2024 Readcap

Yeah, I've used that portmanteau before, I know. It's stupid, but I like it.

Outside of Read Harder, I really only had a few reading goals. The first, which isn't really a hard and fast thing, was to read at least 100 books. Final count? 111. How very Bilbo of me.

First book of the year, The Mirrorwood by Deva Fagan. Last book, For She is Wrath by Emily Varga. I didn't review For She is Wrath, but it's a reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, in a Pakistan-inspired world, and it was pretty good! I also reread seventeen books - bet you can guess a few, and I'm rereading one of them again now - and I DNFed two books, which is a huge victory for me.

My last reading goal was to prioritize reading the books I bought this year and be more intentional with which books I purchased. I think I did pretty well with being intentional - most of the books I bought were for Read Harder, my book club, or were from my monthly book subscription boxes. This year, I'm going to try to use the library more for Read Harder challenges, or pick books from my TBR backlog. And speaking of my TBR backlog, it did not grow this year because I finished ALL the books I bought in 2024! So proud of myself.

Now, what should my 2025 goals be? I've got a monthly mystery read from my TBR shelf thanks to my sister, so I'll be reading those (knocked January's out on the 1st - #SoFat #SoBrave by Nicole Byer, SO good!), and my sister and I are also making Very Hungry Caterpillar scarves with different colors for each genre we read. Those aren't really goals, they're more...fun book-related things...so, what else should I throw into the mix? Read 112 books? Reread 25 books? Read one non-fiction book a month?

The world is my oyster.

Summer Reading recap

Well...it finally happened. My summer break is coming to a close. And what better way to end the summer than with a recap of all the books I read and maybe some brief thoughts about the ones I didn't review on here? Sounds good to me!

Books I read this summer:

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Well-documented that I love this book. Finished it the first day of break, so I'm counting it.

2. A Fate Worse Than Death by Nisha Patel - So intense, so stark, so real.

3. Abyss by Pilar Quintana - Could not put it down.

4. Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta - Did I review this? If not, I should have. I honestly can't remember. I could check, but I'm tired. Anyway, it was excellent, and I loved the way she kept true to P&P while telling her own story. (I checked, and I DIDN'T review it?! What was I thinking?) 

5. Dragonboy by Megan Reyes - Did review this. Meh.

6. The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle - Love this book, every time I read it I love it more. Listen to the audiobook! It's so good.

7. Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho - Needed something more. The idea was solid, but the main character was deeply unlikeable.

8. The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit - So sweet, I loved the whole family and thought the story took something innocent and childlike, wanting to be a detective like the character in your favorite book, and spun it in a way that was surprising and deep.

9. Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy by Laekan Zea Kemp - love these books, love these characters. I really enjoy how the whole family is incorporated.

10. Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin - Loved the premise, execution was a tad dull but it was still enjoyable.

11. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe - EXCELLENT.

12. Hey, U Up? (For a Serious Relationship): How to Turn Your Booty Call into Your Emergency Contact by Emily Axford and Brian Murphy - I adore these two, and this was so funny. 

13. A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair - WOW, what a twist! Also, totally thought this was a trilogy, learned at the cliffhanger at the end of this one THAT IT ISN'T?! GAHHHH. Now I have to wait for the next one.

14. The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar - Reviewed, great idea with meh execution.

15. Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth - So emotional.

16. Disability Visibility (adapted for young readers) by Alice Wong - I read the full version of this and thought it was excellent. This version is also excellent!

17. The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas - Reviewed, loved it loved it loved it.

18. Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson - ROCKED ME. Review to come.

19. The Bennett Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi - Pretty solid, nice twist on Pride and Prejudice.

20. Escape from Atlantis by Kate O'Hearn - Not at all what I expected, pretty good though. My one big gripe, the same gripe I have with almost every middle grade or children's book that I read, is...you guessed it...THIS BOOK IS TOO LONG! I read it pretty quickly, and I can think of a handful of students who would power through it, but 450 pages for a kid's book is too many pages.

21. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert - Very sweet and adorable.