Off Tangent Thoughts Meme: A Totally Accurate Account of Me Receiving an ARC by My Favorite Author in the Mail

The Off Tangent Thoughts Meme is hosted by Charvi @ Not Just Fiction and takes place every first and third Saturday of the month (but you can post anytime between prompts). I joined this meme for the first time a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it, so be prepared to see it on the blog. This post is very nonsensical, but pretty accurate when it comes to all the thoughts I had before and after I got an Anna-Marie McLemore ARC in the mail. Sorry not sorry for the long title. November 16th’s topic:

Thoughts You Have When You Get Approved For An ARC

Is this the first time you got an ARC or just one that you were really looking forward to? Are we talking about e-ARCs or physical ones?

• Bemoan all the times I wished and hoped (and emailed publishers) that I could one day get my hands on an Anna Marie McLemore book. Wish for years. YEARS. With no success
• Email the publisher yet again because there’s got to be at least one time where they will approve me, right?

• What is this? An email from said publisher offering an eARC? Rejoice!
• Feel grateful because this is probably the closest I’m ever going to get to owning an Anna-Marie McLemore ARC

• Another year, another round of begging for an ARC
• But this time I’m feeling reckless, I’m feeling adamant, I’m feeling confident? (not really, but I figure, why they heck not?)
• This time I beg them twice

• Time passes and hopes of receiving an ARC dwindle
• I preorder the book because who cares if it’s still six month away, I know I am going to love it
• More time passes and I think about requesting the newest book from NetGalley, but if I do, would it be giving up?
• Make an off-handed remark on twitter about how desperate I am for an ARC and then…a miracle?

• Anna-Marie McLemore just DMed ME!!!!!!!!!
• Scream internally for about five minutes before responding
• Walk around for several days in a fog, not quite comprehending that Anna-Marie McLemore just hooked me up with an eARC of their next book

• Also they complimented my profile pic
• Embrace this euphoria, think about how being a book blogger has brought me this blessing
• Satisfied, forget I ever requested a print copy of the ARC…but then

• One day, a package from the publisher comes in the mail
• Talk myself out of hoping and slowing open the package

• Inside is an ARC of Anna-Marie McLemore’s newest book Deep and Darkest Red! It’s so beautiful!
• Sit there for a while and soak it in. Touch the cover lovingly. Hug it.

• Almost burst into tears because I never actually ever imagined that a publisher would ever think I was worthy enough to receive one of Anna-Marie McLemore’s ARCs.
• Start thinking about next year when Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s novel Meteor is schedule to come out. Wonder if there will be ARCs…

• Plot

Have you ever received or gotten a hold of an ARC by your favorite author? How did it make you feel? Which ARC would you move mountains for? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Off Tangent Thoughts: Thoughts You Have When You See Spoilers

I came across this meme on Camillea @ Camillea Reads‘s blog a few months ago and loved the idea so much, but never got around to participating. Off Tangent Thoughts Meme is hosted by Charvi @ Not Just Fiction and takes place every first and third Saturday of the month (but you can post anytime between prompts, which I am doing now). There is a very loose structure to this meme which I really love and which will probably be a challenge for me to embrace, but I’m going to do my best to do so. November 2nd’s topic:

Thoughts You Have When You Get Spoilers

(Do you accidentally or deliberately spoil yourself or do others keep spoiling books for you? Do you love or hate spoilers? You can even base off your post on that time you got spoiled for a particular book, series, movie or television show)

• • Spoilers are the worst and one of the reasons I avoid social media whenever a really big book comes out because people love sharing all their spoilery thoughts.
  • There are times when I just get super cynical and go on social media because I might as well get it over with. Being spoiled is inevitable.

• When I do come across a spoiler, I become the embodiment of this gif because I don’t understand why you would deliberately spoil things for other people.
• Please, please, please, at least give people a week before you start spoiling movies/books.
• I know you are excited, but I am excited too, but I also want to be surprised like you were.
• Why can’t you scream about that book in your DMs instead? That way you get to flail about your favorite and I don’t have to be spoiled.
• Yes, muting you would be nice, but Twitter doesn’t care sometimes and when people start liking your spoilery tweets or quote tweeting them, I can no longer avoid them.
• Yes, I do side-eye you through my computer/phone/tablet if you post spoilers. Maybe I don’t visit your blog for a while in protest. I can be very passive aggressive.
• This post wouldn’t be complete without me admitting that sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes, I will flip ahead in a book just to see where it is going and spoil myself.

What are your thoughts on spoilers? Do you go out of your way to avoid them? Do you mind spoilers? Does it affect your enthusiasm when it comes to consuming a book or movie? Let’s discuss in the comments!