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 always like to start the year off by getting ahead on my challenge. I don’t read as much as I used to so it kind of feels weird when I’m not seeing the “X books ahead” thing on Goodreads. Luckily reading a few shorter novellas to kick off 2017 helped me get ahead on my challenge. I hit a nice stride in January with some pretty solid reads as well. I’m happy with this year so far, reading-wise!
16 books read in January
16 new reads • 0 rereads • 0 DNF
4,110 pages read including 2,010 minutes of audio
Read by source:
4 owned | 8 borrowed | 4 for review
Read by format:
2 hardcover | 1 paperback | 1 ebook
3 novellas, short stories, graphic novels
2 audiobooks | 1 read/listen combo
2 egalleys | 4 physical ARC
16 books read in 2017
16 new reads • 0 rereads • 0 DNF
4,110 pages read including 2,010 minutes of audio
Read by source:
4 owned | 8 borrowed | 4 for review
Read by format:
2 hardcover | 1 paperback | 1 ebook
3 novellas, short stories, graphic novels
2 audiobooks | 1 read/listen combo
2 egalleys | 4 physical ARC
Average rating for books read in January: 3.9 stars
Highlights & Lowlights
Favorite
Disappointed
Pleasant Surprise
O T P
O T P Part 2
All of the books read this month:
Year-Long
Contemporary Romance Challenge
7 this month | 7 read total | 29% complete
Books read from the pre-planned TBR: 1 this month | 1 total
Flights of Fantasy Challenge
6 this month | 6 read total | 20% complete
Seasonal
Winter Bingo Challenge
This month:
Green cover The Names They Gave Us – Lord
Banned book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Carroll
2017 debut Geekerella – Ashley Potson
Nature on cover Ice Like Fire – Raasch
Unreliable narrator Take the Key & Lock Her Up – Carter
Science fiction Brave New Girl – Vincent
Own voices When Dimple Met Rishi – Menon
Super hyped Alex, Approximately – Bennett
So far:
Green cover The Names They Gave Us – Lord
Banned book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Carroll
Not YA Winter Street – Hilderbrand
Alternative format Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless – Czukas
2017 debut Geekerella – Potson
White cover Winter Stroll – Hilderbrand
Survival Snow Like Ashes – Raasch
Nature on cover Ice Like Fire – Raasch
Set abroad The Night Circus – Morgenstern
Romance Season of Second Chances – Walsh
Blue cover All I Want for Christmas – Hale
Unreliable narrator Take the Key & Lock Her Up – Carter
Sequel Winter Storms – Hilderbrand
Science fiction Brave New Girl – Vincent
LGBT Sometimes We Tell The Truth – Zarins
Cover buy What Light – Asher
Own voices When Dimple Met Rishi – Menon
Dec/Jan/Feb release Rise of Fire – Jordan
Super hyped Alex, Approximately – Bennett
Contemporary Romance Monthly Topic
The Contemporary Romance Challenges offers up a monthly topic to participate in and link-up with each month. February’s topic: anticipated contemporary romance releases for the first half of 2017.
Book Reviews
- [5 Jan] Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama ★★★★½
- [5 Jan] Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch ★★★★
- [9 Jan] History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera ★★★★★
- [12 Jan] Caraval by Stephanie Garber ★★★★★
- [19 Jan] Sometimes We Tell the Truth by Kim Zarins ★★★★
- [23 Jan] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ★★★★
- [23 Jan] The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee ★★★★
- [26 Jan] Pottermore Presents Short Stories from Hogwarts
Discussions, Memes, and More
- [1 Jan] Bout of Books 18
- [2 Jan] Bookmark Lit Bulletin | December 2016
- [3 Jan] Top Ten Tuesdays #122: 2017 Debuts
- [4 Jan] Books to Reread in 2017
- [6 Jan] Coming Up for Bookmark Lit in 2017
- [10 Jan] Top Ten Tuesdays #123: Didn’t Get To
- [11 Jan] The Impact of Audio
- [13 Jan] Cover Love for 2017 Releases
- [16 Jan] Lauren Lately | January 2017
- [17 Jan] Top Ten Tuesdays #124: Underrated
- [18 Jan] The Impact of Digital
- [20 Jan] Why I’ve Reduced My Goodreads Goal Each Year
- [24 Jan] Top Ten Tuesdays #125: Classics (Freebie)
- [25 Jan] The Impact of Physical
- [27 Jan] How I Get Ahead on My Goodreads Goal Each Year
- [28 Jan] January Netflix and Books Challenge Check-In
- [30 Jan] February TBR
- [31 Jan] Top Ten Tuesdays #126: Comics
Breakdown: 1 bought | 3 borrowed | 4 gifted | 9 for review
Netgalley: Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally, Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser, Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon, Noteworthy by Riley Redgate, Geekerella by Ashley Poston, Cold Summer by Gwen Cole, Nasty Women anthology, Secrets of a Reluctant Princess by Casey Griffin
Physical ARC from publisher: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
Amazon Christmas gift cards: The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand, Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes, Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang | Preordered: Windwitch by Susan Dennard
I got my final Secret Sister package! Bailey revealed herself and did such an amazing job for me this round! I’m soooo excited about this Ghibli-themed package! I got Spirited Away, a soot sprite, and Japanese candy. She also tossed in some cute origami stars that I hope Chris learns how to make soon (he can do lots of other origami items like cranes and elephants).
✨ 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 Older and Pickier | I’ve been noticing that I get more and more bitter about YA books and romance. This really just means I know what I like, I’m sick of angst, and I find things too predictable. This doesn’t say anything bad about those authors or books; it’s just ME reading too many and learning what works/doesn’t work.
Becoming a Morning Person | Kristin spoke about morning routines and I loved it, so I finally finished the morning-related post I had sitting in my drafts. I love getting up early and getting some shit done (yes this means reading and watching shows) before work. I share some tips about becoming a morning person and why you should do it, as well as my “perfect morning.”
You Haven’t Let Me Down Yet | I explore the debut authors I loved and enjoy the fact that their sophomore novels totally lived up to my expectations. It can be hard to make one perfect debut and then follow it up with something just as good, if not better. There were quite a few on this list!
No New Friends | I was given the opportunity to design and receive a shirt from Uberprints, so this post discusses the design I went with. I obviously picked something related to Friends, so I also share YA book recommendations for the characters from the show.
DNFs and Reading Challenges | I don’t DNF books that often, but I wanted to discuss what I do in the rare instance that it happens. Do you count them toward your Goodreads challenge or not? I have a couple different scenarios and reasons for when I add them and when I don’t.
Top Books on the TBR
New TBR post feature ? February TBR
Oh you read some of my most anticipated books!! I can’t wait for When Dimple Met Rishi, Alex, Approximately and The Names They Gave Us. Great progress on all your challenges!! an’t wait for your upcoming posts. Hope you have a great February!
They were all SO GOOD and nearly perfect. I hope you love them too!!
Looking forward to reading all of your upcoming posts, especially your morning routine one! I count reading and being caught up on shows as productivity too which is so funny because a lot of other people I know count it as a waste of time lol! I think one of my goals for this year is to get completely caught up on the Hundred Oaks series. I really enjoyed the first book and I’m not sure why I haven’t continued yet. I have all of them sitting on my shelves already! I’m also so happy to hear that you enjoyed Alex, Approximately (that’s one of my most anticipated for sure!) and When Dimple Met Rishi. I got a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi in the mail over the weekend and I’m just DYING to start reading. A friend wants to buddy read it in March but I don’t think I’ll be able to wait that long!
Hahah I know what you mean! I just enjoy so many things and want to balance them nicely throughout the month. I feel so productive when I finish off a TV show or stay on top of new episodes haha.
For Hundred Oaks, I definitely have favorites in Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe! The first book and then the last 3ish have been the best for me. Some in the early/middle part of the series had a little too much religion for me, but they’re still good reads!
I don’t blame you — I’d read ASAP because it is way too good <333 (Both, really!)
You’re doing amazing at your reading challenges – yay! And I always enjoy seeing what’s coming up on your blog. I’m looking forward to hearing about your morning routine, and I’ll be eager to see your DNF thoughts 🙂
Thank you <333
OMG YES SOMEONE ELSE WHO UNDERSTANDS MY GROWNING AVERSION TO YA ROMANCE. I used to LOVE romance books, but IDK now I’m older and more jaded and I don’t get all excited to read about two people holding hands or have time to put up with a guy treating a girl like dirt because he ~likes~ her. It’s really sad too because I find myself reading “around” the romance more than for it now. 🙁
Also you had an AMAZING month in reading! Please tell me Dimple was as epic as I’m hoping it will be. Also have you read Passenger yet? I’m going to be doing a reread soon because time travel often goes waaaay over my head so I know I need to refresh before tackling Wayfarer
Yes! Exactly. It gets so hard to follow them and I hate it because I love YA contemporary so much still. I just have a lower tolerance for that stuff, but I see why most of it is relevant for actual teens! (Although the treating like dirt thing is really annoying because that’s a bad example for teens to see as a good thing)
DIMPLE WAS AMAZING SERIOUSLY AMAZING.
I definitely want to read Passenger (for the first time) so we should link up for your reread plus Wayfarer!
It looks like you had a fantastic month! I can’t wait to see your review on When Dimple Met Rishi and all those upcoming posts!
Thank you 😀
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