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2025 Reading Goals

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, tagged , on January 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In just a few hours, we will welcome the new year. I have some anxiety about it for many reasons. Some of those anxieties will likely be warranted, and others will turn out to just be the story I’m telling myself in my head. But one thing is for certain – my 2025 involves reading a lot of books!

I’m keeping the same goal as I’ve had the past two years. Third time’s the charm. So I’m aiming for 180 books next year, and I think I can make it!

I am going to attempt fewer reading challenges, though. My favorite challenge is the 52 Book Club (plus their summer reading challenge and mini-challenges!), so that’s the main one I’m focusing on this year. I also love the Libro.fm Audiobook Listening Challenge, and the Overeducated Women With Cats challenge (link to come if they decide to do one this year), both of which I actually managed to finish in 2024. The Modern Mrs. Darcy team has its own summer reading challenge, as well as spring and fall previews, so that will give me seasonal reading boosts as well.

I’m dropping POPSUGAR and Book Riot but also linking you to them because they’re still good challenges with some great prompts, if anyone reading is looking for that sort of thing. POPSUGAR is a great challenge that often gets me to read something I otherwise wouldn’t have, but my interest fizzles really quickly. Looking at 2024 specifically, there were only two books I read for this challenge that didn’t also fulfill prompts on others, so clearly it was an afterthought at best. And Book Riot is great at encouraging readers to step outside their comfort zones, but it has put a lot of its bookish posts behind a paywall, which…that’s their choice but also – no thanks.

I also want to read at least one book from each category on my TBR spreadsheet every quarter. I often scoff at pretentious ideas about what it means to be well-read. I don’t think we get to define what that means for other people. Reading each genre has its own benefits, so no matter what someone reads, they’re getting something wonderful out of it.

For myself, however, I define “well-read” as reading broadly. I want multiple benefits from my reading life. I want the empathy gained from reading fiction in general, the camaraderie and hope that come with reading romance and found family stories, and the creativity that fantasy and science fiction inspire. I also want the awareness and understanding that come with reading nonfiction.

With 24 separate categories on my TBR, I need to read books in at least 8 different categories a month in order to read one in each group per quarter. Of course, I will read several books in certain categories, particularly my favorites, but as long as all 24 get represented on a quarterly basis, I can meet my goal.

In case you’re curious, here are the 24 categories I have on my TBR spreadsheet:

  • General Fiction – I have a lot of fiction categories that are particular favorites, so what ends up as “general” is simply what doesn’t specifically fit anywhere else. Historical fiction, family fiction, and many delightful books are on this very long list.
  • Dark Academia – This is a mood category. I’m not always in the mood for dark academia, but when I am, I really, really am and need a quick reference.
  • Gothic Fiction – Ditto for gothic fiction.
  • Queer Lit – This category is pretty broad, so I added it as a section of my TBR because I am often asked for recommendations for specific aspects of LGBTQIA+ lit, and this gives me a space to make notes for a faster search.
  • General YA – On my bookshelves, YA and adult fiction are together, but separating them on my TBR helps me with recommendations when asked for something “not too scary” or “not too spicy” for friends’ kids. It’s hilarious that they’re asking me, the person who was reading Danielle Steel and Stephen King in 5th/6th grade, but I try to help when I can.
  • General Nonfiction – Most of the nonfiction that I want to read is on this list. Nonfiction is hardly ever my go-to, but I want to make sure I’m reading beyond how-to and memoir.
  • Mystery/Suspense/Horror – All of these could be categories on their own, but they often overlap so I threw them together. Usually standalone novels, although some series sneak their way in there occasionally.
  • Memoir – Most of the nonfiction I read is memoir. I particularly enjoy celebrity memoirs as audiobooks read by their authors. 
  • Romance-ish – Some of these are traditional romance, but many are close to the general fiction category with just enough romance to pull them over to this category. Hence the “ish.”
  • Series – These are fiction books written as a series. This is by far my largest category. I love a series. If a book club is reading a book that is part of the series, I will read the entire series up to that point before I read the book. I am pretty fanatical about reading the things on this list in order.
  • Cozy – This is a hazy category. The elements I consider cozy (i.e., take place in a bookshop, coffee shop, pastry shop, near the sea, etc. – mostly about setting or lifestyle/occupation of the main character) are not the same elements others consider cozy. Most people don’t consider something cozy unless it’s low stakes, but high stakes is not a cozy dealbreaker for me. In fact, I tend toward the “there’s no such thing as truly low stakes” camp, so that differentiation is blurred for me anyway. Subcategories of this one include fantasy, sci-fi, autumn (which is just a cozy season in general), romance, horror (yes, horror). 
  • Fantasy/Nonrealism/Sci-Fi/etc. – I know these are each huge categories, but so many of these books fit in more than one of these categories that I lump them all together in a huge list. Unless they’re part of a series (which takes out a chunk of them). Or by one of my favorite authors.
  • Favorite Authors – There are some authors who could write an instruction manual for an outdated printer and I would still read (and probably buy) it. Anything they write is on this list.
  • Travel Memoir/Novel – Both fiction and nonfiction, this list is my answer to wanderlust when I don’t have the funds to actually go places.
  • Cookbooks/Entertaining – I love reading about food. I will read a cookbook front to back like it’s a novel. I also love reading about entertaining, even though I don’t necessarily enjoy entertaining. If I do choose to entertain, I like to have the information ready to go.
  • Foodie Nonfiction – Memoirs that are food-centric or include recipes, how-to books, and a few travel books that are predominantly about the food you should make sure to eat when you go there make up this category. This is my favorite nonfiction category.
  • Foodie Fiction – Any fiction that involves recipes or revolves around food. I have a whole bookshelf at my apartment – one of my favorite genres.
  • Books on Books/Writing – This is a fiction/nonfiction hybrid category. Any story that is predominantly about books or essays on books or how to start a bookstore or how to write the books that are in the bookstore is included.
  • Small Press Books – Just as I predominantly buy books from independent bookstores when I shop, I also make a special effort to purchase books published by small, independent presses. Many of the local authors I love publish through small presses. 
  • Essays/Short Stories – When my attention span is not at its best, I need full pieces that I can start and finish in one sitting. This category is my go-to during those times, but they’re also nice for reading a little before bed on nights when I have a shorter amount of time to read than usual.
  • Graphic Novels – This is probably the category I read the least, but it’s fascinating and artistic, so I want to read more. I am also taking recommendations – drop a comment if there’s a graphic novel you particularly love and think I should check out.
  • Inspire/Self-Help/Community Care – I am hyper-picky about self-help (i.e., I find most of it unhelpful), but I continue to give it a chance because when I do find something that helps, it can be life-changing (little shout-out to Marie Kondo). Also included in this category are how-to books and community care (which is intrinsically tied to self-care, so if it’s a self-care book I like, it probably includes a lot of these elements as well).
  • Design/Architecture – I love, love, love design books. It usually takes me longer to read them than most books – even though they’re mostly pictures – because I make notes and dream all the way through. My goal for organizing the books in my living room is to have a section to showcase design books. They’re so pretty and they have such good ideas.
  • Poetry – This section includes chapbooks, traditional volumes of poetry, and novels or stories in verse.

So there you have it. That is a long-winded way of saying that, no matter what happens in the world this year, I am excited about what I get to read.

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2024 Reading Recap

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, tagged , , , , on January 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The results are in – I read 177 books this year. I didn’t quite reach my goal of 180, but I did exceed last year’s count by 22. I logged on both Goodreads and StoryGraph, and I’ll probably continue to do so this next year (or at least until most of my community on Goodreads moves over to StoryGraph).

My second favorite thing about StoryGraph (the first being that it’s not owned by Amazon) is the end-of-year graphics. This is my favorite part of this year’s reading synopsis:

My top five genres were all fiction, of course – contemporary, romance, fantasy, literary, and historical, in that order. The average length of the books I read was 319, and it took me an average of 9 days to finish a book (or, at least, to record it). It probably took me less time in reality to finish most of the books, but I do have a habit of putting something on my currently-reading list, getting distracted, and coming back to finish it later. Of all the books I read, 63 were part of a series.

I do enjoy spending extra time with my favorite characters.

I finished two reading challenges – the Overeducated Women With Cats and Libro.fm Listening Challenge. I averaged about 40% completion on the other four I started.

I participated in four reading retreats – three in conjunction with my online community at Dewey’s and one extended retreat on my own while I recovered from surgery. I hope to do more of these in 2025. A reading retreat is one of my favorite things to do.

All in all, a very successful reading year!

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2024 in Review

Posted in Alive, Books, Getting It Together, Health, Mental Health, Quiet, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Writing, tagged , , on December 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[Prime reviewing/contemplating/reflecting space – a blanket and a cup of tea in front of twinkly lights]

How many times can I say this year has been a doozy without it becoming redundant? Welp, here’s one more time.

This year was a doozy.

I’ve tried reflecting and looking back for the past week, as is my custom. Most years – but particularly this year – I resonate with Kate Bowler’s feelings on reflection. I get stuck on certain things and forget so many others, even with the aid of my journal and planner (which in many ways is even more telling than my journal). The older I get, the more I realize that maybe the end of a year is too soon to reflect on it. I am usually still too close to it to ponder it with any real clarity.

But what I can do is look at the goals I set and see how I fared in measurable ways. So let’s dive in.

2024 Theme – Quiet

In many ways this year was very loud. But that especially drove home my need for carving out quiet time, and I had a small amount of success with that.

The intentional pursuit of quiet helped me to find space to heal both mentally and physically.

It also revealed how much work I still have to do in those areas. I didn’t always succeed at finding space, and my medical challenges this year made sure that it was really obvious when I didn’t. Getting quiet time is a lot of work, but it’s necessary and worth it.

Even when I’m “quiet,” I’m still anxious. It takes a lot of time I don’t always have to calm my brain enough to get the needed benefit from quiet moments.

Another challenge is that I don’t really have physical places to find quiet. My upstairs neighbors are loud and active, so even when I’m quiet, my environment still isn’t. And to go anywhere else is to inevitably have to socialize or be perceived or get distracted. Going forward, I need to find a way to really be at rest. I would prefer it to be an actual physical space, but earplugs have been a little helpful in the meantime.

I’m not quite done with quiet, nor do I think I’ll ever be. I have goals for the upcoming year that will help me continue to explore it.

Read 180 Books

I’m so close. I have read 175 so far. It’s possible to reach 180 by midnight tomorrow, but I don’t see myself forcing it just to meet my goal. I am enjoying looking at my Storygraph charts, and I may share one or two tomorrow when I talk about reading goals for 2025.

Even if I don’t finish any more books this year, aiming for this lofty goal still helped me read 20 more books than last year. I consider that a success!

Creative Education

All things creative pretty much tanked for me this year. I did have a few performances with beloved friends, and I have been able to be more active in choir this fall. But with the exception of a few brief inspired frenzies, my writing has been at a standstill.

I am not any further on The Artist’s Way than I was last year at this time, and I haven’t really cared about creative education at all. Looking back, I can admit this goal was a little unreasonable.

What has changed is that I would have felt really dejected about this pause in the past. But I don’t feel that way today. I am satisfied with how I’ve spent my time this year, even if that meant I didn’t heavily pursue a lot of the things I love. My attention was simply needed elsewhere, and I honored that. I am proud of myself for doing so.

Health Goals

I’m alive! I did it!

I survived cancer and cancer treatments, both of which tried to take me out.

As part of that survival, I also built some stronger, healthier skills that I hope to take into the new year. Also, I’ve learned to call them skills instead of habits, because apparently habit isn’t a thing my brain does. This was one of the helpful revelations that came out of therapy this year. For me, there’s no doing things without thinking about it. Even if I do something every day for a year, the moment I don’t remind myself (that is, actually set reminders or leave lists in a place I know I’ll see them), I drop it like I’ve never even heard about it. Everything has to be a conscious choice every time.

Which sounds exhausting (and it can be). But it’s also liberating. It frees me from trying to make progress the way other people do. Instead, I can focus on my goals in a way that actually works for me.

And it’s working beautifully so far.

So that’s the year. That’s 2024. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with it.

I hope you are satisfied with your year, too. Feel free to brag on yourself a little in the comments.

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December 2024 TBR (-ish)

Posted in Books, Church, Fun, Mental Health, Quiet, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, tagged , , , on December 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Ah, December. Wonderful and wild. Full of parties and Advent festivities. My favorite time for reflection and anticipation.

I’m equal parts excited and tired already.

Because the first part of the month is always so busy, my reading needs to be generally lighthearted and easy. I need books that soothe my mind and soul after a busy day. I’ve already finished the books we’re discussing at book clubs this month, and I’ve lost interest in actually finishing the remaining reading challenges this year. So I can really just read whatever I like. I mean, I can do that all the time, but I’m not putting any self-imposed parameters on my choices this month.

Except for one. I need to get some of my library books back to the library. I have an excessive amount checked out. It’s absurd. So I need to read the ones I’m actually still interested in and just return the ones I’m not. I would love to blank-slate my library check-outs this month, but I’ll settle for cutting them in half.

Also, I’m still planning on finishing my main goal of 180 books for the year. It will be a tight race, but I think I can do it.

Here are my plans as of now.

Books for Advent (i.e., read as part of my daily Advent practice, so finish before Christmas Day)

Library Books Other People Are Waiting On (i.e., finish this week or next)

Ebooks (i.e., lunchtime/standing-in-line/waiting-in-waiting-rooms reads)

Audiobooks (i.e., commuting/doing-housework/staring-at-the-Christmas-tree reads)

Library Books I’ve Renewed a Lot (i.e., read or abandon, but make a choice)

Other Books – Library or Otherwise – That I Am the Most Excited To Read Soon

This is quite a long list, but I remain perpetually optimistic.

What are you most excited to read this month?

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Libro.fm Reading Challenge

Posted in Books, Church, Reading Challenges, Resolutions on November 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[I forgot that I scheduled this post for this day. But there’s never a bad time for reading broadly and hearing from people who experience life differently than I do. In fact, this may be a very good time to do so.]

I may have listened to more books this year than any other year of my life. Audiobooks are great when I’m in the car, but they’re also good for reading when my hands are too numb/weak to hold a print book. Or when I want to lie in my bed and have someone read me a story (without all the pesky work of another person actually being physically present).

So I’m not surprised that I’ve finished the 24 prompts on Libro.fm’s 2024 Audiobook Listening Challenge already. Here are the prompts, what I read, and what I liked (or didn’t).

  1. Listen to a bookseller-recommended audiobook – Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I love Ann Patchett, so I would have eventually read this one even if every single bookstore I follow on social media wasn’t parading it around. It was, of course, wonderful. Well written with great characters and a good story. Oh, and Meryl Streep narrates it. That, too, was delightful.
  2. Read an audiobook discussed on the Libro.fm podcast – Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus. I enjoyed this book, and many people would benefit from reading it. I especially think it would be helpful not only to those who have escaped religious persecution but also those who have been their persecutors.
  3. Listen to an audiobook by a Latine author – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Sweet story that explores coming of age, friendship, first love, identity, and family dynamics.
  4. Listen to a celebrity memoir – Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry. It was nice to hear his story told in his voice. I recognize that the added emotion of listening to it so soon after his death probably inflated my impression of the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
  5. Read a newly-released audiobook the day it comes out – The Wedding People by Alison Espach. I didn’t quite finish it the day it came out but I definitely finished it within 24 hours of starting it. It’s witty, handling a heavy topic with levity and engaging characters.
  6. Listen to an audiobook by a transgender author – Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I loved this book. It is about finding where you fit and making a space if there doesn’t seem to be one. I loved the magical elements and how they played into the gendered expectations in Yadriel’s culture and family.
  7. Listen to a banned book – The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Unfortunately, it’s not hard to find a book that’s been banned in some school in America these days. Most of the books in this post have probably been cut somewhere. This lyrical novel has gorgeous prose, and Acevedo weaves the story around themes of religion, identity, love, independence, and family. It was powerful to hear the words in the author’s voice, too.
  8. Read at least ten minutes of an audiobook every day for a month – 10% Happier by Dan Harris. This was the second hardest book on this list to get through (see #20 for the hardest). Not because it was a drudgery but because I was trying to stretch it out and maintain interest over the course of a month (per the prompt). That is definitely not my audiobook reading style. It was read by the author, and some parts were mildly insufferable, but the content overall was good and made me feel a lot better about my struggles with meditation.
  9. Listen to an audiobook by an Arab American or MENA author – The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah. The pacing of this story was perfect. Abdullah created complex characters and had me on the edge of my seat for a lot of the action of the book.
  10. Listen to an audiobook adapted for TV or film – Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood. I love the Phryne Fisher mysteries. I don’t remember watching this episode, so I may have cheated a little here, but the TV series is just as good as the books.
  11. Listen to an audiobook in translation – What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama. I adored this book. The stories of the interrelated characters and how the librarian impacts their lives were charming and satisfying.
  12. Listen to an audiobook by an author with a disability – Sitting Pretty by Rebeka Taussig. I learned a lot from these essays. Each one addresses her experiences – both good and bad – with kindness.
  13. Listen to an audiobook by a Black author – The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw. Fantastic read. It’s spicy and touching and sad and hopeful, and I loved it.
  14. Read an entire series on audio – Cinder (or, The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer. I re-read this whole series this year on audio this year. It’s a series of sci-fi retellings of fairy tales, and the narrator, Rebecca Soler, is excellent.
  15. Choose an audiobook solely based on your favorite narrator – Funny Story by Emily Henry, narrated by Julia Whelan. This story was a wild ride. The main characters worked at a library and a winery, and that’s really all it takes to get me interested in a book. Henry’s words in Whelan’s voice, as always, are a winning combination.
  16. Listen to an audiobook by an Indigenous author – A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power. The story follows three generations of women and is told through the stories of their dolls. Beautifully written.
  17. Listen to an audiobook outside of your genre comfort zone – The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi. I can probably count on one hand the number of history books I’ve read in the last five years, but this one was well worth the trouble. It was not an easy read, but if you’re looking to expand your knowledge beyond the information on Israeli-Palestinian conflict that you get from most American sources, this would be a good place to start.
  18. Recommend an audiobook on social media (and tag us @librofm) – The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Secret underground world full of books? How is it the year 2024 and I’m just now reading this? As easily predicted, I loooooved it. Such exquisite world-building, character development, and storytelling!
  19. Listen to an audiobook by an LGBTQIA+ author – The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. I am a sucker for found family stories, and this one did not disappoint. I am excited to read the second one this month.
  20. Listen to an audiobook that has been on your TBR for more than two years – American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I was terribly disappointed when I heard the allegations of sexual assault against Gaiman. Such news tends to color my enjoyment of an artist’s work (also, assault is bad). He could be the best person in the world, however, and I still would have despised this book. Just…dreadful. Did not like it at all.
  21. Read an audiobook by an API author – Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Soooo cute. I loved and rooted for every character except the dead guy (good riddance). I am excited to read the next in the series when it comes out.
  22. Listen to an audiobook over 20 hours long – Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Fantastic read. Did not feel like 24 hours. Mostly because I read it at 1.5x (as I do most audiobooks), but technically the recording was still over 20 hours long. It totally counts.
  23. Pre-order an anticipated audiobook – Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan. I think this would be a cute movie, but I did not enjoy the book. It’s hard for me to care about the problems of super rich characters for more than a few hours. I spent way too much of the novel yelling, “You can afford good therapy! You have no excuse to keep being this way!”
  24. Read an audiobook set in your favorite city – Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy. I love New Orleans, and I enjoy a good murder mystery. I would read others in this series.

So that’s it! Whew. If you like audiobooks or if you’re looking for a good one to try, there are quite a few great reads on this list.

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November 2024 TBR

Posted in Books, Quiet, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Seasons, tagged , , , , on November 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Happy November! It is a blustery, rainy day with potential for storms. I guess Texas is just gonna have two tornado seasons from now on? Cool. Cool cool cool.

Sounds like a good reason to stay inside and read. 

I’ve got a few things lined up to discuss in book clubs this month:

It is at this point of the year that my interest in actually completing all the reading challenges I’ve taken on starts to fizzle. I begin to relish the idea of reading only for enjoyment for a couple of months. I’m still on track to finish my 180 books (my main reading goal), but my passion for the smaller challenges I chose to broaden my interests and knowledge is seriously waning. Right on schedule, as soon as the first crisp breeze blew through last week, I stocked up on more things at the library just because they caught my eye and started to comb my own collection for “hey – I forgot I had and wanted to read this!” selections.

So while I have finished the libro.fm challenge (post coming up in a few days) and will likely still finish another challenge or two, I’m not gonna sweat it from here on out. I’m just going to do what I want (I mean, even more than usual). I’m going to finish up some of the cozies I listed last month. Then I’ll likely turn to the books below.

But no real promises.

First, there are some library books that need some attention:

Then I may read through some things on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s list of quiet novels. Quiet is the theme of the year, after all. I do really love “compelling, character-driven reads,” and if the rest of these are anywhere near as lovely as Bel Canto (the last one on the list), I’m sold.

One thing is for certain – I will enjoy my reading this month. I hope you enjoy yours as well.

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Day 21 – Thunderstorms and Fairy Tales

Posted in 31 Days, Alive, Books, Church, Health, Hope, Resolutions on October 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

(This is a little aggressive for a Monday morning, Dove. Calm it down.)

“There’s a thunderstorm brewing inside me and I think it will break soon.”
Stephen King, Fairy Tale

On Saturday, I walked the survivors’ lap at the Celebrate Life 5K. It turns out, the survivors’ lap was a short jaunt around the grass near the starting point for the race, for which I was grateful. I was already up early; I’m not sure I could have done much more.

And we didn’t. We walked our circle to many, many cheers and then just kept walking out to our cars to go get breakfast.

Recently, I haven’t felt like doing a lot of things. This is not to say that I haven’t wanted to, though. I very much wanted to run the full race on Saturday but I am just not up to it yet. I wanted to clean my apartment on Sunday but barely managed to finish the laundry before I was worn out and needed to rest.

I noticed this morning that I am now in the practice of going through my calendar at the beginning of every week to see what I can remove from it, just in case. I have question marks beside things I printed in bold, assured letters just a month ago. It’s a little disappointing. I had hoped to be feeling a lot better by now, but more extended rest is needed.

This may be the calm before the storm, though. I feel it brewing.

To be fair, I always feel a surge of expectation in October. The end of the year is in sight, and the beginning of the new church year is a little over a month away. I hold off on posting hopes and plans for the upcoming calendar year until the end of December, but I’ve already started musing to myself about what those will be.

(It’s gonna be good. I’m pretty excited about it.)

(Assuming all my test results in the next couple of months are what I want them to be.)

For one thing, I turn 50 next March, and I plan to be extra…everything…about it. Several friends have reached/are reaching this milestone before then, and I’m excited to celebrate with them, too.

The main thing, though, is that I want to live in ways that make me feel better – feel alive and vibrant – no matter what happens. Storms come whether you are prepared for them or not. I want to be more prepared.

And as for the thunderstorm building inside me…let it come. It’s time.

I’m reflecting on the books I’ve read this year. Click to see the list!

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Day 2 – Stardust and Stories (October TBR)

Posted in 31 Days, Books, Mental Health, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Spiderweb, tagged , , , , on October 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“We are all stardust and stories.”
Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea

A large portion of my life – and, I think, in all our lives – is wrapped up in story. I read so much because I typically find something in every book that enriches my perspective or reminds me of someone or something important to me. It keeps my mind active and curious.

You don’t have to read to understand the wealth of a well-told story, though. We all wrap our lives in the narratives we share to show who we are and where we’re coming from.

I’ve got some exciting plans this month, including the Celebrate Life 5K, Empty Bowls, Spiderdead, and Dewey’s Readathon. At work, it’s Fall Preview this Saturday and information sessions for student staff selection for next year all month. I’m sure there will be a Halloween party or two somewhere in there as well.

While the calendar looks busy, I don’t want to get lost in an endless sea of tasks. I have blocked out lots of time for stories, and I’m excited about my list.

Book Clubs

Reading Challenges

I think this is the month I finish the Libro.fm challenge! I have three more prompts left, and this is what I’m reading for them:

Plus a few more to work on other challenges:

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

  • An academic thriller (52 Book Club)

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

  • Women in STEM (52 Book Club)

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

  • An LGBTQ+ romance (POPSUGAR)

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

  • Read a book about media literacy (Book Riot)

Cozy Fall

My September reads felt pretty brutal. For example, one of my book clubs read a book that centered around the events that could lead to nuclear war, and another read a book about a prison fight club that was televised like reality TV. Both of those books were good, but they were also violent and heavy. This month, as I feel like my year has been heavy enough all on its own, thanks, I am going to dive into something cozier, or at least books with a satisfying resolution.

I have a couple of Phryne Fisher ebooks checked out from the library that I want to finish, and I want to start the Poe Baxter series by ACF Bookens. May go for the next book in the Finlay Donovan series. A couple of my book clubs are reading choose-your-own-adventure style with a spooky theme, and many of those selections are cozy in nature (except for The Reformatory – but I’m almost finished with it and it’s good enough to make an exception). And who doesn’t love books about bookshops (rhetorical – the right answer is “nobody”):

I hope you get to dive into some good stories this month or at least have the space to share a few of your own!

I’m sharing reading reflections this month. Click here to see the list!

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September 2024 TBR

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Resolutions on September 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It’s so nice outside today. I mean, it’s rainy and dreary, but it’s also cool and breezy and not 14 billion degrees. I could stand for this to last a while.

Here’s what’s on the TBR list for the month!

Book Clubs

  • None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
  • Never by Ken Follett
  • Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
  • Liberation Day by George Saunders
  • Whiteout and Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon (Rise and Shine’s theme this month is “multiple POVs,” and this book also satisfies the 52 Book Club prompt with the same theme)

Reading Challenges

At this point in the year, it’s possible that books that have previously made an appearance on a monthly TBR are showing up again. I basically have a running list of things I have planned for each category of each challenge, but a few fall through the cracks most months. I could probably cross-check with all my previous lists, but I don’t wanna.

Nevertheless, this is a momentous month for reading challenges. Posts forthcoming about the MMD Minimalist List and 52 Book Club’s Summer Reading Challenge. Also, I think this is the month I’ll finish the Overeducated Women With Cats 2024 challenge!

Also, clearly it’s banned book month for me. But really, when isn’t it?

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

  • Magical realism (52 Book Club)
  • Read a book set in one of the countries that wins the 2024 Olympic goal in volleyball (52 Book Club summer challenge)

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

  • Written by a ghost writer (52 Book Club)
  • A book about a writer (POPSUGAR)

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

  • Listen to an audiobook by an Arab American or MENA author

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

  • Hybrid genre [Romantasy] (52 Book Club) 
  • A banned book [the whole series was banned in Utah] (OWC)

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger

  • A book reviewed by OWC (OWC)

The Sentences that Create Us: Crafting a Writer’s Life in Prison by PEN America and edited by Caits Meissner

  • Banned book (Nowhere)

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

  • Listen to an audiobook by an indigenous author (Libro.fm)
  • Nominated for the Booker Prize (52 Book Club)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

  • An epistolary novel (Nowhere)

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

  • A YA book (Nowhere)

Fable by Adrienne Young

  • A book about pirates (POPSUGAR)

I hope you get to read a great book or two this month!

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August 2024 TBR

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Work on August 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I love a good reading challenge spreadsheet. Especially when it starts having more highlighted areas than blank areas.

August is our busiest month at work. It might seem like this would curtail my reading habits, but it usually accelerates them instead. Once I finally leave work, I don’t want to go anywhere else or do anything else or see anyone else. I just want to go home, take a shower, put on something comfy, and read. Or sometimes stare blankly at the wall. But mostly read.

Here’s what’s up next on the TBR.

Book Clubs

Reading Challenges

July was a good reading month for me. I finished Libro.fm’s Audiobook Champion Challenge (by reading 50+ hours – 60.5, to be exact – via audio), and I am about ⅔ of the way through the National Book Foundation’s Summer Reading Adventure. These short challenges really help out with my reading goals for the year. Noted. 

Summer Challenges

It’s going to take a lot of reading to finish the 52 Book Club’s Summer Reading Challenge. I’ve decided I’ll be happy if I finish it by the end of September. I’ve barely begun the books for this challenge that I planned for July. But here is the last group:

  • Team pursuits (featuring a group of friends) – A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
  • Cross-country (title or theme related to the word endurance) – Night by Elie Wiesel
  • Handball (author shares the last name of an Olympian) – The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (same last name as Tom Dean, swimmer for Great Britain)
  • Football/soccer (a double letter in the word title) – The Wedding People by Alison Espach
  • At least four Olympic ring colors on the cover – Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
  • Author who hasn’t released a book in the last four years – Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle
  • Memoir/biography about an Olympian – 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi with Scott Douglas
  • Volleyball (set in a country that wins a 2024 Olympic gold in Volleyball) – We won’t know which country this is until later this month or early next month, so I’ll keep you posted!

I’ve enjoyed everything so far that I’ve read for the MMD Minimalist Challenge. When I finish all the books on this list, I’ll post an update!

I am loving StoryGraph so far. The app hasn’t had records of a few of the more obscure books I’ve read, but the graphics alone (they have pie charts!) that help you see what you have read and what you are likely to enjoy are excellent. I am participating in their onboarding challenge that is designed to help readers learn several of the app’s features, and here’s what I’m reading for that challenge:

  • Read a book from the five-star section of one of your similar readers – The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (finished)
  • From StoryGraph’s list of “out of your comfort zone” – Emotional Inheritance by Galit Atlas, PhD – this was the book they listed that was closest to the prompt. Others? Not so much. I would be interested in seeing how the StoryGraph algorithm generates this list. I mean, to be fair, not much is out of my literary comfort zone. But still.
  • Reading challenge random number game – One thing I really enjoy about this app is that you can track the reading challenge(s) you’re participating in. It allows you to search for challenges, and this game asks you to pick a number, go to the genre in the list that corresponds to that number, and read a book that meets a prompt in that challenge. Sounds complicated, but I picked 5, which corresponded to “Book Clubs, Podcasts, and Publications” section, which includes the Penguin 100 Must-Read Classic Books challenge, so I’m reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. 
  • Read a book from your to-read pile that starts with the first letter of your name – Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
  • Read a book you discovered via the Buddy Reads or readalongs page – Cheating a little with this one, as there were no books listed that I “discovered” here (I’d at least heard of all of them), but I am enjoying reading Quiet by Susan Cain with a few other people.
  • Read a book from your Up-Next suggestions – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

2024 Challenges

Next up on the list for my year-long challenges:

10% Happier by Dan Harris 

  • Read at least ten minutes of an audiobook every day for a month (Libro fm)

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

  • Nominated for the Booker Prize (52 Book Club)
  • Listen to an audiobook by an indigenous author (Libro.fm)

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

  • Listen to a banned book (Libro.fm)

Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus

  • Read an audiobook discussed on the Libro.fm podcast (Libro.fm)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

  • An author “everyone” has read except you (52 Book Club)

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

  • A book that’s been adapted into a movie or TV show (Nowhere) 

And if that wasn’t a lot already, I’m also finishing up a couple of books that are due at the library this week:

I hope you get a chance to get out of the heat (or rain, or social obligations, etc.) and read some fantastic books this month!

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