BookTalk: August - September 2023

When it comes to reading books, I prefer audiobooks over ebooks and use the Libby App and Hoopla Digital platforms to borrow books from my local library. Although I enjoy e-books, reading them on my Kindle Paperwhite isn’t pleasurable. I made a mistake by purchasing the new updated version of the device, as I don’t like it as much as the previous one. That’s a topic we’ll discuss on another occasion.

If you don’t have a library card, I recommend you sign up for one. Libraries are so important as they provide safe spaces for children who don’t feel like they fit in elsewhere. But also, they preserve media. In an age where we discard things with little effort, media preservation provides a record of human growth. But also, books are expensive. Books are available at libraries for free or for a slight fee, making libraries a valuable service.

Let’s also discuss social book tracking. I joined Goodreads very early. I think they had been open to the public for three days when I started using it. At one point, I was a Goodreads Librarian, which means I had the power to edit book listings. It was a fun platform, a place where book nerds could discuss and share what we were reading. However, much like blogging, it became an aggressive marketing tool rather than a social connection. As scandal after scandal unfolded, my love for the site waned and I left the platform in 2021 like others.

My record-keeping of my reading activity has been less consistent since I switched from Goodreads to The StoryGraph. Instead, I am reading for joy and not for stats.

I no longer rate books regularly either. Instead, I try to focus on how the book made me feel. Did I enjoy it? Did it feel like time well spent? Other than that, I no longer speak of books in terms of good and bad (at least I am trying not to). Those terms have no real meaning and what little meaning they hold is deeply personal; subjective. The books included on this list, sans the abandoned book, are ones I enjoyed reading or at the very least, made me think about something deeply.

What are Libby App and Hoopla Digital ?

Libby App and Hoopla Digital are both apps and website used to borrow material files from the local library. These apps offer users access to a variety of media, including books, movies, music, and more.

Anyway, here is my 6-5-4-3-2-1 list for August – September 2023. This list does not represent all the books I’ve read during this time, but it is a snapshot. I read a lot of books. In fact, if I am doing things that don’t require all of my attention, I am usually listening to an audiobook or a course.

6 Books I’ve Finished

5 Books On My Shelves

4 Books I’m Waiting On

3 Books I’m Reading Right Now

2 Books I Highly Recommend

1 Book I’ve Abandoned in August

Storm Echo by Nalini Singh – Nalini Singh is one of my favorite authors. She is the author of the Guild Hunter series, about Angels and other supernatural beings. I enjoyed the series and have reread it multiple times. However, it is her PsyChangeling series that first hooked me. The series has 22 books so far and I was looking forward to getting caught up. So imagine my surprise when I pressed play on the audiobook Storm Echo, book 21, only to restart the book after thirty-minutes and not because the writing was beautiful and needed to be reheard. I struggled to follow the story and the writing felt hesitant and choppy, as if the author wasn’t comfortable writing it. I put it away and tried it again, but still, it didn’t move me. And I tried. Five times. But three hours and 4 minutes in, I had to stop. Maybe I’ll revisit, but right now, I’m nursing my disappointment.

What are you reading or planning to read?