ONE HUNDRED BOOKS

[Momento Mori]

Very good to be back in the bosom of my YA book addict family. Hope 2021 is being kinder to you than 2020 was.

The continued UK lockdown meant that I have done pretty well in working towards my target of 100 books this year. I managed a very respectable 49 by the end of June, 7 of which were YA. I'm on a YA kick at the moment so will be adding to that total in the next couple of weeks:

1. Give Great Presentations by Lucinda Becker.
2. Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.
3. Avoid Plagiarism by Thomas Lancaster.
4. The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji.
5. Choose Your Own Adventure: Mountain Survival by Edward Packard.
6. Manage Your Stress by Clare Wilson.
7. Forged by Benedict Jacka.
8. Think Critically by Tom Chatfield.
9. Slough House by Mick Herron.
10. Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield.
11. Small Dreams Of A Scorpion by Spike Milligan.
12. A Book Of Milliganimals by Spike Milligan.
13. The Case For A Four Day Week by Anna Coote, Aidan Harper and Alfie Stirling.
14. Agatha Oddly – Murder At The Museum by Lena Jones.
15. Teachers vs Tech? The Case For An Ed Tech Revolution by Daisy Christodoulou.
16. Silly Verse For Kids by Spike Milligan.
17. Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley.
18. What Is At Stake Now: My Appeal For Peace And Freedom by Mikhail Gorbachev.
19. Game Changer by Neal Shusterman.
20. Silence Is Not An Option: You Can Impact The World For Change by Stuart Lawrence.
21. This Careless Life by Rachel McIntyre.
22. The Enduring Kiss: Seven Short Lessons On Love by Massimo Recalcati.
23. The Daughter Of Time by Josephine Tey.
24. Genesis: On The Deep Origin Of Societies by Edward O Wilson.
25. The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud.
26. Trampled By Unicorns: Big Tech’s Empathy Problem And How To Fix It by Maëlle Gavet.
27. The Maker Of Monsters by Lorraine Gregory.
28. The Black Friend: On Being A Better White Person by Frederick Joseph.
29. Look Out, Leonard! by Jessie James and Tamara Anegon.
30. My Daddies by Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons.
31. Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt.
32. High-Impact Tools For Team by Stefano Mastrogiacomo, Alex Osterwalder, Alan Smith and Trish Papadakos.
33. The Barbizon: The New York Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren.
34. Poison In Jest by John Dickson Carr.
35. Murder On The Home Front by Molly Lefebure.
36. Carter by Ted Lewis.
37. Essaying The Past: How To Read, Write And Think About History by Jim Cullen.
38. The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson.
39. Up In The Air: Butterflies, Birds And Everything Up Above by Zoë Armstrong and Sara Ugolotti.
40. The Renegades: Defenders Of The Planet Flames Of Amazonia (Vol 2) by Jeremy Brown, Katy Jakeway, Ellenor Mererid, Libby Reed and David Selby.
41. Diary Of A Brilliant Kid: Top Secret Guide To Awesomness by Andy Cope, Gavin Oattes and Will Hussey.
42. Making Wolf by Tade Thompson.
43. Serving Face: Lessons On Poise And (Dis)grace From The World Of Drag by Felix Le Freak.
44. Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo.
45. Above The Law by Adrian Bleese.
46. Jaz Santos Vs. The World by Priscilla Mante.
47. The Little Book Of Results: A Quick Guide To Achieving Big Goals by Jamie Smart.
48. Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein.
49. Modern Languages: Why It Matters by Katrin Kohl.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I managed to get another 10 books read in July, 2 of which were YA (and I would definitely recommend THE CROSSING - one of the best books I've read this year).

1. The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons.
2. Augmented Reality by Mark Pesce.
3. The Crossing by Manjeet Mann.
4. When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke.
5. Nature Needs You! by Liz Gogerly and Sr. Sanchez.
6. Kitty And The Kidnap Trap by Paula Harrison and Jenny Løvlie.
7. A Girl Called Justice: The Ghost In The Garden by Elly Griffiths.
8. The Place For Me: Stories About The Windrush Generation by Black Cultural Archives.
9. No More Babies! by Madeleine Cook and Erika Meza.
10. Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will by Geoff Colvin.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I only manage 8 books in August, only 1 of which was YA (and it left me a bit disappointed).

1. The Liar Of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater.
2. Slow Rise: A Bread-Making Adventure by Robert Penn.
3. Kitticorn by Matilda Rose and Tim Budgen.
4. News 2.0: Journalists, Audiences, And News On Social Media by Ahmed Al-Rawi.
5. Tiger Warrior: Attack Of The Dragon King by M. Chan.
6. Back On Track by Matthew Burton.
7. An Emotion Of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi.
8. The Worries: Jaz And The New Baby by Jion Sheibani.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I only managed 7 books in September thanks to having had a lot of work on, which didn't leave a lot of reading time. 1 of those books was YA though. So. There's that.

1. The Class Ceiling: Why It Pays To Be Privileged by Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison.
2. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
3. Seven Lives From Mass Observation by James Hinton.
4. Now You See by Max Manning.
5. Kitty And The Starlight Song by Paula Harrison and Jenny Løvlie.
6. You Will Be Okay by Julie Stokes and Laurène Boglio.
7. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Sage]

1. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S Lewis (audiobook)
2. The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
3. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough (audiobook)
4. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep by Tomoco Kanemaki
5. A Spark of White and Fire by Sangu Mandanna
6. The Martian by Andy Weir (audiobook)
7. Spellhacker by M.K. England
8. A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna
9. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
10. Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
11. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (audiobook)
12. The Beast Warrior by Nahoko Uehashi
13 - 19. The Harry Potter series in audiobook form
20. A War of Swallowed Stars by Sangu Mandanna
21. Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle (audiobook)

I only set a goal of 25 books this year, accurately predicting that I wasn't going to be a big reader for part of the year (though I can't remember why), so I'm actually slightly ahead of that schedule. And with a week-long vacation in November that is ripe for reading, I will probably do far better...though maybe I'll just write in that time.

 

[Set2Stun]

Wow, I can't imagine having the time to read 100 books in a year. 2 or 3 a month is about what I can fit in with all the streaming and gaming going on over here. My list so far:

Demon - John Varley
The Number of the Beast - Robert A. Heinlein
I Will Fear No Evil - Robert A. Heinlein
Between Planets - Robert A. Heinlein
To Sail Beyond the Sunset - Robert A. Heinlein
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls - Robert A. Heinlein
Saga - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Axiom's End - Lindsay Ellis
Securing Democracy - Glenn Greenwald
Canceling Comedians While the World Burns - Ben Burgis
The Skystone - Jack Whyte
The Singing Sword - Jack Whyte

What the heck? That's only 12 :/
Thought it'd be a longer list. My excuses are that a couple of these were pretty thick books, and also I have been writing a lot more this year. Maybe I can end the year with a reading binge over the Holidays and at least hit 20

 

[Momento Mori]

I managed 8 books in October, 2 of which were YA (SPLINTERS OF SUNSHINE and STRAIGHT OUTTA CRONGTON, both of which are definitely worth a few hours of your time).

1. Twice As Hard by Opeyemi Sofoluke and Raphael Sofoluke.
2. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.
3. What Is African American Literature? by Margo N. Crawford.
4. Splinters Of Sunshine by Patrice Lawrence.
5. Kill The Black One First by Michael Fuller.
6. The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin.
7. A Little Devil In America: In Praise Of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib.
8. Straight Outta Crongton by Alex Wheatle.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I only managed 7 books in November, but that's mainly because I was moving house, which took a huge amount of time and only one of the books was YA but that still counts, right?

1. The Hunt For Mount Everest by Craig Storti.
2. Sequins And Secrets by Lucy Ivison.
3. Climate Change And The Nation State by Anatol Lieven.
4. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton.
5. The Responsible Globalist: What Citizens Of The World Can Learn From Nationalism by Hassan Damluji.
6. Zen And The Art Of Murder by Oliver Bottini.
7. Be Period Positive: Reframe Your Thinking And Reshape The Future Of Menstruation by Chella Quint.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

Well I hit my target of 100 thanks to reading another 10 books in December. Sadly none were YA but 5 were for children.

1. Isadora Moon And The Shooting Star by Harriet Muncaster.
2. Pandemic! 2: Chronicles Of A Time Lost by Slavoj Žižek.
3. Risen by Benedict Jacka.
4. Inbound PR: The PR Agency’s Manual To Transforming Your Business With Inbound by Iliyana Stareva.
5. The Accidental Diary of B.U.G: Basically Famous by Jen Carney.
6. The Expertise Economy by Kelly Palmer and David Blake.
7. Beano Dennis & Gnasher: The Battle For Bash Street School by Craig Graham and Mike Sterling.
8. How Can I Help? Roly The Hedgehog by Frances Rodgers and Ben Grisdale.
9. A Super Weird! Mystery: Danger At Donut Diner by Jim Smith.
10. Everything World War II by National Geographic Kids.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

I'm targeting 90 books for this year because I've got a lot on. Anything more than that will be a bonus.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

Hope that 2022 is being kind to people so far.

I've had a slow reading start to the year, only managing 5 books in January although one of them was YA (RULES FOR VANISHING).

1. The Unexpected Inheritance Of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan.
2. Rag And Bone by Lisa Woollett.
3. Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall.
4. Be An Eco Hero! At Home by Florence Urquhart and Lisa Koesterke.
5. Saturday Night Live And Philosophy edited by Jason Southworth and Ruth Tallman.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Sage]

Goal is actually 50 books this year. I didn’t read much for the first few weeks of January & have been consistently 3 books behind since.

1. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
2. This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
4. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
5. Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

 

[Momento Mori]

I had a much better February in reading terms, managing 12 books in total (5 of which were YA):

1. Dark And Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain.
2. Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.
3. 25 Myths About Bullying And Cyberbullying by Elizabeth K. Englander.
4. Tiger Warrior: Rise Of The Lion Beast by M. Chan.
5. Queer Up: An Uplifting Guide To LGBTQ+ Love, Life And Mental Health by Alexis Caught.
6. Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy.
7. If I Ran The Country by Rich Knight.
8. The Blue Death by Joan Brady.
9. Sex Ed: An Inclusive Teenage Guide To Sex And Relationships by The School of Sexuality Education.
10. Kissing Emma by Shappi Khorsandi.
11. Stand Out: 5 Key Skills to Advance Your Career by Debra Stevens.
12. Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Sage]

6? Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa (I don't know when I read this, actually, but it was this year)
7. The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (audiobook)
9. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
10. The Guilded Ones by Namina Forna

 

[Momento Mori]

I had a very busy March in terms of reading and managed a whopping 17 books in total, of which 5 were YA - SEX ED; KISSING EMMA; ROXY; GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD; and AS GOOD AS DEAD - so I feel that I can hold my head up high.

1. The Blue Death by Joan Brady.
2. Sex Ed: An Inclusive Teenage Guide To Sex And Relationships by The School of Sexuality Education
3. Kissing Emma by Shappi Khorsandi.
4. Stand Out: 5 Key Skills to Advance Your Career by Debra Stevens.
5. Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
6. Hello Dubai by Joe Bennett.
7. Anansi And The Golden Pot by Taiye Selasi.
8. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson.
9. The Return Of The Russian Leviathan by Sergei Medvedev.
10. That Time Of The Month: A Girl’s Guide To Starting Your Period by Rosie Kessous and Arianna Vettraino.
11. The Outfit: The Absolutely True Story Of The Time Joseph Stalin Robbed A Bank by David Tallerman.
12. Gretel The Wonder Mammoth by Kim Hillyard.
13. Isadora Moon Gets The Magic Pox by Harriet Muncaster.
14. Kitty And The Woodland Wildcat by Paula Harrison and Jenny Løvlie.
15. As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson.
16. Big Words For Little People: Our World by Helen Mortimer and Cristina Trapanese.
17. Marv And The Mega Robot by Alex Falase-Koya and Paula Bowles.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Sage]

Ooh, we never have overlap!

 

[Momento Mori]

Ooh, we never have overlap!

Ha! Yes - finally we can knock that milestone off! Actually, I've got a copy of THE GUILDED ONES that I keep meaning to crack open, so maybe I should add that to June's pile.

I had a fairly productive April and managed another 9 books. None of them were YA but 6 of them were children's books so I offer that up in mitigation, m'lud.

1. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.
2. Marv And The Dino Attack by Alex Falase-Koya and Paula Bowles.
3. Ballet Bunnies – Trixie Is Missing by Swapna Reddy and Bimmy Talib.
4. Possessed: Why We Want More Than We Need by Bruce Hood.
5. Do One Thing: The Breakthrough You Need For The Progress You Want by Dr Geraint Evans.
6. Ambrose Follows His Nose by Dick King-Smith and Josie Rogers.
7. Rainbow Magic: Frenchie The Bulldog Fairy by Daisy Meadows.
8. Mirabelle In Double Trouble by Harriet Muncaster.
9. Mr Men and Little Miss Happy Eid by Roger Hargreaves and Adam Hargreaves.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I managed 10 books in May but only one was YA (REBEL SKIES by Ann Sei Lin)

1. The Bone People by Keri Hulme.
2. The Worst Day Ever! by James Bishop.
3. Bad Actors by Mick Herron.
4. Big Sister: Ruby And The New Baby by Fiona Munro.
5. Doing Philosophy: From Common Curiosity To Logical Reasoning by Timothy Williamson.
6. Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin.
7. Mr Men And Little Miss: The Royal Party by Roger Hargreaves and Adam Hargreaves.
8. Ten Minutes To Bed Little Fairy by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton.
9. Buzz! Inside The Minds Of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, And Adrenaline Junkies by Kenneth Carter.
10. Sustainable Planet: How Respecting The Earth Is Protecting Our Future by Anna Claybourne.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I'm a fair bit behind on my reviews and had a lot of RL stuff going on in June so only managed 8 books in total, although 2 of them were YA (LISTEN, LAYLA by Yasmin Abdel-Magied, which is about a Sudanese-Australian girl who's struggling to work out who she is and YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT by Simon James Green, which is a fun LGBTQ rom-com).

1. Forgotten Bastards Of The Eastern Front by Serhii Plokhy.
2. I Don’t Have Enough by Pat Thomas and Claire Keay.
3. Listen, Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
4. Civil Rights Stories – Racial Equality by Anita Ganeri and Toby Newsome.
5. Artifictional Intelligence: Against Humanity’s Surrender To Computers by Harry Collins.
6. Tame Your Emotions – Feeling Angry by Susie Williams.
7. My Friends by Sarah Ridley and Ryan Wheatcroft.
8. You’re The One That I Want by Simon James Green.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Madzianta]

Szeptucha by Katarzyna Berenika Miszczuk
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
The Program by Suzanne Young
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

[Sage]

Okay, it's been a minute, so I should add some stuff. Um, as I type, I realize that I am very audiobook heavy right now. Truth is that I was using up a lot of Audible credits, which inspired me to listen a lot, and I always have background/fall-asleep-to audiobooks too (LotR & HP fall in those categories)

11. Little Thieves by Margaret Owens (audiobook)
12. The Return of the King by JRRT (audiobook)
13. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (audiobook)
14. The Martian by Andy Weir (audiobook)
15. The Hobbit by JRRT (audiobook)
16. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
17. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (audiobook)
18. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (audiobook)
19. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (audiobook)
20. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar (audiobook)
21. HP and the Sorceror's Stone by JKR (audiobook)
22. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
23. HP and the Chamber of Secrets by JKR (audiobook)
24. This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
25. Three of my own books for fun but I only counted them as one
26. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JKR (audiobook)
27. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (audiobook)
28. HP and the Goblet of Fire by JKR (audiobook) - Probably before TC&tB, but I didn't record it on Goodreads

 

[Momento Mori]

I am very behind on my reviews at the moment due to some personal health issues but thanks to hospital waiting rooms I managed 11 books in July, most of which were children's fiction but I did manage one YA - ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS by Dean Atta, which is an LGBTQ+ romance told in verse.

1. Shy And Mighty: Your Shyness Is A Superpower by Nadia Finer.
2. Rise Above by John Jupp.
3. Did Vikings Have Horns On Their Helmets? by Tim Cooke.
4. Why Did Ancient Greeks Ride Elephants Into Battle? by Tim Cooke.
5. The Great Wall Through Time: A 2,700 Journey Along The World’s Greatest Wall illustrated by Du Fei.
6. Auntie Poldi And The Fruits Of The Lord by Mario Giordano.
7. JoJo & Gran Gran Go To The Hairdresser by Pat-A-Cake Books.
8. Pandemic Planet – How Diseases Impact Our World by Anna Claybourne.
9. Lego Star Wars: Awesome Vehicles.
10. The Knave Of Secrets by Alex Livingston.
11. Only On The Weekends by Dean Atta.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Sage]

29. HP and the Order of the Phoenix by JKR (audiobook)
30. HP and the Half-Blood Prince by JKR (audiobook)
31. Kiki Kallira breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna
32. Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
33. I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
34. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
35. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

 

[Momento Mori]

I am still horribly behind on reviews as health issues persisted in August and I was also incredibly busy at work. However, I did manage 11 books, and although none of them were YA, I did read a lot of children's books and picture books.

1. Marie Curie by Nell Walker.
2. ABC Pride by Dr Elly Barnes and Louie Stowell.
3. Me And My World: Life Online by Sarah Ridley, Anne Rooney and Ryan Wheatcroft.
4. Pick A Story: A Pirate + Alien + Jungle Adventure by Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker.
5. Mr Men Little Miss – Go To School by Roger Hargreaves.
6. Mr Men Little Miss – Be Kind by Roger Hargreaves.
7. Mr Men Little Miss – All Different by Roger Hargreaves.
8. Lost In The City by Alice Courtley.
9. Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor.
10. The Uncounted by Alex Cobham.
11. Space Blasters: Suzie Saves The Universe by Katie & Kevin Tsang.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I had a slow September and only managed 5 books (although some of them were quite long books) thanks to some health issues I'm currently still dealing with. No YA but I did get some picture books in.

1. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu.
2. Be Climate Clever by Amy and Ella Meek.
3. Find Out About Worries by Mandy Archer.
4. Mr Men Little Miss – Try Again by Roger Hargreaves.
5. Enemies And Neighbours: Arabs And Jews In Palestine And Israel, 1917 – 2017 by Ian Black.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM

 

[Momento Mori]

I was unwell in October, which was unfortunate but did give me a chance to get some more reading done. I've read a fair amount of middle grade non fiction but didn't manage any YA unfortunately.

1. The Carnival Of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge.
2. Lost Kingdom: A History Of Russian Nationalism From Ivan The Great To Vladimir Putin by Serhii Plokhy.
3. A Hero Born by Jin Yong.
4. Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy Of White Male Power by Ijeoma Oluo.
5. Mr Men Little Miss – Worries by Roger Hargreaves.
6. This Book Is Not Rubbish by Isabel Thomas.
7. My Perfect Cabin by Emmanuelle Mardesson & Sarah Loulendo.
8. Our Tower by Joseph Coelho and Richard Johnson.
9. Anti-Racism by Arike Oke.
10. Dealing With Divorce by Tim Collins.
11. The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin.

Reviews are up on my blog https://ireadthereforeiblog.wordpress.com if you're interested in checking them out.

MM