Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half 2021

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

Top Ten Books on my Summer 2021 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

In March and April, I really buckled down and got around to reading books that had been on YEARS of seasonal TBRs. I'm hoping that I will be able to make actual seasonal TBRs now and not let's just do a rolling single TBR for years. So let's talk about what I am excited to read in June, July, and August.

1. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry: I have an eARC so I can read this whenever I want. It's a (childhood best) friends to lovers, opposites attract type story and I'm really excited about it. I loved Beach Read!
   
2. A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria: Another eARC that I have and it's also childhood best friends to lovers story. I also loved You Had Me at Hola, so super excited to read another one from Alexis Daria.
   
3. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong: Romeo and Juliet set in China - sign me up! I have the Owlcrate edition and although it isn't my normal genre, I have high hopes for this one.
   
4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman: I meant to read this one in May after borrowing it from the library. It's super hyped. I honestly have no clue what it's about. But it's high on my list.
   
5. Game Changer by Neal Shusterman: I love Shusterman's works, so I have had this on hold at my library and it is available to me finally, but I delayed borrowing so I can read my June TBR. However, I will soon. Another one that I have no clue what it's about, but it's Shusterman so I'll love it.
   
6. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin: This one is an Owlcrate book that sounded up my alley that I did not get because I had paused my subscription. I also have this on hold at the library. All I know is that there are witches and witch hunters and perhaps a forbidden romance.
   
7. Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne: Another library book that I'm excited and hopeful for because of the author. This one follows a to-be couple who are working together in a retirement home.
   
8. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson: This is another book that has been pretty hyped in the book groups I'm in and I think I'll really enjoy it. Very true crime, whodunit kinda of read.
   
9. Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart: The sequel to Grace and Fury - it's on my list to read asap because I want to not take too long to read books in series so I don't forget things.
   
10. Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart: I started this in May and then never continued. It's one that I really wanted to read and was so excited to get in an Owlcrate box, so I definitely hope to pick it back up within the next few months.
    

What books are on your seasonal TBR? 

Have you read any of my books?

May 2021 Book Haul

I did a way better job this month than the last few hauling fewer books. It was definitely needed. I have my Owlcrate sub book as always, got 2 books from Amazon for free, 2 books from Netgalley, and the remaining 5 are library books. I've only read 1 book from the list, but hope to read at least the rest of the library books in June.

Books I Read in May

I read 9 books in May.

• Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond (Audio, 7 hr 27 min, 2020, Adult Nonfiction, Library) - 3.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox (Audio, 5 hr 59 min, 2020, Adult Nonfiction, Library) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (Audio, 8 hr 39 min, 2015, YA Fantasy, Library) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• The Kissing Game by Marie Harte (Kindle, 320 pages, 2020, Adult Romance, Library) - 1.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus (Kindle, 336, 2019, YA Thriller/Mystery, Library) - 3.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (Kindle, 368 pages, 2020, Adult Romance, Library) - 4.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• Mirage by Somaiya Daud (Audio, 8 hr 58 min, 2018, YA Sci Fi, Library) - 4.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Owlcrate challenge, Series challenge
• So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (Audio, 7 hr 41 min, 2018, Adult Nonfiction, Library) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• Too Good to Be Real by Melonie Johnson (Kindle, 320* pages, 2021, Adult Romance, Netgalley) - 2 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Netgalley challenge
  

Pages read: 1344* + 38 hr 44 min
Pages DNF: 0

READING STATS
BY FORMAT

• Kindle: 4 (2021 Total: 23)
  
• Physical: 0 (2021 Total: 11)
• Audio: 5 (2021 Total: 20)

BY PAGE COUNT

• Under 250 pages: 1 (2021 Total: 5)
• 250 to 400 pages: 8 (2021 Total: 33)
  
• 400 to 700 pages: 0 (2021 Total: 12)
• 700+ pages: 0 (2021 Total: 4)

BY METHOD OF OBTAINING

• Purchased: 0 (2021 Total: 16)
• Borrowed: 8 (2021 Total: 30)
• For Review: 1 (2021 Total: 8)
• Gifted: 0 (2021 Total: 0)

BY RATING

• 1 star: 1 (2021 Total: 1)
• 2 stars: 1 (2021 Total: 4)
• 3 stars: 1 (2021 Total: 15)
• 4 stars: 5 (2021 Total: 14)
• 5 stars: 1 (2021 Total: 20)

BY AUDIENCE

• MG: 0 (2021 Total: 3)
• YA: 3 (2021 Total: 28)
• Adult: 6 (2021 Total: 23)

BY YEAR

• Before 2000s: 0 (2021 Total: 0)
  
• 2000 to 2010: 0 (2021 Total: 1)
• 2010 to 2015: 1 (2021 Total:7)
• 2016 to 2018: 2 (2021 Total: 17)
• 2019: 1 (2021 Total: 7)
• 2020: 4 (2021 Total: 14)
• 2021: 1 (2021 Total: 8)

BY GENRE

• Classic/Historical Fiction: 0 (2021 Total: 0)
• Contemporary: 0 (2021 Total: 6)
• Dystopia/Horror: 0 (2021 Total: 1)
• Fantasy: 1 (2021 Total: 15)
• Nonfiction: 3 (2021 Total: 5)
• Paranormal: 0 (2021 Total: 4)
• Romance/Smut: 3 (2021 Total: 11)
• Sci Fi: 1 (2021 Total: 9)
  
• Thriller/Mystery: 1 (2021 Total: 3)

Top Ten Five Star Predictions Part 2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

Update 6/26/21: I decided to go ahead and start updating as I read through these - so check the list below to see my ratings :)

Last updated 06/01/23

Final update 12/14/23 - a rough go, only 4 out of 10 got 5 stars!

I'm still working through my last 5 star prediction post from February 2020. I have 5 books left on it, but I wanted to get a new list going for sure! I went a little fantasy heavy but that doesn't surprise me in the least bit.

June 2021 TBR & Challenge Update

In 2021, I'm participating in Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge (new challenge each month - June is Queer As F*ck theme) and The Avengers Initiative Reading Challenge (a year long challenge). 

I did really well for the first couple weeks of May and finished 7 books, then I hit a wall when I started work mid month. Then I thought I'd get back on track after the first week and Nick left for San Diego for work...but as soon as he left, my oldest caught a stomach bug and spread it to us. So me and all 3 kids were sick. Granted it hit hard and fast and then was done, it definitely took a lot of my energy and I could read 1 page in bed before zonking out. I read a total of 1344 pages and 38 hr 44 min. My wrap up goes live on Monday. I finished my Goodreads challenge this month and I'm still ahead on the others, so I'm not feeling too guilty about the last few weeks.

I have 8 criteria prompts to tackle for Words and Whimsy this month - every book on my June TBR has LGBTQIA+ representation in some aspect. My plan is to read 126 pages per day to read them all - I have a good mix of formats and some of the physical or Kindle books I have also borrowed the audiobook from my library. I have a little bit a commute for those :)