On Blogger Recognition and #BookBloggingPaidMe | Discussion

This one is a doozy, folks

I want to preface this by saying: I love book blogging. I love being a blogger. I really, truly do. I started doing this for fun, and I never imagined I would ever be paid for it. It’s something I do for myself, and for the small following of people who are kind enough to read my words.

That being said, in my time in the book community (roughly 4-5 years) I’ve noticed a big disparity in the amount of recognition that bloggers get vs. other creators in the community, especially booktube.

My 2020 Five-Star Predictions

My friends, every new year seems to bring new releases sweeter than the last.

I just love the YA genre right now, and every year it seems to grow stronger. Meaning that I am more hopeful than ever for plenty of 5 star reads in 2020.

I’ve split this list of books I think will be shining gems into two sections: books that are already on my shelf (meaning they’re already released and I just haven’t picked them up yet) and books that are 2020 releases that I have a great feeling about.

Bookish Goals and Resolutions for 2020

I wasn’t planning on making any sort of “resolutions” post.

I definitely had some changes in mind for the new year, but I figured it didn’t really warrant an actual published post. But, I realized there’s no harm in speaking things into the universe, and writing my ideas down here may help me to remember them and make an effort. And perhaps you will find some inspiration in them as well!

Some of these resolutions are reading related, others are more blog related, but all of them are bookish in some way, shape, or form.

THE BOOKS OF 2019 | Wrap-Up

Oh boy.

Time to write what is arguably one of the hardest posts to put together, no matter the year. But I have been doing my end of year wrap-ups in this format for three years now, so I’ve got the process down.

These aren’t just my favorite books of the year, but any and all that I thought were worth mentioning (for good, and bad, reasons).

A Spooky October TBR

I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween.

I have nothing against the holiday. You dress up, hang out with friends, and have an all-around good, themed time.

But where I grew up, it wasn’t celebrated as widely as it is in the U.S., and I think that’s part of the reason for my lukewarm feelings towards it. Another reason could be that it’s the last significant barrier to Christmas (the superior holiday). Sure, for us American folks, Thanksgiving is still there but… come on. After Halloween, it’s basically Christmas.

Nevertheless, I wanted to get into the spirit this year! And what better way to do that than with some spooky, atmospheric reads? Grab your popcorn, people. We’ve got witches, vampires, and murder mysteries coming at you.

Why I’m Not a Fan of Magical Realism | Book Discussion

It’s no secret that I’m a huge YA contemporary fan.

It’s practically half of my bookshelf. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy other genres: sci-fi, some fantasy, mystery, thriller, the like. Usually, I’ll give anything a try if the blurb really intrigues me. But one genre I aim to avoid at all costs?

Magical realism.

Contemporary-A-Thon Round 5 TBR | All the Romances

Contemporary books are very much my jam.

Or jelly, if you prefer. That’s why I was so sad when I couldn’t participate in the Contemporary-A-Thon earlier this year because that week was just too manic for me. But this time? Oh, this time, I am not missing out.

This round runs from Monday, September 23rd to Sunday, September 29th. I’ll be away from home for the first couple days of it, but I’m hoping it won’t slow me down too much. If you want more information on it, check out Chelsea’s video! She explains it super well.

Here are the prompts and what I’m hoping to read for each of them.

Authors I Need to Read More Of

There are a lot of phenomenal writers out there.

I’ll be honest – it’s kind of hard to keep track of all of them. Sometimes I read a really good book and promise myself that I’ll read from that author. Alas, I oftentimes, never do.

So today, I thought I’d talk about some authors who I want to read more of – or want to give a second try – because if they caught my attention with a couple of their books, I can at least make the effort to check out a few more.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Readathons

I am rarely more motivated to read than when I’m doing it for a challenge.

Maybe that’s sad, but it’s honestly the truth. When I’ve got a list of challenges to hit, my brain enters super-drive, and I want nothing more than to sit on my couch with a book in my lap.

This is why readathons are such a magical thing. Pre-determined tasks that allow me to focus my TBR and give me a solid list of things to complete. But they have some downsides, too. So today, I thought I’d go through some of the things I love, and maybe not love, about them.

Most Anticipated Releases for the Rest of 2019

As the end of the year approaches, so do the end of year releases!

I feel like I was doing a decent job keeping up with new releases at the beginning of the year but now… I have certainly been overrun.

Nevertheless, time marches on and so must I! I figured I’d compile the books I’m hyped for in the final months of the year, not only for your entertainment, but also for myself to know just how much crying my wallet will be doing. (Hint: it’s a lot).