My Goings On in March:
- Remember how I said February was painful? Well, March was a huge improvement … until a curveball was thrown my way, and now things are crazy again. Hopefully it won’t affect my blogging much (I need this distraction), but if I’m around a bit less, I’m sorry. It’s looking like 2017 is going to be a tumultuous year for our family.
On Instragram:
Most Popular Posts:
- I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this, but A Spoiler-Filled Discussion of Three Dark Crowns, which was posted at the end of September, was still my top post for the month. Surprised? No, I’m not really either.
- Next was my Birthday and Blogoversary Giveaway post. Thanks to all my followers for supporting me through four years of blogging!
- Rounding out the top three was another old post—Book Sniffing: It’s a Real Thing. Maybe it was featured somewhere? I don’t know, I can’t figure it out from my stats. Sometimes I just don’t get stats at all, if I’m being honest. I actually don’t even look at them anymore except once a month when I put this post together.
Other Features & Discussions:
March Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway – Last chance to link up your discussions and enter this giveaway!
Two (Free) Tools that Have Transformed My Replying and Commenting Back
Is There Such a Thing as a “Quick Post”? Let’s Discuss!
My Haphazard Reading Habits. Let’s Discuss!
Top Ten Quick Reads
Watching Bloggers Come and Go. Let’s Discuss!
March Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up – Link up your March wrap-up posts here!
My 2017 Reading Progress:
Once again, manga has helped my reading stats look a lot higher. This month I finished the Library Wars manga series—I think it’s been my favorite so far!
March 2017 Reviews
- The Burning World by Isaac Marion | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop | Review | Rating: 4/5
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | Review | Rating: 5/5
- The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera | Review | Rating: 3.5/5
- The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter by S.J. Pajonas | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Ozoni and Onsens: A Daydreamer Detective Novella by S.J. Pajonas | Review | Rating: 4/5
- The Daydreamer Detective Opens A Tea Shop by S.J. Pajonas | Review | Rating: 4.5/5
- Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Waking in Time by Angie Stanton | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Redux by A.L. Davroe| Review | Rating: 4.5/5
- Chloe Snow’s Diary: Confessions of a High School Disaster by Emma Chastain | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | Review | Rating: 4.5/5
- Mutant Mantis Lunch Ladies by Bruce Hale | Review | Rating: 3.5/5
- London Bound by C.J. Duggan | Review | Rating: 4/5
- The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz | Review | Rating: 3.5/5
March Best of the Bunch:
(Best of the Bunch is hosted over at Cocoon of Books. We link up our favorite reads of the month!)
This month, my definite favorite was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This book was incredibly powerful and everyone should read it!
2017 Reading Challenges Progress:
Status: 9/41 Discussions Posted
I posted four discussions this month!
Two (Free) Tools that Have Transformed My Replying and Commenting Back
Is There Such a Thing as a “Quick Post”?
My Haphazard Reading Habits.
Watching Bloggers Come and Go.
A Book Blogger’s Guide to Acronyms, Terms and Slang
Am I the Only One Without an OTP?
Why Does Technology Scare Me So?
Special Niche Genres
Seeing the Book Blogging World Through Rose-Colored Glasses
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Feed Your Fiction Addiction & It Starts at Midnight
Status: 17/50 Books Read
I reviewed three fantasies this month (though all of these are more paranormal or sci-fi dystopian … I’m counting them since it looks like the people who run the challenge count these types of books?).
As of yet, I haven’t read any of Alexa and Rachel’s favorites that I’ve planned to read: Throne of Glass, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Six of Crows, The Winner’s Curse, Graceling. I’m keeping their pictures here, so I don’t forget about them!
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Hello, Chelly & Alexa Loves Books
Status: 6/21-30 Books
Only one book from off my shelf this month:
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Chapter Break & Second Run Reviews
Status: 5/5-10 Books
I finished one series this month and discovered that a book that I read in January counts toward this (I didn’t realize that McGarry is done with the Thunder Road Series when I read the final book back in January.) Oh, and I won the giveaway for this challenge in February so I got a $5 Amazon gift card! Woo hoo!
The Others by Anne Bishop
Thunder Road Series by Katie McGarry
Here are some of the other series I’m hoping to finish this year (as a reminder to myself):
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Somewhere Only We Know & Words Fueled by Love
Status: 29/61-100 books read
Here are the ones I read this month:
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – (un)Conventional Book Views & Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!
Status: 5/15-20 Books Listened To
Reviewed this month:
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Hot Listens & Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Status: 36/76 Possible Gameboard Spaces
If you’re interested in which books I read for each category or in seeing a bigger version of the updated gameboard, then go to my 2017 Bookopoly Progress page. The image above has been updated to reflect my newest reads. (I managed to use 13 of the books I read for the challenge this month.)
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Broc’s Bookcase
Wrap-Up Round-Up!
Don’t forget to link your February wrap-up posts up to the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up! And check out the giveaway, which will be posted here on Feed Your Fiction Addiction on the 8th!
Man, I don’t know how you do it. Being able to keep track of your challenges must be tough but you’re doing it. 😀 I need to read The Hate U Give soon. Surprised that I haven’t, tbh.
Have a great April, Nicole!
I don’t keep track well during the month, but it’s pretty easy for me to figure out which books go with which challenges when I do this wrap-up.
Sorry things are crazy again. Love your IG pics !! Great job on your reading and all of your challenges. I am kind of bombing mine lol! Have a great April!
Thanks, Grace. I’m hoping things start looking up—we’re having a rough year, for sure.
I hope you and your family are okay. I don’t always understand my blog stats, either. Sometimes I get referral spam robots that swarm a post, and suddenly that post will have 400 mysterious extra views. I’m looking forward to reading The Hate U Give. The wait list for that book is insane. Who knows when I’ll get to read it? Happy April!
Yeah, I’m wondering if that book sniffing post could be something like that. I can’t come up with a better explanation. It doesn’t seem to happen often, luckily, so I guess I should just ignore it when it does.
Sorry your year is a bit tumultuous so far! I hope things get better. I have a difficult time understanding stats sometimes too. haha
-Lauren
Thanks, Lauren. We’ve had quite a roller-coaster ride in 2017 so far, so I’m hoping things start looking up soon.
I’m sorry March managed to throw you a curve-ball, Nicole! And I hope things will calm down for you and your family. I’m sure all bloggers understand, though – we all have real life happen every now and then 😉
Are you going to RT in May? (I can’t even remember if I’ve asked you before!)
You’re doing well on your challenges, though, Nicole, so curve-ball or not, kudos to you!
I’m feeling worn down with the up-and-down emotions going on around here lately, but I’m hoping we can find some sort of normal soon.
Oops! I already said this on your blog, but in case you didn’t see it—I’m not doing RT this year, unfortunately. Wish I was!
I love that your most popular post was something from September??? That’s a hell of long run for that! Also, that Bookopoly looks so fun!! I wish I would have known about it at the beginning of the year!
Yes, that post still gets tons of views and it consistently gets at least a few comments a month. I agree that the Bookopoly is really fun! You could always join and just apply the books you’ve already read this year to it… 🙂
I love how efficient you are at keeping track of so many challenges 🙂
Fingers crossed for no curveballs in April
I basically just get efficient about it at the very end of the month. I’d love to claim that I’m organized all month long, but that’s not at all true. 🙂
I’m sorry to hear March took a spin. I hope things improve for you and your family. You had a phenomenal reading month! I am in awe of the number of reviews you wrote! I don’t understand stats either, or the whole SEO thing. My Harry Potter reviews are still the most popular posts on my blog, and I wrote those 4 years ago. Hoping for April showers for all of us. Because more reading! 🙂
I tend to read a lot no matter what’s going on—even if I have to stay up late to do it. I find that reading is a great escape when things are stressful!
It looks like you had a great blogging and reading month. I hate that things are crazy in your life right now. Hopefully, things calm down soon. It looks like you are making good progress on all of your challenges. Have a great April!
Yep, at least when things are crazy at home, I always still have my books!
I hope April is a better month for your and your family.
Thanks, Freda!
You’ve had an amazing reading/blogging month. Great progress on your challenges!
Wishing you the best of luck for you and your family during April 🙂
Thanks, Aneta!
You always review so much! It’s amazing. I am so glad we both really enjoyed THUG!
I read a lot, and I pretty much review everything I read, so … I do a lot more mini-reviews these days, though.
THUG would probably be my best of pick for March as well. Good choice! 😛 I just checked out your post about commenting and I’m happy to hear Pocket has been helping you out. I use it to just keep track of posts I want to comment on. Generally, I’ll read a post on my iPad and save it to Pocket if I want to comment. Then I try to sit down on my PC a couple times a week to do a bunch of commenting.
Yes, Pocket has totally saved me in that respect!
Wow, I’m always so impressed at how many books you read every month! Amazing! Have a great reading month in April! <3
Megan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/
I pretty much always read at night before I go to sleep for at least an hour, and I often read during the day as well. Since I’m a pretty fast reader, I can get a lot read that way!
I actually enjoy mini reviews sometimes more than longer ones when I’m pretty sure I’m going to read a book. They are like confirmation for me of where to spend my money and time. So thank you for these too! I have to read THUG. Everyone including you has told me how impactful and current this book is and I can’t wait for the emotional shredding that will happen while I read it. I love how involved you are with your followers too–I know I can always count on you to take the time and respond.
I agree that sometimes mini-reviews are just easier to digest.