I read 8 books last month, which definitely reflects me backing off on reading a bit after pushing so hard to finish the reading challenge at my local library in February and March. I’ve also been working a lot on VBS prep as director at my church, which takes up a decent amount of my free time as well, and will continue to do so until mid-June.

Here are the books I read in April:

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham (3 / 5)
Bee’s Gift by Dana Romanin (4 / 5)
Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin (4 / 5)
Illusion by Frank E. Peretti (5 / 5)
Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell (5 / 5)
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
The Black Book of Buried Secrets by Mallory Kass (4 / 5)

This list includes 3 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from April was A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventures. I started 1 series, continued 2 series, and finished 1 series*. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

*This includes 1 series I didn’t reach the end of, but decided not to continue reading, after being at least 2 books into the series.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 18 books last month, a high number for me that was definitely due to to taking part in a reading challenge at my local library, which not only pushed me a little to read some books I might not otherwise have read, it also pushed me to try to finish books a little more quickly than normal for me. I read a lot of younger-audience books for the last few books I needed in order to finish the advanced part of the challenge (I made sure the rules do not say what length or for what age group the books have to be). The event ended mid-way through March, and by the time it was done, I was glad to be able to get back to my normal, slower pace. What’s really amazing is that I managed to get reviews posted for all of those books by now!

Here are the books I read in March:

Faith, Hope and Hilarity by Dick Van Dyke (3 / 5)
The Magic Factory by Morgan Rice (3 / 5)
Criminal Destiny by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
Stars Beyond Realms by Marie-Hélène Lebeault (2 / 5)
We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (3 / 5)
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (5 / 5)
Twister and Shout by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
World of Warcraft, v. 1 by Walter Simonson (4 / 5)
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown by David A. Adler (4 / 5)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (5 / 5)
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (4 / 5)
The Nazi Architects of the Holocaust by Corona Brezina (4 / 5)
A Noble Scheme by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
Butterflies in the Storm by Gary Warner (2 / 5)
Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (3.5 / 5)
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)

This list includes 3 ARCs and 1 re-read. My favorite book from March was A Noble Scheme. I started 5 series, continued 3 series, and finished 0 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 15 books last month, a slightly higher-than-average month for me. This is probably mostly due to taking part in a reading challenge at my local library, which not only pushed me a little to read some books I might not otherwise have read, it also pushed me to try to finish books a little more quickly than normal for me. The challenge is based on the board game Ticket to Ride and involves reading different genres of books and marking them off for various “routes” to get entries into a drawing based on how many books the route requires. I actually finished the initial booklet full of routes and got the challenge sheet, which had a lot of the same genres as the original booklet (I was hoping for more variety). It also meant reading something like 25 more books, with only about a month left in the event at the time, so I have been choosing younger-audience books for a lot of them now (I made sure the rules do not say what length or for what age group the books have to be). The event ends mid-way through March, so I’m sure I’ll end up with a higher-than-normal number in my March wrap-up as well.

Here are the books I read in February:

First Degree by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (4 / 5)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (4.5 / 5)
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (4 / 5)
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton (5 / 5)
Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
The Raven by Mike Nappa (5 / 5)
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3 / 5)
The Battlemage by Taran Matharu (5 / 5)
The Giver: Graphic Novel by Lois Lowry, adapted & illustrated by P. Craig Russell (5 / 5)
Dragon and Herdsman by Timothy Zahn (4 / 5)
Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serraillier (3 / 5)
Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix (4 / 5)
The Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (4 / 5)

This list includes 0 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from February was The Raven. I started 0 series, continued 5 series, and finished 4 series*. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

*This includes 2 series I didn’t reach the end of, but decided not to continue reading, after being at least 2 books into the series.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 13 books last month, which is a great start to the year! Though sadly, my average rating for the month was lower than I’d like, due to reading quite a few books that I didn’t enjoy a whole lot. But there were still some gems, and I started some really great series!

Here are the books I read in January:

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen (3.5 / 5)
Tasty by Victoria Grace Elliott (3.5 / 5)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3.5 / 5)
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun (2 / 5)
The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection by various authors (3.25 / 5)
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur (3 / 5)
The Traitor by Richard Paul Evans (1 / 5)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Masterminds by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper D. Basham (2.5 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 0 re-reads. My favorite book from January (by a slim margin) was A Beautiful Disguise. I started 6 series, continued 2 series, and finished (or caught up on) 3 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 12 books last month, a respectable end to the year’s reading. Though the total page count was the lowest of the 2nd half of the year, reflecting quite a few shorter books in there. I hit my Goodreads goal of 130 books early in the month, but I had no idea until I checked the site later. That made me sad, since I like seeing the announcement that I reached my goal, but for whatever reason, I didn’t get that. So I added 5 books to the goal and kept going. Again, no announcement. So I set it for 140 books, which I ended up hitting with the very last book I read this month. Still no pop-up for me, so I gave up. I was out of time anyway. But then the next day, I went to the Goodreads app, and it randomly popped up to tell me I’d reached my goal. So yay, now I have a picture to share!

Here are the books I read in December:

‘Twas the Fight before Christmas by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (2 / 5)
Ramona’s World by Beverly Cleary (3.5 / 5)
The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy (3 / 5)
All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon (4 / 5)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, the Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein (5 / 5)
A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong (2.5 / 5)
The Emperor’s Code by Gordon Korman (4.5 / 5)
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (4 / 5)
The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix (5 / 5)
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lilian Jackson Braun (2.5 / 5)

This list includes 3 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from December was The Faithful Spy. I started 0 series, continued 4 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 10 books last month, a fairly average number for this year with a fairly average page count as well. For once, I have nothing more to say about last month’s reading.

Here are the books I read in November:

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (4 / 5)
The Visitation by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
The Parasite by Richard Paul Evans (1 / 5)
Look Out for the Little Guy by Scott Lang with Rob Kutner (4 / 5)
4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss (audiobook) (3.5 / 5)
Dragon and Slave by Timothy Zahn (4 / 5)
Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter (1.5 / 5)
Nightmare Academy by Frank E. Peretti (audiobook) (3 / 5)
You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh (4 / 5)
Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch (4.5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 4 re-reads. My favorite book from November was Children of the Shadows. I started 0 series, continued 3 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 14 books last month, a couple more books than September, but about 100 pages less than September. Of course, I spent half of the month listening to 80% of a very long audiobook, so the numbers are a bit skewed, since I didn’t finish it within this month, but oh well. It’ll boost next month’s numbers!

Here are the books I read in October:

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham (4.5 / 5)
Abby’s Letters by Dana Romanin (2.5 / 5)
Hangman’s Curse by Frank Peretti (5 / 5)
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (4 / 5)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (4 / 5)
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lilian Jackson Braun (2 / 5)
Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary (4 / 5)
The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis (3.5 / 5)
Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly (2 / 5)
The Event by Whitney Dineen (2 / 5)
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer (3.5 / 5)
The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun (3 / 5)
A Ranger’s Guide to Glipwood Forest by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 1 re-read. My favorite book from October was Talking as Fast as I Can. I started 3 series, continued 4 series, and finished 1 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 12 books last month, which is pretty impressive, considering that audiobooks often boost my numbers, and I spent most of the month on one long audiobook. My understandable stretch of less reading earlier this year seems to be at an end.

Here are the books I read in September:

In Too Deep by Jude Watson (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Went Up the Creek by Lilian Jackson Braun (3.5 / 5)
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou (5 / 5)
Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt (5 / 5)
Take Me Out of the Ball Game by Bill Myers (4 / 5)
Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa (4.5 / 5)
The Inquisition by Taran Matharu (4 / 5)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (4.5 / 5)
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun (3 / 5)
The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans (2 / 5)
‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 3 re-reads. My favorite book from September was Beneath the Swirling Sky. I started 3 series, continued 5 series, and finished 0 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 15 books last month, a 2nd month of reading a lot more than I did the first half of the year. The total page count was comparatively high as well, not much less than last month, when I read 8 more books than this month.

Here are the books I read in August:

Spy on the Homefront by Alison Hart (3.5 / 5)
Very Good, Jeeves! by P.G. Wodehouse (4.5 / 5)
Click Here to Start by Denis Markell (2.5 / 5)
The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (3.5 / 5)
Ramona and her Mother by Beverly Cleary (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Robbed a Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun (3 / 5)
Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr (4 / 5)
Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Smelled a Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun (4.5 / 5)
His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle (3 / 5)
Dragon and Soldier by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (4 / 5)
The Woman from Lydia by Angela Evans (5 / 5)
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (4 / 5)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (4 / 5)

This list includes 1 ARC. My favorite book from August was The Woman from Lydia. I started 0 series, continued 6 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

I read 23 books last month, shattering my old record by 5. That number is mostly owing to quite a few short kids’ books, which I read to get my Goodreads goal back on track, considering it’s been a rough year for reading so far. Still, my page count for the month is only a few hundred behind my record, so short books or no, I still read a lot (for me).

Here are the books I read in July:

The Novice by Taran Matharu (4 / 5)
Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Sang for the Birds by Lilian Jackson Braun (5 / 5)
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (4 / 5)
Back to the Drawing Board by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills (2 / 5)
The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun (3 / 5)
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (4 / 5)
Meet Molly by Valerie Tripp (5 / 5)
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans (3 / 5)
Molly Learns a Lesson by Valerie Tripp (5 / 5)
Molly’s Surprise by Valerie Tripp (5 / 5)
Happy Birthday, Molly by Valerie Tripp (5 / 5)
Molly Saves the Day by Valerie Tripp (5 / 5)
Changes for Molly by Valerie Tripp (4 / 5)
Signs of Life by Creston Mapes (3 / 5)
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.5 / 5)
The Black Circle by Patrick Carman (4.5 / 5)
A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson (4 / 5)
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, adapted for younger readers by Eliza Gatewood Warren (4 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 1 re-read. It was really hard to pick one favorite from this many books, but my favorite book from July was Ramona and Her Father. I started 2 series, continued 8 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.