Even though I blogged less, the reading has been surprisingly good this month! I think the main reason why I because I’ve stopped requesting ARCs so much, and I now mostly read my backlist TBR titles. And they’ve been surprisingly good! I’ve got so many 5 stars this month, I can’t even. Although I must admit, I’ve also been really lucky with my ARCs this month, cause there are some 4 and 5 star titles among them too.
~ 5-Star Miracle Books Read ~
I don’t think I’ve ever had this many 5 stars in a month! I am so happy, this has probably been the best month of reading in 2018. I’m in love with all of these books! If you still haven’t read my review of The Eleventh Trade, a touching middle grade story of a refugee boy trying to save what remains of his family, you can read it here – very recommended. The Bride of the Blue Wind was also an amazing read, although very short – it’s a retelling of Bluebeard in a Middle Eastern fantasy setting with paranormal being. It’s SPECTACULAR, very unique and strongly written. I loved it! You can find a short little review on this Sunday post here. List of 13 will still be reviewed on December 13th (fitting date!) and it’s easily one of the best books I read all year – don’t let the cover fool you. I really loved it. Odd and the Frost Giants is something by Neil Gaiman that I’ve had for a while, and I wish I had read it sooner! It features a disabled character that deals with all sorts of crap and saves gods – he is amazing. I loved everything about this book, and there’s a little review for it on the same Sunday post here, as well as a review for How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be – which I REALLY recommend to all of you who suffer from anxiety because it has greatly helped me with mine. Another two books I loved were Brain on Fire, which I also briefly review on this Sunday post, and a Doctor Who comic which I absolutely loved – Humble Bundle got me into these, and now I’m sighing at the big prices of the following releases!
~ 4-Star Steady Good Books Read ~
I loved What Would Boudicca Do, but as most non-fiction, it got 4 stars from me, cause you pretty much have to floor me to get 5 – which is more common for fiction. But it was a great book and it will be reviewed next week. I also loved Redemption Song, part two of an urban fantasy series I am reading – which I cheekily didn’t really review anywhere (being badass here. LOL.) Then there were also the Afghan short stories which were blood curdling and scary, to be honest, but very good. And I finished a memoir that’s been lying around for forever – 13 Years in America, about how elusive the American dream actually is today. All of these books are recommended.
~ Okay Books Read ~
There were some alright books this month too – perhaps most of them were just not for me. The Tenth Doctor comics are all great, although this one was slower than the others, so it got less stars from me. Straight Expectations I did like, and it was written well – but the book was supposed to be about bringing up trans/gay teens – instead, it’s a pat on the back for how great a mother the author is, and more than a third of the book is dedicated to her own childhood – so it was not what I expected and I think it should have been about the kids, because that’s what the title and the blurb claims it is, when it’s not. If it was marketed correctly, I would have definitely given it more stars. Meanwhile, both Foam on the Crest of Waves and You Are This were good books, but merely not for me. You can find a little review of Foam on the Crest of Waves here.
~ Totally Meh Books Read ~
There was only one totally meh book this month – which reiterates what a good reading month it was! Normalized was supposed to be a satire on the fixation of super heroes that pop culture has now – instead, it came of as a tale about a mysogynist piece of crap super hero that I just couldn’t stand. The novel doesn’t do a good job of making it obvious it’s a parody – it doesn’t feel like one. It actually feels like it’s sexist and just.. horrible. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to look that way, but that’s how it reads. It was a waste of my time and I didn’t even bother finishing – I read half. It was offensive to even keep reading. Oh, and it’s absolutely not funny, despite being marketed to be so.
~ The Stats! ~
I read 16 books this month and I guess it’s only because some of them were short that I managed to pull this off. I might be reaching 150 books by the end of the year, and even if I don’t, my current 142 is already the highest number of books I’ve ever read in a year. All that when I only pledged 52, half of what I normally read! I’m amazed. But anyway, instead of sharing stats of this month, let me share this awesome graph that I made this week – it shows the genres of the books I’ve read all year. I was very excited to make it! It was fun too. If you want to make one like that and share it, please tag my Instagram or Twitter handle because I’d love to see your genres:
View this post on Instagram
~ On The Blog In November ~
~ What I Hauled ~
I hauled surprisingly little this month too! Let me get at my TBR, hahaha. I am excited about most of these books I hauled though:
As usual, I’m linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday post, also with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga’s Reviews and Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
And that’s it for my November! What about you? Share your links with me in the comments!
I’m Evelina and I try to blog about books that matter, with a bit of fun there too! Disability and equality will be topics you see a lot, but there’s also a lot of scifi, fantasy and… GIFs. I’m also the proud founder of #ARCsAnonymous.
I’m glad to read your reading has been going so well Evelina. I tried stopping requesting ARC’s to this week. I really have to read my TBR without adding any new books! LOL!
Have a great week and happy reading!
Thank you, Maureen, and good luck not requesting 😀
Ooh I LOVE your graph!! I need to figure out a cool way to log stats in my journal next year because I’ve been doing it online but it’s eh. I want a physical version (actually make me USE my journals instead of hoard them for once!) Also so so glad you had a ton of 5-star reads, eep, that’s exciting and good. I’ve also been requesting less ARCs but I’m still horribly behind and have no idea how I’m going to read everything before 2018 ends. Ah the bookworm life. How is it only 1 month left to go?!
I would also love to bullet journal more consistently, but I fail to come up with good graphs and charts xD and I know… Where did the year go?
That graph is brilliant, I love it! I’m thinking of bullet journaling next year and this seems like one page that should definitely be featured in there.
You read so many books last month! Odd and the Frost Giants sounds super interesting, I love that it features a disabled character, love me some disabled rep because there’s just not enough of it, and it’s by Neil Gaiman which makes it even better. I suffer from anxiety so I’ll definitely be checking out How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.
Great post!
Thank you 🙂 yes, I would love to bullet journal more continuously myself, but I run out of ideas 😀 so I was very happy to have that one. Will definitely be doing one next year 🙂 and yes, I can definitely recommend Odd and the Frost Giants 🙂 and I hope How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be will give you some good insights too 🙂 thanks for reading!
You read an impressive number of non-fiction books. I think I read two (?) I have been having great luck with my backlist too. I am rating those books so high, that I keep regretting waiting so long to read them.
I know! I was super surprised too. And most of those nonfiction books I loved so much as well. I guess I managed to pick topics well. And I know, definitely agreed about backlist 🙂
Ooh! That graphic makes me want to start bullet journaling!! What a great idea! I’d love to see a post about all your tips and tricks!! (unless you already have one and I’ve missed it?)
Haha, I’m not much of a journaler myself, this is basically one of the only charts I’ve done 😀 but thanks! I hope you do one just like that, and if you do, please share the result, cause I’ll be curious to see your genres 🙂
Glad that you have found cutting back on the blogging has been so freeing regarding your reading! I also have cut back my Netgalley reads – mostly because the books I really want to read have to be ‘wished’ for and hardly ever come available… I hope December is also such a successful reading month for you. Not necessarily with the numbers – but the sheer quality of the reads that you encountered:))
Agreed, the ‘wish for’ button makes it seem impossible. But then again, I guess we don’t really need that many ARC commitments, do we? 🙂 turns out reading backlist books is so much more fun anyway.
Thanks!
You had such a great reading month Evelina!!!! And I spotted Atticus here so I am crossing my fingers as this is one of my very good surprises of the year 😉
Thank you! 🙂 yes, I’m excited for Atticus 🙂
I’m happy you had so many great books to read. I loved Attticus and hope you enjoy it. Anne – Books of My Heart
Thanks Anne, I’ve read a lot of good reviews, so I am definitely looking forward to reading Atticus 🙂
What a fantastic reading month for you!!
And you’ve got Becca Mascull’s The Visitors to look forward to. I follow Becca on FB where she’s very funny and I’ve heard great things about this novel, but haven’t quite got to it myself yet!
Thank you! I have had that book on my watch list for a long time, actually, so I’m quite looking forward to reading it 🙂
It’s so great that you had so many five stars readings. Now, I really need to read The Bride of the Blue Wind. It sounds so freaking awesome! Pardon my language. =P That graph is such a great idea. I love it! I think I’ll have to do one too – of course, I probably will only list fantasy books because it seems to be all that I read. I really want to branch out, but it can be tricky.
Wishes of a happy December.
Yes, I think you would LOVE that one! And if you do a graph like that, please tag me or share with me – I really want to see 🙂
That sure is a lot of five star reads this month. I have several myself. And some of your books are going on my list. Look like good ones for me:) I’ve only got a few ARCs and working on my back list too. Way too many books have been lingering, waiting for me to get to them.
I know what you mean! And yeah, all those backlists are paying off in the number of stars 🙂
You’re making me want to read Doctor Who comics now! And What Would Boudica Do sounds super interesting, too. There have been a few “interesting women throughout history” books published in the US recently, but they were all geared for an MG audience or younger. Congrats on reading so many books this year…and with one month still to go! 🙂
I know right! I actually looked up the prices of the newest series but I wasn’t happy about them :/ if you do start reading the DW comics, definitely pick the 10th Doctor ones, the ones with Gabby as the companion – there are others, but they’re not good at all.
And thanks! 🙂
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That graph looks really exciting!!
And wow, 5 – 5 star books? That really is a lot, right? And you did read a lot too! I think I should take it slow with my ARCs too and just catch up on my backlist for this final month before 2019!
Thanks! 🙂 and yeah, it was a super great month 🙂 yes, if you start reading your backlist titles, I think you’ll have more 5 stars too 🙂
oh I love how you keep your stats 🙂 and what a great month with so many 5-star books! I also have the Girl Who Drank the Moon and I cannot wait to get to it (Magical realism! YEEEEAAAH!)
Yeah! I just know it’s going to be great 🙂 oh, and thank you!
I still love the heck out of your graph, such a great idea! And yay for a good reading month, love!!!
Thanks! When are you making this graph? I absolutely want to see it 🙂
I really enjoyed Brain on Fire too and you should also watch the movie, it was well done and is equally as good as the book.
Ah, I have heard it’s very good!
Great reading month for you. Finding lots of 5 star books makes me happy. I want to read The Eleventh Trade and forgot about it. I also have a copy of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, but haven’t read it yet. Your graph makes it so easy to see your progress–excellent organization. Happy December!
Thank you, Danielle 🙂 I hope you do get to read The Eleventh Trade! It was so amazing 🙂
I also really enjoyed Brain on Fire! I listened to it via audiobook, and it read like a medical thriller. I was a tad disappointed with the end – I wanted more about her recovery process & getting her life back together, but overall an excellent read!
I hope you enjoy The Girl Who Drank the Moon! It is such a quirky little read. I really enjoyed it 🙂
I’m sure I’ll enjoy it 🙂 and as far as I gathered, the illness in Brain on Fire heals very rapidly, once the right treatment is applied, so that’s why it wasn’t talked about so much, I guess? Also, maybe she still felt embarrassed. It’s very hard to admit you were helpless at one point and needed to learn to talk or properly walk again. I can see why she wouldn’t want to talk about it too much.