Sequels I Haven’t Yet Read (3/3)

Happy Friday, readers! Today I end my unread sequel series with series that I have read multiple books from, but have more to read – aka, series I’m seriously behind on.

1. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms became an instant favourite of mine when I first read it years ago. I was able to keep up with the books for a while, but at the moment I am one book behind, with the final book in the series releasing sometime next year. Here’s hoping that I will be able to get to Crystal Storm before 2018!

2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

throne-of-glass

Like a lot of other people, I was hooked on this series for a long time. More recently, however, I have fallen 2 books behind: still have yet to read Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms. While I gave each book at least 4 stars, lately I haven’t felt like continuing on with the series. I am still not sure when I will get to the rest of these books, or if I ever will. I guess it will all depend on what I feel like reading.

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection

The Selection has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and I managed to get to the end of America’s storyline before I stopped reading the series. It wasn’t intentional – I bought Eadlyn’s books, as well, but I just haven’t gotten around to reading them. They’re not necessarily a priority of mine right now, so when I will actually get around to reading them is questionable. I definitely do want to continue on, though.

4. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter 1

I know, blasphemy. For some reason while all of my friends were off reading Harry Potter, I was reading Captain Underpants, Dear Dumb Diary, and A Wrinkle In Time. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that my grandmother bought me the entire series, and just last year I read the second book. There are still 5 other books left to read, but if I’m being honest I don’t feel like I need to read them. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled too much by social media over the years – I basically already know all the important plot points.  I don’t know, I don’t have the same connection to them that everyone else seems to have.

5. House of Night by P. C. Cast and Kristen Cast

House of Night 1.jpg

I don’t even know where to begin with these books. My cousin introduced me to them in my mid teens, and while they were kind of enjoyable when I first read them, they lost their spark as I got older and read other, better books. I think I got up the fourth or fifth book before I decided to donate all of the copies I owned to a charity book sale. I think it’s safe to say that I do not intend on finishing this series.


That’s it for me today. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you all have a lovely weekend!

~Becca

Writing Wednesday: On Getting Distracted and Getting to Work

Hello everyone, and happy Wednesday!

I just recently returned from a week-long vacation, but where I was staying had no internet access besides cellular data, so I fell behind on a lot of the bookish world. That being said, without social media and YouTube and Netflix to distract me, I managed to get through two and a half books and started outlining a novel.

Total 180 here: when I was in high school, I did a lot of writing. It’s true that I was in writing clubs and classes, so I had to write, but in my spare time I also wrote almost a whole trilogy between the ages of 14-17, including the millions of drafts and versions of the story that preceded the most recent one.

Unfortunately, when I started university I seem to have lost all the writing discipline I’d had before. When I’m not doing school work or other work, I find that I’m constantly refreshing my Twitter feed and YouTube subscription box, hoping to keep up with the latest buzz. I also just started the second season of Shadowhunters, when I totally did not need to! I often blame my lack of writing progress on my lack of creativity, because sometimes I’ll open a Word document but all I’ll do is stare at a blank page for ten minutes. But clearly my week without wi-fi was all I needed to get to work – the creativity is still there, but the discipline is not.

Now, it’s easy to say that all I need to do is delete my social media accounts, but that’s not very realistic for me. I am a social person, and I am really not down to disconnect from the world. There are, however, some tricks that I would like to try in order to get myself back on the writing track. Who knows, maybe someone reading this has the same problems, and could use some of these, too!

1. Decrease distractions.

While I am not okay with completely deleting myself off the internet, there are some methods of stopping myself from checking social media as obsessively as I do. On my phone I use the Forest app, which is a productivity app that grows a virtual tree for the time you tell it to, but if you ever leave the app then the tree dies. This is the kind of application that really hits my guilt strings, and it has worked wonders when I’m doing my school work.

I don’t have any applications on my laptop, but often when I’m doing school work I will sign out of Google/Youtube and Twitter, that way when I impulsively type their web addresses in the bar I won’t instantly have access to my feeds. Often seeing the sign-in page is enough of a reminder that I’m not supposed to be procrastinating, and that there is work to be done. I should probably do that with Netflix, too.

2. Track Progress.

A lot of authors have agendas or calendars that they use to not only schedule their lives, but also to track how much they’ve written. Some authors, like my friends Sarena and Sasha, write down the dates for when they hit certain word-count milestones, and when they finish. Others, like Victoria Schwab, use stickers to count how many words they wrote on a certain day. I think that if I adopt these methods of progress tracking, it will help keep me motivated to keep doing better than the day before, which will hopefully take me all the way to the end of a book, or at least a first draft.

3. Make a schedule, and stick to it.

I’ve always been a planner, but recently I’ve been trying to make a schedule for myself that incorporated many daily habits that I want to become routine, including working out, reading, and, of course, writing. Sticking to a schedule can be hard when spontaneous hangouts with friends happen, or you miss you bus. But I’ve realized that if writing is something I want to do, I can’t just do it whenever I please – I have to set aside time for it around my work and, in the Fall, my school. I’m hoping to be able to implement a schedule, now that my only constant obligation is work, and maybe I’ll be able to transition into a school-term schedule – but we’ll see about that!

4. Treat it like a job.

I’ve always been a hard worker when it comes to school and work – in fact, sometimes I wonder if I take them a little too seriously. I’ve noticed that I do not put the same intensity into my writing as I do with them, which may be why I do not prioritize writing. What I am coming to understand is that being a published author and having a book out in the world isn’t something that will just magically happen; it’s not just luck and good timing. I have to make the time, I have to put in the work, and I have to be committed to it. Dreams take work, and it’s about dang time I started putting that same work ethic I have for school and my job into my writing.

I’ve learned a lot about myself recently, about what I want in life and who I want to be. I’ve been making some lifestyle changes, and adding more writing to my life is one of them. The goal is to get my writing fire back, the same one I had as a teenager. It’s going to be a long, tough road, but if this is what I want, then I need to work for it.


Do you have trouble sitting down and writing? How do you deal with distractions or lost writing-sparks? Let’s chat about Writer’s Block down in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading this silly ramble, and I hope you have a fantastic day!

~Becca

Sequels I Haven’t Yet Read (2/?)

Hello hello hello! Today’s unread sequel theme is “Series that I’m really far behind on”. By that, I mean I’ve only read the first book, and there are at least two others that I have yet to read.

1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

tatbilb

I’ve been meaning to get to the rest of this trilogy for a while, and I’ve even collected all of them, but I just have not gotten to them yet. I definitely want to finish this trilogy, and I’m hoping to do that by the end of this year! Lara Jean Song has a special place in my heart, mostly because, as I’ve said, I see a lot of myself in her.

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen

I read Red Queen for a readathon a few years ago and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to read the next 2 books since then. I’m honestly a little scared to start reading it again because it has been so long, and I’ve probably forgotten everything. I may just have to reread Red Queen before taking on Glass Sword and King’s Cage.

3. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

snow-like-ashes

SLA is another book that I read a while ago, but I feel like I remember a bit more than I do of Red Queen. Just watch, though, when I finally pick up Ice Like Fire I’ll be staring at the page blankly, wondering what the heck is going on and who all these people are.

4. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

ATPOY

I haven’t even gotten around to buying the last book yet, let alone actually reading the rest of the series. This book was pretty good, though it had some flaws. I am not necessarily deterred from reading the rest, but if I’m being honest the rest of the Firebird trilogy is not at the top of my TBR pile right now.

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

ACOTAR

What’s funny is that the sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury, arrived in my mail right around the same time that I finished this, so I really don’t have an excuse for having not read this second book. I’m going to be real for a second here: I don’t feel as attached to SJM’s books as I used to be, which is weird because I’ve given most, if not all, of them 4 stars and up. But that’s a tale for another time (another blog post?). And, no, I have not yet purchased A Court of Wings and Ruin.

6. Iron King by Julie Kagawa

irong-king

Okay there is a legitimate reason why I haven’t continued on with this series: I don’t like the main character. Meghan just drove me absolutely nuts, to the point where I had to stop reading the sequel, Iron Daughter, because I could not stand reading about her anymore. I had been buddy reading this book with someone, too, but I did not continue with it. I have the first 3 or 4 books (not quite sure how this series works) still, and I would still like to try reading it, but I may have just needed some time away from the character in order to continue on.


Have you experienced any of these feelings that I’ve described when reading or when in between books in a series? What series have you started but not finished?

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day!

~ Becca

2017: My year so far, and where I want to go from here

Hello lovely readers!

Today we’re going to take a short walk down memory lane and reflect on how my 2017 has been so far, in terms of reading, writing, and blogging.

My Reading So Far

I have read 6 books so far this year:

To Hear the Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney – ★★★☆☆

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria – ★★★★★

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill – ★★★☆☆

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton – ★★★★☆

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate – ★★★★★

Monstress Volume 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Lui & Sana Takeda – ★★★★★

All in all, it’s been a pretty decent reading year in terms of my enjoyment of books. I’m averaging a book a month, and as all of you know that’s mostly due to my own poor time management skills. I did go through a slump recently, but for the most part the fault is all mine. Really, I didn’t know I was so bad at managing my time until recently/

My Reading Goals

While I’ve already surpassed my Goodreads goal, I still have a couple of ARCs that I would like to get to soon so that I can start tackling my own book collection again! Luckily, I’ll be going on a week-long vacation with no wifi, so hopefully I’ll be able to use that time to get through them. I read 3 books when I went on this trip last year, so my goal is to read the same amount again this year.

My Writing So Far

I fell off the writing train for a while, mostly because of my own lack of creativity. I have had a couple of ideas, but I just haven’t made the time to sit down and think through them. I’m not sure if others have this problem, but I often think of characters before I come up with actual plots for these characters to go through. It’s definitely a problem I’d like to work on over the next couple of months.

My Writing Goals

I definitely want to start making the time to write at least once a day, even if it’s only brainstorming for 30 minutes. If I want to be a serious writer/author, I need to make the time to practice the craft that I love the most. I’m considering starting a series on Wednesdays where I post writing exercises based on the prompts in 642 Things to Write About by the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. What do you think about that? Good idea or bad idea?

My Blogging So Far

Fun fact: yesterday marked one year of me on WordPress! I am so grateful for everyone who has given my tiny, inconsistent blog a follow. I know blogging is starting to become a little passé to a lot of people, so the fact that some of you stick around with me is kind of mind-boggling, and super humbling. I haven’t been the best at it, but…

My Blogging Goals

… I’ve been doing some research, and my goal is to be a more consistent blogger, at least for the rest of the summer. I’m still finding my footing, but I also want to start working on an actual schedule, and incorporate blog post planning into my routine alongside reading and writing. Here’s hoping I can buckle down and actually get to work!


What about you guys? How has your reading, writing, and blogging been this 2017? What are your goals for the rest of the year? Let’s chat in the comments!

As always, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I’ll talk to you all soon!

~ Becca

 

Sequels I Haven’t (Yet) Read (1/?)

Hello readers, and happy Friday to you all!

I feel like I am the absolute worst when it comes to reading sequels. I may absolutely love the first book, but there are so many other books to read that I end up forgetting to read the follow-ups, even though I buy them. Sequels often sit on my shelf, staring me down in shame while I sleep. Honestly, the fact that this is part 1 of who knows how many posts should tell you just how bad I am at continuing series.

Anyway, today we’re going to start with 3 series I have yet to continue. Today’s theme is going to be “Books I gave 5 stars but whose sequels I haven’t gotten to”

1. Reboot by Amy Tintera

reboot-cover

My boyfriend gifted me the Reboot duology for our first Christmas together, and I read this first book very soon after. I clearly loved it, giving it 5 stars on Goodreads, and yet I still haven’t read its sequel, Rebel. I really cannot tell you why I haven’t picked it up yet – is it because I fell behind on my ARCs? Is it because I’m worried it will not be able to live up to the expectations set by the first book? Am I just way too worried about the characters? The honest answer is all of the above, probably.

2. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project

After I read this book I gave it to my grandmother to read. She ended up loving it so much that she bought me the sequel, The Rosie Effect. I started reading it, but I found myself getting really antsy when things started going wrong for the main character, and I grew so uncomfortable with the situation that I had to stop reading it. I get too emotionally invested, and sometimes that investment gets in the way of my reading. I’m not sure when I’ll pick up The Rosie Effect, but I’m sure my guilt will eventually force me to pick it back up.

3. The Gypsy King by Maureen Fergus

The Gypsy King

Clearly, I enjoyed this book enough to give it a 5-star rating when I read it in 2013. Once again I picked up the sequel, A Fool’s Errand, prepared to plough through it, but my emotions got the best of me and I had to stop reading it. I just got way too invested in the characters and became too concerned about how things were going to work out. It sounds really weird when I type it out, but I also wonder if it is now something I’ve outgrown. Maybe if I try reading it now I’ll actually be able to get through it!

4. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Star-Touched Queen

The honest reason why I have not read A Crown of Wishes is that I got so overwhelmed by all the other ARCs I had to read that I fell into a slump. I had an ARC of ACOW, but ended up pre-ordering a finished copy so I could get the novella Night and Death and because I needed to have both of these pretty books on my shelf. I am hoping to be able to finally read it within the next month, but who knows at this point.

5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

crooked

I can’t even think of a reason for having not yet read Crooked Kingdom besides my endless TBR pile. I pre-ordered the SoC box set to get some pre-order swag, and I’ve taken plenty of photos of it on my bookstagram, but I never did when up reading it. I’ve managed to avoid most spoilers, thankfully, so hopefully it’ll still have the same force on me when I read it that Six of Crows had.


 

That’s about it for today, folks! Is anyone else as bad at reading sequels as I am, or am I alone in this?

Thank you so much for reading, and we’ll chat really soon!

~Becca

My Bookish Resolutions: April Update

Hello everyone, and happy Friday!

Today I’m going to be discussing how my bookish resolutions have been working out so far – have I been keeping to them? Have I given up? Read on to find out!

Resolution 1: Read Every Day

Ha. Ha. Ha. As you have likely clearly seen, I haven’t been reading every day until recently. You know, school’s the usual excuse. I have, however, created a new schedule for myself that involves reading at 9 o’clock to calm myself down enough to go to bed at 10. I haven’t been following it perfectly, but it’s better than nothing!

Resolution 2: Read More Sequels

The only sequel that I have read this year is Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton, which I am still currently reading. I’ve had a lot of ARCs that I’ve wanted to get to, and I don’t read quickly enough to get through them all in a short amount of time.

Resolution 3: Buy Only Sequels

This is one resolution that I’ve actually been pretty good about! I’ve only bought 3 books this year: A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi, King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard, and Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch. While ACoW is technically not a sequel, it is a spinoff from The Star Touched Queen, so I counted it as a sequel (my love for Chokshi made me break this rule tbh). I’m pretty proud of myself for only buying 3 books this year!

Resolution 4: Use the Library

I actually have been good about this, too, borrowing Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton before reading TttT. That’s pretty much it, though I plan to use it a lot more for other hyped books.

Resolution 5: Don’t Pressure Yourself with a Reading Goal

LOL I’ve already surpassed my reading goal of 3 by reading 4 books, which makes me very happy. It’s kind of freeing, in a way – and it’s fun to see the percent bar go above 100%. A false sense of accomplishment to make me feel like I’m being productive!


Did you make any bookish New Year’s Resolutions? How are they going for you? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you have a wonderful day!

~ Becca

Ten Bookish Places I Want to Visit

It’s a big world that we live in, which means that there are a wide variety of shops and libraries to visit around the globe! Today I’ll be listing some of the places that I would love to visit, though this list is by no means exhaustive – I had to cut it down so I wouldn’t ramble on forever. As always, I welcome all suggestions for bookstores and libraries around the world that I should consider visiting – you may even introduce me to a new favourite!

Libraries

Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I remember seeing this Colosseum-like building when I went to Vancouver about seven years ago (yikes!), but had no idea what it actually was until now. The architecture is what makes this building really neat, although I’m sure it also holds many gems inside. You can find out more information on the Vancouver Public Library website, and see the building on their Flickr!

Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City, Mexico.

The images I’ve seen of this library make it seem like a floating city of books. It’s a very angular library, lots of straight edges and modern decor – well, except for the white whale skeleton, which looks tiny compared to the enormity of the library itself. According to Rebecca O’Connell at Mental Floss, in 2015 the library held about 470,000 books, but the shelves weren’t all that full back then, another testament to its grandeur. I bet it holds more tomes now than it did back then.

The Library of Admont Abbey in Austria

Admont Abbey
Inside the Library of Admont Abbey (photo from the Stift Admont website)

This library is the epitome of Baroque style, with ceiling frescoes, limewood carvings, gold accents, and white surfaces to optimize the light. According to their website, the library holds 70,000 books of the 200,000 owned by the abbey. There are no barriers, and apparently you can tour the space without a guide! If I ever get to go here, I might have a Belle a-la Beauty and the Beast moment.

Delft University of Technology Library in the Netherlands

 

What I really like about this building is that most of it is underground. Delft University of Technology’s library has a living roof (of grass), and a giant skylight that points into a cone above ground. The inside has a modern feel, which I’ve come to expect from the Netherlands, and lots of different rooms for students to study in. Find out more info on their website, and see pictures on their Flickr!

Biblioteca Joanina at the Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal

Biblioteca Joanina
Inside Biblioteca Joanina (photo from the Universidade de Coimbra website)

Built between 1717 and 1728, Biblioteca Joanina holds rare, old books that can only be accessed by researchers, though the library itself is open to visitation by the public. It’s quite opulent, to say the least, with teakwood doors, gold-guilded decorations, and oakwood shelves that they claim deter pests from ruining the collection. Plus, they’ve got bats to help further protect the collection! How cool is that? You can read more about this gorgeous library on the Universidade de Coimbra website!

 

Bookstores

The Strand Bookstore in Manhattan, New York, USA

The Strand is one of those bookstores that I hear a million and one people talk about. It’s one of those bookstores that I swear is on every American/Canadian bookworm’s bucket list. They buy and sell books in their huge facility, claiming to have “18 miles of books”. I think I heard about this store in Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and ever since then I’ve wanted to visit it. Maybe next time I’m in New York, though I don’t know when that will be… Find out more about this shop from their website!

Owl’s Nest Bookstore in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

This cute used bookstore is nestled in Canada’s East Coast, and is a favourite of locals and visitors, alike. At first glance it doesn’t look like much, but they’ve managed to pack a lot of books in this small shop. I can definitely see myself spending a lot of time here, just browsing through all the shelves and finding some hidden gems. I really love exploring quaint bookstores. Check out their Facebook page for more info.

Ben McNally Books in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ben McNally
Inside Ben McNally Books (from the Ben McNally Books website)

The inside of this bookstore is full of wooden decor and cozy leather chairs to curl up in. The decor is gorgeous, extending to the elegant artwork on the ceilings. They say that their shelves are always changing, that the owner and workers are open to new suggestions and always ready to help readers find something new.

Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon

Powell’s is another one of those stores that I hear about on Twitter, and is in many of those “places you have to visit!” lists for bookworms. Settled in Portland, Oregon, it boasts the title of the largest new and used bookstore in the world – so, really, it’s no wonder that everyone seems to want to visit!

El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires, Argentina

This is another bookstore that ends up on many bookish bucket lists – and, obviously it’s on my list, so I can’t blame everyone for wanting to visit. Buzzfeed even wrote an article about it! This bookstore is a repurposed theatre, with seating and a cafe on the stage and stacks of books where the seating used to be. You can check out photographer Niels Micker’s photos of it on Flickr. Talk about Instagram-able!


 

Thank you for reading, and remember to leave your dream libraries and bookstores down below in the comments! Have a wonderful Monday ❤

~ Becca

Why I Am a Reader Tag

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I’m going to be attempting the Why I Am a Reader Tag, which I saw Reagan from PeruseProject on YouTube do. I thought this would be a fun, kind of different tag to do to break up my usual book-recommendations and lists.

1. Choose one word that would describe you as a reader.

The first word I thought of was slow, because I am such a slow reader, especially with school and work, etc. I would love to read more of the books on my TBR, faster, but I enjoy savouring books and, let’s face it, my time management isn’t 100%.

2. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

The book that stands out the most in my memory is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. I read it in the 3rd grade for class and it’s the first full-length novel that I remember really enjoying – so much so, in fact, that I borrowed my library’s copy after we’d finished reading it, lost it, bought them a new one, and found their copy much later. I still have their copy!

3. Hardcover or paperback?

I just love the durability of hardbacks, as well as the sweet designs a lot of them have. I know they’re more expensive and they’re heavier, but I’m always afraid of taking paperbacks anywhere with me because I worry they’ll get bent.

4. How has reading shaped your identity?

I’m pretty much the bookworm of my family – I’m always asking for Chapters gift cards for Christmas/my birthday, and (unless I’m in a reading slump) when I have free time I will normally spend it reading. I also think that if I didn’t love reading so much, I probably wouldn’t have the job that I do. I applied to work at a library because I wanted to work with books, and because Chapters wouldn’t hire me (xD), and 2 and a half years later I still love working there, and have gone through two promotions since I started.

5. What book do you read when you want to be comforted?

Honestly I’m not much of a rereader. I used to reread The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong when I was a tween, but nowadays when I seek comfort I turn to my own writing. That seems pretty egotistical of me, but I really like going back and reading the trilogy that I wrote when I was 14 through to 17. I got through 2 and a half of the books before I gave up on it. It’s really fun to see how my writing has changed since then, and to see how my perspectives have changed, too. I also have a slight obsession with the main characters of those books, who I hope to eventually bring to life in another story some day.

6. Who influenced you to be a reader?

There are a lot of people in my life who read a lot: my mom, for sure, but also my grandmother, my aunts and one of my uncles, and some of my friends. I feel like I’ve just always had people in my life who liked to read, and they really helped me (and still do!) navigate the wide world of books.

7. Describe your dream reading lounge.

Ideally it’s not at ground level, at least on the second story of whatever building I’m in. There’s either a large, comfy chair with an ottoman or a chaise lounge, a small table beside me for drinks, a pillow, and a blanket. There’s a large window to let in lots of natural light, and covering the rest of the walls are bookshelves full of my books.

8. What book changed the way you saw the world?

The first book that comes to mind is The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. As someone who was born and grew up in Canada, with a family who believes whole-heartedly in medicine and science, it was eye-opening for me to read about a way of thinking about illness not as a physical problem, but as a spiritual one. It really made me think.


Okie dokie, time to tag people! *rubs hands together*

I tag…

Hannah, Sarena and Sasha, and Adele!

If you’re reading this and want to do this tag, I welcome you to do it and say that I tagged you!

Have a wonderful Humpday, everyone! 😀

~ Becca

Bookish Resolutions and Plans for the New Year

Hello everyone! Can you believe we’re nearing the end of 2016? This year has been pretty rough for almost everyone I know, so I can understand that many people are more than ready to move on into the new year, where more adventures, possibilities, and books await!

As my last post of 2016, I’m going to talk about my goals for 2017, and after that I’m going to discuss how my blogging is going to change (again) for 2017. No more babbling, let’s get into it!

Bookish Resolutions

1. READ EVERY DAY

A couple of months ago I decided to count how many books I own and how many of them I have actually read. You know what the percentage was? 44%. I have read fewer than half of the books I own. No, it’s not a joke, it’s actually pretty sad. In order to get through more of these books, I want to start reading at least a chapter per day, whether that’s before bed or on the bus on the way to school, or anywhere in between. I’m pretty stressed by the number of books I own, so I should really start reading them to relieve some of that stress.

 

2. READ MORE SEQUELS

I have read plenty of first books, but there are about 15 series I own of which I have not read the rest, or even at least the second book. I own a lot of sequels, but there’s always something else to read or something else to do. In 2017 I want to focus on sending these sequels some love and continuing on with the stories I’ve already started. These series include:

  • Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
  • Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
  • The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa
  • Prisoners of Peace by Erin Bow
  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
  • To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
  • Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
  • A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes
  • Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
  • The Gypsy King by Maureen Fergus
  • Reboot by Amy Tintera
  • Firebird by Claudia Gray
  • The Selection by Kiera Cass
  • The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

 

3. BUY ONLY SEQUELS

To go hand in hand with the last resolution, I want to stop buying so many books and save my money for other things – I am becoming an adult, after all. One way I plan to do this is to only buy the sequels to series I already own. My exceptions for this rule are: if I loved a book I borrowed from the library, and if there’s a book signing for an author I want to read. Other than that, no buying new series, Rebecca!

 

4. USE THE LIBRARY

I have recently started using my public library to read more books to stop myself from buying any and every book I want to read. I want to continue doing this in 2017, as well, since it saves me money and saves room on my shelves!

 

5. DON’T PRESSURE YOURSELF WITH A READING GOAL

After having to shift my reading goal for 2 years in a row due to a busier schedule than I intended, I’m going to try something new this year: I’m setting my Goodreads goal to 1 book. I will read what I read, and I don’t want to pressure myself into reading a certain amount, especially if I end up falling way behind as I have been for a while.

 

The Future of this Blog

First thing’s first: I love book blogging. I love blogging in general, as writing is something that I have always enjoyed and am usually pretty good at, if I do say so myself. Getting the chance to blog about books, reading, and writing, has been so much fun, and while my blog is not where I’d ideally like it to be, I’m still happy that I made the decision to switch from Tumblr to WordPress.

I have come to a realization lately that will directly affect my activity on this blog. You see, I have been treating this blog like a full-time job, when I already have a full-time job as a university student, and a part-time job as a library assistant. I realized that while I enjoy doing this, it’s just not realistic for me to try to think up posts everyday, while simultaneously getting an education, working, and attempting to read a lot. I’m sure there are people who have much better time management than I, and I applaud those who can do all of these things, but it just is not working out for me.

So, in the new year my blog will not have a set posting schedule. I want to shift my focus back onto my schooling so I can get the grades necessary for grad school, since that’s likely where I’m heading. I am still hoping to post at least once or twice per week, but I’m not going to promise any specific posts. I will post what I can, when I can. Like I said, I love blogging too much to give it up, but I’m changing tactics so I can hopefully get my life back in order. I hope you all understand that.

I will continue to post on Twitter and Instagram, and of course I’ll keep my Goodreads updated, so if you want to see what I’m reading on the daily, you should follow me on those sites!

I think that’s about it for now. Tell me about your bookish resolutions in the comments below!

As always, thank you very much for reading this, and for supporting me while I figure things out. I really appreciate each and every one of you.

I wish you all a happy, safe, and adventurous new year!

~Becca ❤

Attempting a New Reading Schedule

Before I start today’s post, I would like to sincerely apologize for not posting on Friday. I had 2 work shifts, went to the gym, and hung out with my boyfriend, in the process completely forgetting to post.

Well, there goes my posting streak. It lasted, what, 3 months? Hah.

Anyway, onto the post!


So I had set a goal for myself to finish reading my ARC of The Swan Riders by Erin Bow, the sequel to The Scorpion Rules, by today, since it will be officially released tomorrow. Unfortunately, I’m only about halfway through, so that dream has pretty much been crushed.

Listen, I knew keeping up with my hobby-reading would be hard during the school year, especially since university learning involves a lot of textbook and article reading. With some major tests coming up, I may have to put the novels down in exchange for lab manuals. That being said, I’m attempting to start a new regime for myself, in an attempt to continue reading while simultaneously studying, working, and being a social human being. What is that schedule, you ask?

My new schedule is a pretty basic concept: leave the novel at home. I know, that seems pretty weird for those of you who read on the bus or between classes, but so far that has not worked out well for me. I do commute to school, but it’s not far enough for me to read very much, and, honestly, I don’t particularly enjoy reading while in a moving vehicle or while waiting for the bus/train.

I spend a lot of my time at school, since I also work there, and I often have large gaps between classes and shifts. Usually I use this time to scroll through social media or read novels, but a lot of my classes have started picking up the pace and throwing information and tests at me. Because of this, I know that I need to start prioritizing school, which means actually studying during those breaks between class.

Now, I’m not completely giving up on reading. By leaving my books at home, I’m hoping it will force me to finish all of my work at school, so that I can start reading before bed. Last year I used to do my work until 11PM, and then go to bed stressed – not very good. With this method, if I can finish my work at school I won’t have to stay up doing it, and I can also do a more relaxing activity to help get me prepared to sleep. And, let’s be honest, what’s more relaxing than curling up in bed with a good book? Not much.

Is this schedule going to work for me? I’m not really sure. I hope it does. I’ll let you know how it goes.

So, tell me, how do you balance reading with the rest of your life? Got any tips? Leave ’em in the comments so everyone else can see!

Thanks for reading!

~Becca

 
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