July Reading Wrap Up (2026)

Well, I was right about things picking up! This month I read 5 new books, and also put a few on the DNF list. I keep trying to read Quicksilver because I see all sorts of people talking about it, but I think maybe it is simply not for me.

That being said, I did have some fantastic reads this month.

The Beheading Game came recommended to me from a friend – and man was it a WEIRD book. I had so many questions by the end of it. I loved the over all idea, but the book itself fell a bit flat for me, personally.

That being said, Weavingshaw was fantastic, I loved reading that one so much and it was an instant 5/5 from me. It was one of those books where I needed a few days after before I started something new so I could just sit with my feelings for a bit.

Of course Witch Hat Atelier made the list, that manga has been my latest obsession and they are always a fantastic read. Let’s see where August brings us!

June 2026 Reading Wrap Up

June was a bit of a slow month as far as reading goes, but that’s OK – reading still happened. I finished Thistlemarsh, which wasn’t as great as I expected it to be (the ending really fell flat for me, personally) and I also read the next book in the Murderbot Series, for me that was Exit Strategy. This one was an instant 5/5 loved it.

I’m sure things will pick up a bit in July, they usually do. There’s also a bunch of new releases that I’ve been eagerly waiting for, including a new Dragonlance book, and two new books by my all time favourite author, T. Kingfisher.

May Reading Wrap Up

Well, there’s a bit of a theme going on lately. In April I finished a single book, and here we are at the end of May, and I’ve also only finished a single book. I don’t know if it’s because I found them a bit slower and thus a struggle to get through, or if it was simply because I have too many things on the go, and I’ve been too tired at night to do much reading. I am trying to do at least a little bit each day, but sometimes it’s only a page or two before I fall asleep.

That being said, I am still on track for my goals this year. I hoped to have read 26 books in 2026, and mid way through the year I am sitting at 16 books read. That’s 62% through my goal at the half way mark. I’m not too concerned about whether or not I actually hit the goal, because reading is reading. Is it huge numbers? Nope, and I’m OK with that. Here’s hoping June brings some great book days!

April Reading Wrap Up

I could have sworn that I added my April reading wrap up back in – Well, April. But turns out I did not, so I’m post dating this one (it is now the 1st of June, so that means I’ve got May to finish up, too).

It was a very light reading month, I only managed to complete a single book, Apprentice to the Villain. Still, I am more-than on track for the year, and I’m pleased about that. The statistics don’t really mean anything except that I enjoy looking at them. Here’s hoping May goes slightly better – I’ll be posting the more in-depth reviews a bit latter on.

Happy reading, no matter where you find yourself!

March 2026 Wrap Up

I didn’t get a lot of reading done in March, but did finish off 4 books. Only one of those reads was a 5 star read and that was Finding My Way, by Malala Yousafzai. It was fascinating to read this 2nd publication of hers, especially since I still remember the first one – which FELT like it was written by a younger author (because it was). This 2nd book was really well written and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The Artists’ Way was a horrible disappointment. It came recommended by some artist’s I follow on socials, and honestly I don’t even know how they could make their way through it. Full of privilege, horribly outdated, it was a wonder I even made it to the end.

Let’s see what April brings! I’m in the middle of reading Apprentice to the Villain, and I can’t wait to see where this goes.

You may also notice that my calendars are not longer tracking day-to-day, I decided to stop that, and just carry on with ‘date started’ and ‘date finished’ for simplicity sake. It was starting to stress me out to make sure I logged in to get my reading pages recorded. Sometimes, less is better.

February 2026 Wrap Up

February was a much slower month than January as far as reading goes – but I did get my first 5 star read, so let’s say I’m finally finding some quality instead of just quantity.

I read Swordheart by T. Kingfisher and was reminded all over again about why I just adore her writing. This book was my first 5 star for 2026, and was magnificent. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

I tried to read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which was a book club read. Unfortunately it is just not my type of book. It felt long winded for zero reason and the first portion of the book was spent re-hashing things that we had already gone over. I decided not to waste any more time on it, and marked it as DNF. No shame there, I’m sure it’s a lovely read for some folks but it just wasn’t for me.

I stumbled back to my Witch Hat Atelier series which is coming out with an anime in April – VERY excited about this. I hope it stays true to the manga, but we shall see. Another 5 star from me, no surprises there.

I do have some individual reviews coming for the books of February, but I’m (as always) a bit behind. I am struggling to make my way through The Artists’ Way, which I personally feel is a horrible book to motivate artists but it came so highly recommended by people I admire that I am trying to give it a fair shot. I’m already part way through a new book and it’s only the 2nd of March, so we’ll see how this goes. Hopefully it’s full of wonderful reads and I’m able to settle. I’ve been bouncing around a few books unable to find one I really want to read, so we’ll just have to see how it goes.

I did also choose to leave the two book clubs I was in. I found that I wasn’t really interacting or making use of them in a way that I wanted to. Whether it’s because I still haven’t found the one for me or maybe I’m just not a book club person, I’m not sure. Since I was barely using either of them to begin with I haven’t really noticed that I left, which I suppose is the point.

Happy reading!

January 2026 Wrap Up

How are we already into February?!

January was a very typical month as far as reading goes. In 2024 I didn’t have any 5-star reads, and the same held true. Maybe I’m just not that great at picking out books at the start of the year, lol. I did a few audio books but most were e-books on my Kobo, the two self-help were audio books from my local library.

The Emily Wilde book was for the Goobers book club, and I didn’t actually get around to my ‘Books out of the Blue’ challenges, but I’m hoping to make up for that this month. I did work on my TBR, which is where A House with Good Bones comes in – but I thought it would be a 5 star read, and it was not. Through no fault of the author, it just wasn’t the book for me (details are posted in my regular reviews). As always these statistics are taken from my profile over on The StoryGraph, which I am using as an alternative to GoodReads.

Still, I’m counting 7 books as a huge win. I have some fantastic reads lined up for February, so maybe that elusive 5 star will be uncovered then. Happy reading!

3/5 Stars: Nobody Wants your Shit, the art of decluttering before you die, by Messie Condo

This was a strange book. Lots of swearing, it was hard to tell if it was because the author wanted to feel more edgy or what. The information presented wasn’t new, but it could act as motivation for the right person. I did not enjoy the way the book worked in absolutes. It talked about decluttering before moving – a lot – and I DO move a lot, but none of their information was relative to any of my moves, and in most cases was just outright incorrect. I think these types of books are difficult because there is no one true method to serve every person in every situation. Still, it passed some time. I borrowed this book from the library because it was available as I was searching, without a wait (and now I see why). Also, curious about the author’s name, is it their real name? Are they making a play on Marie Condo? I don’t get it. It’s odd.

3/5 Stars

3/5 Star Review: Automatic Noodle, by Annalee Newitz

This was a fascinating read about racism/acceptance/tolerance but presented in a really unique and yet still relatable way. It felt odd to read it given the state of the world right now, but also really good. The end was insanely abrupt, which is why I only gave it 3 stars, because it left a bad taste in my mouth to leave it like that. This was a novella so I wasn’t expecting too much, but it did affect my overall view of the book. Enjoyable read, but that ending messed with my brain.

3/5 Stars

2/5 Star Rating: The Primal of Blood and Bone, by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This book was horrible. It felt very off compared to the previous 6 books and I didn’t understand why. Cas was behaving like an obsessive abusive boyfriend and not like the lover that I had seen him as in the previous books. I think I am done with this series even if more books come along, because it simply was not for me any more.

2/5 Stars