Summer Reading so far

I have actually read a suprising amount so far this summer. I thought it might be harder with a 6 month old baby. While I have to read around her schedule I am getting a good amount of reading done so far. To start the summer off I read The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill. It was on the current Sunshine State reading list. I loved everything about this book. I am not a hige fan of fantasy books but this one was very engaging and the worl building was great. I enjoyed the characters and the journey this novel takes you on. This is a great middle grades book. The next book I finished was When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James. I enjoyed this historical romance a lot. What I like about Beauty and the Beast retellings in historical fiction is it tends to add more demention to the characters, especially the male characters. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. The next book I finshed Beowulf: The Original Graphic Novel.I am a huge fan of Beowulf and was very excited to start this graphic novel. In truth it felt like a watered down version of the tale. The illastrations also left much to be desired. This book fell far from my expectations and was a disappointment. The 4th book I read was To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt. This historical romance was amazing. I loved the characters and the plot. The characters have depth and their interactions are very enjoyable. So that is my summer reading so far. My goal is to finish more of teh Sunshine State books, a few romances I took out of the library, and a couple of teaching books I plan to read this summer.

First Quarter Reading Stats

First Quarter Reading Stats

So I got the idea to look at my reading stats every quarter from Rincey over at Rincey Reads. If you haven't seen her videos you should check them out. (https://www.youtube.com/user/rinceyreads)

So I went through my reading spread sheet and looked to see what I have been reading for the first three months of the year. So here is how it plays out.

Total books: 25 books

Total pages read: 5,017

Gender:

Male: 11 books (44%)

Female: 11 books (44%)

Both: 3 books ( 12%)

This doesn't really surprise me. I usually end up reading more female writers but it usually is pretty close to 1/2.

Translated: 1 book

I do need to read more book that have been translated into English. So I need to be aware of that.

Written by a person of color: 6 (24%)

My goal for this year was 30%. In the beginning of March I realized this category was pretty low and I started taking a bit more time carefully selecting which books I was reading on my TBR. I think I can get this percentage a little higher in the next quarter.

Genre

Mystery: 12%

Graphic Novel: 40%

Fantasy: 8%       

YA: 12%

Humor: 4%

Short Story: 8%

Sci-fi: 8%

Non Fiction: 4%

Poetry: 4%

So for my genres I am reading very broadly right now. I actually had not realized how many genres I had read so far this year. I have gotten more into graphic novels and have been reading a lot of trade paperbacks of great new titles this year.

Format:

Paperback: 76%

E-book: 12%

Hardcover: 16%

Audio: 0%

I was surprised I hadn't listened to any audio books this year. But I have been listening to a lot of podcasts this year so I think that is where my listening is. So I need to listen to a couple audio books in the next quarter. I usually read a lot of paperbacks so the fact that the paperbacks are the highest is not surprising.

I am completing a 25 book challenge, Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge and a Classics Challenge.

  25 Book Challenge: 11 books read

Read Harder: 10 books read

Classics: 6 books read

So I am doing really well with my challenges this year!

I found going through this very helpful. I know which areas I need to be more aware of and which areas I am doing well in.  So we will have to see what the next three months brings!!

Watching What I Read

Watching What I Read

                Every year I take tracking my reading a bit further. In 2013 I just listed what books I read. In 2014 I listed the books I read and included the date I finished it. I started tracking how many books I read each month and how many pages I read each month. When Book Riot posted a reading spreadsheet I entered all my data and kept that as well. This year I have several ways I track and a lot of data I collect on my reading. I am curious about my reading stats and I honestly enjoy it. So in 2015 I am using the reading spread sheet with the following categories: Title, Author, Gender, Translated, POC (person of color), Date Published, Nationality, date started, date finished, pages, genre, format, where I got it, and if it fits into one of my challenges.  That is one epic spreadsheet. I also keep a book journal. I track how many books I read each month, how many pages I read, and what genres I have read that month.

                This year I am making more of an effort to evaluate what I read. I already read a lot of female authors and I do read somewhat diversely. This year I wanted to watch what I read and where I need to improve. I wanted to read more diversely  and I wanted to explore genres I do not  typically read. Last year my main focus was on new genres. This year I am continuing that but I am also looking at the authors I am picking up. I also want to explore different cultures through books.

                There are several ways I am doing this. I reflect on what I am reading as I go so if I see quite a few no's in my POC column I know that I need to improve in that area.  In March I noticed I had not read as many diverse authors and made it a point to go through my TBR and select books that would help me look at other cultures and points of view.  This is also the same with the my translated column. That is also a column I need to focus on this month and next month. Which is why I find a lot of value in tracking what I read closely. I won't know where to make improvements if I am not looking at trends.  

                Another great way to make sure I am reading a variety of genres and authors is my TBR jar. What I do for my TBR jar is a have a small mason jar and I put slips of paper in it that I pull out when I want to. I don't do it once a month or anything like that. I like to pull the slips when I need some guidance on what to read. I am completing three challenges right now. I am doing the Read Harder challenge, a 25 book challenge my friends made, and a classics challenge. I put the different categories in my TBR jar, not book titles. The only challenge that is not in the jar is the classics challenge because I read one a month and my book club votes on a classic each month.

                A  book club is also a great way to get some strong recommendations. The members of my book club have very different tastes in books. That is why typically we just bring what we have read and talk about great books we loved. We would occasionally do group reads or buddy reads.  This year we are all trying the classics challenge to expand out horizons.

                I also like to look at what genres I am reading because I love romance novels and I tend to slip very comfortably back into reading that genre. I love crossover genres as well. Paranormal romance and mystery romance are some of my favorite genres.  I also love YA, which is a good thing since I am a middle school teacher. So I never have to struggle finding books I want to read in those genres. But I have also found out that I like certain kinds of sci-fi and fantasy. I would never have said I was a huge fan of either genre just two years and now I am finding aspects of those genres that I love.

                Many of us have lots of reasons for tracking our reading or not. Whatever system you have that works for you is a great way to help you explore who you are as a reader. I would love to know how other track their reading. 

Matilda by Roald Dahl

As a child I didn't read any of Roald Dahl books. I had seen some of the movies that were based on the books and they were a bit dark for me. This is the third Roald Dahl that I have read. I enjoyed this book very much. I thought it thoughtful and really got down to looking at the importance of people in our lives. It also looks at how important it is to believe in yourself and go after what you think is important. I love how Dahl looks at the world in his books and how he empowers kids. It is why I think his books stand the test of time. Kids still love them and are reading them. They are stories that are relatable no matter how old you are. 

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

           

poetryfreak38

I really enjoyed this book. It is written as a journal entry and I think it was very different. It is a very strong opening to this trilogy and I am very interested to see where it goes. I also do like that the books were released so close together. While I am not reading them as they are coming out, if I had known about the series then I definitely would have been more inclined to read it. I usually wait for a chunk of books in a series to be out since I hate waiting a year in between books.

            This book really makes you think and how the narrator sees the world and comments on it is very interesting and well done. Vandermeer also was able to write very strong and compelling characters. I loved the use of memory as a way to learn more about our narrator and the connection we feel towards her. In this type of book it did not bother me that none of the characters had names, but where referred to by their role in the group. I think that added to the mystery and danger of the mission and was an interesting psychological feature to the book.

             Another thing I really enjoyed was his writing style. It was very easy to read and was fast paced. I never felt like this book lagged or was slow. It was a fast paced book and he unraveled just enough mystery that you really wanted to keep going so you could find out more.

             I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for something new. It was a delightful read. It also is pretty short which is great for the first book in a series. I know the other two are different and I actually look forward to see the other side of the world and exploring more of Vandermeer's work.

Classics Challenge: March

Classics Challenge: March

Classic read: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier  

WHEN I Discovered This Classic: This has been on my list to read for awhile. I have wanted to see the movie based on this book for a while as well.

WHAT Makes It A Classic: This book was published in 1938 and is still very popular. It is a widely read book that is loved by many.

WHY I Chose to Read It : My book club is doing the classics challenge and this was the ick for March.  

WILL It Stay A Classic: I would say yes because of the character types and how popular it still is today.

WHO I’d Recommend It To: I would recommend this book to people who love mysteries and suspense. I would also recommend this book to people who are just starting out with classics and need a place to start. 

Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

                When I started this book I actually didn’t know much about it. All I had really heard about it was that people really enjoyed it. The story starts in 1987, which was actually delightful. The author successful weaves an engaging and relevant story. I loved his characters and was very interested in what would happen to them. This book really makes you think and contemplate who you are and why you are who you are. What can you control and what things can’t you control. I loved his writing style as well. I actually went online and ordered another one of his books once I had finished this one because I need to read another one of his books. The topics Saenz deals with some very relevant topics that readers today can relate with. I think this is a very important book for  young adults to read. I think male and female readers would get a lot of out this book. If you are have a student in middle school I would recommend reading it first and see if your student is mature enough for this book, but every high school student should read this book.

Reading Challenge

I have been spending a lot of time watching book tube videos. One of the topics that has come up a few times is the idea of doing reading challenges. I did not realize what a hot topic this was. I feel like approaching this topic negatively from either side is not a great approach. I was actually surprised how passionately people where for or against them. I have done the Goodreads reading challenge for a couple years now. In 2012 I didn't reach my goal of 50 books, I got to 28 books, but that did not bother me. In 2013 I challenged myself to read 50 books and I surpassed my goal and read 53 books. This year I challenged myself to read 52 books in the year. As of today (10/3/14) I have read 63 books. Over the last couple for years I have made reading more of a priority. I also know my number is higher for me because of the types of books I enjoy reading. I also have been reading more because I am a middle school Language Arts teacher. I need to be able to recommend books to my students and model that I am a reader. I use the 40 book challenge in my classroom that Donaylnn Miller writes about in her book The Book Whisperer. I think this is the book that really had me making time to read. I challenged my students to read 40 book in a school and I felt I had to model this and participate as well. Now there are a lot a of rules I use to help students achieve this. They don't have a page minimum, any book over 350 pages counts as two books, and they may read graphic novels. Also middle grades books tend to be shorter reads. So this is not an unobtainable goal for them. But we also celebrate the success they have. If they read 20 books that year I make them feel great about that because that is usually a lot more books then they typically read. This also started me on reading a variety of genres. Since I need to have book recommendations in a variety of genres this means I have to read widely. I do read a lot young adult and am working on including more genres to my TBR. I also do the challenge instead of giving them book lists. I have tried that in the past and students hate selecting a book off a list. This gives them the freedom to explore and discover what they like. Now while that has also broadened my own reading horizons, I also find I like the reading challenges throughout the year. This year for example I have a few challenges going on. I have my Goodreads challenge of 52 books, I do the 40 book challenge between August to June, and I have a 25 categories challenge. The last one I chose to do because I wanted to stretch myself as a reader. I don't find it stressful or feel under the gun to read a certain number of books. My average is about four books a month. I do average one a week. Sometimes it takes me two weeks to get through a book and sometimes I fly through a couple in a weekend. I also read graphic novels which don't take as long to read. So it does depend on what I want to read. It also depends on how much time I have during the week. Having the challenges are like goals for me. But it helps me stay focused on my reading as opposed to freaking myself out. Now I also do not make a goal of a number that I don't think is obtainable. So I don't see a problem if people want to participate in a reading challenge. I was starting to feel a bit bad and having some self doubts as I watched the growing number of Book Tubers telling me how stupid it is. But you know what if the challenges make me a more focused and motivated reader then so be it. I don't have a problem if you find them stressful and choose not to do them, that is what is right for you. But I am not going to feel bad or like less of a reader because I do enjoy them.

Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick

Book Review: Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick I am always interested in books that are written in verse. Poetry books are one of my favorite genres, whether they are a collection of verse or a novel written in verse. So when I first heard about this book I was very excited to pick it up. This is the story of Kenna, who is a girl addicted to cutting. The poems start right after she is caught cutting herself at school and her 72 hours in a psych ward after being Baker Acted. She tells us about the other kids that are in there and why some of them are there. I greatly enjoyed this book. It is a good look at the thought process someone would go through. How she see the world and how she comes to terms with her problem. This book is beautifully crafted and very engaging. I think is important to bring up the issue of self harm in fiction so students have access to what to look for and how to get help if they need it. I think kids need to be aware of what is going on and this is an issue that we are dealing with in schools. I hope that Madeleine Kuderick writes a follow up book to this one. I would love to see how Kenna deals with her addiction once she gets home and is dealing with everyday life again. The other kids in this book also felt real and interesting. I can't wait to see what else comes from this author.

June book photo challenge

http://ficklefishfilms.com/2014/05/june-book-instagram-photo-challenge/ 

I will be participating in this when June starts!! So expect lots if posts from me starting June 1st!!!

The Stand: Graphic Novel Vol. 1

This post is fitting with Free Comic Day approaching. I have had this graphic novel on my bookcase for a while now. Today I finally sat down and read it. I enjoyed readying the first installment of this story. I enjoyed it so much I went onto Amazon and ordered the next two books. I don't think I could read this as a book, but as a graphic novel I found it very interesting.
I am just starting to read more graphic novels. So I took a couple down off my shelf to read them. I liked the art and they way the story is told. I do really like that the comic book companies are doing novels into these visual stunning versions. I will be looking for more novels like this in the future.

Written in Red and the Murder of Crows

I recently finished one of my new favorite books. I got Written in Red by Anne Bishop at my local library. In February my library was doing an awesome display. They had wrapped books in brown paper with single lines on them. They were setting up "Blind Dates" with books. So I got this one. It took me a little bit to get into the book. I wasn't reading it fast enough, so I decided to return it and buy the book. I tried it again once I bought it and once I got about a quarter of the way through I was hooked. I sometimes have trouble getting into Fantasy books. I tend to have better luck with the Urban Fantasy, so I am always on the lookout for those.

I really liked how vivid and easy to remember her world building is. Bishop bases her world on an alternate version of ours, which for me made it easier to follow. I also really liked her characters. They are well developed and likable. Her main character, Meg, is spunky and intelligent. This makes her journey engrossing.

It is not very often that I finish a book and feel completely obsessed with it. Which is why once I was finished I downloaded the second one, which had just been released! I also put this book as my Secret Santa category in the 25 book challenge. 

The Murder of Crows is the second book in The Others series. Anne Bishop does a great job with this one too! It starts up shortly where we left off in the first book. We continue with her world building and get more character development. This book builds towards what was started in the first one. They almost felt the one book. How it progresses and carries on a lot of the issues and questions from the first book. You have to read these in order. Sometimes you can skip around in a series, and this is not one of them.

I fell even more in love with the characters and we got a lot more info on the secondary characters and they nicely fit into the ensemble she is creating. The third book, unfortunately , is not being released until next March. I don't know how I am going to wait a whole year for this! I am not sure how many books the author is planning on writing for this series, but I hope there are a few more books coming in the future. I put this book as my Fantasy book in my 25 book challenge. 

reading tonight and Dear Book Nerd

So tonight as I snuggle up against the cold and drink a glass of wine I am reading Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb. I really love this series. it is one of my favorite series. And that is not very hard to believe since I am reading the 34th book in the series. I love the way she describes her characters and how they interact with each other. This series is just really fun and entertaining. So that is what I will be reading to make me feel better after a very long day at work.

As I was listening to the latest podcast from Book Riot they announced another book podcast. It is called Dear Book Nerd. I listened to the first show and it was delightful. I subscribed to it already. It will be released every other week right now. So I was super excited about that. The show is an advice column revolving around books...which is very cool!

I also caved and put in an order for the book box that Book Riot does. This is the second book box that they will be releasing. So I will be getting that in March. So I am pretty excited about that.

Jim Henson and book riot

So I got my copy of Jim Henson The Biography by Brian Jay Jones in the mail today. I am very excited to read this book. I need to finish the book I am reading now first, but I am glad I got it. It wasn't one I could find easily and so I decided to buy it while I was thinking about it. I am a very large Jim Henson fan. I love the Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock, just to mention his shows. I have read some things about him and find his life very interesting. We had an exhibit come to the Museum of Natural History about Jim Hanson and we got to see some real Muppets and drawings. So I am excited to learn more about this amazing man.

I also have to add that I am loving the Book Riot podcasts. I have been listening to them and they are full of really interesting book information and discussion. If you are interested in learning more about what is going on in the world of books this podcast is amazing. There is an app for it and you can get it on itunes.

Review for Heat Wave

So last time I went to the library I picked up a couple of audio books. I just finished the first one yesterday. Now to start off I would like to say that I am a huge Castle fan. I love the show and the actors. So the fact that the show has a character who is a writer, really makes my life. So I have been meaning to read Heat Wave by Richard Castle for quite a while now. So when I saw it at the library I thought I would give it a try.

Now the overall book I would give a 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it because I love the show. It was a cute read. The plot was a bit hit or miss for me, but overall not to bad. Now the audio book I would give 4 stars. This audio book is read by Johnny Heller. He was amazing. I loved how he read it and how he did all the voices. Right out of the gate I could follow him and he made the story very engaging.

Johnny Heller does not do the next book in the series, but he does the ones after that. So I will be getting the next book on audio book and seeing how well I like that one.

Review for The Ocean at the End of the Lane

So today I finished Neil Gaiman's book The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Now this is the first book by Gaiman I have read. I have Stardust and Good Omens on my self waiting to be read. But I selected this one because I have heard a lot of good things about it. I finished it today and I have it two out of five stars on Goodreads. I thought the novel was a bit slow and I didn't particularly care for the characters. I was hoping it would pick up as the story went on, but it wasn't all that interesting for me. I guess the story wasn't what I was expecting. Looking at the reviews a lot of people have loved this book. I would recommend trying it, especially if you are a Neil Gaiman fan. I would not recommend this book to be the first one you start with for this author however. 

My goal is to read another one of his books this year so I can get a better feel for his writing and storytelling. I also have a couple of his comic books to read. I would love to hear some of the books you like by Neil Gaiman. 

Access to books and audio books

So I have seen a lot of debates and talk back and forth about e-readers vs print books. I have owner a Nook since they came out with the 1st generation. I recently updated my Nook Simple Touch to their new Nook Glowlight. I wanted an e-reader that had a back light. I also have an IPad mini which is where I read my library books and my iBooks, Kindle, and my Barnes and Noble e-books. Now I do still read a lot of print books as well. here is how I decide which medium to use. The first thing I look at is price. If it is on sale or a lot cheaper as an e-book, then I buy it for my Nook. I buy most of my books through Barnes and Noble since I have their e-reader. My Kindle and iBooks libraries are mostly free books that I come across. I get a lot of those from Book Bub. You set up your account and tell them what you like to read and which devices you read on. I also use coupons and discounts through websites to see which is the best way to buy the book.

Now I read a lot of books. So this has lead me to look into other ways to get books. I have started going to the library more to take out books and audio books. I am looking into Oyster which lets you read any books you want in their library for 9.95 a month. So even if I read one book a month from them it is paid for. I heard a pretty good review on it on the Book Riot podcast. This will be a service I check out later this year while I try to read through the books I already have on my shelf. I am also looking into doing audible. I will be worth the $15 dollars a month to get the audio books. I am not always able to find audio books I want to listen to at the library. So this will give me more options in that regard. I have been listening to more audio books lately and I am enjoying listening to them when I am in the car or doing chores. So those are some things I am looking into to see if I can save some money in the long run.

Reading Progess

So tonight I am evaluating what I have read so far this year. As we are midway into January I am actually very proud of my progress. While I am not a terribly fast reader I have been trying to spend more time reading. So far I have read 5 books: Ghost Story, Cold Days, Wonder, Manuscript Found in Accra, and The Invention of Wings.  I have enjoyed most of the books I have read so far. I have found making a goal of reading at least 50 pages a day helps me stay on track. I also have been focusing on one book at a time as opposed to reading multiple books at once. I am trying to stay focused on one book at a time and see if that helps me finish more books. Know, I have been doing an audio book and reading a book. So usually I have 2 going. One in the car and one I am reading. I am half way through Heat Wave by Richard Castle and almost half of the way through The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I am enjoying both very much. So next week I am hoping to post two new reviews.

Review of The Invention of Wings

So I just finished the book The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I liked it, but I was actually expecting to like it more. i loved the beginning of the novel. I thought she had strong character development and it was very interesting. But as the book went on I felt it got a bit slow. I was hoping it would pick up again but I felt myself not very interested in the later part of the book. I did greatly enjoy the chapters going back and forth between Sarah and Handful. It added an intriguing element to the novel to see it from both point of view. I liked the characters in the book and the writing style. I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars on goodreads. I liked the book I just didn't love it. I do have Sue Monk Kidd's other books and I am planning on reading them to see if I prefer them.

New books

So the other night I went to Barnes and Noble and got a couple books I had heard people talking about. So when I picked up The Invention of Wings I picked up a couple of new reads. I am trying to stay on top of newer releases. I am usually behind in new titles and this year I want to be more informed on newer titles. So I picked up The Impossible Knife by Laurie Halse Anderson, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I have heard great things about the last two titles so I decided to snag them. I bought the first one because I am a huge Laurie Halse Anderson fan. I love her books.Winter Girls is my favorite book by her. I actually took it out of the library at my school and I really want to buy a copy of it for my personal library.

I am very excited to start one of my new books once I finish The Invention of Wings. I should be able to finish that book this weekend and start another one on my to read shelf.