2025 Reading Challenge Update- July

Yeah, 'Sarah from June', you got so much reading done huh....  Good job.

Ok, ok, two books isn't bad when you consider all the travel and working I was doing.  In fact, they are both audio books played either in the car or before bed.  That's the kind of busy I've been.  But now we are in a very timed and scheduled type of busy so I should be able to fall back into routine and find so down time.  And WRITING TIME! But that's for another post.

Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Song of Achilles. Two vastly different stories though I believe I picked them both up because they were titles I've heard talked about or in posts before. (And I might've been hoping that they'd be close enough to be green for the rainbow but I was wrong. 😫

The Song of Achilles was different than my usual reads.  It read more like a historical retelling than the mythology and legends type vibe I thought I was getting in to.  You know how they made a live action Mulan and then watched it and saw they took all the songs and such out.  Yeah, it didn't make it bad by any means.  It just wasn't what I expected.  It even made me a little sad in a good way.

Now Remarkably Bright Creatures.  If I could be friends with this octopus I so would.  This is maybe the second instance since getting into audiobooks that I am so glad I went for audio before the physical.  The chapters that are read from the view of the human characters and the Octopus (because yes you get to hear from the octopus!) are read by two different narrators.  I loved that.  And it was such a feel good story.  Sad, yes.  But just enough closure that made it feel right.  Definitely a favorite now.

Well, still no green on our Rainbow but we filled in the M on the authors, thank you Madeline Miller and also the R on the titles.  We have still have some work to do!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - June

This month's reads are all audiobooks.  My brain has been full of school year prep (yes ALREADY😓) and anytime I set my mind on something that's not school or doom scrolling it just literally can not do it. I've done all my reading while driving.  BUT it's Church Camp month for me! I'll spend, on and off, two weeks in a space where we tell the kids to be off their phones so I bring books for my downtime to lead by example.

The reads this month were good.  Another Sarah Penner book, which I enjoyed.  I like how she moves back and forth between the past and the current.  I think that it makes me care more about the current day characters finding out what they need to know about the past characters.  I don't know enough about her work to know if they are all like that but I hope so.

Travis Baldree's work is absolutely delightful. It's a mix of the DND adventure that it looks like the covers portray and feel good found family comedy romance.  I know that sounds like a lot but I don't really have the words. It's good though. And I like his voices in the audiobook.

I was reeeeeally hoping that the green skin of the character would be enough to put them in the green slot but no!  Alas, it just didn't feel right so we're still chasing that green cover.

Guys, I just realized we are offically halfway through this thing.  One color left, nine title letters, and 16 (yikes) author letters.  Closer and closer!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - May

Yall, listen.  I'm going to get straight to it.  Pick up Dial A for Aunties.  Technically, I finished it today but there was so little left that I figured I'd count it for May anyway.  I laughed, I cringed, I got angry, everything.  It was hilarious.  I saw that its in the works for a movie I believe and I hope it comes through.  Because when you end up accidentally killing your blind date who else are you going to call but your business partners, aka your mom and aunties, the night before your biggest and fanciest wedding gig yet.  I want to describe it as if the movie 'The Hangover' meshed with a soap opera spoof like 'Jane the Virgin'.  It was great. 10 out of 10 recommend.

Green books have eluded me once more.  I had hope for a second with The Amalfi Curse but when I put it on there it was obviously more blue than green.  I thought I was going to have to get creative with the black slot but Never Lie seemed more white to me.

That was another good read.  A thriller with twists.  I'm going to be reading more from Freida McFadden.

Two new letters claimed for the A-Z's.  Love to see it.  Still have quite the ways to go but I'm hopeful.  Pretty sure I'll be able to get the Titles done before the Authors.  But seriously, do they not make green covers?  Yeesh.  Suggestions PLEASE.

2025 Reading Challenge Update - April

 So I will never actually learn my lesson.  April is the most chaotic motnth for me at work.  Why did I think I was going to have any extra brain power to write a blog post everyday?  Sorry if anyone notice my absence.

I did however get to finish one book and listen to a few more audio books thanks to driving what feels like the distance between here and the sun.  Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? was a phenomenal listen.  It was like listening to a friends long Snapchat about what's going on in their life.  The narrator was very easy to listen to.  The story itself appealed to me as well.  A single person of color navigating the dating field while still holding on to her Christian beliefs.  I didn't need to be called out like that.  (Even though I'm not navigating the dating field.  You guys have fun with that on your own.  I'm good.)  It just touched on so many things from black beauty standards/stereotypes to caring for mental health.  Just an overall great read.

Not new to this chart is another work from Jennifer Lynn Barnes.  Guys, this woman has my reading list in a chokehold and I'm not trying to break free.  Both The Inheritance Games Series and now The Naturals just give me exactly what my brain wants.  I'm not good at solving mysteries and puzzles but the little goblin running my brain loves the challenge of trying.  I'm obsessed and the only reason there's not more of them on here this month is because my library didn't have the next one. (I just checked and its in!!  Is it acceptable to call out of work early to go to the library??  I think it is.)

The challenges themselves are seeing some growth.  Green is the only color that hasn't been claimed yet.  The Titles filled in three new letters.  The Author one is struggling not gonna lie.  Please leave me any authors that you think I'd enjoy!

Blogging From A to Z 2025 #1 - 'Ariel Assault'

I thought that I could keep up while I was on my trip but nope. So here's the start of my 'Blogging A to Z' a week late. Siri lead me to a website that gave me five words so I thought I'd use them all: Airplane, Amalia, Assault, Ah, Ariella

Enjoy!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - March

I was way more productive this month than I thought I would be.  I filled four new letters on the Titles and one on the Authors.  The Rainbow only has one color left before theres one in each.  Thank goodness I have several months left before I have to resort to browsing the libray based solely on certian colored book covers.

I may be cheating a little as I added a book that I am almost done with because I'm writing this update early.  Busy traveling next week.

I read some really good ones this month.  The front runners being Nightbane, The Grandest Game, and The Betrayed.  I'm a logic puzzle fan so Jennifer Lynn Barnes is speaking my language right now.  The other two are sneaking up on me because I'm finding out I'm a fan of complicated relationships that shouldn't work or are in denial.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I might be becoming a hopeless romantic.

Is it ok that I'm putting these covers on colors based on vibes?  Looking at Nightbane and The Grandest Game I feel like I could've put them on either color, blue or black.  But The Grandest Game just says blue and Nightbane says black.  I can't decide if I'm putting them on based on what's in the background or foreground.

Anywho, what are you reading?  Have you read any of these?  Have any suggestions?

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

So years ago when I first started blogging I found out about this website that ran a challenge, in April post on your blog with a theme based on each letter of the alphabet.  Well, on the busiest month of the year for me I have decided to take the challenge again.  My theme?

"Hey Siri?" - Asking my phone for random words and seeing what I can write with them.

I realize there may be some confusion between 'Blogging A to Z' and my Reading A to Z challenges.  Hopefully it's not too confusing.

Anyone else up for a challenge?  Let me know if you'd like to join me or will be following along.