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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2018

This August, I had a bit of a slow reading month. I’m usually able to read a lot in the summer because as a teacher, I’m off work. However, my husband and I spent over half the month travelling, and I tend to read far less when I’m away on vacation. This month, I read 6 books. A Court of Mist and Fury was quite long, so just finishing that was an accomplishment I think!

Here it is, my August Wrap-Up!

I also read Precious Cargo, which I left in New Brunswick for my mom. I actually read Crazy Rich Asians in July, but I read it as an audiobook so I couldn’t picture it for my July Wrap-Up and ended up buying a physical copy this month!

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Precious Cargo – Craig Davidson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J. Maas ⭐⭐⭐⭐
P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Princess Saves Herself in This One – Amanda Lovelace ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
China Rich Girlfriend – Kevin Kwan ⭐⭐⭐⭐

That comes in at a total of 6 books 🙂

Did I Meet My TBR Expectations?

I set a giant August TBR, which I planned to mood read from. Then, I ended up having to make an Indigo order for a textbook for one of my grad school courses. Naturally, once the order came, I was more interested in those new books than in the ones I had put on my TBR. I also didn’t read as many books as I’d hoped, but that was mostly due to travelling, not motivation, thankfully.

The Unread Shelf Project 2018 July Challenge

Over at theunreadshelf, the July challenge was to have your friends on Bookstagram choose your first read of the month. The votes were overwhelmingly for A Court of Mist and Fury. I decided to finish reading The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, which I started at the end of July, first. Then I dove straight into ACOMAF!

Notable Reads This Month

Overall, my favourite book of this month was The Princess Saves Herself in This One. I always have a soft spot in my heart for poetry books, especially ones as creative and unique as this one. Shoutout to Precious Cargo for being awesome and for being CanLit.

As for ratings, they were all pretty great!

What’s Next?

I started grad school this week and it was also back to work (school). Things are quite busy, so I’m not sure how much reading I’ll get done. We’ll see!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2018

This July, I had my second best reading month of 2018 (and probably ever). In January, my best reading month, I read 23 books. This month, I read 21 hard copy books, and 1 audiobook!

Goodreads tells me that I’ve read 86 books so far this year. That’s 78% of my total target of 110 books for the year. Last year, my target was 100 books and I read 105, which is why I set my target at 110 this year. It’s looking like I’m going to smash everything out of the park! However, I am starting grad school in September so I have literally zero expectations for the last four months of this year.

So, here it is, my July Wrap-Up!

The 21 physical books I read. The audiobook was Crazy Rich Asians.

Crossroads and the Dominion of Four – C. Toni Graham  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Vile Village – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Marrow Thieves – Cherie Dimaline ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Hostile Hospital – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Carnivorous Carnival – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Slippery Slope – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Grim Grotto – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Penultimate Peril – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The End – Lemony Snicket ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The End of Oz – Danielle Paige ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Legendary – Stephanie Garber ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stars Above – Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Traitor to the Throne – Alwyn Hamilton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ten Thousand Skies Above You – Claudia Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All the Bright Places – Jennifer Niven ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Diamond in the Window – Jane Langton ⭐⭐⭐
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hero at the Fall – Alwyn Hamilton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crazy Rich Asians (audiobook) – Kevin Kwan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Swing in the Summerhouse – Jane Langton ⭐⭐⭐
The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Astonishing Stereoscope – Jane Langton ⭐⭐⭐

Again, that’s a total of 22 books!

Did I Meet My TBR Expectations?

I actually didn’t set a TBR this month. From March – June this year I really slumped, so I decided just to mood read for July. I have to say, it went pretty well for me! But I’m definitely getting back on the TBR train for August. That will be my next post!

The Unread Shelf Project 2018 July Challenge

Over at theunreadshelf, the July challenge was called “Finish That Series.” I have a ton of unfinished series on my unread shelf, so I took that challenge to heart. The result was that only three books that I read this month were not a part of a series!

Notable Reads This Month

Overall, my favourite books of this month were Hero at the Fall, Legendary, and The Marrow Thieves. Shoutout to The Marrow Thieves for being awesome CanLit. I met Cherie Dimaline because she did an author talk at my work, and she’s rad. Plus, shoutout to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for being really unique and creative, because I loved reading about Riggs’ project with the found photos that inspired the story.

As for ratings, this month was quite high!

What’s Next?

I’m off work for August just like I was for July, so I’m setting myself an ambitious TBR. I’m also planning to continue catching up on reviews, so look out for those on here!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2018

My January Wrap-Up was probably my most amazing ever, and February had a lot to live up to. I ended up reading 13 3/4 books, which doesn’t come close to January’s 23. However, the month did have 3 fewer days and no weeks off work like I had in January. Either way, I’m still proud of reading more than my target of 10 books per month, because it means that I’m still on pace to achieve my 2018 reading goal of 110 books!

So, here it is, my February Wrap-Up!

Descender Volume 5 – Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saga Volume 8 – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mirror in the Sky – Aditi Khorana ⭐⭐
I’ll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In a Dark, Dark, Wood – Ruth Ware ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Darker Shade of Magic – V. E. Schwab ⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – E. L. Konigsburg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fairest – Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Winter – Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Child Finder – Rene Denfeld ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Sisters Brothers – Patrick DeWitt ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This book I didn’t quite finish, hence the 3/4).

Again, that’s a total of 13 3/4 books!

Did I Meet My TBR Expectations?

I once again didn’t read everything I had planned to. I didn’t get around to posting a February TBR here on the blog, but I did post a photo of it on Bookstagram, so here it is:

I put 17 books on my TBR and ended up reading 8 of them, so it was pretty good I think! I’ve started really enjoying setting a huge TBR not only to see if I can meet a big goal, but also because I like to have a lot of choices so that I can pick my next read by mood. It’s worked well for me so far.

The Unread Shelf Project 2018 February Challenge

Over at theunreadshelf, the February challenge was to look into the diversity of your unread shelf. I discovered, unsurprisingly, that most of the books I own, and the books on my unread shelf, are by white people. I hope to make it a focus to read more diversely in the future!

Notable Reads This Month

Overall, my favourite books of this month were Winter and I’ll Give You the Sun. Shoutout to The Invention of Wings for also being awesome and for being the second book by Monk Kidd that I’ve absolutely loved (I’m looking at you, The Secret Life of Bees). Shoutout also to The Child Finder for being absolutely haunting.

As for ratings, this month was a pretty mixed bag as well!

What’s Next?

I’m hoping to be back on the blogging train pretty solidly for the next couple of weeks, so expect some reviews ASAP! Plus, I’m headed to Cuba for the last week of March with my mom and I’ll have little to no internet access, so I’ve got to be ultra productive before I go! Hopefully, on April 1st when I get home, I’ll be posting an even more impressive wrap-up than I did in January, thanks to my two-week Spring Break away from work!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: January 2018

In December my wrap-up was pretty impressive. I read 15 books, which I think was a record for me. Consider that record smashed, in fact, annihilated, this January. Again, I had a week off work just like I did in December, which helped. I also participated in my first read-a-thon, and several of the books were poetry anthologies, but I’m still very proud of coming in hot with 23 books read in the first month of 2018.

Without further ado, here’s my January Wrap-Up! Kicking ass and taking names!

Harry Potter: A History of Magic – The British Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Journey Through A History of Magic – British Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Caraval  – Stephanie Garber ⭐⭐⭐
Rebel of the Sands – Alwyn Hamilton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chasers of the Light – Tyler Knott Gregson ⭐⭐⭐
Our Numbered Days – Neil Hilborn ⭐⭐⭐
Helium – Rudy Francisco ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown ⭐⭐
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World – Debbie Tung ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Graduate – Charles Webb ⭐⭐
Depression & Other Magic Tricks – Sabrina Benaim ⭐⭐⭐
Adultolescence – Gabbie Hanna ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just Little Things – Nancy Vu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry – Neil deGrasse Tyson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
whiskey words & a shovel volume I – R. H. Sin ⭐⭐⭐⭐
whiskey words & a shovel volumes II-III – R. H. Sin ⭐⭐⭐
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Commonwealth – Ann Patchett ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sara J.  Maas ⭐⭐⭐
Lily and the Octopus – Steven Rowley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In total, that’s 23 books! Also, I didn’t read everything I’d planned, as usual (see my January TBR). However, I did read far more books than I expected!

2018 Challenge:

This year I’ve set my Goodreads reading challenge goal to 110 books, 10 more than last year’s 100, which I beat by 5.

Overall, my favourite books of this month were Station Eleven and The Hate U Give. Shoutout to Lily and the Octopus for also being awesome and making me ugly cry.

Compared to last month, this one was a bit of a mixed bag as far as how much I enjoyed everything I read. It’s doing my string of 5-star reviews some good!

Stay tuned for some upcoming reviews, and finally, happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: December 2017

I’m pretty proud of my wrap-up for this month! I was off work for a week of it, which helped. I just love the holiday season – guilt-free reading at its best!

Without further ado, here’s my December Wrap-Up! I totally destroyed this month!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander – J. K. Rowling, Illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J. K. Rowling, Illustrated by Jim Kay ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Doug the Pug – Leslie Mosier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steal Like An Artist – Austin Kleon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Renegades – Marissa Meyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wonder – R. J. Palacio ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Warcross – Marie Lu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Turtles All the Way Down – John Green ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Columbine – Dave Cullen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everything Is Illuminated – Jonathan Safran Foer ⭐️⭐️⭐️
the sun and her flowers – rupi kaur ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Silver Chair – C. S. Lewis ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Battle – C. S. Lewis ⭐️⭐️⭐️

That’s 15 books! I didn’t read everything I’d planned (see my December TBR). However, I only planned to read 12 and ended up reading 15, so I’m proud of that.

2017 Challenge Wrap-Up:

I beat my Goodreads reading challenge goal of 100 books by 5, for a total of 105 books! If you’re interested in the Goodreads reading goal I’ve set for 2018, you can check out my upcoming January TBR post!

My favourite book of this month was Turtles All the Way Down, but I also read some other books in December that made my honourable mentions list for 2017. They are Renegades, the sun and her flowers, The Smell of Other People’s Houses, and Warcross! I also highly recommend the illustrated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it’s just gorgeous. It’s also updated from the original edition, and is quite funny.

As usual, I enjoyed almost all of what I read, but this month in particular seems to have been the month of the 5-star review. You win some, you lose some.

My next posts will be my review of Wonder, and then my January TBR so stay tuned to find out my 2018 reading goal and what I plan to read this month!

– Paperback Patronus