March 2020 Wrap-Up & TBR Update

As a stay-at-home mom to a toddler, my day-to-day life hasn’t changed much with the quarantine/social distancing. And yet. Everything has changed, right? Somehow I still managed to read a ton this month. I’m not totally sure how, but here we are. Perhaps you can spot a pattern in my reading below…

• Havenfall by Sara Holland [ARC 3/3] – DNF 39%
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley – Finished
• Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (book club) – Currently Reading
• Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow – Read
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (book club) – Read
• We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian [ARC 3/31] – Read and reviewed
• Meet Me At Midnight by Jessica Pennington [ARC 4/7] – Read and reviewed
• We Didn’t Ask For This by Adi Alsaid [ARC 4/7] – DNF 18%
• The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh – DNF pg 15

Also read/reading:

• They Called Us Enemy by George Takai – Read
• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – Read
• After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Read
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot – Read
• Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot – Read
• Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz [ARC 4/7] – Read
• Princess in Love by Meg Cabot – Read
• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Read
• Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot – Read
• Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Read
• Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot – Currently reading

Books finished this month: 15, 3 DNF
Books currently reading: 2

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
TBR at the beginning of March = 305
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 6
Total on TBR now = 307

How did your reading go this month?

March 2020 TBR

Last month was pretty good and I hope that carries through into this month as well. And, of course, here’s hoping I can stay caught up on here as well.

• Havenfall by Sara Holland [ARC 3/3] – Currently Reading
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley – Currently Listening
• Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (book club) – Currently Reading
• Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow – Currently Reading
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (book club)
• We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian [ARC 3/31]
• Meet Me At Midnight by Jessica Pennington [ARC 4/7]
• We Didn’t Ask For This by Adi Alsaid [ARC 4/7]
• The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

I know, I know. I’m reading a lot of books at once–I do that sometimes. I get into this mode where I’m reading one book in each format (physical, Kindle, phone, audio).

What are you guys reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

February 2020 Wrap-Up & TBR Update

I had a great reading month in February! With Locke & Key hitting Netflix, I decided to binge the whole graphic novel series–I’ll probably do an overall series review sometime…soon.

• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – Finished
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson [ARC 2/4] – Read and reviewed
• Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long [ARC 2/18] – DNF 9%
• Havenfall by Sara Holland [ARC 3/3] – Currently Reading
• Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimara [ARC 3/3] – DNF 26%
• Lucky Caller by Emma Mills – Read, review coming
• Prey by Michael Crichton (book club) – Read

Also read/reading:

• Locke & Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 3: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 5: Clockworks by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 6: Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill – Read
• Furious Hours by Casey Cep – Read
• This Place: 150 Years Untold (Anthology) – Read
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (narrated by Tom Hanks) – Finished
• The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – Read, review coming
• Sword & Pen by Rachel Caine – Read, review coming
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley – Currently Listening
• Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 15 with 2 DNF
Books currently reading: 3

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
TBR at the beginning of February = 302
Books added to TBR = 9
Books read/deleted from TBR = 6
Total on TBR now = 305

How did your reading go this month?

Cooler weather at last! | October Wrap-Up & TBR Update

The heat has finally dialed it back and we’re having some nice cooler weather where I don’t feel like I’m dying every time I step outside. I’ve had a tough blogging month…but we’ll see how next month goes.

• Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [ARC 11/5] – Read and reviewed
• Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood [ARC 11/5] – DNF 12%
• Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks [ARC 11/19]
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin [Book Club] – Read
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley – Finished #9
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Finished!!! (#4, 5, 6, and 7)

Also read/reading:

• Scythe by Neal Shusterman – Read, review coming
• Operatic by Kyo Maclear – Read
• Secrets & Suitors by Joanna Barker [ARC 10/1] – Read and reviewed
• White Cat by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Umbrella Academy vol 3: The Hotel Oblivion by Gerard Way – Read
• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman – Read, review coming
• A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo [ARC 11/5] – Read, Blog Tour
• Tithe by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• Valiant by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• Ironside by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde – DNF 33%
• Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson [ARC 11/5] – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 17, 2 DNF
Books currently reading: 1

I didn’t really realize that I’d read so much this month. A couple of them were graphic novels and then I had to binge the Harry Potter books because the audios all got checked out to me at once basically. So those things helped.

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of October = 342
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 45
Total on TBR now = 305

How did your reading go this month?

It’s reading season | October TBR

I had a really great summer reading-wise (and otherwise) and I’m excited to carry that into fall as well! This time of year is really great for spooky and atmospheric reads (for obvious reasons) so we’ll see what I actually end up reading.

• Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [ARC 11/5]
• Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood [ARC 11/5]
• Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks [ARC 11/19]
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin [Book Club]
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley (Continue listening)
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (Continue listening)

There we go! I’m getting close to finishing the Flavia series and have been thinking about starting Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series to replace it. Any thoughts on that?

What are you guys reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

September was Holly Black month | September Wrap-Up & TBR Update

My reading mood continues (thankfully) I feel like I’ve just been reading really good books lately and I’ve been excited to read. Audio books have also been super helpful in increasing my reading productivity though my podcasts have been suffering a little bit.

• In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund [ARC 10/8] – Read and reviewed
• Fireborne by Rosaria Munda [ARC 10/15] – Currently Reading
• The Big Year by Mark Obmascik – Read and reviewed
• Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty [Book Club] – Read and reviewed
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley – Finished #8, currently listening to #9
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Finished #3

Also read/reading:

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Wicked King by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – Read and reviewed
• The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Lost Sisters by Holly Black – Read
• The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo – DNF, 88 pgs
• Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty – Read and reviewed
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – Read

Books finished this month: 11 plus 1 novella and 1 DNF
Books currently reading: 2

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of September = 412
Books added to TBR = 2
Books read/deleted from TBR = 72
Total on TBR now = 342

How did your reading go this month?

Summer TBR | Final Update

At the beginning of the summer, I posted a list of 9 books that I hoped to read. Then, I posted an update halfway through July. Now that summer is over, I just wanted to give a final update on how I did.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley – This was read from before. I’m continuing with my audio binge and am currently on #8
eBook | Paperback

Legendary by Stephanie Garber – Still waiting on my shelf…
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I read this one as a buddy read last month and had some thoughts. Review coming soon!
eBook | Hardcover

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He – I checked this one out from the library. It took me longer than I thought it would to get through and I didn’t love it.
eBook | Hardcover

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen – Read from before. Sarah Dessen is a queen and I really liked this one. Review
eBook | Hardcover

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – Read from before. I was a bit disappointed in this one. Review
eBook | Hardcover

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills – Read from before. I’ve read all of her books that are out now (I think?) and have enjoyed them all! Mini-review
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – I’m hoping to get to this one within the next couple of months!
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – Still haven’t gotten to this one unfortunately, but the eBook is like…always available from the library, so hopefully soon!
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback (Preorder)

With my last update, I’d read 4/9 and at the end of the summer I’d gotten to 6/9. Which I don’t think is too bad! Especially considering two of the three books I didn’t get to are currently sitting on my shelf, I think I’ll finish this list before the end of the year.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite 2019 summer read was!

No more back-to-school! (At least, for a little while) | September TBR

We still have a good four years before we’re launched into the back-to-school grind, so I’m going to enjoy this non-frantic time of the year while I still can!

• In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund [ARC 10/8]
• Fireborne by Rosaria Munda [ARC 10/15]
• The Big Year by Mark Obmascik
• Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty [Book Club]
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley (Continue listening)
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (Continue listening)

I did really great with my TBR last month so we’ll see how this one goes!

What are you guys reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

What a crazy summer | August Wrap-Up & TBR Update

I can’t believe August is over already! It seems like we just moved to California last week, but we’ve actually been here for almost three months. As I’ve been seeing everyone’s back-to-school/end of summer vacation social media posts, I’ve realized that we’re in a super interesting time of life where our summer vacation doesn’t really end? We don’t have any kids in school yet and we’re not in school anymore either. The weather will get cooler but like…we’re in California so it’s not going to get that cold. My husband has been working full-time all summer and he’s going to continue to do that…things just aren’t really changing for us like they are for everyone else. We can still go do summery, outside things basically as long as we want. Anyway, unrelated to book things but it was an interesting realization that I had.

• King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (buddy read with Audrey Writes Abroad) – Read and reviewed
• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He – Read and reviewed
• Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach – Read and reviewed
• Color Me In by Natasha Diaz [ARC] – DNF 43%
• Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford [ARC] – Read and reviewed
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Read and reviewed
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley – Finished listening to #6 and #7, currently listening to #8

Also read/reading:

• Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz – Finished listening
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – Finished listening
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling – Finished listening
• Runaways vol 2: Best Friends Forever by Rainbow Rowell – Finished
• Runaways vol 3: That Was Yesterday by Rainbow Rowell – Finished
• Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills – Read and reviewed
• Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob – Finished

Books finished this month: 14 with 1 DNF
Books currently reading: 1

Well, would you look at that! I actually managed to complete my TBR and then some this month! Way to go me!

A couple other things real quick, I finished my Goodreads Reading Goal this month! I had no idea how this year was going to go (especially with last year being a bit of a dud reading year) so I set my goal to 70. Luckily, I’ve exceeded my expectations! My new goal for the year is 100. Second, I’m working on a TBR weeding project. I’m going alphabetically and I’m trying to just take one letter at a time, figuring out what I want to keep on my TBR and what can go. So you’ll see my TBR count going down significantly and that’s why.

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of August = 469
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 65
Total on TBR now = 412

How did your reading go this month?

Reading through these Summer days | August TBR

I feel really good about how I did last month and I hope this month goes well too!

• King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (buddy read with Audrey Writes Abroad)
• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
• Stiff by Mary Roach
• Color Me In by Natasha Diaz [ARC]
• Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford [ARC]
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Continue reading)
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley (Continue listening)

We’ll see how I do. I’m really hoping I can carry July’s momentum into August! (And I’m hoping to be a little more active on the blogosphere too…)

What are you guys reading this month? Let me know in the comments!