July wasn’t my slowest month for reading this year, but it came close. I’ve been very unfocused, thanks to my competing reading schedules (Aurealis, Hugo, reviewing). I’ve started quite a few books but not managed to finish many. However, I’m still hanging in there, even if Mt TBR is getting a little out of control.

My #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks stats are holding steady, but just barely. My goal for the challenge was to make sure 60% of the books I read this year come from Mt TBR. I finished June at 51% and scraped in at the same by the end of last month. I’m pretty pleased with that, all things considered.

Books with an asterisk on the list below were part of my #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks effort.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2016: 244
Mt TBR @ 30 June 2016: 252
Mt TBR @ 31 July 2016: 256

Books Read

58. Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur *. Reviewed here.

59. Threshold by Jordan L. Hawk *. The second in her series Whyborne and Griffin. Historical fantasy m/m romance. A high-born philologist with a talent for magic teams up with a private investigator to uncover the truth behind some mysterious occurrences at a remote coal mine. Fairly light reading, which was just what I needed.

60. Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie *.  Reviewed here.

61. Winning Lord West by Anna Campbell *. Reviewed here.

62. Changeling’s Island by Dave Freer. Read for the Aurealis Awards. A YA novel about a teenage boy who gets shipped off to Flinders Island to stay with his grandmother.

63. A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. Review forthcoming.

64. Earth and Lunar Dreaming by C.M. Simpson. Read for the Aurealis Awards. A young girl blackmails a werewolf into helping her escape from danger aboard a spaceship.

DNF – The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. I’ll definitely be coming back to this one. However, attempting to read it in the week where Alton Stirling, Philando Castile and five police officers were shot in the US wasn’t doing my mental health any favours. There wasn’t time to finish the book before it had to be returned to the library.

Books Acquired

Earth and Lunar Dreaming by C.M. Simpson
Dragon Slayer Number 9 by Instisar Khanani
Book of Lies by Teri Terry
Confused by Wanda Wiltshire
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Pope
A World of Ash by Justin Woolley
Something Nice by Tiffany Reisz
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
At the Edge by Lee Murray and Dan Rabarts

Online Reading

Wingborn Ch 11-20 by Becca Lusher. A Regency-style fantasy with giant eagles. The feathers hit the fan when Mhysra’s parents discover she’s enlisted in the Rift Riders without their permission.

What have you read this month?