January 2021 Reading Wrap Up

It's that time of the month: my reading wrap up! This is a separate little series that you won't see over on my bookstagram, so stay tuned here for the wrap up of each month!

Foundation: The History of England from its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors, Peter Ackroyd

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, Peter Ackroyd

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution, Peter Ackroyd

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars:

The Life of Greece (The Story of Civilization, No. 2), Will Durant

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars:

The Histories, Herodotus

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars:

The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Audiobook, Audible app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Books I read that weren't on my TBR

Stories of the Saints: 77 Tales of Adventure, Grace, & Courage, Carey Wallace

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Caste, Isabel Wilkerson

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: N/A

    (I got a skip-the-line loan for this book through my local library via the Libby app. The loan was only

        for 7 days, and I wasn't able to finish it in that time.)

A Promised Land, Barack Obama

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life, Alex Trebek

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Just A Note on My Controversial Bookish Topic Posts

I wanted to make a certain thing clear before I went forward with any more of my Controversial Bookish Topic posts. You can see the first post of this series at the following link: Controversial Bookish Topic: Are Audiobooks Actually Reading?

Yes, with most of my Controversial Bookish Topic posts, I am coming from my own opinions on the topics. Most of these posts will see me saying something along the lines of "It doesn't matter either way if someone does or doesn't do [insert bookish activity here."

My neutrality on most of these topics is for one main reason. Even if I don't like doing something with my books or if I only read one format of book, that doesn't mean I should impose my own views/opinions on someone else.

And when you impose your own bookish opinions (i.e. "you should only read physical books" or "you shouldn't DNF books") doesn't help the bookish community at all. That only adds toxicity (whether intentional or not) to the bookish community, which is not something we should want within this community.

What I Consider "Historical Fiction"

For me, historical fiction has been a hit-or-miss genre. You can see more details on my relationship with the genre at the following posts: My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1) and My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2).

Historical fiction can be a hard genre to define, and it can change slightly for different people. In my opinion, setting and plot are the most important factors to a historical fiction book.

Other than the setting and plot, a historical fiction novel is free range for the author. It's "free range" for the author because the story doesn't need to be completely accurate to actual history.

Please note that there is nothing wrong with an author wanting to be accurate with the historical fiction book they're writing. However, historical fiction is fiction for a reason. If an author wants to be completely accurate to the history they're writing, they should just write a history nonfiction book. (This is something that will its own post in February, so that's all I'll say.)

Even if it's under the historical fiction genre on Goodreads, I have a few requirements for me to consider a book historical fiction. I mentioned setting and plot earlier. My personal preference is that the setting and plot needs to be saturated in historical vibes. I need things like language, clothing, and mood that show me the time period the author is trying to encapsulate. I think that language, mood, and clothing are important to represent in historical fiction. They're not the same as modern day language, mood, and clothing. The time period can't just be hinted at or stated in the book's synopsis.

Why History is My Preferred Genre

In this post, I'm referring to the historical nonfiction and historical fiction sub-genres as just as just their main genre, history.

For me, the long and short of this answer is this: I love history. I'm getting my degree in history, and I hope to make a career out of it. In my experience, though, saying "I love history" supposedly isn't enough when I'm asked why I read mostly history.

I had to take a bit of time to think about a more detailed answer, but I think I have a definite answer.

I find that reading history really energizes me, and I absolutely love learning. For me, reading books that add to what I plan to make a career of is both entertaining and a learning experience.

I have nothing against other genres. Starting in mid-November 2020, I've read quite a few more books within the fantasy genre. However, history is the genre I gravitate to.

For more details, please go read yesterday's post: Why You Shouldn't Assume That People Who Reads Exclusively History, Classics, or Nonfiction Are Snobs.

Why You Shouldn't Assume That People Who Reads Exclusively History, Classics, or Nonfiction Are Snobs

For clarification: under the umbrella genre of "history," I am including the sub-genres of historical nonfiction and historical fiction.

Here's the long and short of why history is my preferred genre for reading: I love history, and I'm a history major.

There is always that small percentage of people that gives me a stink eye when I say I enjoy the history genre. I seemingly always need to explain to them that, "No, I'm not a genre snob. I just like reading within my genre of choice." I want to say that you will never see nor hear me bringing down another literary genre just because it's not my taste.

We all, as individuals, have our own unique tastes when it comes to what we do and don't read. This is something I respect.

I do understand why people who read only nonfiction, classics, or history came to be seen as snobs. Most of the time, they were bringing down other genres for not being as "sophisticated" (whatever that means).

In today's literary climate, I don't think it's fair to think people are snobs when they only read nonfiction, classics, or history. Most of the people I've encountered who read exclusively in these 3 particular genres are not snobs in any way, shape, or form. Granted, some of them are snobs, but it isn't fair to generalize an entire group of readers by just a small percentage of that group.

Here's my request for those of you who don't read history or historical nonfiction books. If someone tells you that history is their preferred genre, don't just assume that they're snobs. Instead, ask them why it's their preferred genre.

It is okay to have genres you don't like or simply don't want to read. All bookworms have one to two genres that they aren't interested in. Just don't judge someone else if they like a genre or two that you don't.

Reading Slumps: Tips on How to Deal With One

01/24/2021 Post - Reading Slumps: What Are They?

01/25/2021 Post - Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them

In my experience, I tend to get into reading slumps when I'm feeling overwhelmed. The first 4 tips on how to deal with feeling overwhelmed. The tips at the end of this post (Tips 5-8) are specifically directed towards fellow readers and how to get out of a reading slump.

Tips for dealing with the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Tip 1: Recognize when you're feeling overwhelmed. Usually, being overwhelmed causes emotional and/or behavioral changes. Take a look at the following websites to see common signs of when people are overwhelmed.

• 5 Signs You're Overwhelmed (and How to Fix It)
• How to Tell When You Are Overwhelmed by Life
• 10 Signs You Are Overwhelmed + Self-Care Strategies

Tip 2: Identify why you're feeling overwhelmed. Is it because you didn't get an assignment or job done? Is it because of an expectation you have on yourself, or an expectation someone else has for you? Do you have a due date coming up?

Tip 3: Let yourself process what you're feeling and why you're feeling it. Accept that you are feeling overwhelmed. And accept that it is perfectly okay to feel overwhelmed. Once you've processed and accepted that you're feeling overwhelmed, focus on what you can do in that specific moment.

Tip 4 - What Not to Do: Stop making comments like "If I didn't do this" or "If I only did that." Don't focus on what you should have done the day before. Don't focus on what you need to do the next week.

Here's the part for my fellow readers - tips for getting out of a reading slump.

Tip 5: Have a book on-hand at all times. The format and size of the book do not matter. It can be large, medium, or small. It can be an audiobook, ebook, or physical book. It doesn't matter what kind of book it is. Just have one on hand at all times.

Tip 6: Don't force yourself to read. If the best you can do is Tip 5 (having a book with you), then that's the best you can do. Forcing yourself to read can - and most likely will - prolong your reading slump. A longer reading slump is something we don't want. If you're in the mood to read, then go for it and read. But it's not something that you should be forcing unless it's for school.

Tip 7: If you feel like you can read, don't force yourself to binge read. Read as much as you can, even if it's just a page, or even a paragraph. You don't have to be reading multiple pages or chapters in one go to be considered "a reader." If it's a page a day, then you're still a reader, no matter what others may say.

Tip 8: Don't rush back into reading. There was a reason you got into a reading slump, so it would suck if you got into another one simply because you rushed back into it. Like with Tip 7 and forcing yourself to read, rushing back into reading can prolong your reading slump. If you rush back in after a reading slump, this can also set you back into the feeling of being overwhelmed.

If you'd like me to make similar posts in the future, please let me know in the comments. You can also DM me over at my history bookstagram, @historybookreads.

Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them

01/24/2021 Post - Reading Slumps: What Are They?

I absolutely love books. I do consider myself an avid reader, and I have been actively reading (almost) nonstop for the past 6-7 years. As a result, I feel like I've had my share of reading slumps. And after going through one rather recently (while writing this post up in Dec. 2020, that is), I decided to share my thoughts on reading slumps here.

So let's begin.

In my opinion, reading slumps are the way your mental health attempts to get you to slow down, and possibly even stop. Whatever the reason - the pandemic, 2020 as a whole, personal issues, etc. - your mental health is, by the time a reading slump rolls around, practically begging for you to stop.

(I use "mental health" a lot in the last few paragraphs. You can, though, substitute that phrase for something like "mind," "brain," or even "subconscious.")

In my experience, reading slums have happened when I get overwhelmed for whatever reason. Usually I'm just mentally overwhelmed, but sometimes I can get emotionally or physically overwhelmed. There is no shame in getting overwhelmed. But it's usually good to recognize when you are getting overwhelmed. That way, you can take a step back to relax, recharge, and refocus.

Reading Slumps: What Are They?

So what exactly is a "reading slump?" Essentially, it's a time where one (particularly a reader) doesn't feel like reading. It's also often referred to as a "reading funk." (To review bookish terms, see the following post: Bookish Terms 101.)

If you're new to reading, you may not have experienced a reading slump quite yet. Or you may have just had your first reading slump. When writing up this, I just went over what felt like the last hump in a 2-month long reading slump.

Being in a reading slump can be one of the hardest things bookworms - and book dragons - have had to face multiple times. We want to read, and we want to read so badly. However, for whatever reason, reading just isn't happening. Whether it's the current pandemic or personal issues, you aren't able to bring yourself to pick up that book or open the audiobook/kindle app and read those books on your TBR.

Tune in to the posts for Jan. 25 & Jan. 26 for my own thoughts on reading slumps and for some reading slump tips.

Pre-Reading Thoughts on Margaret George's "Helen of Troy"

So far, I have had a tough relationship with Margaret George, to say the least. So far, her only two books I've read have been The Confessions of Young Nero and its sequel, The Splendor Before the Dark. I do, however, want to read more of her books. I like her writing style so far and how she builds up her stories.

However, I had a bit of a problem with the two books I've read by her. You can see my reviews at the following links: The Confessions of Young Nero review and The Splendor Before the Dark review. The main problem I had was that George took a very apologist view toward Nero, which didn't sit well with me.

But that's not what I want to talk about in this post. Today, I want to talk about another one of Margaret George's books: Helen of Troy.

One cover of Margaret George's
Helen of Troy

This book has been on my radar for a little while now. I finally bought it in November 2020, and let's just say that my heart immediately sank upon reading the synopsis. Before, all I knew is that this book was that it's a retelling of the Trojan War from Helen's perspective. Despite it being a force of habit, I immediately regretted reading the synopsis on the back. Honestly . . . I still regret it because now I'm feeling "meh" about the book, when before, I was a bit excited for it.

For a bit of reference, here's the synopsis:

A lush, seductive novel of the legendary beauty whose face launched a thousand ships Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now, Margaret George, the highly acclaimed bestselling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy. Margaret George breathes new life into the great Homeric tale by having Helen narrate her own story. Through her eyes and in her voice, we experience the young Helen's discovery of her divine origin and her terrifying beauty. While hardly more than a girl, Helen married the remote Spartan king Menelaus and bore him a daughter. By the age of twenty, the world's most beautiful woman was resigned to a passionless marriage until she encountered the handsome Trojan prince Paris. And once the lovers flee to Troy, war, murder, and tragedy become inevitable. In Helen of Troy, Margaret George has captured a timeless legend in a mesmerizing tale of a woman whose life was destined to create strife and destroy civilizations.

I was so excited for a Trojan War retelling from Helen's POV. Although I wasn't very excited for this book because of my previous experience with Margaret George, I was still relatively excited for it. That is, as I've said, until I read the synopsis.

The synopsis annoys me to no end. And there are three main reasons for this.

Reason 1: She's "the world's most beautiful woman [and] resigned to a passionless marriage."

Reason 2: She needs to be saved from a loveless ("passionless") marriage BY ANOTHER MAN.

Reason 3: The synopsis is seemingly disregarding THE ROLE OF THE GODS IN THIS WHOLE FREAKING STORY.

I am planning to give this book a try this year, mainly because I know that, sometimes, the synopsis doesn't give everything away. And I am really hoping that my expectations for this book are surpassed in a good way.

My Most Anticipated Reads of 2021

I know I've already posted my January 2021 TBR, but I thought this would be a great post to do in 2021 and in future years.

Not all of these books are going to be 2021 releases. Most of them actually will be backlisted books, but there are two 2021 releases in the list for this year. This is mainly because I am terrible about finding out about new books before publication, especially in the history genre, unless it's from an author I'm following over on Instagram.

Let's get into the list of my most anticipated reads of 2021!

The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, Helen Carr (to be published on May 25, 2021)

The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys (published on October 1, 2019)

Becoming, Michelle Obama (published on November 13, 2018)

A Promised Land, Barack Obama (published on November 17, 2020)

A Psalm of Storms and Silence, Roseanne A. Brown (to be published on June 1, 2021)

The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life, Alex Trebek (published on July 1, 2020)

Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery, Lois Miner Huey (published on October 1, 2015)

Bridge of Clay, Markus Zusak (published on October 9, 2019)

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, Dee Brown (published on January 23, 2001)

An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873,  Benjamin Madley (published on May 24, 2016)

The Historian Dilemma: “Why History?”

This can be a tough question for any historian - professional or not. Many within the history community, professional historians and history buffs alike, inwardly cringe hearing the question "Why history?" And, let's be honest, some of us may outwardly cringe.

"Cringe" may be a strong word, but it's apt given the frustrations many historians have revolving around this question.

So . . . why does this question bug us so much?

One of the main reasons, in my own experiences, is the fact that this question is very generic and basic. It's almost painfully generic, and it can be applied to any other profession you can think of. "Why art?" "Why bank?" "Why film?" "Why write?" "Why cover the news?" Yet, despite the generic status of this question, historians seem to get asked "Why history?" all the time.

This question is understandable, though. Many of the people asking the question see history as "boring" or "unimportant." I think that the answer to the question is just as understandable. We, as historians, understand the value, importance, and fun surrounding history.

How I Review Historical Fiction Books

I have gotten a few questions about my review style, so I thought I'd explain it here on my blog. You can see yesterday's post here: How I Review History Books.

Unlike my reviews for history books, my reviews for historical fiction books don't require as much thought or critical thinking. As I mentioned in my post My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2), I do look at/for a few things when reading historical fiction.

1. Historical Accuracy - this is more along the lines of the period in time the book is set and the physical setting
1. Characters can factor into this one, but it really depends on an individual book and if specific people play a role in the book
2. Creative License - this one is pretty self explanatory
3. Believability - is the story believable, taking into account both the historical accuracy and the creative license

While using the Goodreads set up for reviewing books (5/5 star rating and a review), I also have my own personal set up for book reviews, seen below.

Title: ____

Author: ____

Summary: ____

Storyline: 5/5 stars

Characters: 5/5 stars

Setting: 5/5 stars

Overall: 15/15 stars

Similarly with my history book reviews, I use this set up for two reasons.

In my opinion, storyline and setting are some of the more important aspects of historical fiction. Characters do certainly add to it, as they do with any genre, but it's the storyline and the setting that place a book in the historical fiction genre.

The second is that learning about that time is definitely more dependent on the reader for historical fiction books. Either you, as the reader, already know about that time, place, person, etc., or you don't know. In either case, you are ultimately encouraged to learn more to have a better understanding of where the author got the inspiration for the book.

How I Review History Books

I have gotten a few questions about my review style, so I thought I'd explain it here on my blog.

In my opinion, reviews for history books require a bit more nuance than reviews for fiction books. I think this is the case because someone's enjoyment of a history book doesn't influence whether or not that history book includes good history. Enjoyment comes from the characters, the world, the writing, and a few other things. As a result, a lack of enjoyment does not equal a bad history book. Maybe someone doesn't like the main people discussed in a history book or isn't too interested in the setting. This is okay. As individuals, we are allowed to not enjoy things.

However, contrary to what I said before, enjoyment of a history book usually does equate to a good history book. This is because the author was able to convey the history in an enjoyable way. I did say "usually" in my phrasing, though. I chose that indicator for two main reasons.

Reason 1: Sometimes history books don't have information completely correct, for whatever reason.

Reason 2: History can be outright unpleasant at times, no matter how enjoyable the author may make their book.

While using the Goodreads set up for reviewing books (5/5 star rating and a review), I also have my own personal set up for book reviews, seen below.

Title: ____

Author: ____

Summary: ____

Breakdown of Info: 5/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 5/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 5/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 20/20 stars

I use this set up for two reasons.

The first is that I have to think a bit more about the book when I'm reviewing. "Does it deserve the full 20/20 stars? If not, where do I feel like I need to dock a star?" Questions like that get me thinking about what exactly I read.

The second is that it's not about whether or not you like(d) the history you read about. We don't have the power to really change what happened in the past, and you're not obligated to like it.  It's about what you learned while reading that history book

My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 2)

See the Part 1 for a bit more context: My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1).

I am very picky about when history - events, people, etc. - are placed into pop culture works like books or movies. Part of my feelings do have to do with the accuracy. However, knowing that these are works of fiction, I do have to remind myself to take that into account.

So here's how I judge the historical fiction books I read

1. Historical Accuracy - this is more along the lines of the period in time the book is set and the physical setting
1. Characters can factor into this one, but it really depends on an individual book and if specific people play a role in the book
2. Creative License - this one is pretty self explanatory
3. Believability - is the story believable, taking into account both the historical accuracy and the creative license

I can't say that any of those points are more important than the others. This is because, when I'm reviewing a historical fiction, all three of those points work together. And even when a book checks off all three of those points, I still may not like the book. It's complicated, I know.

I want to close off this 2-part post by stating the following. It is perfectly okay to be picky about what books you read, no matter the genre(s). You're reading those books, and you have a right to whatever reading standards you hold. However, just because you do or don't like a book doesn't mean other people have to agree with you.

My Relationship with Historical Fiction (Part 1)

If you've kept up with my bookstagram, @historybookreads, for a while now, you know that my main genre is history. If you also kept up with my bookstagram in 2020, you may have noticed that December was my month off from reading history books (both history and historical fiction).

Side note: the topics of reading within one genre and reading outside your preferred genre will be coming up as Controversial Bookish Topics posts in the near future.

I have had a very complicated relationship with historical fiction. Some historical fiction books made me cringe, and others I absolutely loved. There was really no middle ground. I always had strong feelings of some sort after reading historical fiction. See below for the list of historical fiction books I've read.

The Confessions of Young Nero, Margaret George

The Splendor Before the Dark, Margaret George

Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly

Lost Roses, Martha Hall Kelly

The Paris Orphan, Natasha Lester

The Paris Seamstress, Natasha Lester

The Paris Secret, Natasha Lester

The Feast of All Saints, Anne Rice

The Mummy, Anne Rice

The Passion of Cleopatra, Anne Rice

Controversies in Literature - Controversial Topics in Books and Controversial Authors

Both of these topics will be getting their own Controversial Bookish Topics posts in the future. I am also thinking about also having separate posts for these as "Bookish Dilemmas" as well, but I haven't fully decided. However, I wanted to take a post to discuss these two things together in broad, general terms.

These two topics - especially controversial authors - have been discussed to no end on the bookternet. Any aspect of the internet dedicated to discussions of books - booktube, bookstagram, book twitter, etc. - has had quite a few posts about this.

Here is my opinion on it all. If you decide to read a book that covers a controversial topic, then that's okay. If you decide to pick up a book by an author who's been deemed "controversial," that is also okay. It really all depends on your relationship with the book(s) or the author(s).

I can't say you won't be judged for choosing to read a controversial book or author. You most likely will be. What I will say, though, that it is ultimately your choice whether or not you, and you shouldn't feel pressured by others to make one choice versus another.

The Bookish Dilemma: Choosing What to Read Next

This can be a tough dilemma for us readers: choosing our next book.

So we've just finished a book and set it back in its spot on our bookshelf. Now what? Sometimes it's easy to move onto a reading another book on our tbr, whether it's a spur of the moment choice or planned. However, other times . . . it's not so easy. And there's no one particular reason why we're not sure what to read next.

So now what? Do we just not read until we get the inclination to pick up a book again? Do we look through our bookshelves and choose the next book we'll read next?

In my personal experience, it really depends on how the book impacted me. Note: I said how the book impacted me, not if.

Most books impact me in some way, whether it's noticeable or not. The stronger the impact, the more likely I am to give myself a bit of time between that book and my next book. The weaker the impact, the more likely I am to pick up my next book sooner. For me, it doesn't matter if the book's impact is positive or negative; either way, the impact is what matters.

Goodreads: Some of Its Quirks

See the first post of this series, published yesterday, linked here: Goodreads: Why It is So Useful.

I will be one of the first to admit that, while finding Goodreads useful, the website also has its quirks. I love Goodreads; it's usually the first thing I recommend to up-and-coming readers - get a Goodreads account. Yet these little annoyances are there, and they can make the website a bit difficult at times.

All of the sub-genres. This was one of the "good things" I shared about in yesterday's post, but there's a fine line between "a lot of sub-genres" and "too many sub-genres." I feel like Goodreads is teetering over that line. I understand that people want to know exactly what is going on in a book's story, but if "romance" is in the book but not a huge role, then that book should not be in the romance genre in any way, shape, or form.

Not having all of the books you're reading (or even want to read) in the Goodreads database. This is one of the most annoying things, I find. This usually happens one of two times: if you have a really old (usually published before 2000) book or a book that's been published recently. I find this annoying because I want to include all of the books I have read a particular year, but I can't because Goodreads doesn't have that one book.

The Goodreads Choice Awards is essentially a popularity contest. Goodreads has often included books that haven't been released yet into their yearly Choice Awards, but because the author is popular, that book (despite not being published until after the Choice Awards) tends to get more votes. Even with the published books, you tend to get a bunch of votes for a particular book because the author was popular or because there was a good film adaptation. I understand that there's no way for Goodreads to control who votes for what books, but they can do a little better.

The Upcoming Releases section(s) can be a bit difficult to manage and negotiate. I love being able to find recent releases, but sometimes . . . it can be so hard to negotiate the recent/upcoming releases because of all the sub-genres (here we are again). Most of the time, I just want to see all the books under the umbrella genre (history, let's say), and then each book's sub-genres can be visible somehow next to or under the book's title.

There are a few other quirks about Goodreads that bother me, but these are the only ones I could think of.

Goodreads: Why It is So Useful

I use Goodreads a lot. Many readers use Goodreads extensively. And it is good for a lot of things. If you're interested, you can find Goodreads linked here and create an account for free.

I personally know that Goodreads can be pretty annoying sometimes, but that will be in tomorrow's post. Today is about why Goodreads, in my opinion, is a great website for us readers.

Goodreads keeps track of your extensive TBR. This is something that is can be so hard to do without a database like Goodreads. If you keep a physical list of any kind - whether it's on your computer or an actual list on paper - that is amazing! But if you're anything like me - forgetting a book's title 5 minutes after you see it - Goodreads is great that way. You can scan book covers, search up book titles or authors, and so much more. It isn't imperative to remember a book's title, cover, and author until you can get your hands on a copy.

You can see all the genres and sub-genres a book falls under. Believe be: categorizing a book under so many genres and sub-genres can get a little tedious in my opinion. However, being able to see this on Goodreads is another positive attribute to Goodreads. And the dedication people have (I'm assuming) to placing these books under all those categories (it can add up sometimes) amazes me.

You can select various book formats for your currently reading list. This is one I haven't used as much, but believe me: it can be helpful. If you're reading a book as an audiobook, you can choose that format for most books on Goodreads. This one can be a bit confusing because there isn't always a distinction, but it definitely is helpful when the distinction is there.

You can create multiple, virtual shelves of your own. Whether you want to shelf your books by year read, book format, or however else, sorting your virtual Goodreads shelves can be very helpful. (I've started reading ebooks through the Libby app, and having an ebook shelf has come in super handy for seeing what books I've read were ebooks and library books.) You can add a bit more variety to your virtual shelves other than "Want to Read," "Currently Reading," and "Read" (past tense).

You can make friends and follow people, and you can see what they're reading. This is one of my favorite features of Goodreads. If I see someone I follow or am friends with reading something, I'm often looking into it, even if it's not a part of the history or historical fiction genres. This is a great way to find new books without scrolling through all of Goodreads' genres or recommendations.

Interesting Books I Read between November and December 2020

2020 was a hard year for a lot of us. And as December 2020 came and went, a lot of us were looking forward to 2021.

As a result, I wanted to list off some of the interesting books I read between November and December of 2020. However, these books will not be related to the history genres; they aren't history or historical fiction books. (Note: reading outside of your preferred genre is a post that's coming in the future.)

This is a basic list - no thoughts or extra details - of the interesting books I read between November and December of 2020:

1. Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi
2. Children of Virtue and Vengeance, Tomi Adeyemi
3. How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
4. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, Roseanne A. Brown
5. The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon

If you'd like to see my thoughts on these books, go over to my History Bookstagram, @historybookreads.

For most of these books, the reviews were in my story; you'll have to go to my profile and select the highlight "Story Reviews" (you may have to scroll through my highlights, depending on when you check).

However, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is the only book that will not be under that highlight. That book got a special post here on my blog, which was posted yesterday. You can find the blog post it at the following link: Special Book Review (No. 1).

Special Book Review (No. 1)

Special Book Review Number 1

Title: How to Be an Antiracist

Author: Ibram X. Kendi

Summary: Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America - but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. In this book Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. How to Be an Antiracist is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society.

Dates Read: Nov. 29, 2020 to Dec. 10, 2020

Breakdown of Info: 5/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 5/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 5/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 20/20 stars

The cover of Ibram X. Kendi's
How to Be an Antiracist

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: This was a fantastic read for me. It felt like it took me a little while because of my last few weeks of school and what the material consists of. Given what time we're in, this book was so enlightening for me to read, and it was something that I needed to read. As a young white woman who's majoring in history, there are certain things that I know about. However, it's not something that's on my mind a lot because it hasn't happened to me (either directly or indirectly). I really recommend this as a read, because Ibram X. Kendi really goes into detail about how you can do more to be actively antiracist.

Special Book Review: Series Overview

Say hello to a brand new series here on my blog!

In this series, I will be reviewing books that have had (or need to have) a special impact on society. These book reviews will be exclusively on my blog - i.e., these reviews won't be showing up over on my Bookstagram.

These reviews will be similarly set up to my Bookstagram: my own review breakdown (20 stars total), Goodreads rating (5 stars total), and Goodreads review. However, there will be two main differences; I will be including the dates read, and the review portion will be more detailed here on my blog. Reviews (my actual thoughts on the book) will have quite a bit more details about what I liked and didn't like. (See below for the overview of how these reviews will look.)

I hope you enjoy this series!

Title:

Author:

Summary:

Dates Read: 

Breakdown of Info: 5/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 5/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 5/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 20/20 stars

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

Review:

Note: The above star ratings are just part of the example. They are likely to change depending on the book being reviewed.

Controversial Bookish Topic: Are Audiobooks Actually Reading?

Controversial bookish topic time!

This particular topic is definitely something that has been more accepted within the bookish community as of the past year or so. However, I think it still can cause a heated discussion when brought up: are audiobooks actually reading?

Here are some arguments to why people think that audiobooks aren't reading:

• You aren't actually reading the book yourself; someone else is reading the book to you, and thus you're listening, not reading.
• What is considered "a book;" some people only physical books (and maybe ebooks) as "books," which doesn't include audiobooks.
• The pace at which you understand the material; in most cases, you can set the speed to which you're listening to an audiobook, but when you're reading a physical book - hard copy or ebook - it's easier to go back and reread something if you need to understand it better.
• The interpretation of the narration changes; when you read a physical book, the information goes through your eyes into your brain/mind, allowing for a direct interpretation by you. When you're listening to an audiobook, the narration is passing through someone else before it gets to you; the way the narrator says a line may influence your own interpretation.
• Even if an author is the narrator of their book, it was still published as a book first.
• Reading is something you do, and listening is something that happens to you.
• Reading material that is considered "tougher" should be read and not listened to.

Here are some arguments to why people think that audiobooks are reading:

• They can improve your understanding and vocab; hearing a new word being audibly spoken gives you a better understanding of what it means.
• You can imagine the story better.
• You can get a deeper meaning or understanding from hearing a book read out loud.
• You can get more emotional about a scene in the book.
• Humans have been telling stories orally for thousands of years

The reasoning for both sides of the argument make sense. Certain ways work better than others for retaining information; however, that usually isn't what reading is about. My side of this discussion is that audiobooks are actually reading. However, how much of the information you, as the reader, takes in depends on the situation. As the article "Are Audiobooks As Good For You As Reading? Here’s What Experts Say" states, if you're doing something else (like a household chore) while listening to an audiobook, you may not retain the information as well. However, there are situations where audiobooks are the only way someone can read a book.

Articles for the views that don't think audiobooks count as reading:

You’re Dumb and Wrong: Listening to audiobooks is not reading (I personally think this title of the series is harsh, but that's my opinion)
Why Listening to a Book Is Not the Same as Reading It

Articles for the views that do think audiobooks count as reading:

Are Audiobooks Good for the Brain?

Are Audiobooks As Good For You As Reading? Here’s What Experts Say (This one can fit under both, since it makes good arguments for both sides)

Anti-TBR Book Tag

I've seen this tag going around over on BookTube in the last couple of months of 2020, so I thought I'd share my answers here.

The video I got the questions from and the original video are both linked at the end of this blog post. In addition, the questions (and the questions alone, without my answers) are also at the end of this blog post so you can copy them and answer them.

1. A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I tried to read it years ago, but I couldn't get into it. I've watched the movies and enjoyed them, but I have absolutely no interest in reading the books.

2. A classic book (or author) you don't have any interest in reading?

A classic book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I'm just...kind of eh with this book.

A classic author: F. Scott Fitzgerald. His books have just...never in reading any of his books.

3. An author whose books you have no interest in reading?

Sarah J. Mass. I understand why people like her books, but her books just never interested me or caught my attention.

3.2. A problematic author whose books you have no interest in reading?

J.K. Rowling. I really don't think I need to explain this.

4. An author you have read a couple of books from and have decided their books are not for you?

Martha Hall Kelly and Erin Morgenstern. I liked Martha Hall Kelly's two books I read - Lilac Girls and Lost Roses - but I can't see myself reading her other books. And with Erin Morgenstern: I saw the potential of The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, and I did enjoy them if I wasn't really trying to figure the story out. But I was just left confused by both of Morgenstern's books, so I don't think I'll read more of her books. 

5. A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into but couldn't?

Sci-Fi. Again, this is something that I understand why people like this genre. But it's not a genre that I see myself reading.

6. A book you have bought but will never read? (You can have already unhauled and/or returned to the library unread.)

1,000 Places to See Before You Die (Revised Second Edition) by Patricia Schultz. I have this in the Kindle app, and I got it when I was still paying for Kindle Unlimited. I just don't see myself reading it UNLESS I have nothing else to read.

7. A series you have no interest in reading OR a series you started and then DNF'ed?

I mentioned The Hunger Games in Question 1, but another series I have no interest in reading is The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

8. A new release you have no interest in reading?

I'm not 100% sure I can name a specific new release. I just looked up some new releases, and I didn't see any titles that interested me. But if I HAVE to choose, I'd go with Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read any of his books, and don't plan to read any of them.

Questions (without my answers)

1. A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading?

2. A classic book (or author) you don't have any interest in reading?

3. An author whose books you have no interest in reading?

3.2. A problematic author whose books you have no interest in reading?

*Questions 3 and 3.2 can be answered separately or together, depending on whether or not your answer is the same for both.

4. An author you have read a couple of books from and have decided their books are not for you?

5. A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into but couldn't?

6. A book you have bought but will never read? (You can have already unhauled and/or returned to the library unread.)

7. A series you have no interest in reading OR a series you started and then DNF'ed?

8. A new release you have no interest in reading?

Video I got the questions from: Books with Emily Fox: Popular Books and Series I Won't Read || Anti TBR

Original Anti TBR Tag Video: Nicole & Her Books: THE ANTI-TBR TAG (ORIGINAL) books I will never read!!