#library challenge

Library Books to Start the New Year

Libby, the email librarian, has been offering me “skip-the-line” books lately, with a seven day deadline to finish.  Ready to meet the challenge, I finished two books in record time, while ignoring others under the usual three week time frame.  The pressure to finish before Libby surreptitiously swallows my book back into the void is a challenge I cannot ignore. The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett’s…

March Update!

So here’s something unfortunate...

Due to the events going on, and playing our part in flattening the curve, the library closed when Illinois went on lockdown. Since it’s hard to say when the library might open again, I’m not sure I’m going to continue my challenge. So this is probably the last update for the Library Challenge.

However, before the order went out, I was able to read 15 books... I think! Pretty sure I forgot to record the last batch I took back, but I won’t be able to check until we’re open again.

Now I’m going to spend time among my own books. Not only did my best friend buy Docile (Szpara) for me because both of my jobs are shut down so I’m completely out of work, and I’ve already terribly neglected it, but I also received an ARC for Unconquerable Sun (Kate Elliot) from a contest. I’m really excited to check it out! So lots of bookish excitement still to come!

February Update!

Whew, another month down and more books were consumed. I’ll be honest, the amount of books I’m reading in a day has nearly burned me out, but I’m determined to see March through. So how was February?

31 books!

Not bad for a short month! I’d planned to be close to the Bs as we entered March, but unfortunately I’m still stuck in the As. Almost there! I’ll make it before April!

I’d say my favorites of the month included the Immortal Game series and The Crossover. Finally reading The Wrath and the Dawn was a treat! Least favorites would have to be all that I read from Becky Albertalli--Simon, Leah, and The Upside. I didn’t mesh with the writing style in any of the three books. And my god, Simon, I get it--you’re gay!! You don’t have to mention it every other sentence! The Upside of Unrequited was just... yikes. I didn’t like what it was selling. It’s unfortunate because I’ve wanted to read Albertalli’s books for a long time (The Upside has been on my Goodreads since 2015!)

Yep, I’m aware that it is the middle of October and I’m just getting up my AUGUST and SEPTEMBER Update posts up. I’ve just been struggling lately when it comes to staying on top of my reading and blogging lately, but I’m finally getting around to it. So hopefully, I can start getting back on track.

  Things I Did:

August, like pretty much all of this summer, went by in a complete BLUR. I officially settled in to my new apartment… though we have a guestroom/office space that is still FILLED with boxes. I was able to organize my main bookcase and that made me feel like I was finally moved in. Ben and I went to a friend’s cabin, I got to meet my new niece on a trip to MN, and on the weekends we were in town were just spent running errands, unpacking, and relaxing a bit. A very odd balance between being productive and trying to enjoy the last month of summer.

September was my and Ben’s birthday month, so there was some fun to be had. My friend came and visited for my birthday and there was a Harry Potter themed party going on at an Irish Pub that we went to that night. One weekend we were in MN to celebrate Ben’s grandparents 60th anniversary. Then for Ben’s birthday, I took him out to dinner and made him ice cream cake.

Books I Read:

(images linked to Goodreads)

            Stats

# of books: 6 (August) and 6 (September)

Pages Read: 3994

Genres: 4 Contemporary, 4 Paranormal, 2 Steampunk, 1 Thriller/Spy/Mystery, 1 Fantasy, 1 Retelling (I’m kind of impressed with how many genres I hit in 2 months)

Best Book of the Month: QUEEN OF SHADOWS, I already want to reread it. It was hands down AMAZING. But for August it was probably Waistcoats & Weaponry because I’m loving the Finishing School series!

Quotes that Stuck:

“When someone’s been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it’s like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you’re just clutching air and grit.”

–To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

  “She was fire, and light, and ash, and embers. She was Aelin Fireheart, and she bowed for no one and nothing, save the crown that was hers by blood and survival and triumph.”

–Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Challenges I Participated In:

2015 Book Blog Discussion Challenge (Jan 1 – Dec 31)

The year is coming to a close WAY to quickly and I haven’t had a chance to write nearly as many discussion posts as I have wanted to!

2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (Goal: 30)

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story by Ally Carter

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

106% Complete (WOOT!! I went 2 over my goal)

2015 Hard Core Re-reading Challenge and 2015 Re-Read Challenge (Goal: 15)

Shadowland by Meg Cabot

Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

66.6% Complete

2015 Library Challenge (Goal:20)

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

125% Complete (It’s been a wonderful year so far for checking out books from the library)

2015 Fairytale Challenge (Goal: 8)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

75% Complete

2015 Flights of Fantasy (Goal: 20)

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

125% Complete

Reviews I Posted:

August

[7 Aug] Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger ★★★★

[17 Aug] The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han ★★★½

[24 Aug] It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han ★★★

[31 Aug] Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger ★★★★

September

[7 Sep] Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger ★★★★½

[10 Sep] Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas ★★★★★

[14 Sep] To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han ★★★★½

[21 Sep] P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han ★★★½

Posts I Wrote:

August

[11 Aug] Back from Honeymooning

[13 Aug] Monthly Update: July

[19 Aug] Local Flavor Swap Show-Off

[30 Aug] The Mediator Series (Re)read Along | Intro & Sign-Ups

September

[3 Sep] Let’s Talk: Books with Royalty | TLC (Re)Read Along

[8 Sep] Top Ten Finished Series I Have YET to Finish

[15 Sep] Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

[22 Sep] Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR

[27 Sep] Mediator (Re)read Along: Shadowland Kick-Off and Remembrance Giveaway

Blogs I Followed:

Ravens and Writing Desks

Pub(lishing) Crawl

Posts I Bookmarked:

Can You Give Too Many Five-Star Ratings? | Loony Literate

How do you feel about excerpts? | There were books involved

Perception, Reality & Our Super Reader Community | The Perpetual Page-Turner

Reasons It’s Appropriate to Take a Book Wherever You Go | Paper Fury

The Pressure of “The One” in Romance Books | Book. Blog. Bake

Movies I Saw:

Wet Hot American Summer

TV Shows I Watched:

Wet Hot American Summer – Ben and I binged this on Netflix pretty quickly.

Still working through Supernatural Season 10. Downton Abbey and Switched at Birth both started up again, so I’ve been trying to keep up with those.

Also, I’ve been binging on some Gilmore Girls when ever I have the opportunity which hasn’t meant good things for the blog or for my reading time, but it’s enjoyable all the same.

  What I’m Looking Forward in October

WEDDINGS. Ben and I are going to two weddings this month which should be a lot of fun. I’m also hoping to have some time to just catch up on EVERYTHING. The months are just flying by, and I feel like I’m not using my time wisely because I’m so behind on the blog, housekeeping, reading, and just life in general.