May The Force Read With You 2023 – Thoughts and Experience

For the last two months I have been hard at work at organizing my reading with interesting reading challenges. This May it was a time for May The Force Read With You again. I participated back in 2021. and you can check how it went HERE.

My TBR and preparation post for this years challenge can be found HERE.

As always, I encourage you to check out the reading challenge creator at Breakeven Books HERE and give him some much deserved love.

This year the concept of the challenge was more about creating a character and choosing your adventure than just reading books that fit an imagined prompt that goes well with Star Wars theme.

One notable difference from my TBR in 2021. and in 2023. is the sheer number of books I choose to read for the challenge. Where in 2021. I had read five books, this year I went above and beyond and read an amazing twelve books. This reading challenge helped me to get back on a higher number of books read in general and it was fun and exciting to read trough some books I had on my shelf for quite some time.

Before I go into my character and my options I would like to take a quick look at some stats:

For this reading challenge I have read a total of 12 books!

12 books I’ve read had a total of 3229 pages.

From 12 books 7 were a paper copy from my own shelf, 3 were paper copies from the library and 2 were digital editions.

Here are the book prompts that helped me create my character:

Cetaganda (Vorkosigan Saga #6) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★

1 & 2 – Drain Knowledge: Read a book over 600 pages. Counts as 2 ability prompts. (Dark Side)

Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff ★★★★★

3 – Telekinesis: If Jedi, do a dark side ability prompt; if Sith, do a light side ability prompt. (Neutral)

Light Side Plant Surge: Read a book with nature on the cover

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Mellisa Bashardoust ★★★★

4 – Doppelganger: Do a re-read. (Neutral)

Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★★★

5 – Memory Walk: Read a book that came out 15+ years ago. (Dark Side)

Ethan of Athos (Vorkosigan saga #7) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★

Lightsaber – Look at a color wheel. Read a book with the opposite of your favorite color

The Siege of Cadanla (Elfes#9) by Éric Corbeyran, Gwendal Lemercier (Artist), Diogo Saito (Cover Art), Christina Cox-De Ravel (Translator), DigiKore Studios (Colorist) ★★★★★

Blaster – Read a book in a different spot every time you pick it up to read it.

Anaïs Nin – Sur la mer des mensonges by Léonie Bischoff ★★★★

Space Ship – Read a book that has a vehicle on the cover.

Brothers in Arms (Miles Vorkosigan Saga #8) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★★

Bounty Hunters – Read a book that’s recently caught your attention.

King of Libertines (Sea of Ruin #0.5) by Pam Godwin ★★

Droids – Read a book with no people on the cover.

Ar-Men. L’Enfer des enfers by Emmanuel Lepage ★★★★★

First Order – Read a book with a prologue

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhause #13) by Charlaine Harris ★★★

Galactic Empire – Read a book with over 3 people on the cover.

Les Vieux Fourneaux (#1-4) by Wilfrid Lupano and Paul Cauuet ★★★★★

This is what my character sheet looks like:

Again, I have not been active in any reading sprints or activities. I made a few posts on the Discord channel of the group and asked a few questions. That was the height of my interaction. Since the first book I read was the longest – Empire of the Vampire with over 700 pages, It took me more than the whole first week to read it and only then did I realize that this time there were no tracking and writing in what we had read. Usually there is a Google form to fill in and afterwards creators get a bunch of reading data to display and summarize in case of group contests and in order to track how many books people read during a challenge in general.

I’ve read a great number of books I’ve enjoyed for this reading challenge and I am happy to have participated!

Monthly reading review – May 2023.

This May I have read:

Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff ★★★★★

Cetaganda (Vorkosigan Saga #6) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★

Ethan of Athos (Vorkosigan saga #7) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★

Brothers in Arms (Miles Vorkosigan Saga #8) by Lois MacMaster Bujold ★★★★★

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Mellisa Bashardoust ★★★★

Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★★★

The Siege of Cadanla (Elfes#9) by Éric Corbeyran, Gwendal Lemercier (Artist), Diogo Saito (Cover Art), Christina Cox-De Ravel (Translator), DigiKore Studios (Colorist) ★★★★★

Anaïs Nin – Sur la mer des mensonges by Léonie Bischoff ★★★★

King of Libertines (Sea of Ruin #0.5) by Pam Godwin ★★

Ar-Men. L’Enfer des enfers by Emmanuel Lepage ★★★★★

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhause #13) by Charlaine Harris ★★★

Les Vieux Fourneaux (#1-4) by Wilfrid Lupano and Paul Cauuet ★★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

In May I have read 12 TWELVE books total! I am very happy with this amount. I helped myself with an assortment of graphic novels but I am still happy with how I did!

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in May? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

There were many books I was happy about in May. I suppose that in May all the books I’ve read had a special treatment since I am still high on endorphins from so much reading and my rating has been a lot higher than usual! Among all the books I’ve read I decided to pick out two that have made the best impression: The Siege of Cadanla and Les Vieux Fourneaux. Both are graphic novels by mostly French authors. First one is fantasy and second is contemporary.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

My least enjoyable read in whole month of May was King of Libertines (Sea of Ruin #0.5) by Pam Godwin. Maybe it is because I simply cant get into mood for reading smut and maybe it was the hideous phrases like “unholy intrusion” that were the opposite of sexy to me. I am glad I did not buy the physical copy of this book like I was considering when BD was closing down…

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

My biggest reading plan was to read all the books I needed for May The Force Read With You 2023. All the books I have read in May are from that reading challenge TBR. This month I made a break from Buddy reading challenge and picked up some books from the library in order to fit the prompts for the reading challenge alone.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

May was a great month for reading book series! More than half the titles I’ve read in May were part of a series. I finished a book series I started very long ago and did not like how it ended in the last book – Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhause #13) by Charlaine Harris. I started two new book series I plan to continue Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff and Les Vieux Fourneaux (#1-4) by Wilfrid Lupano and Paul Cauuet. I reread a favorite in Serbian edition Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton and had a blast with all the translated phrases and names. And what I am especially happy about I managed to read three books from Miles Vorkosigan saga!

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

Lately I have been enjoying a lot of graphic novels made by French authors! Modern graphic novels that cater to adult audiences and cover a wide range of serious themes. I find it enjoyable and contemplative when I am confronted with a visual representation of the theme and characters I am reading about. So my recommendation from May is to enjoy more graphic novels marketed for adults be it manga or more western formats.

Final thoughts on May 2023 reading

This May I have used a reading challenge TBR to up my reading and make myself read more in general with outstanding success! I would have to dig deep to check the previous months I have read this many books in a single month. I understand that I will probably have trouble reading at this pace for longer periods. For this reason I am already planning on a month with a more manageable reading plan. May was exciting reading month and I finally got to reading some books that were on my TBR for quite some time. There are some books I have read in May that will probably leaving my bookshelf for good. Finding out that my local library has a good selection of graphic novels was a useful information and a pleasant surprise and I will try to read more of their collection in the future months.

May 2023 was a great reading month and I hope that I will be able to keep up with it in June!

Monthly reading review – April 2023.

This April I have read:

Wolf Brother ( Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1) by Michelle Paver ★★★★

Biblioteka by Zoran Živković ★★★★

Smolder (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book 29.) by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Croatian edition) ★★★★

The Word for World Is Forest ( Hainish Cycle Series ) by Ursula Le Guin ★★★★

Le Diable amoureux by Jacques Cazotte ★★★

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer ★★★★★

Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J. D. Robb ★★★

Hellboy in Hell by Mike Mignola ★★★★

The Last Shadow (Elfes #8) by Olivier Peru, Christina Cox-De Ravel(Translator), Stéphane Bileau (Illustrator), Luca Merli (Colourist) ★★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

This April I have read 10 books! This puts me into double digits for the first time in a very long time!. The fact that Spring is usually my least successful reading season makes this a great feat indeed. I am pleased and hopeful for the rest of my reading year!

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in April? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

The most wholesome book for me this month was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. The epistolary form was a lot more easygoing and faster to read than I anticipated. I was prepared to be stressed because of the theme and expected to be traumatized by this book a bit. That did not happened. Instead I got a warm and tragic story with historical and human elements that promotes the benefit of socialization and bibliotherapy. The cover is sugary and deceiving in part.

I was delighted with The Last Shadow (Elfes #8) so much! It was short by bookish standards – around 50+ pages in digital form, yet the story was overwhelmingly rich and impactful. I love the worldbuilding that pours out of the every new volume of the series and always wonder about me not remembering all the detail from the previous volumes so I can appreciate it more. Also the visuals and artwork are beautiful to me!

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

There were three books in April that I rated 3 out of 5 stars. One of them had a very old style since it was published in 1772. and thematically I don’t think it aged very well. The other two were a case of high expectations that were not met. I hate it when I want to like the book and then get let down.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

I managed to read all I the books I planned to read in April and even added two more to catch up with those double digits I was hoping to read up to. Finishing those planes gave me energy and elation to make more plans and to read more.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

Considering that over half of all the books I’ve read in April were part of a book series of some sort I am pleased with how well I did with them. I sampled three new authors and their book series. Two out of those three were above my expectations: Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1) by Michelle Paver and The Word for World Is Forest (Hainish Cycle Series ) by Ursula Le Guin. I did not plan on reading more from those but will now need to revise my plans. Smolder (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book 29.) by Laurell K. Hamilton was a book I really wanted to love and while I was really invested in it, the experience as a whole was less than desired. Only good thing was that it made me up to date with the book series a lot sooner since I even decided to get the hardcover copy as soon as it was available with the preorder option. I will need to read more from both Hellboy and Elfes graphic novel series as well.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

As always I would like to recommend this months favorites: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and The Last Shadow (Elfes #8). The most underrated books I would also like tor recommend are: Wolf Brother  (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1) by Michelle Paver and The Word for World Is Forest (Hainish Cycle Series) by Ursula Le Guin. The first one is a middle grade historical fantasy series with some darker elements and the other is a science fiction classic author that everyone should try reading more.

Final thoughts on April 2023 reading

April was invigorating for my reading. I managed to catch up with my reading plans where only last month I was so very behind on making the light sixty books by the end of the year I set for myself as a goal. This has made me hopeful and eager to make more reading plans and organize my reading for May and further on for the whole year. I am looking for possible reading challenges to participate in and even starting to get more into Orillium reading adventure. I already put up my reading plan for May and you can check it out HERE. It is an ambitious plan and I will need you to wish me luck in achieving it!

Monthly reading review – March 2023.

This March I have read:

Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick ★★★

The Cat who saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa ★★★★★

Demon in the Wood (Grishaverse, #0) by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pendergast ★★★★★

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab ★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

I have read only 4 books in March. For the most part the books were shiny XD – all except Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick had some shiny cover art. I wish I’ve read more but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab too a lot longer than expected.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in March? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

The Cat who saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa was almost a cathartic experience. I got really emotional reading it by the end even though I realized what the plot is going to be like from the start of the book. I am actually tearing up a little just remembering it…

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

I had some high expectations from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Maybe too high. The book was long and I got annoyed by it quite often. I kept getting stuck with the idea of a someone who is “invisible” trough so much history and I kept having ideas how Addie’s curse could be overcome in creative ways. This way of thinking while reading got me stuck and not enjoying the book often. To make matters worse I could not find a connection to the characters and their motivation enough to find them likable.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

I got two more books in for Buddy Readathon done which is amazing! The rest of my plans involved catching up some more on The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas (that book is still my nemesis!) which sadly did not happen…

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

I did not progress on any of the many book series I am currently in the middle of and I have already taken steps to remedy that in April!

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

I think I need more authors from non-English speaking territories just to get a little more perspective on things…

Final thoughts on March 2023 reading

This time of the year has been a low period for reading for a few years now. There is something about Spring that makes me slow to wake from slumber or prone to being more sleepy I guess.

Four books a month is still keeping me behind on making my reading goal for the year and I will need to do better in April!

Reading update January/February 2023.

Life happens…

Life is what happens while we are busy making plans. While I was making great reading plans at the beginning of January – life happened. I got sick and it took quite some time to heal and get better. I had problems with my daily life and reading was not something I could do easily. I am just glad that this is all behind me and I hope to catch up to my usual reading schedule and maybe spice things up with some interesting reading challenges as well! I did managed to read few books in the last two months and I am slowly picking up the pace with some great new books from my own bookshelf – just because I could not read it doesn’t mean I did not buy some new books!

Books I’ve read in January and February 2023.

The Cat who saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa ★★★★

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6) by Martha Wells ★★★★★

The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology #1) by Holly Black ★★★★★

The Sellout by Paul Beatty ★★

Ruination: A League of Legends Novel by Anthony Reynolds ★★★★

1. How many books have you read last two months? Are you happy with the amount you read?

Reading only five books in two months period would normally be a very bad score for me. But all things considered I am happy with the books I’ve read.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in January and February? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

Going back to Holly Black’s world was as exciting and enjoyable as much as I hoped it would be. The Stolen Heir was like a balm after all the issues I had to deal with in the last two months and I loved every second of it. Deliciously dark and a total guilty pleasure! How will I wait for the next book?

Ruination: A League of Legends Novel was a nice surprise for me. I did not expect to enjoy mentions of all the characters from the game so much and I am glad I got this book!

3. Were there any not so good books for you last two months? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

Not surprisingly the only book I had more trouble reading trough was book club pick. Sad thing is that I was the one who picked the book! My main issue with The Sellout was that it was marketed and promoted as a comedy and satire. My expectations were not met in that regard and the author’s writing style required more concentration than I could offer at the time. At the book club meeting we all pretty much agreed that the book was a lot more difficult than we all expected.

4. How did the books you were reading last two months fit in your reading plans if you had any?

My plans went out the window after first week of January! What I did manage to do is find some good books to get my reading modjo back. Two of the books read were part of the Buddy readathon for this year so at least in that regard I am up to schedule!

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

I find it bittersweet that I have read the last published book in the Murderbot Dairies series. The Stolen Heir is a first book in duology and since it was published earlier this year I am in for a long wait for the next book…

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last two months?

Basically out of five books I have read in the last two months I would recommend four. They have exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed them for different reasons.

Final thoughts on January and February 2023 reading

I am looking forward to making new reading plans. Regardless of the outcome and my reading results I like making plans to read. They make me energetic and excited for the future. I want to look forward to the future and great books I have yet to read!

So many books – December 2022

Books I’ve read in December 2022

Donjodravska obala by Drago Hedl ★★★

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan ★★★★

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo ★★★★

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood ★★★★★

Sword of Destiny (The Witcher #0.7) by Andrzej Sapkowski ★★★★

House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3) by Diana Wynne Jones ★★★

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff ★★★★★

Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff ★★★★

Shift (Shifters, #5) by Rachel Vincent ★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

2022 in general has been a rough year for me. I have been reading sporadically at best and the December was the month with most books read for me – a total of 9 books. I am happy with the amount but did not really reach my goal for December (more on that at the question number 4)

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in December? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

There were two books that helped keep my spirits up and get my reading modjo back. First was The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. While there were often some cringey moments while I was reading the comic situations did help with my mood and I have enjoyed reading it quite a bit too. Second five star book for me in December was Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I got the first two books totally unplanned on a book fair Interliber in Zagreb in October 2022. I was a bit worried about the space theme and it was actually a test to see if I would like Jay Kristoff’s writing style. It turns out as just what I needed: variety of lovable characters, enough drama between them to launch into space and enough action to keep me reading the second book right after it!

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

The two books I enjoyed reading the least in December were (AGAIN) my book club pick for December – Donjodravska obala by Drago Hedl and House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3) by Diana Wynne Jones. The first one was a bit of a downer with a historical theme and more than one character that were victims to a time and politics of the world they lived in. The hardest part about reading it was the setting of the story is just a few houses down from the place I live in now and the book had some historically accurate portrayals that hit too close to home for me. Not a bad book or story just not something I would read for pleasure. The second book should have been a total opposite of that since its is a teen book with magical setting and the last book in the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy. For some reason the main character was not really endearing to me and not even Howl and Sophie could not help with my impression of the book. It just felt too childish at times while some parts of the book seemed culturaly foreign to me – like if I grew up in Great Britain I would have a better understanding of the motivation of the characters and some parts of the book. I just could not bridge that gap…

Again, three star does not make these bad books at all just the ones I liked reading the least in December!

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

I challenged myself for a total of 9 books for the Reindeer Readathon in December and since 2 of the books I’ve read were actually not part of the Reindeer Readathon Challenge 2022. I did not read all the books I’ve wanted to read in December. 2 have been totally left out and the third one was only finished on the first day of January – but I’m still counting it here for a more positive outcome on my reading experience.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

There were quite a bit updates on the books series for me in December! Starting a new book series and reading trough two thirds of it right away with The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I even ordered the third book right after I finished reading the second one. Shifters #5 by Rachel Vincent has come down to only one book in the series left to finish the whole series which is a bittersweet experience. The book reminded me how much I enjoy my urban fantasy book series with lots of action and good female protagonist! I have finished the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy by Diana Wynne Jones and while it was not a bad book series I will hold off on acquiring new books by the same author since I could not get into the setting anymore. And the last book series update was for The Witcher #0.7 by Andrzej Sapkowski. This book series I am progressing on a one book a year slow pace since it is a part of a Buddy readathon with a friend – more on that in the next update post (there will be several to note on the books I’ve read in 2022 and the reading challenges in general because while I have not been making posts for a whole year I have been reading and participating in creative bookish things through the year)

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

My two five star reads in December I have been very skeptical about before starting to read them. The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff I started on as a part of getting the feel to read The Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff which is a really big book I got a while ago and I really wanted to like it. I am much more confident about liking it and hope to get into it this year!

In that regard my recommendation is to give an author a try by learning more about the writing style and more than one book they have out there, if unsure, explore further.

Second read was a book I actually thought I would not like since it had a printed on sticker to label it as The TikTok Sensation. That kind of promo did not really sit well with me but I liked the them and I was in need of a feel good book with a nice ending. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood gave me more than I expected in that. So again my recommendation is that you sometimes need to give authors and stories a chance in spite the marketing that is attached to them.

Final thoughts on December 2022 reading

My reading December 2022 has helped me end the year on a high note and while I still have some regrets and some books I would have loved to squeeze in, I think I did well. Most of the books I read in December 2022 I rated very high and enjoyed reading more than I expected it to. As a whole this month gave me the push I needed to continue with posting about books and bookish things, my reading experiences and sharing the things I enjoy trough this platform.

I am making plans for more updates and sharing of books I’ve read in 2022 and I feel good about reading again which makes December 2022 a good month!

December Book Warp Up 2021

Monthly reading review – December 2021

This December I have read:

Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2) by Diana Wynne Jones ★★★★

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi ★★★

Polaris poslednji grad by Snežana Kanački ★★

Čitam da se pročitam by Miha Kovač ★★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

I have been totally beaten down by work and a whole week being sick that I managed to read only 4 books for the whole December. At this time I am not happy with how many books I have read and in life in general.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in December? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

I read less books in December but strangely enough there were some memorable parts in all of them. I liked the character dynamic from The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi even though the setting was not something I could get into no matter how hard I tried. Polaris poslednji grad by Snežana Kanački gave me Wayward Pines vibes all the way and this kind of futuristic view of the future is very intriguing to me in an evolutionary sense. Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2) by Diana Wynne Jones proved to be better than expected and I loved how the character from the first book were incorporated in this one. The dialogue was particularly entertaining. Čitam da se pročitam by Miha Kovač is a book about love of reading and those always warm my heart! This last one was also my best book for December.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

The reasons I gave 2 stars to Polaris poslednji grad by Snežana Kanački was because the book was so very short that the lack of depth for characters and world building was acutely apparent. The characters were the least impressive and I could not find a single one that felt interesting enough to keep my attention.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

All the books I have read this December were part of my Reindeer Readathon 2021. I did not read trough all the books I have set for myself for that. Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2) by Diana Wynne Jones was the last book for my Buddy reading challenge for 2021. and I hope to write more about all the books I read with my friend in 2021. and about all the books we picked to read in 2022.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

Two out of four books were part of a series. Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2) by Diana Wynne Jones I hope to continue in 2022. with House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3) by Diana Wynne Jones. I have the book ready and waiting on my shelf and feel a lot more excited about reading it after Castle in the Air. The other one I had very high hopes for: The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi. I even put it down as a 5 star prediction! There was something about the setting that I just could not get into.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

With the year end and my over the top reading plans not fullfilled, I am left with evaluating my free time and reading plans for next year. In accordance with this my recommendation from December is to get ready for more surprises and give more chances to new authors!

Final thoughts on December 2021 reading

From December I have a pile of books left I wanted to read for Reindeer Readathon 2021 and the sad part is I am eager to read most of them. I will utilize these to create a reading TBR for January. I have lost half of the month to no reading at all and really do not like the result. Creating a fine balance between work and my reading plans is going to be a challenge and I might find myself with some disheartening results for the first few months of 2022. as well. December was busy and I did not take the time to contemplate. My sole desire from this December is to try for more, read more, do more, laugh more, enjoy more and experience more.

November Book Warp Up 2021

Monthly reading review – November 2021

This November I have read:

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice ★★★★★

Bajki robotów by Stanisław Lem ★★★★

Things Fall Apart ( The African Trilogy #1 ) by Chinua Achebe ★★★

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers ★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

I’m going to go with three and a half books read in November because I’ve finished the last one in December. I am not happy with the amount and I blame work, stress and being sick 😦 I am even unusually late with this monthly reading review for the same reasons!

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in November? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice was definitely the best book I’ve read in November! There are some scenes I kept comparing to the movies and I really enjoyed this book so much I am even hyped for the next book in The Vampire Chronicles! There were a lot more historical details to this book than I expected and it was so much better for it. It was even an expiring to read about some of the locations because in the midst of the global pandemic we are currently living I wanted to be able to travel.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

Things Fall Apart ( The African Trilogy #1 ) by Chinua Achebe was the least favorite book I’ve read in November. It was not horrible or even bad – it’s just that it did not make for a great reading experience for me personally. I am glad to have read it since it was on my TBR for years. The depths and cultural innuendos were all very clear but my mind kept wanting to read about more magical and more comforting things.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

I tried to take the November off from any reading plans and clear out my TBR. This did not turn out as I wanted since I have still not read trough Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology #1) by Stephen Fry and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The first one I keep finding disappointing because of the style of writing since I expected something either more serious or more funny. And the second one is starting to really weigh on me since I have been postponing the reading for over a year now. I’m around 400 pages in and still have about 700 left to read trough. The small font and the sheer number of pages are disheartening.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

The read trough The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice was the only progress with many book series I still have on my TBR. Foolishly I think I’ve made my reading plans for next year a bit too early since I’ve put off many of the book series for next year. For December I actually had problems finding a standalone book to read so I expect to do a bit better in this regard.

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

Stay healthy and read books at your own pace! Also Anne Rice is so underrated at the moment!

Final thoughts on November 2021 reading

Small amount of books I’ve read in November made me start facing the fact that I will not reach my reading goal for this year. I am behind in every aspect and I feel very bothered by this. It just felt like one of those months that leach energy just to go on from one day to the next. Books used to be a comfort and something to look forward to but the failure to reach my reading goals and balance the new work schedule is starting to take it’s toll. I did get a nice pile of new books I was looking forward to and hope to write about them soon to try and focus on something nice and positive.

October Book Warp Up 2021

Monthly reading review – October 2021

This October I have read:

Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola ★★★★

Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton et al ★★★

Alien ( Alien Movie Novelizations #1 ) by Alan Dean Foster ★★★

Stoner by John Williams ★★

Jebo sad hiljadu dinara by Boris Dežulović ★★★★

1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

I decided to count in one book I finished in November here and my book total with it is 5 books. This is obviously less than I had hoped but thinking on the at least two weeks of no reading at all in October I am unusually OK with this number. I remember when I would be a lot more upset with myself for reading only 5 (4,5) books for the whole month.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in October? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola was very impressive. I did not expect to like it so much at all. At first glance the artwork seemed dark and heavy but for some reason it strangely fit – maybe October mood had something to do with it. The forewords to both chapters, the artwork guide and all the extras that went with the edition I have are really adding value to my reading experience.

3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

Stoner by John Williams was the first book of the month and a book club reading pick. I did not appreciate the heavy and depressing setting of the book. It was a real downer and I never like those in general. Its not my type of a story and I look for a little bit more magic in my book picks.

4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

All the books I have read in October were part of a reading challenge plan. The obvious thing is I had planned for more. I am torn between wanting to add more diversity into my reading or adding more comfort picks. Lately it seems like I miss comfort picks and random reads more and more. This is making me rethink my plans for the end of the year as well. I have been left with 3 not read books out of 8 books I have planned to read in October.

5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

I started with reading Hellboy finally! I am now more motivated to get the rest of them as well. I am happy with getting them at a slower pace. All other many book series I am currently reading I did not manage to fit into this October…

6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

Lately I have been pulling out some books that were hidden and forgotten on my bookshelves as well as reading some library books that were on my TBR for ages. Now I have four books I am in the middle of reading of and my interest in them varies from time to time. The book look very Autumn appropriate in color. I can see my tastes books changing and I am glad for that. My recommendation based on October is to question the books on long TBR often and read the quirky books more!

Final thoughts on October 2021 reading

I am not entirely pleased with my reading total this October. I had plans for more but am trying to look at it from a positive perspective and focus on the genres of the books I have read. My reading piles include more and more library books, and even with that I still have some books from my own bookshelves that are filling me with a sense of accomplishment. The only thing that really worries me is that the book Empire of the Vampire ( Empire of the Vampire #1 ) by Jay Kristoff that I foolishly expected back in September has still not arrived. I keep including it in my reading plans for two months in a row and it feels demotivating. I keep giving it more time to arrive but will probably have to write back to Book Depository and ask what happened. I keep stalling for this because I don’t want my money back – I want the book to be here!

As the year is almost done I am trying to make some plans and review my reading goals for the 2021. I make take a one month break from Bookopoly in November and use that time to make a list of books I want to read by the end of the year. More on those plans in a separate post soon. At the moment I have a bigger pile of the books I am in the middle of reading than the pile of the books I have read in October!

September Book Warp Up 2021

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Monthly reading review – September 2021

This September I have read:

Les Hirondelles de Kaboul by Yasmina Khadra ★★★

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor ★★★★

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor ★★★★

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells ★★★★★

Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning ★★★

Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)by Kerri Maniscalco ★★★

The Crystal of the Wood Elves (Elfes #7) by Nicolas Jarry, Gianluca Maconi, Christina Cox-De Ravel ★★★

Half the World (Shattered Sea #2) by Joe Abercrombie ★★★★

The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy #1) by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer ★★★★★

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch ★★★★

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1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?

This September was a busy month and I am surprised to have read ten books total. I am happy with the amount of books read and I am especially pleased with the variety of genres among the books I’ve read.

2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in September? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?

The biggest pleasant surprise in September was one of the last books I’ve finished in the month: The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy #1) by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer. A friend reader loves the K.F. Breene and I was surprised to find a translation in Croatian for this book. The best part of the book for me personally was a translation that did not suck! I could enjoy the book! The fast pace of the book was a welcome surprise and the language was fluently translated. This book hit all the right spots for me and considering I’ve went in not knowing much about it – I thought it was a children’s book, I am happy to report that I have trouble remembering the last time I enjoyed reading a translated book as much as this one! The angsty parts of the book were done just how I like them and now I am even thinking about buying a copy in Croatian and sign myself for further torture by waiting on the next book. The fact that I’m thinking about it says a lot and only those who had the misfortune of never having a book series translated till the end can fully understand why this is such a significant comment.

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3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?

It has been quite some time since I’ve read an urban fantasy book with the main character as unlikable and annoying as the one in Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning. I tried liking her and as soon as I could come to terms with one annoying thing two new popped up! What I did have a healthy respect for was that the story was not set on the romance and that the sole purpose of the main character was not to fall for the dark mysterious brooding guy – Jericho Barrons. For the better part of the book main character Mac was a typical privileged twenty two year old American that has never known any serious hardship in her life. Pink and glitter were not the annoying parts and the “she’s a rainbow” gig was at times refreshing. What killed this book series for me and made me not want to continue reading the rest of it was the last chapter where nothing made sense in lieu of what the characters did. Getting a manicure from the person she got the manicure from seemed like something that should have happened in a chaotic dream and not the cliffhanger plot it turned out to be. I’m glad I gave it a try and I would have tried giving this book series another try with the sequel but I just could not digest that last chapter…

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4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?

My plans for September were elaborate and I intentionally went to make it a real challenge by participating in two different book challenges with total amount of 13 books. I read 9 of the planned books. One of the books had to be replaced because Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff did not arrive (still waiting for it). Two of the books I started on and did not finish by the end of September – one: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology #1) by Stephen Fry was not what I expected and it is a very slow read; second: The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice I started reading literally on the last day of September which makes me want to scream so bad because the book is so interesting and engaging I would like to drop everything I have to do (including going to a new job) and just spend my time reading it! One of the books I put in my plans (Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe) was for the Orilium Magical readathon challenge as a book I am supposed to read until April next year which makes it not that big of a deal for not fitting in this month.

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5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?

This September I managed to start a new series and finish it – it is Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor duology (yes, its only two books in a “series” but I don’t care because it feels good and sounds cool to have this accomplishment) I’ve officially read all the Murderbot diaries books I have and I’am already making plans to get the next two! I read three books that were first in three new series and only one of those – The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy #1) by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer I plan to continue. I felt like I forced the The Crystal of the Wood Elves (Elfes #7) by Nicolas Jarry, Gianluca Maconi, Christina Cox-De Ravel and might have enjoyed it more had I just took my time with it. I plan to continue with this graphic novel series in the future at a casual pace.

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6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?

For September my recommendation is variety in genres with some casual sprinkle of the books and authors you know you will love and enjoy. Reading a good book gives me more energy and makes me more passionate in my search for the next great book. I love letting myself be surprised by actually liking the book I was thinking I would not like. Below is the pile of books I loved this September and recommend them to you to try out 🙂

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Final thoughts on September 2021 reading

September was a hard month for me since I have started working and my hours have made me more aware of the need to plan my time for books better. I find myself wanting to pick up a book more and read for enjoyment. It came as a total surprise when the books I though I would not like turned out to be awesome and something I can look forward to. I think I did good with the number of books total I have read and I am especially happy with the amount of different genres and topics I have read in September. Not all of the books I have read in September were something I would casually pick to read and enjoy but I am glad to have had an opportunity to experience reading the books that others think highly of and enjoy. In this way, I can report that I have grown as a reader enough to appreciate that, while some books are not my thing, they have a value outside the genres and topics I usually go for comfort reading. I consider these occasional excursions into genres and topics I consider “not my cup of tea” to be a good educational choice that gives me insight into how my reading personality evolves trough the years.

And how was your reading this last month?