Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Sep 8

Short Week Challenges (September 8, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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

2025 Reading Challenge ebook Sci-Fi The 52 Book Club thriller

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Sep 2

Vacations Are Too Short (September 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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)

2025 Reading Challenge Book of the Month ebook historical Sci-Fi The 52 Book Club thriller update

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Jul 16

Music and a Little Summer Sickness (July 16, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

I’m back in the Geriatric Ward after a quick trip to Cincinnati, Ohio last week. The trip included attending a recital by my friend, Jessica Rivera Schafer. It was lovely to sit at the back of the hall and just listen to some quality singing after a long summer hiatus from any classical music.

The trip also included a lot of sleeping. After the recital on Thursday evening, I slept for nearly 14 hours and simply could not seem to get enough rest. I don’t know if I was sick or exhausted, but I was confined to bed for the next couple of days — even deciding to skip going to the baseball game (Marlins at Reds) that I had been looking forward to all summer long.

I felt poorly enough after getting home on Saturday night that I made my way to the medical clinic yesterday morning. That visit took longer than I anticipated, putting me completely off of my regular routine. While the tests came back negative for COVID and the flu, I didn’t feel like doing much of anything when I got home. Thus this week’s update post is a day late….but here it is.

What I Finished This Week

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. A couple of short flights to Cincinnati made my Kindle the perfect reading companion. This relatively short novel was packed with intrigue and interesting characters. As I mentioned last week, the story opens with John Devlin suspecting that he had killed a man and asking for help from his brother, TJ. As the story continues John attempts to pin the murder on TJ in order to hide his own secrets. Can anyone say dysfunctional?! Having enjoyed other novels by Scottoline, I had high hopes for this one. It was okay…..I didn’t hate reading it, but it felt rather routine and formulaic.

What I’m Currently Reading

Blackout by Connie Willis (p. 264 of 491) Your eyes don’t deceive you. I have read all of 10 pages of this book this week. I didn’t try to pick it up until I got to Cincinnati when I was expecting quiet time in my hotel. However, I didn’t feel like reading and wanted to sleep instead. I forced myself to read a chapter and a bit more of this month’s entry for #BigBookSummer. I hope to get back to this novel this week and see if I can make some progress. I’m not really sure why, but this one is just not grabbing my attention at the moment.

My Best Friend’s Secret by Romeo Alexander (p. 138 of 313) I needed a new Kindle read for the flight home and picked up this one. I’m barely halfway through the book and it’s just now getting to the basic premise. Since I started it when I wasn’t feeling very well, I didn’t get acclimated to the story right away. The alternating voices seem very similar in tone to me, so I’m having some difficulty keeping the characters straight in my head as well. It’s not a bad book…..I’m just not in a good place with it.

What’s Ahead?

My intentions this week are to finish My Best Friend’s Secret and to make significant progress in Blackout. However, I also have a couple of memoirs in my sights that I want to dive into this week. One was written by my sister and I feel obligated to give it a cursory glance at least. The other is J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy; since he has been named as the Republican nominee for the Vice-Presidency, I feel it is important to re-read this piece and reacquaint myself with his story as the nation makes an important decision later this fall.

There you have it. I’ll return to my normal Monday posts next week and let you know what I’ve managed to get done.

Happy reading, y’all!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer historical romance Sci-Fi Series

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Jul 8

Doctors and Independence (July 8, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

As July arrived, the reality that there are only a few weeks remaining of my summer vacation became a reality. That meant it was time to take care of a lot of doctors’ visits for me. Before the holiday arrived, I visited both the dentist and the cardiologist. Thankfully, I got good reports from both….and might have heard about the importance of flossing and exercise.

The arrival of Independence Day signaled one very big reality for the rest of the week — the Geriatrics would have a four-day weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents. But I am the oddball of this family and prefer to enjoy the sounds of silence more than the cacophony of mind-numbing televisions. My dad is the major culprit in this issue. Because he cannot hear (I don’t jest!), he has no idea just how loud things really are. Several times, I had to shut the doors separating the living room from the bedroom-turned-small-den in the rear of the house because the volume on the tiny television in the back was so loud that you could hear it over the main system in the front. It was really bad!

Somehow, I managed to convince my Mom to resume her reading life and she has had her nose in The Women by Kristin Hannah recently. Two readers in the house means there was a little more productivity going on since we didn’t have to have the television roaring for entertainment purposes. That’s a happy sound to my ears!

What I Finished This Week

Crusher by Darryl Banner. This light romance told the story of Quin and Adrian. Quin is an art student with immense talent and low self-esteem. He has been convinced by everyone — his parents, his art instructor — that he should pursue another career. But Quin’s passion for painting tells him otherwise. While visiting a beach-front town, Quin encounters Adrian – the local heartthrob who is known around town as the “Heart Crusher.” Opposites attract, the two fall in love, and all’s well that ends well. LOL!

What I personally found most rewarding about this read was the insightful conversation the two boys had about the pressures of creating and searching for validation from those you trust. Quin voices the fears of every young artist and explains beautifully to his non-artist friend the emotional roller coaster that is trying to figure out if you have the fortitude and talent to succeed.

What I’m Currently Reading

Blackout by Connie Willis. (p. 254 of 491) Now that I have reached the halfway point of my July selection for #BigBookSummer, I’m finally beginning to enjoy this book. I was worried for a bit as I dove into the book this week.

Here’s the basic premise….Historians at Oxford in 2060 have the ability to travel back in time to observe important events as they occur. Despite their various intentions, the team finds themselves in sundry locations in and around London during World War II. Okay…I like historical fiction and I am fascinated by this war. I thought this would be an excellent read for me. A large portion of the novel’s opening necessarily explores the time travel since the intricacies of the process are important as the story progresses. However, I got lost in the weeds and just wanted to get to the War. Now that the aspects of time travel are woven into the background of the characters’ stories, I am finding that I can simply enjoy the trials and exploits of these people. I’m glad that I stuck with it for a while and did not DNF this book. But be warned….if you are not a sci-fi fan (like me!), this is probably not a book I would recommend.

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. (p. 114 of 369) This novel is proving to be a fun and fast read that keeps me coming back for more. The Devlin family are all lawyers — everyone except TJ, that is. TJ is a convicted ex-con and recovering alcoholic who works for the firm as an investigator. TJ’s older brother has his sights set on taking over the firm when his parents finally retire and is working on a major merger to insure he is set financially. When John discovers that the company’s accountant has been embezzling funds, John arranges a private meeting. In the early pages of the book, John becomes irate and throws a rock at the accountant that strikes him in the head. When the accountant’s body is found a few days later, a few questions are at the top of everyone’s minds. Did John kill the man or did someone else? Does it matter?

At this point, I don’t have many of the answers at all, but I’m definitely looking forward to continuing my reading to find out what is going to happen next and to learn The Truth About the Devlins!

Upcoming Plans?

Later this week, I’ll be visiting Cincinnati for the first time to hear a friend’s voice recital and to take in a game at the Great American Ball Park. As a result, I’m not entirely sure just how much reading I’ll get done. I would like to finish the Scottoline book this week, but we will just have to see how that goes. Regardless, I’ll meet you back here next Monday to give you the update about my reading life.

Happy reading!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer fiction historical Sci-Fi

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Jul 1

Finding Quiet Moments (July 1, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

The Geriatric Ward continues to be in recovery mode. Mom has continued to convalesce from her latest infection. The antibiotics simply sap her of all energy and strength. She does appear to get stronger with each passing day, so I’m hoping that she is able to get back to her normal routine slowly this week.

Since she has been getting better, I was able to sneak into the back room much of the week and get some serious reading done. That brings me to the first success of #BigBookSummer.

What I Finished This Week

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Few things are more enjoyable than turning the last page of a big book and knowing that you have accomplished something significant. When you can admit that you thoroughly enjoyed the book as well, that just makes it better!

I know I’m late to the Outlander phenomenon. I had resisted reading these books for some time. I was expecting something that had a lot more to do with time travel. I was anticipating something more magical and supernatural. You cannot imagine how excited I was to find that I couldn’t have been more wrong while also kicking myself for missing out on such an enjoyable read for so long!

Outlander is a love story at its core. As the relationship between Claire and Jaime grows, the readers’ understanding of the danger and implications it has on both of their lives makes for an exciting story. Gabaldon does an exceptional job of making the Scottish landscape come to life while setting us firmly in the political intrigues of the 17th century. I found myself laughing out loud at the outrageousness of events only to be twisted in knots as I waited to see how Claire and Jaime would escape those who wanted to harm them. I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful conversations between Claire and Anselm in the abbey at the novel’s conclusion. These explorations of issues of faith were incredibly enlightening and extremely well written. I’m looking forward to Dragonfly in Amber, but I think I’m going to wait a little longer so my Outlander experience can be extended.

What’s Up Next?

With the arrival of a new month, it is time to begin another big book as I celebrate #BigBookSummer. This month’s selection is Blackout by Connie Willis. I haven’t started reading it yet, but the description sounds intriguing. Essentially, the story centers around time-traveling historians in 2060’s Oxford who are returning to events of World War II. (I know, I just said that I’m normally not one who enjoys time travel!) I heard the description on a podcast and thought it sounded really interesting, so I’m going to give it a try. Coming in at 491 pages, it is one of the shorter “big books”, so I decided it was worth a try.

In addition to the big book, I’m also hoping to read a few more small books this month. First up is Crusher by Daryl Banner. This is another installment in Banner’s Texas Beach Town Romances, the first of which I read in honor of pride month. Just beginning the book, it is a funny MM romance that is just a fun read.

There you have it. Hope you all have a great week and lots of happy reading along the way.

~Kennith

Big Book Summer romance Sci-Fi

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Feb 29

#7: The Long War (Terry Pratchett)

by kennithfreeman

Let’s cut right to the chase on this one….I HATED THIS BOOK! Why did I read it? Why did I finish it when I was hating the process? The novel is the 2nd installment in Terry Pratchett’s The Long Earth series. Science fiction is not my favorite genre and I struggle to read the works. I kept pushing through because it is a book in My Library Shelf project. Even though there are a lot of Pratchett’s works included on this particular shelf, I think I have a fighting chance of working through all of the books there. Plus I’m hoping that all of Pratchett’s writings are not exactly like this series. I’m keeping an open mind for the moment before I jump to a conclusion.

But for now, I’m taking a break from the Library Shelf project in order to finish up a couple of other books in progress and return to an author that I know I love — Kristin Hannah. Just started The Great Alone a few days ago and already loving it!

fiction My Library Shelf Sci-Fi

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Jul 3

#17: Reboot (Amy Tintera)

by kennithfreeman

As I continue to work my way through My Library Shelf, I encountered Amy Tintera’s Reboot. The story is narrated by Wren, a HARC assassin identified as 178. Her number signifies the number of minutes she remained dead five years ago before she woke up — or before she was rebooted. In this futurist society in Texas, teens are being wiped out by a highly contagious virus. HARC, the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation, resurrects these victims and creates an army trained to follow orders without question. The result is a community marked by fear and governmental abuse. When Wren meets Callum, another Reboot, her opinion of the situation changes and the two set out to escape in order to obtain freedom.

I found Reboot a difficult book to dive into. The opening scenes felt stunted and contrived. Honestly, I found myself repeatedly thinking that Tintera was attempting to capitalize on the success of The Hunger Games. I found little exciting or original in the work. I don’t plan to read the sequel (Rebel) either. Here’s hoping that the positive reading experiences resume as I continue my way along My Library Shelf.

fiction My Library Shelf Sci-Fi teen

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