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Still Here!

It has been a long time since I posted anything. In fact, it has been even longer since I logged into my blog to check up on it! I don’t think I’ve spent this much time away from it except in my first year when I took a brief hiatus for university.

But, I’m still here!

The truth is, this last year has been really rough in a lot of ways for me (and many others I’m sure). I work in the laboratory of a hospital and while I don’t live in a “hotspot” COVID-19 area, we had our fair share of outbreaks and waves in the last 15 months. Medical Laboratory Professionals are in short supply–and have been for a long time, even before the pandemic. So the stresses of work bleed into my reading and blogging habits.

Add to that some professional courses I am taking for work, my laptop crashing and some other life stresses, time has gotten away from me. I also had some issues with my blog hosting in April so the only thing that really got posted this year was reviews I had scheduled months in advance.

Taking a step back from both reading and blogging has allowed me to reflect on what I get out of both.

Even before the pandemic started, blogging was starting to feel like a bit of a chore. I had contemplated moving my blog away from its self-hosted status for the last 2 years but the hassle never seemed to be worth the very little I spend a month to keep it self-hosted. I just find with my shift-work, I’m forever playing catch-up with things around the house or life in general so blogging is that last thing on my mind.

Also, I just don’t seem to be reading as much as I usually do. It seems crazy to me in a world where people are encouraged to stay home that I struggle to read but I find my attention span just wanders when I pick up a book (or I just fall asleep too fast) so it takes me twice as long to finish a book than it used to. Which, in turn, generates less content for my blog — which can make creating content feel like a chore.

But I still love to read. The last two months have been a cycle of reading and reviewing titles for the various ARC teams I am on and I love contributing to that release and getting the titles I love out there.

And now that the weather is nicer in Canada; my backyard is in its prime; and my pool is ready to go, I’m hoping to spend some of my upcoming staycation in my yard, reading copious amounts of books. Mostly to catch-up on titles I’m a little behind on but also because I really miss getting lost in a book for hours.

I started a bullet journal this year–mostly to keep track of my distance ed courses–and while I’m not always the best about checking-in every day, I really do love the daily habit tracker page I created. Every month I set a knew goal and my hope for July is to get back into blogging on a semi-regular basis. Even if it is just for an hour once a week—I think it would go a long way.

So, I just wanted to write this (semi-)short message to say: I’m still here! I’m just super behind but I will be resuming my efforts to get this blog back up to its normal (ok, maybe a little slower) speed this summer.

Thanks for sticking around and let me know what you have been up to the last few months by dropping a comment below!

Cheers!

~Lauren

Monthly Inventory: October 2020

October 2020

Yikes! I was not feeling the reading (or blogging) this month. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a reading slump like this were I have zero interest in reading. Usually my slumps consist of lower rating books or lots of DNFs, but I’m always trying to find the book that will rejuvenate my love of reading. Not this time around.

Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of TV and working on yarn hobbies. I think I’m just overly stressed with work and right now, those activities do a better job relieving my stress and getting my mind off of things. And trying to finish ARCs by a deadline isn’t all that mellow.

I’m really hoping to get back into the swing of reading. I’m listening to Majesty from The American Royals Series and I’m really into it. I have a few titles out from Kindle Unlimited too so hopefully I can find something there to get me into things.

Total for October 2020: 8 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 1 Books

Last October: 16 Books Read + 4 Novellas Read + 3 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★)

Ana is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. Her romances are so refreshing with their real characters and their amazing emotional connections. She is an author to watch guys!

Biggest Let Down (DNF)

Oh, let me tell you. I was so excited for this book. I love a good hate to love you romance but this was just to much. The hero was so toxic that I couldn’t stomach reading more to see how he would manipulate the heroine into falling for him. Because that’s what it felt like.

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 0 books added | 18 of 31 Titles Read – 6 Books Behind!
Goodreads Challenge: 8 books added | 152/155 Books – Completed!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 1 books added | 22/24 Books – 4 Books Ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

Created by Lia @ Lost in a StoryI used to do a big Goodreads Purge twice a year but I like the idea of doing a little bit at a time and had great success last year doing this on a monthly basis. The idea is to go through 5-10 books on your Goodreads TBR list chronologically and decide if they should stay or go. My 10 titles consist of 7 “new to me” titles and 3 “previously started series” titles.

This month:

Keep	Pass	Pass	Keep	Keep
Keep	Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 3 | Keep: 7

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 45 | Keep: 56

Did I give up on any too soon? Let me know in the comments below!

Winter is coming (as I write this, the first snow of the season is just melting on my lawn) so I’m hoping the reduced sunlight and colder weather will keep me inside with a good book!

What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

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Monthly Inventory: September 2020

September 2020

Like most months lately: where does the time go? I feel like it was just the start of the month and here we are at the end of it!

The plan for this month was to catch up on some ARCs and get some sequels down since I always dub this month “Sequel September”. And while I managed to get some stuff in, reading just wasn’t a huge priority for me.

Last month, my TV obsession was Dynasty and now that I’ve finished it off, I’ve moved on to Below Deck Mediterranean to get my travel fix in. So most of my free time has been spent binge-watching that instead of reading.

So when I’m not watching that, I hope to get some Kindle Unlimited titles in (they had a promo for a 2 month subscription) and read some Cassandra Clare novels (the ones I’ve had checked out since the start of the pandemic…oops).

Total for September 2020: 7 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 1 Books

Last September: 15 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I’ve been waiting for Langston’s series since the first time he was introduced in the Truth or Lies Series. This novella set the stage for what’s to come and I am excited to see this series unfold.

Biggest Let Down (★★)

Although I didn’t DNF this book, it was close to being one. I think this one was a bit of a mess for me. I couldn’t get invested in the story and I had a hard time getting a grasp on Snow’s character.

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

None — I’m super behind on updating my reviews!

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 1 books added | 18 of 31 Titles Read – 4 Books Behind!
Goodreads Challenge: 8 books added | 152/155 Books – 38 Books Ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 0 books added | 21/24 Books – 3 Books Ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

Sequel Month #3!

Like I did last year, I’ve decided to dedicate 4 months of 2020 to sequels! That means–with the exception of audiobooks and ARCs–every title I must read in that month needs to be a sequel for a previously started series! Approximately 75% of the books I read this month were sequels! You can see the breakdown of what I read below:

# of Sequels Read: 6 + 0 DNF + 2 in Progress
1. For Love and Honor by Jody Hedlund (An Uncertain Choice #3)
2. Love the One You’re With by Lauren Layne (Sex, Love & Stiletto #2)
3. Lies We Share by Ella Miles (Lies #0.5)
4. Broken Promises by H M Ward (Secret Life of Trystan Scott #6)
5. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games #0)
6. Just One Night by Lauren Layne (Sex, Love & Stiletto #3)
7. The Deceiver’s Heart by Jennifer A Nielson — In Progress
8. Falling for Her by Monica Murphy — In Progress
# of Series Finished: 3
- An Uncertain Choice (I’m stopping after 3 books)
- The Secret Life of Trystan Scott
- The Hunger Games

While this wasn’t the most successful month for reading overall, I’m glad I was able to get some audiobook sequels in.

Cleaning Up My Goodreads Shelves:

My main mission for 2019 was bringing my “Want to Read” shelf (new to me books) on Goodreads to a number close to 400—and I was pretty darn close (422!)! I also set my “Sequel” shelf to be below 250 titles and I did do that (238)!

So this year, I’m aiming for a “Want to Read” shelf that is less than 400 titles. I’ve also set a goal to get my “Sequel” shelf below 200 titles.

	Currently	December 31, 2019
Want to Read (New)	381	422
To Read (Sequels)	208	238

I’ve re-subscribed to Kindle Unlimited again so I’m hoping I get get a few more sequels out of it before my subscription ends! Otherwise, I’m really impressed with how far I’ve come since the start of the year!

I used to do a big Goodreads Purge twice a year but I like the idea of doing a little bit at a time and had great success last year doing this on a monthly basis. The idea is to go through 5-10 books on your Goodreads TBR list chronologically and decide if they should stay or go. My 10 titles consist of 7 “new to me” titles and 3 “previously started series” titles.

This month:

Keep	Pass	Keep	Pass	Pass
Pass	Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 5 | Keep: 5

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 42 | Keep: 49

Did I give up on any too soon? Let me know in the comments below!

I’m just hoping I can get motivated again to blog and read. With the cooler, rainy weather on its way, I’m hoping that I can be content to curl up on the couch with some tea and a book and pass the day away! Because I have a lot of review copies I need to get around to!

What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

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Monthly Inventory: March 2020

March 2020

Given the current state of the world right now it almost feels trivial to recap my reading for the month. But as someone who works in healthcare right now, it’s nice to have a distraction from everything right now.

Before my city declared a State of Emergency, they announced that the library would be closing for an indefinite amount of time. Of course, my hold for the newest Cassandra Clare novel came in so I made sure to grab it and the final Dark Artifices novel (the thickest books you can find) before the library shuttered its doors.

I think I can best sum up my month with a tweet I wrote:

Despite staying home when I’m not working at the hospital, I don’t seem to be getting as much reading done as I thought I would.
But, I’ve been knitting slippers, taking an intro to coding class and watching #TigerKingNetflix so I guess I haven’t been completely unproductive 🤔

— Lauren (@SERIESousBooks) March 29, 2020

I’m really struggling with reading right now. My mind begins to wander. Now, perhaps that is because I’m forcing myself to finish the final Throne of Glass novel by reading a bit at a time or if the books I’m picking just aren’t tickling my fancy or maybe it’s because of all that’s happening in the world and how I’ve had to change numerous plans that I have been anticipating for months. It’s hard to say. Basically: if it wasn’t an audiobook (which accounted for 64% of the titles I read this month), I took a really long time to finish it.

So wherever you are in the world, I hope you are safe and healthy or doing the best you can with your current situation. I hope that you are staying home if you can. And if you are one of the amazing essential workers out there–from grocery stores employees, to public transit, to factory workers to healthcare workers–thank you for everything you are doing to support your community in this unprecedented time. And to my fellow laboratory professionals: I see you when the world might not and I hope you know how valuable your work is in this time.

Total for March 2020: 14 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last March: 10 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

When Katharine McGee’s Thousandth Floor Trilogy ended I was super excited to see what she would write next. And she did not disappoint with this modern, American Royalty story! The audiobook was addicting!

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

Although I had a mediocre start with the series, I was really looking forward to this story thanks to the inklings we got. But some stupid decisions by our leads really dampened my enjoyment of this novel.

Once again for Black Friday, Kindle had a promotion for new Kindle Unlimited Subscribers where you got 3 months of reading for only $0.99!!! I was hoping this deal would return after I had such a blast taking advantage of it last year.

Like I always do when I resubscribe, I wanted to see if I got my money’s worth and so I will be keeping track of all the books I read via the service. (Just like I did when completing the free trial.)

Rescue by Rachel Schurig – $5.25
Close to Me by Monica Murphy – $4.99
Ransome Brothers by Rachel Schurig – $6.45

Considering I only have the service for just the first week of the month, I got my money’s worth out of it. I didn’t renew my subscription this time around but I’m going to keep an eye out for any deals since I have a few more titles I didn’t get to. In the end, I read $75.27 worth of books (14 in total!) for only $1!

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 2+1 books added | 7 of 31 Titles Read – On Track!
Goodreads Challenge: 14 books added | #/155 Books – 1 book ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 1 books added | 2/24 Books – 4 books behind!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

So this year, I’m aiming for a “Want to Read” shelf that is less than 400 titles. I’ve also set a goal to get my “Sequel” shelf below 200 titles.

	Currently	December 31, 2019
Want to Read (New)	405	422
To Read (Sequels)	222	238

This month:

Pass

Pass

Pass

Last Will and Testament (Radleigh University, #1)

Keep

Pass

Lie Next to Me (A Millionaire's Love, #1)

Pass

Pass

Keep

Keep

Keep

Pass: 6 | Keep: 4

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 14 | Keep: 16

Did I give up on any too soon? Let me know in the comments below!

While this is a monthly meme hosted by Avalinah’s Books, I usually only update every quarter.

My Progress for January to March, 2020:

ARCs Read: 8 | ARCs Overdue: 2+1* | Upcoming: 1

*Titles given to me as a member of an author’s street team to read ASAP.

Going Forward:

I’m really only requesting ARCs for the 3 street/ARC teams that I am a part of. Now that my Kindle Unlimited subscription is finished, the focus is going to be on ARCs and reading books I already own.

The focus for April is on books I already own and cleaning up my overdue ARCs. I was going to subscribe to Scribd (if you have a referral link, leave a comment below and I will sign up with it!) but I think I will wait until May.

What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

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Monthly Inventory: May 2019

May 2019

I made lots of changes when it comes to my reading and blogging this month…and it feels pretty great!

Here are some of the big changes I made:

I am no longer participating in blog tours
- I unsubscribed from (nearly) all my mailing lists — more in my State of the ARC section for the details!
I am no longer updating my recap section of my blog
- It’s much too time consuming and there are a lot of other sites that do it better than I do.
- For now, the pages will remain on site for those I’ve already created and I’ll update those ongoing series. Otherwise, no new summaries from me!
  - You might have noticed I changed my blog header to reflect this 😉
I’ve changed my blog posting schedule!
- Because I’m not reading as much as I used to, I’ve reduced the number of posts I make in a month to help spread out my content.

Why the changes? I still enjoy blogging in my spare time so I didn’t want to take a hiatus but I definitely wanted to reduce some of the pressures I put on myself because of my blog. I needed to make some changes that reflect the changes in my reading life. So that includes eliminating promotional posts (like ARCs since they have deadlines); reducing the amount of stuff I do to create content (like recaps); and posting less to make my content last longer.

I’m not sure if this will be a permanent thing but I definitely want to try doing so until the end of the summer (especially the reduced ARCs).

All those changes were at the start of the month. As May ended, my reading time waned a little bit. I scrambled to finish some ARCs I had committed myself to (all the more reason for the above changes!). But in Canada, when nicer weather comes, you have to seize it, so every spare moment was spent outside getting my house ready for the summer!

Total for May 2019: 13 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last May: 15 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read + 1 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

This was everything I wanted in a spin-off sequel of one of my all time favourite YA series. It had the right amount of everything: nostalgia, romance, action, characters and it kept my full attention. I’m very excited to read the sequels and see where this series will go.

Biggest Let Down (★★)

While I loved the idea of this companion novel sequel, it just didn’t capture my attention.

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 1 books added | # of 25 Titles Read – 4 books behind schedule
Goodreads Challenge: 14 books added | 65/200 Books – 17 books behind schedule
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 2 books added | /24 Books – 3 books behind schedule

View my Challenge Progress Here!

This month:

Keep	Pass	Pass	Keep	Keep
Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 3 | Keep: 7

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 15 | Keep: 35

Did I give up on any too soon? Let me know in the comments below!

While this is a monthly meme hosted by Avalinah’s Books, I usually only update every quarter. I’ve made a special exception for this month because I’ve made some major changes to my personal ARC reading.

This past month, I’ve decided to unsubscribe to the various blog tour groups I’m a part of. It was quite the shock to quit cold turkey but it also felt great–freeing even.

Lately, reading ARCs has felt a little bit like a chore to me. I find I’m always scrambling to get them finished on time (sometimes because I don’t get the ARC right away; sometimes because life gets in the way) and it puts a pressure on me that I don’t want to be reflected in my reading experience and subsequent review of the work.

So what’s the plan going forward?

Finish out the blog tour hosting dates I’ve signed up for
Only review books from Street Teams or from author’s who I have worked with in the past
Unsubscribe from all blog tour email lists
I’m still a part of Netgalley and other review opportunity groups
- Why? I find that they are much more flexible with their posting dates and I can likely get the book ahead of the publishing date

While I say this won’t be a permanent thing, I think it will be. Since I’ve made the decision, I feel like a weight has been lifted. And that weight extends to reading in general. I don’t always find the time to read every day but because I lack those deadlines, I don’t feel bad about it. It’s a very freeing feeling.

My Progress for January to May, 2019:

ARCs Read: 20 | ARCs Overdue: 2+1* | Upcoming: 1

(March State: ARCs Read: 10 | ARCs Overdue: 1+1* | Upcoming: 3)

*Titles given to me as a member of an author’s street team to read ASAP.

You can still join in on these discussions:

May was originally the month I chose for sequels (I have 4 months in a year where I only read sequels) but I switched it to June. For the month of June, I’m only reading sequels (with the exception of some pending ARCs).

What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month? Do you still read ARCs? Have you ever made major changes to the content of your blog?
Leave a comment below!

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Monthly Inventory: April 2018 + 5 Year Anniversary!

April 2018

When I first thought of starting a blog 5 years ago, I really didn’t think I would still be with it 5 years later. Hobbies for me usually come and go thanks to my attention span. But reading is something I’ve been passionate about since high school and it’s that passion that has driven my blogging over the years.

I’ve shared my story many times over the years but I feel like it’s ok to reminisce for your 5 years anniversary. I’ve come a long way from my early days of a free wordpress site. I’ve (somehow) kept this blog going through 2 post secondary degrees; the beginning of my career and as I navigate this tricky world of adulting. I’ve changed the format of my reviews, redid my site design and moved my blog to a self-hosted server as well.

I might not read as many books now as I did 5 years ago or work on my blog everyday like I used to, but I’ve come to accept that things change and sometimes you just have to go with the flow. And in honour of 5 years, I wanted to share 5 lessons I have learned about reading and blogging since I joined this community:

Blog hop and comment on other’s blogs whenever you can
- I really neglected to do this in my first year of blogging and it’s my biggest regret.
You can’t read all the books and that’s ok
- Grow your TBR but don’t be afraid to remove those that don’t interest you
Followers and ARCs aren’t everything
- Stats can be helpful but you need to be happy first and foremost
It’s ok not to read or blog everyday
- I’ve really come to grips with this over the last year
Never be afraid to be honest about your thoughts/reviews
- Don’t say what is expected but rather what you truly feel

Cheesy perhaps, but I think they are important things to keep in mind. Even a 5 year veteran like me can still get caught up in the envy and the like but you work on it a day at a time.

Thank you everyone!

Whether you are a new reader or a returning friend, thanks for 5 fantastic years! Who knows, maybe I’ll still be here in 5 more 😉

—

My Reading Month of April

I think I said it best when I tweeted out this:

I feel like this gif describes my reading month in April. Great then oh sh*t pic.twitter.com/BPMyNBUUX4

— Lauren (@SERIESousBooks) April 22, 2018

April was a month I dedicated to getting things back on track. I was behind in ARCs and my reading challenges so my focus was really on reading those key books to contribute to my reading goals for 2018. For the most part, the first two weeks of April were extremely successful. The last two sucked thanks to life getting in the way but I was still in OK shape when all was said and done.

I think for me, May is about finding that healthy balance between reading, blogging and life and I can’t wait to see what it brings!

Total for April 2018: 18 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last April: 18 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read + 1 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

This book was everything I wanted it to be! I love the fake relationship trope and this one executes it perfectly! The audio version is also AMAZING! So amazing I’ve got it on my list to buy since I borrowed it from the library.

Biggest Let Down (★★)

I love a good “bad-boy-turned-good” romance but this one just fell flat. It felt rushed and not much was done with the characters either.

Most Viewed Post

Top Ten Tuesdays: Books I Loved But Will Never Reread

Most Viewed Review

Blog Tour: Suitors and Sabotage

View this year’s archives for more posts and reviews!

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 3 titles added | 5 of 25 Titles Read — Behind
Goodreads Challenge: # books added | #/190 Books — Ahead
52 Sequel Challenge: 4 titles added | 11/52 Sequels — Behind
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 1 book added | /36 Books — On Track

View my Challenge Progress Here!

I’ve seen this meme floating around and thought it was a great idea to help me tackle my TBR list and reach that less than 500 goal. The idea is to go through 5-10 books on your Goodreads TBR list chronologically and decide if they should stay or go. I usually do a big Goodreads Purge twice a year but I like the idea of doing a little bit at a time and have decided to do this on a monthly basis.

This month:

Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep	Pass
Pass	Keep	Keep	Pass	Keep

Pass: 3 | Keep: 7

Did I make any mistakes in letting some go or by keeping them? Let me know in the comments below!

You can still join in on these discussions:

Each month I have a list of 11 books I’ve selected to read for that particular month. These books include review copies and reading challenge picks. Here are some of the books I have ready to go for May:

What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

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Site Update: 4th Blog Anniversary?!?!

OK, that’s a super cheesy quote but it totally works!

Blogging–while an individual task–is really all about the community. It’s a system of give and take and that’s what makes it such a beautiful thing.

I wouldn’t be here 4 years later if it wasn’t for you!

I’m pretty notorious for dropping my hobbies after a few months. But reading and blogging are two things that have been constants in my life in the last 6+ and 4 years respectively. And that is thanks to the awesome experiences I’ve had in the last 4 years.

So thank you for sticking by me!

As the quote says, it’s the little things that mean so much. Thank you for reading my blog, commenting on posts and tweets, and for always being awesome!

Some Fun Facts about my blog:

Post #s: 364 Series Reviews + 143 Standalone Reviews + 126 Feature Posts
My most viewed posts:
- For 2013: Too Far / Rosemary Beach Series by Abbi Glines
- For 2014: The Fixed Trilogy by Laurelin Paige
- For 2015: The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole
- For 2016: Made Men by Sarah Brianne
- So far for 2017: SERIESous Spoilers: The Midnight Star

Any New Changes In Store?

I haven’t been very creative lately in posts (ie no new features) but I have a lot of great reviews on the way! I’m also planning on updating some of my old guides by summer’s end. Also be on the lookout for a new Kindle vs Kobo breakdown.

Any Giveaways?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to set up my own giveaway but I’m excited to share a giveaway for one my latest 5 star reads (I can’t recommend Ninja Girl enough!). You have a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Just click the cover below!

Thanks again everyone!

Monthly Inventory: March 2017

March 2017

This month has been absolute BANANAS! So little reading, so little blogging and so much work!

See, I started my new job this month and even though I will only be working part-time, I have 6 weeks of full time training to complete. Add to that a 2 hour daily commute: it’s been quite the adjustment. In fact, I’ve drafted a post about the transition from student to adult to be posted in the next few weeks. But I have to say, it’s fantastic not to have to study anymore!

So March wasn’t a great month all around for my hobbies (though looking at my stats, I guess I did better than I think) but I’m hoping April will bring back some balance…and more reading!

–

Total for March 2017: 16 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read

Last March: 16 Books Read + 4 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 5 Books

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I had a BLAST listening to the audiobook! Seriously, I felt all the feels. One minute I was laughing, the next swooning and the next shedding a bit of a tear. Such a fantastic novel! It’s one of my all time favourite novels.

Biggest Let Down (DNF)

I was so excited to read this one because we see the start of this relationship begin in the inaugural novel. But I was 40% of the way through and nothing–and I mean nothing–was happening. Sigh.

–

I thought it would be fun to keep track of my reading progress on my Kobo every month (and compare it to last year’s numbers). While I do own a Kindle now, I mostly use my Kobo for everyday reading. As per my #ShelfLove Challenge, I really want to increase the Total % of Library Complete by the end of the year.

As of:	March 31, 2017	March 31, 2016
Total % of Library Complete	20%	17%
Total # of Books Finished	542	452
Total # of Reading Hours	2289	1808

Fun Fact: In order for me to move 1% in my Kobo library, I have to finish 10 books!

–

Most Viewed Post

SERIESous Spoilers: Midnight Star

Most Viewed Review

Series Review: Rixton Falls

View this year’s archives for more posts and reviews!

–

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

–

You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 0 Titles Read

Aprils’s Picks:

Goodreads Challenge: 19 books added
#ShelfLove Challenge: 0 TBR Items

April’s Priority Picks:

Judge By the Cover Challenge: None
Classics Challenge: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

April’s Classic Pick: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

View my Challenge Progress Here!

–

You can still join in on these discussions:

–

The blogsophere is so big that it’s hard to catch everything that is happening so I wanted to share some posts that caught my eye in the last month.

Jo @ JJ Book Blog discusses The Role of Parents in YA Fiction
Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books asks about the Series & Novella Trend
Sarah @ Written Word Worlds looks at the Importance of Liking a Character

–

I didn’t really listen to any music this month…how sad is that?!

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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

Monthly Inventory: February 2017

February 2017

Last month, I decided to bring back this feature as a monthly post. I’ve updated a lot of what I used to put in these recaps so I hope you enjoy it!

February saw the end of my career as a Full-Time Student! It’s been 6.5 long years and I can’t wait to enjoy reading guilt free once I start my permanent job this month! A much deserved vacation at the end of the month ate into my reading time but I still feel like I had a great reading month overall.

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Total for February 2017: 13 Books Read + 4 Novellas Read

Last February: 15 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 2 Books

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I don’t read many regency/historical romances anymore, but this one reminded my why I love the genre so much! Not only did I find a new fave couple (seriously, I had butterflies the entire time I was reading this), but I started a fabulous new series and found an author I have to read more of!

Biggest Let Down (★★★/DNF’d Series)

I got this serial as a freebie years ago and needed something to escape my boring studying. But it was just so silly (as in bad to read) that it was frustrating me more than my studying!

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As of:	February 28, 2017	February 10, 2016
Total % of Library Complete	20%	16%
Total # of Books Finished	540	434
Total # of Reading Hours	2218	1739

Fun Fact: In order for me to move 1% in my Kobo library, I have to finish 10 books!

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Most Viewed Post

SERIESous Tips: So You Wanna Try New Adult?

Most Viewed Review

Series Review: The Wrath and the Dawn

View this year’s archives for more posts and reviews!

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Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

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You can always get the full details on all my challenges on my dedicated page but here is a quick update:

5 Year 5 Book Challenge: 5 of 25 Titles Read

February’s 5Y5B reads:

March’s Picks:

Goodreads Challenge: 17 books added
#ShelfLove Challenge: 4 TBR Items

February’s #ShelfLove priority reads:

March’s Priority Picks:

Judge By the Cover Challenge: None
Classics Challenge: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (~60% finished)

March’s Classic Pick: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

View my Challenge Progress Here!

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Earlier in February, I brought back my Tackling the TBR feature and announced my plan to get my Goodreads TBR down to 500 books.

Current TBR Shelf: 596 books
Total # of Books Removed: 315

When I made that post I had 911 books on my “want to read” and I was able to lose 319 books simply by removing any books that I hadn’t marked as high anticipation or didn’t have a copy for (that was older than 3 years). I didn’t keep track, but I also removed quite a few from my “to-read sequels” pile as well.

My goal was to remove 259 and since I did that, I don’t think I will be moving forward with my “Rule 2: remove 12 books at the end of the months” plan. But, I will be keeping a cap on the number of titles I add to my TBR moving forward.

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You can still join in on these discussions:

SERIESous Tips: So You Wanna Try New Adult?

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When looking at everyone’s wrap-up posts and deciding what I wanted to do for mine, I found I really loved the recaps where people shared other blogger’s interesting posts. The blogsophere is so big that it’s hard to catch everything that is happening so I wanted to bring it to my blog as well.

Here are some of my favourite posts that I’ve come across the past month:

Ajoobacats @ Ajoobacats asked: Is it Self-Promotion When You Don’t Make a Penny?
Niki @ Niki Hawkes shares her Book Journaling
Shar @ Virtually Read discusses Realistic Books
Cilla @ Paved With Books looks at Rarely Writing Negative Review s
Krysta @ Pages Unbound lists The Unwritten Rules of the Blogosphere

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Honestly, I Feel it Coming by The Weeknd was my jam! It was stuck in my head during my certification exam and kept me so calm! (Plus, it reminds me of a Michael Jackson song and I love that!)

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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
Leave a comment below!

Monthly Inventory: January 2017

January 2017

It’s BACK! Last year, I tried doing quarterly recaps for the year instead of monthly, citing that monthly recaps took up a lot of my time to format (and I wasn’t sure if people enjoyed reading them). But this year, a lot of my posts have been scheduled months in advance and I miss the instant gratification that comes from writing and posting something immediately after. And so, I decided to bring this feature back but revamp it!

#bookbloggers what do you like to read about in monthly recap posts?
I want to revamp mine

— Lauren (@SERIESousBooks) February 1, 2017

I’m still looking for feedback, so please let me know what you like to see in Monthly Recaps! What makes you read that post? I know this post looks like the old ones, but I was just scrambling to put something together. (Plus, I needed to remember what I liked adding and what was a pain!)

Total for January 2017: 21 Books Read + 2 Novellas Read

Last January: 13 Books Read + 8 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I couldn’t pick just one! Both are just beautiful love stories!

Biggest Let Down (★★)

I had high anticipation for this new one by Roth, but it just fell a little flat 🙁

As of:	January 31, 2017	December 31, 2016
Total % of Library Complete	20%	20%
Total # of Books Finished	531	523
Total # of Reading Hours	2150	2107