Reading Progress Report

February 26, 2021

Life has been….not so fun… And work has been crazy, but I’m still managing to read 3 books right now!

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt (34%)
This is a regular reread for me and I’m loving it just as much now as I have every single other time I’ve read it. I’m just hitting the part where the main plot is about to kick off. Up until now it’s been world building and character establishment and a little of just showing how Gwyn’s life was before it’s all about to change. It sounds like that should be boring and I’ll admit it’s a bit slow, but being slow is the point and I still don’t find it boring.
For those who haven’t been on my blog before, this is the first in a series of loosely-connected, non-magical fantasy books called the Tales of the Kingdom. So basically it’s set in a fictional feudal-inspired kingdom (and neighboring lands) but there’s no magic or dragons, and each book is separated from the next by about a generation. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series. This first book features innkeeper’s daughter Gwyn and legendary highwayman Jackaroo (but it’s not a romance between the two).

Victory Lap by K.A. Mielke and Riley Alexis Wood (40%)
I was sent this book by one of the authors and I am genuinely loving it. Josh’s chapters are interesting even though I think he needs some major character development. Kiki’s chapters are my favorite! She’s interesting and funny and I wish I could be friends with her in real life. I just want all the best for her!
This is a duel-POV novel featuring 5th year high school student Josh and senior high school student Kylie aka Kiki, a trans girl navigating her first school year officially “out”. The two meet in a Writer’s Craft class and become fast friends, but the rest of their lives are not going to smoothly. Josh’s girlfriend just left for college where she promptly dumps Josh for his best friend, and Kiki’s parents’ (and classmates’) attitudes about her identity leave a lot to be desired. Victory Lap came out in December of last year.

sometimes i fall asleep thinking about you by Catarine Hancock (28%)
I got this as a ARC from NetGalley and so far I’m very glad I did. It’s a tough read because it hits so close to home, so I’m going through it slowly, just a little bit each day. It’s already made me cry a couple times and I’ve highlighted sooo many quotes!
This book is a poetry collection about that feeling you have after a bad relationship ends with no real closure. It drops April 6th of this year and I’ll have a review up probably in early March.

September 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
(Cruel Beauty Universe, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 2 – 4
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um… Blended fairytales.
Least Favorite Thing:  I rolled my eyes so many times I gave myself a headache.

I had been meaning to read this for at least a year and I grabbed it because I wanted a quick, easy read. It was quick, but it was a little too boring to be “easy” to read. It wasn’t a bad book, it just didn’t meet it’s potential. Check out my review for more details (link above).

My Posts About Cruel Beauty


Green by Jay Lake
(Green Universe, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 5 – 12
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  This quote lol
Least Favorite Thing:  Descriptions ad nauseam…

I read this for a Travelling Book Project I’m participating in as part of a discord book club. It took me a while to get used to the writing style, but once I did I moved through it pretty well. I just didn’t enjoy the actual plot (once the plot actually started) and the way it went from non-magical to magical fantasy out of almost nowhere…

My Posts About Green


Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
(Sookie Stackhouse, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 13 – 14
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I just… I just… I just liiiiike it…
Least Favorite Thing:  Um. I hate Bill.

This book is just such Junk Food. I honestly don’t know why I even read this one after the first one. It’s not my style of novel at all, but I just like the trash I don’t know y’all.

My Posts About Living Dead in Dallas


Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
(House of Night, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 14 – 17
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Interesting vampire lore.
Least Favorite Thing:  Um… The protag was just soooo OP…

I had trouble connecting to the main character because she was so mentally young. This is not technically a bad thing though, because she was young and this was the first YA book in a while where I’ve actually felt like the protag was their age.

My Posts About Marked


Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
(Sookie Stackhouse, book 3)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 17 – 18
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I’m Eric trash…
Least Favorite Thing:  Bill was barely even “on screen” (so to speak) and I still had to hear about him every ten seconds.

DAMMIT SOOKIE GET OVER BILL YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY FREAKISHLY HOT DUDES WHO WOULD KILL FOR YOU (literally) AND BILL IS SO FUCKING BORING, GIRL!

My Posts About Club Dead


Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
(Sookie Stackhouse, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 19 – 21
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Debbie finally got abjured lol
Least Favorite Thing:  Does she have to break down every time she kills someone? I mean isn’t she used to that by now?

Honestly I’m trash for these books. This is not even my genre. I hate romance books so much, but I cannot stop with these. I bought all the ones the used bookstore had!

My Posts About Dead to the World


Uninvited by Amanda Marrone
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 25 – 26
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Teamwork makes the dream work.
Least Favorite Thing:  Are there any normal parents in this town? It’s only helicopter parents or parents who give zero fucks…

I have had this on my shelves for years and I thought it was about time I got around to reading it. I don’t know why I didn’t do it before, it wasn’t exactly a hard read…

My Posts About Uninvited


When She Hollers by Cynthia Voigt
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 26
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I like how it ends hopefully, but we never actually see the resolution of her story.
Least Favorite:  Never got to see her stab the creep…

I am a major Cynthia Voigt fan and I realized one day that I had somehow missed this book! How could I have missed this book? No idea! But I had to get my hands on it asap and read it.

My Posts About When She Hollers


Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
(Sookie Stackhouse, book 5)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it

Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 26 – 28
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Sookie calling the various men on their bullshit.
Least Favorite Thing:  Why is she constantly horny? Are normal humans this horny all the time??

I am utter trash for the Sookie Stackhouse books. I know they aren’t good and I don’t even like this genre, but I cannot stop with this series. Help? lol

My Posts About Dead as a Doornail


In Progress

August Reading Wrap-Up

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
(Beautiful, book 2)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  July 30 – August 3
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Ha!
Least Favorite Thing:  The fact that I actually read this with my own two eyes.

Honestly, I only read this book because my books were all packed and I had nothing else to read. It was even more trash than the first book!

My Posts About Walking Disaster


The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
(The Raven Cycle, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – loved it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  May 24 – August 4
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  The beautiful friendships. I dream of having a friend group like this.
Least Favorite Thing:  Piper is so annoying… (I know, I know, she’s meant to be obnoxious, but still.)

This was my third time reading The Raven King and I think I loved it even more this time than before.

My Posts About The Raven King


Elske by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – loved it
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  June 9 – August 9
Read Count:  5-ish
Favorite Thing:  Elske’s way of thinking through problems.
Least Favorite Thing:  Beriel’s way of thinking through problems.

I have such a soft spot in my heart for Elske…

My Posts About Elske


How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  eBook
Reading Dates:  August 14 – 20
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Interesting pace of the author’s voice.
Least Favorite Thing:  Casual incest… Not even joking.

I read this book because I watched the film (because I love Saoirse Ronan) and I had to see if the book had the same off-kilter quality as the movie. It didn’t exactly, but it did have an interesting pace to the writing that kept it from being a two star book.

My Posts About How I Live Now


Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  August 13 – 23
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Interesting take on the Wicked Stepsister’s story.
Least Favorite Thing:  The romance was annoying…

This was a pretty good take on the classic Cinderella story. I liked that the Wicked Stepsisters got redemption arcs and that Ella wasn’t actually just perfect all along.

My Posts About Stepsister


Imposters by Scott Westerfeld
(Imposters, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  August 26 – 27
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Watching Frey grow into her own person.
Least Favorite Thing:  Hello, Insta-love…

I loved the little moments where you saw how they viewed the events from Tally’s books now. And I loved the little sprinkling of pretty-speak.

My Posts About Imposters


Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Rating:  ★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  August 28 – 30
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  TUCK IS PSYCHIC OK???
Least Favorite Thing:  [SPOILERS] That creepy yellow-suit mother fucker was going to make Winnie drink from the spring and then injure/kill her in myriad ways to prove she was immortal like my god can you imagine the trauma! [END SPOILERS]

I decided to reread this book because of my fond memories about it from when I was in school. (And also because I got into an argument about whether the book or film was better. Which was ridiculous because obviously the book is the best one.) I am so glad I reread it because I really got a lot more out of the text than I did when I was a child.

My Posts About Tuck Everlasting


In Progress

First Lines Fridays: August 16, 2019

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

Silence. Except for her footsteps, except for the soft thunk of mussels dropped onto the rocks by gulls, except for the wind that moved murmuring through the distant trees above her, there was silence.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

May 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  April 30 – May 13
Read Count:  5-ish
Favorite Thing:  My favorite thing this time around is too spoilery to mention, but trust me it’s cute shit (if quite subtle).
Least Favorite Thing:  Win is so obnoxious, he annoys me every single time.

Well, new year, new read-through of the Tales of the Kingdom books! You know I can’t resist these books for long. As they are my all-time favorites, I recommend them to everyone.

My Posts About Jackaroo


On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  May 13 – 17
Read Count:  5-ish
Favorite Thing:  The ability of the main characters to endure any circumstance.
Least Favorite Thing:  Creepy, gross men. (Hm, my least favorite thing in real life, too.)

I can’t believe this used to be my least favorite of all the books, I am so dumb. Birle is a treasure and I love her.

My Posts About On Fortune’s Wheel


Maybe (Maybe Not) by Robert Fulghum
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  April 4 – May 18
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Nothing really stood out.
Least Favorite Thing:  Again, some things didn’t age well.

I swear Mr. Fulghum is the grandfather everyone could wish for. He’s so weird, but in a good way, and you could probably tell him your strange thoughts without judgement…

My Posts About Maybe (Maybe Not)


 In Progress