Liander Enjoys Reading 2025

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

I aimed for 125 last year and didn't quite make it, but I didn't want to lower my goal so I'm going for it again.

Last year I used this same title, "Liander Enjoys Reading", because I wanted to make sure I was really having fun reading. But I feel like I fell into the same traps. It's hard to describe, because I already pick books I'll like; it's not like anyone is forcing me to read certain books, and in fact I do like almost every book I read! It's more a general feeling of being bogged down. Like I can't browse at the library because I have books out that have holds on them and I need to read those first. Or I have books I own that I'm excited about but for some reason I just can't get to them right now. Honestly, I don't know what the answer is. But it's something I want to keep being aware of and trying to change.

Anyway, new year new books! Let's do this!

[Andrea, Moderator]

I feel like I have also been through this before. I think for me I realize this is happening when I'm trying to trudge through trendy books that are just not the genres that I like. I try to find the balance between books that that challenge me, trying new kinds of books and keeping reading enjoyable to me. I avoid this a little better by not forcing myself to read something that does not feel right after a little time versus waiting until I have read half the book.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

1. Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

First up is the audiobook I started in the last week of December! I think after I finish this series I'm gonna have to read it again. I feel like those action scenes are a lot to follow in audio. (Still, I'd probably reread the audiobooks, because I love Kevin R. Free's narration.)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "I aimed for 125 last year and didn't quite make it, but I didn't want to lower my goal so I'm going for it again.

Last year I used this same title, "Liander Enjoys Reading", because I wanted to ma..."

I hear you on this! I have 3 library cards I use for Libby and it's very easy to get overwhelmed when all 15 holds come in around the same time! So I'm trying a new pause technique where if I'm not read y for it, I deliver later starting at 7 days and then every 2 days after that. I DID suspend all my holds till Jan 1 for most of Dec so they all hit between Jan 1-3 anyway lol so that was like WHOA. And I'm trying to roll out my Hoopla borrows over the month instead of borrowing all 10 at the end of the month and overwhelming my life 3 weeks later lol. Luckily only one of my libraries also uses Hoopla so that can't get too insane.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "1. Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

First up is the audiobook I started in the last week of December! I think a..."

Love this series! Definitely interested in the Apple TV show though I don't have Apple+. I think my BIL does though so maybe I'll sneak into his account once it comes out. The audiobooks are fantastic!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

2. Squirrel-ish by Bambi Edlund (school library, storytime)

3. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas (public library, audiobook)

Oh no I'm hooked on this series.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Elyse wrote: "Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "I aimed for 125 last year and didn't quite make it, but I didn't want to lower my goal so I'm going for it again.

Last year I used this same title, "Liander Enj..."

I've definitely been dealing with the same audiobook inundation, though for me that's a separate issue than my feeling of not having time to read what I want. (Maybe because a lot of my reading isn't audiobooks? And audiobook time is totally separate from regular reading time for me so one doesn't affect the other.)

When I first got into audiobooks, I would just pick from what was available now. But at some point I got into putting them on hold and everything went nuts. XD Now I have three audiobooks out that I'm listening to in order of due date, and like eight more on hold that I'm carefully monitoring.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

4. Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

I swear, one of these days I will finish a physical book!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

5. VenCo by Cherie Dimaline (public library, audiobook)

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "I swear, one of these days I will finish a physical book!"

But it is not this day!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

6. Open Wide for the Handsome Sabertooth Dentist Who Is Also a Ghost by Chuck Tingle (podcast)

7. What Inspires by Alison Hughes (school library, storytime)

8. The Bad Guys in One Last Thing (The Bad Guys #20) by Aaron Blabey

9. Leech by Hiron Ennes (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

10. You Can't Scare Me! (Goosebumps #15) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

11. Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear (school library, storytime)

I loved this one!

[Andrea, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "2. Squirrel-ish by Bambi Edlund (school library, storytime)

3. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Rose..."

I feel like EVERYONE is reading this series. I tried to start this first book and gave up. I think I need to try again!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Andrea wrote: "I feel like EVERYONE is reading this series. I tried to start this first book and gave up. I think I need to try again!"

Yeah I'm not usually one to be reading whatever's big on Goodreads or BookTok or whatever lol. And I had no intention of ever reading this series. And then, I dunno what happened, one day I was like OK FINE I'll try the first audiobook. And then I was like oh no I think I love this. XD

Honestly I liked the first book but a lot of people don't! I've seen it called the price you have to pay to get the rest of the series lol. I would definitely have more complicated feelings about it if I went back to it now. A lot changes in book 2!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

12. A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

13. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

14. My Name Is Saajin Singh by Kuljinder Kaur Brar (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

15. A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5) by Sarah J. Maas (borrowed from a friend)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Andrea and I are going to start the ACOTAR series in April.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Elyse wrote: "Andrea and I are going to start the ACOTAR series in April."

Have fun!! By then I miiiight have book 4 lol. I waited too long to put it on hold (I swear it had a short list before) and now I'm 77th in line lmao.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Have fun!! By then I miiiight have book 4 lol. I waited too long to put it on hold (I swear it had a short list before) and now I'm 77th in line lmao...."

Oh boy that's a long queue! lol.

[Andrea, Moderator]

Ohh I hope you will chime in! :)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

16. System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

17. As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts by Matthew Burgess (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

18. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (public library, audiobook)

19. On a Mushroom Day by Chris Baker (school library, storytime)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

20. Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio (public library)

21. Mike's Mystery (The Boxcar Children #5) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (public library, ebook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

22. All Are Neighbors by Alexandra Penfold (school library, storytime)

23. A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4) by Sarah J. Maas (public library, audiobook)

24. I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely (school library, storytime)

25. Karen's Witch (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #1) by Katy Farina (school library, suggestion box)

26. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

27. Impossible Possums by Justin Colón (school library, storytime)

28. That's Not Fair by Shinsuke Yoshitake (school library)

29. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson (public library)

Hey, are we gonna have an Easter read-a-thon?? (I ask in my personal log, because I dunno where else to ask it lol)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Hey, are we gonna have an Easter read-a-thon?? (I ask in my personal log, because I dunno where else to ask it lol)..."

We are!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

30. Knight Owl by Christopher Denise (school library, storytime)

31. The Sandman, Vol. 4: Season of Mists (public library)

32. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (public library, audiobook)

33. ARTificial Intelligence by David Biedrzycki (school library, storytime)

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon:

34. The Absolute (Animorphs #51) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

35. I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle (public library)

36. The Ghost Comes Calling by Betty Ren Wright (TBR pile)

37. Monsters Don't Scuba Dive (Bailey School Kids #14) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

38. Straight by Chuck Tingle (TBR pile)

39. The Sea in You by Jessi Sheron (public library)

The read-a-thon caught me up on my Goodreads goal! And I made some progress on my Mount TBR challenge.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Woohoo some nice reading done!

[Andrea, Moderator]

Wow, that was such a great readathon for you! I was sad to miss it, but we have a bunch of stuff going on the weekend.

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

40. One Day at Horrorland (Goosebumps #16) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

This one was also a read-a-thon book, but I had like 30 pages left that I didn't finish until days later.

41. Parrotfish Has a Superpower by Jill Esbaum (school library, storytime)

42. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

43. Peanut Butter and Jelly (Narwhal and Jelly #3) by Ben Clanton (school library)

44. What Happened to You? by James Catchpole (school library, storytime)

45. The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris (school library, storytime)

46. Little Moons by Jen Storm (public library, MYRCA nominee)

47. Narwhal's Otter Friend (Narwhal and Jelly #4) by Ben Clanton (school library)

48. The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin (public library, audiobook)

49. Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin (school library, storytime)

50. Eragon (Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini (TBR pile, reread)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

51. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (public library, audiobook)

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Oops, a bit behind on this one!

52. Nick and the Brick Builder Challenge by Jen Malia (school library)

53. The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar (school library, storytime)

54. I Am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems (school library, suggestion box)

55. Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate (school library, storytime)

56. Grandad's Pride by Harry Woodgate (public library, storytime)

57. The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs (public library, audiobook, MYRCA nominee)

58. My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart (school library, storytime)

59. Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green (public library, audiobook)

60. Gangsta Granny by David Walliams (school library, suggestion box)

61. The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (public library)

62. The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (public library)

63. Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (public library, audiobook)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Annie Bot was fun lol. A bit disappointed (view spoiler)[the other bot was never "rescued" by Annie. Can't remember her name. (hide spoiler)]

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

Elyse wrote: "Annie Bot was fun lol. A bit disappointed [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I definitely got the impression at the end that Annie was going to go on to rescue other bots. It's left a bit open-ended, which I don't always like, but I think it left us with a good bit of potential in this case! (hide spoiler)]

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

64. The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (public library, audiobook)

65. The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling (school library, MYRCA nominee)

66. Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival by Trina Rathgeber (school library, MYRCA nominee)

67. Blue Bay Mystery (The Boxcar Children #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (public library, ebook)

68. The Amendment (The Arrangement #2) by Kiersten Modglin (public library, audiobook)

69. The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen (public library, audiobook)

70. That's Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed (school library, storytime)

There, all caught up! And back to school, with one storytime cycle done!