

Books Read in April:

1. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (Memoir/Graphic Novel)
2. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (Fiction/Middle Reader)
3. Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala (Mystery/Library)
4. The Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Fiction/Romance)
5. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (Fiction/Shelves)

Goal Books for May:

1. Slay by Brittney Morris (YA)
2. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
3. Hour of the Witch y Chris Bohjalian (Fiction)
4. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (YA)

Happy Reading,

Anne

March Review and April Goals

March was a slow reading month for me.  I'm not quite sure why - I think I keep trying to read books that required me to sit and focus for long stretches of time - but I really only had 20 minutes here and there.  So, I found myself gravitating toward thrillers and romances.  They were enough to hold my very limited attention, as I prioritized fun/scary story telling.  Reviewing the books I've read this past month, there were a lot of thrillers in there.  I'm on the hunt for more - accepting that these are the books that I want right now!

Goal Books for March:

1. Run the Tides by Vendela Vida (Fiction/Borrowed)
2. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Tolles (Fiction/Library)
3. Taste by Stanley Tucci (Memoir/Library)
4. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (Mystery/Shelves)

Books Read in March:

1. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (Mystery/Shelves)
2. Wahala by Nikki May (Fiction/Library)
3. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (Thriller/Library)
4. The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen (Romance/Library)
5. Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner (Thriller/Library)
6. The Maid by Nita Prose (Thriller/Library)

Goal Books for April:

1. Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala (Mystery/Library)
2. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (Fiction/Shelves)
3. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Shelves)
4. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (Fiction/Shelves)

Happy Reading!

February Review and Goals for March

 

For a short month, I think I did pretty well.  Though, of course, I did read a few graphic novels which certainly helps up the total in a short amount of time!  This isn't a great attitude for a year when I'm *trying* to make it a few of the longer books in my TBR pile, but looking at the numbers is a hard habit to break!

Goal Books for February:

1. The Love Songs of W.E.B. duBois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Fiction/Library)
2. The Arthropocene Reviewed by John Green (Non-Fiction/Library)
3. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
4. Obie by Schuyler Bailar (Fiction/Shelves)

Books Read in February:

1. The Arthropocene Reviewed by John Green (Non-Fiction/Library)
2. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
3. Obie by Schuyler Bailar (Fiction/Shelves)
4. Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (Mystery/Shelves)
5. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan (Juvenile Fiction/Library)
6. Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds & Jason Griffin (Fiction/Library)
7. Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong (Memoir/Shelves)
8. Half Magic by Edward Eager (Juvenile Fiction/Shelves)
9. The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (Romance/Library)
10. Heartstopper, Vol. I by Alice Oseman (Graphic Novel/Library)
11. The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear (Mystery/Library)
12. The Golden Hour by Niki Smith (Graphic Novel/Library)
13. Go with the Flow by Lily Williams & Karen Schneemann (Graphic Novel/Library)

Goal Books for March:

1. Run the Tides by Vendela Vida (Fiction/Borrowed)
2. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Tolles (Fiction/Library)
3. Taste by Stanley Tucci (Memoir/Library)
4. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (Mystery/Shelves)

Happy Reading!

January Review and Plans for February

 

I read more this month than I have in a very long time.  I'm not quite sure what accounted for this - though I did make a goal to read at least 20 minutes of non-fiction a day.  I can't say I tracked this, but I did find that when I did it, I often went for much longer.  And then, I really wanted to get my fiction reading in on top of it, so instead of substituting for my fiction, I just did it in addition.  I'm not sure how sustainable that will be going forward!  I also discovered hoopla, which allows me to check out e-books from the library.  I don't generally like to read on an e-reader, but I found for non-fiction, it was kind of nice to have it on my computer - it made reading those books more like reading a newspaper article.  I'm going to try a little more of that in February.  Though, I do have some very LONG books I'd like to get through and may need to hunker down in a comfy chair for hours on end to meet those goals.  Looking forward to a short, but fun, month of reading.

Goal Books for January:

1. How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (Non-Fiction/Book Club/Library)
2. The Guncle by Steven Rowley (Fiction/Shelves)
3. Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown (Non-Fiction/Shelves)
4. The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan (Fiction/Shelves)

Books read in January:

1. How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (Non-Fiction/Book Club/Library)
2. The Guncle by Steven Rowley (Fiction/Shelves)
3. The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan (Fiction/Shelves)
4. The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (Fiction/Shelves)
5. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski (Non-Fiction/Shelves)
6. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (Fiction/Library)
7. A Year to Live: How to Live this Year as if it Were Your Last by Stephen Levine (Non-Fiction/e-Library)
8. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (Fiction/Library)
9. The Silent Patient by Alex Michalides (Mystery/Library)
10. The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb (Non-Fiction/e-Library)
11. Red Rising by Pierce Brown (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
12. Can't Even: How Millenials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen (Non-Fiction/e-Library)

Goal Books for February:

1. The Love Songs of W.E.B. duBois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Fiction/Library)
2. The Arthropocene Reviewed by John Green (Non-Fiction/Library)
3. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Fiction/Book Club/Library)
4. Obie by Schuyler Bailar (Fiction/Shelves)

Happy Reading!