Tidy The TBR Update and New Monthly Challenges

Hellooo!

I believe I said I thought March would be easier Dear Reader and sadly that is not the case. The day job is still very busy - fun and challenging but free time is pretty limited. I never want to see a spreadsheet of data again after next month! Newsletter fans can look forward to something at the end of the week. Next week on holiday to Athens which we’ve never been to before and I’m quite looking forward to being unplugged from Teams meetings.. I don’t usually read a huge amount on holiday but there will still be a blog or two - probably!

Tidy The TBR

At the end of March I’ve read 52 books (previously 35) and that splits to 17 TBR and 35 ARCS. Subjective Chaos always helps me on this so more to follow. A bit lower than last year’s 73 books! But I always say reading is not a race just using the time you have free to read alongside the rest of your life!

Now this month’s challenges and why I chose them

For the month named after the latin for ‘to open’ you need to read a standalone book with no sequel or links to any other book. Something new and something you can let go after reading it

Stretch goal - you need to finish the last book in a series that you’ve had in Mount TBR for ages. Closure is good for the soul

For a long time fantasy has been focused on trilogies since you know thingy with the rings came about (and yes I know that’s one long book) but for this challenge I want you to appreciate that a good novel can still achieve the same effect in one single page.

For the stretch goal it is all about an ending. I have said before I am terrible at finishing a series off not because I’m reading other stuff but because I don’t quite yet want to say goodbye to the story.

So my two picks for April are Slow River by Nicola Griffiths an SF tale that also involves rubbish collection I believe and finally finishing the Monsters of Verity Duology by VE Schwab via Our Dark Duet

How about you? Tell me below or via the Twitters/Mastodons or Instas?