The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

Title: The Wallflower Wager (Girl meets Duke #3)

Author: Tessa Dare

Publisher: Avon 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 369

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.

Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.

When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?

And a two-legged dog.

And a foul-mouthed parrot.

And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .

Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.

Not if he ruins her first.

I must admit that Penny is not my favorite of the quartet of ladies featured in this series. I just am not charmed by her antics. But I must say that Gabriel is one of my favorites. I loved his rags to riches story and his lost boy personality. I guess he needed someone like Penny to bring him out into the open. I loved their romance bits and the appearances by the side characters (especially the banter between Ash and Chase). I didn’t necessarily love Penny’s narration parts. Still, it was a very enjoyable Regency romance. Now I have to wait for the last book in this quartet.

Girl Meets Duke

#1 The Duchess Deal
#2 The Governess Game
#3 The Wallflower Wager
#4 The Bride Bet

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Title: Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019

Edited By: Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Publisher: One World 2021

Genre: Nonfiction - U.S. History

Pages: 453

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

The story begins in 1619—a year before the Mayflower—when the White Lion disgorges “some 20-and-odd Negroes” onto the shores of Virginia, inaugurating the African presence in what would become the United States. It takes us to the present, when African Americans, descendants of those on the White Lion and a thousand other routes to this country, continue a journey defined by inhuman oppression, visionary struggles, stunning achievements, and millions of ordinary lives passing through extraordinary history.

Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume “community” history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects. While themes of resistance and struggle, of hope and reinvention, course through the book, this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness.

This is a history that illuminates our past and gives us new ways of thinking about our future, written by the most vital and essential voices of our present.

This book has been my slow-but-steady for the past two months or so. There is so much information packed into these essays. To properly focus on the essays, I only read one or two a day until I got the end. Many of the facts presented in the book I knew from my college classes. The authors both conveyed the information and the devastating emotions and after effects of the events presented. This is a hard book to read, but absolutely essential to understand the state of our country today.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Title: A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1)

Author: Becky Chambers

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy; Seasonal TBR

It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.
One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered.
But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.
They're going to need to ask it a lot.
Becky Chambers's new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

A philosophy text masquerading as a science fiction novella. Right away we are dumped into a world that doesn’t quite look like our own. We meet Sibling Dex and follow them as they explore the country and life. I loved the world building and descriptions. I really felt connected to the world of a tea monk and learning more about these settlements. And then we meet a robot. Oh how I loved Mosscap! From that point on, we get into the philosophy section of the book. We explore the meaning the life and identity through the eyes of two very different creatures. I am so in love with this book. I definitely need to reread this at some point. I feel like it will be one of the books that I get different lessons from each time I read it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Laundry Love by Patric Richardson

Title: Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore

Author: Patric Richardson

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2021

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 186

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy; Seasonal TBR

Doing laundry is rarely anyone’s favorite task. But to Patric Richardson, laundry isn't just fun―it's a way of life. After years of running Laundry Camp at the Mall of America for thousands of eager learners, he's ready to share his tips, tricks, and hacks―bringing surprise and delight to this commonly dreaded chore.

Sorting your laundry? It's not all about whites and darks. Pondering the wash cycles? Every load, even your delicates, should be washed using express or quick-wash on warm. Facing expensive dry cleaning bills? You'll learn how to wash everything―yes everything―at home. And those basically clean but smelly clothes? Richardson has a secret for freshening those too (hint: it involves vodka, not soap).

Changing your relationship with laundry can also change your life. Richardson’s handy advice shows us how to save time and money (and the planet!) with our laundry―and he intersperses it all with a healthy dose of humor, real-life laundry stories, and lessons from his Appalachian upbringing and career in fashion.

You would think that a book about laundry would be boring and very dry. But this book is not either! Right away Richardson invites into the fascinating world of laundering. We get practical tips and fun stories. I have been doing laundry for decades at this point and apparently I was doing many things wrong. To be fair to myself, I was taught (like most people) wrong. The volume is slim, but packed with helpful tips and explanations. I actually really enjoyed reading this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

World Travel by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

Title: World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Author: Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

Publisher: Ecco 2021

Genre: Travel Memoir

Pages: 480

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy; Summer TBR

Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.

In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.

Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.

For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.

I picked this up because Anne Bogel chose it for the Summer Reading Guide. I was intrigued by the prospect of reading the last work from Anthony Bourdain. Unfortunately the idea of this book far outweighed the actual execution of this book. The book is part travel guide and part rumination on the soul of countries. I enjoyed the ruminations. I enjoyed the essays written by those who new Bourdain. I just didn’t enjoy the parts that were more akin to a travel guide. Overall, the book really just made me want to watch No Reservations or Parts Unknown again.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wintering by Katherine May

Title: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

Author: Katherine May

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2020

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 255

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.

Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.

I am a bit speechless about this book. I expected to zip through it and write it off as another memoir/self-help style book that I did not enjoy. Instead, I read the introduction and was absolutely floored by how much I was connecting with the author’s philosophy of life. But I also didn’t want to speed through it. I ended a chapter every few days to allow myself to really sit with the messages. At about the fourth chapter or so, I declared that I needed to own this book. As a 39 year old woman, I feel like I’m hitting of lot of the rough patches in life that May dealt with. I can definitely place myself in her shoes and contemplate how to move forward. I’m definitely experiencing a wintering season in my own life. The book may have been written pre-pandemic, but it’s exactly right for right now. The copy I read is from the library’s and will be returned this week. But I will be ordering my own copy and soon. I want to read the sections along with the calendar. As the book really starts in September, I have a few weeks to acquire my own copy. This is a contender for my Top 10 books of the year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kingdoms Natasha Pulley

Title: The Kingdoms

Author: Natasha Pulley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 437

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Day Summer Reading; Seasonal TBR

Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English-instead of French-the postcard is signed only with the letter “M,” but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he's determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire's Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

This is one of those books that I really loved, but I won’t be recommending to most people I know. This story meanders through the plot both past and present and keeps you slightly confused and in the dark about the characters. I really enjoyed the world setup and see the alternate history play out. I really enjoyed the time at the lighthouse and the interactions between characters there. Once Joe passes through the pillars, the action speeds up a bit and we finally start learning what’s going on. Early on I totally called Joe’s identity in the other timeline, but it was nice to question my own suspicions right along with Joe. I didn’t power through this book, but took it slowly and let myself really sit with the prose. I put it in the same category of books as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell or The Night Circus. Books full of mystery, atmosphere, and slow moving plots are apparently my jam.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Malibu Rising

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2021

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Seasonal TBR

Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.

I dove into this book really hoping for another Daisy Jones and the Six or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. With this book, we get a really good story, but it didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark for me. Right away, I was drawn into the world of early 1980s (and then 1950-60s) Malibu. I wanted to learn more about the Riva children and how they came to be at the places they were in their lives. I wanted to really submerse myself in the atmosphere of Malibu at the various time periods. We get some of that. In flashbacks, we get to see what happened with Mick and June and the snippets throughout the children’s lives. And we get one big final confrontation between Mick and his children. Unfortunately, the book the left me wanting more. When we get to the last chapter, I was just a bit taken aback at the abruptness of the ending. I felt like we were just getting into the meat of the various characters. I wanted to sit with them longer. Ultimately, I felt like nothing had really been resolved and I wanted more. I cannot deny that Reid writes a propulsive story with interesting characters. I just wanted more.

My two side annoyances:

I really disliked how they dealt with Kit’s big identity revelation. Or really, how they didn’t deal with it. I felt like it was thrown to give a “complication” to her character, but was really a cheap afterthought.
From the very first page, I thought the fire would figure more prominently into the story. I kept waiting and waiting and it didn’t come into fruition until the last chapter.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Title: Project Hail Mary

Author: Andy Weir

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 482

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Seasonal TBR

Usually I copy and paste a book summary here, but all the ones I found contained way too many fucking spoilers! So here is my summary: This is a fun space romp involving a desperate race to save humanity. That’s it. That’s all you need to know before reading this book.

I closed this book and had a huge smile on my face while simultaneously crying. So incredibly amazing. I loved The Martian, but was less enthused by Artemis. I dove into this book after my husband kept shoving it in my face. And I’m so glad that he did! Right from the first page, I was sucked into this story based in space. I love a well-written space adventure and this does not disappoint. Weir includes a lot of science, but it does it in such way that I understood and even if I skimmed it, it wasn’t absolutely essential to the larger story. This review is incredibly vague because I do not want to spoil anything. Seriously, don’t read the summaries, just go and get the book right now.

Next up on the TBR pile:

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Title: For the Wolf (The Wilderwood #1)

Author: Hannah Whitten

Publisher: Orbit 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 403

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Seasonal TBR

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

I was so excited for this book and it ended up being a very lackluster read. It felt very derivative and overdone. I was intrigued by the concept of a Little Red Riding Hood retelling (I do love my fairy tale retellings). And this one added in elements of Sleeping Beauty and Rose Red and Snow White and lots of other snippets. I really enjoyed the world building and the Wilderwood itself. Seriously, I think the Wilderwood was the best character in the book. I loved seeing how the forest affected our characters and had it’s own presence. But then we get to the human characters and I got a lot less excited. Red was fine, Eammon was fine, Neve was fine. They were just fine. There wasn’t enough there to really make me care about them. Fife and Lyra annoyed me so much throughout the book. And I thoroughly disliked the constant repetitive actions (e.g. “lounging on the doorway” and “hands raking across __’s face”). At times the writing felt very immature. I loved the descriptions, but not when it focused on the characters. Overall, I think I’m really sick of reading these stories about a naive 20ish young woman who has to save the world. I’ll probably end up reading the sequel when it comes out, but I’m not super excited about it.

The Wilderwood

#1 For the Wolf
#2 For the Throne

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: A Master of Djinn

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 396

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city—or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

I was super excited by the first full-length from Clark after reading some of his novellas. I got into it and really enjoyed the story following Agent Fatma and her adventures through Egypt. I loved the inclusion of steampunk elements to this alternate history of Egypt. I love a good world-building in my fantasy novels and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed puzzling out the mystery and how Fatma was going to catch the killer. I will admit that I had the killer pegged from about a fourth of the way through the novel. But I did still enjoy the ride. My favorite parts were the interactions with the various djinn. I loved seeing all the different types and how they fit into human society. The pacing was a bit off at times and I felt like there’s was a bit much of posturing by some of the characters. For those reasons, I did take off a star.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks

Title: The Whispering House

Author: Elizabeth Brooks

Publisher: Tin House Books 2021

Genre: Gothic Fiction

Pages: 380

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: MMD; Summer TBR

Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella’s death five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella—a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.

Driven to find out more about her sister’s secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya lingers in this mysterious, centuries-old house, her relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession and the darkness behind the locked doors of the estate threatens to spill out.

In prose as lush and atmospheric as Byrne Hall itself, Elizabeth Brooks weaves a simmering, propulsive tale of art, sisterhood, and all-consuming love: the ways it can lead us toward tenderness, nostalgia, and longing, as well as shocking acts of violence.

Such high hopes for this one… and it fell so flat for me. Anne Bogel told me that this one was for fans of Mexican Gothic and Jane Eyre. I was sold after hearing that. But right away, I had less gothic vibes and more unreliable narrator. I was not a fan of Freya from page one and she just got worse at the book went on. And then the story begins to get very muddled and I started to have problems understanding what exactly was happening. Every scene with Cory took on this dreamlike quality that I wasn’t excited about. Instead, I just kept yelling at Freya for every stupid decision. And the plot got very silly and I just couldn’t enjoy myself. Boring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Summer TBR:

Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
Troy by Stephen Fry
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain
A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten
The Guide by Peter Heller
Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019
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)
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer
The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens
- The Untamed Bride
- The Elusive Bride
- The Brazen Bride
- The Reckless Bride
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
- The Thousandth Floor
- The Dazzling Heights
Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
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.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust ✓
Lady Mechanika series ✓
- Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci ✓
- Volume 6: Sangre ✓
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown ✓
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz ✓
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Broken by Jenny Lawson ✓
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Outlawed by Anna North ✓
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner ✓
Still Life by Louise Penny ✓
Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn ✓
- It’s In His Kiss ✓
- On the Way to the Wedding ✓
- Happily Ever After ✓
Swamplandia by Karen Russell
Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster ✓
The Toll by Neal Shusterman ✓
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence ✓
Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr
The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

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

Circe and Song of Achilles of Madeline Miller ✓
Two More Her Royal Spyness Novels by Rhys Bowen ✓
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace ✓
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin ✓
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran ✓
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.

Another Romance Series - Don’t care which one, just want to finish a series. Maybe Tessa Dare or Stephanie Laurens.
Three Book of the Month Books - Working my way through the backlog. I want to get the numbers done significantly this season.
Two Her Royal Spyness Books
Two Nonfiction Books - Could be from my unread shelf or the library.
Two Carryover Books from Spring - The Splendid and the Vile; Uproot; The Beautiful and Damned; The Essex Serpent
A Historical Fiction
A Fairy Tale
Four Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Picks
A Horror Book
Two YA Books

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Let's see how I did with my Spring TBR (2/10): Ooof! I did not have a good showing this past season.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi
Booknotes by Brian Lamb
Dark Matter by Black Crouch
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness ✓
Horrostor by Grady Hendrix
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephan Brusatte
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco ✓
Another Romance Series

Summer TBR: Since I had such a bad showing from my spring list, I’m going to carry over most of the unread titles to my summer list.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi
Booknotes by Brian Lamb
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Horrostore by Grady Hendrix
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephan Brusatte
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
Two Her Royal Spyness volumes

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

Let's see how I did with my Summer TBR (3/10): Not the best showing for this past season…

College Girls by Lynn Peril ✓
Stealing Fire by Jo Graham
An Object of Beautify by Steve Martin
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Daisy Miller by Henry James ✓
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
How to Fall in Loe with a Man Who Lives in a Bush by Emmy Abrahamson ✓
What Could Possible Go Wrong by Jodi Taylor

Fall TBR: I’m going to carry over a few books as I really do want to read them soon.

Stealing Fire by Jo Graham
An Object of Beautify by Steve Martin
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Strange Weather by Joe Hill
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
One more comic!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer TBR

Somehow I completely missed posting my Summer TBR post back when summer started... (For the record, it was supposed to be posted in June). So I'm back on track:

Let's see how I did with my Spring TBR:

A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell
Rest of the Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh ✓
Another romance series
Out of Africa by Isak Denison ✓
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie ✓
Two Chronicles of St. Mary's books by Jodi Taylor
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff ✓
Solaris by Stansilaw Lem
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay ✓

Summer TBR:

College Girls by Lynn Peril -- Been on my shelf for way too long
Stealing Fire by Jo Graham -- Another long shelf occupier
An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin -- Ditto
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield -- I loved The Thirteenth Tale and have high hopes for this one
Daisy Miller by Henry James -- Classic I haven't read yet
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer -- I picked up a copy way back in February after repeatedly hearing about it. I should finally read this one
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye -- The newest addition to my bookshelf
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith -- On my perpetual list
How to Fall in Love with a Man Who Lives in a Bush by Emmy Abrahamson -- Random book I got at Christmas
What Could Possibly Go Wrong by Jodi Taylor -- I love this series so much but have neglected it for far too long

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer 2017 Reading Finish Line

16/22 Books Completed (72.7%)

Summer is over (at least on the calendar, the weather is still very summer-like here until October). I had a very ambitious list of 22 books to tackle. I've read more than 22 books these past three months, but of course not all 22 books came from my original list. I get distracted by shiny library books. I still made a decent showing of my original list. Anyway, let's see how I did:

Rest of Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige:
1. Stories Vol. 2 √
2. Stories Vol. 3 √
3. The Wicked Will Rise √
4. Yellow Brick War √
5. The End of Oz √
The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (loaned from a friend):
1. Clockwork Angel √
2. Clockwork Prince √
3. Clockwork Princess (DNF)
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel √
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James √
Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp √
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah √
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
Simply series by Mary Balogh
1. Simply Unforgettable √
2. Simply Love √
3. Simply Magic √
4. Simply Perfect √

Along with my original 22 selections, I also added a few random books along the way:

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson √
Zombies: A Brief History of Decay by Olivier Peru √
A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor √
Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor √
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (July book club selection) √
Locke and Key Small World √
50 Great American Places √
Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring √
We are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby (August book club selection) √
The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1 √
The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 2 √
The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 3 √
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine √

Summer 2017 Reading Update #2

8/22 Books Completed (36.4%)

Let's check in and see how I've done so far... I've made a short list of the books I want to tackle this summer:

Rest of Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige:
1. Stories Vol. 2 √
2. Stories Vol. 3 √
3. The Wicked Will Rise √
4. Yellow Brick War √
5. The End of Oz √
The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (loaned from a friend):
1. Clockwork Angel √
2. Clockwork Prince
3. Clockwork Princess
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (in progress)
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp √
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah √
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
Simply series by Mary Balogh
1. Simply Unforgettable
2. Simply Love
3. Simply Magic
4. Simply Perfect

Along with my original 22 selections, I also added a few random books along the way:

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson √
Zombies: A Brief History of Decay by Olivier Peru √
A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor √
Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor √
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (July book club selection) √
Locke and Key Small World √
50 Great American Places √
Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring √

Summer 2017 Reading Update #1

4/22 Books Completed (18.2%)

Let's check in and see how I've done so far... I've made a short list of the books I want to tackle this summer:

Rest of Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige:
1. Stories Vol. 2 √
2. Stories Vol. 3 √
3. The Wicked Will Rise (in progress)
4. Yellow Brick War
5. The End of Oz
The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (loaned from a friend):
1. The Clockwork Angel
2. Clockwork Prince
3. Clockwork Princess
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp √
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah √
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
Simply series by Mary Balogh
1. Simply Unforgettable
2. Simply Love
3. Simply Magic
4. Simply Perfect

Along with my original 22 selections, I also added a few random books along the way:

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson √
Zombies: A Brief History of Decay by Olivier Peru √
A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor √