February reading summary and March TBR

~ EMM

I read (almost) everything on my February TBR! And I went to a writing workshop, plus edited a huge chunk of my novel… AND I started a new job (same company) this month! So, overall February was a major win for me.

Here is what I read in February with my very brief assessment of each (links go to Goodreads):

February2017

  • Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl and CynthiaWard (kindle) — excellent tips and writing exercises, highly recommend this for all writers
  • Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (hardcover, signed special edition) — sweeping multi-generation saga with fantastic writing, definitely lives up to the hype
  • Home (Binti #2) by Nnedi Okorafor  (kindle) — starts off a little slow, but gets really interesting when Binti gets into the deep desert, left me wanting more
  • The Book Smugglers’ Quarterly Almanac: Volume 2 edited by The Book Smugglers (kindle) — this is so full of excellent essays and short stories all relating to the theme of amazing, powerful, and diverse women, highly recommend buying this
  • Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison (kindle) — insightful and thought provoking literary critique on the role of African Americans in “classic” American Literature

Next month I’m planning on catching up with new books and pre-orders. I have one roll-over from February, two that I bought last month but didn’t get a chance to read, one new book out on library loan, and two pre-orders that will show up at the end of March.

Here’s what’s on my TBR for March (links go to Goodreads):

March2017TBR

  • The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2) by N. K. Jemisin (kindle, pre-order) — My one hold over from my February TBR. I switched gears from reading to writing after the writing workshop, and before I knew it, the month was over. I am dying to read this, but I really want a chunk of uninterrupted time to read so I can immerse myself in this world I love.
  • Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (kindle, library) — Somehow I managed to get this from the library within weeks of its release date, on kindle. I’m slightly shocked. I haven’t started it yet, but I’m not about to let this opportunity slip out of my hands. However, I definitely need to read this before the end of March due to some incoming pre-orders that will require my kindle to be off airplane mode.
  • A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic, #3) by V. E. Schwab (kindle, pre-order) — It’s the last book in this series! Book 2 ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, so I’m anxious to see what happens. It took all my willpower not to just dive right in, but I really want to savor this one. So, I’m making myself wait until I’m done with my edits…
  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (kindle, pre-order) — I’ve been following this author and book since she got her agent. I am so excited to read this book that I think I will likely dive into this one before all the others.
  • Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor (kindle, pre-order) — I just talked about this one in my Mar/Apr pre-order post, so all I’ll say here is that I’ve been waiting for this one for a long time, but I still might hold off a few days so I can devour it in one go over the weekend. If I do, that will technically roll this to my April TBR, but whatever.
  • A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen, #2) by Roshani Chokshi (kindle, pre-order) — I also talked about this one in my Mar/Apr pre-order post. This happens to come out on the same day as Laini Taylor’s book, which is going to make for some hard decisions for me… BUT, I think I may dive into this one first. I have a feeling this is going to be one I won’t want to put down, which means I’ll probably be reading on the sly on my phone when I’m supposed to be working. Shhh…

Against my better judgement, I’m getting a little ambitious with my TBR this month. Realistically, I’m never going to have enough free time to read all these books before the end of March. Maybe I would if all I wanted to do is read (which is sometimes the case). But, I finally had a break-through on something that was bugging me about one of my novels after getting feedback from a freelance editor. Now I’m in the middle of frantically revising, trying to finish before I lose the thread. That alone will likely take most of my free-time in March. I also have two other writing projects I want to work on, plus I’m in the middle of ramping up on my new position in my day job. So, yeah. March is going to be a busy month, but reading (and swimming) is what keeps me sane. So, as usual, I’ll find (make) time for everything.

Published by EMM