On The Same Page discussion

Lillie wrote: "Lea wrote: "So that's how I'm ending up reading a whole mess of series that aren't even on my list."

😂😂 me every single time I look at everyone’s updates. I’ve read 87 books this year and only 38 have been off of my challenge lists! Keep telling myself that it’s ok, we’re not even half way through the year yet. And then I start reading something not on my lists…And even worse, because of certain posters (ahem, looking at you and Alissa), now I’m starting to think about next year’s list. I love this group! ❤️"

I love this group too! And yes, I'm the type of person that almost always has my next year's challenge going - it's like as soon as I finish one book, I'm thinking about replacing it with something else...it's a disease. Series are hard to squeeze in, because it's like with potato chips - you can't just eat one - series books - you can't just read one. You have to read the whole series! :-)

Lea wrote: "Biggest accomplishment: I'm officially currently done with all series I started last year...."

This is a great update, Lea!! Kudos!!! 👏👏

I agree with your thoughts on Six of Crows. 2nd book was not as awesome, but it was still good imo. With it being a duology; I had to find the book that started it all; Shadow and Bone. I don't expect 5 stars, but I expect to be entertained.

Ah ... The Hobbit! I hated it when I first read it many years ago. Then when the first movie was due to come out I tried it again & loved it! So glad I gave it another chance.

Long Bright River was such a good one but such a bummer too. I loved it

Alondra wrote: "This is a great update, Lea!! Kudos!!! 👏👏

I agree with your thoughts on Six of Crows. 2nd book was not as awesome, but it was still good imo. With it being a duology; I had to find the book that started it all; Shadow and Bone. I don't expect 5 stars, but I expect to be entertained."

I thought the Shadow and Bone series was worth reading. Not as good as Six of Crows, but I was really glad I had the Grisha background and knew who some of the characters were for Crooked Kingdom. The ending will mean more to you once you've read Shadow and Bone. I'm on to King of Scars next, maybe later this month? I hadn't planned to read all those other Bardugo books this year (they weren't on my list), but I'm glad I did. I hope you are as entertained as I was!

Martha wrote: "Ah ... The Hobbit! I hated it when I first read it many years ago. Then when the first movie was due to come out I tried it again & loved it! So glad I gave it another chance."

Some books are worth another chance, they sit differently at different times. Unfortunately, I'm re-reading a classic I read when I was younger and it isn't as good as I remember. So, I guess it works both ways. :-(

Alissa wrote: "Long Bright River was such a good one but such a bummer too. I loved it"

I expected a different ending, so this one was happier than what I thought would happen. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would!

Lea wrote: "Some books are worth another chance, they sit differently at different times. Unfortunately, I'm re-reading a classic I read when I was younger and it isn't as good as I remember. So, I guess it works both ways. :-("

Yes! Books, whether you’ve read them and loved them or trying to read a book you’ve put aside, can really hit differently. Recently I’ve reread books that I’d sworn my love would outlast the test of time and have had revise my thoughts on one or two. Whereas books that I’ve passed on years earlier, I’ve absolutely loved.

Lillie wrote: "Yes! Books, whether you’ve read them and loved them or trying to read a book you’ve put aside, can really hit differently. Recently I’ve reread books that I’d sworn my love would outlast the test of time and have had revise my thoughts on one or two. Whereas books that I’ve passed on years earlier, I’ve absolutely loved."

I'm just amazed that I have no memory of some of the problematic parts to Catch-22 and am dumbfounded that this book was allowed at my high school. I must have read it my first year at university. Anyway, I still like the satire but I have to say that I cannot give a pass to the sexism and the misogyny.

Lea wrote: "I had the Grisha background and knew who some of the characters were for Crooked Kingdom. The ending will mean more to you once you've read Shadow and Bone. .."

....aahhhhh; okay. I am looking forward to it. Thanks, Lea!

Alondra wrote: "....aahhhhh; okay. I am looking forward to it. Thanks, Lea!"

I'm getting excited about King of Scars which I very grudgingly added to my list last year. I think I'm going to like it better than I originally thought. So many good fantasy series out there. The Merciless Ones just came out and I want to keep going on that series too. :-)

June Mid Month Report

Books Read: 5 books so far this month and 75* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 50/100; 2020 Books 0/7, 2021 Books 4/11, and 46/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 9/16

Recently Finished:

Midnight Sun - This book was far too long for what it was and was boring. This is Twilight from the perspective of Edward. I really thought that Meyer would try to redeem him from being a creeper, but instead, she kind of doubled down. And reading all of his agonizing over everything over and over was boring. The baseball scene was really the only reason to read this book. And I finished a series. 1 STAR

Crooked Kingdom - The sequel to Six of Crows, this was one of my favorite books by Bardugo, but still not as good as Six of Crows. I'm trying to figure out why I didn't enjoy this one as much, and I think there is just too much back story about the characters and not as much action. 3.5 STARS

Catch-22 - This was a re-read for me, because I intend to read the sequel to this book (published in 1995, well after I'd read this book for the first time.) I was disappointed. The first time I read the book, I remember being amused by all the satire, it kind of reminded me of a political The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in tone. This time, the misogyny and sexist remarks annoyed me and made the book seem far too long. I rated this book 4 STARS before, but 2 STARS this read. I will still read the sequel and soon, because I definitely don't want to read Catch-22 a third time!

All the President's Men - This book is written by the Washington Post reporters who were reporting on the Watergate Scandal and I think it is still quite relevant today. If I were to critique, I felt like they included too many details which didn't go anywhere. No doubt they are recounting their journey, but I would have preferred something a bit more concise. Still a very important book. 3.5 STARS

Jar of Hearts - This was a buddy read with Denise and Alissa about a high school girl who disappears. If you like to read books where the characters are likeable, this is not the book for you. I listened to it on audio and it was gripping. The epilogue was not satisfactory to me though and caused me to deduct a star from what otherwise might have been a higher rated book. 3 STARS

Currently reading:

The Spanish Love Deception - So far, I am not impressed.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - So far, I'm very impressed and I'm disappointed that I agreed to listen to this one with my husband because he is slowing me down! :-)

Henry Tilney's Diary - The final book in the series of diaries surrounding Jane Austen's heroes. I'm not sure that the author has enough wit to write from Henry Tilney's perspective.

Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life - Still reading...

Holy Bible: New International Version - I'm on target to finish this by the end of the year.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (1)
2. Lore Olympus (1)
3. Sweet Sanctuary (2)
4. Lunar Chronicles (1)
5. Greentown (2)
6. The Henna Artist (2)
7. Charlie Bucket (2)
8. Shadow and Bone (6)
9. P.S. I Love You (1)
10. Capitaine Nemo (2)
11. Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series (1)
12. Robot (5)
13. The Thursday Murder Club (2), with another book coming out in September
14. Twilight (1)
15. Six of Crows (2)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
NONE

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
NONE

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (8)
2. We Were Liars (1)
3. Xanth (40)
4. Deathless (1)
5. Jake Brigance (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Ender's Universe (5)
2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (1)
3. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid (5)
4. Stephanie Plum (7)
5. You (1)

Series that added books this year that I'm abandoning, until I change my mind and read them anyway:
1. Crescent City

I love your comments about Empire of Pain. I listen at about 1.5 speed most of the time so when I try to listen with a family member they get very upset until I slow it down to normal speed. They literally slow me down. I love sharing an audiobook on a long car ride but I do get impatient with the slow mode.

Michelle wrote: "I love your comments about Empire of Pain. I listen at about 1.5 speed most of the time so when I try to listen with a family member they get very upset until I slow it down to normal speed. They literally slow me down. I love sharing an audiobook on a long car ride but I do get impatient with the slow mode."

Yes! And I can't listen to it on my morning walks or when I drive to work. I have to wait, and then I have to listen to it slowly. I don't always change the speed of my audiobooks, but recently I've been doing it more and more. It depends on the narrator. But yes, nobody else wants to listen to it on 1.25x or 1.5x, so listening with others is a very slow process. And then, they want to stop listening and talk or something, usually at the point that I'm all into the book and must know what happens next.

I listened to All the President's Men and I found it fascinating. Good progress, Lea!

Carolien wrote: "I listened to All the President's Men and I found it fascinating. Good progress, Lea!"

Thanks, Carolien! I thought it was very interesting also. What a house of cards. I have visited Nixon's Presidential Library several times and listened to the tapes, it is interesting to piece together the mystery and solving some of it from the reporters' perspectives.

Lea wrote: "Catch-22 - This was a re-read for me, because I intend to read the sequel to this book (published in 1995, well after I'd read this book for the first time.) I was disappointed. The first time I read the book, I remember being amused by all the satire,..."

I feel you on the 2-stars, and I know I would probably do the same if I reread this book. I think I gave it 4 stars or more, because I literally laughed out loud on many parts, especially the beginning.

I feel for anyone rereading this. smh

Alondra wrote: "I feel you on the 2-stars, and I know I would probably do the same if I reread this book. I think I gave it 4 stars or more, because I literally laughed out loud on many parts, especially the beginning.

I feel for anyone rereading this. smh"

Yes! It is not a book to reread. It was literally laugh out loud funny for me too, especially the first time, but even now there were some hilarious parts. The problem was there were equally as many as cringe worthy parts this time around, and I couldn't with it anymore. I pressed through because I've wanted to read the sequel for many many years, and I'd forgotten some of the story. I'm going to have to read the sequel very soon, because I'm for sure not reading this book again. Even though I madly love certain aspects of it. There are so many books that I love but can never read again and this will be one of them. :-)

Six of Crows....Six of Crows....everybody seems to read it this year. It's on my TBR, but I've avoided it for years. I might give it a try someday. Maybe.

All the President's Men. On my TBR too, but I know I'll get to that sooner, for sure.

Empire of Pain. You know my opinion...great book.

Catch-22 - DNF'ed it, and have no desire to give it a 2nd chance. Sorry, not sorry.

Am I the only one here that listens to audiobooks at normal speed???

Ioana wrote: "Six of Crows....Six of Crows....everybody seems to read it this year. It's on my TBR, but I've avoided it for years. I might give it a try someday. Maybe.

All the President's Men. On my TBR too, b..."

I don't know if you are the only one listening at normal speed; I just know that the more you listen to audiobooks the more you speed them up. I know I'm not the only one this has happened to. I may slow one down to normal for a few chapters if there is an accent or the recording is very quiet but I usually find myself ramping it back up once I have adapted to the narrator. Try it but be careful you can never go back.

Ioana wrote: "Six of Crows....Six of Crows....everybody seems to read it this year. It's on my TBR, but I've avoided it for years. I might give it a try someday. Maybe.

All the President's Men. On my TBR too, but I know I'll get to that sooner, for sure.

Empire of Pain. You know my opinion...great book.

Catch-22 - DNF'ed it, and have no desire to give it a 2nd chance. Sorry, not sorry.

Am I the only one here that listens to audiobooks at normal speed???."

1. I am now in the middle of King of Scars, and despite what Leigh Bardugo says, I personally would have needed to read the rest of the books in the Grishaverse for that duology. I don't feel the same way about Six of Crows. I think that can be read standalone, and so far, that duology appears to be the best of the Grishaverse for me. Since you don't always enjoy fantasy, I think you can get the gist from Six of Crows...but if you love it and want to read more, I do think you'll have to go back to the beginning.

2. There's a lot of detail in All the President's Men, it's good, but prepare yourself. :-)

3. I lost Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty so I am impatiently waiting for it's return, and it will be weeks.

4. Good call on Catch-22; that's not an Ioana book. :-)

5. I just listened to The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear on regular speed, I couldn't speed up that narrator. And when I listen to books as I fall asleep, I listen on normal speed. But, I'm at 1.25x right now on Camino Winds. It all depends on the narrator for me, but I aspire to be like Michelle and adapt to all narrators. :-)

Michelle wrote: "I don't know if you are the only one listening at normal speed; I just know that the more you listen to audiobooks the more you speed them up. I know I'm not the only one this has happened to. I may slow one down to normal for a few chapters if there is an accent or the recording is very quiet but I usually find myself ramping it back up once I have adapted to the narrator. Try it but be careful you can never go back."

One day, I hope to be able to handle all narration at faster speed, but it still really depends on the narrator for me! I'm trying to improve my speed listening, one day maybe I'll be a lot faster just like you! Speed listening...the latest skill I must practice. :-) :-) :-)

I listened to a faster 1.25x speed several books, but that was only because the narrator was sooo slow. Michelle would probably do 2x on those :-)

With most books, I really enjoy the normal speed. Maybe I'll go 1.25x more in the future, but I'm not so sure.

Ioana wrote: "I listened to a faster 1.25x speed several books, but that was only because the narrator was sooo slow. Michelle would probably do 2x on those :-)

With most books, I really enjoy the normal speed. Maybe I'll go 1.25x more in the future, but I'm not so sure."

I've always felt it is less about how many books I can get through and more about how many books get through to me. When I find that I'm not absorbing the information, I change the speed of the book.

If the narrator is too slow, I have to speed them up. If I know where the plot is going, I have to speed them up. But narrators that speak fast, I need at normal speed. And dense nonfiction generally needs to be at normal speed.

So you're probably not too far off from the way I listen to books.

This is a fun topic. :-)

Lea wrote: "I've always felt it is less about how many books I can get through and more about how many books get through to me. When I find that I'm not absorbing the information, I change the speed of the book."

I love this! It's never about how many books I read but about the enjoyment.

I'm a speed listener, usually at double speed. My husband says that it sounds like I'm listening to Mickey Mouse. The only time I slow down is when I'm listening to non-fiction.

Edited to say, my family will want to talk to me as soon as they see I have my headphones on. I keep telling them, not now I'm listening to my stories. Each and every time I say that, I start laughing cause apparently I'm back in the mid-1900s listening to my stories on the radio.

Lillie wrote: "I love this! It's never about how many books I read but about the enjoyment.

I'm a speed listener, usually at double speed. My husband says that it sounds like I'm listening to Mickey Mouse. The only time I slow down is when I'm listening to non-fiction.

Edited to say, my family will want to talk to me as soon as they see I have my headphones on. I keep telling them, not now I'm listening to my stories. Each and every time I say that, I start laughing cause apparently I'm back in the mid-1900s listening to my stories on the radio."

Isn't it funny how putting a set of headphones/earbuds in somehow creates a need for others to talk to us? I promise you, as soon as I cover my ears in some manner, inevitably, someone will either come up and start yelling at me or make hand gestures about something that obviously cannot wait. :-) It's a game now. I make a guess as to how many people will interrupt me anytime I cover my ears. I don't know what it is, maybe not being able to communicate reminds people of things that they need to communicate, but it is quite funny.

I'm really impressed at your double speed listening. I cannot do that. Yet. I'm practicing.

June Month End Report

Books Read: 14 books this month and 84* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories
27,256 pages year to date

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 56/100; 2020 Books 0/7, 2021 Books 5/11, and 51/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 11/16

Previously discussed:

Midnight Sun
Crooked Kingdom
Catch-22
All the President's Men
Jar of Hearts

Recently Finished:

The Spanish Love Deception - This was a buddy read and was frankly disappointing. The chapters about work were especially cringeworthy. When we got into the wedding in Spain, things got a bit better, but not enough to save this book for me. Since it came so highly recommended, I was disappointed. 2 STARS

Henry Tilney's Diary - Another disappointment for the ending to this series. I honestly think Henry Tilney is one of the most witty of Jane Austen's characters and I didn't think Grange had enough skill to write in his voice. 2 STARS

The Getaway - The Hefley family takes a winter getaway together and hilarious things happen. I enjoyed this one. Not as good as The Long Haul, but my second favorite. 3 STARS

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth - This is a very interesting book about the discovery of a type of fish that was long thought extinct. The scientific community had thought that the fish could have been a species that eventually evolved to be on land based upon its fins. The book was set in Comoros, a country I didn't even really know existed, until my high school pen pal (yes, I am that old) from Seychelles made a visit. For sure, I'm never restarting my Around the World Challenge. How on earth will I find another fascinating book set in Comoros? 3.5 STARS

The Last House on Needless Street - This was a very interesting book about a serial killer. Although I figured out some of the mysteries in the book early, I still enjoyed the journey. And one of the things that I GREATLY appreciated about this book was that everything was explained in the ending. I am getting tired of books where, in order to keep the ending a surprise, a twist happens in the last two pages of the book and the ending is rushed. This was not that way. I liked this one. 3.5 STARS

The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear - 5 STARS. This was the right book to read this month, what with current events and all. The author is the same one who wrote The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and both books are well worth reading. 5 STARS

Camino Winds - A suspicious death during a hurricane causes a book seller and his friends to do a little investigating on their own. It was John Grisham, with a fabulous exposition and a hurried ending. It was entertaining, but not ground breaking. 3 STARS

The Last Thing He Told Me - This book is going to make a good movie. Hannah's husband disappears after his company is in the news for SEC fraud and Hannah and her stepdaughter are stuck investigating what happened. On the one hand, I did enjoy the mystery. On the other hand, I didn't like the ending. And I felt like there were certain details that didn't wrap up nicely. It felt like an editor pulled out some stuff to make the book more readable, but not all references to those things. 3 STARS

The Meltdown - This one was kind of forgettable, although the winter snow forts were kind of cool. We never did find out how Greg managed to re-do his project on Malta. And I thought the global warming bits in the first part of the book were incongruous with the rest of the book. I hope next book will have something about the pig; otherwise, why did we spend so much time learning that it ran off? 2 STARS

Currently reading:

King of Scars - A fantasy novel set in the Grishaverse, which melds the Shadow and Bone series to the Six of Crows series. Leigh Bardugo says that you can read it without reading those two, and I suppose you CAN, but I think you'd miss out on the motivations behind the characters. That said, I'm a little less than halfway through and it's OK, but not nearly as fun as the Six of Crows duology.

The Shape of Water - I have started this book many times, but it always starts slow for me, so I set it aside. Finally, I pressed through and am making progress.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - I agreed to listen to this one with my husband and we lost the book back to the library. I'm hoping we can make more progress when we get it back in a month or so.

Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life - Still reading...

Holy Bible: New International Version - I'm on target to finish this by the end of the year.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (1)
2. Lore Olympus (1)
3. Sweet Sanctuary (2)
4. Lunar Chronicles (1)
5. Greentown (2)
6. The Henna Artist (2)
7. Charlie Bucket (2)
8. Shadow and Bone (7)
9. P.S. I Love You (1)
10. Capitaine Nemo (2)
11. Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series (1)
12. Robot (6)
13. The Thursday Murder Club (2), with another book coming out in September
14. Twilight (1)
15. Six of Crows (2)
16. Jane Austen's Heros (5)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. King of Scars (2)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
NONE

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (8)
2. We Were Liars (1)
3. Xanth (40)
4. Deathless (1)
5. Jake Brigance (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Ender's Universe (5)
2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (1)
3. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid (3)
4. Stephanie Plum (7)
5. You (1)

Series that added books this year that I'm abandoning, until I change my mind and read them anyway:
1. Crescent City
2. The Spanish Love Deception

Book of the month: The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
Worst book: Midnight Sun
Biggest Surprise: Catch-22 What a disappointment to re-read a book and not find it nearly as good as it was to you when you first read it?!?
Greatest Accomplishment - 16 series completed and only 1 series started this year. This will not last, but it is fun right now! And I traveled (by book) to Comoros!!

Lea wrote: "June Month End Report

Books Read: 14 books this month and 84* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories
27,256 pages year to date

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 56/100;..."

You're having a great year so far. I may have to find The Woman They couldn't silence although it seems terrifying. I know what you mean about Catch - 22. I've tried to reread some books that I really enjoyed and just couldn't get back into them. Others I can read over and over. Funny isn't it?

Ioana wrote: "Am I the only one here that listens to audiobooks at normal speed???"

I do!

The Woman They Could Not Silence is on my TBR, the short list. Good!

A little bit too many 2 stars for my taste, hopefully July will be better. And hope you'll get Empire of Pain back soon.

Carolien wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Am I the only one here that listens to audiobooks at normal speed???"

I do!"

Phew! I was getting worried here with all these speed listeners. I also read at normal speed...actually, I have no idea how to speed read.

Lea wrote: "King of Scars - A fantasy novel set in the Grishaverse, which melds the Shadow and Bone series to the Six of Crows series. Leigh Bardugo says that you can read it without reading those two, and I suppose you CAN, but I think you'd miss out on the motivations behind the characters.;..."

Good info to know. I think I will start Shadow and Bone before the end of the year, and then move on to King of Scars. By then I will have forgotten a lot of the duology info from Six of Crows, and just how good it was. If S&B sucks; then at least I have that.

Bill wrote: "You're having a great year so far. I may have to find The Woman They couldn't silence although it seems terrifying. I know what you mean about Catch - 22. I've tried to reread some books that I really enjoyed and just couldn't get back into them. Others I can read over and over. Funny isn't it?"

Bill, The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear was a bit terrifying...just because things have changed, but have they really? Whenever there are power dynamics at play, we can count on some of the people in power to behave badly. Sometimes it is hard to read, but the story was extremely interesting.

And I agree wholeheartedly about re-reading books. Some books I could re-read over and over again and others...well...I am in a different place in my life and it just isn't enjoyable anymore. I imagine that there are other books that I disliked when I was younger that I might like now...but those are harder to go back to. :-) Maybe one day if a book seems like it has some potential. But there are so many other good books clamoring for my attention, I really only re-read one series of books a year.

Ioana wrote: "The Woman They Could Not Silence is on my TBR, the short list. Good!

A little bit too many 2 stars for my taste, hopefully July will be better. And hope you'll get Empire of Pain back soon."

Yes, I hope that July is better and Empire of Pain comes back soon too, I was really enjoying that one. I have to give some thought to all of these series books, I think sometimes the earlier books in the series are better, but I just have to know how everything ends. :-)

Alondra wrote: "Good info to know. I think I will start Shadow and Bone before the end of the year, and then move on to King of Scars. By then I will have forgotten a lot of the duology info from Six of Crows, and just how good it was. If S&B sucks; then at least I have that."

So there are three books in the Shadow and Bone series:

Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising

I enjoyed them all, but not as much as Six of Crows. If you *ever* want to read those three books in the future, you will want to read them before you start King of Scars or you will be spoiled, because Bardugo explains what happens those books in this one. She has to, or people who haven't read them won't understand why characters are doing the things they are doing. Even though you forgot a lot about Six of Crows, I think it will come back to you because of her explanations and I think you'll remember the things needed.

I'm hoping to get to Rule of Wolves this month or next month. They are just such chunky books, so they take awhile to read.

Lea wrote: "I have to give some thought to all of these series books, I think sometimes the earlier books in the series are better, but I just have to know how everything ends. :-)"

I know what you mean, and I agree: a lot of times the earlier books in the series are better. If the later ones are decent, I might finish the series, but if it goes down too much/too fast, I stop caring and abandon it. Too many books, too little time.

Ioana wrote: "I know what you mean, and I agree: a lot of times the earlier books in the series are better. If the later ones are decent, I might finish the series, but if it goes down too much/too fast, I stop caring and abandon it. Too many books, too little time."

Exactly. According to my spreadsheet, I've abandoned at least 111 series for sure and have 136 series in the maybe I'll return someday category. :-) There's probably more, as it seems relatively common nowadays for authors to make standalone books into series, and I don't always capture stuff like that on my spreadsheet. I'm not going to add a series just to say I'm not going to read it. :-) I still have too many series on the go (70) because while I've been finishing a lot of series, I've been starting more than I'm finishing. It is what it is, that doesn't seem to be something I'm changing any time soon. :-)

I have to chime in on listening to audio books. I hardly ever listen to them when I'm cooking or cleaning the kitchen because, yes, even though now it's only me & husband, he still finds something he needs to ask me about.
I first heard someone mention listening at different speeds on a podcast & I thought, what? I rarely do it but there have been some narrators that need a push.
And, finally, on Empire of Pain--I renewed the audio once & was almost finished with it & knew it would be returned in about 30 minutes. So, I was walking around the house holding my phone with it playing, speeded up. (No headphones because I knew my husband would just try to talk to me. As it is, he just refrained from rolling his eyes & left me alone). I did not want to be back on that long holds list with only a little bit to go. Of course, I didn't have to listen to that last part, but I did.
I need to read Shadow & Bone!

Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Good info to know. I think I will start Shadow and Bone before the end of the year, and then move on to King of Scars. By then I will have forgotten a lot of the duology info from S..."

Good information to know. I'm ready.

Patricia wrote: "I have to chime in on listening to audio books. I hardly ever listen to them when I'm cooking or cleaning the kitchen because, yes, even though now it's only me & husband, he still finds something he needs to ask me about.
I first heard someone mention listening at different speeds on a podcast & I thought, what? I rarely do it but there have been some narrators that need a push.
And, finally, on Empire of Pain--I renewed the audio once & was almost finished with it & knew it would be returned in about 30 minutes. So, I was walking around the house holding my phone with it playing, speeded up. (No headphones because I knew my husband would just try to talk to me. As it is, he just refrained from rolling his eyes & left me alone). I did not want to be back on that long holds list with only a little bit to go. Of course, I didn't have to listen to that last part, but I did.
I need to read Shadow & Bone!"

Patricia, it's only my husband and me too! But I do sometimes wear earbuds after hours at work, which gives me a whole new grouping of people that come up to chat with me. And if it isn't someone in front of me, it's the phone ringing and somebody wanting to talk to me. I always want to respond, Just text me. I can answer a text while listening to a book, but I really struggle chatting on the phone and listening to a book at the same time. :-)

I got Empire of Pain back, so I'm not sure what the last part is, but I'm sure I'll need to listen to whatever the last part is also. :-)

Alondra wrote: "Good information to know. I'm ready."

Yay! And onto another Alondra recommendation, I'm really loving All the Pretty Horses. It had been far too long since I read anything by McCarthy. I hope the rest of the book is a promising as this beginning!

July Mid Month Report

Books Read: 7 books this month and 91* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories
27,256 pages year to date

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 62/100; 2020 Books 2/7, 2021 Books 5/11, and 55/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 12/16

Recently Finished:

King of Scars - This is a fantasy novel set in the Grishaverse, as is currently a duology. It was entertaining without being ground breaking. My main problem with the plot to this book is that I feel as though it's been done before in Shadow and Bone. 3 STARS

The Shape of Water - A sci-fi/fantasy novel set in the 1960s in Baltimore, Maryland, and is about a government research center that has found an animal never seen before and the cleaning crew. I might be the only person on the planet who hasn't seen the movie yet. I surprised myself by really enjoying this book. I kept starting the book and then setting it aside, so it took me getting about 20% into the book before I was hooked. I liked the ultimate ending of the book, but I felt like there was a lot of drama in the lead-up to the ending, if that makes any sense. 3 STARS

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - A nonfiction book about both cults and trends that people become fanatic about (CrossFit, Starbucks, Taylor Swift). When I started this book, I was certain that it would be a 5-star book for me. Why and how we come to believe and follow people, beliefs and trends is a very interesting topic. I did think that the execution of the book wasn't as good as the concept, though. There were more stories taken from newspapers than original interviews and research, which I didn't find especially convincing. That said, the book made some good points and I learned a few things. 3 STARS

Sadie - A fiction book about two sisters who go missing and a guy who makes a podcast about it. This was a fun audiobook, and I really enjoyed it. A lot of people don't care for the ending, I was very satisfied with it. 4 STARS

Closing Time - This is a sequel to Catch-22 that Heller wrote 30 years later. I was really disappointed with Catch-22 when I re-read it last month, and I have to say that Closing Time was a little bit better (maybe because I'd lowered my expectations considerably) but I still had some issues with it. Some of the satire was funny to me (and how appropriate that there was a reference to Mortimer Sackler, one of the elusive Sackler brothers I'm reading about in Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty) and some of it, I just didn't get. I think if I'd read more books by Vonnegut or Mann, I may have understood more of the references. But, I'm certainly not going to read this book again after reading other books. I'm done. It was clever. I'm not clever. 2 STARS

All the Pretty Horses - A Western about a young boy whose family sells his Texas ranch. He travels across the border into Mexico and the book is about his experiences. It is heartbreaking. It is beautifully written, both what is said and what isn't said. The cultural differences. It made me consider the reverse, the people who travel across the border the other direction. And all I've got to say is that if this is McCarthy at his most cheery, I'm going to have to take a break from him after reading the trilogy to save my aching heart. Ioana, I absolutely had to read this one on 1x speed. It could not be sped up. But the audiobook was great! 4.5 STARS

Wrecking Ball - A Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. This one really worked for me. The family makes some home improvements when they get an unexpected inheritance and everything that can go wrong does. I liked this one a lot. 3 STARS

Currently reading:

An American Marriage - I started this one, and I'm afraid it is going to break my heart, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep going. Especially right after finishing All the Pretty Horses. So far, it's really good, though, and I want to keep going.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - We got this book back and I hope we can finish this book, or I'm going to be tempted to read ahead of my husband. It's very interesting.

Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life - No progress

Holy Bible: New International Version - I'm on target to finish this by the end of the year.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (1)
2. Sweet Sanctuary (2)
3. Lunar Chronicles (1)
4. Greentown (2)
5. The Henna Artist (2)
6. Charlie Bucket (2)
7. Shadow and Bone (7)
8. P.S. I Love You (1)
9. Capitaine Nemo (2)
10. Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series (1)
11. Robot (6)
12. The Thursday Murder Club (2), with another book coming out in September
13. Twilight (1)
14. Six of Crows (2)
15. Jane Austen's Heros (5)
16. Catch-22 (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. King of Scars (1)
2. The Border Trilogy (2)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
NONE

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (8)
2. We Were Liars (1)
3. Xanth (40)
4. Deathless (1)
5. Jake Brigance (1)
6. Lore Olympus (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Ender's Universe (5)
2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (1)
3. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2)
4. Stephanie Plum (7)
5. You (1)

Series that added books this year that I'm abandoning, until I change my mind and read them anyway:
1. Crescent City
2. The Spanish Love Deception
3. Detective Erika Foster

Looks like you are having a good reading month Lea. I also enjoyed the audiobook Sadie and like you I was OK with the ending. It was a really well-done audiobook. I'm glad you enjoyed All The Pretty Horses. You were right to listen to it and not read it. McCarthy does not use punctuation and it drives me crazy. He writes beautifully but unfortunately that is about as cheerful as he gets. I went into that book planning to read the whole series. That was as far as I got. It is a great title though, isn't it?

Lea wrote: "July Mid Month Report

Books Read: 7 books this month and 91* year to date
*Includes loads of children's books and short stories
27,256 pages year to date

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 62/100; 2..."

Great month so far! I'm very tempted to put All the Pretty Horses on my TBR, but another trilogy? Oh well, why not?

I already have An American Marriage on my TBR. Will I need tissues?

I hope you'll get to finish Empire of Pain this time. I've just added a couple days ago American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry. Different angle, same story, I can't wait to get to it.

I stopped counting series, I started quite a few this year and haven't finished any 😱 I mis-judged the one that I'm reading now: it's #1 in the series and none of my libraries has the next 2. I just hope it will not end in a cliffhanger...

Michelle wrote: "Looks like you are having a good reading month Lea. I also enjoyed the audiobook Sadie and like you I was OK with the ending. It was a really well-done audiobook. I'm glad you enjoyed All The Pretty Horses. You were right to listen to it and not read it. McCarthy does not use punctuation and it drives me crazy. He writes beautifully but unfortunately that is about as cheerful as he gets. I went into that book planning to read the whole series. That was as far as I got. It is a great title though, isn't it?"

Solidarity on the Sadie ending situation. So many people told me that I'd hate the ending that I was genuinely concerned the author would throw in a primer on how to conjugate verbs in Bulgarian or something about a political election that turned into a zombie apocalypse when the wrong candidate won. Spoiler alert: the author did not go there.

Yes, McCarthy's treatment of punctuation bugs me!! I like punctuation! Especially exclamation marks!!! And smiley faces! :-) :-) :-) The voice for the audio was perfect and I have already got on the library list for the next book, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Ioana wrote: "Great month so far! I'm very tempted to put All the Pretty Horses on my TBR, but another trilogy? Oh well, why not?

So, the good news is that it doesn't have to be a trilogy. The first book and the second book are two separate stories. It's the third book that knits the first two stories together, so by the time you've read the first and second book, I'm sure you'll know if you want to keep going. There won't be any cliffhangers.

The bad news is that I'm not sure about this book for you, since you've struggled with McCarthy in the past. It is a little different from the others, as this one is a "coming of age" story about some boys, but it still has a lot of unnecessary detail that sometimes turns out to be necessary and a lot of violence and dark storylines. But it is beautiful. I buddy read it with Alissa, I'm interested to see what she thinks. Maybe that will help us decide if it is an Ioana book or not?

I already have An American Marriage on my TBR. Will I need tissues?

I'm only a bit into it, but it doesn't sound like this one is going to have a happy ending. I'll let you know about the tissues. I'm wondering if this one is going to be a book where I get frustrated and sad about where the world is, as opposed to devastated about what happened. Time will tell.

I hope you'll get to finish Empire of Pain this time. I've just added a couple days ago American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry. Different angle, same story, I can't wait to get to it.

Thanks for the recommendation, my library does have it! I will add that to the books we read after we get through Empire of Pain.

I stopped counting series, I started quite a few this year and haven't finished any 😱 I mis-judged the one that I'm reading now: it's #1 in the series and none of my libraries has the next 2. I just hope it will not end in a cliffhanger..."

I hate it when I can't get the next book in the series. I really like one of the series I'm abandoning, but it is just too hard for me to get a hold of the books as none of my libraries carry it and I'm really making an effort to only buy used books or audiobooks. I'm still on a tear to try and make some progress on existing series, but being that I've started 8 different series in the 6 months of 2022, I'm obviously not making much progress. :-)

Lea wrote: "The bad news is that I'm not sure about this book for you, since you've struggled with McCarthy in the past. It is a little different from the others, as this one is a "coming of age" story about some boys, but it still has a lot of unnecessary detail that sometimes turns out to be necessary and a lot of violence and dark storylines. But it is beautiful. I buddy read it with Alissa, I'm interested to see what she thinks. Maybe that will help us decide if it is an Ioana book or not?"

All good points. McCarthy is not a favorite author, but...peer pressure, what am I missing that everybody else gets? It's easy for me to not be tempted by YA/fantasy books, but harder for the others. Waiting for Alissa...

I haven't seen Shape of Water either. :0). You've had a good month. I'm looking forward to reading more by Bardugo.

I read An American Marriage recently. An okay book, but I couldn't relate to any of the characters, and decided I am not the target audience for this book. In my review I wrote (no spoilers) "I'm not sure how much the implied racial injustice depicted here actually had to do with the story. As a single woman, I can't relate to the kinds of choices needed to make a marriage work, I couldn't relate to the affluence of the characters, and while I felt the writing tried to depict honest and heartfelt emotions, the characters themselves came across as very shallow at times."

Bill wrote: "I haven't seen Shape of Water either. :0). You've had a good month. I'm looking forward to reading more by Bardugo."

Good to hear I'm not the very last person to see The Shape of Water, although if it is like the book, I am hoping to rectify the situation at some point.

I think once I finish Rule of Wolves (I just barely started it today, so it will be awhile) I will have caught up on Bardugo, and I'm looking forward to determining which fantasy book I will tackle next. I'd love to get back to The Gilded Ones and read the next in that series, before I forget everything that happened there.