Month: March 2016

It’s Monday! What are you reading? (3/28/16)

This past week, I finished:

The Cracks in the Kingdom (The Colours of Madeleine, #2)The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jaclyn Moriarty is a genius. This book. THIS BOOK. Love. Love, love, love.

Also, I have a deeper appreciation for the first book, which I obviously need to reread now.

3/27/16: Okay, I love this book EVEN MORE now than the first time. Of course because I picked up things I didn’t pick up on the first time but also because I fell super in love with the characters in a way I didn’t the first go around. I knew Princess Ko was pretty amazing, yes. And, oh, my heart aches for Jupiter so much (SO MUCH). But also Samuel is pretty great and Keira, too. Plus everything with Belle.

So, basically, this book is pretty great, and I still 100% recommend it and the first one in the series. I am suuuuuuper excited for the final book in the trilogy.

View all my reviews

 

I also decided to sign up for:

A to Z 2016

I’ll be blogging about fannish pursuits (aka things I’m a fan of or have strong feelings about). You can read my sign up post here.

 

As of today, I’m reading:

I’m still plugging away at Silver Sparrow and Necessary Endings. I’m actually almost done with the former. We’ll see how long it takes me to get through the latter. I hope to be finished this week, though.

My hold for The Magicians by Lev Grossman finally came in, which is terrible timing because (a) it’s an e-book, which means that I only have 21 days to read it, and (b) my copy of Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty (the final book in The Colors of Madeleine trilogy) should be here tomorrow (!!!). Obviously, after the above review, you can see which book will take precedence. Also, The Magicians hasn’t really grabbed me yet and it’s kind of bleak so far, which may not be what I’m in the mood for. So, we shall see how it goes for that one.

 

In other book news:

Our department sent out the call for our fall textbook orders today, and I went into a bit of a panic because I still haven’t decided which novels I want to use for my ENC 1102 (research writing) class. The deadline is April 7. And it’s a hard deadline, too. So I kind of had a mini-freakout, basically.

Right now I’m thinking Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gareth Hind’s Romeo & Juliet, and possibly Cinder or The Hunger Games. It’s those two possibles that have me on edge. WHAT IF I MAKE THE WRONG CHOICE? WHAT IF I THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE BETTER? Etc.

For my creative writing class, I’m 99.9% sure I’m going to use Stephen King’s On Writing. Oh, and I need to pick a textbook for my LIT 1000 (Lit Appreciation) class.

So I’m not at all prepared for that very, very close deadline is what I’m saying. And I am also open to suggestions. The general theme I’m working with for the research class is protest art or art activism. Or at least that’s what I want the last paper to be about. Which means I am also considering something like Fahrenheit 451 or 1984. Catch-22 might also be good. You can see how those last two novels become ever more important then and why it’s also so hard for me to choose, right? Right.

Happy reading, everyone!

Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children's lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.
Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children’s lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.

New Version of Me

For anyone who hasn’t read The Year of Yes* by Shonda Rhimes, there’s a point in the book where she’s talking about something going on in her life and basically says to herself that she’s making a choice, and if she continues to make that choice, she needs to either make a different choice or own the choice and stop complaining.

I keep choosing not to update my blog and then complaining that my blog isn’t engaging or fun for me. So I need to own it and stop complaining. Or make a different choice.

Because I was reminded of that and because I have been inspired by how hard Elisabeth has been killing it with The Slice of Life challenge, I have decided to make a different choice and really engage with this space.

A to Z 2016

I’m going to start by signing up for the A to Z challenge and participating in that throughout April. And! I have already decided on a theme. My theme is going to be fannish pursuits aka TV, movies, books, etc. that I have VERY STRONG FEELINGS about. I don’t do message boards and Tumblr or stuff like that anymore, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t in the past nor does it mean I don’t still have VERY STRONG FEELINGS about what I watch or engage with. So these are those things I did or would have a billion LJ icons of or could talk about for hours, basically.

I have already made a list. So yeah. I’m ready.

*affiliate Amazon link, which gives me a kickback if you buy after clicking

Weekly Reading Check-in: Rereads abound!

This past week, I finished:

Something Wicked (Horatio Wilkes Mysteries, #2)Something Wicked by Alan Gratz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars, rounding up

I finished this last night, forgot to post about it here, and, when I sat down to type this up, forgot how I felt about it. Which is to say that I liked it well enough while reading, but it was kind of forgettable beyond that.

Here’s the thing, though: If Gratz wrote more of these, I would read every single one. He integrates and updates all of the elements and characters really well. And I will be forever amused that Horatio’s sisters are all heroines from other Shakespeare plays, and Gratz includes nods to their plays as well (Mona mentions a jealous soldier boyfriend; Kate can outargue/outsmart anyone). Also! Gratz hinted at a Tempest story in Horatio’s future.

So, you know. Three stars.

View all my reviews

 

House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle, #3)House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this because it’s the last in the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy. This is the weakest of the three books, especially since I found myself putting it down and forgetting about it for days at a time.

I mean, it’s a fine way to pass the five minutes of pomodoro time at work, but other than that it’s pretty meh. What I liked most about it, though, is how obnoxious Charmain is. More books with difficult female characters, please!

View all my reviews

 

Same DifferenceSame Difference by Derek Kirk Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, rounding up

This story took a little while to grab me because it didn’t really become interesting until about 1/3 of the way through. I loved the ending, though, and I really liked that it’s basically a character study that takes these two kind of small moments and expands them out to show how we can be simultaneously really crappy people and genuinely good people.

Bonus points for Nancy and Simon’s most excellent relationship.

View all my reviews

 

As of today, I’m reading:

I’m still making my way through Necessary Endings. But! I have also started rereading two books. One is The Cracks in the Kingdom, which I loved and am reading in preparation for the final book in the Colors of Madeleine trilogy out next week (!!!). The other is Silver Sparrow, which I loved and picked for my book club to read next month. Excitement!

Happy reading, everyone!

Monday Reading Check-In

I missed last week, so let’s do a little catch up, shall we?

 

Since my last post, I read:

Destiny's EmbraceDestiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I don’t typically read traditional romance stories, but this one seemed to check all the boxes pretty well. I was more intrigued by the character of Alanza than Mariah, but it was fun reading about life on a ranch and all of the other fun historical tidbits that you get from historical fiction.

Read Harder 2016: Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900

View all my reviews

 

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and ScientologyTroublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so I listened to this on audio, which I think made it just that much more amazing.

Leah is a complete badass and spills ALL THE TEA. All of it. Every last drop. My girl names names and everything. ALL OF THE NAMES.

I love this book. Love, love, love. Remini is fierce and funny and also a little hood, which I completely appreciated.

Read Harder 2016: Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction)

View all my reviews

 

I also went to see:

Zootopia

Zootopia! I don’t make it to the movies often, but my daughter’s birthday was Wednesday, and she really wanted to see Zootopia, so off we went. It was a lot of fun and also a really practical look at how structural racism and sexism (and other forms of discrimination work). Allegory, yay! Anyway, my daughter liked it so much that she has already seen it again, so I can highly recommend it.

 

As of today, I’m reading:

I’m still making my way through Something Wicked by Alan Gratz. Poor Banks (Banquo), man.

I also started Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud, which is all about recognizing when it’s time to move on from situations in your life. I was introduced to the book through a small group study at my church, which I got a lot out of, so I figured I should probably read the book to get a little more understanding, so here we are. This article provides a little bit more info about the concepts covered in the book, if anyone is interested.

I’ve been reading House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (the last book in the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy) at work for the past week. I like the book well enough so far, but I legit keep forgetting about it until I get to work or unless I’m at work. So I guess this is the equivalent of a bathroom book in that way. We’ll see if it picks up. Or if I give up on it altogether. (I will probably finish it since I keep being amazed at how far into it I actually am. Maybe.)

Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children's lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.
Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children’s lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.

Happy reading this week, everyone!

 

February 2016 Reading Wrap-Up

This is actually a combo post! It’s a day late, so an It’s Tuesday! What Are You Reading? deal instead of IMWAYR. Plus, the monthly to-do. Let’s get to it.

This past week, I finished:

Blue Eyes and Other Teenage HazardsBlue Eyes and Other Teenage Hazards by Janette Rallison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was super cute and fun, even though I hate both the title and the cover. There is a smidgen of fake dating in this book–but not enough to make it a fake dating book. I will say, though, that every single one of the fake dating scenes filled me with glee. Fake dating for everyone!

Janette Rallison is now one of my go-to authors when I need something fun and light to read, for sure.

View all my reviews

 

The Light Between OceansThe Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The first half of this book bored me and the second half infuriated me.

I could buy that a woman out of her mind with grief and living in isolation could think a baby washing up on shore was the answer to her prayers.

I could buy that her husband would feel guilty and responsible for his wife’s loss and isolation and go along with not reporting the found baby.

However, I could not buy that (view spoiler) I mean, SERIOUSLY. That is where the book 100% lost me.

Anyway, the book club discussion was lively, so there’s that.

View all my reviews

 

So, all in all, February was:

A solid reading month. I finished 7 books, which is actually more than I thought I had read. Granted, I did DNF one book (Re Jane) and another one was slow-going (The Light Between Oceans), so it happens.

I read three books for Diversity on the Shelf, which is about half of my reading for this month, so I met that goal for the month. However, I’m at 8/21 for my overall reads, which is not keeping me on track to my goal of 50% by or about POC for the year. I’m sure it’ll correct itself eventually, but that’s where I am.

After giving it some thought, I’m going to count Proposal by Meg Cabot for the Read Harder Challenge. It’s not by or about a POC, but, quite frankly, I don’t see myself reading any other non-kid lit books under 100 pages any time soon. If I do, I’ll note it, but for now, I’m good.

That means I’ve completed the following categories for that challenge:

  • Read a middle grade novel
  • Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography)
  • Read a book under 100 pages
  • Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years
  • Read a food memoir
  • Read the first book in a series by a person of color

I’m feeling pretty good about my progress there. I was kind of stressing out about it at first, but then I remembered that I basically read from all of the categories last year, so if I just read the way I usually read, I’ll probably wind up doing the same if I don’t overthink it. There are a few categories that take me out of my comfort zone, and I have to be more aware there, but I am confident that I’ll complete the whole challenge.

As of today, I’m reading:

My hold on the Leah Remini audiobook came in at the library yesterday, and I am loving it so far. She narrates it herself (of course!), and it’s stellar. If you want to know how cults work, definitely check out her book. Not only that, but she’s funny and real and raw. And so, so Brooklyn.

I read Something Rotten by Alan Gratz (Hamlet retelling) years ago and remembered the other day that I never read the second book, which is why I’m now reading Something Wicked, a Macbeth retelling. I like how Gratz is playing with the names and characters so far (Macbeth is Mac, Lady Macbeth is Beth, and there’s a dog named Spot–obviously, at some point, Beth is going to have to tell Spot to get out of something, and I am super looking forward to that moment).

One of the Read Harder categories is historical fiction set before 1900, and I absolutely 100% did not want to read a book about slavery. Enter Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins. (Thanks to my friend Jasmine for the rec!) I just started this today, and it’s working for me so far.

Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children's lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.
Original now hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. Children’s lit version hosted by Jen Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts & Kellee Moye @ Unleashing Readers.

I’m on spring break this week, and I think I may wind up reading more than these three, but we’ll see. Happy reading, everyone!