Book Tag: The Mid-Year Freak Out

Holy cow, you guys! I cannot believe that half of the year has passed us by. It just doesn't feel like it should be June.

I'm having a really good reading year so far. I'm attributing some of that to the fact that I've gotten more organized and I use my handy dandy spreadsheet to keep me on track. It also helps that I've been more active in doing ARC reads, I've started listening to audiobooks, and I joined a local book club.


How Much I've Read

At the beginning of the year, I set my goal through Goodreads to complete 64 books for the year. That is just enough to fill a nice bracket for my Book of the Year Bracket Challenge next January. It was quite a lofty goal at that point, since I hadn't made it through more than 40 books in a year since waaaay back in 2014.

Well...apparently, it's not so lofty anymore. I have currently completed 44 books (67% of my goal) and I am 14 books ahead of schedule according to average pacing.

I'm incredibly pleased with this. I have already passed up my totals for the past 4 years and I'm well on my way to setting a record for the last decade of reading if I keep this up.

I really hit my stride in April, finishing 11 books in that month alone. Since then, I've done pretty well with smashing down my TBR each month. I'm at eight books for this month currently. I'm hoping to finish at least one more, if not two more before June ends.


What I've Been Reading

I am seriously loving my spreadsheet so much. Just check out these fun pie charts! I'm reading quite a bit of contemporary works, but it has also been a great year for a bounceback in my love for historical fiction and a continuation of my exploration into fantasy. I try and keep my reads varied, so this graph just helps me see if I'm staying true to being a fairly well rounded reader.

I'll actually be changing this graph slightly at the end of the month. I've been loving it so much that I've decided I need to branch out a specific category for magical realism reads.

I will admit that I'm a sucker for new books. The majority of my reads have been published in the last decade, with a HUGE chunk of them published within the last 2 years. While this is great for keeping me in the know with regard to new releases and the hot books of the moment, I do need to branch out a bit more and read some of my backlisted TBR. Something to work on for the remainder of the year...

This graph is getting better and better as the year goes on. I'm seeing more diversity in my reads and am nearing that 50% mark. I like exploring the variety of books that are out there. I'm also working on increasing my reading of translated works. I'm only at 4 translated works for the year so far, but I'm also hoping that this percentage will continue to increase.

And of course, most importantly, most of what I've read has been GOOD reading. The majority of my books have been at least three stars, with more than half being four stars or more. It's good to know that I've been efficient at using my reading time wisely.


Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag is a reading tag that has been used all around the blogosphere and BookTube for several years. It's a good way to show of the standouts that I've been reading so far this year.

Best Book You've Read So Far in 2019

I loved this book so much! The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison is the first in a trilogy. It's a dystopian read based upon the continuation of American society after a mysterious virus wipes out a large portion of the population in addition to causing childbirth to be largely deadly to both mothers and children. The writing is brash and charismatic and the main character is just plainly awesome. 

Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2019

Tamarack County was one of my book club reads and is actually #13 in William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series. I haven't been super into mysteries recently, but this one was pretty good. Even better, the ladies in the book club who have read some of his other books say that this one was actually one of his more meh reads. That makes me super excited to read more.


New Release You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To

I wasn't crazy excited about Daisy Jones & the Six when it first started to be THE book that all the book bloggers and vloggers were loving. But...then I listened to Taylor Jenkins Reid's short story Evidence of the Affair through my Amazon Prime account. I really enjoyed that one and knew I needed to read more of her work. Everyone keeps saying that this is among her best books yet, so that makes me pretty excited to get this one underway soon.


Most Anticipated Release for the 2nd Half of the Year

I am CRAZY excited for both of these reads. 

The Starless Sea is the next book by the Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus, which is one of my most favorite reads. It has been EIGHT years since I had that magnificence in my hot little hands and I cannot WAIT to read this as soon as it comes out in November. I don't buy a lot of books new, but this one is definitely on my list.

I am a huge fan of Margaret Atwood. I think she is an absolute genius of a person and a fantastic author to boot. The Testaments is an upcoming sequel to her crazy good The Handmaid's Tale which I read waaaaaay back in my high school days. I will need to be putting a reread of the original on my TBR for this year as well so that it's nice and fresh in my mind. This one may very well be a birthday present to myself when it comes out in September.

Biggest Disappointment

I very rarely DNF a book. I mean VERY rarely. I think I've only discarded a handful of books in my entire lifetime. So it was really difficult and painful for me to admit that Before Us Like a Land of Dreams just didn't have what I needed it to have in order to finish it. I gave it a pretty good shot, reading over 100 pages before I threw in the towel, but I couldn't make myself continue to the end.

Biggest Surprise

Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away by Trisha Slay revived my faith in ARCs. This one was so much more than I expected it to be. Beyond a crazy beautiful redesign on the cover, it was also a great read. Good writing, a fabulous protagonist, and a great YA plot, it was easy for me to give this one a full 5 stars.

My full review.


Favorite New Author (Debut or New to You)

I'm listing quite a few good authors in this post, but I wanted to give a shout out in this category to an author who is not mentioned in any of the other categories. Because why not give you guys one more great choice for your next fantastic read? Nick Spalding's irreverant and quirty humor in Checking Out was great. The primary topic of this novel is not necessarily a funny one, but Spalding makes it an incredibly enjoyable read with some peppered in laugh-out-loud moments. He's definitely an author I'll be reading more of.


Newest Fictional Crush

This pick was a little more difficult for me. I haven't read a lot of romantic books thus far this year, so there weren't really any good characters for me to necessarily crush on. Like, sure. But a crush needs more. I have two that might somewhat fit the bill. One would have been an easy pick for me in my twenties and one is a pick for a more "mature" me.

So...though he's sincerely flawed, I'm going with Kieran O'Connell from Rebekah Crane's The Upside of Falling Down. He's got something of a bad boy vibe, which never hurts, but he's not overly swoonworthy. Maybe he's just my literary style after all.

More akin to my more...adult? likings is Ramsay Urquart from Jenny Colgan's The Bookshop on the Shore. Again, nice and flawed, but he comes around. There are also such sweet and wonderful pieces. I don't think the setting of the book hurt things in the development of a crush scenario either. Plus...something about her description of him being this big and lumbering giant of a man does good things for me.


Newest Favorite Character

I was way behind the eight-ball on both of these, but I love how real these characters are. I am much more loving of a character who is honest and well-rounded than those who seem practically perfect in every way, maybe run into some troubles, but then have things work out for them. I like to read something that could be potential real life, I guess. And I like to see diversity in my reading.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a middle grade read that was published clear back in 2012. It's tragic and painful and adorable all at the same time. Auggie is such a strong character. He is just amazing. I know it's fiction, but I was in awe of this kid. This is a must read for tweens, teens, and anyone who has or works with kids.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy is the first in a two book series that was published just slightly more recently in 2015. Willowdean Dickson is brash and bold and marvelous...at least in her inner voice. I enjoy the journey she goes on. Starting out loving herself, then questioning herself, learning from her own mistakes, and then becoming someone so much greater than she began (and she was pretty good to begin with). This is another great YA read, though it's certainly likely to be more potentially powerful for girls between the ages of somewhere around 12 and 20. 

Book That Made You Cry

This is quite possibly the most heart-wrenching read for me so far this year. I don't really cry at books, and I didn't actually cry at this one, but my gosh this one got me right in the feels. The premise of After the End by Clare Mackintosh is so, so harrowing. And to know that it's based on the author's own personal experience...gah...gut punch. It's incredibly well-written, but man...this one hurt a bit.


Book That Made You Happy

I am a lifelong lover of anything Alice. She's my spirit animal. Ever Alice turns the whole lovely story of Alice in Wonderland right on it's head and brings it into a harder light. Something of a retelling and something of an imagined sequel, it is a fantastic read that has enough feeling of the original to make it nostalgic while bringing in a whole new view of the characters and their...capabilities. I loved this book and it will be one I put on my shelf for a future reread.

Favorite Book to Film Adaptation You've Seen This Year

I haven't actually seen ANY adaptations this year. My movie viewing has been nearly nil. But...of the adaptations out there, this is the one I want to see the most. I loved Lara Jean and I've heard good things. One of these days I'll take advantage of naptime and turn on the Netflix.


Favorite Review You've Written This Year

I've been playing around with my review format a little this year. I'm still not completely happy with it, but these two examples seems to have come out the best. (I'm still deciding how I want things to be for a basic template, so please feel free to give me some constructive criticism for what works for you and what doesn't.)

Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel by James Markert

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

Most Beautiful Book You Bought (or Received) This Year

 

What Book/s Do You Need to Read Before the End of the Year

Hahahahaha. I have so many books I need to read before the end of the year. It's a never ending list. But...these three are at the top of my list for ones I need to enjoy (along with the aforementioned Daisy Jones & the Six, The Starless Sea, and The Testaments mentioned above). It's turning into SUCH a good reading year!

I don't expect the reading to slow down anytime soon. Thankfully, I've been reading mostly really good books. And I have a list in the spreadsheet that keeps me organized and moving forward with reads I picked out for myself waaaay back in January along with ARCs as they come in. July is already slated to be a VERY busy month. With NINE...NINE!!...ARCs already on the list for July, not to mention book club picks and my scheduled reads, I won't be at any shortage of options.

What about you? How is your reading year going so far? Do you have anything I need to add to my "must reads"?

Book Review: The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or other related entity.

Synopsis:

My Thoughts:

The Bookshop on the Shore is a fantastic follow-up to Jenny Colgan's The Bookshop on the Corner (The Little Shop of Happy Ever After in the UK). Though not a true sequel, this book does send the reader back to the loveliness of the Scottish Highlands.

The primary characters from The Bookshop on the Corner play an auxillary role in this sequel, leaving The Bookshop on the Shore to focus on being Zoe's story. Having the setting and background already developed in the prior novel allows the story to move more quickly in some places. It certainly works better as a companion novel than it would as a standalone. I highly recommend that readers pick up The Bookshop on the Corner prior to starting this one.

Colgan's characters continue to be well crafted and entertaining. Zoe is a little less headstrong than I hoped her to be, but her uncertainty did help propel the narrative in the correct direction. I very much enjoyed the character of Ramsay. There were several points in the story where I was highly interested in his backstory beyond what the narrative allowed. The children are well crafted and all of her characters seem to be fairly consistent and solid, their actions and reactions feel natural and move well together.

This read did feel a little less authentic than The Bookshop on the Corner in the beginning, but settled into it's own happy rhythm after a little while. The storyline that includes Nina and Lennox does somewhat drop off to the side abruptly and there could likely have been more interaction with that storyline to make things smoother. However, the narrative does not feel contrived in any way and things move along in a way that feels comfortable.

I am always in love with Jenny Colgan's description of the Scottish scenery and it just makes me want to pack up and move there, cold and wet and wind be damned...a Scottish sheep farm just sounds lovely. The descriptions of the Beeches were just as marvelously romantic.

I will admit that the ending is somewhat predictable, but I didn't really mind. Sometimes it's nice to have a book just lull you with comfort. This is a great cozy read and would be perfect for a coldish and rainy day. I continue to enjoy Jenny Colgan's relaxed and easy style of writing. Highly recommend.

Emotional Response:   

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan is a good and comfortable read with a little bit of a hug factor. A good travel read or beach read. This one is just cozy.

Rating:

Book Review: After the End by Clare Mackintosh

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or other related entity.

Synopsis:

My Thoughts:

At first, I was worried that I had chosen a book that was very much wrong for me. As a mother of two young children, this one could have been a total trigger issue. There are definitely some uncomfortable and tear-jerking moments, not to mention the complete gut punch of the overall crux of the book...needing to decide how to handle the treatment of a terminal child and the ultimate death of that child. However, I think that the overall very difficult subject matter was handled quite well and very gently.

The story starts off with two parents, who are very much a couple, dealing with the deterioration of their medically compromised child. They are presented with a very difficult decision, and ultimately do not agree. What follows is two separate stories in alternating chapters. One follows the story based on the father's decision and the other alternative to the story follows what happens if the mother's choice is the one that ultimately wins out. There are also intermittent bits and pieces tossed in based on the primary physician's observations, experiences, and point of view.

I like to avoid spoilers as much as humanly possible, so I won't reveal to much of the detail. Suffice it to say, I initially couldn't tolerate the approach of the father and it still feels a bit...slimy...to me, but I felt for him later in the book and could certainly understand where he was coming from. Similarly, I wouldn't say that I could whole-heartedly put myself in the mother's camp, but I could understand the emotional and analytical reasons behind her decision.

The utilization of a dual narrative and alternate history approach was incredibly well-conceived and lends itself to a very successful story. The writing felt natural, regardless of the point of view presented at the time. The primary characters of the parents were both very well done. However, the point of view of Leila (the doctor) seemed unnecessary to the story. She was still a well constructed character, but the inclusion of her individual chapters does not necessarily lend as much to the book. She does not feel as fully developed in the plot and instead detracts slightly. I would have preferred the story to remain focused solely on the parents.

Knowing that this narrative came from an actual life experience on the part of the author makes it even more powerful. The story is heartbreaking from either side and it created a lot of internal conversation with my own point of view on the matter. Though it is full of very difficult subject matter, After the End is an excellent book and I very much enjoyed reading it.

Emotional Response:   

Though good, this is undeniably a sad story. There are plenty of moments that threaten to break the reader's heart. I will say though...it's not all a complete downer. You'll have to trust me in that. It isn't sunshine and roses, but the world does go on.

Rating:

June TBR

Half of the year is gone! It doesn't seem like that should be possible, and yet...here we are. I've been having a pretty successful reading year. I'm currently more than 10 books ahead of my Goodreads goal and I am freaking loving the reading spreadsheet I created (and continue to develop) for myself. I'm such a freaking stats nerd, but it seriously helps me keep organized with both ARCs and read-a-thons.

May Wrap Up

May was a pretty good month for books. I finished seven print books and two audiobooks.

There were two disappointing reads in the bunch, but overall it was a decent reading month.

My favorite book of the month was Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away by Trisha Slay. It rated 5 out of 5 stars and was a fantastic surprise of a read. I also finally got around to reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio and found it terribly fantastic. It also received 5 stars.

There were then four 4-star books: The Lost Tribe of Coney Island by Claire Prentice, Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger, Checking Out by Nick Spalding, and After the End by Clare Macintosh, a pretty good hodgepodge of genres. 

My 3-star read of the month was a reread...Henry James's Daisy Miller. 

June TBR

I started planning my TBR ahead at the beginning of the year. I currently have a selection of books slated for each month that will help me meet my challenge goals as well as keep me surrounded by (hopefully) good books. At the beginning of each month, I look back to see which ones I haven't finished from prior months and evaluate which ARCs are due to be read within the month. I make a few adjustments to the originally planned list for the month and then I'm ready to go. This is only applicable to my print and e-reads. My audiobooks are completely by the seat of my pants and tend to depend on what is available from Amazon Prime Reads as well as our local library.

I have already finished two of my slated reads for June:

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher was an audiobook. It is a YA fantasy read based on a loose retelling of the fairy tale Blackbeard. I haven't read the fairy tale, but I very much enjoyed the story. It wound up with a 4.5 star rating.

The Tower of Blue by Eric Locsh was an e-ARC. It is also a YA fantasy. It was a quirky and imaginative read that I will be reviewing in a separate post in the next few days.

Now...the rest of the month. I have reshuffled the stack to accommodate the ARCs I've received in the last two weeks. This is what I'll be attempting to read in June 2019.

First off are three different ARCs. I am currently reading Dual Citizens by Alix Ohlin and will be quickly following that up with Buy or Die by Theodor Ventskevich and Me, Myself, & Him by Chris Tebbetts.

Next up will be The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin for book club and Child of the River by Irma Joubert which was lent to me by one of the members of my book club. Then it's back to the ARCs for Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky.

Wrapping up the list for the month will be two books that are there simply because I want to read them SO, SO much. I'm hoping to get to On the Come Up by Angie Thomas and The Book of Etta by Meg Elison. Angie Thomas wrote last year's Book of the Year, The Hate U Give. The Book of Etta is the sequel to my favorite read of April, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, and is the second book in The Road to Nowhere series. I'm super excited for both of these reads.

Now...you'd think that would be the end of the books. Buuuuut...I also have to take a peek at my audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks while I'm getting ready in the mornings, while I'm doing housework and the kids are occupied, and while we go on our longer drives to Bemidji.

Right now, I'm about a quarter of the way into The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. It's a contemporary and it's going pretty well. Next up will be Dumplin' by Julie Murphy. I've gotten both of these books from our library. That should get me to the middle of the month. After that, we'll see what's available.

I've been averaging about 5 books a month along with about 3 audiobooks. So, there's a pretty good chance I won't make it through everything. Let's at least hope I make it through the majority.

What are you reading in June? Have you read any of my picks?