Challenge Update, Fourth Quarter 2022

Reading didn’t come easily to me last year. I was learning how to be a mom to a toddler and it took a lot of mental capacity. I’m proud of all the reading I did manage, as scrappy as it was at times. You can look at my progress at any time on my challenge page.

Books finished in October, November, and December

Like No Other by Una LaMarche (4/5)
Easy Prey by Catherine Lo (2/5)
Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe (3/5)
Powering Up by Anne Doyle (3/5)
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (4/5)
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (3/5)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (4/5)
Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner (2/5)

This is very audio-heavy. I was stuck on my ebook for months and my physical book is driving me crazy so I’ve relied on audio to get me through for the last bit. I owe a few reviews still. I had a big push to finish some reading challenges at the end and didn’t make enough time for reviews but I will get to them!

When Are You Reading? Challenge

12/12
By the skin of my teeth, but I made it. I finished Soldier’s Pay on December 30th which filled the 1900-1919 time period for me. Within the same week, I finished The Birth of Venus on audio which filled the 1300-1499 time period, one I often struggle with. So much happened in that time period, but it’s not as common for historical fiction. I’m glad Dunant tends to write of older times. I also sped through The Alchemist on audio. I made good use of some cleaning time and a bunch of car time and adored this short book. The setting is a little vague so I used the publication date which fit it in the 1980-1999 time period. It was a push, but I finished it and it’s never felt this good before!

Goodreads Challenge

24/15
This went so much better than expected and now I’m unsure of where to set the bar for 2023. Can I expect the stay this course? Read more? Will it go down with the toddler? I’m taking a shot in the dark any way I go.

Book of the Quarter

I enjoyed My Lady Jane by Hand, Ashton, and Meadows more than I thought I would. I loved the humor and the alternative history was so fun to read. This was unlike any other book I’ve read and I thought it was really fun. I might have to explore the other books by this team, especially if they give me some hard time periods!

Added to my TBR

Making my way back down. I’m at 41 and I felt like I added so many that I’m surprised it’s that low! Will I ever get under 20?!

• The Story of My Life // Hellen Keller. I thought I needed this one for my challenge last year but I’m going to hang on to it for the 2023 challenge instead!
• The Lincoln Highway // Amor Towles. I went to a virtual event where Towles was interviewed by Erik Larson and I got a signed copy of this. The sad thing is, that was about 9 months ago. I forgot to add it to my TBR since then. Whoops.
• Salt to the Sea // Ruta Sepetys. I like this author and my sister in law told me she adored this book. I got a copy in Spanish for Christmas so I’m planning for this to be my Spanish read for 2023!
• Scattered Showers // Rainbow Rowell. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Rowell.
• Choosing to Run // Des Lindon. I’ve been following Lindon’s career since she won the Boston Marathon in 2018. She’s from my state and I’m always impressed by her determination.
• Beyond the Wand // Tom Felton. I feel like this doesn’t need much explanation. I’m pumped!

How did your challenges go? I hope to not push it so close to the end next year! I’m hosting again so you can click here to learn more and let me know if you want in.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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WWW Wednesday, 30-November-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: I’ve made an effort to keep pushing on with Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner. Though I’m not loving it, I am enjoying it a bit more. The first three chapters, that seemed pretty disconnected, have come together so that frustration has gone. It might be a push to the end, but I’m now determined to finish this one!
I haven’t made great progress in Sophie’s Choice by William Styron, but I continue to push forward. The writing is a little dense for me and it’s been hard to really escape into it like I’d like to. Since I realized I don’t need this one for a reading challenge, I might let it bleed into next year. I’m going to think of it as planning ahead for my next challenge.
I was able to start on The Birth of Venus by Sarah Durant, though I haven’t gotten super far into it yet. We did a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning which was a decent chunk of time for me to listen. I hope to do some more running soon, but that’s also depending on the weather staying nice so I don’t have to worry about running on ice.

Recently finished: I wrapped up My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows! I really enjoyed this one. My review went up on Monday if you want to check that out. I ended up giving this one Four out of Five Stars, though I contemplated doing Five. It was really enjoyable, but there were just a few times in it that I found myself a little frustrated or confused so I didn’t go for the full Five Star rating. I know there are more in this ‘series’ but I also understand that maybe they’re not a series as far as the plot but more of the world? If someone knows more and can clarify, please let me know.

Reading next: I’ve got one more audiobook to wrap up my 2022 challenge! I’ll be taking on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as my final book. It’s nice and short so I’m not too worried about squeezing it in before the end of the year. It feels so good to be within sight of the finish line!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Book Review: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (4/5)

I decided to read this book to help me fulfill a time period in my When Are You Reading? Challenge. I’d seen it on other people’s blogs through the years but never been too tempted by it before. It looked fun, but how much could there be to say about a woman who ruled for nine days. Well, a lot. And with some magic and a tons and tons of sarcasm. This book ended up being a really fun read that I enjoyed a lot.

Cover image via Amazon

My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Summary from Amazon:

At 16, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

I immediately loved the 3rd wall breaking and the sarcastic comments and the very honest internal dialogue. This book was fun from the beginning. While Jane meets the almost required ‘modern girl in a historical setting’ trope that all good YA historical novels seem to have, I still liked her. I wasn’t ready for the magical elements to this plot but they did make things fun. I would have liked a better explanation of the curse, but it’s something I can live without and I wonder if it’s better explained in the next book.

The characters were a little too comical to be credible. There were things they did and said that seemed genuine, but then there were moments that were too over-the-top and I could really believe. It helped the tone of the book and made it fun to read as I was being entertained. You don’t expect a comedy to be filled with the most realistic people.

I was always cheering for Gifford. I wanted good things for him. I felt like he got a bad deal, being the second son, but his father and brother did all they could to make his life even harder. The way he cared for and protected Jane were very sweet and I was glad the way things ended up for the two of them.

Edward was raised to be king and was always told he was a great king. I thought it was really relatable when he started to question that, and wondered how much he wanted to be king. I’ve been thinking a lot about what we teach our children and what we encourage them to chase and how much that’s in their best interest so this struck home with me. I was glad when Edward thought about things for himself and realized his sister would make a strong ruler. (I’m not calling this a spoiler because it’s basic history. Sorry if you didn’t know.)

Cynthia Hand Image via Goodreads

There isn’t a single part of this story I would say I liked more than others. It was well paced with highlight moments coming at fairly regular intervals that kept me interested and excited for what would come next. I loved how Jane would become a thesaurus when she was angry, listing synonyms. I thought it was very sweet and it was consistently employed through the book.

Gracie’s character seemed unnecessary to me. I’m hoping she comes up in a later book, or else what was the point of her? Edward’s attraction to her didn’t motivate him much and her tie to the Pack could have been skipped. I have to assume she’ll play a larger role later in the series or I would think she’d have been cut.

The audiobook was narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Oh. My. Gosh. She was incredible. Her narration made this book for me. I’m sure I would have liked it if I’d read the text, but her sarcasm, her dramatics, and her variety of voices were incredible. I couldn’t wait to start this again and have Kellgren read to me. I would pick out other books she’s narrated in a heartbeat.

The Ethian/Verities opinions are a softened version of the Catholic/Protestant differences that dominated this period of history. The distaste for Ethians by Verities or the tolerance of them defined the reigns of King Henry VIII, Kind Edward, Lady Jane, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I much in the same way their changing opinions of Catholics and Protestants defined the time period. I liked this way of talking about it without the story being about religion.

Writer’s Takeaway: The sarcastic style and internal dialogue of the characters was great for a YA audience. I’m not sure it would go over as well for a younger or older audience, but it seemed perfect for this spot in between. It felt realistic and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was full of sass in my teen years. Some of the things these characters thought or said were things I would be embarrassed to admit I thought or said, but that made it more fun to read.

Overall, a fun read that I enjoyed. Four out of Five Stars.

This book fulfilled the 1500-1699 time period of the When Are You Reading? Challenge 2022.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Related Posts:
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows | The Book Corps
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodie Meadows | Leaf’s Reviews
Book Review – ‘My Lady Jane’ by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows | Casey Carlisle
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows | The Mermaid Behind the Books

WWW Wednesday, 23-November-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: So I realized I need to finish Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner for my reading challenge this year. I think it’s giving me some good motivation to pick it up more often, even if it’s just for a page or two. I’ll keep pushing forward, but it’s still not gripping me.
I’m SO close to finishing My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand. I’m having a lot of fun with this one and I find myself picking it up a lot so progress has been good. I’m optimistic it’s over soon!
I finally met the titular Sophie in Sophie’s Choice by William Styron. I’m hoping the pace picks up a bit more now. I realized I don’t need this for a reading challenge like I thought, so I’m tempted to put it down or maybe just keep going at a relaxed pace. I’m still not sure. I’ll hold on to it for now as I decide.

Recently finished: Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I think I’ll have one here next week so I’m not sweating it, but finishing my reading challenge is looking like a big hill to climb!

Reading next: I might go ahead and check out The Birth of Venus by Sarah Durant because I’ll start it really soon and I don’t want to lose it to someone else! Looking forward to some more good historical fiction to wrap up the year.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 16-November-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: I tried to think about reading Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner but I’m not sure it helped. This isn’t one I’m enjoying much, but I’m starting to see more of a cohesive plot now so it is becoming more enjoyable. I’ll keep trying to make time for it and see where I end up. Slow going, but going.
I made some great leaps forward in My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand due to some extensive driving around. I was able to go on a short vacation with some friends this weekend so the time getting out of town was enjoyed with this audiobook. The narrator is fantastic.
My start on Sophie’s Choice by William Styron has been slow. It’s not the fastest start to a story and the book seems formidably long so I’m a bit intimidated at this point. My library hold was renewed, so I’ve got a good chunk of time on this one.

Recently finished: Nothing new finished but I posted my review of Powering Up by Anne Doyle on Monday. I gave it Three out of Five stars and enjoyed the message. I think it came at a time when I needed it.

Reading next: I think I’ll need an audiobook next and I’m going to keep pushing to finish my reading challenge. Next up on that list will be The Birth of Venus by Sarah Durant. I’m keeping my fingers crossed it remains available at the library until I’m ready to pick it up.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 9-November-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: I was so optimistic about Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner after last week, but I didn’t make any progress this week. I don’t want to hope for doctor’s appointments, but they do seem to be a good time for me to get some reading done.
I’ve made fair progress on My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand despite being slow with everything else. It’s a longer book, though, so I’m not close to being done still. I really like the narrator and it’s fun to pick this up whenever I get a few spare minutes!
I finally started on Sophie’s Choice by William Styron! I’m hoping I can renew my hold at the library because I started so much later than planned. Fingers crossed! I’m also looking forward to a good movie adaptation. I haven’t watched one of those in a while.

Recently finished: I wrapped up Powering Up by Anne Doyle on Saturday! I’ve got some mixed feelings on it, so I’m not quite ready to give it a rating yet, but I’m thinking of Three Stars. I’m planning to have a review up next week so I’ll iron it out by then.

Reading next: Nothing solid planned at this time. I’ll keep pushing to finish my reading challenge, but it will depend on what book I finish next where I’ll head. I am enjoying a good amount of historical fiction right now!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 2-November-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: I finished a chapter in Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner! I had a doctor’s appointment and told myself I was going to read instead of checking social media while I waited and it worked! Maybe I’ll make it through this one after all.
I’m getting really close to finishing Powering Up by Anne Doyle and I’m pushing myself to pick it up each night so I can make progress. I’m really hoping this will be on the ‘finished’ list next week!
I gone through a good bit of My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand with a speaking engagement I had last week. It was almost an hour drive each way so I made a big jump and I found a lot of time to listen to it while doing some work around the house. I’m feeling good about this one. I’m enjoying it and I think I’ll make my way through it quickly.

Recently finished: Nothing new this week. I was able to post my review of Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe on Monday so please check that out when you have time!

Reading next: I’m just waiting to start Sophie’s Choice by William Styron and hoping it will be soon! I can almost taste finishing my challenge soon and I can’t wait to cross more books off the list.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 26-October-2022

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.

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Currently reading: I read a few pages of Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner, but nothing to brag about. I’m still trying to figure out where in my day this fits so please let me know if you have any suggestions!
I’m still moving well through Powering Up by Anne Doyle. I’d hoped it would be finished this week, but I’ll push it out one more week. Staying positive here!
I started a new audiobook! I’m still determined to wrap up my reading challenge before the end of the year, so I jumped into My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand. I’m hoping it’s a quick listen for me! I don’t have any long trips coming up that will take a chunk out of it so it might be a while.

Recently finished: I took a drive to se some friends over the weekend and that allowed me to take a massive chunk out of Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe. I finished it up earlier this week. I feel a little iffy about this one, but I liked it overall. I’m going to have a lot to say about it in a review so keep an eye out for that one.

I posted my review of Easy Prey by Catherine Lo on Monday. This one took a turn at the very end that I didn’t care for and it knocked it down a lot in my mind. I ended up giving it Two out of Five Stars.

Reading next: I put a hold on Sophie’s Choice by William Styron and it came in! It’s sitting next to my bed now and I’ll pick it up as soon as I finish Doyle. I’m excited to jump in and probably see the movie after!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.