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2021 Reading Check Ins
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Week 1 Check in
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I had started reading Between the World and Me over my vacation week, but when the world went up in flames I did not have the mental energy to keep with it, so I put it aside. I'll get back to it eventually, but I decided I needed escapism so I chose to dive into Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, the latest book of Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan-verse and the only one I hadn't read. It was much more of a quiet character study than some of the more action-packed installments of the series, and it was the perfect antidote to...the world. Lady Cordelia has always been a favorite character of mine, so I used it for the "Character you would be BFFs with" prompt on the Book Nerds challenge. (I've never done one of these challenges before. Finding a prompt to fit a book is fun :))
Last night I just started Senlin Ascends. I'm not very far into it yet but I am already in love with the worldbuilding.
I also finished reading Stardust to my son, who loved it, and now we're back to Rick Riordan with The Lost Hero.
QOTW: I don't really plan my reading, I just go with what I'm in the mood for, so I guess I'm happy with the week? I mostly try to keep up with my two book clubs and make sure I'm reading something fun with my kid, so in that respect I'm good - Senlin Ascends is the January fantasy for my other GR group, and The Doors of Eden (which I read last month) is the January SF. I just checked my hold on November 9 and I'm fourth in line for one of five copies, so it shouldn't be long.
Wow, what a week. I'm glad work is slow right now, because... focus, what is that?A couple of finishes for me: Ten Thousand Skies Above You and A Million Worlds with You, books 2 and 3 of the trilogy I started late last year, as well as a short story the author posted that occurs between books 1 and 2. I really enjoyed these books. I like Gray's YA sci-fi romances; she doesn't shy away from serious topics in favor of pure fluff. I worked these into my Popsugar prompts as my books set in multiple countries and also about art or an artist, since the main character is an artist, and throughout the plot she travels to different countries and worlds.
I also finished off the last of my physical library manga from 2020: Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 14, Beyond the Clouds, Vol. 2, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 11, Natsume's Book of Friends, Vol. 24
I'm currently listening to one audiobook: Beowulf: A New Translation. I'm fudging a little, even though the translator's name is on the book, and counting this as my Popsugar book that was published anonymously, since the original author(s) of Beowulf are unknown.
I'm also about to start The Silvered Serpents, which will be my Popsugar book I meant to read last year but didn't.
QOTW: It's going about how I expected, all things considered. I have been reading a lot of manga, since my library just started buying new volumes again, so a whole bunch of them just showed up at once. I constantly suspend my holds at the library , both digital and physical, and unsuspend them when I'm ready, so I can control the inflow of new books better.
I only just started planning my reading around a prompt list, but now I have a nice little spreadsheet with two choices for each prompt, and a couple of "free spaces" - stuff like the favorite prompt from a part year, or a book chosen from your TBR at random. Basically using those prompts for anything that comes up that I really want to read and can't fit into another prompt.
Yeah, I probably should have done more working and less reading this week, but you know, focus issues.The first book I finished this year was The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think. This is a book about unusual bird behaviors, by the author of The Genius of Birds. I will always read this sort of thing, but there's a bit of a diminishing returns aspect as I have already encountered some of the information. This one did have several new-to-me facts and was written well. Recommended for bird nerds.
Next up was The Raven and the Reindeer. This was the second-oldest book on my to-read list (the oldest is out of print). I forget where I first saw it, but I like ravens and reindeer, so I put it on the list even though the library didn't have it. Last year I found it had been added to Hoopla, but I thought I should wait for winter. This was a lot like her short story versions of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood that I had encountered on the internets (arch feminism, wise elder women, plants). It was cute, and I found both titular animals satisfactory. She also has a beauty-and-the-beast that is apparently Robin McKinley inspired, so I'll have to read that one eventually.
Finishing up the unintentionally bird-themed week we have The Plague of Doves. I had picked this out around Thanksgiving but some waiting, a skip, and some more waiting later, here we are. I haven't read Erdrich and picked this one because it seemed less magical-realism-y and involved a murder. I enjoyed it; it had a compelling and complex story (or stories) and good prose. Like most multiple-POV books, I enjoyed some narrators more than others.
One weird issue with this one was that the e-book I borrowed was missing all the accented letters. It must be an encoding issue, since I've read French books on the Kindle before. At first I thought there were different spellings or contractions in the local dialect, but then one of the characters was studying French-from-France and I realized what was going on. It bothered me again when that same character developed an obsession with "Anas" Nin. Come on, people, we should know how to make "ï" happen by now.
QOTW: I don't generally have reading plans, so that means they can't go wrong! I am trying to remember to add read dates in Goodreads this year, so I won't get an eight-book annual wrap-up again.
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Hello, and happy new year! I know it's not gotten off to the best start in many ways, but I hope you're all well.I'm going to try my best to actually post this year - I always read and enjoy the weekly threads, but haven't actually contributed in a long while.
I started off my year with The Library at Mount Char which I really enjoyed, including a twist I didn't see coming but that made perfect sense in retrospect. I always enjoy stories about gods in the modern world, and this was good fun and interesting, if a tad disturbing at times (gods, right?).
Next up was a short read with Binti. It's just a novella, so there are things that I feel were a bit glossed over or simplified, but for the sake of a short introduction to a new world and set of characters, I thought it did well and I definitely plan to read the other two in the series.
And last night I stayed up too late to finish Blue Lightning. I've loved the Shetland series so far, but this one disappointed me. There were a few things with the storyline that annoyed me a bit, and then a death that upset me, so I'm not sure how I feel about it overall. The series continues, and I'll probably read at least the next one at some point to see how it feels going forward, but I'm less enthusiastic about it now.
Currently listening to the audio version of Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know. I enjoy his podcast, Revisionist History, and am keen on this notion of an audiobook specially adapted for audio rather than just the book read out loud (for example, if someone's being quoted, they'll play the actual interview clip). So far, so good.
QOTW: Overall, I've enjoyed my reading so far this year, so I'll call it a good start. I don't plan my reading, but this year I'm considering doing my first challenge with the Book Nerds. I've always liked the idea of challenges, but I know I have a tendency to get a bit fixated on lists/challenge type things and it can stop feeling fun, especially if it might not get completed (I probably average around 50 books a year, give or take, so it might be tight if I go for the full part one). Any tips for keeping challenges low pressure for yourself?
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Hi! I'm doing it for the first time this year too, and I'm framing it for myself more as a creative way to think about the books I already read, rather than a list I need to complete. I'm not putting pressure on myself to complete every prompt, but I will use the list for inspiration if I need help deciding which book to read next!
A quick start to the year for me. Finishes includeSolutions and Other Problems, a Xmas gift. Openly darker than Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, but otherwise well in keeping with it. I'm slotting things temporarily in terms of prompts, but right now it sits as Book Nerds "with a basket case/social outcast" prompt, since that is pretty much how she describes herself.
The Island of Dr. Moreau, as part of my "catching up on classics/how come I've never read that" efforts. Used for the novella prompt.
Hansel et Gretel, a Xmas present from me to me. This book was pulled off the shelves when the author and publisher were arrested for the production of child pornography, in a case many felt was a Karen-gone-mad until she got a single cop to listen to her. They were both acquitted, with the judge delivering a scathing verdict that this should never have been brought before the courts. It's a horror retelling involving a lot of child sexual abuse, and definitely not for the faint of heart. I thought it was reminiscent of "torture porn" horror movies. Used for the retelling prompt.
The Yellow Wallpaper, a short gothic about a woman dealing with a nervous illness and a physician husband who won't listen. Used for the "female character who would be admitted to a mental hospital in the 19th Century" prompt. I mean, she writes! *fans self in shock* (The entire story is told as diary entries.)
4/100
QOTW: I've been alternating between Xmas presents and library holds. So, not what I'd planned exactly, but volume-wise, work hasn't fully picked up yet.
@marina: I felt the Binti trilogy got better and better as it went on, so if you enjoyed book one, keep reading!
@sheri: I had to add an obscure book last year! Do a search for your title or author. On the search results page, there is a "Manually add a book" link to the right of the search bar. One quick form later and voilà!
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Anyway, in books I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I need to go write up thoughts in the book club postings. I enjoyed it and won't say a lot here otherwise.
I just started November 9. It is too early to have opinions about it. But I'm looking forward to it.
I'm still working my way through Nemesis Games. It is going slower because my husband is now often joining me on walks. Good for him and getting exercise. Good for me to have someone to walk with and talk to. But not as good for audiobook listening time. Anyway, I am a little over halfway through. We're pacing ourselves with season 5 of the TV show too.
@marina, like @shel, I too am doing the Nerds book challenge for the first time this year and I'm taking a nearly identical plan as @shel. I will read what I read and see how/if it fits.
@rebecca, have you seen the PBS Nova episode entitled Bird Brain? You probably would enjoy it. https://www.pbs.org/video/bird-brain-... I loved that episode and have added your bird book to my Want-To-Read list.
QOTW: I didn't really have a plan for the year. Although the Nerds book challenge is providing a slight framework.
However, @sheri, if you haven't already, you could probably reuse questions from several years ago when fewer people participated in the weekly checkins. They'd be fresh/new questions for most people.
@Susan, I have seen that show! The author of the book visits the kea that are featured in it.I too am doing the Book Nerds challenge as my first, but I swapped the rows and columns, so I am just listing the titles I read and going across to check off any prompts they fit. Then I can add them up and see whether I have at least one for each prompt, and which prompts I read the most. (I suspect there will be a lot of places I wouldn't want to live!)
Happy New Year to all! Despite the extra stay at home time, last year I kept to about 2 books a week so aiming for that again this year. I usually don't do challenges besides the total number, but I'm doing the Book Nerd one. So far I'm counting books for multiple categories as I read them but will try to get down to one book in each as the year proceeds. Week #1 books were Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers. I liked it but not as much as first two, probably because it seemed a little sadder than the others. Also reread Goblet of Fire for a comfort read. I will always admire the matching wand core storyline that was planted in book one. But this is the first HP book I reread since JKR's unsupportive comments and that did make it harder to enjoy.
I wanted to finish by thanking Sheri again for leading us here every week. I stop by and read the messsages every time I finish a book, even if I don't post, and I am glad you are all here to share your book love. Many of my favorite reads the past few years have come from you and the main FoE page.
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Oh no, I thought the second was sadder than the first, and the third one is even sadder? I will probably still read it someday, but I liked the warm fuzzy space family.
Happy New Year! This week I finished: Mexican Gothic. It was part mystery and part paranormal with a creepy old house and weird family secrets. The main character was smart in many ways (book smart, people smart, etc). I enjoyed how she read the people she encountered and altered her approach with each of them. And it turns out this story was inspired by a real town in Mexico. The book took its time with the story, but it didn't feel repetitive. All in all, a good way to start the reading year.
I also finished The Amityville Horror. Husband and I listened to it on a car trip. Even though the events were made up (the house and murders there were real as I understand it), the author played to some of the things that creep me out - mysteriously open doors, objects moving, voices, etc. It was a good way to pass time in the car - didn't take too much mental power to follow the story.
I also finished Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory & Irvine. I'm fascinated by the people who want to climb Everest - I've read a fair amount of Everest biographies/accounts. This one was more interesting than I expected for a historical account.
QOTW: So far, my reading (and crafting) year has gone well. For the majority of last year I was in a reading (and crafting) funk. Thankfully I've seemed to snap out of it, mostly due to forcing myself to pick-up The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (which I loved). Last year I read a lot of the posts here, but didn't contribute. I don't really have a plan this year - just wanting to keep reading, but I am hoping to contribute more here this year.
update: i've finished You, and am now back to Supernatural's Children of Anubis. i have 7 books on hold, let's see how many i get at once! XD *A Shadow in Riverclan - Warriors graphic novel. it's still in processing!
*Fortune and Glory: Tantalizing Twenty-Seven by Janet Evanovich
*Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam
*Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
*Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
*The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab
*The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow
Every time I start a post here something happens and I lose the page. I started the year with 4 carryover books from 2020. I also took part in the Bout of Books read a thon and ggot some reading done.A Fall of Moondust This was a carryover from 2020.
Some Yaoi from the manga pile:
Ten Count vol. 2Rihito Takarai
Cigarette Kisses by Nase Yamato Both of which had extremely pretty artwork but kind of Meh stories...
Lost Truth by Dawn Cook. This was the last in a series. I loved it. It successfully swapped up several storylines.
Sunrise Point (Virgin River, #17) This brings me down to only a few Robyn Carr books left in my bookcrossed TBR pile. One Virgin River Book and Three Grace Valley books. This series is serious fluffy comfort reading for me. I still have much of the series to read as I've been reading these out of order, but this one was quite enjoyable.
I have 2 print books and one audiobook left in my carryover pile.
Gonna try to actually do this lolHow's your reading doing? Well, I am definitely continuing the trend of comfort food equivalent reading that I started mid-last year but going to try and mix in some non-fiction.
The first week of 2021 I finished:
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan
Thoroughly enjoyed this account of a pretty impressive amazing lady and her family. The author did a great job of telling the story of her mother/childhood in a way that was very engaging -hilarious and touching. It got me thinking if there is any comparable opportunities to winning advertising prizes open nowadays to people...
EPBOT Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less (other topics)Children of Anubis (other topics)
You (other topics)
Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory & Irvine (other topics)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (other topics)
More...
Book Club
November 9 was selected for the next pick. Feel free to write some pre-reading thoughts if you haven't already. I'm on a wait list for the book, and drowning in end of year library hold pile on. So it'll be a bit before I can get it read and some questions up. Thanks for your patience!
This week I've finished:
A Conjuring of Light - Finished up the series, really liked how it wrapped up. Normally I wouldn't count a book I started in a previous year for a challenge read, but it was 600+ pages and over 400 of them were this year. So I counted it for BookNerds author with a single syllable last name, and ATY's book with a female criminal or villain.
Battle Ground - Man, this book made me so, so mad. Like "ugh, do I even want to continue with the series?" mad. I might have cooled down by the time the next one comes out, I'm guessing after kicking these two out, it'll be a few years before another drops. We'll see haha. I wasn't going to be much a fan anyhow, I don't read much epic fantasy specifically because i don't like big wars. I don't like them in real life/historical, I don't like space war space operas, I don't like big fantasies with fantasy wars. Urban fantasy USUALLY doesn't go that route. So going into this I was already kinda "ok let's just get through this". It's just exhausting reading endless action, injuries, death. But he made a particular choice i'm having a very hard time getting past, even if he sort of tried to rationalize it by the end. Anyhow, I counted it for Booknerds two word title, ATY book related to ice (harry is Winter Knight, the Winter court was heavily involved, ice powers etc.)
Currently reading:
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America- Talk about a timely read. I actually had to put it aside for a couple days, don't have the energy to read more about toxic white male mentality in the middle of *gesturing broadly*, i'll get back to it soon. I'll probably count it for Popsugar BLM, Read Harder book about racism/antiracism, I'll figure out where else it fits.
This Is How You Lose the Time War - I adore this. I'm reading it pretty slowly for a novella, it's been hard to concentrate. but it's such a great, interesting story. Not sure I've read anything like it before. Might use it for popsugar previous prompt, book about time travel.
I'm also doing a visual novel that I dont' think is in Goodreads, and I don't know how to add it. It's Coffee Talk, a story based on being a barista in an alternate reality Seattle. Elves and Orcs and the like live with humans, their 2020 seems a bit better than the one we got. Enjoying it so far, very chill. For those unaware, visual novels are basically video games that you play just to get a story. the only real "game" part is a mini game where you mix their drinks in between conversations. Even if you get the drink wrong, it doesn't really change much besides them saying "oh that's not quite right". They're also known as talking simulators, haha. I like it. This one is very influenced off The Midnight Diner, if anyone watched that on Netflix.
QOTW:
After several years of doing these, I admit I'm kinda tapped on unique reading questions haha. So if anyone has ideas, feel free to message me!
I'll just go with How's your reading doing? Did you get the new year start you hoped for?
I admit I did not haha. I had planned on doing a bunch of easy reading comics at the end of the year, and start the year with several prompt reads I had all lined up. Then in the last couple weeks of the year my library must have gone on a buying spree/people must have bailed on their holds, because holds that claimed i had months left on suddenly all dropped at once, stuff I requested years ago suddenly got bought placed in my ready to check out queue, etc. So I'm mostly in "trying to get these read so I can go back to the ones I planned on" mode. oh well, they're all things i DID want to read, just not necessarily right now.