I hate cold weather! I look as though I should retain plenty of heat, but I rarely get warm during the winter months. My dad always shakes his head when both Mom and I are snuggled under blankets in the middle of the summer heat. Frigid temperatures made their way into the Texas Panhandle and I was not a happy camper! That should have been a perfect formula for getting some reading done.
And it was….sort of. This chilly week also marked my first week in the office for the new semester. It’s not a good feeling to feel behind before even getting started! So my attention was fully devoted to survival mode while in the office. By the time I got home, I was tired and just wanted to close my eyes. I managed to maintain my 35 day streak of reading at least 20 pages per day, but I haven’t seen the heights of 150-200 pages per day that were happening earlier in the month. Now reality is returning to my world and I’m in the process of figuring out how to balance my work and reading lives.
What I Finished This Week
The Do-Over by T.L. Swan. This was the final installment (I thought) of the Miles High Club series. In this installment, Christopher, the youngest of the Miles brothers, decides that he needs to go backpacking through Europe in order to find himself. He leaves his money and connections behind and sets out for Spain. Staying in a hostel, he connects with a group of friends that grow to appreciate who he is — not what he is worth. Most interesting among these new acquaintances is Hayden, a country girl with dreams of farming. Christopher and Hayden’s friendship quickly grows and they fall deeply in love. Sadly, when it is time for them to return to their lives in the U.S., Christopher has not revealed his true identity. The Do-Over was a fascinating exploration of how love can survive extreme differences, especially when those differences are influenced by social standing and money. 4 stars.
Disappointing Affirmations by Dave Tarnowski. A colleague loaned me this short book for a quick read on Tuesday evening because she said I would enjoy the humor. The short affirmations on the lovely photographs are filled with sarcasm and insult. Hey….that’s speaking my language! A few of the statements hit a little close to home and made me take a quick look in the mirror. Several of the pages made me laugh out loud. One of my favorite quotes from this book was “This too shall pass. And then some other bulls*!# will come and take its place. It never f&#*!$@ ends!” (I wondered why Sarah asked if I was offended by crude language before handing over the book.) This was a nice departure from my normal reading. 3 stars.
Miles Ever After by T.L. Swan. It turned out that there was a fifth installment in the Miles High Club. This shorter book was a collection of epilogues for each of the four preceding books. I had a mixed reaction to this book. I was thrilled to see that there was more to the story of the Miles family. However, because I so thoroughly enjoyed my time with these characters, I hated to see their stories come to such final endings. I really do wish there were more books to read in this series! I have a feeling that I will revisit these stories again in the future. 3.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (p. 211 of 308). While I have enjoyed this read so far, I have discovered that I struggle with long chapters that are not broken up with subheadings. I think my brain just needs the moment of rest in the midst of the story. This is my final book to read to complete my January goals for The 52 Book Club 2025 Challenge. I’m going to make it, but I’m going to have to kick things back into gear this week.
Mr. Picture Perfect by Daryl Banner (7:54 of 13:30). This week has seen less driving, so I haven’t made a ton of progress in the story. I’m not overly invested in this storyline, so I don’t feel the rush to listen at every moment in the car. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cute story….it just hasn’t grabbed me by the throat and said that it simply has to be finished.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover (p. 46 of 320). I have had this downloaded on my Kindle for some time and simply forgot about it. While searching for a new read at lunch one day this week, I stumbled on it and decided to dive in. Not surprisingly, I’m really into the story. Hoover’s storytelling has always grabbed my attention. Now I just have to get back into my reading schedule to make it all fit into my life again.
Looking Ahead
It’s time to begin thinking about what books I have selected to read for the challenge in the month of February. Here’s what is ahead for me as well as the prompts that they will fulfill.
- Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong (A pun in the title)
- Diamonds Aren’t Forever by Connie Shelton (Plot includes a heist)
- Waiting for the Moon by Kristin Hannah (Author’s last name is also a first name)
- Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Direction in the title)
As you can see, I’m rather light in content this month. Rehearsals for the upcoming children’s opera will dominate much of my time as well as two recruiting conferences in San Antonio and Wichita. I wanted to make sure that this busy season continues to be successful in my pursuit of reading 52 books this year. The first month has gone quite well! Now, forward into February…
Reading for Me 
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