New Year, New Approach

Happy 2019 Y'all!

(At this point I honestly don't know if I'm a Northerner or Southerner but a decade of waiting tables in the South gives me permission to say y'all, especially since the first job was a Texas-style steakhouse where EVERYTHING was Southern.)

Anyhoo...

So I started this blog a year ago with the intention of reviewing EVERY book I read. That was much harder than I expected and ultimately proved impossible (for me). Last year I used Goodreads to track my books; I set a goal for 60 and exceeded it by reading 68 books. It was too much, there are books I barely remember reading.

I read everything from Fredrik Backman, at least what's been translated into English and is available in the US. I read two of N.K. Jemisin's trilogies, The Broken Earth and the Inheritance Trilogy. Backman was recommended to me by my best friend of 20-plus years and I got my mother hooked on Jemisin by recommending The Fifth Season. She's starting the Inheritance Trilogy now.

Those are my two big reading events from 2018, but I also read a ton of other amazing books. This year I plan to continue exploring Jemisin's works, there's at least a Duology and a short story collection to read. I also plan to read a good deal about The Resistance during WWII because as research for my novel, as well as books about writing, world-building in particular.

I want to read more books by women, especially non-Americans and/or women of color. I've got six books on hold at my library and I'm excited to share them with you:

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry
     I put this on hold over the summer and I really hope it gets to me soon!

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
     Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors; The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite books to re-read.

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts
     Year One is the first Nora Roberts book I've ever read and it sucked me in just enough to make me want to read the sequel.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
     I'm number 323 on the list so maybe I'll get it by the end of the year!

Circe by Madeline Miller
     This book is already on its way to my library so I'll be reading it first!

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
     I've heard so many good things about this book, I'm excited to read it.


So...long story short: Instead of reviewing every. single. book. I'm going to post an update 1-2 times a month to let you know what I've read, what I enjoyed, and what I'm planning to read next. I may have updates on movies based on books (I'm also waiting for the new HBO version of Fahrenheit 451 from one of the regional libraries attached to mine through NC Cardinal.)

Right now I'm enjoying T.H. White's The Once and Future King, which I got for Christmas in 2017 but just started before family descended on us for Christmas 2018. I expect to finish it by the end of the week and I plan to read 2-3 more books this month.

I'll update y'all in 2-3 weeks, have a great January!