Tag: Reading Updates

Reading Update: February

Reading Update: February

by maddison37055 ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Me, after reading all January:

Reading and I are starting off on a great foot this year.

I think a lot of that credit is owed to The 52 Book Club, whose 2022 Challenge I took on this year with the hopes of increasing my numbers over last year. So far, so good: as I’m writing this, I’m already nine books into my year and only twenty-five days into it. The trouble is on the horizon, though, because I completely planned out all my reading only for it to be derailed by even more books I bought, and all the incredible new releases coming out this year… *cringe* Even now I’m starting to fill things into my challenge willy-nilly, mostly because I’ve already read them so it should count for something!!!

Further, I have in fact decided to start a “Come Book Shopping with Me” segment, but I’m going to be a bit more loose in interpretation with it. Instead, I’d like to have a “Book Hunting” segment: in which I either book shop, peruse online down an endless black hole of recs, go to the library, or even peruse a friend’s collection for some hidden gems. My wallet can’t afford all this book shopping, y’all. In addition, monthly updates will now come on the first Friday of the month, and this new Book Hunting segment on the second Friday. I hope you’ll join me next week for my first book hunting trip!

Not only did I read more than I have in months in the last few weeks, but I’ve read a lot of different content that I don’t usually pick up…and I’ve loved it. Primarily, fantasy! If you ask me on any given day “what I like to read”, I will tell you “absolutely anything except fantasy”. I like a good magical realism book, which is the mark I suppose some of these hit on, but full fantasy? Not often. And while nothing I picked up in the last month was too hardcore, it did remind me that I like my books to have some magic and whimsy to them. Hopefully I can keep that going through this month.

I also had more five star reads than I have in a very long time, too. A whole streak of them, right at the start. I’m sure a lot of people feel that I’m too liberal with my five stars, but sometimes a book just hits the right chord at the right time, and who am I to deny it the fifth star?! I thoroughly enjoyed Payback’s a Witch and The House in the Cerulean Sea over the last few weeks, and I’m confident they’re good books at any time of year. They both took me by surprise in how much I enjoyed them, and how light and happy they made me feel. What a good month I had!

I have tons of ARCs still to sift through in addition to all the book shopping I did this month, adding to my horde like a bibliophilic dragon. I’ve been back in a romance mood currently, but I think it’s about time to hit a mystery. I’m also highly anticipating Gwendy’s Final Task later this month! Hopefully I can keep up this inhuman motivation to consume books, so I can get through all of these awesome books on my docket.

Happy Friday, and happy February friends! Spring is coming soon, I can practically taste it.

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Reading Update: November

Reading Update: November

by maddison37055 ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Howdy friends! Another month, another update. I can’t believe how fast I have to write these things. I swear I just wrote one for October!! And of course, I accomplished absolutely none of the reading that I outlined. Nailed it.

Okay, but really.

I had my vacation at the end of October, solely to take a week of relaxing, sleeping, and of course, reading. But you know what I did?? I saw a total of SEVEN MOVIES. I read like, two books. And one of them I was already half done with. Very bad productivity on this vacation I tell you.

Actually, that’s a lie. I applied for my passport, we got a new apartment, I went to a wedding, went to a Halloween party, spent time with family, cleaned our whole apartment, knit a scarf…I just didn’t read. My bad.

I’ve read a string of horror novels lately and I think I’m ready to turn back to some romance. I’ve got 15 books awaiting my review on NetGalley that I would kill to start getting though! It’s hard when you have so many new books on your shelf you want to get to, but NetGalley is a commitment I like to keep track of, to ensure the future of my reading new books on demand. I think I’ll focus my attention there in November, after I finish my current read: Devolution by Max Brooks.

So what’s on my NetGalley dashboard right now?

  • One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
  • Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper (yes, still)
  • Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
  • Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (I can feel your judgment through the screen)
  • Love at First Spite by Anna E Collins (I legitimately don’t even remember requesting this book but I must have wanted it?)
  • On Location by Sarah Smith (and I absolutely loved Simmer Down!! Why have I not picked this up yet??)
  • and oh my gosh, so many more. I’m drowning.

So that’s the plan. Buckle down, knock those out of the park. We’ll see how that goes when we have another move, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas on the horizon…but I’m hopeful! The holidays have been always been a strong time for my reading, probably because I usually have tons of time off.

I have to say, audiobooks have been my savior lately. I will read in any format: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, I don’t care. Any way to absorb the words is just fine with me, as long as it keeps me reading. Obviously I love to have physical copies to build out my collection, but if it takes someone reading Cujo to me in the car for fourteen hours, I’ll do whatever it takes. Lately I’ve been in the car quite a lot for work, so I’m really grateful for the voices and stories that fill my drive time. The only reason I’m caught up on reviews is thanks to Libby and my local library (shoutout to Oscar Foss Memorial Library!!).

Looking back at the last month, I actually had quite a few stand-out favorite books! I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis. It was a break out five star romance I wasn’t expecting, and I’ll be looking for Hazelwood’s next book. Velvet Was the Night was just crazy good (review will hit Tuesday! Sneak peek!). I really enjoy Moreno-Garcia’s writing, and her stories stick with me quite a bit. And of course, The Return! My review last week was just me raving about Rachel Harrison. I’ve already lent my copy to a friend. Same with Velvet Was the Night. I feel like I’ve hit a treasure trove of good books lately, and I hope I can keep it going through the end of the year!

As we head into the holiday season, I just want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and happy holidays, and a happy new year. All the good things for you and yours. Thank you for reading with me. 🙂

Reading Update: September

Reading Update: September

by maddison37055 ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello friends! May I present to you: my very first reading update.

It occurred to me, late last month as I stared at the ceiling at 12am, that I needed a way to communicate to everyone who reads this blog consistently when my life was so insane that keeping up with it was getting difficult. Obviously I don’t make money off this venture, I keep it up for the fun of the community… as well as the free books I feel very privileged to be reading ahead of the rest of the world. Seriously, it’s like the best perk. I’ll write a thousand reviews for free books, people.

Anyways, this past month saw me moving into my boyfriend and I’s first apartment (woohoo!), which was great except I didn’t have much time to read! Usually I’m a couple weeks ahead on my reviews, but suddenly I was finding myself down to the wire for time to get reviews together for the following Tuesday. I contemplated if I would be screwing up my streak of consistency too much if I just put up a note:

“Really tired. Didn’t read. Check back next week.”

Having to schedule time to read really sucks the fun out of it, don’t you think?

For free books, friends. For free books.

I’d also like to use these reading updates to give you little previews of my reading plans moving forward. On my radar in the coming weeks is Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, an LGBTQ+ romance I found on NetGalley that sounds way too cute to pass up; Hook Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey, the second in the series she just started this summer (also a NetGalley win!) (see my first review here) (shamelessly using parentheses like three times in a row here); and In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead, the book I demanded the library order that has now sat on my shelf until nearly its due date. We’ll see where else my reading takes me this month – lord knows there’s plenty on my TBR.

And of course, Halloween is coming. I know for many, it’s like, lightyears down the road, but I live for Halloween and I’ve basically been celebrating since July. I was that one girl pulling up to the drive thru asking when pumpkin spice was coming when it was like, 90 degrees out. And because I love Halloween so much, it tends to affect my reading habits as well. As we get even closer to spooky season, you’ll for sure see me pulling out some witchy books to review. On my radar as picks for this year is Spellcrafting by Arin Murphy-Hiscock, Yoga for Witches by Sarah Robinson, and Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper. Stay tuned!

I want to know what you’re reading this month!! Tell me the books you’re finally getting around to, or the ones you’ve been waiting for for months. Can’t wait to hear your recommendations!

Have a great week (and month) friends!