Tag: 2021 Retrospectives

Well, November’s numbers here aren’t that impressive—a mere 19 books, with a total of 5,758 pages or the equivalent. Some of those were pretty short books/booklets, too. I knew I was going through books slower than usual all month (still not sure why), but it wasn’t until a saw those numbers that it really hit me. And sure, I know people who’d be happy with 19 books for a year—so the “mere” is mostly tongue-in-cheek (and because I know what my numbers usually are). More importantly, I know that it’s not about the numbers…they’re just very distracting. Oh, the other number, a 3.8 average suggests that those books were good enough to slow down and savor.

Anyway, here’s what happened here in November…

	3		0
	1		0
	4		0
	7		0
	4
		Average =	3.8

“Traditionally” Published: 14
Self-/Independent Published: 5

• Dust & Grim by Chuck Wendig: Fairies and Foxfolk and Florgs, Oh My
• The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Multiverse by K.R.R. Lockhaven: So Preoccupied with Whether They Could, They Didn’t Stop to Think If They Should…
• Pug Actually by Matt Dunn: A Rescue Dog Tries to Return the Favor
• The Glorious Feast of the Gospel by Richard Sibbes: An Entirely Okay Collection of Sermons
• The Appeal by Janice Hallett: You Have Not Read a Mystery Like This Before
• The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan: Nolan Delivers Another Dose of Manc Noir
• Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Audiobook) by Elle Cosimano, Angela Dawe: A Clever Idea, Well Executed
• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman: Laughter, Tears, and a Thrilling Plot. Who Could Ask for More?
• The Ninja Betrayed by Tori Eldridge: Trouble in Hong Kong
• The Word Is Murder (Audiobook) by Anthony Horowitz, Rory Kinnear: A Great Start to an Unique Take on a Holmes/Watson Duo
• Shots Fired by Ian Robinson: The Hunt for a Gun
• All Together Now by Matthew Norman: Robbie Malcolm’s Living Wake
• My Theology: Return from a Distant Country by Alister McGrath
• Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski: A Supersized Fast, Fun, and Bullet-Ridden Adventure
• The Dead House by Harry Bingham: Fiona’s Latest Case Takes Her to the Darkest Places
• Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Case of the Missing Marquess; Dark Arts and a Daiquiri; Breaking Silence; Everything Happens; Based on a True Story: A Memoir; How to Resist Amazon and Why; Nothing Like I Imagined
• Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan: An Overdue Sequel to Verne’s Nemo Stories
• The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stewart: A Quitet, Charming, Quirky, Tragic Tale
• The Morality of God in the Old Testament by G.K. Beale
• The Twelve Monotasks by Thatcher Wine: A Guide to Living a More Focused Life

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th), I also wrote:

• 90s Music Book Tag
• A Few Quick Questions with…K.R.R. Lockhaven
• Opening Lines—Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski
• Book Blogger Hop: Website for Tracking Books?
• A Few Quick Questions with…Nick Kolakowski (2021 edition)
• Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books I haven’t read yet in 2021
• Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Love An Update On
• Thanksgiving 2021
• Thanksgiving Book Tag
• Commenting on The Irresponsible Reader
• WWW Wednesday for November 3, November 10, November 17, and November 24, 2021
• The Friday 56 for 11/5/21 (The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman), 11/12/21 (The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly), 11/19/21 (Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan), and 11/26/21 (All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle).

How was your month?

October in a nutshell: 31 books, 8,079 pages (or the equivalent), 3.5 average—even with more 3 Stars than I’ve had in a dog’s age. All the 3s make me feel better about things, I’ve wondered if I was being too free with 4’s lately. All said, I’m pretty satisfied with this month—I’m terrified by the number of things I haven’t written about, though. I should read some bigger books to help me catch up.

So, here’s what happened here in October 2021.

		rating30

	2		0
	4		1
	6		0
	4		0
	14
		Average =	3.5

“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 19

• Deeper by Dane C. Ortlund : Ends Up a Bit Too Shallow and
• Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner: The Previously Untold Story of Lt. Cmdr. Data’s Stalker
• Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza: Murder Where the Suburbs Meet Utopia
• Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt: Tara Digs Up Trouble for Andy
• It’s a Wonderful Woof by Spencer Quinn: Chet’s on the Search for a Missing PI
• Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Treadstone Exile, Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors, In a Sunburned Country, Pray for Silence
• Tear It Down by Nick Petrie: Things Get Rough for Peter in the Home of the Blues
• What God Has to Say about Our Bodies by Sam Allberry: The Body and the Christian
• Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten: An Apt Title for A Grim Thriller
• Junkyard Bargain (eBook) by Faith Hunter: Sometimes getting what you want is painful
• The Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge: The Ninja Daughter is Back in a Darker Thriller
• Catch-Up Quick Takes: Out of House and Home; Word by Word; Scarface and the Untouchable; Yearbook; Is This Anything?
• The Church: An Introduction by Gregg Allison: Tries to Do Too Much and Falters
• Squirrel Do Bad by Stephen Pastis: The Misadventures of Butterfly Girl
• Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson: A Cheyenne boogeyman, A Recalcitrant Teen Sports Star, and a Wyoming Sheriff
• Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg: Starts Off with a Bang and Doesn’t Let Up
• Abandon All Hope by Scott Spires: A Cynic and an Idealist Stumble Through Life
• The Trinity and the Bible: On Theological Interpretation by Scott R. Swain: A Demanding and Rewarding Look at a Fundamental Doctrine

(and a few things others wrote)

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th), I also wrote:

• Three Bookstores in Three Days
• Book Blogger Hop: Dressing up as a Book Character?
• Happy Birthday, Archie!
• The Warm Glow of Acceptance…
• A Few Quick Questions with…Scott Spires
• WWW Wednesday for October 13, October 20, and October 27, 2021
• The Friday 56 for 10/1/21 (Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson); 10/15/21 (Tear It Down by Nick Petrie); 10/22/21 (The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Multiverse by K.R.R. Lockhaven); 10/29/21 (See Her Die by Melinda Leigh).
• Then I had a special series, Strolling Down Amnesia Lane, and four generous guest-posters contributed to it, I want to list them one more time.
  • An Introduction to This Week’s Series
  • Authorial Aspirations? Not So Much by Robert Germaux
  • 1996: The Year a Book Turned Things Around by K.R.R. Lockhaven
  • Back to the Past by Jeff Quest
  • There’s a Reason I Write by Ian Patrick Robinson
  • A Reader’s Snapshot

What about you, how was your month?

September has come and gone, and what’s happened here? Well, I completed 30 books—8,240 pages (or the equivalent)—with a 3.7 average (thanks to a lot of 5-Star reads). I posted something every day, too. NOt necessarily something good, but something—and that’s a start. I did not accomplish my big goal of the month, which was to finish posting about my 20 Books of Summer books, I’ve got to get going on that (if only so I can read a sequel or two). But basically, it looks like a pretty good month.

I was really looking forward to looking at how far Mt. TBR had shrunk this month—I knew I’d done good work on that front. Annnnnd…it’s exactly the same height—one smaller in Audiobooks and one larger in hardcopy. Maybe in October?

Anywho…now for what happened here in September.

	4		1
	2		1
	10		0
	5		0
	7
		Average =	3.7

“Traditionally” Published: 23
Self-/Independent Published: 7

• Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Authorities; A Man With One of Those Faces; The Vigilante Game; Wild Sign
• The Good Byline by Jill Orr: A Winning, Quirky Mystery That’ll Charm You
• The Person of Christ: An Introduction by Stephen Wellum: Scriptural and Historical Perspectives on Christ
• True Dead by Faith Hunter: Playing the Long Game
• The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing by R.T. Slaywood, R.C. Martinez: For Those Who Are Curious About Writing Worse
• Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg: Who Watches the Watchers? Who Stalks the Stalkers?
• Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry: We Can Trust God Because of His Holiness
• Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter: Reading This Book Aloud Will Fill Your Swear Jar in a Hurry
• How to Slay a Dragon by Cait Stevenson: A Historical Approach to Major Fantasy Tropes
• Headphones and Heartaches by Wesley Parker: Sweet, Honest, Heartbreaking, and Heartwarming
• The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck: A Modern Classic Worth Its Weight in Gold
• Meadowlark by Greg Ruth, Ethan Hawke: A Gritty Father-Son Story
• 10 Reasons You Should Read When Sorrows Come (& And With Reveling) by Seanan McGuire
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino is a thing that I read
• The Path of Faith by Brandon D. Crowe: Covenant and Law for Believers from Genesis to Revelation
• The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles: I Think this is the Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
• The Case of the Missing Firefly by Chris McDonald: A Locked-Island Mystery
• The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Second Verse, Pretty Much Same as the First (and that’s okay)
• The Vinyl Detective: The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel: A Bit of a Sophomore Slump, but Still Charmingly Fun

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th), I also wrote:

• Book Blogger Hop: Synopsis vs. Cover
• The Irresponsible Reader Rambles about His Library Card
• Book Blogger Hop: “Traditionally” vs. Self-Pub/Indie
  
• WWW Wednesday for September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22, and September 29.
• The Friday 56 for 9/3/21 (The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel), 9/10/21 (Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza), and 9/17/21 (Headphones and Heartaches by Wesley Parker).

How was your month?

I don’t think I’ve ever been this delayed at assembling and posting one of these since I started, but it’s been that kind of week. It looks like June was a pretty good month overall. I finished 26 books, 8,102 (or the equivalent) pages, with an average rating of 3.8. Nothing to complain about there, is there?

Compiling this was a strange experience—a combination of “I read that in June? It feels longer ago” and “How have I not written about that yet?” (a couple of times about the same book). My “to write about” list is getting truly terrifying, and I need to address that somehow. But that’s my issue. I think September is going to be all door-stopper novels just to give me the opportunity to catch up (I’d do it in July, but…well, I’ve got that 20 Books Challenge).

The other thing that jumped out at me this morning was that my charting of the books I buy and haven’t read hasn’t really helped the problem a whole lot—I’d figured seeing that chart once a month would be a push I need. Looking at my plans for the month, I think July’s should be interesting, though.

This introduction has gone on longer than it should have, so on with the show—here’s what happened here in June.

	2		0
	2		0
	14 (!!)		0
	3		0
	5
		Average =	3.86

“Traditionally” Published: 19
Self-/Independent Published: 7

• Not Awkward by Matthew Hanover: Moving On by Looking Back
• Runaway Train by Lee Matthew Goldberg: It’s Just Easier than Dealing with the Pain
• The Christian’s True Identity by Jonathan Landry Cruse: An Introduction to the Glory that is Being “In Him”
• Morte Point by Rob Parker: Things Go From Worse to Worse to Much Worse for Bracken
• Creature Feature (Audiobook) by Steven Paul Leiva, Seamus Dever, and Juliana Dever:A 1950s Monster Movie Comes to Life in a 1960s Midwest Town
• On God and Christ by Gregory of Nazianzus: Classic, Orthodox, Passionate
• Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison: Cincy’s New Boss Vampire has Rachel on the Ropes
• Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald: Adam and Colin Look into an Activist’s Death
• A Good Kill by John McMahon: Crimes New and Old Rock a Small City
• I Have Mostly Good Things to Say about The Mostly Invisible Boy by A.J. Vanderhorst
• What Happens When We Worship by Jonathan Landry Cruse: An Introduction To or Gentle Reminder of The Supernatural Event of Worship
• The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton: A Sequel Stronger than its Predecessor—a Real Treat for Fans.
• The Penny Black by Rob Parker: Ben Bracken Takes a Breather (for a bit)
• 99 Poems to Cure Whatever’s Wrong with You or Create The Problems You Need by Sam Pink: The Cartoon Continues
• The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton: Fox and O’Hare are on the Hunt for Nazi Gold
• Death in Adam, Life in Christ: The Doctrine of Imputation by J. V. Fesko: Careful Words on an Important Topic
• Till Morning is Nigh by Rob Parker: It’s Not Quite the Employee Party in Nakatomi Plaza, But It’s Close
• Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt: Man Defends Dog, Andy Carpenter Defends Man

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (for the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th), I also wrote:

• The Last 10 Books Tag
• As Close as I get to a “Review Policy”
• A Few Quick Questions…with John McMahon
• WWW Wednesday for June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23, and June 30, 2021
• The Friday 56 for 6/4/21 (Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal) and 6/25/21 (Till Morning is Nigh by Rob Parker).

That’s my June in a nutshell—how was your month?

May 2021 saw me complete 22 books for 6,238+ pages or the equivalent (I don’t have a page count on one of the unpublished books yet, and there as a DNF in there, too, so that’s where the + comes in). Not my strongest month, but given things going on in Real Life, I’m pleased with that. 3.5 Average Stars—read a couple of let-downs, and a decent number of books that were good, but not great. Which is fine with me, viva le 3 Stars! (and a couple of things blew me away, too—not going to complain about that!)

I posted something every single day in May—a feat I haven’t accomplished in years. Sure, some of the posts were a little on the lame side, but I still feel like I accomplished something there. Not a solid month, but it could’ve been worse, I’m satisfied.

So, here’s what happened here in May.

		DNF

	3		2
	1		1
	3		0
	5		0
	7
		Average =	3.5

Incremental decrease! I’ll take it 🙂

“Traditionally” Published: 13
Self-/Independent Published: 9

• The Word Became Fresh by Dale Ralph Davis: Principles for Old Testament Reading “For Fun and Profit”
• Dead Secret by Noelle Holten: Maggie Has to Juggle Several Balls at Once—Can She Keep it Up AND Catch a Killer?
• Below Zero (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler: Joe Pickett’s 9th Adventure is Almost Impossible to Believe
• Red Widow by Alma Katsu: This Realistic Spy Thriller Just Missed the Mark
• Surviving Religion 101 by Michael J. Kruger: Letters to a Christian College Sudent
• A Wanted Man by Rob Parker: Meet Ben Bracken
• The Writer’s Library by Nancy Pearl & Jeff Schwager (Audiobook) Was Just Painful to Listen To: DNFed
• A Tale of Wonderful Whiffs by Sophie Loosveldt, Isabella Croker (Illustrator): Secret Agent Pug? A Spy *for* the House of Love?
• In Medias Res: A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)
• Goodbye to the Sun by Jonathan Nevair: Broken People and Broken Worlds Hope for a Better Future
• I have a hard time shutting up about Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan
• The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson: A Jaw-Dropping Debut
• A Quick Look at the Wonderful The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)
• R. C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen J. Nichols: The Life and Work of Robert Charles Sproul

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th), I also wrote:

• Down the TBR Hole (29 of 30)
• Coming Attractions: NetGalley and Sequels
• Down the TBR Hole (30 of 30): Wrapping Up
• Nero Wolfe on Taxes
• A Few Quick Questions with…Jonathan Nevair
• Towel Day ’21: Do You Know Where Your Towel Is?
• Towel Day ’21: Some of my favorite Adams lines . . .
• One of These Things is Not Like the Other…
• How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read? (Blogiversary ruminations)
• 20 Books of Summer 2021
• WWW Wednesday for May 5, May 12, May 19, and May 26, 2021
• The Friday 56 for 5/7/21 (A Wanted Man by Rob Parker), 5/14/21(The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson, 5/21/21 (Morte Point by Rob Parker), and 5/28/21 (The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton.

How was your month?

April 2021 is in the books (no pun intended): 24 books read, 8046 pages finished (1273 of those belonged to project reads that have taken months to get through, so there’s a grain of salt or two involved in that number) with 3.9 Stars on average. I wrote almost as much as I wanted to, especially these last couple of weeks. All in all, I’m calling April a win.

So, here’s what happened here in April.

	Still deciding

	2		0
	3		0
	5		0
	5		0
	9
		Average =	3.9

Despite what progress I make on reading these this year, I seem to offset that with my purchases.

“Traditionally” Published: 20
Self-/Independent Published: 4

• Small Talk by Robert Germaux: A Fledgling Task Force on the Hunt for a Serial Killer on the Streets of Pittsburgh
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVIII., iv. – vii.
• Drop the Mikes by Duncan MacMaster: The Scrawny, Geeky, Jessica Fletcher-esque Kirby Baxter find Trouble in a Caribbean Paradise
• Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh: A Fast, Addictive Introduction to a New Series
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVIII., viii. – xi.
• The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King: Don’t Make Him Angry. You Won’t Like Him When He’s Angry
• Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury, Tom Clavin: A Look at Dream Come Truers
• Because You’re Mine by Luna Miller, Ludvig Christensen Parment (Translator): Another Missing Person Case for Gunvor Ström and Friends
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVIII., xii. – Chapter the last.
• Robert B. Parker’s Payback by Mike Lupica: Sunny Does Some Dangerous Favors for Some Dear Friends
• The Particulars of Peter by Kelly Conaboy: Adventures of a Woman Obsessed with her Dog
• Blood Trail (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler: Who Hunts the Hunters?
• Prodigal Storm by Kate Sheeran Swed: The Toccata System Trilogy Wraps Things Up Satisfactorily and Entertainingly
• Tom Jones (1989) Director’s Cut
• Grace and Glory by Geerhardus Vos (Banner of Truth Edition): A Fantastic Sermon Collection
• The Art of Violence by S. J. Rozan: Bill Smith is Hired to Prove His Client IS a Murderer
• A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White was A Pretty Decent Space Opera That I Should’ve Liked More Than I Did
• Quick Take Catch Ups: Strange Planet; Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead; Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore; Paper: Paging Through History

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I also wrote:

• A Few Quick Questions with…Robert Germaux
• Down the TBR Hole (25 of 29+)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Book Titles That Sound Like They Could Be Crayola Crayon Colors
• Down the TBR Hole (26 of 29+)
• Just a Spoonful of Sugar—Non-Fiction to Smile With and Learn From—(Revised and Updated)
• Down the TBR Hole (27 of 29+)
• Down the TBR Hole (28 of 29+)
• These Dog Days Aren’t Over—(Revised and Updated)
• Fridays with the Foundling: Wrapping Things Up—This long journey is finally at its end!
• WWW Wednesday for April 7, April 21, and April 28.
• The Friday 56 for 4/2/21 (Prodigal Storm by Kate Sheeran Swed), 4/9/21 (Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh, 4/16/21 (A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White), 4/21/21 (Dead Secret by Noelle Holten).

How was your month?

So February’s numbers were a 3.85 Star Average over 21 books with 5161 pages (or the equivalent) finished. Which is 4 more books (even if one of them was just a Picture Book, so I should probably say 3 more) and 120 fewer pages than January. Ten more review-ish posts, too. Not bad for a shorter month.

What progress I made on Mt. TBR was wrecked in the last week—but hopefully, March will help me recover. I’m really working on that this year, I’m hoping to get that pile whittled down by December.

So, here’s what happened here in February:

	2		0
	0		1
	8		0
	5		0
	5
		Average =	3.85

“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 9

• White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton: A Broken Family is at the Center of a Battle for A City
• Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire: The Sixth Wayward Children Novel is a Let-Down
• Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby: Entertaining. Stunning. Devastating.
• Fake by Roz Kay: 3 Horrible Husbands, 3 Wives Who Deserve Better and One Disastrous Dinner Party
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XV., vii. – x.
• The Trinity: An Introduction by Scott R. Swain: A Brief but Deep Study
• Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins: Spenser Battles Mortality, An Old Foe, and a Sex-Trafficking Ring.
• Parting Shadows by Kate Sherran Swed: Vengeance, A Heartbroken AI and some Bad Parenting Characterize this SF Novella
• In This Bright Future (Audiobook) by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson: A Stranger in a Strange Land
• A Few Thoughts about Forged by Benedict Jacka
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XV., xi. – BOOK XVI., ii.
• Smoke by Joe Ide: What Happens When Isaiah Quintabe Leaves LA?
• A Two-Fer: Twenty Palaces and Child of Fire (Audiobooks) by Harry Connolly and Daniel Thomas May
• Chasing the Pain by Matthew Iden: A Missing Addict (or two), a Missing Friend, and the Ex-Cop Out to Find Them
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVI., iii. – vi.
• Phantom Song by Kate Sheeran Swed: Cyborgs, a Vigilante, and an Opera Star in a Solid Follow Up Novella
• Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney, Kathryn Durst (Illus.): 4 Grandkids and their Grandude Take a Magical Journey Away from Boredom and Rain
• Oh, That Shotgun Sky by Sarah Chorn: “The old way died. Now, everything’s different.”
• The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds: A Wonderfully Ridiculous Adventure
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: Well, I Know What I Want My Retirement to Look Like
• Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline: A Very 80s Sequel (IOW, Wholly Unnecessary and Completely Inevitable)
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVI., vii. – x.
• Rebels and Exiles by Matthew S. Harmon: Sin, Its Consequences, and Restoration Through Redemptive History

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th), I also wrote:

• These Dog Days Aren’t Over
• Down the TBR Hole (20 of 24+)
• Down the TBR Hole (21 of 24+)
• A Few Quick Questions with…Matthew Iden
• WWW Wednesday for February 3, February 10, February 17, and February 24, 2021.
• The Friday 56 for 2/5/21 (Parting Shadows by Kate Sheeran Swed), 2/12/21 (Phantom Song by Kate Sheeran Swed), 2/19/21 (The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds), and 2/26/21 (The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman).

How was your month?

2021 got off to a slow start for me—17 books down, 5,281 pages (or the equivalent). But it’s a good start, with 3.8 average rating.

I really dislike the way it sounds like I’m whinging at the beginning of these posts lately. But 13 lousy review-ish posts? That’s just not good. Still, it’s better than last Fall, and the only way to go from here is up, right? Also, this isn’t my job, it’s not like anything bad is going to happen if I don’t keep up (Right? Right? Please tell me I’m right…)

I’m looking forward to the books I know I’m going to read in February, and to those I’m hoping to get to, too. I hope to be chippier on March 1.

Anyway, here’s what happened here in January.

	1		0
	2		0
	7		0
	4		0
	3
		Average =	3.8

(yes, this looks much worse, I recounted at the beginning the year, and things are a bit more accurate—I’m not sure where the E-Books got quite so off, but…man, that’s an intimidating number)

“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 5

• Persons of Interest (Audiobook) by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson: DC Smith’s Tie to a Murder Victim Leads to a different Twisty Case
• Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich: Stephanie’s Discontented but Provides Readers with the Best Book in Years
• Free Fire (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler: Pickett’s on the Case in a Prosecution-Free Zone
• The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello by Chris McDonald: A Cozy Mystery for People who Don’t Read Cozies
• Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten: A Desperate DC Races to Save Her Friend’s Life
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XIV., v. – viii.
• We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen: A Super-Powered Thief and Vigilante Together Could Be Extraordinary
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XIV., ix. – BOOK XV., ii.
• Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund: An Encouraging Look at the Heart of Christ
• The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick: I Struggle to Adequately Describe this Stunning Fantasy Novel
• The Salvage Crew (Audiobook) by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Nathan Fillion: A Unusual Tale of Artificial Intelligence, Cascading Failure, and Poetry
• The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XV., iii. – vi.
• Wake of the Bloody Angel (Audiobook) by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki: A Search for A Needle in a Very Wet Haystack

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th), I also wrote:

• The Irresponsible Reader in 2020: Thoughts, Thanks and Stats
• My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books, Non-Fiction Books, Audiobooks, Non-Crime Fiction, and Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2020
• The New Year Book Tag
• 2021 Reading Challenges
• Down the TBR Hole (18 of 24+)
• Down the TBR Hole (19 of 24+)
• WWW Wednesday for January 6, January 13, January 20, and January 27, 2021.
• The Friday 56 for 1/1/21 (Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten), 1/15/21 (Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire), and 1/29/21 (Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby).

How was your month?

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay, with some minor edits by me.