1Miss_Moneypenny
Hello there and welcome to my 2022 reading log! I'm Caity, a technology director for local government in beautiful Colorado. I'm married to a lovely man who works long, intense hours as a finance manager for Subaru. Mr. M has a crazy workload and my job is fairly fluid with workload and hours, so I've got more reading time than most. We've got a feisty French bulldog (Bibi) and a sweet kitty boy (Poptart). If I'm not with them, I've got my nose in a book! I'll read anything and everything you hand me but am most at home in the fantasy/sci-fi realm.
I originally started tracking my reading here as a way to recover from the burnout of a particularly intense graduate program but quickly discovered that this is one of the best places on the entire internet. I've been participating in the ROOTs challenge since 2014. In 2021, I wound up blowing past my goal of 80 ROOTs with a total of 125 ROOTs read!
I'll be keeping a goal of 80 ROOTs for 2022 though as this year looks like it's going to be a little more intense than the last couple of strange years we've had.
I don't plan out my books as I need spontaneity in my reading line, but I'm hoping to read one classic novel each month and one entry in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Other than that, I'll read whatever strikes my fancy!
I'm also determined to not increase my TBR pile too much. Right now, I have 275 books in my collection that need to be read, with some of them languishing on my shelves for close to a decade now. I'm setting a monthly limit of 5 books or $25 spent on books, whichever comes first.
Thanks for stopping by! Drop a note so I can follow along with what you're reading!
2Miss_Moneypenny
Book Purchase Log
January: 0 books purchased!
February:
January: 0 books purchased!
February:
3Miss_Moneypenny
Classics List
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (this will count as three ROOTs since technically it's broken up into 3 novels)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (this will count as three ROOTs since technically it's broken up into 3 novels)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4Miss_Moneypenny
Wheel of Time List
0. A New Spring
1. Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. The Gathering Storm
13. Towers of Midnight
14. A Memory of Light
0. A New Spring
1. Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. The Gathering Storm
13. Towers of Midnight
14. A Memory of Light
6rabbitprincess
Welcome back! I am super impressed that you're tackling The Wheel of Time. My MIL has read the series and those books look HUGE, haha.
7cyderry
Classics are hard for me too, Caity. I try to do a least 4 a year, but even that low number is hard for me.
Glad you are with us in the ROOT Challenge!
Glad you are with us in the ROOT Challenge!
10LoraShouse
Welcome back, and happy reading.
I can't believe I've actually read all the books on your classics list (they were all on my own book list at one time). I especially liked The Count of Monte Cristo and Kristen Lavransdatter.
I can't believe I've actually read all the books on your classics list (they were all on my own book list at one time). I especially liked The Count of Monte Cristo and Kristen Lavransdatter.
11MissWatson
Welcome back, and I hope you enjoy The count of Monte Cristo. One of my favourites!
12Henrik_Madsen
Good to see you back. That's a pretty great list of classics - even Ivanhoe.
13Miss_Moneypenny
February
Big ol' YIKES to how January wound up playing out. Between changes at my job and then being knocked totally on my back for almost three full weeks by covid, very little reading got done in January! But hope springs eternal and I'm confident that February will be kinder.
1. The Promised Neverland volume 20 by Kaiu Shirai
Holy moses, what a magnificent ending. This wound up being in my top 10 mangas of all time and I just wish that the anime had done justice to it.
5 stars
2. We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
Personal finance is one of my favorite hobby topics, and Rodgers does an absolutely stellar job going into the emotional/mental blocks most women have toward money and personal finance. This was terrific and is highly recommended.
5 stars
Big ol' YIKES to how January wound up playing out. Between changes at my job and then being knocked totally on my back for almost three full weeks by covid, very little reading got done in January! But hope springs eternal and I'm confident that February will be kinder.
1. The Promised Neverland volume 20 by Kaiu Shirai
Holy moses, what a magnificent ending. This wound up being in my top 10 mangas of all time and I just wish that the anime had done justice to it.
5 stars
2. We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
Personal finance is one of my favorite hobby topics, and Rodgers does an absolutely stellar job going into the emotional/mental blocks most women have toward money and personal finance. This was terrific and is highly recommended.
5 stars
14Jackie_K
>13 Miss_Moneypenny: Ooft, I hope you've fully recovered from covid! It's not a nice time of year to be ill (not that it's ever really a good time, but you know what I mean - you can't even sit out in the garden and languish when it's cold and wet and miserable out).
15rabbitprincess
Oh no! I'm so sorry you had covid! Hoping February treats you more kindly.
16MissWatson
Sorry to hear that you caught it so badly and my best wishes that February will be very kind to you!
17Caramellunacy
>13 Miss_Moneypenny: Hoping your February goes better and that you're feeling better!
18Miss_Moneypenny
Thanks everyone! It was a bad one for sure but I'm definitely on the mend!
3. The Turnout by Megan Abbot
This was a weird one. Two adult sisters take over their deceased mother's ballet studio and then shit gets weird. I've enjoyed Abbott's previous works but this is just so charged with a gross sexual tension that was really off-putting to me. Add in the descriptions of body odor, malformed ballet feet, and the general stink of a ballet studio on nearly every page and I was noping right out of this one.
2 stars
4. Expecting Better by Emily Oster
Mr. M and I are still trying to expand our family and this was a really quick, interesting read. Oster is an economist and brings that lens to the recommendations given to pregnant women in the US only to find that a lot of them are based in shoddy science and tradition. Definitely recommended.
4 stars
3. The Turnout by Megan Abbot
This was a weird one. Two adult sisters take over their deceased mother's ballet studio and then shit gets weird. I've enjoyed Abbott's previous works but this is just so charged with a gross sexual tension that was really off-putting to me. Add in the descriptions of body odor, malformed ballet feet, and the general stink of a ballet studio on nearly every page and I was noping right out of this one.
2 stars
4. Expecting Better by Emily Oster
Mr. M and I are still trying to expand our family and this was a really quick, interesting read. Oster is an economist and brings that lens to the recommendations given to pregnant women in the US only to find that a lot of them are based in shoddy science and tradition. Definitely recommended.
4 stars
19Miss_Moneypenny
February catch up a little late!
5. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
I really liked the first season of the Witcher tv show (I'm a sucker for Henry Cavill) and figured I'd like the books as well. This was rough going: short stories aren't really my thing, and the translation is a little clunky. But all in all, this was a decent way to spend an afternoon.
3 stars
6. The Serial Killer's Wife by Alice Hunter
This is a less than serviceable domestic thriller. I'm not particularly good at guessing twists but I managed to guess this and the ending in the first 30 pages. Skip this.
2 stars
7. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Now this was terrific. Novik has a great ear for dialogue and this was no different. The setting is a school of magic that's literally trying to kill it's students and how our protagonist (who was prickly and difficult and terrific) manages to make it to her senior year.
5 stars
8. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
This follow up to A Deadly Education was even better than the first. Now that the really excellently done world building is out of the way, Novik focuses on her characters and their growth, making for a really terrific time. And that ending!
5 stars
9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
This was one of my favorite books when I read it in the 90s. A lot of it went over my head (my parents didn't monitor my reading activity at all) but I was enchanted by the idea of geisha and Japan in general. Reading it as an adult is a little icky though: a white man writing as a Japanese woman living a very particular existence feels wrong. I don't think this would get published today. 5 stars for nostalgia and for baby Moneypenny, but for today
3 stars
10. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
I really wanted to love this book but it just fell so flat for me. The description had me absolutely hooked but when I ordered it, I didn't realize it was a novella. Less than 150 pages but still the same as a full novel? Not cool. Additionally, the writing needed a lot of work. Khaw uses a lot of words to describe a whole lot of nothing. With more plot and a tighter editor, this could have been spectacular but as it stands, it's just eh.
2 stars
11. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
This is my second time reading this truly excellent book about two feuding Victorian England era magicians and the ramifications it has throughout the ages. Definitely watch the movie first, but don't skip the book. This deserved all the prizes it won for sure.
5 stars
5. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
I really liked the first season of the Witcher tv show (I'm a sucker for Henry Cavill) and figured I'd like the books as well. This was rough going: short stories aren't really my thing, and the translation is a little clunky. But all in all, this was a decent way to spend an afternoon.
3 stars
6. The Serial Killer's Wife by Alice Hunter
This is a less than serviceable domestic thriller. I'm not particularly good at guessing twists but I managed to guess this and the ending in the first 30 pages. Skip this.
2 stars
7. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Now this was terrific. Novik has a great ear for dialogue and this was no different. The setting is a school of magic that's literally trying to kill it's students and how our protagonist (who was prickly and difficult and terrific) manages to make it to her senior year.
5 stars
8. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
This follow up to A Deadly Education was even better than the first. Now that the really excellently done world building is out of the way, Novik focuses on her characters and their growth, making for a really terrific time. And that ending!
5 stars
9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
This was one of my favorite books when I read it in the 90s. A lot of it went over my head (my parents didn't monitor my reading activity at all) but I was enchanted by the idea of geisha and Japan in general. Reading it as an adult is a little icky though: a white man writing as a Japanese woman living a very particular existence feels wrong. I don't think this would get published today. 5 stars for nostalgia and for baby Moneypenny, but for today
3 stars
10. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
I really wanted to love this book but it just fell so flat for me. The description had me absolutely hooked but when I ordered it, I didn't realize it was a novella. Less than 150 pages but still the same as a full novel? Not cool. Additionally, the writing needed a lot of work. Khaw uses a lot of words to describe a whole lot of nothing. With more plot and a tighter editor, this could have been spectacular but as it stands, it's just eh.
2 stars
11. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
This is my second time reading this truly excellent book about two feuding Victorian England era magicians and the ramifications it has throughout the ages. Definitely watch the movie first, but don't skip the book. This deserved all the prizes it won for sure.
5 stars
20Miss_Moneypenny
March
And just like that, March is half over! It's been an absolute whirlwind of a year so far: Mr. M got a promotion mid-January, in the span of about 2 weeks I wound up with a brand new (and fully remote!) job that requires I keep EST hours while smack in the middle of MST, and I found out I'm pregnant! We're absolutely thrilled and now it's a race to finish my ROOT goal before baby's arrival in October.
12. Unmissing by Minka Kent
A tidy and tightly plotted psychological thriller following the twists and turns a woman's return from the dead brings up. This was much better than the typical thriller and I'm interested to see what Kent writes next.
4 stars
13. Cribsheet by Emily Oster
This is Oster's infancy through toddlerhood followup to Expecting Better and I'm sorry to say that it definitely didn't live up to that book's reputation. I think part of it is that Oster's approach to the data doesn't work as well for something as nebulous as childhood outcomes. These aren't as cut and dried as the fetus/infant outcomes like weight and rate of trisomies. This gave me some food for thought and sparked some good conversations with Mr. M but on the whole, I'd skip this one.
3 stars
14. Twilight
15. Eclipse
16. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
I'm in the very thick of morning sickness and fatigue and so have turned to some of my favorite comfort reading. The Twilight books came out when I was 19 and so I was just a little too old for the major craze. But I was working as a bookseller for Borders and needed to read what our customers were buying and non-threatening vampires and werewolves and Mary Sues and overblown love triangles sometimes is exactly what the doctor ordered.
4 stars each
17. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Another comfort reread! I was 8 years old when my mother gave me this to read and it immediately captivated me. This has much, much less horror than a traditional King novel and the fantasy setting was exactly up my alley. I loved it then and I love it still. Bad guys plotting dastardly deeds, brave princes fighting to right wrongs, and the best of dogs: it's like I wrote it myself.
5 stars
18. Firebird by Mercedes Lackey
This was a gift from my parents for Christmas 1997. It's one of the few books I carted around with me as an adult and I reread it every couple of years. It's like a warm hug from the past every time I read it, and honestly the story holds up for me. It's a little more "male gaze-y" than adult me would like, but for nostalgia almost nothing beats it.
5 stars
And just like that, March is half over! It's been an absolute whirlwind of a year so far: Mr. M got a promotion mid-January, in the span of about 2 weeks I wound up with a brand new (and fully remote!) job that requires I keep EST hours while smack in the middle of MST, and I found out I'm pregnant! We're absolutely thrilled and now it's a race to finish my ROOT goal before baby's arrival in October.
12. Unmissing by Minka Kent
A tidy and tightly plotted psychological thriller following the twists and turns a woman's return from the dead brings up. This was much better than the typical thriller and I'm interested to see what Kent writes next.
4 stars
13. Cribsheet by Emily Oster
This is Oster's infancy through toddlerhood followup to Expecting Better and I'm sorry to say that it definitely didn't live up to that book's reputation. I think part of it is that Oster's approach to the data doesn't work as well for something as nebulous as childhood outcomes. These aren't as cut and dried as the fetus/infant outcomes like weight and rate of trisomies. This gave me some food for thought and sparked some good conversations with Mr. M but on the whole, I'd skip this one.
3 stars
14. Twilight
15. Eclipse
16. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
I'm in the very thick of morning sickness and fatigue and so have turned to some of my favorite comfort reading. The Twilight books came out when I was 19 and so I was just a little too old for the major craze. But I was working as a bookseller for Borders and needed to read what our customers were buying and non-threatening vampires and werewolves and Mary Sues and overblown love triangles sometimes is exactly what the doctor ordered.
4 stars each
17. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Another comfort reread! I was 8 years old when my mother gave me this to read and it immediately captivated me. This has much, much less horror than a traditional King novel and the fantasy setting was exactly up my alley. I loved it then and I love it still. Bad guys plotting dastardly deeds, brave princes fighting to right wrongs, and the best of dogs: it's like I wrote it myself.
5 stars
18. Firebird by Mercedes Lackey
This was a gift from my parents for Christmas 1997. It's one of the few books I carted around with me as an adult and I reread it every couple of years. It's like a warm hug from the past every time I read it, and honestly the story holds up for me. It's a little more "male gaze-y" than adult me would like, but for nostalgia almost nothing beats it.
5 stars
21rabbitprincess
>20 Miss_Moneypenny: Lots of exciting news! Congratulations :)
22Caramellunacy
>20 Miss_Moneypenny: Congratulations!
23Jackie_K
>20 Miss_Moneypenny: Congratulations from me too! What lovely news all round!
24MissWatson
Congratulations on such happy news!
25Miss_Moneypenny
Thank you so much everyone! It's been an overwhelming but good year for sure, and a lovely change from the last couple of years.
26connie53
Hi Caity! Glad you have such good news. Congratulations! That must wipe out all the Covid related stuff in the beginning of the year. Really good news!
27Miss_Moneypenny
June
Well, so much for the race to finish my ROOT goal before October! I had absolutely horrendous morning sickness for the entirety of my first trimester and into the second one as well. It was so bad that I couldn't read anything as it would increase my nausea exponentially. However, now that I'm solidly in the second trimester the morning sickness is mostly gone and I can read again! I've mostly stuck to comfort reads that don't involve food or gore because my aversions are still hanging around.
19. Indexing by Seanan McGuire
20. Indexing: Reflections by Seanan McGuire
21. Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
22. The Next Always by Nora Roberts
23. The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts
Well, so much for the race to finish my ROOT goal before October! I had absolutely horrendous morning sickness for the entirety of my first trimester and into the second one as well. It was so bad that I couldn't read anything as it would increase my nausea exponentially. However, now that I'm solidly in the second trimester the morning sickness is mostly gone and I can read again! I've mostly stuck to comfort reads that don't involve food or gore because my aversions are still hanging around.
19. Indexing by Seanan McGuire
20. Indexing: Reflections by Seanan McGuire
21. Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
22. The Next Always by Nora Roberts
23. The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts
28connie53
Hi Caity. Morning sickness. It should be banned. I'm so happy you can read again. Are you feeling alright now? Good to see you are reading some light stuff now.
29Miss_Moneypenny
June con't
24. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Since the beginning of June, I've had 3 separate projects launch, requiring me to work overnights every Sunday of the month. The best way for me to stay awake is to immerse myself in excellent writing, so I knew that Seanan McGuire's mermaid horror was exactly what the doctor ordered. This was my second time reading this excellent book and I'm happy to report it was even better this time.
5 stars
25. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
26. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
27. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
I love reading about rich people behaving badly, and Kwan's trilogy is exactly that. Lots of fluff, lots of materialism, and comeuppance in the end. Perfect summertime reading.
4 stars each
28. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
2021 was the year of Seanan McGuire for me. I absolutely devoured most of her back catalogue and her reading is nearly tailor made for my niche reading interests. The Wayward Children series is consistently excellent and this latest installment was no different. My only complaint is that the ending definitely didn't feel like an ending and this is the first in the series that I felt could have used more length.
4 stars
29. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
30. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
31. The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman
I remember reading the first in this series back in 2010 when I was working as a bookseller at Borders. It was my first ARC and I remember distinctly hating Quentin and his friends with a passion. With the benefit of 12 years and a lot of life lived, I found myself surprisingly sympathetic to this band of depressive malcontents who find that wherever you land, there you are. I have a lot of issues with Grossman's treatment of his heroines (Julia's backstory was fascinating but surely there were ways to get his point across than a brutal rape?) and I wish that Julia, Alice, and Janet had been the protagonists rather than Quentin. I definitely won't reread these, but it was a decent way to spend my overnights.
3 stars each
24. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Since the beginning of June, I've had 3 separate projects launch, requiring me to work overnights every Sunday of the month. The best way for me to stay awake is to immerse myself in excellent writing, so I knew that Seanan McGuire's mermaid horror was exactly what the doctor ordered. This was my second time reading this excellent book and I'm happy to report it was even better this time.
5 stars
25. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
26. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
27. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
I love reading about rich people behaving badly, and Kwan's trilogy is exactly that. Lots of fluff, lots of materialism, and comeuppance in the end. Perfect summertime reading.
4 stars each
28. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
2021 was the year of Seanan McGuire for me. I absolutely devoured most of her back catalogue and her reading is nearly tailor made for my niche reading interests. The Wayward Children series is consistently excellent and this latest installment was no different. My only complaint is that the ending definitely didn't feel like an ending and this is the first in the series that I felt could have used more length.
4 stars
29. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
30. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
31. The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman
I remember reading the first in this series back in 2010 when I was working as a bookseller at Borders. It was my first ARC and I remember distinctly hating Quentin and his friends with a passion. With the benefit of 12 years and a lot of life lived, I found myself surprisingly sympathetic to this band of depressive malcontents who find that wherever you land, there you are. I have a lot of issues with Grossman's treatment of his heroines (Julia's backstory was fascinating but surely there were ways to get his point across than a brutal rape?) and I wish that Julia, Alice, and Janet had been the protagonists rather than Quentin. I definitely won't reread these, but it was a decent way to spend my overnights.
3 stars each
30Miss_Moneypenny
>28 connie53: Hi Connie! Thank you! I agree: I knew the first trimester wouldn't be fun, but I wasn't prepared for the depth of misery I had to wade through. Thankfully once that was over with, things have been smooth sailing and it's absolutely wild to feel the baby move.
31connie53
>30 Miss_Moneypenny: O yes, that is a great feeling. Just enjoy those little butterfly moves.
32Miss_Moneypenny
June
How is it already mid-July?! This year is moving too fast for me. Work has slowed down considerably and has allowed for a lot of really lovely afternoons and weekends in the pool. I absolutely love summer as long as I can be in/near water!
32. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
I read this book for the first time in 2012 (an entire decade ago!) at the urging of a coworker. It ticks all my boxes: a strong female character, excellent and deep world building, really lovely prose, and just enough magic/mysticism to keep things interesting. The sex-positive world Carey builds is a terrific bonus and despite it's doorstopper length of over 900 pages the story never flags. I actually love this book so much that it took me until this year to read the remaining two books in the trilogy!
5 stars
33. Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
The second in the Kushiel's trilogy is almost as good as the first, and that's saying something. Phedre, the courtesan spy who's also god-touched, continues to have wild and breathtaking adventures in the pursuit of securing the throne for the queen and I absolutely devoured this.
5 stars
34. Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz
35. Seize the Night by Dean Koontz
I remember reading these when they were first published in the 90s and waiting with bated breath for the conclusion. Needless to say, I'm still disappointed and waiting for Koontz to finish this great story following the adventures of Chris Snow, who has a rare skin condition that renders him deathly allergic to ultraviolet light. Snow gets caught up in what seems to me like a followup to the scientific meddling of Koontz's Watchers and it's a really great read. I'm still holding out hope for the final book, 25 years later.
4 stars each
36. Harleen by Stjepan Sejic
A truly excellent and horrifying look at Harley Quinn's backstory. I would love to see this as a DC Universe movie.
5 stars
37. Sabriel by Garth Nix
As we get closer to meeting this little lady, I find myself going back through my childhood favorites to see if they're worth keeping and passing down to our daughter. Sabriel is a resounding yes, although I'm keeping it until she's older because wow is it scary for a children's book. Technically, I guess this could be classified as YA now which wasn't really a category when this was published. My mother bought this for me when I was 9 and that was definitely too young given the subject matter.
5 stars
38. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks
I really need to quit picking domestic suspense novels up because they're never as good as I think they ought to be, and I wind up annoyed by the characters more often than not. This one was better than average though and a decent read by the pool.
3 stars
39. Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
40. Spelunking through Hell by Seanan McGuire
The latest two installments in McGuires excellent InCryptid series were a joy as always. These are the ultimate candy read for me: fast paced, snarky, fun as heck.
4 stars each
How is it already mid-July?! This year is moving too fast for me. Work has slowed down considerably and has allowed for a lot of really lovely afternoons and weekends in the pool. I absolutely love summer as long as I can be in/near water!
32. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
I read this book for the first time in 2012 (an entire decade ago!) at the urging of a coworker. It ticks all my boxes: a strong female character, excellent and deep world building, really lovely prose, and just enough magic/mysticism to keep things interesting. The sex-positive world Carey builds is a terrific bonus and despite it's doorstopper length of over 900 pages the story never flags. I actually love this book so much that it took me until this year to read the remaining two books in the trilogy!
5 stars
33. Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
The second in the Kushiel's trilogy is almost as good as the first, and that's saying something. Phedre, the courtesan spy who's also god-touched, continues to have wild and breathtaking adventures in the pursuit of securing the throne for the queen and I absolutely devoured this.
5 stars
34. Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz
35. Seize the Night by Dean Koontz
I remember reading these when they were first published in the 90s and waiting with bated breath for the conclusion. Needless to say, I'm still disappointed and waiting for Koontz to finish this great story following the adventures of Chris Snow, who has a rare skin condition that renders him deathly allergic to ultraviolet light. Snow gets caught up in what seems to me like a followup to the scientific meddling of Koontz's Watchers and it's a really great read. I'm still holding out hope for the final book, 25 years later.
4 stars each
36. Harleen by Stjepan Sejic
A truly excellent and horrifying look at Harley Quinn's backstory. I would love to see this as a DC Universe movie.
5 stars
37. Sabriel by Garth Nix
As we get closer to meeting this little lady, I find myself going back through my childhood favorites to see if they're worth keeping and passing down to our daughter. Sabriel is a resounding yes, although I'm keeping it until she's older because wow is it scary for a children's book. Technically, I guess this could be classified as YA now which wasn't really a category when this was published. My mother bought this for me when I was 9 and that was definitely too young given the subject matter.
5 stars
38. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks
I really need to quit picking domestic suspense novels up because they're never as good as I think they ought to be, and I wind up annoyed by the characters more often than not. This one was better than average though and a decent read by the pool.
3 stars
39. Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
40. Spelunking through Hell by Seanan McGuire
The latest two installments in McGuires excellent InCryptid series were a joy as always. These are the ultimate candy read for me: fast paced, snarky, fun as heck.
4 stars each
33Jackie_K
Looks like you've read some great books recently! We're enjoying introducing our daughter to favourite books too! (and as a bonus, we're also discovering some brilliant more recent books - she's just coming up to that middle grade kind of age, and there are some fantastic books being published now for that age group).
34Miss_Moneypenny
>33 Jackie_K: That's what I'm looking forward to the most, middle grade reading! You're right, that arena has absolutely blown up and I can't wait to see what grabs our daughter's fancy.
35connie53
>32 Miss_Moneypenny: There are some of my favourite books in that list! The Careys, the McGuires and the Nix!
36Miss_Moneypenny
>35 connie53: Heck yeah! Carey in particular took me by surprise: when I first read Kushiel's Dart back in 2012, it was unlike anything I had read at that point. I'm just kicking myself that it took this long to continue with the trilogy!
37Miss_Moneypenny
July continues apace!
41. Lirael by Garth Nix
42. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Nix's Abhorsen trilogy is absolutely excellent, although I find myself pretending that he never wrote anything in this world after the third book. I was deeply disappointed in both Clariel and Goldenhand; but thankfully, these first three are just about perfect in my eyes.
5 stars each
43. The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse
When my parents moved in with my husband and I in 2020 they brought with them literally dozens of boxes of books from my childhood. I've been slowly going through them since then, and I do mean slowly: as I find books that I remember loving, I stop to read them! The Music of the Dolphins is the latest in this long line of childhood rereads. Mila was raised by dolphins from the age of 4 and when she's found by the Coast Guard at 13, she's turned into a language acquisition experiment. This is a surprisingly deep premise for a middle-grade book and it's just as good and heartbreaking as I remember.
5 stars
44. Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Godzilla is my absolute weakness. I've never seen a Godzilla movie I didn't like and I've collected an embarrassing wealth of knowledge about Japanese kaiju movies over the years. All that to say, I didn't even read the back of this book before I put it in my cart. This was a super quick, super candy read that hit absolutely all of my sweet spots (despite being set in the early pandemic, which was almost enough to make me put it down in the first 20 pages). If you're looking for something funny and quick, read this!
5 stars
45. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
I'm starting to learn more about labor and delivery and this was highly recommended by several friends. There's a lot of valuable knowledge in here if you're looking to learn about non-medicated, low interference childbirth. But wow is there also a lot of extreme crunchy, hippie weirdness. The first quarter of the book is dedicated to women writing about their birth experiences on Gaskin's Farm, and I skipped this section after cringing through the first couple. Other than that though, Gaskin's passion for women's health and "natural" childbirth really shines and gave me (an advanced maternal age pregnant woman with MS and insulin-dependent gestational diabetes) a lot to think about as I approach the birth of our first baby this October (definitely in a hospital!).
4 stars
41. Lirael by Garth Nix
42. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Nix's Abhorsen trilogy is absolutely excellent, although I find myself pretending that he never wrote anything in this world after the third book. I was deeply disappointed in both Clariel and Goldenhand; but thankfully, these first three are just about perfect in my eyes.
5 stars each
43. The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse
When my parents moved in with my husband and I in 2020 they brought with them literally dozens of boxes of books from my childhood. I've been slowly going through them since then, and I do mean slowly: as I find books that I remember loving, I stop to read them! The Music of the Dolphins is the latest in this long line of childhood rereads. Mila was raised by dolphins from the age of 4 and when she's found by the Coast Guard at 13, she's turned into a language acquisition experiment. This is a surprisingly deep premise for a middle-grade book and it's just as good and heartbreaking as I remember.
5 stars
44. Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Godzilla is my absolute weakness. I've never seen a Godzilla movie I didn't like and I've collected an embarrassing wealth of knowledge about Japanese kaiju movies over the years. All that to say, I didn't even read the back of this book before I put it in my cart. This was a super quick, super candy read that hit absolutely all of my sweet spots (despite being set in the early pandemic, which was almost enough to make me put it down in the first 20 pages). If you're looking for something funny and quick, read this!
5 stars
45. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
I'm starting to learn more about labor and delivery and this was highly recommended by several friends. There's a lot of valuable knowledge in here if you're looking to learn about non-medicated, low interference childbirth. But wow is there also a lot of extreme crunchy, hippie weirdness. The first quarter of the book is dedicated to women writing about their birth experiences on Gaskin's Farm, and I skipped this section after cringing through the first couple. Other than that though, Gaskin's passion for women's health and "natural" childbirth really shines and gave me (an advanced maternal age pregnant woman with MS and insulin-dependent gestational diabetes) a lot to think about as I approach the birth of our first baby this October (definitely in a hospital!).
4 stars
38Miss_Moneypenny
August
The days are long but the years are short, am I right? Here we are already a week into August!
46. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
I've heard nothing but praise for the Murderbot series, but wasn't thrilled with this one. The writing was weirdly disjointed and I couldn't connect with Murderbot until well past the midway point. I think I'll skip the rest of these.
3 stars
47. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
I'm continuing to go through the dozens of book boxes we've accumulated over the years and when I found this battered old copy, I immediately sat down to read it. It's just as delightful as I remember and I think I appreciated it more as an adult than I did as a child. A classic for a reason.
5 stars
48. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Another children's classic, but from my husband this time! This was one of his favorite books as a child and he definitely had a self-sufficiency/going alone theme in his favorites. This was charming.
4 stars
49. Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
The absolutely terrific conclusion to Phedre's story. Man, I was not prepared for this one: it gets SUPER dark and disturbing for a solid 15% of the book, but everything is beautifully redeemed in the end. I absolutely loved this entire trilogy and it's already on my favorites/must re-read list.
5 stars
50. Bravetart by Stella Parks
I am a weirdo who reads cookbooks cover to cover before using them, but with this truly excellent dessert book, I dove right in. The lemon meringue pie, Glossy Fudge Brownies, White Mountain Layer Cake, and Classic Yellow Layer Cake are all worth the price of admission and got rave reviews from the family and friends I served them too. Some of this book is stuff I'm just never going to make (basically the entire candy section) but still fascinating to read. If you're the in the market for a new dessert cookbook, pick this one up.
5 stars
51. And Baby Makes Three by John and Julie Gottman
As we get closer to Baby making her arrival, my husband and I have started to really dive into the parenting/relationship books. He suggested this one and I think it's the most helpful book we've read yet. The Gottmans make a compelling case that the best foundation you can give your child is a good marriage and I'm glad we've got this roadmap.
5 stars
52. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
This is the first in Alexander's excellent Prydain Chronicles and was a childhood favorite. I was a weird kid who had even weirder friends, and if we weren't busy playing Star Wars we were playing Prydain. Reading this as an adult brought back a ton of happy memories and I've set it aside for my own wee one in the hopes that it strikes her fancy as much as it did mine.
5 stars
53. Meet Samantha
54. Samantha Learns a Lesson
55. Samantha's Surprise
56. Happy Birthday Samantha!
57. Samantha Saves the Day
58. Changes for Samantha
59. Meet Molly
60. Molly Learns a Lesson
61. Molly's Surprise
62. Happy Birthday Molly!
63. Molly Saves the Day
64. Changes for Molly
Buried in the basement book boxes are the entire American Girl books for Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, Molly, and Addy. I was absolutely obsessed with the American Girl dolls and their accessories but the books took my obsession to another level. These are the first books I can remember reading on my own, and I vividly remember going to B Dalton's with my mom and agonizing over which book to get. I found them when clearing out our basement (turns out nesting is real, even though the baby won't go in the basement for several years) and immediately plopped down to read through them. These are as delightful as I remember them and now I'm on the hunt to find my Samantha doll.
5 stars each
The days are long but the years are short, am I right? Here we are already a week into August!
46. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
I've heard nothing but praise for the Murderbot series, but wasn't thrilled with this one. The writing was weirdly disjointed and I couldn't connect with Murderbot until well past the midway point. I think I'll skip the rest of these.
3 stars
47. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
I'm continuing to go through the dozens of book boxes we've accumulated over the years and when I found this battered old copy, I immediately sat down to read it. It's just as delightful as I remember and I think I appreciated it more as an adult than I did as a child. A classic for a reason.
5 stars
48. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Another children's classic, but from my husband this time! This was one of his favorite books as a child and he definitely had a self-sufficiency/going alone theme in his favorites. This was charming.
4 stars
49. Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
The absolutely terrific conclusion to Phedre's story. Man, I was not prepared for this one: it gets SUPER dark and disturbing for a solid 15% of the book, but everything is beautifully redeemed in the end. I absolutely loved this entire trilogy and it's already on my favorites/must re-read list.
5 stars
50. Bravetart by Stella Parks
I am a weirdo who reads cookbooks cover to cover before using them, but with this truly excellent dessert book, I dove right in. The lemon meringue pie, Glossy Fudge Brownies, White Mountain Layer Cake, and Classic Yellow Layer Cake are all worth the price of admission and got rave reviews from the family and friends I served them too. Some of this book is stuff I'm just never going to make (basically the entire candy section) but still fascinating to read. If you're the in the market for a new dessert cookbook, pick this one up.
5 stars
51. And Baby Makes Three by John and Julie Gottman
As we get closer to Baby making her arrival, my husband and I have started to really dive into the parenting/relationship books. He suggested this one and I think it's the most helpful book we've read yet. The Gottmans make a compelling case that the best foundation you can give your child is a good marriage and I'm glad we've got this roadmap.
5 stars
52. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
This is the first in Alexander's excellent Prydain Chronicles and was a childhood favorite. I was a weird kid who had even weirder friends, and if we weren't busy playing Star Wars we were playing Prydain. Reading this as an adult brought back a ton of happy memories and I've set it aside for my own wee one in the hopes that it strikes her fancy as much as it did mine.
5 stars
53. Meet Samantha
54. Samantha Learns a Lesson
55. Samantha's Surprise
56. Happy Birthday Samantha!
57. Samantha Saves the Day
58. Changes for Samantha
59. Meet Molly
60. Molly Learns a Lesson
61. Molly's Surprise
62. Happy Birthday Molly!
63. Molly Saves the Day
64. Changes for Molly
Buried in the basement book boxes are the entire American Girl books for Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, Molly, and Addy. I was absolutely obsessed with the American Girl dolls and their accessories but the books took my obsession to another level. These are the first books I can remember reading on my own, and I vividly remember going to B Dalton's with my mom and agonizing over which book to get. I found them when clearing out our basement (turns out nesting is real, even though the baby won't go in the basement for several years) and immediately plopped down to read through them. These are as delightful as I remember them and now I'm on the hunt to find my Samantha doll.
5 stars each
39connie53
>36 Miss_Moneypenny: I have to still finish the series myself too. I might read them soon.
>38 Miss_Moneypenny: You mention the same book twice as 63 and 64.
It's nice to find some of your childhood favourites. isn't it?
Are you feeling good with the baby and all?
>38 Miss_Moneypenny: You mention the same book twice as 63 and 64.
It's nice to find some of your childhood favourites. isn't it?
Are you feeling good with the baby and all?
40Miss_Moneypenny
November
Woo boy, how is it the end of November?! The end of my pregnancy was rough as heck and very dramatic; baby made her way into the world 4 weeks early in a spectacularly dramatic fashion that required about a week of NICU time. But now she's absolutely perfect and healthy as can be; I'm doing well and am immensely enjoying motherhood!
I'm also glad to report that all the middle of the night feeding sessions and contact napping has paid off: I've exceeded my ROOT count! Here's a quick run down of what Baby and I have read so far since September.
65. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, 4 stars
66. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
67. The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
68. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
69. The High King by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
70. The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand, 3 stars
71. Jade City by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
72. Jade War by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
73. Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
74. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 4 stars
75. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, 5 stars
76. The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, 4 stars
77. Dead to Her by Sara Pinborough, 3 stars
78. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowing, 5 stars
79. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowing, 5 stars
80. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowing, 5 stars
81. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowing, 5 stars
82. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowing, 5 stars
83. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowing, 5 stars
84. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowing, 5 stars
Woo boy, how is it the end of November?! The end of my pregnancy was rough as heck and very dramatic; baby made her way into the world 4 weeks early in a spectacularly dramatic fashion that required about a week of NICU time. But now she's absolutely perfect and healthy as can be; I'm doing well and am immensely enjoying motherhood!
I'm also glad to report that all the middle of the night feeding sessions and contact napping has paid off: I've exceeded my ROOT count! Here's a quick run down of what Baby and I have read so far since September.
65. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, 4 stars
66. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
67. The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
68. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
69. The High King by Lloyd Alexander, 4 stars
70. The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand, 3 stars
71. Jade City by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
72. Jade War by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
73. Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee, 5 stars
74. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 4 stars
75. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, 5 stars
76. The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, 4 stars
77. Dead to Her by Sara Pinborough, 3 stars
78. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowing, 5 stars
79. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowing, 5 stars
80. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowing, 5 stars
81. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowing, 5 stars
82. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowing, 5 stars
83. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowing, 5 stars
84. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowing, 5 stars
41Jackie_K
>40 Miss_Moneypenny: congratulations, welcome to the world, little one! ❤️
Glad to hear it's going so well!
Glad to hear it's going so well!
42Caramellunacy
>40 Miss_Moneypenny: Congratulations on the little one (and the reading)!
43NoahDenham 
Cet utilisateur a été supprimé en tant que polluposteur.
44mnleona
Congrats on the new little one. Enjoy.
I have the Harry Potter books and hope to read them one day.
I have the Harry Potter books and hope to read them one day.
46MissWatson
Congrats on your little one and on reaching your goal!
47connie53
Congrats on reaching your goal, Caity.
Happy Holidays and a great 2023 for you and yours.
Happy Holidays and a great 2023 for you and yours.
48karenmarie
Hi Caity!
Alas, it's line in the sand and onward to next year's threads, I'm afraid. One of my new year’s resolutions is to be a better LT friend.
Alas, it's line in the sand and onward to next year's threads, I'm afraid. One of my new year’s resolutions is to be a better LT friend.
49LauraOFlaherty
Cet utilisateur a été supprimé en tant que polluposteur.
51Miss_Moneypenny
Thanks for the well wishes everyone! It's been a wild year for the Moneypenny household to say the least. I've got a couple more ROOTs to report before we bid a fond farewell to 2022.
85. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
A truly excellent conclusion to Novik's Scholomance trilogy and one of the better books I've read all year. She has a fair amount of reveals that make the first two books even better in retrospect and I loved getting to spend more time with El.
4 stars
86. Be The Serpent by Seanan McGuire
This is the latest installment in McGuire's terrific October Daye series and while I saw a lot of unhappy chatter about the cliffhanger ending, I thought it worked perfectly. Every four books, McGuire reveals something that calls the entire previous series into question and what she did here was an absolute doozy. The previous Toby book was a pretty major disappointment and I'm so glad to report that Serpent was back up to snuff!
5 stars
87. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Reimagined fairy tales are probably my favorite subgenre ever. Wildwood Dancing blends the Frog Prince and Twelve Dancing Princesses, sets the whole thing in medieval Transylvania, and weaves in a lovely thread of local legends and folklore. Al in all that, makes this an excellent example of the genre. I knocked off a star at the end because the story partly devolves into characters not talking to each other for dumb reasons and dragging the plot out unnecessarily. Other than that, a great way to spend a snowy day in this weird in-between week.
4 stars
88. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
Mackie has written a really terrifically entertaining narrator here. Grace is snarky, sarcastic, and a complete sociopath. She's determined to kill all of her family members who don't even know she exists as revenge for her life and her mother's mistreatment. I really loved being in her head as she slowly picks them off one by one and that ending was a terrific twist that I didn't see coming.
5 stars
85. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
A truly excellent conclusion to Novik's Scholomance trilogy and one of the better books I've read all year. She has a fair amount of reveals that make the first two books even better in retrospect and I loved getting to spend more time with El.
4 stars
86. Be The Serpent by Seanan McGuire
This is the latest installment in McGuire's terrific October Daye series and while I saw a lot of unhappy chatter about the cliffhanger ending, I thought it worked perfectly. Every four books, McGuire reveals something that calls the entire previous series into question and what she did here was an absolute doozy. The previous Toby book was a pretty major disappointment and I'm so glad to report that Serpent was back up to snuff!
5 stars
87. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Reimagined fairy tales are probably my favorite subgenre ever. Wildwood Dancing blends the Frog Prince and Twelve Dancing Princesses, sets the whole thing in medieval Transylvania, and weaves in a lovely thread of local legends and folklore. Al in all that, makes this an excellent example of the genre. I knocked off a star at the end because the story partly devolves into characters not talking to each other for dumb reasons and dragging the plot out unnecessarily. Other than that, a great way to spend a snowy day in this weird in-between week.
4 stars
88. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
Mackie has written a really terrifically entertaining narrator here. Grace is snarky, sarcastic, and a complete sociopath. She's determined to kill all of her family members who don't even know she exists as revenge for her life and her mother's mistreatment. I really loved being in her head as she slowly picks them off one by one and that ending was a terrific twist that I didn't see coming.
5 stars
52Miss_Moneypenny
Best of 2022
1. The Kushiel Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar
I read the first Kushiel book way the hell back in 2009 and absolutely kicked myself for not immediately reading the rest of the trilogy. These are doorstoppers and have complex politics and religion but aren't difficult to read at all. I honestly can't believe that HBO or Amazon haven't picked these up to adapt for the small screen.
2. The Jade City trilogy by Fonda Lee: Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy
Lee has written one of my favorite trilogies of all time. This follows the top crime family in Janloon over decades as they fight to maintain their position in the underworld. I loved them so much that despite having them on my kindle, I purchased hardcover copies of all three to put on my shelves. There's no higher praise from me than that.
3. Indexing by Seanan McGuire
Nobody does fairy tales like McGuire and this was absolutely terrific.
4. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
A very late addition to this list (I finished it at 10:30 am on New Year's Eve!) but a welcome one! Mackie's funny and sarcastic sociopathic narrator was a treat to read and she gets credit for pulling off a truly unexpected twist. Highly recommended!
1. The Kushiel Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar
I read the first Kushiel book way the hell back in 2009 and absolutely kicked myself for not immediately reading the rest of the trilogy. These are doorstoppers and have complex politics and religion but aren't difficult to read at all. I honestly can't believe that HBO or Amazon haven't picked these up to adapt for the small screen.
2. The Jade City trilogy by Fonda Lee: Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy
Lee has written one of my favorite trilogies of all time. This follows the top crime family in Janloon over decades as they fight to maintain their position in the underworld. I loved them so much that despite having them on my kindle, I purchased hardcover copies of all three to put on my shelves. There's no higher praise from me than that.
3. Indexing by Seanan McGuire
Nobody does fairy tales like McGuire and this was absolutely terrific.
4. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
A very late addition to this list (I finished it at 10:30 am on New Year's Eve!) but a welcome one! Mackie's funny and sarcastic sociopathic narrator was a treat to read and she gets credit for pulling off a truly unexpected twist. Highly recommended!
