January: 17 books.
February: 16 books.
March: 20 books.
April: 16 books.
May: 14 books.
June: 14 books.
July: 19 books.
August: 17 books.
September: 19 books.
October: 17 books.
November: 17 books.
December: 19 books.
Tag: what I’ve been reading lately
What I Read in December (2023)
Books Read in December: 19
Books Read for the Year: 207/200
Yearly Books:
NIV Grace and Trruth Study Bible.
Unshakeable, by Christine Caine.
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Iron Knight, by Julie Kagawa (Maybe a TBR, maybe a re-read.). I have no memory of actually having read this before, but I really enjoyed it!
Flora’s Traveling Christmas Shop, by Rebecca Raisin (TBR). This has been on my TBR list for a while. It made me laugh, but the the characters were a bit too liberal for me. And Flora…apparently learned nothing from all of her lies and manipulations. Only Colin seemed to change.
The Josiah Manifesto, by Jonathan Cahn (TBR, audio). I generally enjoy Cahn’s books a lot, but this one felt very repetitive to me, making my mind wander quite a bit. I understand the author was trying to illustrate his points, but it felt a little bit like being hit over the head repeatedly.
My Jane Austen Summer, by Cindy Jones. A selfish, ineffectual MC who believes she sees her own personal Jane Austen everywhere made this a chore to read. Do not recommend.
Maggie, by Charles Martin (TBR, audio). Like all of Martin’s other books, I loved this.
For Review:
The Paris Housekeeper, by Renee Ryan. I do love WWII fiction, and I enjoyed this one, although Vivian’s situation horrified me.
An Inconvenient Earl, by Julia London. I’ve enjoyed the books in this series, but I didn’t really care for this one. The MC is a liar, and that just doesn’t work for me.
Public Anchovy #1, by Mindy Quigley. This was a cute read. I hadn’t read any of the others in this series, but I enjoyed this one—especially the cats.
Northwoods, by Amy Pease (review forthcoming). At first, I wasn’t too sure about the MC, a self-destructive alcoholic. But he grew on me, although I still found the setting kind of depressing.
Principles of Emotion, by Sara Read (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this quite a bit! Definitely an opposites-attract romance, and I enjoyed how accepting they were of their differences.
A Body on the Doorstep, by Marty Wingate (review forthcoming). This was a cute, fun cozy mystery that was actually set in London (not very cozy-mystery-ish), but it woorked quite well.
The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins (review forthcoming). This was a twisty thriller about a family of terrible people.
Sun Seekers, by Rachel McRady (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this a lot! It’s hard to do a child’s point-of-view well, but this was very well-done!
Just Because:
Iron’s Prophecy, by Julie Kagawa. I enjoyed this novella in one of my favorite series.
The Prince & The Apocalypse, by Kara McDowell. This was a cute read! I enjoyed the characters, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. A re-read of my favorite book. Yeah, Scarlett still sucks.
Seven Girls Gone, by Allison Brennan. I somehow missed reading this book in the Quinn & Costa series, and I couldn’t have that before reading and reviewing the fifth book.
Left Unfinished:
The Lace Widow, by Mollie Ann Cox. The POV was just too stiff/formal/distant for me in this. I felt like I couldn’t connect with Eliza, so it didn’t hold my interest.
The Book of Fire, by Christy Lefteri. This is the second book from this author I’ve DNFed, so I should accept that her writing style just isn’t for me.
A Fragile Enchantment, by Allison Saft. If I feel like the author is trying too hard to be diverse (or going out of her way to be diverse, when it doesn’t make sense for the character), this makes me ask, “Do I really want to spend the time to read this book?” In this case, I feel like the author was trying to shove square characters into round holes—just so she could say she’d written a diverse book. Not because she was being true to the characters. And dishonesty like that makes a book a DNF for me—and probably everything else this author writes, too.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan. This just started off way too slowly for me.
Sundays Are for Writing #254
This was a decent writing week, although I didn’t get any fiction writing done. (I did a bit of work on the new project, though.) I wrote two book reviews, The Curse of Penryth Hall, by Jess Armstrong, and This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede. I enjoyed both reads, but This Cursed Light was really good! I also wrote my November reading post, and my Best Books I Read in November post.
Happy writing!
The Best Books I Read in November (2023)
In November, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 188 books read. Of those, some were just meh read, some were solid, and some were fantastic.
This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede, was a fantastic end to this duology. I love the society and culture, the main characters, the dialogue…everything. And the ending totally made me cry, which isn’t a common thing.
Shards of Glass, by Michelle Sagara. I love this world and the main series, but I’m really enjoying these spin-offs and the new characters, too. A really well done fantasy setting.
And a re-read of one of my favorites, gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson. I discovered Southern fiction the first time I read this novel—and fell in love with the genre. The author completely captures the flavor of life in a small Southern town, and you should absolutely read this. Plus, she captivated me from the very first line…”There are gods in Alabama…”
What I Read in November (2023)
Books Read in November: 17
Books Read for the Year: 188/200
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Echo Island, by Jared C. Wilson (TBR). I wasn’t too impressed with this, honestly. An okay read, but that’s it.
The Dead Don’t Dance, by Charles Martin (audio, TBR). Awesome, just like everything else by this author.
The Iron Queen, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Loved it, again.
Need, by Carrie Jones (re-read). This was an underwhelming re-read, but I think I’ll give the second one a try and see if it gets better.
Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater (re-read). This re-read was as good as I remembered it.
Dancing on the Head of a Pin, by Robert Benson (TBR). This was an interesting glimpse into a writer’s life.
English Lessons, by Andrea Lucado (TBR). I really enjoyed this narrative nonfiction read!
Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis (TBR). I really enjoyed this re-telling of a myth!
For Review:
The Fiction Writer, by Jillian Cantor. This was a little too meta for me, and the MC kept doing phenomenally stupid things.
Shards of Glass, by Michelle Sagara. I love this series of books, and I was excited to read this one, even if it wasn’t about Kaylin. Another excellent adventure that kept me glued to the page!
The Curse of Penryth Hall, by Jess Armstrong (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this quite a bit. Ruby was a lot of fun to read, and I liked the setting and everything going on in the novel at all times. I never figured out who the killer was, either.
This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede (review forthcoming). I loved this! Alessa and Dante! They have the best relationship, and I loved how they both grow and change during this story.
Our Cursed Love, by Julie Abe (review forthcoming). I really enjoyed this romance/fantasy/hidden-world-of-magic read.
Just Because:
Spirit of the Wood, by Kristen Britain (TBR). I really enjoy everything in this series.
On Writing, by Stephen King (re-read). I’m not sure how many times I’ve read this, but I still love it.
Dirty Thirty, by Janet Evanovich. Man. Talk about a cliffhanger ending!
gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson. this is probably one of my top ten favorite books of all time… and it was just as good on this read. This is the book in which I discovered Southern fiction was a thing.
Left Unfinished:
Plot Twist, by Erin LaRosa. I’m not into frivolous and obsessed-with-what-people-think-of-them main characters. This is the second one of LaRosa’s books I’ve DNFed, so I probably should just accept that no matter how appealing her books sound, they’re just not a good fit for me.
Artifacts of an Ex, by Jennifer Chen. I completely appreciated the MC’s obsession with planning, but wasn’t a fan of her careless and juvenile behavior.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, by Celeste Connally. Look, if I’ve read a third of the book and the MC says she doesn’t care about the ton and societal expectations but that’s all she can think about, and if all the male characters seem to be either foolish, demeaning, or borderline evil, well, I have no interest in finishing reading
This Spells Love, by Kat Robb. I liked the idea of this, but Gemma moping around and feeling sorry for herself—and repeatedly getting drunk—just didn’t do it for me. People like that annoy me, so I didn’t want to spend any more time with her.
The Best Books I Read in October (2023)
In October, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 171 books read. Most of those were solid reads, but a few of them were really good.
The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa. This is a re-read of this series for me (Well, a re-read of the original books with Meghan and Ash anyway.). I love these characters and this world, and if you haven’t read them, you should. Actually, anything by Julie Kagawa is a pretty solid bet.
Send Down the Rain, by Charles Martin. Yes, another Charles Martin book is one of my best reads for the month. I can’t help it. He’s phenomenal, and he has an extensive backlist that I haven’t read yet. Also, his newest book, The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin, is very highly recommended—and not on his backlist, as it just came out in October. Go read it. And anything else by him.
The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I loved it. I’ve read all of her novels and loved them all, and this is another great read. The time travel aspect might mess with your mind a little bit, but you’ll be fine.
What I Read in October (2023)
Books Read in October: 17
Books Read for the Year: 171/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Still loving these characters.
Signs and Secrets of the Messiah, by Jason Sobel (spiritual). Fascinating read, although a bit over my head in places.
This Outside Life, by Laurie Ostby Kehler (spiritual). I loved reading about all these different places.
Taste of Darkness, by Maria V. Snyder (TBR). Loved this wrap-up to this trilogy.
Send Down the Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR, audio). I loved this!
The Lost Bookshop, by Evie Woods (TBR). I do like a good magical realism book, and this one qualified.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, by Robert Dugoni (TBR). This was sometimes good, sometimes frustrating (Sam’s mom’s single-mindedness), and sometimes magical.
After Death, by Dean Koontz (TBR). This was a little terrifying.
For Review:
The Hurricane Wars, by Thea Guanzon. The first…third or so of this was so plainly a Reylo fanfic that it grated on me (down to the character descriptions), but I was intrigued enough by the world to keep reading—and I’m happy to say it improved.
The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young. This was a fantastic read! I was just as confused as the MC for most of the novel, which made everything that much more believable!
Unholy Terrors, by Lyndall Clipstone. This was a very atmospheric read, but I frequently felt like the characters were going around in circles. I wanted to know more about the culture and the peoples, but sadly, that was not to be.
Highlands Christmas – Wishes Come True, by Amy Quick Parrish. This was a novella, so at least it was a very quick read. Other than that…although the setting was cool, I feel like this was just a meh read.
The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch, by Jacqueline Firkins. I loved the friendship triangle in this book. I found the small town setting with somehow an almost-unlimited dating pool a bit farfetched. I didn’t like that it made it seem like Eliot was the one with all the issues, while Imogen was a doormat/opportunity for sex for 17 different men—and that wasn’t treated as much of an issue.
When I’m Dead, by Hannah Morrissey. I DNFed the first book in this series, so I’m not sure why I read this one. It was solidly written, but it just felt like the setting was so dark, and I didn’t much care for the two MCs.
Swarm, by Jennifer Lyle (review forthcoming). Another meh read filled with actions that didn’t make much sense.
Never Wager with a Wallflower, by Virginia Heath. This was a cute wrap-up to a trilogy I enjoyed, although I thought Venus was so focused on blaming Gal she couldn’t see that some things just weren’t his fault.
Just Because:
Life, by Lisa Harper (devotional. Loved this!
Left Unfinished:
The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed, by Noreen Mughees. I like reading books set in cultures different from my own, but I do not like getting thrown into strange languages and customs with almost zero clarification. This made me put the book down.
Love Interest, by Clare Gilmore. I made it three pages before Casey annoyed me so much by being critical, judgmental, and condescending that I stopped reading immediately.
Silent City, by Sarah Davis-Goff. I hadn’t read the first one, but that wasn’t what made me put this down. After 10%, the choppy, messy writing style just didn’t work for me.
Sisters Under the Rising Sun, by Heather Morris. I love World War II historical fiction, but the first 5% of this did not work for me. It felt completely chaotic and jumbled together, and I just didn’t care to read more.
The Fatal Folio, by Elizabeth Penney. This was the first of this series I’d picked up, and it sounds perfect for me: books and a cozy mystery? I read about 20% of it, but I just wasn’t interested in the characters enough to keep reading.
The Boy from the Sea, by H.L. Macfarlane. I just couldn’t deal with Grace’s obsessions with Lir. Stalker much? If I don’t like the characters, I don’t bother reading more, and I didn’t like Grace.
What the River Knows, by Isabel Ibañez. This sounds like it would be right up my alley, but it felt slow and almost juvenile in the beginning, and Inez, is so naive and even childish as to be annoying. I just couldn’t connect with her, so I lost interest.
The Future, by Naomi Alderman. I just cannot read about characters I don’t like, and this selfish, self-absorbed group were too much.
The Porcelain Maker, by Sarah Freethy. This sounded so good—and might have been. But, when I had to put if down for 24 hours due to life being busy, I wasn’t looking forward to picking it up. and was just sort of blah about it, so it obviously wasn’t holding my attention.
Best Books I Read in September (2023)
In September, I read 19 books, bringing my total for the year to 154 books read. Of those, most of them were either meh reads or solid reads, but a handful were great.
Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (audio). Another lovely book by my favorite author. This one made me cry, but it was so good!
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I forgot how much I loved this world and these characters! This was just plain fun to re-read.
The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar. I do love reading about the 1920s, and this was such a good read! I loved all the details about life and culture during this times. The romance was so well-done, and I even enjoyed the fashion descriptions. Which is really saying something, considering my complete disregard of fashion.
The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read a lot! Love the magic system and the characters—I found the Crown Prince to be so endearing in his…uselessness. This was a strong fantasy read with vibrant characters, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
What I Read in August (2023)
Books Read in August: 17
Books Read for the Year: 135/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer (spiritual).
If the Tomb is Empty, by Joby and Charles Martin (audio, spiritual).
The God I Never Knew, by Robert Morris (spiritual re-read).
Get Lost, by Dannah Gresh (spiritual). This was a thought-provoking read.
A Fatal Illusion, by Anna Lee Huber (TBR). I always love the books in this series.
Mr. Owita’s Guide to Gardening, by Carol Wall (TBR). This was surprisingly good!
Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic, by Meghan Ciana Dodge (re-read). I enjoyed this re-read, although some of the cultural references were a little bit dated.
Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (TBR). I really enjoyed this!
Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (re-read). I have no idea how I forgot about this book. A good read!
For Review:
Codename Charming by Lucy Parker. Parts of this were quite funny, and I enjoyed the two main characters quite a bit.
Her Radiant Curse, by Elizabeth Lim. I did enjoy this fantasy read and the relationship between the two sisters, but I didn’t like the ending too much. I’d be interested to read more of this story.
Letters from My Sister, by Valerie Fraser Luesse. This started off a little bit slow, but it ended up being so, so good! Love the the sisters and their relationship, and everything about this family.
The River Runs South, by Audrey Ingram (review forthcoming). I wasn’t too sure about the MC at first, but I ended up really loving this read—it brought life in an Alabama coastal town to vibrant life.
Main Character Energy, by Jamie Varon. This was a solid romance read, though I found it pretty predictable. I did love how the MC came to accept and lover herself.
Just Because:
The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I binge-read this in one sitting the day it came out. Love these characters and their antics.
Scent of Magic, by Maria V. Snyder. This was a re-read I did not remember reading the first time, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Sacred Echo, by Margaret Feinberg. This was a very profound, thought-provoking read.
Spellmaker, by Charlie N. Holmberg. I enjoyed the first book in this duology so much, I immediately read the second one.
Left Unfinished:
Deadlock, by James Byrne. The first 10% of this just felt disjointed and choppy, and it didn’t hold my attention.
The Invisible Hour, by Alice Hoffman. I was so looking forward to reading this! I got about 30% in and realized I just didn’t care about the characters…and that was before I got to the time-travel bit that a lot of readers didn’t care for.
The Breakaway, by Jennifer Weiner. This is the second book by this author I’ve DNFed because I just don’t like the characters.
Kissing Kosher, by Jean Meltzer. I just could not make myself care about these characters. They seemed surface level, with not depth.
Dreambound, by Dan Frey. I read a third of this and was mildly interested, but the format was kind of jarring for me (switching between texts, emails, etc.,) and Byron was kind of a self-absorbed jerk, so it couldn’t keep my attention.
The Best Books I Read in July (2023)
In July, I read 19 books and DNFed eight, making my total for the year 117 books read. Several of these were truly excellent reads, and I cannot narrow it down to my usual three. So, this month, you get six.
The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin. This book. Man. Charles Martin writes such phenomenal characters, and this was no exception. The story of Pockets and Maybe Joe was absolutely riveting.
Demons of Good and Evil, by Kim Harrison. I love all the Hollows books, and I had real trouble putting this down to go to sleep. #teamJenks
Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. This was sweet, cute, and funny, as Center’s books usually are. I can’t imagine having facial blindness!
Ladies of the Lake, by Cathy Gohlke. A lovely historical fiction read about friendship and facing your past so you can embrace the future.
Chasing Fireflies, by Charles Martin. The setting in this one was fascinating and Uncle Willie was so vivid I felt like he was the one telling me the story. I listened to this on audio and ended up in tears driving to work one morning. My only complaint is we didn’t figure out what happened to Jack!
The Keeper of Hidden Books, by Madeline Martin. Another lovely historical fiction read! I loved reading about Warsaw during World War II—and how people fought to preserve their history and books.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 