Monthly Wrap-Up: December ’21 + Welcome 2022!

Happy New Year, friends! Here’s to hoping 2022 is a little kinder to us all ❤ You may have noticed that things around here look a little different and that’s because I decided to revamp the blog. I’ve had the same theme for several years, but decided that I wanted to shake things up a bit this year. I am still in the process of updating graphics, so please be patient. December wasn’t exactly a productive month for me, but that was kind of on purpose. I didn’t want to stress about reading or blogging too much the last month of the year. In December I finished five books (almost six, but the audiobook carried into the new year) and I barely reviewed any of it (whoops). Slowing down made me realize I am in need of a blogging break again and instead of putting it off for months like I did last time (don’t recommend), I am going to listen to myself. I’ll have a formal announcement, but I am aiming for the middle of January. The start of the new year has me contemplating how I want my reading journey to go this year. I feel like I did some good branching out last year and I want to continue this in 2022 (post forthcoming). I also want to continue to explore genres like horror which I feel I only dipped my toes in. Overall, I’m feeling optimistic about entering my eighth year of blogging.

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

Favorite Book This Month:

I had two five-star reads in December to close out the year, so I think they are both worthy of praise. Zoe Hana Mikuta’s Gearbreakers was an incredible debut (probably my favorite of 2021), one of the most exciting novels I’ve ever picked up. Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne ended up being my final read of the year and it was as wonderful as I knew it would be. Bury me with all of Tasha Suri’s stories please.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Other Books I Read This Month:

✿The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown

✿White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America by Anthea Butler

✿Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Book Lists: Short Books to Help You Meet Your 2021 Reading Goals – Put together this list of short books for those who were looking for quick reads to reach their goals at the end of the year.

Book Lists: Holiday Gift Guide (Middle Grade Edition) – Loved putting this gift guide together for middle grade books which you can use all year long!

Book Lists: Holiday Gift Guide (Young Adult Edition) – I also did a young adult edition of my gift guide, check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Five-Star 2021 Reads – Take a look at my five-star reads of 2021!

2021 End of the Year Book Survey – Always love doing this recap of my most memorable reads!

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Literally haven’t started anything new this month. If you can believe it, I am still catching up on several K-Dramas that I started in October/November.

January Releases I’m Excited For:

What was your final 2021 read? What’s your first read of 2022? Let’s talk in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your own wrap-up post, so I can visit!

Monthly Wrap-Up: November ’21

Last month I mentioned I wanted to slow things down the latter part of this year because I didn’t want to get burned out going into 2022. I successfully stuck to this. I read and blogged less in November even though part of my mind was still in hyper-focused mode. Luckily, I was able to channel this into some new crochet projects which kept me from overdoing it on the blogging/reading front. I also did a lot of holiday shopping and am almost done purchasing gifts for everyone. It’s one less thing to stress about in December and hopefully this means I can finally get to all the fantasy books I said I was going to read to close out this year. I am getting very impatient with this weather we are having though. This week we have temperatures in the upper 80s…in December. This feels very cruel. I would very much like to wear all the cute sweaters I bought for fall please. It’s going to be winter and the cold weather is nowhere to be found. Oh, also if I disappear for like a week or a week and a half it’s because I am taking a little hiatus. I probably won’t announce it, but I think I should take at least a small break before the year ends ❤

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

Favorite Book This Month:

My favorite read in November was Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus: Volume One. I didn’t get into the webcomic like everyone else, but I heard all the hype and was eager to check it out in print. I adored it so much and the art work is so lovely. I don’t think I have the willpower to wait for the second volume, so I will probably be check out the webcomic after all.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Other Books I Read This Month:

✿Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

✿The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

✿Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

✿We Do This ’til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Book Lists: Most Stunning 2021 Book Covers – I enjoy pretty covers and if you do too, check out my favorite covers of 2021.

Book Lists: 2021 Books I Haven’t Read (But Should Have) – It’s that time of year where I look back and regret all the releases I haven’t had time to read yet.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Took the opportunity to share ten books I think fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (book or movie) would enjoy.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

The Guest – I watched so many horror movies in October that I fell behind on all my other shows, so I’ve been trying to finish Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Hotel Del Luna. I also just started The Guest which is a K-Drama about demon possession and I am loving it.

December Releases I’m Excited For:

I don’t have any December releases on my radar and I am thinking this probably has to do with the supply chain issue. A lot of book releases have been pushed to next year.

Do you read more or less at the end of the year? What are your reading plans for December?

Monthly Wrap-Up: October ’21

Hello, everyone! And hello, November, I guess. I don’t want to think about the fact that we are so close to Christmas and 2022. I just want to hold on to October for a couple of more weeks, please. I had a really great reading month. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to balance the end of Latinx Heritage Month with horror reads for October, but I am pretty satisfied with what I was able to pick up. I read 12 books this month and am still very much into horror, so you will probably be seeing more of these books on the blog at least through the end of this year. I had a pretty busy blogging month, which you will see below, and though I have various blog drafts at the ready, I am going to try to slow things down a little bit, so I don’t get burned out going into the new year. Ugh, why am I thinking about a whole new year?!

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

Favorite Book This Month:

I am featuring two favorite reads for October just because I can. Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe and I need to gush about this one for a moment. The writing was incredible, Moon solidified herself as one of my all-time favorite protagonists, my heart felt like it was bursting while reading. I can’t wait to share my review of this one. Among horror reads, my favorite was Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth. It was the perfect horror novel to kick off the month. If you enjoy haunted houses and the slow build of unease, pick this one up! Cover is linked to my review.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received lower than three stars from me.

Other Books I Read This Month:

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Talk Chisme to Me: All About Middle Grade – Loved sharing my favorite middle grade novels by Latinx authors in this post as well as my most anticipated.

Talk Chisme to Me: Most Anticipated 2022 Releases – I am so excited for next year’s releases. Take a look at my most anticipated by Latinx authors.

October Fright: Recs to Keep You Up All Night – Sharing some of my favorite adult horror reads!

October Fright: Fearful Flicks to Tune Into This Halloween – In the mood for a horror flick? Look no further!

Top Ten Tuesday: You At NOT a Bad Book Blogger If… – I wrote this post for you and for me to remind us that we are awesome regardless of how productive we are as book bloggers ❤

Top Ten Tuesday: Essential Online Resources for Bloggers and Readers – Whether you are a blogger or just a reader, here are some resources to make your life easier.

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Horror Books on My TBR – No, I can’t get enough horror books and here is a list of some backlist ones I am planning to get to.

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Horror Movies and Shows – All I watched in October were horror movies and shows. I can’t name them all but they include The Wailing (gif above), Attack the Block, Parasite, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (original), Black Christmas (original), The Evil Dead (original), Jennifer’s Body, Midnight Mass, and Chucky.

November Releases I’m Excited For:

Did you watch or read any good horror during October? What are you most looking forward to reading in November?

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!