Thursday, January 31, 2019

Audiobook Review: Braiding Sweetgrass


Title: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Read By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Release Date: June 16, 2016
Goodreads        Chapters        IndieBound        Libro.fm

Robin Wall Kimmerer brings together her training as a botanist and her experiences as a member of the Citizen Patowatomi Nation, teacher, and mother in Braiding Sweetgrass. She brings together different ways of gaining and sharing knowledge, and discusses the importance of the importance of these methods in healing the relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world- and in turn healing the natural world itself.

Out of Ten: 9/10

Review at a Glance: A wonderful and thought-provoking blend of personal stories and botanical knowledge, with a message about both hurt and healing (and how ways of knowing contribute to both), showed off to it's best advantage when read by the author.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Review: The Wicked King



Title: The Wicked King
Author: Holly Black
Series: Folk of the Air
Volume: 2
Genre: fantasy
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Goodreads        Chapters        IndieBound

It has been 5 months since Jude became a kingmaker, putting into motion her plan to keep the throne for her younger brother until he's old enough to rule in his own right.

Now, she struggles to navigate the politics of the High Court, aware that every passing day brings her closer to the deadline on the bargain she made that placed Cardan in her power. Furious with her for the deception that put him on the throne, he continues doing his best to humiliate and undermine her, further complicating their already fraught relationship. He's a distraction she can't afford, as the she faces the prospect of a betrayal by one of the few in whom she's placed her trust, the prospect of her semi-estranged sister's wedding, and a fracturing of the truce with the Undersea that had been in place since before Cardan's father took the throne.

Out of Ten: 8/10

Review at a Glance: A twisty and dangerous continuation to The Folk of the Air trilogy that raises the stakes and complicates already complicated relationships even further.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

2019 Challenges


I'm attempting a number of challenges this year! I took the last year off of pretty much all challenges besides the Goodreads challenge because over half of the year was an unexpected hiatus.



2019 Audiobook Challenge

Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. Run by HotListens and Caffeinated Reviewer.

Challenge Details
  • Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
  • ANY genres count.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
  • You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
  • If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
  • Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2019, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2019.

Achievement Levels

Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+




2018 Discussion Challenge

The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Run by It Starts at Midnight and Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

Challenge Details

  • Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts.
  • The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Sign-ups will remain open through December 31st, 2019. (So, you can sign up all year long! Come join us!)
  • Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us!
  • Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging (no discussions about things that are completely off-topic like travel or fashion, etc). They can also be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post.
  • On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions. Every month, we’ll update this 2019 Book Blog Challenge Page with the links to that month’s Challenge linky–so you’ll always know where to find the latest link-up!
  • There will also be monthly giveaways, so make sure you check in!
  • Every month, we’ll feature our favorite posts from one challenge participant. There will be extra options in the Rafflecopter for commenting on posts by our featured blogger.
  • Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2019 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter.
  • Have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments!

Achievement Levels

Discussion Dabbler: 1-10
Creative Conversationalist: 11-20
Chatty Kathy: 21-30
Terrifically Talkative: 31-40
Gift of the Gab: 41+ 


Retellings Reading Challenge



Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. Run by Cornerfolds

Challenge Details

  • Books must be read and reviewed in 2019. (You don't have to review books to count towards your goal, but you do have to review them if you want them to count as giveaway entries.)
  • Audiobooks, e-books, re-reads, short stories, novellas, and graphic novels all count, and you can read adult, YA, and middle grade books for this challenge.
  • It's also totally fine to use books from this challenge to fulfill other reading challenges and vice versa.
  • ALL retellings count!
  • You don't have to be a book blogger to participate! You can link up and track your progress on Goodreads, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you share books!
  • Sign up below with your post, shelf, etc. and leave a comment letting me know what your personal goal is.
  • Link up your reviews each quarter on the post provided! (Bookmark this page to make sure you don't miss a link-up!)

Achievement Levels 

Silent Assassin: 1-5 Retellings
Warrior Princess: 6-10 Retellings
Elemental Witch: 11-15 Retellings
High Fae: 16-20 Retellings
Fairest of them All: 21-25+ Retellings



The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Run by Novel Knight.

Challenge Details

  • this challenge focuses on backlist books, that aren't new releases, of which there are many that I need to read

Achievement Levels

  • Hmm so there isn't really an achievement list, but I'll be trying to follow along the with the bingo pages. 
  • My ever-updating list of books for this challenge can be found on my Goodreads


reading challenge 2019(1).png


Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. Run by A Dance with Books.

Challenge Details

  • This reading challenge consists of 3 sections. Fantasy, Sci-Fi and General for a total of 52 prompts which comes down to about 1 book a week.
  • With each section, one Double-Up is allowed. (1 book for 2 prompts.) 
  • In the general sections both fantasy and sci-fi books can be used, but not other genres.
  • Graphic novels, comics, audiobooks and novella’s are allowed. It is all reading in my book.
  • Rereads count
  • You can move the books around throughout the year if things fit better elsewhere and all.

Achievement Levels 

I'll be working my way through at least one bingo card, and hopefully all three sections! 


2019 New Release Challenge logo - (un)Conventional Bookworms

The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Run by  Lexxie and Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworkms.

Challenge Details

  • Books have to be released and reviewed in 2019.
  • Other challenges can be used as well, if you are participating in the Netgalley / Edelweiss challenge or in the COYER challenge, books can count towards more than one challenge, as long as the ones you use for the 2018 New Release Reading Challenge qualify to the other rules.
  • The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages, it can be in any format though, physical, e-book, ARC or audiobook.
  • The New Release Challenge is open from January 1st through December 31st 2019, and sign-ups are open until September 1st 2019.
  • You don’t have to be a blogger to participate, you can link to your review on Goodreads or Booklikes instead – so don’t be shy!
  • If you want to spread the love, please use #2019NewReleaseChallenge on Twitter

Achievement Levels

1-30 books per year – New Release Newbie
31-60 books per year – New Release Pro
61-100 books per year – New Release Veteran
101-200 books per year – New Release Enthusiast
200+ books per year – New Release Obsessed

I should probably do some sort of challenge or what-have-you for Instagram in order to make me actually use Instagram this year, so if anyone has recommendations for that, let me know!

Friday, January 4, 2019

9th Annual End Of Year Survey

The Annual End of Year Survey is hosted each year by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner.

2018 READING STATS

Number Of Books You Read: 102 total, according to Goodreads
Number of Re-Reads: 12 of my total were rereads, more were listening to audiobooks of books I've also already read
Genre You Read The Most From: fantasy

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Review: The Girl King



Title: The Girl King
Author: Mimi Yu
Series: 
Volume: 
Genre: fantasy
Release Date: January 8, 2018
eARC received through NetGalley
Goodreads        Chapters        IndieBound

Lu has grown up assuming that she will be her father's heir, the first female empress. Her younger sister, Min, has grown up assuming that she will always be stuck in the shadow of her sister. Then, their father names a male cousin, Set, heir to the throne, with Lu as his bride. Lu finds herself, for the first time, lacking the security of the place she assumed would be hers and, shortly after that, a fugitive on the run. She is determined to regain her throne, but for that, she'll need an army. This sets her out on a desperate quest to find a city that nobody has seen in years. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in the company someone who had been a childhood friend- until her family massacred his people in a brutal move to prevent them from holding shape-shifting power outside of the empire's control. Meanwhile, Min is discovering that she has access to a dangerous form of magic- one that could secure Set on the throne, or allow her to claim it for her own. 

Out of Ten: 6/10

Review at a Glance: A story that draws on a lot of familiar tropes, which is enjoyable despite some falterings in character and world-building.