Last week on FYFA (and in my life):
I feel like I’ve been so discombobulated lately, and it’s showing up in my blog. In the past two weeks I’ve been making silly mistakes all over the place – causing posts to go up late or to have misspellings in the title (and stay that way almost all day because I can’t manage to log into my account because LastPass isn’t working on my computer and I’m lost without it), forgetting to put books in my book haul in my Sunday Post or to link up posts I meant to link up … all sorts of crazy things. I just have to say sorry and hope you’ll all forgive a little craziness around here. I really need to take a little break – maybe just a week or so right around the holidays to get myself a bit more organized. (I hear you all laughing at me using that word – It’s hopeless, I know).
Anyway, here’s what you may have missed last week:
- Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame (Review & Giveaway) – Still time to enter to win a copy of the book and an advance copy of the second book in the series!
- Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2015
- This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (Review & Giveaway) – Still time to enter to win a Polaroid camera (and to get a lanyard if you pre-order!)
- Why Reading & Blogging are the Perfect Hobbies! Let’s Discuss.
- 2016 Discussion Challenge Sign-Up
- Looking for a List of 2016 Reading/Blogging Challenges? Look No Further!
Next week on FYFA:
- Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch (Review) – I know I said I was going to post this last week, but I decided to post my review of This is Where It Ends instead. So, sue me. 🙂
- The Undays of Aralias Lyons by K.L. Horvath (Author Top Ten List & Giveaway)
- Let’s Discuss – something bookish.
- Some other stuff maybe? I have no idea!!
For Review:
Purchased:
Won!:
Thanks to Lily over at Night Owl Book Cafe for this one!!
From My Secret Sister:
My Secret Sister actually sent these packages like two weeks ago and I forgot to put the picture here both last week AND the week before (now you see what I was talking about when I said I’m making weird silly mistakes lately!). Anyway, I hope she knows how much I love everything she’s sent me. I’ve been wearing the leg warmers, and they’re awesome!! And I’m FINALLY going to read The Winner’s Curse, people. You should be so proud.
Great Discussions/Goings On Around the Blogosphere:
- Laura over at Boats Against the Current asks How Do You Review?
- Grace over at Rebel Mommy Book Blog wonders Am I Too Easy of a Rater?
- Sue at CrushingCinders tells us one of her pet peeves in Why I Hate the Sneak Peek
- Nereyda over at Nick & Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist writes an awesome post about Realistic Character Body Image and Double Standards
- Rachel at Istyria Book Blogs tells us about her quest to feel less overwhelmed in her post: Why I’m Giving Up the ARCs
- Missie at A Flurry of Ponderings made her pregnancy announcement Harry Potter style! So cute!
Other Current Giveaways on FYFA:
(Besides the ones listed above)
- Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat – Still time to enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card!
Even More Awesome Giveaways on Other Sites:
There are tons of giveaways going on around the blogosphere!
- Silvara at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon is hosting the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up giveaway this month and she’s giving away an adorable book charm (made by Cait over at Paper Fury!!)
- Gone With the Words is participating in a tour that’s giving away an annotated copy of TRUEST by Jackie Lea Sommers. I LOVE that book!
- After Hours at Lilybloombooks is participating in a tour for Forgetting August by J.L. Berg, which is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card!
- Love at First Page is participating in a tour for Their Fractured Light, which is giving away 3 Starbound Series Prizepacks!
- XPresso Book Tours is giving away a SIGNED ARC of Of Light and Darkness
- Cait is celebrating one year of being Paper Fury with a giveaway!
- Rafflecopter is giving away an Apple iPad Air!
- XPresso Book Tours is giving away a Kindle Paperwhite and a $50 gift card!
- Win a Kindle Fire & a Mystery Box From Crimson Tree Publishing & Clean Teen Publishing
- Author S.M. Boyce is giving away a Paperwhite Kindle for the holidays!
- Shannon over at It Starts at Midnight has a Black Friday giveaway where you can win a book or bookish item of your choice!
- Cynthia is celebrating Bingeing on Books’ first blogoversary by giving away any book she’s reviewed!
Lots of good stuff! Have any giveaways or great discussions happening on your site right now? Feel free to share them in the comments!
I totally feel all over the place lately and I’m taking a week off around the holidays to recharge. Yay for all your new books and secret sister stuff. Enjoy!! Have a great week!
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who needs a little break. Blogging is amazing, but it can definitely be overwhelming sometimes if you let it. I’m trying hard not to let it!
OOooh fabulous haul!! I am hoping Santa or someone gets me the first book in Jodi Meadows new series. I couldn’t get into her first one but this one caught my eye after awhile, so onto the list it went! And oooh nice Christmas gifts!! I have the Mini Frozen Funko Pop set too! Though right now the books sitting in front of my bookcase are blocking it. LOL!
Happy Reading!!
Here’s my STS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
I LOVE the little Funko Pops – they’re so darn cute!! My secret sis has been crazy generous!
Awesome haul. I love that your secret sister sent you all those amazing things. I hope you love Sword and Verse. I heard it’s really good.
My secret sister is basically amazing. I can’t even tell you how much thought she puts into each little thing she gives me.
Don’t you just hate it when there’s a mistake on one of your posts and you can only fix it at the end of the day O.O Gah! Yeah, organization is a hopefully concept around here too XD Wow, your Secret Sister sent you some amazing goodies! Those leg warmers are fabulous ♥ Enjoy and have a wonderful week xx
Yes – I HATE when that happens – it drives me to insanity!! And you’re so right about my secret sis – she’s awesome!
I do that too. What sucks is that I don’t catch my mistakes until days later. Bah. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart is a lovely read. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
That’s the worst – especially since I’m an editor, I feel like mistakes just plain make me look bad. But I just don’t have time to carefully review each blog post always – even though I should!
You know this time of year is so busy it’s understandable, so don’t feel too bad. 🙂 I think that’s why so many take breaks at this time, just to recharge and relax a bit. Great post on blogging as a hobby- I can totally relate. I have family members who sometimes say they’re bored, and I never am either- there’s always reading to be done or blogging to work on. If anything it can be TOO time consuming if you let it- but it’s better than sitting around with nothing to do. As always, balance. 🙂
Great post this week. Have a nice rest of the weekend!
Yes, so true – blogging can be overwhelming if you let it get that way. Sometimes balance is hard – but I still prefer that to boredom! 🙂
I think holiday stress is causing a lot of blogging problems. I had to edit my Sunday Post three times this morning because I saw typos every time I looked at it. That’s what I get for writing it really quickly last night.
I know – I’d love to say that I spend tons of time perfecting my posts, but it doesn’t always work that way.
Great haul! And your Secret Sister spoiled you! I LOVE Toothless!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Toothless is so adorable! Yes, my secret sis definitely spoils me.
I think it’s easy to lose your mind a bit this time of the year. No worries!
OMG! I love all the gifts your secret sister sent you. How fun. Those Frozen items are adorable.
-lauren
Yes, at least we’re ALL walking around brainless – people understand it a bit more that way. 🙂
Wow, your secret sister is awesome! I hope you enjoy Sword and Verse as much as I did. I have been seeing Thicker Than Water everywhere…I hope you enjoy it!
I love the author of Thicker Than Water – it’s gotten mixed reviews, but I had to at least try it for myself.
That fabulous haul should make you smile. We all get scrambled now and then. I’ve done some of the same things. Usually I don’t catch it until I get home from work so the mistakes are there all day. LOL
I was driving myself crazy looking at that blatant misspelling for like a day and a half and not being able to do anything about it!
I have been making mistakes, too…like not linking up certain things in my posts, or scheduling them and not completing them. I feel like I’ve got some things ready to roll, and then the weekly things are falling apart. It is frustrating! I hope we can get it together after the holidays!
I’ve done that too! I looked at a review recently and saw that I had a sentence I started and never finished! Um, oops!
Your secret sister is definitely someone epic. I have read and enjoyed The Winner’s Curse well enough, but I LOVED The Anatomical Shape of a Heart and I think you will really like that one as well ^.^ And we have the Mirror King in common which I am excited to read whenever I can! Hopefully this little break will be good for you and things will start going back into their natural rhythm <3
I’m really looking forward to reading TASoaH – I’ve read amazing things about it!! And yes, my secret sis is definitely epic!
It happens to all of us, and yes unplugging is good therapy.Awesome haul this week, and your secret sister rocks! Hope things go smoother this week
Now I just need to manage to actually DO the unplugging (it’s all well and good to SAY I’m going to, but doing it is another matter. LOL!)
Love the gifts from your Secret Sister. The Young Elites is AWESOME!!!! I think we can all tend to get a bit off during the holidays. Take a much needed break to refresh yourself. 🙂
I’m excited about The Young Elites! Can’t wait to read it!
It’s okay! I’m really feeling very disorganized too at this time of year, and I think it has to do with doing everything around home and writing, plus piling on all the holiday stuff like gift buying and organizing, party planning, and attending, etc. Anyone would have problems with that!
Anyway, I’m glad to hear you’ll take a little time off. You deserve it.