I decided not to write a TBR post for this month. I will be on vacation for most of the month and wasn’t sure how much time I would have to read. Instead, I wanted to write about a recent reading goal that I surpassed. For the first time ever, my TBR is less than 100 books. When I say TBR, I mean my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf has less than 100 books. This hasn’t happened ever. I was always the reader who consistently added books. At one point, this shelf had close to 600 books. I wanted to share how I got to this point, along with how I will approach reading in the future.

I started using Goodreads in 2014 when I got back into reading after a major reading slump. A few of my friends had Goodreads, and I liked using social media to keep track of what I had read. When I first started using Goodreads, I added any book that sounded interesting, which is why my shelf had 600 books. Several years ago, I condensed this down to 300 books because I knew there was no way I’d be able to read all 600 books on this shelf. Since then, I have focused on reducing this even further. Right now, I have 87 books on my TBR. I can’t believe I got this below 100. I’m proud of myself for prioritizing books that have been on my TBR for several years.

Besides reducing the books on my TBR, I have noticed that my reading habits have changed. I have been prioritizing reading from authors I have read before and finishing series. I used to have several books from different authors, and I’d read a book from a new author and think it was okay. That time could have been spent reading from an author I know that I will love. Lucy Foley, Ali Hazelwood, and Emily Henry are a few of my favorite authors, and I’d love to read every book they write. I know that I will like their books, so why read a book written by an author I may not like? For series, I want to finish more book series. I read several first books in several series, and it takes me years to read the second book. I remember the days when I’d read Hunger Games or The Series of Unfortunate Events and read every book in the series. I want to get back to that.

The last thing I wanted to add, I would not have reached this point in my TBR without audiobooks. I did not think I’d be an audiobook person, but here we are. I downloaded Libby on a whim last year and started listening to books while I drove to and from work. When I listen to a book, I tend to only listen to romance or nonfiction. As much as I’d love to listen to fantasy, I’m afraid I’ll miss key details if I zone out for a second. If I zone out while listening to a romance, it’s fine because, oh well, if I missed the two main characters going on a date. Audiobooks will forever be a part of reading as a hobby for me, and I’m thrilled. I’m glad I can use the audiobooks my library has.

I don’t ever want my TBR to be more than 100 books again. There’s no way that I will read them all and I want to read what I want to read. I went through ten years of reading and on average I read about 56.7 books in a year. I figured this out by going through my past Goodreads challenges, adding up all the books I read and dividing by the years I participated. Math rules. Having this information, I don’t want my TBR to be more than 60 books. If I want to add books to my shelf, that’s fine, but I will re-review what’s on my TBR shelf to make room. I’d realistically want to have enough books on there that I can finish in a calendar year.

I’m excited that I have made substantial progress with reading. I feel confident that when I add a book to my shelf, I will actually read it. Reading is a life long hobby of mine and I always want to make reading a priority in the years to come.

While on the train coming home from Chicago, I finished reading A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. This is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I read the first book in this series while on my honeymoon to Europe a few years ago. I love the setting of this book and Veronica as a character. A Perilous Undertaking did not disappoint and solidified this series as a series I’d recommend to anyone and everyone.

Veronica Speedwell is summoned by Lady Sundridge, who is requesting her assistance. She asks Veronica to investigate the murder of Artemisia, an artist with many talents. Miles Ramsforth is set to hang for killing Artemisia, but Lady Sundridge isn’t convinced that he committed the crime. Miles refuses to provide an alibi, which adds an extra layer of mystery to the murder. Veronica and her associate and friend, Stoker, agree to help and find themselves at the beginning of unraveling a conspiracy.

It did not take me long to fly through this book. I was invested in the mystery, and part of that was due to how the mystery was set up. Miles refuses to talk about his alibi, Lady Sundridge’s true identity, and how she was connected to Miles. Each book in this series seems to center around a conspiracy, and I’m here for it. It adds an extra layer of drama to the book. While I wasn’t surprised by the killer’s reveal, it felt satisfying, especially to see how Veronica and Stoker eventually took down the killer.

This series focuses on Veronica and her expanding partnership and friendship with Stoker. These two have such a slow-burn relationship. They need to kiss already and be done with it. Their banter is flirty, snarky, and perfect between the two. At the core of their partnership is their friendship and mutual respect for each other. Veronica is labeled as a spinster, which is a term Veronica uses to describe herself. In the late 1800s, women were getting married and having children. Stoker is a man ahead of his time since he sees Veronica as an equal and her own person. It makes their friendship that much better because of the mutual respect they have for each other.

I like how each book in the series builds upon itself. In this book, we find out more about Stoker and his family. It’s hinted at in the first book that Stoker is the Black Sheep of his family, and we find out more as to why this is. I like how the book ends on a positive note, where Stoker may end up rekindling the relationship with his brothers. Part of that is due to Veronica’s influence, but I think Stoker, deep down, cares for his brothers even though he has a horrific relationship with his father.

This is a series I genuinely look forward to reading. If anyone needs a series recommendation, my first question to them will be, “Have you read the Veronica Speedwell series?” I rated A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn five stars on Goodreads.

CW: SA, Forced Pregnancy. I will mention this in my review.

I listened to The Show Girl on audio last month, and this book stuck with me long after I finished reading it. The Show Girl reminds me of another book I loved, The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. There are similarities between both books since they both focus on women who want to break societal norms for that period. The Show Girl was a book I genuinely looked forward to listening to every chance I could get.

Olive McCormick follows her dreams by moving from Minneapolis to New York to become one of the stars of the Ziegfeld Follies. While Olive is happy, she doesn’t get the support from her family and is seen as an embarrassment. Olive meets Archie Carmichael and falls for him, but is she ready to fully commit to him and give up her career? She also has a secret that she’s been hiding from everyone. Will this be revealed to Archie?

Reading The Show Girl now hits different, especially regarding access to reproductive healthcare. Olive ends up getting pregnant in the first few pages of the book. Since this book takes place in the 1920s, she gives birth and puts the baby up for adoption. Listening to Olive’s story, my heart breaks for her. Olive has big dreams of becoming a showgirl and moving to New York. She feels scared of the unknowns of pregnancy, but also of not being able to follow her dreams. I think about women like Olive, who may have had to give up their dreams to become mothers. I feel grateful that I had more of a choice to live the kind of life that I wanted.

The Show Girl follows Olive’s life and details how her dreams impact her relationships. Starting with her parents, there’s something about seeing a daughter sticking up to her old-fashioned dad; I’m here for it. While Olive misses having her parents’ support, I appreciate how she keeps pushing along. It’s sad because when Olive meets Archie, the man she wants to marry, her mother is happy. Although she isn’t as happy regarding Olive’s other accomplishments, once Olive has a man, her mom is happy for her. I think it’s interesting reading Olive’s relationships and how they impact her life.

I loved everything about this book. Olive was an interesting character to read about, and even if she wasn’t always doing the right thing, I think it made her more real. I rated The Show Girl five stars on Goodreads.

I am on a mission. I am going to try to finish more book series. There are so many series I have started reading and never ended up reading the second book. Since this has become a pattern for me, I decided to make my TBR for April dedicated to reading the second book in a series. All the physical books I picked are the second book in a series. As far as audiobooks, I am listening to the second book in a romance series, and I have another book lined up that’s also the second in a series I never finished. I wanted to share what I will be reading this month.

In March, I read five books. They are as follows:

• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper 5/5 stars
• The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 3/5 stars
• Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk 4/5 stars
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 4/5 stars, re-read changed rating to 5/5 stars
• The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison 5/5 stars

Even Though I Knew The End is a book, I wish was a series instead of a standalone book. I liked the world-building and how Helen’s abilities shaped the story. The Kiss Quotient was a book I wanted to read in February, but instead, I ended up casually reading throughout March. I rated The Kiss Quotient four stars when I read it the first time. Shame on me. This book was everything I remembered and so much more. It’s nice to reread a book I loved a few years ago and still love today. The last book I read was The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison. This book ripped out my heart and stomped on it, and I would re-read it again. Olive, the main character, goes through so much and stands up for herself. The Show Girl is a homage to all the women in history who challenged social norms.

Here are the three books I want to read this month:

A Perilous Undertaking: A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn

I read the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series while I was in Europe in 2023. I loved it! Veronica was such a fun character, and she did whatever she wanted. The chemistry and banter she has with Stoker is something I can’t wait to read about in future books. In A Perilous Undertaking, Veronica is tasked to save an art patron from being executed for the murder of his mistress. I’m curious if this book will explore more of Veronica’s past like the first book did.

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King is the second book in the Crown of Nyaxia series. I described the first book as Hunger Games if Hunger Games had vampires and was a fantasy instead of a dystopia. The second book deals with the aftermath of the first book, which I won’t go into. Oraya and Raihn’s dynamic has been forever changed, and I want to know how Oraya will deal with that.

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver (Not Pictured)

Leather & Lark is the second book in The Ruinous Love Trilogy. I read Butcher & Blackbird last year, and while dark romance is not usually a sub-genre I read from, I enjoyed the first book. This series is a serial killer romance where one or more of the main characters are serial killers. In Leather & Lark, the male character is a contract killer who falls in love with a musician. This book series is wild, and I’m here for it. I have my copy on hold at the library, and I didn’t pick it up in time before writing this post.

This will be a fun reading month. It will be nice to go back to series I am familiar with.