2024 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year:

• Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz

• The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton

• Dungeon Crawler Carl (entire series) by Matt Dinniman

• Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

• Funny Story by Emily Henry

• Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

• We Kept Her in the Castle by WR Gorman

• What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• All Systems Read by Martha Wells

• Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Total Books Read – 256 books

Total Pages Read – 83,950 pages

I averaged 6996 pages per month.  My lowest month was December with only 5426 pages.  My highest month was January with 9306 pages.  I hope to read 75,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars —26%

• 4 stars —46%

• 3 stars — 21%

• 2 stars — 7%

• 1 star — 0 books

• DNFs — 0 books

Next up on the TBR pile:

RC: Spooky Season A to Z

I always love reading “spooky” books during the fall. These books can be hard core horror or just very atmospheric. They could be mystery, romance, or fantasy. I just love leaning into the season and reflect that in my reading. This year, I decided to make a little reading challenge out of it and read 26 spooky books, one for each letter of the alphabet. To help out, I pulled a variety of books from my shelves to get me started. Of course, I also put some library books on hold. Here’s to finding some gems in the stacks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year:

1. Babel by RF Kuang

2. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

3. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor

4. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

5. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

6. Weyward by Emilia Hart

7. Camp Creepy by Kierstin White (really the second, third, and fourth books of the Sinister Summer series)

8. Come as Your Are by Emily Nagoski

9. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

10. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

• A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

• A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Total Books Read – 272 books

Total Pages Read – 85,397 pages

I averaged 7116 pages per month.  My lowest month was April with only 5506 pages.  My highest month was June with 8690 pages.  I hope to read 75,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars —62 books

• 4 stars —126 books

• 3 stars — 70 books

• 2 stars — 14 books

• 1 star — 0 books

• DNFs — 0 books

Next up on the TBR pile:

2022 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year:

1. How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

2. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

3. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

4. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

5. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

6. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

7. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

8. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

9. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

10. The War that Save My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• Sunshine by Robin McKinley - I reread it 10 years after I first read it. I still really really love that book so much!

Total Books Read – 244 books

Total Pages Read – 73,919 pages

I averaged 6160 pages per month.  My lowest month was January with only 4753 pages.  My highest month was December with 7963 pages.  I hope to read 60,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars —70 books

• 4 stars —108 books

• 3 stars — 54 books

• 2 stars — 11 books

• 1 star — 1 books

• DNFs —0 books

Next up on the TBR pile:

2021 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year: I don’t usually rank or have categories for my favorites, but this year, I’m going to do something a bit different…

1. Book of the Year: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

2. Kid Read Aloud: The Very Very Far North (and sequel Just Beyond the Very Far North) by

3. YA Series: Scythe Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

4. SciFi Series: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (all 15 books collectively!)

5. SciFi Standalone: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

6. Fantasy: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

7. Fairy Tale: Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

8. Horror: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

9. Contemporary Romance: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

10. Historical Romance: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

11. Nonfiction: Underland by Robert McFarlane

12. Collection: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

13. Memoir: Broken by Jenny Lawson

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Total Books Read – 223 books

Total Pages Read – 67,488 pages

I averaged 5624 pages per month.  My lowest month was April with only 4922 pages.  My highest month was December with 6495 pages.  I hope to read 50,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars — 65 books

• 4 stars — 97 books

• 3 stars — 43 books

• 2 stars — 16 books

• 1 star — 2 books

• DNFs — 0 books

I think my spread of stars is pretty accurate to how I read and enjoy books. I expect mostly 4 star books with some great and some not-so-great and very few terrible books. Most of those terrible books were book club selections and those “hot” books everyone was reading, but really aren’t for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

Fall TBR: A mix of older books and new releases for this fall. All the spooky books are on tap for October and the others will probably be read for November…

1. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

2. Girls Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

   • The Wallflower Wager

   • The Bride Bet

3. The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

5. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

6. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

9. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

10. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

11. The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

12. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kristin Bakis

13. Underground Airplines by Ben Winters

14. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

15. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

16. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

17. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

20. A Court of Throne sand Roses by Sarah J. Maas

21. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

22. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

23. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

24. Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

25. Rereads

    • Sunshine by Robin McKinley

    • The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
      

Summer TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Summer TBR. I managed to read 12/25. I lost the plot a bit… but I did read some ones that I was looking forward to.

1. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

2. Troy by Stephen Fry

3. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain ✓

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers ✓

5. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid ✓

6. For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten ✓

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson ✓

9. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

10. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

11. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley ✓

12. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry ✓

13. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019 ✓

14. Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin

    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)

    • The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)

    • The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)

15. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

16. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May ✓

17. Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

18. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks ✓

19. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ✓

20. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

21. Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens

    • The Untamed Bride

    • The Elusive Bride

    • The Brazen Bride

    • The Reckless Bride

22. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

    • The Thousandth Floor

    • The Dazzling Heights

23. Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

24. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

25. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Summer TBR:

1. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

2. Troy by Stephen Fry

3. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers

5. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

6. For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson

9. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

10. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

11. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

12. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

13. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019

14. Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin

    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)

    • The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)

    • The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)

15. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

16. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

17. Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

18. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks

19. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

20. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

21. Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens

    • The Untamed Bride

    • The Elusive Bride

    • The Brazen Bride

    • The Reckless Bride

22. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

    • The Thousandth Floor

    • The Dazzling Heights

23. Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

24. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

25. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Spring TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Spring TBR. I managed to read 12/25. Not bad, but not amazing either. I’m so much of a mood reader that sometimes I forget about books that I put on the list. I think summer’s list will go better.

1. Foundation by Isaac Asimov

2. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust ✓

4. Lady Mechanika series ✓

   • Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci ✓

   • Volume 6: Sangre ✓

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown ✓

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz ✓

8. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

9. Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files

10. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

11. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

12. Broken by Jenny Lawson ✓

13. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

14. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

15. Outlawed by Anna North ✓

16. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner ✓

17. Still Life by Louise Penny ✓

18. Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn ✓

    • It’s In His Kiss ✓

    • On the Way to the Wedding ✓

    • Happily Ever After ✓

19. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

20. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster ✓

21. The Toll by Neal Shusterman ✓

22. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

23. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence ✓

24. Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr

25. The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tales for the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

Title: Tales from the Hinterland (Hazel Wood #3)

Author: Melissa Albert

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 240

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Currently Reading - Makes Me Feel Cozy

Before The Hazel Wood, there was Althea Proserpine’s Tales from the Hinterland...

Journey into the Hinterland, a brutal and beautiful world where a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice―and still lives.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike, Melissa Albert's Tales from the Hinterland features full-page illustrations by Jim Tierney, foil stamping, two-color interior printing, and printed endpapers.

Finally we get the amazing stories that created the basis for The Hazel Wood. All those dark tales from the Hinterlands are collected into one beautiful volume. It might sound strange to put this volume under my “Makes Me Feel Cozy” challenge, but dark fairy tales are my cozy reads. I love curling up for a cup of tea and a cozy blanket and falling into these strange tales. I must buy my own copy of this soon! I loved every single story, but I do have my favorites. I love the whimsy (until it’s not) of “The Clockwork Bride” and the utter devastation of “Alice-Three-Times.” “The House Under the Stairwell” actually scared me a bit. The imagery is so incredibly vivid that I felt like I was traveling the stairwell to the underworld. Albert does a delightful job in immersing the reader into these tales. I loved it!

The Hazel Wood

• #1 The Hazel Wood

• #2 The Night Country

• #3 Tales from the Hinterland

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring TBR

Spring TBR: Trying to lay out another 25 (well 28 actually) books that I want to read this spring. The list is a mix of unread shelf books and random ones from my TBR that I really wanted to get to soon.

1. Foundation by Isaace Asimov

2. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

4. Lady Mechanika series

   • Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci

   • Volume 6: Sangre

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

8. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

9. Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files

10. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

11. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

12. Broken by Jenny Lawson

13. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

14. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

15. Outlawed by Anna North

16. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

17. Still Life by Louise Penny

18. Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

    • It’s In His Kiss

    • On the Way to the Wedding

    • Happily Ever After

19. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

20. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster

21. The Toll by Neal Shusterman

22. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

23. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

24. Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr

25. The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

Winter TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Winter TBR! 14/25 Decent showing for the season. A few were library books that I couldn’t fit in. A few were unread shelf books that I still really want to get to, but I got wrapped up in other series.

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London ✓

2. Still Life by Louise Penny

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh ✓

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn ✓

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux (Sanctum, Catacomb, Novellas, Escape from Asylum) ✓

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen ✓

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang ✓

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke ✓

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow ✓

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt ✓

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane ✓

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke ✓

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman ✓

24. Lock In by John Scalzi ✓

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter TBR - Updated

Winter TBR: For 2021, I am going to change up how I do my reading challenges. My seasonal TBR’s are going to be expanded and those are the big reading challenges that I am going to focus on. For the first season of 2021, here are my 25 books I want to read:

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

2. Still Life by Louise Penny

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux (Sanctum, Catacomb, Novellas, Escape from Asylum)

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

24. Lock In by John Scalzi

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov

Next up on the TBR pile:

Top Books of the Decade

Now that my blog is 10 years old (seriously, how has it been 10 years?), I decided to choose my favorite books of the decade. First, I had to pull all my top ten lists from each there and then came the difficult part… I had to narrow down 100 books to 10! Looking at the list, fantasy is definitely my most favorite genre. And I love a good dark fairy tale-esque tale. I took many days, and this is what I came up with, in no particular order:

Top 10 Books of the Decade

1. The Magicians series by Lev Grossman (2012)

2. Sunshine by Robin McKinley

3. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

4. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman

5. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

6. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

8. Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire

9. Broken Earth series by NK Jemisin

10. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

2011

1. Fables Series

2. Autumn and Autumn: The City by David Moody

3. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

5. The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger

6. The Walking Dead Series by Robert Kirkman

7. The Prestige by Christopher Priest

8. At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols

9. Have Spacesuit--Will Travel by Robert Heinlein

10. The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

2012

1. Fables: The Witches

2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

3. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

4. Sunshine by Robin McKInley

5. Timeless by Gail Carriger

6. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

7. Allison Hewitt is Trapped / Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux

8. The Lost Hero / Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

9. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

10. Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant

2013

1. A Song of Fire and Ice series (Books #1-3)

2. The Passage

3. Let's Pretend This Never Happened

4. Neverwhere

5. The Mark of Athena

6. The Book Thief

7. The Angel's Game

8. The Lace Reader

9. Hyperbole and a Half

10. Me Before You

2014

1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

3. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro

4. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

5. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

6. Washington by Ron Chernow
   

7. No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman

8. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

2015

1. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

2. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

3. Fire by Kristin Cashore

4. Dead Wake by Erik Larson

5. The Martian by Andy Weir

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

7. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

8. Saga Vol. 1-4

9. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

10. Furiously Happy by Jenny Larson

2016

1. The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman

2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

4. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick

5. Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

7. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

8. Forevermore by Kristen Calihan

9. The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

10. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

2017

1. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

2. The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

3. You're Doing a Great Job by Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn

4. The Wicked + The Divine series

5. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

6. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

7. The Mummy by Anne Rice

8. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

9. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

10. A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner

2018

1. The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon

2. NOS4R2 by Joe Hill

3. Circe by Madeline Miller

4. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

5. Paper Girls Vol. 1-4

6. Every Heart a Doorway (and sequels) by Seanan McGuire

7. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

8. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

9. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

10. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

2019

1. Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

2. All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

3. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

4. Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

5. Smoke Gets in You Eyes by Caitlyn Doughty

6. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

7. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

8. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

9. The Wicked + The Divine comic series

10. Wilder Girls by Rory Power 

2020

1. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow

2. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

3. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4. 1776 by David McCullough

5. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

6. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

7. The Deep by Rivers Solomon

8. The City We Became by NK Jemisin

9. Network Effect (and the rest of the Murderbot Series) by Martha Wells

10. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

---

2020 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year (in no particular order):

• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow

• Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• 1776 by David McCullough

• The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

• The Deep by Rivers Solomon

• The City We Became by NK Jemisin

• Network Effect (and the rest of the Murderbot Series) by Martha Wells

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• Circe by Madeleine Miller

Total Books Read – 230 books

Total Pages Read – 70,892 pages

I averaged 5907 pages per month.  My lowest month was February with only 4532 pages.  My highest month was June with 8354 pages.  I hope to read 50,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats 

• 5 stars — 77 books

• 4 stars — 101 books

• 3 stars — 39 books

• 2 stars — 13 books

• 1 star — 0 books

• DNFs — 0 books

Here’s the final breakdown:

Total: 12/21 challenges 57.1 % done

Total: 346/416 slots 83.2% done

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter TBR

Fall TBR: My goal was to read my Book of the Month selections. I did not do very well at all… 1/14

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

2. One Day in December by Josie Silver

3. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

4. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

5. The Buried by Peter Hessler

6. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

7. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

8. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

9. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

10. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

11. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

12. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

13. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab ✓

14. The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Winter TBR: For 2021, I am going to change up how I do my reading challenges. My seasonal TBR’s are going to be expanded and those are the big reading challenges that I am going to focus on. I’ll be back in two weeks with more information as I work out exactly what I want to do.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

8/10 complete this season! Amazing Work! Let's see how I did with my Summer TBR:

1. Another Romance Series - Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt in progress

2. Three Book of the Month Books ✓

   • The Paris Hours by Alex George

   • Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

   • The End of October by Lawrence Wright

3. Two Her Royal Spyness Books ✓

   • On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen

   • Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

4. Two Nonfiction Books ✓

   • Pandemic 1918 by Catharine Arnold

   • A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

5. Two Carryover Books from Spring

6. A Historical Fiction - Conjure Women by Afia Atakora ✓

7. A Fairy Tale - Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke ✓

8. Four Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Picks ✓

   • Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

   • I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos

   • Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

   • Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

9. A Horror Book - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager ✓

10. Two YA Books ✓

    • A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

    • A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Fall TBR: I really want to clear off all my Book of the Month selections from my shelves. Currently, I have 11 BOTM selections unread on my shelves. I need to read at least 10 this season.

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

2. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3. One Day in December by Josie Silver

4. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

5. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

6. The Buried by Peter Hessler

7. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

8. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

9. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

10. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Let's see how I did with my Spring TBR: A lockdown due to a global pandemic left more time for reading. I actually did decently on this seasonal TBR. 6/10

1. Circe and Song of Achilles of Madeline Miller ✓

2. Two More Her Royal Spyness Novels by Rhys Bowen ✓

3. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

4. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace ✓

5. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin ✓

6. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

7. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

9. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran ✓

10. A Nonfiction Library Find ✓ - I read Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak

Summer TBR: For summer’s list, I decided to pick some series and genres instead of specific books. Maybe I will have more success doing this instead.

1. Another Romance Series - Don’t care which one, just want to finish a series. Maybe Tessa Dare or Stephanie Laurens.

2. Three Book of the Month Books - Working my way through the backlog. I want to get the numbers done significantly this season.

3. Two Her Royal Spyness Books

4. Two Nonfiction Books - Could be from my unread shelf or the library.

5. Two Carryover Books from Spring - The Splendid and the Vile; Uproot; The Beautiful and Damned; The Essex Serpent

6. A Historical Fiction

7. A Fairy Tale

8. Four Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Picks

9. A Horror Book

10. Two YA Books

Next up on the TBR pile:

Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak

Title: Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past

Author: Sarah Parcak

Publisher: Henry Holt 2019

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 283

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Goodreads Random

National Geographic Explorer and TED Prize-winner Dr. Sarah Parcak gives readers a personal tour of the evolution, major discoveries, and future potential of the young field of satellite archaeology. From surprise advancements after the declassification of spy photography, to a new map of the mythical Egyptian city of Tanis, she shares her field’s biggest discoveries, revealing why space archaeology is not only exciting, but urgently essential to the preservation of the world’s ancient treasures.

Parcak has worked in twelve countries and four continents, using multispectral and high-resolution satellite imagery to identify thousands of previously unknown settlements, roads, fortresses, palaces, tombs, and even potential pyramids. From there, her stories take us back in time and across borders, into the day-to-day lives of ancient humans whose traits and genes we share. And she shows us that if we heed the lessons of the past, we can shape a vibrant future.

I picked this one up from the library. A nice explanation of space archaeology, its growth and future. The science behind it was interesting, but I was more engaged with the passages detailing how it’s been used. I wanted the examples of discoveries and how they were found. I wanted more first hand accounts of discoveries and the process used. But overall, I really enjoyed this nonfiction book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring TBR

Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR (2/10): Oooofff… what a terrible showing for winter. Hoping the spring goes better.

1. The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas ✓

2. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

3. Friends without Benefits by Penny Reid

4. Kate Chopin by Emily Toth

5. The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara ✓

6. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

7. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

9. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

10. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Spring TBR:

1. Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Circe is a reread for GBC, but I haven’t read Song of Achilles yet.

2. Two More Her Royal Spyness Novels by Rhys Bowen - Cozy mysteries are perfect for this very uncertain time. Hoping to read two this season.

3. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - Really excited to read this one! and I even won a copy in a giveaway.

4. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace - BOTM selection and UnRead Shelf

5. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin - Gift from a friend

6. Uprooted by Naomi Novik - Seriously been on my shelf for too long…

7. The Beautiful and the Danmed by F. Scott Fitzgerald - A classic I’ve had for too long.

8. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - Another gift book

9. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - Put off for too long.

10. A Nonfiction Library Find - I love discovering random interesting nonfiction at the library.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Title: Kindred

Author: Octavia Butler

Publisher: 1979

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 287

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme - February

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

Such a powerful story! I’ve been meaning to read this one for years, but it kept getting shoved down my TBR pile. Finally picked it up and sped through it. It’s a fast paced plot with great characters. But more importantly, the book dives into very hard situations and questions what’s right and wrong in any given situation. I really found Dana’s inner turmoil over her place both in the 1800s and in 1976 challenging. The passages detailing violence were very difficult to read but important to confront past (and sometimes current) injustices. Even though the book was written 40 years, the topics touched upon feel very relevant to today.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Night Country by Melissa Albert

Title: The Night Country (Hazel Wood #2)

Author: Melissa Albert

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

In The Night Country, Alice Proserpine dives back into a menacing, mesmerizing world of dark fairy tales and hidden doors of The Hazel Wood. Follow her and Ellery Finch as they learn The Hazel Wood was just the beginning, and that worlds die not with a whimper, but a bang.

With Finch’s help, Alice escaped the Hinterland and her reclusive grandmother’s dark legacy. Now she and the rest of the dregs of the fairy tale world have washed up in New York City, where Alice is trying to make a new, unmagical life. But something is stalking the Hinterland’s survivors—and she suspects their deaths may have a darker purpose. Meanwhile, in the winking out world of the Hinterland, Finch seeks his own adventure, and—if he can find it—a way back home...

Oh Yes! We finally get a followup to The Hazel Wood! I loved diving back into the world of the weird and the wonderful even if most of the story was set in New York City. I always gravitate to the slightly dark fantasy stories and this is no exception. Alice is good character, but I was really here for Ellery’s story. Oh so good! I’m glad we got answers to a lot of the questions posed in the first book. I look forward to next year’s release of Hinterland tales. It’s going to be oh so good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

Title: The Glittering Hour

Author: Iona Grey

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.

Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.

Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey's The Glittering Hour is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.

This was our book club selection for January and I didn’t quite know what to think of it. I ended up absolutely loving this book. I actually ended this book in sobbing tears. It was just so good with an amazing emotional connection to the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the part o the story focused on Selina’s life during the 1920s. I don’t read many book set during the 1920s and it was really a fascinating time period to highlight. I feel like I need to read more books set during the 1920s. I really wanted a bit more focused on Alice and her life, but overall I was still very engaged in this book.

Next up on the TBR pile: