Another year done. Another year lost(ish) to the plague that never ends. But at least we had books.

Ordinarily, I do a whole breakdown of stats for what I read this year, but all I could muster this time was fiction vs. nonfiction (69 vs. 16) and men vs. women authors (32 vs. 53). I know I read from a diverse population of authors, including a good amount of BIPOC, so that’s exciting. There were also three DNFs (Sophomores, The Promise, Dream Girl). The rest though? Doesn’t matter. Just like the fact that I will have finished 86 books by the end of this year doesn’t matter (I’m still working through one as I’m writing this, but will finish by the end of the year).

Of note: I decided I’m not participating in the Goodreads challenge next year. I think I’m going to still track my books using the app (paper and pen was my next choice but let’s face it, I’m forgetful and I’d lose track) but on a shelf I create rather than the challenge itself. I don’t think I like what that challenge has done.

People seem to feel more focused on hitting an arbitrary target or goal than focusing on the act of reading itself. Which, honestly, is the point. Reading to read. Not to have another metric by which to compare yourself to others. I’ve said it a dozen times – reading is not a competitive sport and I partly blame the Goodreads challenge for turning it into one. So I’m opting out.

I think there are a few other aspects of reading I’m a little disenchanted with, particularly around social media and I’m also considering muting or unfollowing a good amount of bookish IG and Twitter accounts. I miss when reading was just about the books. It’s so focused on pretty pictures and reviews and book hauls and it’s overwhelming at this point. I don’t mind some of the posts; I think I just follow too many accounts and it’s starting to make me unhappy. So it needs to go.

All of that said, here are my lists of yearly favorites. There were a lot of great books I read, but for one reason or another, these resonated with me more than others. Are they the best books I read? Maybe not. But they were my favorites.

OK. Now let’s see what your favorite books of the year were. Bloggers, link up below. Nonbloggers, leave a comment with a couple of your favorites. It’s also important that you visit my co-host Steph and some others joining us. And don’t forget that the Show Us Your Books fun will continue into 2022, with the first one on January 11.

Well, this one just snuck up on us, didn’t it? Hard to believe four weeks have passed since we last met but yet here were are.

Today, however, is special because it’s Lizzy’s gotcha day. Four years have gone by since my favorite girl was rescued from a puppy mill (the day before her 5th birthday!) and came into my life. She is genuinely the sweetest dog I’ve ever known, and I could (and probably should) write a whole tribute to her but for now, just enjoy a picture of her face:

And now, books.

I think I read six books. That’s what Goodreads tells me anyway. They were good – not great – books (except for one), but nothing I wouldn’t not recommend. Wouldn’t put them high on the list, either.

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. This is a weird workplace book that takes place entirely in Slack conversations. If you have not used Slack, you might be less entertained but if you have, you’ll get it. It’s actually pretty funny and the ending was definitely a surprise. What I liked most was how different the story was told, and there were some unique elements to it (like Slackbot taking over a person’s body), but in the end it’s another workplace book.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris. Speaking of workplace books, this is another one (not sure what was up with that theme this month). I liked this one a lot, particularly the mystery-ish elements to it, but some parts went on for way too long and I got a little glossy-eyed reading it. It does make some excellent points on race, workplace diversity, and performative allyship, and she is a good writer. Jus be prepared for a little bit of a slog at times if you pick this one up.

Off Season by Jennifer Weiner. Yet another work-related plot. This was a short story, part of that whole Cape Cod summer series she’s been writing, and it was more thrillery than what she usually does. I liked it, and it was a very enjoyable short story. Kind of wished it was a little longer but not too much longer because parts were really fucked up and I’m not sure how much more I could take. And that’s coming from me. I have a high threshold for fucked up.

The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt. So I gave this 3.5 stars but now that I’m sitting here trying to review it, I can’t remember a damn thing about this book. I guess I liked it but I couldn’t tell you why. ETA: I read the plot summary and it sort of made a lightbulb go off. It was kind of a run-of-the-mill thriller and I suppose it made sense to set it in Appalachia but it probably could have worked well in almost any setting. It makes a good vacation read.

Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America by Gigi Georges. I loved the premise of this book, but the execution was for shit. I don’t know how to write about it without sounding like a huge asshole myself, but it felt voyueristic rather than anything else. She almost seemed to romanticize or glamorize the poverty and hardships that these girls experienced, mostly so she could showcase how idyllic where they live is. I’m not explaining it well, but something about the book just didn’t sit right with me. That said, I did find myself invested in what happened to the girls so there’s that.

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson. The final book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy and it delivered. Such a great ending to the series. Even if you don’t love YA, I highly recommend this book (and the previous two) because they could have worked just as well as adult thrillers.

Currently reading Godspeed by Nickolas Butler.

Now it’s your turn to link up and show us your books! Bloggers, drop a link below and nonbloggers (or anyone who didn’t write a post), share in the comments what you’re reading. Don’t forget to visit Steph and some other bloggers for even more recommendations, and mark down December 14 for the next one and December 30 (a Thursday!) for our yearly favorites linkup.

What’s that song that goes “second verse, same as the first. A little bit louder and a little bit worse”? I feel like that’s every month since March 2020, with this past month being extra because Texas. Sigh. Since this is about books, I don’t want to go into how fucking horrendous and horrific what Texas has done actually is on so many levels, and if you think it’s truly about abortion, I don’t know what to say and this isn’t the forum to discuss it. But I’ll say this – agree to disagree.

Moving on.

Last month, I read a bunch of books. I think it’s around 9. Quit on one, Dream Girl by Laura Lippman. It was decidedly not a dream. More of a nightmare and I quickly put it in the trash pile next to Ron DeSantis’s humanity.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore. I learned about this one on Twitter, and it’s from the same author as Long Bright River. I liked that book more, but this one is quite good. About an orphaned girl trying to piece together her father’s life, it’s heartwrenching and lovely and well written but also a little tedious at times.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. This book was good but not necessarily GOOD. It was fun, enjoyable, a little weird, and even with the occasional anti-Semitism, it’s a solid pass the time on a weekend read.

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson. I found this book to be a good thriller but also a serious wreck. It was kind of a mess at times but super solid at others. I loved Eight Perfect Murders and I recommend that one instead. I’m not quite ready to give up on Swanson but if this is the first one his you plan to read, prepare for disappointment.

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster. Another good but not great book. I liked the story a lot, it dealt with some pretty relevant themes, and the writing was good. It started off really strong, tapered off, and then came back around. There was a twist that wasn’t really a twist, and it keeps you engaged, but it’s not that big of a shock. It’s kind of easy to figure out, really, although it does keep you hooked.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. Deserving of all the good reviews. I read this right after the Swanson book and THIS is how you do a domestic-type thriller. Fast read, super solid plot and I finished it in about a day.

False Witness by Karin Slaughter. Meh. Yet another 3.5-star read. It started out awful. Just awful, and that doesn’t even include the unnecessary shitting on cheerleaders. But it picked up and got way better. Especially the end. I liked when it ended. And how it ended. However, if you read it, note that she really loves to drive home the fact that this takes place during COVID (it’s super tedious to read) and like many stand-along Slaughter books, it deals with a host of triggering topics (sexual abuse, drug use, rape).

Write My Name Across the Sky by Barbara O’Neal. Not quite as great as When We Believed in Mermaids, but probably the best one I read this month. It centered on family, loss, love, friendship – all the things. She put it together around a creative and engagingly written plot and I definitely need to read more of her books at some point.

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. This book is HARD to read. I mean, she’s a great writer, but it’s not an easy read at all. Imagine if season 4 of The Wire were a book. It’s that difficult. The timelines get a little muddy and hard to follow at times, though, but it’s worth figuring it out because this book will punch you right in the stomach.

Dead of Winter by Stephen Mack Jones. This is the third book in a series and according to Goodreads, I read the first one and gave it four stars but I have no recollection of reading it at all. This one works as a standalone so you don’t have to have read the first one for this book to work. Which it sort of does. Sometimes. It’s fine. Not great, not bad. Mediocre. Not must-see TV.

Currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

Now it’s your turn. Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers, and don’t forget to join us on October 12 for the SEVENTH anniversary of Show Us Your Books. I’m not quite sure how we’ve been doing this for seven years. Crazy.

Happy day after world book lovers day! We didn’t plan it, but sometimes it’s nice when things work out that way.

My reading was a bit slower this month compared to last month. That’s something I used to get upset over but I’ve stopped doing that. Reading is supposed to be fun, not a pressure-filled activity, and if I only read 5 books in a month, why should I think that’s not enough? It is enough. One book would be enough.

I’m starting to sound like Dayenu (my fellow Jews know what I mean) so I’m going to stop now and move on to my recap:

Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin. If you are triggered by books about Alzheimer’s, don’t read this one because it’s basically the focus of the story and everything that happens, happens in the context of it. However, despite the heavy nature of the book, it’s quirky at times but also emotional and sad and heartbreaking. It’s a family drama that also feels like it’s just about one person, and if you’d prefer to read something light and fun, pass on this. It is not that.

Buses Are a Comin’: Memoir of a Freedom Rider by Charles Person. This book is exactly what the title says. The memoir from a man who was on the very first freedom ride. It is excellent, it is a must-read, and I cannot recommend it enough. The writing isn’t perfect, but it is worth it.

Hide In Place by Emilya Naymark. A perfectly fine, acceptable thriller. It feels like it could have been a little more developed in places, and it would make a good TV show given the nature of the varying plot points, but as far as a book goes, it was a decent way to pass the time.

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott. I don’t know a good way to describe this book. At its core, it’s about being Black in America. On its surface, it’s about publishing and money and sex and relationships and family and it’s all set during an author’s book tour (and concurrent emotional breakdown) with the news of a shooting constantly playing in the background. I liked it a lot, but it was weird at times.

Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls by Jax Miller. I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and remembered listening to a podcast episode about the case so I got the book from the library. It’s a fascinating case and the author definitely got way too absorbed in it (think Michelle McNamara) and she definitely overwriters at times BUT. I’m glad I read it. There are so many facets to what happened and while there are answers, there are so many more questions. That said, if you pick this up and find you can’t handle her writing (I almost DNF but kept going because the case is so interesting), let me know and I’ll recommend some podcast episodes instead.

TL; DR: Buses Are a Comin’ is my must-read for the month. If you like true crime, you’ll like Hell in the Heartland and the others are dependent entirely upon your taste and mood.

Currently reading: The Unseen World by Liz Moore.

Now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit the on-vacation Steph and some other bloggers on the list for some excellent recommendations. And mark September 14 for the next one (it’s 5 weeks instead of 4).

This post is coming to you straight out of my 11-day vacation, which was great, but it made me completely forget how to function as an actual person with responsibilities and a job. For real, I spent 30 minutes trying to log into our system at work, couldn’t, and thought I’d been fired. Turns out, it was the wrong URL. So that’s fun.

I do, however, recommend taking 11 days off if you ever have the change (fought back the urge to quote Alanis in that sentence). It gives you the chance to relax, nap, watch TV, visit places if you’re into that, and also, read books. I had set an ambitious goal of 11 books in 11 days, but I only got to 8.5. Still respectable, and I’m fine with that.

Given the fact that I read so many books and I have to leave soon to take my daughter to cheer practice (because time management is one of those things I have forgotten how to do), here are my abbreviated reviews:

Abundance by Jakob Guanzon. A solid, well-written read, and a look into addiction, poverty, homelessness, reintegrating into society after prison, and a host of other topics that do not make for a light story. But still very good.

Yearbook by Seth Rogen. I love him, I’ve loved him since Freaks and Geeks, and this book is super funny. If you’re not a fan of his humor or movies, or if references to drugs and sex bother you, it’s probably not the right choice. Side note, he makes a lot of references to being Jewish, to which I relate, and I think that definitely made this book funnier to me.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. Excellent, excellent, excellent. I loved Blacktop Wasteland, this book was equally as good. It’s violent and deals with some (read: a lot) homophobia (it’s actually central to the plot) so it’s not easy, but OMG. If you want a copy of the book, let me know and I’ll send you mine because I also have it from NetGalley.

Death in Mud Lick by Eric Eyre. A novel version of his reporting on pill mills in West Virginia, how they destroyed towns and lives, and how they were left unchecked despite regulatory agencies knowing what was happening. He’s a great reporter, the book was fascinating.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I loved this book, but the first 50 or so pages are a slog so if you want to read it, be aware of that. I don’t want to say too much because it’ll give too much away. Just know that it’s interesting, different, and the ending is great. (Admin note: Everything from this book to the end of the post was part of my vacation challenge)

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter. Meh. It was fine. Historical fiction, which usually isn’t my jam, but it was a decent read. Not worth the months I had to wait to get it, though.

Slow Burner by Laura Lippman, Buried by Jeffrey Deaver, and Let Her Be by Lisa Unger. I’m lumping these together because they’re all part of the Hush collection on Amazon. It’s a good series, much better than Forward, it’s kind of rooted in #MeToo, but the stories are dark and twisted, and I’ll probably read all the rest. Maybe even Ruth Ware’s.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris. Another meh. I feel like all of her books are the same. Like, literally the same book just with different character names and settings. They’re getting quite boring. Got this one from NetGalley.

Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney. Third NetGalley book of the month, but this one is OLD. However, it was exponentially better than The Therapist, and while it’s certainly flawed, she wrote a truly contemptible character, a solid plot, and a satisfying ending.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner. Wasn’t 100% sure what I was expecting with this one, but it wasn’t what I got. In a good way, though. This was probably one of my favorite books of the month and it’s definitely one of her best. I’m not surprised she delved into the #MeToo space, given how vocal she is, but what turned out was a great story.

TL; DR: I read a lot of books last month. That Summer, Razorblade Tears, and the Hush collection were my favorites. Yearbook and The Plot are also on the top of the list. B.A. Paris is boring. Think I’m stopping reading her books.

Currently reading: Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich

Now it’s your turn. Link up and show us your books! Non-bloggers, leave your recent reads in the comments. And don’t forget to visit my cohost Steph and some of the other bloggers and mark your calendars for August 10 for the next one.