My Goings On in October:
- October was the month of bookish events for me! I attended (click on the links to read my recaps):
- The Epic Reads fall tour
- The Dear Evan Hansen book tour
- Anderson’s Bookshop’s 15th Annual YA Literature Conference
- SCBWI’s Prairie Writer’s & Illustrator’s Day 2018
- Things I watched:
- I’m almost done with The Walking Dead Season 8. I’ve heard that Season 9 gets less ridiculous—we shall see.
- I watched a bit more of the newest season of iZombie.
- My husband and I finished a rewatch of all nine seasons of The Office.
- (I really want to watch some of the new shows that are out, including the new Sabrina show. I hope it’s good!)
Instagram:
Apparently, I only posted to Instagram once in October. Oops!
Features & Discussions:
The recaps of the events I went to in October (I already linked to those up above, so I won’t do it again here).
Things I Didn’t Know About Publishing (And Things I Know I Still Don’t Know) Let’s Discuss
October Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway
October Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up & Make Me Read It Giveaway
My 2018 Reading Progress:
I’ve read 124 books so far this year. Since my goal was only 100, I’d say I’m doing mighty well.
October 2018 Reviews
- Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- Warcross by Marie Lu | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- Wildcard by Marie Lu | Review | Rating: Devoured It
- Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd | Review | Rating: Devoured It
- Lulu the Broadway Mouse by Jenna Gavigan | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan| Review | Rating: Devoured It
- In Your Shoes by Donna Gephart| Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
- The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White | Review | Rating: Absolutely Addicted
October Best of the Bunch:
(Best of the Bunch is hosted over at Cocoon of Books. We link up our favorite reads of the month!)
No doubt about it, my favorite of this month was this fun middle grade read, which I reviewed with Danielle Hammelef on Tuesday.
2018 Reading Challenges/Goals Progress:
If you didn’t see my update awhile back, I decided to stop doing most of my challenges. Priorities.
Status: 26/31-40 Discussions Posted
I’m counting the event recaps I wrote this month because … I want to. Still might not hit my yearly goal, though. Oh well, I’m not going to stress about it.
Epic Reads Meet-up Recap
The Dear Evan Hansen Tour Recap
Anderson’s Bookshop’s 15th Annual YA Literature Conference Recap
Things I Didn’t Know About Publishing (And Things I Know I Still Don’t Know)
Book Box Subscriptions. Yay or Nay?
Goodreads’ YA Books Lists.
I Love Me Some Purple Prose.
Where to Find Book Series Recaps. (Since most books don’t have a synopsis.)
The Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag
The WIFYR Workshop Experience
Goodreads’ Mid-Year Book Lists.
A Break in Our Regularly Scheduled Programming (& Reasons I’m Excited for WIFYR)
Some Changes Around Here
My Personal Connection to Pride Month, Some Recent LGBTQ+ Reads, and Integrating My Faith and LGBTQ+ Issues
Top 10 Writing Tips I Learned at WIFYR
My Newly Organized Bookcases!
My First Time Switching Between an Audiobook and a Print Book.
The Rain on Netflix: Danish or English? (Subbed or Dubbed?)
Why Is Voice in Writing So Hard? And Do You Think About It When You Read?
Expectations About POC Names in Books.
Great Reasons to Get to Know Your Bookish Friends Better
Top 10 of 2017: Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2018
2017 End of Year Book Survey
My Writing & Reading Goals for 2018
My Book Outlet Weakness (& Why My Latest Haul Is All Your Fault)
Which Types of Reviews Are Most Effective? Let’s Discuss!
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Feed Your Fiction Addiction & It Starts at Midnight
My 2018 Goals Progress:
Complete a second edit of my MG novel. Done!Attend a writing workshop. I went to WIFYR in June and to the SCBWI Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day in October.- Read more writing craft books/materials. Yep. I’m definitely doing this. In October, I’ve been working my way through Story Genius by Lisa Cron and I also read The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke. 🙂
- Finish the first draft of YA novel. I’ve jumped back into it. I seriously considered dumping what I had and starting over, but then I realized I was being a crazy person (and giving in to insecurities) and I’m forging ahead!
- Read one review book for every one that I request/receive. ) Phew! I did MUCH better with this in October. I only received 3 books for review, and I posted reviews for 9 and decided not to review 1. (So far for the year, I’ve received 72 and read 74, so now I’m back to being 2 ahead!!)
- Read more middle grade. I reviewed 3 MG books this month. Not too bad. (I’ve read and/or reviewed 25 MGs so far this year.)
- Work out! I’m hanging in there. It helps that I’ve been enjoying watching The Walking Dead while on the elliptical.
Wrap-Up Round-Up!
Don’t forget to link your October wrap-up posts up to the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up. And enter the giveaway! (I posted it with the actual link-up this month.)
Great job on all of your goals for the year! I’m at 115 books read for the year, so we’ll see what I get to in the next couple months. Crazy that it’s only 2 more months until 2019! I’m not doing NaNo officially, because there is no way I have time for 50k words, BUT since so many people are, I’m going to use that fun motivation and get back into my WIP. I have been researching and thinking on it a bit more though, so I think I’m ready to dive in. 🙂
-Lauren
I’m not doing it officially either. It’s sort of the same for me—I still need to FINISH last year’s NaNo book, so that’s my goal for November. It won’t be 50,000 words, but if I get that done, I’ll be happy.
Congrats on doing so well with your goals! I need to get back to working out. I’ve been slacking with running because it’s cold and snowy outside. Have a great November!
That’s (one of the many reasons) why I couldn’t be a runner. 🙂
Wow Nicole you had a great month! Congrats on your reading challenge you did more than great!
Thanks! I knew my goal was doable this year. I wanted to focus more on writing, which had to mean less reading.
You are roxking the goals. We’ve been watching return shows to the fall lineup but also watch Sabrina and The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.
I definitely want to watch Sabrina. It goes really well with my current (witchy) WIP. 🙂
New Sabrina show? Really? This is the first I’m hearing about it…how interesting! Hope you like it once you get to it. Happy November!
I just watched the first episode today, and I’m enjoying it so far! It’s on Netflix.
So many wicked titles. I wanna read those Marie Lu books for sure! Happy November!
You should! They’re great!
Okay we really ARE twins because I too have read 124 books and that is too funny! I promise TWD has gotten better- the 3rd episode was probably the best they’ve had in literally half a decade. Angela Kang was a good life choice. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes, I am cautiously optimistic!
I’m excited that it’s better. I never completely got sick of it, even when it was at its worst, so that says something. I’m not ready to let this show go!
Your doing wonderful on your Discussions goals. I’ve heard mixed things about the new Sabrina. I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m curious to see what it’s all about. Watching favorite shows always help when working out. I’ve slacked this week on treadmill running, but I usually take that time to catch up on You Tube videos. Happy November 🙂
I watched the first episode of Sabrina and liked it. Hopefully that will continue.
124!!! Go You!!! I’m thinking about getting back into a project I was working on but not OFFICIALLY doing Nano. Good luck on your YA project– Don’t dump it!! I always want to do that too & I usually do & I regret it.
I hope you pick that project back up. I’ve vowed to finish my first draft of my YA novel this month. Need to stick to that. 🙂
My husband re-watches The Office all the time! I’ve seen it once all the way through, and then individual episodes on and off, but I have it memorized just from hearing it in the background. He’ll have it playing while he’s in the garage, or working on something inside.
It sounds like you’ve met a lot of your goals! Congrats!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
We watched the whole things years ago and then watched a few episodes here and there, but just did a full run of all the seasons again.
Why you went to a lot of bookish events. That’s pretty awesome. You look like you are doing amazing with your goals. Great job! Have a great November!
Yes, October was definitely the month of bookish events!
Ahh it’s so great to see how many events you managed to attend this last month! I appreciate reading your recaps so much 🙂
I’m happy to see you’re doing so great with your goals – best of luck for your first draft, keep on going, you can do this!! <3
Have a wonderful November! xx
Thanks! I’m working hard on that first draft, and I think I’ll have the draft done by the end of November, as promised (to myself). Then the real work begins! 🙂
Great month. That’s wonderful you got to attend some events. WOW that’s a lot of Discussions Posted in Oct. Thank’s for sharing and for doing the challenge.
Only a few of the discussions were posted in October (only the ones listed at the top)—the list at the bottom is my running tally. (I don’t have any discussion superpowers.)
Rewatching The Office sounds like SO much fun! I think the CPR training episode may be my favorite only because I always laugh so hard I cry ha. My friend was cleaning out her DVD stash so I’m borrowing all the seasons of Charmed, the one from the 90s. It looks fun, fingers crossed!
I want to rewatch the 90s version of Charmed too. We shall see!
I forgot about TWD for a minute, I don’t think I’ve watched since season 4. It exhausted all of my emotions. Haha. I started listening to Touch of Gold on hoopla and got distracted. I’ll have to return to it!
TWD is fantastic for working out—it keeps my heart pumping, that’s for sure! 🙂
The Sabrina re-boot looks awesome! All kinds of dark and twisty. I have high hopes for it but want to wait until there are a few more episodes before I dive in.
I’m really liking it so far. Dark and twisty definitely describe it well.
You did attend a lot of events this past month. That’s awesome! I have to check out that MG book. I am so in love with all the MGs I have been reading lately, and The Adventurer’s Guide looks adorable.
If you’ve been enjoying MG’s I HIGHLY recommend this one. SO. MUCH. FUN!
Love to see all the writing goals! How exciting! I’m working hard on mine too 🙂
Will. Finish. This. Draft. If. It. Kills. Me. (It might.)
We’ve also rewatched the Office, although for my boyfriend it was the first time round. Love that show 🙂
Glad you got him into it. 🙂
I enjoyed your posts this month, especially the ones where you recapped the events you attended. I’m reading A Touch of Gold Right now and it’s getting really good. I’m also reading Lu by Jason Reynolds as I enjoy his writing as well as these companion books about kids on a track team. Best of luck with your writing goals.
I need to read more Jason Reynolds. I’ve only read a couple of his books but loved them.
I just finished Lu (Track #4) and loved it too. The friendships, family relationships, issues are all unique in these books and overwhelmingly hopeful and heartwarming. Long Way Down is still my favorite Reynolds book so far.
Yes, I LOVED Long Way Down!!
The cover of that mg looks like so much fun! We’ve kind of stopped watching The Walking Dead around s6 or 7. I don’t even remember. I just lost, interest I guess. It just feels like it isn’t going anywhere anymore.
Lots of people lost interest. It started to get a bit ridiculous. I’ve heard this new season is actually pretty good, though.
You are doing fantastic with your goals! I have so many shows that I want to watch but I would not be able to read as much if I spend time watching tv. It’s a problem. I hope you have a great November!
I went through a long period where I watched almost no shows at all because I preferred to spend my spare time reading. I now mostly watch TV while I do the elliptical each day and sometimes in the evenings while I work on blog stuff like responding to comments. That way I have time for everything! 🙂
The Adventures Guide to Successful Escapes looks super cool! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much Nicole. Also I can never officially participate in NaNo but I love to be there is spirit as I plug along like I normally do. Too much stress for me and I crumble and get nothing on the page. ❤️
Yeah, I can’t officially do NaNo this time, but I figured if I still gave myself a goal for November, I’d work better. I need deadlines!
The Adventurer’s Guide looks fun. It looks like you had a great month. Tonight I should read my Goodreads goal of 100 books for the year. See what I read in October at Girl Who Reads
Yay! Congrats on hitting your goal!
Great job with your yearly goals. You are doing so good. I have been meaning to watch The Walking Dead for so long but somehow never actually started it 😀
You read so many good books this month. And wow, I love MG books and glad that you read so many MG books:)
I hope November is even better for you 🙂
I tend to binge each season when it comes out on Netflix in the fall. Then I have to wait a whole year for the next one.
Looks like you got a tonne of reading/reviewing done! Well done! XD <3
I did! It still feels like I’m never caught up with everything, but I think I’ve just come to terms with the fact that this is going to be my perpetual state. Oh well!
Yay for crushing your writing goals. Looks like I have a few posts to catch up on, off to read your “things I didn’t know about publishing post”. Intrigued!
Hope you enjoyed the post!