DYRC 19/Merry Misfits Book Club December: The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuk

So this is my second time writing this because the computer I'm using is a literal piece of shit and decided to just... go ahead and delete the entire fucking thing after I added an image lol.  (And then it autosaved before I could load a previously saved draft.  Cool, so cool.)  My next blog post should probably be my computer woes lol.

Anyways...

So there was a lot of cheating involved in the selection of the book I read for December.  As I've mentioned before, I don't have a lot of time to read anymore and due to stress and depression and etc I don't necessarily spend a lot of my very little free time reading (like arguably I should/could).  So in these reading challenges, I'm always excited when I can have a shortcut -- covering both challenges with one book, whenever I can read a short book or a comic or children's book, etc.  The theme for Merry Misfits was holiday -- easy enough.  The theme for DYRC was fantasy.  Now, I know they mean something like Lord or the Rings or Game of Thrones, but I didn't want a big long book right now.  I decided to take "fantasy" as a broad descriptor rather than as a genre, really just so I could make things a little easier on myself.  Sue me, lol.  I just wanted a fantasy-esque Christmassy children's book, so I picked The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuck.

I'm giving myself a pass on calling this fantasy because it has talking animals and nothing could be more fantastic, lol.  Anyways, this is a really cute little book and the art is beautiful.  The pages are textured and it's really fun and sweet.  Because it's just a little children's book I don't have a lot to say, but I just really wanted to read a cute little book like this and it hit the literary spot.

I didn't post a goodreads review on this book.  However here is my profile, and you should follow me.  Here is the page for this book... other people have written better reviews than this one and you can read them there, lol.

I read this book on December 22.

Would I recommend this book to a friend?  If you like children's books, yes.

DYRC19/Merry Misfits Book Club November: Edgar Allen Poe: The Complete Tales and Poems

New year, same old me.  Here I am, months after the fact, writing a book post for y'all… knowing full well that no one was waiting for this, lol.  Anyways, the theme for DYRC in November was poetry, and the theme for the Merry Misfits was short story.  I was deciding on this book during October, the spookiest month of the year... I dressed as the Phantom of the Opera for Halloween, and there's a scene in that book where the Phantom dresses in a Poe cosplay lol, so it all added up to me picking this Poe collection (which I got in ebook format for my Kindle tablet for like $1).

Full disclosure: I didn't read this entire thing.  But to be fair, that's not the point of a complete works type of book.  Those are meant to be read as you please -- pick and choose pieces, read out of order, read in order but skip things if you want... it doesn't matter.  I read two of the short stories and a selection of the poems.  Obviously, Poe is an incredibly talented and important writer -- you don't need me to explain that to you.  I will say, I enjoyed everything I read here.  The stories I picked ("The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Cask of Amontillado") were great, but you really can't go wrong.  The poetry, of course, was wonderful too.  The great thing about a collection like this is that I can revisit it whenever I want and read another story or a couple more poems.  There's enough material there that even if you do want to read it straight through from beginning to end you won't run out of stuff to read for a while.

Here is my goodreads review.  It's only one sentence, lol.

I read this book between November 7th and (according to Goodreads) December 22.  I don't know if that date is accurate, I don't remember reading any of this that recently.  But whatever... like I said, I just sort of picked and chose what I read, so it doesn't necessarily matter.

Would I recommend this book? Of course.

DYRC 19: October: Like Sisters on the Homefront by Rita Williams-Garcia

The theme for October was young adult.  Obviously there's millions of YA books out there, many of them very fun, many of which I have not read.  What I was mainly looking for was something about people (preferably women) of color and a story that was NOT a romance.  I do like romance, but so many YA romances are predictable and super straight.  Anyways, I didn't have anything specific in mind, so I went to the library and grabbed the first thing that really stood out to me -- Like Sisters on the Homefront by Rita Williams-Garcia.

It took me a while to get into this book because it took me a while to get into this book because it took me a while to get to like the main character Gayle.  She's a very obnoxious teenager, and her naivete about certain things is not so much endearing as it is annoying.  She's 14 and has a baby, and when she ends up pregnant again she thinks this is a good thing (and resents her mother for making her have an abortion).  But over the course of the story, I came to understand more why Gayle was the way she was, and eventually I really liked her as a character.  I got really engrossed in the story and I just wanted the best for Gayle and her cousin Cookie.  I ended up crying a lot at the end... I got super invested in the story and the characters.  I'm glad I read it!

This is my Goodreads review.  Insert usual spiel about how you should follow me, lol.

I read this book between October 30th and November 4th.  Almost on track, lol.  🎉

Would I recommend this book? Yes

DYRC 19 September: Burnin' Up: On Tour With the Jonas Brothers

The theme for September was non-fic.  I'd been tempted to cheat and swap DYRC's September and August themes so the non-fic themes would coincide and I could get away with just one book (y'all know I love to read, but I never have any time to do it, and desperate lack of free time calls for desperate measures) but I ended up not doing that.  Cheating felt like cheating, lol.  So instead I decided to go easy on myself and just read something lighthearted and picture heavy.  So...

Burnin' Up: On Tour With the Jonas Brothers was written at the height of Jonas fever (2008), which was generally a better time in general, lol.  The book is mostly pics, behind the scenes pics from their When You Look Me In The Eyes Tour (the first time I saw them) and the Burnin' Up Tour (which I also attended), but there are lots of passages of the brothers talking about their lives and career and family.  It made me super nostalgic and happy.  This band has meant a lot to me, and I actually finished it up while I was sitting in a hotel after watching them in concert for the first time in TEN YEARS!  This book was the best companion... and I'm glad for once that I ended up behind.

Here's my Goodreads review.

I read this book between October 21st and October 22nd.  Yes, it was a book for September...I'm trying really hard to get caught up!

Would I recommend this book? If you're a Jonas fan, absolutely.  If not, you won't get anything out of it, so probably not.

DYRC 19: August: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castelucci and Jason Frey

I am aware it is October.  Yes, I'm a little behind, lol.  Anyways, the DYRC theme for August was sci-fi, so I decided to read Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure, which was a book I got for free as a prize for finishing the library's summer reading challenge.  Now, it's debatable whether or not choosing a junior Star Wars novel is cheating, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.  On with the show.

I enjoyed this book.  It's a story that takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and we follow a Leia who is dealing with a lot.  She's struggling with feelings of survivor's guilt and probably some PTSD... and she's incredibly worried about Han, who is at this point still frozen in carbonite.  Her characterization is true to the films, but very realistic and well rounded.  She plays well with the other characters that make up her team for this mission.  We don't get to know all of them as well as I would have liked, but they're written well enough that you can easily get attached.  The story is good and exciting, takes a lot of turns and I wouldn't call it predictable.  Plus the Phil Noto art is a really nice touch... I love his work. And because this book is a part of the Journey to The Force Awakens line of books and comics released to coincide with the release of Episode VII (my favorite modern Star Wars film), the epilogue ties into that movie beautifully and it made me happy.

Here's my Goodreads review.  Follow me there to see me add a bunch of children's books to my shelves and to read observations I think are pithy but are really tired.

I read this book between September 22 and October 19.  It only took me that long because I didn't get to dedicate a lot of time to it.  It's not super long and it's a pretty quick read.

Would I recommend this book?  To Star Wars fans only.  It's an enjoyable book, but it won't convert you into a fan if you aren't one already.

i'm only a million behind

I'm so determined to get caught up on my reading challenge, but I don't know when/if I will be able to.  Here's what I'm working on though:

August: (theme sci-fi) Moving Target
September: (theme nonfic) Burning Up
September: (theme fairytale) Aida (finished this one, just don't want to post it out of order)
October: (theme a book from another country) The Phantom of the Opera
October: (theme young adult) tbd YA book lol

Hoping to have August and September finished soon.  I hate being this far behind... I hate that having a full time job now prevents me from doing the most minor amount of reading.  Sigh...

DYRC 19 July: Crazy Cat Lady by Agnes Loonstra and Ester Scholten

The theme for July was humor.  I wanted something quick (since I've been so dreadfully behind in this challenge) and fun (since that fits the theme, lol, but also just fits what my stressed out ass needs).  I looked through the humor section of Goodreads and eventually settled on Crazy Cat Lady.

So this book honestly is kind of cheating for a reading challenge, because it's mostly pictures.  I'm counting it though because it IS in the humor category, and I did really enjoy it.  But it's full of fun art, cute trivia and relatable cat facts, and it has stickers in the back.  It's kind of like the type of book you'd get someone as a gift if you knew they liked cats but didn't know much else about them, lol, but it was still fun and enjoyable.

Here is my Goodreads review.  It doesn't say much because there isn't much to say.

I read this book on July 24th while I was at jury duty.  Lucky it was so short, because I ended up getting called into court with the first group of people and didn't have all day to sit and read, like I'd hoped, lol.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but only to other crazy cat ladies, lol.

DYRC19/Merry Misfits Book Club June: Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson

This post is late too, I know.  I'm doing my best though!  June was a month where my two book challenge themes worked well together.  The theme for DYRC was a children's book. The theme for the Misfits was perfect Summer read.  Since I (and the rest of the tumblr) have been obsessed with the Moomins of late, I decided to go ahead and grab Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson.

So I wanted to start with the beginning of the Moomins, but this is actually the second book.  The first book, The Moomins and the Great Flood, was actually out of print in English for decades.  It is available now, but hasn't been for long... and the library didn't have a copy and I couldn't find a cheap used copy (or even a Kindle version).  A lot of more knowledgeable Moomin fans have said it's not the best introduction to the series and really more for the completionist fan anyways, so I just skipped on to the second book.  If I do go back and read this first one, however, I'll try and get a post up!

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book!  It was cute but it also had a lot of adventure and genuinely high stakes.  It was a good introduction to all of these characters.  The English translation doesn't feel weird or unnatural, as translations sometimes can.  The art is really cute and stylized.  It was just a really cozy book that made me feel warm all over.  Cute but not cutesy.

Here is my Goodreads review.  It's bare bones, to say the least, but it's there.

I read this book between June 18th and July 24th.  Yes, that is a long time.

Would I recommend this book? Yes!

DYRC 19 May: Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

Addressing the elephant in the room, yes.  This is my May book and yes I'm making this post in July.  It be like that sometimes.  May's theme was history and biography, and that's a theme I typically enjoy.  History major, biography fan... and it didn't take long for me to pick a title.  Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley was a given.

This was a book I had wanted, and needed, to read for a while.  I like Lucy Worsley, and Jane Austen  is incredibly important to me, so I was very much looking forward to it.  I'm pleased to say it lived up to my excitement!  I learned a lot about an author I love... I feel like I know her better, understand her work better, and overall feel closer (so to speak) to Jane than ever.

Here is my Goodreads review.  It isn't much, and neither is this, but I think my enjoyment is evident.  Follow me on Goodreads, lol.

I read this book between May 19 and June 28.  Yes, that is over a month.  Yes, I finished quite late and it took a long time.  That wasn't due to the quality of the book.  Work keeps me busy and I don't have time to read much anymore... and I'm not happy about it.  But anyways, we made it.

Would I recommend this book?  Yes, especially if you're a history nerd or a big Austenite.

DYRC19/Merry Misfits Book Club April: The Return of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Finally added up and worked out in my favor, lads.  I could use one book to satisfy both themes of my reading challenges!  The DYRC theme was comic/graphic novel and the Merry Misfits theme was a book that has been on your TBR pile too long.  Obviously this is a comic, and it's been on my TBR since before it came out in the states.

I really really enjoyed this.  The story behind this one is that these comics were released in the 1940s in Italy (two things I like) and just within the last year or two became available stateside in English. The art, by Romano Scarpa, is gorgeous.  It looks very true to the Disney movie but also very Golden Age kids' comics.  The stories themselves were simple and fun, and it was an overall fun read.  Nothing about this was dumbed down, but it was still a nice easy read.

Here's my goodreads review.  I produced actual thoughts... different than the ones here!  So follow me on goodreads.

I started reading this April 26th and finished it May 6th.  Yes, I am aware May 6th is not a part of April.  But I did finish!  I was just really busy.

Would I recommend this to a friend?  Definitely, if you're a Disney fan or you love Snow White.

DYRC19 March: The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow

Yes, I'm well aware that not only is March over but April is nearly over as well, lol.  Shit happens.  I did finish the book though, uphill battle though it was, so let's get to it!

Soooooo.  The theme for March was Science and Technology.  I am not a science person, really (try as I might, that's not how my brain works), so I looked through goodreads for something that would fit the theme but also be kind of fun.  This book was described by a  lot of reviewers as  being humorous and irreverent in its approach to discussing statistics, probability, and randomness.  Would I agree with that assessment?  Yes and no.

There was nothing wrong, in my limited understanding, with the information in the book.  And it wasn't poorly delivered.  There wasn't anything wrong with the style.  But the fact that this is not a subject that interests me made this a hard book to get through.  It was good, but honestly not for me.

I didn't post a review to goodreads for this book, however you should just... follow me on goodreads anyways, lol.

I read this book between March 27th and April 26th.  Part of that was the fact that I've been busy with work and life, the other part of it is the fact that it's not really a book I was enjoying.

Would I recommend this book?  Unless this is a subject you really enjoy, no.

DYRC19 February: Let's Talk About Love by Clare Kann

February's theme was a romance book.  Obviously that's broad and gives you a looooot of options, and in a way that makes it harder, doesn't it?  I didn't want to read about the typical straight white couple of your typical romance book.  I didn't want anything crazy sexual.  I wanted something that gave me the warm fuzzies!  So after poking around goodreads and reading a bunch of different online lists, I found Let's Talk About Love by Clare Kann.

I really liked this book, though I didn't love it as much as I expected to.  It was really good and well written, but there were certain parts that made me uncomfortable for personal reasons.  I think what happened is that I read the summary of this -- a biromantic asexual black girl named Alice meets this amazing guy while working at a library and they figure out the whole dating while ace thing together --  and it hit all the right buttons.  I hyped it up a little too much so it would have been hard to live up to that.  But I did like it!  The ending was perfect.

Here's my goodreads review.  Not a lot more in depth thoughts but you know... follow me on Goodreads lol.

I started this book February 22 and finished February 24.  Equal parts quick read and me having a lot of time on my hands, sitting at my mom's hospital bedside.

Would I recommend this book? Sure, it was a fun little read.

DYRC19: January: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

So I apparently started this post like a whole ass month ago and then just? Abandoned it.  I don't know how that happened, lol.  Anyways...

The Diversify Your Reading theme for January was memoir or autobiography.  I sat and looked through the memoir section on Goodreads for ages because I couldn't think of anything in that genre I was dying to read.  There are quite a few on my list, but honestly a deciding factor was that I wanted something that was in my library branch, because I wanted to be able to grab it when I went in to the library the next day (after deciding to do the challenge).  I had been considering reading Dewey by Vicki Myron for a while because obviously I love libraries and cats and I enjoy a good memoir from time to time.  My only hesitation on grabbing it was the fact that I was pretty sure Dewey the cat wouldn't make it to the end.  But I decided that that shouldn't be enough to keep me from giving the book a shot, girded myself, and hopped in.

I enjoyed this book a lot.  I know a bunch of reviewers didn't care for how much the book was about Vicki Myron's life and the story of Spencer, Iowa, but it didn't bother me.  I felt like learning about who Vicki was and what the town was like painted a picture that helped me understand what Dewey meant to the town and how he became as important to everyone as he was.  And Dewey just seemed like a really sweet, wonderful cat.  There were a lot of sweet stories and lighthearted moments, but there were a lot of sad things too.  I experienced the whole range of emotions, lol.

Here's my goodreads review of this book... some other thoughts there.

I started reading this book January 19th and I finished on January 27th.  It's a fast read, but I was reading other things at the time.  I probably would have finished in 2-3 days if I hadn't been.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Cat lovers only, but yes.

Diversify Your Reading Challenge 2019

Since I had fun with last year's reading challenge (12 meses, 12 libros) I've decided to do another one this year.  I decided to attempt the Diversify Your Reading Challenge!  I found it here on Mongan Moments, and the requirements are:

I grabbed a book for January while I was at the library yesterday.  I'm really excited to get started!