75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I'm aiming for 150 again. I came very close in 2021! And that was with some pretty big gaps in my reading life. (Reading a lot in summer continues to elude me!) So here we go again!

My usual goal of trying to strike a better balance in my reading applies. Reading my own books, staying on top of my library stack, squeezing in some favourite rereads, etc. Let's do it!

You got it Lianne!!

Welcome back, Lianne!

1. The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue (TBR pile)

Starting the year having to quarantine has at least given me a strong start to my reading! :D

2. The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons (public library)

All the stars!! All of them!! Wow my 2022 reading is starting off very enjoyably! :D

I always have a month or two in the summer where I read nothing and then one where I read everything. Lol

Juli wrote: "I always have a month or two in the summer where I read nothing and then one where I read everything. Lol"

I usually start strong, finish strong, and have some good chunks of time in the middle, but also have some serious dry spells, like July and August. One of these days I'll get better for that!

3. I've Got Aspergers, So I'm Better Than You. Shh... Don't Tell Mom! by Adam Schwartz (TBR pile)

4. Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne (school library)

Oof, the contrast between being in self-isolation for the first week of the year and reading nonstop and going back to work and getting home exhausted each day! Hopefully my sleep schedule will somewhat recover and I can strike more of a balance.

5. The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth's Past #2) by Liu Cixin (public library, audiobook)

First audiobook of the year done! And I'm inching my way closer to the end of 1984, lol. And also started another book. Because I have a problem.

6. 1984 by George Orwell (TBR pile)

Well that book took me way longer than I expected lol but I did enjoy it! Just haven't been getting as much reading done since going back to work, though I think I'm starting to get back in the swing of things.

Lianne (The Towering Pile) wrote: "6. 1984 by George Orwell (TBR pile)

Well that book took me way longer than I expected lol but I did enjoy it! Just haven't been getting as much reading done since going b..."

that was a slow read for me as well. IT just read very dry for some reason.

Juli wrote: "that was a slow read for me as well. IT just read very dry for some reason."

It was just a few parts for me that really felt like that, namely when Winston is reading the book and a good chunk of pages is just the book that he's reading (which is pretty dry), and the last few chapters, which were just so depressing that I found I couldn't read it for long periods of time!

7. You're in Good Paws by Maureen Fergus (school library, storytime)

8. Ancient Mesopotamia by Sara Green (school library)

9. Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey (school library, storytime)

10. Zombies, Run! Keeping Fit and Living Well in the Current Zombie Emergency by Naomi Alderman (TBR pile)

I love this book! It's a really fun companion to the app, has practical training advice, and is eerily applicable to the current pandemic.

DNF #1: The Homecoming by Harold Pinter (TBR pile)

Doesn't count towards my Goodreads goal but does count towards my Mount TBR challenge, and frees up a little space on my shelf!

11. A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid by Sara O'Leary (school library, storytime)

12. What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns by Katherine Locke (school library, storytime)

13. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (public library)

DNF #1 - The Homecoming by Harold Pinter (TBR pile, now in the donation pile)

14. The Next Passage (Animorphs Alternamorphs #2) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile, reread)

15. Paper Girls, Vol. 2 (public library)

16. Hold That Thought! by Bree Galbraith (school library, storytime)

17. Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K. White (public library, audiobook)

18. I Am Not Okay With This by Charles Forsman (public library)

19. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett (school library, storytime)

20. Clan by Sigmund Brouwer (school library, audiobook)

21. When Planet Earth Was New by James Gladstone (school library, storytime)

22. Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex (school library, storytime)

Yeah, I'm not surprised to see that in the last month I've hardly finished a book that wasn't a picture book or an audiobook. I'm in the middle of several HUGE books. Luckily I'm enjoying them, but it's still tough sometimes to not be finishing anything!

23. Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty (school library, storytime)

24. Death's End (Remembrance of Earth's Past #3) by Liu Cixin (public library, audiobook)

25. Beach House by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

26. The Boxcar Children Collection: The Boxcar Children, Surprise Island, and The Yellow House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner (public library, audiobook)

Actually three books, but I'm just gonna count it as one here since it'll only count as one in my Goodreads challenge. I'll make up for it at some point by counting individual Edgar Allan Poe stories I read from my big book.

27. The First Evil (Fear Street Cheerleaders #3) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

28. That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child (school library, storytime)

Currently I'm 13 books behind on my goal. I can probably catch up by about 6 or 7 during the upcoming read-a-thon so that's not too bad.

29. It Fell from the Sky by The Fan Brothers (school library, storytime)

30. The Language of Ghosts by Heather Fawcett (public library, audiobook)

Currently 18 books behind schedule for my Goodreads goal, with one book nearly finished. Too much to make up with just the read-a-thon this weekend!

31. The Lost Scroll of the Physician (Secrets of the Sands #1) by Alisha Sevigny (school library)

32. Help! I'm Trapped in the First Day of Summer Camp by Todd Strasser (TBR pile)

33. Zeus: King of the Gods (Olympians #1) by George O'Connor (school library)

34. The Test (Animorphs #43) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

35. Paper Girls, vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (public library)

36. The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne (TBR pile)

37. Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (Olympians #2) by George O'Connor (school library)

38. Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball (The Bailey School Kids #4) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

39. The Longest Storm by Dan Yaccarino (school library, storytime)

Caught up by a lot over the weekend! Now I'm only 10 books behind on my Goodreads goal.

40. Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen (school library, storytime)

41. Aster and the Accidental Magic by Thom Pico and Karensac (school library)

42. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña (school library, storytime)

43. Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake (school library)

Ooh, haven't updated in a bit!

44. Everybody! by Elise Gravel (school library, storytime)

45. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman (school library, storytime)

46. Blue Is the Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh (public library)

47. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (public library, audiobook)

48. Tidy by Emily Gravett (school library, storytime)

49. Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman (public library)

50. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (TBR pile)

51. Blob by Anne Appert (school library, storytime)

52. That Is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems (school library, storytime)

53. Solitaire by Alice Oseman (public library)

54. Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman (public library)

55. The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon (public library)

56. Cheerleaders: The Second Evil by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

25 books behind schedule on my Goodreads goal. Yikes!

Did you like The Witch King? I just bought it and the sequel.

Elyse wrote: "Did you like The Witch King? I just bought it and the sequel."

Yeah I really did!! I'm first in line for the sequel when the public library gets it.

57. Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn (school library)

58. Cheerleaders: The Third Evil by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

Lianne (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Did you like The Witch King? I just bought it and the sequel."

Yeah I really did!! I'm first in line for the sequel when the public library gets it."

Good to hear!

59. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (public library)

60. Borders by Thomas King and Natasha Donovan (school library)

61. Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman (public library)

32 books behind on my goal lmao. Mostly because it took me like three weeks to read Gideon the Ninth because I'm not used to reading adult books. XD Three weeks left til back to school so the focus is on getting to more of the books I brought home for the summer!

62. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets by Dana K. White (public library)

63. Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer by Leslie Gentile (school library)

64. The Unexpected (Animorphs #44) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

65. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag (school library)

66. Cambodia by Alicia Klepeis (school library)

67. Paper Girls, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan (public library)

68. The Undercover Book List by Colleen Nelson (school library)

69. Dr. Stone, Vol. 3 by Riichiro Inagaki (public library)

70. Monster Blood (Goosebumps #3) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

71. Dr. Stone, Vol. 4 by Riichiro Inagaki (public library)

72. Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman (public library)

73. All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold (school library, storytime)

74. The Lotterys More or Less by Emma Donoghue (TBR pile)

75. We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins (school library, storytime)

76. The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett (school library, storytime)

Well, a couple start of year storytimes and I've passed 75! Which is half of my year's goal. In late September. But I do not despair! For autumn is the time for reading. And Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon approaches!

77. Lessons in Fusion by Primrose Madayah Knazan (school library)

Another MYRCA nominee down! I really liked this one.

78. The Revelation (Animorphs #45) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

79. Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes (borrowed from a friend)

80. The Secret Fawn by Kallie George (school library, storytime)

81. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! by Mo Willems (school library)

82. Barnaby by Andrea Curtis (school library, storytime)

83. The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga #1) by David Alexander Robertson (TBR pile)

84. Ghosts Don't Eat Potato Chips (The Bailey School Kids #5) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

85. The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag (school library, reread)

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon catch-up:

86. The Deception (Animorphs #46) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)

87. Monster of the Month Club by Dian Curtis Regan (TBR pile)

88. Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (public library, reread)

89. Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton (TBR pile)

90. Frankenstein Doesn't Plant Petunias (The Bailey School Kids #6) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

91. Death & Sparkles by Rob Justus (school library)

92. Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps #4) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile, reread)

93. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz (TBR pile)

94. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (public library, reread)

95. Hidden Treasure by Elly MacKay (school library, storytime)

96. The Monsters' Monster by Patrick McDonnell (school library, storytime)

97. Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work by Ruchika Tulshyan (public library, audiobook)

98. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix (TBR pile)

99. The Snow Queen by Allison Grace MacDonald (school library)

I've been reading loads of picture books at work and normally I don't count them (unless I read them for storytime, cause then I'm reading them like 10 times), but this one was longer so I chose to log it.

100. Mr. King's Things by Geneviève Côté (school library, storytime)

100!!

Woot! Congrats Lianne!

101. The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman (borrowed from a friend)

102. The Hidden Witch (The Witch Boy #2) by Molly Knox Ostertag (school library)

103. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

This last one is actually a short story within a book I'm reading, but it gets counted as its own book due to being on the 1001 Books list.

104. I Am Enough by Grace Byers (school library, storytime)

(Slightly out of order because I somehow missed this one last week.)

105. Unicorn Famous (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #13) by Dana Simpson (school library)

106. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (public library, audiobook)

107. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

This is another one that's a short story within a larger book, getting counted separately for tracking the 1001 Books list.

108. Unicorn Playlist (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #14) by Dana Simpson (school library)

109. Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate (school library, storytime)

110. What Is the Rock Cycle? by Natalie Hyde (school library)

111. The Bad Guys in The One?! (The Bad Guys #12) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

112. The Bad Guys in Cut to the Chase (The Bad Guys #13) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

113. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan (school library, audiobook)

114. The Bad Guys in They're Bee-hind You! (The Bad Guys #14) by Aaron Blabey (school library)

115. Journey of the Midnight Sun by Shazia Afzal (school library, storytime)

116. The Midwinter Witch (The Witch Boy #3) by Molly Knox Ostertag (school library)

I've been aiming for a book a day lately, in order to hit my goal of 150. I've fallen a couple days behind, but winter break will give me the time for an end of year push!

117. Elevation and "Laurie" by Stephen King (public library, audiobook)

118. The Best Friend (Fear Street #17) by R.L. Stine (TBR pile)

I loved Laurie! Such a great short story! lol

Elyse wrote: "I loved Laurie! Such a great short story! lol"

I had no idea what I was getting with this one; I assumed it was a short novel! So I wasn't prepared when Elevation ended! But I did enjoy both stories even though I found them both weird lol.

119. Mystery Ranch (The Boxcar Children #4) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (public library)

120. The Ellimist Chronicles by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile, reread)

121. Song for the Snow by Jon-Erik Lappano (school library, storytime)

122. Saga, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (public library)

123. Unicorn Selfies (Phoebe and Her Unicorn #15) by Dana Simpson (school library)

124. Aliens Don't Wear Braces (The Bailey School Kids #7) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (TBR pile, reread)

125. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan (school library, audiobook)

126. Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia by Murray Shaw (school library)