October Wrap Up & November TBR

It’s been almost a year since I posted a monthly wrap up. I’ve read a lot of books this year, and already met my Goodreads goal this month, but I’ve been so bad about blogging regularly. I haven’t had the passion for it, and I didn’t want to force myself when I wasn’t feeling up to it.  But I had a fantastic reading month and wanted to share the books with you all. I’m hoping to start posting more regularly again, even if I end up throwing in some non-bookish posts in here and there, like what music I’ve been into lately. I’m participating in quite a few readathons this month, so many that it covers virtually the entire month, so we’ll see if I stick to my big TBR or not!

Advertisement

Bout of Books 15 TBR

Yesterday I posted about Bout of Books 15 and my goals for the readathon.  The readathon starts tomorrow the 4th, and I’ve set aside a stack of books to choose from throughout the week.  Because I’m a big mood reader, when I do readathons I typically pick out more books than I plan to actually read so that I’m not stuck with a specific set of books.  I’ve found that this really helps keep me out of reading slumps, and it gives me some extra books in case I surpass my reading goals.

Here are the books I picked out for the week:

1. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
2. One + One = Blue by M.J. Auch
3. Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler
4. Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
5. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
6. Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

My goal is to read four of these books.  The monthly #AYEARATHON readathon is also this week, and the theme for January is benchwarmers. Benchwarmers are books that have been sitting on your shelves for awhile.  Four of the six books I chose have been on my TBR for at least 6 months, and the other two books (Just Visiting & Tell the Wind and Fire) are from my most recent book haul.

Are you participating in one of the many readathons this week? What books are on your TBR? 

December #AYEARATHON Wrap Up

For those of you who are unfamiliar with #AYEARATHON, it is a monthly readathon that takes place during the first full week of every month.  Each month’s readathon has a different theme. This December’s theme was Graphic Novels/Mangas/Comic Books/Picture Books and the readathon ran from December 7-13.  The best way to get involved and participate in the readathon is through the #AYEARATHON Goodreads group. Each month we post our TBRs for the week, and there are update posts every other day to share your progress throughout the week. The themes for 2016 are currently being decided, so now is the perfect time to join in!

Last week, I read 4 manga volumes and a big stack of LGBTQIA+ picture books.

Manga: 
Death Note Vol. 3
Death Note Vol. 4
Death Note Vol. 5
Death Note Vol. 6

If you are unfamiliar with Death Note, here is a summary of the series and the first book (so no spoilers!): Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects – and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami, a death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal…or his life?
Vol 1: Boredom
Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note’s powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light’s father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father’s files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn’t know?

I’m halfway done with the series now and I’m really enjoying it so far.  I rated the first 2 volumes 5/5 stars and the other 4 I’ve read have been 4/5 stars. I can’t wait to power through the rest of the books. I really want to watch the anime (it’ll be my first anime series!) but I wanted to get through the books first.  I discovered Death Note when I was browsing free shows in the Crunchyroll app on Apple TV and stumbled upon the 2015 live action series.  I watched the first episode and was so weirded out and intrigued that I ordered the first book immediately. I’ve been reading this series via these beautiful black bind-up editions.

Picture Books:

The Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan & Danamarie Hosler
Zinnia and Dot by Lisa Campbell Ernst
*A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager & Mike Blanc
*A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager, Kristin Blackwood, &  Mike Blanc
Donovan’s Big Day by Lesléa Newman & Mike Dutton
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer & Holly Clifton-Brown
*This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman & Kristyna Litten
King & King & Family by Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland

*- Favorites

Have you participated in #AYEARATHON before? Do you plan to get involved in 2016?