This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Can you believe the year is almost over? How's it going for everybody? Have you accomplished anything awesome? Did you get a lot of reading done? I've read 43 books so far in 2024. Let's talk about the best and worst of them.

✐  Quarter Year Reading Check In  ✔

Best Book I Read This Quarter?

The one that immediately springs to mind is So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens. I liked it because it's funny but not completely frivolous.

It's a fantasy novel that's set after the characters finish their quest and fulfill a prophecy. They've killed the evil king and taken control of his kingdom, but now what? How do you rule a kingdom? And what about the expectation that the new king will get married and produce heirs?

This book will make you smile. The characters are endearing because they're fumbling through life with the best possible intentions. They want to do the right thing. They're just . . . really bad at everything. Their banter is hilarious. Every character is fabulously chaotic. I loved them all and didn't want to put the book down because I was having too much fun.

Worst Book I Read This Quarter?

I didn't read any one-star books this quarter, but I didn't love Persuasion or Mansfield Park. Sorry, Jane, they're boring.

Genres I Read The Most?

This is a tricky question because I search for books that are genre-bending. I don't know how to categorize what I read. According to my spreadsheet, I mostly read classics and fantasy in the third quarter. I don't actually know if that's accurate because the spreadsheet only chooses one genre for each book.

Book That Surprised Me?

A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. I'm surprised by how often I talk about this novel. It's not an all-time favorite book or anything. I just think about it a lot. I even got a few of my coworkers to read it because I kept yapping about it at work.

It's a science fiction philosophy conversation between a monk and a robot. That probably sounds weird and boring, but it's interesting! I promise.

In a futuristic world, a monk named Dex decides to explore the woods. Dex meets Mosscap, a robot. Mosscap has never seen a human before and is on a mission to discover what humans need. Dex has no idea how to answer Mosscap's question, so they try to figure it out together. What do humans need?

I appreciate the book's optimism about the future. The characters are good people (or robots) who respect each other's beliefs. They're not afraid of anyone they meet on their journey. They exist in a green, peaceful world.

If you're in the mood for a short, gentle book, this is a good option. It'll make you think about what you truly need in life.

New Release I Haven't Read Yet?

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. OMG, people, this is not a drill. Two of my favorite authors have written a book together. I never dreamed this could happen, and I know it'll be perfect. Both of these authors are brilliant researchers and excellent at writing about little-known events from history. I can't wait.

This book is about teenage codebreakers during WWII. One teenager is attempting to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher. The other teen is trying to find her missing mother.

Am I Succeeding At My Reading Goals?

Maybe? Most of my goals were vague, so it's hard to measure success. I set my Goodreads goal at 30 books because I wanted to read some giant ones. I didn't need Goodreads pressuring me to read faster. I hit 30 books a few months ago.

I wanted to read happier books and asked for recommendations at the start of the year. I think I'll finish all 12 recommendations before the year ends. I've read 11.

I'm trying to read all the unread books on my shelf. This has been slow going because I can't stay away from the library. The library has better books than me!

I think that's all the goals I made. Overall, I'm doing okay with them.

Let's Talk About Life

What happened this quarter? I don't even know how to answer that!

I started EMT school in August. My original plan was to work full time at the park and go to school full time. Yeah . . . that plan lasted 3 weeks. Then I was begging my supervisor to let me work part time. Luckily, my supervisor is the best person in the world and puts up with all my questionable decisions.

EMT school forced me to shop at the tactical store. Tactical stores are where cops, park rangers, firefighters, etc. get their personal work equipment. I have spent my entire park ranger career existence avoiding the tactical store because it's not for chubby girls! If you have any curves whatsoever, it's difficult to find tactical clothes that fit comfortably. The store's website says they carry up to US size 18, but size 18 in tactical pants is maybe a size 12 in regular pants. I hate it. Why can't you be tactical with boobs and a butt?

After a lot of overdramatic moping, I went to the store and acquired clothes and boots. They're the most expensive clothes I've ever bought.

EMT school has been wild. I'm really bad at it, mostly because it's exhausting. I'm in class for 9 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then they assign a ton of reading. Then I go to tutoring. Then I do volunteer work. I understand why normal people go to college when they're 18 years old. I have too many responsibilities and too few braincells for this!

What else happened in the last few months? My mom got her hip replaced. Now she has two fake hips. Baby Brooklyn started kindergarten and ran 11 laps at her school's fun run fundraiser. I think a lap was 1/16th of a mile. She enjoyed the water spritz stations far more than the running and was soaked when she finished the run.

I've spent a distressing amount of money.

I think that's it. That's the life update.

Do you want to answer these questions on your blog? Go for it!