Late 2019 Review & Goals

I think it makes a lot of sense for the first post after my hiatus to be a post reviewing what I have read so far. I have been preparing for this moment all year by keeping a spread sheet with very specific graphs to analyze my reading in the light of several underlying goals …

*Insert return from hiatus excuses here

I am happy to be back. I had a mental health emergency and had to quit everything. Namely; art, music, writing both fictional and non-fictional. I didn't stop reading though. Reading was the only hobby that evaded the grasp of my creeping mental health crisis. If only to caution others who use their hobbies as …

Four stars for The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker

It is an interesting contradiction that, as an avid fan of horror novels, I don't typically enjoy "thrillers". It was Robert Englund, the enthralling actor famous for his portrayal of Freddy Krueger, who made a memorable point about this at a convention I intended almost 7 years ago. An attendee (making more of a comment, …

Why I’m Tired of Book Hauls and New Releases

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. Are you ready for a take so hot that everyone is talking about it? Sit tight while I briefly hold up 17 books that haven't been released yet before revealing it. I have been reading a lot of new releases in literary fiction lately. I have seriously read just about everything I …

I Regret Writing This Review of Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

I really wanted to order Chinese take-out after finishing this. Finicky and defiant; no matter how often I make a TBR and try to read with purpose and discipline, this is where I land. If a book is hyped I will heap undue criticism on it just to be a contrarian, and if a book …

Let’s Review: March Reading (and life) Wrap Up

This is going to be a long post. But this is my blog, so I can do that right? March has been a month of change for me. This month we moved from a tiny apartment to a house, my husband got a new job and will no longer be travelling for work, and yesterday …

Three Quick Women’s Prize Reviews

In the past I have found it hard to get into book prizes. This was mainly because I never keep up with current releases and tend to read from the backlog. I am allergic to hype and find that more often than not, book prizes lean toward the academic while I lean toward my pile …

My (delayed) Reaction to The Women’s Prize Long List

I have to admit I did a lot of preparation for this list, including buying digital copies of the books that were supposed to be on the long list so that I could read them while I move. Then none of them were on it. The only books I currently own from the list are …

The Curse of the Award List; Transcription by Kate Atkinson

I am writing this while slowly chugging toward the conclusion of Transcription by Kate Atkinson. Starting this book was part of my sudden conviction to read all the books that are slated to be on the Women's Prize long list. This novel was a popular choice, gracing just about every list I watched or read. …

A Kindle Transition Project

I'm moving! I am a person with hundreds of books and I'm moving! Our new place is 4 times the size of our current place. This means I get my own office that is large enough to serve as a library and an art studio. I'm installing three times more shelving in my library, enough …