Can you believe the first quarter of the year has passed? Winter is done, and we’re now entering the spring months that’ll hopefully bring us some new, good reads.
Reading-wise, I think I did good this first quarter. I read a variety of stuff and managed to get through 15 books! If I keep that up, I’ll certainly pass my Goodreads goal for this year, which is at a manageable 50 books. Let’s see what I got through.
BOOKS | AUDIO BOOKS | COMICS
Books by Month
January
Renegade’s Magic by Robin Hobb (Soldier Son, book 3) ★★★☆☆ ½
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw ★★★★☆
The Conductors by Nicole Glover ★★☆☆☆ ½
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert ★★★☆☆
February
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Raybearer, book 1) ★★★★☆
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, book 1; Rincewind, book 1) ★★☆☆☆ ½
March
Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey (Phèdre, book 1) ★★★★★
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour ★★★★☆
In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of La Porte by Camilla Bruce ★★★★★
Audiobooks by Month
January
Wrapped Up in You by Talia Hibbert, narr. by Selina Scott-Bennin & Philip Batley ★★☆☆☆
February
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, narr. by Kyle McCarley ★★★★★
March
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, narr. by Rosalyn Landor (Bridgertons, book 1) ★★★★☆
Picture Books by Month
January
February
March
Comics by Month
January
Lady S., Vol. 1: Here’s to Suzie by Jean Van Jamme, illus. by Philippe Aymond, transl. from the French by Jerome Saincantin ★★★☆☆
Dragon Age, Vol. 1: The Silent Grove by David Gaider & Alexander Freed, illus. by Chad Hardin ★★★☆☆
February
March
My Body in Pieces by Marie-Noelle Hébert (illus.), transl. from the French by Shelley Tanaka ★★★☆☆
**Rereads aren’t considered for most categories below.**
FAVORITE(S) OF THE BUNCH
Kushiel’s Chosen
LEAST LIKED
Wrapped Up in You
DID NOT FINISH
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
BEST STORIES
Kushiel’s Chosen
In the Garden of Spite
BEST WRITING
Kushiel’s Chosen
In the Garden of Spite
Black Buck
BEST NARRATION (AUDIO BOOKS)
The Duke and I
The Goblin Emperor [reread]
BEST ILLUSTRATIONS (ILLUSTRATED BOOKS & COMICS/GRAPHIC NOVELS)
Lady S., Vol. 1: Here’s to Suzie
MOST AMAZING CHARACTER(S)/PEOPLE
Phèdre from Kushiel’s Chosen
Brynhild a.k.a. Belle Gunness from In the Garden of Spite
GREAT WORLD-BUILDING
Kushiel’s Chosen
MOST FITTING TITLE(s)
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
In the Garden of Spite
MOST Unique/IMPACTFUL STORY
Black Buck [impactful]
COVER LOVE
READING CHALLENGES HITS ‘N’ MISSES
Goodreads Challenge
books read = 15/50
Books I MUST read this year
books read = 0 | total so far = 0/8
Read some comics/graphic novels
comics read = 3 | total so far = 3/20
Lady S., Vol. 1
Dragon Age, Vol. 1
My Body in Pieces
Read some picture books
books read = 0 | total so far = 0/8
Pick up a classic
books read = 0 | total so far = 0/4
Three terrifying reads
books read = 0 | total so far = 0/3
Where are the middle grade ones?
books read = 0 | total so far = 0/12
Turtle Recall
books read = 1 | total so far = 1/5
The Colour of Magic
Read my own stuff
books read = 5 | total so far = 5/30
Renegade’s Magic
Lady S., Vol. 1
Dragon Age, Vol. 1
Raybearer
The Colour of Magic
READING STATS
Longest book
Renegade’s Magic = 691 pages
Shortest book
Dragon Age, Vol. 1 = 81 pages
Format
Physical = 7
E-book = 5
Audio = 3
Genre
Fantasy = 7
Romance = 3
Contemporary = 2
Mystery = 1
Nonfiction = 1
Thriller = 1
Age group
Adult = 13
YA = 2
MG = 0
Kids = 0
Protagonist gender
Female = 7
Male = 5
Ensemble = 3
Unknown = 0
Author gender
Female = 11
Male = 4
Unknown = 0
Ownership
Mine (bought before January 1, 2021) = 5
New (bought on/after January 1, 2021) = 2
Library = 5
ARC = 2
Free = 0
Other loan = 1
Zezee with Books 
I’d conclude the same about your first quarter! That’s definitely great numbers reading-wise and I hope the coming quarters will be fantastic to you! 😀
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Thanks! I’m getting into a Joe Abercrombie book this quarter so I have high hopes that it’ll be good. Hope your reading goes well too.
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I agree, you did really well this quarter, both in quantity and variety. Like you I enjoy trying to mix in different types of stories and genres. It helps keep everything fresh. I’m curious to hear what you think of Dragon Wing. I have a number of books by Weis and Hickman, including this one, but I don’t think I’ve yet read anything by them. I just know I love the genre and those sorts of stories.
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I just finished Dragon Wing today, so I’ll post a review soonish. It was interesting and enjoyable up until the end where things got a bit rushed and fell flat. I’m still interested in continuing with the series, though.
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You’re right: it’s time for quarterly reviewing! Yikes, where did those months go.
The Goblin Emperor is such great fun, isn’t it? I really loved the feel of the story. I’d totally reread it in a snap.
And I enjoyed The Secret Lives of Church Ladies a lot too. A superficial detail, I know, but I also loved its size, the way that I could imagine it being slipped into a pocket, like a secret!
Good luck with your next reading quarter!
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Oh yes! And the Goblin Emperor was still great when reread. I highly recommend the audiobook if you haven’t yet tried it.
Lol! I get that — on the size of Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
Thanks and same to you!
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I liked Lady S. too and am hoping to read more in the series. Plus I love how the artwork is so vibrant on ComiXology!
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I agree. I love reading physical copies of comics, but reading them on a device makes the colors pop.
Comixology seem to often have sales on the Lady S series, so I’ll most likely get them all.
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So you did enjoy In the Garden of Spite? Woohoo!!!! 😀
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Yes! Oh my gosh it was so good and uncomfortable in some spots and, gosh, the end! Wow!
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I’m glad you loved In the Garden of Spite! One of my faves of the quarter as well:-)
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