Picture by plastAnka
We’re passed the halfway mark for the year! I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. The kids’ last day of school was just a few weeks ago and I’m already looking ahead at back-to-school sales! *sigh* I’m also at a crossroads right now. I have the opportunity to take my first break in three years from school next semester but I have no idea how I want to spend that time. So while I’m trying to figure it out before the start of the new semester next month, I decide to reflect on my reading so far this year and also what I want to read this month.
My stats:
So far this year I’ve read 165 books which translates to 18, 755 pages.
Half of the books I read were children’s books which graphic novels coming in at second.
47 of the books I read this year received a 5 out of 5 rating from me.
My longest read was American Gods by Neil Gaiman at 672 pages.
Five of my favorite reads of the year include Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin, Fables vol. 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham, Walking on Water by Derrick Jensen (non-fiction), Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack, and Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. Looking at those five makes me realize that I haven’t reviewed any of them yet. That’s another thing to add to my to-do list.
There’s so much going on this month that I’m thinking about participating in a few events including:
Orange July. Every January and July Jill celebrates the Orange Prize by hosting Orange January/July. I have two books that were nominated for the prize so I’m in.
NetGalley Month. Emily over at Red House Books is declaring July Netgalley Month. She’s trying to get participants to read as many unread books in their NetGalley queue as possible.
NaBloPoMo. National Blog Posting Month goes on every month and every month I swear I’m going to join but haven’t. I’m jumping in! I’m really going to try my best to post something every day this month, which is why this post is going up so late in the day.
Last but not least: what I’m hoping to read this month. As usual, the stack is a little unbelievable but if I can read most of the books then that’s one shelf of tbr books read.
- House Made of Dawn – M. Scott Momaday
- Bird in a Box – Andrea Davis Pinkney
- Trail of Crumbs – Kim Sunee
- The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives – Lola Shoneyin
- Culture is Our Weapon – Patrick Neate and Damian Platt
- A Man and a Woman and a Man – Savyon Liebrecht
- A Reason to Believe -Deval Patrick
- The Greatest Music Stories Never Told – Rick Beyer
- French Leave – Anna Gavalda
- The Realm of Hungry Spirits – Lorraine Lopez
- Sugar in My Bowl – Erica Jong
- Quarantine by Rahul Mehta
- Redeemers by Enrique Krauze
- The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee
- Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (re-read)
- The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
- Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton
- Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
- Transparency by Frances Hwang
- The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah
- Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
- The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
- The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow
- The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
- The Heart of a Samurai by Margo Preus
Insane right? My stacks are a great combination of ARCs, books I’ve received as gifts, library reads, and impulse buys that I really should read. I think I can do it but I can’t slack off. I need a challenge right now so my summer geography class, reading this stack, and blogging every day will be it.
What are your plans for July?
Sounds like you have a busy month planned….just the way I like it! I have an insane pile of books that I want to read this month as well. And I seem to just keep checking more books out of the library….it is an addiction I tell you
Good luck!
Insane, maybe, but I bet you can do it. I mean, we do love this ‘job’ of reading right? Also, good luck on your NaBloPoMo posts for July. And, don’t even talk to me about Back to School sales; I can’t stand the thought right now! Too much to do doing nothing.
165 books is a ton! I really need to get my act together. My reading has been slow as of late.
My July goals are as huge as yours are. I have Lone Ranger on my July list too. Good luck with your monster pile.
It sounds like you are all ready for July! I’m taking the month of August as my own Read My Own Books month. If you are interested, I would love the company. Of course, it means getting ahead on review copies, but I’m looking forward to finally reading some of the books that have been on my shelf for ages! Enjoy your reading this month! That is a great stack of books.
NetGalley month is something I should do as well, except not this month. I’m doing Orange July as well, and am so excited about it. I’ll also be reading Baba Segi’s Wives!
Book insanity is good insanity!
FYI, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks but I finally got your Anya’s Ghost sent off today. Should be there soon.
I like the sound of Net Galley month. I really may need to join this one and read as many as I can. I can’t believe your kids are off already, We have another three weeks before we finish.
Wow! That’s some stack of books you have there! =) Enjoy your Orange July – and so glad you’re participating!
You are insane with your goals. I’m just hoping to keep up a nice reading pace I’ve got going after some slow months. I have netgalley reads and Amazon Vine books that I am looking forward to.
Good Luck!
I also loved Please Look After Mom, and am so glad that you found it to be so wonderful as well. Your stats are certainly impressive and I admire the fact that you have already read 165 books! I can’t even come close! I also admire your stack for the upcoming month. It looks like you have some great reading ahead!
You can do it Vasilly! Go you!
I’ve only read 4 from your piles, but I’ve got a couple others on my TBR list.
cool! good luck with National blog, I might do it one month…..maybe
Forty-seven five star books??? I’m jealous! I’ve only read two.
Good luck getting through your stack! Many of them look fairly short, so I’m confident you can read most of them!
Wow, you’re having a great year in books!
Your half year beats my full year! I can’t believe you’re up to Fables 15. I just reviewed Fables 5, but I am loving the GNs. Thanks to you and others who encouraged me to get started on the series.
Hope you enjoy NetGalley July – thanks for joining in!
Busy month you’ve got planned! And 165 books is quite impressive! I’ve read 97 books so far this year.
I haven’t read any of the books in your stacks although I want to read The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. I also have a book by Rick Beyer called The Greatest Stories Never Told that have to do with history in general.
Holy cow! You’ve read A TON this year! I’ll always be envious since I’ve never cracked more than 75 books in a year.
You have some great reading ahead of you. Good luck with deciding what you will do with your semester off. It is funny how we all crave the time off and then it is hard to decide what to do with it! I know for sure you will be doing a lot of reading!
I’m only just checking out your July reading plans now…hopefully by now you’ve knocked more than a few of those off your stacks!