24 in 48 Read-a-thon!

This is my first year participating in the 24 in 48 Read-A-Thon and I'm so excited! The goal is to read for 24 of 48 hours over the weekend of January 26 - 27, and is a way to challenge yourself to really set aside time to read. This post will be where I'll post my updates on my progress over the weekend! I'll also be posting to my stories over on my Instagram so be sure to follow me there too!

Are you participating in the read-a-thon? What are you planning to read this weekend? How will you divide your time? Keep in touch over the next 48 hours in the comments!

Friday, January 25 @ 9:00 PM - The Challenge Begins!

I'm on the West Coast, so I decided to join the challenge in real-time and started at 9 PM on Friday night and read until like 12:30 AM or so. I'm more of a morning person than a night person because I'm an old librarian.

Books Read:

Books Started:

Saturday, January 26

Got back to it at about 7:00 AM on Saturday morning! Brewed coffee, made some toast, and finished Hearts Unbroken (which I highly recommend). I worked out then started a short story collection because I had an aerial silks class at 11:30 and it seemed the easiest way to get some reading in before. However, the collection I chose traumatized me 2 stories in and I had to give it up. I went to my class, came home, made a snack platter, and dove into Melmoth. A slow but good book, I took a break from it with Paperback Crush, a history of all the books I loved reading as a tween. Got back into Melmoth and I'm about 3/4 of the way through, so will finish that today. Also started A Princess in Theory because I thought the other book might put me to sleep. I am, however, I an old baby because I gave up around 11:30 PM and set my alarm for 6:30 AM. I put in 13.5 hours so far!

Books Finished:

 

Books DNF:

Books Started:

 

Sunday, January 27

I did it, I did it! I also managed to reset my timer at about 17 hours in, so I didn't get the epic 24 hour screenshot and almost lost my damn mind. However, I did manage to read for 24 hours of 48 hours! I was kind of exhausted by the end and just ended up finishing the last five hours listening to a Tessa Dare audiobook while cooking dinner.

Books Finished:

Books Started:

Total Books Read: 5.5

Total Pages Read: 1,643

Overall, I had a blast trying to read this much and also keeping up with everyone else's readathons. I hope to participate in the summer edition!

How to Recover From a Reading Slump!

It's been a few months since I've posted anything, and a large part of that is because the reading slump is real, y'all. Also, life stuff: I quit my librarian job, moved to L.A., and am starting a new librarian job shortly, so basically time for reading has been cut short. I spent a lot of the summer apartment hunting, packing up all of my worldly belongings (including many, many books), relocating, and job hunting. Luckily the job hunting part has panned out so I can take a break from writing cover letters and resumes and get back to reading and, hopefully, blogging about books. And, since I had such a long summer with barely any books read and Goodreads is yelling at me for being behind my goal, I thought I would share my thoughts on the infamous reading slump and how, hopefully, to recover from said slump.

What is a Reading Slump?

What booknerds dread most, the reading slump, is when you either don't have time to read anything or you aren't motivated to start a new read or you just can't get through a single book to save your life. For those of us who love learning about new worlds, reveling in transportive storytelling, or contemplating the human experience through our love of books, the reading slump is like anti-self care. I always feel a bit off when I haven't read a book that I've enjoyed in awhile, like something is missing. I'm a little grouchy, I feel less motivated overall, and I can feel the stress levels in my body rising. Personally, I like reading because it is my me-time, it is my self-care, and when I don't get to set that time aside for myself, I feel the negative impact throughout my daily life.

Typically, I read about 10-12 books a month. I don't say this to brag about how many books I read, but basically to explain the only way I can make it through my TBR (which is constantly growing), keep up with new releases, and revisit old favorites. I also read lots of different kinds of books that range in length, format, and time investment, so I try to set aside as much reading time possible and make it a priority so I can read the wide variety of books that make me happy. For a bit of perspective in how my summer reading slump has gone, in June I only read 5 books, and in July I only read 3. Books I borrowed from the library and was excited about languished on my shelf. My Book of the Month books, which are awesome new releases that I was super stoked to read, were packed up in boxes. The last book I finished in July was Bitch Planet: Vol. 2 and I just didn't feel motivated to start anything new, despite having a Kindle full of unread books. It was not a good feeling. But in August, after I started getting settled in my new city, I worked my way out of my funk.

Tips for Getting Over It

Tip #1: Read an audiobook

I fully embrace audiobooks as being the same as traditionally reading a book, and honestly think it's a bit ableist to say that it is somehow lesser to listen to a narrator rather than read the print or e-book yourself. You are still investing your time and interest in the story, and that is the most important part of reading in my opinion. An audiobook really helped me get out of my reading slump because as I was unpacking and cleaning my new apartment, I could still read and get done what I needed to get done. The book I chose was The Eyre Affair, because I had listened to an audiobook by the narrator before and really liked her narration style, and I knew it was kind of a light, fun book that would be perfect to read while doing chores. And I finished it! It was one of the first books I finished in August.

Tip #2: Pick up genre fiction

Some readers only read genre fiction and some readers read none but if you are in a reading slump, I highly recommend picking up a fast-paced mystery or romance to get your reading gears turning as opposed to, say, slogging through a 19th century classic to get yourself back into reading. In August, I read Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole (love her writing and, hello, apocalyptic romance) and A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett (it's got crafts, it's got murder, it's got it all), and both books really helped me get back into my reading groove. Usually romances and mysteries read quickly because you want to find out what happened next, so they are good motivators for taking time to read and finishing a book. I stuck to two books that were a bit shorter in length, as well, because when I finish a book it motivates me to read another.

Tip #3: Read a book that you've seen the movie version of already

Sometimes I get distracted starting a new book if I can't visualize the setting or the characters, and I start checking out. However, if I read a book that I've seen the movie version of, I have a starting place and I can start to focus more on the story and the character development. I already know what is going to happen, but I can immerse myself in the detail that the book can provide that the movie just can't. In my case, I read The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan, having already seen the Sofia Coppola-directed film version and really enjoying it. Being able to read the book and think about the differences between the book and the film, and reading not to find out what happens next but to really get to know the characters, was a good start for helping me get over my reading slump.

Tip #4: Find your niche and go with it

Every reader has their special book catnip; find the book that ticks all your boxes and dive in! Personally, I love academia, history, and the occult, so I picked up the book The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark on a whim and ended up devouring it, and its' sequel. The book includes all of the things I love; the main character is a professor, there's witches, there's faeries, there's a hot incubus and steamy love scenes, and it takes place in a remote, small town on the East Coast. These things helped immerse me in a world that is so unlike my own that it really sucked me in and made me stick with the book from start to end. So whatever you are into, whether it's historical fiction set with strong female leads or books with werewolf detectives or stories about generational families dealing with their pasts, find that book and take an afternoon to dedicate your time to it. If you're not sure how to find that book, go to your local library and ask a librarian to help you, or check out the different Listopia collections on Goodreads, or even turn to Twitter and ask your fellow readers if they have a recommendation. There is a book for everyone, and if you find one that can appeal to your interests, you'll be more likely to dedicate the time you need to read it.

Tip #5: Don't let the Goodreads Reading Challenge bring you down

I admit that seeing that I am 9 books behind my challenge stresses me out a little bit. Nonetheless, I don't take that little meter too seriously. Reading is more than just completing a challenge; it's about finding books that speak to you and connecting with the story or the information contained within them. So if you are in a reading slump, don't worry about your reading challenge or whatever other challenges you started at the beginning of the year. Just bring it back to basics and start off slow; read because you enjoy it, not because it is something that you "have to" do.

Now go forth, and read!

Review: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Title: Bet Me

Author: Jennifer Crusie

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 2004

Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

Yes, I realize that this book is older than most book bloggers, and that everyone my age read this ages ago. Nonetheless, I finally just read Bet Me and, you guys, I get it. I get why so many women cite this as the book that got them into romance, and I get why it’s often referenced when it comes to book recs. It’s even aged pretty well, considering it came out before social media really took off (sorry, Friendster). So, in case you are like me and incredibly late to this party, Bet Me centers on the lives of Minerva, or Min, Dobbs, an actuary who doesn’t want to find the one but may be forced into discovering him anyway, and Cal Morrissey, a super handsome, successful so-called womanizer with a penchant for making ten dollar bets with his friends. They are both fresh from break ups when their paths cross, and their lives and the lives of their friends and families become instantly intertwined. Min thinks she overhears Cal accepting a bet that he can get her into bed for ten dollars, and she decides to mess with him and accept his offer to dinner, and hopefully at least scoring an instant wedding date out of the arrangement. Hilarity ensues and romance abounds. There’s Italian food, there’s a stray cat, and lots of descriptions of shoes that would have been considered very fashionable in the early 2000’s.

Shout out to my fellow olds who know where this is from!

Since this is a pretty well-known book, I won’t delve too deep into the minutiae of the story line, but will mention what appealed to me most. This book struck a balance between being funny, and being emotionally poignant, but not in a cheesy way. Even though some out-there things happen (it is a romance novel, after all), I still found the characters to be believable and their actions made sense throughout the course of the story. When they messed up, they realized it and figured out how to make it better. Even the ‘bad guys’ of the story: the exes, both Min’s ex David and Cal’s ex Cynthie are not portrayed as evil and the other characters don’t hate them, even though they plot and do terrible things to keep Min and Cal apart. They aren’t completely villainous, which is so easy to do in romance-landia. At times when Cynthie and David are plotting I may have yelled “Give it a rest!” out loud at my Kindle, but it’s a good sign when you talk to your books, right?

How I felt whenever Cynthie would insist she was about to win Cal back

 The only thing that I don’t think aged very well is how Min’s weight is treated. It kind of reminded me of Love Actually, a film I despise btw, wherein an average-sized woman is constantly referred to as "the fat one" and Hugh Grant's character falls in love with her anyway. Now, Min isn't treated quite that abysmally and overall she learns how to feel comfortable in her body, but the focus on her weight was kind of hard for me to read. It honestly sounded like she was maybe a size 10 and that was considered some kind of travesty. However, this was mostly coming from flawed characters, like her mother, who is basically a terrible person throughout the book. On the positive side, it was nice to read about her going shopping and picking out clothes that made her happy instead of trying to look thinner. Still, major eye roll that a man inspires this change in her. I do realize that this book was written during peak Atkins obsession, so the whole no carb-obsession that Min has makes some sense. Even so, I think if this book was written today, the way that Min's weight is described and discussed would be more sensitive (I hope).

It was also a little strange that Min was so adamant about not taking Cal seriously. Most of the conflict stems from her not believing someone who looks like him could like someone who looks like her, and she doesn't want to get emotionally invested (and hurt). She calls him the devil so many times, I lost count. Luckily the fates were on their side, otherwise who knows whether she'd get her HEA. She really needed therapy, or maybe a yoga class or something, because emotionally she was all over the place. Actually, Cal was also emotionally damaged because surprise surprise he also has awful parents, so pretty much both of these people needed to do some work on themselves before participating in a fully functional relationship. But I digress.

Despite its' flaws, this book still makes me feel like cheering

Overall, this book is kind of like contemporary romance junk food. It’s got the impossibly handsome hero falling for the notably average heroine, lots of inane conflict that could have been resolved if people communicated better, awesome female friendships, and choosing to be with someone who deserves you and treats you right instead of whoever is there. Even the frustrating aspects of the story don’t take away from it being a fun, feel-good read. If you like rom-coms like 27 Dresses and that one movie where Deborah Messing hires a prostitute as a wedding date, this book will feel very familiar and comforting. I would say this is an awesome sick day read.

2017 Reading Challenges TBR List!

Challenge: Historical Romance Challenge

Hosted By: I Heart Romance & YA

Why I Signed Up: I love historical romance but want to challenge myself to read more and to expand outside of the typical regency universe.

# of Books: 2/50 (Queen)

Categories: Victorian, Diverse, Western, Pirate, Regency, Time Travel, Medieval

TBR: Check it out on my Goodreads shelf here!

Challenge: Contemporary Romance Challenge

Hosted By: Andi's ABCs

Why I Signed Up: To me, contemporary romance is like comfort food and it's my go-to genre for when I need to decompress and relax. I want to challenge myself to read more in this genre as part of my self-care mission for 2017!

# of Books: 2/20 (Home Run)

TBR: Check out my Goodreads shelf for the challenge.

Challenge: Around the Year in 52 Books

Hosted By: Goodreads

Why I Signed Up: I attempted this challenge last year and read 49/52 planned books. This year, I took more care selecting the books for each category so that I wouldn't give up on books that I didn't enjoy. It's a fun challenge because it takes you outside of your comfort zone.

# of Books: 3/52

TBR: This is a long list! View on my Goodreads shelf.

Challenge: Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge

Hosted By: Modern Mrs. Darcy

Why I Signed Up: I love Anne's blog and podcast, and I thought her categories were perfect for selecting books that I own and need an excuse to finally read.

# of Books: 0/12

TBR: The shortest list by far, and mostly books that I own.

That's it for now! I really need to stop signing up for challenges, but I really cannot resist. I love making the TBR lists. I'll keep updating this post as I read more books for each challenge, and will keep my Goodread shelves updated as well. Looking forward to a diverse reading life for 2017!

2017 Reading Challenges!

It’s that time of year: deciding a number for my total Goodreads Challenge for books read in 2017!!! Last year, I set my goal to 80, then bumped it up to 100 after I beat my initial goal in like September. This year, after much contemplation, I’m setting a goal of 120. A few notes about how I decide which books to attribute to the goal: I don’t count children’s picture books that I read for work typically. That’s because I read a minimum of 3 children’s picture books a week and I just feel like that may be cheating because they take like 5 minutes to read most of the time. I do, however, count audiobooks, which I know some people don’t. But I think that audiobooks count as reading (I actually think it’s a little ablist to say reading the book with your ears is not the same as reading with your eyes), as I’m still putting in the time to listen to the story, and often prefer audiobooks for a specific narrator or if I think the experience would be enhanced by listening. I’m an auditory learner, too, so I don’t have any trouble paying attention to an audiobook.

So anyway. 120 books. That’s about ten books a month, which is definitely doable for me. Also, and I don’t know if everyone does this or what, I have mental goal of 150 books but I’m not ready to commit to that so I’m setting the bar at something I know for sure I can reach. Then, if I end up reading more at the end of the year, I can bump my goal up or set a higher goal the following year.

But the main Goodreads challenge isn’t my only challenge. I also participate in Around the Year in 52 books (mentioned in a previous post), which is a challenge that has a specific criteria for each week of the year, and the readers have to select a book to read that meets that criteria. For example, a book with a color in the title or a book over 500 pages. This list is so fun to create, and it’s a good way to clean out my TBR and read books that I own but have been putting off reading. Even though it takes hours to decide what to read each week, it's worth it. Plus, with my newly minted blog, I decided to join the Historical Romance Reading Challenge, which isn’t made up of specific categories for every single book, but has broader categories (medieval romance, time travel romance) and ascending levels based on how many books you read. I plan on aiming for queen status (50+ books and at least 1 book from every category). It sounds like a lot of fun and a good way to get to various historical romances that have been lingering on my TBR.

I'll be sure to update this blog on the status of my 2017 reading challenges. Hopefully I'll meet my goals the way that I did in 2016!

What's your reading goal for 2017? Are you signed up for any challenges? Let me know in the comments below!