November 2020 Wrap Up

Another whirl-wind month. It went so fast. Let's see.

I am still working a bunch of extra hours each week, but I did take a few days off near the middle of the month, which was very nice.

The election has really been something else this year. I can't wait until next year, though.

Because of the pandemic, we won't be able to see family and friends this holiday season, so I have been working on getting holiday gifts together so I can send them out.

And this month was a bit lack-luster in the reading department. I only finished two books, though I am nearly finished with two more. But here are the whole two that I finished!

Title: Jackaby

Author: William Ritter

Narrator: Nicola Barber

 

Synopsis: Abigail arrives in a small port town in America where she meets R. F. Jackaby, a unique sort of private detective who can see supernatural creatures.  In search of a job, Abigail becomes Jackaby's assistant. Her first case is to help investigate a series of gruesome murders that are not all they appear to be.

 

Thoughts: This book has interested me for a while. Plus, I needed a "J" book for the alphabet challenge. I listened to this as an audiobook and I actually think that was a mistake. I hated the way the narrator read Jackaby's character. So I know that isn't the author's fault, but it made it a rougher experience. I thought the story was pretty good though, I would consider reading more of the series.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: The Tower of Nero

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Robbie Daymond

 

Synopsis: After saving New Rome and rescuing various oracles, Apollo and Meg must now confront Nero and Python. He and Meg realize that they may not survive this mission. Luckily for them, they have some unexpected allies.

 

Thoughts: This series has not been my favorite of Rick Riordan's books. I don't mean that in a bad way, I just love his other series' more than this one. Don't take this for "I didn't like this book/series," I still love all of Rick Riordan's books. That being said, I was happy to see some more familiar characters and experience some new adventures.  I think this series was darker and maybe more serious in some ways than some of his others. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. I did tear up a few times, so it must have been pretty good.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Favorite book read this month: The Tower of Nero

Least favorite book read this month: Neither, really

Alphabet challenge: I completed "J" this month! And that is probably all I will manage to do. I have holiday books that I want to read in December, so I am not planning to finish Q, U, and Z. That is alright though.

I have now read 81 books towards my goal of 80 books, which feels great after not meeting my reading goal last year.

December is starting though, and I always love December. For one, it is my birthday month. Also, Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up, which I always enjoy. I love the decorations and the festive air (and it sometimes makes me wish we got more snow down here so it would add to the atmosphere! But that would also mean I need to drive in it, which I am less of a fan of). December also means winter/holiday reads. Here is my TBR for the month:

• Landline by Rainbow Rowell
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• Booked for Christmas by Lily Menon
• Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
• A Universe of Wishes by Dhonielle Clayton (editor)

And if I have time, I will try to read a book for my book club if I think I can finish by early January. Then I can go to book club! Remotely, of course. But January will mark a year that I have been in the book club, so that's pretty cool.

That's about it for my November. What are your social distancing holiday plans? I want to have a digital holiday party where we can get dressed up, hang out, and drink cocktails via zoom or a similar platform. What do you think?

October 2020 Wrap Up

 My favorite month. Which is a little different during a pandemic. But I have still enjoyed the decorations, crafts, movies, gifts, and especially my spooky reads.

My mom and I exchanged haunted house advent calendars. We bought two from Michael's and we each took one home and painted it. Then we filled the little drawers with goodies and mailed them to each other. It has been a cute and fun way to celebrate the month! Here is the one I sent to her: 

I also had several little gifts for Kevin and he was sweet enough to give me several Halloween gifts, too! He also got into some of the decorations, so we both enjoyed the month together. On Halloween, we took a gingerbread Christmas village and made it a gingerbread Halloween village. And I got to FaceTime with my mom to see her in costume as well as my brother, his daughter, and his girlfriend in their super cute jellyfish costumes! And I got to chat with four of my best friends virtually and just hang out.

Work continues to be killer. I've lost a decent amount of weight due to working in the B3 so much. I've been trying to gain it back by eating Halloween candy ;) Despite that, and how hard it can be, and how much it makes my back and sometimes my legs hurt, I actually enjoy working in the B3. It is something that I always wanted to do and I'm still glad that I get to do that and get to work with infectious diseases, which is my scientific passion. So even though some days/weeks are hard, I do feel like I get a lot out of it. 

I had a list of books that was rather ambitious. I knew I wouldn't complete them all, but I did read some great ones this month! Here are some short reviews. (Maybe consider some of them for your spooky reads next year.)

Title: The Sundial

Author: Shirley Jackson

 

Synopsis: Following the funeral of one of the Halloran family members, Aunt Fanny has a vision foretelling the end of the world. But everyone in the Halloran mansion will be saved. The Halloran family and their guests figure out what it will mean to be the only ones left on earth.

 

Thoughts: This was a book club read. We always have two books to choose from (and some people read both) and I picked this one because it is Shirley Jackson and because the book club meet was at the beginning of October. I enjoyed We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but hadn't read anything else by her. This book was... strange. I read it very quickly and thought about it in between. I'm glad I read it as part of a book club because we had some good laughs discussing it. Even though I found it odd and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, it was definitely interesting and I enjoyed it over all.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Author: Kiersten White

Narrator: Katharine Lee McEwan

 

Synopsis: Elizabeth Lavenza becomes companion, best friend, and confidante to Victor Frankenstein. To be saved from her abusive caretaker and secure her future with the Frankensteins, she has to become exactly who they need and want her to be. Behind the facade, she is calculating, smart, and quick. But who is she really?

 

Thoughts: I loved this book. It was so weird and creative. I loved the mashup of the classic story with Mary Shelley herself. It was clever and I really enjoyed it. If you like Frankenstein (or even if you didn't like it), this book is still enjoyable. I only read Frankenstein once, years ago, and didn't much care for it and I don't remember enough of it. But I was always interested in Mary Shelley and how she came to write Frankenstein. Despite not loving the book, I do admire Mary Shelley. And this was just a great new perspective on the whole story.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Horrid

Author: Katrina Leno

 

Synopsis: An author letter came with this book that I am going to copy here: "Have you ever seen a flower so beautiful you wanted to taste it? Read a book so perfect you wanted to rip a page out and eat it? Loved something so much you wanted to consume it, to let it live inside you forever? This is a story about those obsessions, and about spooky autumn nights, and about old family secrets. This is a story about a girl with a little curl of hair right in the middle of her forehead. This is a story about what it means to be consumed--with love, with beauty, with fear. Maybe read it with the lights on..."

 

Thoughts: This was the September Owlcrate book (and this box has been one of my favorite Owlcrates, too). I don't like horror, despite my love of Halloween, so I was skeptical, but it sounded really good. Plus, I have always loved the poem about the girl with a curl  in the middle of her forehead: "And when she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid." And it is young adult, so I figured it would be more "horror-lite." But I did not get the ending and the redemptions and wrap ups that I was wanting. But that was oddly OK with me for this book. It was creepy and weird, but I must have enjoyed it because I ate this book up! (Not literally.) It was strange. Not my normal read, but I liked it and I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Strange Practice, Dreadful Company, and Grave Importance.  
Author: Vivian Shaw

Narrator: Susanna Hampton

 

Synopsis: Greta Helsing is a doctor, but her clientele are a bit different: vampires, ghouls, mummies. She treats the undead (or "differently alive," as she says in the second book) and provides them much needed medical care. But a cult of violent monks, crazy vampires, and creatures from alternate universes are causing mayhem and going after the very creatures that Greta cares for. She and her supernatural friends might be the world's only hope.

 

Thoughts: These were re-reads because these books are fun. I enjoy them and I like the references to other classic horror stories. I own the books and decided to listen to them this time around. It was nice to hear how some of the names are pronounced (or can be pronounced, I suppose). This series has gotten me to read other classics like the Vampyre and Varney the Vampire. I recommend this series for sure.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Eventide

Author: Sarah Goodman

Synopsis: Following the death of their mother and the subsequent madness of their father, Verity and her younger sister, Lilah, are sent to a small town in Arkansas. But once they arrive in the small farm town, they are separated as Lilah is adopted by the local school teacher and her uncle, and Verity is sent to work on a farm until she turns 18 in a few months. But there are strange things happening in the town. And the general suspicion the local people have for the woods is just weird. Until Verity starts to uncover old secrets, including old secrets about her own family.

Thoughts: This came in a book box I tried in October (Unplugged Book Box). It sounded like a good book for October, so I picked it up. Parts of it seemed historically inaccurate. It was an alright story, but not my favorite. I still liked it enough to finish it, but thought it was just OK overall.

Rating: 2 1/2 to 3 stars out of 5

I worked on reading more of Varney the Vampire, but the whole collection is soooo long and old-fashioned. It is going to take me several Octobers to actually finish it. I also started A Wicked Magic, but didn't get very far, so I will pick it up again next year. I started Jackaby, also, but I am far enough in that I will finish it in November.

Favorite book read this month: Probably the Greta Helsing trilogy

Least favorite book read this month: Eventide

 

I have now read 79 books towards my goal of 80 for the year. I will consider raising my goal a little.

 

 For the alphabet challenge, I completed letter E, started letter J, and I will probably count V for Varney the Vampire, even though I didn't finish it. 

That's all for October. I hope everyone else had a good spooky month!

September 2020 Wrap Up

 So I finally, FINALLY got my diphtheria post up. I don't think it is one of my best because I wrote it in fits and starts. But it's alright. I need to do more, but I'm not sure what disease I want to do next. I would love to do a special plague post, but plague is my very favorite and I want to do it justice. But October and Halloween time (my favorite time of the year) would be a great time to do it. I will have to think on it and see if I can pull something together in time. If work doesn't keep drowning me.

Speaking of October and Halloween, it is about that time of year! I have been working on my October reading list (and I read the Night Circus this month to prepare). And the Graveyard Book is always on my list, but I ended up starting and finishing that this month, also. A bit early, but it made it feel more like autumn so it's OK. I will post my list at the end of this post. Quick book reviews first.

 

Title: The Princess and the Fangirl

Author: Ashley Poston

Narrators: Eileen Stevens, Emily Lawrence, and Caitlin Davies

 

Synopsis: This is the second book in the Once Upon a Con series. Jess Stone was a popular Indie film actress until she was cast as Princess Amara in the new Starfield movie. But she hates Amara and is afraid this part has put an early end to her career. But when someone starts leaking the script for the next Starfield, it might be her fault and she has to stop it. Enter Imogen, normal person and president of the #SaveAmara movement. And when her pink pixie cut is covered, she looks just like Jess Stone. And Jess hatches a plan to have Imogen pose as her while Jess poses as Imogen to try to track down the missing script.

Thoughts: This was a re-read since I read Bookish and the Beast and re-read Geekerella. This one may be my favorite in the series (so far? Will there be more? I hope so). It's just fun and cute and fluffy and nerdy, so obviously I can't resist.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Title: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

 

Synopsis: Starr is a sixteen year old girl who attends a higher class, predominantly white high school, but she lives in a poor, Black neighborhood. She feels like her two worlds do not mesh together. And when she witnesses the shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, and the aftermath, she finds she may be right. Her family and friends get dragged in with her and we follow her journey to find her voice.

 

Thoughts: This book needs to be required reading for everyone. I have had it on my reading list for a long time now, and I'm glad I finally picked it up. I should not have waited so long. It was heartbreaking and touching. It's hard not to fall in love with Starr's family and be sucked into her world. And because she is torn between worlds, it makes it more accessible to white readers. We learn to see and love her family and her home. And because she is still figuring out how to navigate the aftermath of Khalil's death, it gives us white readers (who know little to nothing of these situations) to learn and grow with her. I cried SOOOO much during this book, but sometimes they were tears because I was so touched. It was heartbreaking, and redeeming, and very educational. Seriously, everyone should read this book.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Shadow Crosser

Author: J.C. Cervantes

Narrator: Ozzie Rodriguez

 

Synopsis: In the third book, Zane's adventures continue. He and the other godborns are meant to get training at a special camp arranged by some of the gods. But two of the other gods are trying to kill all of the (arguably) "good" gods and make them sacrifices. The godborn are called in to save them, even if they have to go through space and time to do so.

 

Thoughts: I'm not sure if this is a trilogy or not, but I believe it is. I have enjoyed these books a lot. They are good stories, informative because they are all about the Mayan gods, and they are fun. I definitely recommend the whole trilogy.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Narrator: Jim Dale

Synopsis: This mysterious circus appears overnight without warning and it is only open at night. The circus itself is magical and builds a fan following. But there is more going on in the circus than most people are aware of.

Thoughts: I have read this book a few times. I just love it. I love the writing and most of the story (I'm not the biggest fan of Marco and his romance(s)). It is magical. I want to go to this circus so badly. And to the midnight dinners.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Title: Star Daughter

Author: Shveta Thakrar

 

Synopsis: Sheetal has a secret that she must keep from most of the people around her: her mother is a star and Sheetal is part star. Her father, aunt, and best friend know, and it is starting to become harder to keep it hidden. Her powers start to burst out of control, driving her to join her mother in the sky to solve her problems. Once in the sky with her star family, she becomes entangled in family dramas and a competition that she must win.

 

Thoughts: This was a recent Owlcrate book. It just sounded so good and I love Roshani Chokshi's books, so I was excited to read this one. I will say that it was a bit more lack-luster for me than I was hoping. But I still enjoyed the story and the magic. It is a bit reminiscent of some of Roshani Chokshi's books, so if you like her books, you may like this one. But it was pretty good and the book is really pretty!

 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

 

Synopsis: The story of Nobody Owens who walks a unique path between life and death. Raised by the ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard gives him a great appreciation of life. And while his story is sad and sometimes very lonely, he grasps life with both hands, knowing he will see his family in death. I suppose he never really misses out on anything.

Thoughts: How many times have I read this book? Every year for the last seven maybe? Anyway, I always love it so much. And no matter what, I always find myself thinking about it and about the characters. And I always cry at the end. One of my favorite books.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: New book? The Hate U Give, but I always love the Graveyard Book and the Night Circus.

Least favorite book read this month: Star Daughter. Not because it was bad, it just wasn't my favorite.

 

I have read 72 books out of my goal of 80. So I am well ahead of schedule, which is awesome. After last year, I am glad to be doing better!

 

I didn't make any progress on my alphabet reading challenge. I still have six letters to complete, but hope to complete two in October. I'm not sure I will quite finish, but that's OK, it is just for fun.

Here is my reading list for October (after taking out the Graveyard Book). And I doubt I will be able to read all of these, but I will select all of my reads from these:

I have already started the Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and I am nearly finished with the Sundial (a book club selection that we are discussing next week). There is another book club book to read in October for November, but I don't plan on reading it because priorities, obviously. I need to read Jackaby and Varney the Vampire to help with my alphabet reading challenge. Some would be re-reads. And I am looking forward to reading Horrid. It might be more scary than my usual, but it sounds good.

I'm excited for my favorite month of the year!

August 2020 Wrap Up

 Hello everyone!

Well, I feel like the worst blogger in the world. I still have not completed the next disease post and I delayed this one until basically the last minute and am posting it late.

Work is still killing me. I've had to take on a bunch more responsibility lately because we had someone higher up leave for a new job and the rest of us are still pretty new and trying to figure things out. I'm still working overtime every week and having to go in on most weekends. It is a lot. And I'm always so tired when I get home that I'm not even reading as much as I normally would. Or I just re-read books because it reduces my anxiety levels.

My anxiety has been pretty high lately and I'm still adjusting and figuring out how to cope. It just make life a litte more difficult than I would like and I feel like life is just waaaay to hard to keep up with right now. Hence, late blog posts. Sorry. Thanks to those of you who stick around anyway.

So here is what I have read in August:

Title: Dark Lord of Derkholm

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

 

Synopsis: In a magical world in which all residents (wizards, kings, and so on) must cater to the man who runs their world: Mr. Chesney. But the residents are tired of Mr. Chesney and his pilgrim parties laying waste to their world. According to the oracles, Mr. Chesney can only be stopped if Derk plays the part of the Dark Lord and his son, Blade, acts as a wizard guide. With the help of the rest of their family (including Blade's griffin siblings), they try to bring an end to Mr. Chesney's control.

 

Thoughts: I wanted to read more books by Diana Wynne Jones and this one and its sequel were pretty highly recommended. I'm really glad I read this one, I really enjoyed it. It was sort of strange and took me a while to really understand the world, but it was great. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Title: You Should See Me in a Crown

Author: Leah Johnson

 

Synopsis: Liz Lighty has always felt awkward at school. After she fails to get a scholarship into her chosen college, she has to find another way to get the money she needs. So she decides to run for prom queen. Her friends are doing their best to support her, but they think she needs to stay away from the new girl at school, Mack. But Liz isn't sure she wants to stay away from Mack.

 

Thoughts: This book was a bit of a slow start for me. I don't know if I wasn't paying enough attention right at first or if the writing style is really that different. But at first, I felt like I couldn't keep track of what was happening. It was just a phase (or just me), because once it got going, it was very enjoyable!

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Title: Bookish and the Beast

Author: Ashley Poston

Narrators: Caitlin Kelly and Curry Whitmire

 

Synopsis: A beauty and the beast retelling in modern times. Rosie is busy between school, work, friends, and college application essays. Meanwhile, Vance has been banished to a small town as punishment following a tabloid scandal. Their paths collide as Rosie finds herself in debt to Vance and his caretaker. Rosie and Vance can't stand one another, so what will happen when they are thrown together so much.

 

Thoughts: I like these books. They are cute and sweet and sometimes very silly. It has been a while since I read the first two, so I didn't quite remember everything, but this is a new story so that isn't very important. Vance was a total jerk generally, but I kind of liked him. Overall, it was a fun, sweet story.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

Author: Jamie Pacton

Narrator: Jess Nahikian

 

Synopsis: Kit Sweetly has dreams of becoming a knight at the medieval-themed restaurant that she works at, but only men are allowed to be made into knights. But being a knight comes with a pay raise that Kit needs to help her mom and brother make ends meet. She rounds up a group of people who "can't" be knights and gets her brother (who is a knight at the restaurant) to train them. They intend to hijack the show to show what the Girl Knight and her friends can do.

 

Thoughts: Maybe my expectations were too high for this one. I thought it would be so good, but it fell a bit short for me. I'm not quite sure what it was that put me off. Overall, the story was alright, but I felt like it could have been better.

 

Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: Year of the Griffin

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Narrator: Gemma Dawson

Synopsis: Eight years after the pilgrim tours have stopped, the Wizard University has been trying to re-learn how to teach more than just how to cater to Mr. Chesney and the pilgrims, but they are having a tough time. Derk's griffin daughter, Elda, starts at the university. She and her friends end up trying to help their teacher, Wizard Corkoran reach the moon.

Thoughts: This is the sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm. Diana Wynne Jones has a unique writing style in that you are sort of dropped into the lives of these characters. You don't get all the backstory right away because the characters' lives have been going on. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I think it is a unique and interesting way to write stories.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: Geekerella

Author: Ashley Poston

Narrators: Eileen Stevens and Tristan Morris

 

Synopsis: A Cinderella re-telling in modern times. Elle has been in love with the old show, Starfield, all her life. But they are making a re-boot movie and the guy chosen to play the main character, Carmindor, is a teen heartthrob. Darian, the aforementioned heartthrob, is a true Starfield fan, too, but has been told by his agent (and father) not to let on. But he wants the fans to accept him.

 

Thoughts: This was a re-read for me. Once I finished Bookish and the Beast, I wanted to go back and re-read the first two. I enjoyed this one just as much the second time. It was fun and cute and a pretty creative re-telling.

 

Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: Dark Lord of Derkholm or You Should See Me in a Crown

Least favorite book read this month: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

I did not make any progress on my alphabet reading challenge in August. Luckily I only have J, Q, U, V, and Z to finish and I already have a couple of titles planned.

I have read 66 books towards my goal of 80. I think I'm doing pretty well.

Unfortunately, nothing much else has been going on. Just work and trying to play with my rats. And starting to prepare for Halloween! September 1st is day one of Halloween, after all!

One fun thing for Halloween: my mom and I are doing Halloween advent calendars. We found wooden ones at Michael's and we are each painting one and putting treasures in the drawers. Then we are going to mail them to each other! Long distance Halloween celebrations! I am still finding some small treasures that will fit in the drawers, but I am excited! I will post pictures in October (if I remember).

I hope everyone had a good August and I hope September will be even better!

July 2020 Wrap Up

Guys, July has been absolutely insane. I have been working almost every day nearly all month. And working strange shifts, as early as 5 or 6 am and as late as midnight. And working some 10, 11 hour days. I am glad that I have this position and that my work is so needed. But I am also tired. I will get a little break next weekend, thankfully. Well-earned if I do say so myself.

I have had next to no time to work on my next disease post, though I did start it in June. One day I will finish a post about Diphtheria!

I have also been comforting myself with book-related (mostly) retail therapy. I have bought lots of books and pins and washi tape and candles. Oops. Good thing I have been working so many extra hours. But I've bought several books and haven't had as much time to read them. And I haven't had it in me to read much. I re-read some books which helped. I did not finish my book club book for this month (in fact, I barely even started it).

Speaking of books, here is what I did read this month!

Title: The Near Witch

Author: V.E. Schwab

Narrator: Heather Wilds

Synopsis: The town of Near is small. No one visits or leaves. And the tales of the Near Witch are told to scare children. But one day a stranger shows up and then children start to disappear from their beds.

Thoughts: This was Victoria Schwab's debut novel. It felt a little like a first book and was occasionally repetitive. Overall, I liked the story alright, though it didn't stick out to me like most of her other books have.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

Author: Sandhya Menon

Synopsis: Pinky is a rebel always fighting for a cause. During the summer, feeling her mother's very critical eye on her, she told her parents that she had a boyfriend that even her mom would approve of. And then she needed a fake boyfriend. Samir's summer internship fell through and left his summer open. That works out perfectly for Pinky: Samir is proper and polite and can be her fake boyfriend. In return, she will line up another internship for him with her mother's law firm.

Thoughts: I'm so glad I got this book when I did. I picked it up immediately and ended up loving it. I read her book From Twinkle, With Love a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. So I read When Dimple Met Rishi, which I enjoyed less. The companion novel to that came out about a year ago: There's Something About Sweetie,  I liked much more. But this one tops them all. It was the perfect summer read.

Rating: 4 or 4 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and Lioness Rampant

Author: Tamora Pierce

Synopsis: Alanna has won her shield and revealed her true gender to the people of Tortall. Now a knight, she searches for adventure. Her travels take her to the Great Southern Desert and then to the Roof of the World.

Thoughts: Re-reads and comfort reads. I always love these books. The Song of the Lioness quartet will always hold a special place in my heart, I think.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Aru Shah and the End of Time, Aru Shah and the Song of Death, and Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Narrator: Soneela Nankani

Synopsis: These books follow the tale of twelve-year-old Aru Shah, reincarnated Pandava and tale spinner extraordinaire. After freeing the Sleeper from his prison, she must gather the other Pandavas and defeat him.

Thoughts: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes came out recently so I listened to it. But it's been a while since I read the last two, so then I re-read Aru Shah and the End of Time and Aru Shah and the Song of Death. These are fun and informative. Rick Riordan-esque but with Hindu mythology. They are great!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

Least favorite book read this month: The Near Witch

And that's about it for this month. I have now read 60 books toward my goal of 80. And for the alphabet challenge, I completed N.

Thanks for reading! I hope my life will be a little less insane in August.

June 2020 Wrap Up

June felt like a long month to me, and I feel like I didn't do much/enough important things. The world is so crazy right now, it is hard to keep up with it.

I've been working a lot and putting in plenty of overtime hours. That's what I do most of the time. That and play with my pet rats!

All that aside, here are book reviews for June!

Title: Alanna the First Adventure and In the Hand of the Goddess

Author: Tamora Pierce

Synopsis: Alanna is determined to become a knight, so she disguises herself as a boy and heads to the palace for training. These two books follow her journey of becoming a page, squire, and finally a knight. She makes friends and defeats enemies and discovers more about who she is and who she wants to become.

Thoughts: These are re-reads. I needed comfort books and have wanted to re-read many of Tamora Pierce's books recently. I've read these books more times than I would like to count, but I always love them.

Rating: 4-5 out of 5 stars

Title: The Blood of Olympus

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Nick Chamian

Synopsis: The adventures of the crew aboard the Argo II and their allies comes to a head as they work to defeat the giants and Gaea once and for all. Octavian is on the brink of starting a war with Camp Half-Blood, while Reyna, Nico, and Hedge race to stop him. Meanwhile the seven demigods on the Argo II head towards Athens and the final battle with the giants.

Thoughts: I had to re-read this whole series and this book is probably the best in the series (or the House of Hades, I'm always torn). I always love Leo most. As a side note, it wasn't until re-listening to the series this time that I realized how much I dislike this narrator. The narrator for the first three books was much better. But I still love the book!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Title: The Keeper of Lost Things

Author: Ruth Hogan

Narrators: Jane Collingwood and Sandra Duncan

Synopsis: After Anthony looses his fiancee and the lucky charm she gave him in the same day, he spends the rest of his life collecting lost items and trying to find their homes. However, he is at the end of his life and ready to rejoin his love, Therese. He leaves his house and all the lost things to his personal assistant, Laura. Laura, like Anthony's other lost items, is also looking for her purpose in life and she sets out to complete Anthony's work.

Thoughts: This was a book club read. There were a few things that I found a bit repetitive and maybe a touch annoying. Despite these things, I did enjoy the story and how everything comes full circle in the end.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: The Kingdom of Back

Author: Marie Lu

Synopsis: Marianne Mozart aka Nannerl is a musical prodigy and wants nothing more than to be remembered for her music. As a woman, she is not meant for such a life. But her prodigious brother Wolfgang is. A mysterious and magical being named Hyacinth finds her and offers to make her dreams come true. As the years pass and Nannerl approaches a marriageable age and her brother continues to outshine her, she begins to feel torn about the tasks that Hyacinth asks her to complete in trade for her wish. The cost might be too high.

Thoughts: This was an Owlcrate book from the March box and the book was so beautiful! It has silver edges and a pretty cover (both of which were chewed on by my rat, Hades--you can see a bit in the lower right corner... good thing he's such a cutie). It read like a historical fiction/fantasy novel. There was enough truth about the Mozart family to really keep me interested, though I did not love the whole story as much as I hoped to. I was still intrigued by the family and wanted to know Nannerl's real story.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Favorite book read this month: Is it cheating to say the Alanna books?

Least favorite book read this month: I didn't strongly dislike any of them, but I gave the Kingdom of Back and the Keeper of Lost Things the lowest ratings this month

Alphabet reading challenge completed: K (The Kingdom of Back and the Keeper of Lost Things).

I have read 53 books of my target 80 books for the year.

That's about it for this month. I have started working on a disease post about Diphtheria, but it still needs some work.

May 2020 Wrap Up

So this month Blogger, which I use to host my blog, changed its interface. And I am still trying to find everything again. It looks nicer on my side of things, but the old interface was in place for years. Sorry if things seem a little different while I get adjusted.

I am also working on a blog post about some of the current events and things that people can do to educate themselves and to help. Stay tuned for that, I will try to get it finished and posted soon.

Alright! Books read in May:

Title: Ouran High School Host Club Volumes 13-18
Author: Bisco Hatori

Synopsis: Haruhi is a poor scholarship student at the very wealthy and prestigious Ouran Academy, where the students have too much money and too much free time. In a twist of fate, Haruhi ends up in debt to the school host club (a gang of six attractive boys). Originally mistaken for a boy herself, she keeps her gender a secret from the rest of the school to become a host to work off her debt. And hilarity ensues.

Thoughts: I needed something light, quick, and fun to read, and these fit the bill. I finally finished the series and I really enjoyed them. They were cute and fun.

Rating: Overall, 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Ask Again, Yes

Author: Mary Beth Keane

Narrator: Molly Pope

Synopsis: Two New York police officers end up buying houses next to each other in the suburbs. Francis's wife, Lena, looks forward to making friends with Brian's wife, Anne, but Anne seems cold and like she wants nothing to do with anyone. They go through normal life, Lena and Francis have three daughters and Brian and Anne have one son, Peter, who is around the same age as Lena and Francis's youngest daughter, Kate. Kate and Peter become best friends. When tragedy strikes to tear them and their families apart, they will have to decide if friendship and love is enough.

Thoughts: This was a book club read for me (and I didn't quite finish it in time for the club's online meet, but I did finish it a day or so later). Overall, I enjoyed the story. Parts were sad or strange or heartbreaking, but there was a lot to love and a lot of redemption. However, I think I was more interested in Francis and Lena and George than I ever was in Kate and Peter.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: The Mark of Athena

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Joshua Swanson

Synopsis: The adventures of the seven demigods begins as the Argo II travels from Camp Jupiter to Rome after possibly starting a war between the Roman and Greek demigods. Then when they finally reach Rome after a harrowing journey, Annabeth must strike out on her own quest to follow the Mark of Athena. The other six have to find and save Nico from evil twin giants.

Thoughts: This was a re-read for me. I have lost count of how many times I have read these books, but I just love them!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: The House of Hades

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Nick Chamian

Synopsis: Nico has been saved and joins the crew of the Argo II, Annabeth and Percy have plunged into Tartarus. Percy and Annabeth need to find the Doors of Death to help close them and Nico has to lead the rest of the crew to and through the House of Hades to close the doors on the mortal side. Meanwhile, the Roman demigods are marching to Camp Half-Blood, intent on destroying the Greeks.

Thoughts: Another re-read for the up-teenth time. And I had book club books to finish or start but I still re-read this anyway. I did decide to wait to re-read the Blood of Olympus until after I finish another book club book. I love these books very much, in case you couldn't tell.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Title: I Hope You Get This Message

Author: Farah Naz Rishi

Synopsis: In seven days, the world will end. According to the alien message received on Earth, the aliens from the planet Alma have human lives in their hands and plan to terminate those lives. Jesse isn't sure he believes this and sets out to capitalize on peoples' hopes to help his mom and himself out of the poverty they've been struggling in. Cate, urged by her schizophrenic mother, sets out to find and meet the father that doesn't even know she exists. And Adeem, the coding wiz and radio amateur goes in search of his estranged sister and bring her home before the end. Their paths will collide in Roswell, New Mexico.

Thoughts: This was an Owlcrate book from several months ago. I thought it sounded interesting, but wasn't really in the mood for this sort of apocalyptic/sci-fi type of story. It ended up being quite good, in my opinion. I kept thinking about it and the characters when I wasn't reading. And while I did predict part of how the book ended, I still wanted more and had more questions. But I guess that's sort of the way real life is.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

Author: Hallie Rubenhold

Narrator: Louise Brealey

Synopsis: The stories of the ones no one talks about. We all know about Jack the Ripper, but what about the women he killed? This book talks about the five women who were murdered: Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane. Also, they were not all prostitutes as the stories like to tell. These are their stories.

Thoughts: I am guilty of being fascinated by Jack the Ripper, which is why I chose this book. And this book is not about Jack the Ripper and talks only briefly about the murders. It is about his victims who were real women that were treated very unfairly by society both before and after their deaths. This was actually a book club book and I was excited that it was one of the selections because it had been on my TBR for a while. I greatly enjoyed it. If you are interested in history, this book is very well researched and the stories are well told.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: Aside from the House of Hades? The Five.

Least favorite book read this month: I think I have to say Ask Again, Yes, only because I didn't really care enough about Kate and Peter.

Also, I read three books with characters named Kate/Cate? Ask Again, Yes, I Hope You Get This Message, and the Five (Catherine was called Cate/Kate--not sure how it was spelled as I listened to the book).

Reading challenges:

I have read 46 of 80 books for the year.

For the alphabet challenge I crossed off "I" (I Hope You Get This Message) and, inadvertently, "H" (The House of Hades, but was planning to read House of Salt and Sorrows for "H.")

In other news, a student that I started tutoring about 6 years ago graduated high school this month. I am so proud of her and excited to see what her future brings.

It was also Mother's Day and I sent my momma a card and gift and got to talk to her an extra day that week. But Kevin was sweet and put a gift together for me "from the rats." It was super sweet. Here is a picture of the front of the card and the painting they made.

The painting is color-coded. Green for Zeus, blue for Poseidon, and red for Hades. And orange for Kevin.

Social distancing has continued, but I still have spent every Saturday evening chatting with friends via Houseparty. Sometimes we play games or work on crafts/projects, and sometimes we just hang out. I love it!

I have started thinking about my next disease post. I can never decide what disease I want to tackle, but I think I will do diphtheria next. I hope you are as excited as I am!

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy and reading good books!

April 2020 Wrap Up

I feel like April has been a long month. I'm sure there are many people who share that feeling. At least I am still working normally (if not overtime). Social distancing takes a toll on everyone though. Luckily I have had weekly video gatherings with some of my good friends, which cheers me up. I've been in contact with some other people who I haven't seen since I moved to New Mexico and it's een really nice to catch up with them. Maybe when things start to return to normal, some of these things will continue.

I'm still keeping my bullet journal and trying new things to help track my moods and motivation levels. Or track when/why I am most tired. I hope this will help me eventually.

On the plus-side, I have read several books this month. Lets go to that portion.

Title: Ouran High School Host Club Volumes 3-12
Author: Bisco Hatori

Synopsis: Haruhi is a poor scholarship student at the very wealthy and prestigious Ouran Academy, where the students have too much money and too much free time. In a twist of fate, Haruhi ends up in debt to the school host club (a gang of six attractive boys). Originally mistaken for a boy herself, she keeps her gender a secret from the rest of the school to become a host to work off her debt. And hilarity ensues.

Thoughts: I needed something light, quick, and fun to read, still, during and after my reading of Made You Up. But these are fun and I want to finish the series.

Rating: Overall, 4 out of 5 stars

Title: The Starless Sea
Author: Erin Morgenstern

Synopsis: There are magical doors that lead from the ordinary world to a strange place underground where stories ebb and flow like the Starless Sea. If you are meant to find a door, you will. If you do not open it, your chance may be gone forever. Or not, in the case of Zachary Ezra Rawlins. He found his door as a kid, but was too afraid that the magic would let him down to open it. But he gets another chance after some strange encounters with other people who dwell in the harbor of the Starless Sea and other people who have traveled to these mysterious places. But the world of the Starless Sea is in trouble and it might be Zachary's job to fix it. Or change it. He's not sure, but he feels he must try.

Thoughts: I loved the Night Circus so I was excited when she finally wrote another book. And I have to say that I enjoyed it, but I just am not really sure what to think. What I mostly think is that I need to read it again. There were so many parts that changed and were tangled together that I think I spent more time thinking about that than what the actual story was supposed to be. But it was really interesting and kept me thinking. I liked all the different incarnations and tangles of the stories.

Rating: 3 1/2-4 out of 5

Title: Made You Up
Author: Francesca Zappia

Synopsis: Alex is a high school student just like any other. Except she has schizophrenia and can't always tell what is real and what isn't. She has lots of methods to help her keep the real world and the world in her head separate. After changing schools, she finally makes friends with some other kids and with Miles who might have been someone in her past, or not, or maybe possible past-Miles wasn't even real. But this Miles is real and as they become friends and start to fall in love, the real craziness of the world around them comes out. Alex doesn't think anyone will believe her.

Thoughts: Oh my goodness. This book was incredible. Alex is the ultimate unreliable narrator because even she doesn't always know what is real which means you can never know what is real. I was anxious while I read this book and I had so many feelings. After I finished the book, I closed it and then sat there crying for a while (even though, spoiler, the ending wasn't particularly sad. I was just so emotional). And I had a massive book hangover for WEEKS afterwards. That's why I read so much Ouran High School Host Club: it was easy and manageable. I still feel like I don't want to read another book because it could never live up to this one. It might be a new favorite. Even weeks later, I am trying not to cry about it. Generally, unreliable narrators aren't my thing, so I was a little hesitant to read this. But I am unimaginably glad that I did. I don't even have proper words for this book. But if you read it and love it, please come talk to me because I need someone to cry over this with me.

Rating: 4 1/2-5 out of 5 stars. And lots of hearts.

Title: The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Joshua Swanson

Synopsis: Jason shows up in the Wilderness School for Troubled Youth with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He meets (for the first time?) Leo and Piper and together, they end up at Camp Half-Blood. Piper and Leo have secrets of their own: Piper's father is missing and she is meant to betray her new friends to save him and Leo can summon fire and may have contributed to the death of his mother. But they end up on a quest together and discover friendship despite everything.

Thoughts: This was a re-read, mostly because I wanted something familiar and fun after Made You Up. So I decided to start re-reading this series because they are fun. And because I love Leo to pieces.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Joshua Swanson

Synopsis: Percy arrives at Camp Jupiter with no idea who he is and no memories of his past life beyond Annabeth's name. There he meets Hazel, who has been given a second chance at life after dying in the 1940s, and Frank, who is told that he has great powers but mostly feels like a clumsy dolt. Together they go on a dangerous quest to Alaska, the land beyond the Gods, to defeat a giant and free Death.

Thoughts: Another re-read because I love these books and decided I would try to re-read the whole series. And also because I love Leo (though he isn't really in this book).

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Explosive Eighteen
Author: Janet Evanovich

Synopsis: After a vacation gone horribly wrong, Stephanie returns to New Jersey alone. Next thing she knows, the man next to her on the plane was found dead and many people are after her because they think that he planted an important photograph in her bag. Which he did. And which she threw away. On top of dealing with the FBI, fake FBI, and other assorted crazies on her tail, Joyce (her nemesis) is holed up in her apartment, she's having horrible man trouble, and she still has to pick up her skips with Lula.

Thoughts: These are some of my guilty pleasure books. I call them my "beach trash" novels. They are so easy to read and funny. And as I was still in severe book-hangover-mode from Made You Up, this sounded like something I could handle. This series of books has gotten me out of many a reading slump in the past, this one did not disappoint.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Favorite book read this month: Made You Up (obviously)
Least favorite book read this month: None, I enjoyed all of them for different reasons

Reading challenge: I actually increased my reading goal for this year from 75 to 80 since I have been reading manga and they are much shorter and quicker to read. I might increase it to 85 later. But as of right now, I have read 37 of 80 books.

Alphabet reading challenge: L (The Lost Hero), M (Made You Up),  S (The Starless Sea), and X (Explosive Eighteen).

March 2020 Wrap Up

Alright! Book reviews!

Title: Get Well Soon
Author: Jennifer Wright
Narrator: Gabra Zackman

Synopsis: This book discusses some of the worst plagues in history, starting with the Antonine Plague all the way to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The author gives details about the diseases and how humans responded: what worked and what didn't? How good leadership can help in the face of horrible epidemics and pandemics.

Thoughts: This was a re-read for me. I needed a break from the next book listed because it felt a bit intense. I'm not sure what it says about me that reading a book about diseases made me happy. But this is a good book. It is humorous and informative. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Title: Children of Virtue and Vengence
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrator: Bahni Turpin

Synopsis: Zélie with the help of Amari and others managed to bring magic back to Orïsha. But this also awoke the magical heritage in the nobles and they have learned to use it. And some of them are much more powerful than they should be. Zélie and Amari try to unite the maji in order to bring down the monarchy, but both are warring with themselves: Zélie is trying to figure out how much more pain and suffering she can take and Amari is trying to find her place in this group of maji that want nothing to do with her. And civil war is coming.

Thoughts: There are things I enjoyed about this book and things that I did not. First of all, I cannot stand Zélie's inability to communicate with people (even those she cares for) and she wavered so often between leaving and staying that I started to get frustrated. I'm not entirely sure that is justified. But I like the types of magic and how the maji can use their gifts. There were parts that were sad or intense, but some parts seemed to drag a little. Honestly, I will probably continue reading the series eventually. I really like the narrator, she does a great job.

Rating: 3-31/2 stars out of 5

Title: Daughter of the Pirate King
Author: Tricia Levenseller

Synopsis: Alosa, daughter of the pirate king and captain of the Ava-lee has been sent on a dangerous mission: to intentionally be caught by a rival pirate lord in order to steal a map. She has endless tricks up her sleeves, but the rival first mate, Riden, is making her life and mission much more difficult.

Thoughts: I picked this up for the Owlcrate-A-Thon this month. It is one of the oldest Owlcrate books I own (probably not the oldest, but definitely close). So I read it in one weekend and I was hooked!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Daughter of the Siren Queen
Author: Tricia Levenseller

Synopsis: Alosa has completed her mission to complete the map to an island rumored to be full of treasure. Some of the pirates who had held her captive are now her prisoners or part of her crew. But one of them plants doubts in her mind about her father's intentions. After breaking into the pirate king's office and discovering some of his secrets, Alosa and her crew make a run for it, trying to beat the pirate king and his fleet to the island the map leads to.

Thoughts: After completing the first book, I almost immediately turned around and ordered this one from Amazon. I enjoyed this duology quite a bit. They were fun and well-written and generally kept me on the edge of my seat.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Title: Tweet Cute
Author: Emma Lord

Synopsis: Pepper works hard to try to have it all and to be the best. She gets great grades, is the captain of the swim team, and is a general perfectionist. On the side she helps her family's (or mom's) business by handling their Twitter account. But behind these masks is a girl who feels like a complete outsider and whose only friend is an anonymous guy she texts on an app. Enter Jack who feels completely overshadowed by his golden twin brother and feels destined and doomed to inherit his family's deli, a fate he loves and hates all at once. Behind the scenes, he develops apps (like the one the school uses to text anonymously). And he manages the Twitter account for his family's deli. And then the Twitter battle happens.

Thoughts: I had seen this book being advertised long before it came out and it seemed like just the kind of YA contemporary book that I would like. And I did. Parts of it dragged a little bit and I feel like it took a little bit to get into, but in the end, I enjoyed it. It was very cute and a nice, easy read.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Title: Crime and Punishment
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Narrator: Anthony Heald

Synopsis: Rodion Roskolnikov is an impoverished and rather desperate student and those conditions drive him to murder a local pawnbroker and her sister. The novel follows his deranged mental state before, during, and after the murder as well as how her perceives the people around him (including those who are trying to catch the murderer).

Thoughts: This was a book club book for March. I had never read it so I thought I should give it a try since it is a classic. While the story telling was OK (if repetitive), I kind of hated the main character, Rodion. He was kind of an entitled baby. He was desperate for money but refused to get a job or do much to actually improve his situation. I did like his friend, Razumikhin, who he definitely did not deserve. The stories of the other characters and how they entwine with Rodion's was more interesting to me than Rodion going in circles with his guilt, horror, and justification of his crime.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
Author: Felicia Day
Narrator: Felicia Day

Synopsis: This is an entertaining and interesting memoir from Felicia Day, of web show fame. She has funny, quirky stories from across her life and she is unflinchingly honest about her experiences and her thoughts and feelings through it all.

Thoughts: This has been on my audible wish list for a long time. And I wanted something different after listening to Crime and Punishment. Plus, this book starts with a "Y" which I still needed for my alphabet reading challenge. So the stars aligned and I listened to this one. I enjoyed it. I only really know of her in passing, I remember watching a little of the Guild, but that's about it. This was a fun, interesting book about her life; growing up weird, and dealing with anxiety, depression, and bullying. And it was great to listen to her tell her story.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Title: Ouran High School Host Club
Author: Bisco Hatori

Synopsis: Haruhi is a poor scholarship student at the very wealthy and prestigious Ouran Academy, where the students have too much money and too much free time. In a twist of fate, Haruhi ends up in debt to the school host club (a gang of six attractive boys). Originally mistaken for a boy herself, she keeps her gender a secret from the rest of the school to become a host to work off her debt. And hilarity ensues.

Thoughts: I needed something light, quick, and fun to read. Someone on one of the online reading groups I am a part of was looking for fun manga to read and this one was suggested. So I decided to read it. I watched the anime years ago and always wanted there to be more. Plus I love Kyoya (I cosplayed as him once many years ago. I still have the costume). But these are fun and I plan to read more in the next couple of months as I feel I can afford them on Kindle.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Least favorite book read this month: Probably Crime and Punishment
Favorite book read this month: Oh, that's a hard one this month. I enjoyed most of my reads, but none of them really knocked my socks off.

Reading challenge: 22 out of 75 books read.
Alphabet challenge: completed C (Children of Virtue and Vengence), O (Ouran High School Host Club), and Y (You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)). I am working on getting some more books lined up for this challenge. I have 12 out of 26 done!

Another reading-related challenge: a lady who belongs to a reading group I am in on Facebook and who I now follow on Instagram created this Quarantine Readers' Challenge. You can find her on Instagram: @stephani_writes. But here are the prompts. I know a couple of these have passed, but this is fun so I want to share it!

If you are interested in seeing the results, check out my Instagram and follow the hashtags!

I know things have been a little crazy lately with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing. I hope everyone is being safe and smart out there. I will try to put together a little disease post about it (though I am by no means an expert on the virus). Maybe I can pass on some helpful information.

Thanks for reading! Here's to a better April!