Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  December 29 – January 1
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Realizing things I had never realized on previous reads
Least Favorite Thing:  How Harry and Ron treat Hermione in the beginning

Okay, I just want to address my three star rating. I know it’s lower than I rated these books in the past, but the fact is that when I first read these I hadn’t read anything so intricate or well-written and now I have read things that are more-so. So I still think Harry Potter is good and I still enjoyed the story, but for a lot of reasons I’m just not the die-hard fan I used to be. Don’t come at me, okay, I’m just getting old.

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 1
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Funnier than I remembered
Least Favorite Thing:  They did Hagrid so dirty

For an explanation of my lowered rating, see the above entry for Sorcerer’s Stone.

I can’t believe they would suspect Hagrid on the word of someone they didn’t even know when Hagrid is hands-down the nicest, most trustworthy person in this entire series! If some random stranger was like “btw the first ever person to treat you with any kind of decency is a bad guy” I would be like “fuck off, I don’t know you”! Get it together Harry!

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

No, We Can’t Be Friends by Sophie Ranald
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  Yes
Format:  Ebook
Reading Dates:  December 29 – January 2
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  That one coffee shop scene lol
Least Favorite Thing:  A couple things hit a little too close to home.

I received a free ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I got this one from Net Galley because it said it was for “anyone with a waste-of-space ex” and that fit me perfectly. I have to admit it was spot on and well written, even if I felt like the part before they split up took up too much of the book.

My Posts About No, We Can’t Be Friends

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
(Edelstein Trilogie, book 1)
Rating:  N/A
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  December 30 – January 3
Read Count:  N/A
Favorite Thing:  Vaguely interesting time travel…
Least Favorite Thing:  Lack of communication as a plot device…

I tried to finish this, but I only got about halfway through before I couldn’t force myself any longer. I just found it boring. None of the characters were interesting enough to root for and no one would just freaking talk to each other about anything so the only thing keeping the plot advancing is that the main character didn’t know what was going on and would blunder into the next plot element. I had high hopes for this one, but it just didn’t meet them.

I chose not to rate this book because I did not finish it. However, I did get over halfway so I will be counting this towards my goal of 75 books for the year.

My Posts About Ruby Red

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
(The Host, book 1)
Rating:  N/A
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  December 4 – Jan 3
Read Count:  N/A
Favorite Thing:  Literally nothing
Least Favorite Thing:  Boooooorrrrrrred!

Well I mentioned in my January TBR that if this didn’t get interesting soon I would give up… Turns out I gave up before that video even published lol

I just kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it just kept not happening. I know the story from the movie (as much as one can know a book from it’s movie), but in it’s written form it was just a slog to try and get through.

Because I only managed about 150 pages, I did not feel I should count this one towards my goal of 75 books for the year.

My Posts About The Host

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason
(Thorne Chronicles, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 3 – 4
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Funny
Least Favorite Thing:  Nothing really…

I grabbed this just because it happened to be new and available on my library’s overdrive and I needed something to listen to in the shower. It was an excellent choice. This book cracked me up!

My Posts About How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 3)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 4 – 5
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Harry & Ron can be so thick sometimes lol
Least Favorite Thing:  They keep doing Hermione dirty just because she doesn’t want anything to go dangerously wrong.

I had forgotten how gross Pettigrew would be, wow. Everything about him is just skeevy and blech…

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

Amor and Psycho: Stories by Carolyn Cooke
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  Sort of?
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 6
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Literally those two fucking sentences
Least Favorite Thing:  The entire rest of the book

This book is illegal under the Geneva Convention because it is cruel and unusual punishment. I hate myself for wasting 50 whole cents on this book.

My Posts About Amor and Psycho

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 5 – 7
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Harry really just thinks everything just works out for him like that lol
Least Favorite Thing:  No one just fucking….tells Snape not to abuse children???

Harry is so oblivious. I love that he just thinks things should work out, it doesn’t even occur to him that someone could be pulling strings and that’s why everything just falls into place for him by coincidence. Silly boy lol

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 7 – 8
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Russell was so sweet
Least Favorite Thing:  Boring

I was disappointed in this one. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. I think YA Contemporary Romance just isn’t my genre. Like I could recognize the good parts of this story, but it just did not resonate with me in any way at all.

My Posts About Look Both Ways

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 5)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 7 – 11
Read Count:  2-ish*
Favorite Thing:  Voldy being like “oh shit it’s DUMBLEDORE” lol
Least Favorite Thing:  Obviously Umbridge, she’s terrible

I had forgotten how creative Dumbledore’s magic is compared to everyone else’s. Like the Ministry scene really demonstrates this. Everyone, even the Death Eaters are basically using the same spells and mostly verbalizing their spells and then Dumbledore shows up and he’s just waving his wand around making statues protect people and cocooning Voldy in water and it’s just so unique.

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Changeling by Victor Lavalle
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 8 – 13
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  So beautifully written
Least Favorite Thing:  Sometimes hard to read

Oh man! I borrowed this book from the library and I was like 15% into it and immediately had to turn around and buy it. It’s not often a book grabs my attention so quickly and so thoroughly. Honestly it was so great.

Content Warning:  Child Death (message me for more details)

My Posts About The Changeling

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 9 – 14
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The clues, the clues, the clues!!!!
Least Favorite Thing:  Why couldn’t anyone just TELL each other things????????

I’m so mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book! It was so gooooooood! I used an entire pack’s worth of green tabs marking clues and parallels to solve the mystery lol I’m so grateful that I was given this book!

My Posts About On the Jellicoe Road

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 14 – 15
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The topic
Least Favorite Thing:  The writing

I was really disappointed by this book. The topic was practically made for me. I love history, I love women(s history), I love space, I love learning about lesser known history. And yet… I was just bored. It’s something to do with the writing style. It felt like the author zigzagged through the timeline a lot and would barely touch on each event and subject before rushing on to the next thing so you never really got to know any of the women. Honestly just watch the movie…

My Posts About Hidden Figures

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  December 29 – January 16
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  So funny!
Least Favorite:  John Thorpe is a bastard.

I decided to reread this book real quick because I realized I couldn’t quite remember it from way back in 9th grade when I first read it. Well obviously I didn’t read it all that quickly, but I did enjoy it way more than the first time around. The narration is so snarky and hilarious!

My Posts About Northanger Abbey

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 15 – 16
Read Count:  4
Favorite Thing:  I love the magic system
Least Favorite Thing:  I can’t think of a single thing not to like. This book is lovely.

Man I love this story. It’s a sweet fairy tale with a lovely form of magic. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fairy tale retellings, YA fantasy, and the like.

This time I decided to try the audiobook, which turned out to be a full-cast audiobook. I was not disappointed in the least. The main voice actress who played Dashti, Chelsea Mixon, was really good and I’m glad I tried this version.

My Posts About Book of a Thousand Days

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 17 – 18
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Alison’s humor
Least Favorite Thing:  There isn’t one

I had read this before, but didn’t remember it well and I saw it was available on Overdrive, so I grabbed it. I had definitely forgotten how funny Alison is when she’s telling her stories.

Content Warning:  Child Sex Abuse

My Posts About Confessions of a Prairie Bitch

Loving Day by Mat Johnson
Rating:  N/A
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  N/A
Read Count:  N/A
Favorite Thing:  “I am going to burn my fucking house down.”
Least Favorite Thing:  I just couldn’t enjoy it.

None of the characters in this book were likable. I just…. It got to where I dreaded reading it because the main character was so negative all the time. I just couldn’t enjoy my reading so I gave up.

I only got about 40% in so I’m not counting this one towards my goal of 75 books.

My Posts About Loving Day

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
(The Twilight Saga, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 14 – 21
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  The beginning was entertaining
Least Favorite Thing:  The second half of the book was boring

I decided to reread Twilight because my mom bought all the books for me (I dont’ know why) and this time I annotated it. The first half of the book took like an entire package of sticky tabs, but the second half took like 10… Blah.

I did decide to increase my rating from 1 star to 2 stars because it wasn’t as terrible as I expected it to be.

My Posts About Twilight

American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 21
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The narration was excellent!
Least Favorite Thing:  Too short!

I sped through this book! I couldn’t believe how fast it ended, I wanted to spend so much more time seeing things through Fabiola’s eyes.

My Posts About American Street

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
(The Forest of Hands and Teeth, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 21 – 23
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Interesting take on zombies
Least Favorite Thing:  I couldn’t like any of the characters really…

So despite this being an interesting take on the typical zombie story, I felt like the only likable character was the dog? And that just doesn’t make for a good book does it? I did find her obsession with the ocean super relatable though.

Anyway I only reread this book because I still haven’t managed to finish the series and I am determined to do that this year.

My Posts About The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 24
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Carrie’s wry humor
Least Favorite Thing:  Why was it so short??

If you are planning to read a Carrie Fisher autobiography I definitely recommend the audiobooks because Carrie reads them and it really adds something to the experience.

Overall this was a great way to spend a morning, but I couldn’t believe it when the book ended because I felt like I had just started it!

My Posts About Shockaholic

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
(The Twilight Saga, book 2)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 22 – 24
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  Team Jacob tbh
Least Favorite Thing:  Edward came back… *sigh*

Man this book was not nearly as funny as the first one, but at least we had the cinnamon roll that is Jacob Black to distract us from the total downer that is Bella Swan.

My Posts About New Moon

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, book 6)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 27 – 28
Read Count:  4-ish*
Favorite Thing:  The vindication!
Least Favorite Thing:  Why do Harry’s friends not give him the benefit of the doubt by now when he suspects something bad is going on?

Harry has spent 6 books being like “Snape and Malfoy are Bad™ and everyone else has spent 6 books being like “they aren’t that bad, don’t be so dramatic” and NOW THEY ALL MUST ADMIT THAT HE WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG FINALLY. VALIDATED!

*I have read the whole series multiple times, but since I can’t remember how many times or when I did these read-throughs I have decided not to try and count them.

My Posts About Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
(The Twilight Saga, book 3)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 24 – 30
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  I literally can’t think of anything, this was the worst book of the lot.
Least Favorite Thing:  Jacob was a little shit in this book and Eddie-boy is boring and Bella lost all her personality…

Fuck Team Jacob, I’m Team Bella Leaves Them Both. Honestly, I wish this book had been left out of the series.

My Posts About Eclipse

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
(Princess Academy, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 30 – 31
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Quarry-speaking
Least Favorite Thing:  Miri had to live like 14 years thinking her father found her weak and useless all because he’s too ~masculine~ to talk about feelings??

My Posts About Princess Academy