Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Jul 14

Sugar is Not Always So Nice (July 14, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I have always had a massive sweet tooth. Bring on the chocolate and don’t forget to offer me a slice of cake or we cannot really be friends. So when I learned that my blood glucose was out of control this week, I was more than a little upset. Now I’m learning to appreciate diet sodas and really cutting down the amount of snacking happening between meals. As my glucose has fallen, my body has not been happy. As the nurse told me today, my body is basically in shock that the sugar is going away and it is revolting. I was a grumpy bear most of the end of the week and just wanted to sit still.

What did that mean to my reading? I managed to keep my streak of reading at least 20 pages per day alive, but I didn’t do much more than that while I was learning about insulin injections and what I could actually eat that wouldn’t spike my glucose levels. Now that a new week is here, I’m starting to feel a little better and able to sit and read for longer periods of time.

What I Finished This Week

The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer. I really enjoyed this book! Set on Nantucket, it is the story of two sisters that are both dealing with the death of their brother and their mother’s desertion. Eddie followed her dream of working in the publishing industry and left the island years ago. Barrett is about to have her dream come true, opening a boutique near the family home. Eddie returns to Nantucket for the summer to support her sister in her new endeavor and help care for their father. Over the course of several weeks, the women learn about love, grief, and hope. 4.5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 107 of 817). This has been a much more pleasurable read than I expected. I haven’t quite reached my goal of finishing Book 1 of the novel, but anticipate reading the remaining few chapters before bedtime tonight. In this opening section, Tolstoy has introduced us to Dolly and Prince Alexander, a marriage on the rocks. Alexander’s sister, Anna Karenina, comes to Moscow to visit and encounters Count Vronsky. The chemistry between Anna and Vronsky is undeniable. There’s only one problem — Anna has a husband and child awaiting her return to Petersburg. Imagery of trains are prominent, foreshadowing what we already know will happen in the novel’s tragic conclusion. Before leaving this, I must praise the exceptional Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. It is incredibly approachable for the modern reader and provides amble end notes to assist in understanding the text fully.

Heathen and Honeysuckle by Sarah A. Bailey (p. 33 of 358). I’ve not read enough of this novel to give much of an opinion about it. It was a recent purchase during a visit to Barnes and Noble. For the 2025 reading challenge of The 52 Book Club, I needed a book with a sprayed edge. My local bookstore had a display of beautiful sprayed edges, so it seemed this was the time to make a purchase. Most of the books were fantasy, a genre I do not typically enjoy. The remaining books were mostly romances, so I looked for the most attractive edge of those and made my selection. Yup, I totally judged this book by its cover! What I can tell you so far is that it is written with alternating time lines and comes with a warning at the beginning: “[This book] is intended for readers 18+ and includes heavy emotional and explicit content.” Reader be warned.

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Jun 16

The Sound of 880 Piano Keys All At Once (June 16, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I have returned from the Texas Music Teachers’ Convention in Houston and lived to tell the tale! I was there to staff the Wayland booth in the exhibit hall — talking to teachers, alumni, and potential students about our programs. Held in the Hyatt Downtown, the exhibit hall was on the bottom floor on Friday and Saturday. Vendors from all over were in the hall. Our booth sat just across the aisle from the piano vendors — who had about 10 pianos on the floor to be played throughout the day. I’m not talking about digital instruments or consoles. No….these were grand pianos with their lids fully opened! What do 10 large pianos sound like when they are all playing different pieces at the same time? Imagine 20 toddlers in your kitchen floor with wooden spoons that they are banging on large metal pans. Yeah….it was a hot mess!

I planned to spend my time on the exhibit floor reading. That didn’t happen at all. I did manage to make a little progress once I retired to my room on the top floor of the hotel, but my head wasn’t going to cooperate too long in my effort to concentrate on the story.

What I Finished This Week

…..I had to at least make you look.

What I’m Currently Reading

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 672 of 947). Most of the 150+ pages I read this week were completed on Thursday’s flight to Houston. Once I encountered Claire’s miscarriage, I found it really difficult to push through that section. I thought Gabaldon handled a tragic event in any woman’s life with such grace that I didn’t want to rush through the storyline and savored the way she handled the text. I almost felt as though Claire’s grief as well as that felt by her husband could not be rushed. Now that I am in the ultimate battle scenes of the novel, the pace is picking up again and I *think* I will finish this Big Book of Summer this week. (At least, that’s the goal.)

What’s Coming Next?

I think I’m going to depart from my plan and insert a book that arrived last week from the Book of the Month club. The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram sounds very interesting. Two teens meet and fall in love during a summer trip. Fast forward to their adult lives, and the two former loves find themselves on opposing sides of a political campaign. It will definitely meet a need on my reading challenge since it was published in 2025. But first, I have to finish my current installment in the Outlander series and find out what happens to Claire and Jaime.

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Jun 2

A Busy Start to Summer Break (June 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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.

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Apr 28

The Beginning of the End (April 28, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Last weekend lulled me into a false sense of security and relaxation. Once I returned to the office on Tuesday, I realized just how much there was that still had to be done before the end of the term and the beginning of summer break. Stressing about a few things caused stomach issues and headaches that hindered this week’s reading. I think I’ve gotten a handle on the stress and a plan to successfully get everything done without completely losing my mind.

What I Finished This Week

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. I cannot sing this book’s praises enough! I absolutely adored this read. What was so special about it? First of all, it was the read that got me out of a reading slump and I found myself devouring this story in just a few days. The story centers around a recent graduate from fashion school who is obsessed with shoes. As a plus-size woman, she has found it difficult to find clothing that expresses her personal fashion and doesn’t think she will be taken seriously in the industry. While flying back to Los Angeles for a few weeks to help her stepmother, she is dazzled by a charming man who seems to see the woman she is on the inside. Sadly, she fails to get his number before leaving the airport. Her stepmother is the producer of a reality dating show and our Cinderella-in-waiting ends up filling a spot that was vacated at the last minute. At the first taping, she discovers that her Prince Charming from the plane is the suitor for the season. If The Shoe Fits is a funny, witty story about love, self-esteem, and clothing. Unlike most other romances on the market these days, there is little in the book that would embarrass your grandmother. 4.5 stars

What I’m Currently Reading

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (6:37 of 13:53). I can tell that I am not spending as much time in the car as I was earlier this spring. Audiobooks are requiring a little more time to get through as a result. The story is enjoyable, but I have to remind myself to turn on the book when I’m driving right now because I’m not constantly interacting with the book.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (p. 134 of 288). This book was recommended to me by one of my mentors and dear friend, Bob White. When Bob recommended the book, I immediately put it on my TBR and bought it on my next visit to the bookstore. The book centers around the question of what happens in the time just before death. In Haig’s imagination, we find ourselves in a magical library filled with books that reveal how our life might have been different if we had made different choices. It is an intriguing premise that grabbed my attention from the very beginning.

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (p. 18 of 177). I decided to add an ebook to my reading rotation again now that I thought things were “slowing down.” (Yeah, right!) My plans to read this book during lunch breaks came to naught. The quasi-stream of consciousness writing is requiring more of my attention when I read than I first expected. (Why can’t a short book actually be a quick read?)

April in Review

April was a busy month and it felt as though I accomplished less in my reading life than what the numbers suggest. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised earlier today when I realized what I have accomplished this month.

  • Books read in April: 5 books (even with March’s reading)
    • 4 physical
    • 1 audio
    • 5 fiction
  • Pages read in April: 1,336 pages (down 494 pages from March)
  • Highest rated book: The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (4.75 stars)
  • Lowest rated book: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (0.5 stars)

What’s Ahead in May

I need to finish The Midnight Library and Dept. of Speculation to close out my April plans (that underwent some serious modifications this month). That is the first time in this challenge read that I have found so many books that I simply could not read. I’m not worried about that because I found substitutions pretty quickly.

May is always an exciting reading time of year for me personally. With finals week and the beginning of summer living, I get to turn my attention to a few longer works and hopefully complete more books than I have planned for the month. At the end of the month — with the arrival of Memorial Day — I’ll begin my second adventure in Big Book Summer. The idea was first started by Sue Jackson on BookByBook.Blogspot.com. It is quite simple….any book over 400 pages qualifies and you read as many BIG BOOKS as you wish. The challenge runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. I try to read one big book each month, May through September…..but I probably won’t wait until Memorial Day to dive into the first one of the summer.

What’s on the TBR this month? I’m actually rather excited about several of these!

  • The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer
  • Emma by Jane Austen
  • Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
  • Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (This is May’s Big Book coming in at a whopping 947 pages!)

I’m thinking that I might start with either the Austen or the Lawrence to knock out one of the classics early on before my brain goes completely into summer vacation mode.

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Apr 21

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail (April 21, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I hope you all enjoyed a restful Easter weekend. I escaped Plainview for the a few days and visited Austin. It was a needed time of rest for my body and a chance to reflect on my reading. I made a couple of important discoveries along the way.

What I Finished This Week

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. For such a short book, I thought I was never going to get finished with this one! I suppose it was a mistake to try to read a genre I am not naturally drawn to while dealing with the exhaustion of the opera. It was a stretch on most days to read my self-imposed goal of 20 pages. When Easter break started on Friday, I sat in my reading chair with the determination that I was going to plow through this novel before hitting the road. I got it done, but can’t say that I enjoyed the experience. 0.5 stars.

What I Am Currently Reading

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (1:48 of 13:53) I didn’t make much progress in my audiobook this week. With only one trip to Canyon this week, I was really banking on making some headway here while driving to Austin for Easter. What can I say? There was a Cubs game on the radio and that required I listen…..and it was a GOOD game too! I think once I get to the introduction of the young woman to her boyfriend’s Chinese family that I will be more inclined to listen at other times and not just in the car.

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy (p. 156 of 292). This is exactly the book I needed to get me out of my current reading slump! Imagine a retelling of Cinderella that includes a plus-size shoe designer who finds her way onto a dating show (a la The Bachelor). It’s funny and the reality TV aspect has me rolling! It’s also nice to see a leading female character who doesn’t look like Barbie! This will do nicely for the prompt of a fairy tale retelling.

What I Removed From My TBR

Once in Austin, it was time to begin my next read. I had brought both books since they were part of my March and April reading plans. As I started to read, I realized that both books had some baggage that I was not equipped to deal with at the moment. Once There Were Wolves was the first book to be chopped. The novel opens with a relatively gruesome scene that I simply could not get past. (Those who know me well know that I have an extremely weak stomach.) This was my second attempt to get this novel going and it was clear that I wasn’t getting through the first chapter. Now, I’m on the look out for another piece of climate fiction.

Then came the realization that Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was getting connected to my previous reading of Wicked by the same author. As much as I adore the musical, the novel was a real sludge for me to get through. Since I was already in a bit of a reading slump, I wasn’t ready to struggle through another tough read so soon after And Then There Were None. A trip to the bookstore led to the discovery of If The Shoe Fits, making me very comfortable to leave Confessions behind for this year.

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Apr 7

Blowing Snow in April (April 7, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Despite a busy week, I found myself with several books that I just couldn’t put down! Then a little snow on Saturday meant that I got to spend a little extra time in my reading chair finishing up a book between watching baseball games.

What I Finished This Week

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. I absolutely adored this book! As you can tell by my finished reading this week, I am fascinated with the stories surrounding World War II. It’s not so much the war as it is the determination and perseverance of the European people in the face of such challenges. Martin tells a charming story of Grace, a young woman who arrives in the city just ahead of the Blitzkreig. Not having a letter of recommendation for work, the only job she can secure is in a dusty, dilapidated bookshop. While working there, she is introduced to the power of story and her life is transformed. Grace volunteers with the RAF and witnesses some of the worst attacks the German bombers can bring. The Last Bookshop in London is a story of love, endurance, survival, and the power of books to transport our mind. I’m looking forward to reading another of Martin’s historical fictions this summer. 4.75 stars

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey. With the end of opera rehearsals this week, I also finished this audio book. The third book in the Big Shots series, this one was perhaps the most thought provoking. Sieg, a professional hockey player, is scheduled to have dinner with his estranged father to meet the woman he plans to marry. Dreading the meal, Sieg makes a stop where he is charmed by the lovely Chloe. After what can only be described as “love at first sight,” Sieg’s world comes crashing down at dinner when he learns that his father plans to marry Chloe’s mother! How is it possible that the love of his life is about to become his step-sister? Bailey once again provides a story that is engaging and entertaining. Be warned…the spice level is high! 4 stars

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. I have to admit that this novel has caught my eye repeatedly when browsing in the bookstore. I think I steered clear because I expected the text to be simply too dark. I could not put this book down once I started. Yes, the details of life in the camp were disturbing and sorrowful. However, the love and hope that permeates each page lifts the story significantly. 4.5 stars

What I’m Currently Reading

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (00:29 of 13:53). When one audio ends, another begins. I’ve heard good things about the movie, so I decided to take a look at the book finally. It is also a way to knock out another of the Lunar New Year mini challenge books. I’ve only listened to the first chapter. I enjoyed it, but I have to listen very carefully because of the reader’s accent.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (p. 22 of 247). Mysteries are rarely high on my list of reading selections, but I find myself needing to read another for the 2025 Reading Challenge. I’m still meeting all of the characters and appreciate that Christie said of this novel that it was the most challenging to write. I’m looking forward to experiencing some fine writing even though it is not a genre I typically enjoy.

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Mar 31

Back to the Grind (March 31, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Last week was a whirlwind. From the second I landed back in Amarillo after a much needed Spring Break in Arkansas, it felt as though everything needed immediate attention. As a result, I didn’t post an update here. So….this week’s post will reflect two weeks’ worth of reading. That doesn’t mean it will be a robust post because….yeah…..life has been busy!

What I Finished

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I have heard all of the praise for this 1908 children’s classic. It is certainly a charming concept. A red-haired orphan is taken in by an unlikely pair where she grows into her own and realizes her potential as a student. I struggled with this one. I don’t know if it was because of the feeling that each chapter was more of a stand-alone vignette than actually propelling the overall story ahead or that I just found the writing dated. I finished, but I won’t be returning to Green Gables any time soon. 2.75 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (p. 201 of 314). Once I got back to Plainview and finished reading Anne of Green Gables, I needed something much different. I made a change to my plans and picked up the other book scheduled for March and put Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister back on the shelf. I’m really enjoying this tale of survival that includes the protagonist developing a love for reading against the backdrop of World War II London. It’s a fast moving read and really dynamic historical fiction. This book will fulfill prompt #28 (A Crossover) of The 52 Book Club 2025 Reading Challenge.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey (6:11 of 9:14). With the return of driving to opera rehearsals, I needed to start another audiobook. Since I have enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s other stories in the series, I decided to keep going. The topic is a little more risqué and can be uncomfortable for some readers. The jury is still out on how I feel about this one, but I have to give Bailey credit — I’m still listening and plan to finish the story.

March in Review

As anticipated, my reading numbers have gone down in the month of March. Still, I am already nearly halfway to my goal of reading 52 books in 2025….so I’m not that upset about not meeting my complete goal for the month. Here’s what I accomplished in March, 2025.

  • Books read in March: 5 (down 2 from February)
    • 2 audio
    • 3 physical books
    • 5 fiction
  • Pages read in March: 1,830 (down 231 pages from February)
  • Highest rated: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (4.75 stars)
  • Lowest rated: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (2.0 stars)

What’s Ahead in April

I still need to tie up a few loose ends from my March reading plan. I’m definitely finishing The Last Bookshop in London this week. That will just leave Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister to round out March’s reading. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that I may push this novel back into the summer. Since the children’s opera I am currently playing is a retelling of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, I really don’t think this is the best time to read a retelling of another classic tale.

Here’s what is planned for April. I’m really excited about a few of these….and there are a few that are causing me a moment of pause.

  • Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
  • Paradise Lost by John Milton
  • Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  • Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill
  • The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Next Monday is the beginning of opera week. It may take me a day or two to get my post written, but I promise that you will hear how things are going as I continue Reading for Me.

Until next time,

Kennith

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Mar 17

The One with All the Wind (March 17, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

This has been a week for the record books. Lots of activity at school with auditions and mid-term exams….resuming rehearsals for the children’s opera….a wild wind storm that nearly blew us away….and preparations for Spring Break travel. In all of that, I got to finish an audiobook this week and finally finished the last of my February reads once my feet were on the ground in Arkansas. Just a few more weeks of the really busy season of the semester. At this point, I’m just trying to stay in the routine of reading something each day and keeping some forward progress.

What I Finished This Week

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey. I absolutely loved this rom-com! It was a fun read that also pulled at the heart strings. Burgess is a single father and a professional hockey player. He needs some help with his precocious 12-year-old daughter. That’s where Tallulah comes in. A graduate student, she is always looking for an inexpensive living arrangement and extra income; the job as Lissa’s au pair — a glorified nanny —- fits the bill perfectly. Complications arise as Tallulah and Burgess develop romantic feelings for each other….and Lissa finds out! Bailey does a tremendous job of exploring the dynamics of non-traditional families while also exploring topics such as May-December relationships and forced retirement. While this was a bit more graphic than the previous Tessa Bailey novel I read, I still found myself really enjoying the writing and fell in love with these characters. 4 stars.

Waiting for the Moon by Kristin Hannah. I think Kristin Hannah is one of the rising stars of contemporary fiction today. With recent favorite reads such as The Women, True Colors, and The Great Alone, I was pleased to find an early novel that would fit one of my reading challenge prompts. I used this for prompt #10: author’s last name is also a first name (but you could also use it because it has a moon on the cover – prompt #12). As I’ve already mentioned, this book was a little different from Hannah’s other books that I have read. The story opens with a young woman being brought to an asylum after a tremendous injury to her head. Ian, a retired doctor, cares for the residents of the coastal Maine facility and reluctantly takes in the injured woman. Since she is unable to recall her name, Ian begins to call her Selena. Over the course of her recovery, Selena discovers that the asylum’s residents are not all insane; instead, many of them suffer from past trauma that they have not learned to deal with. Not surprisingly, Ian and Selena fall in love. Everything seems to be perfect until Elliot arrives, claiming to be Selena’s husband. Out of honor and loyalty, Selena returns to her former life with Elliot although she has no memory of it. What we find there is shocking! When Elliot is injured, Selena decides to bring her husband back to Ian, the only man who can possibly save his life. This is a beautiful story that has many similarities to the Frankenstein narrative while exploring definitions of marriage, family, the God-complex, and selfless love. As much as I enjoyed the story, I felt that the novel suffered because it was one of Hannah’s first attempts as a novelist; her immaturity shows. 3 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (p. 144 of 373). I find it very hard to believe that I have never read this classic children’s book. So far, I am finding Anne’s imagination intoxicating and I have fallen in love with this character’s wit, verve, and boldness. Originally, I had planned to read this for prompt # 6- set in Spring, but I really think that I’m going to use it for prompt #2 – a character with red hair.

What’s Ahead in March?

Now that we are halfway through March, I wanted to take a moment to remind us all of what I still need to read this month to get back on track with my reading plan since April’s schedule is also quite full. Two books remain for the month.

  • Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire. This book is currently sitting on the table in Arkansas. I should finish Green Gables in the next day or so and will dive right into this novel. The writing doesn’t look dense on the page, so I’m hoping that I can move through it fairly quickly while on Spring Break.
  • The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. I hope to start this one shortly after returning to Plainview next week to finish out the month strong.

I’ll be back next Monday to let you know how things turned out!

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Mar 3

Good Books and the Open Road (March 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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

2025 Reading Challenge audio ebook romance The 52 Book Club

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Feb 10

Rehearsals Have Returned (February 10, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Now that February is here, my time is no longer my own. Rehearsals for the children’s opera are in full swing. State music conferences are happening in the coming weeks. Recruitment is in full swing and it is also contest season in Texas. That means I’m spending a lot more time on the piano bench and fighting to find time to read each day. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — it’s just a seasonal change for the next few months.

Traditionally, the spring semester has always been a difficult time for me to maintain an active reading life style. In the past, I would get frustrated that I wasn’t making progress and simply give up as I watched my goals pass by unmet. This year, I’m taking a more realistic approach. My daily goal is to read 20 pages….so far, so good there. That smaller goal means that I may not read a book or two every week. I’m okay with that. As long as I am constantly making forward progress, then I am still on my way to achieving my goal of reading 52 books in 2025.

What I Finished This Week

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong. For the first time in 2025, I have only read one book this week. I have to admit that I am a little sad about that, but I am deciding to focus on the progress instead of the lack of movement. This book fulfilled Prompt #1 in The 52 Book Club 2025 Reading Challenge: A Pun in the Title.

Finding Mr. Write is a 2024 rom-com that had a lot to say about the publishing industry. Daphne is an author who has not been able to get her apocalyptic zombie novel published. On a whim, she adjusts her cover letter — focusing on the survival skills in the novel — and uses a man’s name instead of her own. In that moment, Daphne’s alter ego, Zane Remington, is born. To Daphne’s surprise (or perhaps, her frustration) Zane’s novel is published and climbs to the top of the best-seller list! Now, Daphne must find an actor to portray Zane in public appearances on the much anticipated book tour. Instead of finding an actor, Daphne hires Chris Stanton, a handsome accountant in need of extra cash. What follows is a charming story of role play, romance, and fun.

Unlike several of my previous reads, Finding Mr. Write spent more time exploring mutual attraction before the two characters finally begin to fall in love. While there are a few scenes that would be classified as “open door” as the book nears the end, the overall spice level of the book is very low. Overall, this was a very enjoyable, funny read for me. 4.75 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Reset by Dan Heath (1:32 of 6:17). Self-help books tend to be a challenge for me to read on audio. Reset has proven to be no different. As the week has been busy, I have found myself reverting to driving in silence. I have a longer drive coming up on Tuesday, so I anticipate getting this book finished and hopefully starting something new.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (p. 172 of 227). It is no surprise to me that I struggle reading literary books on my Kindle. There’s just something in my psyche that associates ebooks with fluff reading. I thought about driving to Barnes and Noble and picking up a copy of this book to add to my library, but I was tired and opted for the ease of reading the ebook. I’m intentionally delaying starting another novel until I can plow through the rest of this classic. I love the characters, but the dialect is forcing me to slow my reading pace to make sure I comprehend the material.

What’s Ahead?

I will spend most of the week in San Antonio attending the Texas Music Educators’ Conference. With some 10,000 participants from all over the state, this is a great time to speak with potential students while vision casting and dreaming with my colleagues. That also means that I won’t get a lot of reading done this week. (I find it difficult to read if other people are around.) So my goal for the week will be to read something rather light on my Kindle this week — Diamonds Aren’t Forever by Connie Shelton.

There’s a plan in place. Now we will just have to see if I reach the goal when we chat again next Monday….

2025 Reading Challenge American author audio classic ebook fiction non-fiction romance self-help The 52 Book Club

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