My Goings On in April:
- Things around here have been pretty up and down when it comes to that curveball that I mentioned last month. Just when I’ll think we’re moving along swimmingly, things will go south. Have I ever mentioned that parenting a teenager is hard? Parenting a teenager is very hard. (Actually, I take that back—all parenting is just really freaking hard.)
- Our homeschool co-op year is just about over, giving me a little bit more free time, which is good because …
- I have a new editing project that I’ve been working on. 🙂
- I also went to a Strange the Dreamer event and met Lainie Taylor.
- The kids started a new swimming season and we just had our first meet yesterday.
On Instragram:
Most Popular Posts:
- My #1 post was still A Spoiler-Filled Discussion of Three Dark Crowns.
- I was excited to see that my second most visited post of the month was my annual April Fool’s joke. This year’s was Announcing BookBloggicon: a New Annual Book Event You WON’T Want to Miss!
- Next was the April Discussion Challenge Link-Up and Giveaway!
Other Features & Discussions:
Why Everything I’ve Ever Told You About Book Blogging Is Wrong (and Also Right). Let’s Discuss.
March Wrap-Up Round-Up Giveaway
Laini Taylor’s Strange The Dreamer Event Recap
Graphs Make Me Happy! Let’s Discuss.
My 2017 Reading Progress:
I changed my Goodreads goal to 200 since I’ve been reading a lot this year. I’m still 11 ahead—of course, as soon as I do that, I’ll probably start reading way less. Oh well, we shall see!
April 2017 Reviews
- The Pain Eater by Beth Goobie | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Just Another Girl by Elizabeth Eulberg | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Dream Magic by Joshua Khan | Review | Rating: 4/5
- Ignite by Danielle Rogland | Review | Rating: 3.5/5
- Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray | Review | Rating: 5/5
- Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer | Review | Rating: 4.5/5
- Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi | Review | Rating: 5/5
- Love*Com by Aya Nakahara | Review | Rating: 4/5
- A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima | Review | Rating: 4.5/5
- Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba | Review | Rating: 4/5
April 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 favorite was Defy the Stars (though Letters to the Lost was a close second!). I was just blown away by this first installment of Claudia Gray’s newest series, and I can’t wait to read more!
2017 Reading Challenges Progress:
Status: 11/41 Discussions Posted
I only posted two discussions this month.
Why Everything I’ve Ever Told You About Book Blogging Is Wrong (and Also Right)
Graphs Make Me Happy!
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: 22/50 Books Read
I reviewed five fantasies this month (again, a few are more paranormal or sci-fi dystopian, but 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: 8/21-30 Books
Only one book from off my shelf this month, but I realized I forgot to count one from last month:
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Chapter Break & Second Run Reviews
Status: 5/5-10 Books
I decided not to count these toward my finished series count, but I did finish two manga series this month (the other two series I actually finished in 2016 but didn’t review until now), so I thought I’d mention them …
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: 36/61-100 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
I listened to some this month, but I haven’t reviewed them yet.
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Hot Listens & Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Status: 42/76 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 used 6 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!
Wow, I am very jealous of your progress with your challenges. I can only aspire to be that successful. I obviously need to pick up my pace. You’ve read some good books last month, though. Hopefully May will be as good.
I’m not great about reading specifically for my challenges, but I read A LOT of books and I pick challenges that naturally gel with my reading interests, so it works out well for me.
It looks like you had a good reading month, even with all the challenges. I hope life gets easier for you soon. Happy May!
Thanks, AJ. So far, May has been nicer to me.
My son is 22 and my daughter is 20. I feel your pain on raising teens. Being a mom is often a thankless job, but believe me when I tell you, your reward will be when you realize that you raised decent adults. 🙂
Happy May!
I keep trying to remind myself that these teen years won’t last forever. It’s hard to keep it all in perspective some days!
Totally missed your April Fool’s blog post. I might have to come back and check it out. 😀
Yes, you should definitely check it out. I always have so much fun with my April Fools’ posts!
Parenting is so hard. I can’t even imagine it with teenagers!! Great job on our challenges!!
I guess you always hear that parenting teenagers can be crazy, but you never quite realize what it’s actually like till you’re there.
I need to read WINTER too. I was so excited for that series to end and then—- I didn’t even read the book!! It’s SO BIG though!!! I must do it soon!
I do that to myself with final books in series ALL THE TIME. It’s a sickness, really.
That’s great you have a new editing project, and I’m still so jealous you met Laini Taylor. 🙂 I’m sorry things have still been a bit rough. Parenting IS hard – I don’t envy the hard moments parents go through, despite wanting kids at some point.
-Lauren
It’s definitely all worth it, but I do think parenting is a lot harder than I expected it to be when I started out. Every kid is so different and just when you think you’re starting to figure things out, there’s some new curveball thrown your way!
Yup parenting is INCREDIBLY hard. So I believe you when you say parenting teenagers is FREAKING hard. But,, hey! 11 books ahead, You are a reading beast like me [I’m a much much smaller beats but a beast nonetheless :)] I hope you read Winter soon IS SO GOOD!!! perfect ending to the series. My review is coming up next week 😉
As of today I officially have TWO teenagers, so I’m guessing I should just throw in the towel and admit defeat now. LOL!
I just have two dogs, and parenting them can sometimes be hard. Especially when one wants to poop in her sister’s room all the time. And the stealing of the chewies. Oh, my lanta! I ohpe it gets better. It does get better. 🙂
Congrats on your great reading month! April was also my best month.
I have the two dogs to drive us crazy with their incessant barking to go ALONG with the teenagers. Yep, I’m doomed. 🙂
I’ve never upped my GoodReads challenge goal even though I’ve been tempted in the past. I’ve always worried that I was being too cocky and as soon as I upped the number something would happen and my reading would come to a screeching halt. LOL I just finished Letters to the Lost and really loved it. Declan absolutely broke my heart. Such a great book.
Actually, ever since I upped it, I’ve been reading a lot less, so go figure … 🙂
Great progress with your books! I’ve been meaning to change my Goodreads challenge as well but I think I’m going to hold off for now. Your dog from your Instagram picture IS SO ADORABLE!!!
Best of luck with May 🙂
Awww, thanks for the compliment on my pup! I’ve been thinking it would be fun to feature my dogs more in my Bookstagram pics, but she’s such a crazy scaredy cat that she backed away every time I tried to put the book near her. (Apparently, books are scarier than we realize!). She finally rolled over in submission and I threw the book in and got a quick shot! 🙂
Parenting teenagers can be so very hard. My baby is 16 but I wasn’t sure that me and my oldest would ever make it out of her teens. Great reading stats this month. I still haven’t read Defy the Stars but I have a copy and can’t wait to get to it. Have a great May.
I keep telling myself it gets better, so thanks for the encouragement!!!
Parenting kids is SO hard! I can’t even fathom having to parent a teenager, ack. I’m struggling today with a 4 year old who has a fever and doesn’t know how to talk without constantly crying and whining. 0_0 The joys of parenthood lol!!
I’m so happy to see that you enjoyed Letters to the Lost! I adored that book too. ♥ Here’s hoping May is wonderful to you and your family! 🙂
Yep, 4 was hard too. I think every age has its own set of issues—I swear, I had no idea how hard parenting is!
So many great books! I’m glad you enjoyed Defy the Stars, now I can’t wait for that one.
Megan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/
I loved it! Looking forward to the next one.
I loved your April Fool’s post; I’m glad it was popular, haha. Yours was the only prank I noticed on the blogs I follow.
I didn’t see many April Fools’ posts this year either. It was sort of disappointing. Hopefully next year will be back to prankful normal!
I hope things will quieten down in the next month for you <3 And good luck with the editing project!
I just got my first edit done on the book I’ve been working on, so I should have a bit more time in May!
I think you dog is so precious! Mine loves belly rubs. I love the cover for Defy the Stars and can’t wait to read it too if you loved it so much. I enjoy meeting authors and going to their signing events. I Your April Fool’s post was so much fun, and I wondered right away from the June 31st ending date clue. I didn’t see any other blog posts like this one.
Yes, the July 31st date was a tiny clue right from the start—I’m glad you caught that!
I also reallly enjoyed DEFY THE STARS! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to the next book too!
Can’t wait for it!
I still need to read Defy the Stars but I’m planning on it soon, reading all the reviews and seeing the high ratings it is getting makes me very curious 🙂
This one’s definitely worth bumping up on your TBR!
Oh wow! I would LOVE to meet Laini Taylor! What is she like?
Parenting is difficult, but luckily there are more positives even if we loose sight of them sometimes. I chuckle at my former naïve self who thought once the babies grew up it would get easier. Take care – you are not alone.
Laini Taylor was great! She’s actually just how I imagined her to be—a mix of fun (just look at that hair) and intellectual.