November has been… an interesting month. I got off to a roaring start but eye strain slowed me down significantly and I continue to be slow to recover. So I’m pleased that I still managed to finish a reasonable number of books.
As expected, my #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks stats continue to slip. My goal for the challenge was to make sure 60% of the books I read this year come from Mt TBR. I finished October at 45% and November puts me at 44%. With all the Aurealis reading I have to get through, it’s unlikely to improve before the year ends.
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 @ 31 October 2016: 305
Mt TBR @ 30 November 2016: 306
Books Read
91. Trade Me by Courtney Milan *. A contemporary romance about a poor university student from an immigrant background who falls in love with her classmate who’s the son of a billionaire tech company CEO. I tend to be a bit ambivalent about contemporary stories, but was impressed by Milan’s historicals and had heard good things about this book. It lived up to the hype. Intelligent, diverse and hot. It took immense willpower not to rush out and buy the next in the series (which, I’m thrilled to see, features a trans woman as the protagonist).
92. Blazing Dawn by Becca Lusher. Reviewed here.
93. Everfair by Nisi Shawl. An alternate history steampunk set in Africa. After Belgium conquered the Congo, a coalition of British Socialists and African-American missionaries purchase back some of the land to establish a new nation: Everfair. Conflicting agendas make the nation’s history a difficult one. There are some fascinating ideas in this book and I appreciated its portrayal of race issues. However, the big-picture focus and the large cast held me at arms length and never really engaged me.
94. The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani. Reviewed here.
95. Book of Lies by Terri Terry. Read for the Aurealis Awards. Twin sisters are reunited when their mother dies. But their views of her are very different and sinister forces are at play.
96. Aurora: Decima by Amanda Bridgeman. Review forthcoming.
97. Allegiance by Wanda Wiltshire. The second in the Betrothed series. A fantasy YA about a girl who bands together with her two best friends and her faery prince betrothed to combat a shadowy menace to the faery kingdom.
98. Confused by Wanda Wiltshire. Read for the Aurealis Awards. The third in the Betrothed series.
Books Acquired
Strange Little Girls edited by Camille Bruce and Liv Lingborn
With Roses in Their Hair by Kayla Bashe
Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman
The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon
Heart of the Mountain by Jeanette O’Hagan
Evangeline and the Bunyip by Madeline D’Este
The Shock of Survival by Nicole Field
A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty
Online Reading
No online reading this month, as it has been a challenge just keeping up with the Aurealis reading.
What have you read this month?
Aw, sorry to hear that Everfair didn’t altogether work for you. I loved it but you are right that the time jumps and huge cast can make it hard to connect to some of the characters. Her worldbuilding blew me away, and since I’m already interested in Congolese history, that was enough to carry me.
I love what a great job the author did of showing the unconscious racism and micro-aggressions of allies. It was intellectually engaging, but did nothing for me emotionally. I am glad to hear you loved it, though unsurprised. It’s right up your alley!
Hopefully your eyes are fully recovered soon! Hope December is a great reading month. 🙂
Thank you! I think I’m getting the hang of managing the eye strain. And December is traditionally one of my best months for reading–the combination of holidays with avoiding hot weather.