For What It's Worth


Monday, August 13, 2018

monday musings




I hit a reading milestone this month!

100 books read for my Goodreads Challenge!

2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Reading Challenge
Karen has completed her goal of reading 100 books in 2018!
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I’m both shocked and relieved by this because just a few years ago I was in the mother of all book slumps and wasn’t sure I would ever have fun reading again.

I’m REALLY happy that I’m keeping up with my ALA books. I always seem to fall into a huge reading slump after book conferences which sucks because you have all those new books. This time I let myself give into the slump this time and did everything but read for a few weeks and it worked! I’ve already read 6 ALA books as of this writing!


This is my August TBR pile and WHOA – I already read all but one of these!

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A quick batch of minis:

A Study in Honor by Claire O’Dell: I’m enjoying this but I’m not quite in the mood for sci-fi/dystopian/mystery suspense atm so I’ve set it aside and hope to still finish by the end of the month.

It’s partially told (at least for now) in journal entries that read kind of dry.

Our Stories, Our Voices – essays by assorted authors: I reviewed this on the blog last week.

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert: I loved this book and have a review coming up this week.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson: I thought I was going to love this one but it was too over-the-top silly and too long for me. I was #TeamMike – the brother who stayed away from this ridiculous family for 18 months had the right idea.

I do reccomend this for people who love family drama and rom coms though.

Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington: Mostly cute second chance romance with a few problematic things:

~ like a teacher who's assignment is to keep a journal with notes and observations of people and encourages the male students to use this as a precursor to find out more about the girl you like  (“Gentleman, perhaps this is a good time to learn more about one of the young ladies you’re interested in.” – NOPE, not on board with that

~ a secret that loses steam by the time it’s revealed

~ and no female friendships and girls portrayed only as callus or groupies (not including the protag who is a very cool girl).

Because of all that, has a slightly dated feel of YA from a few years ago but I do like the authors style and the romance overall. If you can let some of that go – I recommend it. 

It does have the best quote ever though:

“I love my sleep like I love my food: in large quantities, whenever I can get it”


It’s only August 13th so I guess I will be ambitious and move on to pile #2!

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Dating Disasters of Emma Nash by Chloe Seager: From Goodreads – “Don’t miss the laugh-out-loud novel of the year!

Online, you can choose who you want to be. If only real life were so easy…”

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff: “Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago.” 

I’ve had this book on my shelf for YEARS and I’m using Bark’s Book Nonsense Ladies of Horror Fiction challenge as an incentive to clear it out. Follow the # for their August Instagram Challenge – #LadiesOfHorrorFiction for prompts and great horror book rec’s!

Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator by Catherine Reef: Even though this isn’t horror – I think this biography of Mary Shelley could count towards the above challenge as well. (publication date, September 18, 2018. Arc provided by the publisher/ALA)

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles: “When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.” I picked up a finished copy of this at a signing at ALA. Beautiful cover and it sounds like a powerful story.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness: “With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself...” Another ALA ARC. It sounds….strange. But it’s a super short read (160) pages and 'I’m curious. Goodreads is divided lol

What have you been reading this month? Any recommendations?

50 comments:

  1. Congrats on meeting your challenge, Karen! It feels so good to get through review books and check them off the list. :)

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    1. I'm having a great reading year Rachel! Very low pressure & keeping a good review/for fun balance.

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  2. Yay, congrats on reaching your 100 book goal! I'm like 24 books behind my 150 because... excuses. Hopefully I'll be able to reach it, but if not I have more years :D

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    1. I always pick a lower # so I can feel superior lol

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  3. See? I'm hitting my posting stride - you're hitting your reading one LOL (not that you aren't posting). Remember when one of us was doing ALL THE THINGS and the other one was slacking? The curse is broken! 😉

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    1. Posting has still been a struggle but i seem to have had a burst of energy so we just might be in synch this time!

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  4. Hooray for reaching your GoodReads goal! Go you! Love your August TBR sign board - so colorful! I've seen a lot of raves for Save the Date but the synopsis made me think it wasn't for me. I am so not a fan of the slapstick, everything-goes-wrong, comedy-of-error thing. IN books or in movies. I just find it silly and pretty un-funny. Sorry it didn't work for you.

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    1. I had been told it wasn't a romance so I was prepared for that but it was too wacky for me. It was one disaster after another.

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  5. Woot woot!! Congrats on completing your Goodreads goal. Sorry you didn't like Save the Date more. Good luck with August TBR pile #2!

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    1. I'm so bummed. I really thought I would :-(

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  6. Yay, congrats on meeting your reading goal!! That's so awesome. And to be ahead of the game, too!

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    1. I'm not stressed AT ALL and I think that's what's making me happiest.

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  7. It feels great to finish the reading goal and get to the TBR pile stack. You're doing great and smart thinking on your part to not push it when you didn't feel like reading. Enjoy your ladies of horror challenge, Karen!

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    1. Yeah, I've learned that pushing through doesn't work for me. It's better to just take the break.

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  8. Congrats on finishing your reading goal. I can be a pretty slow reader sometimes but I'm really hoping to hit 100 this year too. Tyler Johnson was here is supposed to be great.

    Tori @ In Tori Lex

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    1. I read really fast but I've been taking longer breaks between books.

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  9. Awesome start to the month! :D YAY

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    1. I think it's been too hot to do anything else lol

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  10. You are rocking it! I giggled about the Team Mike comment. Sounds like a book to miss. Glad you have recaptured your love of reading.

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    1. If you like ott romcom then I say read it! It just wasn't for me.

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  11. woo look at you go, surpassing your reading goal already. tahts awesome.

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    1. Thanks! It could all come to a screeching halt next month lol

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  12. Sweet! I'm so glad you are rocking the challenge. Unfortunately I'm in a huge reading slump but I hope it can be resolved with a bit of sanity in my life (well, I guess I shouldn't wait for something that will never come... LOL).

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    1. Ha! I read really fast so that's part of it but I've been in those epic slumps too. I'm learning to go with it and take the break.

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  13. Congrats on the goal! Eww, yeah, the assignment journal thing does sound creepy and not ok. The Patrick Ness book has such a cool premise. I didn't realize it was so short! I hope it's a good one :-)

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    1. Yeah, it was disturbing. Like...he wants them to follow people around and write down things about them - they're looks, their interests. Not just girls but coaches and loved ones too - but no, no, no.

      The Patrick Ness is getting really mixed reviews but I think it sounds interesting.

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  14. I'm not behind yet on ALA books, but I'm getting there... Whoops! I hope you love your upcoming reads. The Replacement has been on my list for years!

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    1. September and October are pretty ALA ARC heavy months so we'll see how well I do lol

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  15. Wow congrats on your milestone!! Yay! Lol about Save the Date. And The Replacement sounds like a trip.

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    1. It does! I can't believe I haven't read it yet.

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  16. Well done on reaching your target! I'm hoping to get to the 100 in the next week or so. I got a terrible slump hitting me in spring and early summer but I seem to be back on track for now.

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    1. Same here. I seem to go through cycles with reading. As counterproductive as it sounds, I just stop reading when the slumps hit now. I used to try to power through but I end up hate reading lol This was I come back refreshed after a week or two off.

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  17. Yay for reaching 100 books already! I'm ALMOST there. That's great you've been doing well with your reading and getting through ALA books. I do want to check out Tyler Johnson Was Here at some point.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. Thanks! Go Lauren! It's so weird. I used to read 200 books per year easily, then a few years barely made 50 but then to about 100. I think I've hit my groove though. I'm picking better, less arc's. basically - less pressure reading.

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  18. Congrats on reaching 100 books. Such a great milestone. I always worry that if I fall into a slump that I won't enjoy reading again. But then something happens and I am back into it hehe

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    1. I was in a REAL bad one a few years ago. I'm so happy I've learned to manage them better and allow myself breaks if I'm just not feeling it.

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  19. Congrats again!! How are you celebrating? I was thinking about Save the Date because I enjoy dramz but I'm not a fan of silly.

    I've got a physical copy of Tyler Johnson and an audio. And I STILL haven't read it.

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    1. Everyone loved Save the Date! You'll know pretty quickly if it's for you or not.

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  20. You are blazing through your TBR. You're awesome!

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    1. It's been a good reading year! I'll take advantage of it while I can lol

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  21. Wow, that's awesome. I'm only at 51 books so far this year. I am hoping to make it to 100 for the year.

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    1. I really could go either way. It could be 40 or 200 lol

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  22. yay 100 books! wow you are SO going to surpass your 104 goal Karen! That's awesome!

    I was also in the mother of all book slumps this spring so I'm like 10 books behind! I wish I could count all the books I DNF! :)

    OH! you are going to read the Replacement! I love Brenna Yovanoff's writing but guess what? I DNF it LOL! So I'm surious to see what you think of it!

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    1. I need to master the dnf better. I have to, at the very least, skim to the end.

      Maybe I can practice with The Replacement lol

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  23. Congrats on hitting the goodreads goal! I'm so behind on mine but I keep telling myself I'll catch up! lol (I'm sure I will... Eventually.)

    I haven't got around to Love Songs and Other Lies yet but it was on my August list. From the teaser chapters I read about a year ago, and everything you've said, I'm probably going to love it (although the secret thing might bug me). :)

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    1. LSaOL's is cute! A few troublesome things but overall I really enjoyed it.

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  24. awwwww i was looking forward to save the date. i've never read matson before and i was hoping StD was a good place to start. lol maybe not

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  25. Yay for hitting your goal on Goodreads! It's so exciting to hit those way ahead of time :)

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