Category: reading

What I Read in February

My official goal is to read 100 books this year…but I’d like to read more like 125 or so. I read a lot last year, but I don’t want to get overly optimistic this year, what with grad school, work, training for three fall races…you know, LIFE.

In February, I read 10 books, 2 less than January, for a total of 22 for the year.

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Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. (Read to review.) I found this book engrossing and sad at the same time–such persecution the Koreans faced and Sunya’s life was full of sorrow–but well-worth the read.

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Portal of a Thousand Worlds, by Dave Duncan. (Read to review.) Asian cultures fascinate me–I’d love to visit–but sometimes the “rules” are so complex as to be mind-boggling. I loved the layers of this novel.

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I Wanna Be Loved by You, by Heather Hiestand. (Read to review.) I love reading anything set in the 20s, hence my interest in this book.

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The Weight of Him, by Ethel Rohan. (Read to review.) I also love Ireland and anything set there is guaranteed to catch my eye. This novel deals with…weighty…issues like suicide, depression, and eating disorders. It captures the struggles within a family, as well as a man’s struggle with his weight.

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Fatal Option, by Chris Beakey. (Read to review). This is one of the few books I’ve ever read where all the characters are “bad guys” in some shape, form, or fashion. It’s about impossible choices—and their repercussions.

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton. (Classical book of the month.) Surprisingly engrossing, and the ending was NOT what I expected.

Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat. (Different culture book of the month.) About a family of women from/in Haiti. Not a happy book, but a book about family relationships among women, and it will give you a glimpse into Haitian culture.

Amish White Christmas Pie, by Wanda E. Bruntstetter. (From the TBR pile.)

God’s Plan for When You Can’t Sleep, by Christina Vinson. (Spiritual book for the month.)

Paper and Fire, by Rachel Caine. (Just because.) I LOVE these books! Can’t wait for the third book to come out. Such a unique premise—where the Library in Alexandria still exists and controls the flow of information in the world, and the main character is from a family who trades in illegal books.

What I Read in January

January was a pretty good month for keeping up with my goals. Well…most of them, anyway. I did keep up with my writing and reading goals, so I’m calling it a win. I read 12 books for the month.

The Fifth Petal, by Brunonia Barry. (Read to review.) I liked this book a lot: elements of the supernatural, a mystery, and a town so vibrant that I want to visit.
A Mad Zombie Party, by Gena Showalter. (Read just because.) Loved this series. Loved these characters. Loved this book.
The Road to Enchantment, by Kaya McLaren. (Read to review.) The New Mexico landscape is as much of a character as the actual characters. Deals with difficult times in an almost-lyrical way. Well-worth reading.
Dawn Study, by Maria V. Snyder. (Read to review, and because I love this series.) Very sad to see this series end. The wold, characters, magic system…everything is fantastic! Highly recommended. (But please, start with the very first book, Poison Study.)
Firstlife, by Gena Showalter. (Read just because.) It occurs to me that I had a thing for Gena Showalter this month…Fair enough. Unique concept, compelling characters, and awesome worldbuilding. I want to be Gene Showalter when I grow up (as a writer)!
Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine. (Read just because.) I’m a huge Rachel Caine fan, and when she did an event nearby, I was so there! This first book was so good I had to hide the second one from myself (or I’d never get anything else done)!
Unpunished, by Lisa Black. (Read to review.) Not a bad book, but I would have been better off reading the first novel in the series…first.
The Sky Between You and Me, by Catherine Alene. (Forthcoming review.) So…I didn’t realize this is written in a sort of free-form/free-verse, stream-of-consciousness style. At first, I was off-put by this, but then the story really drew me in, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The Edge, by Fleur Camacho. (Read just because.) This has been hanging out on my Kindle for a while. I liked the premise, but the delivery felt a little bit patchy and underdeveloped. Plus, the world is based on something that I have a fundamental problem with—which is my problem—but did give me some reservations about the story when I realized it.
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. (Classic book of the month.) Um…this pretty much made no impression on me.
Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue. (My different-culture book for the month.) I’d heard some good things about this novel, and, for personal reasons, wanted to read it. I found it both inspiring and a bit sad, but very evocative. The dialect is so well-done and musical, that I could almost hear it! In my experience, it captures the Cameroonian mindset extremely well (Makes sense, since the author is from Limbe.).
Uninvited, by Lysa TerKeurst. (Spiritual book of the month.) Really fantastic book, about dealing with all sorts of rejection.

Local Writers’ Event and Reader’s Indecision

This week was fairly productive, considering it was the first week of grad school (Eep!). I did a tiny bit of writing—1,000 words or so—in The Fall, plus outlining 10 scenes in it as well. Having an outline made the writing flow pretty well. Something I know, yet I still started writing this story with no outline. Smart move, there.

I did a little outlining in the Witches revision, also. I’m sort of feeling my way with that, since I’ve revised the story several times, and this is more of a re-write than a revision, but I’m using the current draft as a guideline. We’ll see how that works out. My voice and style have changed significantly since I originally plotted the story.

Yesterday I attended a local authors’ event with a friend. It’s part of the library’s Year of the Book promotion. Each author had a table, and they each spoke for 10 minutes.

My friend and I went because we both love Rachel Caine’s work. (I’ve read The Morganville Vampires series, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season spin-offs, and her re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. I’ve been wanting to read her The Great Library series as well.)

Somehow, by sheer luck, we arrived about 15 minutes before Rachel’s talk, just in time to hear Sarah MacTavish. (I feel like I’ve heard of her, but can’t swear to it. I read SO MUCH that authors sometimes get a little bit mixed up in my mind sometimes.) I enjoyed her talk, and the short chat I had with her afterwards, and bought her book, Firebrand. Young adult fiction about the Civil War from an author who carries her supply of books in an R2D2 suitcase? I’m sold! I’m looking forward to the read, just as soon as I wrangle enough time from my schedule for it.

My purchases for the day:

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It’s been quite a while since I purchased physical copies of fiction. The bottom two books I bought at the event, the top three at B & N beforehand. I was so excited when I got home, but I had serious reader’s indecision: What to read first?

Answer: Firstlife, by Gena Showalter, because I’m hoping to get approved to review the second book in the series, and because I’ve been interested in this one for a while. Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

Confession: I read the entire thing last night. Loved it! The concept is so unique, and the characters compelled me from the first page. You should definitely read this!

What I Read in December

I had a pretty busy reading month in December, with 14 total books read. (I think.)

Masques and Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs. This was on my TBR shelf for FAR too long, I’m ashamed to say. I’ve loved everything by Briggs that I’ve read.

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Murky Pond, by T.L Haddix. (Read to review.)

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The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, by Chelsea Sedoti. (Read to review.)

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Two Days Gone, by Randall Silvis. (Read to review.)

You Don’t Know my Name, by Kristen Orlando. (Review forthcoming.)

Beyond Boundaries, by John Townsend. (Spiritual book of the month.)

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Enveloping Shadows, by Lauren D.M. Smith. (Read to review.)

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Lone Wolf, by Sarah Driscoll. (Read to review.)

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House of Silence, by Sarah Barthel. (Read to review.)

All Darling Children, by Katrina Monroe. (Review forthcoming.)

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Don’t Tell Anyone, by Eleanor Gray. (Read to review.)

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Clay Tongue, by Nicholas Conley. (Read to review.)

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. (As a classic, and also for my 2016 goal of reading it, again, finally. For probably the 25th time.)

Anyone read anything good lately?

Check out Anne’s post over on Modern Mrs. Darcy for some great book recs!

How I Did in 2016…and Goals for 2017

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had/is having a good holiday weekend.

This is, of course, the obligatory re-hash of my 2016 goals, as well as a public declaration of my goals for 2017.

In 2016, my goals were:

Writing:

1) Finish Witches HTRYN. Didn’t happen. I started work on it, and realized that I have to re-write the story from scratch (mostly).

2) Finish 1^st draft of Siren Song. Done! (More or less.)

3) Finish 1^st draft of The Fall. Nope. I did write some of it, but not much.

4) Start Camelot Done! (To the tune of 1 chapter, a sort-of prologue, and some brainstorming.

5) Revise Casting Shadows. Didn’t even look at it.

6) Finish copyediting classes and make X dollars at it per month. Also no, although I did work on the classes some.

7) Have 500 followers on this blog. Only up to 314.

8) Have 200 followers on my personal blog. Only up to 199.

Reading:

1) Read Gone with the Wind. Done!

2) Read 1 book per month from my TBR shelf. Done!

3) Read all books on the reading list for my American Women Writers class (8 total). Done!

4) Read one classic per month. Done!

5) Read one book of poetry. Done!

6) Read 2 books per month to review. Done!

7) Read one inspirational book per month. Done!

8) Read 75 books total. Done! Actually, I read 128 books—WAY over my goal—which I’m pretty happy about. You can check out my books on the 2016 Goodreads challenge here.

Goals for 2017

Writing:

1) Finish draft of The Fall.

2) Finish draft of Camelot.

3) Finish Witches revision.

4) Self-pub something or find agent.

5) Revise Chasing Shadows.

6) Publish/sub Chasing Shadows.

7) Do/win NaNo (with the Southern Fic story).

Reading

1) Read one book per month set in a different culture or by an author from a different culture.

2) Read 100 books.

3) Read one classic per month.

4) Read one spiritual book per month.

5) Review 5 books per month.

6) Read one book from TBR pile every other month.

7) Read Battlefield Earth.

What I Read in October

It’s about time I got around to listing what I read in October (Since it’s practically December.).

Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller.

sss The Scent of Salt and Sand, by P.C. and Kristin Cast.

the-saint-louisians The Saint Louisans, by Steven Clark

beauty-of-darkness The Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E. Pearson

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What We’ll Do For Blood, by C.L. Mannarino

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen

tpw The Tea Planter’s Wife, by Dinah Jeffries

Wonder Women, by Sam Maggs (Stopped reading because the author’s side comments were so biased and snarky that it completely overshadowed the interesting tales of women who should’ve been famous.)

What I Read in September

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Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova (Read to review.). Loved this!

Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert (Read for school, and as one of my classics for the month.)

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Cutter Boy, by Cristy Watson (Read to review.). Quick, good read about a difficult topic.

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Darcy Moon and the Aroona Frogs, by Catherine Carvell (Read to review.) I didn’t realize this was a middle-grade book, but it was enjoyable, with a good message.

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The Sunlight Pilgrims, by Jenni Fagan (Read to review.) Wow. This novel is extremely well-done! Unique setting, and the characters are fascinating.

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Tracing the Bones, by Elise Miller (Read to review.) This book was both intriguing and painful to read.

Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles (Read for school). Read it before. It still bores me.

Scary Close, by Donald Miller (My spiritual book for the month.)

What I Read in August

Nothing like being almost a month late with this post.

Sorry about that.

I’m actually very OCD about To-Do Lists/my BuJo, but some things just get away from me. Like talking about what I read in August.

Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Queen’s Necklace, by Kathryn Kenny. This was from my TBR pile, and is also a book I loved when I was younger. This series is just so…innocent and happy.

The Summer that Melted Everything, by Tiffany McDaniel. Read to review. And wow.

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Getting it Right, by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Read to review. Felt sort of like A Confederacy of Dunces to me.

the reason I run

The Reason I Run, by Chris Spriggs. Such an inspiring book, full of determination and love. Read to review.

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The Last Road Home, by Danny Johnson. Read to review. Excellent read. Very emotional and poignant.

Mid-Year Goal Update

At the beginning of the year, I set quite a few goals for myself (not resolutions). Eight goals in each of three separate categories, one being reading and one being writing. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how I’m doing on those goals, since we’re halfway through the year.

Reading goals:

1) Read GWTW.

2) Read 1 book per month from TBR.

3) Read all books on AWR list.

4) Read one classic per month.

5) Read one book of poetry.

6) Read 2 books per month to review.

7) Read one inspirational book per month.

8) Read 75 books.

I haven’t read any of Gone with the Wind since January, so I better get on that. I have read one book each month from my TBR pile. I successfully read all of the books on the reading list for my American Women Writers class. I have read a classic per month. I have not read any poetry. (Oops.) I’ve read and reviewed at least two books each month. I’ve read at least one inspirational book each month. And I’ve currently read 69 out of my goal of 75 books.

Writing goals:

1) Finish Witches HTRYN.

2) Finish 1^st draft of Siren Song.

3) Finish 1^st draft of The Fall.

4) Start Camelot.

5) Revise Casting Shadows.

6) Finish copyediting classes and start making money at it.

7) Have 500 followers on this blog.

8) Have 200 followers on my personal blog.

I’m still working on the revision of Witches. Siren Song is outlined, but I stopped working on it, and started writing on The Fall again. No progress on Camelot. No progress on Casting Shadows. I’m still working on the copyediting classes. I’m still chipping away at the blog goals.

Verdict: I’m doing okay on my goals, but I need to get it together and get on all of them!

What I Read (in May)

Yeah, it’s been a while since I posted anything but a book review. I’ll work on that this week. Promise. Right now, here’s what I read in May. (Quite a few books as a reward for living through the semester.)

The Cresswell Plot, by Eliza Wass (for review.)
Fried Chicken and Gravy, by Sherri Schoenborn Murray. (This was actually a really cute, sweet book. I enjoyed it.)
The Scarlett Pimpernel, by Emmuska Orczy. (No idea why I’d never read this, but it was great.)
Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, by Greg Paul.
Smoke, by Dan Vyletea (for review.)
A Trail of Fire, by Diana Gabaldon. (Love these books.)
The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Fantastic author. Fantastic series. Sad it’s over.)
Blue Lily, Lily Blue, by Maggie Stiefvater
My Best Friend’s Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix (for review).
Someone Else’s Love Story, by Joshilyn Jackson
Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig (for review).
Anything You Want, by Geoff Harbach (for review).
Echoes of Silence, by Elana Johnson (for review on Amazon).
A Drop in the Ocean, by Jenni Ogden (for review, plus author interview).
The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson (for review).
Jackson’s Trust, by Violet Duke (for review).
Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson (Re-read and remembered how fantastic this book is.)