March in Review

I read 9 books last month, a little lower than the first 2 months this year, but I’m not surprised. I was away for a week during March, and even after coming back, didn’t manage to get back to normal for almost another week. Though I did bring plenty to read while I was gone (and during the long travel times), it was difficult to focus on it like I’d expected. What’s sad, though, is that my average rating of books was really low—just above 3 stars, and that’s considering that 2 of the books were my own that I re-read, and, of course, I gave 5 stars to.

Here are the books I read in March:

Pithea by Kristi Drillien (5 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (4 / 5)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (2 / 5)
Outcast by Kristi Drillien (5 / 5)
Journal 29 by Dimitris Chassapakis (2.5 / 5)
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (2 / 5)
The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket (2.5 / 5)
The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs (3 / 5)
Islands and Enemies by Marianne Hering (3.5 / 5)

This list includes 1 ARC and 4 re-reads. I started 0 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.

February in Review

I read 12 books last month, the third month in a row with that number, and almost the exact same amount of pages as last month too. I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately, which is pretty much the only reason I’m sustaining a slightly higher-than-average number of books per month lately.

Here are the books I read in February:

In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh (3.5 / 5)
Things We Couldn’t Say by Diet Eman with James Schaap (5 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (4.5 / 5)
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (4.5 / 5)
The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket (3.5 / 5)
The Canyon Quest by Jim Ware (3 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (4 / 5)
Already Gone by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard (5 / 5)
Swept into the Sea by Chris Brack & Sheila Seifert (3 / 5)
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (4.5 / 5)
The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket (3.5 / 5)
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse (2 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 4 re-reads. My favorite (fiction, since nonfiction can’t really be compared) book from February was Crocodile on the Sandbank. I started 2 series, continued 3 series, and finished (or caught up on) 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.

January in Review

I read 12 books last month, the same amount as the previous month, and a little higher than average for me. It was several hundred total pages more than the previous month, though, and a good amount higher than my average. I owe this larger-than-normal reading month to being more organized with audiobooks I want to listen to.

Here are the books I read in January:

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs (4 / 5)
Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren (3.5 / 5)
The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket (2.5 / 5)
The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen (4 / 5)
Genius Camp by Chris Grabenstein (4 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun (4 / 5)
Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin (5 / 5)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (re-read)
Kitty Hawk by Roland Smith (4 / 5)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4 / 5)
The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket (review pending)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 3 re-reads. My favorite book from January (that wasn’t a re-read) was Until Leaves Fall in Paris. I started 1 series, continued 6 series, and finished (or caught up on) 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.

December in Review

I read 12 books last month, which is a lot more than it was shaping up to be early in the month. Then I realized it was the last month of the year, and I was still 6 books away from completing my Goodreads challenge to read 125 books for the year. I knew I could just throw in some short books to finish it off, but I didn’t want to complete it that way. I stuck with what I had planned, but threw some audiobooks in there too, which I’d been neglecting for various reasons. I managed to hit 125 books on Dec. 29th, and went 1 past it due to being sick enough on the last couple of days to not be able to work and thus having more time to listen to an audiobook.

Here are the books I read in December:

Lead Me by Matt Hammitt (5 / 5)
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen (4 / 5)
Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh (3.5 / 5)
Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney (3 / 5)
Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D. Bricker (4 / 5)
The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein (4 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (4.5 / 5)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (4 / 5)
The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket (2 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 3 re-reads. My favorite book from December was Lead Me. I started 2 series, continued 1 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.

November in Review

I read 7 books last month, which wasn’t bad considering that it was the month of NaNoWriMo, so a lot of my free time was spent writing. One book in particular dragged on for a week, due as much to not being interesting enough for me to make it a priority.

Here are the books I read in November:

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep (3.5 / 5)
Return to the Hiding Place by Hans Poley (5 / 5)
Princess in Love by Meg Cabot (4 / 5)
The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket (2 / 5)
The White House by Roland Smith (4 / 5)
Elinor by Shannon McNear (3 / 5)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs. My favorite book from November was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I started 0 series (yay, self control!), 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 is a 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.

October in Review

I read 8 books last month, which is more than I expected it to be by halfway through when I’d only finished a couple of books. I was a bit busier with work last month. This month is NaNoWriMo, and I’ve already slowed down even more on reading, so we’ll see how next month turns out.

Here are the books I read in October:

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs (4 / 5)
Night Song by Tricia Goyer (4 / 5)
Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner (3 / 5)
Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti (5 / 5)
The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun (5 / 5)
Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan (5 / 5)
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (3 / 5)
Poison at the Pump by Chris Brack & Sheila Seifert (review pending)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 1 re-read. My favorite book from October (that wasn’t a re-read) was The Cat Who Played Post Office. I started 0 series (for once), 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.

September in Review

I read 10 books last month, though half of them were children’s books. Overall, a slightly less than average amount of reading for the month, which makes sense, because I’ve been busier with work than normal recently.

Here are the books I read in September:

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen (4 / 5)
The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney (3 / 5)
Independence Hall by Roland Smith (4 / 5)
Socks by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon (2 / 5)
Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa by Jake & Luke Thoene (5 / 5)
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (4 / 5)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (review pending)
Escape from Fire Lake by Robert Vernon (5 / 5)
Terror from Outer Space by Robert Vernon (4 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs. My favorite book from September was Escape from Fire Lake. I started 3 series, continued 1 series, and finished 0 series. (Note to self: you have way too many ongoing series right now. It’s time to finish some before starting more.) 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.

August in Review

I read 9 books last month, a fairly standard month for me with an interesting variety of books.

Here are the books I read in August:

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White (4 / 5)
Hangman’s Curse by Frank Peretti (5 / 5)
The Glory of Love by Angela Hunt (3.5 / 5)
A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden (3.5 / 5)
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (4 / 5)
The Eagle and the Lamb by Darlene Mindrup (5 / 5)
Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman (5 / 5)
Trace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills (2 / 5)
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (4 / 5)

This list includes 1 ARC and 4 re-reads. My favorite book (that wasn’t a re-read) from August was Hollow City. I started 2 series, continued 3 series, and finished (or caught up on) 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.

July in Review

I read 10 books last month, most of which were shorter than average for me. Most of my reading was pushing to finish a couple of older series I started during a gifted Kindle Unlimited subscription (I didn’t quite make it, but only have 1 book left in both of those series). Then after a month of pushing to read a lot of shorter books, and subsequently reviewing a lot of books quickly, I think I got a little burned out and took off an entire week off near the end of the month. I’m back to it now, though, and excited about books I’ve got coming up!

Here are the books I read in July:

A Love to Cherish by Linda Ford (2 / 5)
The Much-Adored Sandy Shore by Angela Hunt (4 / 5)
‘Tis the Season by Ellen Emerson White (4 / 5)
Love Burning Bright by Angela Hunt (5 / 5)
The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (4 / 5)
Stand Down by Ellen Emerson White (4 / 5)
The Chance of a Lifetime by Angela Hunt (5 / 5)
Murder at the Manor by Catherine Coles (3 / 5)
The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander (4 / 5)
Star Light, Star Bright by Angela Hunt (4 / 5)

This list includes 1 ARC and 4 re-reads. My favorite book from July was less one book and more the overall enjoyment I had reading through the Cassie Perkins series by Angela Hunt, which I originally read as a teenager. I continued 3 series and finished (or caught up on) 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 that I did not reach the end of but decided not to continue reading, after being 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.

June in Review

I read 16 books last month, which beat my old record by 2 books. It does not beat my record for actual reading done in a month, since many of the books last month were fairly short. My daughter gifted me a month of Kindle Unlimited for my birthday, so I’ve been using it to get through the list I’d been collecting of books I can only read on KU (if I don’t want to buy them) as I can in a month. That list is mostly comprised of a couple of series I read back in the late 90s as a teenager and really wanted to revisit, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the trip back in time. I was also sick in the last couple of weeks and spent a few days just laying in bed, which allowed for extra reading time. What’s really impressive is that I managed to keep up with the reviews as well as I did, since for a week or so, between those shorter books and audiobooks, I was finishing a book a day. I’m caught up now (with only one that will get posted later) and have already slowed down on reading, due to work picking back up, even though I still have KU for another couple of weeks. Now my goal is to make sure to at least finish the 2 series I started in KU before the month is up and I have to wait for the next time I decide to buy a month.

Here are the books I read in June:

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes & Joe Layden (5 / 5)
Rabbits by Terry Miles (2 / 5)
Mayday at Two Thousand Five Hundred by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (4 / 5)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (5 / 5)
The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan (3 / 5)
No More Broken Promises by Angela Elwell Hunt (5 / 5)
Welcome to Vietnam by Ellen Emerson White (4 / 5)
A Forever Friend by Angela Elwell Hunt (5 / 5)
Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg (2 / 5)
The Compass by Tyler Scott Hess (2.5 / 5)
A Basket of Roses by Angela Elwell Hunt (4 / 5)
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (3.5 / 5)
Hill 568 by Ellen Emerson White (5 / 5)
Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot (4 / 5)
A Dream to Cherish by Angela Elwell Hunt (review pending)

This list includes 3 ARCs and 6 re-reads. My favorite book from June was Project Hail Mary. I started 3 series, continued 3 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.

*This includes 2 series that I did not reach the end of but decided not to continue reading, after being 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.