The Bookmark Lit Bulletin was created to wrap up each month and prepare for the next. I share my book haul, books I read and reviewed, posts I shared, challenge updates, and more from the previous month. I also let you know what may be coming up on the blog in the coming month. You can read past bulletins here. I recently split out my personal posts into the Lauren Lately feature, so this is a bit shorter!
I finally got my reading mojo back!! I was able to finish three books plus one novella in three days. I was a reading addict around the middle of the month thanks to two books that were exactly what I needed to break my slump. I also got back into some audiobooks a little bit, managed to finish off the fall bingo card, and still was able to keep up with my TV shows. I’m finally getting the balance I’ve been wanting to find. I hope I can carry this attitude with me into the new year because this is what I had in mind when I set my goals/resolutions for 2016.
12 books read in November
11 new reads • 0 rereads • 1 DNF
3 books for review • 9 released books
Breakdown:
4 physical books
1 Kindle/digital book
1 novella/short story
3 audiobooks
0 audio/physical mixed
3 review books
153 books read in 2016
132 new reads • 16 rereads • 5 DNFs
59% review or newer books • 41% backlist books
53% books in a series • 47% standalones
Goodreads Goal: 160 books | 93% complete
Average rating for books read in October: 3.64 stars
Highlights & Lowlights
Favorite
Disappointed
Pleasant Surprise
Hit the Spot
All of the books read this month:
Year-Long
Contemporary Romance Challenge
1 book this month
59 total read
281% complete
Debut Author Challenge
1 book this month
19 total read
158% complete
Backlist Books Challenge
4 books this month
34 total read
170% complete
Flights of Fantasy Challenge
2 books this month
23 total read
115% complete
Rock My TBR Challenge
1 book this month
17 total read
68% complete
Seasonal
Fall Bingo Challenge
I’m pleased to say that I FINALLY filled an entire bingo card! I was pretty determined this time and knew it was actually in reach, based on the books ahead on my TBR. I made a fake TBR to get through the month and followed it somewhat to finish off bingo. Thank goodness for Hoopla and ARCs I really needed to read!
November’s books:
9 books this month • 100% complete
Full list of completed books:
Standalone | Leave Me – Gayle Forman
Animal on cover | Replica – Lauren Oliver
Purple cover | Nine Women, One Dress – Jane L. Rosen
Dragons | The Burning Sky – Sherry Thomas
Fall release | The Sun is Also a Star – Nicola Yoon
Backlist | Rebound – Noelle August
Sea creatures | Monstrous Beauty – Elizabeth Fama
Horror or paranormal | This Is Your Afterlife – Vanessa Barneveld
Friendship | Cherry – Lindsey Rosin
Creepy cover | Cruel Beauty – Rosamund Hodge
Multi POV | The Goodbye Year – Kaira Rouda
Green cover | Heir of Fire – Sarah J Maas
Retelling | Heartless – Marissa Meyer
Short story | Call Me Forever – Ellie Cahill
Killers | The Unquiet – Mikaela Everett
Revenge | Daughter of Deep Silence – Carrie Ryan
Illustrated | Bombshells: Enlisted – Marguerite Bennett
Black cover | The Thousandth Floor – Katharine McGee
Graphic novel | Ms Marvel: Generation Why – G. Willow Wilson
Suspense | The Amateurs – Sara Shepard
Rec’d to you | The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
American history | How to Hang a Witch – Adriana Mather
Weapon on cover | Queen of Shadows – Sarah J Maas
College | The Goal – Elle Kennedy
December Disney Dare – Coming Up!
Kristin posted about her December Disney Dare, which runs through the month of December. Basically you challenge yourself to watch as many Disney/Pixar animated movies as you can throughout the month! I’ve been thinking of putting some on in the background while I’m being lazy in bed or working on my planner, so I thought this would be a fun challenge to join in on. Here’s a list of Disney films for reference. I’m actually aiming for either the Moana level or Aurora level because I know that holiday/Christmas movies will distract me from this challenge more than they should! I hope to squeeze in some good movies, both old favorites and new ones!
1 – 4 films – Moana (Newbie Disney Fan)
5 – 8 films – Aurora (Rather be Sleeping Disney Fan)
9 – 12 films – Stitch (Crazy for Disney Fan)
13 – 16 – Ariel (Disney Film Hoarding Fan)
17 – 20 films – Rapunzel (Diligent Disney Fan)
21+ films – Snow White (Ultimate Disney Fan)
Reviews
- [2 Nov] Paper Princess by Erin Watt ★★★
- [2 Nov] Broken Prince by Erin Watt ★★
- [2 Nov] Twisted Palace by Erin Watt ★½
- [7 Nov] How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather ★★★½
- [9 Nov] Recent Graphic Novels #1
- [14 Nov] The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett ★★★
- [18 Nov] Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler ★★★★
- [23 Nov] The Amateurs by Sara Shepard ★★★★
- [28 Nov] Heartless by Marissa Meyer ★★★★
Blog Posts
- [1 Nov] Top Ten Tuesdays #113: Seasonal Book Club
- [3 Nov] Fickle with Five Star Ratings
- [4 Nov] MORE Upcoming Books I’m Super Excited For
- [8 Nov] Top Ten Tuesdays #114: New to the TBR
- [10 Nov] Low Reading Months
- [11 Nov] The Captain America Book Tag
- [15 Nov] Top Ten Tuesdays #115: Favorite Movies
- [16 Nov] End of 2016 Fake-Ish TBR I Wish I Could Follow
- [17 Nov] Lauren Lately | November 2016
- [20 Nov] What Does a Perfect Weekend Look Like to You?
- [21 Nov] Library Love | November
- [22 Nov] Top Ten Tuesdays #116: Thanksgiving
- [24 Nov] Three Things
- [25 Nov] 2016 Holiday Books & Celebration
- [29 Nov] Top Ten Tuesdays #117: Holiday Gift Guide
- [30 Nov] Seasonal TBR Moods
My Secret Sister helped me achieve my goal of finally owning all three Stephanie Perkins books! I’m so excited to have them to reread and admire forever. She also included a stir stick for coffee or hot chocolate (I love these!) and The Darkling candle from Novelly Yours. IT SMELLS DIVINE. I can’t burn really sweet scents in the bedroom (including some of my favorite apple ones) because it somehow makes my stomach hurt before bed LOL sooo this one is absolutely perfect to keep in the bedroom.
Preordered | The Amateurs by Sara Shepard
Purchased eBook | History of Glitter and Blood by Hanna Moskowitz
Physical ARC from publisher | The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine
Digital ARC from Netgalley | Here We Are edited by Kelly Jensen
✨ Check out my most recent personal life wrap-up HERE ✨
Life Happenings | Media Addictions | Goals | Favorites | Life Ahead
Top Blog Posts Coming Up
I’m Getting Older and Wiser Pickier • I started a draft a long time ago about how I’m getting pickier as I read more and more YA. I know I’m not the intended audience for YA books so I try to keep it in mind when I get annoyed with some teens making dumb decisions… but it’s hard! I find myself reaching for “older” books now.
Holiday Reviews • I just recently posted my possible holiday TBR for this year and have carved out some dates (mostly Mondays and Fridays this month) to share holiday reviews. I realize this means I kind of have to get going on actually READING these holiday books!
Favorite Holiday Books (through 2015ish) • I’ve read quite a few Christmassy books since I started blogging – and a few before – so I think it’d be appropriate to do a list! I want to be able to recommend books early enough in the month so people can read them before the holiday season is over. This one is a WIP but it’ll be up!
Book Blog Post Ideas • Another random draft I’m finally publishing! One day I just sat down and wrote a bunch of ideas for blog posts. I actually need to go through and write some of these posts because damn, I was on fire that day. I fine-tuned the post a bit and it’ll be up this month.
Christmas Coziness • I loved Kristin’s post the other day about her Christmas aesthetic, so I made something slightly similar to post on Christmas Eve Eve. I did a little Polyvore collage and talk about my holiday traditions.
Top Books on the TBR
Wow you are doing kick ass in challenges!! I failed at mine lol. I just bought Little Black Dresses on black Friday so I am excited to see it was a favorite this month. Your TBR has two I loved – The Choices We Make and The Secret Ingredient of Wishes. Enjoy them and have a great December!
YES! I hope you love it. It was really cute and easy to read. Hope you have a great one too!!
Wow, it looks like you had a jam packed month! I love the Disney movie challenge – that looks awesome, so I might do a version of it with the kids. Hope you have an excellent December!
Yes it was so good! I hope you have a great December 🙂
Two shoutouts in one blog post! I am honored!!! I really want to read Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies! I picked it up at that beautiful Baltimore Barnes and Noble and lately I just feel like it’s calling to me from my shelf. And I’m so excited to be reading The Amateurs for my book club! Congrats on completing your bingo card! And I’m really looking forward to reading your Christmas Coziness post!
Hahah I just realized that! woohoo 😉 It’s so cute! I loved it. So fun and easy to read. THANK YOU I’m so excited about my full card!
wow – that’s a busy month. Glad to hear you got out of your reading slump – (Strangely I always seem to fall into one after a succession of really good books). But wow – you seem to be doing awesome on your challenges. I am so behind with mine, It just hasn’t been a good year for reading lol.
I can’t wait to read your book blog post ideas post!! I’m always looking for ideas to keep my blog feeling fresh and not blah. Also, I’m glad you liked The Amateurs… it’s a MUST READ for me this month!!
Ahhhh, that Disney challenge! That challenge will pretty much take over my time this month. I read 8 books last month and 7 of them were audiobooks. I think that’s been my worst month ever 🙁
Nereyda│ Nick & Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist
I’m hoping to participate in that Disney challenge as well, though I’m not sure what level I’ll actually be able to hit! But worth a shot anyway AND it means I get to rematch some favorites 😉 Also, yay for your TBR! I see you have a ton of excellent reading ahead of you.
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