Monthly Wrap-Up: September ’21

Happy October! September saw me returning to blogging after a long break and I forgot what it’s like to actually enjoy blogging. That sounds terrible, but I have been struggling all year trying to find the motivation to keep going. This break was a godsend. I’m blogging more, I’m reading more, and more importantly, I’m not feeling overly stressed doing so. So if you are looking for someone to tell you taking that break from blogging you’ve been putting off is the right thing to do, consider this your final nudge. I read ten books this month which is about double my average. Yay me! Mid-September marked the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month and I’ve been sharing Talk Chisme to Me posts highlighting Latinx authors. Be sure to check them out below. Also, if you haven’t entered my Twitter giveaway, click here for all the info. It’s also finally October and I have a few Halloween-themed posts for you this month. I am going to wait about a week to start posting those because I don’t want to distract too much from my Latinx Heritage Month posts.

(Book covers below are linked to my reviews, unless otherwise specified.) 

Favorite Book This Month:

My favorite read in September was Crystal Vega’s Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Charlie is one of those characters that you cannot help but love. This one was truly one of the most delightful reads for me this year. Review coming soon.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Talk Chisme to Me: Latinx Heritage Month 2021 TBR – Take a look at the Latinx reads I am reading this month.

Talk Chisme to Me: New Favorites From the Past Year – I read so many amazing books by Latinx authors over the past year. Here’s a look at my top ten.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Anticipated Fall 2021 Releases – Take a look at which fall releases are on my radar.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Hotel Del Luna – I have been wanting to watch this K-Drama for a while and then it dropped on Netflix like a gift. I am only a few episodes in, but am loving it in all its paranormal charm.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha – I also just started this cute K-Drama. I am only two episodes in, but no one does sweet, wholesome romance like K-Dramas and so I am really looking forward to where this one goes.

October Releases I’m Excited For:

What’s your favorite September read? Are you planning to read anything spooky in October? Let’s discuss in the comments and feel free to leave me a link to your own wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to visit!

Monthly Wrap-Up: July ’21 & August ’21

Hello, friends, I am officially back from my blogging hiatus! I originally planned to come back in August, but I had a few things come up and needed the extra couple of weeks. Still dealing with some things and it’s also the second anniversary of my brother’s passing, so if I’m not readily available or slow to reply to comments, it’s probably because I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed. My hiatus could have been better and even though I didn’t read a ton, it was still nice to have some kind of break. I only read six books during the months of July and August, but considering how stressed I was, I’m going to consider it a win. Latinx Heritage Month is just around the corner and while I’ve been preparing posts, I’ve also decide to give myself a little leeway. My Talk Chisme to Me posts will be limited , but I am still very excited to share with you what I have in store. Hope the latter part of the summer is going well for everyone and I am hoping to do a lot of blogging hopping in the coming week to see what everyone’s been up to ❤

(Book covers below are linked to my reviews, unless otherwise specified.) 

Favorite Books I Read in July and August:

My favorite July read was Jade War by Fonda Lee. I finally picked this sequel up and it had me so stressed out! I screamed out loud so much. I don’t know what the final book in the series is going to look like, but I am kind of terrified. My favorite read in August was Susan Dennard’s Witchshadow. I have such a soft spot for this series. This fourth book is full of action, but at times it did feel like a filler installment. Still, I’ve enjoyed the journey these characters have taken and can’t wait for more.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

2021 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag – Before going on hiatus, I took a look at my reads so far this year. I didn’t read a ton, but I think I picked up a lot of great books.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Fear Street: Part 1-3 – The Fear Street movie series definitely had its flaws, but overall these movies were really fun and made me nostalgic for old school slasher movies. I kid you not after I watched these, all I wanted was more scary movies, so I spent most of July only watching horror films.

Strongest Deliveryman – I am still watching horror films, but I’ve peppered in K-Dramas for a little levity. In August I watched Strongest Deliveryman which was so silly and yet the most endearing K-Drama I have ever watched. The male lead, Kang Soo, is literally too good for this world.

September Releases I’m Excited For:

What was your favorite July and August read? Let’s discuss in the comments and feel free to leave me a link to your own wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to visit!

Monthly Wrap-Up: June ’21

Oh June, we did not get along. I have not felt as slumpy this year as I did in June. I wanted to read, but making myself read was incredibly difficult. Honestly, the only reason I read an average amount this month was because of a blog tour I had coming up. If it wasn’t for that, I probably would have read two books at most. So this month I picked up five books (special shout out to graphic novels for keeping me afloat the latter part of the month). Not my best, but you know, not my worst either. I did post more reviews than I have been averaging and I feel kind of proud of this. There have been months where I’ve only posted one or two reviews which is not great. So here’s the deal with my upcoming blog hiatus. I’ve been planning this for a while and will have an official announcement next weekend, but basically I won’t be back until mid-August. Usually when I take these breaks, I still read a lot, but I think I am going to make myself take at least a week and not read on purpose. I don’t remember the last time I did that. We’ll see how that goes.

(Book covers below are linked to my reviews, unless otherwise specified.) 

Favorite Book This Month:

C.L Polk’s Witchmark was easily my favorite read of the month. I loved the world-building and the romance. It’s one of those books that I would consider a quiet fantasy and I just love those so much.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted This Month:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for Second Half of 2021 – The second half of 2021 has some great titles coming out. Here is a look at my top ten most anticipated releases.

Book List: Twenty Summer 2021 Release I’m Excited For – If you’re interested in summer releases I have on my radar, check out this list.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Vagabond – I really enjoyed this K-Drama. It made me super emotional and I have a real soft spot for the lead. It made me want to watch more thrillers, so if you have any recs, let me know in the comments. As much as I love K-Dramas for the romance, it’s nice to get a break and the action scenes in this one were phenomenal. I didn’t know it was going to end on a cliffhanger though and season 2 hasn’t even been announced, so that’s a special kind of torture.

The K-2 – I haven’t finished this one yet, but started it because of how much i enjoyed Vagabond. I feel kind of eh about it though. I will say that it features this really great dynamic between the lead who is a bodyguard and the stepmother of the girl he is supposed to fall for. They have more chemistry than the main ship, so much so that I had to look it up to see if I was imagining all that tension and I wasn’t. There are a lot of people who love them and it’s probably my favorite thing about this show even though it clearly wasn’t done on purpose.

July Releases I’m Excited For:

What was your favorite June read? Let’s discuss in the comments and feel free to leave me a link to your own wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to visit!

Monthly Wrap-Up: May ’21

Happy Pride, friends! Hope this month is full of acceptance and celebration, whether you are out or not ❤ Reading-wise, May was a fantastic month for me. I haven’t read so much in probably a year. I read eight books and am now back on track for my Goodreads goal. I got my second dose of the covid vaccine earlier in the month and celebrated my birthday. The end of the month is making me feel a little stressed however. I had to take my dog in to the vet and am trying to get her in again. She’s getting old and I am not sure what is wrong with her, so this and some other personal stuff is just really weighing on me. Contemplating a blogging hiatus come July. I have one obligation for the beginning of the month, but after that I think I will be taking a break. I just completed month two of learning to roller skate and have unlocked how to transition. It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to learn so far. I just found an outside rink that I visited for the first time this week and am so excited to go back already.

(Book covers below are linked to my reviews, unless otherwise specified.) 

Favorite Book This Month:

I read so many good books this month, but my favorite is probably Jonny Garza Villa’s debut Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun. This book took me through so many emotions. It’s definitely my favorite debut of 2021 so far. My review for this one will be up tomorrow. Cover linked to Goodreads.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted This Month:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Recent Reads – A round up of ten of my most recent reads and a few thoughts on them.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Mortal Kombat – I didn’t watch a ton of new stuff this month, but I did finally watch the new Mortal Kombat movie. It was cheesy and yet so much fun.

Chocolate – Yes, this is a rewatch, but never underestimate the power of a comfort watch.

June Releases I’m Excited For:

How was your May? Which June releases are you looking forward to? Let’s discuss in the comments and feel free to leave me a link to your own wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to visit!