Hey there! It’s been awhile. Such a long while, in fact, that I’m a little late sharing my second quarter reading update. However, I have no illusions that you guys have been waiting on the edges of your seats for this so I’m not feeling too bad about it. I did make a promise to myself though that I would share it, so here it is.
Well, almost. First, I want to remind you (and myself!) that reading goals are meant to be motivational, not stressful. Keeping that in mind…I’m a little off track. My reading goal for this year is 25 books. In the first quarter, I read six books. Definitely on pace to hit my target. In the second quarter of the year, I only read three books. But, they were all amazing books in my opinion so there’s that!
The first book I read was a middle grade fantasy, the fifth installment in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger: Lodestar. That book is incredible and a whopping 676 pages. It should totally count as three books!
The second was contemporary YA, the third book in the American Royals series by Katharine McGee: Rivals. I like this series. It’s a fun escape. I didn’t like this particular book as much as the first two, but overall I love the series. I’m now patiently waiting for book four to release next month.
The third book I read was absolutely my favorite: The Prince and the Apocalypse. I’m a little biased because it was written by my author friend, Kara McDowell. She’s a fellow member of the Electric 18s, meaning her first book debuted in 2018 also. But my bias only goes so far because even if I didn’t know Kara, I would love this story. It’s filled with fun royal references and follows two unlikely teens on a chaotic adventure through Europe. It’s filled with heart and hope and I truly hope there’s a sequel.
In addition to those three books, I read an entire middle grade manuscript for my critique partner. I also re-read my own manuscript during its latest revision round. Those don’t count towards my reading goal, but I wish they did!
Anyway, 9 books of 25 read. We’ll see how things go in the third quarter. Hopefully I can pick up the pace. It’s not like I don’t want to read more books. My TBR pile is overflowing. There’s just too many books and so little time! I’m sure many of you can’t relate.
I hope you’re discovering some amazing books too and having a fantastic summer so far. It’s slipping away much too fast, don’t you think? I’m doing my best to savor every sunny second though. I’f you need me, I’ll be outside working my way through book number ten. It’s an adult fiction title by Christina Lauren. I’m halfway through and I can already say… I’m adding it to my favorites shelf!
As always, thanks for checking in. Cheers!
