Reflecting on February

The Month of February can be describe in one simple word:

FAIL!!!

Yes, it was a month filled with fail for me, both reading wise and some other person goals that I had for myself.  I really need to learn how to stop procrastinating.  It is holding me back in so many areas.


Reviewed in February:

• Leaves by Michael Baron (read and review in February)
• The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson (read in January... Oops)

Read But Not Reviewed in February:

• The Lynching of Louie Sam by Elizabeth Stewart

Yep.  That is right.  I read a grand total of 2 books in February.

FAIL!!!

Started But Not Completed:

• A Piece of Cake: a Memoir by Cupcake Brown
• Love in the Years of Lunacy by Mandy Sayer
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

All three of which I started in February.  

FAIL!!!

Completed Challenges for 2013:

• None

Challenges Still in Process:

• 1% Well Read - Completed 0 out of 10 Books (0%)
• The Pulitzer Project  - Completed 0 out of 5 Books (0%)
• TBR Challenge  - Completed 1 Book
• Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge - Completed 0 out of 10 Books (0%)
• Finishing the Series Reading Challenge  - Completed 0 out of 3 Series (0%)
• 2013 Reading Challenge - Completed 4 out of 50 Books (8%)

Reading Plans for March:

• Finish What I Have Started: 
• A Piece of Cake: a Memoir by Cupcake Brown
• Love in the Years of Lunacy by Mandy Sayer
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
• Finish Review Request:
• Butterfly Winter by W.P. Kinsella
• The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom by Patti Sheehy
• The Water of Sunlightby Eugenia O'Neal
• Maya's Notebook: A Novel  by Isabel Allende
• King of Cuba: A Novel by Cristina Garcia

Yes, I know that is a tall order but I have to do it.

New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed the New Year's festivities last night. 

I had plan to start this post by saying that I would not sign up for any challenges in 2013.  Instead, I would complete the challenges that I failed in 2012.   After seeing everyone else post plans for 2013, I got jealous.  So, I scraped my initial plan and started the search for challenges.

Perpetual Challenges:

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2008 list):

My goal this year (like last year) is to read 10 books.

The Pulitzer Project:

My goal this year is to read 4 books.

New 2013 Challenges:*

What are your reading plans this year?

*List of books for the new challenges to be posted later today.

End Of Year Review

This year has not gone exactly like planned.  The fact is that I haven't completed any of the challenges that I signed up for.  I am kind of disappointed.  But then I realize that I have read more this year than last year.


Top Three Favorite Reads (fiction):

• Farming of The Bones by Edwidge Danticat
• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau

     I find it interesting that while I gave The Keepers of The House the best star ratings (5 stars) but it is number 3 on the list.  When I think about it, while The Keepers of The House, had a high rating The Farming of The Bones is more memorable.  The characters, setting, and writing made it a raise to the top.  With Silver Sparrow,   I think the reason that it is higher on the list than The Keepers of The House is because Jones was not afraid to let the story come to it's natural ending without wrapping up everything in a nice happily ever after bow.

     Just a side note that both Farming of The Bones and Silver Sparrow were books that I picked for my book club Mocha Readers.

Books That Fell Victim to the 20% Rule:

• The Family Business by Carl Weber with Eric Pete
• I'm Only Human After All by Alex Rogers
• The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer

     Out of these three books the one that I, if I had to, most likely try to read again is The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer.  Out of the three it was the most well written and I am sure that after the slow start and character introduction the pace would have picked up.  If I'm Only Human After All was edited more and reworked some it would come in as a close second.  

Completed Challenges in 2012:

• None

     That is right I did not complete a single challenge this year.  Mostly because I slacked off towards the end only completing about 5 books between September and December.  Which sucks and I could have made it work but I was being lazy.  In fact, if I had kept up with my reading schedule like I had planned I would have completed most of the challenges.  

Challenges Run Down:

• 1% Well Read - 0 out of 10 Books (0%) *Perpetual Challenges*
• Unread Book Challenge -5 books *there was no goal so this is not so bad*
• Self-Published Reading Challenge - 4 out of 10 Books (40%) *almost halfway*
• Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge - 1 out of 12 Books (8%) *this should have been an easy one*
• Battle of The Prizes - 1 out of 3 Books (33%) *runs until January 2013 still time to win*
• The Pulitzer Project  - 2 out of 5 Books (40%) *Perpetual Challenges*
• 2012 Reading Challenge - Completed 26 out of 50 Books (51%) 

Reflecting On August

It's the last day in April and time to reflect on what I accomplished in my book reading adventure this month.  April has been by far the best month for me yet.  Nothing earth shattering has happened but I did participate in a Read-a-Thon that did give me an extra need boost in my reading.

Reviewed in August:

• Jessamine by Eugenia O'Neal

Read But Not Reviewed in August:

• The Cursed by LA Banks
• Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now by Toure

Completed Challenges for 2012:

• None

Challenges Still in Process:

• 1% Well Read - Completed 0 out of 10 Books (0%)
• Unread Book Challenge - Completed 5 books
• Self-Published Reading Challenge - Completed 4 out of 10 Books (40%)
• Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge - Completed 1 out of 12 Books (8%)
• Battle of The Prizes - Completed 1 out of 3 Books (33%)
• The Pulitzer Project  - Completed 2 out of 5 Books (40%)
• 2012 Reading Challenge - Completed 19 out of 50 Books (38%)

Reading Plans for September:

• I'm Only Human After All by Alex Rogers
• Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle
• The Darkness by L.A. Banks
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter
• The Shadow Speaker by NNedi Okorafor-Mbachu

Mid-Year Progress

It's July, already.  The time has been going by fast.  The year is half-way over.

Which means I should feeling like this about my challenges:

But I don't.

I am no where near halfway done with my challenges.  None of them.

Challenge Report:

• 1% Well Read - Completed 0 out of 10 Books (0%)
• Unread Book Challenge - Completed 3 books
• Self-Published Reading Challenge - Completed 3 out of 10 Books (30%)
• Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge - Completed 1 out of 12 Books (8%)
• Battle of The Prizes - Completed 0 out of 3 Books (0%)
• The Pulitzer Project  - Completed 0 out of 5 Books (0%)
• 2012 Reading Challenge - Completed 13 out of 50 Books (26%)

The only gain has been in 2012 Reading Challenge and the Self-Published Reading Challenge.  All other challenges are the same.

I am feeling like a bit of an underachiever at the moment.

But I half the year to make up for my slow start.  Right?

My Top Three (so far):

• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - I can't wait to read more of Tayari Jones books.  She has two other books published and I am sure they are just as good.
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - I love how the story of the Great Migration was told through the eyes of the people that lived it.  Wilkerson expertly weaved in historical facts which made The Warmth of Other Suns a favorite.
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - I loved reading the tale about the woman whose cells help in the advancement of modern science.  It's interesting to see the story for both a human stand and scientific stand point.  It helps that Skloot broke the science portion down for the none science nerds. 

Looking Forward Too:

• Read-a-Thons:  Once Upon A Read-a-Thon (July 9th - July 11th) and Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon (August 4th - August 12th)
• Series Completion: I plan to complete The Vampire Huntress Legend by L.A. Banks before the summer is out.  I only have 5 books to go.  Normally, I can blaze through these books in a day or two.  Maybe, they'll be my weekend read.

How have you done so far this year?

Reflecting on April

It's the last day in April and time to reflect on what I accomplished in my book reading adventure this month.  April has been by far the best month for me yet.  Nothing earth shattering has happened but I did participate in a Read-a-Thon that did give me an extra need boost in my reading.

Read & Reviewed in April:

• The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge
• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

Read But Not Reviewed in April:

• The List by J.A. Konrarth (will be post on Wednesday)

Completed Challenges for 2012:

• None

Challenges Still in Process:

• 1% Well Read - Completed 0 out of 10 Books (0%)
• Unread Book Challenge - Completed 3 books
• Self-Published Reading Challenge - Completed 2 out of 10 Books (20%)
• Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge - Completed 2 out of 12 Books (17%)
• Battle of The Prizes - Completed 0 out of 3 Books (0%)
• The Pulitzer Project  - Completed 0 out of 5 Books (0%)
• 2012 Reading Challenge - Completed 8 out of 50 Books (16%)

As you can see, I am behind.  According to Goodreads, I am 7 books behind where I need to be to complete the 2012 Reading Challenge.  I think I will be able to keep up.  I first need to stop requesting books from NetGalley and work on the books that I have already.  Second I need to actually start reading at my scheduled reading time before bed.  I think that is the biggest problem, not sticking to a set reading schedule.

Reading Plans for May:

• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (41% Completed)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Book Club Selection)
• Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman (Review Request by Publisher)
• One Blood by Qwantu Amaru (I requested it from GoodReads)
• The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau (NetGalley
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (for 2 Challenges)

Most likely I won't be able to finish all six books but at least I have a plan.  Right?