Tag: month of favorites

#AMonthofFaves Jólabókaflóð

Today’s Month of Faves topic is actually favorite books read this year. However, I’m still reading, and one of the two books I’m currently finishing could make that list. So instead, today I’m going to talk about how we celebrated Jólabókaflóð (Yule Book Flood) that I mentioned in my #AMonthofFaves This Is How I Holiday Away From Home post. This can either be categorized as a part two of that post OR as fitting the day/weekend in the life post that I missed because I was grading non-stop.

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Here was the plan for Jólabókaflóð.

Everyone (me, my best friend Fernie, her husband, and the four kids–“kids” even though three of them are grown) are all going to put our names in a hat, draw a name, and then go to the used bookstore and pick a book for that person. Then, we’re going to make hot cocoa and sit around and read on actual Christmas Eve.

Here’s what we actually did based on ideas we all contributed as we tried to work out logistics. As a reminder, there were seven of us in total participating.

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#AMonthofFaves Challenges and Goals

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THU. | Dec. 26 – #AMonthofFaves Challenges and Goals – Reading challenges, personal goals, resolutions – how did you do? Which was your favorite book read (and / or least favorite) for each challenge – or from all of them. Did you make New Years Resolutions? Did you get to all of them? Are you making any for next year … next month … next season?

My personal goals for 2019 were:

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#AMonthofFaves This Is How I Blogged in 2019

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MON. | Dec. 23 – #AMonthofFaves Blog Posts This Year – Tell us how you blogged – most popular (and/or favorite) blog posts for the year, or each month, did you try anything new on your blog this year, did you make blogging goals – how did you do? What are the essential programs, apps, plugins, websites you use? What’s your blogging routine, any blogs on blogging that you follow, blog tips you learned and used this year.

Here’s a fun thing I discovered while going through my blog stats for the year:

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#AMonthofFaves This Is How I Holiday Away From Home

FRI. Dec. 20 – #AMonthofFaves This is How We Holiday – Rep your home’s holiday look, share pictures of your holiday decorations. Christmas tree, your favorite holiday traditions, holiday festivities, favorite ornaments, places to go, holiday drinks, holiday eats, holiday themed reads.

I’m visiting my friend for Christmas this year, which means I’m doing things a little bit differently.

For one, she has decided that we’re going to participate in the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod (or Christmas Book Flood). She has a voucher from a local used bookshop, so everyone (me, her, her husband, and the four kids–“kids” even though three of them are grown) are all going to put our names in a hat, draw a name, and then go to the bookstore and pick a book for that person. Then, we’re going to make hot cocoa and sit around and read on actual Christmas Eve.

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#AMonthofFaves Winter Reading

I was still in the throes of wrapping up my semester Monday and then I spent all day today traveling, so I’m coming to this one a little late. It’s a combo Month of Faves / It’s Monday (Tuesday)! What Are You Reading? post.

Mon. | Dec 16 – #AMonthofFaves Winter Reading – Your fave reads from last Winter, or seasonal reads you love, or books on this year’s winter reading list.

I’m going to focus on the books I plan to read over winter break (the next two weeks!). There are three of them, though I may, of course, finish more.

 

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#AMonthofFaves 2019 Christmas Wish List

My friend asked me what I wanted for Christmas the other day, and I was too overwhelmed with grading to answer properly. I am slightly less overwhelmed with grading today, so this prompt is right on time.

A Month of Faves

1. I am torn between the Dewey Decimal and books cardigans. So both would be nice, I think. I wear an XL.

I also like the proofreading marks one, but the color looks terrible on me. It’s cute, though.

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#AMonthofFaves On the Screen

I am so glad that I can see the light from the bottom of the dark grading pit that I have been in on this, the day the prompt is explicitly about TV and the movies.

To wit:

WED. | Dec 11 – #AMonthofFaves On the Screen or in Your Ear – What did you watch this year that you absolutely loved?

Let’s start with the movies:

Okay, so my absolute favorite movie that I watched this year is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

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#AMonthofFaves Underrated Books aka A Jaclyn Moriarty Appreciation Post

Today’s prompt is underrated books, and both of my books are by the same author, so you know that means you should (a) read both immediately and then (b) check out more of her books.

And by her, I mean Jaclyn Moriarty, of course.

I have talked up her Colors of Madeleine trilogy (read it!) and Feeling Sorry for Celia (read it!), but she published two (two!) books in the past year (okay, fine, one was last October, but I read it in December, so close enough), and they are both woefully underrated.

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2018 End of Year Book Survey

Hosted, as always, by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner. I am also cross-posting this with the #AMonthofFaves blog event. Today’s prompt is squee worthy reads, and I think I more than cover that in this post!

Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 75
Number of Audiobooks: 10
Number of Rereads: 4
Number Unfinished/Abandoned: 12 (3 of these were audiobooks)

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

The Mother of Black Hollywood: A MemoirThe Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir by Jenifer Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio version of this, which I highly recommend. It’s like sitting in a room with her while she tells you her story. Plus, she sings! So that’s fun.

I appreciated Lewis’s honesty here, especially as she spoke of her sex addiction and bipolar disorder. I *loved* all the stuff about how she came to terms with her childhood and how she learned to forgive her mother. The story about the white man coming to the door and insulting her mother? WHEW.

Lewis makes liberal use of the f-word and isn’t shy about detailing her sexual history (there’s a chapter called “Dick Diva,” for example). If these are things that may offend you, probably don’t read this. But if you want a brutally honest account of working in show business while learning to accept and manage a mental illness, then definitely check it out.

Also, I totally want to hang out with Jenifer Lewis and Brandy. How do I make this happen?

Read Harder 2018, Task 12: A celebrity memoir

View all my reviews
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#AMonthofFaves This Is How I Read & Blog

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#AMonthofFaves This Is How We Read and Blogged This Year – eg. Number of books read so far, genre you read the most from, picture of favorite (or most often used) reading location, most read author, % eBooks, hardcovers, paperbacks and/or audiobooks, hint at what your favorite read of the year is (let us guess), types of books you wish you read more of, month you read the most and least). Plus tell us how you blogged – most popular blog posts, you faves, did you try anything new on your blog this year, did you make blogging goals – how did you do, essential programs, apps, plugins, websites and / or your blogging routine, blogs on blogging that you follow, blog tips you learned and used this year.

Okay, this year I kept better track of how many books I read per month so here are those totals:

  • January – 8
  • February – 10
  • March – 7
  • April – 3
  • May – 2
  • June – 5
  • July – 8
  • August – 6
  • September – 5
  • October – 5
  • November – 5
  • December – 9 (so far–I plan to finish at least one more)

I started but didn’t finish 12 throughout the year. Some of them I got farther into than others, of course.

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