Hobbies

Happy New Year, book readers! Last year I read 63 of 50 books. I should yitch that goal up a bit, but I don’t want to stretch all the way to 60 because then it’ll seem like an assignment or chore. Let’s do 55.

My biggest obstacle to reading is my addictive tendency toward phone games. I will download a game that’s supposed to be “casual” and play it until my eyes bleed.
I recently downloaded Wordscapes which SEEMS all peaceful until Friday, when you get dumped into a weekly tournament with 49 other people for fake coins. I’m genetically disposed to be a competitive asshole (ask anyone who loves me) so I bang away at this game rather than read. And during the week I bang away at the game to earn fake coins so I can redeem them for clues so I can win the weekly tournament. I’m THISCLOSE to uninstalling Wordscapes.
I did come in 5th out of 50 people last night. It’s not first, but I’ll accepta top 10% placement.

Other “casual” games I have uninstalled because I become obsessed:

• Words with Friends
• HQ Trivia (I downloaded and immediately realized what I was getting into)
• All Candy Crush games
• Bejeweled
• I Love Hue
• 2048
• Pyramid Solitaire
• Cooking Fever
• Diner Dash (yes, a second cooking time-management game)
• and let’s not forget Farmville, a game I spent actual real life dollars on.

If I stay away from the games, I’ll hit that 55 book goal easy.

Onto the books! I use the Goodreads system to rate books, which is:

• One star: did not like it
• Two stars: it was ok
• Three stars: liked it
• Four stars: really liked it
• Five stars: it was amazing

December was light because I was either baking, wrapping, socializing, or sleeping. I finished only 2 books since last post.

Eric (Discworld #9) — by Terry Pratchett
My slow crawl through this series continues with the long-awaited return of THE LUGGAGE from the dungeon dimension it was stuck in 4 books prior. Oh, and Rincewind the Wizard too. Eric, a thirteen year old dabbling in demonology, summons Rincewind back to the Disc and demands 3 wishes: to be the ruler of the world, to meet the most beautiful woman in history, and to live forever. You can’t always get what you want, Eric.

Four stars. Of course it’s delightful! In retrospect I should have given it three stars because I had to look up some of the details. I never take stars back though, even if the author is dead.

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating — Christina Lauren
This hold came along surprisingly quickly. So many people have loved it on the previous linkups that I jumped on it. It’s a romcom wrapped up in a book. Josh Im and Hazel Bradford knew each other in college. When they meet again in their mid twenties, they KNOW they would never be compatible, so they instead focus on becoming best friends and trying to hook each other up with great blind dates.

Four stars because the hot parts were hot and the shmoopy parts made me smile. I probably would have given it five stars if not for the REALLY CONTRIVED plot point that should have at least warranted a conversation between Josh and Hazel.

Currently reading: Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life — Emily Nagoski

I might have to physically hit up a library this week because I’m far down the list on every ebook hold. And the next one up is SQPR: A History of Ancient Rome and … I’m not sure if I want to read 600+ pages on Rome.

All of my book lists and reviews are on Goodreads.

This a part of the Show us Your Books linkup from Jana Says and Life According to Steph. If you want to read more bloggers gush about the books they’ve read this month, click the button below and have fun!

What are you reading?

Previously:
2018
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

Being December 30, and past the midpoint of Sloth Week, it’s as good a time as any to summarize this year’s reading. I have 2 books in progress, one of which will be done by the end of the year (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating) and one that I’m taking it slowly with because it requires thinking and introspection (Come As You Are).

But as of today I have read 63 books of my 50 book goal. Huzzah – this is my best year yet! (For reading. Not so good for non-sedentary hobbies.) I might increase next year’s goal to 60 books, but I feel like this is my personal sweet spot for reading.

My five-star books were:

• Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup – John Carreyrou
• The Wedding Date – Jasmine Guillory
• This Must Be the Place – Maggie O’Farrell
• Behold the Dreamers – Imbolo Mbue
• The Queen of Hearts – Kimmery Martin
• Song of Solomon – Toni Morrison
• The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient, #1) – Helen Hoang
• The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin
• A Thousand Mornings – Mary Oliver

Look at all those women and women of color! While I’m not ONLY reading those authors, I’m trying to keep a good mix. Many of these books were culled from book podcasts and others’ reading lists.

Here is the full list of books, rated high to low, although I never rate a book one star, I just don’t finish it.

I’m still reading mostly eBooks, because it’s so much easier to carry my Kindle on the train than a giant library book that I’m trying not to damage. The downside is that my physical library trips have been low. I know, I’m never happy.

Click here to see my Goodreads 2018 year in review.

This post is part of the special year-end Show Us Your Books Linkup hosted by Jana of Jana Says and Steph of Life According to Steph. It’s just pretty late. 🙂