2023 Reading Goals

• Read 100 books in 2023

• Finish 5 series

• Read 10 Poetry Collections from 10 Different Poets 

• Read a Graphic Novel series 

• Read 20 Middle- Grade Books, 20 Young Adult Books, and 20 Adult Books

• Read the 23 books I picked for 2023

• Reread a book every month

• Read a 2023 release every month

• Read 10 Tomes- 500 pages or more

• Review every book I read on Goodreads and my blog

• Read 5 classics

• Read 10 retellings and 10 graphic novels

• Read The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper

• Read The Johnny Maxwell books by Terry Pratchett

Reviews Week 47

 Reviews Week 47

November 21st-27th

Book 162: Fantastic Tales of Nothing

by Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez 

Read on November 24th

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This graphic novel was very cute, and I loved the illustration style throughout. It had an interesting world that I enjoyed seeing more of throughout the volume. Also, the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I read this book almost two years ago and did not completely remember all of the details, but I did remember that it ended on a cliffhanger. It had cute jokes throughout, and I believe that it would be perfect for middle-grade readers and older readers alike. I will be picking up my ARC of the second book very soon.

Book 163: Here, There Be Dragons

by James A. Owen

Read on November 23rd-24th

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This is the third time I have tried to pick up this book and read it. I decided to listen to the audiobook this time, and I enjoyed that much more than I ever did trying to read the physical book. What drew me to this series so many years ago was the concept. I loved the idea of the Imaginarium Geographica and the Archipelago of Dreams but could never get into the writing style of the book. The narrator for this series is James Langton, the same narrator of The Prydain Chronicles, and he does an incredible job with both. I highly recommend the books that he narrates.

I want to pick up other books in this series to see what happens next. The reveal of who the caretakers are at the end of the story was cool, and I want to see what other adventures they get into throughout the rest of the series.

Book 164: Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller

Read on November 26th

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I have read and watched different versions of this play many times in my life. The first time was when I was in tenth grade back in 2010, and I remember how much this story touched me at that time. Over the years since, I have watched the movie version twice and have read it three more times. Every time I experience a version of this play, it touches me more than the last time.

This time around, I watched the movie version again and followed along with the play. Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, and Stephen Lang do an incredible job as the Loman family. The best way to experience a play, at least in my opinion, is to watch a performance. You get so much more of a story from the performances. This is still one of my favorite plays, and I know it will always be.

10 Books I’m Thankful for from 2022

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Thankful Freebee: 

10 Books I’m Thankful for from 2022

Here are ten books that I am thankful that I got the chance to read this year. Most will definitely make it on my favorites list. Each have a link to my review on this blog. 

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Review 

2. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- Review

3. Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross- Review

4. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle- Review

5. Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage- Review

6. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- Review

7. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett- Review

8.The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander- Review

9. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin- Review

10. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline- Review

Reviews Week 45

Reviews Week 45

November 7th-13th

Book 156: Learning Curve

by N. R. Walker

Read on November 6th-7th

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I had such a fun time with this book. I'm a sucker for an N. R. Walker romance and was really looking forward to this one when she first announced it. This book was so cute and wholesome. I loved Vincent and Cobey. Their relationship was adorable and just a joy to read. Also, the other characters like Cobey's family, the players on the football team that we got to know (like Nate), and Jayda, were great side characters. I love N. R. Walker's minor characters.

Book 157: Snow White and other Grimm's Fairy Tales

(MinaLima version)

by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Read on November 10th-12th

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I'll always be a big fan of fairytales, and I was really looking forward to Minalima's version. Their collection of children's classics is one of my favorite classic collections. I love the interactive elements that they add to the story and the illustrations throughout. This volume was definitely one of my absolute favorites out of the nine they have out, design-wise. Especially with the "Snow White" scene at the beginning and Rapunzel's tower. 

It had the most famous of the Grimm Fairytales like, "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Rapunzel," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," and so on. There were a couple that I had never heard of before, like "Mother Holle," which I really loved so much. I think it's funny that so many of fairy tales deal with evil/mean stepmothers and wolves eating people and animals. These have a similar formula to them that makes the ending obvious to the reader, but I cannot help but love them so much.  

I definitely recommend this beautiful volume for MinaLima fans, fairy tale fans, fans of classics, and just beautiful books in general. It is a great piece for any collector. Also, the Grimm Fairy Tales are some of the best stories out there. I cannot wait to see what MinaLima comes out with next. My hope is for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis or The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Book 158: Story Thieves 

by James Riley

Read on November 11th-13th

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This book was a lot of fun! It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed all of the references to literature throughout. Also, I loved Owen's adventure in Kiel's story. This is another series that I am going to have to pick up the rest of the books very soon. 

I love the story-jumping aspects, which made me think of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Books that make me think of Inkheart will always be ones that I pick up. This was a very good example of one that I enjoyed a lot. Cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. Hope we will get more information about Bethany's father as the books progress. 

Book 159: Miles Morales: Stranger Tides

by Justin A. Reynolds 

Read on November 13th

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This was an excellent graphic novel of Miles' story. I have never read any of Miles being Spider-Man, and I have got to say that I enjoyed this adventure very much. It would be the perfect book for middle-grade readers that enjoy the Marvel Universe. Miles Morales: Stranger Tides was a simple comic book story that was entertaining the entire time. For middle-grade graphic novels, I just expect to have a good time, and this delivered that for me. 

 Also, the illustration style reminds me of animation, and I enjoyed it throughout the volume. I would be interested in picking up the first volume and any others that Justin creates. 

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own. *

Series I’d Like to Finish

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Series I’d Like to Finish

1. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- My top goal for this year was to finish reading this series. I am 38 books in, and I only have three more books left. This month, I will be reading Snuff and Raising Steam. It's bittersweet for me to finish this series, but I'm happy to say I am almost done. I have had a lot of fun reading this ever since the beginning of 2017, and I know that I'll reread it over and over again. 

2. Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor- I read Strange the Dreamer years ago and have not picked up the sequel yet. My plan is to hopefully get to it next year. I really don't think I can this year, but hopefully, it'll be soon. Strange the Dreamer was one of my favorite books of 2017. 

3. Groo comics series by Sergio Aragonés- One of my goals for the last couple of years is to finish a graphic novel/comic series. In 2020, I read the Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. Last year, I read The Lumberjanes graphic novels, and this year I read Jim Henson's the Storyteller series. I believe that I'm going to read all of the Groo series that I can find next year. 

4. Descender by Jeff Lemire- I read the first volume of Descender a few years ago and have yet to pick up the final volume. It was one of my favorite science fiction stories that I have ever read besides The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 

5. The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy "Trilogy" by Douglas Adams- One of my favorite books of all time will always be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have read the next two books in the series, but I did not enjoy them as much as the first. I would love to eventually read the other two books. Hopefully. 

6. Stephen Fry's Greek Mythology series- I have read Mythos and Troy. I still have to read Heroes, and his version of The Odyssey will hopefully come out next year. Stephen Fry is one of my favorite authors, audiobook narrators, and actors. His versions of Greek Mythology are great, and I cannot wait to see his take on The Odyssey. Also, I recommend the audiobook versions of the books. They are great!

7. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde- Earlier this year, I read The Eyre Affair and had an awesome time. I first heard about this series many years ago, and I just loved the idea behind it. I'll always be a sucker for books where the characters go into other literary works. One of my goals next year is to get through more of this series. 

8. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor- Another Laini Taylor series that I would love to finish sometime soon. 

9. Pandava series by Roshani Chokshi- I loved the first two books in this series when I read them but never read the rest. Mythology retellings will always be some of my favorites, and I loved learning about Indian mythology in this one.

10. Rise of the Empress Series by Julie C. Dao- Another book that I absolutely adored from 2017 was Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I'll always be a sucker for villain origin stories, and this one was one of the best that I have ever read. It was one of the books that I reviewed for Audiofile Magazine, and I fully enjoyed the narration. I have yet to pick up the rest of the series, but I would love to.

November TBR

 

Reviews Week 43

  Reviews Week 43

October 24th-30th

Book 146: The Castle of Tangled Magic

by Sophie Anderson

Read on October 25th-26th

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This book was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the world and the fantastical aspects throughout the entire thing. My favorite parts of the book were the bits of Russian culture, and the spirits Olia finds in the castle and The Land of Forbidden Magic. It makes me want to read the other Slavic tales that Sophie took inspiration from.

I also loved the familial elements and how connected Olia was to her family. It's great when a fantasy novel has such a big focus on family. They each played an essential role in the story and Olia's life.

I loved the fantasy land created in this book and the illustrations were wonderful. I will definitely be picking up the rest of Sophie's books soon. Especially The House with Chicken Legs because I have a feeling, I know who that one is about after the ending of this one.

Book 147: The Library of the Unwritten

by A. J. Hackwith

Read on October 27th-30th

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The concept of this book is so intriguing. I love the idea of a library filled with unwritten books by people and how those characters can escape from their books. The concept of an author being able to meet their characters will always excite me. I enjoyed this book's storyline a lot and the characters we follow throughout.

Claire, the librarian for this library in Hell, was a character I loved from the beginning of this book. It was great that we learned about some other librarians from the past, especially Bjorn. I loved reading about Claire's battle with Bjorn was such a fantastic idea.

Also, the found family elements were outstanding. That will always be my favorite trope in books. I will definitely pick up the second book in this series.