January 2016
It is really hard for me to believe that the first month of 2016 is already coming to an end. It has been a great month for me in terms of reading and blogging. I thought I would sum up this month as I get ready for February!
Books Read
Reviews Posted
(click on cover to go to my review)
(click on cover to go to my review)
Blogger Thoughts
- I had fewer promotional posts during the month of January than I have had in a very long time. I like only posting about books that I am actually planning to read. There is a lot less pressure to get things done on a certain day and I really feel like the blog reflect my tastes a lot better.
- I have made a real effort to visit other blogs, comment, and really just be a part of the larger book blogger community. I don’t know that I will be able to visit tons of blogs every day but I am determined to at least try. I really have appreciated all of the wonderful people that have commented on my blog and I have enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts.
- I did play around with the layout of my blog just a bit this month. Who knows how long I will leave it alone before I make more changes.
- I started participating in some of the memes popular in the blogging community. I have really enjoyed my Stacking the Shelves and Waiting on Wednesday posts and plan to continue posting these.
- One thing that I really need to work on is writing my reviews as soon as I finish a book. I sometimes wait an entire month or more before writing out my thoughts. I currently have 7 reviews that I need to write. I am going to make an effort to do better with this.
Outside of the Blog
- My oldest daughter turned 21 earlier this month and my mom, my sister, and I took her to the casino for an afternoon. We had a lot of fun but I am still wondering how I could possibly be the mother of a 21 year old.
- My youngest daughter was busy as usual. She plays the trombone and is fairly good at it. She made the local All Suburban Honor Band as a freshman which is a pretty big accomplishment. We enjoyed her concert earlier this month and are looking forward to her pit performance during the school’s musical next month. She is also working hard training for her first half marathon.
- The puppies have been a handful. Stella is now almost 7 months old and is fairly well behaved except when she gets really excited. Molly is 3 months old and I think she is finally pretty much housebroken. Those two wrestle with each other about 23 out of 24 hours every day and are wearing me and my husband out. My senior dog, Cookie, just wishes they would go away.
- I pretty much have been doing the same things that I usually do. I go to work everyday and try to squeeze reading and blogging time in around all of the other stuff that has to get done for my family.
Up Next
It looks like you had a really good reading month. I hope next month is just as good for you!
Aj @ Read All The Things!
I was really surprised that I read so many books when I put this post together. Hopefully, I can fit as many in for February.
what a great month you have had here!! You have read some great books here!! I love Lara Adrian and I do need to try out Lauren Layne.
I really do enjoy Lauren Layne. I did read a good variety of books during the month and enjoyed most of them.
I am so looking forward to Morning Star, Carole! It's one of my most anticipated books for this year, actually, and I really hope it will live up to my exceedingly high expectations 😀
I know what you mean about the age of your daughter… my oldest turns 21 this year, too, and it's so weird, because I don't feel that much older now than what I did when she was born 😉
The Waiting on Wednesday meme is so bad for my TBR shelf… that one and STS just make me add so many more books to those shelves it's gong to be near impossible for me to read them all.
Have a wonderful week ahead, and keep up the great blogging in February.
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
I have been waiting for Morning Star for a year now…I can't wait.
I can't believe how quickly my girls have grown. I just can't get my head around the fact that they are 21 and 15.
I love doing the Stacking the Shelves post every week and have no idea why I was resistant to joining in on memes before. I have only posted one Waiting on Wednesday but I plan to continue with that one most weeks as well.
I don't know that I will post every day in February…but I am going to try!
How fast did January just end? I can't believe it! I especially enjoyed your review on the audiobook of Dragonfly in Amber. Can't wait to read your upcoming reviews 🙂
Aeriko @ The Reading Armchair
I can't believe that tomorrow is already February either! It did go by so quickly. Thanks, I had a lot of fun writing my review for Dragonfly in Amber.
Enjoyed your recap! Always neat to look back and see how the month went. And hey, I finished up the audio of Voyager in December. Doesn't that feel like a big accomplishment? LOL
Glad things are going along well on the personal front and you're pleased with your blog.
Have a good February!
This is the first monthly recap on my blog that I have done and I did find it kind of fun to do. I felt like I deserved an award for finishing Voyager in less than a month…that is one long audiobook. 🙂
Glad your January was a good start to the year. Hopefully the rest goes just as well. I'm with you on the getting reviews done. Sometimes I set them aside for weeks. I wouldn't be able to write them if I didn't have notes and highlights. -sigh- These kids just don't stop getting older. Glad she had a nice 21st birthday.
I don't know why I don't write my reviews as soon as I finish the book. I have been caught up with reviews many times and promise myself that is what I will do moving forward and then I fall behind again. Thanks, Christy!
It looks like you had a great month! And happy birthday to your daughter 🙂
I didn't feel like I really read that many books this month but I actually did pretty good. Thanks, Danielle!