Tag Archives: urban fantasy

May 2023 Recap: But it’s a dry heat!

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It’s the first of June, so it’s time for a recap of how May went for me!

I only finished 4 books in the month of May – partially due to some longer books, partially due to excessive heat and a non-working air conditioner sapping my energy for most of the month. Let’s talk about what I did get to read.

First up for the month, I read Intensity by Dean Koontz – unsurprisingly, for challenge prompt # 19, Read a book by Dean Koontz. This one was a bit of a psychological thriller mixed with suspense and a touch of horror. We spend most of the novel inside the mind of a psychology grad student with a traumatic childhood who suddenly finds herself crossing paths with a serial killer and it is… intense. There weren’t a lot of surprises with this one, but it kept me on the edge of my seat nonetheless. [4.25 stars]

My second read of the month took far longer than I would have expected, especially for such a short book – I shouldn’t blame it on the story, though, but on the misery of living in Arizona when my air conditioner was on the fritz. It was hard to focus on reading during my usual evening unwinding hours, given the temperature at bedtime was barely dipping under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Revenge of the Nymph by Ramon Terrell was chaotic fun, with a very different take on the Fae than your average urban fantasy. I picked this one up at JordanCon in April after having a lovely chat with the author – it was set in the Pacific Northwest, making it a great option for challenge prompt #25, Read a book that takes place somewhere you’d like to live. [3 stars]

With the air conditioning fixed, I burned through the next novel in 4 days – A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer is the second in her Cursebreaker series, a Beauty and the Beast inspired YA fantasy trilogy. This second installment was told largely from two very different point of view characters than the first book, and I was very intrigued by how the author turned some perceptions on their head. Having decided to cheat our trilogy prompts and choose three separate trilogies, this was my choice for #22, Read book 2 in a trilogy. [4.25 stars]

Next was a chunker that took me several days but I really enjoyed – Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb is the first in her Liveship Traders series, and a treasure trove of really intriguing lore. There were some developments that I predicted early on, but they didn’t come to pass exactly as I would have expected, and it was fascinating to watch play out. And there were hints of revelations to come in the rest of the trilogy that I can’t wait to explore. This was a great choice for prompt #16, Read a book published in 1998 (25 years ago). (4.5 stars)

Other than reading, I did a lot of lying around trying to stay cool. I did binge-watch the Queen Charlotte series on Netflix, which I adored – I wasn’t sure at the outset whether it was something that we needed, to be fair… but I’d say it’s better than either of the 2 Bridgerton seasons that have been released so far, and it made me cry several times. I’ve continued watching Ted Lasso along with one of the reaction channels I support (it’s seriously so good), and one of the others has started watching Profit, which is seriously not that good but it’s overdramatic in a hilarious way that makes it fun to share commentary on with others.

Aside from spending a chunk of money on a brand new air conditioning unit, I made my annual Memorial Day week trip to my mom’s house (where I’m posting this update)… We spent the first part of the week buying some decorative items and doing some spray painting to upgrade her back porch (which was already amazing, and has become even more of a lovely place to spend the day reading). The end of the week will feature a memorial service for my brother before I head home and back to work.

My favorite photos for the month of May are featured here:

Talk to me in the comments! Where is your favorite place to sit and read? What have you been reading lately? Any TV shows that you recommend? What’s the weather like where you are in June?

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 [9/12 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
24. Free Space – Pick any book!

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [4/12 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
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)
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 [1/12 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!

December 2022 Recap: Home Alone for the Holidays

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And with that, 2022 comes to a close – I’m rather impressed with my lack of procrastination when it comes to the blog (although there was plenty in other areas of my life). This monthly recap will also serve as the year end challenge wrap-up, since after my big mid-year catch up post I managed to stay on top of the monthly posts.

Shall we start with the reading? In the month of December I finished 4 books, ending the year with a total of 53 – which definitely exceeded my annual goal of 48. I didn’t manage to complete the entire challenge – yet again – but I finished the first 3 levels, came mighty close to finishing the 4th, and took a big bite out of Level 5, so I’d consider it a pretty big win, all told.

First up in December, I read the second in Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga, Jade War. This Asian-inspired fantasy series is heavy on the politics and family drama, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. The premise of the magic system is that the mineral jade unlocks certain physical, mental and mystical powers in most humans – although only those with the right genetic makeup and intensive training can use it safely long term. Real jade is only available on the island of Kekon, whose natives have developed the right combination of genetic tolerance and sensitivity to make use of it, and have developed their culture around it.

The culture is so interesting – it’s a refreshing change to find a fantasy world that isn’t a variation of medieval Europe – and the writing is engaging. And since the main setting is the capital city of Kekon, this book was the perfect choice for challenge prompt #32, Read a book that takes place on an island. I plan to finish the trilogy this coming year – however I have to squeeze it into the challenge. [5 stars]

My second read was The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton. The Father Brown stories were recommended by my sister-in-law a good while back, and I’ve read one collection already. They are fun little mystery short stories, solved by an observant priest with a healthy dose of common sense. A couple of the individual stories are a bit problematic to modern sensibilities, but overall I had a great time with this collection, and it was a perfect choice for challenge #41, Read a book with the word Wisdom in the title. [3.5 stars]

Next, I burned through this touching romance in two evenings – Five Winters by Kitty Johnson is the story of a woman with an unrequited crush on her best friend’s older brother, and her journey over the course of five consecutive Christmas seasons to find the life she wants. There were scenes that brought me to tears, and scenes that made me laugh, and throughout it all was a strong thread of friendships so close that they are family. Definitely a heartwarming choice for prompt #39, Read a book that takes place around your favorite holiday. [3.75 stars]

I finished 2022 with Daniel O’Malley’s The Rook, which at 512 pages made a great option for prompt #37, Read a book over 500 pages. I don’t remember how I came across this book – I had to have seen a recommendation in a YouTube video or a book blog or something, but I didn’t make a note of it when I added it to my TBR. I had such a great time reading this book – I recommended it to my sister-in-law, since it definitely has vibes of Charles Stross’ The Laundry Files that she’d recommended to me, with a dash of Dollhouse for good measure. And it’s funny.

The opening page hooked me – it begins with a letter addressed to “Dear You,” which continues with “The body you’re wearing used to be mine.” What follows is a wild and quirky ride of spy fiction, conspiracy, supernatural powers, crazy paranormal happenings, and the main character with amnesia learning about who they are – or were – and developing an identity of their own. [4.5 stars]

Other than reading, I watched a few movies – mostly during my 11-day Christmas Staycation. My trip to visit my mom for the holiday had to be cancelled on account of snowpocalypse, seeing as how the impending high winds and dangerous wind chill would have made travel iffy if not outright impossible. Since Mom and I usually marathon Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies, I unironically enjoyed some sappy holiday offerings on Netflix starring 2000’s icons (Lindsay Lohan’s Falling For Christmas and Freddie Prinze, Jr.’s Christmas With You), as well as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special which was hilarious and heartwarming in equal measure. My favorite film offering of the month, however, was Glass Onion (Knives Out 2), which was a highly entertaining, well crafted mystery, and Janelle Monae just slayed her every scene. I also started watching Fringe, but haven’t gotten very far into it yet. I was a huge X-Files fan in the 90’s so this show has nostalgic vibes for me.

After a couple of months off, I returned to doing nail art again for the holidays…

Otherwise, I was amused by my eclectic Spotify Wrapped playlist, made a delicious batch of Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies, picked up a second MoviePalette representation of another of my favorite Buffy episodes (currently contemplating which episode I want to finish the set of 3), and visited the Desert Botanical Gardens Las Luminarias again with my friend Judy, per our yearly tradition. Best photos of December below.

So that was my December, and with that we are wrapped up with the 2022 reading challenge – full State of the Challenge report is below. Come talk to me in the comments! Did you play along with me this year? What was your favorite prompt on this year’s challenge list? How about the most unexpected book you read this year? Any tasty holiday treats? What are you looking forward to most in 2023? I’m looking forward to hearing from you! (Yes, you. You know who you are. Stop pretending I’m talking to someone else.)

The Linzthebookworm/Logophile 2022 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club [12/12 complete]
1. Read a book that cost less than $5 – The Paid Bridesmaid – Sariah Wilson
2. Read a book that is under 350 pages – Sign of the Unicorn – Roger Zelazny
3. Read a book that was recommended to you – On the Fence – Kasie West
4. Read a newly published book (within the past year) – Cytonic – Brandon Sanderson
5. Read a book that has a type of plant or flower in the title – These Tangled Vines – Julianne Maclean
6. Read a book because of the cover – Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi
7. Read a book about a mythical creature – Blood Trade – Faith Hunter
8. Read a book that takes place in the future – Leviathan Falls – James S.A. Corey
9. Read a book by an author that’s new to you – Every Heart a Doorway – Seanan McGuire
10. Read a book from NPR’s top 50 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the past decade – The Martian – Andy Weir
11. A book by an author whose first or last name has 5 letters – Mystic Dragon – Jason Denzel
12. Free Space – Pick any book! – The Hating Game – Sally Thorne

Level 2: Casual Reader Club [12/12 complete]
13. Read a book published 5 years ago – Turtles All the Way Down – John Green
14. Read a Speculative Fiction – Scythe – Neal Shusterman
15. Read the first book in a duology – King of Scars – Leigh Bardugo
16. Read the second book in a duology – Rule of Wolves – Leigh Bardugo
17. A book that was published when you were 5 years old – The Hand of Oberon – Roger Zelazny
18. Read a book by an author named Alex, Alexander, Alexandra (or variant) – The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
19. Read a book about Zombies – The Year of Eating Dangerously – K. Bennett
20. Read a book with a black cover – I’ve Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella
21. Read a book from AbeBooks.com’s list of 100 (fiction) books to read in a lifetime – The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
22. Read a book with the word City in the title – City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert
23. Read a book about a musician (non-fiction or fiction) – Perfect Harmony – Nora Roberts
24. Free Space – Pick any book! – Tricky Twenty-Two – Janet Evanovich

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [12/12 complete]
25. A book with a title that has 5 letters – Haven – A.R. Ivanovich
26. Read a book published by Macmillan (or subsidiary) – The Ruin of Kings – Jenn Lyons
27. Read a book with a title that doesn’t start with an article (A, An, The) – Raven Cursed – Faith Hunter
28. Read a book you recently acquired – Black Arts – Faith Hunter
29. Read a book that’s been on your TBR for over a year– The Dragon’s Path – Daniel Abraham
30. Read a Revenge Story – The Rage of Dragons – Evan Winter
31. Read a book by Philippa Gregory – The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory
32. Read a book that takes place on an island – Jade War – Fonda Lee
33. Read a book that does not have a person (or people) on the cover – Dark Matter – Blake Crouch
34. A book that you intended to read on last year’s challenge – A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
35. Read a Psychological Thriller – The Shadow Box – Luanne Rice
36. Free Space – Pick any book! – Turbo Twenty-Three – Janet Evanovich

Level 4: Speed Reader Club [10/12 complete]
37. Read a book over 500 pages – The Rook – Daniel O’Malley
38. Read a book that starts with the letter Z (or has Z in the title) – Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating – Christina Lauren
39. Read a book that takes place around your favorite holiday – Five Winters – Kitty Johnson
40. A book with 5 objects on the cover – Pawn’s Gambit – Rob J. Hayes
41. Read a book with the word Wisdom in the title – The Wisdom of Father Brown – G.K. Chesterton
42. Read a Dystopian Fiction – The Circle – Dave Eggers
43. Read a book by an author with the same name as one of your parents (Biological, Step, Adopted) – The Light of Eidon – Karen Hancock
44. Read a book that a movie/show you’ve watched is based on but have yet to read (example: Watched The Hobbit, but never read the Hobbit) – Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk
45. Read a book about a Saint (non-Fiction or Fiction)
46. Read any book from the Men’s Health most popular book list – The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
47. Read a book published in a year that was important to you
48. Free Space – Pick any book! – Hardcore Twenty-Four – Janet Evanovich

Level 5: Overachiever Club [7/12 complete]
49. Read the 5th book in a series or an author’s 5th novel – Death’s Rival – Faith Hunter
50. Read a True Crime book – If You Tell – Gregg Olsen
51. Read a book by Georges Simenon (or one of his Pen Names)
52. A book with the number 5 in the title – Look Alive Twenty-Five – Janet Evanovich
53. Read a book that takes place in Russia – A Train to Moscow – Elena Gorokhova
54. Read a book by an author using initials as part of their name – A Dream So Dark – L.L. McKinney
55. Read a book that has a title in the form of a question
56. Read a banned book from this banned book list – Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher
57. A book with at least 5 prominent characters
58. Read a book that Linz read previously (see book review archive here) – Deadheading – Paul Cristo
59. Read a book that Tress read previously (see reading category archive here)
60. Free Space – Pick any book!

November 2022 Recap – We’re in a Holidaze!

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We are getting perilously close to Christmas here – and with the approaching end of the year, Linz and I will soon be preparing for our 6th annual reading challenge. But wait! There’s still another month of 2022 to come, and this recap of November to share. Onward!

November was a pretty good reading month all told – I managed to fit in 4 books, which pushed me over the yearly goal I set of 48 books… and there’s another month to go!

The first book I finished in November was The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. Before picking it up, I had a vague idea that I might have read it several years ago before I was tracking my books, but almost immediately realized that was definitely not the case when I started reading it. I would absolutely not have forgotten the way the novel is told from the point of view of Death, and the heartbreaking story of our main character. It ended on more of a lighthearted note than I expected, and I can completely see why it made the Abe Books list of 100 fiction books to read in a lifetime. I’m so glad I chose to read this one for challenge prompt #21. [5 stars]

Next up was a chonky boi that has been taking up space on my TBR bookshelf since August of 2016 – The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham, perfectly suiting challenge prompt #29, Read a book that’s been on your TBR for over a year. There are no dragons in this series – at least not in the current times, the phrase “the dragon’s path” in the novel is a euphemism for war, harkening back to a previous age when dragons ruled the land. Aside from medieval warfare and political intrigue, the author showed his interest in banking, and tossed in a frightening cult of spider-goddess worshippers with mind-reading and mind-control powers. I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel in The Dagger and The Coin series, and have the second on my wish list already. [4.25 stars]

To follow that, I read the second book in a very strange trilogy about a zombie lawyer in Los Angeles – The Year of Eating Dangerously by K. Bennett (a pen name for James Scott Bell, who has written some great non-zombie legal thrillers in addition to a load of books about the craft of writing). I read the first book a good while ago and I had a vague memory of finding it a fun and easy read – Bell is a good writer, and the series felt like an interesting experiment. This installment left me feeling like it was more experimental than I remembered – it was a strange mix of campy zombie horror, legal thriller, and the Book of Revelation.

I’m not sure how much overlap there is in audiences who enjoy Dead Alive, John Grisham novels, and the Left Behind series, but I’m suspecting … not a lot. If that’s you, you’ll have a great time with this series. [3 stars]

And to end the month, I burned through a novel Linz recommended a few years ago – Haven by A.R. Ivanovich. I agree with her assessment that it’s a little bit of a slow start with the world-building, but it definitely piqued my interest once the main character got out of her hidden sanctuary of a valley and by the end, I was fully invested in the conflict. The story left me wanting more – there are still details that can be fleshed out in the rest of the quartet, and I want to read them. There were other options for where to slot this on the challenge, but I picked #25, A book with a title that has 5 letters [3.5 stars]

Aside from the reading, I did a fair amount of catching up on my To Watch list – I binged the available 6 episodes of The Nevers, which… man, that was cool. Rumor has it that the second half of the first season – delayed by COVID and by the change of showrunners due to Joss Whedon proving to be a scandal factory – is ready to be released soon, possibly even this month if this interview can be trusted. I definitely want more of this series – it’s a steampunk sci-fi superhero show, and I feel like it’s going to be very re-watchable with the Episode 6 revelations giving new context to the first 5.

I had been watching Merlin and Once Upon A Time slowly (1-2 episodes per week) along with a reaction channel I follow on Patreon, but I got impatient to finish both shows and binged the rest on my own. Merlin was fun to watch and see how they adapted the classic Arthurian legend, but the ending left me feeling hollow and unsatisfied. Once Upon A Time, however, wrapped everything up quite nicely with happy endings all around, and while it was a little cheesy, it was comforting and uplifting. And I will definitely want to re-watch because Captain Hook is just smoldering, baby. Rawr.

I also watched Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, just for grins. It was a sweet story – 13 episodes, nicely wrapped up, and with some minor crossovers to the main OUAT show.

Aside from all that, it was a pretty chill month. I managed to wean myself off having to have milk or cream in my coffee, so most of the time I’m able to drink it black if it’s decent quality coffee (finally, after 30 years)… ordered myself some abstract art – a representation of my favorite Buffy episode from MoviePalette (such a cool concept)… started playing a 3d matching game on my phone… and we had our church’s annual Thanksgiving potluck, after which I had so many leftover King’s Hawaiian rolls that i decided to make a pumpkin bread pudding (delicious). And the ever-present Fred, bringer of chaos and resident adorable babygirl cat.

And that was November! I leave you with this question: if you could choose a superhero power, what would you choose? Tell me your thoughts – what have you been reading lately? Have another TV show to recommend (as if I didn’t have enough on my list)? How do you take your coffee? Have you tried any new recipes this holiday season? Leave me comments!

The Linzthebookworm/Logophile 2022 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club [12/12 complete]
1. Read a book that cost less than $5 – The Paid Bridesmaid – Sariah Wilson
2. Read a book that is under 350 pages – Sign of the Unicorn – Roger Zelazny
3. Read a book that was recommended to you – On the Fence – Kasie West
4. Read a newly published book (within the past year) – Cytonic – Brandon Sanderson
5. Read a book that has a type of plant or flower in the title – These Tangled Vines – Julianne Maclean
6. Read a book because of the cover – Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi
7. Read a book about a mythical creature – Blood Trade – Faith Hunter
8. Read a book that takes place in the future – Leviathan Falls – James S.A. Corey
9. Read a book by an author that’s new to you – Every Heart a Doorway – Seanan McGuire
10. Read a book from NPR’s top 50 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the past decade – The Martian – Andy Weir
11. A book by an author whose first or last name has 5 letters – Mystic Dragon – Jason Denzel
12. Free Space – Pick any book! – The Hating Game – Sally Thorne

Level 2: Casual Reader Club [12/12 complete]
13. Read a book published 5 years ago – Turtles All the Way Down – John Green
14. Read a Speculative Fiction – Scythe – Neal Shusterman
15. Read the first book in a duology – King of Scars – Leigh Bardugo
16. Read the second book in a duology – Rule of Wolves – Leigh Bardugo
17. A book that was published when you were 5 years old – The Hand of Oberon – Roger Zelazny
18. Read a book by an author named Alex, Alexander, Alexandra (or variant) – The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
19. Read a book about Zombies – The Year of Eating Dangerously – K. Bennett
20. Read a book with a black cover – I’ve Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella
21. Read a book from AbeBooks.com’s list of 100 (fiction) books to read in a lifetime – The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
22. Read a book with the word City in the title – City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert
23. Read a book about a musician (non-fiction or fiction) – Perfect Harmony – Nora Roberts
24. Free Space – Pick any book! – Tricky Twenty-Two – Janet Evanovich

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club [11/12 complete]
25. A book with a title that has 5 letters – Haven – A.R. Ivanovich
26. Read a book published by Macmillan (or subsidiary) – The Ruin of Kings – Jenn Lyons
27. Read a book with a title that doesn’t start with an article (A, An, The) – Raven Cursed – Faith Hunter
28. Read a book you recently acquired – Black Arts – Faith Hunter
29. Read a book that’s been on your TBR for over a year– The Dragon’s Path – Daniel Abraham
30. Read a Revenge Story – The Rage of Dragons – Evan Winter
31. Read a book by Philippa Gregory – The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory
32. Read a book that takes place on an island
33. Read a book that does not have a person (or people) on the cover – Dark Matter – Blake Crouch
34. A book that you intended to read on last year’s challenge – A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
35. Read a Psychological Thriller – The Shadow Box – Luanne Rice
36. Free Space – Pick any book! – Turbo Twenty-Three – Janet Evanovich

Level 4: Speed Reader Club [7/12 complete]
37. Read a book over 500 pages
38. Read a book that starts with the letter Z (or has Z in the title) – Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating – Christina Lauren
39. Read a book that takes place around your favorite holiday
40. A book with 5 objects on the cover – Pawn’s Gambit – Rob J. Hayes
41. Read a book with the word Wisdom in the title
42. Read a Dystopian Fiction – The Circle – Dave Eggers
43. Read a book by an author with the same name as one of your parents (Biological, Step, Adopted) – The Light of Eidon – Karen Hancock
44. Read a book that a movie/show you’ve watched is based on but have yet to read (example: Watched The Hobbit, but never read the Hobbit) – Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk
45. Read a book about a Saint (non-Fiction or Fiction)
46. Read any book from the Men’s Health most popular book list – The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
47. Read a book published in a year that was important to you
48. Free Space – Pick any book! – Hardcore Twenty-Four – Janet Evanovich

Level 5: Overachiever Club [7/12 complete]
49. Read the 5th book in a series or an author’s 5th novel – Death’s Rival – Faith Hunter
50. Read a True Crime book – If You Tell – Gregg Olsen
51. Read a book by Georges Simenon (or one of his Pen Names)
52. A book with the number 5 in the title – Look Alive Twenty-Five – Janet Evanovich
53. Read a book that takes place in Russia – A Train to Moscow – Elena Gorokhova
54. Read a book by an author using initials as part of their name – A Dream So Dark – L.L. McKinney
55. Read a book that has a title in the form of a question
56. Read a banned book from this banned book list – Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher
57. A book with at least 5 prominent characters
58. Read a book that Linz read previously (see book review archive here) – Deadheading – Paul Cristo
59. Read a book that Tress read previously (see reading category archive here)
60. Free Space – Pick any book!

[2020 Reading Challenge] January Update

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Happy February, friends, family and random Internet followers! January was a busy month for my reading goals, and I’m pretty happy with my progress toward the annual Linzthebookworm/Logophile Reading Challenge. Let’s take a peek, shall we?

As 2019 ended, I started a re-read of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles series – I’d read most of them in 2015, back in the days when I was getting 100+ books a year regularly and retained very little of what I read. I had picked up the final two books and was in the mood to read them, but honestly had a sketchy memory of the beginning of the series, so the re-read was in order. Hence, the first several books of 2020 were finishing the re-read, and checking off a couple from my unread books tracker, all from this fun urban fantasy series.

First up was Hammered, the third book, which I used to check off #26, for the challenge: Read an urban fantasy novel. I used book four, Tricked, to meet #13 (a book under 400 pages), as the Kindle version clocks in at 370 pages.

After that, I had to stretch just a little bit to find a category for book 5, Trapped, but I settled on #11, because I truly have recommended the whole Iron Druid series to my Dresden Files-loving friends. And it was a re-read. Hey, it works.

After that, I ran out of good options, since most of my 2020 Reading Challenge categories are tentatively assigned to other books on my giant list of unread books (remind me to talk about that in a future post), so I just started burning through free spaces like there was no tomorrow: Hunted filled slot #12, Shattered for #24, Staked for #36, and the series finale Scourged was slotted in at #48. I still have one more free space to use if I have a random urge to read something unplanned. I must use it wisely.

After burning through that series, I was on a roll, but I figured I should get to one of the paperbacks I picked up specifically to meet a challenge category (also, because I promised Linzthebookworm that I’d send her some of the ones that I had in physical form if she needed something for that category as well). Since I was the first to get an order in for a book by Julie Garwood (#14 on the challenge list), I burned through the copy of The Secret that I’d ordered from Paperback Swap in order to forward it to her early in the year. It was surprisingly tame for a romance novel, and had a nice Scottish Highlands setting for my Outlander-loving heart.

Next up, a book that’s currently got a lot of buzz – the first in Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series – The Last Wish. This one could have worked for the “book that was turned into a movie or TV show” category, but I’ve reserved that for another option that I’m excited to get to, plus this one was perfect for #8: Read a book of short stories or a novella. Based on the number of YouTube channels I follow who adore this series, I figured I’d like it. I figured right. Of course, with that introduction to the world out of the way, I had to jump straight in to watching the Netflix series, which I really did enjoy. The other short story collection is on my wish list, I’ll definitely be continuing with the series as I’m able to pick up the volumes.

But so many books, so little time, and I needed to move along to my next paperback – Murder is Binding, by Lorna Barrett. This delightful little cozy mystery I’d picked up in 2018 thinking to use it for a reading challenge category of some sort, but hadn’t gotten around to squeezing it in. This year I was happy to realize it was one of a small handful I already owned that would fit category 19: Read a book with a building on the cover. As an interesting aside, while browsing the Phoenix Public Library’s website for staff recommendations to meet #23, I discovered this would have also met that category. But I’ve found another on my unread list that was recommended on my library’s website, so all is well.

And that’s that for January – check below the jump for my State of the Challenge report, and onward we read!

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