What I read: Part 3 of 4… Backlog from the past few months of 2023

BOOK COUNT FOR THE YEAR

• January: 4
• February: 29
• March: 21
• April: ??
• May: ??
• June:??
• July:??
• August: ??
• September: ??
• October: ??
• November: I am going to put them all here, once I am done listing them all, and that will be from April to November.

Part 1 = 11 Books

Part 2 = 10 Books

Part 3 = 9 Books

Part 4 =

• December:

WHAT I READ

The Book Hater’s Book Club

I liked it, I would not say I am frothing at the mouth over it. It was a pleasant read about family ties, love and loss, with a bookstore thrown in, with interesting albeit frustrating (to me) characters, and I liked how deep the characters went in terms of a backstory and bringing them alive on the page. Ending was satisfactory.

AMERICAN DREAMER: Tommy HIlfiger

An excellent biography into Tommy Hilfger – how he started, when he was young, and how he became the icon he is today. I found the way he told the story quite simple and to the point, at times even overly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I guess that’s the whole point of him “narrating” it to a ghostwriter. I enjoyed it immensely, particularly the part about him growing up and starting a business there. A lot of good business acumen and insight, but he was also lucky in many ways which comes across very clearly.

Book of cold cases

This mystery horror took a turn that I did not expect, and while I did not love it, I did very much enjoy reading and finding out what happened. I like my mysteries a bit more realistic, but … basically, a good read if you are out of mystery books to read and want something different.

OUTLIVE

Medicine 2.0 and now Medicine 3.0. Probably one of the best, most insightful books I have ever read on health in my life. It finally explains why some things work for others, but the same things, do not work for me. If you really want to live long and healthy lives, it is a book to read and take notes on. If you do not read in, the brief overview is the following:

• Sleep. SLEEP WELL. Get your sleep apnea diagnosed. Learn how to rest.
• Exercise daily – strength training with building bone density is key
• Avoid sugar, smoking, alcohol and drugs
• Have strong mental acuity by staying sharp with challenging your brain (not just doing silly “brain teasers”, but actually working, or learning a language)
• Connect with your family and community – it helps so much

All doable. It has made me reconsider what I eat these days (less sugar for sure), and I have started making it a point to exercise daily, as I do work at the desk a lot.

Soul of Ash and Blood

I should have taken my own advice and not started this series until it was entirely complete because I did not remember all of the storyline, and I was struggling with the characters. Even so, I devoured it within a matter of hours, and am hungry for the final instalment. LET’S FINISH THIS. Armentrout is one of my all-time favourite writers, up there with Anne Bishop and Leigh Bardugo.

Fall of Ruin & Wrath

A good one-off book from Armentrout following the series. It is a stand-alone story in the universe.

Fire in the flesh

Book 3 of 4 in the series of Flesh & Fire by Armentrout (again!) and I am impatiently waiting for the conclusion to come out next year. They are all engrossing.

The Queen’s Price

Speaking of Bishop, this instalment of hers was EXCELLENT. Again, devoured it, did not need to know a previous timeline (I mean sort of? But the whole series is excellent and I would start at Book One to get a good feel of the world she has created). Will forever read anything she writes. I am envious of anyone starting on her series for the first time.

It must’ve been something I ate: Jeffrey Steingarten

Fun, anecdotal stories from Vogue’s food critic. He ate everything and now he’s back with a sequel. I found it pleasant to read, but obviously, he is beyond privileged (somewhat entitled as well) and it oozes that through the pages.