ŷ������

I'm going to set a realistic goal of 52 books again for 2022.

ŷ������ Goal: 60/52

A-Z Authors: 17/26 books

Clear the Shelves: 25/35 books (eBooks and physical)

I Spy: 21/25

Let's Turn Pages: 16,349/20,000 pages

TBR Jar: 4/12 (ŷ������ randomizer of "TBR Owned" shelf)

Additional challenges not tracked in this group:
The 52 Book Club’s 2022 Challenge: 38/52

A-Z Titles: 19/26 books

A-Z Authors

Progress: 17/26

A: My Evil Mother: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood
B: Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne
C: The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
D:
E: The Dollhouse by Sara Ennis
F:
G: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
H: Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg
I:
J:
K: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
L: Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
M: The Final Heir by Jon Monson
N: Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
O: Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neil
P: Vows of Gold and Laughter by Edith Pawlicki
Q: Signal Moon by Kate Quinn
R: Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
S: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
T:
U:
V: Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino
W: Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
X:
Y:
Z:

Clear the Shelves

I'll be using a combination of ebooks and physical. I'll finish books that I set aside and read ones that I own and haven't read.

Progress: 25/35

1. The Final Heir by Jon Monson
2. The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
3. The Shield of Nike by A.P. Mobley
4. New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith
5. Son of Time by A.P. Mobley
6. John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews
7. The Chronicles of Royal High: Dragon's Wrath by R. Litfin
8. Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne
9. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
10. The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
11. The Dollhouse by Sara Ennis
12. Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg
13. Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neil
14. Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
15. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
16. The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
17. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
18. Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
19. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
20. Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
21. Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino
22. Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg
23. Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
24. Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol. 1 by Kierron Gillen
25. The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince by Serena Valentino

I Spy

Rules: Read a book that contains a word in the title or the cover that fits one of the 25 categories mentioned below. This is a pretty open challenge, so you can interpret the categories in ways that work best for you. You can use the title or the cover to fulfil each category.

Progress: 21/25

Primary 25 categories with examples:
1. Color - Little Book of Tiny Tales: Volume 2 by Jeremy Ray all green cover
2. Number - The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon second in title
3. Things That Grow - Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neil flowers on cover
4. Seasons -
5. First Name - Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon Olivia in title
6. Places - The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang republic in the title
7. Body Part - The Dollhouse by Sara Ennis faces on cover
8. Weapon - The Shield of Nike by A.P. Mobley shield on cover and in title
9. Body of Water - Vows of Gold and Laughter by Edith Pawlicki river on cover
10. Form of Water - January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky rain on the cover
11. Product of Fire - Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne flame in title
12. Celestial Body - Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg star in title
13. Architecture - The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain house on cover and in title
14. Senses -
15. Royal Title -
16. Family Member - Son of Time by A.P. Mobley son on cover and in title
17. Elements - Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin fire on the cover
18. Time of Day - Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher night on cover
19. Metal - Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth cover
20. Emotion/Feeling - Loves of Shadow and Power by Edith Pawlicki loves in title
21. Animal/Insect - The Final Heir by Jon Monson griffin on cover
22. Something to Read - The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 by Kaiu Shirai book on cover
23. Sports - The Archer by Paulo Coelho archer on cover
24. Paranormal Beings -
25. Occupation - Roommaid by Sariah Wilson maid in title

Let's Turn Pages

Progress: 16,349/20,000

The Final Heir 237
The Last House on the Street 337
The Shield of Nike 52
New Kingdom 298
Son of Time 205
Sold on a Monday 345
John Eyre 203
The Chronicles of Royal High: Dragon's Wrath 245
Feather and Flame 336
The Last Wish 326
The Dragon Republic 966
The Dollhouse 384
Star Mother 261
Daughters of a Dead Empire 237
Full Flight 270
Carve the Mark 404
Vows of Gold and Laughter 435
Loves of Shadow and Power 393
The Younger Wife 282
Wonder Woman: Warbringer 373
Olivia Twist 336
The Butterfly Garden 280
The Patron Saint of Second Chances 295
Roommaid 295
My Evil Mother 32
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 192
The Archer 216
Fairest of All 256
A Spindle Splintered 190
The Caiman 32
Pygmalion 180
The Song Unsung 275
Artificial Condition 166
Wonder 512
Smoke & Summons 324
The Woman in the Library 254
January Fifteenth 159
Arkhangelsk 409
Elsewhere 171
Stealing Infinity 469
Trials of Fire and Rebirth 312
The Charmed List 219
The Kingdoms of Savannah 287
Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels 304
Blood Rights 418
Signal Moon 57
Norse Mythology, Vol. 1 160
Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol. 1 142
The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince 142
Little Book of Tiny Tales: Volume 2 135
Alias Emma 258
Naomi's Gift 52
The Ways We Hide 491
A Crime Through Time 377
Mother Daughter Traitor Spy 302
The Worst Story Ever Written 330
Little Eve 207
The Christmas Hummingbird 170
Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove 354

TBR Jar

I'm letting ŷ������ pick my books. I'll pull a new book when I finish or DNF one. Hopefully some will also work for my other challenges.

Progress: 4/12

1. The Dragon Republic finished 1/30
2. Star Mother finished 2/3
3. Carve the Mark finished 2/16
4. Blood Rights finished 7/21

The 52 Book Club’s 2022 Challenge

Progress: 38/52

Currently reading
�� Finished

1. A second-person narrative
�� 2. Featuring a library or bookstore The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
�� 3. Title starting with the letter “E�� Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin
�� 4. Title starting with the letter “F�� Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
�� 5. Chapters have titles Vows of Gold and Laughter by Edith Pawlicki
�� 6. Household object on the cover Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
7. A non-fiction bestseller
�� 8. Involving the art world A Crime Through Time by John Anthony Miller
�� 9. A book that sparks joy Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
�� 10. A book based on a real person Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neil
�� 11. A book with less than 2022 ŷ������ ratings Loves of Shadow and Power by Edith Pawlicki
�� 12. Set on at least two continents Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
�� 13. Includes a club Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
�� 14. A character with superhuman ability Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
15. A five-syllable title
16. A book you’ve seen someone reading in a public place
17. A book picked based on its spine
18. Jane Austen-inspired
19. A book that has an alternate title
20. Related to the word “gold��
21. Published by Simon & Schuster
�� 22. An unlikely detective The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green
�� 23. Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
�� 24. Addresses a specific topic The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain (civil rights and racism)
�� 25. A wealthy character The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
�� 26. Has an “Author’s Note�� Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
�� 27. Includes a map The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
�� 28. Award-winning book from your country Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
29. Over 500 pages long
�� 30. Audiobook is narrated by the author Norse Mythology, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman
�� 31. Technology-themed January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky
32. A book that intimidates you
�� 33. A bilingual character Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
�� 34. An author’s photo on the back cover Trials of Fire and Rebirth by Edith Pawlicki
�� 35. From the villain’s perspective The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince by Serena Valentino
36. Recommended by a favorite author
�� 37. Set in a rural area Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
�� 38. Don’t judge a book by its cover! The Dollhouse by Sara Ennis
�� 39. A middle-grade novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio
�� 40. A book with photographs inside The Caiman by Maria Eugenia Manrique
�� 41. Involves a second chance The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
�� 42. An indie read The Final Heir by Jon Monson
�� 43. Author who’s published in more than one genre My Evil Mother: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood
�� 44. An anthology Little Book of Tiny Tales: Volume 2 by Jeremy Ray
�� 45. A book with illustrated people on cover The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
�� 46. A job title in the title Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
47. Read during the month of November
�� 48. Re-do one of this year’s prompts but with a different genre The Worst Story Ever Written by Nicole Wells unlikely detective
�� 49. Book title starts with the same letter as your first name Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg
�� 50. A person of color as the main character Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
51. The word “game�� in the title
�� 52. Published in 2022 Feather and Flame by Livia Blackburne

A-Z Titles

Progress: 19/26

A: The Archer by Paulo Coelho
B: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
C: Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
D: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
E: Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin
F: The Final Heir by Jon Monson
G:
H:
I:
J: January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky
K: The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green
L: The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
M: My Evil Mother: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood
N: Norse Mythology, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman
O: Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
P: The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
Q:
R: Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
S: The Shield of Nike by A.P. Mobley
T: Trials of Fire and Rebirth by Edith Pawlicki
U:
V: Vows of Gold and Laughter by Edith Pawlicki
W: Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
X:
Y: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Z:

Reserved

Reserved

Cover Love

Love how organized you are good luck in 2022

Blagica wrote: "Love how organized you are good luck in 2022"

Thank you, Blagica! Happy New Year!

Title: The Final Heir
Author: Jon Monson

Review: ⭐⭐��
The synopsis of The Final Heir sounds really good, I like the idea of an unlikely hero. However, the book fell a little flat for me. Jon Monson created a unique magic system. The world-building lacked a little though. The descriptions were good without being excessive, but the necessary history was missing. Why did people feel oppressed? What were they being saved from?

I never felt connected to the characters and I really didn't know who to side with. The Usurper is portrayed as the "bad guy", but there are chapters in his POV that make him not feel evil. Zahara and Ekarath were portrayed as the "good guys", but I didn't find them very likeable.

The Final Heir seemed to be a standalone novel, but the ending set it up to be the beginning of a series. I feel there should be a prequel too to fill in the gaps and provide backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Jan 4

Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last House on the Street is written in two POVs and time periods, Ellie in 1965 and Kayla in 2010. The descriptions were great without being excessive and it was easy to picture the rural North Carolina that each woman lived in. The middle was a little slow, but it never made me want to stop reading. The two women were easy to tell apart. Sometimes switching POVs and/or eras doesn't work, but Diane Chamberlain did both seamlessly.

This is the first book by Diane Chamberlain that I have read, and I look forward to trying more. I recommend The Last House on the Street to historical fiction and mystery fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Jan 6

Title: The Shield of Nike
Author: A.P. Mobley

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a super short story, but A.P. Mobley packed a ton of action into this! I didn't care for Valeria at first, but she grew on me. This is a companion story to the War on the Gods series, but you don't have to read any books from the series first. I actually recommend that you read The Shield of Nike before Helm of Darkness.

Date finished: Jan 7

Title: New Kingdom
Author: Wilbur Smith

Review: ⭐⭐��
The beginning was exciting but then, even though a lot kept happening, I felt that it just dragged on. It was very easy for me to set the book aside, which I did for 3-1/2 months. Since the book doesn't have regular chapters, there were times that I was confused because the characters were at one place then someplace completely different after the break and sometimes I felt like there were gaps in the storyline.

Hui was not a likeable character for me, and he never had the personal growth that I like seeing. He constantly lied and weaseled his way out of situations. There is one character that I liked, but unfortunately, he would come and go so I didn't learn as much about him as I would have liked.

The descriptions of Egypt and the different cities were great. I found it easy to imagine everything from the vast deserts to the palace and everything in between.

Overall, The New Kingdom was okay. This is the first Wilbur Smith book that I have read, and I will probably still try another one.

Date finished: Jan 9

Title: Son of Time
Author: A.P. Mobley

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
Son of Time continues Valeria and Greg's adventures after the apocalyptic storm in The Shield of Nike. As they are on the run, they meet two more demigods who are on a quest to find survivors and save them from another immortal monster.

Son of Time is an action-packed novella. Valeria was easier to connect with than in The Shield of Nike. A.P. Mobley is a fantastic author that delivers great descriptions without being overly excessive. The characters felt real. They are demigods, but they are going through a very tough situation and trying to survive while being literally surrounded by death everywhere they go. They were forced to grow up extremely fast and they act vulnerable but strong. I love mythology so I thoroughly enjoy the story that A.P. has created and seeing the mythological gods and monsters come to life. I can't wait to find out what happens in book 3!

Thank you to A.P. Mobley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Jan 9

Title: Sold on a Monday
Author: Kristina McMorris

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
This is probably the most heartbreaking cover that I have ever seen. The book lives up to the cover.

Sold on a Monday is so much more than just a story about two kids for sale in a newspaper article. It is about the lengths people will go to to get their "big break" and what they'll do when faced with an impossible choice. It is about love and redemption. It is about trying to right the wrongdoings.

This is the first book that I have read by Kristina McMorris and I immediately added all of her books to my never-ending TBR! Kristina transports you to another era and place through her beautiful writing. I could easily imagine the sights and sounds of 1930s Philly whether it was the bustling newspaper office or a back-alley club. The flow of the storyline was great and it constantly captivated me.

Overall, Sold on a Monday is a beautiful historical fiction novel that I think is going to stay with me for quite some time. I highly recommend this book!

Date finished: Jan 13

Title: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow
Author: Mimi Matthews

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
Jane Eyre was the very first book that my friend and I did a buddy read for in 2016, so when we saw the announcement for John Eyre, we knew we had to read it together.

John Eyre is a wonderfully written reimagining. Mimi Matthews has taken a great classic and somehow made it darker and more beautiful. Seeing the similarities in the storyline to Jane Eyre was a joy, but the differences took it to a new level. This sparked the most discussion we've ever had during a buddy read.

Overall, John Eyre is a beautiful, dark, engrossing read and I look forward to reading more by Mimi Matthews. I recommend John Eyre to fans of Jane Eyre and historical fiction.

Date finished: Jan 16

Title: The Chronicles of Royal High: Dragon's Wrath
Author: R. Litfin

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I set this book aside for several months so I will not be doing a written review.

Date finished: Jan 19

Title: Feather and Flame
Author: Livia Blackburne

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
I could not put this book down! The world-building and descriptions was great without being excessive. The character growth was believable, and I appreciated that the romance was there, but it wasn't the center of the plot.

Feather and Flame is about a Disney Princess, but it's so much more. It's about finding strength when the odds seemed stacked against you. It's about finding courage when facing your enemies. It's about never underestimating people and some things are not what they seem.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Jan 21

Title: The Last Wish
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this collection of short stories. I loved how there was one main plot occurring in parts and the short stories provided background in between the parts. It was slightly confusing at first, but it is unique, and I really enjoyed it after I got used to it.

I was disappointed that there weren't more illustrations, but I liked that each one was from a different artist. I look forward to continuing the series and watching the Netflix series.

Date finished: Jan 28

Title: The Dragon Republic
Author: R.F. Kuang

Review: ⭐⭐��
This book was a little too long with several slow parts. There were some good action scenes, but I enjoyed The Poppy War a lot more.

Date finished: Jan 30

Title: The Dollhouse
Author: Sara Ennis

Review: ⭐⭐
The premise of The Dollhouse sounded really good, and the cover caught my attention. I really wanted to like it, but it was just okay. Some things didn't quite seem believable, and some things just didn't add up. There were several errors pertaining to the timeline and locations that distracted from the reading experience because I kept going back to previous chapters to check what I had read. Errors are expected in an uncorrected proof, but I feel that these errors should've been caught and fixed in early edits. The twist was hinted at, but the final reveal was still executed well.

Overall, it was an okay book that I would've rated higher if the plot was a little smoother. I will recommend the book to others if it goes through more thorough edits. I was not prepared for some of the content so my recommendations will come with several warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Feb 2

Title: Star Mother
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
I loved the Paper Magician series and have been wanting to read more of Charlie N. Holmberg's books. I don't know why it took me so long to try more, but I kept seeing Star Mother and, like the magic of Paper Magician, it sounded unique.

Charlie's writing is pure magic. She transports you to another time and place. I felt like I was side-by-side with Ceris and Ristriel. I felt connected with them and invested in their mission and future. I can't wait until Star Father comes out!

Before I finished Star Mother, I made sure every Charlie N. Holmberg book is on my TBR and I will not be waiting as long to read my next one!

Date finished: Feb 3

Title: Daughters of a Dead Empire
Author: Carolyn Tara O'Neil

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
I was hooked from the beginning. The character development was great. I liked how Anna and Evgenia are polar opposites in their views and beliefs, but they still questioned some things and set all of it aside to help the other. Both girls grew in their own way throughout the book. Everything about the environment leapt off the page, from the feeling of tension between soldiers to being surrounded by trees in the woods.

This is one of the best debut novels that I have ever read, and I hope there will be many more from Carolyn Tara O’Neil! I recommend this to anyone that likes historical fiction, retellings, or the Romanov era.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Feb 5

Title: Full Flight
Author: Ashley Schumacher

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
Full Flight is...amazing. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Devastating. It's a perfect ode to how powerful a first love is. How it makes you feel invincible and so vulnerable at the same time.

I don't usually like the boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl by page 20 thing. But Ashley Schumacher does it differently. There was a hint that the feelings have been there before we met the characters, they're just finally admitting it to themselves which made it feel real, not rushed.

The characters felt real and extremely relatable. That Anna had to keep defending what she saw in Weston was eerily like going back in time to discussions with my friends about my first love.

I highly recommend Full Flight but be sure to have a box of tissues close. I look forward to reading more books by Ashley Schumacher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Date finished: Feb 7

Title: Carve the Mark
Author: Veronica Roth

Review: ⭐⭐��
Sci-fi isn't one of the genres that I read a lot of and unfortunately Carve the Mark will not make me a fan of the genre. I liked the banter between Akos and Cyra and enjoyed seeing them grow throughout the book. The world-building fell a little flat for me. I felt that it could be happening anywhere on Earth, not in space and on different planets in a different galaxy. I was intrigued by a creature that was frequently discussed about throughout the book, but what the creature looks like wasn't explained until near the end of the book.

I probably will read the next book to have more time with Akos and Cyra, but it will not be a high priority at this time.

Date finished: Feb 16

Title: Vows of Gold and Laughter
Author: Edith Pawlicki

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
After finishing Minerva for a By the Book VBP book binge last year, I knew that I had to read Edith's other books. Edith is a fantastic writer and creates beautiful, vivid worlds.

The covers for the Immortal Beings Series have always captured my attention and the book is just as good! Vows of Gold and Laughter switches POV several times in each chapter, but Edith executes this perfectly. The flow never felt disjointed. The characters and locations were easy to imagine and I felt like I was on the quest with them.

I recommend Vows of Gold and Laughter to mythology fans. Now onto book 2!

Date finished: Feb 24