Books Read April 2022: 49-73

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

49. A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
50. Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood, read by Savannah Peachwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
51. Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong, read by Ocean Vuong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
52. The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
53. The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djeli Clark   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
54. Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
55. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark, read by Julian Thomas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
56. Woman, Eat Me Whole by Ama Asantewa Diaka   ⭐️⭐️⭐️
57. I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
58. By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
59. Thresh & Hold by Marlanda Dekine   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
60. Wildcat by Ameila Morris   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
61. Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? by Kathleen Collins, performed by Nina Collins, Cherise Boothe, Adenrele Ojo, Paula J. Parker, Desean Terry, and Dan Woren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
62. Lord of the Flies by William Golding   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
63. The Path to Kindness by James Crews (ed.)   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
64. The Black Agenda by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman (ed.)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
65. End of the World House by Adrienne Celt   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
66. The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae et al   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
67. A Sister's Story by Donatella di Pietrantonio, translated by Ann Goldstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
68. Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
69. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
70. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, read by Miranda Raison ⭐️⭐️⭐️
71. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson, read by M.T. Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
72. A Master of Djinn by  P. Djeli Clark   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
73. Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine by Anne Applebaum   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
74. The Stone Collection by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Books read: 26

Audiobook: 6
Ebook: 11
Print: 9

Library: 6
TBR: 1
Purchased 2022: 5
Review copy: 11
Subscription: 1

1954- Club: 1
Around the World: 11
Booker International Prize: 0
Indigenous Reading Circle: 1
Indigenous Reads otherwise: 0
Melanated Reader's 20 Books by Black Women: 4
Mid-Century Women: 0
Reading Envy Russia: 5
Sword and Laser: 5
Tournament of Books: 0
Women's Prize: 0

Books Read March 2022: 33-48

Overload check: last March I read 28 books. This March, 16. Plus 680 pages of Pandora's Star. I looked at the 450 remaining pages tonight and decided there was no chance I'd finish it before April so I might as well work on my Books of March list instead! 

Not counted: Pete the Cat books, dinosaur books, and a new favorite, Swim, Swim, Sink.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

33. Nervous System by Lina Meruane; translated by Megan McDowell ⭐️⭐️
34. Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood; narrated by Meg Sylvan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
35. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
36. The Fell by Sarah Moss   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
37. Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
38. If You Ask Me by  Libby Hubscher   ⭐️⭐️⭐️
39. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami; translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
40. Free Love by Tessa Hadley   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
41. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
42. Zuleikha by Guzel Yakhina; translated by Lisa Hayden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
43. Light Years from Home by Mike Chen   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
44. Recitatif  by Toni Morrison; narrated by Bahni Turpen; introduction by Zadie Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
45. Love After the End by Joshua Whitehead, ed.   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
46. Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time by Hope Nicholson, ed.   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
47. The Time of Women by Elena Chizhova; translated by Simon Patterson and Nina Chordas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
48. Good Talk by Mira Jacob   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Books read: 16

Audiobook: 2
Ebook: 10
Print: 4

Library: 6
TBR: 0
Purchased 2022: 1
Review copy: 7
Subscription: 1

Around the World: 4
Booker International Prize: 1
Indigenous Reading Circle: 1
Indigenous Reads otherwise: 1
Melanated Reader's 20 Books by Black Women: 1
Mid-Century Women: 1
Reading Envy Russia: 2
Sword and Laser: 0
Tournament of Books: 1
Women's Prize: 0

Books Read February 2022: 15-32

This month was chaos as I tried to finish the remaining Tournament of Books shortlist (still reading the last one when March hit) and to try out a bunch of Russian novels for whoever decided to make this year of all years the year of reading Russia! 

I missed one book club discussion (Darcie Little Badger with the Book Cougars) but finally was able to attend the Indigenous Reading Circle discussion. I've heard Tournament of Books is moving to Discord so now I need to learn one more social network - or excuse me, digital discussion platform - and I'm too old! Sword and Laser has been trying to live in both Goodreads and Discord so maybe it will give me a different perspective on that group.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

15. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, narrated by Louise Erdrich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
16. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, narrated by Nikole Hannah-Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
17. Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
18. Putin's Russia by Darryl Cunningham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
19. In Concrete by Anne Garrétta, translated by Emma Ramadan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
20. A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger ⭐️⭐️⭐️
21. Islands of Decolonial Love by Leslie Betasamosake Simpson, narrated by Tantoo Cardinal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
22. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
23. The Employees by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin Aitken ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
24. Joan is Okay by Weike Wang, narrated by Catherine Ho ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
25. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
26. Broken Halves of a Milky Sun: Poems by Aaiún Nin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
27. The Interior Silence by Sarah Sands ⭐️⭐️⭐️
28. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
29. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
30. The Trees by Percival Everett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
31. First Love by Ivan Turgenev, translated by Constance Garnett ⭐️⭐️⭐️
32. It Would Be Night in Caracas by Karina Sainz Borgo, translated by Elizabeth Bryer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Books read: 18

Audiobook: 4
Ebook: 11
Print: 3

Library: 5
TBR: 1
Purchased 2022: 3
Review copy: 8
Subscription: 1

Around the World: 6
Indigenous Reading Circle: 1
Melanated Reader's 20 Books by Black Women: 3

Reading Envy Russia: 2
Sword and Laser: 0
Tournament of Books: 1

Books Read January 2022: 1-14

This might be the least number of books I've read in a month. I had one week with family in Myrtle Beach, the first time traveling with kids and also cooking meals so I found I had even less time to read. We returned home to one child in covid quarantine and another in virtual school for the week for covid/weather issues at the school. I was also dipping into some Russian novels that won't be reflected yet, but do take some time.

The Ozeki was the one book I had started in 2021, and my top five-star read was the Shafak.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

1. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. The Possessed by Elif Batuman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
4. You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, translated by Lucy North ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8. An Evening with Claire by Gaito Gazdanov, translated by Bryan Karetnyk ⭐️⭐️⭐️
9. Breath Better Spent: Living Black Girlhood by DaMaris B. Hill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10. Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood, narrated by Emma Link ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. Anna Karenina Fix by Viv Groskop ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. Sticker by  Henry Hoke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
13. Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin by Emilie Plateau, illustrated by Emilie Plateau ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 Books read: 14

Audiobook: 1
Ebook: 9
Print: 4

Library: 6
TBR: 1
Purchased 2022: 0
Review copy: 7

Around the World: 5
Melanated Reader's 20 Books by Black Women: 2
Reading Envy Russia: 3
Sword and Laser: 1
Tournament of Books: 2

Books Read December 2021: 257-280

Ah December, so many books to finish but never enough time. I still managed to hit a few challenges and while I didn't finish all my Europe books on the shelf, I churned through them to the end!

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month! 

 

257. The Women's Coffee Shop by Andriana Ierodiaconou ⭐️⭐️⭐️
258. Last Summer in the City by Gianfranco Calligarich, translated by Howard Curtis X ⭐️⭐️⭐️
259. Reparations Now! by Ashley M. Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
260. Revelator by Daryl Gregory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
261. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire, read by Warsan Shire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
262. O Beautiful by Jung Yun ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
263. Rise the Euphrates by Carol Edgarian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
264. Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
265. And Then the Grey Heaven by RE Katz ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
266. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
267. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott ⭐️⭐️⭐️
268. Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena, translated by Margita Gailitis X ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
269. The President and the Frog Carolina de Robertis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
270. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, read by Gordon Griffin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
271. Iona: New and Selected Poems by Kenneth Stevens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
272. Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
273. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
274. Please Don't Sit On My Bed in Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson, read by Phoebe Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
275. Toufah by Toufah Jallow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
276. The Pastor by  Hanne Ostavik, translated by Martin Aitken ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
277. Stork Mountain by Miroslav Penkov ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
278. Subdivision by J. Robert Lennon, read by Nicole Poole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Total Books Read: 22

audio: 5
eBook: 13
print: 4

Library: 7
TBR:  3
Purchased 2021: 2
Review copy: 10

Around the World: 12
Europe 2021: 8
National Book Award finalist (long or short): 1
Read the World 21 (UK): 2
Tournament of Books: 4

Memoir: 3
Poetry: 1
Romance: 0
Sci-fi/fantasy: 2
Translated: 3
Women in Translation: 3

Books Read November 2021: 237-256

I sadly left four books partly read by the time November turned into December so this might be my briefest month yet. It's been a busy one, but it also aligned with an attempt to finish as many holiday reads as I could (see previous post) and start in on the Tournament of Books longlist. Add 3/4 weeks feeling under the weather (thank you, all the germs from all the children in public schools) and this is what you get.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

237. Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge, translated by Jeremy Tiang  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
238. Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones  ⭐️⭐️⭐️
239. Mistletoe Christmas by Eloisa James et al  ⭐️⭐️⭐️
240. The Legend of the Christmas Witch by Aubrey Plaza and Dan Harmon; read by Aubrey Plaza ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
241. When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut; translated by Adrian West; read by Adam Barr  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
242. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
243. The Naughty List by Ellie Mae MacGregor   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
244.  Matrix by Lauren Groff; read by Adjoa Andoh  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
245.  Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
246.  Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
247.  Against Silence by Frank Bidart  ⭐️⭐️⭐️
248.  The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo; read by Leiana Bertrand   ⭐️⭐️⭐️
249.  Meet Me in London by George Toffolo  ⭐️⭐️⭐️
250.  Embers by Sandor Marai; translated by Carol Brown Janeway  ⭐️
251.  The FSG Poetry Anthology edited by Jonathan Galassi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
252.  100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
253.  Always in December by Emily Stone  ⭐️⭐️
254.  The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
255.  Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
256.  Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Total Books Read: 20

audio: 4
eBook: 13
print: 3

Library: 4
TBR: 1
Purchased 2021: 1
Review copy: 14

Around the World: 2
Booker Prize Long or shortlist: 1
Europe 2021: 1
National Book Award finalist (long or short): 2
Read the World 21 (Greater China): 1
Tournament of Books: 5

Memoir: 1
Poetry: 1
Romance: 5
Sci-fi/fantasy: 1
Translated: 3
Women in Translation: 0

Books Read August 2021: 189-201

August was very busy with a second child moving in, so this might be my lowest book count yet. But I did get some great Balkans reads in, and some great Women in Translation titles in.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

 

189. Stranger Care by Sarah Sentilles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
190. How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House by Cherie Jones, read by Danielle Vitalis ⭐️⭐️⭐️
191. The Promise by Damon Galgut ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
192. No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant ⭐️⭐️⭐️
193. Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch ⭐️⭐️⭐️
194. The Age of Skin by Dubravka Ugresic, translated by Ellen Elias-Bursać ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
195. A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska, translated by Christina E. Kramer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
196. This Will All Be Over Soon by Cecily Strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
197. The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️
198. The Woman from Uruguay by Pedro Mairal, translated by Jennifer Croft ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
199. Catch the Rabbit by Lana Bastasic, translated by Lana Bastasic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
200. Homesick by Jennifer Croft ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
201. Landscape Painted with Tea by Milorad Pavic, translated by Christina Pribicevic-Zoric ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Total Books Read:13

Reread: 0

audio: 1
eBook: 7
print: 5

borrowed: 0
library: 3
personal copy:  3
review copy: 5
subscription: 2

Around the World: 8
Booker Prize Longlist: 1
Erin & Dani's Book Club: 0
Europe 2021: 4
Read the World 21 (Balkans): 4
Tournament of Books: 0
Upstate International Book Club: 0
Work book club: 0

Graphic Novel/Comic: 1
Memoir: 2
Music: 0
Nature: 0
Poetry: 0
Translated: 5
Women in Translation: 4, 5 if you count the Croft memoir

Books Read July 2021: 166-188

July was more chaotic than we expected so I didn't read as much as I expected!

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

 

166. The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
167.  Bewilderness by Karen Tucker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
168. We Are the Baby-Sitters Club edited by Marisa Crawford ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
169. That Summer by Jennifer Weiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️
170. American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera, narrated by Sean Crisden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
171. Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen, narrated by Natasha Soudek ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
172. Easy Crafts for the Insane by Kelly Williams Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
173. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
174. Panorama by Dušan Šarotar, translated by Rawley Grau ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
175. Sweet Tooth, vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
176. The Divorce by César Aira, translated by Chris Andrews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
177. Nobody Somebody Anybody by Kelly McClorey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
178. A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
179. Come Together, Fall Apart by Cristina Henriquez, narrated by Kyla Garcia, Luis Moreno, Frankie Corzo, Roxanne Hernandez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
180. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson ⭐️⭐️
181. The Startup Wife by Tahmina Anam ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
182. The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
183. The Heiress of Water by Sandra Rodriguez Barron ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
184. Toddler Adoption by Mary Hopkins-Best ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
185. Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi, read by Akwaeke Emezi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
186. Hot Under His Collar by  Andie J. Christopher ⭐️⭐️⭐️
187. Oh Crap! I Have a Toddler by Jamie Glowacki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
188. Finding Freedom Erin French  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

 

Total Books Read:23

Reread: 0

audio: 4
eBook: 13
print: 6

borrowed: 1 
library: 6
personal copy:  2
review copy: 13
subscription: 1

Around the World: 5
Erin & Dani's Book Club: 0
Europe 2021: 1
Read the World 21 (Central America): 2
Tournament of Books: 1
Upstate International Book Club: 0
Work book club: 0

Graphic Novel/Comic: 1
Memoir: 4
Music:
Nature: 0
Poetry: 0
Translated: 1
Women in Translation:

 

Books Read June 2021: 142-165

I read slightly less in June, but also bailed on a few books I wasn't into. I should have bailed on more! The absolute highlight is The Actual Star by Monica Byrne - I can't wait for more people to read it when it comes out in September.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

142. Milkman by Anna Burns, narrated by Brid Brennan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
143. The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser ⭐️⭐️⭐️
144. Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
145. Fifty Miles from Tomorrow by William L. Iggiagruk Hensley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
146. The Mountain and the Sea by Kwame Dawes, narrated by Paula-Anne Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️
147. We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
148. Sansei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
149. Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey, narrated by Joe Hempel and Lori Prince ⭐️⭐️⭐️
150. The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein (Knight) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
151. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by Jhumpa Lahiri; narrated by Susan Vinciotti Bonito ⭐️⭐️⭐️
152. The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
153. Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico by Rafael Ocasio ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
154. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
155. Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie ⭐️⭐️⭐️
156. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
157. The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
158. The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
159. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, narrated by Renata Friedman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
160. The Actual Star by Monica Byrne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
161. nîtisânak by Lindsay Nixon ⭐️⭐️⭐️
162. Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur ⭐️⭐️⭐️
163. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, narrated by Sura Siu ⭐️⭐️⭐️
164. Art for the Ladylike by Whitney Otto ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
165. Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Total Books Read: 24

Reread:2

audio: 7
eBook: 10
print: 7

borrowed: 1
library: 5
personal copy: 9
review copy: 8
subscription:0

Around the World: 4
Erin & Dani's Book Club: 2
Europe 2021: 2
Read the World 21 (Scandinavia): 1
Tournament of Books: 5
Upstate International Book Club: 1
Work book club: 1

Graphic Novel/Comic: 1
Memoir: 3
Music: 1
Nature: 0
Poetry: 0
Translated: 1
Women in Translation:1

 

Books Read May 2021: 114-141

This month I focused on the two books for the joint readalong with the Book Cougars, and also found a new audiobook listening pattern that increased my consumption of that format (and lessened that of other formats.) Hardly any speculative fiction, a lot more non-fiction, even a few thrillers! And a heck of a lot of 5-star reads.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

114. Onion Skin by Edgar Camacho ⭐️⭐️⭐️
115. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
116. Meaty by Samantha Irby, read by Samantha Irby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
117. Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blaine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
118. The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas, narrated by Kristen Sieh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
119. Love in Case of Emergency by Daniela Krien ⭐️⭐️⭐️
120. When the Light of the World was Subdued... edited by Joy Harjo et al ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
121. True Story by Kate Reed Petty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
122. The Doll by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
123. Northern Spy by Flynn Berry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
124. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, narrated by Grace Gummer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
125. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
126. The Guncle by Steven Rowley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
127. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
128. Margreete's Harbor by Eleanor Morse ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
129. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, read by Ruth Ozeki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
130. Tomb Song by Julián Herbert, translated by Christina MacSweeney ⭐️⭐️⭐️
131. Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile, read by Brandi Carlile ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
132. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
133. Sparrow Envy by J. Drew Lanham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
134. While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams, narrated by Adenrele Ojo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
135. Second Place by Rachel Cusk ⭐️⭐️⭐️
136. The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny, narrated by Carly Robins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
137. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by  Colleen Oakley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
138. Untamed Shore by  Silvia Moreno-Garcia, read by Maria Liatis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
139. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
140. Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli, translated by Christina MacSweeney ⭐️⭐️⭐️
141. Sanditon by Jane Austen (incomplete) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

Total Books Read: 28

Reread: 1

audio: 9
eBook: 10
print: 9

library: 9
personal copy: 5
review copy: 13
subscription: 1

Around the World: 8
Europe 2021: 3
Read the World 21 (Mexico): 4

Crime/Mystery/Thriller: 5
Graphic Novel/Comic: 1
Memoir: 2
Music: 2
Nature: 2
Poetry: 2
Translated: 6
Women in Translation: 3

 

Books Read April 2021: 82-113

My major project for National Poetry Month is a book I haven't finished yet, so it's weird to not have posted as much about poetry as I usually do. And most of the poetry I picked up otherwise wasn't poetry I connected with well. Some years are like that! I removed the book covers from the one book I reread twice from the image so I could get a better square, but they are in the list below.

A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) And the books with green outlines are my 5-star reads for the month!

 

82. The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
83. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
84. Act Your Age, Eve Brown Talia Hibbert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
85. The Weather That Kills by Patricia Spears Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
86. We Trade Our Night for Someone Else's Day by Ivana Bodrožić, translated by Ellen Elias-Bursać ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
87. Exhibitionist by Molly Cross-Blanchard ⭐️⭐️⭐️
88. I Would Leave Me if I Could Halsey ⭐️⭐️⭐️
89. No Friend but the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani, translated and transcribed by Omid Tofighian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
90. Nightwood by Djuna Barnes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
91. The Actual True Story of Ahmed and Zarga Mohamedou Ould Slahi by Larry Siems and Mohamedou Ould Slahi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
92. God of Nothingness by Mark Wunderlich ⭐️⭐️⭐️
93. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey, read by Lana Del Rey ⭐️⭐️⭐️
94. The Ensemble Aja Gabel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
95. The Baddest Girl on the Planet by Heather Frese ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
96. Brood by Jackie Polzin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
97. Mona by Pola Oloixarac, translated by Adam Morris ⭐️⭐️⭐️
98. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
99. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, narrated by Daniel Henning ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
100. Understory: a life with trees by Inga Simpson, narrated by Inga Simpson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
101 An Inventory of Losses by  Judith Schalansky, translated by Jackie Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️
102. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
103. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop, translated by Michelle Moschovakis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
104. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
105. In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
106. Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
107. Broken by Jenny Lawson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
108. Permafrost by Eva Baltasar, translated by Julia Sanches ⭐️⭐️⭐️
109. The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, narrated by Rosalyn Landor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
110. The Scapegoat by Sara Davis ⭐️⭐️⭐️
111. Nancy by Bruno Lloret, translated by Ellen Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
112. If You Kept a Record of Wrongs by Andrea Bajani, translated by Elizabeth Harris ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
113. Exhalation by Ted Chiang, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Dominic Hoffman, Amy Landon, and Ted Chiang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 Total Books Read: 32

Reread: 2

audio: 5
eBook: 18
print: 9

library: 8
personal copy: 9
review copy: 13
subscription: 2

Around the World: 14
Europe 2021: 5

Fantasy: 3
Science fiction: 2
Memoir: 5
Music: 1
Poetry: 5
Romance: 2
Translated: 8
Women in Translation: 3

Books Read March 2021: 54-81

This month was heavily influenced by one person in Instagram who ran the #tackleyourratio challenge to read as many NetGalley books as possible. That helped me get through some of my backlog, including 11 of the books from March, and I tried but DNF'd four more. A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.)

54. Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
55. Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better by Pema Chodron ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
56. The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-Eun, translated by Lizzie Buehler; narrated byNatalie Naudus ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
57. The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell et al ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
58. Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger; narrated by Kinsale Hueston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
59. On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
60. Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
61. The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott ⭐️⭐️⭐️
62. My Heart by Semezdin Mehmedinović, translated by Celia Hawkesworth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
63. Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
64. The Removed by Brandon Hobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
65. The Possession by Annie Ernaux; translated by Anna Moschovakis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
66. The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey ⭐️⭐️⭐️
67. It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
68. Nobody Ever Talks About Anything but the End by Liz Levine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
69. Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe; narrated by Matthew Blaney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
70. Loser Takes All by Graham Greene ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
71. If or When I Call by  Will Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
72. Noopiming by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
73. Blueberries by Ellena Savage ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
74. Gilgamesh by  Joan London ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
75. The Mission House by Carys Davies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
76. Shelter by Jung Yun; narrated by Raymond Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
77. In the Quick by Kate Hope Day ⭐️⭐️⭐️
78. Winter Pasture by Li Juan; translated by Jack Hargreaves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
79. The Tao of Raven by Ernestine Hayes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
80. A Durable Fire May Sarton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
81. Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon; narrated by Hollie Jackson and Mason Lloyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Books Read: 28

Tournament of Books - 1

TFBWL - 1

Readtheworld21 - 4

Around the World - 11
Europe 2021 - 3

Audiobook - 5
eBook - 18
Print - 5

Borrowed not from library - 0
Library - 8
Review Copy - 15
TBR - Purchased 2021 - 3
TBR - Already owned - 2
TBR - Subscriptions - 0

Apocalypse and Dystopia - 2
Fantasy - 3
Memoir - 2
Mystery - 0
Romance - 2
Science Fiction - 5
Thriller - 1

Translated - 4
Women in Translation - 3

Children’s - 1
YA - 2
Adult - 25

 

Books Read February 2021: 33-53

This might be my smallest reading month in a long time but that's okay. A gentle reminder that all reviews can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.)

I really had a month where I read books I felt were highly anticipated, or I had been told were highly anticipated, but weren't a great fit for my reading style or mood. Anything I rated 5 stars is outlined in green in the image and listed below.

33. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
34. Everything Lost is Found Again by Will McGrath ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
35. The Divines by Ellie Eaton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
36. My Grandmother's Braid by Alina Bronsky; translated by Tim Mohr ⭐️⭐️⭐️
37. The Survivors by Jane Harper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
38. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
39. Telephone by Percival Everett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
40. The Expats by Chris Pavone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
41. Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
42. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, read by Bahni Turpin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
43. Trapped in a Video Game by Dustin Brady, art by Brady Jesse ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
44. The Fold by Peter Clines ⭐️⭐️⭐️
45. The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada; translated by David Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
46. Laugh with the Moon by Shana Burg ⭐️⭐️⭐️
47. No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood; narrated by Kristen Sieh ⭐️⭐️⭐️
48. Untraceable by Sergei Lebedev; translated by Antonina W. Bouis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
49. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️
50. Everyone's Happy by Rufi Thorpe; narrated by Lauren Fortgang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
51. We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida ⭐️⭐️⭐️
52. Kink: Stories edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell ⭐️⭐️
53. Days in the Caucasus by Banine; translated by  Anne Thompson-Ahmadova ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Books Read: 21

Tournament of Books - 2
(Shortlist - 1)

TFBWL - 2

Readtheworld21 - 2

Around the World - 8
Europe 2021 - 2

Audiobook - 3
eBook - 11
Print - 7

Borrowed not from library - 2
Library - 3
Review Copy - 10
TBR - Purchased 2021 - 4
TBR - Already owned - 0
TBR - Subscriptions - 1

Apocalypse and Dystopia - 1
Fantasy - 0
Memoir - 2
Mystery - 1
Romance - 2
Science Fiction - 4
Thriller - 1

Translated - 4
Women in Translation - 3

Children’s - 2
YA - 0
Adult - 19

Books Read January 2021: 1-32

This year I'll continue posting a monthly roundup of the books I've read, but I'm trying to simplify somewhat, so I am not going to add the format or links to reviews after each item. That information can still be seen on my Goodreads profile (the review will be with the book; the format will be specified unless it's in print.) I always enjoy a new year with reading because even if it could be considered arbitrary, I use that time to start new reading goals, which always invigorates me. I also read a lot of the Tournament of Books long and shortlisted books in January, along with finally finishing my eARCs from 2020. I know there are a lot of books here but the rest of my year will be a lot busier and it might be the last time I hit 30.

Five-star books in green rectangles

1. Network Effect by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
2. An Onion in My Pocket by Deborah Madison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
3. Catherine the Great and the Small by Olja Knezevic, translated by Sharon Gordon and Ellen Elias-Bursać ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
4. Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, narrated by Ryan Gesell and Tara Sands ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
5. Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto, translated by Ann Sherif ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
6. Chlorine Sky written and narrated by Mahogany L. Browne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
7. The Story So Far by Jane Eklund ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
8. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
9. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
10. Include Me Out by María Sonia Cristoff, translated by Katherine Silver ⭐️⭐️ 
11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
12. Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
13. Well-Read Black Girl Glory Edim, ed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
14. Blonde Indian by Ernestine Hayes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
15. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
16. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
17. This Telling by Cheryl Strayed, read by Kristen Bell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
18. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
19. Ring Shout  by P. Djèlí Clark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
20. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deeshaw Philyaw, read by Janina Edwards ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
21. Deacon King Kong by James McBride ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
22. Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
23. How to Carry Water by Lucille Clifton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
24. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
25. Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
26. Echo on the Bay by Masatsugu Ono, translated by Angus Turvill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
27. Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
28. A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet, read by Xe Sands ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
29. White Ivy by Susie Yang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
30. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
31. The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
32. 32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the Line Eric Ripert with Veronica Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (quite amazing this was my 32nd read!)

Total: 32

Tournament of Books - 9
(Shortlist - 5)

TFBWL - 7

Readtheworld21 - 3

Around the World - 7
Europe 2021 - 2

Audiobook - 8
eBook - 16
Print - 8

Borrowed not from library - 1
Library - 15
Review Copy - 11
TBR - Purchased 2021 - 1
TBR - Already owned - 3
TBR - Subscriptions - 1

Apocalypse and Dystopia - 3(!)
Fantasy - 5
Memoir - 1
Mystery - 1
Romance - 3
Science Fiction - 1
Thriller - 1

Translated - 5
Women in Translation - 4

Children’s - 1

YA - 5
Adult - 27

Books Read December 2020: 331-364

Before I do all the 2020 wrapups, charts, and graphs, how about a books I read in December! I'm glad I squeezed two more in, because they ended up being the only 5-star reads of the month.

331. Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah; translated by Deborah Smith ⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook; my review)
332. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
333. The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi; translated by Jonathan Wright ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
334. The Book Collectors by Delphine Minoui; translated by Lara Vergnaud ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
335. Artificial Conditions by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin Free ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible audiobook; my review)
336. Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
337. Frumpy Middle-Aged Mom by Marla Jo Fisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
338. Something that may Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Mallory Ortberg ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
339. Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Kindle eBook; my review)
340. How to Be Ace by Rebecca Burgess ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
341. Sunjata by Justine Korman Fontes, illustrated by Sandy Carruthers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook; my review)
342. To Be a Man by Nicole Krauss ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
343. Want by Lynn Steger Strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (public library; my review)
344. This Town Sleeps by Dennis E. Staples ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
345. Ace by Angela Chen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
346. The Last Confession by Regina Madrigal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
347. Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen, narrated by Nicola Coughlan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible audiobook; my review)
348. The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
349. Angry Queer Somali Boy by Mohamed Abdulkarim Ali ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
350. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin Free ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby audiobook; my review)
351. How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
352. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin Free ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby audiobook; my review)
353. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library book; my review)
354. Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
355. Stroke of Luck by Opal Carew ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
356. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, narrated by Bahni Turpin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Volumes app audiobook; my review)
357. If the Fates Allow edited by Annie Harper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook; my review)
358. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby eBook; my review)
359. Yemen: What Everyone Needs to Know by Asher Orkaby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
360. The Memory Monster by Yishai Sarid, translated by Yardenne Greenspan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
361. The Blue Jay's Dance: A Birth Year by Louise Erdrich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
362. Nights When Nothing Happened by Simon Han ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby eBook; my review)
363. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby eBook; my review)
364. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)

Total books read: 34

Audiobook: 5
eBook: 19
Print: 10

Library copy (digital too):10
Personal copy: 8
Review copy: 16

Around the World: 12
Indigenous Authors: 4
Middle East 2020: 6
ReadtheWorld21: 1
Tournament of Books: 9

Apocalypse/Dystopia: 1
Fantasy: 1
Graphic novel/comic: 2
Horror: 2
Memoir: 5
Romance: 4
Science Fiction: 3

Books Read November 2020: 296-330

Five star reads (links are Amazon affiliate)

296. Beirut Won't Cry by Mazen Kerbaj ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook, my review)
297. To Keep the Sun Alive by Rabeah Ghaffari ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
298. Here for It by R. Eric Thomas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC; my review)
299. Together in a Sudden Strangeness Alice Quinn, ed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
300. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
301. We Love Anderson Cooper by R.L. Maizes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC; my review)
302. Simmer Down by Sarah Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
303. Luster by Raven Leilani ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
304. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, narrated by Jenny Sterling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
305. Spirit Run by Noé Álvarez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC; my review)
306. Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
307. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice, narrated by Billy Merasty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
308. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
309. The Silence by Don DeLillo ⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
310. Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
311. Wintering by Katherine May, narrated by Rebecca Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Volumes app; my review)
312. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
313. My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC from publisher; my review)
314. The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook; my review)
315. Music for the Dead and Resurrected by Valzhyna Mort ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
316. One Life by Megan Rapinoe, narrated by Megan Rapinoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Volumes app; my review)
317. I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
318. Fire on the Island by Timothy Jay Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC; my review)
319. Jack by Marilynne Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
320. Why I Held Your Hand by Augusta Reilly ⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
321. Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby eBook; my review)
322. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, narrated by Joel de la Fuente ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Volumes app; my review)
323. The Beadworkers: Stories Beth Piatote ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (physical ARC from publisher; my review)
324. Oak Flat by Lauren Redniss; narrated by Lauren Redniss, Darrell Dennis, Kyla Garcia, Kimberly Guerrero, Hillary Huber, Ann Marie Lee, Elizabeth Liang, Crystie Lightning ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Volumes app; my review)
325. American Cheese by Joe Berkowitz ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
326. Kim JiYoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo Jamie Chang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Libby eBook; my review)
327. A Death in the Rainforest by Don Kulick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla eBook; my review)
328. The Big Door Prize by M.O. Walsh ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC in NetGalley; my review)
329. All Systems Red by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin Free ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible audiobook; my review)
330. Red Pill by Hari Kunzru ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)

Books Read: 35 

audiobook: 7
eBook: 18
print: 10

library: 9
review: 23
personal: 3

Around the World: 8
Book Clubs: 2
Booker Prize: 1
Graphic novel: 1
Indigenous: 3
Memoir: 5
Middle East: 3
Non-fiction November: 11
Poetry
Read the World: 3
Sci-fi/fantasy: 3
Tournament of Books: 6 (wow!)

Books Read October 2020 - 258-295

In October, a few unique situations occurred which had an impact on my reading for the month. I know it looks like I read 5-7 more books than normal, but that can entirely be chalked up to the seven very short Amazon Prime/Audible Originals I listened to - six from Mindy Kaling, one from Kate Atkinson. I was also a guest commentator for a round of the Super Rooster from The Morning News' Tournament of Books - that was a lot of fun but meant I reread two books - the Rooney and the Whitehead. I also got a chance to interview author Bryan Washington, coming soon to the podcast, so I prioritized reading his book as well (which, as is pictured in my 5-star reads, was great.) Oh and then Tropical Storm Zeta blew through and left us without power for 2 days, so all I could DO was read.

 
Pictured: October's 5-star reads, with Amazon affiliate links (Bookshop doesn't provide direct image links, sorry!)

258. Just Like You by Nick Hornby ⭐️⭐️⭐️  (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
259. Sisters by Daisy Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
260. Just Us by Claudia Rankine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Graywolf Galley Club; my review)
261. This Mournable Body by  Tsitsi Dangarembga ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
262. I Have Something to Tell You by  Chasten Buttigieg ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
263. Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
264. Kind of Hindu by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
265. Help is on the Way by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
266. Please Like Me by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
267. Searching for Coach Taylor by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
268. Once Upon a Time in Silver Lake by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
269. Big Shot by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
270. Shine, Pamela, Shine! by Kate Atkinson, narrated by Gwendoline Christie ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audible original; my review)
271. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
272. Wake Up Grateful by Kristi Nelson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
273. Welcome Home edited by Eric Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
274. Fardwor, Russia! by Oleg Kashin, translated by Will Evans ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
275. Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
276. Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
277. Summer of the Cicadas by  Chelsea Catherine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
278. The Book of Lamps and Banners by Elizabeth Hand ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
279. The Kill Club by Wendy Heard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
280. Normal People by Sally Rooney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
281. This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, read by Ann Patchett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
282. All My Mother's Lovers Ilana Masad ⭐️⭐️⭐️  (print galley; my review)
283. The Shadow King Maaza Mengiste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
284. Silences So Deep by John Luther Adams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
285. Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
286. Memorial by Bryan Washington ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
287. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
288. Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal eBook copy; my review)
289. Travels with a Tangerine by Tim Mackintosh-Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (interlibrary loan; my review)
290. Burning Roses by S.L. Huang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
291. Suicide Woods by Benjamin Perry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Graywolf Galley Club; my review)
292. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library eBook; my review)
293. Galileo by Ann McMan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
294. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley; my review)
295. How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)

Total Books Read: 38

audio: 8
eBook: 13
print: 17

library: 8
personal or borrowed from Amazon: 12
review: 18

Around the World: 6
Booker Prize: 2
Crime/mystery: 3
Indigenous reads: 1
Memoir/biography/personal essay: 11
MiddleEast2020: 1
ReadtheWorld21: 1
Scifi/fantasy: 8
Spooktober (horror and dark fantasy, gothic too):6
Tournament of Books Super Rooster: 2

Books Read September 2020: 229-257

This was a strange reading month because I started out refocusing on my 2020 reading goals, plus reading challenges from Instagram to read your own books, read books about science, and read Latinx heritage books (which goes September 15 - October 15.) But the eARC backlog started to feel overwhelming, and you can almost see the shift in my list. I also had to give myself permission to bail on a few books I was stuck on, and that freed up my reading flow. I don't know why I can't learn that lesson better; it's one I learn over and over again. But this month I found a lot of great reads, particularly in non-fiction, which is unusual for me. I read a lot of one-word title books, which was just a strange thing I observed. I also read books from the library for the first time since March (that I hadn't already checked out or accessed electronically) - I utilized curbside pickup. I hope doing so is in support of wanting my libraries to do what they feel is safe and not putting anyone at risk There are a lot of conflicting opinions about this topic.

 

Pictured: 5-star reads for September

229. Oranges in No Man's Land by Elizabeth Laird ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
230. Whale Day by Billy Collins, read by Billy Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (review copy audiobook; my review)
231. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hadeyat, translated by Naveed Noori ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
232. Blizzard: Poems by Henri Cole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC in Edelweiss; my review)
233. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC in NetGalley; my review)
234. Hurma by Ali Al-Muqri, translated by T.M. Aplin ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
235. Earth Almanac by Ted Williams, illustrated by John Burgoyne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC in NetGalley; my review)
236. Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz, narrated by Almarie Guerra ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
237. Glory and Its Litany of Horrors by Fernanda Torres, translated by Eric M.B. Becker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
238. Homesick by Nino Cipri ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (review copy; my review)
239. Before You Say I Do Clare Lydon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
240. Eat a Peach by David Chang and Gabe Ulla, narrated by David Chang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (review copy audiobook; my review)
241. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library book; my review)
242. Tides by Jonathan White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
243. Igifu by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Jordan Stump ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
244. Bestiary by K-Ming Chang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
245. Iwigara by Enrique Salmon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
246. No Offense by Meg Cabot ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
247. A Highlander is Coming to Town by Laura Trentham ⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
248. Guillotine by Eduardo C. Corral ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from publisher; my review)
249. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow, narrated by January LaVoy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy audiobook; my review)
250. What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
251. The Selected Works of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (print galley from publisher; my review)
252. The Writer's Library by Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from NetGalley; my review)
253. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (library copy; my review)
254. Our Women on the Ground by Zahra Hankir, ed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)
255. Headscarves and Hymens by Mona Eltahawy, narrated by Mona Eltahawy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Hoopla audiobook; my review)
256. Farewell, Ghosts by Nadia Terranova, translated by Ann Goldstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (eARC from Edelweiss; my review)
257. Nine Moons by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Jessica Powell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (personal copy; my review)

Books read: 29 

Audiobooks: 5
eBooks: 13
Print books: 11

Library: 4
Personal: 8
Review: 17

Challenges
LatinxHeritage 2
readwhatyouown 9
scienceseptember 3
readtheworld21 2

Goals
Middle East 5
Indigenous writers 3
Around the World 13

Genres
Fantasy 2
Foodie 2
Horror 2
Memoir 2
Poetry 4
Romance 2