Current WIPs and Reads | January 2023

January 15, 2023January 9, 2023 bookishluna3 Comments

Hello and welcome to a midmonth check-in where I am sharing the things I am currently reading and my works in progress and share how I am feeling about each of them. I am happy to report I am finally reading a bit. Not nearly as much as I have in the past, but I am making some progress in that regard. Due to this, I am reading a few books that I am going to be talking about. On top of that I have two projects I am working on as well. Without more rambling, here are my current reads and WIPs

In progress knitting projects and my eReader on my bed.

My Current Reads

I am currently about half way through Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I am buddy reading this with Misty’s Book Space and it has been really fun reading this book in small chunks and talking about it weekly. So far I am enjoying the book, the author has done a really good job with setting the mood and establishing the characters and setting. There have been a few things I could have done without, but over all I am enjoying it. I am very much in the phase of I need to keep reading to see what happens next, which has not happened in a really long time. I am very happy that it seems like my reading mojo might be returning.

The second book I am currently reading is Sundial by Catriona Ward, this was also a buddy read, but I did not keep up with it sadly. I am still reading it though and I will finish it! I will be a good buddy reading partner lol. I am enjoying this story, it is a horror thriller, but I am enjoying Ninth House a bit more at this point. But, I have a ton to read still so I am curious to see if I feel the same by the time I finish them. I think the main reason is this is more a thriller\horror where as Ninth House is more fantasy/mystery dark academia. Both are written well and, like I said, I am liking them both.

My Current WIPs

The first project I am really focusing on is the Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit (Ravelry|Website), I started this project in December of 2022 and I would really love to finish it and use it. I am over halfway done at this point and the width of the shawl is getting smaller from here on out. I think I should be finishing it within the week. It is going to be more of a scarf than a shawl in my option. I am also enjoying making one half black and one half white, The second project I am working on, which is more of a background project is the Big Cozy Cardi by Andrea Mowry (Ravelry|Website). This is more of a long term project that I am working on a little each day. I am loving the pattern and process for sure. It is going to be a big oversized cardi with a mohair collar, so it is going to be super comfortable.

What are you currently reading or working on?

Sign Off 2020 — Sign off, thanks for reading!

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Current Reads and WIPs

Current WIPs and Reads | May 2022

May 15, 2022May 14, 2022 bookishluna10 Comments

Hello and welcome to a midmonth check-in! I just wanted to take a moment to share what I am currently reading and what I am currently working on craft wise as well. This month has already flown by, I have already finished a few books and projects that you will see in my Monthly Digest post for the month, but I am still reading and working away on other projects and books currently.

My Current Reads

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 1 by Kentaro Miura, Jason DeAngelis (Translator), I just started reading this so I am not too far into it , but the illustration style is great! It can be graphic though, so be warned! There is a lot going on so you just keep wanting to turn the pages and get sucked in for sure.

Other than this, I am planning on picking up The Baby is Mine by Oyinkan Braithwaite, who wrote My Sister, the Serial Killer, which I LOVED! So I am really looking forward to reading this because her thriller style is unique. Even if you know what you are picking up, she still manages to surprise you. For me, this is a HUGE plus. Even thrillers that don’t give away huge plot points I feel like I can easily predict since I read so many of them. Braithwaite on the other hand can tell you a ton about what is going to happen, but still takes me on a ride!

My Current WIPs

Body Language Cardigan by Knits N Knots, I am finally working on anther crochet project! I have not done crochet for a while, but I have missed it. I decided on this pattern because it looks nice and cozy, but also lets me practice some seaming since it is made in pieces. I am hoping to finish it before it gets too hot and I wont want to touch it and it will be ready for next fall. I am currently working on the back panel and the largest for this sweater. I feel like once I finish this panel the rest will fly!

Crochet project, showing the start of the back panel

My on the go project has been my Rainbow Vanilla Socks, no pattern followed for this. I am just knitting based off memory of knitting other socks. I am at the heel on both of the socks currently, I like to work both socks and keep them at the same sections so I finish them close together instead of getting with burn out when I have one totally complete sock an one not even started.

What are you currently reading or working on?

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Wrap Up

Blogmas | Middle Mark | December 2019

December 15, 2019December 14, 2019 bookishluna5 Comments

Middle Mark

Hello and welcome to my mid-month check in! I am so excited to say the first half of December has been such an improvement reading wise than last month by a long shot. I was worried I was going to be ending the year in a slump, but it seems like that is not the case. So, on to the books!

Intuitive Tarot: 31 Days to Learn to Read Tarot Cards and Develop Your Intuition by Brigit Esselmont

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I though it was very informational and good for a beginner. On the other hand it started rubbing me the wrong way with the amount of self promotion in this book.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am all for authors and stuff making money, but reading this book I was pulled out of reading about tarot to get essentially an ad to go to the authors website to download something, read something, or join something I need to pay for. There are at least 31 bolded urls in the book. At least 14 of them are for something you pay additionally for. So, the author is getting money via sign ups after free trials or outright purchases or sign ups for a course and ad revenue due to increase traffic.

Now, like I said, I can totally get wanting to want to drive more people to your site. The problem is with how frequent and how it is presented in the text. It seriously pulled me out of my reading so many times. Also, one of the free items was a 6 page download that could have easily been added to the book already. Now, at first I thought this might be because the author wanted to only present new things in the book, but that is not that case. There were a few things I read on the website already that were also in the book. (Example Day 22: Creating a Sacred Space).

Now, with that all out of the way. The information in this book is really informative and I think it is broken down very well. The information is done in short bursts and you have activities you can work with to get a hands on experience. It really is wonderful for beginners. If you don’t mind bolded self promotion throughout your reading experience and you have not read a lot on the website I say give it a go.

View all my reviews

A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*Book given for review by Wunderkind PR*

“I thought this was an amazing read, it could easily be one of my top books of the year. As I have said the author is very talented. Her writing is well balanced and easily creates a world and characters that the reader can fall into with out a problem. I was engaged in the story from page one and I wanted more when it was over. I highly recommend this book to anyone.” Blurb taken from my full review you can find here: Blurb taken from my full review you can find here: Book Review | A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo

View all my reviews

Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirstin Chen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a really was an interesting and eye opening book. It was a good read and I appreciate the author writing a story like this. Sadly, towards the end of the book I started to like it less and less.

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The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise was interesting, the setting was wonderful, the story was average for me. There were parts I really enjoyed and parts that were just blah. It was a interesting read like I said, it really makes you think about what some people will do when they really want something so badly.

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Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I lost interest pretty quickly in this one. I have been reading it on and off since September and it is a shame since I was looking forward to this book for a long while. I even picked it up fill price at the bookstore. It was just dragged out and I feel like a lot of what happened, happened for the sake of something happening. I don’t know, it is hard to put into words.

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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely book, I really loved the folklore that is throughout the story. The writing is beautiful and imaginative. I plan on getting the next book in this series from the library.

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Currently Reading 2

I am currently reading 4 books right now and I really want to finish at least three of them before the end of the month. I am hoping the time off I have coming up will help.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, 49%

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, 43%

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, 4%

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, 3%

SignOff12:17

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TAG | The Goodreads Tag

June 27, 2017June 22, 2017 bookishluna7 Comments

1. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU MARKED AS ‘READ’?

The Fireman by Joe Hill

2. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

3. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU MARKED AS ‘TO READ’?

Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

4. WHAT BOOK DO YOU PLAN TO READ NEXT?

I plan on reading The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock.

5. DO YOU USE THE STAR RATING SYSTEM?

Yes, I actually have it posted on my blog [HERE].

6. ARE YOU DOING A 2017 READING CHALLENGE?

Yes, I have a goal of reading 50 books this year. I currently have 41 books read, so I am well on my way.

7. DO YOU HAVE A WISHLIST?

Yes, but I keep track of my wishlist on amazon not goodreads.

8. WHAT BOOK DO YOU PLAN TO BUY NEXT?

I have no idea, I usually just buy whatever book I feel like reading. But, I am craving a non-fiction read.

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE QUOTES, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A FEW?

“Life is tough my darling, but so are you” Stephanie Bennett Henry

“Kindness is an act of bravery, I think, just as hatred is an act of fear” William Ritter

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth” Buddha

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship” – Louisa May Alcott

“He thought much but said little” J.R.R. Tolkien

10. WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS?

Stephen King, Louisa May Alcott, Rainbow Rowell, and William Ritter are my top authors.

11. HAVE YOU JOINED ANY GROUPS?

I have joined a few, but I don’t always read all of the books the groups read.

Top 5 Wednesday

NonFiction Pulitzers

Our Shared Shelf

The History Book Club

Supporting Bookstores

Non Fiction Book Club

12. HOW MANY SHELVES TO DO YOU HAVE ON GOODREADS?

Apart from read, to-read, and currently reading I have genre shelfs. I put books on these when I am done reading so I can see what types of books I am reading.

historical-fiction ‎(2)

I tag: Kristina , Charlotte , Sarah , Misty , Nikki , and anyone else!

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To Be Read

MAY TBR: 2017

May 2, 2017June 19, 2017 bookishlunaLeave a comment

This month I am giving myself a small TBR for two reasons. The first reason is that this month is my birthday month and I am seeing friends I have not seen in quite some time over the next few weeks ends. If you have read my post: My Reading Routine you will know I read mostly during the weekends. The second reason is work is generally a bit overwhelming this time of year so I take quite a bit home with me. Regardless, I plan on reading some good books!

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The first book on my TBR is 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Stephen King books are my happy place I have realized. Lately, I have been DNFing a lot of books. I’m not sure if my reading tastes have changed or I have just become horrible at picking books. Regardless of the reason I have decided to pick up a book by an author who has never let me down. This book is a mixture of history and time travel, how can that not be good?

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The Next book on my list is Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik. This non-fiction books discusses the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I want to read this for two reasons, one I love learning about other peoples lives and experiences. The second reason is because it discusses the civil rights and U.S. government policies since she has been a Justice. Flipping through the book it has copies of documents, photos, cartoons, and other graphics that seem intriguing.

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The last book I plan on reading this month is SPQR by Mary Beard. This is a non-fiction book that discusses the history of Ancient Rome. Even though I have studied history, I have realized that this is an area I am not that well versed in. So I plan on fixing that. Now, this one is one is a large one. So even if I only get half way through it this month I will be proud of myself.

So, those are the three books I plan on reading this month, chances are there will be a few more sprinkled in between. Especially with all the non-fiction, but we shall see what happens. Just so you know all titles are links to each books goodreads page incase you want to know more about these books.

Happy Reading!

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the books I have mentioned?

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To Be Read

April Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

April 24, 2017 bookishluna6 Comments

This is one of my favorite readathons, the reason being it is only 24 hours long. It is an entire day just dedicated to reading and nothing else. One day readathons I can tell people, “Hey, I’m not going to answer your phone calls, texts, or go out, but I will get back to you tomorrow”. You can’t do that for an entire week, people get a bit upset. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you that I am doing this readathon, what this readathon is, and what book/books I plan on reading.

What: This readathon is a 24 hour reading marathon or a day dedicated to reading. There are optional mini challenges that will be posted on their blog throughout the day, twitter sprints, and activities. Physical, e-books, and audiobooks all count, which I love. There is a lot going on with this “small” readathon, I encourage you to check out their blog and visit their FAQ section.

When: This readathon takes place on April 29th, 2017 , but be warned this one does not start at midnight your time. It starts at the same time around the world, but I did find this nifty link that tells you when it will start in your timezone. You can get that helpful information here, thank you Little Book Owl for sharing this link!

The Ordinary Spaceman by Clayton C. Anderson

23493952 “The Ordinary Spaceman puts you in the flight suit of U.S. astronaut Clayton C. Anderson and takes you on the journey of this small-town boy from Nebraska who spent 167 days living and working on the International Space Station, including more than forty hours of space walks. Having applied to NASA fifteen times over fifteen years to become an astronaut before his ultimate selection, Anderson offers a unique perspective on his life as a veteran space flier, one characterized by humility and perseverance” via goodreads. I actually met this amazing guy and he was so nice and kind, I can’t wait to read it.

One Day We’ll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul

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“Scaachi deploys her razor-sharp humour to share her fears, outrages and mortifying experiences as an outsider growing up in Canada” via goodreads. I received this book in my bookofthemonth box about a week ago and I am very excited about it and can’t wait to dive in.

Readathon Links: Wesbite – Twitter – Instagram

I know that this TBR is a bit short, but I do not plan on staying up the entire 24 hours, just dedicate an entire day to ready. If you are joining in please let me know, I plan on being very active on Twitter during this readathon and would love to chat.

Regardless if you are participating or not, what are you reading this weekend?

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