Monthly Wrap-Up: January ’21

January was a month where I wanted to read so much, but I just could not find the time to get through a lot of books. I read four books this month, but it did include a near-600 page novel, so I feel like that kind of counts as two books. Let’s have a moment of silence as I got rejected for an eARC of The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore on NetGalley and will be crying about this until the book comes out, but on the plus side I did get offered an ARC of Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira by the publisher after being denied on NetGalley. We are a month into the year and I haven’t signed up for any reading challenges and I think I will keep it this way. I could use a less stressful reading year.

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

Favorite Book This Month:

My favorite read this month was Hafsah Faizal’s We Free the Stars, the conclusion to her We Hunt the Flame duology. I loved, loved, loved it. Wish me luck as I will be spending the next few days writing a review for this one. I have not written a full review in like two months, maybe more. 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:

2020 Reading Stats: Who and What Did I Read This Year – This is my second year going over my reading stats, which is always nice to reflect on and see where I can improve.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021 – An overview of some of my most anticipated reads. I can’t wait!

Talk Chisme to Me: Ten Most Anticipated 2021 Titles By Latinx Authors – Take a look at my most anticipated releases by Latinx authors out this year!

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Mr. Sunshine – I haven’t started any new shows, but I am almost done with Mr. Sunshine which I just adore so very much. If you’ve seen it, let me know, so I have someone to discuss it with once I am done.

February Releases I’m Excited For:

What was your first 2021 read? What February releases are you most excited for? 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: December ’20

I don’t know if I should laugh or cry that 2020 is over. What a mess this year has been and yet I know just because it’s not 2020 anymore, all our problems aren’t automatically solved. Last month I only read two books and I bested that this month by reading three! I honesty don’t know how I read so little, but am not going to stress too much about it. I will say that I was hoping to get to a couple of books before the end of the year, but didn’t. Crossing my fingers that I can get to them this month. I don’t have any definitely plans for 2021 reading challenges, but that might change. I usually end of signing up for challenges after seeing fellow bloggers’ sign-up posts.

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

Favorite Book This Month:

All three of my reads this December were four-star reads, but my favorite was A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown based on the ending alone. I talk about this in my review, but this first book sets up a potential enemies to lovers story for the sequel (or maybe I am just being hopeful because I love the two leads so much). I just love when authors surprise you by taking a story in a different direction than what you anticipated and the new prospect actually exciting you more than what you imagined in your head. Review for this one will go up as soon as I find the time to edit it. 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:

Book List: Looking Ahead at 2021 Preorders – In December I wrote a post highlighting the books I’ve already preordered and why.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Five-Star 2020 Reads – This post is a must as I discuss all thirteen of the five-star reads I had this year and why I loved them.

2020 End of the Year Survey – My favorite recap post for the year is up and it’s been such an enjoyable reading year. Find out what my favorite reads are, books that broke my heart, my favorite ships and more!

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Marvel Marathon – Okay, so I watched most of the Marvel movies in December ( I have four left) and this might explain why I didn’t read so much. A lot of these were movies I had only seen once, so it was interesting to visit them and see the little bread crumbs left behind. The favorites remain Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Captain America: Civil War.

Mr. Sunshine – Someone help me, this might be my all-time favorite K-Drama by the time I finish. The leads literally meet when they are both trying to assassinate the same man and later on discover each other’s identities. I couldn’t find a gif of the rooftop chase that follows their first meet but it is magnificent. Every slow motion shot in this drama is art. This is my first historical K-Drama and it will not be my last.

January Releases I’m Excited For:

Did you read a lot in December? What reading challenges are you doing this year? 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: November ’20 + I’m Back!!!

Hello, my friends, it’s been sooo long! If you didn’t notice, I took the month of November off from the blog but now I have returned and I am feeling pretty good. I also ended up taking a couple of weeks away from both IG and Twitter. It wasn’t planned, but just taking a break from all the pressure to be productive was very much needed. I don’t have a lot of plans in terms of the blog for this last month of the year because I didn’t want to spend my break from the blog thinking about the blog, but I do have several reviews in the drafts that need to go up. Looking forward to reconnecting with all of you <3<3<3

I just went to look at what I had read this month and apparently I didn’t. I read two full books and only got through a third of another. This is actually really funny because I could have sworn I read more. Oh well. Something amazing that did happen was I reached 100% ratio on NetGalley. This has only happened a couple of times since I started blogging. It feels so good and so earned. It might be disappearing sooner rather than later as I have requested a few 2021 ARCs.

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

Favorite Book This Month:

I am currently recovering from reading The Burning God by R.F. Kuang, the final book in The Poppy War trilogy. I didn’t finish it, it finished me. I need to sit down and write a review, but I am experiencing a book hangover that somehow is worse than the ones the first two books put me through.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted This Month:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Readalong News:

Forgery of Readalongs: I have joined Johely @ bookrokosmos and Jessica @ Theatrical Reader in hosting the Forgery of Readalongs for the month of December. Together we are reading Nocturna by Maya Motayne. Join our Goodreads discussion group here.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Chocolate – I would like to take a moment and thank the creators of this K-Drama. It single-handedly got me through election week when I needed to take a break from doomscolling and watching the news on T.V. The slow-burn was so deliciously slow but so worth it. If you like foodie dramas, childhood sweethearts, and a romance that makes your heart ache, be sure to check this one out. Keep a tissue box handy as this one takes place at a hospice and you will grow attached to characters you will have to say goodbye to.

December Releases I’m Excited For:

How was your November? What book are you hoping to get to by the end of the year? Let me hear from you 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: October ’20 + Hiatus Announcement

I haven’t been around for the last couple of weeks and while my first instinct is to apologize, I just really needed the break. This entire year has me struggling to find the right balance with the blog and I don’t know if it’s the state of the world, my own personal issues I am working through, or the fact that I have been blogging so long I am having just another existential blogging crisis. Over the past two weeks I decided that I am in need of an extended break, so I will be stepping away from the blog for the rest of November. I should be back come December. I do have one ARC I need to read and review, so that should go up sometime next week, but other than that I won’t be posting on the blog. I hope everyone is well, I know I haven’t been blog hopping lately, but I do hope you are all staying healthy. I will still be on Twitter and you can DM me there if you need me. I will try to spend the next couple of days replying to comments before checking out.

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

Favorite Book This Month:

I had some really good reads this month, but I am going to go with Amparo Ortiz’s debut Blazewrath Games as my favorite of the month. It was such a fun fantasy and one of the few good pieces of news I’ve had this month is it’s going to get a sequel. I need it desperately, especially since I feel vindicated regarding my favorite character whom I can’t talk about because SPOILERS.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Reviews Posted This Month:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Latinx Heritage Month Posts + Looking Ahead:

(September 15-October 15)

Talk Chisme to Me: First Books By Latinx Authors That Made Me Feel Seen – Here I talk about the very first books where I saw myself represented. These titles will always hold a special place in my heart.

Talk Chisme to Me: Latinx Horror Spotlight – To close out Latinx Heritage Month and segue into spooky season, I talked about some of my favorite creepy books by Latinx authors and a few on my TBR.

Latinx Book Club – The Latinx Book Club will be reading The Moon Within by Aida Salazar in November. Please join us if you are able. Find us on Twitter here and on Goodreads here.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Vampires vs. the Bronx – This was such a fun movie. I absolutely adored this one and it was perfect for October. It also makes a great companion to Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching. Both deal with the insidious side of gentrification.

The Haunting of Hill House – Yes, this is my third time watching this series, but it’s just so good and exactly what I am looking for in an October watch. I still haven’t had a chance to watch The Haunting of Bly Manor, but I love spooky stuff all year long, so I have time.

November Releases I’m Excited For:

What was your favorite October read? Did you watch any scary movies? Let me hear from you in the comments and feel free to leave me a link to your own wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to visit!