I cannot believe we are already in the holiday season!!! What is this magic?? Does time really fly? Just now I seem to have drafted my October stats fever post… Hmm.
Well, anyway. Since it’s holiday season, we might as well start feeling it!
Alright, alright! Done with the GIFs. Or you might all just leave. But come on, let me have some fun! I’ve had yet another hard week with loads of health troubles (I even went back to my mom’s… where else would you want to be when you’re sick?) So this has made a pretty tough month for me as a human being, but I should say, it has been a good month as a bookworm! Let’s sum it up:
- SciFi Month!! I made it! In full, this year!
- 17 posts: 5 lists or discussions among them!
- 11 books read
- *hides* 20 books acquired (at this rate… my TBR can only grow.)
- 3 old ARCs knocked off the list!
- 5 Mount TBR books off the list as well!
So, with a seriously rejuvenated TBR, I am ready for a fun December. (I swear, EVERYTHING I had marked to-read went on sale… You’ll see in the book haul! There’s no way I could have passed getting them for basically scratch!! You totally get it, right?? Right..?)
~ 5-Star Miracle Books Read ~
You could say, hey, it’s only one amazing book this month. Bummer, eh? But no! The Amber Spyglass is so amazing, that it can stand up on its own and proudly take the place of the only mind-blowingly awesome book I read this month. I have reviewed the entire series here if you’d like to read it. It was awesome and I recommend it for sure.
~ 4-Star Steady Good Books Read ~
The Plague Charmer was one of my long-forgotten ARCs from 2016, and I’m kind of sorry I didn’t read it sooner! It was a really great book, steeped in the rawness of the middle ages and in their unique magic. I am planning to review it soon. The Girl in the Tower, needless to say, was also great, and in my opinion, much better than the first book, The Bear and the Nightingale. I loved it, and there should be a review of it up next week. I also really liked Eligible, which is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. If you’re a fan of that story, you might like this one. I really loved it, but I’ve heard people say they didn’t like it too much, having read it too soon after reading Pride and Prejudice, because some things clashed. But I think it’s a solid and very fun current retelling of the same story!
~ Okay Books Read ~
The Ugly is one of my old ARCs. While nicely written and definitely got a few good things to say, it was a little bit long-winded and complex. I liked the absurdity of the story, but at times it was too much. Not sorry I read or requested it though! Flower Moon is a new ARC, it comes out on January 2nd 2018, and it’s a cute story about the love between twin sisters and how they learn to be together and allow each other to be who they are – with a dash of the paranormal intertwined into the story. And you ask why Assassin’s Apprentice is on the “okay” list? Well, we read it together with Ebilshrimp, and he really really liked it! But for me it was merely okay (fantasy + politics… It’s a me thing. Plus, it’s VERY dark.) But don’t get me wrong! We already have two of the next books and we’ll definitely be reading them too.
~ Totally Meh Books Read ~
About Here We Are Now? I know some of you liked it. I just didn’t. Perhaps I won’t request contemporary YA anymore. Maybe all that instalove that solves all of life’s problems is just not for me. As for The Doctor of Broad Street – it’s also one of those old ARCs, and I DNFed it – I don’t even know why I would have requested it! *glares at Evelina from 2016* I received Sometimes I’m So Smart I Almost Feel Like a Real Person from the author, and he claimed it’s something like The Rosie Project – you can probably already tell it’s not, not really. (And why do authors sometimes make book names that long?) And I also tried myself out on some translated manga, to only learn that it probably also doesn’t work on me (I’ve read manga in Japanese, and it works much better, perhaps because you’re working on the language, so you’re less bored xD) The Promised Neverland felt repetitive and boring. Plus, I think I hate reading on the phone. So that might be the last manga ARC I ever request.
~ The Stats! ~
It seems.. That finishing the Goodreads goal has silently crept up on me!! All I now have to do is just review those overdue ones and… I’ll be done, and probably over the number! Didn’t expect that. It seems as though I have also pretty much nailed my Mount TBR goal. (And we do not speak of the Blogger Shame goal, because that’s what State of the ARC is all about…)
~ On The Blog In November ~
You will mostly see scifi posts here because SciFi Month! I was really glad to participate, but I’m also sort of glad it’s over – cause I’m simply tired of posting about the same thing over and over again. As for the next month, I’m planning some changes for my blog – as of now, there should be more discussions and lists, and less reviews! As for november, the most popular post must have been My Favorite Gift Ever, and some of those discussion posts. I also urge you to check out the review for An Unkindness of Ghosts, because it’s probably my favorite book of the whole month! Maybe even year…
~ Books Hauled ~
Well… Need I talk about it? There were some really good books on sale. And not even for Black Friday. They just randomly went for sale. But hey, #noregrets. I really wanted to read Murderbot (All Systems Red)! And so many other things. Have you read any of these?
As usual, I’m linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday post, also with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga’s Reviews and Mailbox Monday, Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
And that’s it for my November! What about you? Share your links with me in the comments!
I’m Evelina and I try to blog about books that matter, with a bit of fun there too! Disability and equality will be topics you see a lot, but there’s also a lot of scifi, fantasy and… GIFs. I’m also the proud founder of #ARCsAnonymous.
Oeh, yeay for all the hauling. Sometimes you just have to.
I’m sorry to hear you still aren’t feeling so great. I really hope it will pick up for you soon, love. <3
Thank you, I think I am feeling better 🙂
I’m glad you had a good book month! I think it’s interesting that you liked Eligible– I read it a couple of months ago and absolutely hated it (I have stupidly high standards when it comes to adaptations) but judging by the goodreads rating you aren’t the only one who enjoyed it.
I’ve been off the blogsphere almost all month chipping away at NaNo, so I’m excited to catch up on all of your blog posts!
I think I liked it because I read Pride and Prejudice years ago, and I didn’t really have any expectations for this one, so it was easy to just take it on its own 🙂 I wonder why you disliked it? My friend Jackie also said the same.
Yay, welcome back 🙂
That is one amazing book haul! Can’t pass up good deals when you see them. 🙂 I hope that you’re feeling better now. Have a great week coming up.
My Sunday Post
I am feeling better, thank you 🙂
I had fun with Sci Fi Month too, but I’m ready to move on! Hope your have an awesome December!
Thank you, Tammy! Have a great December too 🙂
Wow you had a seriously productive month! I am struggling to clean up the remnants of ARCs and review copies this month. I want to remain closed to them in 2018 unless I specifically request them and actually make some headway on my own shelf 😉 Yay for November sneaking up on us. Reading for the holiday fun <3
That’s a good goal! But will you be able to? (If you will I bow before you, kind Lady.) My problem is exactly that I request too much xD
Glad you enjoyed the Sci-Fi month. I tried to listen to The Bear and the Nightingale but couldn’t slip in. Maybe I should revisit it. It does seem like it was just the first of November. You had a great month!
Maybe some books work best as listening media and some as reading media? 🙂
Times does fly, into some other dimension and it’s not fair. Seriously December already?? What is this? I don’t get it. Sorry you weren’t feeling well- hope that gets better- and great job on SciFi Month!! Nice that you were able to participate so fully. I wanted to but that didn’t work out this year. 🙁
Nice to see your thoughts on Assassin’s Apprentice. I liked that series, mostly, but yeah it gets pretty dark.
Thanks, Greg 🙂 I’m sure you’ll be able to compensate for SciFi Month next year 🙂
Those gifs! Too funny! Darn, I hope you feel better soon. It’s really hanging on. You are so bad for my book budget. Here I thought I was safe until the end of the year. Now I spy several I must check out!
Hahaha xD my blog apologizes to your wallet 😀 😀
I hope you are feeling better, and it’s very sweet of your mom to take care of you. I it makes you feel any better, I think I acquired more than 20 books this month. Clara Voyiant looks adorable. Doesn’t the cover remind you of Kate Hudson in Almost Famous?
Yes, but you also read so much faster than me 😀 so my 20 books is equivalent for maybe 60 for you! 😀
Um, I’m not a movie watcher at all, so I don’t even really know who Kate Hudson is 😀 *hides* but it’s definitely a super cute cover!
Yayyyy, fabulous month! Congrats on making the Goodreads challenge! *cheers* Nice job with the Mount TBR, too… I’ve done it the last couple years, but only with the smallest challenge. And somehow I have acquired… I think 150 unread books? I’m really hoping to buckle down and get to alllll of them (okay not really) next year, so my plan is to (hopefully) go for the 100 level. Although HOW COOL would it be to start the year with >150 and get RID OF 150. I so want to do that now. (#unrealisticgoals)
Yeah, I know basically like 2-3 people for whom that goal might actually be realistic xD don’t forget that it’s not just 150 to read, but also no new ARCs, cause all of those are backlist 😀 but yes, completing that? Would be super awesome xD
Haha don’t really I realize that! 100 might actually be feasible, so that’s my plan for now. I can always adjust it later on in the year if I somehow become a reading machine!
🙂 good luck!
Thanks! XD
Wow, impressive haul! I hope you love them all…and as for what you read, Eligible is one I’ve been eyeing.
Have a great week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
I think you would like Eligible, it was fun 🙂
It looks like you got some awesome books. I acquired a lot of books last month, too. There were so many sales! Happy December!
You too! Yep, all the sales 🙂
Phenomenal month you had Evelina!!! Congratulations on reaching your Goodreads goal. 100!!!! It’s always amazing to me when people reach 100 or anything above it. I wish I could read that many. Excluding the comics I read too!! Love the haul you’ve got there too. I think I jumped and got a bit too excited seeing Ursula LeGuin’s classic The Left Hand of Darkness in there. I NEEEEEEED to read that one myself! Hope December proves to be awesome for you. Happy reading! 🙂
Thanks 🙂 but I know some who read 300+! Now that’s a number that completely baffles me 🙂
I was recently recommended The Left Hand of Darkness, so I basically know nothing about it, but I guess I just went with the recommendation and the source 😀
Looks like you had a pretty busy month! Especially with all the sci-fi stuff. I LOVE The Golden Compass series and I recently reread the first one and want to go back and read the rest of them now so I’m definitely glad you enjoyed them too.
Oh yeah, this series is great for rereading 🙂
Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well, hope you’ll be feeling so much better soon! At least you had a great month readingwise. And well, maybe I should really start His Dark Materials if you think it’s mindblowingly awesome 🙂
Oh yes you should! 🙂
Doesn’t it feel good to get those old ARCs marked off the list?! Great job!
That sucks that you’ve been sick and, yes, going back to mom is a wonderful think when you feel like hell. There’s no one like your mom when you’re sick. I hope you feel better! 🙂
Thank you, Rachel 🙂
I want to read all your 4-star books and I haven’t even seen the reviews yet. The Bear and the Nightengale has been on my list forever, and who can say no to a Pride & Prejudice retelling? The Plague Charmer sounds morbidly delightful as well 🙂
Much love to your Christmas GIF. And your TBR hoard – how can you say no to a good book sale? It’s like they just GIVE the things away sometimes 🙂
Yeah, you got that right 😀 and I’m glad the mini reviews were so enticing 🙂 I am hoping to write proper ones this month! (Keyword: hoping xD)
I’m sorry you’ve had more health trouble, Evelina! I agree, when I’m sick, I want my mom, too… sometimes, I actually get sick when I visit her – and then she takes care of me.
Of course it’s impossible to resist all the cheap books. TBR piles are there to grow, yeah? Think how sad it would be if it was suddenly all gone!
I hope this week is better. *sending you healing vibes and good thoughts*
Thank you so much, Lexxie 🙂
Wow! Book wise you had a terrific month. Sorry you weren’t feeling so well. Hope December is a better health month for you and yes, time does in fact have wings – I’m convinced!
I hope so too, thank you 🙂
Congrats on having a great book month!! And high-five for all those great posts for Sci-Fi Month! It would definitely be hard for me to find interesting and creative ways to write about the same topic in such a short time span. Hope you’re feeling much better now!
I know right, it was a good challenge 🙂 thank you, I am feeling better!
Oh no! Sorry you were sick, but I’m glad that the reading was good! And definitely – who else do you want when you’re sick!? I think I only ever read the first book in His Dark Materials… Maybe the second. But I was also very young so I should give them another try. I think I’d enjoy them more now. I need to read the Winternight books! TBATN has been on my TBR since before it came out. Also Robin Hobb… But ‘m sad you didn’t enjoy that one. I think it will still be a yay book for… Read more »
Yep, His Dark Materials is a complex and layered story full of symbols of religion and basically psychology, so if you were young I can see why it may not have resonated.
Robin Hobb is yay for most people besides me, really 😀 so I think it’s just my thing 😀
Yep, you can join State of the ARC at any time 🙂 a lot of people join slightly later! So I’ll be waiting for your post 🙂 and thanks for the awesome comment!
I can believe you posted 17 times! That is great girl! so proud of you and 5 discussion??? you are a very talented blogger that’s for sure. And 4 great books in a month is awesome! [at least to me!] I usually just run into one 5-star review and 2 4.5 every quarter
Awwww thank you so much!! <3 this month might be tougher for sure because of health troubles and my work load.. I think my last posts come out next week xD I'll have to catch up this weekend I guess 🙂
I don’t think I asked you, but… did you cry at the end of The Amber Spygladss? Please, make me feel less alone here hahaha, I cried like a baby. This series was so good <3
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Here We Are Now, I have been hearing good things about this one overall, but I haven't read anything by this author just yet. Maybe I'll try her books someday 🙂
I hope you'll have a great month!! xx
Totally did 😀 and then walked around like a zombie. Well, you know the phases 😀 the worst thing is that GE gives you so much false hope so many times! And then takes it away 😀 pure literary evil, and it’s just how we like it 😀
Here We Are Now was alright, but it was kind of bland for me. I think it’s just that it wasn’t quite written for me is all 🙂 you might like it!
That a big reccomendation for The Amber Spyglass. I guess I need to put that on my TBR as well. Yes! You got Golden Son, have you read it? I loved that book, but yet I haven’t read Morning Star (that I pre-ordered). Sorry I am so behind on commenting. It has been a bit weird for me this week. I didn’t even post a Wrap Up my weekend was so crazy. Anyways, enjoy all your new reads!
Yes yes yes! You must read it!! 🙂
Also, I started reading Golden Son, but then I had life troubles and dropped it. I will get back into it when the whole health/work stuff settles 🙂 it’s a physical book, so I had to keep leaving it in the other place I stay. Points for the Kindle here.
That’s a lot of books you have there!
I still couldn’t get into the sci-fi genre much but I’ll look over the books you recommend.
You’re right, sci-fi is not for everyone 🙂 I also don’t read all the genres, so it’s only understandable 🙂
I also really hate fantasy politics. It’s pretty much a book killer for me. I like fantasy that’s more about the characters. Battle strategy is also painful.
I love His Dark Materials but haven’t re-read them since they came out. I’m glad to her they stand the test of time!
I’m glad your feeling better, and I hope you enjoy December.
Yay! I’m glad I’m not the only one then, Wendy 🙂 and it’s not just the fantasy politics for me, it’s also all the obscure name dropping – previous kings and their councilors who have nothing to do with the story. That bothers me too xD
YES! There were SO many books on sale around Thanksgiving, I got WAY more than I even want to think about or count. So don’t feel bad about your 20, I’m 100% I got more than that eeks lol! And cheers to December creeping upon us fast. I ♥ this time of the year. Here’s wishing you a wonderful month and hopefully you’re able to stay healthy *hugs*.
I know right, exactly 🙂 but oh well, I think I shopped less this month (although Christmas sales haven’t yet started, I guess…) But yes, it’s definitely a good time for reading, not just cause of the sales, but cause cocoa, a blanket and reading goes together really well 😀
I see so many pretty covers and so many books that are new to me. I’m just getting into sci-fi and the book that hooked me again was Maze Runner and then I loved Illuminae. I have Gemina ready to read in 2018. Hope your December is a healthy one!
Thanks! Oh yeah, Illuminae and Gemina are amazing 🙂 I haven’t read Maze Runner though.