April 2016 Wrap-up

April went by so fast! This was probably my best reading month of the year, so far. In total, I got through 11 books. Most of those were either literary fiction or manga, which is a departure from my usual fantasy/paranormal romance reads.

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Quick Reviews

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Published: 1951
Genre: Classic
Rating: B+

I debated doing a full review for this one, but honestly I think most people have a pretty good idea of what “Catcher in the Rye” is about or have read it already. While I liked this one, I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more had I read it in my angsty teen years.  The characterization of Hayden is done wonderfully, but he tended to annoy me. As a teenager, I’m sure I would have identified and sympathized with him a little more.

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Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes

Published: 1984
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: B+

Oddly, I’m in a general fiction mood lately. This one follows a doctor who becomes obsessed with Flaubert. In particular, figuring out which historical site owns the real stuffed parrot that inspired one of Flaubert’s stories. This was a great book that asked a lot of interesting questions and was filled with dry humor. I’m looking forward to reading another of Barnes books soon.

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 Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonders by Lawrence Weschler

Published: 1995
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B

It’s pretty rare when I read a non-fiction title but this one really caught my interest. It centers on the author stumbling across a museum of oddities and becoming consumed with figuring out where the line between reality and fiction is. It was an odd but interesting read.

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Biyaku Café volumes 1 – 6 by Ayane Ukyou

Published: 2008 – 2011
Genre: Manga
Rating: A-

A young lady, who often gets mistaken for a guy, gets hired at a café and starts a relationship with the owner. The series switches between this couple and several others. This keeps things pretty fresh and humorous throughout the series. However, there is one couple in the middle of the series that takes a tragic tone. This was rather jarring since the rest of the series is fluff. While the first volume is a little rough, this is a pretty good josei series.

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Reading Challenge Progress

Not my best month for the reading challenges, but not horrible either.

 New To You Reading Challenge

2016 Goal: 25 “New to Me” Authors

Total Goal Progress: 9/25

• January
  • John Scalzi (Redshirts)
  • Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows)
  • Sarah J. Mass (A Court of Thorns and Roses)
• February
  • Naomi Novik (Uprooted)
  • Goldy Moldavsky (Kill the Boy Band)
  • Garth Nix (Newt’s Emerald)
• April
  • J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye)
  • Julian Barnes (Flaubert’s Parrot)
  • Lawrence Weschler (Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder)

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 Read My Own Damn Books Challenge

2016 Goal: Clear my TBR pile down to 100 books

TBR count at the beginning of the month: 184

TBR count at the end of the month: 189

Still going a little in the wrong direction. I’m not predicting to get that count down in May either since BEA is this week.

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 2016 New Release Challenge

2016 Goal: 1 – 15 books – New Release Newbie

Total Goal Progress: 6/15

• January
  • The Vampire’s Fake Fiancee by Kristen Painter
• February
  • Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
  • Secretly Mated by P. Jameson
• March
  • Shadow Mated by P. Jameson
  • Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
  • The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

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Challenge Host: Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Dates of Challenge: Jan. 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016

Sign-up Post:Click here

Goal Level:

• Paranormal Romance
  • Goal: Level 4 (Going for a Swim): 50 books
  • Progress: 2/50
    • The Vampire’s Fake Fiancee by Kristen Painter
    • Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh
• Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
  • Goal: Level 1 (Sunbathing): 6 books
  • Progress: 4/6
    • Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
    • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
    • Uprooted by Naomi Novik
    • A Court of Throns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas