Ani's Book Abyss: Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- November 2016

Friday, December 2, 2016

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- November 2016

I'm just going to say that November was a bad month for reading. Between the holidays, my own wandering attention span, and The Crystal Cave, I think I got into a pretty bad slump. I have a lot of books planned for reading (some that I had hoped to read in November, but never got to), that I'm going to try to rollover into December. And maybe my slump will lift a little bit.

And to clarify: The Crystal Cave wasn't a bad book to read. I just had trouble getting into it. And being that it was a pretty chunky book, it DID end up taking a lot of time out of my reading. Following, I ended up with another book that was also hard to get into before I started reading Mortal Heart which took me all of two days to finish once started (which kind of makes me wish I would have read it first).

Another problem might be my new addiction to a game called Cross Stitch World, which is kind of like a 'Color-by-numbers' type of game that makes me want to go out and buy some cross stitch kits to play with. I used to cross stitch all the time when I was in high school and created some neat things around the house--patterned cross stitch. Then I tried counted cross stitch and finally got bored enough that I gave up--a pillow case never got finished.

Month Reads

Books Dropped/Put On Hold

None this month, but a few books came close.

Currently Reading

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (audio narrated by Michael Kramer)
Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (audio narrated by Karen White)

The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart

Month Reading Stats

Total works read: 9

9 full length novels || 2 audio books

Average rating: 3.22 Stars

Highest Rated: His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers // 4.0 Stars each

(1) Grave Mercy
(2) Dark Triumph
(3) Mortal Heart

Lowest Rated: Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell // 2.0 Stars

Series I started reading:

Arthurian Saga (Merlin Trilogy) by Mary Stewart
Hostage Negotiation Team by Julie Coulter Bellon

Series I completed:

The Cousins O'Dwyer by Nora Roberts

Series I have made progress on:

Lucy Valentine by Heather Webber
His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers
Dead Wrong by Jami Alden

Favorite reads: Again, the month of November was a pretty bad month for me for reading... and blogging. Reading slumps happen, and I know I also get some pretty bad blogging slumps as well. Because sometimes, I guess you just need some time away, even from something you really love to do.

For the month of November, there were really only three books that I really loved, and those were the three His Fair Assassin books by Robin LaFevers. I loved Grave Mercy a lot when I first read it nearly two years previous, and it still comes as a surprise to me why I never read the other two books before this year. Nonetheless, they were all excellent and had me sitting in a Book Hangover afterwards for each.

Disappointing reads: It wasn't like I had a lot of books I was disappointed in, as they were fairly mediocre. If I had to choose one, I'd probably say that Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden was probably one of my big disappointments; I had been expecting something more likable since I've read Jami Alden before and enjoyed her. And also, I'd been looking forward to it since I hadn't touched as many Romantic Suspenses during the September/October Halloween Bingo duration and was starting to go into withdrawal.

Anyway, even though Whirlpool was the lowest rated book I read in November, it wasn't like I really expect amazingly excellent work from Elizabeth Lowell, so I honestly wasn't too disappointed in the way it came out.

Reviews & Notable Posts

Reviews Written

Pivot Point by Kasie West | Review Transfer
Split Second by Kasie West | Review Transfer
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West | Review Transfer
On the Fence by Kasie West | Review Transfer
The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West | Review Transfer
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier | Review Transfer
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas | Review Transfer
The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace | Review Transfer

Memes

Coming Up In Month

Tentative TBR

Other Stuff

December is typically the worst reading month for me, if we look at my past reading patterns throughout each year. I'm making no definite goals for this month, if November is any indication of how my reading and blogging activities are going to be for the last month of this year. In fact, I've already dropped a few blog posts I'd been planning on putting out for December. If I'm already in a slump, the last thing I want is to give myself too many blogging obligations--it'll only prove to make me frustrated if I can't finish my 'Blogging To Do' list.

What I DO hope to be able to accomplish this month though, is to at least put together a 'Year-in-Review' for the books I've read throughout 2016, as well as a blog package post of short, bite-sized reviews for books I never got around to actually reviewing. Since I'm planning on cutting down the number of Reading Challenges for 2017 (more than I've already cut down my reading challenge participation in 2016), there will likely be only one post for, specifically, the 2017 Reading Assignment Challenge plans--a challenge wherein I usually go for the most challenging level, but of which I will be dropping my level of challenge for next year.

Reading-wise, I think I'm really only concerned with my last four Reading Assignment books... but otherwise, I'm not going to make myself read anything that I'm just not getting into. Maybe this will be a great start to learning how to use that DNF Trigger for my own sake.

2016 Wrap-Ups

4 comments:

Grace @ RebelMommyBookBlogDecember 3, 2016 at 6:10 AM
I have had Grace Mercy sitting on my Kindle FOREVER. I hear nothing but good things but just haven't picked it up. I think I need to. Hope December gets you out of your slump!
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LolaDecember 7, 2016 at 3:34 PM
Sorry to hear you had a bit of a reading slump this month. That Cross Stitch World does sound fun. I hope Animal Magnetism is a good one, I am curious about that one. I am currently reading a book by her as well. I hope December will be a good month for you!
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