It’s been a good writing week! I wrote four book reviews, plus two other blog posts (November reading and the best books I read in November). I also got in four fiction writing sessions. I’m still figuring out my characters in the new story, but I’m having fun with it.

Happy writing!

Books Read in November: 24

Books Read for the Year:  294/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: 

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (classic re-read). I love this book so much!

Pretty in Punxsutawney, by Laurie Boyle Crompton (TBR). Light and fluffy read.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough, by Neta Jackson (TBR). I’m enjoying this series.

As Sure as the Dawn, by Francine Rivers (TBR). I loved this whole trilogy!

For Review:

Tsarina, by Ellen Alpsten. This was a solid historical read, though the characters were horrible to each other, and the culture was bit much for me.

The Forgotten Sister, by Nicola Cornick. This is two stories in two different timelines, and I enjoyed the one in the past much more than the present-day one, although the present-day characters showed a lot more growth.

Glimmer as You can, by Danielle Martin. I really wasn’t a fan of this. It felt rather disjointed and the characters were distant.

Claiming the Rancher’s Heir, by Maisey Yates. Eh. I didn’t really care for this. Another case of feeling distant from the characters, and they didn’t show much growth at all.

Once Upon a Mail Order Bride, by Linda Broday. This was a solid romance read, set in a town settled by outlaws. It’s the last in the series of linked standalones, and I’d probably go back and read them all.

Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder. Loved this! I’m a huge Maria V. Snyder fan, and I’ve enjoyed this sci-fi trilogy so much!

Murder is a Must, by Marty Wingate (review forthcoming). I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but this was a solid cozy mystery.

The Butterfly Effect, by Rachel Mans McKenny (review forthcoming). If you can get past how unlikable the main character is through the first 75% of the novel, this was a good read. But…the cover makes it look like a light, funny read, and it definitely is not.

The Mermaid from Jeju, by Sumi Hahn (review forthcoming). This cover is gorgeous! I really enjoyed reading this book, based on something that really happened, but it was not an easy read.

Awaken My Heart, by Emily Wilson Hussem. Wonderful devotional!

A Princess by Christmas (review forthcoming), by Julia London. I’ve enjoyed this series, but why are all the women so deliberately unconventional…and yet still marrying royalty/high society? That’s not terribly believable.

Happily This Christmas, by Susan Mallery (review forthcoming). This was a good read. Loved the banter and sarcasm.

The Last Christmas Cowboy, by Maisey Yates (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this more than the previous book in the series.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, by MaryJanice Davidson (review forthcoming). Sigh. I know this is supposed to be poking fun at tropes, but…I still didn’t care for it. Or the MC.

The Last to See Her, by Courtney Evan Tate (review forthcoming). I am ambivalent about this one. Solid writing, but not really a fan of the characters.

Just Because:

Glorious Appearing, by Tim LeHaye. Finally finished my re-read of this series.

Treasure & Treason and Ruins & Revenge, by Lisa Shearin. I love the Raine Benares series, so when I recently realized these two books existed, I was all over them. Excellent choices!

Little Shop of Found Things and The Chocolate House, by Paula Brackston. I had to go back and read these, after I read the third one. I’m still not 100% sure if I’d read them before, but I loved them!

Left Unfinished:

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I tried. I read 20%, but I just could not get into this. It felt super slow and the MC was…both over-dramatic and boring.

Strange Fire, by John MacArthur. This was my spiritual book for the month, until I realized MacArthur believes some things that aren’t biblical (not the main subject of the book, but very important). That makes this a big NO for me.

In October, I read 26 books, bringing my total for the year to 270 books. Some of these were okay. Some were excellent. A couple more I stopped reading.

The books I liked the most were all fantasy this month:

The Kingdom of Sea and Stone, by Mara Rutherford. I loved the first book in this series as well, but the setting and characters are just so vibrant and fascinating I just fall into the story world.

The Emperor’s Wolves, by Michelle Sagara. The Chronicles of Elantra is one of my absolute favorite series, so the opportunity to read the first book in this new spin-off series was a no-brainer. And I was not disappointed at all! Yes, it was missing some of Kaylin’s snark—which was as it should be, as she’s not really in this. Loved this read.

Goblin King, by Kara Barbieri. This is the second book in the Permafrost series, and if you haven’t read the first one, please do that. I love the mythology in this series and find the whole concept and characters unique and riveting.

Books Read in October: 26

Books Read for the Year:  270/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: 

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (classic re-read). This made me laugh. Her overactive imagination…

An Echo in the Darkness (TBR). Loved this!

Parables, by John MacArthur (spiritual). This was a very heavy/deep/detailed read.

A Theory of Happily Ever After (TBR). A fast, fun read.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real (TBR). I’m enjoying this series so much!

For Review:

Kingdom of Sea and Stone, by Mara Rutherford. I really enjoyed this sequel to Crown of Coral and Pearl. The cultures and characters are intriguing and I just enjoyed everything about it.

Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa Unger. Excellent writing, but these characters were the pits. I did not like them, so it greatly detracted from the book itself.

A Golden Fury, by Samantha Cohoe. The first half of this was great: alchemy and a bit of romance. The second half didn’t quite live up to that precedent.

A Highlander is Coming to Town, by Laura Trentham. Ah, yes, another men-in-kilts adventure. This series is sweet and fun and this was a great addition to the series.

The Christmas Table, by Donn VanLiere. This was a sweet tale, in dual timelines. Family. Growth. Cooking! It definitely made me hungry.

Five Total Strangers, by Natalie D. Richards. I have a hard time with characters who do stupid things, so when the MC jumps in a car with four complete strangers—in the middle of a blizzard, no less—that was almost it for me.

The Emperor’s Wolves, by Michelle Sagara. I loved this spin-off to the Chronicles of Elantra series! We get to know Severn in this, and I enjoyed that so much.

Above All Else, by Dana Alison Levy. I have no desire to summit Mount Everest, but I really enjoyed this YA tale. Fantastic setting descriptions, too!

Quiet No More, by Nikki Barthelmess. I liked this follow-up and this one was also about a tough topic.

The Midnight Bargain, by C.L. Polk. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of women who want to be allowed to study magic in a patriarchal, controlling society.

One of Our Own, by Jane Haddam (review forthcoming). Reading the last book in a 30-book series without reading any of the others probably wasn’t the best idea, but I still thought this was a solid read.

Among the Beasts & Briars, by Ashley Poston. This definitely felt like a fairy tale, and I thought it was excellent, if a tiny bit predictable. The creatures in the woods were unique and not the least bit predictable, however, so I definitely recommend this read.

Delayed Justice, by Shirley McCoy. I enjoyed this entry into this series of linked standalones.

A California Christmas, by Brenda Novak. I didn’t really like the two main characters: they were both childish and there was no character growth here.

Goblin King, by Kara Barbieri (review forthcoming). This was an excellent read, the second in the Permafrost series.

The Garden of Promises and Lies, by Paula Brackston (review forthcoming). I thoroughly enjoyed this, and am now going back to read the first two books in the series (or re-read, because I think I’ve read the first one.).

Miss Benson’s Beetle, by Rachel Joyce (review forthcoming). This was a surprising book to me. Adventure, character growth, surprises…it had a lot of high notes, and the friendship between the characters was wonderful to watch.

Just Because:

The Remnant, by Tim LaHaye.

Armageddon, by Tim LaHaye.

Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur. I don’t think this was a book MacArthur needed to be the author of. He’s a bit condescending towards women at times.

Unbound, by Byna Whitlock (review forthcoming). I read this because she was speaking to my class at church, but I enjoyed the read and will be reviewing it this month.

Left Unfinished:

Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell. I just couldn’t get into this. The characters were not my cup of tea.

Never Turn Back, by Christopher Swann. Again, just couldn’t care about the characters.

Books Read in August: 29

Books Read for the Year: 216/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: 

The God I Never Knew, by Robert Morris + The God I Never Knew devotional (spiritual).

Persuasion, by Jane Austen (classic). I’ve read all of Austen’s works, but it’s been a while (hence my comfort re-read). This is probably my second favorite and I enjoyed it so much!

Meet the Sky, by McCall Hoyle (TBR). I enjoyed this YA about being stuck on an island during a hurricane and dealing with your past.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, by Fredrik Backman (TBR). This book is amazing! I loved every single page of it, and it’s now one of my all-time favorites.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group, by Neta Jackson (TBR). Excellent read to start off a series.

For Review:

The Morning Flower, by Amanda Hocking. I’m just going to have to stop reading this author. Her writing style just isn’t for me.

It Came from the Sky, by Chelsea Sedoti. This tale of two brothers who create a hoax that aliens have descended on their town was funny—and I felt like I was reading about Sheldon from Big Bang Theory.

Paris Never Leaves You, by Ellen Feldman. This is set during the Nazi occupation of Paris, and I found myself somewhat traumatized from reading it, just from the emotional distress the characters went through. I did not however, really like the main character.

No Woods So Dark as These, by Randall Silvis. I’ve enjoyed this series so far. This one had a lot more introspection, and I’m not a fan of the ending, but I like the characters and I’ll definitely read the next one.

A Life Once Dreamed, by Rachel Fordham. This was a sweet, uplifting read that I really enjoyed.

Cry of Metal & Bone, by L. Penelope. I really enjoy the Earthsinger Chronicles series, and this was no exception. Diverse characters and cultures and lots of actions make this fun to read.

The Wrong Mr. Darcy, by Evelyn Lozada. Have you ever seen something and wished fervently you could unsee it? This is that in book form. Calling this a Pride and Prejudice re-telling is a grave injustice. Horrible, unlikable, one-dimensional characters, over-the-top, unbelievable drama, just…NO.

Death by Didgeridoo, by Barbara Venkataraman. This was a quick, fun start to a new series.

Scandalous Secrets, by Synithia Williams. I enjoyed this second-chance romance.

The Case of the Killer Divorce, by Barbara Venkataraman. The second book in the series, this had me laughing at the characters’ antics.

Into a Canyon Deep, by James Lindholm. I wanted to like this, but it ended up feeling like the author was writing a Gary Stu character and the whole thing was filled with completely not-believable characters and action.

Fable, by Adrienne Young. I loved this! A seafaring, swashbuckling adventure about a girl abandoned by her father who strives to survive and get back to him—if only to find out why. Gorgeous cover, too.

Peril in the Park, by Barbara Venkataraman. Another fun, quick read in this series.

These Vengeful Hearts, by Katherine Lauren. Does doing the wrong thing for a good reason make it okay?

Secret Crush Seduction, by Jaci Lee (review forthcoming). This was a decent read, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the spoiled characters.

Sing Like No One’s Listening, by Vanessa Jones (review forthcoming). This was a fun YA read, although I know nothing about singing/dancing/performing.

Road Out of Winter, by Alison Stine (review forthcoming). This was a solid dystopian read—and I felt like I was freezing while reading it!

What They Meant for Evil, by Rebecca Deng (review forthcoming). Poignant and inspiring read.

Before She Was Helen, by Caroline Cooney (review forthcoming). This was a bit odd and a little chaotic for me.

The Amish Newcomer, by Patrice Lewis (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read about a reporter who goes into witness protection in an Amish community.

Furia, by Yamile Saied Méndez (review forthcoming). This was a fantastic, empowering read!

Just Because:

Why Jesus? by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi was probably the greatest Christian apologist of the last 100 years, and his thoughts on Jesus compared to different religions were fascinating.

Soul Harvest, by Tim LeHaye.

Left Unfinished:

Olive the Lionheart, by Brad Ricca. I didn’t make it very far into this. I loved the family myth at the beginning, but when Olive’s part started, I was just bored.

Above the Clouds, by Kilian Jornet. This sounded fascinating—but it ended up being a bit too much of the technical details of training (and, frankly, he did some crazy/dangerous stuff to his body during training).

Blunt Force, by Lynda La Plante. I didn’t make it very far in this, as there was far too many technical details thrown in to keep my attention.

The Moon is Missing, by Jenni Ogden. I read about 25% of this, but just couldn’t get into it or care about the characters.

A Door Between Us, by Ehsaneh Sadr. This was just a case of it not being the right fit for me at the time.

Comanche, by Brett Riley. I wanted to like this. I’ve been through Comanche, Texas countless times, but I found this boring. It jumped around a lot. It was repetitive. And why no quotation marks?