Forever Lost in Literature: monthly wrap-up

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Month in Review: May 2022

This month started off really strong, but boy did it get waylaid by life and my inability to focus on reading lately. I still managed to read a good number of books, but it felt like I was struggling to get anything read. I'm not exactly sure what's been putting me in such a fog (other than probably just my mental health, if we're being honest!), but it's been a doozy and I'm really hoping that I can try to turn things around in June somewhat.

Not much to share in personal news this month. Even though we just moved last September, we are already sort of thinking of trying to move again at the end of this year or beginning of next if we can find something because this house has been showing it's age since we moved in and it is becoming quite a headache–roof leaks, floor boards that are showing sunlight through cracks (!), windows with no insulation, etc. We'd love to buy a house of our own soon, but the market has been so weird in Southern California that we're not sure if it'll work out that way. So all that is to say that I have no idea what the next couple months will be like, haha. I'm still on the hunt for a new job, but I've been getting pretty steady work with what I'm doing right now, so at least for now I have something. The dog is also doing really well and has been loving his ability to just play whenever he wants and run around and just, well, be a dog again! It's made me so happy to see him happy and healthy again.

Despite my feeling like it was a lackluster reading, I did still read some pretty great books! I especially enjoyed Rez Life, Pandora, Misrule, and The Clackity! How has your reading month been?? I hope you're all staying healthy and safe and doing well and had a great reading month. Please do share any books you read and loved in May (or hated, sometimes venting is helpful!), or let me know if you've read any of the books I read! :)

# books read: 10

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman ★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover

Thoughts: I had a really good time with this book! I loved the focus on Ancient Greek antiquities and following Pandora along this story. I would really love to see a sequel to this, but I'm guessing that's not the going to happen because it's not really necessary... but I'd love to see it!

A Mirror Mended (Fractured Fables #2) by Alix E. Harrow ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: This was a really fun and thoughtful second book in the Fractured Fables series of novellas. I don't know if there will be more after this (but I'm guessing not?), so I'm sorry to say goodbye to Zinnia Gray!

The Clackity by Lora Senf ★★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: I absolutely adored this middle grade horror/fantasy! This was everything I wanted and more. Highly recommended and I'll have a review up soon.

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: This was a hefty tome that I've already reviewed (you can read it here!) and I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

Misrule (Malice Duology #2) by Heather Walter ★★★★.5

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC

Thoughts: This was a fantastic sequel and concluding installment to the Malice duology! I have loved this retelling story so much and I highly recommend it.

One Foot in the Fade (The Fetch Phillips Archives #3) by Luke Arnold ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback

Thoughts: This is the third installment in Arnold's Fetch Phillips Archives and it was quite an adventure! I really liked this one and can't wait to see where the story goes next.

We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: I thought this was a really well-written short little novella about a woman's job as a content moderator and how it has affected her and her coworkers' lives. Not the lightest book, but a good one!

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: My review for this one is also up! I really liked this modern take on women fairy tale characters joining a trauma group to discuss the many experiences they've had.

Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life by David Treuer ★★★★.5

Source: Library | Format: Hardcover

Thoughts: This was such an informative book about reservations in America and their history, development, and past/present struggles. Highly recommend this one for further information on Native American life and a better understanding of reservations. I am now even more excited to get to Treuer's book The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee.

Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: This was a pretty bizarre and unpredictable road trip-esque story that I enjoyed a lot. I still need to get a review up!

DNF/To-Be-Finished:

None! (I think...)

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelman

We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets, trans. Emma Rault

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro

(other than reviews)

Month in Review: April 2022

Blog Tour: Gods of Deception by David Adams Cleveland

Blog Tour: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Anticipated June 2022 Releases

Top Five/Ten Tuesday:

Did I Read the Books On My Tentative Winter "TBR"?

Can't-Wait Wednesday:

5/4: The Martyr by Anthony Ryan, Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid, & The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Steve Brusatte

5/11: Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro, The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter, & A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow

5/18: The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings, Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White, & Garden of Earthly Bodies by Sally Oliver

5/25: Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald, The Clackity by Lora Senf, & In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan

The Friday Face-Off:

Book-to-Movie Adaptation

Yellow

'You'

Friday, February 4, 2022

Month in Review: January 2022

So... was January a super long and busy month for anyone else, or was it just me?

In reading news, I think I've moved past a lot of my major reading struggles that had been plaguing me for the past couple months, so that feels pretty good. I still find myself struggling with focus a bit at times, but overall we're doing well–and I read some fantastic books in January! I re-read The Shadow of What Was Lost, one of my favorite fantasy trilogies, to kick off the year and I think that was a great choice. I also read and loved A River Enchanted, Hunting by Stars, and Dirt King! I've got some fun things planned for the blog coming up (including some interviews, hopefully!), so I'm excited for February. It's a busy month!

In dog news (there's nothing new to tell about my life, so I'm just going to talk about the dog), our new furry family member is doing leagues better and we are so relieved. We finally got to do some treatment for one of his rare parasites, heterobilharzia, now that he's feeling better, and we will test again in a month to see if it's still there or not (fingers crossed, this one is a tough guy to kill apparently!). He is also in the midst of his second of four months of heartworm treatment, and I'm pretty nervous about the next two months since the treatment gets a bit more intense, but we'll just try to take it one day at a time. On a lighter note, we did one of those dog DNA tests for him and got our results (I'll post them below in case you find it half as fun as I do)!

I know these tests can sometimes be a bit unreliable, but this feels completely accurate. The rescue had him listed as a Great Pyrenees mix, so we aren't too surprised (although we didn't realize he'd be half Pyrenees). We can definitely see that Pyrenees attitude while trying to train him... he's quite stubborn. He also has a lot of behaviors and looks that made me think German Shepherd, so I'm not too surprised about that, either, although I didn't expect the Malinois. I don't think we anticipated having such a high energy working breed dog, but, well, here we are! I guess we have our work cut out for us, haha. I also love Anatolian Shepherds, so even though it's only 1% I think that's pretty fun (anyone else think of them as the cheetah dog? Just me?).

Don't be fooled by these faces or you'll be wrapped around his fingers (paws?) in no time like us. And he has no idea that he's 75 pounds and can't do the things a 40 pound dog can.

Well, I'll stop the wrap-up here before it gets out of hand once again. How was your month? Be sure to let me know in the comments about anything notable that happened, or what books you read and loved/hated/etc.!

# books read: 12