In a blink of an eye, the first five days of Blogmas is done, I’m trying to finish each five-day chunk with something to look forward to next year, such as challenges. My reading goal for the year 2024 is going to be more than 50 books. And I’ve chosen two reading challenges to tackle:
Helmet Reading Challenge Helmet is the libraries of Helsinki metropolitan area and they organize a reading challenge yearly with 50 reading prompts. Here you can see this year’s challenge. As of today, they haven’t announced next year’s challenge yet. I shall write a longer post for it when they announce the prompts.
Summerween Reading Challenge I recently heard about this reading challenge, where one reads horror or thrillers or fall-inspired books during summer. But I’m going to make it longer and I came up with 56 reading prompts. I may or may not have already chosen 20 books that hits all of those prompts. I was bored one day, okay? 😀 This reading challenge of mine would also last three months, from June to August. Summer is not my favorite season so I want to feel autumn-y when the heat hits. I shall make a longer post for this when it’s closer to summer.
Tomorrow begins a new theme for the next five days! Stay tuned and merry Blogmas!
Forty-four books in, well on my way to 50, it has truly been a great year when it comes to reading. Most of the books are great, in today’s post, I chose ten of them that were my favorites. Some are new books, some classics. The links of the books will lead to Storygraph website. Go let’s go!
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang “Babel” is the definition of a slow-burn epic fantasy where it’s not about the destination but the journey. I’m not going to lie, the beginning is very slow. But I happened to enjoy the magic system of languages and because I also speak Chinese, it’s all the more rewarding to read “Babel”. About half of the book helped put me squarely in the shoes of the leading character and as his way of life is threatened, I was just as reluctant to see change. That level of immersion is rare for me. And when the end began, it went full speed ahead to a glorious crescendo that left me wrecked. Alas, it was a little rushed but by that point, the ending didn’t really matter to me, I already got one hell of a ride. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
Itby Stephen King After all these years, SK still manages to leave me in awe. His earlier works are more raw and brutal and as always, he doesn’t go easy on children. He put them through a ringer. “It” must be one of his more terrifying stories, because in many ways, this wasn’t scary in the literal sense but it’s the existential dread of growing up and losing control and dreams and powers. “It” was also one of the most heart-breaking and touching stories from SK. One can reduce the book to ‘jumpscares’ and that one controversial chapter, “It” was so much more to me. My rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
I’m Glad My Mom Diedby Jennette McCurdy I highly recommend the audiobook, also read by the author. All I can say is, the book lives up to its provocative title. I’m sure it appeals to all of us who have mommy issues. As it is in my case. I have no words to describe how cathartic it was to hear Jennette’s story. I couldn’t help but cheer her on, and I was so happy for her when she finally found her power. I understood the guilt she felt. I wish Jennette all the success and happiness, she truly deserves it. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
Alone With You in the Etherby Olivie Blake Not gonna lie, I got this book whole because of the beautiful title and the fact that I love bees. And yes, I looooooved the story about bees within this story. I don’t usually consume romance but when they hit, they hit me hard and this was one of those stories that hits me hard. It doesn’t shy away from hardship and senselessness in relationships, even when it’s incredibly painful and this short snapshot of the two main characters’ relationship was painfully joyful to witness. My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Life Ceremonyby Sayaka Murata A weird short story collection filled with memorable and shocking tales with wild and horrific premises but told in a slice-of-life style. I’ve never read anything like this. I’ve read one of Sayaka Murata’s another book ‘Convenience Store Woman’, and it’s safe to say that her voice is one of the most unique out there. I can’t wait to read her other book “Earthlings”. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin First thing first, the cover of this book is absolutely stunning. And the story is just as amazing. I love the game creation stories, it was written so well that it made me want to play those games featured in here. The relationship drama was less interesting than the game making and business building aspects but I still love all of the characters. My rating:.4.75 stars out of 5
Animal Farmby George Orwell I guess it makes sense that it’s a classic. I know the premise and the main plot but I actually don’t know how the story ended. I didn’t expect this exact ending and it surprised me pleasantly. Not because it’s a ‘happy ending’ but it was one of those dark endings that also makes sense in many ways. Makes me want to re-read ‘1984’. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
Godkillerby Hannah Kaner Can’t believe this was a debut novel from Hannah Kaner. As someone who loves big books, I have to admire the way the world was built with vivid colors and darkness and all the contrast in between, in just under 300 pages. I’m so happy that there is going to be sequel coming out next year, and the second book is going to be a bit thicker too. 😀 My rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
The Green Bone Sagaby Fonda Lee I’m still in the middle of book three ‘Jade Legacy’ and judging by the way I was bawling my eyes out last night reading, I just know ‘The Green Bone Saga’ is going to be one of my favorites. The names are very challenging to remember, there are also so many of them but I guess it helped that I read the first one as an audiobook and it helps to hear those names first and get familiar with them. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat I don’t buy cookbooks that often anymore, and I’m planning to get rid of many of my existing cookbooks. And if I can only have one book about cooking left on my shelf, it would be this one. It’s not necessarily a traditional recipe book, it concentrates way more on the techniques and the science behind good cooking. I feel like this would be the book that would elevate my cooking to the next level. My rating: 5 stars out of 5
That’s all, the favorites of the year! That’s it for today. Merry blogmas!
Libby is definitely the best app I’ve found in the longest time and out of all the places I discovered it through a booktuber Elliot Brooks. It’s basically a library app that works worldwide. I used to use the library a lot when I was young and it kinda stopped when I was in college. I haven’t renewed my library card when they updated the system a couple of times. And this year was literally the first time I heard that you can borrow audiobooks and e-books from the library through Libby. I went to my local library to get a new library card and that day, my bookish world just got a whole lot bigger. Initially I was worried that there would only be mostly Finnish books since that’s where I live. And I don’t read in Finnish. But instead, Helsinki Library through Libby provides over 2000 English audiobooks and over 7000 English e-books from all genres. I was in love, I was obsessed. In addition to the enormous selection of both new and old books, Libby must be the best audiobook app I’ve ever used (better than Audiobook.com’s app and Audible). I was so happy to have found it cos I’ve canceled my audiobook subscriptions to save more money. So what are you waiting for? Go get a library card if you don’t already have one and get Libby! 😀
I know I just mentioned that I canceled subscriptions to save money but there is one book subscription that I can’t make myself cancel – and that’s Illumicrate. I’m one of those who might get a book just because the cover is pretty. And Illumicrate produces the prettiest books I’ve ever seen. They also introduced to me authors I didn’t know before and I credit them to be the reason I’m more into fantasy now. In addition to their regular book-only box, I’m also subscribed to their horror-themed book-box and I’m loving it so far. I know there are many of these book subscription boxes out there, and I’m very jealous of those in the US who get to have the Book of the Month.
I must admit, I’m a recovering Kickstater addict. I used to be obsessed with backing random things on Kickstater, and there had been pleasant surprised and bitter disappointment. But one of the things I’m never disappointed with were books on Kickstater. Ever since the explosive success of Brandon Sanderson’s secret projects on Kickstater, an increasing number of authors had taken to the platform to get support for the version of their book that both the author and the fans truly deserve. One of the best collaborators is Wraithmarked Creative, which focuses on fantasy books. I got my copy of ‘The Sword of Kaigen” through a Wraithmarked Creative Kickstater project and I couldn’t be happier. By the time I’ve got to know the story through audiobooks, I couldn’t find a copy of the physical book anymore, less alone a special hardcover edition perfect for collecting since it has become one of my favorite books of all time.
There they are. How I mainly get my books. I don’t buy books that much anymore, maybe a couple of times per year and I mostly get them from an online store called Adlibris since the selection of English books in stores in Finland is not that big. That’s it for today. Merry Blogmas! 😀
Not sure what inspired me to do this but at the middle of February, I decided to attempt to read 50 books again this year. By that point, I was very behind on my reading but I just wanted to try my best and managed to finish three books in the last week of February. This year my unofficial goals are reading more fantasy and reading new (to me) authors. Links below would lead to The Story Graph website that I use primarily to track my reading. So these are the books I finished in January and February of 2023:
A yakuza war story with magic? Count me in! I got the Jade City audiobook a long time ago but only this year that I found my way around to listening to it and it was amazing. I am glad that I started the series with an audiobook cos those names aren’t easy to navigate around on paper. The next two books in the trilogy I purchased in paperbacks and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into them in March and April! My rating: 5/5 stars
Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human by Grant Morrison
In theory, it was an interesting topic, this is not my first book about superheroes and their histories I read but for some reason this one didn’t manage to completely capture my attention. I struggled a bit to finish the audiobook and was glad when it ended. It was just a little messy. My rating: 2/5 stars
I was very interested in the topic as mental health and going to therapists are still taboo subjects in South-East Asia. And also, the title is super catchy. The book is about a dozen therapy sessions between the author and their therapist and in between was mixed with insights about the sessions. I guess it’s a cultural difference cos as someone who grew up around Western cultures, I found this book somewhat unprofessional on the therapist’s part. Let’s just say the therapist made me a little uncomfortable and personally I wasn’t sure how much help they were to the author. The book is a window into mental health issues in Asia, so in that sense, it was interesting even though somewhat frustrating. My rating: 2/5 stars
It’s rare how the hype lives up to reality. I got a stunning edition from Illumicrate and it was a joy to read ‘Babel’. It’s the way Kuang writes about speaking multiple languages and how being fluent in multiple languages can feel magical sometimes. I thoroughly enjoyed the slow build-up and character-building. The world felt so lived in, and Kuang balanced serious subjects such as colonialism and slavery with simple delights such as scones so very well. Kuang managed to make me feel what the main character Robin is feeling and also living in his shoes. I’ve never read anything like Babel and I believe it will remain a unique experience. My rating: 5/5 stars
This horror classic doesn’t need much introduction. I can’t believe it took me that long to get through it the first time. Stephen King is, after all, my favorite author. And ‘It’ didn’t disappoint. I listened to the audiobook version narrated spectacularly by Steven Weber and it was super immersive. Despite all of its gruesomeness and gore, ‘It’ is actually an incredibly beautiful story about the magic that’s childhood and friendship. My rating: 5/5 stars
So here are the books I finished reading in January and February. I’m hoping to finish at least 6 books in March so I can catch up to my reading goal. In order to prevent reading fatigue, I usually read 4-5 books at a time so that if one of the books is bad/boring, I can have palette cleansers. I still am not that good at not finishing bad books, but I am getting better at it! See you back here next month. 🙂
Slap Ass For Motivation 