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Monthly Wrap Up | February 2021

  


 
WHAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY
  • Both The Husband and my mom had their second doses of the COVID vaccine in February (no side effects) and that was a huge relief.
  • We ordered new furniture (living room and dining room) and I'm excited for everything to arrive (sometime in April). 
  • I continue to work from home and go into the office once or twice a month. The last week or so in February was particularly busy as a couple new projects were gearing up.
  • I had fun playing with my Always Fully Booked planner. I am not a planner person, so it's the bookish aspect that I enjoy. I've been using the Instax Mini Link printer The Husband got me for Christmas to add book covers to the new release pages and my monthly wrap up pages. It's the little things.
   

  • The Tampa Lightning are having another great season and I had fun watching the games. 

WHAT I READ IN FEBRUARY


5 STARS
The Things We Leave Unfinished - Rebecca Yarros

4.5 STARS
Return to Us - Corinne Michaels

4 STARS
Without You - Marley Valentine
Torn - Carian Cole

3.5 STARS
Love at First - Kate Clayborn
The Path to Sunshine Cove - RaeAnne Thayne

3 STARS
Renaissance Man - Tessa Bailey
Undeniable - Melanie Harlow


FORMATS
Total Read: 8
1 physical book
3 Kindle/e-books
4 audiobooks


TOP OF THE HEAP
The Things We Leave Unfinished
Without a doubt, The Things We Leave Unfinished takes the top spot. Not only was in my favorite book of the month, but it was my first five star read of the year. I don't want to repeat everything I said in my review, so I'll just say that this one was beautiful, emotional, and unforgettable.


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had eleven blog posts in February and shared nine reviews: 


WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

     


Reading: This isn't my usual kind of read and, to be honest, the only other time I tried something by Brenda Novak I ended up DNFing it. But something about this one appealed to me and I requested an ARC. I'm about 50% in and really enjoying this story that has three POV's: mother, daughter, and grandmother. I will say there's a lot of drama packed in because each of these women is dealing with some serious issues, but it's not feeling overdone or drifting into soap opera territory.  

Listening to: I listened to Cake, the first book in this series, last year and seriously loved it. Even though it's been almost a year, I still find myself thinking about sometimes. So I'm finally continuing the series and getting Kyle's story. I'm not too far in, and I've gotta admit I'm a bit wary because there's a reality show aspect and I am so not a fan of reality TV, whether it's watching it or reading about it. But I'm so interested in Kyle's journey that I'm going with it.


WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN FEBRUARY? 
WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW?
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Monthly Wrap Up | October 2020


 
WHAT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER
  • The weather started acting fall-ish in October and there were fewer and fewer days that topped 90 degrees. Thank you, Mother Nature.
  • Mid-month my company announced a voluntary return to the office. I began working a hybrid schedule - a few days a week in the office, a few days working from home - and it went well. The office is still largely empty but it's nice to have a small bit of normalcy and routine back.
  • I took part in Maureen's Book Club for the third month in a row (since its inception, actually) and totally enjoyed the October pick, Gypsy King by Devney Perry. It's one that had been on my TBR for a while so bonus points there. 
  • I was able to see one of my sisters and that was a real treat. We text all the time, but due to COVID it had been months since I'd seen her in person. I drove to her house at the beach to deliver her birthday gift and we stood a safe distance apart on her driveway and talked and caught up. It was great. :)
  • I'm not a TV watcher, but October actually saw me tuning in to a couple Hallmark Christmas movies... and enjoying them. Under normal circumstances I would pay them no mind (like every other year), but the sweet escapism was a welcome distraction and I imagine I'll be watching more of them.

WHAT I READ IN OCTOBER


4.5 STARS
The Lies That Bind - Emily Giffin
Muses & Melodies - Rebecca Yarros
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird - Josie Silver

4 STARS
Irresistible - Melanie Harlow
Gypsy King - Devney Perry
The Roommate - Rosie Danan

3.5 STARS
Broken Outsider - Lora Richardson
Where Do I Begin? - Elvis Duran

3 STARS
Heartache and Hope - Jay McLean

FORMATS
Total Read: 9
1 physical book
3 Kindle/e-books
5 audiobooks
(2 ARCs: Muses & Melodies, Broken Outsider)

TOP OF THE HEAP
Muses & Melodies, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
While I didn't have a five star read in October, I did have a couple that stood out above the rest. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was beautiful and emotional and I cried all the tears for/with Lydia. Silver wrote about grief in a way that made me feel Lydia's loss like a physical blow. Lydia's journey throughout the book was filled with highs and lows and the feeling of coming full circle was completely satisfying.

Muses & Melodies was the perfect wrap-up to the Hush Note trilogy - and surprisingly emotional. I loved Zoe but it was Nixon that gave the story the rawness that had me hurting for him. I loved the relationship between him and Zoe and her selflessness was something special.   

THE ONE THAT WASN'T FOR ME
Heartache and Hope
This book has a lot of five star reviews so I guess this is another case of it's-not-you-it's-me. Too much drama, too much misery. The tagline should be: Girl has sad back story, boy has sad back story, much misery and teen angst ensues. I was just over it. By the halfway point I realized I didn't really care what happened. So yeah, it wasn't bad but it just wasn't for me. There's a second book but I don't care enough to go there.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had 12 blog posts in October and shared six reviews: 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

   

Preppy: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater (Part One) - T.M. Frazier

Listening To: I'm excited to be delving into Invisible Girl, another one of Lisa Jewell's combination mystery/thriller + domestic drama. As usual, she doles out bits of information slowly and the story builds so gradually. Already it's obvious that things are not what they seem and people are definitely not who they seem. As always, I have theories but I am fully prepared to have them blown to bit by unexpected twists.

Reading: I'm also delving back into the King series. I've missed this dark and twisted world and I'm excited to finally get Preppy's story. He is so deliciously messed up.   



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN OCTOBER? 
WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW?
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Monthly Wrap Up | June 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN JUNE
  • Two and a half months of working from home ended in June. I returned to the office on June 1st and it was a ghost town those first two weeks. Most people returned on the 15th. It was a new normal with no in-person meetings, masks being worn in the office, and frequent rounds by the cleaning crew, but it also made the transition back to the office easier.
  • I got an Apple Watch at the beginning of the month and now it harangues me about standing up from my desk all the time. So that's entertaining - especially when I'm busy and tell it to quit being so bossy. 
  • The COVID cases in Florida took a dramatic upturn in June and we saw day after day of record-high positive cases. And people were still walking around without a care in the world, not wearing masks, going to restaurants, shopping. It's mind-boggling.
  • A family health issue kept our minds occupied throughout the month. The results were mostly very positive and the relief was almost overwhelming.
  • And now the year is half over and what a strange year it has been. Scary and troubling and disturbing, but with bright spots in between. Despite what is going on the world, I am filled with such gratitude. I'm employed, I have a roof over my head, I have food on my table, The Husband is (as always) my rock and my touchstone, and my mother and my sisters remain healthy. I am so thankful.

WHAT I READ IN JUNE


I read ten books in June which is slightly more than my norm. So yay me. No five star reads, and a couple that were just okay, but it was still a good reading month overall.

That Forever Girl - Meghan Quinn | 4 stars
Dirty Charmer - Emma Chase | 4 stars
What You Left Behind - Jessica Verdi | 4 stars
The Clover Chapel - Devney Perry | 4 stars
Fight For Me - Corinne Michaels | 4 stars
That Secret Crush - Meghan Quinn | 3.5 stars
The Kingmaker - Kennedy Ryan | 4.25 stars
Losing the Field - Abbi Glines | 2.5 stars
Perfect Love Story - Natasha Madison | 3.25 stars
Inked - Sarah Darlington | 3.25 stars

FORMATS
Total Read: 10
4 physical books
3 audiobooks
3 Kindle/e-books
(1 ARC: Inked)

TOP OF THE HEAP
The Kingmaker
While I didn't have a five star read in June, The Kingmaker did stand out above the rest. Kennedy Ryan has a way of writing about serious, timely issues without being heavy-handed (and never preachy). And at the same time she weaves in characters and relationships that pack an emotional punch. Lennix and Maxim were such fully realized characters and their story unfolded in such a unique way. And that ending was the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers!  

THE ONE THAT WAS A BUDDY READ
What You Left Behind
What You Left Behind had been sitting on my shelf for almost five years. So it was kinda past time to read it. Sam and I decided to do a buddy read and I'm so glad we did. (Both our reviews can be found here at her blog.) It was easy to feel for main character Ryden. A single father at seventeen, this kid was dealing with way more than most of his peers. There were times I wanted to steer him in another direction, when I wanted to step in give him a reality check, but he figured it out in his own time. 

THE ONE THAT MADE ME RAGEY
Losing the Field
This book. Oh my goodness, it made me crazy. I came to dislike both main characters so hard. Nash was hypocritical and self-absorbed. Tallulah only lost weight for "revenge" (nice message to send there) and was also unbelievably clueless (are we actually supposed to believe that a teenager in 2018 doesn't know what a vlog is? Seriously?). Like most of Abbi's "heroes", Nash treated the girl he supposedly cared about like crap, assumed the worst of her (as did everyone else), and when he wised up at the very end she instantly forgave him. There was so much more but I'll leave it at that. (Until I read the next book in the series because I swear I just can't stay away. It's a sickness. Someone send help.)

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had 18 blog posts in June and shared six reviews: 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING
     

King - T.M. Frazier
The Player - Claire Contreras
I'm totally into King - the book and the character. :) How Frazier manages to make these guys so likable is beyond me. I mean, she writes these guys that I would cross the street to avoid in real life. Total badass, on the wrong side of the law, and who generally just aren't good men. But Frazier shows a softer side (that's pretty well-hidden) and I find myself actually pulling for the guy. 

 The Player still has me feeling kind of meh. I still don't feel I know much of anything about the main characters. Camila is super judgey about anyone with money and Warren's sole focus seems to be getting Camila into his bed so he can hit that before he leaves town in two weeks. So yeah... not a lot to make me care about either of these people or their outcome.   



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN JUNE?

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Monthly Wrap Up | May 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN MAY
  • May felt like a repeat of April, with an extra helping of horrible for good measure. 
  • May also saw The Husband and I celebrate 21 years of marriage. I use the term 'celebrate' loosely. We had (obviously) cancelled the trip we had planned and instead got takeout from a favorite restaurant and ate dinner in an empty movie theater parking lot. Special times, people. :)
  • My city started to reopen throughout May and - surprise! - infections started to increase again. I continued to work from home and rarely left the house.
  • I attended a couple virtual book events in May: one with Jennifer Weiner for the release of Big Summer and one with Kennedy Ryan for her new release, Queen Move. It was great to still be able to enjoy bookish events, just in a different way.

WHAT I READ IN MAY


I read seven books in May, pretty much my average, and I had some good reads so I call it a successful reading month. And *spoiler alert* I was on quite the Emma Chase kick in May. :)

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner | 4.25 stars
Royally Yours (Royally #4) by Emma Chase | 4.25 stars
Royally Raised (Royally #4.5) by Emma Chase | 3.5 stars
Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout | 4.5 stars
Tamed (Tangled #) by Emma Chase | 3.5 stars
Tied (Tangled #) by Emma Chase | 3.5 stars
That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn | 4 stars

FORMATS
Total Read: 7
1 physical book
4 audiobooks
2 Kindle/e-books
(2 ARCs: Big Summer, Rage and Ruin)

TOP OF THE HEAP
Rage and Ruin
Now this is how the deliver a second book in a series. No second book slump here! In Rage and Ruin Armentrout amped up the action and the intensity (and the swoon factor) and it was easy to fly through this 600 page beast because I had to know what was going to happen. The ending had my jaw dropping because what the what?! Jennifer knows how to deliver an ending that will have you willing to sell a limb for the next book.  

THE ONE THAT INTRODUCED ME TO A NEW AUTHOR
That Second Chance
I've seen Meghan Quinn's books around for ages but I've been hesitant to try them because many seemed to be of the over-the-top rom-com variety with super silly, slapstick-style humor. Which just isn't my thing. But the covers of her Getting Lucky series caught my eye and reading the synopses convinced me to give them a try. So glad I did because That Second Chance was just the kind of straight-up contemporary romance that I enjoy. No over-the-top drama, no super silly humor, and not a lot of angst. Just a solid story with likable characters who were so easy to pull for. I've already read the second book in the series and will definitely continue on.

THE ONE THAT WENT WHERE I DIDN'T EXPECT
Big Summer
When I started Big Summer I had certain expectations: lighter fare (since it was being billed as a beach read), but with Weiner's signature complex characters. And I did get that but also a lot more that I didn't see coming. Big Summer turn a left turn out of nowhere and went in a direction that gave me momentary whiplash. Once I caught up, I sat back and enjoyed the ride. 

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had 17 blog posts in May and shared six reviews: 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING
    

The Clover Chapel - Devney Perry
Fight For Me - Corinne Michaels
I'm enjoying both my Kindle read and my audio book but I have little issues with both that keep niggling at me. In The Clover Chapel, I really wish there was a dual POV. There's the rare chapter from Nick's POV but I think this story would benefit a lot from the reader being privy to his thoughts as much as we are Emmy's. And in Fight For Me, these two characters are going 'round and 'round and getting nowhere. Their interactions are staring to feel a bit repetitive but I can't help but pull for them.   



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN MAY?

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Monthly Wrap Up | April 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN APRIL
  • April was another looong month. How is it possible we're only four months into 2020? This year already seems endless. 
  • I shopped online all month and apparently considered the delivery guys my connection with the outside world. Whatever works, amiright?  
  • I went into the office twice during the month, only briefly - an hour or two each time, and it was surreal. Empty parking lot, empty hallways... and each time my boss and I had a big reunion (from a distance) and acted as though we hadn't seen each other in a year. LOL
  • My younger sister had a birthday and The Husband retired. We couldn't celebrate either of those events but we'll make up for it when we can. 

WHAT I READ IN APRIL


I read eight books in April, same as March, so apparently that's my new normal. (I was watching a BookTuber last night who read 31 books in April. What the heck? That's more than a book a day!) I had one that I struggled to get through, but I also had a few that were big hits so I'm calling it a successful reading month.

Hold on Tight (Sea Breeze #8) by Abbi Glines | 3.5 stars
Risky Play by Rachel Van Dyken | 3.5 stars
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon | 5 stars
Until the End (Sea Breeze #9) by Abbi Glines | 3.5 stars
Cake (Cake #1) by J. Bengtsson | 4.5 stars
The Coppersmith Farmhouse by Devney Perry | 4.25 stars
A Stone in the Sea by A.L. Jackson | 2.75 stars
Sure Shot (Brooklyn #4) by Sarina Bowen | 4.25 stars

FORMATS
Total Read: 8
2 physical books
3 audiobooks
3 Kindle/e-books
(2 ARCs: Where the Lost Wander, Sure Shot)

TOP OF THE HEAP
Where the Lost Wander
I did a post in March, I think, of five star predictions and Where the Lost Wander was on that list. I'm happy to say it totally lived up to my expectations, and even exceeded them. Amy Harmon always impresses me and she truly wowed me with her latest. Where the Lost Wander was tough to read at times because these characters on a wagon train from Missouri to California had more then their fair share of danger and loss and heartache. But it was also a phenomenal story of courage and family and endurance and love. It was also a pretty great reading experience because The Husband and I read it at the same time and discussed it as we went.  

THE ONE THAT WAS A CLOSE RUNNER UP
Cake
I'd had Cake sitting in my Audible library for ages before I finally decided to give it a listen. I'm not sure what I was expecting but I for sure wasn't anticipating a story that had me so completely sold on both characters. Casey was so down to earth and Jake's background was heartbreaking. I was pulling so hard for those two... and Bengtsson strung me along till the very end. LOL I'll definitely be continuing on with the companion books in the series.

THE ONE THAT INTRODUCED ME TO A NEW AUTHOR
The Coppersmith Farmhouse
I've been saying "I really want to read something by Devney Perry"  for at least two years. And in April I finally made that happen. The Coppersmith Farmhouse was such a good reading experience. I can't even say that it was super original or remarkable, but I just enjoyed reading it so, so much. Loved the female main character, loved the protective nature of the male MC, loved the sub-plot, the writing, the romance. It was just a great read and I'm ready to read more by Perry.

THE ONE THAT TURNED ME OFF AN AUTHOR
A Stone in the Sea
I'd actually forgotten that I'd already read something by A.L. Jackson. Or rather, that I'd tried to read something by Jackson. Because I disliked the writing style so much that I DNF'd it in the second chapter. So there was that. I started A Stone in the Sea and quickly took a dislike to the writing style but I stuck with it because I was curious about the story. Not only was there so much about the writing that annoyed me, but the story was overly dramatic and ended on a cliffhanger. So it's official: I am d-o-n-e with A.L. Jackson. 

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had 16 blog posts in April and shared four reviews: 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

Big Summer - Jennifer Weiner
So when I first requested Big Summer it had a release date of May 19. I started it last Friday knowing that I had plenty of time to read and review it. Well, surprise, sometime in the interim the release date changed to May 5. I'm only about 30% in so obviously my review won't be posted by release day (which is probably when this post is going up) but what can you do?  


WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN APRIL?

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Monthly Wrap Up | March 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN MARCH
  • What is there to say about March? It started off shaky and continued to go downhill. 
  • The Husband and I have been working from home and isolating since March 16. I actually have zero issue with staying at home. None. I am not a social person on the best of days so the whole social distance thing? I've been practicing for this my whole life.  
  • My mother, on the other hand, Is. Not. Getting. It. I don't even know what to say anymore. She's not grasping the seriousness of the situation and every time I talk to her I hear about how she "had" to run to the grocery store/Target/pharmacy/etc. It's like beating my head against the wall. I'm concerned for her but also frustrated beyond belief. 
  • I expected to get loads of reading done once the whole self-isolating thing took effect, but I found I had trouble concentrating on anything for too long. So my reading basically stayed at its normal level. 

WHAT I READ IN MARCH


I read eight books in March and, considering that I was having trouble concentrating on anything in the past couple weeks, I consider it a success. There was on old favorite, a brand new favorite, and one slight disappointment - but all in all it was a good reading month.

Still* by Kennedy Ryan | 5 stars
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover | 4.5 stars
Filthy Vows* by Alessandra Torre | 3 stars
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren | 3.25 stars
Holy Frigging Matrimony* by Emma Chase | 3.5 stars
Anticipating Spring by Lora Richardson | 3.75 stars
Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda* by Becky Albertalli | 5 stars
Bad for You by Abbi Glines | 3 stars

(* denotes an audio book)

FORMATS
Total Read: 8
2 physical books
4 audiobooks
2 e-books
(2 ARCs: The Honey-Don't List, Anticipating Spring)

TOP OF THE HEAP
Still and Regretting You
Still was jaw-droppingly good and gave me my first five star read of the year.  Kennedy Ryan's talent at creating realistic characters and emotionally charged stories is just stunning. Regretting You was a close second. Opening up a book by Colleen Hoover is such a comforting feeling. It's like sinking into a story that I know will probably hurt my heart, but I also know that I'll love the characters and feel like I know them inside and out. 

THE ONE THAT ENDED A SERIES
Anticipating Spring
Lora Richardson further cemented herself as one of the few authors that still makes me read YA. With Anticipating Spring, she completed her Unexpected Love series and it was so bittersweet. I will miss the friend group in these books but it also ended with just the right couple and I was so happy with the outcome. 

THE ONE I WILL ALWAYS LOVE
Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
If ever I needed to revisit one of my favorite fictional characters from one of my favorite books it was this month. I've lost count of how many times I've read and listened to Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda but it never gets old. I love Simon, I love his friend group, I love Blue, and I love his parents and sisters. The story is filled with so much humor and heart and it never fails to make me happy.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had 17 blog posts in March and shared seven reviews: 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

Where the Lost Wander - Amy Harmon
I just started the arc of Where the Lost Wander yesterday and I'm already feeling pulled into the story. I actually convinced my husband to read it, too. But even though we started at virtually the same time, naturally he's already far beyond where I'm at. He's such a fast reader. I thought it would be fun to discuss as we went along but at this rate he'll be done by the time I get to the 25% mark. LOL 


WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN MARCH?

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