August Reading Goals:
I’ve done an EXCELLENT job a limiting ARC’s and only have one to read for August. In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody
I’m really hoping to finally tackle my physical TBR pile and read MY OWN DAMN BOOKS!
I have two blogs tours coming up and then I think I’m tapping out with them. I hadn’t done any in years but wanted to give it another try now that I’m blogging regularly again. I’m just not cut out for a lot of pre-scheduled posts and pubs that don’t bother to send out promo materials or promote your post or a supposed tour that has no central organization. Ehhh…not worth it. Unless it’s something I REALLY love. But I can promo it just as well my own way. Harumph! lol
*Note: I’m not slamming ALL pubs or tour groups. Some were very good! It’s just more work than I feel like doing right now.
July Wrap-Up: It was apparently a good reading month for me. I say apparently – because it was hot as hades here, I felt cranky and was sick for a week – yet I managed to read 21 books and I don’t recall when I did that. Here’s the July Goodreads shelf link if you’re interested. It was an average reads kind of month. Nothing really stood out.
I reached my 2017 Goodreads reading goal of 120 books read so I upped it to 150 books. Please don’t feel awful if you’re not reading at that level! I’m just sharing the info. I have had years with major reading slumps where I couldn’t get through anything I started or only read 12 books a year!
I’m currently reading Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig – a YA thriller . That’s not my usual genre so it’s really different for me but I’m enjoying it a lot.
I bought a new Paperwhite that had a weird, meandering journey before it made it to my house. I bought it on Amazon Prime Day, with a a few other items. For some reason, my Paperwhite went to Greg from Book Haven. lol Earlier that month he had won a giveaway on my blog and I guess Amazon thought he should have won a bigger prize?? Everything else I ordered came to my house except that. Luckily, it went to someone nice enough to send it back to me!!! THANK YOU Greg!
That’s a wrap!
What are your reading goals for August?
That's awesome! My reading goal is to read around 10 books this month as I am incredibly busy. Let's see how that goes!
ReplyDelete- El @ El's Book Reviews
That is my only review book for August. I'm not sure what I'll be reading overall. I'm kind of leaving it open for once.
DeleteThat's crazy your kindle went to Greg! lol Very nice of him to send it back. ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't do a TON of book tours - though I have four or so in the next couple weeks (it just kind of worked that way) but not all of them are super regimented, and that's nice. It means I don't have to worry about including tons of information or forgetting something. In general, I'm trying to request less because I have a lot from ALA but I also want to read more of what I own, which I have been doing!
Glad to hear you are enjoying Last Seen Leaving. I hope you like it once you finish! It's a favorite of mine, and I can't wait for his next book.
I know! Thank God it went to someone honest.
DeleteI'm working with one tour group now that is great. They send all the tour info out 2 weeks ahead - all links, photos etc. Very well done.
I just think they aren't for me and yes! I want to read my own stuff lol
Last Seen Leaving was really good!
21 books- awesome! Glad it was a good reading month. I had a good one too although I didn't read that many, but it was much better than June lol. And yay for ARC limiting!
ReplyDeleteHa ha that Paperwhite story is a good one, isn't it? :)
That's about the number I've been averaging every month which is so weird to me. I seriously don't feel like I'm reading that much! lol
DeleteI will forever grateful that my wayward Paperwhite went to you! But I do still feel bad that I had to take it away :-(
I'm sorry that you had a few bad experiences with tours. I only did a handful, and they went well, but I know there are some that aren't backed up by the necessary organisation. Of course, like you said, you can always promote books on your own, since you buy/receive so many and you always find some that are worth it in your eyes.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you had a full recovery! Hot as hades here, too. It must be awful to feel sick on top of that. I usually only get sick in winter, but with old age creeping up, you never know LOL.
I wouldn't say they were bad experiences this time around (I've had bad ones in the past). It's more that it involves a lot of extra effort on my part (links, extra pics etc) and then they don't always follow through on their end with promo'ing your post. Or worse (& this happens with the big pub's) there is no central location for the tour - no tour banners - no promo...nothing. They got the post out of you and that's that.
DeleteI know I sound whiny and I don't sign up for anything I'm not interested in or enjoyed so I don't mind helping at all (& I don't do it for page views) - it's just annoying when they're trying to sign you up and it's all YAY let's do this and then they vanish once the post is up lol
LOL Greg got your Paperwhite? Good thing he's nice enough to let you know and then send it to you, right?
ReplyDeleteOnly one ARC for August sounds heavenly, really. I'm reading a lot these days, but mostly books I got hooked on from reading the first in a series, prompting me to one-click all the rest :D
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
I'm so thankful it was Greg! Someone else probably would have avoided me and kept it!
DeleteI'm really trying to get back to reading the books I already own. I counted in January and I had @150 physical books on my shelf. I would love to cut that in 1/2 by the end of the year.
Your Kindle was sent to a different person?! My! That's crazy. It's great that it was sent to a kind hearted person.
ReplyDeleteYou got sick for a week but was able to read 21 books last month? Wow. That's really impressive Karen.
I know! What's weirder is that everything I ordered around it - before and after came here. O_o
DeleteI am excited for In Some Other Life. Great reading month!! I really liked Last Seen Leaving. That is too crazy with your paperwhite going to Greg!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Brody's YA so I'm looking forward to it too!
DeleteLast Seen Leaving sounds so good. Good job limiting your ARCs, I really need to do that as well. I have so many unread books that have been on my shelves. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was really good! I'm getting better.
DeleteI have 6 for September but those were sent long ago before I banned myself lol
Ugh that last pic is so creepy
ReplyDeletehehe
DeleteIt's been hot here as well and that's why I've been reading so much. lol
ReplyDeleteSame. Hide indoors and read!
DeleteI agreed to do a few blog tours recently and while I really enjoy them, they also stress me out. Did I forget to post? Do I have the date right? I used to be great at saying no - not sure what happened to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Jen Ryland
Exactly. I've been only choosing books I've liked but it's still pressure.
DeleteThat's crazy about your paperwhite lol!
ReplyDeleteI know!
DeleteThat's some great reading! The heat makes me cranky, too. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah on tours. I don't do them. I host them every once in a while but that's usually it. Not worth the hassle with most of them.
It's more about the formatting the posts that gets to me. The tour groups have been great but you have to include so many things!
Deletehaha awww I'm so glad the paperwhite went to someone as honest as Greg, and you were able to get it back. That's so crazy that they sent it to him. lol!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on only requesting one ARC. It's so hard to say no to all the great new books out there!
Hope you have a great weekend!
I know. I mean a person could have been nope, didn't get it or you're not getting it back and there's nothing I could have done about it. I legitimately sent it to him.
DeleteI so need to focus on reading my own books too! I have a whole lot of physical books lying unread on my shelf :/ And Omg it was a good thing that the Paperwhite went to Greg and not some random person! And congratulations on achieving you GR reading challenge goal :D
ReplyDeleteUma@Books.Bags.Burgers.
I wonder if we will ever achieve the goal of finishing our books! Doubt it lol
DeleteGood luck with your attempt to read your own books, Karen! It's something that I should probably try harder to do myself, but what can I say? I have a short attention span. 120 books is awesome, congrats!
ReplyDeleteIf I stopped buying books I could read my entire shelf in one year with the speed I read at but...yeah that's not gonna happen lol
DeleteI tend to only do blog tours for books I was already interested in reading, so I definitely understand you wanting to take a break. I hope your enjoying your new Paperwhite—I have one and love it!
ReplyDeleteI was being selective about the tours so luckily it was all books I enjoyed. It's more the pressure of formatting and getting the schedules down. I just don't want to be bothered with that pressure anymore lol
DeleteI have cut down on tours. I only do review tours and for books for authors I love or a book that peaked my interest. Sorry about the mixup with your paperwhite. Glad you were able to get it back.
ReplyDeleteI had a Paperwhite already but it was looking pretty battered. Since they had the Prime day and offered a trade-in it was a good deal.
DeleteTours just bring pressure for me with very little reward. I would just rather post the review on my time.
I was just picking books I enjoy so at least there wasn't the pressure of not liking it.
I can't believe your Paperwhite went on a journey to the wrong person! I hate how Amazon remembers addresses for others, though. There should definitely be an option to have a one time address. Glad someone honest like Greg got it at least. That could have been a nightmare otherwise!
ReplyDeleteBlog tours are very hit and miss. I tend to only take part when I get to do a review and I am the worst at doing anything myself for blog tours. I don't know. I am trying to cut down my ARCs, though. My own shelves have not felt the love of late so I hope it goes well for you.
Wow, you've done so well with your reading goals this year so far! :O Also, LOL about your Paperwhite. Funny that it ended up with Greg somehow, but awesome that it ended up in your hands in the end. ;) That book you're reading at the moment seems intriguing. Looking forward to see what you think of it!
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