January 2020: Wrap-Up

-JANUARY WRAP UP: (7) BOOKS-

A follower on my Instagram recently chided me (gently) for complaining about the small number of books I seemed to be finishing, and being disappointed in myself about it. I had intended to start this January wrap-up post on a much more negative note, but since that interaction, I've truly come to realize (and excuse my cliché here) that it's the journey that counts. It's the books I DO manage to finish, and the experiences I had while reading them. Reading 2 truly meaningful books should matter just as much as getting through 10 mediocre ones. What I mean to say is, every book matters, and I should immediately stop seeing quantity as the one true accomplishment, and start focusing on the great content I'm consuming. 

With that said, I read 7 out the 10 books I intended to read in January AND THAT'S OKAY. Here they are in the order that I read them:

REVIEW: The First Mistake by Sandie Jones

Title: The First Mistake

Author: Sandie Jones
Genre: Adult Thriller/Suspense
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: June 11, 2019

Acquired: Print copy sent for review

Goodreads: ADD

Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository

From Sandie Jones, the author of the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller The Other Woman, comes an addictively readable new domestic suspense about a wife, her husband, and the woman who is supposedly her best friend.

THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.

HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan's arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.

HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced...

The first mistake could be her last.

Beat the Backlist 2022 Reading Challenge

Welcome to the detail and progress page for the 2022 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge that I'm participating in this year! (52 PROMPTS)

I will list each book as I read it, along with the date read and the link for my review. Click the logo above to join the challenge yourself!


☐ 2+ people on the cover: 
☐ 6+ words in the title: 

☐ A book about books:

☐ A book in a genre you never/rarely read:

☐ A book set in the season you read it in: 

☐ About food or food in the title:

☐ About or inspired by a historical event:  

☐ An unusual or unexpected pet:

☐ Author has a first, middle, and last name on the cover: 

☐ Author has an active podcast or youtube channel:

☐ Book about siblings:

☐ Book featuring time travel:  

☐ Book with chapter names:

☐ Book written for an age group you don't belong to: 

☐ Classic novel:

☐ Co-authored:

☐ Debut novel:

☐ Discovered via social media:

☐ Everyone has read it but you:

☐ Features royalty:

☐ Finish a series:

☐ First in a series you've been putting off:

☐ Forgotten on your shelf or ereader:

☐ Graphic novel, manga, or web comic: 

☐ Indie or self-published:

☐ Involves family secrets: 

☐ Longer than 500 pages:

☐ Murder, mystery, or both!:

☐ Mushroom on the cover:

☐ New-to-you author:

☐ Non-fiction:

☐ Novella:

☐ Number in the title:

☐ One-word title: 

☐ Picked by a celebrity book club:

☐ Poetry or anthology:

☐ Protagonist has a profession that twists the truth: 

☐ Published in the month you were born:

☐ Reading for research, reference, or general interest:

☐ Second or fourth book in a series:

☐ Set in space or on/in the ocean:

☐ Set in the mountains:

☐ Set on an island:

☐ Story centered around a real or fictional holiday:

☐ Superheroes/villains or character in disguise:

☐ Title is an alliteration:

☐ Translated into your native language:

☐ 'Wolf' or 'Star' in the title:

☐ Women in the (fictional) sciences:

☐ You watched the show or movie first:

☐ Your favorite animal (real or fictional) on the cover:

☐ Your favorite trope on the page:

REVIEW: A Curse So Dark & Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Retelling
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Release Date: January 29, 2019

Acquired: Purchased for my collection

Goodreads: ADD

Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

The Nerd Daily 2022 Reading Challenge

Welcome to the detail and progress page for The Nerd Daily's 2022 Reading Challenge that I'm participating in this year! (52 PROMPTS)

I will list each prompt, and then the book I read that fulfilled that prompt. I will also leave links to the reviews I write for each book. Click on the image above if you would like to participate in this reading challenge yourself!

POPSUGAR 2021 Reading Challenge

Welcome to the detail and progress page for the 2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge! (40 MAIN/10 ADVANCED)

I will list each prompt, and then the book I read that fulfilled that prompt. I will also leave links to the reviews I write for each book. Click on the image above if you would like to participate in this reading challenge yourself!

REVIEW: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Title: Lucky Caller

Author: Emma Mills
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Release Date: January 14, 2020

Acquired: Edelweiss Approved

Goodreads: ADD

Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository

With the warmth, wit, intimate friendships, and heart-melting romance she brings to all her books, Emma Mills crafts a story about believing in yourself, owning your mistakes, and trusting in human connection in Lucky Caller.

When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina's haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she'd hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina's family is on the brink of some major upheaval.

Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control―but maybe control is overrated?

January 2020: To Be Read

I'm already so gosh darn proud of myself this year, and it's only been 2 days.  I prepped real hard pre-January, and because of that, I'm on track to finish TWO books in this first week. I also poured my entire creative soul into a reading bullet journal this year, and I can't wait to show you all the finished beginning pages *happy sigh.

I'm also super excited to announce that I will be bringing back GIVEAWAYS to this blog! I'm going big this year guys, going big but also staying very much snug and warm and comfy at home. Going big FROM home! Haaa. 

Keep an eye on my blog at the end of the month for the January giveaway announcement!