May and June Recap – Reading, Stuff and Nonsense

Procrastinators, unite! Union meeting date to be determined at some point in the unspecified future…

So ….. July, is it? I think I’ve decided it’s the month of June that’s my downfall. But hey – at least I got my June recap done before August, yeah? Shhhhh…. just keep reading.

For the month of May, I finished 5 books, with another 7 in the month of June. It’s an even dozen, so let’s try to run through them quickly, shall we? If you’re just up for the State of the Challenge Report, click here to jump to it… or here if you’re curious about all the other randomness I got up to in the last couple of months.

First up, for #15 on the challenge list (Read the first book in a series you’ve wanted to start), I picked up Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny. I’ve heard that the Chronicles of Amber is a classic fantasy series, but never read it, and several years back I acquired the second book in the series through Paperback Swap – either as an add-on to something I’d requested, or to fill out a book box – and had to search out the first book because I’m not fond of reading series out of order.

I liked this book, but didn’t love it.  There were times the writing felt weirdly dated and awkward and it pulled me out of the world a bit.  The story at the beginning was very much a mystery and I liked how we learn about the world as the main character is learning – he has amnesia but doesn’t want to let anyone know, so he bluffs his way into a good bit of information and occasionally has flashes of memory in bits and pieces.  It’s an interesting way to give us world building.

And of course I moved straight into the second book of the series, The Guns of Avalon, which at 189 pages made it a good choice for prompt #2 – Read a book under 400 pages. This one I did enjoy a bit more than the first in the series – there are consequences stemming from an event that takes place near the end of the first book, and a huge twist that I totally didn’t see coming. There was one scene in particular that described a journey of sorts that was extremely not fun to read – understandably, the journey would not have been fun to experience, but it was not an interesting kind of “not fun”, if you know what I mean. Still, the story has gotten very interesting and I definitely want to read further when I can pick up more books.

Not having more books in the Chronicles of Amber series on hand, and wanting to get to some more of the unread books on my Kindle, I picked up Hit by Delilah S. Dawson for #49, Read a book with an interesting cover font. Delilah Dawson is one of the authors I saw on a couple of panels at Phoenix ComiCon in 2014 and wanted to check out. This book was pretty enjoyable – it’s a dystopian novel with a 17 year old girl as a main character, so I suppose it might qualify as Young Adult, but it got pretty dark at times.

The premise of the novel is that the United States was in so much debt that a huge banking conglomerate bought out the national debt and took over the government, using an obscure clause in their credit agreements to conscript people (including our heroine) as debt collectors who are instructed to either assassinate or recruit any debtor who cannot pay immediately. It gets…. heavy. The story touches on issues of poverty, healthcare, and society’s reliance on debt – but thankfully it doesn’t get preachy, and I always appreciate it when an author can make you think about social issues without making it obvious they’re trying to make you think.

Speaking of social issues, the next book I read in May was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, for prompt #4 – Read a stand alone novel (not in a series). This one was an interesting exploration of race, prejudice and identity. It was fascinating to see the depiction of prejudice within a black community between lighter and darker skin tones. However, the pacing of the book was slow for a good chunk of it, and the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars, but it won’t make my favorites of the year.

I finished off May by reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross – the first book in the Laundry Files series, which my sister-in-law had suggested I check out a few years ago. This one fit nicely for #32 on the challenge – Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents. This was an interesting series starter…. lots of chaos and weirdness, with an overlay of British secret government agency where one can be conscripted to work for them against one’s will if you get too close to the supernatural.  I’m interested to see where the story goes, and I’ve already picked up the second in the series.

For the month of June, I finished seven books – pretty good for a month that usually sees me in a reading slump.

On the first of June, I devoured Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo in a single day. I slotted this in for #8 on the reading challenge, Read a book where the main character is a High School or College Student. I adored the non-linear storytelling and the mysteries that are unraveled throughout. The setting within secret societies on the Yale campus was definitely atmospheric and creepy, and Leigh Bardugo’s writing drew me in and kept me turning pages. I definitely want to read the sequel when it’s released.

One of the most risky categories Linz and I chose for this challenge this year was #59 – Read a book that has had unfavorable reviews, but you’re still curious about. Knowing this category was coming, it made me pull the trigger on picking one of the lower rated choices for the December 2020 Amazon First Reads selections – Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green. The book was advertised as “A heartening and uproariously funny novel of high hopes, bad choices, book love, and one woman’s best—and worst—intentions.” Bookstore, cats, and quirky humor? Sounded like just my jam.

It was a risk. I chose not to read the reviews, so I wasn’t aware in advance that the story was told entirely through emails, journal entries, social media posts, handwritten notes and website comments. That actually was pretty cool, and I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the main character had been remotely likable. She was unfortunately a self-centered, highly entitled, un-self-aware nitwit with commitment issues for 97% of the novel. The last 3% I actually enjoyed.

Moving on to something I truly loved, I picked up A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney for prompt #47 – Read a book with a main character with a different ethnicity than you. I’d heard this was an Alice in Wonderland retelling – it’s more of a re-imagining and a sequel, actually, and the Wonderland lore was so very cool. Also, along with some overt references to the show, Alice gives off some serious Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes, being a high school secret superhero, a chosen one who fights to save the world from evil monsters but has to sneak around and get in trouble with her mom and cut school and whatnot to do so. Also, she has a pair of best friends (a girl and a guy) who know what she really does. I’ll definitely be continuing this series in the future.

Next up in June, I read The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. I’d heard about it from some of the booktubers I follow, and it fit perfectly for #19 on the challenge, Read a book with a form of royalty in the title (Queen, King, Prince, Princess, etc). I was really intrigued to find that this series is set in a post-apocalyptic future (although there are magical fantasy elements that keep it from feeling too gritty and realistic). I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Kelsea, who is the daughter of the assassinated former queen, raised in seclusion and trained extensively to be a ruler and a survivor, until she comes of age and the Queen’s guards arrive to escort her to the capital to take her place as ruler.

Kelsea’s journey is harrowing, the challenges she faces are beyond what she could have expected, and I was on the edge of my metaphorical seat during most of the story. I really liked the ruler she was becoming. The rest of the trilogy is on my wish list – watch for more in this series eventually!

I finally received a copy of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo from my Paperback Swap wish list, and was dying to watch the Netflix series, so I jumped right in to the first of this trilogy and devoured it in one evening. Published in 2012, this one fit perfectly for prompt #28, Read a book published in the 2010’s. I was sucked in by the characters, the story, and the setting – this fantasy world has a Tsarist Russian vibe instead of the more typical medieval European feel. I was so on board with the main character and her journey that I was blindsided just like she was by the twist in the story, and I absolutely could not wait to watch it play out on screen.

I would have continued with the Grisha trilogy immediately, but our Linz was busily reading one of my recommendations and commenting on it in our Skype chat, so of course I had to re-read it. Because I’ve slept since then. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks therefore filled spot #29 on the challenge list, Read a book from your favorite genre. Weeks’ Lightbringer Series is one of my favorites, the magic system is just fascinating (and very much pulls from real-world science) although it does take some time to get a good grasp of it. As I warned Linz, Weeks absolutely loves his plot twists, and this book has some great ones.

This is another fantasy that varies from the typical medieval European feel – the world is more of a Mediterranean setting, and the first book just scratches the surface of the many cultures Weeks has built. One of the main character is a 15 year old boy, insecure and typically hormonal, and the author seems to write that point of view just a bit too well for some, but the self-deprecating humor and sarcasm are a hit with me.

With that reread out of the way, of course I picked up the second in the Grisha trilogy – Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. I’d watched the adaptation by that point and really needed to see where the story would go next. This one filled prompt #37, Read the next book in a series you’ve started. I loved the way the action came to a head in this one, and there was one particularly badass scene that I could totally picture with the actors from the Netflix adaptation and I can’t wait to watch in season 2.

Other than reading, May and June found me fully vaccinated and out and about a bit more, including my normal semi-annual trip to visit my mom for the week of Memorial Day. It had been almost a year and a half since I’d seen my mother, and we were both excited that I could make it out there with relative safety. I did not really miss airports. But I have missed the people at the other end of those flights.

I spent a weekend up with my bestie and her kids, during which we watched the Netflix movie The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which was simply awesome. It was simultaneously hilarious and emotionally moving, quirky and heartwarming. Highly recommended. Other things I watched over the past couple of months included the aforementioned Shadow and Bone adaptation, the Loki series on Disney Plus, the Buffy Season 8 motion comic, and continued my Amazon Watch Party with Linz for Buffy the Vampire Slayer – we got through Season 2 Episode 14, which is a big one. I also started rewatching How I Met Your Mother instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, so there’s that.

Possibly because of not going to bed at a reasonable hour, I continued my obsession with Bones Coffee, discovering some new flavors – Shark Bite was the best of my second sampler.

Other random favorite things – my Iced Blueberry Biscotti candle from Bath & Body Works, Haymaker (my new favorite restaurant), playing Guilty Party on the Wii, and reading on my mom’s back porch.

Stuck in my head: Found/Tonight by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, and most anything by The Cat Empire, especially Brighter Than Gold.

So that’s the update! If you made it through all of this rambling, come talk to me in the comments! Have you read any of these 12 books, or do any of them sound intriguing? Have you watched anything good lately? Why is Ben Barnes so ridiculously good looking?How do you feel about flavored coffee? Are you out and about and traveling these days?

Hopefully my July update will be up reasonably early in August, but I make no promises. Until then, my friends!

2021 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club
1. Read a book obtained from Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Amazon First Reads, Paperback Swap, or the Library – A Way Through the Wilderness – Jamie Buckingham
2. Read a book under 400 pages – The Guns of Avalon – Roger Zelazny
3. Reread a book that makes you happy – Crazy For You – Jennifer Crusie
4. Read a stand alone novel (not in a series) – The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett
5. Read a book that starts with the letter D – Doppelganger – Marie Brennan
6. Read a book that was recommended to you
7. Read a book with the color white on the cover – A Breath of Snow and Ashes (reread) – Diana Gabaldon
8. Read a book where the main character is a High School or College Student – Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo
9. Read a book by an author named Michael/Mike/Michelle or variant – Age of Myth – Michael J. Sullivan
10. Read a book that’s been turned into a TV series or Movie – Sword of Destiny – Andrzej Sapkowski
11. Read a book with exactly two words in the title – Blood Cross – Faith Hunter
12. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 2: Casual Reader Club
13. A book from https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/
14. Read a Murder Mystery
15. Read the first book in a series you’ve wanted to start – Nine Princes in Amber – Roger Zelazny
16. Read a book that has a person on the cover – Mercy Blade – Faith Hunter
17. Read a book where the main character’s occupation is chef or baker
18. Read a book by an author born in the 20th Century (1901-2000)
19. Read a book with a form of royalty in the title (Queen, King, Prince, Princess, etc) – The Queen of the Tearling – Erika Johansen
20. Read a book you meant to read on last year’s challenge – Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke
21. Read a book by Barbara Cartland
22. Read a book that takes place in Spring
23. Read a book with the word Human/Person/People in the title
24. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club
25. Read a book by a Self Published Author – Peace and Turmoil – Elliot Brooks
26. Read a book for under $5
27. Read a book from : https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/
28. Read a book published in the 2010’s – Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo
29. Read a book from your favorite genre – The Black Prism (reread) – Brent Weeks
30. Read a book that has had at least three different covers
31. Read a book that takes place in Europe
32. Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents – The Atrocity Archives – Charles Stross
33. Read a book where the main character is a magic user – Warrior and Witch – Marie Brennan
34. Read a book with a time of day in the title (Morning, Noon, Evening, Dusk, Dawn, etc) – Dawnshard – Brandon Sanderson
35. Read a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
36. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 4: Speed Reader Club
37. Read the next book in a series you’ve started – Siege and Storm – Leigh Bardugo
38. Read a book with an orange cover
39. Read a book over 600 pages – An Echo in the Bone (reread) – Diana Gabaldon
40. Read a book that uses the “Chosen One” trope
41. Read a book where the main character is elderly – A Severed Wasp – Madeleine L’Engle
42. Read a book with the letter V in the title or author’s name
43. Read a Science Fiction
44. Read a book that starts with the letter P
45. Read a book with a bird on the cover – Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
46. Read a book (Fiction or Nonfiction) about a lady on this list: https://www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/
47. Read a book with a main character with a different ethnicity than you – A Blade So Black – L.L. McKinney
48. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 5: Overachiever Club
49. Read a book with an interesting cover font – Hit – Delilah Dawson
50. Read a book about orphans
51. Read a book with the word “wind” in the title – The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher
52. Read a book by John Irving
53. Read a book that was published when you were eleven
54. Read a book that takes place in the 1960s
55. Read a book (fiction or Nonfiction) about a topic that’s always interested you, but you haven’t read about it yet
56. Read a Nonfiction book that teaches you a new skill
57. Read a book without a picture on the cover
58. Read a book (Fiction or Nonfiction) involving Mental Illness – Rhythm of War – Brandon Sanderson
59. Read a book that has had unfavorable reviews, but you’re still curious about – Confessions of a Curious Bookseller – Elizabeth Green
60. Free Space- Pick any book!