Category: Monthly Wrap Up

Sept ’21 Mid-Month Update

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Hey everyone! It’s the middle of September and life has been crazy for me.

There are a lot of Jewish holidays in September and we’ve already made it through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur already, so the big two are done! I’m actually heading up to Queens to visit some of my in-laws for another holiday, Sukkot, this weekend and I’m really excited. I know it’s going to be a good time, I’m just a little stressed to leave my two kitties at home alone.

In terms of reading, this month has been going pretty smoothly. I haven’t blown through books like I wish I could, but I don’t think I’m falling behind. I’m right where I’m supposed to be – I think. Anyways, here’s what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I want to read for the rest of September!

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Aug ’21 Mid-Month Update

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I’m a little late for my mid-month update, but oh well, I have some updates to share and it’s close enough!

I’ve somehow managed to be on track/a little ahead of my TBR and I’m actually shocked. I have been reading some really good books and trying to prevent myself from getting into a horrible slump, so I have been racing through certain books. Fingers crossed I can actually make it out of my TBR alive!

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June ’21 Mid-Month Update

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We’re already halfway through June and that means it’s time for a mid-month update! Time has been flying by and I feel a little behind on my TBR, but I’m hoping to have some time to catch up this week. I managed to read two books while on vacation and while I would have loved to read more, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve read honestly. It was a good balance between spending time with my family and having time to myself to relax.

With that being said, here’s what I’ve managed to read, what I’m currently reading, and what I want to read for the rest of June.

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Apr ’21 Wrap Up

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I can’t believe we’re a third of the way through the year. Time is flying by so quickly and this month was no exception. Looking back at what I read, I was not only shocked at how much I read, but the fact that I was forgetting the books I read this month. Time is moving so slow and so fast at the same time, I can’t keep up. Anyways, here’s what I read for April and if you want to see what I plan to read in May, check out my TBR here!

I also linked all of the reviews that are posted for these books, so if you want to read my thoughts, check out the reviews below!

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Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed

Genre: YA Thriller

Rating: 1 // 5 stars (DNF @ 42%)

Goodreads

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A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Genre: YA Contemporary

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein

Genre: YA Contemporary

Rating: 1 // 5 stars (DNF @ 24%)

Goodreads

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What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Genre: YA Romance

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Counting Down With You by Tashie Bhuiyan

Genre: YA Romance

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He

Genre: YA Dystopian Thriller

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

I can’t believe I read 11 books last month! It felt like I had read nothing, but looking back, I actually got through a lot more. I basically finished my TBR last month which was surprising and awesome at the same time. I need to keep up this momentum into May!

What was your favorite book you read in April? It’s so hard to pick, but I think it would have to be a three way tie between Our Last Echoes, What’s Not to Love, and The Ones We’re Meant to Find. And These Feathered Flames is a very close second!

Mar ’21 Wrap Up

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It’s April 1st and while I’m not big into pranks and stuff, I really did play myself with reading this month. I was on track to finish all the books I wanted to read for this month, but life did not want me to finish reading them. Oh well, here’s what I read for March and if you want to see what I plan to read in April, check out my TBR here!

I also linked all of the reviews that are posted for these books, so if you want to read my thoughts, check out the reviews below!

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Mar ’21 Mid-Month Update

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I feel like this year is just flying by. We’re already almost three months into the year, we’ve hit the 1 year mark since the pandemic began (for my state), and it’s already the middle of March! Time is absolutely flying. So to slow things down a little, here’s a mid-month update on what I read, what I’m reading, and what I want to read for the rest of March!

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Jan ’21 Wrap Up

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January was a great first month of the year. I got to read some amazing books for blog tours, as a buddy read with my friend, and just new books I loved in general!

Along with great reading goals, I’ve also been working on personal goals and have felt so good this past month. Even with all the chaos my family has experienced, things are starting to turn around for the better.

So, clearly, I’m in a good mood so here are some of the books I read this month!

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September 2020 Wrap Up

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I didn’t read nearly as much this month as I did the previous months. And that’s okay. But you know what’s not okay? The fact that I can’t format this post like the rest of my posts because, for whatever reason, WordPress is messing up the formatting no matter what I do! So this post is going to look different and I’m sorry about that. I hate it too.

Anyways, here’s what I read in the month of September!

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August 2020 Wrap Up

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Alright! Another month done, another list of books I read this month!

I did really well reading wise. Not only did I complete all the books on my TBR, but then I read a couple extra as well! I’m really impressed with myself – I didn’t think I was going to be able to read all of these titles in the span of 31 days, but I guess I shouldn’t doubt myself!

Check out all of the books I read in August! I have tagged reviews for most, if not, all of them for you to check out! 

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August 2020 Mid-Month Update

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I love doing mid-month updates because it allows me to not only see my progress, but think back on the books I read that month. I still can’t believe I’ve read as much as I have and I think I might actually finish my TBR this month! I keep surprising myself every time I set a high TBR, thinking I couldn’t possibly finish all those books.

August and September are my crazy months due to all of the ARCs I received from publishers, giveaways, and what I just currently had. I’m hoping things calm down quickly so I can read books that I have been dying to read (like Kingdom of Copper!) but just don’t have the time right now. Anyways, here’s what I’ve read, what I’m currently reading, and what I plan to read next!

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July 2020 Wrap Up

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Every time I do these wrap up posts, I feel like I barely read anything, but then I compile it together and I shock myself. This month I read 11 books, which is about the same as last month, although two of them were graphic novels so they weren’t as time consuming as the other longer or more wordy novels. I have linked all reviews for these books in the title, so if you’d like to see my thoughts, feel free to click the link and check them out!

Book I Read:

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Crave by Tracy Wolff

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads

 

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Warmaidens by Kelly Coon

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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North and South by Gene Luen Yang, etc

Genre: YA Fantasy (Graphic Novels)

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Imbalance by Faith Erin Hicks, etc

Genre: YA Fantasy (Graphic Novels)

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

I’m hoping to have a good reading month for August, especially since I have to focus on a lot of ARCs I received through NetGalley. While I wasn’t intentionally trying to do the ARC August Readathon (hosted by Octavia and Shelly @ Read. Sleep. Repeat.) I basically have only ARCs on my TBR that I need to read and review, so I guess I’m participating!

If you want to see what my August TBR is, check out my TBR post here.

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July 2020 Mid Month Update

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I feel myself slowing down this month. I can’t seem to finish books as quickly as I usually would and I’m stressed. Especially since I have to read two books by next week for a blog tour. After that though, I can read what I want – so hopefully once the stress is gone I can read what I feel like and get back into the swing of things . . . hopefully.

Books I read:

crave    war    wicked

Reviews for these should be up or coming up soon, but I liked all of them so far! Especially Crave by Tracy Wolff and Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco. I’m on such a fantasy kick right now I can’t seem to branch off!

Books I’m reading:

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I’m about 25% into A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens and just starting The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and Spinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy. I’m doing a tour for Splinters of Scarlet and was supposed to do a tour for A Wicked Magic, but that fell through. Nonetheless, I’m obviously still going to review A Wicked Magic on the day I said I would, which will be Monday! I hope to finish these two soon, so fingers crossed I can get my two review books done in time!

Books I want to read:

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Some of these are a mix of review books, like Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard, Hush by Dylan Farrow, and To Sleep In A Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini – while the others are just for fun! I’m trying to mix it up during the month so I get a good balance of requested/required reads and for fun reads each month. Not to say that I don’t want to read my review books (I wouldn’t have asked for them if I didn’t), I just like to add some other books that are more flexible. So if I end up not in the mood or mindset to read them, I can push them aside guilt free!

What are some books you’ve read this month? Any you’re excited to read?

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June 2020 Wrap Up

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Going into this month, I honestly didn’t expect to get through any books. With moving, and work, and other stuff going on I expected to maybe read one or two books, but I went way beyond that.

I loved a lot of the books I read this month and I’m really excited for what I’m reading next month too! I ended up reading 2 of the books I planned to read in July (oops) so I guess I’m on track.

Here’s everything I’ve read in the month of June.

Books I read:

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Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew

Genre: YA Fiction

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

 

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Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Genre: YA Fiction/Thriller/Horror

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Greythorne by Crystal Smith

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Rating: N/A

Goodreads

 

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Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Avatar: The Promise by Gene Luen Yang . . .

Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Avatar: The Search by Gene Luen Yang . . .

Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Avatar: The Rift by Gene Luen Yang . . .

Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

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Avatar: Smoke and Shadow by Gene Luen Yang . . .

Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

It was so nice to be able to FINALLY read the Avatar comics. I love Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, so to be able to read the comics at last, it makes me so happy. Only two more books before they’re done, but my heart is full. After my rewatch of Korra, I’ll probably end up reading those comics too!

What are some books you read this month? Any books you’re excited to read in July?

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June 2020 Mid-Month Update

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So far, I’m pretty happy with how much I’ve read this month! Some of these books I started at the end of May and finished in the beginning of June, but I’m counting them! My goal is to read eight books this month and so far, I’ve done really well and I’ll definitely going to meet that goal. Let’s just hope I continue reading such amazing stories for the rest of this month.

What I read

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What I’m reading

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What I plan to read

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I’m surprised I am able to read so much this month. Before moving in I thought I would have no time to read and would be lucky to get through 2 books a week. But it looks like I’m getting through a book about every other day or so, which is awesome! I hope to continue to have as much reading time going forward and hopefully, you’ll be seeing reviews of these books soon!

What books are you currently reading? Are you close to your goal for this month?

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May 2020 Book Haul

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This month, I wanted to do my part to help indie bookstores so I ordered a couple of books from my somewhat local indie store, One More Page Books. I’m not sure I’ll be able to order physical books for the future, but I will probably keep my eye out for any good kindle book deals (so pass them along if you have them!).

For May, I not only ordered books, but I also received some! I happened to win a Twitter giveaway (which NEVER happens for me) so I have FIVE books currently on the way! I did include them in this post because I won them in May, but I don’t know if they’ll actually arrive before the end of the month.

Okay, moving on! Here’s what I purchased and received in May 2020!

Books I’ve Bought/Received

bone

 

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields

Format: Hardcover

Bought from: One More Page Books

Goodreads

 

thief

 

The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields

Format: Hardcover

Bought from: One More Page Books

Goodreads

 

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The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

Format: Hardcover

Bought from: One More Page Books

Goodreads

 

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Format: Hardcover (Collector’s Edition)

Bought from: One More Page Books

Goodreads

 

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The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Format: e-book

Bought from: Kindle (free)

Goodreads

 

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Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard

Format: e-book

Received from: NetGalley

Goodreads

 

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The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

Format: ARC

Received from: Goodreads giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Format: ARC

Received from: Nostalgia Hour Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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The Mall by Megan McCafferty

Format: ARC

Received from: Nostalgia Hour Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee

Format: ARC

Received from: Publisher

Goodreads 

 

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Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar

Format: e-book

Received from: Author for review

Goodreads

 

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All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban

Format: ARC

Received from: Twitter Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

Format: ARC

Received from: Twitter Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Crave by Tracy Wolff

Format: ARC

Received from: Twitter Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons

Format: ARC

Received from: Twitter Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

Format: ARC

Received from: Twitter Giveaway

Goodreads

 

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Divine Blood by Beck Michaels

Format: eARC

Received from: Author

Goodreads

 

 

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Warmaidens by Kelly Coon

Format: eARC

Received from: NetGalley

Goodreads

 

What are some books you bought in May? Any that you’ve already started or plan to start soon?

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May 2020 Wrap Up

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Just like last month, this month has been a flurry of reading and receiving books.

For May, I surpassed my goal of 10 books by a lot. Unfortunately, I am going to reduce my goal next month since I’ll probably have a more limited reading time. But I did get to read a lot of awesome books this month and I’m way ahead on my reading goal!

Because I read and received so many books this month, I’m splitting up my posts. It was like 30+ books in one post which is just too much. So for today, here is my wrap up from May 2020 with all of the books I read!

Books I’ve Read

bone

 

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

court

 

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

crow

 

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

thief

 

The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

behold

 

The Beholder by Anna Bright

Genre: YA Fiction/Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: ??? // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Boundless by Anna Bright

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Tunnels of Bones by Victoria Schwab

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Divine Blood by Beck Michaels

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 3 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

 

What are some books you’ve read this month? Any books you’re excited to get/start soon?

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May 2020 Mid-Month Update

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May has been a very good month so far for my TBR! I’ve currently read 7/10 books I wanted to read this month, which is insane for me. Because I’ve been reading so much I decided to add some extra books to my TBR. We’ll see if I can actually get through all of them this month, but I have hope I’ll get through most!

I also wanted to provide an update – because I have been reading more and have more content, I am going to try posting five times a week, Monday through Friday. This is a change from my normal blogging timeline, but I wanted to give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I’m going to go back to my typical posting schedule, but if I can maintain it, then we’re heading towards five days a week!

What I read

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For the books I’ve read, I blew through some of them it wasn’t even funny. I’ve read two duologies, The Bone Charmer/The Bone Thief  by Breeana Shields and The Storm Crow/The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson so far and will have finished another duology by the end of the month! Reviews will be up for all of these books at some point in the coming days. After reading Forest of Souls (the eARC), I realized I probably should have waited to read and review it. I received a physical ARC of the book this past Saturday and I think I’m going to do a reread of the physical book to make sure my thoughts are in order. I find that sometimes I’ll rate a book differently based on format (especially for ARCs) and I really want to give this book a fair chance, especially since it has huge Wicked Saints vibes and there were moments I was freaking out about. So, review for that may be delayed. But for the most part, I adored all of these books and I can’t wait for you to read my thoughts on them!

What I’m reading

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I’m currently almost finished with Thorn by Intisar Khanani and it is so good! I’m buddy reading this book with my friend Grace and I’m really enjoying it. It’s a Goose Girl retelling, which I’ve never read, but I like it! Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst is a bit of a struggle. It’s not a bad book, but I am definitely not in the mood to read it right now – maybe I’ll have to stick it back on the TBR pile for a while. I started reading The Boundless and I am almost 50% through. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to read for the blog tour and have my post ready for June. So far, I’m really liking the sequel and can’t wait to see what happens next. I know that this is a duology, so I’m wondering who Selah is going to end up with, if she ends up with anyone, and if she’s going to be able to get home to her father soon. There are so many unanswered questions!

What I plan to read

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I’ve added five books to my TBR (not including the two I added and I am currently reading) since I’m getting through books very quickly. I haven’t read this much since January 2019 when I read almost twenty books in the month. It was awesome! I’m really happy I get to read books that have been on my TBR for forever, as well as new books for review or for fun. I managed to win a copy of Empire of Gold (City of Brass #3) from Goodreads too and now I have to read the other two books. Why did I enter the giveaway when I hadn’t read the other two books? – because I never win giveaways so I didn’t think it would happen.

But here we are! And now I have motivation to read the first book, The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty. I actually have a signed copy that I received for free at BookCon 2018 as part of the VIP package. I got City of Brass and The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – which I haven’t read either yet, though I’ve heard they are AMAZING!

So here is my mid-month update! I’ve currently read 7 seven books, I am reading 3 books, and I want to read 7 books. I’m sure I won’t get to all of them, but it’s good to have strong goals, right?

How is your TBR reading going? Any books that surprised you?

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April Wrap-Up

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To preface this post, I wanted to let you all know that it took my two hours to do this. Partly my fault since I read so much this month, but it’s formatted a little differently from last month because there was so much and I’m lazy. As a disclaimer, some of the books I read have not been released yet, so I’m sorry if you wanted to pick them up immediately. If a review has been written, it will be tagged in the title, so feel free to check it out! Reviews for the other books I read will be up, probably sometime in May or June. Okay, moving on: I hope you enjoy what I read and what I bought/received this month!

Books I’ve Read:

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Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Shielded by Kaylynn Flanders

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 2//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson

Genre: YA Science Fiction and Fantasy

Rating: 3.5//5

Goodreads

 

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The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

Genre: YA Science Fiction and Fantasy

Rating: 4//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Hunting November (Killing November #2) by Adriana Mather

Genre: YA Thriller

Rating: 3.75//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.5//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Ruthless Gods (Wicked Saints #2) by Emily A. Duncan

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5//5 stars

Goodreads

 

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Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5//5 stars

Goodreads

Books I’ve Bought/Received:

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The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman

Format: ARC

Received from: Trade with a friend

Goodreads

 

 

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Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Format: ARC

Received from: Trade with a friend

Publication Date: July 7th, 2020

Goodreads

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The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson

Format: eARC

Received from: Edelweiss

Publication Date: July 7th, 2020

Goodreads

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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Format: ARC and eARC

Received from: ApollyCon and NetGalley

Publication Date: July 7th, 2020

Goodreads 

 

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A Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan

Format: eARC

Received from: NetGalley

Publication Date: Sometime 2020

Goodreads

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Format: eARC and maybe physical?

Received from: Tor Publishing

Publication Date: October 6th, 2020

Goodreads

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Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

Format: eARC

Received from: Harper Collins

Publication Date: September 1st, 2020

Goodreads

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The Boundless by Anna Bright

Format: eARC

Received: Blog Tour

Publication Date: June 9th, 2020

Goodreads

 

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Crave by Tracy Wolff

Format: Physical Book

Bought from: Amazon

Goodreads

 

 

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Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

Format: Physical Book

Bought from: OwlCrate

Goodreads

 

 

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Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Format: Physical Book

Bought from: Illumicrate

Goodreads

 

 

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Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Format: Physical Book

Bought from: Illumicrate

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

April Mid-Month Update

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March was crazy and April is following closely behind for me. This month I have focused on the books currently sitting in my NetGalley queue and other giveaway books I’ve won. I’ve also allowed my self to read some TBR books this month to keep it fresh and motivate me, as well as some buddy reading! Here is my mid month update on what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I plan to read for April!

What I’ve read:

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What I’m reading:

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What I plan to read:

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I’m currently buddy reading The Kingdom of Back and Goddess in the Machine with some friends, which is why it’s taking so long for me to read them. If you follow me on Goodreads, then you’d see I’m reading about 50 pages a day for each of them. I am also almost done with Where Dreams Descend and plan to start The Vanishing Deep next!

I’m hopeful that I can read the rest of these books by the end of the month, but it might change depending on how I’m feeling. Most likely, one or two of these will need to be pushed into May but again, I’m hopeful that I can get through them all. Now one of these books is HUGE (cough cough, SJM, cough cough)! I’m excited to dive into two of my favorite authors, especially since most of my friends have read their books already and are waiting on me to finish. I love Astrid’s debut novel Four Dead Queens and I’ve been hearing great things about The Vanishing Deep!

As I set up my May TBR, what are some titles you’re looking to read? I have a few ARCs, some new releases, and old TBR books I’m hoping to get through. I also want to push myself to read more books this month and next month so I can get ahead for my reading goal.

Don’t forget, I am currently co-hosting a giveaway with Writing the Universe! You can enter through the Rafflecopter we have set up (entries will only count if you enter through there!). I will link the post to our giveaway – please feel free to check it out and enter!

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March 2020 Wrap Up

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This month has been strange to put it plainly. With my position being moved remotely and me now working from home, I have more free time to do things like read. This month I’ve read more than I have in recent months. I’m quite happy with how much I’ve read, and it’s not a lot, but it’s more than in the past. These books have mostly been from NetGalley, but I hope to read more from my TBR in April. Here are all the books I’ve read and acquired in March.

Books I’ve Read:

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Night Spinner by Jennifer Gruenke

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: star.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.png//5

Goodreads

 

 

 

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Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: star.pngstar.pngstar.png//5

Goodreads

 

 

 

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Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Rating: star.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.png//5

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

Books I’ve Bought/Received:

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Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee

Format: e-ARC

Received from: NetGalley

Publication Date: June 23rd, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

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Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Format: e-ARC

Received from: NetGalley

Publication Date: July 7th, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

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The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Format: e-ARC

Received from: NetGalley

Publication Date: June 2nd, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

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The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields

Format: eARC

Received from: NetGalley

Publication Date: May 26th, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

 

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House of Blood and Earth by Sarah J Maas

Format: Hardcover

Purchased: Barnes & Noble

Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

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Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Format: Hardcover

Purchased: Barnes & Noble

Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020

Goodreads

 

 

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

Format: Hardcover

Purchased: One More Page Bookstore

Publication Date: November 26th, 2019

Goodreads

 

 

What are some books you’ve read/purchased recently? Let me know in the comments!

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January Wrap Up & NetGalley Update

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Well, the first month of the new decade has passed and I haven’t read shit.

Who said being an adult is fun? I would like my money back please (and my free time).

So far, the only thing I’ve managed to read was Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin and half of Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan and Lobizona by Romina Garber. So all in all, not a great reading month. But! I have consistently been posting on my blog (yay!) and – I GOT A NEW JOB!!!

So overall, bad reading month, great month otherwise.

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To make this post actually worth reading, here’s my NetGalley waitlist update!

So far, I have been approved for these titles:

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Declined on these titles:

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And still waiting to know about these titles:

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So, super excited to start reading those and fingers crossed for the other six!

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2019 Wrap Up: A Year in Books

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Wow, who can believe that 2019 is coming to an end and we are about to emerge into the 20’s!? I can’t.

2019 was the year of new beginnings for me:

  • I graduated college that winter and was now free from school
  • I got my first full time job!
  • I bought my 3rd car, because my 2nd car died 😦
  • I started blogging regularly
  • I went to a lot of amazing conventions and met so many authors
  • And I read a lot of books!

This year was awesome and new, yet very hard. There were 3 unfortunate deaths in my family, people I loved were going through some rough transitions, but in the end, we have all ended the year on a strong foot and I’m excited for 2020 – if not also terrified.

To wrap up this year, let’s look back at all the amazing books I read and are set to finish by the end of the year:

  1. The Wicked Deep
  2. The Similars
  3. Grim Lovelies
  4. Queen of Air and Darkness
  5. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
  6. Truthwitch
  7. Spectacle
  8. A Reaper at the Gates
  9. Windwitch
  10. This Book is Not Yet Rated
  11. Courting Darkness
  12. The Waking Forest
  13. The Cerulean
  14. Furyborn
  15. The Dark Descent of Emily Frankenstein
  16. The Devouring Gray
  17. The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe
  18. The Everlasting Rose
  19. Killing November
  20. Smoke and Key
  21. The Things She’s Seen
  22. Kingsbane
  23. We Hunt the Flame
  24. Wilder Girls
  25. Treason of Thorns
  26. Spin the Dawn
  27. House of Salt and Sorrows
  28. A Curse so Dark and Lonely
  29. Diamond City
  30. A Heart so Fierce and Broken
  31. A Crown of Coral and Pearl
  32. The Bone Houses
  33. Tiger Queen
  34. There Will Come a Darkness
  35. The Gilded Wolves
  36. The Grace Year
  37. Serpent and Dove
  38. Kingdom of Souls
  39. Gideon the Ninth
  40. Wicked Saints
  41. Queen of Nothing
  42. Ruthless Gods (in progress)
  43. Sensational (in progress)

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My goal for 2019 was 100 books, but with working two jobs and other things getting in the way, that did not happen. I’ll be lucky to get to 50 at this point, but that’s okay, because most of these reads have been well worth it!

Here is my year in review:

Favorite Book:

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This was one of my favorite reads of this year. There seems to be a dichotomy over this book, with some people not liking it, but I loved it. The story was new and interesting, the characters had a wonderful relationship, and the world sucked me right in. I could not put this story down!

 

 

Least Favorite Book:

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This was unfortunate, but this was my least favorite read of the year. While I liked the plot of the story it was the main character that I couldn’t connect with. I had some issues with pacing as well, but overall I couldn’t connect with her story or her personality and that made it almost impossible to get through. This story is amazing and unique, and you should definitely give it a try, but just wasn’t for me.

 

Most Surprising Read:

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I was so excited for this trilogy to end – until I actually read the ending. I was not impressed with the ending and felt like it could have been much better. My biggest thing was the personality change in Jude and the big dynamic change between two characters. Overall, I still enjoyed the ending but I didn’t love it.

 

 

Most Anticipated Read of 2020:

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There are so many amazing books coming out in 2020 and I’ve had the pleasure to have already read some of them. One of the early 2020 books I’m super excited about is called Diamond City and it is AMAZING! It’s like Throne of Glass met Six of Crows and it is so good. If this book isn’t on your radar, it needs to be!

 

 

Overall, this year has been filled with amazing books, events, and people – not a bad year to end the decade with!

If you’re interested in ending the year off right, check out my end of the year giveaway! This is as a thank you for reading 100 blog followers and it includes a 2019 ARC, 2020 ARC, a finished copy, and a bunch of swag! You can click here to enter!

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Life Update: New Job, Reading Slumps, and More

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So as you can tell, I haven’t posted in a while. There is a completely valid reason for that but I still feel like I have to explain myself so here goes: life got really busy. I hit a hardcore reading slump in September/October that I couldn’t get over – hence why it took me two months to read Gideon the Ninth. On top of that I started a new job at the end of October in addition to my current full time job. So yeah, it’s been hectic.

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First off, yay for new jobs! I recently accepted a part time position at Barnes and Noble which is where I now work in addition to my other full time job. Unfortunately, my full time job cut my hours (yayyy) and so in order to make up that loss, I got another job! And thankfully it’s at a place I’ve wanted to work at for forever.

Getting a second job isn’t always fun or easy but my coworkers have made the experience amazing. I’ve met other writers there who are working on AMAZING manuscripts that I can’t wait to read. Heard some funny and not so funny stories and found a group of people who love books as much as I do. Overall, it’s been an awesome place to work and I’m excited to help people find amazing gifts for their loved ones.

Plus that employee discount 😉

Besides that, I just recently got over a reading slump. I FINALLY finished Gideon the Ninth (FINALLY!!!) and read Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan in 24 hours. (Let me know if you want me to write a review for that – I feel like it’s been discussed a lot so I don’t want to be too repetitive). And I’m currently reading Sensational by Jodie Lynn Zdrok at the moment, which comes out in February 2020. I’m hoping that another slump won’t hit for a few months because if it does, I will scream. Not sure what I’m going to read next, probably Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan (aka, Wicked Saints 2) because I received it at YALLFest and hello, I have to read it after the mess that was Wicked Saints. After that, I have a lot of new releases and ARCs to read so hopefully I have plenty of reading material before the next major slump hits!

Along with a reading slump, I was also hit with a writing slump. Now that I work two jobs, I doubt I will get much writing done this month but I’m going to try. I bought a new calendar which will hopefully help me manage my time better but we all know there are no guarantees with that. And I’m excited for the Holiday season!

What are some major updates in your life? Any amazing news you want to share? Comment below so we can celebrate together!

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September Wrap Up/Mini Review

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This month has been HORRIBLE for reading. With my schedule changing at work to an awful reading slump, September was Septem-NOPE.

Here’s what I managed to finish though:

  1. Kingdom of Souls
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    This was a star.pngstar.pngstar.png//5 stars for me. Not because the book was bad, but it just was not for me. It gives off CoBaB vibes in the beginning, but takes a unique, magical twist later on. The biggest thing for me was that it felt impossible to get through. Each time I picked it up, I immediately wanted to put it back down, even thought I was genuinely enjoyed the story. It was frustrating, but still a beautiful story and I think a lot of people will enjoy it more than me, especially those who are own voices.
  2. Serpent and Dove
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    This was a definitestar.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.pngstar.png//5 stars was for, I absolutely ADORED this story! The marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers trope, witches, and strong willed women had me SOLD. Everything about this book was wonderful and I loved the sass, the plot, and all of the characters.  The only thing I disliked was that the ending came way too soon and I need book #2 RIGHT NOW. Shelby, can we make this happen?

I know, pretty pathetic, but this was all I could get through unfortunately. I was in the process of reading Gideon the Ninth and Crier’s War but with limited free time, I barely made it past 100 pages for both. Hopefully I can get through more books in October and can actually give some substance to these wrap ups!

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Please check out these books, links included for their respective Goodreads pages for synopsis and purchasing details! Let me know if you’ve read these new releases and what you thought!

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Book Haul: April

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April was a big month for new releases and spending money on new books! I had a lot of trades and purchases that occurred this month (much more than last month) as well as several preorders! Some of these I have more than one copy that I got, so I will include how many I actually received.

Some of the ARCs I received this month are:

  • And I Darken by Kiersten White
  • Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
  • The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
  • The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
  • Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
  • You Owe Me  A Murder by Eileen Cook
  • Everland by Wendy Spinale
  • The Spy With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
  • We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (Goodreads Giveaway)
  • Diamond City by Francesca Flores (Goodreads Giveaway)
  • Fall, Or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
  • The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen
  • A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

Some of the Finished Copies I bought this month are:

  • We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett
  • The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman
  • How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
  • Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
  • Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan x2
  • Enchantee by Gita Trelease
  • Nocturna by Maya Motayne
  • Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu x3
  • The Archived by Victoria Schwab
  • The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
  • The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine
  • The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

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After looking over how many books I’ve received this month, I have a feeling I’m going to have to sit down and stop spending money. Yikes!

If you have purchased, read, or are interested in any of these books, let me know! I’d also love to know what books you purchased for April – let’s share the love!

February Wrap Up

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I decided to wait until the end of February to write my February Wrap Up, which is why this is getting published on March 1st!

This month I read less than January and purchased/traded less books than I normally do. Typically I read between 10-15 books a month but in February I only read 5. Some of these books I’ve already reviewed or will be reviewing, so I won’t go in depth – but I will go into whether or not I would recommend it! I will also be discussing some of the March releases I’m most excited for!

To start, this month I read:

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Windwitch by Susan Dennard

 

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The Cerulean by Amy Ewing

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The Book is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni  

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The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees

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Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

Honestly, I loved every book I read, except one, which is not bad! Out of all of these titles, the only one I would not recommend is The Cerulean by Amy Ewing because of certain issues with the book, which I discuss in my review. While this is significantly less than what I read in January, with all of the craziness that life handed me I’m happy that I reached 5 books this month and I hope to double it in March!

Now for my purchases; I mostly did trades with people and got some titles I’m excited to read! Some of these include Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan, Enchantée by Gita Trelease, and The Fever King by Victoria Lee! Recently I’ve been into trading with people for ARC’s (advanced reader copies) which is not something that I did in the past. In fact, I didn’t really know about ARCs until this past summer when I went to BookCon and saw people reading titles like The Wicked King and Priory of the Orange Tree early.

Of the books I did purchase, I finally got a UK first edition of Caraval with the hidden clock! It took me so long to find this book and while the book is in okay condition, I’m glad I didn’t spend the $50+ that most people charge for the book. Besides that, I also got the February OwlCrate and February Fairyloot box (which I’m still waiting on). I did preorder Courting Darkness, Bloodwitch, Four Dead Queens, and Priory of the Orange Tree – although I’m still waiting on the last two to arrive to my house!

Some of the new releases I’m most excited for that release in March are:

 

  1. Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
  2. The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
  3.  The Fever King by Victoria Lee
  4. The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees
  5. Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta
  6. Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
  7. Killing November by Adriana Mather
  8. Beware the Night by Jessika Fleck
  9. You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook
  10. The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie

And of course so many other titles that I have not had the chance to read about/know about yet that are coming out in the month of March too! Let me know in the comments what your favorite book from February was and your most anticipated March release!