The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore

Title: The Gentleman’s Gambit (A League of Extraordinary Women #4)

Author: Evie Dunmore

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; 52 Book Club - Academic Thriller (stretching I know, but I think it is)

Spice Rating: 5

Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign—the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.

Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head—until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.

Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing...

Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.

One last book in the League of Extraordinary Women. We finally get to see Catriona get her HEA. Throughout the series, she has been coded as autistic and we continue that in this volume. She doesn’t quite fit in even amongst her friends. She has very specific needs and ways of looking at the world. Enter Elias Khoury, who also doesn’t quite fit into his world. I loved seeing these two character learn to see each other and find a way to connect. I really enjoyed the stolen artifacts storyline and wanted more of it than we got. I very much enjoyed touching base with the other characters without shifting focus from Catriona and Elias. And those steamy scenes were definitely steamy enough for me. Overall a decent ending to this enjoyable historical romance series with a message. My biggest complaint was the epilogue. It was unnecessary and brought a level of saccharine to the series that I did not enjoy.

A League of Extraordinary Women

• #1 Bringing Down the Duke

• #2 A Rogue of One’s Own

• #3 Portrait of a Scotsman

• #4 The Gentleman’s Gambit

Next up on the TBR pile:

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Title: Incidents Around the House

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Del Rey 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 371

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?” 

When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.

Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel. 

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

An interesting experiment in storytelling that doesn’t quite live up to the hype for me. I have loved many of Malerman’s previous stories and was very excited to get this one from the library. We get an interesting literary perspective by telling the story through Bela’s eyes. Many aspects of this story are hidden as we only get to see and hear what she does. Interesting, but ultimately, I was not very interested in the story being told. Adults liar and obfuscating the truth is nothing new. I could have basically called the “twist” about Bela’s parentage from the beginning. It also made it really hard to root for the adults in the story. In the end, their bad behavior made me very angry for Bela and her decision to try and save them. Not my favorite.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Broad Strokes by Bridget Quinn

Title: Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in that Order)

Author: Bridget Quinn

Publisher: Chronicle 2017

Genre: Nonfiction - Art History

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader

Historically, major women artists have been excluded from the mainstream art canon. Aligned with the resurgence of feminism in pop culture, Broad Strokes offers an entertaining corrective to that omission. Art historian Bridget Quinn delves into the lives and careers of 15 female artists from around the globe in text that's smart, feisty, educational, and an enjoyable read. Replete with beautiful reproductions of the artists' works and contemporary portraits of each artist by renowned illustrator Lisa Congdon, this is art history from the Renaissance to Abstract Expressionism for the modern art lover, reader, and feminist.

An online bookish friend recommended this book and I immediately got it from the library. I took two amazing Women Artists in History classes in college, and this book brought me right back to that space of learning. I knew about a few of the women profiled here, but not others. I loved the conversational style of writing highlighting these women’s lives and accomplishments. I loved seeing some of their work in the pages. And I especially love bringing history out of the closet. This would be the perfect gift book for someone interested in women and art.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #12

Reading: I’m deep into The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett for this month’s Nerdy Bookish Friends pick. I’m really enjoying this murder mystery set in am epic fantasy world.

Watching: The Bachelorette is back! I’m enjoy Jenn, but I must say that her men are lacking as a group. I’m not impressed.

Listening: Very slowly making my way through S10 of the Revolutions podcast about the Russian Revolution. I only have ~60 episodes to go…

Making: Still working on travel plans to Indiana. I have a basic outline, but I need to fill in some details. Plus I need to confirm our sleeping arrangements while there.

Feeling: The heat wave is finally breaking today, but my goodness, it has been terrible. Yesterday when I was going to the dentist the temperature was 95 degrees with a feels like temperature of 108 degrees. That’s just way too hot!

Planning: I’ve got a co-op lesson about robots coming up. I also have all of the academic co-op’s civics class to finish planning. Plus I have a co-op lesson about geometry and two about cryptography to plan.

Loving: After 34 years, my fake front tooth started to show decay. My dentist has been watching it for five years, and determined it was time. The two appointments were not fun at all, but I’m loving my new tooth. No more discoloration. No more weird ridge. And it fits very well. I’m excited to eat normally again soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Last Dinner Party "Nothing Matters"

Song is great. The video is even better!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #3)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 618

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; In Case You Missed It - 2018

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza--but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys--an old flame from Asha's past--reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.

And we come to the end of The Illuminae Files! After a slight dip in book two, I’m back to another 5 star rating for this volume. I loved seeing all three of our main couples come together to repel the BeiTech fleet on Kerenza and get the truth out there. I probably didn’t really need the added “twist” about Frobisher (seriously, who didn’t see that coming?), but loved all the other turns of the plot. We get a big massive science fiction action adventure story with some great lively characters. I loved seeing Kady and Hanna really take charge and lead the entire crew. I loved seeing Ezra, Nik, and everyone else support them. We get happy endings, while also acknowledging all of the losses. This entire series felt like the best of the Battlestar Galactica television series. No “plan” from the beings here. Just action and survival. I will miss this series greatly.

The Illuminae Files

• #0.5 Memento

• #1 Illuminae

• #2 Gemina

• #3 Obsidio

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Title: The Leftover Woman

Author: Jean Kwok

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Mystery?

Pages: 288

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Lifetime - 40s

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth—another female casualty of China’s controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly risky decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She’s even hired a nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city—separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

First off, this book was labeled as a mystery/thriller. I beg to differ. This is a very slow moving literary fiction style story with a dash of mystery. If the reader is at all astute, the “twists” will be seen a mile away. They did not add anything substantial to the story. As to the story itself, it doesn’t really explore any interesting topics that haven’t already been done by other authors. The main female characters are extremely unlikeable as opposed to real, flawed humans. And their entire personalities seem to revolve around simplistic identities even when attempting to explore something deeper. I wanted to really root for these women and understand their choices. Instead, I found myself rolling my eyes at almost every page. And do not get me started on the “romance” between Jasmine and Anthony. When they weren’t pining for each other, the actual conversation read like a 13 year old’s diary. Very disappointing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg

Title: Glass Town

Author: Isabel Greenberg

Publisher: Abrams ComicArts 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 220

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Glass Town is an original graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg that encompasses the eccentric childhoods of the four Brontë children—Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The story begins in 1825, with the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, the eldest siblings. It is in response to this loss that the four remaining Brontë children set pen to paper and created the fictional world that became known as Glass Town. This world and its cast of characters would come to be the Brontës’ escape from the realities of their lives. Within Glass Town the siblings experienced love, friendship, war, triumph, and heartbreak. Through a combination of quotes from the stories originally penned by the Brontës, biographical information about them, and Greenberg’s vivid comic book illustrations, readers will find themselves enraptured by this fascinating imaginary world.

I absolutely loved Greenberg’s other work, The One Hundred Nights of Hero, and was hoping for something similar. This is a reimagining of the make-believe world from the real life Bronte siblings. I am not the biggest fan of the Brontes, but dove into the volume anyway. Enjoyed the pieces focused on Glass Town. I did not enjoy the pieces focused on the real life characters. At times, the storytelling framing got in the way of the good stories. I wanted more Glass Town, less Brontes.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver

Title: Leather and Lark (Ruinous Love #2)

Author: Brynne Weaver

Publisher: Zando 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; 52 Book Club - Musical Instrument on Cover

Spice Rating: 5

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.

And they can’t stand each other.

Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.

There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.

And this one has come for blood.

After the amazingness of the first book in the series, I had to snatch up the second and immediately read it. Unfortunately Lark and Lachlan aren’t my favorite couple in the romance world. This volume is much more of a slow burn romance than the first. We really draw out the story here focusing on their relations with the families instead of each other. I didn’t need them to really get going in chapter 3, but waiting until practically the end was a bit much. And I did wish for more banter and smoldering than what we actually got. Still, I’m really enjoying this series and cannot wait for the last in the trilogy to be released.

Ruinous Love

• #1 Butcher and Blackbird

• #2 Leather and Lark

• #3 Scythe and Sparrow

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Ramona Flowers "Up All Night"

Last week I featured a song from Scott Pilgrim This week I’m featuring a band named after a character in that comics series. This one has such a great beat

Next up on the TBR pile:

Witch King by Martha Wells

Title: Witch King

Author: Martha Wells

Publisher: Tordotcom 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 415

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.

I finally picked this one up and unfortunately, it was a disappointment. I adore Wells’s Muderbot series and was hoping for more intriguing characters and adventures. This one is very lackluster in comparison. Kai was okay, but I didn’t really get his appeal throughout the book. There’s a lot of telling us that he’s very charming and charismatic, but we just don’t see it. He’s a morose, moping witch king throughout most of this book. The side characters are much more interesting, but we see precious little of some of them. The characters I could deal with. What ended up tanking this one for me was the complicated world building. Wells dumps the read straight in without much explanation. Okay, I can deal with that. But then proceeds to never really explain anything. The most clear explanations we get are when the child Kai rescues asks a direct question. Otherwise, we’re really left in the dark. I had trouble even visualizing a lot of what was going on throughout the chapters. I never really felt like I was immersed in this world. I felt like I was thrown in without a life raft. Not my cup of tea.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 659

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
     The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
     Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
     When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
     But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
     Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

I am totally in with this series. Kicking myself for not reading it sooner! For the second book, we switch to Heimdall to meet two new characters and follow them through a harrowing action story. Hanna and Nik are fun characters (arguably Nik is way more fun than Ezra from Illuminae). We get another badass young woman who takes the rescue of the station very personally. We follow Hanna and Nik as they go up against an elite extermination squad and some unwanted newborns. I know that some people will be very grossed out by the aliens, but I loved the horror fun. This is my book series! I cannot wait to see what happens in the third book.

The Illuminae Files

• #0.5 Memento

• #1 Illuminae

• #2 Gemina

• #3 Obsidio

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Book of Scandal by Julia London

Title: The Book of Scandal

Author: Julia London

Publisher: Pocket Books 2008

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 360

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; She Reads Romance - Second Chance

Spice Rating: 4

Nathan Grey, the Earl of Lindsey, is infamously known as the Libertine of Lindsey for his scandalous ways with women. But when he hears gossip that his estranged wife, Evelyn, is about to be named in The Book of Scandal, he has no choice but to remove her from London to protect her and himself from charges of treason -- even if it calls for abduction! While Evelyn has no legal recourse against the man who broke her heart years ago but is still considered her lord and master, she is no longer the immature girl Nathan married. Her enforced homecoming quickly turns into a battle of wills that tears down her husband's defenses and lays bare the passion that still burns between them. Before it is too late, Nathan must confront powerful adversaries as he convinces Evelyn that she is not only his wife, but the one woman he will love for all time.

Another absolute dud of a book for me. This has been sitting on my Unread Shelf for a few years. I finally dive and absolutely hate it. This is a second chance romance that I could have gotten behind if not for how the infidelity was handled. Now cheating is one of my deal breakers. The setup of why it was introduced in this story I understood. It was the reconciliation that I hated. Evelyn thinks about maybe cheating with a man and spends the rest of the book begging and pleading Nathan for forgiveness. Nathan actually has sex with multiple women and absolutely nothing. It’s just swept under the rug because apparently not having an emotional connection with those women makes it okay and you know “men have needs.” Nope nope nope. I am very much out of this series. Removing the other two from my unread shelf. Done.

The Scandalous Series

• #1 The Book of Scandal

• #2 Highland Scandal

• #3 A Courtesan’s Scandal

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Title: The Lost Bookshop

Author: Evie Woods

Publisher: One More Chapter 2023

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 435

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Lower Case on Spine; In Case You Missed It - 2023

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

I won’t be around for this book discussion, but a friend had already told me that I needed to read this one, so off I went. And what a delight this was! We get three characters’ stories interwoven into a magical tale of books, stories, and identity. Martha and Henry are our present day characters, both running from situations and lives to something new. And we get Opaline back into 1920s also escaping an unwanted life. I love seeing all the parallels between the characters and timelines. Usually I don’t love a dual timeline book, but this one was done very well. I cared about all of the stories. I was rooting for both Opaline and Martha to find some semblance of happiness in this harsh world. And all throughout we get the magical nature of the lost bookshop and possible the house at 12 Ha’penny Lane. There was a section in the middle dealing with an asylum that was hard to get through, but the story pays off in the end. I’m sad to miss the discussion. But at least I can discuss it with a friend.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Adventures - June

Instead of a summer bucket list, we are just taking the weeks as they come. But we ended up having many adventures this month.

Visited the Omaha Zoo complete with splash pad fun

Strawberry picking - we missed it last year

Used our quarterly pass to Bounce U

Took a walk at Fontenelle Forest

Took swimming lessons - The boys passed Level 1!

Pool time with friends! (We also had a mini pool party with a friend at her house.)

Despite their expressions, we loved going to see Inside Out 2

A very hot walk at the OPPD Arboretum

We stopped at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines

We also popped into Reiman Gardens. Such a beautiful place even if it was super hot.

Visited an indie bookstore (The Nook), yummy pizza (Urban Pie), and ice cream (The Vibe) in Cedar Falls

We spent an entire day at the Lost Island Waterpark

We also spent a day at the Lost Island Adventure Park

We had ice cream with friends (not pictured) at Graley’s to kick off our ice cream tour

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #11

Reading: Getting ready to dive into the 3rd book in The Illuminae Files series, Obsidio. I am really enjoying this series.

Watching: While I was gone, J started watching Barry S1. He paused, backed up, and restarted it so I could watch too. This is one of those shows that we wanted to watch when it aired, but then it got lost in the media shuffle.

Listening:I started S10 of the Revolutions podcast. This last full season is on the Russian Revolution. Eleven episodes in and we are just now covering anything to do with Russia. There was a lot of political and economic philosophy set-up to the season.

Making: We switched from Paprika to Mealie for our recipe management, so I need to make some meal plans for the rest of the summer. I like the interface, but the transfer is a bit of work.

Feeling: I wasn’t feeling great this past weekend (migraine), but thankfully I’m doing better. Ready to tackle the rest of the week.

Planning: Working on our late summer trip to Indiana and then Ohio and Michigan. I think I’ve got the basics mapped out. Now I need to work on hotels and restaurants.

Loving: After horrid hot days, a nice rainstorm moved in yesterday. It was so nice to wake up to the sound of the rain.

Next up on the TBR pile:

July 2024 Life Goals

Let’s check in on June’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books - Not quite, I did get to 17.

• Pause All Library Holds (Except Book Club Selections) ✓ - I am doing so well finally!

• Schedule a Academic Coop Planning Meeting ✓

• Plan our Indiana Trip for late July, early August - in progress

July Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Finish Planning Indiana Trip

• Complete Our Summer Bucket List (or at least come close)

• Prep August and September Homeschool Plans

• Get Academic Coop Off the Ground (planning meeting is July 14th)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Metric feat. Brie Larson "Black Sheep"

Why do I keep coming back to old music? Still love it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

June 2024 Wrap-up

June TBR Pile (17/20):

1. Bookworms BC: The Morningside by Téa Obreht ✓

2. Friend BC: The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer ✓

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends (Buddy Read): The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud (Arthur’s rec to me): Loot by Jude Watson

7. Kid Book Club: Malamander by Thomas Taylor

8. Fantasy: Poison by Sarah Pinborough ✓

9. Romance: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez ✓

10. Romance: Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver ✓

11. Romance: The Do-Over by TL Swan ✓

12. Nonfiction: Blood by Jen Gunter ✓

13. Nonfiction: Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson ✓

14. Horror: Kaiju Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman ✓

15. Horror: Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren ✓

16. Horror: Ghost Station by SA Barnes ✓

17. Horror: Cursed Cruise by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren ✓

18. Science Fiction: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff ✓

19. Science Fiction: The Book of M by Peng Shepard ✓

20. Historical Fiction: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6656 pages
Pages Remaining: 230,259 pages

Current Read - The Book of Scandal by Julia London; The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Books I Gave Up On (13): I grabbed a historical romance from my shelves, started it, and absolutely hated it within 50 pages. From there I went to Goodreads to see if the series would get better. Doesn’t look like it. So I DNFed it and removed the rest of the series that I had from my shelves. That was 10 books. I did the same thing with another historical romance series. This time it was three books. So there’s 13 books that I removed from my shelves. In case you are wondering it was Christina Dodd’s Governess Brides series and Paula Quinn’s Children of the Mist series.

Books Bought/Received (9): I skipped Book of the Month for June; I wasn’t really interested in any of the selections. But then, I went on the retreat. I always buy a book from the indie bookstores we visit during our day out. We went to three different bookstores and did our book exchange. I came home with seven books!

From Afterword - The Book of M by Peng Shepherd and Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz

From Bliss Wine and Books - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

From Under the Cover - Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson and Assistant to the Villian by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

From the exchange - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Drinking with Wizards, Warriors and Dragons by Thea James

At the end of the month, we traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and we popped into their indie book store The Nook. I ended up buying two books: The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries by Donald R. Prothero and A Restless Truth by Freya Marske.

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 327

• Books Read: 7

• Books Acquired: 8

• Books Unshelved: 13

• Finishing Number: 315

July TBR Pile: I’m not going to overload my TBR for July. I would like to focus on book club selections and my own shelves this month.

1. Bookworms BC: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

2. Friend BC: The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

4. Kid Book Club: Endling by Katherine Applegate

5. Fantasy: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

6. Fantasy: Witch King by Martha Wells

7. Romance: The Book of Scandal by Julia London

8. Romance: Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver

9. Science Fiction: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Movies Watched

• Hit Man

• Inside Out 2

• Rising Sun

• IF

TV Shows Watched

• Welcome to Wrexham S3

• Clarkson’s Farm S3

• Twisted Metal S1

• Loot S2

• The Boys S4

• Dinner with the Parents S1

• Barry S1

Comments - My reading took a slight dip, as I assumed that it would this month. Life just got very busy and we were out and about a lot. Less time to sit and read. But I did have a very successful bookish retreat and mini road trip with the kids. Plus, I unshelved a ton of duds and read many others from my shelves. It helped balance out all the books I bought during the retreat.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Reading Challenges Update #2

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year.

• Goodreads 137/200 69%

• Unread Shelf 25/50 50%

• Kid Read Alouds 26/50 52%

• 52 Book Club 37/52 71.2%**

• She Reads Romance 22/36 61.1%

• COYER 7/20 35%*

• Decades 6/12 50%

• Lifetime 6/12 50%

• In Case You Missed It 7/12 58%

• Nonfiction Reader 8/12 66.7%**

• Library Love 41/60 68%

• Clock Numbers 3/12 25%*

• Fairytales 5/12 41%*

Total Challenges 0/13 0%

Total Reading Slots 330/540 61.1%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Of course I need to focus on reading the books on my shelf and on my Kindle app. This is a perennial problem for me. I also want to get back to the Clock and Fairytale Challenges. I’m really trucking along with Nonfiction and Romance.

Next up on the TBR pile: