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(group member since May 31, 2022)
M’s
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from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.
Showing 241-260 of 341
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
Just fascinating. I'm a crying mess but I'm still fascinated.
2023 in ReviewHow many books did you read?
60! And 2 short stories but they were under 100 pages so I did not include them in my challenge total.
Did you reach your goal?
I couldn't believe I went past it! Felt so good to clear space on my shelves, make some donations and create a new "read" shelf.
Which book was your favorite?
Oh this is a tough question. I had many favorites but I think the ones that I may read again this coming year because I loved them so much would be Piranesi and likely The Broken Earth series. Gosh, and maybe I'll read Tiger Lily for a third time, haha.
Which book was your least favorite?
I think I'm most angry at Hooked for sucking so hard and The Great Gatsby for being so goddamn boring!
Which book had your favorite cover?
My copy of The Hollow Places
I had it on display for many months!
How many yearly challenges did you participate in?
Just 2 or 3 I think
How many monthly challenges did you participate in?
A few
How many quarterly challenges did you participate in?
One
What other group activities did you participate in?
I poked into a few threads here and there but really haven't found a group that's engaging or active enough for my taste.
Did you read any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
Yes! I fell in love with
N.K. Jemisin
T. Kingfisher
Megan Shepherd
What was the biggest surprise for you?
I was truly not expecting to be so deeply in love with the Broken Earth Trilogy.
As a new-ish adult fantasy reader, I didn't know what I was getting into and I was so overwhelmed at the beginning. But once I got it, I GOT IT and I LOVED IT. Just absolutely stupendous.
My goal last year was 40 and I surprisingly exceeded that goal by reading 60 books (+ 2 short stories). A feat I did not think I was capable of. While the competitiveness of hitting that goal was fun, I think I want to relax this year and try to crack into the books that I skipped previously because of their length or content.
I passed over Stephen King's The Stand and Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind because of their length. I passed over books like The Overstory and works by Haruki Murakami because I knew they would require more time and focus than I was willing to give in order to reach my goal.
There are so many books on my physical shelf that have yet to open!
I almost thought to bring my goal much further down but I *think* this is a totally doable goal while still being able to pick up those chonky tomes I've been so eager to break into.
Happy reading ya'll!
October:
The Secret Horses of Briar Hill I was so glad to find this author. This was a beautiful story that had me CRYING. I immediately bought a stunning, glossy hardcover version for my own collection once I finished reading it. 
The Phantom of the Opera My angel of music! This was a nostalgic read for me and I loved it. Also bought myself a gorgeous limited addition for my collection because somehow I didn't already own this and that was unacceptable!
Ninth House Boooorrring. Snooze-fest 2023. This book once again taught me to not listen to what social media deems worth reading. This was dull and mediocre at best.
Dracula Surprisingly, much more readable then I anticipated. I found myself distracted easily though because of the format. Buuut, once I settled in, and set the mood for myself, I found it to be immersive and a great moody read for the season.
The Night Circus Holy moly was this exactly what I was hoping for. I went in with high expectations because the word on the street was that this was very atmospheric and that was what my mood was craving. This delivered 110%.
Lina wrote: "Odette, I would suggest reading either The Way of Kings or Skyward next - depending on whether you are feeling like reading another fantasy book by him (then go for t..."Oooh thank you Lina for the sci-fi suggestion! I would not have known where to start when getting into his other works and I'm hoping to read more sci-fi this year. I'll have to be on the lookout for this one now.
Glad you enjoyed it too Odette!If Elantris is considered his weakest work, then I'm really looking forward to The Way of Kings.
Felt a touch too rushed/easy near the end for me but I imagine that his larger works like The Way of Kings will provide a little more time for things to come together. I hope, haha.
Thanks for reading along ya'll!
About to finish The Paris Hours by Alex George.I'm surprised this isn't talked about more. So heartbreaking but I'm loving it.
How goes it friends? Still reading? Finished? :)I think I'll finish this one tonight.
Lisa wrote: "Elantris was also my first Brando Sando before continuing with the Mistborn Trilogy. While I understand why lots of people don't typically recommend it as a starting point, I've never regretted it...."How interesting that it's not typically recommended being his first novel. Is that just because his other works are just that much better?!
I've got The Way of Kings on my shelf too which I'll eventually crack into but man is that an intimidating tome! I'm surprised at how much humor/sass our characters have already, and overall just how easy reading it is so far. I haven't read a ton of high fantasy (yet) but I'm really enjoying it even if I can't pronounce a name to save my life, haha.
I ended up waiting until Libby came through so I could read this on my kindle at work so I just started! Only 5 chapters in and looking forward to more. Is this anyone else's first Brandon Sanderson read?
I'd like to nominate The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
I read a review that said it was like a steampunk Indiana Jones-ish fantasy with dragons, and some sea adventure and I'm just so down with that. lol.
From the synopsis;
"Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from the veins of captive or hunted Reds, Green, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that give fearsome powers to the rare men and women who have the ability harness them—known as the blood-blessed.
But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate's last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it."
I struggled through the first few chapters and almost put it down, but Uprooted by Naomi Novik finally caught me around the 30% mark and I'm enjoying it now!
I can't believe we're hittin December already!I may jump into this a few days early since I'm not currently reading anything else.
Happy ready ya'll!
