Random Thoughts on a Wednesday...

1. It is only Wednesday. :( 

2. The weekend is not close enough.

3.  I really, really don't like waking up at 4am.

4.  It isn't getting any better as time goes on. 

5.  It might be getting worse.

6.  I really need for my kids to let me sleep- afternoon naps or early bedtime. Or both. Both would be good.

7.  I have no clue what I should be blogging about today.

8. You already figured that out.

9. You actually had it figured out as soon as you started reading.  (It's okay to admit it. We both know it's true.)

10. What I really want to be doing right now is reading that little romance novel I got from the library.

11. What I'm doing instead is dishes. And cooking supper... (And blogging. Ish. But I like doing that.)

12. The kids are not going to eat supper. Sometimes I don't know why I bother.

13. It's because I love them. That's why.

14. I still wish they would just eat it already.

15. This is my life.

16. It's a pretty good one, most days. :)

17. My sister just sent me some pictures of my beautiful new niece.

18. They made me smile.

19. I definitely need more pictures...

20. I'm still wishing I was reading.

21. Yeah, I can't do it anymore. I'm going to go read that book. And hopefully not burn dinner...

22. Bye!

You Should Be Reading...

 Seanan McGuire:

  -author of the October Daye series, the InCryptid series, the Wayward Children series, and more

This is a writer I have only recently discovered. Once again, living in a cave for a decade has its drawbacks. I don't remember exactly when I began noticing the name all over bookstore shelves but suddenly, there they were. Everywhere. And they looked good. Unfortunately, I was in a position that didn't allow much buying of books. :( I had no actual income at that point and it was all I could do to keep up with a handful of my very favorite authors. No branching out possible. For some reason, I have been unlucky in libraries in that none of them near me have extensive collections of SFF. (I've begun to suspect that no public library in the country has extensive SFF holdings, sadly. But maybe I'm wrong. I certainly haven't been to every library around. Though it might be nice to try.) I still can't find her actual books in my library. But now that I've finally gotten into the e-book lending program, things have started looking up. They have quite a few there. 

Anyway, I finally got my hands on the first book in two of her series, October Daye and InCryptid, just before life unexpectedly blew up and everything got shoved to the side. About nine months or so ago, I found them waiting patiently on my TBR shelf and pulled them down. Since then I've read everything I can get my hands on. Seanan has won a spot on my short list of authors I will read every time. And boy, do I have a LOT of catching up to do! (I love that! I can read as fast as I want/can get the books. No other waiting required!)

Thanks to my library's e-book lending program, I have managed to read all of the InCryptid books and am now reduced to waiting for the next one like everyone else. (I hate that. Even the fastest writers take forever to give me new stories...) I have also devoured the Wayward Children series. I'm so excited that the newest one was just released. Hopefully I will have it in my greedy little hands- and read- by the time this post is published. (Sadly not. I'm still waiting on the mailman.) I'm still stalled on Toby, as my library doesn't have the second book in either real or electronic copies, and I really want to read them in order. But I will get there. In the meantime, I'm re-reading Wayward Children and InCryptid. So far these are my favorite of her series.

Why you should read InCryptid: Because it's great, obviously. If Buffy the Vampire Slayer had been a ballroom dancer, she would have been very similar to Verity Price. Sort of. The InCryptid series follows the Price Family, scientists and monster-hunters who save the world (or at least certain local areas of it) on a regular basis. All while trying to hide from their enemies and conserve species that science refuses to recognize. (Screaming yams, anyone?)

Why you should read Wayward Children: Also, because it's great. But this one has a creepier feel to me. (I like a little spooky. Sometimes.) It has a wide-ranging and (as far as I can tell) inclusive cast of characters, all of them children (at some point in their stories) who were misfits and ran away to various nightmare worlds where they actually did fit. So far, there are six books. I'm hoping for many more. And also that the mail will hurry up all ready and bring me the new one...

2021 Is Here!

 Yes, I know. I'm behind. I'm always running behind these days, trying to play catch-up.  But the end of 2020 is something I feel like celebrating. So far, this year is off to a great start. 

My family grew a little this month (Welcome beautiful little one! We adore you and we all plan to smother you with hugs and kisses as soon as you're ready for it!). I've done all the boring year-in-review chores and made notes on the upcoming year. My kids and I have all decided to try and learn something new this year. And, once again, I've made some (possibly over-ambitious) reading-related goals to try and hit over the next few months.

If you haven't already, I would like to encourage you to make a few resolutions this year. They don't have to be big ones. Just tiny, achievable little goals to help make 2021 a better year than 2020. Maybe they could be reading related? Aim to read more books this year, maybe. Or maybe branch out and try a new genre?

Here are the ones I've decided to attempt, if you need ideas: 

Reading Resolution #1-  Attempt to reduce my TBR pile. This is a yearly staple on my resolution list, largely because my pile of books to read is completely out of control. And constantly growing. For every book I manage to read, five more take its place. I don't expect that to ever change, but I need to make an effort to read at least a few of the books patiently waiting their turn. 

Reading Resolution #2-  Continue with my presidential biographies list (which I've been meaning to mention here, actually). Ideally, I'd like to get through Buchanan before the end of the year. We'll see how far I manage to get.

Reading Resolution #3-  Stay within my book budget. This is the biggest variation from years past. Before, I always resolved to buy fewer books. Or no books, relying only on what I already have and the library for my reading. And every year, it fails miserably. Not because I don't read library books or re-read the ones I have, but because new books are a necessity for a happy life. Pretty sure that's just fact. Also, people won't quit writing them (thank goodness!) and I need to try and keep up with my very favorite writers. Right? So, I've accepted the inevitable and added a line in my budget specifically for buying books. It isn't a lot, but for the first time it is part of the plan. No more relying on birthday money or other special occasions and then spending too much (I hope), I just need to stay in my budget. We'll see how this works out for me...

And finally, Reading Resolution #4-  I would like to read at least 100 books this year. Not counting the ones I read with the kids, but just the ones I read for myself. I've managed it every year since 2017, with 2020 being the record year since I started keeping track (in 2014). Last year's total is at 172, due solely to being unemployed for half the year and stress reading as many fluffy feel-good comfort stories as I could find. With working full time hours now, I know that number is ridiculous and far out of reach. 100 seems much more reasonable. I think. Maybe.

So there you have it. A year of reading goals. And next January, I'll be able to tell you how that all worked out for me. Now, what resolutions did you make?

My Reading Log- December 2020

 December 2020

Finally we get to the end of a very rough year. Good riddance. Reading during the month went back up a bit, mostly at the end of the month. Weird, but normal is overrated anyway. Here we go:

Fiction:

Jolene- Mercedes Lackey      The latest in the Elemental Masters series

Judy Moody Gets Famous- Megan McDonald        (again, read with my younger kiddo)

Graphic Novels:

Barely Functional Adult- Meichi NG    (this was a new comic for me and I loved it)

Nonfiction:

Thomas Jefferson- Joyce Appleby

You Need a Budget- Jesse Mecham

Grocery- Michael Ruhlman

A Culinary History of  West Virginia- Shannon Colaianni Tinnell

How to be a Conscious Eater- Sophie Egan

So, there we go. The end of 2020. We made it. Thank goodness.  2021 will be better, yeah?  So far, so good, although I admit we're only just getting started on it. 

My Reading Log- November 2020

 November 2020

Another short month of reading. Not really sure why I got so little reading done. I just wasn't quite myself, I guess. Possibly it was just exhaustion. October was a hard month. Anyway, only a handful of books this month.

Fiction:

Stink and the Attack of the Slime Mold

Judy Moody is in a Mood-  both by Megan McDonald

I read these with my younger girl at her insistence. She didn't actually have to work too hard to convince me. Pretty sure this is the beginning of a new series obsession for her. Which is good, because between them, Judy and Stink have enough books to keep her reading for months...

Graphic Novels:

Library Wars Vol 1

I've been wanting to try some manga reading. (My first attempts a while back did not impress me. I decided it was the story, so I've been looking for a better one. How could anyone resist a title like this?) I'm not sure whether I really liked this one or not, but I'm on hold for the second one. I'll try to read a few more before I decide for sure. Right now, I'm thinking it just may not be for me. Possibly I just need to find the right series?

Nonfiction:

John Adams- John Patrick Diggins

Yeah. Looking at this list is depressing. November was rougher on me than I thought. December was a bit better. Here's hoping January is even better and my reading can get back to something approaching normal...

My Reading Log- October 2020

 October 2020

October was a crazy, crazy month. From no work at all to 80+ hour weeks. Needless to say, my reading suffered. I stuck to light fiction, fluffy and enjoyable. Mostly on my kindle during lunch and breaks at work.

Fiction:

Red, White & Royal Blue- Casey McQuiston

The Lightning Thief- Rick Riordan

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

Minor Mage- both by T. Kingfisher  (aka Ursula Vernon) 

This is one of my new favorite writers. My kids and I found her a few years ago (from a Goodreads rec from another of my very favorite writers, Lois McMaster Bujold, actually.) We devoured everything we could get our hands on, starting with the Hamster Princess books. I adore Harriet Hamsterbone and I wish there were more than just the six books we were given. Then we raced through all of the Danny Dragonbreath books (eleven, I think). Then I found out that she writes adult books under a pseudonym and I started reading. I'm not caught up yet, but eventually I will get there. These two books are actually more aimed at middle grade readers than the other books I've read under the name Kingfisher. My daughter and I enjoyed them immensely, and we need more. Just saying. Also, if Ursula Vernon ever stumbles over this, we need more Castle Hangnail. Immediately. Please???

Graphic Novels:

Camp

Act- both by Kayla Miller

My Reading Log- September 2020

 September 2020

September flew by.  Actually, the whole end of the year did, for one reason or other. Thank goodness. I'll be trying to get all caught up over the next week or two. Maybe we can kiss 2020 goodbye for eternity...

September was an average reading month, I guess. Not too many, not too few books finished. (The too few book months are coming soon. The end of the year gets way too busy.) I had extra time to read this month, owing to not going back to work until the end of the month. So, here's the list.

Fiction:

by Seanan McGuire- the InCryptid series

Chaos Choreography

Magic For Nothing

Tricks For Free

That Ain't Witchcraft

Imaginary Numbers

I love this series. So glad my library came through with the rest of the series so I can get all caught up. I just hate having to wait for the next one. It can't get here soon enough.

Graphic Novels:

Roller Girl- Victoria Jamieson

Solutions and Other Problems- Allie Brosh        

This one has been long awaited, ever since her first book came out and I gobbled it up in hours. Her blog, Hyperbole and A Half, is also wonderful, if long untouched. (My favorite post is about the Alot. And I need a stuffie version of an alot. Seriously. If anyone is looking for gift ideas- I need an alot. A lot.)

Click- Kayla Miller

The first of several books by Miller. (The others will be on next month's list.) They're aimed at middle grade aged readers, and I'm trying to convince my middle schooler to read them. I think she'd like them. Or at least relate to some of it.  (Of course, I'm still trying to get her to read Sisters, Guts, and Smile by Raina Telgemeier, too. Someday, I'll get her convinced.)

Nonfiction:

1493- Charles C. Mann

This is the sequel to a book I read the year before, 1491, by the same author. Both of them are interesting, if horrific at times. 

Deep- James Nestor

I had never heard of free-diving until I stumbled across this book at the library. It was an interesting read.