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So far, I've had a good start to the New Year with lots of reading. I am still struggling trying to juggle blogging with the rest of my life (work, kids, other interests such as sleep), so I am a bit stressed out right now! The stress is mostly pressure I put on myself. I think I need to re-evaluate how I approach reading and simplify my own expectations. For instance, I had a goal of reading 13 books this month, which I did achieve. I just didn't read the exact 13 book I had set out to read. So I don't feel like I accomplished what I wanted for the month. When I post my game plan for February I will share what I came up with to help address this for me.
I am also experimenting with how much information to include in blog posts such as these. Do readers want a synopsis for each and every book I read? A list of all my blog posts for the month? That seems like data overload to me. But I don't want to leave a reader wondering, "Why didn't Ardis write anything for each book?"
It's a struggle. I'm working on it...
What were your favorite (and least favorite) books for January? Let me know in the comments.
Five Star Reads of the Month:
Lowest Rated Books of The Month:
Other Books Read This Month:
Personally with wrap ups, I like to see what someone thought of a book be it rating or brief explanation but not when it gets too long. This is perfect! I can't wait to read Truthwitch and Black Widow, hopefully this month :D
ReplyDeleteEnchanted by YA
Thanks for the feedback, Anna. I struggle trying to find a balance. It is ongoing. Truthwitch was really fun to read. I hope they make Black Widow into a movie. We need Scarlett Johansson to lead a female super-hero movie!
DeleteOhhhhhh my gosh, I feel your disappointment with the Heir, I was seriously let down by that book. But Beyond the Red *flails* and Sarah J Maas *flairs more* so many great books on this list :)!!
ReplyDeleteI so wanted to like The Heir! Oh well. But I read some amazing books in January. The Last days of Magic doesn't come out until March. It is an historical, magical, epic.
DeleteMy opinion is share the books that you feel 'compelled' to write about, that hit a nerve or you simply enjoy. If you read a book and have a 'blah' reaction - that could be a book to just not say anything about if you're looking to cut down the amount of books you write posts for in a given month.
ReplyDeleteGood advice. I don't review every book I read, but I struggle sometimes between putting too much into a post or, possibly, not enough. Thanks for the input.
DeleteMy favourite books of January is a tie between The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas and Rabbit Ears by Maggie de Vries.
ReplyDeleteI think leaving a little explanation about your goals, like you've done here or leaving a mini review of your favourite and least favourite book is great for a wrap up post. I'm still struggling myself of how much to write, how much is enough.
Thank you, Adriyanna (That's a lovely name, BTW). I'm glad you read The Assassins Blade. As I read more into the series, I can have a deeper understanding because of the background given in The Assassins Blade. I lot of times these short novellas that come out between books are just to fill a void with fans who are hankering for more of their favorite series.
DeleteI had the same struggles with my monthly wrap-up posts too! I mostly used the wrap-up as a log for myself but I had so much formatting that it was more tedious to me than it was worth. This year, I've decided to do a seasonal wrap-up instead so we'll see how that goes.
ReplyDeleteI personally like seeing review rating breakdowns like you did. Maybe link the cover to your review if it is available so those who are interested could get some details. (Unless you schedule a lot of review posts for after the wrap-up post like I did, then it is a mute point haha).
Lauren @ SERIESous Book Reviews #Commenting365
I'm so terrible at planning out monthly TBRs for myself. I can tell myself I'm goign to read 2 or 3 books, but I can't plan out an entire month. Ugh. You read some great books in January though!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting format where you give both your highest star ratings and your lowest star ratings. I've never seen that before. I don't think you should be disappointed for not reading exactly what you want to read, though I understand how you feel because I make pretty specific goals myself. I like the category idea you presented in your February game plan post.
ReplyDeleteI like to read a small comment about each book a blogger read in a month, and that's what I do in my post. But I guess everyone has a different style that works for them. I'm looking forward to reading how you address the pressure to read in your future post. Great job this month!
ReplyDeleteSofia @ Bookish Wanderess