Tag Archives: sci-fi

January 2024 Recap: Focus and Fasting

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Well hello there, 2024. It’s amazing how slow January feels, but how fast it’s actually over. It’s always a strange month for me, because work is busy and no vacation days are approved, and every year my church has been participating in New Covenant Association of Ministries’ 40 days of prayer and fasting, during which we have a nightly livestream of encouragement and prayer. So my days are busy, and my nights are busy, and I’m making a concerted effort to cut out distractions and focus on God, so during the times that I’d normally spend scrolling social media and watching TV or YouTube, I’m pushing myself to do productive things and/or pray. 

The food part of fasting has been the least important and least difficult for me – I stepped down and quit caffeine, and gave up sugar and dairy and red meat (and eventually all meat, and bread). I do pretty well without caffeine, considering how much I really love coffee. I’m not trying to give it up permanently, so no need to recommend decaf. No desire to go there. *wink* I’ve been drinking an enormous amount of herbal tea the last few weeks, and decided it was time to get myself an electric kettle.

So for books! That’s why at least some of you are here, right? In the month of January, I completed 6 books – a good start to the year, even if a couple of them were under 200 pages. As we got deeper into our 40 days of fasting, I made the decision to switch to reading books that would keep my focus on God for the remainder of the fast, and not be a distraction.

After reading five – count ’em – five new books by Brandon Sanderson last year, I decided he’d be a good one for challenge prompt #2, Read a book by an author you’ve previously read. Ha. So I started off the year with yet another one, released in November. Defiant is the final installment in his Skyward young adult sci-fi series, and it was absolutely a satisfying conclusion. The main character, Spensa, has a very amusing narrative voice, and the cast of side characters (including a mushroom-loving AI and a 15 centimeter tall furry ninja alien) provide even more entertainment, but the story was tense and action-filled, and the stakes were high.

Spensa went through a lot of introspection and emotional growth in this story, and there were times the story brought me to tears. I know there’s a collection of three novellas associated with this series that I haven’t read yet, which I’m looking forward to picking up. I’ve enjoyed this sci-fi world and the humor and heart Sanderson put into it. [4.25 stars]

After that, I made a start on my pile of physical books on the nightstand (seriously, it’s huge) and picked up Collages by Anais Nin for prompt #8, Read a book that’s been on your “shelf” for over a year. This one was recommended by my sister-in-law a few years back, and I can see why she thought I’d enjoy it. It’s a weird little collection of stories, full of luscious language and gorgeous imagery. The stories center on a few different characters who are all connected to the central character in the tale, and form something of a collage themselves (also one of the stories is about an artist who creates collages).

The pace was a little on the slow side but I was entranced by the writing. One paragraph for example: “The rocks were continually filled with surprises from shipwrecks, and the nights with sounds which the regular rhythm of the sea orchestrated. The wind flung itself between the rocks, dishevelled, wrestled with the waves, until one of them expired. The sky put on its own evanescent spectacles, a pivoting stage, fugitive curtains, decors for ballets, floating icebergs, unrolled bolts of chiffon, gold and pearl necklaces, marabous of oyster white, scarves of Indian saris, flying feathers, shorn lambs, geometric architecture in snows and cotton. His theater was the clouds, where no spectacle repeated itself.” [3.75 stars]

My next choice was a re-read for prompt #5, Reread a book you have recommended to someone else. I am constantly pushing Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga on my fantasy reading friends (most recently this month in the alliance chat for a phone game I play). I finished the final installment in the trilogy last month, and immediately wanted to start over at the beginning, since it had been over two years since I read the first novel. Jade City is an excellent introduction to the world of Kekon, an Asian-inspired island which is the only source of a fictional precious stone called bioenergetic jade.

Jade is precious because it interacts with human physiology in a way that produces enhanced physical and mental powers – but it is dangerous to anyone who does not have a genetic profile that allows them to tolerate and harness the energy, and who has not gone through extensive training to allow them to use it safely. The worldbuilding and culture is intriguing, and the magic system is heavily influenced by martial arts. I remember being fascinated by the interactions of the protagonist Kaul family, and this time through I could understand even more the choices each person made and how they led to the inevitable end. Bonus, after having watched two seasons of the The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, I now have a mental picture of the eldest Kaul brother, Lan, as Daniel Henney. [5 stars]

Next up, I picked up my choice for prompt # 10, Read a book from the Los Angeles Public Library’s staff recommendations – The City We Became by N.K. Jemisen. I’ve read the first in Jemisen’s Broken Earth trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed it – so I’d been intrigued by her new The Great Cities duology. The concept is fascinating – what if, over time, the collective identity of the inhabitants of great cities caused the city itself to gain sentience and a life of its own? In this first installment, we witness the birth of New York City in this metaphysical sense, as 6 avatars (one for the city as a whole, and five for each of its boroughs) are awakened as embodiments of the city. 

And of course, it wouldn’t be a story without conflict, supplied by a trans-dimensional force that has been opposing the birth of cities across the centuries – because each city’s birth causes the collapse and destruction of dozens of parallel dimensions. Or maybe it’s something darker and more disturbing at the heart of the enemy’s motivation… Like I said, the concept was fantastic, but there was something lacking for me. Maybe it’s just that I’m not as big of a fan of New York City as the author is – I’d be intrigued to see the birth of another city, but as I understand it, the sequel picks up where this novel ends, with a continuation of New York City’s battle against the enemy that threatens not only itself, but our entire plane of existence. Your mileage may vary. [3.5 stars]

Nearing the end of January, I picked up a book recommended for my church’s leadership team – You Have Not Many Fathers by Dr. Mark Hanby is out of print but very relevant to those in positions of church leadership and ministry. The book focuses on the Biblical pattern for relationships in ministry, a father/son bond that provides care and accountability lacking in the loose organizational oversight – or complete lack of oversight – that so many ministries labor under. Dr. Hanby takes us back to the forefathers of the Hebrew nation, as well as the founding fathers of the Christian church, to discover the pattern of generational blessing and inheritance.

This was a really insightful read, and as a bonus, one little nugget has already helped me look at the scriptures in a different way: ”We today tend to gingerly skip over all the lists of ‘begats’ in the Scriptures. All those details of the generations of Adam, Noah, Shem, Terah, Jacob, and the 12 tribes of Israel, we sometimes feel are not essential. Although these genealogical lists may seem irrelevant to us, it is imperative we understand that the very presence of these large lists, repeated over and over in our Bibles, indicates an enormous generational interest in the heart of God.” The day after I read that paragraph, I found myself facing another long genealogy in Ezra chapter 7 – and immediately took note of where it was leading, back to Aaron, the high priest, and that added to my understanding of the chapter. I chose this as my selection for prompt #54 – Read a non-fiction book. [4 stars]

I finished up the month with a short one, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. This is another recommendation from my mom – I’ve been trying to go through the books she recommends for her one-on-one discipleship students for the last few years, as everything she’s recommended has been insightful and worthwhile. I really enjoyed the detailed look at a Psalm that I’ve had memorized since childhood, from the perspective of someone who has actually been a shepherd. 

The inside knowledge gives a richer understanding of the metaphors in the passage, and really provides understanding of the amount of work, observation and detailed care it takes to be a “good Shepherd”, as Christ is described. And as it was first published in 1970, it worked perfectly for challenge prompt #35, Read a book that was published before you were born. [4.5 stars]

Aside from reading, I haven’t been watching TV so I’ve been listening to a lot of Spotify. My go-to playlists are the ones I made with all the songs my team has done for praise and worship at our church for the year – I have 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 if you’re interested.

The best photos of January are in a gallery below, including three nail art looks for the month, my herbal tea stash, and Fred’s new “cardboard kitty condo” – since she’s determined to jump into every box that comes in the house I saved a bunch of them and taped them together in interesting ways with holes cut between them (inspiration from Linz, who made one for her kitten Nebula – who is essentially the same as my cat).

And here is where I solicit comments from you! What have you been reading this year? Did you set a reading goal for the year? Do you like herbal tea? (Recommendations accepted, what’s your favorite?) And what are you looking forward to for February? Talk to me, people!

The Linzthebookworm/Logophile 2024 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club [4/12 complete]
1. Read a book you got for free
2. Read a book by an author you’ve previously read – Defiant – Brandon Sanderson
3. Read a book that is under 400 pages
4. Read a book published in 2014 (10 years ago)
5. Reread a book you have recommended to someone else – Jade City (reread) – Fonda Lee
6. Read a retelling of a fairy tale or a classic novel
7. Read a book that is a comedy or satire
8. Read a book that’s been on your “shelf” for over a year – Collages – Anais Nin
9. Read a book with a color in the title
10. Read a book from the Los Angeles Public Library’s staff recommendations –The City We Became – N.K. Jemisen
11. Read a caper story (heist, thievery, etc.)
12. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 2: Casual Reader Club [0/12 complete]
13. Read book 1 of a Duology
14. Read book 2 of a Duology
15. Read a book about faeries
16. Read a book you meant to read for last year’s challenge
17. Read a book with three or more colors on the cover
18. Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with a family member
19. Read a book published by Simon & Schuster or one of its imprints
20. Read a book with the word “Dark” in the title
21. Read a book published in 2004 (20 years ago)
22. Read a book with a Gothic theme
23. Read a book on a banned book list
24. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [1/12 complete]
25. Read an Enemies to Lovers story
26. Read a Lovers to Enemies (or Friends to Enemies) story
27. Read a book that starts with the letter “S”
28. Read a book from Refinery29’s “The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time”
29. Read a book with a grey cover
30. Read a book by an author you think has an interesting name
31. Read a Historical Fiction novel
32. Read a book with the name of a place in the title
33. Read a book about a veterinarian (or someone who works with animals)
34. Read the first book in a series you’ve wanted to start
35. Read a book that was published before you were born – A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 – W. Phillip Keller
36. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 4: Speed Reader Club [0/12 complete]
37. A book by Eleanor Hibbert under any of her pseudonyms
38. Read a Memoir
39. Read a book that is referenced in a film or TV show
40. Read a book with a skull on the cover
41. Read a book with the word “Truth” in the title
42. Read a book that involves gamer/fandom/geek culture
43. Read a book with a Scientist as the main character
44. Read a book that takes place in a cold climate
45. Read a book that has double letters in the title
46. Read a book by two or more authors
47. Read a book involving or inspired by Egyptian mythology
48. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 5: Overachiever Club [1/12 complete]
49. Read a book with a Unicorn in it
50. Read a book that takes place during the 18th century (1701-1800)
51. Read a book by Jonathan Coe
52. Read a book with over 700 pages
53. A book with a title that has 5 words
54. Read a non-fiction book – You Have Not Many Fathers – Dr. Mark Hanby
55. Read a book with a picture of food or drink on the cover
56. Read a book by an author with Fred in their name
57. Read a book that takes place in South America
58. Read a book you previously started but left unfinished
59. Rickrolled! Read a book with one (or more) of the following words in the title: Never Going To Give You Up
60. Free Space – Pick any book!

June 2023 Recap: Summer has arrived!

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Hello again, my friends and other assorted random readers. I’m glad you’re here, as always!

And suddenly we are halfway through 2023, and for once I am on pace to complete the full reading challenge. Here’s hoping that I don’t go through a reading slump this fall… In June, I finished 5 books. Let’s talk about them!

The first book I finished in June was Exiles by Ashley and Leslie Saunders – you may notice that the photo here is not my usual photograph of the book cover… mostly because my Kindle is black and white, and I wanted to show off the fun colors on this one – which made it my choice for prompt #28, Read a book with a neon-colored cover. This was an interesting YA dystopian sci-fi story, set in Los Angeles after a devastating earthquake, when a tech billionaire has set himself up as the “savior of the city”, and is pulling promising young people from abject poverty to an exclusive boarding school and a life of privilege.

The book was written by twin sisters and features a pair of twins as the main characters, as well as some fascinating uses of nanotechnology. There is a sequel to this story that I’m quite interested to read. [3.75 stars]

Next up, I read the book I chose for prompt #23, Read book 3 in a trilogy – Red Country by Joe Abercrombie. This was the third in a trilogy of novels set in the same world as the First Law series, and features some familiar faces from the First Law trilogy, some undercover. Each of these “World of the First Law” books could be viewed as a standalone story, I guess, but there are references to the other stories and events in addition to some characters who pop up in more than one of them. As all of Abercrombie’s novels, this one was gritty and brutal, and the characters were all very grey. The writing is engaging and the characters so interesting you can’t help but root for them – at least some of them – even if they are kind of terrible people. [4.25 stars]

After that, I picked up a fun little cozy mystery with a punny title – fitting for prompt #51, Read a book that has a title that is punny and/or alliterative. Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher is the first in a cozy mystery series featuring a candle maker in Nantucket, Massachusetts. This was an engaging story, well written, and the setting was interesting – plus, the details about candle making were a nice bonus, since I’ve considered taking up the hobby in the past. I’m interested in continuing with the series for sure. [3.75 stars]

I jumped from the cozy mystery vibe into something entirely different – The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. I’ve had this one on my TBR for quite a while – this is the last of 3 books by the author that I picked up nearly 20 years ago. This novel is a trilogy of shorter stories, set in New York City, which are thematically connected. All are ostensibly detective stories – with some overlap in the profession of detective and writer – and explore identity and obsession. And while quite well written, they are at the end unsettling and disturbing. Auster is a talented writer that always makes me feel just a little too shallow to enjoy them as much as I think I ought to. It worked well for prompt #27, Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends. (Hi, Paul!) [3.5 stars]

The last book I finished in June was for challenge prompt #30, Read a middle grade book. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones was recommended by Linz and I did not expect it to be so adorable. I’ve never seen the film adaptation so I had no idea what to expect, but the blend of fantasy and adventure, with a sweet little romance thrown in for good measure, was just perfect. I loved the development of the main character and was enchanted by the slow reveal of who Howl really was and the mysteries of his moving castle. [4 stars]

Aside from reading, in June I finished up my Memorial Day week visit to my mom with a memorial service for my brother. I returned home to find the ceiling fan in my bedroom had mysteriously had one blade snapped off (and my cat hiding guiltily under the bed). She’s developed a taste for fresh flowers, which I bought on a whim at the grocery store, and we tried out Cat TV on YouTube, which she seems to like. Best photos of June are included below.

In other media, I continued watching a couple of shows along with reaction channels (Ted Lasso, which is absolutely wonderful… and Profit, which is less of an amazing show but fun to discuss with the reactor, especially the extremely dramatic voiceovers), and started watching Veronica Mars – only 3 episodes in but I am having fun. I’ve been keeping up with new episodes of How I Met Your Father (and was very excited when Clark Gregg made a couple of guest appearances), and started Secret Invasion on Disney Plus. So far I’m very intrigued by Secret Invasion, I can’t wait to see more.

No new music to share this month – hopefully I can make up for that in July and get back on top of some goals. For now, I’m looking forward to a trip up to see my bestie and her kiddos, the start of Arizona monsoon season, and seeing what the month brings.

As always, come chat with me! Tell me, what are you looking forward to in July? Read anything interesting lately? What movies or TV shows would you recommend I add to my list? Your turn!

The Linzthebookworm/Logophile 2023 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club [11/12 complete]
1. Read a book recommended to you on social media or by a friend – Recursion – Blake Crouch
2. Read a book under 300 pages – The Courts of Chaos – Roger Zelazny
3. Read a book with a female main character – Tress of the Emerald Sea – Brandon Sanderson
4. Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant – Seven Blades in Black – Sam Sykes
5. Read a book that was written by an author from your home state
6. Read a book you meant to read for last year’s challenge – Have We Met? – Camille Baker
7. Read a book with a basic shape on the cover (examples: circle, square, heart, star, diamond) – Call It What You Want – Brigid Kemmerer
8. Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source – The Blue Castle – L.M. Montgomery
9. Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction) – The Bullet Journal Method – Ryder Carroll
10. Read a book that starts with the first letter of your name – Daughters of the Lake – Wendy Webb
11. Read the next book in a series you haven’t read in a while – The Lost Metal – Brandon Sanderson
12. Free Space – Pick any book! – The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England – Brandon Sanderson

Level 2: Casual Reader Club [10/12 complete]
13. Read a book by Mary Faulkner (or one of her aliases)
14. Read a book of short stories or a novella – Ford County: Stories – John Grisham
15. Read a book that involves a lot of traveling – Swan Song – Robert R. McCammon
16. Read a book published in 1998 (25 years ago) – Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb
17. Read a book with a yellow cover – The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock – Jane Riley
18. Reread a book you have recommended to someone else – The Imperfect Disciple – Jared C. Wilson
19. Read a book by Dean Koontz – Intensity – Dean Koontz
20. Read a book with a one-word title – Slayer – Kiersten White
21. Read book 1 in a trilogy – The Armored Saint – Myke Cole
22. Read book 2 in a trilogy – A Heart so Fierce and Broken – Brigid Kemmerer
23. Read book 3 in a trilogy – Red Country – Joe Abercrombie
24. Free Space – Pick any book! – Mad Ship – Robin Hobb

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [7/12 complete]
25. Read a book that takes place somewhere you’d like to live – Revenge of the Nymph: The Faeries Vol.2 – Ramon Terrell
26. Read a book recommended by whatshouldireadnext.com
27. Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends – The New York Trilogy – Paul Auster
28. Read a book with a neon-colored cover – Exiles – Ashley and Leslie Saunders
29. Read a book that has under 1,000 reviews or ratings on a website or app – Joshua: Man of Fearless Faith – W. Phillip Keller
30. Read a middle grade book (8-12 age range) – Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones
31. Read a book with the word “Time” in the title – The Last Time I Lied – Riley Sager
32. Read a book about a famous criminal(s)
33. Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, instead of book to movie)
34. Read a fiction or nonfiction book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself – Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are – Shauna Niequist
35. Read a self-published book – Duel of Fire – Jordan Rivet
36. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 4: Speed Reader Club [2/12 complete]
37. Read a book that is over 600 pages
38. Read a book from ListChallenge’s Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge – The Art of War – Sun Tzu
39. A book by an author named David/Dave
40. Read a “Dark Academia” novel
41. Read a book with a title that starts with the letter V – Vanishing Acts – Jodi Picoult
42. A book set in Asia or an Asian-inspired culture
43. Read a book with a cat on the cover
44. Read a folklore book or book based on folklore
45. Read a book where the main character is a dancer
46. Read a book by a new author
47. Read a book that involves a conspiracy
48. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 5: Overachiever Club [2/12 complete]
49. Read one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022 (any category)
50. Read a book where the main character is a villain or anti-hero
51. Read a book that has a title that is punny and/or alliterative – Murder’s No Votive Confidence – Christin Brecher
52. Read a “found family” story
53. Read a book that has a letter Q in the title
54. Read a book that has an illustrated cover – Naomi and Her Daughters – Walter Wangerin, Jr.
55. Read a book that takes place in at least two different decades
56. Read a book about an entrepreneur (real or fictional)
57. Read a book that takes place in Alaska
58. Read a book with the word “Justice” in the title
59. Read a book involving dinosaurs
60. Free Space – Pick any book!

January 2023 Recap: Books and Whatnot (but NOT New Year’s Resolutions!)

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Well hello there, human beings and random internet trolling bots! Welcome to 2023, and the start of a new challenge!

It’s been a decent start to the year reading-wise, with 5 books finished and a 6th nearly done… That said, I’ve got nothing on Linz, who started her 2023 with a solid 10 books (see her roundup post here if you’re curious).

My first book completed in January was Have We Met? by Camille Baker, which I had originally picked up intending to read it for 2022’s challenge (#55, Read a book that has a title in the form of a question). Which of course made it a great choice for this year’s prompt #6, Read a book you meant to read for last year’s challenge. This is a contemporary romance with a heavy dash of magical realism that… honestly didn’t do much for me.

There was also a significant effort to be inclusive that at times felt almost like the author was trying a little too hard to involve diversity. The story was a bit predictable, but I did like the focus put on the main character’s family and friendships, and trying to find a new career and start over in a new place after losing her best friend. [3 stars]

My next read was The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny, book #5 in The Chronicles of Amber, which feels equal parts sci-fi and fantasy. This series so far has been made up of short books that tell a small chunk of what is clearly a longer story, and while this portion of the story has been wrapped up, it’s clearly setting up for the next story arc, so it feels somewhat incomplete. This volume was 189 pages, so it was a quick read, and made a great choice for prompt #2, Read a book under 300 pages. I am enjoying the series so far, but I am so used to 500 to 1000 page epic fantasy tomes that this feels a little too short to really dig in to. [3.75 stars]

The third January read was The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, which I downloaded from Project Gutenberg specifically for prompt #8. Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source. I really enjoyed this sweet, funny romance set in early 1900’s Canada. The main character is a desperately unhappy woman, consigned to being an unattractive old maid at the age of 29, overlooked and taken for granted by her upper crust family… and then a letter changes her life in the most unexpected way. [4 stars]

Up next, I read The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson – the 4th book in his Mistborn Era 2 series and 7th in his overall Mistborn series… I read the previous entry in 2018, which meant this perfectly fit prompt #11, Read the next book in a series you haven’t read in a while. This novel wraps up the steampunk era of the Mistborn saga, setting up for Sanderson’s next time jump intended to show the planet of Scadrial and its magic system and technology around the equivalent of our world’s 1980’s.

I have to admit I’m a touch more excited about seeing what things look like in the next era than I was about this one, but it was definitely a good story, and made several call backs to the first book in Era 2 that made me want to go back and re-read with the knowledge of what was going on behind the scenes. This one was heavy on lore and connections to Sanderson’s broader Cosmere, and wrapping up some character arcs in a way that felt emotional and a bit cathartic. [4.25 stars]

Book #5 for January was Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes – neatly fulfilling challenge prompt #4, Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant. I met Sam at Phoenix ComiCon in 2014, and had the privilege of hearing him on several fantasy literature panels that weekend. Aside from being the son of a talented author, Sam himself was one of the most entertaining human beings I’ve had the opportunity to witness, and he writes pretty much like he talks, which made this novel very fun to read.

As I’ve mentioned many times, I am a sucker for non-linear storytelling, and this one is a series of flashbacks (and at times flashbacks within flashbacks) as a notorious outlaw tells her story to an officer of the law for the Revolutionary government. None of the characters is particularly likeable (and this one would have worked well for prompt #50, as well as #5 since he’s an Arizona native) but the main character’s backstory is heartbreaking and her narrative voice is at times hilarious. There were some unexpected revelations, and I’m definitely keen to pick up the other two books in this trilogy soon. [4.5 stars]

Aside from reading, my month of January has been interesting. My church is in the middle of a 40-day fast, so I’ve been eating healthier and haven’t been watching TV. I’ve even managed to go without coffee for the past 2 weeks, which, if you know me at all, you know is a miracle. The first 3 weeks I cut out sweets, snacks, fast food, dairy, red meat, and added more veggies in. I haven’t had cheese since January 1st and that is highly unusual for me. Then for the last part of the fast, I’m doing the Daniel Fast, which… y’all. I learned how to prepare tofu. Go me. I’ve gotten in a good routine with green smoothies, and my freezer is stocked with more frozen vegetables than I purchased all of last year.

All the not watching TV (or YouTube, or Patreon) has made time for accomplishing things around the house – the highlights this month were putting together a new little computer desk to get my personal desktop off my dining room table, and decluttering and organizing 30 years of accumulated jewelry. For all that, though, I still haven’t managed to finish setting my goals for the year. We’ll get there eventually!

Random photos from the month, including the 3 manicures I did, below:

So here we are again at the point where I beg you to keep me company in the comments! What have you been reading this month? (Or if you’re like Linz and have read far too many books to list, what was your favorite?) Did you set any New Year’s resolutions or goals that you’re excited about? Do you like tofu? What’s your favorite smoothie recipe? The State of the Challenge report is down below, as always!

The Linzthebookworm/Logophile 2023 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club [5/12 complete]
1. Read a book recommended to you on social media or by a friend
2. Read a book under 300 pages – The Courts of Chaos – Roger Zelazny
3. Read a book with a female main character
4. Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant – Seven Blades in Black – Sam Sykes
5. Read a book that was written by an author from your home state
6. Read a book you meant to read for last year’s challenge – Have We Met? – Camille Baker
7. Read a book with a basic shape on the cover (examples: circle, square, heart, star, diamond)
8. Read a book you got from Project Gutenberg, a library, or another nonprofit source – The Blue Castle – L.M. Montgomery
9. Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction)
10. Read a book that starts with the first letter of your name
11. Read the next book in a series you haven’t read in a while – The Lost Metal – Brandon Sanderson
12. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 2: Casual Reader Club [0/12 complete]
13. Read a book by Mary Faulkner (or one of her aliases)
14. Read a book of short stories or a novella
15. Read a book that involves a lot of traveling
16. Read a book published in 1998 (25 years ago)
17. Read a book with a yellow cover
18. Reread a book you have recommended to someone else
19. Read a book by Dean Koontz
20. Read a book with a one-word title
21. Read book 1 in a trilogy
22. Read book 2 in a trilogy
23. Read book 3 in a trilogy
24. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [0/12 complete]
25. Read a book that takes place somewhere you’d like to live
26. Read a book recommended by whatshouldireadnext.com
27. Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends
28. Read a book with a neon-colored cover
29. Read a book that has under 1,000 reviews or ratings on a website or app
30. Read a middle grade book (8-12 age range)
31. Read a book with the word “Time” in the title
32. Read a book about a famous criminal(s)
33. Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, instead of book to movie)
34. Read a fiction or nonfiction book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself – Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are – Shauna Niequist
35.Read a self-published book
36. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 4: Speed Reader Club [0/12 complete]
37. Read a book that is over 600 pages
38. Read a book from ListChallenge’s Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
39. A book by an author named David/Dave
40. Read a “Dark Academia” novel
41. Read a book with a title that starts with the letter V
42. A book set in Asia or an Asian-inspired culture
43. Read a book with a cat on the cover
44. Read a folklore book or book based on folklore
45. Read a book where the main character is a dancer
46. Read a book by a new author
47. Read a book that involves a conspiracy
48. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 5: Overachiever Club [0/12 complete]
49. Read one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022 (any category)
50. Read a book where the main character is a villain or anti-hero
51. Read a book that has a title that is punny and/or alliterative
52. Read a “found family” story
53. Read a book that has a letter Q in the title
54. Read a book that has an illustrated cover – Naomi and Her Daughters – Walter Wangerin, Jr.
55. Read a book that takes place in at least two different decades
56. Read a book about an entrepreneur (real or fictional)
57. Read a book that takes place in Alaska
58. Read a book with the word “Justice” in the title
59. Read a book involving dinosaurs
60. Free Space – Pick any book!