Last Monday was Labor Day. Like any good blogger, I decided to delay my weekly post to this site in order to observe the holiday. That was a very good decision and one that I know was correct. What I didn’t realize was the impact that choice would have on this week’s reading.
Monday holidays mean that I have fewer days to get all of the work accomplished. That cuts into my reading time each day. Furthermore, because of the delayed publication of my weekly update, this week only has 6 reading days before I have to make another update on my progress — and that one lost day is going to make the difference in what I was able to accomplish this week.
What I Finished This Week
No finishes this week. That hasn’t happened in quite a while and I don’t like the feeling of not having a finish, but I understand why it happened. Actually, I had to go back to the June 16, 2025 post to find the last week that didn’t have a finish. That week, I was surrounded by noisy pianos at the Texas Music Teachers’ Conference in Houston and could not read as I had hoped. This week, I just ran out of reading days.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (p. 322 of 493). I come to you with my hat in my hand and freely admit that I cannot stop reading this book! Is it sci-fi? Yes. Do I tend to avoid this genre? Yes. But this book is so much more and I cannot get enough of Violet, Xander, Dain, Tairn, and Andarna. (In case you are wondering, I’m team Xander at the moment. I also think Andarna is the cutest little dragon I have ever imagined in my life!) Okay…back to the book review. Violet has come through the selection ceremony and been chosen by two dragons. Now everyone wants her dead….everyone except Xander who is now eternally connected to her because they are both paired with mated dragons. I can hear my friends groaning because of how much I’m enjoying this book — and I really can’t explain it to you myself. The novel is well written and is more about the people than the magic and myth. I think I’ll have a finish here in just a couple of days.
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni (p. 207 of 361). I sang this novel’s praises last week when I was beginning the read. I’m still all in on the novel, but we had a moment where I thought it was going to be DNF’d. Yes, the novel is about a writer, Jess Price, who has been imprisoned for a crime that she might not have committed. Enter master puzzle maker Mike Brink and Jess’ psychiatrist to try to figure things out. This is the formula for a great read when I’m in the mood for a thriller. As the narrative turns to Jess’ diary entries prior to the murder, we learn that the case involves an ancient riddle known as the God Puzzle that is somehow protected by a possessed porcelain doll. What?!? That was my response, too. When the scenes began to border on horror and not thriller, I wasn’t sure I was going to finish the book. That’s just not a type of reading that I enjoy at all. The creep factor went away as we returned to Mike’s attempt to figure out what was really going on with the God Puzzle, so I’m reading once again…..even if a bit more cautiously. Here’s hoping the Chucky doll doesn’t make another appearance to scare the crap out of me! Just in case, I’m doing this reading during daylight hours…..
My 2025 Reading Challenge Progress
Now that we are into September, it seems like the perfect time to provide a little update on where I am in my pursuit of completing the challenge from The 52 Book Club. Right now, I’m sitting at 67% complete, having fulfilled 35 of the 52 prompts. For those who enjoy the visual representation, here’s the graphic.
As you can see, I have 17 books left to read in the 16 1/2 weeks remaining in 2025. That’s completely doable! There are a couple of prompts that I am struggling to find a book that I think I will enjoy though. If you have suggestions for any of these prompts, I’m all ears.
Has a moon on the cover
Told in verse
A celebrity on the cover
Okay….now back to reading my creepy doll story! LOL
I decided that the Labor Day weekend was the perfect opportunity to escape Plainview and head to the beautiful city of Denver, Colorado. This was my first excursion into the state and I must admit that I was immediately mesmerized. The scenery is breathtaking. The people that I encountered were so kind and welcoming. I slept like a baby. I also enjoyed three really exciting baseball games between the Cubs and Rockies. Somehow, I also managed to get some reading done this week and continue making progress toward my goals.
Rather than pressuring myself to complete a post on Labor Day, I decided to enjoy the holiday and push this week’s post back to Tuesday. Reading for Me will return to its usual schedule next Monday.
What I Finished This Week
Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian. Let’s start with the important information. I absolutely HATED this book! I have rarely read such a piece of trash that has so few redeeming qualities. Why did I finish it? I kept hoping it would get better because I did find the premise intriguing. The story centers around two married college professors who each have extramarital affairs; his is physical in nature while hers is simply emotional. Her student feels the need for revenge and decides to expose her mentor in her debut novel that will also serve as her MFA thesis in Creative Writing. The thesis is supposedly what we are reading. Seduction Theory cannot decide what it wants to be. At times it is the thesis written to expose the illicit acts of all players; at other times, it is a journal of the author’s vengeful fantasies because her mentor decides to stay in her marriage. Adrian gives us a short book (thank Heavens!) that is both confusing and confused. Truthfully, I found myself wondering how an editor let it get through in its present condition. Really not good at all! 2 stars.
The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin. Set in World War II England, Martin takes us back to the universe she first introduced in The Last Bookshop in London (read April, 2025). This time, we meet Emma, a struggling widow, with her young daughter Olivia. Because of the marriage bar, women who are (or have been) married cannot work. Having grown up in a quaint bookstore, Emma loves literature and sharing her passion for reading with others. Miraculously, she is offered a position at an upscale lending library despite her social status. As German bombs begin to descend on the small town, Emma is forced to decide whether it is best to keep Olivia close by or evacuate her along with thousands of other children to a place she has never seen. Much of this historical novel focuses on Olivia’s experiences as an evacuee. Filled with humor, wonderfully researched historical data, and a touch of love, The Booklover’s Library is filled with characters that will melt your heart and cause you to care about their well being and futures. This one was really hard to put down! I’m excited to see what other historical novels Martin has available. 4.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
I didn’t bring any extra books with me on my trip to Denver, so I found myself headed to the airport without any additional selections. Rather than allowing this to hamper my reading style, I decided to go off plan a bit and start two random books for the week. However, I think I can use them for some of the more “general” prompts in the reading challenge if I need to.
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni (p. 22 of 361). Admittedly, I picked this book on my Kindle on a whim as I was looking for a book related to the word “puzzle.” Even though I am barely into the novel at this point, I am immediately thrilled with this selection. Here’s what I know right now. Mike Brink had it all until he suffered a horrible brain injury during a high school football game that left him with the ability to see things differently — patterns, numbers, complex puzzles are no challenge for him. Now a renown puzzle maker, Brink is rather surprised when he is invited to a women’s prison in upstate New York by Dr. Moses to assist with one of her patients, an inmate named Jess Price who was convicted of a brutal murder years ago. Since her incarceration, Jess has not communicated at all….until she drew a complex puzzle to an ancient secret. On the flip side of the paper were two words: “Mike Brink.” The book’s blurb suggests that the puzzle will lead Mike on an adventure involving an ancient Abrahamic prayer, a la The Da Vinci Code. I’m all in and ready to get some more reading done on my flight back to Amarillo.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (p. 52 of 493). I have never been a super fan of science fiction. So the prompt for a book with a character who can fly was immediately challenging for me. I went to three bookstores in the Denver airport looking for anything that would fit the prompt. I was even ready to read a graphic novel about one of the Marvel characters, but nothing was available. While I was in the largest of the bookstores — Tattered Cover Bookstore — I googled recommended books with characters who could fly. Nothing on the list was on the shelves. As I was walking out the door in defeat, this cover caught my eye and I quickly returned to the list on my phone. I knew I recognized that title! It’s longer than I had hoped for a sci-fi title, but I decided to give it a chance and follow through with my plan to be spontaneous this week. I have to admit that I have really enjoyed what I’ve read so far. Violet finds herself in an academy to become a dragon rider — even though what she really wants to do is become a scribe. That’s truly all I know so far. Why have I gotten pulled into this book? Yarros isn’t focusing on the magic too much yet. She is creating characters with depth that have you pulling for their success. We will just have to see how I do when the magic begins to enter the story, but for now, I’m all in on this human saga.
Another Milestone Achieved!
With the end of August, I reached another milestone in my reading goals for 2025. With the final read of the month, for the first time since I have kept track of the number of books I have read, I am very happy to say that I have read 52 books in a single calendar year!!! Okay, I actually read 52 books in 8 months, but who is being that specific? LOL! That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reading for the year because I still have The 52 Book Club challenge to complete. I know…..but not everything I read was a good fit for one of the prompts, so I still have a bit of work to do to complete that task. I’m having fun reading and think I have finally fallen into a good routine.
August in Review
I’m a sucker for looking at the numbers each month. Here’s how August shook down….it’s amazing how much reading I got done during COVID isolation! Don’t want to do that again, but at least there was productivity in the process.
Books read in August: 11 (up from 5 in July). +6
6 print
4 ebook
1 audio
Pages read in August: 4,014 (up from 2, 273 in July). +1,741
Highest rated book: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (5.00)
Lowest rated book: Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian (2.00)
Classes at Wayland began on Wednesday. The week has felt long and arduous for some reason. Thankfully, I had a good book to keep me company throughout the week. I also had a book that I just needed to read. Here’s hoping that the two books currently in my rotation this week will raise the level of enjoyment.
What I Finished This Week
James by Percival Everett. This beautiful novel has been in my TBR stack for almost a year. Winning the National Book Award, I knew that I was going to read it, but I was always looking for the perfect moment. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that the beginning of the school year would be the right time, but as soon as I started reading, I was drawn into the story and reminded of the joy I experienced reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn (the inspiration for James). Everett begins with the classic story, but presents the events from the perspective of Jim, the runaway slave. At times dark and introspective, the novel is laced with humor and tongue-in-cheek commentary about society and its racial divide. While this wasn’t my favorite prose of the year, I found it extremely enjoyable and insightfully relevant to the issues our world faces in 2025. 4.25 stars.
Migration by Charlotte McConaghy. Climate fiction is a challenging genre for me. The text always seem hopeless and man is portrayed as a villain for causing the Earth’s climate crisis. While the story of this novel was intriguing, I found it extremely dark and depressing. Franny is a woman on a mission as she desperately tracks the flight of rare arctic birds as they migrate south. Franny is also a driven woman, obsessed with correcting the mistakes of her past and making sure she punishes herself in order to find justice for those she has left behind. While McConaghy’s writing style is lovely and might be a pleasure to read when addressing a different topic, this one just didn’t do it for me. Between Franny’s depression, the failure of her marriage, and the plight of these endangered birds, I found little optimism to cling to in the reading of this novel. 2.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin (p. 52 of 416). I read Martin’s The Last Bookshop in London back in April and thoroughly enjoyed it. To satisfy the prompt to read a second book set in the same universe, I am returning to World War II England in The Booklover’s Library. Emma is a single mother facing the horror of impending attacks on the English countryside and whether she should evacuate her daughter, Olivia, or face the bombings together. Emma’s moments of solace come while working in the Booklover’s Library where she can escape the threats and terror among her beloved books. Although I just started the novel on Sunday, I am enthralled by the story and its characters. This is going to be another fun read!
Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian (p. 18 of 213). This novel was my August selection from The Book of the Month Club because I was intrigued by the premise. Two married academics have their extramarital affairs exposed in a master’s thesis. I have to be honest and admit that I also selected this book for one of the week’s reads because it is rather short. This will fit the prompt of a book with an epigraph.
A Little Celebration
I have accomplished my first reading goal of 2025! I reached page 18,000 in my reading this week. How did I arrive at that goal? In 2024, I read 16,851 pages. So I extended the goal by 1,000 pages and rounded up. Since it is just August, I anticipate that I will raise my page goal significantly for 2026.
The next goal on the horizon is completing 52 books in the year. This has long been an unspoken goal that has always seemed elusive. I should complete that goal in the next few weeks. Then I’ll just need to complete the annual challenge from The 52 Book Club for 2025.
What an incredibly busy week it has been! Monday and Tuesday consisted of driving me and my things back to Plainview. I made it back just in time to begin professional development and faculty meetings on Wednesday morning. Despite the never ending and often tedious meetings, I still managed to have a very good week in my reading life. I’m celebrating the conclusion of the big Russian novel as well as two ebooks this week!
What I Finished This Week
The Appeal by John Grisham. Just in case you didn’t read my summary from last week, let me briefly recap. Chemical company dumps waste in a small Mississippi town. Water supply becomes polluted and people die. Jury returns verdict with massive damages awarded. Company does not want to pay and attempts to purchase a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court. That’s the entire plot. Grisham is very good at weaving these interesting legal stories that force the reader to examine both sides of the issue. Was I frustrated as I read? Absolutely! Did I find myself rooting for the victims to get the money I felt they deserved? Most definitely. Do things in the justice system always turn out as they should? According to my experiences and Grisham’s novel, not at all. 3 stars.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It’s time to celebrate! I completed my latest #BigBookofSummer read with this Russian masterpiece. This week, I read Part 7 and the shorter Part 8. Part 7 was the climax of the book as Anna’s psyche unraveled and she found herself in the pits of despair. Ultimately, she would choose to end her life in order to punish those who she did not feel loved her adequately. While I understand that Part 8 was needed to wrap up loose ends, it really felt as though Tolstoy was trying too hard to say something of importance and never quite summed up the theme of his novel. Levin wrestles with his philosophy of religion and spirituality while asking important questions about the meaning of life. Part 8 was intended to show how Anna’s death had impacted those left behind; instead, it was just a depressing statement of how life continues until we all ultimately die. 4 stars simply because of the massive scale of this tome.
The Perfect Game by J. Sterling. A romance that is all about a pitcher getting drafted and moving through the ranks to the major league? I’m all in! After seeing the book lauded on Facebook all summer, I decided it was finally time to read it and see what all of the fuss was about. It’s a pretty standard plot. Boy meets Girl and falls in love. Girl has trust issues that are tested when Boy has a drunken one night stand while traveling. Matters become worse when Boy’s indiscretion leads to an unwanted pregnancy. All in all, this was a fun, fast read to bring my summer reading sprint to an end. 3.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
James by Percival Everett (p. 104 of 303). I purchased a copy of the 2024 National Book Award winning novel last November. What I knew about the book was that it was a re-telling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. Twain’s masterpiece has long been a personal favorite and one that I have examined multiple times, so I knew that I would ultimately read Everett’s novel. I finally sat down with James on Saturday morning and began reading. I was instantly pulled into the story and enjoyed the prose immensely. What I didn’t expect was how quickly the story moved; even with some dialect included as an homage to Twain’s novel, I have found the text quite easy to move through thus far. I’m anticipating that this book will be an easy one to finish this week and will fulfill the prompt for a book with a final sentence of less than six words.
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (p. 50 of 254). One of the prompts that I have been most worried about completing was “Climate Fiction.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one who will deny that Earth’s climate is changing and that we have a responsibility to protect it. However, it’s not something I want to consider in my reading life. I had tried to read There Once Were Wolves earlier this year, but the opening scene was just too graphic for me and I could not get past it. Migrations is about a woman who is studying endangered birds that make an annual migration to Antartica. Many scientists believe that this will be the final flight of the birds; Franny is convinced she will also cease to exist when the birds are extinct. Although I’ve only gotten a few pages into the book, I am finding it an enjoyable read thus far.
If you listen very closely, you may hear me lying in the floor raising a ruckus. I am kicking and screaming like an overly tired toddler, yelling “I don’t wanna!!!” Why am I so grumpy? Summer vacation is officially over. As of the appearance of this post, I am making my way back to the reality that is life in west Texas. It is probably no surprise, but I am not ready to go back.
This final week of break was not exactly what I had wished. I continued to isolate after contracting COVID late last week. Just as I was beginning to feel better, we got the news that Mom had tested positive. In order to try to remain healthy, I continued to isolate. It wasn’t absolutely horrible. I got a lot of reading done while sitting in the back of the house….not as much as I did last week, but I’m still happy with my progress. No three completed books this week, though. LOL!
What I Finished This Week
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. You know a book has captured your imagination when you simply have to stay up late in order to get to the end. That was my experience on Friday night with Finding Grace. Tom and Honor are celebrating the Christmas holidays in Paris with their young daughter, Chloe. In a moment, Tom’s world is turned upside down and will never be the same again. As he returns to London, he moves through life in a trance, searching for purpose. When he receives the call that his dead wife’s surrogate is in labor, giving birth to his son, Tom suddenly has a second chance at life. However, no one has written a book on how to raise a young son alone. When a letter is mistakenly posted to Tom instead of the surrogate who wished to remain anonymous through the entire process, Tom’s curiosity gets the best of him….and a web of deception begins. Finding Grace is at times funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable. I read the opening and closing sections through tears; the middle kept me asking questions about honesty and the eternal aspects of unconditional love. This novel will fill the prompt for a novel 300-400 pages in length. 4 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 736 of 817). Part 6 was the most challenging portion of the novel to get through to this point. With the introduction of several new characters and the political discourses, Tolstoy’s story sometimes got lost in the shuffle. Veslovsky is a friend of Prince Stephan who comes to join the hunt with the Prince and Levin. During the course of the newcomer’s visit, Levin becomes incredibly jealous of Veslovsky’s interactions with Kitty. After being expelled from Levin’s home, Veslovsky is next seen at the country estate of Vronsky and Anna. Veslovsky’s flirtations are now directed at Anna, but Vronsky does not respond negatively. When Vronsky has to go away to Moscow for a political gathering, Anna becomes convinced that she is no longer loved and begins to show signs of depression as she turns to morphine for comfort. In truth, Vronsky is struggling with the fact that Anna is still not divorced from Karenin. Here’s hoping that Part 7 returns us to the stories of the characters that we have come to love as this brick of a book is propelled to its tragic ending.
The Appeal by John Grisham (p. 378 of 485). A small Mississippi town’s water supply has been tainted because a mega chemical company dumped toxic waste in the woods. People are becoming sick and dying. Now known as “Cancer County,” the residents of Bowmore want justice. When the first of the wrongful death verdicts awards the plaintiff $41 million, the New York corporation is determined to make sure that they don’t pay a penny in damages. The plan? Buy the elected seats of the Mississippi Supreme Court Justice up for re-election so the eventual appeal will go in the company’s favor. Grisham is a master of judicial storytelling and weaves a fascinating tale of power, intrigue, and justice.
While watching Final Jeopardy during one of this week’s episodes in the Tournament of Champions, I was reminded of Queen Elizabeth II’s description of the year 1992 — annus horribilis. Considering the troubled marriage of Diana and Charles as well as other troubled royal unions and fire in Windsor Castle, 1992 was truly a horrible year for the monarch. Taking some liberties, I must refer to the summer of 2025 as aestas horribilis – a horrible summer.
What was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me? On Thursday afternoon, I developed a nagging cough that simply would not be tamed by medication. As the day wore on, I began to experience congestion, earache, and headache along with sneezing and fatigue. Friday morning, I returned to Mitchell Family Health (my second home this summer, it seems) and got the diagnosis. I have COVID-19. At some point, I just have to laugh at the irony that I will be dealing with another illness during my final week in the Geriatric Ward before returning to West Texas.
What did this mean to my reading life? Thankfully, I seem to have only had a mild case of COVID and have not suffered terribly with the symptoms. So I have taken over the back bedrooms of my parents’ home and tried to isolate as much as possible. (I am now into Day 4 of my quarantine.) I have had a lot of quiet time to do lots of reading. When first diagnosed, I wondered if I would experience “brain fog” as I have in previous bouts with the virus. Thankfully, that has not been the case and I was able to continue the reading routine I had gotten into before becoming ill.
What I Finished This Week
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean. Talk about a family saga! This novel hit all of the marks for me. A billionaire has died and now his four children and widow must complete a series of tasks to receive their inheritance. Living on a private island, the siblings who are estranged from each other, must work together despite their animosity. As the family hosts a “celebration” for the dearly departed (because how could they possibly be seen mourning publicly?), tensions mount and explode. And all of that happens before the real storm arrives on the island! Want something full of family secrets, challenging relationships, and hilarious hijinks? This is the perfect read for you. Part rom-com, part family drama with a lot of heart-felt soul searching, These Summer Storms will keep you entertained and desperately wanting to turn the page to see what happens to the family. 4.75 stars
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. WHAT A BOOK!!!! Since I first read Hoover’s works a few years ago, I have been enthralled by her writing and storytelling. Few authors are as adept at spinning a riveting story. I wanted to pick up something to begin reading digitally this week; something that I could read while lying in bed and ending the day. I did not expect Hopeless to rock my world as it has and now I can hardly put the book down! The story centers around Sky, a teen girl who is entering her senior year in high school after being homeschooled for her entire life. One day in the local grocery store, she encounters Holder, a bad boy that everyone warns Sky about. Despite the warnings, Sky and Holder’s attraction and connection are undeniable. As their relationship quickly progresses, it becomes clear that something is amiss. When the revelation was finally made at the midway point of the book, I sat bolt upright in bed and couldn’t believe my eyes! (For those with whom I have shared the recommendation, this ranks right up there with Jodi Picoult’s shocking twist in Mad Honey.) From that point forward, I was constantly pulled back into Sky and Holder’s story. The rest of the plot is filled with twists and turns that the reader does not see coming. As I neared the book’s conclusion, my reading pace slowed tremendously because I was constantly wiping away tears. I completely fell in love with these characters and was thoroughly invested in their story. A few trigger warnings are needed because this book packs a major punch; child abduction, molestation, suicide, bullying, and rape are all encountered. While I think Hoover treated each issue with sensitivity, I am certain that reading this book may be traumatic for those who have personal experience with any of these issues. By the way, I am using this novel to fulfill the prompt for an author who publishes more than one book a year. (Although Hoover is not currently publishing, she was producing two books annually when Hopeless was released.) 5 stars.
Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson. This thriller has been sitting at the bottom of my TBR for several months now. I had planned this read for the prompt for a book set in a country with an active volcano (a story about an erupting volcano seemed perfect, right?), but I quickly realized that the better fit would be the prompt of a book with a non-human antagonist. Man vs. machine or man vs. nature are not normal plots that I enjoy, so I decided to use the Crichton thriller to fill the bill. Set in Hawaii, a long dormant volcano is expected to blow its lid any day now. Scientists can predict the time of the eruption and the direction of the lava flow. Thankfully, the lava will flow away from Hilo towards mostly uninhabited portions of the island. The only problem is that there is a large surplus of toxic waste stored below the ground in this part of the island that will have catastrophic results — basically, the end of human life — if it is released into the air….and that’s exactly what will happen unless this team of scientists and engineers can figure out a way to redirect the lava flow. While it sounds incredibly cheesy…and it is to an extent…..it is still a very fun read. The novel was an unfinished manuscript by Crichton at the time of his death in 2008; it was finished and published by Patterson in 2025 with the support of Crichton’s widow. 4 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 574 of 817). This week, I stayed on goal, completing Part 4 and (actually) Part 5 as well. In Part 4, Alexei continues to pursue his divorce of Anna because of her affair with Vronsky. However, when Anna becomes severely ill after the birth of her daughter, also named Anna, Alexei has a change of heart and finds that he has forgiven his wife and found love for both of the children. Despite his desire for things to remain the same in their marriage, Alexei must ultimately admit that Anna does not love him and cannot bear the thought of life without Vronsky. When divorce is once again on the table — only this time, not as an act of revenge — Anna questions if she truly wants the freedom it will bring.
Part 5 shifts our attention to the marriage of Levin and Kitty. As the newlyweds learn of the approaching death of Levin’s brother, the two dash to his bedside where Kitty acts as an angel of mercy, caring for the dying man with tenderness and grace. Levin begins to see his wife in a new light. Interestingly, chapter 20 of this part of the novel is the only one that has a title — “Death.” While this makes the chapter extremely famous in literature, I found the preceding chapter to be much more moving. As the story returns to Anna and Vronsky, we see the two returning to Moscow from their time in Rome. As they near the city, Anna’s desire to see her son grows stronger as his 9th birthday approaches. Despite obstacles and through some cunning on Anna’s part, the two are briefly reunited in the boy’s nursery. However, a schism seems to be forming between Anna and Vronsky, forcing Anna to wonder if she is still loved by the man she chose.
July in Review
It’s hard to believe that another month has come and gone. July was a busy month in my world with health challenges and a trip to Chicago. Still, I had a pretty stable reading life through it all. Not the best results of the year, but still moving towards meeting my goal of 52 books in 2025.
Books read in July: 5 (up 1 from June)
Pages read in July: 2,273 (up 956 pages from June)
Highest rated book:These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (4.75)
Lowest rated book: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (3.75)
Greetings from the Geriatric Ward! I arrived in eastern Arkansas Sunday afternoon and I am really looking forward to a slightly different pace for a few weeks.
This past week was busy in an unusual way. As you will recall, I was in Austin for the Memorial Day weekend to play for the Texas UIL Solo and Ensemble state contest. I returned to Plainview on Tuesday to begin packing up my apartment for summer. Somehow, I got the schedule wrong in my mind for the week. So Wednesday turned into a flurry of activity as I ran errands, cleaned, packed, and prepared to leave for Stillwater, Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Music Teachers’ Conference on Thursday. The conference was great and ran through Saturday afternoon. Rather than begin the drive home, I stayed the night in Oklahoma City and drove home on Sunday.
All of that to say that I was able to do some significant listening in my car, but not as much physical reading as I would have liked. I didn’t meet my finish goals for the week, but I’m very close to another finish. Let’s just take a look at where things stand at the moment.
What I Finished This Week
Beach Read by Emily Henry. This audiobook got me through many miles of driving this week. The story centers around two authors who hated each other in graduate school. When they find themselves living next door to each other, the old rivalry is reignited. In the heat of battle, the two issue a challenge to each other — she must write a story that doesn’t resolve everything in the end with a neat “happily ever after” tied up in a bow; he must write a romance with a happy ending. Henry’s writing is entertaining and filled with heart. Beach Read is about writer’s block, family difficulties, and the challenges of falling in love. 4 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 133 of 148). I’m so close to another finish, but I couldn’t quite get there this week. I just have the final chapter and the epilogue to read, so it will definitely get done this week. Just another reminder that non-fiction is not my typical jam.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 241 of 947). I’ve read another 100 pages this week. The slow pace is only because of the little amount of time I have been able to devote to the novel. Truthfully, most of the week’s progress has happened in the Geriatric Ward. I’m not worried about getting this done quickly now that I am in a position where I can regularly read. Not sure that I’ll get finished this week, but I anticipate sizable progress ahead.
Emma by Jane Austen (p. 116 of 335). My plan to make this the focus piece of the week fell by the wayside when I realized that I didn’t have as many days in Plainview as I thought. I plan to slowly work my way through the remaining 220 pages this week to get a finish. (Somehow, I remember this very point in the story being the challenge for me when was first assigned the novel in my undergraduate studies. Just have to push through!)
May in Review
May was not a good month in my reading life. I’m still ahead of schedule in my reading goal, but I have to have good months in June and July to get back on track with my reading. Here’s the shameful numbers to report for the month.
Books read in May: 3 books (down 2 books from April)
1 physical
1 ebook
1 audio
3 fiction
Pages read in May:1,249 pages (down 87 pages from April)
Highest rated book:The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (4 stars)
Lowest rated book: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (1 star)
Plans for June
May clearly did not go as I had hoped, so I still have some loose ends to tie up there. I need to finish both Dragonfly in Amber and Emma. I was also scheduled to read The Summer We Started Over and Lady Chatterly’s Lover last month. For June, these are the new additions that I have slated to read:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Moby Dick
The Quiet Librarian
Eruption
Thankfully, most of June’s novels are shorter than those I encountered in May. I hate to think about it, but it may be the month that I begin to reassess my plans for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge and pivot in order to reach my goal.
The rain is falling outside my Austin hotel room. Thankfully, the storm held off until the end of my activity here for Solo & Ensemble this year. As I prepare to pack things up here and return to Plainview for a few days, it is time to reflect on my reading life for the past week. It might be better to refer to my lack of a reading life instead.
There’s not much new to report this week, but I’m not at all upset about it. As you will see, there were no finishes this week. Additionally, there was no progress in two of my “current reads.” Instead, I met new people, explored Oahu, dreamed about the future of music in Hawaii, and returned to the mainland to play a couple of days of the Texas UIL All-State Solo & Ensemble contest. That’s my kind of living.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 63 of 148). Not a single page read since last week’s post. I just need to set aside time each day for this read and get it done….or else I need to DNF it. This week will be decision time.
Emma by Jane Austen (p. 116 of 335). Again, not a single page read since last Monday. This one isn’t really surprising. Austen’s writing doesn’t feel like a good pairing with the Hawaiian beach. If I had looked at the cover during Thursday’s overnight flight, I would have been asleep in just a few moments. I think I may make this the priority this week to see if I can either get a finish or make a really significant dent in it.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 144 of 947). I managed to read 124 pages here this week. It is not significant progress, but this was the one book that I could actually sit down with for a few minutes and read a small chuck without too much effort or without feeling that I was missing out on the beauty of Paradise. I’m also finding myself once again deep into the story with Jamie and Claire. If I can limit my reading of this one, I think I can make some real progress in the other books this week.
What’s Ahead?
I have a few long drives ahead as I push to the end of May. Tomorrow, I head back to Plainview for a few days to close up shop there for the summer. On Thursday, I’ll head to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Music Teachers’ Conference before driving to the Geriatric Ward on Saturday or Sunday to begin the summer holiday there. Since I’ve only had three finishes so far this month, it may be time to pull in some more audio books. But I could also use the quiet drive to wrap my head around a few of my upcoming projects. I just don’t know what the ultimate choice will be. One thing is certain — you can find out all about it in next Monday’s post!
The open road is a great place to get some reading done — by audiobook, that is. This week, I traveled to Wichita and was accompanied by one of the novels that I needed to complete to reach my February goal for The 52 Book Club 2025 Reading Challenge.
My goal was to finish a paperback as well while in the recruiting booth and in my hotel. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Well…not really sadly. I was too busy in the booth talking to high school students to get much reading done. By the time I got back to the hotel each night, I collapsed in the bed.
Even though I didn’t reach the goal of completing four books this week, I’m very pleased with where I am at the moment.
What I Finished This Week
Diamonds Aren’t Forever by Connie Shelton. I read this book to fulfill prompt #5 of the challenge – plot includes a heist. In the first half of the book, I struggled to get into the story. A priceless necklace was stolen from a museum, recovered by a hired private investigator, and returned to its rightful owner. Only problem? The returned necklace was a forgery and the true piece of jewelry is about to hit the black market. That is until the victim begins to tell three other women about her experience. This unlikeliest of quartets work together to track the jewels, find the thief, and steal the necklace back. As the plot brought all of the involved characters together and the chase intensified, so did my reading pace. Still, the ending could not redeem the slowness of the book’s beginning. 2.75 stars.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This was such a fun audio read! A literary agent teams up with a cranky book editor to push through the latest novel written by the agent’s most challenging client. As the unlikely pair begin to work on the novel, they discover that they have many things in common. Sparks ignite and the fun begins. Even though the enemies-to-lovers trope is overdone, I still found this book funny and quite enjoyable. 4 stars.
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey. This book fulfilled prompt #34 of the challenge – direction in the title. I had intended to read the paperback, but I am so glad that I opted for the audiobook. Josephine has been the #1 fan of professional golfer Wells Whitaker through all the ups and downs of his career. When Wells quits in the middle of a tournament and insults Josephine in the process, the golfer manages to lose his last remaining fan. No one could be more surprised than Josephine when Wells asks her to serve as his caddie as he attempts to return to the tour. Filled with lots of sarcasm, insults, and witty repartee, this book was a perfect fit for me. One of my favorite Rom-coms that I have read in a very long time. 5 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
Waiting for the Moon by Kristin Hannah (p. 114 of 374). I have grown to love Kristin Hannah’s books almost as much as those of Jodi Picoult. When I needed a book with a moon on the cover for the reading challenge, I decided this was the perfect time to slip back and read one of the author’s earlier works. Published 30 years ago in 1995, this work is proving to be very different from Hannah’s current output. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying the book very much. It just has a different flair that I wasn’t expecting.
The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey (00:36 of 12:33). I learned this week that Fangirl Down was the first book in the Big Shots series. I added this audiobook to my library figuring that I would read it later. As I was driving back to Plainview yesterday, I found myself with many miles to go after finishing my latest read….so I just dove in. I’m not very far into the plot at all, but already know a little bit about the main characters since they were first introduced to the reader in the previous book in the series.
February in Review
What kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t include at least a few stats at the end of the month to keep myself accountable and to see my progress.
Books read in February: 7
3 audiobooks
3 ebooks
1 physical book
6 fiction
1 non-fiction
Pages read in February: 2,061
Highest Rated: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Lowest Rated: Diamonds Aren’t Forever by Connie Shelton
This week was all about dealing with cold weather. Whether I was trying to survive the elements while waiting for gas to arrive, vainly attempting to warm up before rehearsal, or smiling at high school students despite the cold, the one constant for most of the week was the windy conditions.
Normally, I want to spend days like this under a blanket with a good book. The week after the Texas Music Educators’ Convention, there was too much going on in my professional life to get much reading done. I did manage to get back into a daily routine of spending some time in the pages of a book, but the results were not as I would have hoped.
What I Finished This Week
Nope….nada…..nothing to see here. Just keep moving along.
What I’m Currently Reading
Diamonds Aren’t Foreverby Connie Shelton (p. 298 of 339). I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t finished reading this book yet. The chapters are not long. The plot moves quickly. The reading pace is relatively quick. I just can’t seem to make forward progress. It feels as though I have read for an hour and I have finished only 15 pages. I’m enjoying the story, so that’s not the problem either. Truthfully, I think the constantly shifting perspective is causing me difficulty this time. Just when I get comfortable with a character’s storyline, the author shifts to a different perspective — sometimes backtracking through plot points already discussed. I should get this finished tonight if all goes right.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (9:44 of 11:23). This has turned out to be a very enjoyable audiobook. I find the sassiness of the main character to be very funny and enjoyable. I’m also enjoying a rom-com that isn’t skipping over the process of falling in love and heading straight to the bedroom. That’s not to say that there are no open-door scenes, but by the time they arrive in the story, we are invested in the characters and sex is an expression of true feelings. I should finish up this book before I head out on my next roadtrip of the semester.
Finishing My February Goals
Two books remain for my February reading assignments: Fangirl Down (Tessa Bailey) and Waiting for the Moon (Kristin Hannah). With only a week left in the month, I have to make some very specific plans. The Bailey novel will be my next audiobook. I plan to listen to it on the drive to and from Wichita. As far as Waiting for the Moon, I’m thinking I can finish this novel while I’m on the road if I devote my hotel time to just getting it read. If all goes according to plan, I’ll have four completed novels to talk about next week.
Looking Ahead to March reads
Since I’m still moving forward to completing The 52 Book Club’s 2025 Reading Challenge, it is time to look at the books that I have planned for my March reading life. With Spring Break coming up this month, the plan includes a couple of authors whose writing style required a little extra time when I read some of their other books. Here’s what’s ahead:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Why the two children’s books this month? As opera rehearsals kick into high gear in preparation for the children’s opera, I anticipate needing some “easy” reads to get through the month. If things go well, I can also get an early start on April’s reads as I venture into performance season.
Regardless of the outcome, I’ll keep you posted on my progress and how things are going. Now it’s time to get back to my reading for the night.
Reading for Me 