Monthly wrap-up: July 2014

I did read a lot more in July, but I'm not quite where I want to be. Now I'm trying to back in the swing of doing blog stuff regularly, whether it's actual writing or just doing updates.

Looking back...
List of July reads

Cassandra Clare - City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) audiobook
Kristi Cook - Magnolia
Katlyn Duncan - This Summer
Jennifer Echols - Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2)
Becca Fitzpatrick - Black Ice
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Miranda Kenneally - Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5)
Marissa Meyer - Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) audiobook
Vicky Savage - Transcender: First Timer (Transcender #1)
Laini Taylor - Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3)
                    - Dreams of Gods & Monsters audiobook
John Corey Whaley - Noggin

Looking ahead...
August releases I'm excited about:
Sadly, august is a month of sequels whose first books I haven't read, but here are the ones I can't wait for!

Magnolia - Kristi Cook. Guys this book is SO GOOD!!! 5 stars for me & I really recommend you give it a try.
Forget Me - K.A. Harrington
A Blind Spot for Boys - Justina Chen
Amity - Micol Ostow
A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall

August TBR:
I'm doing a new challenge this month so I'm really going to push myself in August!
Stone Cold Touch - JLA
Talon - Julie Kagawa
Remember Me - Romily Bernard
Beware the Wild - Natalie C. Parker
The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid
I Want It That Way - Ann Aguirre
Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle

Audiobooks:
Insurgent - Veronica Rossi
Book of Broken Hearts - Sarah Ockler

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: Ugh.

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: There was ZERO chance of me doing this in July

3. Read 150 books: I wish I were in the 100s already, but 90 isn't terrible

4. Reread 20 books: DONE

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: ALSO DONE

6. Read 5 classics: Not yet. 

7. Blog redesign: Working on it!

8. Make more blogger friends: :D The cool thing in July is that I made more LOCAL friends, which I love!

9. Read at the gym: Well, I didn't read at the gym, but I did go to the gym this week!

10. Be more organized: A constant work in progress.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 10/15 Just keep reading, reading, reading.
Series Challenge: 29/12 Chica chica yeah!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 30/25 Still working on reviews, but I'm considering increasing my goal.
Real Book Challenge: 40 of 21-30 Also considering increasing my goal, but I want to bang out some reviews first.
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12 If this is the only challenge I fail, I'm okay with that.
TBR Pile Challenge: 20 of 11-20 35 of 31-40 I didn't increase by much in July & probably won't do much in August because of ARC August, but I'm doing okay here.
A-Z Challenge: 9/26 Not doing so great this year. I think I need to change the books on my list!

YA Audiobook Challenge: 20/24 I'm definitely going to go over my goal so I may increase to 36, but I need to do reviews here as well.
Arc August: 0/10 read, 0/10 reviews. As this is a monthly goal, hopefully I'll just have it completed by August's recap!

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 33/52
50 Countries Challenge: 19/50
YA Challenge: 10/25

Monthly wrap-up: June 2014

Oh. my. gosh. Definitely the worst reading month for me this year. I haven't been able to find good reading time or write posts. I don't feel guilty about needing to concentrate on work right now. I just miss reading. I miss talking with you guys about books and just life in general. :( I hope your month was much better!

Looking back...
List of June reads

Rachael Allen - 17 First Kisses

Cassandra Clare - City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments #4) audiobook
Sonia Gensler - The Dark Between

Julie Kagawa - The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3)
Katie McGarry - Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4)

Veronica Roth - Divergent (Divergent #1) audiobook

Looking ahead...
July releases I'm excited about:
Wildflower - Alecia Whitaker
Wild - Alex Mallory
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
Earthquake - Aprilynne Pike
Breathe, Annie, Breathe - Miranda Kenneally
Just Like the Movies - Kelly Fiore
Dissonance - Erica O'Rourke
The Young World - Chris Weitz
SILVER #%@$ing SHADOWS - Richelle Mead

July TBR:
Let's keep this simple. I have some series that need finishing.
Dreams of Gods & Monsters - Laini Taylor
City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare
Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo
Allegiant - Veronica Roth

Audiobooks:
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
Anna & the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
Cress - Marissa Meyer

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but here's a monthly update full of fail! ;) (not entirely as I WAS able to finish a couple!)

1. Post more reviews: Nope nope nope

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: *unfunny laughter*

3. Read 150 books: Goodreads says I'm at 78 which is not where I want to be.

4. Reread 20 books: DONE

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: Need to check on my list because one thing says 18, another says 20...

6. Read 5 classics: *le sigh* I've got time, but I should have read a couple already. 

7. Blog redesign: Aiming for August, September max.

8. Make more blogger friends: I do feel like I've made some strides in this. I've become closer with some bloggers I've always admired!

9. Read at the gym: Oh, this is a cute resolution. Lolz.

10. Be more organized: Working on it! My books have been sorted, now to organize my paperwork and swag and other such things. Also, I need to do a bit of grunt work on past posts.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 8/15 However, I've completed some that weren't on my initial list so I should go update.
Series Challenge: 25/12 Kicked this challenge's ass! BOO YAH!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 26/25 DONE, SON! Now to catch up on all those reviews!
Real Book Challenge: 35 of 21-30 Need to work on reviews and then I'll increase my goal!
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12 I've pretty much stopped doing this one.
TBR Pile Challenge: 20 of 11-20 34 of 31-40 Reviews reviews review
A-Z Challenge: 9/26 Hmmm, I need to get my butt in gear on this one. It's usually one of my favorites!

And, call me crazy, but I ADDED a new challenge this month. However, as you can see, it wasn't one that was too much of a trial seeing as I was already doing it anyway.

YA Audiobook Challenge: 18/24 Must do reviews!

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 33/52
50 Countries Challenge: 19/50
YA Challenge: 7/25

Monthly wrap-up: May 2014

May was an okay month, but I'm hoping June is going to be much better!

Looking back...
List of May reads

Meg Cabot - Pants on Fire audiobook
Eoin Colfer - The Supernaturalist audiobook
Debra Driza - "Origins: The Fire" (Mila 2.0 #0.5)
                    - Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1)
                    - Renegade (Mila 2.0 #2)
Gayloe Forman - "Just One Night" (Just One Day #2.5)
Emily Giffin - Something Borrowed (Rachel & Darcy #1) audiobook
Emma Hart - Late Call (Call #1)
Sophie Jordan - Foreplay (Ivy Chronicles #1)
                       - Tease (Ivy Chronicles #2)
Lindsey Leavitt - The Chapel Wars
Richelle Mead - Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) audiobook
                       - The Immortal Crown (Age of X #2)
Kristin Rae - Wish You Were Italian
Laini Taylor - Lips Touch: Three Times audiobook


Looking ahead...
June releases I'm excited about:
Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo
#scandal - Sarah Ockler
Say What You Will - Cammie McGovern
Fan Art - Sarah Tregay
17 First Kisses - Rachael Allen
The Things You Kiss Goodbye - Leslie Connor
Just Like the Movies - Kelly Fiore

June TBR:
Once again, I missed all the ones I wanted to read in May so my June will look like this:
The Forever Song - Julie Kagawa
Dreams of Gods & Monsters - Laini Taylor
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
In the Shadows - Jim di Bartolo & Kiersten White
What I Thought Was True - Huntley Fitzpatrick
Noggin - Corey Whaley
The Treatment - Suzanne Young
City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare
The Burning Sky & The Perilous Sea - Sherry Thomas
Take Me On - Katie McGarry
Black Ice - Becca Fitzpatrick
This Shattered World - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Audio TBR:
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare
City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare
Anna & the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
Something Blue - Emily Giffin

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: *headdesk*

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: This is going to continue to be on the backburner until I can get a grip on the books I'm reading now, rather than the ones I read a while back.

3. Read 150 books: 72, according to Goodreads

4. Reread 20 books: I think I hit 21

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: 19!

6. Read 5 classics: *le sigh* none yet 

7. Blog redesign: Again, this is on pause. I'm aiming for August

8. Make more blogger friends: Yes! This was a good month for friends.

9. Read at the gym: This isn't happening right now with the bum leg, but we'll see about when it heals.

10. Be more organized: Lol, this is a riot of a resolution.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 8/15. Halfway there!
Series Challenge: 23/12 COMPLETED!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 23/25 I'm working on actually getting the reviews done & will definitely be increasing my goal. I want that good percentage!
Real Book Challenge: 32 of 21-3 COMPLETED! Time to increase that goal!
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12 Need to catch back up this month.
TBR Pile Challenge: 31 of 31-40. Will probably increase this one soon.
A-Z Challenge: 9/26

NEW CHALLENGES:
Summer Reads 2014 hosted by My Heart Hearts Books
Quarterly Challenge #14 hosted by the Young Adult Book Club on Goodreads

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 33/52
50 Countries Challenge: 20/50
YA Challenge: 8/25

Monthly wrap-up: April 2014

I read quite a bit, but I need to do better with the blog again. I started out like gangbusters and then fell off the wagon.

Looking back...
List of April reads

Anne Blankman - Prisoner of Night & Fog (Prisonger of Night & Fog #1)
Jen Calonita - Belles (Belles #1) audiobook
Kiera Cass - The Selection Stories (The Selection #2.5)
                  - The One (The Selection #3)
Abbi Glines - Bad for You (Sea Breeze #7)
Jenny Han - To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys... #1)
Rachel Harris - My Not So Super Sweet Life (My Super Sweet... #3)
Leila Howland - Nantucket Red (Nantucket Blue #2)
Tahereh Mafi - Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Johnston McCulley - The Mark of Zorro audiobook
Katie McGarry - Red at Night
J.K. Rock - Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1)
                 - Camp Payback (Camp Boyfriend #2)
Gabrielle Zevin - In the Age of Love and Chocolate (Birthright #3) audiobook

Looking ahead...
May releases I'm excited about:

The Chapel Wars - Lindsey Leavitt
The One - Kiera Cass
Wish You Were Italian - Kristin Rae
The Warrior - Victoria Scott
Since You've Been Gone - Morgan Matson
After the End - Amy Plum
Biggest Flirts - Jennifer Echols
The Art of Lainey - Paula Stokes
City of Heavenly Fire (It is about FRIGGING time!)

May TBR:
I need to make up for some of the ones I missed in April!
Dreams of Gods & Monsters - Laini Taylor (started reading this one, but because it's so big, I'm going to savor rather than binge)
The Forever Song - Julie Kagawa
The Treatment - Suzanne Young
In the Shadows - Jim di Bartolo & Kiersten White
What I Thought Was True - Huntley Fitzpatrick

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: *unfunny laughter*

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: *headdesk*

3. Read 150 books: 57. I'm still ahead of pace, but I need to do better.

4. Reread 20 books: 15.

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: 14.

6. Read 5 classics: Nope nope nope

7. Blog redesign: As I mentioned last month, I'm making this a second-half-of-2014 goal.

8. Make more blogger friends: Because I met a lot of bloggers face-to-face at TLA, I consider this a success. Also, I have become a lot closer to blogger friends I already have, which is awesome. You know who you are, and you guys rock!

9. Read at the gym: I know of a really good cheap gym nearby so I'm hoping I'll have something to report in May's wrap-up!

10. Be more organized: HA.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 6/15
Series Challenge: 19/12 COMPLETED!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 18/25 I'm working on actually getting the reviews done for these now
Real Book Challenge: 26 of 21-30. Definitely need to increase this goal
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12 I missed March and April :(
TBR Pile Challenge: 20 of 11-20 BAM! Time to up that goal!
A-Z Challenge: 8/26

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 33/52
50 Countries Challenge: 19/50
YA Challenge: 8/25

Monthly wrap-up: March

Ugh. March was rough. Really, really rough. I had a hard time reading; I had difficulty blogging. The good news is that I am over my slump, and I've got TLA coming up in a couple weeks so things are looking GOOD! Hope your March was better than mine & that April will better!

Looking back...
List of March reads

Noelle August - Boomerang (Boomerang #1)
Romily Bernard - Find Me (Find Me #1)
Jessica Brody - Unremembered (Unremembered #1)
Meg Cabot - Airhead (Airhead #1) audiobook
Jen Calonita - Summer State of Mind (Whispering Pines #2)
Kiera Cass - The Elite (The Selection #2)
Emery Lord - Open Road Summer
Stephanie Perkins - Lola & the Boy Next Door (Anna #2) audiobook
Courtney C. Stevens - "The Blue-Haired Boy" (Faking Normal #0.5)
Tamara Ireland Stone - Time Between Us (Time Between Us #1)

Looking ahead...
April releases I'm excited about:

Salvage - Alexandra Duncan: 1st
Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige: 1st
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor: 8th
The Treatment - Suzanne Young: 8th
Noggin - John Corey Whaley: 8th
Great - Sara Benincasa: 8th
Plus One - Elizabeth Fama: 8th
The Forever Song - Julie Kagawa: 15th
The Geography of You and Me - Jennifer E. Smith: 15th
What I Thought Was True - Huntley Fitzpatrick: 15th
Open Road Summer - Emery Lord: 15th
Prisoner of Night & Fog - Anne Blankman
To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han: 22nd
Summer State of Mind - Jen Calonita: 22nd
In the Shadows - Kiersten White & Jim Di Bartolo: 29th
Sleep No More - Aprilynne Pike: 29th
Camp Payback - J.K. Rock: 29th

April TBR:
The Taking - Kimberly Derting
Sea of Shadows - Kelley Armstrong
Wish You Were Italian - Kristin Rae
The Girl with the Windup Heart - Kady Cross
The Rules for Disappearing - Ashley Elston
The Rules for Breaking - Ashley Elston
Nantucket Red - Leila Howland

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: Safe to say I failed at this miserably.

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: So. Much. Fail.

3. Read 150 books: 43. I'm ahead of pace, but not by much. This month really killed it!

4. Reread 20 books: I believe I am at 11.

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: 10. Halfway there!

6. Read 5 classics: Ugh. More fail. 

7. Blog redesign: There is currently one major roadblock to completing this goal so I'm going to aim for August on this one.

8. Make more blogger friends: I have made a lot more friends, but March slowed my roll. The good news is that I've become closer to the ones I do have. Hoping April will be better, especially since I'm going to TLA soon and can meet some of them in person!

9. Read at the gym:My gym was too expensive so screw that. Gotta go back to the drawing board on this one.

10. Be more organized: Nope nope nope.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 6/15
Series Challenge: 14/12 COMPLETED!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 15/25 I'm working on actually getting the reviews done for these now
Real Book Challenge: 19 of 21-30
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12 I missed March :(
TBR Pile Challenge: 20 of 11-20 BAM! Time to up that goal!
A-Z Challenge: 7/26

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 33/52
50 Countries Challenge: 19/50
YA Challenge: 7/25

Monthly wrap-up: February

February is a tough month every year. That's probably why it's short, but then, being short is part of the problem. Lose-lose. I've had some setbacks and frustrations this month in every aspect of my life, and that sent me spinning. To be very honest with you, I have depression so there were days when I didn't know if I could push myself out of bed at all, let alone read and blog and work and function like a human being. My trip was utterly restorative, however, and I had a blast meeting authors and bloggers and readers in several cities across three states. I've got a couple of really amazing pieces of news coming very soon, and I can't wait to share them with you.

And that's part of what makes March so exciting and also part of my super awesome upcoming news!

Looking back...
List of February reads

Jodi Lynn Anderson - Tiger Lily
Elizabeth Eulberg - Better Off Friends
Abbi Glines - Take a Chance (Rosemary Beach #6)
John Green & David Levithan - Will Grayson, Will Grayson audiobook
Sophie Jordan - Uninvited (Uninvited #1)
Richelle Mead - Shadow Kiss graphic novel
Megan Miranda - Hysteria
Sarah Ockler - #scandal
Veronica Rossi - Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) audiobook
Rainbow Rowell - Eleanor & Park audiobook
Leila Sales - This Song Will Save Your Life
Philip Siegel - The Break-Up Artist (Break-Up Artist #1)
Jennifer E. Smith - The Geography of You and Me
Courtney C. Stevens - Faking Normal
Kasie West - On the Fence
Kiersten White - Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2)

Looking ahead...
March releases I'm excited about:
Let the Storm Break - Shannon Messenger: 4th
The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski: 4th
Nil - Lynne Matson: 4th
Side Effects May Vary - Julie Murphy: 18th


March TBR:
February was short and I had a lot of events with books to read so I only got to two of the four books I had earmarked in my January wrap-up
We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

Also, I want to get to these:
Open Road Summer - Emery Lord
The Treatment - Suzanne Young
The Taking - Kimberly Derting
After the End - Amy Plum

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: I posted 6 reviews this month, which is the same as January. Better than almost any month in 2013, but still fewer than I'd like. Part of it was the short month and my weeklong break, but I really want to be a better reviewer.

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: Nope nope nope. Will it ever happen? Let's hope March is kinder!

3. Read 150 books: Still doing well, I'm at 33 right now with a couple more sure to be finished by March 2, but this is not a resolution I'm worried about. I can hit 150 so easily in a year.

4. Reread 20 books: Still going strong! 9 down!

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: Again, doing well on this one. I'm having trouble finding new audiobooks in my library so please give me some suggestions. Part of the problem is the library has a lot of book 1 and 2, but they're missing some series enders, and that makes me not want to pick them up until I can binge-listen.

6. Read 5 classics: Didn't work, but The Outsiders is one of the first books on tap for March.

7. Blog redesign: This is still a resolution I'm going to have to wait for, but it's well worth it.

8. Make more blogger friends: YES! Working! I actually met several bloggers in the flesh this month, which was SUPER COOL, and I've struck up conversations with many people I've never talked to before.

9. Read at the gym: I'm failing miserably at this. Short month. Weeklong travel. Long work hours.

10. Be more organized: Also failing miserably. I left my blog notebook at my grandmother's house while on my trip. It's like being without my brain. Also, I brought so many books back that I'm seriously cramped for space at the moment. Today, I went on a cleaning binge so things look a bit nicer. I just have a lot more work to do in this particular arena.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 4/15 (and working on #5 right now!)
Series Challenge: 9/12. There's not an option to increase this goal so this is pretty crazy. I'm already 75% finished!
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 12/25. I'm doing great with the reading, now I need to make sure to catch up with the reviews!
Real Book Challenge: 13 of 21-30
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12
TBR Pile Challenge: 15 of 11-20. Need to update my goal on this one because I'm about to pass the reach goal!
A-Z Challenge: 4/26

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 32/52
50 Countries Challenge: 18/50
YA Challenge: 4/25

Monthly wrap-up: January

Normally in my monthly reviews, I just list what I read, what I'm looking forward to in the upcoming month, and what books I plan on reading that month. I'm still doing that, but considering I made a lot of blog/reading resolutions this year, I'm also going to use my monthly wrap-ups to talk about my progress! I think this is going to help me stay on track with these this year.

Looking back...


List of January reads
Erin Albert - The Prophecy (The Fulfillment Series #1)
Jennifer L. Armentrout - White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)
Brodi Ashton - Evertrue (Everneath #3)
Meg Cabot - She Went All the Way
Tera Lynn Childs - "Pretty in Pearls" (Just My Fins #3.5)
Gayle Forman - Just One Day (Just One Day #1) audiobook
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - These Broken Stars (These Broken Stars #1) audiobook
Melissa Landers - Alienated (Alienated #1)
J. Lynn - Be With Me (Wait for You #2)
Marissa Meyer - "The Little Android" (Lunar Chronicles #2.5)
Julie Murphy - Side Effects May Vary
Beth Pond - Podium Finish
Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine #1)
Rainbow Rowell - Fangirl audiobook
Megan Shepherd - Her Dark Curiosity (Madman's Daughter #2)
Victoria Scott -  Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1)
Laini Taylor - Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) audiobook
                   - Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) audiobook
Kasie West - The Distance Between Us

Looking ahead...
February releases I'm excited about:
Alienated by Melissa Landers (I already read it & loved it!): 4th
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (duh): 4th
Cress by Marissa Meyer (also duh. Also read it & loved it!): 4th
Be With Me by J. Lynn (GIVE ME THE JASE): 4th
Split Second by Kasie West: 11th
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (#need): 11th
Perfect Lies by Kiersten White: 11th
Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg (WOO HOO): 25th
Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott (SO good!): 25th
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens: 25th
Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick: 27th

February TBR:
The Geography of You and Me - Jennifer E. Smith
#scandal - Sarah Ockler
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

Resolution Progress:

You can check out my full resolution post HERE, but I'm just going to gloss over these really quickly.

1. Post more reviews: I posted reviews this month. It's better but still not good enough. I'm going to try to review more quickly after I finish and see if that helps.

2. Create a backlist for schedule-able reviews: Didn't even try. Will be better in February!

3. Read 150 books: So far, so good. According to Goodreads, I'm at 17. This is slightly off because I don't keep track of rereads (unless it's an audibook) on there. I leave my books with the original dates read.

4. Reread 20 books: Also doing really well. I include audiobooks in this number since I only listen to books I've previously read. So far I've reread 6!

5. Listen to 20 audiobooks: I've completed 5!

6. Read 5 classics: I haven't started on this one yet, but I'm going to try in February, which is why The Outsiders is on my February TBR. 

7. Blog redesign: Not time yet. Maybe in late spring I can finally get to this. After TLA, perhaps.

8. Make more blogger friends: I think it's working! I'm talking with new people all the time! I was great at commenting at the beginning of January, but then work got crazy. It's a work in progress.

9. Read at the gym: I DID finally get my membership so this is going to start happening!

10. Be more organized: Also a work in progress. I very famously (well, famous for me) organized my "homeless" books (aka all the books that didn't have a home on a shelf or even in a box) in my room, and I have everything ready for all my upcoming events. Now I'm working on organizing digitally.

Challenge Progress:

I signed up for a LOT of challenges this year. I wondered if I was crazy or suddenly decided I liked masochism, but so far, it's going really well. The good thing is that some of my books count for multiple challenges, which is really helpful. You can check out the full details of my challenges HERE or track my progress in the challenges tab at the top, but here's a quick rundown on where I am today:

2014 New Challenges:
Standalone Challenge: 1/15
Series Challenge: 5/12
Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge: 6/25 (I have the ability to increase this goal, but I'm waiting to see)
Real Book Challenge: 7 of 21-30 (can also increase this goal, but also not sure yet
Jumble Your Genres Challenge: 2/12
TBR Pile Challenge: 9 of 11-20 (can and probably will increase my goal)
A-Z Challenge: 4/26

Challenges already in progress:
50 State Challenge: 32/52
50 Countries Challenge: 18/50
YA Challenge: 3/25

Monthly Wrap-up: December

Wow, I didn't realize it until I was typing this list up, but this was the month of novellas!

Looking back...
List of December reads

Tara Altebrando & Sara Zarr - Roomies
Robin Constantine - The Promise of Amazing
Abbi Glines - Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #6)
Tahereh Mafi - "Fracture Me" (Shatter Me #2.5)
Jodi Meadows - Infinite
Marissa Meyer - Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) audiobook
                        - Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) audiobook
Lauren Morrill - Being Sloane Jacobs
J.K. Rock - "Camp Christmas" (Camp Boyfriend #1.5)
Veronica Rossi - "Brooke" (Under the Never Sky #2.5)
Kristen Simmons - Three (Article 5 #3)
Paula Stokes - The Art of Lainey
Laini Taylor - "Night of Cake & Puppets" (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5)
Kiersten White - "Annie and Fia" (Mind Games #0.5)
Gabrielle Zevin - Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) audiobook
                        - In the Age of Love and Chocolate (Birthright #3)

Looking ahead...
January releases I'm excited about:
Defy - Sara B. Larson (7)
Being Sloane Jacobs - Lauren Morill (7)
Afterparty - Ann Redisch Stampler (7)
No One Else Can Have You - Kathleen Hale (7)
Evertrue - Brodi Ashton (21)
Avalon - Mindee Arnett (21)
A Mad, Wicked Folly - Sharon Biggs Waller (23)
Manor of Secrets - Katherine Longshore (28)
And We Stay - Jenny Hubbard (28)
Into the Still Blue - Veronica Rossi (28)
Cruel Beauty - Rosamund Hodge (28)
Her Dark Curiosity - Megan Shepherd (28)
Infinite - Jodi Meadows (28)
Univited - Sophie Jordan (28)
Minders - Michelle Jaffe (30)

January TBR:
Alienated - Melissa Landers
Fire & Flood - Victoria Scott
White Hot Kiss - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Sneaking Candy - Lisa Burstein

Monthly Wrap-up: November

So....it's safe to say my November did not end how I wanted it to. I got started with a novel for NaNoWriMo, but a couple of days early in the month with a full work schedule prevented me from getting a solid foundation. That put me off my schedule, and I never got my groove back. Think I'll just stick to reading and reviewing for a while. But I also went through a reading funk so my numbers are way off from what they usually are. Oh, well. That's life. I did get to some really lovely and incredible books this month so I'm happy with that.

Looking back...
List of December reads

Jennifer L. Armentrout - "Bitter Sweet Kiss" (Dark Elements #0.5)
Tera Lynn Childs - "Goddess in Time" (Oh. My. Gods. #2.1)
Cassandra Clare - The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince manga
Kady Cross - "The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn" (Steampunk Chronicles #3.5)
 Josh Grayson - Sia
Cindy Ray Hale - Destiny (Destiny #3)
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)
Marie Lu - Champion (Legend #3)
Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)
                        - "Crossing the Line" (Pushing the Limits #1.5)
                        - Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2)
                        - Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3)
Richelle Mead - The Fiery Heart
Sarah Ockler - Bittersweet
Veronica Rossi - "Brooke" (Under the Never Sky #2.5)
Victoria Scott - The Collector (Dante Walker #1)
Laini Taylor - "Night of Cake & Puppets" (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5)
Gabrielle Zevin - All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) audiobook
                        - Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) audiobook

Looking ahead...
December releases I'm excited about:
Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally
These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Roomies - Tara Altebrando & Sara Zarr
The Promise of Amazing - Robin Constantine
"Fracture Me" - Tahereh Mafi

Psst. In case you didn't know about it. YALit is a really good place to go for book release dates. Sometimes they're a little off, but if you want pretty good idea of what's coming out when, it's a great resource.

December TBR:
Her Dark Curiosity - Megan Shepherd
Perfect Lies - Kiersten White
Let the Storms Break - Shannon Messenger
Being Sloane Jacobs - Lauren Morrill

And those are the only ones I'm going to commit to beforehand. I've been bad about not reading everything in previous months. I really need the freedom to choose my next read, rather than feeling boxed in by a schedule.

Monthly Wrap-up: October

Holy cow, my October was pretty dang productive reading-wise. Not so much with a the posting. I'm a wee bit behind, and now I'll have to catch up, which is going to be tricky because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I'm really nervous, but I've been excited about this story idea for years so I'm hoping it goes well. 

How was your October? Allegiant, obviously, was a huge deal (still haven't read it so PLEASE no spoilers), but was there anything else that sparked your fancy? What books are you MOST EXCITED ABOUT for November? You'd better say The Fiery Heart, guys, because c'mon. Sydrian. The feels. The drama. The adventure. The making out on a table...or maybe they've moved on to new and more exciting locations (one could only hope!). Are you doing NaNo? Tell me all your bookish news! I wanna know!

Looking back...
List of October reads
Meg Cabot - The Bride Wore Size 12 (Heather Wells #5)
Aimée Carter - Pawn (Blackcoat Rebellion #1)
Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) audiobook
                          - Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) audiobook
Kady Cross - The Girl With the Iron Touch (The Steampunk Chronicles #3)
Viv Daniels - One & Only
Jennifer Echols - Playing Dirty (Stargazer #2)
Rachel Harris - Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)
                      - Seven Day Fiancé (Love and Games #2)
 Colleen Hoover - Hopeless (Hopeless #1)
Leila Howland - Nantucket Blue
Julie Kagawa - The Iron Traitor (Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)
Miranda Kenneally - Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4)
J. Lynn - Frigid
            - Wait for You (Wait for You #1)
            - Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5)
Jodi Meadows - "Phoenix Overture" (Newsoul #2.5)
Marissa Meyer - Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
                        - "Glitches" (Lunar Chronicles #0.5)
                        - "The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5)
Natalie Richards - Six Months Later
Veronica Rossi - Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)
Rainbow Rowell - Fangirl
Piper Shelley - Play with Me (Grover Beach Team #1)
Suzanne Young - The Program (The Program #1)

Looking ahead...
November releases I'm excited about:
The Fiery Heart - Richelle Mead (!!!!!!!)
Cold Spell - Jackson Pearce
Champion - Marie Lu (also !!!!!)
Splendor - Elana K. Arnold
Pawn - Aimée Carter
Crash Into You - Katie McGarry
The F-it List - Julie Halpern
Ketchup Clouds - Annabel Pitcher
Fault Line - C. Desir

GIVE ME ALL THE NOVELLAS
"Goddess in Time" - Tera Lynn Childs: It's ABOUT TIME for this to finally see the light!
"Night of Cake and Puppets" - Laini Taylor
"The Wild Adventures of Jasper Renn" - Kady Cross
"Brooke" - Veronica Rossi

Psst. In case you didn't know about it. YALit is a really good place to go for book release dates. Sometimes they're a little off, but if you want pretty good idea of what's coming out when, it's a great resource.

November TBR:
There are novels that I REALLY want to read, but I kinda keep putting them off. So...I'm taking them off the TBR and I'll just have to work them in when I can. Oops! Bad Mary!
In the Age of Love and Chocolate - Gabrielle Zevin
The Shadowhunter Codex - Cassandra Clare & Joshua Lewis
The Boy on the Bridge - Natalie Standiford
Pushing the Limits - Katie McGarry
Dare You To - Katie McGarry
Allegiant - Veronica Roth
infinite - Jodi Meadows

Monthly Wrap-up: September

Looking back...
List of September reads
Ally Carter - United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6)
Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1) audiobook
Katie Cotugno - How to Love
Lauren DeStefano - Perfect Ruin (Internment Chronicles #1)
Jennifer Echols - Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1)
Gayle Forman - Just One Year (Just One Day #2)
Abbi Glines - Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5/Perfection #2)
Mari Mancusi - Scorched (Scorched #1)
Myra McEntire - Hourglass (Hourglass #1)
Aprilynne Pike - Earthbound (Earthbound #1)
Brandon Sanderson - Steelheart (Reckoners #1)

Looking ahead...
October releases I'm excited about:
Just One Year - Gayle Forman
The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa
In the Age of Love and Chocolate - Gabrielle Zevin
Across a Star-Swept Sea - Diana Peterfreund
Seven Day Fiancé - Rachel Harris (not a ya, but I love her!)
Playing Dirty - Jennifer Echols (ditto!)
Perfect Ruin - Lauren DeStefano
Rags & Bones - Melissa Marr & Tim Pratt

October TBR:
I missed about half of my September TBR so I'm going to put them here.
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
This Song Will Save Your Life - Leila Sales
Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Steel Lily - Megan Curd
The Boy on the Bridge - Natalie Standiford

Monthly Wrap-up: August

Looking back...
List of my August reads:
Leigh Bardugo - Siege and Storm (Grisha #2) 
PC & Kristin Cast - House of Night Legacy
Tera Lynn Childs -  Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls #1)
                           - "Grace in the Loft" (Medusa Girls #1.5)
                           - Sweet Shadows (Medusa Girls #2)
                           - Sweet Legacy (Medusa Girls #3)
Eoin Colfer - The Eternity Cube (Artemis Fowl graphic novels #3)
C.C. Dalton & Twist Literary - The Dark Secrets of Markham Savoy (Colebrook Confessions #1)
Renee Ericson - After Tuesday (These Days #1)
Abbi Glines - Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze #5)
Hannah Harrington - Speechless
Rachel Harris - My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (MSSSC #1)
                      - A Tale of Two Centuries (MSSSC #2)
Shannon Messenger - Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall #1)
Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young - Just Like Fate
Rick Riordan - The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson graphic novels #2)
J.K. Rock - "Camp Kiss" (Camp Boyfriend #0.5)
                 - Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1) 
Natalie Whipple - Transparent (Transparent #1)

Looking ahead...
September releases I'm excited about:
United We Spy - Ally Carter
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
This Song Will Save Your Life - Leila Sales
Sweet Legacy - Tera Lynn Childs
Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson
Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

September TBR (not including books listed above):
How to Love - Katie Cotugno
Perfect Ruin- Lauren DeStefano
Hourglass - Myra McEntire
The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa
Steel Lily - Megan Curd
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund

There are several others I'd like to add to that list, but I'll keep it there for now. How about you? How'd you do in August: what did you read, what did you love? What are you looking forward to reading in September? Let me know!

Monthly Wrap-up: July

List of July reads. Yikes! This list is much smaller than I wanted it! It's a lame and awful excuse, but I blame work. It's taken over every facet of my life! Only 2 1/2 more weeks, and I can go back to normal!

Leigh Bardugo - Shadow & Bone (The Grisha #1)
                       - "The Witch of Duva" (The Grisha #0.5)
                       - "The Tailor" (The Grisha #1.5)
                       - "The Too-Clever Fox" (The Grisha #2.5)
Jen Calonita - The Grass Is Always Greener (Belles #3)
Lauren Christina - "Beautiful Bitch" (Beautiful Bastard #1.5)
Kady Cross - "The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy" (Steampunk Chronicles #2.5)
Jennifer Echols - Love Story
Lauren Graham - Someday, Someday Maybe
Richelle Mead - Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)
Marissa Meyer - Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
                        - "The Queen's Army" (Lunar Chronicles #1.5)

Monthly Wrap-up: June

List of June reads. Some really good ones, some good ones, some not-so-good. A very productive blogging month for me, of which I'm proud because of all the life craziness that happened.

Libba Bray - Beauty Queens (audiotape) 
Meg Cabot - Underworld (Abandon #2)
                   - Awaken (Abandon #3)
Sarah Dessen - The Moon and More
Jennifer Echols - Dirty Little Secret
Abbi Glines - Forever Too Far (Too Far #3)
                   - Breathe (Sea Breeze #1)
Polly Holyoke - The Neptune Project
Laura Howard - the Forgotten Ones (Danaan Trilogy #1)
Julie Kagawa - The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Jo Readman - George Saves the World by Lunchtime
Rainbow Rowell - Eleanor & Park
Jennifer E. Smith - This is What Happy Looks Like
Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave (Fifth Wave #1) 
Cheyanne Young - Motocross Me

Monthly Wrap-up: May

List of May reads. Lots of really great books this month! Which is not quite over just yet so I may have a book or two to add before midnight...

Josephine Angelini - Goddess (Starcrossed #3)
Elana K. Arnold - Burning.
Jen Calonita - Sleepaway Girls
Abbi Glines -  Twisted Perfection (Perfection #1)
                   - Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)
                   - While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
                   - Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4)
                   - Fallen Too Far (Too Far #1)
                   - Never Too Far (Too Far #2)
Tara Hudson: Elegy (Hereafter #3)
Stephenie Meyer & Young Kim - New Moon: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1
Sarah Ockler - The Book of Broken Hearts
Amy Plum - If I Should Die (Revenants #3)
Kristen Simmons - Breaking Point (Article 5 #2)
Andrew Smith - Winger
Nancy Werlin - The Killer's Cousin

Monthly Wrap-up: April

List of April reads

Jen Calonita - Broadway Lights (Secrets of My Hollywod Life #5)
Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan - "What Really Happened in Peru" (Bane Chronicles #1)
Eoin Colfer - The Supernaturalist: The Graphic Novel
Lauren DeStefano - Sever (Chemical Garden #3)
Abbi Glines - The Vincent Brothers (Vincent Boys #2)
Miranda Kenneally - Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3)
Tahereh Mafi - Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
Erin McCahan - I Now Pronounce You Someone Else
Marissa Meyer - Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Stephenie Meyer - The Host (The Host #1)
Amy Plum - "Die for Her" (Revenants #2.5) 
                  - If I Should Die (Revenants #3)
Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson Graphic Novels #1)
Kristen Simmons - Article 5 (Article 5 #1)
Joss, Zack & Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen -  Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Book
Brenna Yovanoff - Paper Valentine 

Monthly Wrap-up: January - March

Since I just started doing wrap-ups, I'm including January and February in this post.

January
Brodi Ashton - "Neverfall" (Everneath 1.5): 3 stars
Meg Cabot - The Merlin Prophecy (Avalon High: Coronation #1): 3 stars
                   - Homecoming (Avalon High: Coronation #2): 3 stars
                   - Hunter's Moon (Avalon High: Coronation #3): 3 stars
Jen Calonita - Secrets of My Hollywood Life (Secrets #1)  ): 5 stars
                     - On Location (Secrets #2): 4 stars
                     - Family Affairs (Secrets #3): 3 stars
Ally Carter - "Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story" (Gallagher Girls #5.5/Heist Society #2.5): 5 stars
Cassandra Clare &  HyeKyung Baek: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices: Manga #1): 4 stars
Gayle Forman - Just One Day (Just One Day #1): 5 stars
Cynthia Hand - "Radiant" (Unearthly #2.5): 3 stars
Ann M. Martin - Baby-Sitters' Winter Vacation: 4 stars
Richelle Mead - Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid #3): 4 stars
                        - Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid #4: 3 stars
Richelle Mead, Emma Vieceli & Leigh Dragoon - Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel
                                                                               - Frostbite: The Graphic Novel: 3 stars
 Beth Revis - "As They Slip Away" (Across the Universe #0.5): 4 stars
                    - Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3): 5 stars
Antoine de Saint-Exupery - The Little Prince: 5 stars
Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood: 3 stars

February
Brodi Ashton - Everbound (Everneath #2): 5 stars
Jen Calonita - Winter White (Belles #2): 4 stars
Ally Carter - Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3): 5 stars
Susane Colasanti - Keep Holding On: 4 stars
Eoin Colfer -The Arctic Incident: The Graphic Novel (Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novels #2): 5 stars
Lauren Conrad - The Fame Game (Fame Game #1): 3 stars
Jennifer Echols - Star Crossed (Stargazer #1): 5 stars
Emily Giffin - Where We Belong: 3 stars
Cynthia Hand - Boundless (Unearthly #3)
Marie Lu - "Life Before Legend" (Legend #0.5): 5 stars
                - Prodigy (Legend #2): 5 stars
Isaac Marian - "Boarded Window" (Warm Bodies #0.6): 5 stars
                      - Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1): 5 stars
Richelle Mead - The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3): 5 stars
Jodi Meadows - Asunder (Incarnate #2): 4 stars
Lauren Morrill - Meant to Be: 4 stars
Jodi Picoult - My Sister's Keeper: 5 stars
Veronica Rossi - Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2): 5 stars
J.K. Rowling -  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: 5 stars
                      - Quidditch Through the Ages: 5 stars
                      - The Tales of Beedle the Bard: 4 stars
Louis Sachar - Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake (Holes #1.5): 4 stars
Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return: 2 stars
Kiersten White - Mind Games (Mind Games #1): 3 stars

March
M. Molly Backes - The Princesses of Iowa: 2 stars
Judy Blume - Forever: 4 stars
Meg Cabot - Boy Meets Girl (Boy #2): 5 stars
                   - Every Boy's Got One (Boy #3): 5 stars
Jen Calonita - Paparazzi Princess (Secrets #4): 4 stars
Kiera Cass - "The Prince" (The Selection #0.5): 4 stars
Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3): 5 stars
Elizabeth Eulberg - Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality: 5 stars
Melissa Jensen - The Fine Art of Truth or Dare: 3 stars
Lauren Oliver - "Annabel" (Delirium #0.5): 4 stars
                        - "Raven" (Delirium #2.5): 4 stars
                        - Reqiuem (Delirium #3): 3 stars
 Megan Shepard - The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1): 4 stars
Scott Westerfeld - Goliath (Leviathan #3): 5 stars
Zack Whedon - Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories: 5 stars