Reading List – Maps and Meanderings

September Reading Wrap Up

Published on October 8, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

Hello Friends! Is it just me, or is anyone else surprised to find we’re already into October? I honestly feel like September just flew by. Despite how quickly it went, I still managed to get a lot read, and I’ve also made some progress on my fall reading goals that I talked about last week.

I also finally took the plunge and bought an e-reader that supports Overdrive, and this has made a world of difference to my library e-book reading game. In the past, I have used my iPad mini or my phone to read library e-books, but this is not my preferred method, especially as I’m trying to limit screen time before bedtime. More and more I found that I wasn’t picking up library e-books, and that was starting to limit my reading. I am loving having an actual e-reader for library books now, and I think that helped me read more books overall this month.

In total I read 11 Books and DNF’d 1
– 3 Physical
– 4 E-books
– 4 Audiobooks

1. Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff (3.5 stars)
If you are unfamiliar with this series, it is a dark, gritty (sometimes explicit) fantasy that follows a young woman who was training to be an assassin in the first book. It is a bit more gritty than I am typically comfortable with, so if that is something that bothers you, then stay clear of this series. I won’t say much about this one, since it is the second book in the series, but I will say that I mostly enjoyed it. It took me a bit to get into, and there were some story lines I didn’t enjoy at all, but I liked it overall and am excited to read book 3. That twist at the end!

2. 1st to Die by James Patterson (3 stars)
I think this is the first James Patterson book I’ve read and, honestly, it was just okay. I strongly disliked the beginning and don’t think it was necessary to the story, unless I completely missed something. I almost didn’t read the book, I disliked it so much. Overall, I enjoyed this one enough that I think I’ll pick up book two to see if I can get drawn into the series. If you read Patterson, do you have a book or series that you would recommend?

3. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (5 stars)
I loved this one! There were a few bits that I didn’t enjoy, but for sheer enjoyment it was 5 stars. It was exactly what I was looking for – a creepy, mysterious ghost story set in a Haunted House. I loved the way the story went back and forth between the present day and the “book” that the narrator’s father wrote about their experience with the ghosts at the house when the narrator was little. If you are looking for a ghost story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I would highly recommend this one.

Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier (Cover)

4. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier (3 Star)
This was a low 3 star read for me. Though I enjoyed the concept and the mystery itself, it reminded me of all the reasons I didn’t like Lucy Stone the first time I picked up this series. The Halloween vibes were great, and I loved the parts that talked about the old homes and renovating and restoring them, but I almost didn’t pick up the next book in this list because of my general annoyance with Lucy.

Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier (Cover)

5. Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier (3 star)
This was also a 3 star read, but it was inching up towards 3.5 stars. This book is much later in the Lucy Stone series than the one listed above. Lucy has started to come into her own by this point and I didn’t find her nearly as annoying in this book. Though the Halloween vibes weren’t as strong in this one, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one enough that I’ll most likely read more in this series. The fact that Meier writes so many seasonally themed books is a major draw for me.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (Cover)

6. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (4 Star)
I have been meaning to read this book for so long. I was initially drawn to it because I have enjoyed Hank’s videos for years, but this was also the thing that made me hesitate to pick it up. In the time that it’s been out, however, I’ve consistently heard good things about it from others who were initially skeptical. As someone who does not read a lot of sci-fi, I would say that if you don’t often read in this genre, but want to try it out, this would be a good book to pick up . Who wouldn’t want to read a story that combines giant robot statues with a commentary on humanity and social media? I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to picking up book two soon.

7. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (4 Star)
I know from scrolling through the reviews that people have very mixed opinions on this series, and I can understand the objections, but I am really enjoying it. It’s not perfect, and there are times I roll my eyes at Harry, or find myself wanting to have a serious conversation with him about some of his more questionable trains of thought, but aside from that, I’m really enjoying this series. I love the humour, and I found myself literally laughing out loud in sections. I am looking forward to continuing this series.

8. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (3.5 Star)
This was almost everything I was hoping it would be. I had a day where I was exhausted, and overall feeling blah, and this was the perfect book to cozy up with that evening. I read it in almost one sitting. I just wish that it would have been longer, and that we could have had more time to really dive into the characters and the plot. I loved the premise of the ghosts of 3 women drowned as witches coming back to revisit a town every year for 200 years to enact their revenge, I just wanted more of it.

Heavy Vinyl by Carly Udin, Nina Vakeuva (Cover)

9. Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1: Riot on the Radio by Carolyn Urdin, Nina Vakeuva (4 Star)
I cannot remember where I heard about this graphic novel, but I am so glad that I picked it up because I really enjoyed it. The basic premise is that there is a group of young women who all work at a music store. The story is set roughly in the 90s, which is excellent in and of itself, and then on top of that they are also part of a secret society, vigilante girl gang, fight club. It was so much fun, and I picked up the second volume shortly after finishing the first.

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab (Cover)

10. Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab (4 Star)
This is book two in the Cassidy Blake series, which is a middle grade series about a young girl whose parents have a television ghost hunting show. Her mother is a believer, her father is a skeptic, and Cassidy doesn’t need to take it on faith because her best friend is a ghost. When Cassidy and her parents move to Europe for the television show, Cassidy discovers a new mission to send stuck ghosts on through the veil. In this instalment they are in Paris and hunting down a poltergeist. I am really loving this series, and as much as I loved book one, I thought this one was even better. Highly recommend.

He Started It by Samatha Downing (Cover)

11. He Started It by Samantha Downing (3 Star)
this was another low 3 star read for this month. This is Downing’s second book, and I think I might have to say that I just don’t mesh well with her writing style. As much as I love the premise of both books, the writing just drags for me. For both of Downing’s books, I have been simultaneously hooked on the story and bored by it. If you like family drama thrillers with an unreliable narrator, you may enjoy this book, and don’t let my negativity turn you away from picking it up. I am definitely in the minority in not loving Downing’s books.

DNF. Deep in the Alaskan Woods by Karen Harper
I had such high hopes for this book and was excited to read a book set in Alaska, so I was very disappointed when I made the decision to DNF it. Though I have read at least one other book by this author in the past, I just could not get past the writing style. The writing was clunky and confusing and I wasn’t nearly interested enough in the story to continue. I think this one could have benefited from a good edit.

Overall, I think September was a pretty solid reading month. I had a couple books on the lower end of the ratings, but the ones that I enjoyed, I really enjoyed and that made up for the low ones. I am really enjoying all of the fall vibes in the books I’ve been reading and am hoping to continue that trend into October.

What about you? How did your reading go in September? What was your favourite book that you read this past month? Have you read any of the books on this list? If so, do you agree or disagree with my thoughts?

Until Next Time,

Fall 2020 Reading Goals (September – November)

Published on October 2, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

Depending on what you consider to be the start of fall, this post is either quite late or pretty close to right on time. I tend to start my ‘fall reading’ at the beginning of September because, regardless of the weather, that always seems like the unofficial start of fall to me. The kids go back to school and cooling temperatures and changing leaves are on the horizon. So, from my point of view, this post is very late… but c’est la vie. We are here now.

I don’t stick too closely to seasonal themes in my reading, but I do like to try to read at least some books that fit within the seasonal theme or feel. For me, in recent years anyways, that means cozy, slightly spooky, more “atmospheric” (whatever that means) books for the fall. In practice this generally means a lot of mystery, some thrillers, some that are loosely horror or supernatural, and then fantasy.

These seasonal aspects, along with the knowledge that we are entering the final stretch of this year and I have not made nearly as much progress on the reading goals I set out earlier this year, are the things that shaped my reading goals for this fall.

Goal #1: Fantasy

Fantasy Book Cover slices — Fantasy Books Cover slices

What you will soon discover, if you have not already, is that I read fantasy year round. The amount can vary depending on the mood I’m in, but fantasy is a staple in my reading diet. At this time of year, I tend to gravitate towards some of those darker, atmospheric (there’s that word again) fantasies that just seem so well suited to fall. Since my summer reading was light on fantasy this year, I want to focus on reading more fantasy overall along with focusing on the fall vibes.Here are some of the books I’ve picked for this category.

I) Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
As you’ll see in my September wrap up next week, I read the second book in this series, Godsgrave, at the end of August. This dark, gritty series is perfect for fall and I hope to finish the series off this year.

II) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
This was on last year’s fall list and it didn’t happen, therefore it needs to happen this year. If ever there a year to read about an unlikely duo trying to stop the apocalypse, it feels like this is it.

III) Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
Cassidy Blake can see ghosts and in this instalment on particularly unpleasant poltergeist is loose in Paris. I really enjoyed the first book in this middle grade series when it came out. With it’s ghostly vibes and setting, I think book 2 will be the perfect fall read.

IV) Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
I have not read nearly enough Pratchett this year, and that needs to change. This instalment, focusing on the Grim Reaper, seems to be a seasonally appropriate choice. If ever there was a year that needed a few laughs…

V) House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
I don’t think this one really fits with the atmospheric vibes, but it’s been on my list since it came out earlier this year, and I am crossing my fingers it will be my turn at the library soon.

Goal # 2: Fright

Fright Books Cover slices — Fright Books Cover Slices

This category includes more than just your typical scary books; it also includes some mysteries and thrillers and some fantasy. I don’t gravitate towards intense horrors (even though sometimes I think I might like to) because I like to sleep and my imagination mixed with horror doesn’t always allow that. But I really enjoy a certain level of scary, so I am always on the hunt for the perfect level of scary.

I) Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
This book features a haunted house and dangerous ghosts. What more really needs to be said? (Seriously though, if you want a wee bit more than that, come back next week for the blurb in my wrap up)

II) We have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
If you haven’t heard of this one before, Jackson is the same author that wrote The Haunting of Hill House, and I have heard that this one is even better than that one.

III) The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Every year the small town in this book is revisited by the ghosts of three young woman that were drowned as witches 200 years prior. The women inhabit the bodies of living young women and proceed to drown young men to enact their revenge on the town. The synopsis as I have given it sounds terrible, but I have heard excellent things about this one.

IV) The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
You may have figured out by now that I love stories that include an aspect of a “retelling.” I don’t know much about this one, and I’ve actually heard very mixed reviews for it, but as it fits into this category of retelling, I am looking forward to giving it a shot.

V) Assorted Thrillers, Horror and Mystery
I have more specific titles on my personal list, but I am largely at the mercy of the library hold list as well as the “reading whims.” The “reading whims” have strong feelings about which books in this category I am drawn to pick up. Also – I am always looking for recommendations of books that are spooky, creepy, and scary, but that aren’t too scary or gory. If you have any, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Goal #3: Cozy and Chick

Cozy and Chick books Cover Blocks — Cozy and Chic Books Cover Blocks

Here there be cozy mysteries as well as anything that I might classify as “chick lit.” Okay, okay, I hear you. This is a bit of a 180 from the previous two categories, but hear me out. There are a lot of cozy mysteries and contemporary/romance books that are either clearly set in fall, or give off intense fall vibes, and that is largely what I want from this category. I also just really love this category of books and know that if I don’t put any on the list I’m likely to go off the rails and abandon all other categories…

I) Read at least 2 Leslie Meier books
I have not read many Leslie Meier cozies, and the ones I have read have left me very indecisive as to whether I enjoy them… but she writes so many seasonally themed mysteries that I want to give her another shot.

II) At least 1 Agatha Christie
I’m not sure if I want to read the other Christie that is on my “Twenties” reading list, or if I want to read something completely different, but after reading the Mysterious Affair at Styles earlier in the summer, I am feeling drawn to pick up another one of her books.

III) A Murder She Wrote novel
Yes. I am that girl. I am 100% unsure of how good this series of books based on the show will be, but I am also quite addicted to Murder She Wrote these days, so I figure, why not?

IV) Start a new series by Samantha Chase
This one doesn’t fit with my “fall vibes” theme. I enjoy Chases’ romance novels and haven’t picked on up since I finished the series I was reading earlier this year. I want to start a new series so I have it on the back burner going into winter.

Goal #4: Miscellaneous

Leaves on an open book — Image by ksyfffka07 from Pixabay

I have a few more general reading goals for the fall and a few books that didn’t fit into the other categories that I wanted to share as well. Full disclosure – if these goals were being ranked in a high school year book, they’d probably receive “most likely to not be completed”… just saying.

I) Make some progress on my “Book Lists”
Along with some of my themed reading lists that I’ve shared here over the past year, I also wrote a “Must Reads” list for 2020 at the beginning of the year. There are 20 books (plus optional sub ins) on this list, and up to this point, I have read 9 of them. And don’t even ask me how I’m progressing on my themed lists…

II) One or Two Non-fiction books
I am trying to get back into reading non-fiction at least occasionally, and there are a few books in this category that I have really wanted to read for some time. Let’s see if I can finally convince myself to dive in. If it’s on a list, it has to happen… right?

III) Graphic Novels
On my personal goals list, this was specifically to pick the LumberJanes series up again. I am still planning on that, but I also feel drawn to graphic novels in general right now. I have only dipped my toe into this category, so if you have any that you could recommend, I am always open to suggestions.

IV) Something Mermaid
I know, I know, this is both oddly specific and extremely vague. Basically, I know there are some more spooky mermaid fantasies that I want to read, but it will all depend on library availability (and my ability to remember what they are…)

V) Start a ‘Walking Book’
Yes. This is another strange one. This goal is tied into a goal I have to go for walks more consistently. I have the idea that if I start an audiobook that can only be read while walking, I’ll walk more… so far I have succeeded in increasing the number of walks I’ve gone on, and listened to zero audiobooks on the way. So this might be a doomed goal, but we shall see.

There you have it, all of my reading goals for Fall 2020. I know that it might seem like a lot of goals, but I make my reading goals the same way that I make my themed reading lists. Think of it like a reading goal buffet – you want to have plenty of options to pick from to be prepared for whatever mood that strikes. Sometimes you want salad and mains, and sometimes you want 3 helpings of dessert…

…now that I’ve made myself completely hungry, I think that it’s a good time to wrap up this post. What about you? Do you find that you tend to read seasonally? What are some of your favourite fall reads?

Until Next Time,

May 2020 Reading Wrap Up

Published on June 4, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

If you’ve been around the book blog or Booktube world, for any length of time, then you will be familiar with wrap ups. They’re generally monthly, but they can be other frequencies as well – quarterly tends to be popular, as are end of year wrap ups. I’m not sure yet if I want to continue to post monthly wrap ups, or if I want to post them less frequently, but we shall see how it goes.

After having a very successful reading month in April with the Magical Readathon, May was borderline a reading slump. I’ve still been watching/listening to a fair amount of YouTube, so I haven’t listened to as many audiobooks as normal, and right up until the last week of the month, I could not bring myself to pick up an e-book or a physical book. I didn’t know what I wanted to read, and I had zero motivation. I still managed to have a not bad reading month, and I finally read a book at the end of the month that seems to have snapped me out of my slump… so here’s to hoping for an even better June!

The Books I Finished in May

Audiobooks = 3
E-books = 2

1. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle (2 Stars, Audiobook)

I was so disappointed with this book. Years ago I read a later book in this series and I can remember enjoying it, but never pursued reading more of the series. So, when I found the first book available as an audiobook at my library, I was excited to give it a try. I don’t know if it’s a matter of the series getting better as it progresses, or if this is a series that doesn’t hold up across the years or the way that I have changed and grown as a reader, but there was too much that bothered me and not enough enjoyable about the story to balance it out.

The book is dated in its language and some of its themes, and there was a lot that made me cringe. I am generally willing to provide a certain amount of leeway to account for the time in which a novel was written, but I had a hard time doing that in this case. And quite frankly, other than the information about coffee included throughout, the story itself was not engaging enough for me to overlook the many things that I didn’t like. I doubt that I will read more in this series.

2. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (4 Stars, Audiobook)

I originally gave this book 3 Stars on Goodreads, but on looking back, I think it’s closer to a 3.5 or a 4. This is the second book in The Dresden Files series, and I am really enjoying the series so far. The series focuses on Harry Dresden – a wizard living in Chicago, who specializes in paranormal investigations and consultation. He also consults for the police department… or at least he did.The start of this book finds Harry dealing with some of the consequences of his actions in the first book, and on top of all that, it seems like Chicago might have a werewolf problem.

Harry is a man of many flaws, many of which he is starting to become more aware of over the course of this book. I can only hope his personal development will continue. The mystery in this instalment was solid, and well written – even more so than that of the first book – and I really enjoyed it. And I am thoroughly enjoying the mixture of mystery and fantasy. So far, this series is shaping up to be everything I hoped it would be.

3. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (4 Stars, E-book)

The blurb describes this book as “Steel Magnolias meets Dracula,” and though I’m not overly familiar with Steel Magnolias, I would say that’s not a bad description. This is the book that pulled me out of my reading slump. Instead of needing to force myself to pick it up, I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from the first page to the last – even if it made me somewhat worried about a vampire crawling into my bedroom window.

I don’t read a lot of horror because I don’t like a lot of gore or gruesomeness, and I often find that the topics in horror novels make me uncomfortable outside of the creepiness. I don’t often like to read those types of topics, so I have a hard time finding horror that I want to read. Because of that, I want to make it very clear that this book dealt with some very uncomfortable and terrible topics, and it will not be for everyone. The bad things are condemned by the book and the characters within it, but it is still uncomfortable, and at times upsetting, to read.

This book was creepy, and uncomfortable, and infuriating, and it was supposed to be. But I enjoyed the story and the women who were the main characters, even if they also drove me nuts at times. And don’t even get me started on the husbands. Overall, this was a hit for me, and I absolutely loved how the author pitted his monster against a group of Southern housewives.

4. Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco (4 Stars, Audiobook)

This is the fourth and final book in the “Stalking the Jack the Ripper” series, and I loved it! I’m not going to go into too much detail, since it’s the 4th book in the series, and I don’t want to include any spoilers here. I am also planning on doing a spoiler free wrap up of the series next week. What I will say is that I think this was my favourite book of the series, and I am going to miss the characters very much. I will definitely be picking up whatever the author writes next.

This book takes us on a thrilling chase from New York to Chicago in search of a serial killer stalking the White City. Based on the true story of the White City Devil, which I did not know much about prior to now, this book has moved Erik Larson’s non-fiction Devil in the White City higher up on my TBR for sure. Set against the background of the World’s fair, and with the main characters facing just about as much drama in their personal lives as in their search for th killer, this book was definitely a wild ride. Stay tuned for my series wrap up coming soon.

5. Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale (3 Stars, E-book)

This was a nice, light, summery read. Set in a small, coastal town in Maine, this story feels like summer through and through. The main character, Babe, is in that last summer between High School and the rest of her life. And her summer is not going to go anything like what she had planned. Between having a major fall out with her best friends at the start of summer, and breaking her one rule of “never dating a summer boy,” her summer will be one to remember, even if she’s not sure she’ll enjoy the memories.

While not joining the ranks of my favourite YA contemporary romances, this was enjoyable and fun. I had a hard time getting used to the main character’s name being “Babe”, which is a silly complaint, but it took me at least the first half to get used to it, and before that it was very distracting. I also wish that there had been a bit more depth to the characters. I always felt they were holding me at arms length, and I didn’t get as drawn into their lives as I would have liked. But overall, it was an enjoyable and fun read. I think this would be the perfect beach read.

Those are all the books that I have in May. Though there was one book that I really didn’t enjoy, overall I think that I had success with the books that I ended up reading. I think my favourite book from this month would have to be Capturing the Devil.

What about you? What was your favourite book that you read in May? Do you enjoy reading wrap ups? Or do you prefer to read individual book reviews? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Mapping the Books – Reading around the World and Across Genres

Published on May 28, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

I don’t know about you, but I love it when a book includes maps in the front. I love how they allow you to situate a book in a place – especially when that place is not part of this world. Whether you reference the map as you read the story, or only look at it at the start, the map is one of the tools that the author uses to ground their story in a setting and to create a world. If the places that the characters visit are marked on a map, they are made that much more real.

I love maps. Between maps in books and maps in travel, I am often referencing them.

Today I want to introduce a new series that combines books and maps in a different way. I’m not actually sure if it should be classified as a series, as it’s more of a way to manage and organize books and posts… but don’t think there’s a word that sums that up. And since there will be posts directly related to this organizational method… series it is.

The Background

As I have mentioned before, when I started up this blog I knew that I wanted to write about both reading and travel. I had many brainstorming sessions to think up ways to combine the two on an ongoing basis. One of the ideas that came out of these sessions was to map out the books that I read, books that I would like to read, or use maps to create reading lists for specific places.

The more I thought about it, the more I started to get really excited about the idea of being more intentional in reading books from different areas of the world. I also wanted to see where the books that I read and talk about are located, and how they’re spread out around the world. I have an idea about where the majority of books I read are set, but as someone with both history and math in her background, I love the idea of seeing it actually laid out and plotted.

My vision for this is to have clickable maps that allow you to navigate to a section of the world of books and see all the posts about the books from that area. At this point, however, I’m not completely sure how to make that happen. I don’t know if I can add such a thing to a blog without major programming required. I have a few ideas, but I need to work on it and play with it some more. In the meantime, the world of books will be organized into separate pages to group the books from each area.

A Series in Two Sections

This series is going to consist of two parts, at least to start. The first will be mapping books in the physical world. This section will include books of any genre that are set in “real” locations on earth or in space. These might be books that are set in alternate, or more fantastical, versions of real locations, as well as those that are more realistic. If you can find it on a map then it can be included, even if it’s completely different than how we know the place in the past or present.

The second section will be the world of genres. This section is one that will definitely be more interesting once I can figure out how to make clickable images, but I’m going to start it up now and work towards the vision. For now, this section will organize the books I read and talk about by genre. I would like this world map of genres to include everything from Fantasy to Non-Fiction.

I love the idea of seeing books and genres on a map. In the case of the genres, it’s fun to imagine what they would look like on a map. What are the continents, and the countries? Which genres are “border” each other? There are so many things that I want to explore with this series, and I’m excited to get started with it.

You can find the “Map of Books” page and the “Map of Genres” pages linked below. They will also be linked under the “books” menu going forward, once I get that set up.

Do you enjoy maps? Do you categorize the types of books that you read or look for trends in this way? Do you find that you read books mostly from one area of the world or do you read more widely? Let me know in the comments!

World Map of Books
The Map of Genres

Until next time!

Reading Books from Each Year of My Life 1986-2020

Published on May 21, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

Hello! Welcome back to another reading challenge post. Last week I talked about how I enjoy setting reading challenges, and reading lists for myself. (You can check that post out here for some background.) Today I wanted to talk about another challenge that I am currently working my way through. I started this challenge in July of 2019 just after my birthday, and the goal was that it would be a year long challenge. Seeing as how we are almost at the 1 year mark, and I am only a third of the way through, that is not going to happen. So I’m extending it another year.

I got the idea when Emma from Drinking by My Shelf completed a challenge where she read a number of books from the day she was born. I really loved the idea, and started looking into doing that for myself. As I was looking for books that were published in 1986, I decided that I wanted to switch the challenge up a bit for myself, and read a book from each year of my life. Because I’m apparently incapable of setting challenges of reasonable length.

Because of the way the years work out, I’ll be reading 1 book more than my actual age. Since I am not going to be completing this challenge by this year’s birthday, I’ve added 2020 on to the list. So the challenge covers 1986-2020, which is 35 books. 35 books isn’t unreasonable for me to read in a year, but I like to read a wide variety of books, as well as reading more current books, which makes it more difficult.

There are some years where I am determined to read a specific book, or one out of a couple books. In these cases, even if I read a different book from that year, I’m not going to consider the slot completed, unless I get to the end of the challenge and find that I still haven’t picked up the preferred book. On the other hand, there are a some years where, if I happen across a book that fits the year but wasn’t on my initial list, then that’s the book I’ll put into the slot.

I’m also trying to not fill too many slots with multiple books in a series, if possible.This means that if an author I love releases a book a year, I’m not going to binge read their books and list them for 5 or 6 consecutive years. Make sense? One exception to this rule for now is The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett – there are a few books from that series on the list of possible titles.

I decided not to list all the options I’ve included on my list because it’s so rough, and fluid, so I will just mention the books I end up using to fill the slot. I’ll try to give a progress update every few months, depending on how many books I get through in the time. For now, here are the books I have read so far. I have completed 13/35.

1986 – The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
This is book 2 in the Discworld series. I enjoyed this one, though it’s not among my favourites. There were some great quotes and I liked it better than book 1, so it might even be one I re-read at some point. Stay tuned at some point in the future for more Discworld content, including recommended reading guides.

1988 – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This is a short, somewhat strange, book that is SO GOOD. I absolutely loved it and would 100% recommend it. It’s been less than a year since I read it first, and I’m already thinking about re-reading it.

1998 – Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
This was a re-read. I decided it should have a place on this list since the Temperance Brennan series is a favourite for me and I read and re-read all of them regularly. These books are definitely “comfort reads” for me.

2000 – Storm Front by Jim Butcher
I mentioned this book in my Magical Readathon wrap up post. This is the first book in a Mystery-Fantasy series that I am really enjoying. I have read the first 2 books in the last two months and have the third out from my library already. I may write a more in depth look into the series in an upcoming post.

2011 – The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This is a fantasy retelling of the story of Achilles. I didn’t love this as much as Circe, by the same author, but it was really enjoyable and I will definitely keep reading Madeline Miller’s books. If you enjoy Greek myth retellings, these are definitely ones to look into.

2012 – Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
This is the first book in a Middle Grade fantasy series that I have started reading over the past year. I am loving it so much. The characters and the stories are so well written! It is without a doubt a new favourite series. There are 8 books out so far.

2013 – NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
This one was definitely out of my comfort zone, as it is horror, but I think I enjoyed it? I’m still not completely sure how I would rate it. It is very long, and it is the type of book that felt long. It is also the type of book that is supposed to make you uncomfortable at times.

2014 – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Unpopular opinion – I didn’t really like this book. There. I said it. For the most part I enjoyed the first part of the book. But then there’s a twist/switch part way through that ruined the book for me. It wasn’t the twist itself, but everything that happened after the twist. I will probably still check out more Gillian Flynn in the future.

2016 – The Dry by Jane Harper
This is the first book in a Mystery/Thriller series set in Australia. It took me awhile to get into the story, but I’m not sure if I was trying to do too much while listening to the audiobook. I plan on picking up at least one more book in this series.

2017 – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The internet loves this book. I will say that this wasn’t my favourite Taylor Jenkins Reid book – I think that place goes to Daisy Jones and the Six, but I really enjoyed this one. I love the writing style, and the way that it makes you feel like the characters mentioned could actually exist.

2018 – Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
This is the first Robert Jackson Bennett book that I have read, as well as the first book in a new fantasy series. I loved the magic system in this book, and I really enjoyed the story and the characters. My favourite character is the talking key… are you intrigued? This was a five-star read for me and I cannot wait to pick up 2.

2019 – The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
This was such a cute contemporary romance. I loved the writing, and I loved the concept, which is two people living in the same flat (apartment) that work completely opposite schedules and communicate primarily through sticky notes. Would highly recommend.

2020 – The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
This is the third and final book in the “Truly Devious” series. It is a young adult mystery series set in a strange boarding school with a mysterious past. I thought this one wrapped up the trilogy well, and I enjoy where they left the characters. I think book 2 might have been my favourite, but this is definitely a trilogy that I plan on re-reading.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any suggestions for books I should read for the years that I have not yet completed?

Until next time,

Reading the 1920’s: A Reading Challenge

Published on May 14, 2020November 16, 2020 by Meaghan Elizabeth

Happy New Year! We have now officially entered into the Twenty-Twenties! …

The Great Gatsby book in front of Letterboard

Okay, so it’s clearly not January (though I’m not sure any one has informed the weather), and we are already well into this whirlwind that is 2020. This is a “reading goals for the new year” type post, which means that it is at least 4 months late. Because of that, I considered not even posting it. But then I figured that we still have 8 months left in the year, and it seems likely that this challenge will go into 2021, so I might as well just go for it.

A bit of background

I enjoy setting reading challenges for myself. I like to put together lists to challenge myself to read books within a specific theme. Sometimes the lists are seasonally themed, sometimes they are themed by genre or by some other category that interests me. I put these lists together all the time. I would like to think that I’m pretty good at putting together these lists.

What I’m not good at is completing these lists. I start strong, but then I gradually lose interest or motivation or, more often, come up with another shiny new challenge and the old challenge is left to sit unfinished.

Part of the problem is that I’m something of a mood reader. I like the idea of having a structured TBR, and it works for me for a while, but then I get really drawn to a certain author or a certain type of book, and that’s all I want to read. When I’m in one of those moods, forcing myself to read something else can push me into a slump. And then I don’t want to read anything. Which is no good.

The second part of the problem is that I put too many books on the list. Why put together a list of 10 books, when you can put together 20 books instead? Along with making a long list, I am prone to making the timeline too short. These two things together make the challenge unmanageable, and I inevitably just give up. Good challenges should stretch you without being completely unmanageable.

Despite these problems, I keep setting challenges. But I’m working on setting them better. I try to put a variety of genres on a list, and I leave myself open to swapping books out if I decide I have no interest in reading them. I’m also working on setting more accurate timelines. If a book list is long, it should have a long, even more open ended, timeline. Maybe eventually I will set myself a challenge that I can finish!

Onto the Challenge!

This year I decided that since we were entering into the Twenties, I wanted to devote some of my reading time to books set in or written in the 1920s. There are 20 books on this list, because that felt fitting. It’s a long list, but I’m trying to leave the timeline fairly open. I would love to read these all this year, but next year is still going to be the Twenties, so if it becomes a two year challenge, so be it.

The books cover many genres, so there should be something to fit into almost every reading mood. I’m also open to swapping out books if I change my mind, or find something better. I had a difficult time coming up with 20 books that I was interested in for this challenge, so there are a few on here that I already think I might not read. There are also a couple series, so there’s room for one series to take multiple slots if I get hooked.

Since I’m so late in posting this, I have already completed a couple of the books on this list. I’m not going to indicate that here, but I’m going to try and do a mid-year wrap up at the end of June where I’ll talk about my thoughts on the ones I’ve completed by then.

Onto The Books

1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (1920)

This, Agatha Christie’s first novel and first in the Poirot series, was first published in 1920. I can’t remember if I’ve read this one before – so it may end up being a re-read. I wonder if I’ll still be surprised by the twist?

2. The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot (1922)

Though I’m familiar with the poem, and have read excerpts, I would like to be able to say that I’ve read the entire thing. I rarely pick up poetry, so this one will definitely stretch my reading.

3. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

I have added and removed this book from the list a number of times already. It is a big book, and I really don’t know if I’m going to enjoy it or not. I can already see this being one that I swap out.

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

It seems like everyone has heard of the Great Gatsby. I read this book during University, but it has never been one of my favourites. Since it is short, and an iconic book of the decade, I thought a re-read was in order. Perhaps I’ll like it better the second time around.

5. Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh (1930)

Though this book was published in 1930, it is set in the late 1920s. I have never read anything by Evelyn Waugh, but Emma from Drinking By My Shelf (YouTube) raves about this book, so I have decided to give it a try.

6. Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers (1923)

Sayers is the second mystery novelist on this list, but unlike Christie, I have not read any books by her yet. This is her first mystery featuring Lord Peter Whimsey. If I enjoy this one, then I think she has quite a few other books that I will be able to add to pick up and enjoy.

7. The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (1927)

When I discovered that there were Sherlock Holmes stories that fit into my publication period, I knew that they needed to be on this list. I am a lover of most things Sherlock Holmes, though I have not actually read all of the original stories. This collection includes the final set of 12 Holmes stories published in the Strand from 1921 to 1927.

8. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1926)

I originally intended to have 20 different authors on this list, but I was having a difficult time landing on 20 books, and I know that I enjoy Agatha Christie. I am also 99% certain that I have not read this one.

9. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (1926)

As I was looking for books to include on this list, I realized that there were a number of classic children’s books written during this time period that I have not yet read. I have always loved Winnie the Pooh, but have read very few of the stories themselves, so I think I will read the stories between other books.

10. The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting (1920)

I have watched the movie, but never read any Doctor Doolittle stories. And now with the new movie this year, it seemed like a perfect time to pick up this classic.

11. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (1923)

L.M. Montgomery is one of my favourite authors, and the Emily of New Moon series are some of my favourite books. I think the last time I read this series had to be when I was in high school, so I am very interested to see what I think of it as an adult.

12. The Secret of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton (1927)

Another mystery! I have wanted to read something Chesterton for ages, but have never managed to pick one up. I am familiar with the Father Brown character, as I have listened to a couple stories that were turned into audio drama’s, so I am hoping that I will enjoy this one.

13. New Hampshire by Robert Frost (1923)

More poetry! Look at me go stretching my reading comfort zone (at least if we ignore all the comfortable mysteries included in this list). This collection includes some of Frost’s most well known poems.

14. The Diviners by Libba Bray

We have now officially reached the section of this list where books are set in the 1920s but written more recently. The Diviners is the first book in the series of the same name set in 1920s New York City. The series is tagged as both fantasy and mystery, and I love that combination!

15. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

I know very little about this book, other than that it is a short, dark fantasy set in New York in the 1920s. This one is recommended by Books with Emily Fox on YouTube. Sometimes with this type of book, it’s better to go in without knowing too much.

16. The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

The Gallery has been on my library TBR for a couple years now but I have never felt the itch to pick it up. The description on Goodreads calls it “an historical art mystery set in the Roaring Twenties”… which sounds pretty amazing and right up my alley.

17. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

I had not heard of this book before researching this list. With a description that includes words such as “magic,” “romance,” and the “New York Jazz age,” I am hopeful that it will be exactly my cup of tea.

18. Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

I am always looking for a new cozy mystery series to dive into. This is the first book in a cozy mystery series set in 1920s Britain. The description has me completely hooked, and I hope the book can deliver.

19. Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The front cover of this book practically screams 1920s. It is the first book in a series set in New York during the last summer of the jazz age. I’m not completely convinced that this is one that I will enjoy, because the genre is outside of my comfort zone. But I will give it a try.

20. Wildcard Slot

I didn’t intend to have a “wildcard” slot in this challenge. I had a book slotted into this spot, until I realized it wasn’t set in the 1920s. I’m not sure where I got my misinformation, but I had to remove the book, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement. I am open to suggestions!

Have you read any of the books on this list? If so, what are your favourites? Do you have any other books set in the 1920s or written in the 1920s that you would recommend?

Until next time,