Liander Enjoys Reading 2024

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

I'm going for 125 books in 2024. That's more than the 117 I managed in 2023, but is hopefully doable.

It's the middle of the night at the start of the new year, and I'm having thoughts about the previous year, and the year to come. More thoughts to come (probably) but for now, I've called this thread "Liander Enjoys Reading 2024" because I want this year's reading to be about my love of it, first and foremost, regardless of any silly little (or big) challenges I set for myself.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Welcome back, Liander! Looking forward to seeing what you read!

[Andrea, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "I'm going for 125 books in 2024. That's more than the 117 I managed in 2023, but is hopefully doable.

It's the middle of the night at the start of the new year, and I'm having thoughts about the p..."

It seems several of us are thinking about quality and enjoyability over quantity this year. Like you, I kept my goal high because it's a doable amount for me. I do want to focus on enjoying the books and choosing books that I really am excited to read.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

1) Fake News, Real Boners by Chuck Tingle (podcast)

2) The Dead Girlfriend by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

3) Pierre & Jean by Guy de Maupassant (public library, ebook)

[Juli, Moderator]

I too decided on 125 books for this year! You got this!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

4) Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

5) Last Pick by Jason Walz (public library)

6) My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

7) Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel (public library, audiobook, MYRCA nominee)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

8) Different Kids of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff (public library)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

9) I Am Not Little Red Riding Hood by Alessandro Lecis (school library, storytime)

10) The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr (public library, audiobook)

11) Beyond This Dark House by Guy Gavriel Kay (TBR pile)

12) Apartment 713 by Kevin Sylvester (school library, MYRCA nominee)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

13) Zander Stays by Maureen Fergus (school library, storytime)

14) Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (public library, audiobook)

15) Cone Cat by Sarah Howden (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

16) Forever Birchwood (public library, audiobook, MYRCA nominee)

17) Berani by Michelle Kadarusman (school library, MYRCA nominee)

18) Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstorm by Laura Purdie Salas (school library, storytime)

19) Legends and Liars (Echoes and Empires #2) by Morgan Rhodes (public library, audiobook)

20) When Rabbit Was a Lion by Eugenie Fernandes (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

21) Nimona by ND Stevenson (school library)

I loved this! Obviously. Read it this week because I wanted to read it before watching the movie, and wanted to watch the movie before watching the Oscars lol.

22) How to Count to 1 (And Don't Even Think About Bigger Numbers!) by Caspar Salmon (school library, storytime)

So far this year, I've been perfectly on track for my Goodreads goal!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

23) Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja (school library, storytime)

24) How to Be a Goldfish by Jane Baird Warren (school library, MYRCA nominee)

25) The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill (school library, reread)

26) One Chicken Nugget by Tadgh Bentley (school library, storytime)

27) The Pet Store Window by Jairo Buitrago (school library, storytime)

28) Peanut Butter and Chaos by Anita Daher (school library, MYRCA nominee)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon:

29) The Diversion (Animorphs #49) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

30) Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton and Aśka (public library)

31) The Betrayal (The Fear Street Saga #1) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

32) Last Pick, Vol. 2: Born to Run by Jason Walz (public library)

33) Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers (The Bailey School Kids #12) by Debbie Dadie and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

34) Heartstopper, Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman (public library)

35) Saga, Vol. 11 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (public library)

36) The Haunted Mask (Goosebumps #11) by R.L. Stine

I had fallen behind on my Goodreads goal and the read-a-thon got me right back on track! It also got my library stack under control. Still behind on Mount TBR, though.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

37) Mara Hears in Style by Terri Clemmons (school library, storytime)

38) The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith (school library)

39) The Grave Thief by Dee Hahn (public library, audiobook, MYRCA nominee)

40) How to Party Like a Snail by Naseem Hrab (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

41) I Want 100 Dogs by Stacy McAnulty (school library, storytime)

42) Some Moms by Fifi Abu (school library, storytime)

43) Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (public library)

44) Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas (public library)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

45) Tidy by Emily Gravett (school library, storytime)

46) The Hueys in the New Jumper by Oliver Jeffers (school library, storytime)

47) All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay (TBR pile)

48) Calvin by J.R. and Vanessa Ford (school library, storytime)

49) Halloween Night by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

50) Triangle by Mac Barnett (school library, storytime)

51) The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (public library, audiobook)

52) My Shadow Is Purple by Scott Stuart (school library, storytime)

53) All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

Halfway point! I am just a smidge behind schedule (9 books according to the Goodreads tracker). But so far my summer break is including some good reading time. Unfortunately it's because I have a lingering illness and also it won't stop raining lmao but still, I'm taking the win!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

54) The Cricket War by Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish (school library, MYRCA nominee)

55) Godly Heathens (The Ouroboros #1) by H.E. Edgmon (public library, audiobook)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "21) Nimona by ND Stevenson (school library)

I loved this! Obviously. Read it this week because I wanted to read it before watching the movie, and wanted to watch the mo..."

I love Nimona! The graphic novel, the audiobook, and the movie!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

56) The Secret (The Fear Street Saga #2) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

57) Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (public library)

58) Weyward by Emilia Hart (public library, audiobook)

59) The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett (school library, MYRCA nominee)

60) Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

61) Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler (school library, MYRCA nominee)

62) Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

63) Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle (TBR pile, new book)

And that's it for the summer, right up to yesterday! Truly, my summers continue to reach new depths of reading slumps lol. Almost all of these books took me way longer than is reasonable. But we're back in reading season now! I have a lot of catching up to do.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

64) The Pronoun Book by Cassandra Jules Corrigan (school library, ebook)

65) The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts (school library, storytime)

66) Determined Dreamer: The Story of Marie Curie by Deborah Hopkinson (school library)

67) The Burning (The Fear Street Saga #3) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

68) The Good Little Book by Kyo Maclear (school library, storytime)

69) The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Kay O'Neill (school library)

70) Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

71) Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

72) Don't Eat Bees: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty (school library, storytime)

73) The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay (school library, storytime)

74) Hallows Eve by Al Sarrantonio (TBR pile)

75) Be Careful What You Wish For... (Goosebumps #12) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

76) Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan (school library, storytime)

77) Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells (public library, ebook)

78) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder (Goosebumps #13) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

79) The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien (school library, MYRCA nominee)

80) Atana and the Firebird by Vivian Zhou (school library, MYRCA nominee)

81) The Ultimate (Animorphs #50) by K. A. Applegate (TBR pile)

82) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (Goosebumps #14) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

83) Gremlins Don't Chew Bubble Gum (Bailey School Kids #13) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

84) Books of Magic, Vol. 1: Moveable Type by Kat Howard (public library)

85) Real to Me by Minh Lê (school library, storytime)

[Andrea, Moderator]

You are doing good!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

86) You Owe Me One, Universe by Chad Lucas (school library, MYRCA nominee)

87) There's a Ghost* in This House by Oliver Jeffers (school library, storytime)

88) The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink (TBR pile)

89) Two Homes, One Heart by Jessica Young (school library, storytime)

90) House of Danger (Choose Your Own Adventure #15) by R.A. Montgomery (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Andrea wrote: "You are doing good!"

Thanks! I'm pretty far behind on my goal lol, but November and December are always a big push to try to hit my reading goals for the year.

[Andrea, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Andrea wrote: "You are doing good!"

Thanks! I'm pretty far behind on my goal lol, but November and December are always a big push to try to hit my reading goals for the year."

35 books behind is not too bad! Maybe try to do some Novellas, short stories or audiobooks. They all count!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

91) The Bad Guys in Open Wide and Say Arrrgh! (The Bad Guys #15) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

92) Hopeless in Hope by Wanda John Kehewin (school library, MYRCA nominee)

93) Silent Night 2 by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

94) The Bad Guys in The Others?! (The Bad Guys #16) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

95) Laverne Cox by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

96) The Bad Guys in Let the Games Begin! (The Bad Guys #17) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

97) The Bad Guys in Look Who's Talking (The Bad Guys #18) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

98) Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! (Cat on the Run #1) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

99) The Bad Guys in The Serpent and the Beast (The Bad Guys #19) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

100) As Glenn as Can Be by Sarah Ellis (school library, storytime)

100 books read! My friend also recently hit 100 and was intentional about which book was their 100th; mine is just a random storytime lol but I did enjoy it!

[Karol]

Wow! What an accomplishment - 100 books! Just awesome, Liander.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Woohoo! Congrats!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Karol wrote: "Wow! What an accomplishment - 100 books! Just awesome, Liander."

Thank you! :)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Elyse wrote: "Woohoo! Congrats!"

Thanks! :)

101) Watch Me Throw the Ball! by Mo Willems (school library, student suggestion)

First book from my "pick a book for Mx. Lavoie" box lol

102) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (public library, audiobook)

Impulsively read a super popular book and liked it???

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

103) Under Blood Lake by I.D. Russell (TBR pile)

104) Living Inside My Own Butt for Eight Years, Starting a Business and Turning a Profit Through Common Sense Reinvestment and Strategic Targeted Marketing by Chuck Tingle (podcast)

105) The Book that Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed (school library, storytime)

I've got the range. XD

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

106) Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton (school library, reread)

107) The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers (school library, suggestion box)

108) Making It So by Patrick Stewart (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

109) Angela's Glacier by Jordan Scott (school library, storytime)

110) If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie (school library)

111) Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee (school library, suggestion box)

112) Santa's First Christmas by Mac Barnett (school library, storytime)

113) Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt (Narwhal and Jelly #2) by Ben Clanton (school library)

Twelve books to go to hit my goal for the year, and 9 days left (after today). My main goal, though, is to finish two big books I have on the go: The Morgaine Saga and Les Miserables. So, each day I have assigned reading: 40 pages of Morgaine, and 15 pages* of Les Mis. I also read a short book like a graphic novel. This worked today! I'm gonna be staying with my parents for a night or two over Christmas, so those will be the hardest days to keep up, but after Boxing Day it should be smooth sailing. I can do this!

* A friend lent me her paperback copy of Les Mis, because I was struggling with the ebook. I figured out that I had to read 20 pages per day of the paperback to finish by the end of the year. Today I read 25 pages! But then, I was looking at the table of contents, and I realised that there's an appendix, which consists of two chapters of the book that I've actually already read, because in the ebook they were included in their normal spots in the book! So I recalculated, and now I only have 140 pages remaining, which is just 15 pages per day!! So excited to be done with this book!!

[Andrea, Moderator]

You are so close to your goal!!! Can you do some novellas to get you to your goal?

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Andrea wrote: "You are so close to your goal!!! Can you do some novellas to get you to your goal?"

I can sure try!! Now I have 6 days (including today) to finish my two big books, read one audiobook (13 hours), and read 8 other short books.

This is a lot, but! I'm home from my parents' now. I have a Festivus party tomorrow night, but other than that, I have nowhere I need to be between now and year's end. If I can read 8 books in a 24 hour read-a-thon, I can do this.

While at my parents' house over the last couple of days, I *almost* kept up. I kept up with Les Mis, and fell about 30 pages behind on Morgaine. I didn't read any short books, though.

114) Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari (public library, audiobook)

[Andrea, Moderator]

You can do it!!!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

115) Cat on the Run in Cucumber Madness! (Cat on the Run #2) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

116) The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) by Kay O'Neill (school library)

117) Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (ebook (Project Gutenberg), finished with borrowed paperback)

118) The Morgaine Saga by C.J. Cherryh (TBR pile)

Well, I didn't quite make it. But! I finished two huge books that required a major final effort in the last couple weeks! The relief I feel, finally going into a new year with Les Mis not on my currently reading shelf, is hard to adequately describe.

[Andrea, Moderator]

118 is still amazing!

[Elyse, Moderator]

You still did great! And ugh, I can't even get myself to read or listen to Les Mis!