Showing posts with label wrap up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrap up. Show all posts

Thursday, January 2, 2025

December 2024 Wrap-Up

The final monthly wrap-up for 2024...what a year. I'll get into a yearly wrap-up later but, for now, I want to focus in on December. In terms of reading, I had a fairly good month. I enjoyed or outright loved everything that I read. I only hauled four books in the month of December too, which is keeping in line with my goals regarding book buying and consumption. So, without further ado, let's dive into December!


1.
Title: The Book of Azrael  
Author: Amber V. Nicole
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review TK

2. 
Title: The Teller of Small Fortunes
Author: Julie Leong
Rating: 

3. 
Title: A Pack for Winter
Author: Eliana Lee
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

4. 
Title: Plier
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

5.
Title: Tourner
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

6.
Title: Sauter
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

7.
Title: Relever
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review TK

8. 
Title: Glisser
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review TK

9. 
Title: Bloody, Slutty & Pathetic 
Author: WhatMurdah
*fanfic*

10. 
Title: Sugar & Spice
Author: InLoveWithForever
*fanfic*

11. 
Title: Lights Out
Author: Navessa Allen




I hauled four books this month and I'm pretty happy with that number. One was a gift and one was something I paid for over a year ago so I'd say the finances were pretty happy in that regard (though we'll not mention the other expenses surrounding Christmas). I do anticipate my January book haul to be significantly larger, though. 

The first book I got in December was The Dawn of the Cursed Queen by Amber V. Nicole. Either she or her publisher(?) was running a thing where you could get a stamped copy of the book if you paid the shipping since they had lots of extra stock. I signed up and ended up getting one! This is the third book in the Gods & Monsters series, which I just read the first book of in December. I love a big floppy paperback and this series looks to have some of the best. 

Then I picked up Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood. I read this book earlier in 2024 and absolutely adored it. It was so addicting and, honestly, one of my favorite Ali books that I've read. I read it from the library so I didn't have my own copy. When I saw a sale at the beginning of December I knew I couldn't pass up the chance to get it. I love seeing on my shelf next to Ali's other books as they're all so cute with their colors. 

We then got the second shipment from the Seasons of Shadowhunters Kickstarter that Cassandra Clare hosted last year. Though we were theoretically supposed to get them all in 2024, I don't mind waiting longer than initially expected for all the books. They're beautiful books and I am just glad to be able to add them to my Shadowhunters collection. This shipment was for An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of the Downworld, which is a companion book to all the Shadowhunters books. I had been meaning to get a copy for years so I'm thrilled to have such a gorgeous edition on my shelves. 

Lastly, one of my friends got me Jumper by Steven Gould. She said this is one of her favorite books so she gifted me and another friend a copy each for Christmas. I don't know much about it other than it's a sci-fi from 1992 that she loves. I'm hoping to give it a read through very soon so I can discuss it with her! I'm just touched that she got me a copy of her favorite book. 

That's it for my 2024 hauls. January is going to be quite a bit bigger as I've got an exciting book splurge coming. Every year, I set aside $1 for every book I read and then take the money I accumulated and spend it guilt-free on books. It really helps me control my book buying throughout the year knowing I have this big haul to look forward to. I have $133 to spend towards it and I'm so excited to pick those up in January. Stay tuned for that large haul! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, December 27, 2024

Bookish Resolutions for 2025


We are so close to the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. This year was a journey with plenty of unexpected moments and challenges. Throughout it all, reading was an escape for me. I truly embraced the mood reading mode and reached for a lot of books that were easy to fall into. While I've read over 130 books and counting in 2024, I was only moderately successful in fulfilling my bookish resolutions for the year. 

A fair amount of the resolutions for 2025 are going to be similar to the ones I had this past year. There were some goals I had that I still want to work on or finally address. There were also some that worked really well for me that I want to continue into the new year. 

Up first, I am continuing with not setting a numerical reading goal. In past years, setting a numerical reading goal such as 50 or 100 led me to a lot of stress when I would "fall behind" or not hit that number. In 2024, I read over 130 books. In terms of quantity, it's been one of my best reading years ever. So, instead of setting a numerical reading goal, I'm going to continue with my goal of reading often and prioritizing reading in my life. 

Secondly, I want to continue spending less on purchasing books. This year was a very good year for staying on top of my bookish budget, but I do still think I could do better. This ties into more specific financial goals for the year that I won't get into but the point stands. I only want to buy books I am excited about reading or have read previously and know I'll want a copy. 

My next goal ties into spending less on books. I've been utilizing the library digitally for a few years now and it has been amazing for many goals I have. This year, I want to use the library even more, specifically when it comes to physical books and utilizing their other services. Between Kindle Unlimited and my library cards, I want the majority of my reading to be done through those services or the books I *already* own.

I didn't tackle my backlist as much as I'd hoped in 2024 so I'm adding that to this list. I own a lot of books, both physical and digital. There's series I love that I haven't finished despite them being complete for years. There's books I've had on my TBR for almost a decade that I'm still really excited about. While I won't get through all of them this year, I want to dedicate a lot of time in 2025 to reading through the books I already own. 

In addition, I want to read more books that scare me. Now, I'm not talking about horror books here because I truly am a scaredy cat. More specifically, I'm talking about those epic fantasies or sci-fis that intimidate me with their world-building or complex plots...or the 800-1,000 page chunky books I've heard amazing things about but have been scared to begin. Basically, I want to read the books that I've put off for ages but have always wanted to get into. 

Lastly, a new goal I have is to make space for nonfiction. I want to read for learning, not just escapism. I used to learn through school but now that I'm no longer a student, I still have a thirst for knowledge. As an adult, I have to search out these things on my own. So I'm going to try to hold more space in my reading sphere for nonfiction books, though I am in no way expecting my nonfiction reading to surpass my fiction escapism. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Tuesday, December 3, 2024

November 2024 Wrap-Up + Book Haul


November was an interesting month. I did get to read a bunch of fun books. Every book this month I enjoyed, even if I didn't love it. I read a total of nine books in November, dedicated a ton of time to Stardew Valley since the 1.6 update dropped on console, and hauled some exciting new titles. Let's dive in! 


1. 
Title: The Scent of Us: Part One
Author: Eliana Lee
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

2. 
Title: The Scent of Us: Part Two
Author: Eliana Lee
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

3. 
Title: His Tesoro 
Author: Emilia Rossi
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

4. 
Title: The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

5. 
Title: A Pack for Autumn
Author: Emilia Emerson
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review TK 

6. 
Title: The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act
Contributors: Gillen, McKelvie, Wilson, Cowles 

7. 
Title: Omega Concealed
Author: Elizabeth Dear 
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

8. 
Title: Omega Revealed
Author: Elizabeth Dear 
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

9. 
Title: Knight Owl
Author: Christopher Denise
Rating: 5 // 5 stars


I picked up four books this month, one of which was free. I'm pretty happy with the haul this month. It was a lot smaller which I'm happy about and all the titles are ones I'm really excited to have on my shelves. Three of them I've read already and loved (and just didn't have copies). Let's dive in!

Up first, my stepsister gave me her paperback copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. She picked up a hardcover in October whereas I'm working on collecting the paperbacks so she handed it off to me. Now, don't come for my reader card for what I'm about to say next...I've actually not read the entirety of the series. I read The Hunger Games in middle school but had to return the sequel before I finished it. I just...never finished the trilogy after that. With a new book coming out in the spring, I figured it's time I finally read the rest of the series since I do love the movies. 

Then I picked up Lights Out by Navessa Allen. I've seen this book around a lot and it looks so good. The hold on Libby is several months, though, and my local library doesn't have a physical copy. So I decided to grab this one so I can read it ASAP. All I know is dark romcom? Like the subject matter is dark but it's written in a comedic way that everyone keeps raving about.

I also picked up two Ali Hazelwood books: Love on the Brain and Not In Love. I've read and loved both of these through Libby. I knew I wanted to eventually pick up copies for my shelf but I wanted to wait until I saw a good deal on these. I found coupons for both books that made them 50% off which I'm quite happy with. I'm one step closer to owning all of Ali's books. She writes a lot of predictable but fun romances that I eat up every single time. I love them. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, November 1, 2024

October 2024 Wrap-Up


This year has been flying by. I cannot believe we're into November already! October felt like it flew by and I was so busy I didn't get much into the Halloween spirit (shock, I know). However, I am fully embracing just the general autumn vibes and plan to until Thanksgiving. 

I read 10 books in October with some rereads of past favorites and some new favorites discovered. I am feeling hopeful for November in regards to getting through some of my immediate TBR books as well as a couple releases I'm looking forward to. But before I put my sights to the new month, let's take a look at the past one.


1. 
Title: The Bakery Dragon
Author: Devin Elle Kurtz
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

2.
Title: Tragic Bonds
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread- 

3. 
Title: Unbroken Bonds
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread- 

4. 
Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review TK

5. 
Title: Fractured Fates
Author: Hannah Haze
Rating: 2.5 // 5 stars

6. 
Title: Love on the Brain
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

7. 
Title: The Fake Mate
Author: Lana Ferguson
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

8.
Title: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Author: Holly Jackson
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

9.
Title: A Life of Shadows 
Author: Kristen Banet
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Series Review
-reread-

10. 
Title: A Heart of Shame 
Author: Kristen Banet
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Series Review
-reread-





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this one, click the follow button to the right!