November 2019 Wrap Up

This post is soooo late and I am sorry about that. I usually keep up with parts of these posts throughout the month, but for November that just didn't happen!

I also did not get a disease post up last month, which I said I would do because I missed October, too. But I promise that there will be one in December. I've already started it and I hope it will be awesome.

So November was a bit strange. We ended up going up to Colorado Springs sort of last minute because Kevin surprised me with tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra which was lovely. I love their Christmas show and even though I have seen it a few times, I still enjoy it. Then we went up to Denver for Thanksgiving and I packed my days full to bursting to see as many people as I could.

There were a few things at work that held me up. We had a few things going on that stressed me out immensely. I got through them OK, so maybe I won't stress so much this month.

And lets get on to little book reviews. I also did not read nearly as many books as I hoped to, but I got a few under my belt. I'm not sure I will hit my reading goal this year, but that's OK.

Title: The Hearts We Sold
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones

Synopsis: Dee is desperate to stay in her boarding school and avoid a troubled home life. In order to get the money she needs, she makes a deal with a demon. In exchange for her heart, she will have the resources she needs to keep her life the way she wants it. With one stipulation: she is also at the demon's call to help him and his team of heartless destroy mysterious portals. The experience will change her life in many ways.

Thoughts: I started this one in October because demons=Halloween reads. But the demons were more complicated than that. And I liked the story and characters. And in the end I cried a bit, which usually means it was a pretty good read. It was different than what I expected, but not in a bad way for sure.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: Master of the Phantom Isle
Author: Brandon Mull
Narrator: Kirby Hayborne

Synopsis: The story picks up where we left off in the last book: Seth has lost his memory and has found himself apprenticed to Ronodin, the dark unicorn. He does not quite trust Ronodin or the Sphinx (who seems to know him), but he's not sure he can trust Kendra (claiming to be his sister) or Bracken, the light unicorn. He sets out to find his lost memories. Meanwhile, Kendra is desperate to save Seth. On her journey, she ends up in Crescent Lagoon Dragon Sanctuary. They need help restoring the sanctuary protections.

Thoughts: I love the Fabelhaven books and I am so glad that he is writing this sequel series. I am enjoying the development of Kendra and Seth as they get a bit older and come in to their own. I love the world Mull created with these books and I can't wait for the next one.

Review: 4 stars out of 5

Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Narrator: Amir Abdullah

Synopsis: Tristan lost his best friend in a bus accident recently and his life has been in a downward spiral since then. His family thinks he needs a break, so he goes to spend time with his grandparents on their farm in Alabama. But on his first night, the journal his best friend left him is stolen by a creature right out of a myth. Because she is right out of a myth! This leads him on a great adventure through MidPass, where the great African gods and folk heroes live. In the course of getting there though, Tristan may have punched a hole in the sky and loosed an old, evil spirit who wants to destroy MidPass and all of the gods and heroes there.

Thoughts: This was the latest in the Rick Riordan Presents and as usual, I loved it. It was a fun and unique mix of the African gods and mythology alongside folk heroes like John Henry. It was a bit different and at first I felt that it was hard to keep up with. It starts a bit slowly. Then things happen so quickly and there are no explanations for quite a while. But once I had gotten through several chapters, it was easier. And by then I was pretty sucked in. I definitely recommend it! (And the narrator for the audiobook was great!)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Ancient Civilizations of North America
Author/lecturer: Edwin Barnhart

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is not really a book, it is a course. But I am counting it anyway. It is all about the ancient people of North America. It begins at the earliest records of civilization in North America and goes through several centuries as they grow and develop. It was very interesting and there was a ton of information in these lectures that I did not know. If you are at all interested in the development of the indigenous people in North America, I would recommend it.

Rating: 3-4 stars out of 5

Title: Miss Marley: The Untold Story of Jacob Marley's Sister
Author: Vanessa Lafaye
Narrator: Josie Dunn

Synopsis: Before Jacob Marley became the greedy man and disturbed spirit we are familiar with, he was a poor child who loved no one but his younger sister, Clara. For years, Jacob promised his sister a better life. He manages to pull them out of poverty, but the price is steep. They manage to make a better life for themselves, but Jacob begins to become the miserable human that we know from A Christmas Carol.

Thoughts: I love A Christmas Carol. It was fun to see this take on the early part of the story. We also get to see the early development of Scrooge. I thought this story was interesting and enjoyable. And sad, in case you couldn't have assumed that yourself. If you like A Christmas Carol, you might like this, too! And it was a good way to kick off the holiday season and my holiday reading list.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5


Least favorite book read this month: Not sure, they were all pretty good this month
Favorite book read this month: Probably Master of the Phantom Isle

Next month is holiday month. I have more Christmas-y books to read and holiday movies to watch. Kevin got Disney+, so I can watch all the Disney I want, too!

I'm very excited for December. I love Hanukkah and Christmas and adore seeing Christmas lights and trees everywhere. My birthday is coming up soon, which I pretty much always love. A couple of my girlfriends will be coming down to visit next week and we are going to take a short girls road trip around New Mexico. And then I get to go with Kevin to Connecticut and spend Christmas with his family. It will be a busy month, but it should be lovely.

Oh, and I found a local book club to join. I will go to my first meet up with them in January. I am looking forward to meeting more people and finding more places to go.

I've also managed to pick up a couple of high school students to tutor. That has helped me get out a bit and talk to locals. I'm trying to get more settled here, but it is difficult much of the time.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a good holiday season and finding fun things to read!

September 2019 Wrap Up

September marks my first month in my new home state. It's been a busy month of moving, organizing, cleaning, job hunting, and adjusting to living with my boyfriend. It's been hard to find a routine so far, but I know it will come with time. And I did manage to find a position in a laboratory here and it is a very exciting opportunity!

I hadn't been working out, though I finally got back into Insanity once we had enough space for me to do a video. Until I got a nasty cold and then started working, so I stopped again more or less. And I have still been working on my bullet journal. It has been something that I actually enjoy and look forward to working on/filling out. I was originally afraid that it would end up feeling more like a chore.

I tried to low-key participate in Victoria Schwab's Schwabtember challenge to read a book (or more) that you've never read by her. I already love some of her books though, so that wasn't a chore for me! Here are the books I read this month. (Luckily more than I read last month...)

Title: Muse of Nightmares
Author: Laini Taylor
Narrator: Steve West

Synopsis: Sarai has been the Muse of Nightmares ever since her power made itself known and she used that to sow fear in the people of Weep. Now that she is a ghost and the man she loves is a "God," everything changes and their fates are held in Minya's bitter, angry hands. As the story unfolds, so does the history of the Mesarthim and how the gods traveled between distant worlds.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the development of the story and the characters, but at times things felt a little chaotic and disjointed. I'm sure some of that was intentional, given the subject, but it made some parts feel oddly drawn out and others seem resolved too quickly. But in general, I was satisfied with the ending.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Title: Spin the Dawn
Author: Elizabeth Lim

Synopsis: Maia is the only daughter of a talented tailor. She learns the craft and is very gifted, herself, but women are not meant to be tailors. When her aged, broken father is summoned to court to compete for the position of Imperial Tailor, she disguises herself as his and goes in his place. The competition will challenge all of her abilities and it becomes more complicated once she attracts the attention of the Imperial Enchanter. But it is the final challenge to create three impossible gowns that could prove her downfall.

Thoughts: This was a recent Owlcrate book that immediately caught my attention. Plus, Tamora Pierce gave it a favorable review. I really enjoyed it. In the beginning it struck me as being very Mulan-like, but the story changed after a while. I didn't always love the love story, but I did like the characters and the magic.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: Vicious
Author: V. E. Schwab

Synopsis: This is the story of Victor and Eli. College roommates and friends turned arch nemeses. During the end of college, they found a shared interest in rumored people with special abilities and eventually figured out how to create the proper circumstances to give people these abilities. A series of horrible events lands each of them with extraordinary abilities and lands Victor in jail. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison with the single-minded goal of stopping Eli. And Eli's goal has been to remove all extraordinary people from earth. Both sides have terrible powers and formidable teams, but only one can survive.

Thoughts: I picked this book up forever ago when I was still getting into Schwab's books. I had read the Monsters of Verity duology and loved it too much to get into her other stuff right away. I finally read her Shades of Magic trilogy which I also enjoyed, so I'm not sure why I waited so long to pick this one up. But Schwab hosted a Schwabtember challenge this month and it was the perfect opportunity to read this. And I loved it. It was intense and crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about it and wanting to know what happened next. As usual, V. E. Schwab has not failed to impress. I can't wait to get my hands on Vengeful.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars (The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars was because I loved the Monsters of Verity duology just a tiny bit better.)


Title: Two Dark Reigns
Author: Kendare Blake

Synopsis: The stories of the queens continues in the third book of the Three Dark Crowns series. Mirabella and Arsinoe have escaped the island, but something is trying to lure them back and they are not sure why. Jules is training her partially bound war gift and joins a rebellion against the old queens as the new Legion Queen. And Kat deals with the dead queens as well as the mist that is rising against her people.

Thoughts: I always wait a long time between these books because they are dark and intense so I always need a break before I continue. But this means that I forget things between reads. Some things did come back to me, but I probably should have brushed up a bit on the last book. That aside, this book felt different than the first two, to me. I think the shifting plotline is what did it. And maybe that is why I liked this one just a bit less than the other two. Despite that feeling, I still liked the book overall. There were parts that were dark and hard, which was expected, and parts that made me very worried for what happens next. And my main thought at the end was, "Everything is going wrong!" So that's where I left it. I do have the last book that I ordered specially from the Bookish Box. It is a signed first edition and came with lots of cool stuff inspired by the trilogy. I loved it. And the first book was received in an Owlcrate box years ago, so it is a little special, too. Anyway, I am looking forward to reading the last one and finding out how it all ends, but I am going to need to take a little break first!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: Soul of the Sword
Author: Julie Kagawa
Narrators: Brian Nishii, Joy Osmanski, and Emily Woo Zeller

Synopsis: Hakaimono has broken free and taken over Tatsumi's body. Historically, the Shadow clan would kill the former demon slayer in order to return Hakaimono's soul to the sword. But the leader of the Shadow clan recruits Yumeko to save the demon slayer, which she and her companions were already planning to do. They also need to find the secret temple and give them the piece of the scroll that Yumeko carries.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the first book, Shadow of the Fox, so I knew that I wanted to continue. I was pleased with the way Yumeko (sort of) saves Tatsumi and I liked some of the small side stories of some of the characters. I plan to keep reading so I can find out what happens to everyone now that I have become attached to the characters!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Title: Soul of Stars
Author: Ashley Poston

Synopsis: This is the sequel to Heart of Iron. Di has been HIVE'd, the Great Darkness is coming, and Ana is presumed dead, but feels compelled to save the universe. And Di. Meanwhile Jax has to face the destiny he has dreaded and return to his home planet which he hoped to never see again. And Robb finally finds out who Jax really is. Will Ana and her crew full of misfits be able to stop the Great Dark before it consumes their worlds?

Thoughts: It has been too long since I read Heart of Iron, but I LOVED it. But didn't quite remember how everything ended... which is sad and I probably should have brushed up. I cried a few times while reading this one because I love these characters. I enjoyed Jax's arc and I felt like Robb really came into his own in this book. And I absolutely adore Siege. There were a couple things I found odd. One was Ana's search for Starbright to obtain their help saving Di which was never actually utilized, though I like the other characters that were added because of it. Also, Ana and Di's ending seemed a bit odd, but I'm just going to ignore it. Overall, I enjoyed it very much (though maybe not quite as much as the first one).

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Title: The Fire Keeper
Author: J.C. Cervantes
Narrator:

Synopsis: This is the second book in the Storm Runner series. Zane put out a call to other god-borns and that has started to bear fruit. Except that most of the gods want the god-borns dead and Zane just put them on the gods' radars. Plus his dad, Hurakan, is in trouble. He's not sure they will have time to save his dad and the god-born. And some powers are working against him and he doesn't know who he can trust.

Thoughts: This was another one that I should have refreshed my memory of the first book before reading this one. Luckily the author hits the key points from the last book very well. I enjoyed the overall story and the characters that were in this one, especially Ah Puch. I have some questions that I want answers to Ixtab's story and motives. I really enjoy learning the Mayan mythology. That's a huge draw for me. While I didn't love this book, I still really liked it and I am looking forward to the next one.

Rating: 3-31/2 stars out of 5


Favorite book read this month: Vicious
Least favorite book read this month: Maybe Muse of Nightmares? I read a lot of good books this month, so I don't feel that I had an obvious least favorite.

And next month is October! My favorite month and that means spooky reads! I will post a bit about what I plan to read on my Instagram, so please check that out.

February Wrap Up

Alright! What did I read this month?

I finished:

• Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. It was a gift from a friend who always finds the best books.
• The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. Read as an audiobook. Very charming. Plus I love the title.
• Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin. A book about a transgender teen. So good. Well written and clever.
• Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son by Lori Duron. Lovely read, very touching.
• Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. Re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. 
• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I like Cinder a bit better, but very good. I'm excited to read Cress next.
• 1984 by George Orwell. This was a re-read because my student was reading it for class and I wanted to help her out. Still a good dystopia.
• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. There has been some hype surrounding this book and it definitely lived up to it.

As usual, my actual reviews are posted on my book blog, if you are interested in reading them.

I felt like I was slowing down on my reading, but for a while there I was reading up to 5 books at once, which is just too many. Once I finished Year of Wonders, I started to feel a little more in control, though 4 is still about 1 over my usual limit. After finishing 1984, I was able to bring it back down to three and I got back up to pace.

I had to rearrange which books I read at what time. I started Worlds of Ink and Shadow, but parts of it were eerie and spooky so I had to stop reading it before bed and switch it with Cress, my "daytime" book (I work nights, hence the quotations). Anyone else do that? Nothing creepy before bed; gives me nightmares.

Completed 2016 Reading Challenges:

• A book from a debut author: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald.
• A book you received as a gift: Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.
• A book with LGBTQA+ lead character: Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin.
• A non-fiction book: Raising my Rainbow by Lori Duron
• A book with magic: Spindle's End by Robin McKinley 
• A book typically read in school: 1984 by George Orwell

Favorite Book Read This Month:
The Raven Boys followed closely by Symptoms of Being Human.

Least Favorite Book Read This Month:
Tough one, maybe 1984 because I had already read it so it was less interesting. Or Spindle's End. I like Robin McKinley, but this was not her best work.

Lastly, I am planning to participate in an Instagram Book Photo Challenge:

And please feel free to join and check out the hosts' accounts-they are all pretty awesome!

My photos will only be posted on my Instagram and book blog. Head there if you are interested in seeing my (mediocre) photos.