At one point in life, I actually updated this blog on a regular basis. Between work and podcasting, this blog has slipped, unfortunately! One of my goals for 2018 is to write more in general, including my blog. We’ll see how long it lasts this time around.

Books Read

Due to freezing cold weather and a rational fear of the flu, I didn’t do a ton outside of my apartment in January. Because of this, I somehow read 22 books in one month??

Okay, it was 9 Comics, 2 Novellas, 2 Short Story Collections, 1 Memoir, 1 Collection of Essays, and 7 novels (2 of which were ARCs):

Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein (5/5 Moose – short stories, similar to a Black Mirror vibe.
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank by Matthew Rosenberg (5/5 Moose – 5 issue/1 trade comic series)
Saga Volume 8 by Brian K Vaughan (5/5 Moose – comic series)
Restless by William Boyd (5/5 Moose….probably a generous rating thinking back on it. Read for JBC Podcast)
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (5/5 Moose. Read for Fableulous Retellings)
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (4/5 Moose – fabulous as an audiobook)
Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks (3/5 Moose. Liked listening to Tom Hanks, didn’t care for the actual stories.)
Renegades by Marissa Meyer (4/5 Moose)
Speak Easy by Catherynne M Valente (4/5 Moose. Novella, it’s gorgeous. Read for Fableulous Retellings)
Curse Words Volume 2: Explosiontown by Charles Soule (4/5 Moose. Comic series)
The Good Girls by Sara Shepard (3/5 Moose)
Local by Brian Wood (5/5 Moose 12 issue comic trade. Read for JBC Podcast)
Bitch Planet Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick (5/5 Moose – comic series)
**Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore (3/5 Moose)
**Sociable by Rebecca Harrington (2/5 Moose. Winner of worst book read for the month)
**The Wicked + The Divine Volume 6: Imperial Phase, Part 2 by Gillen Kieron (4/5 Moose – Comic series)
**Monstress Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu (4/5 Moose)
**Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (5/5 Moose. Novella)
**Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore (4/5 Moose)
Unqualified by Anna Faris (4/5 Moose. Memoir)
Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen (5/5 Moose)
The Girl Who Wasn’t Dead by Samantha Boyette (3/5 Moose)

Only DNF: The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore (too dry for me, which may have been the audiobook reader. Maybe one day I’ll try it again.)

Other Goals Accomplished

• Participated in (and finished!) 24in48 (books read marked above with **)
• Used my new Mandolin
• Saw Anastasia the Musical
• Wrote 12K words

Podcast Recommendations

• Obviously recommend all three of mine: Judging Book Covers Podcast, Fableulous Retellings, and Handbook for Handbook for Mortals (And the Facebook group!)
• Potterotica kept me in stitches this month
• Oops I Talked Politics is one of the few political podcasts that don’t make me want to hide or cry
• Book Riot The Podcast keeps me in my book news
• Spines is a quick fictional podcast that just started season 3

February Goals

• Visit The Ansonia (The hotel Speak Easy inspired)
• Make Mari’s dragon scale gloves
• Write 14K – 28K words
• Write at least 4 blog posts
• Celebrate my 30th Birthday!
• Read 13 Books (but okay with only 8 as that’s my monthly Goodreads Goal)
• Update Judging Book Covers’ Website
• Squeeing over Tamora Pierce?