At the start of every new year, I usually dive headfirst into my reading goals with enthusiasm. January usually goes really well, only for me to fall drastically behind until June or July. Now that I am learning how my energy levels work and how to manage things better, I am learning to approach things differently. Despite knowing this, I still wanted to challenge myself this year. I set my goal for reading this year at 125 books. I also decided to take on the alphabet challenge using authors' last names. Here's a look at what I've read so far and my quick thoughts on a few of them.
January:
As a mood reader, I pick what I want to read based on the "vibes". This usually isn't a problem, but for whatever reason, I struggled quite a bit with that in January. I was unsure of what I was looking for or what I wanted to feel/learn/explore. Still, I had a solid start by reading eight books.
1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder - A powerful, concise book on resisting authoritarianism. Essential reading for everyone. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
2. Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree - A cozy prequel to Legends & Lattes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
3. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Failry Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
4. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
5. An Anthology of Aquatic Life by Sam Hume, Angela Rizza, and Daniel Long - This was a beautiful, child-friendly collection of facts and information that is perfect for any aquatic enthusiast. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
6. The Year After You by Nine DePass - ⭐⭐⭐3.5/5
7. Maus 1: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
8. Maus 2: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman - Both are haunting and heavy, but the personal storytelling hit harder than expected. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5/5
February:
This was a ‘tackle the TBR’ month. Some of these books have been staring at me from my shelves for years, and I finally gave in.
1. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterica - This was disturbing and stomach-turning. I don't think it was as messed up as it was hyped up to be, though. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - I let this stay on my shelf unread for way too long. Absolutely beautiful writing with complex characters that the author makes you care deeply about.⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5/5
3. The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lindo-Rice -⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
4. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith -The OCD representation in this was fantastic. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
5. A Different Pond by Bao Phi - ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
6. Watercress by Andrea Wong - ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
7. My Footprints by Bao Phi - ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
8. Fairy Tale by Stephen King - I am a sucker for a portal fantasy. This is my new favorite King book. I loved it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5/5
9. Willodeen by Katherine Applegate - I have my sister to thank for this precious book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
10. A Colorful Case of Stolen Art at the Gallery by Donna Doyle - ⭐⭐⭐3/5
March:
March is my birthday month, and between that and a wave of exhaustion, my reading slowed down. Every time I picked up a book, I ended up napping instead!
1. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman - A thought-provoking, slow read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
2. The Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Schurr - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
3. The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
4. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie - I tried to read Agatha Christie's books when I was younger, but found them boring at the time. I'm not sure why. This was fantastic! ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
Though I find myself frustrated with how much my reading pace has slowed, I am happy with the variety of books I have read so far. Some have been long-awaited TBR picks, while others pushed me out of my comfort zone. As I head into April, I am hoping to catch up a bit on my goal's progress and dive into some highly anticipated titles. Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Let me know what you've been enjoying lately!
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