It’s been an entire year. I hope everyone had a good year. I thought I would wrap up the year by looking back at every single book I read in 2021. Honestly, I’m surprised by how many books I read. Not only that but I started reading new genres during the course of this year, though it still is related to fantasy/sci-fi (for the most part). We’ll see if 2022 is similar in terms of how many books I read. I have a lot on my reading list still.
October and my favorite holiday are over. A lot happened in October for me. A good portion of that was stressful. From my dad being put into assisted living and his power of attorney trying to guilt-trip my sister and me to talk to him for the first time in eight years (not going to happen), to listening to our old neighbors complain about squatters that moved into his foreclosed home, to almost losing my job… it’s been a bit much. Not that there weren’t other elements that I loved from this past month. I’ve had a blast being creative, read some great books, and enjoyed playing new games that I saw pieces of before. So, I thought I would reflect on the elements I loved from the last month as well as go over my goals from last month as well as the ones I have for this month.
I hit a bit of a reading slump after reading A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. I still have two books to read in that series, but I don’t know after reading 100 pages or so in the second book I set it aside and couldn’t bring myself to read more. Not that I wasn’t interested in the book. I just wasn’t in the right headspace for it. So, I thought what always helps with a reading slump? That’s right reading romance novels. And since I’ve read all the other major series by Ruby Dixon, I thought I would go over to the Corsairs. Which is a standalone and two series technically. Also, there’s a serial where the third book in one of the series is being posted a chapter a day. I am reading that, so I’ll touch on it in this post but it’s unfinished currently.
After finishing Icehome series, I wanted to read more romance books. One of the characters from that series, Ashtar, is a drakoni which is a species featured and explored in Ruby Dixon’s Fireblood Dragon series. So, I thought I would check it out. All but one book has been released in the series. The last book is on a character I’m not a massive fan of as he’s the villain in pretty much every single book, so I’m curious how his book will go. Since as I said he’s the villain, and I don’t think there’s much redeeming that can happen with his character. But it will wrap up all the other elements that tie all the books together.
After reading Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, I initially wasn’t going to read the spin-off series called Icehome but I don’t with getting ready to move apartments I found myself reading all 14 books that have been released as of July 2021. There are more coming with the next one being called Sam’s Secret releasing in September. Similar to the first series, each book takes place from a different couple’s perspective. There is some overlap between the stories are characters are separated or relationships happen at the same time. Not to mention there is also overlap with the main series and characters from there make appears throughout the Icehome series. But you don’t have to read that series in order to read this one.
I figured as we’re halfway through the year, I would do a wrap-up of the things that I read. Especially as there were a lot of books that I managed to get through already. I don’t know if I’ll have quite the same amount read in the second half of the year, but you never know. When I get into a good book, I have a hard time putting it down.
