April Wrap-up Post

Wow! I can’t believe it is already May! Time for a wrap-up post— a post to take a look at where reading journey has taken me and where I want to go. Below if a summary of my April in reading. You can check my progress towards my goals anytime by clicking the 2018 Challenges and Goals tab above.

Progress Towards Goals

2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge  - 3 books read/16 book read this year

Well, it’s been a slow month, reading-wise. One of the reasons is my commitment to reading more non-fiction. I’ve been jumping around from book to book, trying to find a Grant biography I want to stick with. More about that in a minute.

Here are the books I DID complete this month.

Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini

Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

2018 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

I didn’t complete any nonfiction books this month, but nonfiction did take a big dent of my reading time. After reading Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule I was convinced I wanted to read more about Ulysses S Grant, so I went on a hunt for Grant biographies. I have about a half-dozen on my shelf right now and read bits of most of them, before settling on Grant by Ron Chernow. It’s a slow read, but one I want to do. It may take awhile, though.

And early this month I went to see Hamilton, the musical. Awesome show, in case you were wondering! And I’m now officially Hamilton-obsessed! I’m in the middle of reading Hamilton, The Revolution, an account of the musical. And my reserve list is full of books about both Alexander and Eliza. I could write a whole post about Grant books and another about Hamilton books — and I probably will!

2018 Bookworms Selections

I read our April book club selection, Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini. I’ll be posting a review of it soon!

2018 Read My Own Shelf Progress

None of the books I read in April came from my own shelves, though two came off my wishlist from the library. No progress here, but I think I can still make my goal of 10-12 books for the year!

2018 Write My Reviews Progress - 2 books reviewed

I’m currently at 75% for the year. I wrote and posted reviews for only one of the three books I read last month (although I have a review post scheduled for another one this week) and one was for a book I read last month

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

I didn’t realize until now how little I’d blogged in April. I posted only four times and I’m three reviews behind for the year..

2018 Cull My Shelves Progress

This was another unsuccessful month. Our April book club was very sparsely attended and I don’t think my friend is collecting books for her LIttle Free Library. In addition, the thrift store that was accepting books is no longer doing this.Finding another outlet for donating my books is now a priority.

I did manage to give away one book from my collection, A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline. Friends were down visiting and we had dinner together. One mentioned she had visited a site on her last vacation where another friend wanted to view a painting. As soon as she described the painting of the woman in the grass, I knew she was talking about Christina’s World and Andrew Wyeth. I showed her the photo of the painting in the back of the book and she confirmed it was the painting she was referring to, so I gave her the book!

Next Month

I just started my May selection for book club,The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I have two books scheduled to read for book tours in May, Penguin and Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime, a children’s book by Cate Berry, and Becoming The Talbot Sisters, by Rachel Linden.

I’d like to make some more progress in reading my nonfiction, and at the same time work on my U.S. Presidents project. As I mentioned above, I’m in the middle of Grant by Ron Chernow. I expect this to take me into June, as it is a slow, but informative, read. I will probably pick up on or two ‘free-range’ books that are relatively light to give me a break while reading Grant.

In between reading, I’m hoping to get a few more reviews posted, as well as a post or two about my nonfiction reading plans.

How’s your reading going?

March Wrap-up Post

The year is flying! I can’t believe it is already April and past time for my March wrap-up post! It’s time to take a look at where reading journey has taken me and where I want to go. Below if a summary of my March in reading. You can check my progress towards my goals anytime by clicking the 2018 Challenges and Goals tab above.

Progress Towards Goals

2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge  - 6 books read/13 book read this year

My reading is picking up. I wonder if it has to do the longer days! I have another book in progress right now, but I’m only a third of the way through, so it will show up next month. I’m still reading to my grandson, but I’m not including those books in the count. Here are the books I finished in March.

I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos

Abe and Molly: The Lincoln Courtship by Frederic Hunter

Another Day In The Death Of America by Gary Younge

The Baby Plan by Kate Rorick

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

2018 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

I started Friends Divided by Gordon S. Wood in February, but there is a long reserve list, so I had to set that aside for now. However, I DID break into the nonfiction pile this month and read one book, Another Day In The Death Of America by Gary Younge.

2018 Bookworms Selections

I read our March book club selection for a review in February. I plan to do a quick book club review for A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline later this month. I was committed to reading it for a book tour. My review appeared on the blog earlier this week. I’m about a third of the way through our April selection, Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini.

2018 Read My Own Shelf Progress

I only read one book off my shelf. That makes four for the year, which still leaves me at my target of 10-12 books!

Abe and Molly: The Lincoln Courtship by Frederic Hunter

2018 Write My Reviews Progress - 4 books reviewed

I’m currently at 77%! I wrote and posted reviews for four of the six books I read last month!

I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos

Another Day In The Death Of America by Gary Younge

The Baby Plan by Kate Rorick

My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

It’s been a slow blogging month, and I posted no other reviews in March, so I’m three reviews behind.

2018 Cull My Shelves Progress

This was another unsuccessful month. Our March book club fell during spring break this month, so my friend who has a Little Free Library was out of town. Now that she’s back, she is organizing for a garage sale in order to sell her home. I may need to find another place to offer my books to! I did give 2 books to a family member, but I don’t remember what they were, and I suspect I will get them back once they’ve been read.

Next Month

I’m currently about a third of the way through the April selection for book club, Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have one books scheduled to read for a book tour in early May, Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton.

I’d like to make some more progress in reading my nonfiction, and at the same time work on my U.S. Presidents project. I’m in the middle of Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule, a novel by Jennifer Chiaverini, and I’m finding Ulysses Grant a fascinating person, but I’m not sure what is fiction and what is fact. I’d like to find a good biography about his life. There are many out there, and all are THICK, so I need to pick one and start in on it. This may not be a ‘one-month’ book! If you’ve read a good book about the life of President Grant, please suggest it.

And of course, I also hope to catch up on reviewing all of the books I’ve read this year and to catch up on some more of the reviews I didn’t write last year. I also need to find an alternate way to rehome my books. I’m far behind in my goal of giving up 72 books by the end of the year!

February Wrap-up Post

February has ended and it’s time to take a look at where reading journey has taken me and where I want to go in March. Below if a summary of my February in reading. You can check my progress towards my goals anytime by clicking the 2018 Challenges and Goals tab above.

Progress Towards Goals

2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge  - 4 books read

4 books doesn’t really seem like a lot, but Goodreads tells me I am on target to meet my reading goal. In my defense, February is a short month andI have 3 books in progress right now. But to be fair, 2 of the books I finished this month were started in January. I feel like I’m alway trying to catch up to my reading commitments! And I’m still reading about a dozen books a week to my grandson, so there’s that! Here are the books I finished in February.

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

The Murderer’s Maid by Erika Mailman

The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline

2018 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

I still haven’t completed a nonfiction book. I did start one book, Friends Divided by Gordon S. Wood, but I haven’t made much progress. I still want to read it, but I may put it aside for now and pick up something else.

2018 Bookworms Selections

I read our book club selection for February, The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, but I still need to write my review. Bonus: I’ve already read our March book club selection, A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline. I was committed to reading it for a book tour. My review appeared on the blog earlier this week.

2018 Read My Own Shelf Progress

I did ok with this one in February, reading two books off my shelf. That makes three for the year!

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

The Murderer’s Maid by Erika Mailman

2018 Write My Reviews Progress - 3 books reviewed

I’m currently at 86%! I wrote and posted reviews for three of the four books I read last month!

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

The Murderer’s Maid by Erika Mailman

A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline

In addition, I wrote and posted reviews for a book I read last year.

The Twelve Lives Of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

2018 Cull My Shelves Progress

This was not a success! I packed up some books to take to book club to give to my friend who has a Little Free Library, but unfortunately, she was not able to come. I thought I knew where she lived so I tried driving by her house to leave them, but I couldn’t find a book box, so I ended up taking them home for next month!

Next Month

I already completed my March book club selection. I have two books scheduled to read for book tours.

I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marissa de los Santos

The Baby Plan by Kate Rorick

I also have an ‘in progress’ books that I hope to finish up in March.

Abe and Molly: The Lincoln Courtship by Frederic Hunter

I’d like to make a dent in reading my nonfiction. I started Friends Divided but it is due back at the library in a couple of days and there is a reserve list. I have Jefferson’s Daughters by Catherine Kerrison on reserve and hope it comes soon. I also have a few nonfiction books on my own shelves that I’d like to find time for, so hopefully I can check at least one nonfiction book off my list by April 1.

And of course, I also hope to review all of the books I read in March and to catch up on some more of the reviews I didn’t write last year. And I hope to continue freeing up space on my bookshelves. I need to give several away to meet my goal of 72 by the end of the year!

January Wrap-up Post

Last month has ended and a new one has begun. I want to take some time to reflect on my reading; where I’ve been and where I need to go. Below if a summary of my January in reading. You can check my progress towards my goals anytime by clicking the 2018 Challenges and Goals tab above.

Progress Towards Goals

2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge  - 3 books read

I don’t feel like three books read is where I want to be, but in my defense, I’m only 40 pages from completing the fourth book. I also have another three books ‘in progress’. They are good books and I started them early in the month, but then they got set aside. My book club selection became available at the library. In addition, I was given the opportunity to participate in a book tour. And then there is the happy fact that I have my grandbaby here five days a week while his mommy and daddy go to work. I HAVE read at least 24 books to him this month, some of them multiple times!

2018 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

I’m not doing so well here. I’ve read no nonfiction yet this year. Time to get started!

2018 Bookworms Selections

I both read and reviewed our book club selection for January, The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney.

2018 Read My Own Shelf Progress

I read one book from my own shelf, How To Change A Life by Stacey Ballis. That’s a start!

2018 Write My Reviews Progress - 3 books reviewed

I’m currently at 100%! I wrote and posted reviews for all three of the books I read last month! Awesome!

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

How To Change A Life by Stacey Ballis

Family Tree by Susan Wiggs

In addition, I wrote and posted reviews for two of the books I read last year.

The Girls In The Picture by Melanie Benjamin

The Absence of Evelyn by Jackie Townsend

2018 Cull My Shelves Progress

I got a good start, giving away six books last month. Of course, two of them may be coming back to me. Often when I give them to friends or family, they treat them more as a long term loan, giving them back to me when they are finished because they want to clear THEIR shelves! LOL!

Next Month

I have three books scheduled to read for book tours and/or book club.

A Piece Of The World by Christina Baker Kline

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Of course, I also plan to read books in addition to these. I definitely plan to start on my nonfiction reading. Since President’s Day falls in February, it would be a good time to read a book towards my U.S. President’s Project. Here are a few I’m considering reading:

Friends Divided by Gordon S. Wood

Jefferson’s Daughters by Catherine Kerrison

Six Encounters With Lincoln by Elizabeth Brown Pryor

Lady Bird and Lyndon by Betty Boyd Caroli

They all sound interesting to me, but I’m leaning towards starting with Friends Divided. I had to write a biography on Thomas Jefferson long ago in elementary school, and I was fascinated by his friendship and then ‘unfriendship’ wth John Adams, as well as the fact that they died on the same 4th of July.  I’m a little afraid of the Lincoln book—some of the reviewers have mentioned that the author paints Lincoln in a bad light. As an Illinois girl who grew up steeped in Lincoln lore, I’m not sure I’m ready to give up the idea of Lincoln as a hero!

My choice may depend on what’s available at the library!.

In addition, I’d like to read at least one more book from my own shelves. I acquired The Atomic City Girls last year, so I will have at least one more read, but I’m hoping for more. Two of my ‘in progress’ books, The Murderer’s Maid and  Even If It Kills Her, are from my shelves, so I have a good start.

I also hope to review all of the books I read in February again. In addition, I’d like to catch up on some of the reviews I didn’t write last year. And of course, I hope to continue freeing up space on my bookshelves….for more books!