Poems
1. Ode to Dalya’s Bald Spot by Angel Nafis
2. An Owl (in Memory of Gil) by David Shapiro
3. Dear — by Donika Kelly
4. Thrilling Conclusion by Robert Wood Lynn
5. Occasional Poem by Jacqueline Woodson
6. To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works by Phillis Wheatley
7. Finding the Lego by Maryann Corbett
8. Salt Sky by Alberto Ríos
Books
1. The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
3. Ayiti by Roxane Gay
4. Just Kids by Patti Smith
5. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Hey, Hey, Hey, we are so back with a new year of reading. Before we get into that, we are going to to see what the final tally was for year twenty-nine’s reading.
38/30
The final book of the year was Book Two of the Liveship Traders trilogy, The Mad Ship. This book was spectacular. It truly is one of those moments when everything starts rolling. We are finally connecting with and understand all the characters, the pieces of the story are falling into place, but there is still an element of mystery that helps set up book three. Characters that were annoying are coming into their own, and it really illuminates Hobb’s skill as an author. You’re still frustrated but you’re able to empathize more or see the way it will impact the story. While the title hints to being all about the alleged “Mad Ship,” it really was more of a theme and feeling versus being more focused on one specific ship. I predict the final book of this trilogy, like Assassin’s Quest, will add more pieces to the puzzle of this magical world that is the Realm of the Elderlings.
And that’s all the read before thirty. Considering my success, I have decided to read forty book by thirty-one. It’s only two more books that I read last year, but I like the number. In addition to just simply reading books, I am going to work on two Storygraph reading challenges. If you recall, Storygraph is my reading tracker app and I would love to be friends on there if anyone is interested. the two challenges I am working on are: The Genre Challenge and the Reads the World Challenge.
Both of these are ten book challenges.
The Genre Challenge
1. A short story collection in translation
2. A nonfiction book about Indigenous history
3. A queer historical romance novel
4. A translated classic
5. A young adult novel by a Latinx author
6. A biography about a Black historical figure
7. A crime novel set outside of the US, UK, or Canada
8. A nonfiction book about philosophy
9. A literary or contemporary debut published in 2026
10. The first book in a fantasy series
Reads the World
1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Bulgaria
4. Croatia
5. France
6. Iraq
7. Morocco
8. Senegal
9. Sweden
10. Thailand
I am excited to broaden my reading horizons and experience some new perspectives and stories. Without further ado, let’s start chatting about the books.
First up we have The Vanishing Half. I remember this book being buzzed about a few years ago, and for some reason it popped back into my head and was available on Libby without a wait so I snagged a copy. This book was great. A very quick read, I thoroughly enjoyed the way the title plays into all elements and themes in this book. Aside from the book being about twins and their respective lives, each character’s story also fits into the idea of a vanishing half. I really loved how the story weaved together the lives and the generations and while it’s centered around a time that I was not necessarily alive for or at least alive to be conscious for, it feels approachable, modern, and relatable. I remember chapter thirty-four being crazy! I definitely recommend this book, and what better time to read a story written by a Black woman than right now? Happy Black History Month.
Next book we are looking at is Ayiti, which is a collection of short stories about the Haitian diaspora experience. Some stories hit harder than others, but for the most part this was gripping. You get a sense that somehow all the stories are connected, even when they are not narratively (word?) connected, it just shows how cultures and community and common experiences and perspectives can connect people. This is also beautifully written.
Just Kids was Dua Lipa’s book from before I joined her club. I decided to read this one because the actual January book of the month was taking fooooorever to get off hold. I placed my hold for Night People back in December and just got it last week. Needless to say, Dua talked about how her book for January sort of acts like a final piece of a New York creative trilogy. Previously we talked about Jennifer Clement’s novel, Widow Basquiat, covering the 80’s, Mark Ronson’s Night People (we will discuss next month) covers the 90’s, and Just Kids explores the 70’s. This is Patti Smith’s memoir, and it is extremely detailed. I was honestly a bit skeptical until Patti mentioned she journaled every day. I will say, this story was sloooow at first, and then finds the right stride. I think it was almost too detailed at times. However, this is both a memoir and a love letter to her lover and friend, Robert Mapplethorpe. She remains true to herself, shows the gritty and gorgeous sides of New York in the 70’s, and pays homage to a friend in an honest way.
January’s final book was actually another previous Service95 read. I don’t know if you recall, but I tried reading Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead last year. I put it down because I just could not get into it. In my head I had a lot of the book left, but when I picked it back up I realized I was about 2/3rds through. I gave it another try because I’m not a quitter, and realized it would fit the Genre Challenge. I did need a little refresher, and looked up the spark notes for the last three chapters before my stopping point. This is a murder mystery, and I don’t know if I had been picking up on it the first time around, but I finished the chapter and thought to myself, I think they did it. Turns out, I was right. Perhaps being away from the book allowed me to be less transfixed by the misleading path the author was sending us down, perhaps I just wised up, but either way, I was a little disappointed that I realized it right away. I can see why this book is popular and won prizes, but for me the prose and the pacing contradict one another. It was written well, but I couldn’t get on board with it. Not for me, but I am glad I finished it.
There we go! Let me know if you have any recommendations for my challenges, or thoughts on my January reads. Also I feel really scatter brained right now, so if this post reads that way, you know why.
Book Goal Tracker: 5/40
Genre Challenge Tracker: 1/10
Reads the World Tracker: 0/10
Madeline Daily 