Last week on FYFA (and in my life):
It was back to work this week – well, school. Our homeschooling co-op started up and we’ve started working on that play I wrote. Right now, we’re just trying to get all the songs figured out, which is harder than I thought it would be! (I’m not writing the songs, by the way – we’re using contemporary Christian songs.) I’m excited to see it underway, though!
I’m also hard at work on a proofreading project AND on that crazy gymnastics hospitality thing. Those of you who were around my blog last year (when I moaned and groaned about the hospitality job) will be proud to know that I at least managed to speak up and tell them that I needed more help this year – I’m not great at saying no, but I at least said, “HELP!” 🙂
Here’s what you may have missed last week:
- The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine – Review
- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch – Review
- Replying to Comments on Older Posts – Let’s Discuss
- Year-End Wrap-Up Giveaway – Still time to help me clear my shelves (US) or win a book of your choice (INT)
- Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn – Review
Next week on FYFA:
- Identity Crisis by Melissa Schorr – Review & Giveaway
- The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright – Review & Giveaway
- A TTT or review of something else. (Um, yeah, I’m not all that organized right now)
- Let’s Discuss – something bookish! (Probably my 2016 resolutions, since I didn’t do it this week)
Book Blogger Birthdays and Blogoversaries:
A few blogoversaries coming up next week. I hope you’ll stop on by these blogs and send the bloggers some cheer in honor of their special days!! (And check out the calendar to see what you might have just missed or what’s coming up.)
- Jan 15th – Lilybloombooks‘ Blogoversary!
- Jan 16th – Girl of 1000 Wonders’ Blogoversary!
- Jan 16th – The Book Sage’s Blogoversary!
For Review:
Great Discussions/Goings On Around the Blogosphere:
With the start of a new year and a new discussion challenge, LOTS of people are posting discussions! (Go check them all out HERE!!!) I’m not all the way caught up with all of them yet, but here are a few favorites I’ve read:
- Emma at The Eggplant Emoji asks Should any topics be off-limits for children’s books?
- Katy at WildeOnMySide talks about unreliable narrators (I love them!) in her post, Are Lunatics the Best Narrators?
- Alexa at Words Off the Page talks about how she used to write all the time, but she’s lost her muse in adulthood somewhat in her post, My Writing Slump.
- Eva at All Books Considered asks Are Authors Rushing to Publish Too Quickly?
And this post wasn’t part of the discussion challenge and was posted a whole month ago, but I found it so interesting and useful that I wanted to point it out. (It was linked in someone’s discussion, but I can’t for the life of me remember whose!)
- Stephanie at These Paper Hearts wrote this fantastically informative post: Can Book Bloggers Be Successful on Pinterest? YES! I’ve been inspired to do more on Pinterest with my blog.
Other Current Giveaways on FYFA:
(Besides the ones listed above)
- January Discussion Challenge Link-Up and Giveaway – Link up your January discussions and enter to win a Pre-Order of a 2016 Release
- Those Who Remain by Priscila Santa Rosa – Enter to win a paperback copy
- The Undays of Aralias Lyons by K.L. Horvath – Still time to enter to win a signed paperback!
Even More Awesome Giveaways on Other Sites:
There are tons of giveaways going on around the blogosphere!
- Lisa at Lost in Literature is taking part in a blog tour that’s giving away two copies of Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer.
- Lory at The Emerald City Book Review is celebrating her second blogoversary with a giveaway!
- Lots of blogs participating in the Young Adult Faeries and Fantasy Giveaway Hop!
- And there’s also the Hello, My Name Is.. Giveaway Hop!
- Stuck in Books is celebrating their fifth blogoversary with several giveaways! There’s a chance to win Lux Beginnings, Consequences & Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Pawn by Aimee Carter, Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck, Vipers Rule by Stephanie Tyler, What We Find by Robyn Carr, Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, a signed copy of Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout and Young World by Chris Weitz.
- Lots of blogs participating in the Snowed In? So Read. Giveaway Hop!
- Wendy over at Book Scents is doing an End of Year Shelf-Cleaning Giveaway!
- It’s YA Midnight Reads’ third blogoversary and they’re celebrating with a giveaway. There’s one for Aussie readers and one INT!
- Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight is giving away bookish Christmas presents on her blog!
Lots of good stuff! Have any giveaways or great discussions happening on your site right now? Feel free to share them in the comments!
It was also back-to-school here for my kids and hoooooo boy was a happy to send them back to school. 🙂 I was able to get back in the swing of getting my word counts back in. So glad of that! I’m looking forward to hearing about how your play is going! That must be a lot of fun.
Yeah, there are days that I wish back to school meant “See you later!” But I do love homeschooling in general – just not the lack of time to myself. 🙂
Oh no! I just realized that I submitted my birthday for the blogger birthday and blogaversaries but I actually changed the name of my blog after! I decided to go with a different name that I liked better, but I had already submitted my birthday and blogaversary with my old name!!
No worries – what’s the blog name that you used? I can change it!
That’s great you at least asked for help. Hopefully it won’t be as stressful. Yay for working on your play – how exciting. I hope it all goes well.
-Lauren
I’m so not good at saying no – or even asking for help, really. Well, I’ll usually ask, but then when it doesn’t come, I just meekly accept the fact that it’s all in my lap. This time I insisted I can’t do it all!
Eeek! I can’t believe it’s already been three years. THREE years. Holy smacks. School started back with an eerily easy and relatively quiet front. The calm before the storm? I hope the play turns out well! Lots of practices to look forward to. I so remember that from One Act. I’m glad you spoke up about needing help for the hospitality thing. If you couldn’t say no, at least you got some help!
I know, right? Time seems to fly by at an alarming rate lately!! Hope school continues its strangely calm path!
Great week in books — I can’t wait to read The Impostor Queen– and I loved your discussion this week!
Thank you so much for including me in your round-up and for reading/commenting on my discussion!!
Glad you enjoyed the discussion. That’s why I love the challenge – discussion posts are my favorite kind! I make it a point to read and comment on every discussion that’s linked up – and I always love to share my favorites!!
I’m not very good at saying ‘no’ either so I totally get you, haha. Hopefully now you wont be as stressed with a little help 🙂
Good luck! 🙂
Oh, I’m HORRIBLE at it. Like, I seriously need an intervention. 🙂 Glad I have some company!
Oh nice! Those are two new to me ones! Hope you enjoy them both!
Here’s my STS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
I’ve heard great things about both of them!
I find it hard to say no too but at least you asked for help! Can’t wait to see what you think of the Molly McAdams book. Enjoy and have a great week!!
That’s some progress, right? A little bit? Hope we both find the strength to say no when we need to!
After seeing your post about “The Undays” I reached out to K.L. Horvath and invited her to be part of In the Spotlight. She responded and signed up! I’m so excited. And then I got approved for the ARC on Netgalley. It was a good week last week.
Take care, Nicole.
Yay!! I actually saw you mention the Spotlight on Twitter and I was hoping it would work out! Hope you enjoy the book!