How's your reading so far? Projects, challenges, joys?

Here's mine:

June

  • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (May 5 - June 26) - This was the summer reading book with my friend. Last year we read Moby Dick and before that Dante's Divine Comedy. We had another person join us for the summer reading. However, whereas the previous years took all summer this one took no time at all. I almost finished it in days but had to pause for the others to start. It was a good read. Strange and bizarre. I juggled two translations but the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation had great notes. My only concern was why are all the women naked in this novel? Really.
  • The September House by Carissa Orlando (June 24-25) - Although I enjoyed this book, I didn't absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, it was good. The discussion with the author at the end was good and made me have a better appreciation for what she did differently in this haunted house novel.
  • Widow's Point by Richard Chizmar and W. H. Chizmar (June 26-30, 2026) - This was the first book in a long, long time that gave me the creeps while reading it at night. So much so that I had to put it down and wait until the sun was up to finish reading. I am discovering that I really like books that have found footage or include different formats - such as including e-mails, articles, text messages, etc., to tell the story. Also, I am a sucker for books about ghost hunters who walk into situations that are way more than they were bargaining for.
  • Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge (February 22 - June 30) - This was a book I started back in February and wanted to finish. My AI "assistant" recommended this read to me. Otherwise, I would never have discovered this on my own. AI for the win this time. I enjoyed it. It was different. My discovery of Kindle's 'Recap' feature came in real handy here.

June Reading Note(s)

It was quite a busy month. It was also the month that featured Prime Week, so I did get a huge Kindle book haul this month. I'm talking literally 30 new books. I probably buy more books for my Kindle than I have time to read in this lifetime. I know I am not the only one who has this issue!

May

  • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (May 5 - June 26) -This was this year’s summer reading book with my reading buddy. (Buddies, actually, since we had another person join us this year.) I started this novel but then had to put it down so that my reading group could catch up.
  • Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig (May 24 - ?) - I was craving a scary October read in May. I had this novel on my Nook. Yes, I have two ereaders. No, I did not finish it.

May Reading Note(s)

This month was very, very busy and I didn't have a lot of time for reading like I would like.

The most exciting book I got this month, and I got it as a physical book, a Kindle book, and an audiobook on Audible, was The Odyssey by Daniel Mendelsohn. I was at B&N to spend a gift card that was given to me when I saw it had come out in paperback. The Kindle version I got on sale for $1.99 and the Audible I just used a credit. With the newer translation of The Aeneid and now this one, I feel another Epic, Epic Poetry Project may be happening, but in a new and different way.

April

  • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman (Oct 8, 2025 - April 23, 2026) - I finished!!!!!!!! So good. It is my hope to write about this experience soon.
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl by Mattt Dinniman (April 2-3, 2026) - This book was SO MUCH FUN and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Told my brother about it and within a week he was on book 3, I kid you not. It's that good.
  • The Four Horsemen: the conversation that sparked an atheist revolution. with Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett (April 10, 2025) - I think at this point I’ve revisited this conversation several times, mostly by audiobook, and watched it on YouTube once. (You can watch part 1 here and Part 2 here.) It might surprise you to know I don’t consider myself atheist and have been religious for most of the past ten years. However, I always like to question everything and reserve the right to change my mind about anything.
  • How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe (March 16 - April 1, 2026) - Highly recommend if this books is on your radar.

April Reading Note(s)

Wow, this month was awesome reading-wise.

I finally finished Don Quixote, which felt bittersweet after spending so much time with it. I also continued reading a fascinating book on astrophysics and decided to intentionally branch out beyond my usual comfort zone. On a whim, I picked up a completely different kind of book and was surprised by how FUN it was.

Also, for my birthday this month, my brother gave me the Loeb Classics edition of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. I was so excited I immediately started crying (happy tears) upon opening them. (He totally did not expect that reaction, lol!) Books always make the best gifts!

More than anything, this month reminded me how much reading can expand the world. Life felt bigger, brighter, and more interesting because of the books I chose to read.

So, my fellow readers and book lovers: step outside your comfort zone sometimes. You never know what book might change you.

March

  • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman (Oct 8, 2025 - yes, I'm still reading)
  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Mar 15-28) - Been on my kindle bookshelf for years now. Only read because someone wanted me to go see the movie with them. I have a rule that I want to read the book first if possible. So I read this first.
  • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Mar 14) - quick read just for fun. Read in an afternoon.
  • A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James (Mar 29- Mar 30) - (Nope for this one!) Quick read. Read in two days.

March Reading Note(s)

I love reading books before seeing the movie. However, Project Hail Mary was kind of 'meh'. I wonder if the movie will actually be better than the book....? A Box Full of Darkness? Nope.

Still reading DQ. Got to the end of Part 1 this month and it felt like it was finished. I suddenly really missed Don Quixote and Sancho Panza! Apparently, when this book first came out, Part One was published first - so that is why it felt like a natural ending. So glad there is a Part Two.

I realize that I don't really add my non-fiction reads (except for last month's book by Carl Sagan). Thinking of changing this.

February

  • The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan (Jan 31 - Feb 3) - A re-read. So good! I think everyone should read this book. It's that good.
  • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman (Oct 8, 2025 - still reading)

February Reading Note(s)

Started a whole bunch of different books and finished few. And that is okay. There is no set way to be a reader. Sometimes you are reading just one book and sometimes you are all over the place. Either way, as long as you are reading books!

January

  • Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (Jan. 10) - A gift a friend mailed to me. Yep - read in one day. Totally captivating. It's been a while since I've gotten lost in a novel the same way I did when I was a child, but this is that kind of novel.
  • Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis (Jan. 2 - Jan. 9)
  • Cries from the Lost World by Kathleen O'Neal Gear (Jan. 23 - Jan. 25) - This was a book I saw stuck in-between two larger books at the bookstore. It was a small mass market paperback nestled between two large trade paperbacks. I found the title on the spine interesting and I love mass market sizes. So I pulled it off the shelf and read what it was about and got it on a whim. It was fun and I enjoyed it!
  • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman (Oct 8, 2025 - still reading)

January Reading Note(s)

Definitely read outside of my normal reading zones this month. It was great. Don't forget to go outside of your normal reading zones every once in a while.