I used to be one of those people that set a goal of "x" number of books to read in a year. No longer. These days it is more about what I'm reading rather than how much I am reading.

This year instead of considering how many books you are reading in a year consider what it is you are reading and why. Is it time to step out of your reading comfort zone?

November

• Continued slow-read novel: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
• Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis

November Bookish Notes:

• Graphic novels: I've always scoffed at graphic novels. To me they were comic books and comic books were for kids who liked to read about superheroes. In my (perhaps snobby) mind, it was real reading. That didn't change until I was living in Taiwan and a friend introduced me to The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. One of my favorite authors at the time wrote graphic novels? What?!? We together as a group. It was amazing. I was stunned. This month I am branching out to read graphic novels. Takeaway: try something new in your reading life. What do you scoff at? Maybe read that.
• comiXology: Amazon offers a 30 day free trial for comiXology. Perfect if you want to try reading graphic novels but are new to the whole genre.

October

• Continued slow-read novel: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
• Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhan
• Last Days by Adam Neville
• The Hollows by Daniel Church (Anomaly files #1)
• Hydra by Matt Wesolowksi
• The Last One at the Wedding by Matt Wesolowksi

October Bookish Notes:

• October is my favorite: Fall weather, changing leaves, and the general sense of mystery in the air lends itself to curling up with a good book under a cozy blanket (even outside!). This is my month of "Ghostober" reading dedicated to reading scary novels. Except this year, most of the books I got in August to read this month I read before the month even started. It happens. Takeaway: go ahead and read that book - don't wait!
• Busy, busy, busy: I don't know about ya'll but this month was crazy busy for me. So I had to sneak my reading in a lot. There is always time to sneak reading in. You just have to find it. Takeaway: Be sneaky about your reading if you are busy. Read under the radar.
• STILL downloading ebooks like crazy: I still love a good ebook deal and I check for them now daily. I realized this month I am acquiring much more than I might possible be able to read..... I said "might". Takeaway: It's ok to have more than enough to read. It just means you will a) have something that suits every mood and b) never be bored. Ever.
• Picked up a new translation of The Aeneid: Because you can't have enough different translations, right?

September

• Continued slow-read novel: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
• Changling by Matt Wesolowksi
• The Anomaly by Michael Rutger (Anomaly files #1)
• The Possession by Michael Rutger (Anomaly files #2)

September Bookish Notes:

• Reading on the Kindle: Many readers are finding balance between print and digital. The best format is the one that keeps you reading, whether it’s a paperback in your bag or a Kindle in bed. This month I've been favoring reading on the kindle.
• Reading Ahead: If you’re excited about a book, don’t wait for the “right” season. Read what calls to you — now is always the perfect time. Example: I read ahead for all the books I had lined up for "Ghostober" (aka October).
• Home Library Thoughts: A personal library evolves. What earns a permanent spot on our shelves? Books we love, want to read, or want to share? Why keep them when done? Been thinking on these things as my library grows and I feel like I want to "curate" it more.
• Don't ever feel stuck - change it up! Even if you are on a "reading" project don't feel like it is the be-all-end-all. This is my year of reading books already on my bookshelves, but I am reading new books too. Hence, September - all new books!

August

• Started a slow-read novel: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (read Aug 1 - 6)
• Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski (read Aug 2 - 4)
• Hydra by Matt Wesolowski (read towards end August)

August Bookish Notes:

• Downloading ebooks like crazy: I love a good ebook deal and I check for them often. Lately I've been acquiring new ebooks to read. Like a lot. Here are a few that I have recently purchased:
  • The Supernaturals by David L. Goleman,
  • The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt,
  • The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph Henrich,
  • What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (75th Anniversary edition)
  • The Greek Plays: Sixteen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Cosmos by Carl Sagan
  • Six Stories, Hydra, Changeling, and Beast by Matt Wesolowski
  • The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
  • Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • The Complete Romances of Chretien de Troyes
• Gearing up for 'Ghostober'. I seriously LOVE a good scary novel. October is my favorite month to fully indulge in this love (let's be honest, I do any month of the year but fall and October are special). But I'm now on the look-out and as you can see above I have found a few.

July

• Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson (read July 26 - 29)
• The Elegance of Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (read July 12 - 29)
• Bonjour Tristesse by Fançoise Sagan (read July 11)
• Dark Matter by Michelle Paver (read July 5-6)
• The Searcher by Tana French (read July 4)
• finished Moby Dick by Herman Melville (read from May 18 - July 2)

July Bookish Notes:

• Term: "cotton candy" reading: This is a term I use for books that read fast, super fun, but ultimately forgettable (for the most part). There was quite a bit of "cotton candy reading" this month. It's fine as long as it's not the only reading I do. Think about your reading "diet". What kind of nourishment is it?
• Physical books and kindle: I do love physical books. However, my note taking and highlighting abilities on the kindle is quickly becoming a fav - mainly because of how accessible it is on my computer, my phone, my tablet, or the kindle paper white itself. Saves me a lot of time. (I can only imagine that it must be a dream for those people who read for school.)

June

• still reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Then, found a wonderful small hardback version at a small local bookstore.

June Bookish Notes:

• Discovered a local bookstore. When meeting with my friend over coffee to discuss Moby Dick, we walked to a local bookstore. It was one of the best bookstore I've been to in a long time. Lots of beautiful classics! I discovered my new book obsession there (which will remain secret for now). Is there a local bookstore you in your area you haven't not visited yet?
• Multiple copies of a book NOT in translation? I think it's totally fine - especially if it is a great novel.
• It's wonderful to spend a month on one book! Moby Dick is a wonderful novel to slow read during those long and languid hot summer days.
• Classics are better read with a friend. These past two summers I have read "difficult" books with a friend. Last summer it was The Divine Comedy by Dante and this summer, Moby Dick. What is that book you've always been meaning to read? Grab a buddy and read it together!

May

• started Moby Dick by Herman Melville

This mass market paperback was the original copy I purchased because of the gorgeous blue cover. I also picked up a copy of the Norton Critical edition on kindle for the end notes and extras. This was one of those books where that was really helpful.

• Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik (read May 31, 2025)

I saw someone post this novel as their favorite read of the month on X, and the title (plus that cover!) immediately pulled me in. Always on the hunt for a good adventure story, I decided to track it down.

My local Barnes & Noble didn’t have it. Libby didn’t either. But my library came through.

Since I was pausing Moby Dick to let my reading buddy catch up, I dove in - and finished it in a single afternoon.

It was that good.

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

May Bookish Notes:

• It took me six weeks to finish The Way of Kings! When was the last time you dove into a long novel that transports you to another world? Maybe it is time. Summer makes the perfect time for a good long read.
• I freaking love my local library. Free books! When the bookstore doesn't have what you are looking for, sometimes the library does. When was the last time you checked out the library? (pun intended 😁)

April

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (started in April)
• Silence by Shūsaku Endō (this seemed to be the perfect book to read after The Power and the Glory)

April Bookish Notes:

• Books make the best gifts. Make sure they are on your wishlists for others to know what you want! I was gifted several books this month which was so exciting. Books truly are the best gifts! I got another book to add to my growing Penguin Galaxy collection: 2001: A Space Odyssey (honestly, not a book I would normally read but the edition is so cool that I decided to read it), Possession by A.S. Byatt, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.

March

• The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene (this book has been sitting on my shelves since 2019. How do I know that? The purchase receipt was still tucked into the book.)

• Dune by Frank Herbert (read February 24 - March 13 - another one sitting on my shelves for a few years. Liked it. Didn't love it. However, LOVED the Penguin Galaxy edition.)

Those are a few of the reasons I like both of these editions. Penguin Galaxy won (for me) for the size of (smaller width - love that in a hardback novel) and the very cool design. They are both amazing editions though.

March Bookish Notes:

• How do you treat yourself? What do you splurge on? For me, that's books and time in bookstores. I dropped my phone early March and had to go get it repaired. With a free hour and a bookstore right across the way - you know where I was! Could not resist picking up a copy of Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings. Also my inner 12 year old fell in love with this leather-bound copy of Robert Louis Stevensons books - 7 of them.

February

• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (read February 9 - February 23 - another one sitting on my shelves for years. Worth reading.)

• The Martian by Andy Weir (read February 3 - February 7 - and yes, it's been sitting on my shelf for years - waiting to be read) Loved it. 💕👍

February Bookish Notes:

• Think about some books you have read and loved in the past. Are there any you would like to read? I picked up a copy of The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell - finally used a gift card from last year. Read this ages ago - loved it and lost my copy. Got a new one for re-reading soon.
• The new kindle paperwhite is a worthy upgrade. If you own an older kindle and are thinking of upgrading, then the new 2024 Kindle Paperwhite is worth it. (Unless you own an Oasis - keep that one!) After my 10th generation kindle paperwhite stopped working, I thought I would ditch kindle altogether. It's been months but I finally decided to upgrade my Kindle. It is a nice device and I don't regret the decision at all.

January

His Dark Materials trilogy - Phillips Pullman

• The Golden Compass
• The Subtle Knife
• The Amber Spyglass

This Everyman's Library edition of the Phillip Pullman trilogy was a Christmas gift. The entire month (and some of the end of last December) was spent reading it. I want to say I loved it -and I did - yet I did have mixed feelings upon finishing.

January Bookish notes:

• Became a Barnes and Noble member (it was a "thank you" gift for helping someone out). So much for not buying new books this year! 😂
• Ordered a book from Blackwell's for the first time. I read online they ship to the USA - and they do! (for the book I ordered it was free shipping). It will take a few weeks to get here but it is so worth the wait to have the specific UK edition.