My 2023 Reading Challenge Wrap Up

I have a confession to make. While I started off on the right foot with my 2023 challenges, I lost my focus early on. It is fortunate I tend to choose challenges and set goals that fit my regular reading patterns or else I might not have done so well with all of them. I am proud to say I did even better than I expected, especially in terms of reading books from my TBR shelves and wish list. 

With an overflowing TBR pile I hoped to whittle down a little more this year, I signed up for the Mount TBR Challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. I kept my goal on the lower side to allow myself room for those shiny new books I have trouble resisting as well. My goal: Pike's Peak (read 12 books I already own - prior to 2022). Final 2023 Count: 27 (Mount Blanc)

 Books Read:
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

Much like the Mount TBR Challenge, I decided to tackle The Backlist Reader Challenge hosted by The Bookwyrm's Hoard to get through some of my older TBR and wish list books.  My goal: Read 10 books from my wish list/TBR pile that have been there since 2021. Final 2023 Count: 33

Books Read:

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab
Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

 

I seem to read more nonfiction when I take part in the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by Book'd Out and, wanting to make at least a small dent in my nonfiction TBR stack, I jumped at the chance to take part this year. My goal: Nonfiction Nipper (at least 3 books). Final 2023 Count: 7 (Nonfiction Nibbler)

Books Read: 

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga, Vol. 1 by Kenny Loui and Yamawe

In an effort to get back into reading historical fiction this year, I took on the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by The Intrepid Reader. I love that this particular challenge is fairly broad in scope--any genre works as long as it qualifies as historical. My goal: Victorian Level (at least 5 books). Final 2023 Count: 10 (Renaissance Reader)

Books Read: 

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1) by Heather Fawcett
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Playing It Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) by Ashley Weaver
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

The Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted by Bloggin' 'bout Books sounded too good to resist being that I enjoy books with bookish themes! My goal: Toe in the Door (read between 1-10 books with a bookish theme). I feel like I cheated with this one because I read six volumes of a manga series, but if ever there was a manga series focused on books (including the care and repairing of them), this one would be it. Final 2023 Count: 11 (Picking and Perusing)

Books Read: 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Exes & O's by Amy Lea

Magus of the Library, Vol. 1 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 4 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 6 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney

Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders

Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew

I cannot seem to get enough of cozy mysteries these days, and so joined the Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. My goal: Snoop (10 Cozies of my choice). Final 2023 Count: 13

Books Read:

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Death by Demo (Renovations Mystery #1) by Callie Carpenter
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto 
The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton
Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew

One of my personal goals this year was to read more poetry than I managed to read the year before, and I decided to join up with the Poetry Reading Challenge hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit again for a little extra motivation. My goal: 3 poetry books and a poem a day from A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter. Well, I did not follow through with reading a poem a day from Hunter's anthology, but I did better with the other half of my goal. Final 2023 Count: 4 poetry collections

Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar

Mom, Can I Do My Laundry at Your House?: Poems from Your Adult Child by Olivia Roberts

Flutter, Kick by Anna V.Q. Ross

I figured COYER Challenge hosted by Because Reading, Mom With A Reading Problem, and Once Upon a Chapter would be an easy reading challenge to take on, especially the first Chapter: It's a Cold Summer (January through April), in which anything goes. I never officially signed up for Chapters 2 and 3 despite my intention to. I did not set a numeric goal for this challenge. I just wanted to have fun with it. 

Books Read (Chapter 1): 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley

Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano

Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Exes & O's by Amy Lea

Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier

Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams

The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern

A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn

The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol, 10 by Kamome Shirahama (translated by Stephen Kohler)

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

This past summer, I took part in the Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Sue of Book By Book. The challenge was to read one, two or however many books I chose that were over 400 pages long between May 25th and September 4th. I did not set a numeric goal. Final 2023 Count: 5

Books Read: 

Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger (544 pages)

Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger (592 pages)

Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger (609 pages)

Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger (672 pages)

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab (513 pages)

And there you have it! I managed to complete all the challenges I signed up for (at least officially), even surpassing my goals for most of them. At least in terms of reading the books, even if not managing to post all the reviews. For me, that's a win. 

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© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Weekly Mews: September's Bookish Mewsings on The Hating Game and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries / TBR Tarot Cards to the Rescue

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  

This past week the heat advisories started up again after a few days of much welcome cooler weather. It's not unusual for this time of year to be warm. The surprise was the rain and lower temperatures. Summer is always reluctant to let fall have her way. I believe it's supposed to get cooler again soon--fingers crossed! 

We went with friends to see a local high school production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors last month. The teens put on a great show. We followed it up with a late dinner together, which was a nice way to close out the evening. 

Girl Scouts is in full swing. Mouse spent the day with her troop working on a journey badge all today, in fact. She's had activities almost every weekend. Next weekend there's a bird walk and trail clean up. Last weekend we visited the local no-kill animal shelter with her troop and got to socialize with the cats (my favorite part--I wanted to bring a couple of the kitties home so badly--if only I could!). I think most of the girls would have preferred to play with the puppies, but the puppies were at a Suicide Prevention Walk event in town, hoping to be adopted.

My mom's Masquer's Club put on a program for their community and the general public about the history of music in honor of International Day of Older Persons. The skit they started off with about seniors and computers was so funny. Don't underestimate someone's ability based on their age. My favorite part was my mom's presentation on Buddy Holly and his influence on music. She wore a pink poodle skirt, a Pink Lady's jacket, and, of course, saddle shoes. The entire program was informative and a lot of fun. The audience enjoyed singing along to all the featured songs.

A couple months or so ago my father-in-law was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. He went through intensive radiation treatment in August for cancer found on his brain and began immunotherapy this past month. His condition took a turn for the worse, however, and he passed away a week ago Friday, surrounded by family. my father-in-law always seemed to have a smile for everyone and never hesitated to offer help when he saw someone in need. He led a full life and was well loved. It's been a difficult time to say the least, but we are holding onto the many memories we have of him.

I am currently going back and forth between a middle grade fantasy novel, Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger, and a cozy mystery, Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B #2) by Traci Milton. 

Nightfall is proving to be a bit slower of a read for me than the earlier books in the series, and, while I could blame it on its size, it may be because there's been less action in it so far. But even more likely it is because I have been focusing on other books. Last I checked in with Sophie yesterday, she was meeting with the ogre king, hoping to form an unlikely alliance and get the next clue to finding her human parents who were kidnapped by the Neverseen. 

I am only a couple chapters into Mrs. Morris and the Witch. It's the second in the series and a perfect read for this time of year. The characters and I just finished the ghost tour on Halloween night and have stumbled upon a dead body. I imagine things are about to heat up quite a bit now! 

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List is hosted by the awesome Michelle  at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

I had my daughter pull one of my TBR Tarot cards at random to help me settle on a theme for this month. The instructions on the card read: 

Choose a book . . . 

which has a yellow cover

Evidently I have quite a few books with yellow covers! It wasn't too hard to narrow down my choices to three however. Okay, so maybe a little. These are the three that sound most appealing to me at the moment.  Now I need your help deciding which one of these I should read next!

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

A wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . . [Goodreads Summary]

The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) by Laurie R. King

In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees in Sussex when a young woman literally stumbles onto him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes.

Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern, twentieth-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective. They are soon called to Wales to help Scotland Yard find the kidnapped daughter of an American senator, a case of international significance with clues that dip deep into Holmes's past.

Full of brilliant deduction, disguises, and danger, The Beekeeper's Apprentice , the first book of the Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes mysteries. [Goodreads Summary]

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang's novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting!

I am very pleased with all the books I read in September. I finished Lodestar, the fifth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, toward the beginning of the month. My daughter refuses to give me spoilers when I ask, but I keep trying. And then there were the two books I read as part of my fiction/nonfiction pairing goal. I will be posting my thoughts on Erin Kimmerle's We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys and Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys in the near future. Reading the two books back to back made for a richer reading experience. I need to do that more often!

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, narrated by Katie Schorr (HarperAudio, 2016)

I have a theory. ~ Opening of The Hating Game

I actually finished an audiobook in under a month! Barely, admittedly, but I managed it. More time driving last month made that possible. Anyway, you want to know what I thought of the book. Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman work together at the publishing firm of Bexley & Gamin as assistants to the head executives. Lucy and Joshua hate each other (or so they think) and go out of their way to get a rise out of each other. HR is very familiar with their rivalry given the number of complaints they've received. And now they are both up for the same promotion . . .

The Hating Game is an enemy to lovers romance at its core with a few other well known romance tropes mixed in as well. I found the novel to be a bit too predictable, and, as much as I liked Lucy, she could be really oblivious about Joshua sometimes. I guess that's kind of how it goes in real life sometimes though. We get so caught up in our own stuff, we can't always see what's right in front of us.  Joshua definitely grew on me the more I got to know him--just as he did for Lucy. The two have a lot of chemistry and compliment each other well, which is definite must in a romance like this.

Even though I did not love this novel, I did enjoy it and thought it was funny and charming. The ending was very satisfying. Not wrapped up perfectly with a bow, but just enough to leave me satisfied and smiling, knowing Joshua and Lucy will have a good life together. Katie Schorr proved to be an excellent narrator for the audio version of the book. 

I made the mistake of watching the movie version of the book right after finishing it. Remind me next time to put a few days, if not months, between the book and movie. I can easily enjoy a movie based on a book on its own merit generally, even while making comparisons, but I find it harder to do when I still have the book so fresh in my mind. Because then I notice everything.

I have no complaints about the cast. Lucy Hale made a good Lucy Hutton. And while Austin Stowell was not who I pictured as Joshua, he did not disappoint. I liked the Danny version (played by Damon Daunno) in the movie more than the character in the book. The filmmakers held onto many of the more significant elements from the book but often with changes in timing or details.  I did not mind some of the changes, but others I wasn't so happy with. The movie version had added a conflict which did not occur in the book--most likely to make it more climactic for the screen, which impacted the ending. I didn't like it (my poor husband heard all about it).  All in all, I liked the book much better and was sorely disappointed in the film. Would I have felt the same way had I not just finished the book? Unfortunately, we will never know. 

Challenges Met: Backlist, Mount TBR

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1) by Heather Fawcett (Del Rey, 2023; Fantasy, 320 pgs) 

Source: from the publisher via NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

Shadow is not at all happy with me. ~ Opening of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries 

Thank you to everyone who voted in September's TBR Poll. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was the hand's down winner and it was a winner for me too.

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. [Goodreads Summary]

I am not sure what I expected going into this novel, but the novel turned out to be so much more that whatever I imagined. I couldn't help but think of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (and not just because of the footnotes). The two books couldn't be more different and yet they reminded me of each other. Perhaps it was in the way Mr. Norrell was the mentor to Jonathan Strange just as Wendell Bambleby is sort of a mentor (and rival) to Emily Wilde. Or the depth of study that went into their fields (for one magic and the other faeries). Whatever it was, I loved every minute of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and cannot wait to read more.

Emily Wilde isn't the warmest person. As described in the summary above, she's quite curmudgeonly. But very intelligent and resourceful--at least when it comes to getting out of tight spots. Having traveled to a small village called Hrafnsvik in Arctic Norway for the winter, she hopes to study the local faeries and finish her book. She keeps to herself mostly and at first refuses to lean on the locals for help of any kind, much to their consternation. She is more comfortable in working with the Folk, or faeries, studying their ways and learning as much as she can about them. The last thing she wants is for her rival and colleague Wendell Bambleby to show up, but show up he does. His charm and easygoing nature immediately endear him to the townsfolk and their hosts. His lack of focus and laziness only serve to annoy Emily more. She finds she needs his help more than she wants to admit, especially the more she uncovers about the Hidden Ones, the mysterious faeries who live in the forest outside of the village. I enjoyed the banter between Wendell and Emily quite a bit. I cannot forget to mention Shadow! Emily's dog is perhaps one of my most favorite characters. 

The world building is amazing. The folklore about faeries is extremely detailed and well researched, and the author weaves it seamlessly into her story. I enjoyed getting to know the town folk. The setting itself was a character of it's own, a small Norwegian village in the early 1900's and its surrounding forest and land. Most of the novel is written from Emily's perspective in epistolary style, taken from her journal, and this format worked very well. It was easy to forget I was reading a journal entry. I am glad I finally got the chance to read this book. Heather Fawcett's novel had so many qualities I love wrapped up in one. It was a charming historical fantasy with a touch of the dark, a hint of romance, and quite a bit of mystery and intrigue.

Challenges Met: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge/COYER

Have you read these books? If so, what did you think?

New to my shelves:

Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

Scarlet (#1)  by Genevieve Cogman

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ko Hyung-Ju, and Ryan Estrada

Lavender House (#1) by Lev A.C. Rosen

The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Finding Me by Viola Davis

Shanghai Immortal (#1) by A.Y. Chao

Ghost 19 by Simone St. James

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab

The Thursday Murder Club (#1) by Richard Osman

New to Mouse's shelves: 

Creatures of the In Between by Cindy Lin

The Jules Verne Prophecy by Larry Schwarz and Iva-Marie Palmer

Mr. Villain's Day Off, Volume 1 by Yuu Morikawa

Ghost Book by Remy Lai

Finch House by Ciera Burch

Hooky, Volume 3 by Míriam Bonastre Tur

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

What new books made it onto your shelf recently? 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Weekly Mews: September Already and Juggling Books (Please Vote in my TBR List Poll!)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  

I am sitting here on the  couch listening to the summer rain outside. This area went from a heat wave most of the week with temperatures well into the 100's to cooler rainy weather this weekend. Before that a tropical storm blew through, bringing record amounts of rain. My part of the state wasn't hit as hard as others, fortunately, but we were prepared just in case. 

My reading has felt off these past few months, and I am hoping September will be different. I want to try to complete a few books I have been in the middle of for awhile now and hopefully squeeze in a few I really want to read but haven't been able to make time for. 

What have you been up to? 

I currently am reading Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger, deciding it was time to jump back into my daughter's favorite series. It doesn't feel like it's been as long as it has since I last visited the elven world of Sophie and her friends. Lodestar is a nice change of pace when I need a break from Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, which I am also reading at the moment. I hope to follow it up with Erin Kimmerle's The Bones We Carry: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys, which is a nonfiction account of events at the school at the center of Whitehead's novel.  

I thought I would try another audiobook and started listening to The Hating Game by Sally Thorne last weekend because I was in the mood for romance. Hopefully it won't take me months to listen to like it took me with the last audiobook I read.

I haven't touched my nonfiction book (Untangled by Lisa Damour) and the two short story anthologies (Reader, I Married Him edited by Tracy Chevalier and Into the Woods by Kim Harrison) I am making my way through in over a month. I really must get back to them this month. I assure you it isn't the books; it's all me and my mercurial reading moods. I hardly read anything in July and I spent too much time trying to read a book in August that I should have given up on sooner.

What book are you reading at the moment? 

My TBR List is hosted by the awesome Michelle  at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

I could use your help deciding which book to read next! Which of these three books do you think I should read next? They are all very different from one another, and I will be curious to see which one gets the most votes.  All three sound good to me! Have you read any of them? If so, what did you think? 

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart. [Goodreads Summary]

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

Nothing brings an estranged family together like a murder next door.

A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.

“Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery.” — Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Like a Sister

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.

Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.

With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always resisted: depend on each other. [Goodreads Summary]

Mrs. Morris and the Witch  (A Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

In Traci Wilton's second cozy mystery featuring a new sleuth on the Salem scene, when widowed B&B owner Charlene Morris discovers the dead body of a local Wiccan on Halloween, she and her charming ghostly partner must help the local Salem, Massachusetts, coven to find the killer.

Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year in Salem, Massachusetts--but when B&B owner Charlene Morris finds the dead body of a witch, it spells trouble...

Charlene, recently widowed, has renovated her historic mansion just in time to greet guests arriving for the town's annual Halloween festivities. She's lucky to have a helpful staff to provide support--as well as a handsome ghost named Jack standing invisibly by her side.

Unfortunately, while the revelers head out on haunted tours, have their fortunes told, or grab a drink at Brews and Broomsticks, a killer walks among them. When Charlene discovers Morganna, a local Wiccan, dead in her shop, she starts getting cozy with the local coven, looking for clues to locate the crafty culprit. Salem may be famous for the false accusations of witchery in centuries past, but this time someone is genuinely guilty--of murder... [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting!

Thank you to everyone who voted in last month's TBR List Poll. I eagerly dove into the winning book, Jenny Colgan's Welcome to the School by the Sea, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. It's been ages since I decided to DNF a book, but I could not get past the fat shaming/fat phobia. If it had just been a case of mean girls picking on one child and then learning a lesson in the end, I might have been able to tolerate it, but the attitude carried over to other characters (the teachers) as well who should have known better. It was too frequent and too much for me and kept pulling me out of the story. It's disappointing because I have enjoyed Colgan's work in the past. The setting was lovely and the book had sounded so promising. In reading some of the reviews on Goodreads about the book, I know I am not alone in my issues with this one, but I also know some people really enjoyed it. Welcome to the School by the Sea just was not for me. 

Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott

Kensington, 2023; 304 pgs

Source: NetGalley (all thoughts are my own)

The day was just exactly the sort Edwina Davenport most loved. ~ Opening of Murder at a London Finishing School

I bumped up Murder at a London Finishing School in my TBR, the second runner up in August's poll, and am so happy I did. Although this was the 7th book in the series, it was my first introduction to Edwina and Beryl. Set just after World War I, the enquiry agent team of the prim and proper British Edwina Davenport and the American adventuress Beryl Halliwell, are hired by the headmistress of their former alma mater to uncover who is behind the mysterious happenings at Miss Dupont's Finishing School. Neither women really want to return to their old stomping grounds of the school, but they do not feel like they can refuse. 

Someone appears to be sabotaging the school--there have been strange sounds at night and items are being misplaced, if not outright stolen. And in the midst of all that a former classmate of Edwina and Beryl's is found dead on the school's property. A murder at the school would be ruinous to its reputation.

The school has already been suffering business-wise, from having had to shut down during the war and then with the changing climate after as interest in schools like Dupont's Finishing School diminish all over. Author Jessica Ellicott adeptly weaves the shifting culture of the times within her story. Not to mention she has created a cast of characters with interesting backgrounds and possible motives, and a mystery that kept me guessing right up to the end. 

Coming into the series late can be risky, but this was a great way to get to know the characters and their backgrounds, getting to see where they met and glimpsing some of their childhood memories. Edwina and Beryl are very capable and intelligent women, each with their own strengths. They work well together and make a great team. This was an easygoing mystery with plenty of intrigue. I hope to read more of this series in the future.

Challenges Met: Cruisin' with the Cozies / Historical Fiction Reading Challenge / COYER

The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik

Del Rey, 2021; 389 pgs

Source: Own TBR

Keep far away from Orion Lake. ~ Opening of The Last Graduate  

I really enjoyed the first in the trilogy, A Deadly Education, and had high hopes for The Last Graduate. I was not disappointed. It is hard to review a middle book of a trilogy, especially if one is trying to avoid spoilers, and so I will not offer much about the plot here. El has always been an outcast, especially given the nature of the magic she wields. But she is not without friends in her final year at the Scholomance. And she will need everyone of them if they are all to survive the deadly graduation ritual that is known to claim students lives. If you like fantasy novels with intricate world building, school settings, and plenty of monsters to fight, you will enjoy this series. I have really enjoyed seeing El's growth as a person over the course of the first two books, and even more so in this second installment. This one was hard to put down. I will offer you one spoiler: the ending is a huge cliffhanger. I came very close to starting the next book right away, but am holding off, torturing myself for some odd reason I can't explain. I probably won't wait much longer though. I have to know what happens!

Challenges Met: Mount TBR / Backlist Reading Challenge / COYER

Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita

Sourcebooks for Young Readers, 2015; 257 pgs

Source: Own TBR

Sometimes spying on low-level royals can be so boring. ~ Opening of Flunked

I picked this fairytale themed middle grade novel up at the height of my daughter's interest in fairytale retellings, thinking she might like it. She has not yet read it--but I do think she would enjoy it. I know I did.

Twelve year old Gilly would do anything for her family, and that includes stealing so her brothers and sisters have enough food. Her father's shoe business hasn't been doing so well since the fairy god mother started making glass slippers. Gilly is an excellent thief--at least until she gets caught and sent to the Fairy Tale Reform School run by Princess Ella's Wicked Stepmother. The teachers at the school are all former villains, now reformed. Remember the Big Bad Wolf, and the Evil Queen? Or the siren who tried to ruin the Little Mermaid's life? The promise of the school is to reform children who are on the path to villainy and turn them into heroes. But can villains really change?

It turns out reform school isn't at all what Gilly expected, and she quickly learns that not everything is quite what it may seem. Joined by her new friends, Jax and Kayla, among others, Gilly finds herself at the center of a wicked plan--and they the only ones who can put a stop to it. 

Gilly is the kind of character I think my daughter would really like. She may be a thief, but it is hard not to understand why she does it. The Royals have everything and the commoners have hardly anything. Her family is poor and struggling. She loves her family and is very loyal to them. She is surrounded by friends with complex backgrounds of their own. There are funny moments as well as thoughtful ones, and plenty of action and suspense throughout the novel. Anyone who is familiar with the original fairytales may recognize some of the characters, and hopefully will enjoy this fresh take on them. I know I did. I especially was interested in the world building. Happily ever after for the ruling princesses and royal class clearly isn't a happily ever after for everyone else, and it is nice to see that side explored more. Not to mention, I enjoy a story in which unexpected heroes rise to the occasion. I am be curious to see where the author takes this series.

Challenges Met: Mount TBR / Backlist Reading Challenge / COYER

New to my shelves:

My favorite local independent bookstore finally opened it's doors at the new location in mid-August and you can bet I was there on the first day. The owner and her staff had not expected to be closed for months, but the transition took much longer than expected. In order to show support and help keep them in business (even as small as my contribution might be), I have been buying books from them online. I was able to pick up the first part of my order (and a couple other books) while there:

Rubicon by J.S. Dewes

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jussen

Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua (Mouse's)

We always follow up a doctor's visit at the hospital with a trip to Barnes and Noble. And this past week was no different. Mouse found several manga novels (not pictured) to add to her collection and a thriller (pictured below). I couldn't resist getting a book for myself. 

In the Time of Our History by Susanne Pari

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph

What new books made it onto your shelf recently? 

I recently finished the first season of Imposters about three former marks who discover they were married to the same women, and so they band together to find her. Meanwhile, the con artist, played by Inbar Lavi, is working her latest con. Which goes terribly array. I am enjoying this twisty dark comedy with its mix of suspense. I am looking forward to seeing the second season.

My husband and I are in the middle of the seventh season of Bosch. I continue to be impressed with how well done the show is and how great the casting is. For those who are not familiar with the series, it is based loosely on a Michael Connelly mystery series set in Los Angeles. We plan to watch Bosch: Legacy next.

But before we do that, we will start the third season of Only Murders in the Building, which is such a funny series about three strangers who become friends over their interest in true crime and start their own podcast about murders in--you guessed it--their apartment building.

My family and I are all caught up with Crime Scene Kitchen, a fun baking competition, in which the contestants must guess what they are supposed to make by putting together clues they are given. It is fun to see how close everyone comes to what the actual dessert is supposed to be. 

What have you watched recently?

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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