Category: Monthly Wrap Ups

September 2019 Wrap Up

Where did September go?? I cannot believe that we are into October and it’s now officially Fall! This is my absolute favorite time of year. The trees are gorgeous where we live and we should be at full peak with the colors within the next week or so.

I had a great reading month! I had two five star reads and one four star. I also think I’ve read my favorite thriller for the year! In total I read 1,203 pages and my average rating was 4.67.

Full reviews of each of these books can be found in prior posts here on my blog. Listed below are quick summaries of each book:

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 5/5 Stars
The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5/5 Star
The Whisper Man by Alex North
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4/5 Stars

I already have my tbr pile picked out for October thanks to my husband! There is a challenge currently going around on Instagram where your significant other picks your reading pile. I’m so glad to be doing this because unbeknownst to him, he picked books that have been on my shelves for far too long!

If you have a special someone in your life willing to do this, join in and, as always, Happy Reading everyone!

August 2019 Wrap Up

Well here it is almost the end of September and I am just getting around to telling you how my August reading went. I will say that it was a good month! I was on vacation for 2 weeks in August and while I brought a ton of books with me to read I only got through 1. That’s ok because it was a 5-star read and that made it worth it, plus I had a great vacation with my family!

I was able to read a total of 1,090 pages and finished 3 books during the month. My average rating was 4.33 stars.

Full reviews of all three books are in prior posts here on my blog but you can find recaps of them below:

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: 4/5 Stars

I am loving the change of season that’s taking place. Fall is my favorite season and I’m looking forward to reading curled up with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea in the evenings! Happy reading everyone!!

June 2019 Wrap Up

Finally! I read more than 2 books in June. It was my standard 3 books, but I’ll take it! It’s also almost the end of July so I’m super late in posting my June wrap-up. 🙂

In Total I read 1,089 pages and my average rating was 4.33 stars.

Full reviews of all three books are in prior posts on my blog but short recaps of the books are below:

Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Honey Talk by Declan Davey
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5 Stars

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and getting lots of outdoor reading in!

May 2019 Wrap-Up

I was able to finish 2 books during the month of May. Both books were from authors that were new to me and one of the books was another ARC that I received through NetGalley!

In Total I read 837 pages and my average rating was 4.25 stars.

Full reviews of both books are in prior posts on my blog but short recaps of the books are below:

Miracle Creek
Genre: Mystery
5/5 Stars
From my Book of the Month subscription
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams
Genre: Historical Fiction
3.5/5 Stars
ARC from NetGalley
Publish Date: July 9, 2019

Now that nicer days are finally here (we seem to have gone through a monsoon season instead of Spring here in the Northeast!), I’m looking forward to spending time out on my deck with a book in hand!

Happy reading friends!! 🙂

April 2019 Wrap-Up

April started out really strong for me and then fizzled out, but that’s ok. I was able to read 2 books during April and they were both ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) that I received through NetGalley so that was very exciting for me!

Both authors were new to me. In total I read 638 pages and my average rating was 3.5 stars.

Full reviews of these books are in prior posts on my blog but short recaps of the books are below:

When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page
Genre: Historical Fiction
3/5 Stars
ARC From NetGalley
Publish Date: April 16, 2019
They Called Me Wyatt by Natasha Tynes
Genre: Mystery
4/5 Stars
ARC From NetGalley
Publish Date: June 11, 2019

I have 2 more ARCs waiting for me in NetGalley. I’ll be splitting those up between May and June and will post reviews as I finish them. Here’s hoping I have a more productive reading month during May!

Happy reading!!

March 2019 Wrap-Up

It’s Spring!! It’s been so nice having warmer days and not having to bundle up to go outside. Hopefully we don’t get any more snow!

I read 3 books in March as per my norm! All 3 were physical copies that I had in my TBR pile. Two of the authors were new to me. In total, I read 1,045 pages, which is the most I’ve read so far this year!

Reviews of these books are in prior posts on my blog. Short recaps of each of the books are below:

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Genre: Fiction
4/5 Stars
From my TBR pile
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
5/5 Stars
From my TBR pile
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
4/5 Stars
From my TBR pile

In April I will be reviewing 3 books that haven’t been released yet! It will be my first time reviewing advanced copies and I’m super excited!!

Have a great month of reading my friends!!

February 2019 Wrap-Up

How on earth can we be in March already? It feels like February went by in the blink of the eye! It probably didn’t help that my family and I were sick for the last week and a half of February.

I read 3 books in February which seems to be the norm for me as of late. All 3 were physical copies that I had in my TBR pile and were also by authors who are new to me. One of the books was from my Book of the Month Subscription that I have. In total I read 949 pages in February!

Reviews of these books are in prior posts on this blog. Short recaps of each of the books are below:

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
4.5/5 Stars
From my TBR Pile
The Gown
by Jennifer Robson
Genre: Historical Fiction
4.5/5 Stars
From my TBR Pile
The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides
Genre: Thriller
5/5 Stars
From my Book of the Month Subscription

It’s almost mid-March as I’m putting this post together and right now I’m on track to read more than 3 books . . . fingers crossed!

Happy reading friends!! 🙂

January 2019 Wrap-Up

I can’t believe we are already at the end of January!

When I set goals for myself at the beginning of the year, I told myself that if I was struggling with a book, I would give myself permission to shelve it and not finish it. In the past, I would absolutely have stuck it out and finished reading it. By doing this, though, it would take me probably twice as long to read it. This doesn’t mean that a book is bad, it’s probably just not the right time for me to read it or it’s not a book that is relatable for me and that’s ok.

I got a subscription to Audible last year and every month I would download a book. I listened to 2 books during 2018, but struggled to get through both of them. I attempted to listen to Becoming by Michelle Obama this month and I didn’t even make it to the halfway mark when I gave up. The book itself is great and Mrs. Obama’s narration of the book is superb; however, no matter how I try to listen to books on Audible, I always find my mind drifting off thinking of other things and not absorbing the material. I have finally come to the realization that audio books are not for me. I am a visual person and I need to see the words on the page in order for the book to capture my attention. I think Audible is a fantastic service, but it just isn’t for me and I have cancelled my subscription.

I read 3 books in January which is average for me. Two of the books I took out from my local library. I forget what an asset local libraries are to a community and my goal this year is to get at least 1 book a month from my library! In total I read 971 pages and all 3 books were from authors that are new to me! Reviews of those books are in prior posts here on my blog. Short recaps of the books are below:

Notorious
by Allison Brennan 4 / 5 Stars
Library Book
The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
4 / 5 Stars
Library Book
No Exit
by Taylor Adams
5 / 5 Stars
BOTM Book

I’m working on compiling my TBR list for February and can’t wait to see what books I get through. February is traditionally the coldest month weather-wise where I live so it should be a good month to cozy up with a good book and a cup of tea.

Happy reading my friends!!