Bookquarium

February was a month filled to the brim with books, mostly because Elley and I went on a reading vacation where we did almost nothing except sit in a hotel room, reading books and eating takeaway. Note that these are books I finished in February, not necessarily started. But hey, it all counts.  Books for this month:                 My favorite reads :  Unequivocally, we're gonna go with First Comes Scandal  by Julia Quinn. That woman is pure gold, and her new book is an absolute delight. (Thanks,  NetGalley!) Quite a few were re-reads, which I ate like cake, but since I read them because they make my heart happy, I won't quite count it.  Things That Make Me Happy : I started using this new app called Mealime which is kind of a meal planning/prep app, and damn if it hasn't changed my cooking habits. It's still a struggle, cooking and food, but it's easier now, and that's awesome....

Sometimes, I think fondly back on the days when I would say with an air of authority "Oh, I would NEVER read more than one book at a time!" Yeah, sure, tiny high school Ariel. Good luck with that. Now, because of library timing, and life timing, and interest level, and a whole slew of other things, I have several books going at the moment. Usually, they are of different genres. Sometimes, they are the same. (That last one can get confusing, especially if I'm reading two regency romances at the same time, with similar heroines, similar heroes, and similar plot tropes.) Here is a status report of what is on my currently reading shelf, and what my thoughts on the subject/ Crisis in the Red Zone - Richard Preston Yup, still reading this one. It's dense, and it's intense, and it's so, so very good. But holy shit, it's bloody. I am about at the 50% mark, and Preston is really dropping us headfirst into the gore and heartbreak of Ebola. I still would rec...

What is the Pondathon? The Pondathon is a co-operative and story-driven readathon hosted and run by CW from The Quiet Pond. The aim of the Pondathon is to read books and collect points to protect the friends over at The Quiet Pond from the encroaching malevolent forces that threaten our friends in the forest. Have fun participating in the Pondathon readathon by joining one of five teams, each with a unique way to collect points and signing up ! You can also follow the story of the Pondathon as it unfolds , and participants can also complete 'side quests' during the readathon to collect extra points. The readathon takes place from January 24th 2020 to March 7th 2020. More information about the readathon can be found here . Information about Joining the Pondathon To join the Pondathon, simply sign up anytime between January 18th 2020 to March 5th 2020. Choose a team, create your own animal character for the Pondathon and create a character card ! Create a blog post,...

I was tagged by Elley @ ElleyOtter for these awesome high school superlatives book awards, created by  Amanda @ Classy X Book Reviews . Here goes nothin'. Best All Around: You’re number one favorite book of the year. The Terror - Dan Simmons This was really hard. I've read a TON of great books this year! But I decided to go with The Terror because I was compelled to continue reading it even though it was nearly 800 pages, and it was my most recommended book of the year.  It was horrifying, beautifully written, engaging as hell, a non-stop and at times poignant look at both humanity and the supernatural.  Biggest Flirt: Newest or favorite book boyfriend/girlfriend of 2019. Kincaid from The Mech Who Loved Me  by Bec McMaster. An troubled but sass-mouthed rogue with (probably) tons of guyliner, a metal hand, and a heart of gold. Dreamy. Class Clown: Sillest/most goofy/funniest book of 2019 Spider-man: Far From Home: Pete and Ned's Ultimate T...

Hello Everybody! WhaleSnark here. It's been a while, but I'm trying to start the new year by writing something. We all want to start fresh when a new year begins, so that's what I'm focusing on. Here are the things I am going to strive to do this year. I finally started reading Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill There is a piece of music for every day of the year, and an entry for each song. So far, I really like it! I meant to start this book in 2019, but alas, it was not to be.  My second goal is to clean up my dishes immediately after cooking or baking. I have struggled with this for a long time because who wants to clean up after themselves RIGHT AFTER they are done with the meal? Not me. Gotta try anyway. I want to say I'm sorry less, as a response. As a woman, it is so ingrained in me to say I'm sorry when I am not. I say it to everybody, about so many things, and it's just not right. I am going to strive to be more aware of my res...

Y'all, most of you know I live in Minnesota, land of ice and snow for seven months out of the year. Which means winter is a way of life. A cold, gross, dirty, dangerous way of life. To get myself through the frozen hellscape, I rely heavily on books! Portable magic that means I never have to leave my warm apartment. Up next in my queue is... The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy - Julia Quinn  One of my long-term goals is to read everything JQ has ever written (because she is a goddess!) and so when this audiobook came on as available on Libby, I snapped it up. It's book 4 in the Smith-Smythe quartet. Bridgerton fans will recognize these characters from the disastrous musicales that are brought up in every book.  Also girl, jewelry on the outside of your glove? So fancy. Get you some. Crisis in the Red Zone - Richard Preston Yesssss! Our Lord of Perpetual Ebola Writings has returned with his updated take on the world's Ebola crisis!  (Is it weird o...