The Haunting of Hill House

November 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

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The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
(Marriage Game, book 2)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 5 – 8
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: That one joke about the auntie’s cooking.
Least Favorite Thing: If I hear the word “prom” one more fucking time…

Look, I was ready to love this. I wanted to love this. But I could not…

My Posts About The Dating Plan

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
(Ex Hex, book 1)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 8 – 9
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The world was interesting I think?
Least Favorite Thing: The narrator ruined this book for me.

I couldn’t even tell you if I liked this book or not because the narrator’s voice caused me such physical discomfort I couldn’t even focus on the story…

My Posts About The Ex Hex

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 9 – 11
Read Count: 6
Favorite Thing: The narrator’s voice.
Least Favorite Thing: A bitch be identifying with Nell too much…

I listened to this book to get the bad taste of The Ex Hex narrator out of my ears.

My Posts About The Haunting of Hill House

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 11 – 12
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: WHY IS IT SO CUTE????
Least Favorite Thing: The lack of an oxford comma in the title.

I’ve been wanting to reread this for a while. I was intending to read it physically, but I saw the audiobook available with my library and I couldn’t resist. And then obviously I couldn’t put it down.

My Posts About Red, White & Royal Blue

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 2)
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 14 – 16
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: The whole teacup thing lol
Least Favorite Thing: Over too soon!

I’m about to cancel my subscription to Scribd, sadly, so I’m trying to get in all the audiobooks that I can. Plus I needed something funny because all three of the books I’m reading physically can get a bit heavy.

My Posts About My Plain Jane

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Graceling Realm, book 1)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 25 – 30
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Seriously??
Least Favorite Thing: The fact that no one had ever heard of just like….plugging your ears with something.

Do people genuinely like this book? Like for realzies?

My Posts About Graceling

May 2020 Reading Wrap-Up

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
(Six of Crows, book 1)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  December 28 – May 2
Read Count:  <1 (DNF)
Favorite Thing:  None
Least Favorite Thing:  Boring

I tried so hard to finish this book, but I only got 67% of the way through. Whatever I got more than half so I’m counting this towards my goal of 75 books for the year.

My Posts About Six of Crows

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
(Rizzoli & Isles, book 2)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  eBook
Reading Dates:  May 5 – 9
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Rizzoli got hers lol
Least Favorite Thing:  “The Dominator”? Really?

Why did I read this book when I didn’t even like the first one? Why will I probably read the next one?

My Posts About The Apprentice

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  May 12 – 20
Read Count:  4
Favorite Thing:  Eleanor
Least Favorite Thing:  Planchette lol

New theory – The house is not simply “evil” but lonely.

I can’t believe I read this book again. It was probably too soon to reread a book that I already read three times in 2019, but I couldn’t stop myself.

My Posts About The Haunting of Hill House

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
(A Song of Ice and Fire, book 4)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  May 7 – 25
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Alayne and Arya’s parts
Least Favorite Thing:  He fucking ATE HER FACE that is NASTY god…

I feel nauseated just remembering that scene that was so unnecessary Mr. Martin.

My Posts About A Feast for Crows

On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  May 1 – 28
Read Count:  6-ish
Favorite Thing:  The beautiful ending
Least Favorite Thing:  I can’t have a least favorite thing, I love this series too much

I swear rereading these books never gets old, I just love Voigt’s writing voice so much!

My Posts About On Fortune’s Wheel

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  May 27 – 29
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  How she spoke so openly about her anxiety
Least Favorite Thing:  She calls her boyfriend “Ham Hock” in the whole book and that’s all I could picture whenever she brought him up, a ham hock lol

I borrowed this audiobook from my library, but I’m thinking I may add the physical copy to my list to buy so I can reread and annotate at a later date.

My Posts About One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter

Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes by Cory O’Brien
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  May 21 – 29
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The retellings of myths I already knew
Least Favorite Thing:  Occasionally felt like he was trying too hard…

Woo this means I have read two non-fiction books in one month and also that my Video Wrap-Up is accurate! Hurray!

My Posts About Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes

November 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

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Untamed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
(House of Night, book 4)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No, but I have been liveblogging the series!
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 28 – November 1
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um. Um. Um. Um. I can’t think of anything. I guess I really liked that it ended.
Least Favorite Thing:  I’ve read stories by first graders with more substance than this entire book.

I swear each book in this series is worse than the last. They started off bad, but tolerable, and have devolved into straight up painful. How will I survive this liveblog?

My Posts About Untamed

Holes by Louis Sachar
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 2
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  All the pieces just came together so beautifully…
Least Favorite Thing:  X-Ray saying “right?” all the time lol

I reread this on a whim and was so relieved at how much I enjoyed it. I actually got a lot more out of it now than I did when I was just a dumb kid. Also can we talk about how well done the movie version was because I rewatched that after reading the book lol

My Posts About Holes

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
(Stalking Jack the Ripper, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 5 – 8
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I liked the clues dropped and solving the mystery.
Least Favorite Thing:  Thomas was boring and annoying.

I have so many little notes and tabs to remove before I return this book to the library lol It wasn’t bad, but the writing was occasionally kind of sloppy. I probably won’t continue the series because I looked up the next books and Thomas is going to be a major character throughout and I just can’t stand to read him for even one more page.

My Posts About Stalking Jack the Ripper

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 9 – 16
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Reading a book that wasn’t just nothing but white people was such a fucking relief.
Least Favorite Thing:  I just didn’t connect to it very well unfortunately…

I think all that’s happened here is I’ve developed an urge to reread the actual Pride and Prejudice once again… I’ve even gotten my mom into reading P&P so it’s really the perfect time. OK I’VE DECIDED I’M GOING TO DO IT, BUT I’M GOING TO MAKE MYSELF WAIT UNTIL JANUARY AT LEAST.

My Posts About Pride

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  November 23 – 24
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  “Whose hand was I holding?” Ooooh! Gives me chills every time!
Least Favorite Thing:  The professor’s wife saying “planchette”…

So I made this mistake of listening to this all alone in my room in the night in the dark when no one could hear me scream… (Just kidding my mom would have heard me scream.)

The narrator on this one was great. I loved his voice and I felt it really lent itself well to the story.

My Posts About The Haunting of Hill House

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
(The Lunar Chronicles, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  November 23 – 24
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Nothing really stood out to be honest…
Least Favorite Thing:  Poor Peony…

I didn’t enjoy the reader so much on this one, but it wasn’t like intolerable or anything. This is just one I enjoyed reading more than listening to.

I had forgotten just how raggedy she must have looked arriving at the ball!

My Posts About Cinder

Hunted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
(House of Night, book 5)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No, but I have been liveblogging the series!
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 25 – 30
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um…god….this is so hard to answer with these books because I don’t like anything about them… I guess I’m glad her grandma is alright because she’s the only character that doesn’t annoy me.
Least Favorite Thing:  Rapey McRaperson never gets his comeuppance, we are just supposed to accept him as a good guy again because Zoey has a crush.

Honestly this series just gets worse with each book. It took forever to get through this one because I kept literally dropping the book and groaning in pain and then having to rant to the nearest person about whatever stupid shit just happened.

My Posts About Hunted

In Progress

February 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

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The Haunting by Shirley Jackson
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  January 29 – February 2; February 10 – 14
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Entrancing prose.
Least Favorite Thing:  Why is everyone so bitchy to Eleanor?

I read this as part of a travelling book project with the Books & Tea discord server. Everyone trades books and annotates them. The annotating is why I read it twice. The first time through I didn’t make hardly any notes because I was just absorbed in reading, so I read through it a second time just to make my notes.

My Posts About The Haunting

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
(Shatter Me, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  January 4 – February 13
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  The little scratch-out sound effect when she writes something she doesn’t like. It was just a nice touch.
Least Favorite Thing:  The love-sick monologues.

I read this along with a different book club discord server. I had read the book twice before so when it came time for us all to read Shatter Me together I figured I’d give the audiobook a try instead. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I did reading the physical copies, but it was still good.

My Posts About Shatter Me

In Progress