Dear Diary: Volume 2024 Episode 9

August Recap

I read twelve books in August, and I spent very little time doing anything else. This month is going a little slower for me. I'm doing some reading, but I'm also trying to get caught up on a few other things, and enjoying the fantastic weather we are having right now. 😁 July and August were smoky months. It was so bad we couldn't see much of anything past the pond behind our house. The clouds finally rolled in a few days ago and there's been thunderstorms and rain. The air smells fresh and clean again.

This Month So Far

I finished Black Dawn by Nathan Ameye on September 4th. This is litRPG fiction. It left no lasting impression and I have no plans to read more in the series, but for those who care, I've posted my handwritten journal page HERE. In summary, Gage and his friends go camping in the Ozarks and come home to find demons have taken over their home town, and of course, they must save Grandma.

Next I finished Legends & Lattes. This was super cute and cozy; very low intensity and easy to read. I had fun with the journal page. To be honest, I may have got a bit bored. It's enjoyable, but probably won't stick to my brain. I'll remember it just long enough to contemplate reading the next book in the series, and likely never following through on that plan. Though I do think it would be fun to try it as an audiobook. This style of writing is easy to listen to, and I don't feel the need to deep dive or annotate, for the most part, so it would be perfect for that. I wonder if there will be a rattkin in the next book.

I also finished Witch King by Martha Wells on September 11. I don't know why, but this book felt like jumping off a cliff into a shallow pool of water. I was enchanted from the moment Kai rose from his coffin and I free-fell through the pages, until I got to the last couple of chapters. Then I suddenly found myself struggling to finish it. I'm puzzled as to why. Perhaps my own mental state? I got through it, but it felt like wading through mud. I just didn't love it. I think partly, I realized I didn't care all that much about the characters. It's also possible that I read the book so quickly and exhausted myself, so by the end I had no more spirit left to enjoy it with. Regardless, I did think it well written and imaginative. The journal page was made with less than full interest.

From my TBR, I've also finished The Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn. It was good, but I do think the newness and freshness of style that originally attracted me to her may be wearing off. This book and the one that came before it have not impressed me as much as her first few novels in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries. It was very good, but I think it won't be the one I remember most poignantly. Journal page HERE.

Yesterday I finished, what may very well be my favorite book this month, The Book that Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence. I started reading it August 25th and I finished it September 17th. 23 Days! That's how long it took me. I didn't read it constantly, mind you. This is a book you study, not a book you skim. It's been a long journey; I've gotten lost in the stacks, and I'm still uncertain if I've made it out alive. This book is not light or fluffy. This is one you might enjoy annotating. It's certainly not one you'll want to listen to if you struggle to pay attention to audiobooks. I loved every minute of this insane, mind-bending adventure. This is a literary masterpiece if labyrinthian proportions. Journal page in progress.

September's Agenda

So far, this month I have implemented the No Plans Plan. I read a lot of really great books in August, so I think I need a break to decompress, to do some other things for fun and just figure out what I want to read in October. I've been reading casually, but I'm not setting any goals to speak of. I've been playing this new game I'm obsessed with called Deep Rock Galactic Survivor. It's all about space mining while being attacked by a lot of alien spiders. I love it so much. I'm also playing Pocketmine 3 on my phone.

I think if I were to force a plan upon the month of September it would be this: Work on my art journal, try to read a few things that will count toward some of my reading challenges, and finish reading a few books that are falling by the wayside. Library books coming due, Books that are partly read and have been for a few months, etc.

The Brewing Plan for October

The weather has revived me: all the wet monsoon clouds, the thunder, the torrential rains. I'm starting to make plans again. Spooky plans.

I want to do a paranormal reading marathon. No heavy hitters. Easy-to-read, but not cozy. Probably not cozy. I read so many thicker tomes in August and I need a break. Prepare for a blog post deluge, I have a feeling I'll be posting a lot more reviews since the fluffy books tend to be quicker to read and not quite as many pages. I want to really knock 'em out, but we'll see how it goes. I don't want to push and end up in a slump.

I need to work on plans for my 2025 reading journal. That's going to take some time. I'm thinking I might do an aquatic theme. Does that sound fun? I'm excited but nervous. What if I don't like it? Who am I kidding. If I don't, I'll just change it. The beauty of a digital journal. This is exactly why I've never been able to talk myself into going back to making physical journals.

Alright, enough. I'm rambling. I'll talk to you guys later. Say hi! Down below. I don't bite. Much.

xx Sam xx