Simone and Her Books

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  • What I’ve Been Reading Lately

    What I’ve Been Reading Lately

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    Can you believe it’s already the middle of January? Sheesh! Since we’re at that point in the month, I wanted to check in and say “hi, how are you?” I also wanted to share what I’ve read so far and my thoughts on them.

    While I’ve set myself for an ambitious reading year, my month has been moving at a glacial pace. I’m slightly behind in my TBR and it’s taking me a much longer time to read my books. Don’t know what that is about. Maybe it’s just the cold days or burnout or something.

    Before I get into the books I read, I did want to mention that I started The Water Cure and ended up putting it on my DNF shelf. While the language was beautiful, I wasn’t a fan of the story. I feel like there was a golden opportunity to write a feminist dystopian novel, but what I got was a little cultish, a little boring, and a lot of beautiful language. Sorry, friends! Not in a place to read a novel like this.

    The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin

    So I started this book in 2018 and finished the book within the first day of 2019. I don’t know where this counts. Is it the last book I read in 2018 or is it the first book of 2019? Either way, I was a little disappointed in this one. While I’m still a huge fan of this series, I felt like this book moved slower than the first book. I almost feel like this book spends more time building the world than getting into the meat of the story. Second novels in series are meant to capture the audience and really start moving the plot, but this one felt like it was playing catch up. The ending did surprise me with how fast it was and it does set up the final book well. I just wish there was some more going on in this one.

    Find my review on Goodreads

    The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

    This is the first novel in a new series by Roshani Chokshi. I was super excited when I first got the book, but then I sat down and almost finished the entire book in one day. It’s almost like a historical fantasy taking place in the 1880s in Paris and having some magical elements in it. It’s definitely on the fantasy end, but if you’re a fan of adventure-style stories like Six of Crows or even movies like National Treasure, then this one is for you. Also, let me talk about the representation in this book. Every person  is unique in their own way, brings something to the table, and it’s just a good old friendship times. Haha. I really loved this novel and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

    Find my review on Goodreads

    Sadie by Courtney Summers

    This winter, I wanted to read a little more thrillers. I think everyone gets in the mood for something based on the seasons. For me, it’s thrillers in the winter. This book takes the popularity of serialized true crime podcasts and puts it into a story. What if you had special privilege and can read into their minds? We follow Sadie on her journey to oust her sister’s murderer, but also get backstory on what happened through the podcast. It’s a really intriguing book that unfolds all its secrets slowly. When you finally get to the end, you end up asking yourself “did Sadie finally get to him or did she die fighting for what she believed?” It’ll definitely warm your blood on those long winter nights.

    Find my review on Goodreads

    If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim

    I just finished reading this book and it’s my first five-star review of the year. We follow Haemi, a young teenage girl, who is in love with her childhood best friend. However, that love is cut short when Jisoo comes courting her during the years before the Korean War. It’s a complex story about one family living in post-war Korea, but it’s representative of its time and beyond.

    Find my review on Goodreads

    What have you been reading this month?

     

  • My Thoughts on KonMari-ing Your Bookshelf

    My Thoughts on KonMari-ing Your Bookshelf

    When the year first began, Netflix released a new show called “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” a reality TV series where famed organizer Marie Kondo comes to your house and cleans it for you. She uses her very famous method of taking everything out of your closets and shelves, holding up each thing, and asking yourself if this thing sparks joy. It sounds like a dream; the kind of thing you want to do at the beginning of the year.

    However, at some point in the show, Marie Kondo takes on someone’s bookshelf. She talks about cleaning the shelves and only keeping books that spark joy. This brought up some controversy especially in the reading community.

    For voracious readers like us, books are life. We spend more money on books than we do on food or clothes. We stock our shelves to the brim with titles we’ll want to read or have read. I’ve got bookshelves that are double stacked, triple stacked. I have bookshelves where the middle of the shelf is bowing because of the weight. But I have a confession: I do KonMari my books.

    To be completely honest, I’ve actually suggested in the past that people KonMari their books as well. I constantly re-evaluate my TBR shelf and see what I want to read eventually and what I know won’t ever go through my hands.

    Every year, at the beginning of the year, I review all my books from my TBR as well as what I read over the course of the year and I ask myself “did I love this book enough to put it on my shelf? Do I see myself reading this book again in the future?” From that, I make the decision to keep the book or donate the book.

    Perhaps it’s because I’m rarely sentimental about things, but one thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to keep books that I didn’t like. My tastes are my own and if I didn’t like something or it didn’t wow me, then I want to donate that book to someone who may benefit from it.

    And there are downsides to this method. I recently went through my TBR list to find more nonfiction novels to read this year. Amongst them was a book I thought I had, but it turns out I had donated a while back. I KonMari’d a book that didn’t suit me at the time, but now makes sense to read.  I smacked myself on the head for that one.

    Despite all the mishaps of KonMari-ing your books, I think the one piece of advice you should always consider is what will make you happy; what will spark joy. That’s what Marie Kondo is trying to say when she tells you to organize your bookshelf. It’s not about getting rid of your books, but looking at your reading life and seeing what you love and what you don’t love. You’ll find a lot about yourself from discovering those mysteries.

    If you can’t part with any of your books, don’t. Perhaps if you do have a cluttered mess of books it’s time to buy a new book shelf. Perhaps it’s going through your shelves and removing the ones you know you’ll never read. But your reading life is your own and let your personal guiding principles dictate what you do with your books.

    However, if you’re looking to organize the other parts of your life, I highly recommend Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It’ll really change the way you live your life.

  • Seven Reading Challenges to Fuel Your 2019 Reading Life

    Seven Reading Challenges to Fuel Your 2019 Reading Life

    I love a new year. New years always means new resolutions and while I have my own list of reading goals, I know some of you might be looking for something for yourself. I love that word, “challenge.” It means that you’re taking your regular life and trying to add more to it. It could be a new routine. It could be a different approach to what you’ve been doing. It could mean anything, but what it definitely means is standing outside of your comfort zone.

    I love a good challenge and with that in mind, I put together a quick list of some reading challenges I found online. A few live on their own while others are within the Bookstagram community. I hope you find something that works for you!

    The Reading Women Reading Challenge

    As you can imagine, this reading challenge focuses on one overarching point; read more women. This challenge is great because it doesn’t just challenge you to read women, but it also challenges you to read diversely. I’m always up for challenges like this and while I won’t be participating in this one, if you love reading diversely and you love reading female authors, then you’ll love to follow along and try your hand.

    The Guy With the Book’s #BetterReadsChallenge

    Out of all the challenges, this is probably both the easiest and the hardest challenge to do. Instagrammer, @theguywiththebook, decided that this year he would read every single day. For some people, this isn’t an easy task. We all have busy lives with a lot of stuff going on and reading may have to take a back seat every once in a while. However, Faroukh challenges all of us to read every day. It doesn’t have to be all day and it doesn’t have to be an hour. He just challenges you to pick up that book and read it.

    Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge

    I love the read harder challenge because it really makes you read harder. If you’re the type looking to change up your reading life this year, then definitely try this one. It’ll get you out of your comfort zone and help you discover more enjoyable reads.

    Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Reading Challenge

    If you’re looking for something on the easier side when it comes to challenges, I think Anne Bogel’s reading challenge for 2019 might be the one for you. It’s challenging yes, but in comparison to some of the others listed here, it feels a little bit more geared towards your own reading choices. You can easily find novels in your own collection or brand new ones at the store that fit into any of those categories. I think this is perfect for someone who wants to challenge themselves for the first time this year. No shame in that game!

    The Unread Shelf’s Reading Challenge

    I loved when Whitney from @theunreadshelf came up with this challenge last year and this year she’s continuing her challenge. Out of all the challenges, this is the one that’s most intriguing to me (and mostly because my unread bookshelves are bigger than my read ones). This year, you’ve got monthly prompts already set up for you and the challenge is to read what you already own. I’m very much into this idea and I’ve already started this challenge by adding two books from my backlist bookshelf to my monthly TBR. Also, I’ve got my own book club dedicated to reading books published before the current year. It’s going to be a blast to see how much shelf space I can make with this one.

    Popsugar’s Reading Challenge

    I discovered this challenge this year too and oh my gosh, I’m in lurve. Not only are the books on this list fun, but it challenges you to read based on aesthetics. Read a book with a plant on the cover! I mean, that could be anything. I think what Popsugar offers here is a fun reading experience. It’s not about improving your reading life or expanding your worldview. It’s about enjoying reading and challenging yourself in a different way. I might just follow these every once in a while to change up my reading life!

    Goodreads Reading Challenge

    The old tried and true reading challenge. Perhaps you’re not interested in upping your reading game. Perhaps the challenge for you this year is to read as much as you can. So for those folks, the Goodreads Reading Challenge is right for you. Just set the number of books you want to read this year and then do it. Read those books! But make sure to give yourself space and don’t worry if you can’t hit that goal at the end of the year. We’ve always got next year.

     

  • 10 Things I Learned About My Reading Life in 2018

    10 Things I Learned About My Reading Life in 2018

    2018 was such a great reading year for me. Honestly, I can’t get over how great reading was for me. I read so many books and I wrote so many blog posts and made so many friends. I don’t say this because I think it’s cheesy, but I honestly feel blessed.

    This year, I plan on challenging myself to some big goals. But before I can do that, I’ll need to assess 2018 and see what I’ve learned from my year of reading. Here’s my ten learns:

    I need to stop putting so many books on my monthly TBR

    This was an extremely unhealthy thing I did last year. Every month, I was so excited about all the great reads I wanted to get through and I assigned myself crazy 24-book TBRs. Seriously. I’d go into the month super hopeful and then right in the middle of my first book, I would get anxiety about all the other books I had to read.

    I’m also not the type of person who reads all the time. I mean, I love watching TV and I play video games every once in a while. I keep my interests pretty mixed as well, so reading all the time would keep me from doing the other activities I love.

    I never got anywhere close to 24 books read in a month. If anything, I burned out at about eight books and then lazed around hoping to get some more energy to read again. It never happened. This year, I plan on reading 100 books and I’ve made myself a plan that’ll hopefully keep me from the burn out.

    I really love romances in doses

    This year, I learned that I really love a good romance novel. I’m more of a contemporary romance that’s pretty mainstream. I know romance readers probably won’t agree with this, but I haven’t had the courage to explore the genre more. For me, it’s been a nice palate cleanser after reading so  many heavy fantasy novels. I’ll continue to intersperse some contemporary romance and contemporary fiction between my heavier reads.

    I’m a very moody reader

    This is actually something I want to work on this year. While I love reading based on my mood, my mood is also not stable. Meaning that I’m either buying books I want to read, picking up the first book in a series because I felt like it, and really had no sense of control. Since I’m a control freak, I wanted to change that. So when I put my TBRs together, I try to think of what I’ll be in the mood for during the month. I pick vastly across my favorite genres so I’m never bored, and I keep it to a minimum of nine books a month. I think planning before your month allows you the reading life that’ll stick with your mood changes.

    A scheduled day works really well for me

    This year, I found myself reading and working interchangeably. If I wasn’t writing, I was reading. If I wasn’t reading, I was doing something else. I found myself so caught between what I wanted to do and what I should do. Lately, I’ve been scheduling my mornings to blogging and my afternoons to reading. It’s been really helping me keep focused, feeling less obligated in reading or writing at any given time. I’m so elated to continue scheduling my days and also with the help of my bullet book journal.

    I love my book journal and annotating

    Last year, I fell in love with annotating my books and keeping a book journal. The annotations are just for me, but the book journal has been my constant companion as I explore all the different books I read. This year, I’m going to be taking it another step forward and combining both my book journal and my agenda together. I’ll be setting up bullet journal pages as well as continuing to keep notes on all the reads I encounter.

    I need total silence when I read

    I don’t know where this comes from, but I need to read in a silence only monks can understand. Sometimes it’s quiet enough for a pin drop and the other times it’s some classical music, but nothing beats a completely silent room with you and your reads. I think this happened because a lot of the books I read were heavy stories with a lot of elements that I needed to keep up with. I would get lost in these stories (as one does), but in order for me to be completely immersed, I need utter silence. I hope to find a really good library this year.

    I can read an entire book in one sitting

    Honestly, this one feels like I’ve unlocked an achievement. I can’t believe that I read a few books over the course of a weekend or one day. It’s not easy for me because I still consider myself a slow reader and because of that, I don’t try for sitting down and reading a book without getting up. But it happened. The conditions need to be perfect to make it real. It needs to be the right book, the right amount of time, and the commitment to put down your phone. I’ll definitely be looking forward to having more weekends like this!

    I’m constantly challenging myself and my reading life

    Over this past year, I feel like my reading life was one giant science experiment. Perhaps it’s because I was doing more work for Book Riot and I’m writing articles for this blog, but I tried out a lot of different things. I read from different genres. I tried to do kooky things with my reading habits. While my reading life feels like a series of science experiments, it does make for good writing. I do plan on continuing my experimental life. Let me know if you see any fun reading challenges I can try for you!

    I want to keep reading books

    Well, isn’t this an obvious one. The reason why I’m adding it is because 2018 really taught me how much I love books. I love reading books. I love writing about books. I love sharing my reading life with you. If I could make this my day job, I totally would. But for now, I’ll continue to read books and challenge myself and come up with fun content for you all!

    I love sharing my reading life with you all!

    I think the best thing I learned this year is that I don’t want my blog to be another book blog. I don’t want people to come here and see review after review after review. I wanted to make it my goal to share my reading life and hopefully you’ll be able to adapt and share your reading life too. I’m going to continue doing that with you all! Let’s continue to read and share our reading lives together!

    What did you learn about your reading life last year? What do you plan on improving?

     

  • My January 2019 TBR

    My January 2019 TBR

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    Ahhh fresh book stacks. You have to love them.

    This month’s TBR has a little bit of everything. Because I’m enacting some of my reading goals into this list like keeping my list pretty small, exploring some other genres, and reading nonfiction. When I think about this list, I wish I had the foresight to do this before. I have a great mix of books from genres I love. I have challenging novels that I’m excited to read and I’ve somehow incorporated nonfiction, which isn’t a genre I read often. All in all, I’m really happy with this month’s TBR. Here’s what I’ll be reading:

    If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim

    I’ll be reading this book for my Words Between Worlds Book Club on Instagram. Crystal Hana Kim is a fellow Korean American and this novel is supposed to surpass those physical boundaries (like a wall between North and South Korea). I’m really excited to read it.

    Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

    This year I’ve got a few highly anticipated fantasy novels and Black Leopard, Red Wolf is one of them. I don’t know if I buy that this is a Game of Thrones-style book, but we’ll get into it. I have a feeling it’ll be more science fiction than fantasy, but I could be wrong. I’ll be reading this one next week.

    The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

    I started my new year with this book and I’m already shook. It reminds me a lot of Six of Crows, which I loved! It’s got a cast of characters that all bring different skillsets to the group and you can just tell there’s going to be some major heisting. I love a book that reads like Ocean’s 11. I don’t want to make any more assumptions, but it’s definitely got my attention.

    Golden Child by Claire Adam

    This is the second novel being published by SJP and Hogarth. It’s about a family living in rural Trinidad and their two twin sons, Paul and Peter. When Paul disappears one day, their father, Clyde, doesn’t think much of it. It’s not until a few weeks past that he realizes the implications of his lost son. OMG, I can’t wait to read this!

    Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

    Winter, for me, is thriller time. Romance in the summer. Fantasy in the fall. Thrillers in the winter. I think it has something to do with the temperatures dropping and the dark moods we all adopt. Bonfire has been on my TBR for quite some time, so I plan on reading this one during the shortened daylight hours. I’ll also be reading a few more thrillers this month.

    The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

    This particular novel sounds scary AF. Just three words for you: feminist revenge fantasy. It’s got Handmaid’s Tale vibes and science fiction vibes. While I’m not necessarily the type to read feminist fiction, I can’t resist a good story about women who find themselves trapped in their society and then figure out how to escape. It’s going to be a good one and it might keep me up at night.

    Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

    I picked Dark Matter for The Backlist Book Club pick this month! Going on my theme of thrillers in the winter, I chose this to continue my late nights up scared out of my mind. While I categorized this as a thriller, I’ve been told that it’s more scary than your average thriller. It’s science fiction-y with some scary components, so I will definitely be enjoying this. I can’t wait for the conversations this one is going to incite.

    Sadie by Courtney Summers

    While I won’t be reading any more contemporary YA, that doesn’t mean I won’t be reading some thriller-y YA. I still like parts of the YA category and I think Sadie will carry all of them. I would say this feels more like crime fiction than thriller, but I’m not 100% sure of the difference between the two. We shall see with this one.

    Heavy by Kiese Laymon

    Finally, my one nonfiction book for the month. I’m so excited to read Heavy after Kelsey Manning from Scribner suggested we check it out. Heavy is a memoir written by Kiese Laymon. It touches on his life living in Jackson, Mississippi, the sexual violence of his youth and the writer he is today. There’s a lot going on from the synopsis of this memoir, so I’m going to be digging into this one. I hope I don’t cry too much.

  • My Seven Reading Goals for 2019

    My Seven Reading Goals for 2019

    Happy New Year everyone! While I have one big goal to reach 100 books this year, I do have several other goals I want to make this year. Here’s what I’ll be working on this year!

    Read the ebooks I own

    Have you ever been caught up in all the physical books you buy that you totally forget about the books you buy for your e-reader? Well, I’m one of those people. I always take part in the great Amazon e-book deals and stock my Kindle Paperwhite with a ton of books. However, I don’t read them. I just completely forget they’re there and sometimes I’ve even bought physical copies of books I’ve bought for the Kindle. So I want to make a concerted effort to dwindle my e-books list down this year.

    Finish up those fantasy series

    There is so much fantasy in this world that I’m having trouble keeping up. While people are moving on to newer series, I’m still reading the ones I haven’t finished. So this year, I want to finish the fantasy series I’ve started and also read some more “classic” fantasy novels. I say this loosely because I don’t think a book that was written in the last ten years is a classic. They’re just more widely read than the other fantasy series I’ve got on my list. I’ll definitely share those books with you soon.

    Read more diverse authors

    This is a goal I put on my list every year. I’ll probably put this on my list every year because I don’t ever want to forget. I’ll always be seeking out more diverse authors and more work written by marginalized voices. I’m just formally adding it.

    Read more books for adults

    I got a request from a reader here that I should read more adult books. It’s true, I do lean on YA when I’m feeling a little burn out and I’m reading a lot of YA fantasy series, so I can understand the demand. But I do want to change that this year. One of the big things I want to let go is contemporary YA. I think I’m a little too old for the stories and I’m feeling less and less resonance with them. However, I will still seek out YA written by authors of color because I love representation. I’m just going to incorporate more novels written by adults too.

    Read one non-fiction book a month

    Last year, I made it a goal of mine to read more non-fiction. I ended the year reading like four non-fiction books. So I want to change this. Instead, I’m going to dedicate one book on my TBR to a non-fiction read. You might hate me though because I only like reading memoirs and autobiographies. I’m sorry if you’re looking for something else.

    Read books directly from my bookshelf

    Like any good resolution list, I need to make a resolution to save money. For this, I’m planning to read more books off my bookshelf. I always collect so many books throughout the year, so aside from a book buying binge I’ll do for my birthday, I’ll probably keep my wallet in my purse for 2019.

    Try out novels from genres you overlook

    I love that last year I found all the genres I love to read. It really makes picking books easier for you, but it also keeps you from reading what might be a great read. So this year, I want to expand my genres and read books I would normally overlook. It might not be a strong effort, but it’s a way for me to keep my mind open. I hate it when I’m closed-minded about something. The stubborn person in me needs to change.

     

  • How I Plan on Reading 100 Books in 2019

    How I Plan on Reading 100 Books in 2019

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    Alright, folks. I’m starting the year with a big challenge for myself. I’m going to try and read 100 books. 

    A few people noticed this goal and wondered how the heck am I going to read 100 books in a year?! Let me tell you about my plans.

    I feel like the past few years has been an attempt towards this goal. Every year, I read a little bit more and last year, I read so much I almost touched the 100 mark. 2018 was probably the closest I got at 93 books. However, last year’s goal wasn’t my original plan, so I wasn’t prepared to hit 100 at a pace suitable for me. I could rush the end, but why do that when you’ve got the whole year?

    So I did some math. Please indulge me for a second.

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    After looking over my years past, I noticed I can read about eight books in a month. That’s about two books a week. Not bad especially at the rate I read and what feasibly works for me. If I were to read exactly 8 books every month for the entire year, 8×12=96 books read in the year. Wow, I’d be four books from 100.

    But I want to get over the 100-book hump, so if I add one extra book every month and read 9 books in a month, then I’ll be at 9×12=108 books. 

    Since my goal is to get to 100 books, I decided to make monthly TBRs consisting of no more than nine books. And since I don’t have to hit nine books every month, I can easily take breaks if I’m feeling burned out. I could also technically assign one extra book every quarter and that would equate to 100 books in the year.

    Math aside, you might be thinking that there are other factors going into reading 100 books. You’re absolutely right! So I put together a few tips on how I’m planning on reaching 100 books read and I hope these tips work well for you.

    Take it a book at a time

    Like they say with tasks, take it one at a time. Start with setting your TBR every month with books across your favorite genres. Don’t worry about the new shiny books coming out. Just worry about what you want to read and then read them.

    Take time to recover if you’re feeling burned out

    If you’re following my lead in reading nine books a month, take breaks. 2-3 books a week can be a daunting task especially if you like reading big books. If you’re feeling burnt out, perhaps you skip your last book and make it the first read next month. Why? Because if you’re burnt out, you’re more likely to resent a book you feel you have to read. Avoid reading as a chore and enjoy every moment of it. If you don’t like it, don’t read. You’ll be grateful for taking the break.

    Don’t punish yourself if you can’t reach your goals

    I’ve mentioned this in the past, but the reason why people don’t make reading challenges for themselves is because they aren’t happy with their end result. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve cried and thrashed just because I didn’t read all the books I assigned myself in a month. But these are just goals. Not reaching a goal at the end of the year is a good data point to assess. You can use that in the future to determine what worked and what didn’t work for you. Don’t stress if you can’t make the goal. It’s just a sign that you need to make adjustments to reach the goal next time.

    It’ll take time

    The last piece of advice I can give you is to give it time. I think it took me about four years to get to this point. I worked my way up slowly increasing my reading challenge every year. If this is your first attempt at reaching 100 books read in a year and you’re only reading about 25 books a year, don’t attempt it. Take it slowly and eventually you’ll be there.

  • My 2018 Bookish Wrap Up

    My 2018 Bookish Wrap Up

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    I love the end of the year. It’s like ending an experiment and reviewing all the data to find trends on what happened. Is that too nerdy? It might be too nerdy. Every year, I put together a list of my favorite books from the year.

    But when it comes to my reading life, I want to make sure I don’t have any gaps in my reading. I want to read vastly and balanced between all the genres I love to read. It’s hard when you’re a mood reader to keep up with one genre or another. So luckily, I can look at my numbers over the year and see what I can improve upon next year.

    Anyway, let’s get to it!

    • Number of books read this year: 93
    • Number of books written by an author of color: 32/93 or 34%
    • Number of nonfiction books read this year: 7/93 or 7%
    • Favorite new (to me) author: Christina Lauren
    • Most read author of the year: Marissa Meyer (on account that I read the entire The Lunar Chronicle series).
    • Author I fell in love with: Octavia Butler, Helen Hoang, and NK Jemisin!

    My top 15 favorite books of 2018

    It was really tough to try and pair down my reading list from 93 to 15 favorites. I started this list with 30 books and I’ve been able to dwindle it down by half. I definitely struggled with finding my top 15 and I think this is the best list I can make. I hope you enjoy these books yourself!

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    My end-of-year insights

    This year, I read more books than I’ve ever read in my entire life. I started the year with the goal of reading 50 books. When I hit 50 books, I increased my reading challenge to 75. After that, I shrugged my shoulders and decided “heck, let’s try for 100.” While I didn’t quite make 100, I’m completely fine with it. I think it’s because my intention for this year was to read 50 books and I read that. Everything after 50 was just a bonus and it was a bonus that got me close to 100 books.

    Like I mentioned before, this is the most I’ve ever read in my life. This also accounts for the years I was in college. I don’t even think I read this much in college. Every book was so unique and differently. While not everything was a favorite, many were. I think it says something when you have more books you loved in a year than you didn’t like.

    I continued my exploration into speculative fiction. I’ve got to say that science fiction and fantasy are two of my favorite genres. This year, I wanted to find more authors of color representing these genres. I was so glad to find some authors and I can’t wait to explore others in the future, but I still feel that genre fiction is dominated by white male authors. I do hope that this changes in 2019.

    There were a lot of books I didn’t read this year too. I wanted to bring light to this because despite all of my efforts to read what I have, I didn’t. I think this is something I can work better on in the future and I honestly feel like it’ll be a challenge with the number of books I receive on the daily, but I’m devoted to getting my TBR under control.

    You can see all the books I’ve read on Goodreads.

  • Happy Holidays!

    Happy Holidays!

    Happy Holidays everyone! I’ll be closing up the blog this week to celebrate the holidays. I hope you also take an Internet break and spend some time with your friends and loved ones. Holidays are important and it’s always good to stay present while you’re receiving presents!

    I’ll be back in the new year with my 2018 wrap up, my 2019 reading goals, and so many fun posts for you!

    May your stockings be filled with gift cards, your gifts be boxsets, and your holidays are happy.

    ❤

    Simone

  • Why I’m Not Reaching My Goal of 100 Books Read This Year

    Why I’m Not Reaching My Goal of 100 Books Read This Year

    The other day, I took a look at my Goodreads Reading Challenge and I noticed that I’m eight books away from hitting 100 books this year. Wow.

    I’m honestly surprised and happy for myself. I started off the year with a goal of 50. When I hit that goal, I bumped it up to 75. When I got that, I thought “eh, why not go for it,” and increased it one more time to 100.

    I’ve never read 100 books in a year. I think it honestly took me three years to read 100 books. And with working from home part-time, I’ve had a lot of free time to read more books.

    But now I’m down to the wire. I’m eight books away from the end and I’ve got a real truth bomb for you; I’m not going to read 100 books this year.

    Now that we’re down to the end of the year, I’m feeling more lazy. It’s because it’s the holiday season and unlike most shopping outlets, I’m not in a mad rush to finish the year with as many books as I can. I like to end my year with a fizzle and enjoy my time with my family and friends.

    If I started my year with the challenge of reading 100 books, then I would have approached it more strategically. I would have figured out the math on how many books I had to read in a month, every month, to actually make it to 100 without burning out. I would have planned my books better as well. But this year felt like a year of experiments and reading 100 books was one of them.

    But I didn’t start my year off like that and I honestly don’t feel like cramming eight books into the last 15 days of the year. I think I want to spend my time with my friends and playing games and enjoying the holiday season than be cramped in my room reading because I felt obligated to finish 100 books.

    And that’s the rub. Sometimes we set these goals for ourselves and we suddenly think that it’s a top secret mission. We have to read these books. We must. But the truth is that we don’t have to. It’s the reason why so many people leave their Goodreads Reading Challenge to one book in the year. They don’t want to be forcing books into their reading when they don’t want to.

    So maybe next year I’ll read 100 books. I’ll plan it out so that I can finish evenly, feel less stress, and enjoy my reading life.