It was a no-quit June! Nothing to overly rage or rave about, but there are some solid reads in this month’s list. It’s a shorter blog, because June continued May’s busied life pace. However, I have high hopes for July and am in the midst of two thrillers already. So stay tuned!

Total Books: 9
Physical: 3
Audio: 4
Mix: 2
DNF: 0

Genre: Romance (A couple explicit scenes), Mystery?
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 2.25/5 (Harsh)

Oh, this one hurts, as an Emily Henry romance is usually a sure thing. I applaud her for branching out and pushing her genre/format, but this one fell flat for me. The premise was great and the potential was plentiful, but I was an incredibly frustrated reader. The plot involved two writers interviewing a (very unlikable) woman about her (very boring) family history in a competition to write her biography. The romance was pretty forced and the narration was unreliable. I’m going to reread Funny Story or Beach Read soon to recover.

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Format: Physical – Read Aloud by BG
Rating: 3/5

Just like the first Katie book, this was an okay story made better by an eager tween reading it aloud to me. The whole cast is back, and the cats continue to steal the show. The plot is rather disjointed and the angst is strong, but it’s cute and harmless. Superheroes and cats – enough said.

Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 4/5

Heartbreaking and brutal, I only picked this up to complete the reread of the original series. It was fascinating to discover which scenes I remembered vividly, which ones I completely forgot, and which details were connected to the latest book, Sunrise on the Reaping. It was worth the reread, but the emotional damage is real.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3/5

An uptight lady rages against inappropriate books and opens her own little free library. A rascal switches all the book covers and she’s actually loaning out the books she banned. Often charming, but mostly preachy, any rating could be justified for this book. The format was interesting, the premise was adorable, the wokeness (even when agreed with) was heaaaaaavy handed. I loved the characters and way the story was put together, but I wish the lessons didn’t have to be spelled out. At times, it comes across as rather condescending, even though the author clearly wants to portray both “sides” of the issues presented.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 2.25/5

After being intrigued the by the cover and blurb multiple times – but ultimately passing over it again and again – I gave this one a shot. I can’t remember the last book that has given me so many mixed feelings. A couple falls in love, but the man is diagnosed with a condition where he slowly turns into a great white shark. Any fan of mine knows that plot point is the one that I’m loving. It’s so weird, dude. But then it goes and messes it up with another character’s backstory of teen pregnancy and domestic violence and chronic awfulness. Then it gets interesting – back to the weird shark stuff! – but then the epilogue bums me the heck out. It’s a roller coaster that I definitely wanted to get off of after a couple loops.

Genre: Memoir
Format: Audio
Rating: 4.25/5

It’s hard to be self-deprecating and arrogant at the same time, but this book somehow pulls it off with humor and charm. Josh Gad gives behind the scene stories about The Book of Mormon, the Frozen franchise, Beauty & the Beast, and much more, all while blending in personal stories about events that shaped his life and career. Ping-ponging between stories of his grandparents surviving the Holocaust, his family life, Covid times, and Hollywoord anecdotes can be boggling, but Gad manages to keep it tied together. This book is often over-the-top and mushy, but that seemingly matches the author. I would definitely recommend the audio book!

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Sneak Attack Explicit! I should have looked it up ahead of time and was not prepared based on the first 2/3!)
Format: Physical
Rating: 3.25/5

Bait. And. Switch. Uggggggggggh. The first 70% of this book was a dream of a Sleepless in Seattle retelling. To the point where it was a 5-star-recommend-it-to-people situation. But, oh, how it took a turn. This innocent charmer turned into a teenage horndog of a story where I did not want them to be together at the end. At one point, I might have been caught by my husband as I muttered “gross” out loud. Oh noooooo! The leading man turned into a needy, insecure fixer-upper. She teaches him that he can love and be a human after all – ew. But, seriously, the first 70% is WONDERFUL. Hahahahaha.

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.25/5

Discovered through Instagram, I wanted to give this Kansas City-based self-published author a chance. Her book was read in audio format by Julia Whelan, and it seemed like a good genre switch up, so why not!? Overall, I loved the character writing and was engaged. A woman travels back in time to discover that she is Guinevere. Yes, that one. It’s interesting, but there was a LOT of this book that could have been cut out or seemed out of place. (It felt YA, but then characters swore a lot, there was a consent issue with magical mind tricks, and it had one brief explicit scene and slight gore…so that was confusing). Several plot points were brushed away with “It’s magic! Don’t ask questions!” (Honestly, I don’t mind that, but blending modern times with King Arthur is a challenge.) There were things I really enjoyed, and things that were incredibly frustrating. In summary, I liked it, but I’m not sure what to do with it overall.

Genre: Magical Realism Romance (briefly explicit)
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.25/5

Ashley Poston does weird + banter so well, and her new novels are my must-reads. This one started out slow for me, mostly because I wanted a quirky beach read – and do you know what slows down a “fun-kiss-cam-causes-a-telepathic-connection” romance? A subplot of Parental. Early. Onset. Dementia. Ugggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh. However, it does pick up and become just as lovely as her other books, featuring songwriting and the North Carolina coast.

That’s a wrap for June, and I’m very hopeful for some excellent July reading. See you next month!

I will confess that most of these reviews will leave you thinking, “Heidi, why did you even read these? Some of these seem like real duds!” Honestly, May has been a month full of distractions, and I pretty much had to rely on available audio books to get any reading done. Finish anything at all took effort, so I’m winning with what I’ve got!

Total Books: 7
Physical: 1
Audio: 4
Mix: 2
DNF: 2

Genre: Science-Fiction
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 3.75/5

If you are a nerd in need of delight, read this book! Although the setting is a depressing dystopian landscape, an adorable robot just wants to serve people. Joined by a character called “the wonk”, Uncharles the Valet goes on a quest to complete his tasks. This book is sometimes slow and wordy and preachy, but it’s funny and sweet and will scratch of itch of wanting to read a sci-fi tale.

Genre: RomCom/Action
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.25/5

This was big, dumb fun – but also a little obnoxious. Ha! If you are a fan of characters that fall into insta-love and cheesy action movies, this would be a good read. She’s a professor, he’s the nephew of a deceased “fixer”. They meet, are super hot for each other (rated PG), she gets kidnapped, hijinx ensues! Just like the movie Speed, the new relationship would never make it long term. However, the book explicitly states several times their attraction is NOT situational. (It’s totally situational, and it’s a good thing the epilogue was three months later instead of three years later…they are doomed.)

Genre: Science-Fiction
Format: Physical/Audio Mix
Rating: 3.25/5

My husband likes this series a lot, and it’s now a show on Apple+! Maybe it was reading two robot books so close together…Maybe it was being dropped into the story with extremely little world building…Maybe it was the 1/2 human, 1/2 clone concept that confused me. But it was just fine for me. I actually really like how they did the first episode of the series, so I might pick up the next one someday to keep going with the TV show – but I have other stories beating this series in the reading priority queue!

Genre: YA Sci-fi-ish
Format: Audio
Rating: 2/5

This books answers the questions: What if Percy Jackson was less fun? What if Hermione was a damsel in distress and Hagrid died?
In other words, this was not great. It had SO much potential and then fizzled. Hard. The “romance” was so uncomfortable and the language was unnecessary. It was written like a cheesy middle grade book about an alien being a new kid in school – but then they threw in some make out sessions and swears to make it YA. Ew. The only interesting character was brought in during the last 10% to set it up for the next book, but I will gladly stop the series here.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: (a generous) 2.5/5

I feel bad marking this book lower than a “3” on Goodreads, because I knew this wasn’t going to be for me. I finally picked up an Elin Hilderbrand book, because it checked off a library challenge category for a writer who has attended the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. I would be willing to try her books again, but this one was not for me. If you like lies of omission and love triangles where every combination is toxic, I have a book for you! This book is a very long set up to a sequel and the most interesting part was in the last 30 seconds. Boo.

Genre: Memoir/Comedy
Format: Audio
Rating: 4.25/5

If you like Nate Bargatze’s stand-up, you will likely enjoy this book. It’s a bit of an organizational mess and full of rambling stories, but it’s fun and good for a laugh.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 3.25/5

Oh, senior-citizens-solving-murder-books, I just can’t stop trying to like you. Life Freida McFadden thrillers, I keep coming back – even though I know it’s just not for me. It’s a recurring joke that Vera describes herself as a helpless old woman. She is portrayed like a confused 87 year old, which is often annoying, since she’s really in her early 60s. Anyway, there was nothing wrong with this book, but it took me over a month to finish it. It was funny and charming and had an interesting ending, but I actually paused it multiple times to read other books. I didn’t want to quit it, because there was nothing “wrong” with it. It was just a slog for me to finish. Anyway, if you like nosy busy bodies, Vera is your gal.

After a no-quit-April, the “quit list” is back in play. D’oh!

I was really looking forward to this one, but I had to stop at a mere 14%. I tried it in physical and audio form, but I had to call it. Why? Well, a 33 year old woman returns to the lake where she lived when she was 17 – and basically regresses to all the feelings and angst and longing of being 17. I do not need to be or feel like being 17 again. Next!

DNF it once, shame on you. DNF it twice, shame on me. I really tried, Sanderson! After 25% on the second attempt, I finally called it. If the character said “storms!” or “damnation!” one more time, I was going to lose my mind. Premise was cool, but it was not for me.

I tried to start this one twice. Apparently I like my Hazelwood characters a little bit older. I did not want to read about college angst or doing it. I am officially elderly. If there’s going to be lusty youth, there better be dragons and near-death situations involved. I don’t need this realistic ridiculousness.

I also started these books. I’m not ready to quit them yet, but I am not in the mood. They will be put in my later pile, for I am in a reading SLUMP, y’all!

That said, it’s SUMMER VACATION! May the FUN reading commence! Best of luck to you, fellow readers, and send me some FUN summer reading recommendations. If it has cancer, grief, sad animals, family conflict, or old people solving crime, I don’t want it. Give me quests and funny and sidekicks and mysteries and adventure and weirdos. MMwah!

The Second Annual No Quit April!

Honestly, I don’t know the difference or why April is a lucky reading month, but I might try to make this an annual event. Per usual, we have a weird, random, disturbing, and delightful variety of reading material this month.

Total Books: 12
Physical: 5
Audio: 4
Mix: 3
DNF: 0!

Genre: Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.75/5

By the author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise comes a quirky and silly book about marriage and motherhood and getting caught up in a hostage situation that just happens to be the plot of your failed novel. Last month, I complained about books that smothered me in issues and took away the fun. This story still had heart and issues, but it was a dumb, wild ride and FUN….the way I like my issues.

Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 5/5 (probably overrated but I don’t care.)

Look, I knew I was going to get my heart stomped on, but SERIOUSLY SUZANNE COLLINS. This was horrendous torture while being an amazing addition to the Hunger Games series. I was so mad at The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes because it was a vague ending that lacked enough connection to the originals (for me). Well, BOOM. This book solves everything and connects the books and I need some time to recover from the emotional spiral of this mess. For future readers: Make sure you have read Songbird and Snakes (even though I didn’t like it) and reread Catching Fire. It will be worth it.

Genre: Romance/Fairy Tale Retelling
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 2.5/5

The Meant to Be series has given me one favorite (Tangled Up in You) and a whole lot of misses. There were things I loved about this and things that I hated. How do you make the dad character in a Little Mermaid retelling as the irredeemable villain when the band manager “Ursula” is right there?!? Overall, it was fine, but definitely not anything to recommend.

Genre: Memoir
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.75/5

Oof. All the trigger warnings. (Seriously, be careful….several types of abuse in detail mixed with religious trauma) This is a cross between Educated and Counting the Costs. It’s a captivating book but very troubling. I’ve deleted multiple sentences multiple times trying to write commentary/explanations. It’s just….a lot…..and very depressing to remember how easily culture and religion can become weaponized.

Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3/5

In their second book, Sara and Beth continue to provide common sense, optimism, and compassion about the state of the world and overcoming differences. However, even though this book came out in 2022, it already feels dated. I need a new edition called “2025 NOW WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!?? NO, SERIOUSLY, NOW WHAT!?”

Genre: Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 3/5

It’s weird and funny and thoughtful and boring. Scalzi says this is loosely grouped together with Starter Villain and The Kaiju Preservation Society, but I did not like this one nearly as much as the others. The short story vibes made pacing a challenge. I laughed out loud and loved the premise, but the random tangents were frustrating. If you need a real CHEESY story, this is it.

Genre: YA Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 3/5

I read this with my sixth grader for his reading group. I can sum up my feelings with: “Eh, I’ve read worse…” This is definitely more YA than middle grade, dealing with romantic feelings and the afterlife. A teen dies, discovers that you then age backwards in a second-half-of-your-life situation, and then gets reborn. It was not great and sometimes questionable (spying on Earth and aging backwards are sketchy elements when it comes to relationships/romance), but I didn’t completely hate it.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.75/5

I hate miscommunication as a romance trope, which is why I loved this book. Ha! They were VERY clear about their feelings toward each other, but they needed to figure out logistics and a heap ton of traumatic family issues to find their happily ever after. Like her other books, Abby Jimenez uses humor and banter to pull you in and then stomps on your heart with stupid feelings. She wrote in a way where I devoured this book in two days and could picture scenes like a movie in my head. How’s that for high praise? I couldn’t give it a full 5 (a couple pet peeves hit me) but it was very, very close.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3/5

What a weird little critics’ darling. On a quest to branch out, I picked up this retelling of Greek mythology from the female perspective. And, ooh, lady, it was weird. Did I almost quit during the God-birthing-a-monster c-section event? Yes. Did I almost quit later during the Goddess-c-sectioning-herself scene? Absolutely. But I didn’t! If you like short stories and a million characters and poetic writing and monsters and murder and no plot but also too much plot, this will be a TREAT. Summary: Lots of people come to an island. Then they leave the island. And then that happens 18,000 more times.

Genre: Memoir-ish Word Art
Format: Audio (the only way to go here)
Rating: 3.25/5

I may not have much experience with drugs, but I have read two Jenny Slate books. I’m pretty sure it’s the same feeling. The second book should be called Jenny 2: Slate Harder. It’s over-the-top and wonderful and bonkers and uncomfortable and a treat but also strange and awful but good. It’s a Jenny Slate book of wordy fun.

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Format: Physical
Rating: 3.5/5

Even though graphic novels can be just as challenging as chapter books, I normally wouldn’t “count” this toward my reading goal. However, I had an eager 12 year old reading every single word out loud while making sure my eyeballs paid attention to every single illustrated frame. It counts. This was an adorable story with undercover superheroes and lots of cats. What’s not to like?!

Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 2.25/5

I have come to terms with the fact I need to break up with Freida McFadden books. I’ve tried. I want to like them. But this April Fools’ birthday girl does not like investing hours into a book with nothing to do but await trickery. This was an over-the-top doozy of UGH. Do you remember the scene from The Office where Michael lists all of the pros and cons of being with Jan and sneaks in “I’m unhappy when I’m with her”? Hahahaha. There are many fun things about these stupid twists (and they are fast page-turners), but I’m unhappy when I’m reading them. Bwahaha! (I’m sure I’ll pick one up again someday…)

May is looking promising with a new Emily Henry book, a local visit from Abby Jimenez, and the end of the school year. Go team!!

I felt March was over in a blink. However, reading Bridgerton feels like a lifetime ago, so I guess a lot of time did pass. My reading continues to be random and a mixed bag. There is a VERY promising list of books I’m planning on reading in April, so stay tuned if none of this matches your tastes (or I have successfully steered you away from a couple of these duds).

Total Books: 12
Physical: 4
Audio: 6
Mix: 2
DNF: 2

Genre: Regency Romance (one explicit scene)
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 4.25/5

Well, Violet Bridgerton, we did it. We married off all of your children! The eight books in the original series were unique and funny in their own way, but she saved the best for last. This “stop the wedding I love her!!” plot was such a fun ride. I was seriously going to be a sucker for this series finale and toss it a 5 star rating, but she had to screw it all up with childbirth trauma in the epilogues. Boo, groan, ugh. So close!

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Just Flirting!)
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.75/5

My issue with Abby Jimenez books has been that she writes absolutely lovely books and then drops dramatic/painful issues into the middle of the fun. But in this short story, she barely had time to make it complicated! There was only time for CUTE! (Other than the stalker issue, but it was resolved and sped up this romance.) Two neighbors come together and fall in love when their apartment stairs are removed by accident. It’s aDORKable. I would have gladly taken a full book on these nerds (or their sidekick friends!).

Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Format: Audio
Rating: 1.75/2

Miserable people get stuck in a cabin after an avalanche. One of them is a killer. It wasn’t bad enough to quit, but I *was* rooting for a second avalanche to wipe them all out and just end the book already. Oops.

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Closed Door)
Format: Audio
Rating: a generous 2.5/5

I loved the set up and loathed the second half. There was cute banter, but the fun female lead turned into a wishy-washy whiner and the pacing was all over the place. Plus, it just didn’t make sense? She says they can never be together because the universe is against them and chaos happens whenever they are together….but they pretty much had a two-night stand where a few minor inconveniences happened? He’s perfect, she’s a mess, there’s only one bed, and she lets out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding multiple times. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t good.

Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 3/5

I got a new job! I read this for work! It was fine!

Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Rating: 1.25/5

Yes, this was an extreme rating. But any book that makes me rant to my husband for a solid ten minutes when it’s over gets an extreme rating. For the second “thriller” in a row, I could not find a single character to root for – and I would have been okay with no one getting out alive. Ouch. The people were miserable, the reality show premise was ridiculous, and the twists were unsatisfying.

Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.25/5

Fun Fact! I quit this book about a decade ago, because no new mother should read this book. It starts with infant/child death, and there is plenty of suspense and gore throughout the story. My postpartum hormones made me believe the idea of dinosaurs invading my nursery was an actual threat, and I quit within the first chapters. Which is why it’s good to remember timing and mood are very important elements to reading! Fast forward several years, and I found this to be captivating. It was like watching a different version of the movie – some things word for word and other elements completely different. I’m glad I picked it up again. Also: nobody bring back dinosaurs, okay??

Genre: YA Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.75/5

If you had a middle grade student that loved Wonder, this would be a great next step. It does a great job demonstrating empathy for differences, and I enjoyed the overall writing, humor, and style. However, I also thought that it tackled way too many issues (main character is a girl born without arms, being the new girl in school, best friend has Tourette’s syndrome, befriends “the fat kid”, and more!). It’s like 80 after-school-specials. However, the worst part is the adoption subplot. I will spare my rant, but it really didn’t make sense.

Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Rating: 1.5/2

This genre is like reaching into a bowl of Jelly Bellys blindfolded. Every now and then I get the coveted fruit punch. However, for the month of March, I’ve grabbed all buttered popcorn – where you want to like it, but it’s pretty gross. This one was full of mental health disorders, child abuse, and unlikable characters. I yelled the twist to my husband at 41% and confirmed it at 83%. It was annoying.

Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.5/5

YES. This is my favorite book in the series, because it was a reset (for the series and for my reading this month!). It recapped all the antics in the first books but stripped the cast down to the original team + a reasonable amount of extras for a new mystery. (Books 2/3/4 were getting NUTS with plot and characters.) It was funny and sweet and ridiculous in a lovely way. I will forgive yet another cliffhanger, because I am a sucker for these books and will take as many as she wants to write.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Mix of Audio/Physical
Rating: 3/5

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The main character was delightful and the premise was great. But, overall, I felt like it was forcing me to feel instead of just letting me feel. While I laughed at several parts and cared about the characters, it interrupted the main plot to pummel the reader with: grief/loss, miscarriage/infertility, loneliness, aging, dementia, death, alcoholism, gambling addiction, abandonment, divorce, childhood cancer, AND MORE! WE GET IT ALREADY. ENOUGH, THANK YOU.

Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.5/5

I stumbled upon this author on a podcast, and I appreciated her interest and enthusiasm on television history. This book was much darker and detailed than I expected, but it was an interesting ride through time. It surprised me, connecting modern reality TV all the way back to prank shows on 1940s radio. The pacing was weird, nitpicking some shows and glossing over many others, but I learned a lot about how reality shows changed over time and built off of each other (and are/were mostly toxic yet fascinating). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but I was intrigued.

It’s a short and sweet Quit List this month! Last year I did a no-quit April. Can I do it again?

DNF @ 18%. I was really going to try for a “No Quit March”, but the insta-love of this main character did me in. She immediately fell in love with this dude while they were at this retreat. I never made it back with them to the post-retreat real world, but (according to Goodreads comments), the part that made me throw up a little in my mouth was the *good* part of the relationship, so I’m glad I quit when I did.

DNF @ 52%. This is probably a “me problem”. It started out SO FUN AND CUTE – a real fun fairy tale with a curse and a fire demon. For the first 1/3 of it, I was ready to dole out 5 stars. However, around the halfway mark, it introduced many more characters and the plot was detouring all over the place. I lost all interest and the audiobook was confusing my brain. I might finish it someday, but I was forcing myself to pick it up. That’s a good sign to stop.

Happy Spring and Happy Reading!

What a weird month!! I LOVED some, I loathed some, I quit many. There was space, dystopia, the lightest romance, and the weirdest plots. Some 5s, a couple 1s, and lots in between.

Physical: 6
Audio: 3
Mix: 6
DNF: NINE!

Genre: Fiction (but really sci-fi)
Format: Physical
Rating: 2.75/5
Library Challenge: Short Stories

This author was recommended to me, and I picked up this book because of a library challenge. I’m not a real fan of short story collections in general, so it’s hard to judge this one. I liked the writing, and the first story was super intriguing. But then, well, in a book called “Normal Rules Don’t Apply”…..things got weird. The stories were loosely connected and interesting, but overall I was just uncomfortable and confused. Ha! Someday, I will be back for one of her full novels and will give that a shot.

Genre: Regency Romance (with extreme clutching of pearls)
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 4.25/5

Once again, if you read these books, it is *not* because you heard about them from me. Good heavens, I do fear my reputation would be of utmost scandal and I would have to retreat with great haste to my bedchamber for an entire fortnight! However, I have come this far with the Bridgertons, so I will be making my way through the rest of the siblings’ stories eventually. Francesca’s tale was a nice reprieve from the setting of society gossip, and these stories are obnoxiously easy to read and captivating.

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 3/5

Book 1: Fall into the underworld and try to rescue sister. Be part of a prophecy where you need to fight rats and figure out who is your friend vs. foe. Get back home.

Book 2: Repeat.

I enjoyed the first book enough to read the second, but it definitely felt repetitive.

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 3/5

I could have justified giving this book any rating 1-5, so I settled on a 3. It was several genres and styles and books all shuffled into one novel: fantasy, sci-fi, YA romance, humor, horror, and more! I alternated between loving and hating it, but I was intrigued enough to see it through. I know this review is vague, but I’m going to be processing this one for a while. Because what just happened….?

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Mystery
Format: Physical
Rating: 1/5

I’ve quit this book before, because it had a bazillion characters and seemed super choppy. I slogged through it this time because my kid had to read it for school. I confirmed why I quit it the first time. It was zero fun (and many of the words in dialogue/phrases did not age well!).

Genre: Contemporary Romance (PG-13)
Format: Physical
Rating: 5/5

Sometimes books can gift you with the most delightful surprises. I giggled at the thought of this series – pairing current romance writers with Disney movies, but I will definitely be back for more. If you are a fan of the movie Tangled, this retelling creates a contemporary world that captures the beats of the movie and the heart of the characters. I went in with low expectations and absolutely loved it. It was SO cute.

Genre: Contemporary Romance (PG)
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 3/5

While this didn’t live up to Tangled Up in You, this was another cute and clever adaptation of a Disney tale. Cinderella mixed with The Bachelor was pretty hilarious. However, if you have followed the reality show in the last 20 years, this was a little *too* spot on…like just copying story lines. And, while I loved the emphasis on plus-size women in romance/TV/fashion, it got quite preachy – to the point where it stopped the plot and lost some of the fun.

Genre: Regency Romance (of the raunchy variety)
Format: Audio
Rating: 4.25/5

All disclaimers stand: you did not hear about this series from me. For better or for worse, I’m a sucker for these stories – and I am as determined as Violet Bridgerton herself to marry off all 8 siblings (each book follows an offspring). This time, it didn’t even get toxic until the third act – and it was actually the healthiest of all the pairings so far!

Genre: Middle Grade Sci-Fi
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.75/5

This is a better version of The Giver and would make for an excellent gateway book for kids to get into heavier sci-fiction/fantasy. After fleeing the planet (darn meteor, anyway!), a girl wakes up after 300+ years and realizes she is the only person that remembers earth. A hostile takeover forces all survivors to serve The Collective – wanting to wipe out all diversity. With a few good twists, it’s a celebration of history/stories mixed with sci-fi suspense.

Genre: Sci-Fi
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.5/5

Andy Weir makes it so that I can’t say “I hate space books” anymore. Project Hail Mary is still my favorite, but I gobbled this one up. I laughed. I almost cried. It was fun and sometimes scary. While it still gets buried in scientific weeds, his humorous writing makes science fiction accessible and enjoyable. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy this tale of getting trapped on Mars!

Genre: Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.75/5

Woah. What. Just. Happened. This rounds up to a “5” for me, because it kept me up past my bedtime and I felt a significant book hangover the next day thinking about it. It makes you feel like you just watched a movie instead of being a nerd and reading. If you love Taylor Jenkins Reid, this book is for you – it’s like if the documentary style of Daisy Jones and the Six meshed with sports passion of Carrie Soto is Back (but replace tennis with ice dancing!). This is a page-turner of toxic characters. (It’s also a little like the book Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – but intriguing instead of a horrible snooze!)

Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Audio
Rating: 5/5

Haymitch’s prequel is coming out next month, so I wanted to revisit the original – especially since The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes really bummed me out. The Hunger Games still sucked me in and got me teary, so I’m happy to report that this depressing little book still holds up. However, instead of making me excited for the prequel, it just made me want to reread the rest of the series again. Not a bad year to revisit the warnings of dystopian tales, eh?

Genre: Children’s Nonfiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.25/5

What a delightful surprise! I read this out loud with my sixth grader – who loves to tell stories but hates to write. We laughed out loud and brainstormed ideas. This was a great introduction to the basics of writing and storytelling, giving tips and sharing strategies….with a lot of humor to teach the skills.

Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 1/5 *This much loathing means it’s memorable and the rating is almost a compliment. Almost.

I would have quit this within the first 10%, but I have tickets to see the play and wanted to see it through. All I knew was there was a shipwreck and a tiger (see: cover). Honestly, I’m glad I know what to expect now. I was not prepared for the book. It was boring. And then it was gruesome. And then it was boring again. And then it was boring AND gruesome. HUZZAH! Apparently, it was supposed to alter me forever on a spiritual level. It did not. I must be heartless. I would be delighted to fight someone about this book.

Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Rating: 4.25/5

I’m still so impressed with the pacing of these books, although this one is a little clunkier than the original. It glosses over some plot points to speed things up, leaving me wanting more. It’s rare that I want a book to slow down, but I needed more information from the last couple of chapters – which I know, I know, is what the whole third book is for. Rereading this series has been a hilarious test of my comprehension skills of what I remembered clearly and what I 1000% forgot about. I might take a break before Mockingjay (because after Pi and two Hunger Games books, I need to LIGHTEN UP), but I’d like to finish the trilogy again before the next prequel comes out.

The Quit List (DNF): Is it the state of the world?? Did I just pick the wrong ones? Whatever happened, this was a crazy month for the quit list….But life is too short.

DNF @ 46%. Oof. This started out SO strong, and then I just couldn’t take the YA cringe and cliches anymore. The plot just didn’t make sense? It turned into a really bad version of The Hunger Games. So…..just go reread The Hunger Games. (I actually did just go reread the Hunger Games.)

DNF @ 16% I might try this one again with a physical copy, but this is the second book I have quit with this male narrator. I cannot stand his voice. Ha! What is supposed to be sultry 1000% creeps me out. Also, this book is incredibly cheesy. While I wanted a fluffy break from stressful books, this was too much. I picked it because the author gave me a 5 star read this year, but this one did not hit.

DNF @ 18% While this was a cute premise (a dragon exterminator that likes dragons), it was…..so boring? If I don’t care about anyone within the first 90 minutes, I’m out!

DNF @ 47% I made it quite a bit before calling it. This was delightfully weird and gave me flashbacks to when I watched the movie in high school. However, the teen angst, miserable characters, and plenty of F-bombs were grating on me. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t match my mood.

DNF @ 8%. The roaring 20s vibe with space con-women, but it was so boring. I just couldn’t get into it. Next!

DNF @ 48%. Total transparency: I gave this author a 1 star on a previously read romance novel. I wanted to give her a second chance, since it was part of the Disney series. Apparently, we just don’t click. The Beauty and the Beast Easter eggs were cute, but I just didn’t even want these characters to be together – which was kind of the point of the whole book. Oops!

DNF @ 24%. Goodness gracious, Heidi! Quitting SEVEN books this month?! Life is short. No regrets. This one was the same world as Graceling (interesting and cool!) but had completely different characters – and waaaaay too many of them. This had potential, but I did not have the strength to learn 5,000 characters & places.

DNF @ 20%. I was excited to give Sarah Adams another chance, but we might be breaking up. It’s just not for me. D’oh! The whole thing was how they “hated” each other….real “he teases you because he likes you” energy. But there were so many things that just didn’t make sense. The tension was just uncomfortable and I didn’t want them to be together – again, that’s a pretty big red flag to quit a rom-com book. Next!

DNF @ 20%. Half of this book is 1950s actresses and old Hollywood and super interesting. Half of this book was Biblical fanfic with a million names and no forward momentum. Next!

Here’s hoping for better picks and fewer quits in March. Happy reading, friends!

Welcome to the 1,208th day of January! Much like the state of the world, my reading genres were all over the place and a little nuts. However, I embraced the audio format and devoured a personal record number of books this month! Hooray for staying just a little tuned into the news – and then saving my mental health by diving into escapism fiction. Happy reading, friends!

Physical: 4
Audio: 8
Mix: 4
DNF: 3

Format: Audio
Genre: Romance (of the regency and raunchy variety)
Rating: 3.25/5

I finished the 2024 reading year by gobbling up half of the fluffy ridiculous romance novels in the Bridgerton series (audio format). I have no regrets. Are these books a little like the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – where you’re having a great time until you realize they’re pretty problematic? Sure. Just don’t think too hard about it and you’ll have a good time with the charming jerks in this series.

Format: Audio
Genre: Fiction (I refuse to call this a thriller.)
Rating: 2/5

Friends, I OVER-CORRECTED. I thought I needed to cleanse my brain of Bridgerton, but I made a horrible mistake. This was supposed to be a follow up to The Firm (which I remember enjoying a solid 25 years ago), but other than the names of the main characters, it really had nothing to do with it. Instead, it was a lawsuit about a construction project in Libya that turns into a (somehow very boring) hostage negotiation. And NO ONE EVEN ASKED ANYONE ELSE TO A BALL. NEXT.

Format: Audio
Genre: Fiction (with sci-fi/fantasy elements?)
Rating: 1.75/5
Library Challenge: Translated Book

It’s not a good sign when I have to think the thought: “Is this experience with a cozy Japanese coffee shop better or worse than reading legal drivel about Libyan terrorism?” Big sigh. Comparing/rating books is impossible, but I had two stinkers in a row. I had seen a lot of hype around this book, but it was another one that totally missed the mark for me. I only kept going because it was a shorter audio book that fit the “translated” category for this year’s library challenge. The premise was very interesting – including time travel and a ghost! – but way too many questions were unanswered and the characters were sad and boring. It could have been so fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun. Time travel AND A GHOST THAT DRINKS COFFEE???? Why was I so boooooored? Why did we have to reflect on Alzheimer’s disease, car accidents, and childbirth complications when there was TIME TRAVEL AND A GHOST THAT DRINKS COFFEE. I’m so upset.

Format: Physical
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
Library Challenge: Long-time TBR

This book was a journey for me. A good friend suggested it years ago as an all-time favorite – which always adds a little pressure. I had to start this book four times to see it through, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Timing is everything. It involved multiple kingdoms and lots of characters and a very slow start. It took me a couple *years* to give it a real try. However, it picks up once the lovely male character is introduced. It’s an interesting quest and the story wraps up pretty nicely. Do I have questions about the plot? Sure. But I can also just enjoy the adventure elements & go along for the ride. It was a fun YA read with lots of fight scenes, a little magic, and some romance.

Format: Audio
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75/5
Library Challenge: Floral Cover

In hilarious news, I picked this book out for the “floral cover” library challenge, as I said I would choose the first one that with flowers that looked remotely okay. And it was….remotely okay! I could summarize this book in about four sentences, but it did have some humor to keep it interesting. If you like very descriptive character studies with not much else going on, this would be a cozy enough read. It wasn’t great, but it was refreshing to have senior citizen leads who do not take it upon themselves to solve crimes/murders. Apparently senior citizens in books can do other things!

Format: Audio
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Library Challenge: Book from the 19th or 20th century

I know that I seem like someone who would have read Jane Austen in high school or was obsessed with the movies based on her books. But – gasp – I had never read/watched a single story. The best part about reading this novel was realizing how much listening to Bridgerton helped prepare me for it, hahahaha. There is a very specific cadence and vocabulary to these British tales, and reading a little regency romance helped set me up for something much more “proper”. Overall, I felt like I needed to read this with the help of an excited English teacher or to have watched the movie first. Because it was a very drawn out way to say: two jerks hate each other until they don’t. Love story as old as time! I’m glad I read it, but I’m also glad that my husband dug up the old episode of Wishbone to help explain it to me.
**Update: I did watch the 2005 Keira Knightley movie version after writing this review. I should have watched the movie first. Ha!

Format: Physical
Genre: Romance (of the raunchy and ridiculous kind)
Rating: 2.75/5
Library Challenge: Published in 2025

Do you know how FAST you can read a contemporary romance novel after listening to all of Pride & Prejudice? It was like eating a full course fancy meal with etiquette guidelines and then following it up by chugging Pixie Sticks. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as Raiders of the Lost Heart, and some phrases/scenes made me throw up a little in my mouth, I knew what I signed up for and enjoyed the cheesy ridiculousness.

Format: Audio
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.25/5

Did I take down my Christmas decorations and go on a cleaning spree while listening to a psychopath attack people? Absolutely, I did. Yikes. This book was going to serve as my Freida McFadden tie-breaker (I quit one and I gobbled up another with intrigue), but I have to admit that I am still undecided about these books. If you like creepiness and twists and some gore, this will do it for you!

Format: Physical
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Library Challenge: Whodunit

There are cringe-worthy cliches and things that a reader could be really picky about – but I don’t care. It was FUN! A quick mystery with just the right amount of suspects. These hot dummies unpack emotional baggage while solving crime! It’s a little lusty but closed-door and suspenseful without too much stress. I wanted a fun read, and I got it – rounding up to my first 5 star of the year!

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: Romance (of the regency and raunchy variety)
Rating: 4/5

Does this read like problematic Sound of Music fanfic? Sure. Can I recommend this series? Not really. Are they quick reads that make me chuckle a bit in all of their over-the-top glory and make me work in random 19th century phrases into my daily life? Absolutely. I should not like this series, but for some reason I keep coming back for more.

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 2/5

If you have sweet nostalgia for this book or thought it was about light overcoming the dark, please just skip ahead. It’s apparently a very hot take that this book makes for a miserable experience, starting out like a dream of whimsy and delight before plummeting into uncomfortable abuse and unlikable characters. And I’m all about breaking the fourth wall, dear reader, but this book busted down the fourth wall, reader, in maximum condescension. But reader, free to look that up ‘condescension’ in the dictionary, reader. I was sooooo frustrated, reader.

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: Mystery/Fiction
Rating: 4/5

I gave up on The Thursday Murder Club series – I liked the writing, but the characters annoyed me greatly. So I thought I’d try the same author with a new batch of characters. It mostly worked! While I would have loved this book to be half the length (it easily could have told the same story in 250 pages instead of 400!!), it was a fun mystery with quirky people. I would read the next in the series.

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Rating: 1.75/5

This might have been a case of poor expectations. This read as Men in Black, Jr., but you aren’t rooting for anybody in the entire book. Artemis was extremely unlikeable (along with the rest of the cast?). The best part of the book is when the fairy punched him in the face. I’m glad this series is for somebody, but it definitely was not for me.

Format: Audio
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5
Library Challenge: Recommended by a Friend

After hearing me complain about the children’s books mentioned above, my husband suggested this winner from his childhood. I was happy to report that – not only did it hold up – it redeemed this month’s “Newberry Award Winner Mouse Novel” category. Boring in a simply lovely way, I really enjoyed this bada$$ mouse mother. It was just the right amount of weird.

Format: Physical
Genre: Romantasy (520 pages of adventure, 7 pages of explicitness *you’ve been warned)
Rating: 5/5 (Any book that makes me gasp, laugh out loud, or cry is in automatic consideration for a five. This book – annoyingly – made me do it all.)
Library Challenge: Quest Novel

I can justify people loving or loathing this series. Personally, I’m a sucker for Rebecca Yarros. She sets things up, and I fall for them every time. I refuse to spoil anything, but she is the queen of page turners and cliffhangers in a series: At the end of book one, I gasped. After book two, I was enraged. Finishing book three, I’m so excited to see where she takes this crazy ride. (No spoilers – but if you haven’t read Iron Flame lately, you have to just accept you won’t remember 83% of names or places and she adds 1700 new ones. Just go along for the ride!)

Format: Audio
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Library Challenge: Fairytale Retelling

I powered through finishing this audio book after crashing from my Onyx Storm high/hangover. There were many elements to this Cinderella story that I enjoyed and found twisty and delightful, but it was very drawn out and lagged in many spots. It was….fine!

January’s Quit List:

DNF @ 8%. On paper, this is a book I would love. I didn’t love it – and that’s okay! It was incredible wordy to the point of being painful. And while I like the idea of curmudgeons, there is a fine line between being aloof/grumpy and being clueless/cold. This is a magical tale for the fans of Eleanor Oliphant, one of my least favorite characters of all time (Heidi ducks).

DNF @ 5%. I went looking for a “fairy tale retelling”, but my face fell staring at the remaining 13 hours of audio book. I’ll admit I didn’t give this one much of a chance, but it failed to hook me in the first hour…so that was enough.

Oofta. The concept was fascinating. I mean, what IF you cloned yourself but then your husband had an affair with the clone and then the clone killed your husband?! I mean, WHAT IF. However, this was way more gore than I expected, told by an emotionless main character. Not my thing, but if you have ever said, “I like Freida McFadden but wish it had more sci-fi elements”, this is a book for you!

Happy Reading in 2025!!

Thanks for coming along on my reading journey this year. Here’s my 2024 wrap up! Y’all, I made it to 144 books this year. Who even am I??
This includes audio and physical books – and my favorite style: hopping back and forth between audio/physical. Books “counted” if they were over 100 pages, but let’s also celebrate all those amazing picture books, graphic novels, books I quit, and internet scrolling. All reading counts!

Disclaimer: The best thing about books is how they can hit so differently from person to person. I have loathed some of my friends’ favorite books. So, these are purely based on vibes and my personal feelings and opinions.
Historical fiction? Grab me a pillow for a nap.
Realistic fiction that requires crying? How dare you.
Super random weirdo humor with a hint of magic? Sign me up.
So if you agree, tell me! If you disagree, fight me! If you are appalled by my choices, MAKE UP YOUR OWN AWARDS.

Here are the 2024 stats.
I read or listened to 144 books this year. And I logged them in a spreadsheet. Because I’m a nerd.

Without further ado, I present: The 2nd Heidi Ann-ual Reading Awards!

Favorite Book of the Year:

Do you remember what it was like to find a book when you were young and innocent and it had just the perfect amount of magic? This is adult fiction, but it will make you feel like a kid enjoying reading again. A girl that loves tea cups, a quest, funny sidekicks, and a magical adventure. Humorous and lovely, I sighed and wanted to hug it when it was over – and that’s my favorite kind of book.

Best Fiction of the Year:

This is probably going to be my most controversial pick. This is a weird book, and I could easily see why some people would hate it. I loved it (see disclaimer above). Every time the character’s husband goes into a magical attic, he disappears and it spits a new husband out. The most suspenseful part of this book was figuring out how in the world the author was going to write her way out of quite the plot pickle.

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
3.) Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
4.) Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5.) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Best Children’s or Middle Grade:

It only took my 12 years to figure out what everyone already knew. This book is a winner, and I forgive it for making me cry.

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) BOB by Wendy Mass
3.) Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
4.) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
5.) The Life of Zarf by Rob Harrel

Best Romance:

Emily Henry made me fall in love with the genre (in all of its cheesy glory). Her latest book delighted me, and the banter was divine.

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) Variation by Rebecca Yarros
3.) A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
4.) The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
5.) This Summer Will be Different by Carley Fortune
6.) Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Best YA

I can’t necessarily recommend this book, but it made me feel feelings and branch out into a different genre/format of book (thanks, library challenge!). I appreciated it for what it was.

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
3.) Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins
4.) The Toll (The Scythe Series) by Neal Shusterman
5.) A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Best Sci-fi/Fantasy

This was the most lovely surprise. Humor, science, suspense. It made me overcome my fear of space books. Good recommendation, Husband!

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) The House in the Cerulean Sea (reread) by TJ Klune
3.) Starter Villain by John Scalzi
4.) The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
5.) Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Best Thriller/Mystery

I will even forgive this book for using one of my least favorite plot lines: increasing suspense using diabetic emergency (eye rolls forever). This was creepy and intense and made me see the appeal of Ruth Ware (after the first book I read was a slight slog).

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
3.) None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Best Nonfiction/Memior

I tip-toe into any book that I read that comes from an “influencer”, but I enjoy following Taylor Wolfe on Instagram and thought it was worth a shot. It climbed up to be one of my favorite audio books of the year.

HONORABLE MENTION:
2.) Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
3.) ADHD is Awesome by Penn and Kim Holderness

That’s a wrap from me. Whew! Feel free to give me suggestions. The library already released its Bingo board, so apparently we just keep reading! Here are my most anticipated books coming out in 2025:

Happy Reading to All in 2025!

After November was a literary drought, December started with a reading sprint! And now I’m back in a lull. Ha! Sometimes this hobby is feast or famine. I’m going to publish my reviews early this month – as the end of the year is busy, and I want to create a year end review! So here’s the lovely gathering of December books.

Physical: 8
Audio: 4
Mix: 1
DNF: 4

Format: Audio (but checked out the book for illustrations)
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5

As the fourth installment in the “One and Only” series, the final book tied everything together and got back to its beautiful roots. The second and third book really jumped the shark and lost the charm of the original, so I was thrilled when this book returned to Ivan’s point of view. It gave a beautiful take on family and parenting, while bringing back the issues of Ivan’s past filled with loss. I almost gave up on the series, but I’m thankful I gave this one a chance. If you loved the first Ivan book, just skip directly to this one.

Format: Physical
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 2.5/5

This wasn’t so much a writer’s “guide” as it was a “series of random pep talks from different people (based on a hashtag) with contradicting advice”. Summary: writing is hard, everyone does it differently, don’t-stop-don’t-give-up. Sooooooo, it was fine but not super helpful.

Format: Audio
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4.25/5

I love when books surprise me. I went into this one with zero expectations and found it available on Libby while in a sci-fi mood. You know it’s a great narrator and decent pacing when I wanted to find an excuse to turn on the audio book. Plus, I did not see the very obvious twist coming, which was a delight in itself. Do you have to overlook some YA cringe and some nonsense time travel logic? Sure. But if you were looking for a solid book containing Six of Crows or Scythe YA vibes sprinkled with time travel, this is a good one. Also, I’m a sucker for an “assemble the heroes” plot line.

Format: Physical
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5

My eldest picked this out to read aloud with me. I wasn’t too excited, which made it even more delightful when we got some actual laugh-out-loud moments and a delightful fairy tale compilation woven into the book. The mix of modern language and fairy tale characters can sometimes be jarring – and watch out for all the plentiful potty humor – but the illustrations and characters were charming. Both boys were ready to cuddle with this one, which made it a winner in my book.

Format: Physical
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
Rating: 3.25/5

This is a fun walk down memory lane if you are a fan of Parks and Recreation. However, the overall execution of the book is pretty weak. It’s a hodge-podge of television history (the best and most interesting parts), memories of the show (cute, but often like looking at someone else’s vacation photos – interesting, but you mostly had to be there), and a memoir of Jim O’Heir’s life (also interesting, but the long tangents and stories seem off topic based on the cover). I wish this was just branded as a Jim O’Heir memoir and completely reorganized. That’s me being a very picky reader.

Format: Audio
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3/5

I went straight to this sequel after a twist ending left me intrigued. However, this follow-up lacked the same charm of the original and got so much more complicated (and not in a good way). It’s bound to happen in time travel plots, but this was….a bit much. Another twist/cliffhanger was dropped at the end of this book, but it was more frustrating than anything. I want to finish the trilogy, but it’s pretty much because I’m invested now and the narrator is great.

Format: Physical
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: 4/5

(Movie Trailer Voice) IN A WORLD…..where people come back to life if they are intentionally killed…..
This was a big premise that reads like a Law & Order episode. Sometimes briefly graphic, murders are used as “reboots” and a missing persons case is solved in a quick 120ish pages or so. I love the way Scalzi rights dialogue and would have great interest in the next installment of this series.

Format: Audio
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Fantasy
Rating: 2.75/5

(Michael Scott Voice) SNIP SNAP SNIP SNAP SNIP SNAP! Do you have ANY IDEA what it does to a person when you go back in time 500000 times?!?!? I finished the series. I needed a bulletin board connecting timelines and characters, but I did not have the energy or determination to think that hard about this. For being super in love, I think the main characters spent about 5 total hours together. This was an engaging series (thanks to the narrator), but I wouldn’t recommend it beyond the first book.

Format: Physical
Genre: Contemporary Romance (of the raunchy variety)
Rating: 4.5/5

Yarros!!! There is something about her writing that makes me devour her books. I’m sure you can pick them apart (definitely not for everybody), but they are quick reads where you can just go along for the ride. This is a second-chance-fake-dating-OOPS-ONE-BED-soap-opera that is over-the-top and more complicated than it needs to be, as 200 pages could easily be chopped out. However, I was stressed enough to peek ahead and it kept me reaching for the book instead of my phone, so that’s a WIN. Ballet dancers and a hot Coast Guard rescue swimmer. What more could you ask for?

Format: Physical
Genre: Comedy/Cartoon
Rating: 4/5

I’m going to count this, because I have read so many pages in the books that I quit that haven’t “counted” – it all balances out, ya know? Anyway, this collection of very short stories and cartoons is completely absurd and random humor. It’s worth reading if you like to laugh at ridiculous things like bears cursing and birds wearing pants.

Format: Physical
Genre: Children’s
Rating: 1/5

Once every decade, I try to like this book. It never works. This might be my least favorite book of all time. I know, I know! I’m an elementary teacher! There’s imagery and a vague ending for discussion! But, alas, I do not enjoy a single second of it. I only read it this year to follow along with my kid’s book club.
“This was a terrible book.” – My sixth grader.
Apparently, it runs in the family! We are with the 50,000 people on Goodreads that missed the point, while 1.1 million people gave it 5 stars. I mean, what’s not to love about a pill to stop sex dreams, graphic baby euthanasia, 1:1 tutoring sessions with a creepy old man, vivid descriptions of the cries of men dying on a battlefield, and a very poorly explained dystopian society? Did I mention the vague ending? What a party!!

Format: Mix of Physical/Audio
Genre: Regency Romance (of the clutching-your-pearls variety)
Rating: 3/5

Sometimes you walk by a book in the library and think WHY NOT?! I knew nothing about this book – other than it was a regency romance (a genre I’ve never tried) and it was turned into a raunchy Netflix show (that I’ve never seen). To my delight, there was a lot of humor and the plot was more interesting than I expected. I adored the first half, but then it really took a turn (big “I can change him!” energy with some problematic/manipulative events). Overall, it was a fun introduction to the genre, and a boost from the audio book made me narrate my own life in the voice of Mrs. Potts for a while.

Format: Physical
Genre: Children’s
Rating: 4/5

Drew Daywalt has some fantastic picture book humor, and it was fun to see it translate into a chapter book. A dog’s POV of misinterpreting everything in the human world is always going to be funny, and the pictures add to the story and charm. It gets a little more complicated than it needs to be, but he does a great job pulling it together. This book was my youngest son’s read-aloud pick, and it was a fun one with many LOL moments.

The December Quit List:

DNF @ 8%: When you know, you know. This character was absolutely miserable, and I did not have hope for it to be “funny and heartwarming” as the blurb promised me. A skim of Goodreads comments confirmed that it was unlikely to improve.

DNF @ 5%: While fascinating, I could tell it was going to bounce around history and locations and give me 1000 names in an audio book. I was not in the mood. It’s not you, it’s me.

DNF @ 6%: Once again, I was just not in the mood for breaking the 4th wall that hard. When books try to be super relatable – YOU DON’T KNOW ME, BOOK. I’m weird.

DNF @ 7% Oh, how I want to love this series. This is – once again – a me problem. I read the series out of order, and then the author gave me this book of short stories that bounced around the timeline. I might come back to it sometime, but I just wasn’t excited to pick it up. Sometimes that’s all you need to know.

Get ready for my end of year awards! The name is still in the works, but it will obviously be the most coveted award that no one knows about. Except for you, dear reader that made it to the end of the blog. You are a champion.

Two. Two books. Two completed books.
It was a rough month for reading. November started as a distracting beast and kicked off a massive reading slump. However, I have a few books started for December and hope to finish the year strong. I only need one more book to tie last year’s record!

Physical: 0
Audio: 0
Mix: 2
DNF: 5 – LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

Format: Mix Audio/Physical (Great Narrator!)
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

My husband recommended this one, and I’m delighted to report that I overcame my fear of space books and absolutely loved this novel. I can’t tell you my favorite parts, because it would ruin all of the charm and twists. This would make a great gateway into science-fiction if you have never dabbled in the genre. I will patiently await the movie – coming not-so-soon (May 2026)!

Format: Physical/Audio Mix
Genre: Contemporary Romance (of the raunchy variety)
Rating: 3.75/5

I promised myself long ago that I would attempt to read any book that made me snort-laugh in a library aisle. Look, this is explicit and stupid – but it’s also pretty charming and follows the rom-com formula without making me completely die of cringe. However, if you read this, you didn’t hear about it from me.

THE QUIT LIST. I gave most of these a serious chance. But if you break up with a book and feel relieved, you have made the correct decision. Onward, friends!

DNF @ 61%
It’s so painful to get 2/3 in a book and have to call it. This novel had a charming premise and a fun buddy road trip plot – until it didn’t. The deep dives into European political fan fic was just too much for me. I tried my best.

DNF @ 31%
She’s 26. He’s 33. They acted like they were 12. While the service dog trainer and single dad plot kept me hanging on for a while, I was so bored. Next!

DNF @ 11%
Once again, this might have been a me problem. At this time, I did not have the stamina for the amount of world building this book required. Plus, it was about a planet with nightmares. I was not in the mood.

DNF @ 32%
I want to like cozy books, but this one was beyond a Hallmark movie. I couldn’t take it anymore. Grumpy/Sunshine in a small town. He’s been heartbroken by a different big city girl – will this one be worth risking his heart? She wants a fresh start – but what could she possibly have to give him? I guess I will never know…

DNF @ 40%. This book was recommended to me, and I understand why! This was totally a timing issue in my brain, and I was not in the mood. But it’s quirky and fun and might make a comeback list in the future. This is a book for people that liked the Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibes but hated Eleanor Oliphant. So if that very specific description hits, this might be for you!

Ready for a new month of reading! I have a couple fun read-aloud books in progress with the boys, so I will have a bit of variety to end the year. Stay tuned!

Physical: 6
Audio: 4
Mix: 4
DNF: 1

In the spirit of Halloween, I decided to go with a zombie reading theme this month. But since I am scared of the horror genre, a zombie theme means that most of the books in October rose from the depths of the DNF list to come back to life. My experiment showed that the timing and format of books truly makes a difference. I’m happy to report that many of the books I was wishy washy on actually passed the second chance test. (To be fair, I only picked books that had a legitimate shot.)

Format: Mix of Audio/Physical
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3/5
October Quest for Redemption: I never quit this book, but I thought about quitting this book. D’oh! So this was a slow-and-steady story, but I finished it!

I picked this book because it falls in the “secret projects” category of Brandon Sanderson novels, and Tress of the Emerald Sea was my favorite book of the YEAR. Unfortunately, this book did not create the same magic in my head. While the premise was fantastic (waking up in a parallel dimension without memories), this trip through a portal was often a slog. There was humor, but it was often based on a recurring joke that got pretty old. The middle part of the book got really in the weeds of world building. It was cute, but it wasn’t the Tress-like delight I was anticipating.

Format: Mix of audio/physical
Genre: Contemporary Romance (rated PG-13 tops)
Rating: 4/5
October Quest for Redemption: Success! I quit this book because of the audio book’s male narrator. Imagine saying the name “Bree” in the skit of SNL’s The Californians over and over. The surfer dude was killing the vibe. Once I got the physical copy from the library, I was able to fly through the book. I’m glad I didn’t give up on it, because the ending picked up into a Hallmark movie style.

Look, this is a contemporary romance that can make adult characters sound like teenage angst. It’s annoying and cavity-inducing from pure sweetness. Sometimes it reads like “OMG YOU GUYS – HE DOESN’T EVEN LIKE ME LIKE THAT”. However, if you are in the mood for a closed-door (but still plenty of tension) rom-com, this will do the trick. It’s a friends-to-lovers banter-filled adorableness that could cut out 200 pages if one of them would shut up and say “I like-you-like-you”. If you need a fast rom-com, it’s not bad.

Format: Physical
Genre: Children’s Fantasy
Rating: 3/5
October Quest for Redemption: I had recently quit another book by this author that was adult fantasy, so I gave her another shot with a children’s book. It was okay.

It had been too long since I did a read aloud with the boys, and this book had a giant cat on it. An obvious pick. However, it took way too long to introduce the reasons for why this cat was magically growing (Spoiler: Just Random Magic). The characters were cute, but the boys lost interest pretty quickly. In fact, I finished it off on my own and summarized it for them. No regrets.

Format: Audio
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
October Quest for Redemption: In a reverse of The Cheat Sheet scenario above, this time I needed to swap out the physical book for the audio.

I will totally admit that I messed up with this series. I quit this book, read the 5th one, and then came back when realized I needed the 4th one completed for it all to make sense. Long story short, this series is super uneven in pacing, filled with a ridiculous amount of characters, and riddled with cliffhangers. It’s like four books have been shuffled together. As much as I should probably drop it all together, I will almost certainly read the next book in the series.

Format: Physical
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.25/5
October Quest for Redemption: I quit another Freida McFadden book this year, but I kept hearing about how much people LOVE her and this book was popping up everywhere. I’m glad I gave her a second chance (but it might be a while before I try again).

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t *that*. I hate to write anything about it, because spoilers would ruin the creepy experience. I raced to finish this book, but I didn’t want to pick it up at the same time. If you want a messed-up-psychological-thriller, this is a good one.

Format: Audio
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 2/5

It’s a book about dreams, and it will put you to sleep. The cover and the summary lured me in, but this was a snooze. I’m all about cozy fantasy low stakes, but this was NO stakes. Seriously, there was no conflict and barely anything happened. I kept waiting for a plot, but it was pretty much only world building. It’s a cool world, but I definitely missed the point.

Format: Physical
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
October Quest for Redemption: Confession time. I had only heard good things about this book, but I absolutely hate the imagery of fish out of water. The cover kept me from a great book for the last 12 years. However, I saw that they were making a movie on Disney+. The trailer was so good that I immediately checked out the book.

Wow. As a fifth grade teacher, I really missed the boat on this book. It pulls of the wonderful feat of representing disabilities and diversity without pandering in a condescending tone. While the ending got a bit far-fetched and obnoxious, the first 75% of this book was amazing. It shows the harsh realities of growing up and being different, while also demonstrating empathy and what happens when people lead with compassion. I loved it and can’t wait until the movie comes out next month.

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: According to Wikipedia – “Tragedy” (Fun!)
Rating: 2.5/5
October Quest for Redemption: I picked this up at a thrift store and have started it at least 4 times. I’m glad to check it off the “classics” list, but it’s not the must-read I thought it would be…

Well, that was….fine? If you like miserable people, lots of fancy words, and the phrase “old sport”, this book is for you! The most hilarious part of this book is that I was unspoiled for a plot that is 99 years old. Hardly anything happens for 100 pages and then it goes off the rails. I am baffled why this is common high school literature, but yay for nerdy English teachers? What a weird little book.

Format: Audio/Physical Mix
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 1.75/5
October Quest for Redemption: I started this book and then got a nasty case of flu-Covid. It ruined the vibe. It did not pass the quest for redemption experiment.

I really wanted to like this book, but I was so annoyed by it. Maybe I need to finally give up on the “senior-citizens-are-quirky-and-above-the-law” genre. It’s obviously not for me. The huge cast and loose ends throughout this book are incredibly frustrating. Throw in random suicides and unlikeable characters, and I’m ready to quit the series. The overall writing was entertaining, but I was relieved when it was over.

Format: Audio
Genre: Mystery-ish Detective-y
Rating: 1.75/5

My sister recently recommended the Apple TV show based off of this book. As I was listening to the audio book, I had the rare thought of “this would actually make a better TV show”. For a novel, it was doing way too much – too many characters, side plots, crass descriptions… While it had some interesting plot twists, it was just plain unpleasant (trigger warning for language, body parts, sex, child death, murder, and more!). It would need the action sequences and Vince Vaughn humor of television to turn this plot around. It was interesting to see what Carl Hiaasen did with adult fiction, but this was too adult for me. Give me Hoot back.

Format: Physical
Genre: Children’s Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It had so many delicious ingredients and the artwork was stunning. However, the characters fizzled and the last 20% was a bit disappointing compared to the amount of effort I had invested into this world. It has many similarities to Narnia or Harry Potter, but it was just frustrating in the end.

Format: Audio
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 3.25/5

This is another book that I wanted to rate much higher, but something was just missing. I used to be a pretty big history nerd, so I found these stories fascinating. The idea of telling the stories of lesser-known characters in history was intriguing and I was very impressed with the research and topics covered. However, it was too much. The organization of this book was so confusing. She jumped around chronologically, connected some stories while abandoning others, and broke the fourth wall with pop culture references and modern slang. I can even tell you who the “twelve unsung Americans” are from the title because SO many characters, events, and tangents were dumped in each chapter. It was overwhelming. Yet, the themes of the past are more than relevant today, and this was a fantastic reminder of how much (recent!) history is overlooked and forgotten.

Format: Physical
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction/Poetry
Rating: 5/5

Wow. This was unexpected. If you would have told me that a book written in free verse – that was also a minefield of bullying, fat shaming, and middle grade triggers – would somehow creep into my top 10 books of the year, I would have laughed in your face. This book was just vulnerable and awful and wonderful. I definitely wouldn’t give this to a young person and walk away, but it would help explain the need to have empathy for others and work as a good conversation starter.

Format: Physical
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 3/5

I enjoy the challenge of reading what my son’s book club is reading, but that doesn’t always mean I enjoy the book, haha. This novel was a boring journey through grief. The characters did eventually grow on me, but – whew – realistic sad fiction is not my jam. And again with the fish cover! Bwahahahaha.

The Quit List

This is a book that might be on the Redemption Quest List for another month. A guy landing on the surface of a planet where the inhabitants have to outrun the sun sounded intriguing. I tried, but I just couldn’t get into it.

I cannot believe it’s November when I post this. Here’s hoping to finishing the year with some real winner books! Happy reading!