Tag: TBR

Mid-Month Check In

~ In Libris Speramus ~ Leave a comment
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It’s the middle of December and I have a monthly check in post going up? Why, yes, I do!

I’ve already finished most of my December reading goals, which is honestly very surprising. It helps that I had a lot of graphic novels on my TBR, but I only have two (two and a half?) books left to earn a gold star for the month. I finished both The Plastic Magician and Ghostly, which were in progress at the time I published my end of the year reading list. I’ve also read all of the graphic novels on that list, and even added in a middle grade book that wasn’t originally on it. I’m currently making my way through The Sisters of the Winter Wood quite quickly, which only leaves me with MCSI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation and Plato and a Platypus. None of this includes books I read or finished before I made my end of the year reading list, either. I’m not sure if anything I read this month will garner a full review from me, but at the very least I’ll give a rundown of my feelings at the end of the month.

I also went and did some exploring around my city this past week. I’m hoping to start a series about local bookstores, so I mapped out an adventure for myself in one area of the city that has a number of bookstores within walking distance. I got to check out two brand-new-to-me bookstores and the physical location of a third that was a vendor at a book event a friend and I attended earlier this month. I’d like to write about the bookstores in twos or threes and – as long as they’re inside city limits – keep them within an easy walking distance of each other. Eventually, I know I’ll want to talk about the amazing bookstores that are not in Philadelphia proper, but there are still so many in Philadelphia for me to check out. And, with any luck, I’ll be able to do some bonus posts about bookstores in other states (and countries!) in the following year.

Does anyone else have exciting goals and ideas for 2019 already spinning away in the hamster wheel? New Years and its resolutions are fast approaching!

End of the Year Reading List – 2018

~ In Libris Speramus ~ Leave a comment

2018 has been flying by for me! Does anyone else feel like it’s still the beginning of the year, and not actually December? This has been a busy year and I’ve neglected a lot of hobbies while trying to balance work, classes, family, friends, travel, and 1,000 other things. Unfortunately, time for blogging was the first thing to be reallocated to other areas. But, as an early resolution for 2019, I’m bringing the blog back to life.

We’ll start simple, though. I have several post ideas that I’ve been kicking around, but they need more time for me to really flesh out before they land on the internet forever. Today, I’m just going to talk a bit about the books I want to read or finish reading by the time New Years Eve rolls around.

Currently Reading

  • The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
    • This is set in the same world as The Paper Magician trilogy, but seemingly long after the events for the third book. Holmberg did write in a brief cameo of the Mgs. Thane, and I believe that Alvie’s love interest’s teacher is the Folder that Ceony tested under in the third book. I’m about 50% of the way through The Plastic Magician and really enjoying that the tone is very different from the original trilogy.
  • Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories edited by Audrey Niffenegger
    • I’ve been picking my way through this since October, but would like to finish it before the end of the year.
  • Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
    • As someone with a BA in Philosophy, I was already aware that philosophers have the worst sense of humor before picking this up, and my opinion hasn’t changed since. I’ve been slowly making my way through this book since July. I’m finding that it’s a very shallow primer on various schools of thought and it isn’t doing a great job of either granting an understanding nor being funny. I’m probably going to be reading this well into 2019.

Want To Read

  • Tank Girl: Bad Wind Rising by Alan Martin, Illustrated by Rufus Dayglo
    • I’m making my way through the reboots of Tank Girl, in no particular order. I re-read The Gifting last month and already owned Bad Wind Rising, so despite being published a number of years later, Bad Wind Rising is next up.
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: The Crucible by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Illustrated by Robert Hack
    • I’d like to read this before I watch the Netflix adaptation. Also, dark Sabrina makes me happy.
  • Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose
    • Did you guys know Bourdain wrote a comic series? I didn’t know this, and was floored to find it at an indie bookshop here in Philly.
  • Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker, Illustrated by Julia Scheele
    • I can’t wait to get started on this. I’ve had Queer on my wishlist for several months and bought it at the same bookshop I found Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts.
  • MCSI: Magical Crime Scene Investigation edited by Michelle Stengel
    • This is a collection of 18 urban fantasy crime stories that I helped back on Kickstarter earlier this year. It’d be nice to read what I helped fund, wouldn’t it?
  • The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
    • Rossner is an Israeli author and her characters are Jewish; it’s also currently Chanukah and I think it would be nice to read a book with Jewish characters during the holiday.

A lot of people around the internet are coming up with their end of the year reading lists, so if you have one, please feel free to share!