2nd Quarterly 2024 Reading Goals Update & Stats

    📚 April-June 2024 Reading Goals Update 📖

As of June 30th, 2024. 

• Read 100 books in 2024- 59/100

• Reread at least a book every month- 6/6
  

• Read a 2024 read every month- 6/6

• Read at least 5 tomes (500 or more pages)- 3/5

• Read 24 Middle- Grade Books, 24 Young Adult Books, and 24 Adult Books- 12/24 Middle-Grade Books, 10/24 Young Adult Books, 24/24 Adult Books

• Review every book I read- 59/59

• Read 5 classics- 4/5

• Read 12 retellings- 7/12

• Read 24 Fantasy books, 24 Graphic Novels, and 24 Contemporary Books- 25/24 Fantasy books, 14/24 Graphic Novels, and 8/24 Contemporary Books

📚 April-June 2024 Reading Stats 📖

• Amount of books read in April-June: 27

• Read in April: 4

• Read in May: 15

• Read in June: 8

• Favorite Books: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, The Adventure Zone, Vol 6: The Suffering Game by the McElroys, and Death’s Country by R. M. Romero

• Least Favorite Book: Love Her Wild by Atticus 

 

Star Ratings 

• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- 16
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- 7
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️- 3
• ⭐️⭐️- 1
• ⭐️- 0

2024 Mid- Year Book Tag

This is a tag I love doing every year that was created by @IsThatChami & @EarlGreyBooks. Kayla from BooksandLala does this tag every year and I’m doing her version. She has added multiple questions. 

How is your reading going?

~ Pretty well. I have enjoyed a great amount of the books I have read this year, but I will say I usually read more books by this point of the year.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024

~ The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson- I have been wanting to read Brandon’s books for a very long time and finally picked one up. This book was incredible! I cannot wait to pick more of the series up and other Brandon books. 

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024

~ The Adventure Zone, Vol. 6: The Suffering Game by the McElroys- I adore this series so much and this was absolutely incredible. I cannot wait to read the next volume when it comes out. It’s great I was able to read this early! 

Favorite re-read

~ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- Hitchhiker’s is one of my top-ten favorite books of all-time and I adore anytime I reread it. I finally finished the series this year and am sad to say I didn’t enjoy any of the rest of the books as much as the first. 

Genre you’ve been loving/reading the most

~ My most read genre is always fantasy. I don’t ever see that changing and I don’t want it to. 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

~ The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown- I have heard nothing but incredible things about this book. It sounds great!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

~ The Odyssey by Stephen Fry- I have been waiting for this book for years and I cannot wait to read it!

~ Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan- Obviously, I'm looking forward to reading the next Percy Jackson book. Percy is one of my favorite characters in fantasy.

~ The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke- One of my favorite series of all-time is the Inkworld trilogy and I am beyond excited that Cornelia has decided to return to this world again. This book cannot come out soon enough!

Biggest disappointment

~ Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a book I have adored ever since I first read it in 2012. I consider it to be in my top-ten favorite books, but the rest of the books in the series do not live up to the brilliance of the first. The most disappointing is definitely the final. I read this at the end of May and have been thinking about it ever since. It only gets worse in my mind with time. 

Biggest surprise

~ So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams- I think it’s funny that my biggest disappointment and surprise both come from Douglas Adams. I never thought I would love this book as much as I did. It focuses on Arthur trying to live an ordinary life after his adventures across the galaxy. I loved the refreshing deviation from the other novels. Definitely, the second-best novel from the series. 

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

~ Brandon Sanderson- Brandon is the author I have been told to read the most over the years and man, I’m glad I did. Should have so many years ago. 

~ R. M. Romero- I have read two of R. M. Romero’s books in the last two years and I absolutely adore them.

Newest favorite character

~ Wit/Hoid from The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson- Wit is one of my favorite type of characters and I just adored him. I have heard he is in so many of Brandon’s books and I can’t wait for more of him.

~ Kiela from The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst- Another character I related to on so many levels. Loved this so damn much. 

Book that made you cry

~ The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang-  This heartbreaking story definitely had me in tears by the end.

Book that made you happy

~ Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa- One of the best books I read this year. I love seeing such great representation aimed towards younger readers. This book was beautiful and it made me so happy to read it. I have reviews for every book I read this year on this blog. 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

~ Definitely, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst- I received an ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley earlier this year and absolutely adored it. The stunning cover is what originally drew me to it near the beginning of the year. Then, I read the description and I knew I had to pick it up. It is definitely one of the best books I read this year and I love the edition I have for my home library. Stunning in every way. 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

~ Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson- I have wanted to read this book ever since I heard about it last year and now, I need to even more. Especially, since it’s narrated by Hoid. I loved him in The Way of Kings and cannot wait to read a book narrated by him. His humor is some of my favorite. 

~ Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross- I should have read this book already. Divine Rivals was incredible and I need to finish this duology. Rebecca is such an incredible author. 

~ The Adventures of Amina al- Sirafi by Shannon Chakrborty- This book sounds amazing and I have to read it soon. I’ve owned it since it came out last year. Woman pirate adventure, what more could I want?

~ At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler- I started this book at the very end of last year and just stopped reading it. I don’t know why. I need to finish it this year. 

~ Nettle & Bone by T Kingfisher- Another book I started and never finished. This is such a short book and I did not dislike it when I was reading it. But for some reason it just never interested me in finishing it earlier this year. I need to get it finished sometime soon. 

June Reviews

    🌼 June Reviews ☀️

June 1st-30th

June was another great month of books, where I found some new favorites. 

Book 52: Roswell Johnson Saves the World!

By Chris Colfer

Read June 4th-June 5th

Pages: 464

Release Year: 2024

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Another great novel from Chris, this time a science fiction adventure traveling all throughout the galaxy. I have been hoping he would write a sci-fi book for years and Roswell Johnson Saves the World definitely didn't disappoint.

Roswell's journey was an enjoyable ride with so many dynamic characters. Each came alive throughout the pages. I loved the alien friends Roswell made and the team they built. It was fun traveling to their worlds and learning about each of their civilization's cultures. They worked together very well and brought so much to the story.

This had Chris's signature sense of humor which fills each of his novels. Along with the humor, it focuses on many hard-hitting and thought provoking topics. Parents, teachers, and students can start many important conversations with this book. It's a great mix of silly and serious. A perfect book for middle-grade readers and those young at heart. I know I always have a wonderful time whenever I visit one of his worlds.

Roswell stands out as the protagonist. His personality shines through even with so many eccentric characters, such as a talking alien which looks like a dog. Roswell is a character readers will relate to on many levels and is a great one for kids to read about. I look forward to seeing what Chris will write after this book. Hopefully, a sequel so we can see what will happen with Roswell, Nerp, Bleep, Rob, Mank, Cassi, and Stella.

Cannot wait for my preordered copy to arrive today. I highly recommend this book (especially the audiobook) for lovers of middle-grade books.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.*

Book 53: The Four Loves

 

By C. S. Lewis

 

Read June 6th

 

Pages: 192

 

Release Year: 1960 

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I have been wanting to read more of C.S. Lewis's works for years. His Narnia stories were the first books which got me into reading at such a young age. This felt like I was sitting in on a lecture Lewis was giving to his students on the four different Greek terms for love. Made me feel nostalgic for my literature classes from college.

The audiobook is the only professionally done recording of his voice and it adds so much to what he is discussing. I'm glad I was able to hear him for the first time and I enjoyed listening to his discussion. This is from a different time period and many of our opinions on the topic are quite different. It is also a Christian look at love, like Lewis's many works.

I enjoy how C.S. Lewis draws on the past to give his ideas about the four types of love. He gives examples from literature, mythology, and history. I don't agree with all he says, but I am glad I listened to this piece. Makes me wish I could have heard his lessons at Oxford. C.S. Lewis was considered to be the most well-read of his time period and you can tell that from the way he talks.

 

Book 54: And the Ocean Was Our Sky

By Patrick Ness

Read June 12th

Pages: 160

Release Year: 2018

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Patrick Ness writes such stunning books. It took me way too long to pick up another of his books and I definitely will be picking up more soon. This was such a thought-provoking piece that had me not wanting to stop reading. An interesting twisted retelling of Moby Dick where the whales hunt the humans too.

Book 55: Game of Stars

By Sayantani DasGupta

Read June 12th-14th

Pages: 374

Release Year: 2019

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I love this series. There is a great mix of humor, Bengali stories, riddles, folktales, and science. I adore how family and friendships are the heart of Kiranmala's story along with the silly humor and the zany adventures. The Kingdom Beyond is such a beautifully descriptive world.
 

Game of Stars was so much better than the first, especially with the game show aspect. The riddles are enjoyable to figure out, and it is just a joy to follow along with Kiran as she tries to win the game show and save Neel.

One of the best parts of the book is how Kiran learns a lot about prejudice. There are many important scenes for young readers to read and learn from. Kiran sees how important it is not to judge others before you get to know them. I also loved the riddle with the witches, which reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from the movie Labryinth. This is such a great series to read, and I cannot wait to finish the third book and see what happens next.

Book 56: The Chaos Curse

By Sayantani DasGupta

Read June 15th-17th

Pages: 387

Release Year: 2020

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An absolutely wonderful conclusion to the series. There so many clever references to books, movies, and other pieces of media that were cleverly woven into the plot of this book. They were a lot of fun to catch.

Kiranmala has grown quite a lot from the beginning of The Serpent’s Secret and I enjoyed watching her journey. I believe young readers will get a lot out of reading her story. Sayantani has made me want to read more Bengali stories, especially after reading the author’s note at the end of this book. So interesting!

Book 57: The Night Librarian

By Christopher Lincoln

Read June 18th

Pages: 256

Release Year: 2024

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This is the second magical book I have read that takes place in the New York Public Library. I love when books show the power of reading to younger readers. Also, how they make the library seem like a magical place, even when magical events are not occurring.

Christopher Lincoln’s illustrations are beautiful and I love how each page was stylized. Often times the illustrations continue out of the panels and onto the page, it made it a very interesting experience to look at along with reading. Christopher has written a story that I loved ever minute of. 

The Night Librarian’s comp titles are The Land of Stories series and The Night at the Museum movies and that is definitely true. It also reminded me of the movie The Pagemaster. I highly recommend it to lovers of those stories and lovers of the written word. It is great for younger readers but older readers would enjoy it also. I know I did and I’m in my 30s. I’m always a sucker for a story where characters go in and out of books.

*Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 58: The Way of Kings

By Brandon Sanderson

Read June 19th-24th

Pages: 1007

Release Year: 2010

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I absolutely understand the hype with Brandon Sanderson’s books, now. This is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. Oftentimes when I read a 1000 page book (even the ones I love), there are parts that feel like filler. Nothing felt like that at all in this novel.
 
It was interesting how Brandon chose to intersperse scenes from Kal’s childhood throughout the book, along with the present day scenes. Kal is probably my favorite of the main perspectives, but I did enjoy the others almost as much. I was surprised by how  invested I was in the storyline with the bridge crew. They grew on me from the beginning and I love their familial dynamic.

My favorite character is definitely Wit. He’s the type of character I am always drawn to and I cannot wait to see more of him.

The Cosmere is an intriguing fantasy universe, that I want to get as much of as possible. Cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the series and I’ll definitely be picking up all of Brandon’s other works. It took me too long to pick up this book or any of his books, but I will definitely be changing that during the rest of the year.

This is an incredibly written tale that is intricately woven together.

Book 59: Twistwood Tales

By A. C. Macdonald

Read June 30th

Pages: 160

Release Year: 2023

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Reread June 30th, 2024:
Had a great time rereading this book. So much fun! I hope there will be more adventures in Twistwood sometime soon. I will definitely pick up anything that comes from this world.

January 2023 Read:
I loved this strange little book of comics so much. Many different little stories take place in Twistwood and show the different characters that live there. The illustrations of the woodland creatures were absolutely adorable, and I loved seeing the adventures that each of the characters got into throughout.

Many lessons are shown in the book, along with wonderfully witty jokes. The snarky jokes and characters stood out quite a bit, making this an even more enjoyable read. Also, there are overall arcs focusing on characters, such as Bucket Boy's journey to find his usefulness and value in his friendships. I had so much fun reading this and hope there will be more from Twistwood.