Tag «down the tbr hole»

Monthly Inventory: December 2020

December 2020

I think the month of December 2020 really encapsulated for me what a crap year it was for reading (and blogging). I only read 4 books the entire month (though I had 2 others “started” but sitting on my bedside table collecting dust) — I used to read that many books in a week just a year or two ago.

Life doesn’t always go the way you plan and I think 2020 did a good job reminding me of that. While I learned lots of new things (like crocheting and how important travel is to me), I also formed a lot of bad habits. Or maybe my priorities in life are just changing? It’s really hard to say. I just know that I don’t want to make any big decisions off a mentally taxing year for me where I didn’t feel like myself 70% of the time.

You can read all about my Reading Plan for 2021 here and learn how I hope to get back into reading everyday. Like many people, I have some New Year’s resolutions and reading is one of them.

Total for December 2020: 4 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last December 2019: 13 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Grand Totals for 2020:

43 Books + 31 ARCs + 76 Audiobooks + 6 Novellas + 6 DNFs + 1 Reread = 177 Books

*Note some ARCs were audiobooks or novellas so they maybe have been counted twice

Standout Read (★★★★)

I’ve had this on my list for a while and I really enjoyed it! I love royalty so the allusions to various royals families was a lot of fun. It was a super long audiobook though and I think that is why my numbers for the month were lower as well.

Biggest Let Down (N/A)

I only read 4 books and I gave them all 4 stars so yay!

I became a Prime Member this fall and they had a special promotion to joining Kindle Unlimited. I really didn’t take advantage of it as I should and continued my subscription for another 2 months.

Like I always do when I resubscribe, I wanted to see if I got my money’s worth ($10/month) 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.)

Hook – $6.97

While not a great effort on my part, I’m hoping to make up some ground in January and finish up some series that are available.

Previously posted series reviews that got updates:

No updates this month 🙁

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 – Short 13 Books!
Goodreads Challenge: 3 books added | 171/155 Books – Completed!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 0 books added | 22/24 Books – So Close!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

Overall: By the summer my challenges had slipped my mind and my fall reading slump didn’t help. It’s great I accomplished my Goodreads Challenge considering I was short the number of books I went over by this year. I wish I had paid attention to my Tackling the TBR because I’m sure I could have found 2 books to quickly read to get that challenge done.

2021 Reading Challenges:

I’ve decided NOT to set any challenges this year. I will continue my Goodreads Goal and have it set again at 155 Books (if travel can safely resume, I have a lot of postponed trips to get to!).

I may go back to old challenges that are incomplete and finish them up in 2021. But I kind of want to see how January goes before I commit to that idea.

My Goodreads Goal this year is 155 Books.

My main mission for 2020 was bringing my “Want to Read” shelf (new to me books) on Goodreads to a number less than 400 and have my “Sequel” shelf to be below 200 titles.

How did I do?

	Currently	December 31, 2019
Want to Read (New)	362	422
To Read (Sequels)	205	238

Final thoughts: I’m really happy with my Want to Read numbers! I think it helps I didn’t really keep up with new releases this year so I wasn’t always adding titles but still, I made great progress there! The Sequel shelf is a great number as well. While I would have liked to have been below 200, it’s so close I really can’t complain.

Mission for 2021: I would love to decrease my Want to Read (New) to 325 and my To Read (Sequels) to 175.

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:

Pass	Pass	Keep	Pass	Pass
Keep	Keep	Keep	Pass	Keep

Pass: 5 | Keep: 5

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 55 | Keep: 65

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 December, 2020:

ARCs Read: 31 | ARCs Overdue: 5+1* | Upcoming: 1

(September State: ARCs Read: 25 | ARCs Overdue: 2+1* | Upcoming: 4

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

Going Forward:

In 2021 I’m limiting the amount of requests I accept through my blog. Instead, I want to focus on author’s I’ve worked with before or am a member of their street teams for. I’m not going to actively seek out any ARCs at this time until I get back into better reading habits.

January is all about relearning my reading habits and reintegrating it into my everyday life. I’d also love to finish up some of my overdue ARCs and finish those books that I’ve started but seem to struggle with picking up and finishing.

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

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Monthly Inventory: November 2020

November 2020

I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get around to posting this recap of the month. I mean, there isn’t a whole lot to say about the dismal month of November when it comes to my reading and blogging.

Like it has been for many people, 2020 has been a challenging year.

For me, I feel like I am at a crossroads of my life. When it comes to my career, I’m trying to navigate my long term goals with some new job opportunities but feel absolutely lost. And because I work at a hospital in the lab, there’s no escaping COVID and our current realties.

My reading habits have been on a decline for the last two years. Even though I no longer commute 2 hours a day to work, my priorities and commitments have shifted since I’ve moved closer to work. I’m tired all the time and go to bed before I can finish a single chapter. And if I do find the time to read during the day, my mind begins to wander and I can’t focus on what is in front of me. The bulk of the books I do finish in a month are audiobooks I listen to when I walk my dog.

In November my domain name was up for renewal and I started to wonder what my long term goals are for the blog. I’m behind in my ARCs because it feels like a catch-22 (they feel like work and I don’t want to taint the review with my horrible mood). I’m rarely logging in to blog and don’t blog hop like I used to. I opted to renew my domain name but self-hosting is up for renewal in February and I’m on the fence about keeping it.

I’m leaning more towards moving back to the free WordPress.com setup. However, it isn’t overly expensive to keep my blog as self-hosted either. I don’t want to disband the blog entirely–I don’t think. I suppose that is the question I need to answer for myself.

Total for November 2020: 7 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last November: 13 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★)

I just thought this book was so much fun to listen to. I loved how body-positive it was and how Sweetie was such a boss.

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

This isn’t a bad book by any means. I just went in with high hopes that this book would restart my love of reading by sucking me in. And while it started great, it lagged in the middle and just needed to fine tune some aspects to make it an epic read.

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.)

NONE

I’ve been doing terribly with this! There was a really good deal to extend my subscription for another 3 months so I’m hoping I can get my reading mojo back and finish some series off!

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
Goodreads Challenge: 7 books added | 168/155 Books – Completed!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 0 books added | 22/24 Books

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	Pass	Pass
Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 5 | Keep: 5

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 50 | Keep: 60

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

I’m hoping to get to my yearly wrap up posts in the next two weeks! I’m also going to be making some hard decisions when it comes to the blog so we will see where things take me in December! Stay safe!

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

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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!

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!

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: August 2020

August 2020

Yikes! Where did this month go!!??!? I had started things off so well but this was one of those months where it felt like a chore to sit down and read. My hectic work schedule didn’t help either. But if I look at my numbers for a year ago, I guess I did read more books this month than I thought!

I spent more time watching TV this month. I’m officially obsessed with Dynasty. The new version not the 80s version. I’m on Season 3 already and I’m so happy it got its mojo back (Season 2 was a little blah I thought).

It’s official: I’m obsessed with Dynasty.
So stop judging me Netflix when you ask if I want to “continue watching”.
The answer is YES! pic.twitter.com/OLzWofW2YC

— Lauren (@SERIESousBooks) August 6, 2020

August is usually about the ARCs and I started off the month well. But I missed my own deadlines for a few I had set out so September will be about sequels and ARCs!

Total for August 2020: 16 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last August: 8 Books Read + 5 Novellas Read + 3 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

What a treat for the ears! I really loved the audiobook! Having a full cast and bringing the documents and transcripts to life was superb. I love a good mystery and this one kept me listening and on my toes!

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

This was more about my disappointment in the audio production. Our hero has had an accent in the last 3 books of the series but here he has no inkling of it at all. I also thought the character development was underwhelming.

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: 2 books added | 17 of 31 Titles Read – 3 Books Behind!
Goodreads Challenge: 15 books added | 142/155 Books – 40 Books Ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 5 books added | 21/24 Books – 5 Books Ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

This month:

Keep	Keep	Pass	Keep	Pass
Pass	Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 5 | Keep: 6

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 37 | Keep: 44

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. Since August is usually dubbed ARC August, I thought I would do a quick recap of where I am at.

My Progress for January to August, 2020:

ARCs Read: 25 | ARCs Overdue: 2+1* | Upcoming: 4 | ARCs In Progress: 1

(June’s State: ARCs Read: 18 | ARCs Overdue: 2* | Upcoming: 5

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

Going Forward:

I’m going to be working hard on getting my ARCs under control in September!

You can still join in on these discussions:

Service Review: Scribd — is it worth your money?

September is usually all about the sequels and it will be this year as well. But I also need to wrap up some ARCs I have on the go!

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

Disclaimer | Request a Review | Contact

Monthly Inventory: July 2020

July 2020

This month was bittersweet in a lot of ways. I was supposed to be going on an epic trip to Europe–one I’ve been planning for years–but COVID had stopped that from happening. I still took some of my vacation off from work which was a great decision. Not only did it let me do some seriously great reading but the mental break from healthcare did wonders for me.

Reading wise, I had a stellar month! I finished a lot of series (or read sequels for), fit in a lot of ARCs ahead of schedule, and finished my Scribd trial. I actually felt motivated to read; something that hasn’t really happened in long spurts since March. My reading stats did slump near the end of the month but that’s really only because projects around the house and other summer plans got in the way.

Total for July 2020: 21 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last July 2019: 12 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read + 3 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I had a few 5 star reads this month (like You Had My at Hola and If the Sun Never Sets) but this one made me smile and giggle with the great chemistry between the leads.

Biggest Let Down (★★)

This wasn’t bad but it wasn’t fresh for me either. It started off so promising but I got bored with it fairly quickly.

While I’ve been meaning to sign up for Scribd for a little while (it’s one of the last subscription services I haven’t tried), I finally got around to it! July was my last month using the service so I tried to make the best of it!

Like I always do when I sign up for subscriptions, 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.

Making a Play by Abbi Glines (audio)
Four Seconds to Lose by K A Tucker (audio)
Royal Bastard by Andrew Shvarts (audio)
Man Cuffed by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (eBook)
City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts (audio)
The Skylighter by Becky Wallace (eBook)
Five Ways to Fall by K A Tucker (audio)
In a House Made of Bones and Teeth by Alyxandra Harvey (eBook)
Maybe Now by Colleen Hoover (audio)
Rebel Heir by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward (audio)

Overall, Scribd has its perks and some disappointments. Honestly, this list would have had more titles if they didn’t have a silly cap on the number of people who could access titles (like the sequels to Royal Bastards and Rebel Heir). I actually ended the service a week earlier than I needed to because there were zero titles I wanted to read that I had access to by that point. I wrote a full review of the series that I will post in August.

I finished a lot of series this month which was great. It wasn’t even one of my “Sequel Months”; it was simply because I wanted to take advantage of the last month of my Scribd trial.

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 | 15 of 31 Titles Read – 3 books behind!
Goodreads Challenge: 20 books added | 127/155 Books – 38 books ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 4 books added | 16/24 Books – Ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

This month:

Pass	Pass	Keep	Pass	Pass
Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 5 | Keep: 5

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 32 | Keep: 38

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

The focus for next month is my 5 Year 5 Book Challenge picks. I let them slip a bit as I used my Scribd trial to get some other series finished!

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

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Monthly Inventory: June 2020

June 2020

I’m always a proud Canadian but these last few months have shown me how great this country truly is. The acts of kindness and compassion I’ve witnessed just warms my heart. And while we may not be celebrating the way we usually do, I know it will be a great day.

My reading for June was pretty great! Between my Scribd free trial and my second “sequel only” month of the year, having a purpose when it came to my reading seemed to motivate me to get some books in!

July is somewhat bittersweet for me. As I write this, I should be abroad right now on my summer vacation. Obviously, my plans for the summer have changed like many other people’s. I’m disappointed but trying to make the best of it. I have quite the backlog of reviews to write, some library books I took out in March that I haven’t gotten to and the last month of my Scribd trial so I am hoping to shift my focus!

Total for June 2020: 16 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 0 Books

Last June: 13 Books Read + 4 Novellas Read + 2 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Christina Lauren’s writing talents have come a long way from their Beautiful Bastard debut. I’m so glad that I saw the potential in this series and stuck with it! I loved this finale! It’s exactly what a romance series finale should be!

Biggest Let Down (★)

I felt like that last two books in this series built up for our hero’s here so maybe I put too much pressure on it to be something else? I’m not sure. All I know is that this is the second 1-star review in a row for Abbi’s work and I’m not sure if I’ve outgrown her or her work has just shifted into something I’m not a fan of.

While I’ve been meaning to sign up for Scribd for a little while (it’s one of the last subscription services I haven’t tried), I finally got around to it this month!

Want to try Scribd for FREE for 60 days? Click Here! (*referral link)

Like I always do when I sign up for subscriptions, 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.

Appealed by Emma Chase (audio)
Sidebarred by Emma Chase (audio)
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (audio)
Best I’ve Ever Had by Abbi Glines (eBook)
The Empress by S J Kincaid (audio)
Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren (audio)
House of Kings by Keary Taylor (eBook)
Beautiful by Christina Lauren (audio)
Man Card by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (eBook)
Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (eBook)
Big Shot by Kim Karr (audio)

A monthly subscription to Scribd costs $8.99 USD. Basically, if you read one audiobook title a month, you’ve doubled the value of your payment. Even reading one bestseller eBook covers your payment. For example, The Wallflower wager costs $9.99 CAD for the eBook and $26.99 for the audio. So I definitely got my money’s worth this month! Some titles I could get from my library but I didn’t have to wait or they had my preferred format on Scribd.

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 books added | 15 of 31 Titles Read – On Track!
Goodreads Challenge: 19 books added | 107/155 Books – 31 books Ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 1 books added | 12/24 Books – On Track!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

Sequel Month #2!

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 84% of the books I read this month were sequels! You can see the breakdown of what I read below:

# of Sequels Read: 16 + 0 DNF + 1 in Progress
1. Rainbows Ever After by J J McAvoy (Rainbows #2)
2. Appealed by Emma Chase (The Legal Briefs #3)
3. Sidebarred by Emma Chase (The Legal Briefs #3.5)
4. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (Girl Meets Duke #3)
5. Best I’ve Ever Had by Abbi Glines (Sea Breeze Meets Rosemary Beach #3)
6. The Empress by S J Kincaid (The Diabolic #2)
7. Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard #4.5)
8. House of Kings by Keary Taylor (House of Royals #3)
9. Beautiful by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard #5)
10. Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (Anna #2)
11. Reckless by Stella Rhys (Irresistible #6)
12. Man Card by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (Man Hands #2)
13. My Calamity Jane by Hand, Meadows & Ashton (The Ladies Janies #3)
14. Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (Man Hands #3)
15. Big Shot by Kim Karr (Sexy Jerk World #2)
16. A Love Song for Dreamers by Piper Lawson — In Progress
# of Series Finished: 6
1. Rainbows
2. The Legal Briefs
3. Beautiful Bastard
4. Anna
5. Irresistible
6. The Ladies Janies

What a great reading month for sequels! All but three books I read this month were sequels which is pretty impressive! I got quite a few outstanding series finished up and added some long overdue sequels for others so I consider this one a success!

Cleaning Up My Goodreads Shelves:

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)	391	422
To Read (Sequels)	215	238

This month:

Pass	Keep	Keep	Pass	Pass
Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 4 | Keep: 6

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 27 | Keep: 33

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 June, 2020:

ARCs Read: 18 | ARCs Overdue: 2* | Upcoming: 5

(March State: 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’ve put a hold on taking requests for the rest of the summer to concentrate on titles I already have committed too and some upcoming releases for the street teams I’m a part of of.

The focus for July is to finish up some ARCs and enjoy the last month of my Scribd trial!

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

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Monthly Inventory: May 2020

May 2020

This was a weird month for me. Things started on such a high following a great April (reading wise) and I was optimistic things were on the right track for the rest of the month.

I celebrated 7 years of blogging at the start of the month. It’s crazy that I’ve been doing this for 7 years! I’ve made lots of changes over the last 7 years like moving to a self-hosted site (and debating about staying that way), changing my posting schedule to post less and changing my review formats. Over the last two years I’ve struggled to find the time to blog but I learned I just had to find the right balance and change my expectations. I might not work on my blog everyday like I used to, but when I do, I’m reminded why I started this hobby in the first place. And especially with the state of the world right now (working in healthcare like I do is particularly challenging of late), finding joy in the little things has helped my mental health incredibly.

My reading itself was all over the place this month. While June was my planned “Sequel Month #2” for the year, approximately 50% of the books I read in May were sequels. Some were good and some were bad. I think this tweet sums things up nicely:

Either I’m picking up terrible books or I am in a reading slump again.
I suppose this is the #bookbloggers chicken/egg dilemma 🤔

— Lauren (@SERIESousBooks) May 25, 2020

So by the end of the month, I tried my best to keep things light (ie mostly read contemporary romances) because that’s what my mood seemed to thrive on. And as June approached, I felt a little better about diving into those sequels and FINALLY starting my Scribd free trial.

Total for May 2020: 24 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 1 Books

Last May: 13 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★★)

I love Piper’s works and this series is shaping up to be one of her best yet. This book had everything I love in a good contemporary romance. Very excited for the finale!

Biggest Let Down (★★)

I think I just outgrew this series. It took me over 6 months (and numerous loans and renewals) to finally finish this book…and I was skimming it. The way this series progressed and evolved just wasn’t for me. And I could do without seeing the word “mate” for another 6 months.

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 books added | 13 of 31 Titles Read – On Track!
Goodreads Challenge: 24 books added | 88/155 Books – 24 Books Ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 2 books added | 11/24 Books – 1 Book Ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

Created by Lia @ Lost in a Story

This month:

Keep	Keep	Pass	Keep	Pass
Pass	Keep	Keep	Keep	Keep

Pass: 3 | Keep: 7

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 23 | Keep: 27

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

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

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Monthly Inventory: April 2020

April 2020

Last month I was finding it harder than normal to concentrate on reading. I found myself picking up other hobbies like knitting or taking an online course to learn Python coding. And if it wasn’t an audiobook, I likely didn’t pick it up.

But April seemed to be a total 180! Work was even crazier than the month before (I work in the lab at a hospital) and I found myself reaching for the old familiar comfort of reading and finishing a book. It felt great to get lost in books again.

Once again, audiobooks ruled the month! Nearly 46% of the titles I read where audiobooks. I even managed to finish 2 shorter ones in one day! The secret? I would listen to them as I played Animal Crossing (the old school Wii version City Folk since I don’t have a Switch). They make great company when virtually fishing and catching bugs 😛

And I also set a mini challenge for myself to catch up on some ARCs that I had let slip to the wayside. I finished all of those up within the week which was great!

For May I’m hoping to tackle the titles I took out from the library before it shut down back in March. That includes finishing the final Throne of Glass novel (which I had been reading a bit at a time) and rewarding myself with 2 Cassandra Clare novels.

I hope everyone is staying safe and listening to their local health experts. There isn’t a minute of my day where I don’t think about the state of the world given my job. And when I think about what we are being asked to do (literally just staying home) and how doable that is when other generations before us were asked to leave their homes and travel to places unknown. I know it challenging (my dog and I definitely have cabin fever) but doing your small part as an individual helps the greater good in the long run. And thank you to everyone who is working on the frontlines–whether that’s in healthcare, food services, cleaning, delivery–keep up the great work!

Total for April 2020: 23 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read

DNF’d: 1 Books

Last April: 12 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read + 0 DNFs

Standout Read (★★★★)

Piper Lawson is a favourite author of mine and I’ve been eagerly awaiting her brand new spin-off series! I loved all the tension and angst this brought and THAT ENDING!

Biggest Let Down (DNF’d)

I was really excited to start this book for a number of reasons. The diverse cast was the main one. But the “hate to love” you trope was more “hate” than “love” so I failed to see the chemistry between them and that bored me enough to put the book down.

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 books added | 10 of 31 Titles Read – 3 books behind!
Goodreads Challenge: 14 books added | 64/155 Books – 13 books ahead!
Tackling the TBR Challenge: 7 books added | 9/24 Books – 1 book ahead!

View my Challenge Progress Here!

This was a crazy month! I’m super ahead in my Goodreads Challenge (probably the most I’ve ever been ahead in my life) which is great because it gives me some buffer room for when normal life resumes. It was also a great month to catch up on reading books I already own. I was super behind on my Tackling the TBR Challenge so it was great to make up some ground.

This month:

Pass	Pass	Pass	Keep	Pass
Pass	Keep	Pass	Keep	Keep

Pass: 6 | Keep: 4

Grand Total YTD: Pass: 20 | Keep: 20

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

I’m going to keep the focus on books I already own for May–particularly cleaning up some series and crossover series I have on the go while everything is still fresh.

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.

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.

December 2020

Total for December 2020: 4 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

Grand Totals for 2020:

43 Books + 31 ARCs + 76 Audiobooks + 6 Novellas + 6 DNFs + 1 Reread = 177 Books

Standout Read (★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (N/A)

2021 Reading Challenges:

My Progress for January to December, 2020:

Going Forward:

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

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November 2020

Total for November 2020: 7 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

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

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October 2020

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

Standout Read (★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (DNF)

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

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September 2020

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

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★)

Sequel Month #3!

Cleaning Up My Goodreads Shelves:

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

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August 2020

Total for August 2020: 16 Books Read + 1 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

My Progress for January to August, 2020:

Going Forward:

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

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July 2020

Total for July 2020: 21 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★)

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

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June 2020

Total for June 2020: 16 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★)

Sequel Month #2!

Cleaning Up My Goodreads Shelves:

My Progress for January to June, 2020:

Going Forward:

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

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May 2020

Total for May 2020: 24 Books Read + 0 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★)

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

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April 2020

Total for April 2020: 23 Books Read + 3 Novellas Read

Standout Read (★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (DNF’d)

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

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March 2020

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

Standout Read (★★★★★)

Biggest Let Down (★★★)

My Progress for January to March, 2020:

Going Forward:

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

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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month/year?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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What were your biggest reading or personal accomplishments of the past month?
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