A couple months ago I had said I was planning to cut down on the amount of audiobooks I was listening to in exchange for physical reading. I did for a bit, but then I slipped right back into listening to audiobooks all the time because they paired well with the projects I’ve been working on. I am still making an effort to spend more time reading physically, because I do enjoy it and don’t make enough time for it. However, I don’t think I’ll be getting away from audiobooks for a while and that’s ok because I enjoy them too.
Last month, I read some of my TBR, but I also picked up some newer books I’ve been waiting to get to as well as a series I keep hearing wonderful things about and wanted to see what all the fuss was about for myself. A total of 16 books, including seven books from a single series and two DNFs.
From The TBR:
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. MartinLast Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick RothfussBad Cree by Jessica Johns
Thistlefoot by Moses GennaRose Nethercott
The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
The Starbucks Experience by Joseph A. Michelli
New Venture Management by Donald F. Kuratko and Jeffrey S Hornsby
Einstein a Life by Denis Brian
Everything I Finished:
Infinity Gate
The Pandominion, book 1
by M.R. Carey
The first installment in what is looking to be a big sci-fi story, I loved this. I wish we got a little more with the ending, but it definitely left me wanting more from these character and this world in a good way.
Every Heart a Doorway
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Beneath the Sugar Sky
In an Absent Dream
Come Tumbling Down
Across the Green Grass Fields
Where the Drowned Girls Go
Wayward Children, books 1-7
by Seanen McGuire
I keep hearing great things about both this series and this author, so I read the first seven books. The concept of people returning from portal fantasy worlds and waiting for a way to return to them is interesting, but I didn’t care much for the writing. I doubt I’ll return to this series or author in the future, but at least now I know.
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
by Sarah Pinsker
A short story written in the form of a website comment section where users discuss the meaning of an old folksong. This was such a cool setup and an interesting look at people interacting with one another online while trying to work out the origin of an old song with uncertain history.
Bad Cree
by Jessica Johns
A supernatural horror with strong themes of family and community, this had a nice balance of tense, dangerous scenes and everyday family life. I liked that this told a compelling story with more of a slowburn horror always looming in the background and building up to the climax.
The Book of Gothel
by Mary McMyne
The backstory of Mother Gothel, the evil witch from Rapunzel. I think these types of stories are really appealing, imagining classic villains with more substance and motivation than they may have had in the original story. I didn’t find the ending of this to be super satisfying, but I enjoyed the majority of the story and liked the writing.
Thistlefoot
by GennaRose Nethercott
I DNFd this one almost halfway into it. The overall plot of the mystery surrounding the weird, magical house and the dangerous man trying to track it down was interesting, but I didn’t connect with either of the siblings that are the center of the story and it was getting to feel like a chore to continue on with this one.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde, book 1
by Heather Fawcett
I loved this. I was really on the fence about reading this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked Emily as the main character, her relationships with her only friend and the people of the town she was staying, and the research she was working on. I’m not generally into fae stories, but this one approached the topic in a way that really worked for me.
Nocturne
by Alyssa Wees
This was my other DNF. I think I read about 20%. Honestly, this one was exactly what I was expecting, but it was also the type of story I don’t typically go for. While its dreamlike, lyrical writing suited the story perfectly, it’s a style I struggle to connect with most of the time. I put this down before getting too deep into the plot, so I imagine things gear up a bit further in than I got.
Song of Blood & Stone
Earthsinger Chronicles, book 1
by L. Penelope
This book had such an interesting world, magic system, and politics, but none of those things are explored much at all. The story focuses on a particular romance that was doing nothing for me while mostly ignoring everything else. I knew there was going to be romance going into this, but I didn’t expect it to be basically the entire story. This one was not for me.
A Dance with Dragons
A Song of Ice and Fire, book 5
by George R.R. Martin
I’m all caught up on this series now. Such a huge world full of many complex characters. I’ve had a lot of fun reading these books and seeing everything develop and expand. The series may not be finished yet, but I’m glad I read it.
LessthanThreeD 