Misadventures of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone

Title: Misadventures of a Curvy Girl

Author: Sierra Simone

Publisher: Waterhouse Press 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 226

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Romanceopoly - Farmer’s Market

Spice Meter: 8

For the first time in her life, Ireland Mills is happy with her body. No more fad diets, no more hiding from every camera in the room, no more low self-esteem. She’d rather be alone than with someone who’ll only love her if she’s skinny.

Caleb Carpenter and Ben Weber are everything Ireland and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce dreamed of when conceptualizing the “Real Kansas” promotional campaign. They’re handsome, young, educated, and totally dedicated to their small prairie town.

When Ireland’s Prius gets stuck on a Kansas dirt road and a massive storm rips through town, she’s left stranded with nowhere to turn but to Caleb and Ben. These two hunky country boys are impossible to ignore, but could they ever be interested in her as well?

Caleb and Ben are more than interested…and they’re willing to share. After their first night together, they know this has to be more than a one-time thing. They need to make her theirs forever. But can they convince Ireland they love her, curves and all?

I was hoping that this would be a good choice for my book club’s Dirty Book Month. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype. I was completely onboard for a plus-size FMC and even a polyam relationship with two men. I wasn’t really okay with the insta-love from the men. Seriously, it was a bit much. And I wasn't okay with the constant body shaming from Ireland herself. I understand not liking your body and thinking negative thoughts. I don’t necessarily want to read that every other page throughout the entire novel. Authors only have to mention it a few times. Readers are going to forgot that the heroirne has body issues. It felt overdone. I was very much getting annoyed with the internal thoughts interrupting every scene.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ducks by Kate Beaton

Title: Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

Author: Kate Beaton

Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly 2022

Genre: Graphic Novel Memoir

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; 52 Book Club

Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark! A Vagrant, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beaton, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush―part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can’t find it in the homeland they love so much. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands, where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet is never discussed.

Beaton’s natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, northern lights, and boreal forest. Her first full length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people.

CW: Sexual harassment, rape

Fascinating look at life on an isolated mining facility in Canada. I have enjoyed Beaton’s comedic takes and was intrigued by this memoir. Be advised that this book details her experiences of sexual harassment and rape while working in the Oil Sands. This is not a comedy. This is a look at her life experiences and a discussion of how isolation can affect a person. I enjoyed some of the questions that jumped into my brain while reading. I will most definitely keep Beaton on a must-read list of authors.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Court of the Vampire Queen by Katie Robert

Title: Court of the Vampire Queen

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2022

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Pages: 496

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Romanceopoly - Fang Alley

Spice Meter: 8

Three Powerfully Alluring Vampire Men

And One Queen to Rule Them All

All Mina ever wanted was to escape her father's control. Half human, half vampire, she lived eternally torn between two worlds, never fully experiencing the pleasures of either―until her father chose her as the pawn in his latest political move, gifting her to the darkly powerful and dangerously seductive Malachi Zion.

Malachi is not a vampire to be trifled with. He rules with an iron fist and has a reputation for the darkest of sins. But the longer Mina spends with him, the more she realizes he's not the monster she first thought―and as fear bleeds into lust, then trust, then something more, Malachi opens Mina up to a world she never knew could be hers for the taking: including the love of Malachi's two closest friends and companions.

Now surrounded by all three men, the center of their shockingly seductive world, Mina may finally have the power to face down her father and take back the life―and crown―that by all rights should be hers.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN.

CW (from the author): Dubious consent, blood play, breeding, abusive parent (father), patricide, pregnancy, blood, gore, murder, explicit sex, vomiting (cause pregnancy), discussions about abortion, abusive parent (father, historical, off-page), blood play, attempted sexual assault (alluded to, non-graphic), attempted drugging

I picked this up on the strength of Robert’s Dark Olympus series. I figured that this one was going to be steamy and no joke, the steam gets started in Chapter 1. And it doesn’t let up until the last page. Make sure to notate that this is a MMMF explicit romance. I was drawn in my the dark vampire romance and stayed for the good discussions and relationships. Mina was a bit of a naive character for the first section, but thankfully she grows and matures throughout the novel. Once we get to know Malachi, Wolf, and Rylan, the story kicks into gear and I really fell for this book. I especially loved the relationships between the men. They somehow balanced each other out. In the end, we get an interesting look at creating polyam relationships albeit ones with supernatural beings. I ended up taking a star off because of the pacing. The last section of the book felt incredibly rushed without the good resolution that I was craving. I understand that Robert collected three novellas into one. That explains a few of the weird pacing issues, but I still wasn’t a big fan.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mistletoe & Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

Title: Mistletoe & Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2)

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 422

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can't stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana's determined to prove that she belongs...even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town's hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.

And really...how hard could it be?

The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it's not getting any easier now that his dream girl's back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it's clear she needs help, fast...and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It's an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong...together.

Still enjoying this series of romances. Lana was an intriguing character in the first book and I was hoping we could get to learn more about her. Thankfully her story is the entire second book. Right away we dive right back into the story of Moose Springs and it’s colorful inhabitants. I’m glad we get to see what happened with Zoey and Graham but the main focus is shifted away from their story. We get to follow Lana as she struggles to find her place within her family and with the town. We get some great banter between Lana and Rick, but not as much as I would have liked to see. And I kept forgetting that these books are closed door. I would have like a romance a bit steamier than what we got. And yet, I’m still going to read the third book in the series.

Moose Springs, Alaska

• #1 The Tourist Attraction

• #2 Mistletoe and Mr. Right

• #3 Enjoy the View

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:

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Title: Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2016

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 330

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

I finally picked this up and it was really really hard to put down at the end of the night to sleep. I was immediately right into the story and the world that Shusterman creates. I wanted to understand how a world got to the point that we join the story. I loved that eventually we got to learn more about the Thunderhead. Hope that continues throughout the other two books. As to the scythes themselves, Citra and Rowan are great lead characters. But really makes it are the side characters. Scythes Faraday, Curie, and yes, even Goddard are fascinating figures to follow. I’m glad the book doesn’t fall into the whiny teen romance trap, but focuses on the questions of the scythes and death. Definitely have to pick up the second book in the series soon.

Arc of a Scythe:

• #1 Scythe

• #2 Thunderhead

• #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Title: The Once and Future Witches

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Publisher: Redhook 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 529

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR; Currently Reading - Kept Me Turning Pages After Midnight

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote―and perhaps not even to live―the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

I’ve been waiting on this one since i read The Ten Thousand Doors of January and it was definitely worth it. I immediately fell into the story of the Eastwood sisters. I loved that it wasn’t simply a story of bringing back witchcraft, but that we get a story of bringing three sisters back to each other. Agnes was my favorite sister, but all have some great moments. The first 60 pages are a bit slow, but once we really get into the story, I couldn’t wait to figure out the mysteries of the Lost Way of Avalon and Gideon Hill. Seriously, every time he appeared, I shuddered. So incredibly creep! And I loved his dog. Once the tower gets called back, the story kicks into high gear and I had trouble putting it down. Lots of fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Underland by Robert Macfarlane

Title: Underland: A Deep time Journey

Author: Robert Macfarlane

Publisher: W.W. Norton 2020

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 496

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

In Underland, Robert Macfarlane delivers an epic exploration of the Earth’s underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land itself. Traveling through the dizzying expanse of geologic time―from prehistoric art in Norwegian sea caves, to the blue depths of the Greenland ice cap, to a deep-sunk "hiding place" where nuclear waste will be stored for 100,000 years to come―Underland takes us on an extraordinary journey into our relationship with darkness, burial, and what lies beneath the surface of both place and mind.

I heard about this one on What Should I Read Next and decided I needed to read a book about travels under the ground. I haven’t read any other Robert Macfarlane books, but after reading this one, I think I need to add him to my incredibly long TBR. Macfarlane has this lyrical style that straddles the line between nonfiction and a novel. I loved it! Each chapter intertwines Macfarlane’s actual explorations all over the world, history and science about the Earth, and meditations on life. Like any collection, there were some chapters that I liked more than others, but taken all together, this is an amazing variety of explorations under the world. My absolute favorite chapter detailed Macfarlane’s explorations in the Parisian underground. I even got claustrophobic while reading some of the passages. It was intense! I’ve been raving about this one so much that I might have convinced J to read this soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lock In by John Scalzi

Title: Lock In (Lock In #1)

Author: John Scalzi

Publisher: Tor 2014

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 337

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.

A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome," rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. The two of them are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "integrator" - someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder becomes that much more complicated.

But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe it. As Shane and Vann began to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery - and the real crime - is bigger than anyone could have imagined. The world of the locked in is changing, and with the change comes opportunities that the ambitious will seize at any cost. The investigation that began as a murder case takes Shane and Vann from the halls of corporate power to the virtual spaces of the locked in, and to the very heart of an emerging, surprising new human culture. It's nothing you could have expected.

This book had me remembering the fun detective parts of Asimov’s Robot books featuring Baley and Daneel. I loved the interplay of detectives attempting to unravel the mysterious murders. But then throw in a robot (of sorts) and lots of politics and you get one enjoyable novel. Right away, I was all in with Agents Shane and Vann and the intrigue around a murder (or was it?) in the nation’s capitol. From there, we get to learn more about our characters and the world after Haden’s. I’m very interested in reading the next book and furthering the adventures.

Lock In:

• #1 Lock In

• #2 Head On

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Title: The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 433

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Romance; Winter TBR

Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?—Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister—the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her . . . but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke . . . for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love.

CW: Rape

I finally, finally, started the Bridgerton series this past week. And overall, I am completely addicted to this one. I have to read all these books detailing the romance pursuits of all the Bridgerton children. Daphne is a delight and Simon is a lovely male lead. I loved reading their romance progress from a mutually beneficial arrangement to real romance. So good. Beyond Daphne and Simon, I loved following the rest of the Bridgerton family. I can’t wait to see which sibling gets their happily ever after next. My one quibble is obviously that scene. Seriously. I read an interview with Quinn that talked about how the scene played at the time of writing and when it was set, but it really doesn’t go over well now.

Bridgerton

• #1 The Duke and I

• #2 The Viscount Who Loved Me

• #3 An Offer from a Gentleman

• #4 Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

• #5 To Sir Philip, With Love

• #6 When He was Wicked

• #7 It’s in His Kiss

• #8 On the Way to the Wedding

• Happily Ever After (2nd Epilogues and Violet’s Story)

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen

Title: The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions

Author: Peter Brannen

Publisher: Ecco 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Our world has ended five times: it has been broiled, frozen, poison-gassed, smothered, and pelted by asteroids. In The Ends of the World, Peter Brannen dives into deep time, exploring Earth’s past dead ends, and in the process, offers us a glimpse of our possible future.

Many scientists now believe that the climate shifts of the twenty-first century have analogs in these five extinctions. Using the visible clues these devastations have left behind in the fossil record, The Ends of the World takes us inside “scenes of the crime,” from South Africa to the New York Palisades, to tell the story of each extinction. Brannen examines the fossil record—which is rife with creatures like dragonflies the size of sea gulls and guillotine-mouthed fish—and introduces us to the researchers on the front lines who, using the forensic tools of modern science, are piecing together what really happened at the crime scenes of the Earth’s biggest whodunits.

Part road trip, part history, and part cautionary tale, The Ends of the World takes us on a tour of the ways that our planet has clawed itself back from the grave, and casts our future in a completely new light.

Caveat: This is not a bad good even with my star rating, it just wasn’t the book for me personally. I find that many of these more general history books are fairly boring to me as I know a little too much about history. In this case, I have read so many history and specifically pre-history and extinction event books that this one was a lot of repetitive information. I enjoyed the book, but end up skimming a ton of the chapters. Good info, just not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Title: One to Watch

Author: Kate Stayman-London

Publisher: Dial Press 2020

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Winter TBR

Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?

Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.

But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.

Overall a very enjoyable contemporary romance. It wasn’t a very surprising story, but I did enjoy following Bea and her journey to romance. I didn’t even get annoyed by our constant reminders of Bea’s size. Usually it was done in very kind way or in a more empowering way. Very cute story with a decent amount of heart.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wellington

Title: Wellington

Author: Aaron Mahnke, Delilah S. Dawson, Piotr Kowalski

Publisher: IDW 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 120

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Meet the Duke of Wellington--one of England's most decorated military heroes and, unknown to most, her most daring monster hunter. After receiving a letter from an old flame, the Duke of Wellington heads to the countryside to investigate a series of disturbing crimes-a mysterious murder, a missing child, and a vicious black dog roaming the hills. Featuring an amazing cast of characters and calling upon centuries of supernatural myths, folktales, and lore this thrilling graphic novel reveals the secrets behind one of history's most illustrious figures.

I had been looking forward to the beginning of this new comics series. I love the idea that the Duke of Wellington was actually a monster hunter along with fighting the human wars for Great Britain. I love listening to Aaron Mahnke tell me weird and wonderful stories on the podcast Lore. So I was super excited about this one. And overall, I really enjoyed the start of this story. However, I really wanted more from the first trade in the series. We don’t get to learn too much about Wellington or the big bad. There were some very scary bits through the issues and I loved meeting Wellington’s “god daughter". Hee hee. I am really excited for the continuation of this series.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Title: Piranesi

Author: Susanna Clarke

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 243

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Winter TBR

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house―a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

Oh my oh my oh my… I might have liked this one even more than Clarke’s early novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Clarke knows how to create a world that sucks you right in and doesn’t let you leave, even after you finish the book. It took me about 10 tries to get past the first line as it’s just so strange and interesting. That sounds terrible, but I mean it in the best way possible. Clarke just dumps the reader in and we’re left to puzzle out what is going on. Samesies with Piranesi. Apparently we are all in the same boat stuck in the house attempting to unravel all the mysteries. I loved all the random references Clarke wove through the statues and occurrences in the house. I was pulled along until the very end, even after the mystery was resolved. Extra point, I love how Clarke doesn’t feel the need to completely tie up all the strings before ending the book. Overall, this was such a beautiful book. It might even end up on my year-end Top 10 list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Title: Exhalation

Author: Ted Chiang

Publisher: Vintage 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 368

Rating: 2/5 stars - Disliked it

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories. Two being published for the very first time. All from the mind of the incomparable Ted Chiang.

Tackling some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine, these stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. They are Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic—revelatory.

With my newly recalibrated star ratings, I decided to give this short story collection 2 stars. That sounds terrible, but I do think that some others might give it more stars. I was in a conundrum when it came to rating. Most of these stories felt very bland and frankly reductive. I think my biggest problem with this collection is that they all seem like bad copies of classic scifi stories from Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, et al. I didn’t find anything new in this collection and I didn’t have a lot of enjoyment from the stories that I did read. Overall, this just wasn’t to my liking at all.

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:

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:

Winter TBR

Let's see how I did with my Fall TBR (6/10):

1. Stealing Fire by Jo Graham

2. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin ✓

3. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer ✓

5. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

6. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde ✓

7. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant ✓

8. Strange Weather by Joe Hill ✓

9. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

10. One more comic! ✓

Winter TBR: I’m going with some of the books that I meant to read in 2018 and didn’t quite get around to it!

1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

2. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

3. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

4. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

5. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

6. Zorro by Isabel Allende

7. Chronicles of St. Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor

8. Ghostland by Colin Dickey

9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

10. Eruption by Steve Olson

Next up on the TBR pile:

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Let's see how I did with my Fall TBR pile: 4 out of 10 is not very good... 

1. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
2. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine ✓
3. Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly ✓
4. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
5. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan
6. The Mummy by Anne Rice ✓
7. Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor
8. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh  
9. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton ✓
10. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Winter TBR:

1. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon -- I must finish this before the new year.
2. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman -- Our book club selection for January. Excited to read this one.
3. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran -- Been on my shelf for way too long. 
4. No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor -- Really want to continue this series...
5. Tales from the 1001 Nights by Richard Burton -- Another classic I haven't read before.
6. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh -- Another series I want to continue reading.
7. Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien -- Random pick off my shelves
8. A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom -- A nonfiction pick that's been gathering dust on the shelf.
9. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill -- Random Kindle read
10. Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery -- A classic I haven't read in years and years. Would like to do a reread.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Top Ten Tuesday -- Winter TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Only a few days left in 2013. A whole new reading adventure awaits just around the new year.  I have just a few reads I want to finish before January 1st.  I've spent some time thinking about the rest of winter and I have a great list to get me through the season.

2013 Finishers

1. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
2. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (in progress)
3. Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
4. Sandition by Jane Austen
5. Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

2014 Reads

1. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
3. Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein
4. In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
5. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Fall TBR Recap (7/10): Decent total for this list.  Looking forward to getting my 2014 reading started right.

1. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
2. Children of Men by P.D. James
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
5. Billionaire Wins the Game by Melody Anne
6. Her Ladyship's Companion by Evangeline Collins
7. The Sandman Vol. 11 and 12
8. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
9. Locke and Key Vol. 6 -- The trade won't be published until February 2014, so I've move this to my 2014 TBR list.
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas