“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley

  

DNF:

• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Finished:

• The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 52 – Challenge completed!
• RIP XI: 11 books, at least 70 short stories

Total pages read: 499

Total # of books for the year: 74.  The Exorcist is good.  However, it’s just not scary.  Maybe it’s the narrator, or maybe it’s that I was listening to it rather than reading it, but I suspect it’s because I don’t believe in demonic possession.  The Winter People, on the other hand, had me freaked out enough that I didn’t want to go into my closet for any reason, or upstairs without the light on.  Ghosts, the dead coming back to life, the girl from “The Ring”…there is a small part of me that believes in all of that and is, therefore, terrifying.  I’m not saying any of those things, or anything similar, are in The Winter People, but before I got to the part of the story where I knew for sure what was going on, the possibilities of what “it” was had me creeped out.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
• Demons ed. by John Skipp

  
 
Finished:

• In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio
• The Sandman, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman

  

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 52 – Challenge completed!
• RIP XI: 10 books, at least 70 short stories

Total pages read: 1037

Total # of books for the year: 73.  I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish most of this week’s reading if it wasn’t for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon.  I’m pretty sure I appreciate the readathon more than before thanks to the overtime I’ve been working along with all the other things that have been taking up my time.  Before, it was just another excuse to read.  Now, it’s the only way I’m able to relax and truly enjoy a book without interruption or having to put it down to get back to work or go to sleep just when I get to the really good part.  I can’t wait until April 29th!

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

  
Finished:

• Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
• The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

 

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 49 out of 51
• RIP XI: 6 books, at least 70 short stories – I took a break from the No Sleep podcast and started listening to Lore.  It is fantastic!

Total pages read: 243

Total # of books for the year: 69.  Mandatory overtime sucks, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.  I finally found time to finish The Queen of the Damned on Saturday, and though I had a lot going on this weekend, I took every spare minute I had to read In a Dark, Dark Wood.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

  

 

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 48 out of 51
• RIP XI: 4 of 4 books, at least 70 short stories – I’m completely caught up on Pseudopod, and I started listening to another Horror short story podcast called No Sleep.

Total pages read: 366

Total # of books for the year: 67.  I would have loved to finish Queen of the Damned by the end of the weekend, but I was preparing for and then going to a baby shower.  I also spent most of Sunday grocery shopping and cleaning everything in the apartment.  Why?  I’ve got mandatory overtime starting today, people coming over during the weekend, then the Boyfriend is having eye surgery next week.  Being an adult really cuts into one’s reading time, doesn’t it? *sigh* I’m so looking forward to the readathon on the 22nd.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

  

Finished: 

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Slave of My Thirst by Tom Holland

  

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 48 out of 51
• RIP XI: 4 of 4 books, at least 60 short stories – I’m completely caught up on Drabblecast, and now I’m getting caught up on Pseudopod, a Horror short story podcast.  I highly recommend both.

Total pages read: 723

Total # of books for the year: 67.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower was amazing, and I’ll be writing a review of it, along with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Slave of My Thirst, soon.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• Slave of My Thirst by Tom Holland
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien – for #FanspeakTheRing
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – for Banned Books Week

  
  
Finished: 

• Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 46 out of 51
• RIP XI: 2 of 4 books, at least 35 short stories – I’ve been catching up on episodes of Drabblecast, which is a short story podcast dedicated to weird tales.  I highly recommend it.

Total pages read: 381

Total # of books for the year: 64.  Most of my reading was finishing the audiobook of Plain Kate.  Even then, I think I listened to more short story podcasts than anything else.  This week, I’ll be listening to the audiobook of The Perks of Being a Wallflower for Banned Books Week.  I’ve also updated my Banned Books page, so be sure to check that out.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
• Plain Kate by Erin Bow
• Slave of My Thirst by Tom Holland

  
 
Finished: 

• The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
• Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

 

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 46 out of 51
• RIP XI: 2 of 4 books, 0 short stories
• Sci-Fi Summer: 16 out of 16 (Time Lord)

Total pages read: 713

Total # of books for the year: 63.  I thought my reading would slow down once I focused on catching up on reviews and non-blogging stuff, but I’m reading just as much, if not more, than usual.  I spent most of the weekend reading Slave of My Thirst after picking it up from my stack of RIP XI books.  I thought I wasn’t going to like it and would quickly DNF it, but I was completely wrong.  So far, it’s one of the best vampire stories I’ve ever read and I didn’t want to put it down.  I managed to get the laundry and dishes done, but everything else fell by the wayside.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
• The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
• Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

  
Finished: 

• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

 

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 45 out of 51
• RIP XI: 1 of 4 books, 0 short stories
• Sci-Fi Summer: 16 out of 16 (Time Lord)

Total pages read: 708

Total # of books for the year: 61.  I’ve completed the Time Lord level of my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge with a week and a half to spare!  Now I just need to get the rest of my reviews written.  My reading might slow down a little bit for the next couple of weeks while I catch up on them.

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

  

DNF:

• Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh

Finished: 

• The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
• Insurgent by Veronica Roth

 

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 44 out of 51
• RIP XI: 0 of 4 books, 0 short stories
• Sci-Fi Summer: 15 out of 16 (Time Lord)

Total pages read: 1010

Total # of books for the year: 59.  I’m only one book away from completing the Time Lord level of my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge.  Since that last book is the audiobook edition of The Martian Chronicles, and I’m well over halfway done with it, I’ve started on the giant stack of books I pulled from my shelves for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril.  Even though the challenge level I’m participating in is only four books, I plan on getting through several more than that, especially since Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is in October, and this is the time of year when I prefer to stick to the Gothic and Horror genres.

I was going to slow down my reading to catch up on writing reviews, but I came down with a head cold that was made more horrible by Cedar Fever.  The Boyfriend said it’s a little early in the year for that, but we’ve had a lot of rain over the past couple weeks.  I never had allergies prior to moving to Texas, and every time my eyes get itchy and my sinuses give me migraine-level headaches, I want to move anywhere without cedar trees.  I read whenever I wasn’t sleeping since I didn’t have much energy to do anything else.  Now I have two more books to review, and possibly a third before the end of the day (A Great and Terrible Beauty is SO good!).

What are you reading this week?

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Finished:

• Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
• Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Feed by Mira Grant
• How to Be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett
• The Communication Room by Adam Aresty

  
  

Challenges:

• Show Your Shelves Some Love: 42 out of 51
• #COYER: 22
• Sci-Fi Summer: 13 out of 16 (Time Lord)

Total pages read: 1119

Total # of books for the year: 57.  For Bout of Books, I concentrated on finishing my current reads instead of starting new books.  Not only did I finish all of my current reads, I also finished The Communication Room.  I don’t have any new books started because I finished The Communication Room right before I went to sleep last night and didn’t feel like trying to decide on what I would read next.  I’m fairly certain that’s the first time this has ever happened!

What are you reading this week?