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 had another great reading month! I was surprised to DNF something, but I wasn’t feeling it. I’m glad I got over that fear! Otherwise, I read SO many four star books in a row at the beginning of the month. I was happy to have some good ones but I kept waiting for something interesting! I wanted a book to wow me… or even disappoint me, just for some variety! 😉 Either way, a good month of reading overall. I’m pleased with 2017 so far!
16 books read in February
15 new reads • 1 reread • 1 DNF
5,869 pages read including 2,923 minutes of audio
Read by source:
9 owned {5 review copies}
8 borrowed {4 review copies}
Read by format:
2 hardcover | 0 paperbacks | 2 ebook
1 novellas, short stories, graphic novels
1 audiobook | 4 read/listen combo
2 egalleys | 5 physical ARC
32 books read in 2017
31 new reads • 1 rereads • 1 DNF
9,979 pages read including 4,933 minutes of audio
Read by format:
4 hardcover | 7 audios or mixes
12 digital books or egalleys
10 paperbacks or physical ARCs
Other reading stats:
17 owned books | 16 borrowed books
14 in a series | 19 standalones
18 backlist books | 15 published in 2017
Average rating for books read in February: 3.9 stars
Highlights & Lowlights
Favorite
Disappointed
Pleasant Surprise
Shiiiiiip
Shiiiiiip Part 2
All of the books read this month:
Year-Long
Contemporary Romance Challenge
8 this month | 14 read total | 67% complete
Books read from the pre-planned TBR: 1 this month | 1 total
Flights of Fantasy Challenge
5 this month | 11 read total | 37% complete
Seasonal
Winter Bingo Challenge
Completed! // All the books:
Green cover • The Names They Gave Us – Lord
Banned book • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Carroll
Not YA • Winter Street – Hilderbrand
Crime • Adnan’s Story – Chaudry
Twitter poll • Fireworks – Cotugno
Alternative format • Chloe Snow’s Diary – Chastain
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
GR choice nominee • PS I Like You – West
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
Pink cover • Pretty Fierce – Scott
Dec/Jan/Feb • release Rise of Fire – Jordan
Super hyped • Alex, Approximately – Bennett
Urban fantasy • Dark Star – Frenette
Contemporary Romance Monthly Topic
The Contemporary Romance Challenges offers up a monthly topic to link-up with each month.
February’s topic: shippiest books. I did it for the Valentine’s-themed TTT post this month!
Book Reviews
- [2 Feb] Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter ★★★
- [2 Feb] One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank ★★½
- [2 Feb] Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer ★★★★
- [9 Feb] Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan ★★★
- [14 Feb] Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham ★★★★
- [20 Feb] Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch ★★★★
- [20 Feb] Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch ★★★★
Top Ten Tuesdays
- [7 Feb] Top Ten Tuesdays #127: More Pages
- [15 Feb] Top Ten Tuesdays #128 + ContRom Challenge Monthly Topic: Shippy Books
- [21 Feb] Top Ten Tuesdays #129: More and Less
Wrap-Ups & Other Memes
- [1 Feb] Bookmark Lit Bulletin | January 2017
- [8 Feb] Wednesday Wrap-Up #3 | WoW & WWW
- [25 Feb] February Netflix and Books Challenge Check-In
- [27 Feb] March TBR
Book Lists & Discussions
- [3 Feb] Even MORE Upcoming Books I’m Super Excited For
- [10 Feb] Getting Older and Pickier with my Reading Choices
- [17 Feb] You Haven’t Let Me Down Yet
- [23 Feb] DNFs and Reading Challenges
Not-So-Bookish
- [6 Feb] Becoming a Morning Person & My Routines
- [13 Feb] (No New) FRIENDS
- [16 Feb] Lauren Lately | February 2017
- [22 Feb] Planner-Related Struggle Bus
Breakdown: 5 bought | 7 borrowed | 4 gifted | 10 for review
Borrowed ARCs from friends: {Marg} In Some Other Life by Brody, Hello Sunshine by Howland, Fireworks by Cotugno, The Adjustment by Young; {Danielle} Changes in Latitudes by Malone, What to Say Next by Buxbaum
Publishers via Netgalley: The Football Girl by Heldring, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Reid, At First Blush by Summer, Trusting You and Other Lies by Williams, All Things New by Miller
Physical ARCs from publishers: Breaking by Danielle Rollins, Confessions of a High School Disaster: Chloe Snow’s Dairy by Chastain, What Goes Up by Kennedy, The Possible by Altebrando, Song of the Current by Tolcser | Finished copies from publishers: Dreamland Burning by Latham, The Education of Margot Sanchez by Rivera | Physical ARCs from ATWAT: Blind Item by Dickson, I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Goo | Gifted ARC from Marg: Windfall by Smith
Physical copies: Wires and Nerve by Meyer | Purchased eBooks: The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Moriarty, The Bookseller by Swanson, Kingdom of Ashes by Thomas, Starflight by Landers, What If? by Munroe, The Young Wives Club by Pennell, Not in the Script by Finnegan, McGarry eBooks/novellas volume one (Pushing the Limits, Crossing the Line, Dare You To, Crash into You)
Secret Sister: Little Women and classics bookmarks! I noted that I wanted to read more classics, so she gifted me this beautiful copy! I’ve been meaning to read this one because my only knowledge on the subject is the episode of Friends where Rachel makes Joey read it. haha
✨ Check out my most recent personal life wrap-up HERE ✨
Life Happenings | Media Addictions | Goals | Favorites | Life Ahead
Top Blog Posts Coming Up
Major Reorganization Goals | There are so many things I want to organize and fix over the next few months that I can’t even keep track of them. I decided to share some of my reorganization goals next month in case anyone happens to be curious 😉 I need to be held accountable!
Recent Read-Bait | I haven’t done my read-bait feature in a while, so I’m highlighting my newest ones – disappearances, winning the lottery (or rich people in general), and carnivals.
Why I Love Goodreads | I really enjoyed Kate’s post about why she loves Goodreads a few months ago and decided to tackle the same subject. I love using GR and it’s often my favorite social media site to browse, especially when I need a break from the other ones.
Series or Standalone? | I went back through my archives and don’t think I ever did the classic “do you prefer reading series or standalones?” discussion. I decided to finally, randomly have that one now. I also talk about my breakdown and what I generally prefer to read.
Summer Releases to Watch Out For | I did this post last year and had a lot of fun putting it together. I always find myself reading ARCs with summer release dates in the winter, so I’m able to do a “save the date” type of post to highlight them ahead of time. I hope people enjoy them!
Ten eBooks I’ve Owned Forever | I was inspired by someone’s TTT (the credit is in that post but I don’t remember at the moment) and wanted to share the ten oldest books on my Kindle that I still plan to read. It’s definitely a good throwback post with some oooold releases!
Top Books on the TBR
Check out my March TBR post! ?
Wires and Nerves is on my TBR for March! I cannot wait to be back in the Lunar Chronicles world! And I’m so happy you also loved P.S. I Like You!!!
Yess same here!! I haven’t read a graphic novel in a while either, so I’m excited 🙂
So many fantastic sounding books! I’m going to be reading Letter to the Lost this month. I need to bump The Forgetting up my list too. I hope you have a great March too.
Thank you 😀 I hope you enjoy both! Super solid reads for me.
AHHHHHHHH you have Evelyn Hugo!!! I bet you that’s going to be incredible! Also I can’t wait to see your new read bait post, it’s one of my favorite features that you do! 🙂
Thank you <33 I'm SO EXCITED. I'll probably read it way too soon hahaha
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