Thursday, September 1, 2016

Month in Review for August 2016: Lots of Reads and (Possible) Forthcoming Reviews


I haven't been up to much lately, so I used a photo from my July adventures for this month in review picture. Since I haven't been able to walk much, I took to reading this month and finished a lot more books than I expected to, though I did run dry on my review stockpile (I was in an odd, review-writing frenzy- if only it would return). I'm getting closer to finding the reason for my odd walking- initially, my doctor thought I had leg weakness, but when she watched me walk again, she saw how I had little/no control over my joints. I'm being tested for all sorts of contaminants to make sure I haven't inadvertently poisoned myself, and I'll be having more MRIs done of my spine since I had a visible issue with it when I was 16. We still have no clue what is causing this or the diagnosis, but I'm currently in line for three different neurology specialists. Hopefully whatever issues I have will be resolved soon.

Statistics:
 Total Posts: 11
  Total Critiques: 5
  Genres:
    Sci-fi: 4
    Fantasy: 1
    Part of a Series: 2

Most Popular Posts of August:
"Mind of My Mind (Patternmaster #2)" by Octavia E. Butler
Tsuki Appreciation Day
"Tuf Voyaging" by George R.R. Martin
SFF: The 5 Literary Characters Who Should Run For President
"A Fall of Moondust" by Arthur C. Clarke
Month in Review for July 2016: August, Be Nice!

Flashback Post (From August of a Previous Year):
"Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1)" by Ilona Andrews (Because I reread it this month)

Pageviews for the Month: 1292
Comments: 22!

Reading Challenges Updates:


Travel the World in Books Challenge



Applicable Books:
The End of the World Running Club* by Adrian J. Walker (set in post apocalyptic Scotland)
Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (set in Geneva, Switzerland, among other places)

Total for 2016 So Far: 12 of 15 Books, 8 of 5 Countries

Sci-Fi Summer Reading Challenge


Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam #1) by Margaret Atwood
Prudence (The Custard Protocol #1) by Gail Carriger
Tuf Voyaging* by George R.R. Martin
A Fall of Moondust* by Arthur C. Clarke
The End of the World Running Club* by Adrian J. Walker
Clay's Ark (Patternmaster #3) by Octavia E. Butler
Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Goal: 6+ science fiction books
Total Read So Far: 11 books

Reading Stats:



Books read this Month: 11
Rereads: 1 (Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews)



Book Stats:
Has a Diverse Main Character: 2
Doesn't Have a Diverse MC: 9
Female Main Character: 4
Male Main Character: 4
Pair and/or Group of Female/Male Main Characters: 3
Genre:
 Fantasy: 1
 Sci-fi: 3
 Classic Sci-fi: 3
 Steampunk: 1
 Historical Romance: 1
 Urban Fantasy: 1
 Memoir/Autobiography: 1
Published in 2016: 1
Published in 2000-2015: 4
Published in 1990s: 1
Published in 1980s: 2
Published in 1960s: 1
Published in 1800s: 2
Self-Published, Small Press, or Other: 1 (I bought it when it was self-pubbed)
Traditionally Published: 10
Series Books: 6
Standalones: 5
Ebook Version: 10
Paper Version: 1
Favorite of the Month: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley- I didn't expect it to be anything over a 3 star read, and I ended up rating it 5 Stars. I'm addicted to gothic horror lit.
Least Favorite of the Month: Tremaine's True Love (True Gentlemen #1) by Grace Burrowes- it had unnecessary drama in the last half which made it drag.
Most Interesting of the Month (or Book I Learned the Most From): Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley (an absolutely fascinating look at the Lincoln presidency and the life of a free African American woman- I wish it had focused more on Elizabeth Keckley's life because she was the most interesting person in the book- and it's written by her).
From the-pile: 1
From the-invisible-pile: 5
Recently acquired: 5
Added to the-invisible-pile: 0
Books bought: 2
Pages Read in 2016 Thus Far (according to Goodreads): 22,119 pages

Ratings:
5 Stars: 1
4-4.5 Stars: 5
3-3.5 Stars: 4
2-2.5 Stars: 1

Author Stats (1 = 1 book read by x author):
Male: 3
Female: 7
Male/Female Team: 1
Diverse: 2
Not-so-Diverse: 9
Living: 7
Deceased: 4

Planning to Read in September:


I had thought I might be able to make a Smell the Paper September Challenge, but with my legs not obeying my commands, hauling physical books around the house would be a chore/slightly dangerous. Instead, I'll be reading whatever grabs my attention.

Upcoming Posts:



I plan on reviewing Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews, along with whichever books I can write a good review for. The next Sunday Fun Five will be featuring my favorite comfort reads, given it happens to land on September 11th.

Happy Reading!


8 comments:

  1. Eleven books is great especially while feeling off kilter. I managed eight, which wasn't great because I was not at work until last Monday, but it is definitely better than I have been doing lately. Are you going to do the November SciFi challenge? I was thinking about it. Keep plugging away with the doctors. You have nothing to lose and maybe a light bulb will off in one of their heads eventually. The poison theory is very scary. Here's to a better upcoming month!

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    Replies
    1. I think I get more done now reading-wise because I can't go out and enjoy my plants as much- it's hard for me to do much outside. 8 books is still pretty good- last month I only read 6 books, so I had some catching up to do. I have participated in two Sci-fi challenges this year, so I think that's all for me- not that I won't read more sci-fi.
      I don't *think* I have any poisoning (I googled the symptoms and they didn't match), but if they rule it out it's less for all the doctors to think about. Either they will find something on the tests, or eventually rule enough things out that they will know what it is.
      I hope your month is great, too!
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La!
      ~Litha Nelle

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    2. Have you put any topical flea drops on the dogs or George?

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    3. No- since they stay indoors mostly, I've never used it on them. Not to mention my old dog used to have allergic reactions to that stuff. O_O
      ~Litha Nelle

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  2. You have been reading a lot, considering. It sounds like the doctor is narrowing down the possibilities. I do hope you get the answers you seek soon. Take care of yourself, and have a good week.

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    Replies
    1. I think a lot of my other hobbies have lost their luster with my legs not working (video games because watching people walk depresses me, and gardening because I have trouble walking) so reading is my chosen escape. I think with all the blood tests and scans that we might get somewhere before I see a neurologist. I hope your week is great, too!
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wendy!
      ~Litha Nelle

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  3. I'm doing some major catching up on reading my favorite blogs, so I'm sorry this is about half a month late. I noticed you've read 11 books so far for the Sci-Fi Summer challenge. Way to go on surpassing your goal! :)

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    Replies
    1. It's okay- I'm also a blog reading procrastinator, especially recently. I don't think I'll read any more sci-fi before the end of the challenge, but it's been fun. :)
      ~Litha Nelle

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