December 2020 – Maps and Meanderings

Hello Lovely Readers! Though the calendar doesn’t yet say so, we are now unofficially into the winter season, which means that it is past time for another set of seasonal reading goals. As I teased in last week’s November Reading Wrap up post, I am testing out a seasonal reading Bingo to help me focus on meeting my goals and to direct my reading while still remaining flexible.

You may be wondering how I am going to accomplish working towards both monthly reading Bingos and a seasonal one, and my answer is that the two are not exclusive. If I read a book for the December Bingo, for example, it can also count towards the seasonal Bingo. The monthly Bingos are intended to challenge and direct my reading on a monthly basis, and also move me closer to completing my seasonal goals. Books can count for multiple prompts on a single card or, if I feel the need for a greater challenge, they can be one book per prompt.

Based on how my reading has gone the past couple of months, I need all the help I can get with directing my reading and encouraging me to actually pick up a book. I know that my reading typically slows down at the end of the year, but if possible I would love to turn that around this month and then also get off to a strong start in January. I hope that the below prompts, as well as those in my December Bingo, can help me accomplish that.

A Book with Snow on the Cover
A Book with 500 or more Pages – Even though I love them, I have been having a hard time getting into big books lately. I have so many on my list that my goal is to read at least one of them in the next few months.
Somewhere on a Beach – We may not be able to travel this year, but we can still travel through books. This prompt is to read a book that is either set in the summer or has those vacation/beach vibes.
Blast from the Past – Re-read a Book
Graphic Novel or Comic Bind up
A Seasonal Mystery — This category is open to interpretation. It can be holiday-themed, or winter-themed or even Valentine’s day themed. Whatever you would consider “seasonal” between now and the end of February.
Love, Love, Love – This prompt is inspired by Valentine’s day, but can be any book that features love in any way. For me, this will probably be a romance of some form.
Read 20 Books
Book from your physical bookshelf – I am going to try to read a physical book that I own, but this can also be an e-book that you already own.
Non-Fiction Read – I didn’t do well with reading non-fiction in 2020, but I am carrying that goal over to 2021.
A Book 100 pages or less
Middle-Grade Read
Free! Any book of your choosing
A Book set in the Winter – You can either choose a book that is entirely set in the winter or that is partially set in winter.
A Book that’s been turned into a Movie
Set in Another World – For me, this prompt is to read a Terry Pratchett book, but I wanted to make it more general for people to join in.
A 1920s Read – Since I didn’t make much progress with my 1920’s reading list this past year, I want to continue trying to work my way through it in 2021.
It’s in the Stars – Though I intend to read a science fiction book for this prompt, it could also mean a book with stars on the cover, or in the title.
A Year in the Life – As I continue to try and read a book from each year of my life, this prompt is to help me accomplish that. But this could also be a book that focuses on everyday things, or maybe you choose to read a book published in 2021.
It’s Magical – Read a book that feels magical to you, or includes magic in some way.
A Book out of Your Comfort Zone
A new to you Author
Off to a Good Start… Read Book 1 of a series
May I Suggest… Read a book that was recommended to you, either by someone in your life or by an external source.
A Book with Blue on the Cover

Do you set seasonal reading goals for yourself? What books are high on your list to read in the upcoming months? Let me know in the comments if you are planning to participate in Winter Reading Bingo with me, or if you are going to take a couple of prompts from this list to shape your reading.

Winter Reading Bingo (Download)

Until Next Time,

Hello Lovely Readers! It has been a couple weeks since my last post. Work has been kicking my butt for the last couple weeks, and then I caught a cold that added it’s two cents into the butt kicking. But I am back and ready to jump back in, and what better way than with a look at how my reading went in November.

Despite my best intentions, November was another mediocre reading month for me. It is not uncommon for my reading to slow down at the end of the year, and then when you add in the extra life stress that I experienced this month, it’s not entirely surprising that I didn’t read as much as I wanted. It also didn’t help that the first two books I picked up in November were disappointing.

I finished a total of 6 books in November. I read 2 audiobooks, 2 e-books, and 2 physical books. My favourite read of the month was A Rogue of One’s Own and my least favourite was Hallowe’en Party. While you will see a non-fiction book on this wrap up, I can’t count it for Non-fiction November since I’ve been reading it in weekly portions since September.

1. Slayer by Kiersten White (3 Stars)

I had a really difficult time getting through Slayer. I enjoyed it while I was listening to it, but as soon as I turned it off, I didn’t feel any pull to pick it back up. Many evenings I didn’t listen to anything before bed because I just didn’t care. This book had a lot of potential, and all of the elements of a book that I should have enjoyed. I can also see the potential for the rest of the series (that ending, though!). But unfortunately, overall it fell flat. I will most likely pick up book 2, but if I feel the same way about it that I did about this one, I don’t think I’ll force my way through it.

2. Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie (3 Stars… maybe 2.5?)

I hate to say it, but this book was so disappointing, and I had such high hopes. A Halloween themed Agatha Christie? How was it possible I had never heard of that before. But it did not live up to expectations. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but it was long and it was tedious. I had the motive figured out pretty early, but it was a long process to get to the final reveal and the culprit.

I also had a hard time with the amount of time spent on the possibility that the murder was likely to have been committed by someone who had recently been let out of a psychiatric institution. I don’t know if this was an issue relevant to Christie at the time, but it was overdone and unnecessary. Even as a misdirect for the murder, it was such an obvious misdirect. While I am glad to have read this one, it will not be one that I recommend to those looking to pick up Agatha Christie.

3. The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman (3.5 Stars)

I considered giving The Girls Weekend 4 stars, but I settled on 3.5 because I had mixed feelings. I enjoyed it more than I have enjoyed some other thrillers lately, but there was just something about it that didn’t quite hit the spot. I was drawn right into the story at the beginning, but by the time it reached the middle, my interest began to wane, and then the ending was just okay. Based on the build up throughout, I wanted more intrigue and spice from the ending. In the end, it wasn’t my favourite, but I would pick up another book by this author.

4. A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore (4 Stars)

This is the second book in the A League of Extraordinary Women series. I really enjoyed the first book, but I liked this one even more. This series is historical romance with a humorous side, and it completely hit the spot for me. I consistently enjoy all of the characters in this series, and I loved the interactions and the romantic build up between our two main characters. Though I loved the humour in Book one, I liked the relationship better in this one.

5. White Night by Jim Butcher (4 Stars)

I’m not going to say too much about this, other than to say that I am still really enjoying this series. If you are new to this series, it definitely takes a few books before it hits it’s stride, but I have been consistently giving 4 star ratings to the past few books I’ve read in the series. Though the main draw is definitely the fantasy world and the humour, I also love the characters and the way they interact with each other. Looking back, one of my criticisms of the first few books is that I didn’t always believe the relationships, and I am so glad that aspect has improved and settled in.

6. None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us by Jen Wilkin (4.5 Stars)

This book is different from what you normally see on this blog, and I think this is the first non-fiction that I have completed this year. I read this book over the past couple months as part of a weekly virtual Bible study that I participated in, and I really enjoyed it. The author challenged me, and made me think, and she presented the concepts and attributes of God in ways that I had never considered before while remaining very accessible. If this is something that you are interested in, I would highly recommend this book.

Last month I introduced a new feature where I look at some of the books or goals that I anticipate reading in the upcoming month. Looking back on last month’s preview, I did a mediocre job of predicting my November reading. I predicted I would need to read like it was my full time job in November to meet all my goals, and you already know I didn’t do that.

While I did continue reading some of the spookier, thriller type books, I didn’t read all that many of them. And I certainly didn’t read a big fantasy book. I picked one up and got about 50 pages at the most into it. Suffice it to say, I didn’t do all that well at meeting my November goals.

December Preview

This month’s preview looks a bit different yet again. I am testing out the idea of a monthly Reading Bingo to help guide and direct my reading for the month. I’ve tried to keep the prompts general so that they fit my goals for the month, but aren’t too specific that they won’t work for others, because I would love for you to join in!

In addition to the picture below, I have attached the PDF file. Feel free to download it and join me this month in working towards a BINGO or two! And let me know in the comments if you’re going to participate, or what you think of the prompts, because I’m thinking of continuing these monthly boards in 2021 and would love the feedback. (Spoiler Alert There may also be a seasonal board coming in the next couple weeks.)

Here are the prompts for December, and a bit of explanation where necessary. Depending on how much of a challenge you want, you can either use one book to fulfill multiple prompts, or use only one book per square.

A Christmas Romance
A Fantasy Read
Christmas Cookies – Read a book that includes baking
Family and Friends – Read a book that features family and/or friends. This one is open to your interpretation.
Listen to 2 Audiobooks – If you don’t read audiobooks regularly, feel free to challenge yourself to read one instead of two.
A Book with Red on the Cover
Many Happy Returns – A Book you were meaning to Read this Year. If you’re like me, you have a list of books you intended to read this year, now is the time to pick one and cross it off your list.
Read 5 Books
Snuggle up – Read a Book in front of the Tree or Fire. It is completely acceptable for this to be the fire on your television.
A Book Published in 2020
Free Space! Use this for any book of your choosing.
Hit 100 Books read in 2020. Okay, so this one is specific to me. Whatever your goal is for books read this year, insert that in this prompt.
Presents! This is a bonus free space that you can use for any book of your choosing.
A Christmas or Seasonal Mystery
A Book with Green on the Cover
A Book under 100 Pages or a Short Story

December Reading Bingo