Starting 2018 Strong: #ReadingBlackout, #ReadSoulLit, and Drinks in the Library

If you're into challenges and reading projects, these two complement each other beautifully. Didi from BrownGirlReading hosts #ReadSoulLit every February in honor of Black History Month, and ArtBooksLive Denise D. Cooper is doing #ReadingBlackout by exclusively reading African-American authors in 2018.

Like Didi said, "Don't say it's hard."

Learn more at Didi's blog or Instagram and Denise's channel.



I'm planning to exclusively read African-American authors from January to March (thanks for that idea, Didi!), and you should watch for a Black History Month collab with Didi coming to WreckingBallDesign soon.

I'll be back with a sneak peak of my TBR for this Saturday's live stream. 

OH RIGHT, I should tell you about the livestream. Join me for an ongoing streaming series called Drinks in the Library. I have a page for it linked at the top of the blog with a public Google Calendar to see the upcoming dates. The first official installment will be Saturday at 2pm (Central) on my blog's publically-available Facebook page.

I hope I'll see you there to chat!

#AMonthofFaves: Goals for 2018 (Mostly Non-Reading)

Challenges {The Year End Updates on Reading Challenges, Personal Goals, Resolutions} #AMonthofFaves – how did you do? Are you going to do more challenges next year?

I struggled with this prompt yesterday (obviously, since I didn't post), but I'm coming back around after some thought. I didn't do any specific reading challenges in 2017 because reading itself was the challenge.  Likewise, I plan to go into 2018 free-range reading, so I'm short on snappy reading goals to close out and/or commit to for 2018. Other than...you know...read. Something. Whatever I feel like reading.

Last night I was without book after finishing a couple of them earlier in the week, so I sat and thought about what really sounded good. I ended up purchasing a digital copy of Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Tr*mp's America, edited by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding. One and a half essays in, it's going to be a tough read, but it's free-range and it's working. Also, it brings me to my next goal. A life one.

Stay politically engaged. This is the long game. I feel like I've taken some solid steps in volunteering for some state and local campaigns I care about. It feels hands-on rather than ranting into the void. I still do plenty of that, mind you, but this is helpful grunt work. It's data entry and text message polling. It's canvassing and talking and donating. It's growing a thicker skin and developing a cooler head for conversation.

Journal more. I plan, I organize, I am engaged with the things I need to do on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis, but that can be a little cold and short-winded. I purchased a bullet journal with the intent of really focusing on the JOURNAL part of the name. It's rare that I keep track of what I'm into or write thoughts that don't get posted somewhere. I need more quiet moments of reflection that are just for me, and I hope this is the vehicle for those. It's also a creative outlet, so yay for that.

Support and engage creators. We are all creators. As bloggers or YouTubers, colorers, doodlers, or gamers. I've started to really get invested in a wide range of creative outlets and with various platforms where creators do their creating, and I want this type of engagement and support to grow in 2018.

If you posted about your goals, don't forget to link up, and as always, take a few minutes to visit my super fantastic partners: Tanya Patrice, Kim, and Tamara!

#AMonthofFaves: Unique Books of 2017

The Most Unique, Weird or Memorable Book(s) Read This Year #AMonthofFaves – books you did not finish, were super weird, characters you disliked, book award winners (from this year) you read and didn't like, books you didn't think you would like, but you did.

Frosty Relations (A Witch's Night Out #2) by Tara Quan was a short, contemporary, supernatural (that's a lot of descriptors) that I downloaded on a lark when I couldn't settle into anything else. It's about Jack Frost (that Jack Frost), an asshole attorney, and Mina Mao, a long-time famil acquaintance of the Frosts. She also happens to work in HR at his firm. As usual, there's more going on than initial appearances, and while it sounded fun, it fell flat for me. I tire of the asshole with a heart of gold trope, and this one is actually a novella, so I needed way more character development.

The Southern Reach Trilogy (Authority and Acceptance) by Jeff VanderMeer was a minddd fuuuuuck. That's just the only way there is to describe it. I read the first book in the trilogy a couple of years ago, and for whatever reason, I picked up the second book this year. It grabbed me quicker and surer than the first installment, and before I knew it, I'd raced through the second and third books. They defy description, but if you like sf novels, give 'em a try.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon was scary af. I actually thought to pick this one up after I tweeted that I wanted something to scare the crap out of me. Someone on Twitter recommended this one, and I happened to have it on my shelves. It's a family-based scary story. Think winter woods, nowhere to go, and a missing child. A child who comes back? Maybe. In the closet. Creepy, creepy, creepy.

The Soul of An Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery is one I'll shove into every set of hands I possibly can. It's a seemingly unlikely topic...a woman who develops a meaningful relationship with an octopus? It's a beautiful, touching, lovely memoir, and it's SO INTERESTING. I highly recommend the audio, read by Sy Montgomery.

I'd love to know some of the most unique books you've read this year. Link up below, and don't forget to visit Tanya Patrice, Kim, and Tamara, too!

#AMonthofFaves: Catching Up and Best Changes

Best Changes You Made To Tweak This Year #AMonthofFaves – best changes you made or routines you kept that to better organize your day / life; your = morning, evening or daily routines.

Free ranging...taste-testing books.

I've talked about it for a long time, and I've been a proponent, but I feel like I didn't ACTUALLY become a free range reader until this year. With so much trouble focusing, I really had to accept that some books will grab me, and I will finish those, and some books won't grab me, and they will slow down my reading mojo. I'm no stranger to DNF'ing. My latest victims: 

• Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
• Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

By nature, my Etsy shop takes a ton of time. Designing, printing, cutting, packing, and shipping stickers, bookmarks, and other goodies is quite a feat, especially with lots of grading to do from my other jobs. While I don't have a specific day-of-the-week-specific Etsy shop schedule, I have gotten much better at the process of working through the tasks associated with the shop. I have new releases a time or two per month, I run sales the same amount, and I've gotten a handle on processing orders: creating a pull list, printing in batches, cutting in batches, and packing/shipping in batches. Batches are the best. 

My desk might be a mess, but I have good overall organization going!

A big part of my organization this year has been working my planners. I still love my Erin Condren Life Planner in the vertical layout, and I keep most things in it...especially the monthly overview...in addition to the daily layouts. Occasionally, if I'm so overwhelmed with granualr detail that I can't include it in the EC, I will pop open an Evernote document and go right back to the Getthing Things Done productivity methods I brought into the mix back in 2016.

Sorry this post is late! Last week was a mess of grading! Be sure to visit Tamara, Kim, and Tanya Patrice, and don't be shy about linking up your own posts whenever you can get around to them. 

#AMonthofFaves: Blogger Love Edition and a Video!

#AMonthofFaves [The Blogger Love Edition] - Recommend some bloggers and for us to check out and tell us what you like about each blog, e.g. bookish, food, fashion, travel, lifestyle, money, mom blogs, productivity etc.

Hey hey hey! Busy weeks are busy, and I'm off to a breakneck start. If #AMonthofFaves was going to happen today, it had to be a quick, one-shot deal, so here we are with a Facebook Live video: some shout-outs, what I'm reading, and some quick life updates. Exciting stuff! 

My blogger and vlogger shout-outs! 

Koffee - SIMS4/gaming

Deligracy - SIMS4/gaming

Sarah's Bookshelves

Running N' Reading

Doing Dewey

Amanda's Fig and Thistle Youtube - I brain farted and didn't mention you in the video, but I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!

My favorite "follow me around" vloggers post. 

Whew! Don't forget to visit my partners in crime: Kim, Tanya Patrice, and Tamara! Link your own post below! 

#AMonthofFaves: 3 Popular Books Worth the Hype

I HAVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS PROMPT! I had to go back into Goodreads and poke around, but I definitely have things to say.

I've mostly been out of the popular book loop but some of these are overall-popular while others are probably more popular within their own genre communities. Let's dig in!

I will read abso-freaking-lutely-anything that Caitlin Doughty writes. Then I'll probably listen to it, too. She's become an auto-buy author for me, and From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death did not dissapoint in the slightest. I love her candor and humor in regards to death practices all over the world. She reminds me a bit of Mary Roach in Stiff in the way that she's able to find a giggle in the morbid without being disrespectful at all. Open pyre funeral in Colorado, anyone?

Ohhh, Roxane Gay...you slay my heart every time. I listened to Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body all in one go as I was driving to Tennessee to meet up with friends, and while it gutted me, it was also the perfect way to listen. As a fat woman, I could relate so much to Gay's point of view and to many of her life experiences...living life online, taking stupid chances, moving across the country. It was a lot of similarity...experientially and emotionally. It was so good to hear someone give voice to issues I've grappled with my whole life but never knew how to express.

I am SO not into Archie comics, and I never have been. They're enough of a cultural staple that I know enough to follow along if I want to watch Riverdale, but a fangirl I am not. However, as is the case with a lot of things I don't love (see Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland), I adore a good take-off...something that spins a same-old, meh-for-me story on its head, and that's exactly what Afterlife with Archie vol. 1 does. The characters are just a bit screwier, darker, deader. I loved this first volume so much I gave it five stars, and I'm already on to the issues that comprise volume 2. It's available for download on Comixology Unlimited if that's a thing you do.

So there ya have it...three popular books (in very diferent circles) worth the hype!

What were some of your faves this year? Link up down below and don't forget to visit Tamara, Tanya Patrice, and Kim!

This Is How We Blog (#AMonthofFaves)

This Is How We Blog #AMonthofFaves – Essential Computer Programs, Browser Plugins, Websites and / or your blogging routine, blogs on blogging that you follow, blog tips you learned and used this year

I feel like, for me, #AMonthofFaves will be a lot of me writing, "Hey! I didn't do this much in 2017!"

I haven't felt much like talking. Writing. I have things to say, and I say them to my Representatives' staffers on the phone, and via FAX, and on Women in Science postcards, and in rants and snark on Facebook and Twitter. I share short snippets and memories on Instagram. Blogging just hasn't been a thing I can do. Longer-form sharing just hasn't been my bag.

I hope it's my thing in 2018. It's starting to feel better.

Don't forget to LINK UP! Visit Tamara, Kim, and Tanya Patrice!

#DecemberBookBinge

I know, I know. It's December, and there are already bloggy events going on (see #AMonthofFaves), and holidays, and whatnot. BUT, personally, I have a two-week break from work coming up, my kiddo is usually at his dad's for several days around the holidays, and I plan to READ, READ, READ.

In fact, I decided to make an event: #DecemberBookBinge because I will be book bingeing FOR SURE. It's not so much about the numbers as it is about feeling like reading, having the time, and using that time wisely.

Want to join the binge? I hope you will. Set a goal, maybe even an arbitrary one, and enjoy your reading. No pressure, just community reading fun.

My personal goal is 10 books in December, but if I don't make that, I don't give a fig (see more about figs below). I'll still enjoy the books I do read.

I think this will also be a nice companiion to Amanda's (FigandThistleBooks) #cozyfig Instagram event which is super brilliant and laid back. You can also learn more about Amanda's challenge on her BookTube channel. 

If you want to sign up, go for it! Or just hashtag #DecemberBookBinge wherever you're buzzing about books. 

This is How We Read (#AMonthofFaves)

This Is How We Read #AMonthofFaves– eg. Number of books read so far, genre you read the most from, picture of favorite (or most often used) reading location, most read author, % eBooks, hardcovers, paperbacks and/or audiobooks, hint at what your favorite read of the year is (let us guess), types of books you wish you read more of, month you read the most and least)

Oh friends. Y'all know this year of reading has been a rocky one for me. Really, really rocky. This whole year has been something of an emotional wreck, largely regarding politics and The World. I've been finding solace, but that solace is as often as not...something other than books. Life is full of seasons, and that's just where I've been this year. 

It's actually really surprising to me to look at my books read list and see that I'm nearing 50. That's a pretty standard number for me in a year, and this year has not felt standard. I read in fits and starts, binge on books here and there, and then live in a book desert for a few weeks or months. 

Right now I'm sitting at 47 books read for the year, and I expect I'll be sitting right at 50 or a little past by the end of the month. Between contemporary romance, sf, and reading/listening to short chapter books and middle grade with my kiddo, I should be in good shape. 

Thinking over the format of my reading this year, it's overwhelmingly digital. The last print book I read was in July, I think. I tend to read on my phone A LOT. Mostly I'm playing an audiobook via my TuneIn app or scarfing down romance on my Kindle app. I tend to read when I'm sitting still which is often in my son's school pick up line in the afternoons, in bed while I'm falling asleep, or when I wake up for a few hours with insomnia in the middle of the night. 

How have you read this year? Don't forget to LINK UP and visit Kim, Tanya Patrice, and Tamara! 

I Am IN the Books! (RIPXII Update 1)

RIPXII! All the books, y'all! This type of reading is scratching just the right itch for me, so I'm currently reading ALL the books.

I've had American Supernatural Tales, edited by S.T. Joshi, on my stacks for years. Admittedly, I bought it because I liked the cover the best from the Penguin Horror collection, and it's one of the books from that collection that I didn't already have. The book is ordered from the oldest stories to most recent, and I've found myself in the mood to read through this one in order (except Henry James...I always skip him). Right now I'm alllllmost halfway through, and I am about to start "The Call of Chthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft. I've never read Lovecraft, so I'm looking forward to trying this one.

I mentioned on Twitter that I really wanted to try Tananarive Due for this year's RIP event, and someone mentioned Ghost Summer: Stories. It happened to be available on Scribd, so here we are. The stories are set in Gracetown, Florida, and I do love a collection tied together by location. The first story knocked me on my ass, so I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Last, but most certainly not least, I'm reading David Mitchell's Slade House for Peril of the Group Read. We could not have picked a better one for this Peril. The two audiobook readers are excellent, and the story sucked me in immediately. I've always been a little shy of reading Mitchell because I just assumed everything he wrote was super confusing (think Cloud Atlas) but I might be a new convert. I'm hoping I can get ahold of The Bone Clocks to listen to next.

What are you reading? 

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XII (#ripxii) SIGN UPS!

Every September 1 through October 31 for the last 11 years Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge. Carl has been kind enough to entrust the event to us, Heather and Andi, from now on, and we hope to do him proud. We know all of you readers will!

The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:

Mystery.

Suspense.

Thriller.

Dark Fantasy.

Gothic.

Horror.

Supernatural.

The emphasis is never on the word challenge, instead it is about coming together as a community and embracing the autumnal mood, whether the weather is cooperative where you live or not.

There are two simple goals for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VI Challenge:

1. Have fun reading.

2. Share that fun with others.

As we do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. XII without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.

Multiple perils await you. You can participate in just one, or participate in them all.

Peril the First:

Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (our very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be Stephen King or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Shirley Jackson or Tananarive Due…or anyone in between.

Peril the Second:

Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the challenge categories.

Peril the Third:

We all want you to participate. This Peril involves reading one book that fits within the R.I.P. definition.

Peril of the Short Story:

We are fans of short stories and our desire for them is perhaps no greater than in autumn. We see Jackson in our future for sure! You can read short stories any time during the challenge. We sometimes like to read short stories over the weekend and post about them around that time. Feel free to do this however you want, but if you review short stories on your site, please link to those reviews on our RIPXII Book Review pages.

Peril on the Screen:

This is for those of us who like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large. It might be a television show, like Dark Shadows, or your favorite film. If you are so inclined, please post links to any R.I.P.-related viewing you do on our book review pages as well.

Peril of the Group Read:

This year we will read and discuss Slade House by David Mitchell! We plan to post discussion questions on October 1 on our respective blogs, and you can answer them at your leisure, and as you like! If you post on your blog, link up. If you post on Twitter, Insta, etc. use #ripxii.

In addition to, or instead of, these group read options you may want to host your own. That would be welcome too and if you choose to do so please let us know so that we can advertise them for you.

Again, you may participate in one or all of the various Perils. Our one demand: enjoy yourself!

The R.I.P. XII Challenge does not require you to read from a pre-selected list of books, but like many of you we love to get ideas from what others are thinking of reading. If you want to include a pool of potential reads when you sign up, either in the comments or on your own sign up post on your blog (not required for participation), please do!

This challenge is always a joy because of one thing: you! You sharing your passion for books, reading, films, television, etc. helps bring us together and ensures that we all have a great time. Thank each and every one of you who choose to participate on any level. We are honored that you would choose to do so.

Remember that we would love to read any reviews of the books you read or things you watch. Simply visit estellasrevenge.net OR mycapriciouslife.com and look for the RIP Review PAGE and leave a link to your post. These challenges are a great way to make new friends by tempting them to come to your site to read your reviews.

Do not let circumstances fool you. Autumn is here in spirit. It is R.I.P. XII time.

And so it begins…

SIGN UP HERE!

Think Different, Blog Different

I've finally taken some time to think about what's been missing for me when it comes to blogging, how I can refresh and revamp the content here, and what will make me happy to blog again.

First, the setbacks:

• No interest in writing book reviews (most of the time)
• Reading is not always consistent 
• Blogging is less immediate than other platforms: Twitter, Insta, etc. 
• Doing a lot of things besides bookishness (teaching, Etsy, cross stitch)
• Annoying that my Internet life is spread out everyyyywhere
• Want to feel more challenged/creative
• Want the process of content creation to feel less formal
• Don't always have time to sit down and write a post

What IS floating my boat right now? 

• Watching creative, wide-ranging content like vlogs (follow-me-around, slice o'life videos)
• Productivity tools
• Tools that curate and synthesize pieces of the Internets

So what does that mean for this blog? 

• A mix of content (I know this is fine with y'all...but I'm not always good at it)
• Tools that bring things together here: Storify, YouTube vids, plug-ins)
• A loose schedule: weekly vlogs, something bookish, something NOT bookish (most likely related to teaching, technology, crafting, etc.)

For the first time in ages, I'm EXCITED to blog. When it comes to changing things up, Bout of Books 20 is a good example. My old format, one post of updates here that I would edit every day throughout the event, did not appeal at all. My natural inclination is to post about the event on a variety of platforms: photos on Instagram, quick, on-the-fly updates on Twitter (along with discussion with other participants). The downside (for me personally) of doing the old one-blog-post-updated format is that it's conventional and I've been doing that for a very long time, and it doesn't pull things together in an interesting way that I'll remember. 

I chose Storify to pull all the platforms together. I can easily add text, images, pull posts from Instagram, Twitter, and all over the web. And an additional plus is that Storify has updated their platform since the last time I used it. It's super easy to embed, update, and re-order the elements of a story. 

I'm not breaking any major ground here, but it does feel great to re-evaluate at a deeper level. To really sit, think, and brainstorm. To figure out exactly what's been wrong and attempt to fix it. We'll see just how it goes! 

Have you had any ideas for refreshing your own blog experience? I'd love to know what you have in mind!

Dewey's Mini Challenge: Six Word Story (CLOSED)

In the spirit of six-word memoirs or six-word stories, I thought Dewey's Read-a-Thon a perfect opportunity to offer a six-word celebration to show our appreciation to Dewey for starting this thing so many years ago and to our ongoing book community for making it such a monumental event and such a great time.

Your challenge is to create a six-word celebration of Dewey's Read-a-Thon. Go on, you know you want to!

And, I should mention that there is incentive. The winner of this mini-challenge: the most innovative, colorful, and celebratory in six words will win a book of his or her choice of up to $15 from the Book Depository. I'll announce the winner here after Hour 8. Please leave me a way to contact you: Twitter handle, Instagram, whatever! 

WINNER

Nushu from ...and I ramble

Readathon Week!

Readathon is back again! This is our 9 and a halfth year! That means TEN YEARS in October! I can't help but think a lot about Dewey. I always do, but especially as we're coming up on 10 years. That's a big, big one.

So this season's planning has been pretty intense. Heatheroo has TONS of amazing life stuff going on (although she would say otherwise if it pertains to homework). We've made some tweaks to keep the event doable this year:

• FAR fewer prizes
• Mini challenge hosts are, for the most part, awarding their own prizes
• We have some specific featured prize donors (Book Riot, 24in48, Crown, etc.) 
• Still no official cheerleaders, just our heartfelt request that you cheer your fellow readers
• I am not doing a cohost shift this event

That's right: I'm all completely the scenes'ing it. 

This is new and weird, but it's also good. I'm putting my efforts on keeping an eyeball on things to see that they're running fine, answering questions, and probably chatting on Twitter and Facebook a lot. 

I also realized a couple of events ago, that I'm far happier NOT trying to read on Readathon day. I do usually do a little something. I'll listen to an audiobook or maybe have one book to focus on. This season, my audiobook is The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer, and I'll try to get my hands on a copy of Siege and Storm, Leigh Bardugo's second book in the Grisha Trilogy. The last time I picked up one of these, I read it in a day. Voila! 

So yeah, Readathon day is super exciting even if reading is way down my list of to-dos. I'm thinking about Snapchatting it again, actually. If you want to follow me there, I'm @estellasnaps. There will be silliness.

See y'all Saturday! 

#ReadSoulLit 2017

In honor of Black History Month--February here in the US--my friend Didi from Brown Girl Reading is hosting #ReadSoulLit. The hashtag is active all year long, so there are tons of reading recommendations floating around out on the Internets. Didi is also running an Instagram #ReadSoulLit photo challenge during February, so don't miss it!

These are the books I have in mind to read, but things change constantly. It's fun to see what the actual end result turns out to be.

Bedrock Faith by Eric Charles May - This is the readalong choice for #ReadSoulLit, so come on over and join the Goodreads group for discussion.
Women, Culture, and Politics by Angela Y. Davis - I'm reading this o
+-ne along with Aarti, Ana, and Iris. Looking forward to discussing my first book from Angela Y. Davis.
Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks) - Has been on my e-reader for too long. Defintiely ready to dig in.
Like Trees, Walking by Ravi Howard (#ReadMyOwDamnBooks) - Second verse, same as the first. Another book that's been lounging on my e-reader.
Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow by Daniel Hunter (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks) - I found this one on sale, and while I haven't read The New Jim Crow, I'm diving right into this book on activism and organizing.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks) - Another too-long-on-the-ereader novel, and I have yet to read anything of Colson Whitehead's.
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks) - I definitely need more physical books, and this one is at the tippy top of my #ReadMyOwDamnBooks list.

I hope you'll join in for #ReadSoulLit! Only good things to come.

#Diverseathon: January 22-29

Diverseathon is here! I'm later posting this and the accompanying video than I wanted to be, but this was a busy week. Here's the video with a list of titles down below. 



If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Sula by Toni Morrison
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson
The Book of Joy by the Dailai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
Clay's Ark by Octavia Butler

Diverseathon is hosted by Joce, Christina Marie, Monica Watson, and Simon Savidge. It began on BookTube but anyone is welcome to join. There was even an announcement that Naz and Mara will be joining to promote the event across platforms.


I'm totally stoked because I have a lot of good stuff to read. So let's go! 

Other stuff you need to check out across the interwebs: 
Janani's review of Difficult Women by Roxane Gay
This Was My First Protest and I'm Sorry by Jess at Don't Mind the Mess
Did's review of Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson

Monday Reading and Bout of Books Wrap-Up

It was a good week of reading, though per usual I didn't read as much as I would've liked. That's always the case with readathons, isn't it? Our book gluttony reaches new heights, though our proverbial stomachs are never as big as our eyes. That's my story of Bout of Books.

Finished

Princess Jellyfish 01 (omnibus) by Akiko Higashimura: I have a tendency to refer to this as my "first manga" though that's not the truest. I had to read another one in grad school, but that was something crazy like 10 years ago (!!!) so I feel like I'm starting over. This is the first manga I've read of my own volition! This omnibus edition had something like 12 or 13 issues in it, and I looooooved it. It's about Tsukimi is a nerdy young woman who lives in an apartment building full of fellow woman-geeks. She's obsessed with jellyfish and in the beginning of this collection a beautiful, stylish woman who she finds completely intimidating, helps her save a dying jellyfish from a pet store. Turns out that stylish woman is a man who cross dresses as a hobby. There's a specific Japanese term for this in the book but I'm having no luck finding it and Google is letting me down. Hold that thought. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series. It was funny and silly and charming and just delightful. (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks)

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance: I have a complicated relationship with this book. I'll just tell you that I did enjoy it, and I rated it 3 stars on Goodreads. Don't be confused...for me that's not a bad rating. It's a good rating, though I couldn't give it 4 because of those mixed feelings I mentioned.

Still Reading

Fervent by Priscilla Shirer: This is a Christian living book about prayer and it's specifically focused on women in prayer. Still undecided about this one. I'm working through it in the workbook style the book intends, but I don't know about Shirer's delivery.

Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit: Goooood book. I'm taking it slow--one chapter at a time--because for a small book I do find there is a lot to absorb. It's one of those books, in fact, that I'd like to read each chapter twice before moving on. Greyson asks me, "Mom, what did you just write in that book?" a lot.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy: A family story set in Detroit, the 13 Turner children must decide the fate of their family home as their mom ages and loses her independence. Love the alternating perspectives in this one, even though that's something that generally annoys me. I feel equally invested in each family member and love Flournoy's writerly voice. (#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks)

Starting

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans: Another spiritual growth type book, this one is also a lot memoir. Evans is a progressive, doubting Christian and I sooooo appreciate her point of view. She reads the audiobook, and I love it so far. 

What are you reading? 

#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks 2017 Sign-Ups: Yelling From My TBR!

It's time again for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks, a TBR reading effort. Why not a challenge? Because how many challenges bog us down? Not this one!

• You make the rules
• Be as hardcore (or not) as you want
• We're a community to support you, not chastize you

Define your own damn goals or don't. Vow not to buy books, or whatever. This event is really that loosey goosey. You know your stacks and your challenge agility better than we do.

There will be a link-up here so you can share your progress posted on the final day of every month!

Personally, I'll be reading as many of my own TBR stacks as I can in 2017, mood permitting. I'm a moody reader, and I know that about myself, so I'll ultimately do whatever I can to KEEP reading. 

I don't buy many books because I'm a cheapskate, so I'm not setting any particular goals in that department. 

Ready to sign up? Here ya go!

Now, there are some specific titles yelling at me from my shelves, so I'll give you a quick run-down of my own damn books that I hope to read in the first quarter of the year or so. I'll probably read more than this, but these are the ones that stick out right this second.

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee

Princess Jellyfish #1 by Akiko Higashimura and Yuko K.