Wrapping It Up: JANUARY 2019

HI FRIENDSSSS! If it isn’t clear enough from the title, I’m doing an much overdue wrap-up. Man, I haven’t done this kind of post in ages, I’m pretty sure I forgot how to write this. But anyhoo, what’s important is that I’m trying. wink wink. So here it is!!

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BOOKS

Before anything else, I would just like to give huge thanks to Kaleena @ Reader Voracious Blog for a wonderful spreadsheet tracker that proved SOOOO useful for me. The chart graphics that I will be including here are from the results of that spreadsheet as well! If you’re anything like me, who wants to keep track of everything in life because being forgetful sucks, I highly recommend using the 2019 Book Blogger Spreadsheet Template.

For the month of January, I’ve read a total of 7 books which is a lot in my perspective. I’m usually a very slow reader due to a hectic academic schedule so I’m very satisfied with my progress for this month.

     
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Disclaimer: By clicking on the book covers above, you will be redirected to my Amazon affiliate link for the corresponding book. Purchase from that link and you’ll be able to help me and my blog out tremendously at no additional cost for you!

My favorite book for January 2019 would have to be The Silver Queen because I just adore that series. I’m so stoked to read the third book but in the meantime, you can check my review of The Silver Queen here.

PROGRESS GRAPHS

I’ve been meaning to cut down on my backlist TBR for a while now and I’m so glad that I’m making progress since half of the books I’ve read in January were backlist titles. There’s still a lot of ARCs I need to get to but I like mixing up my reading with backlist ones.

This one’s exciting as well! I have always loved Fantasy but I found myself not reading as many books as I would like from that genre. I mostly turn to Mystery and Contemporary as they are my favorite, so one of my resolutions for the year is to widen my horizons when it comes to genres! Well, so far so good for my progress in reading Fantasy, in my opinion!

BLOG

For the month of January, my blog statistics have been much more than what I’ve expected when I came back from my hiatus and I can’t thank you all enough for that!! The feedback I’ve received from all of you guys at my blog posts are so mindblowing and very heartwarming. Mindblowing because, frankly, I did not expect that anyone would care enough to read my blog posts, much less like and comment on them! So that really inspired me to write and post blog posts more than I have before for the next months to come!!

Here are all the blog posts I’ve published in January 2019:

• Book Review: Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake
• Book Review: Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
• Book Review: Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan
• Can’t Wait Wednesday: Enchantée by Gita Trelease
• Cover Reveal: The Haunting of Elmwood Manor by Pamela McCord
• Book Review: Dream Keeper by Amber R. Duell
• Can’t Wait Wednesday: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
• Book Blitz: The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerick [EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY]
• Luxe’s Thoughts: UK vs US Book Covers
• Book Review: Secrets, Lies, and Scandals by Amanda K. Morgan
• Book Blitz: Dream Keeper by Amber R. Duell [EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY]

I’ve realized that I really do love making book reviews and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon LOL. And I’m trying to participate in more events like blog tours, cover reveals and book blitzes. But the most exciting (and my favorite blog post in January) is my first discussion post in a looooong while: Luxe’s Thoughts: UK vs US Book Covers and YOU GUYS ARE SO SWEET AND AMAZING with your responses!

PERSONAL LIFE

Last January, I went back to school from our holiday break and so far, everything’s miraculously alright. I’m actually so proud of myself for doing quite well academic-wise, having no emotional breakdowns so far. My anxiety hasn’t been too bad lately and it is actually quite manageable most of the time!

On other news, I’ve acquired a bunch of lovely blogger friends—which are all Filipinos as well, might I add! This just means so much to me because they’re the first actual blogger friends who I constantly talk to. I JUST LOVE THEM, OKAY??

PSA: You should definitely follow their blogs because, as I’ve said and will say again and again, they’re fantastic, kind, gentle hoomans that deserve all the love in the world!

• Ate Angela from Hiding Behind Books Blog
• Ate Erica from Living a Hundred Lives
• Ate Justine from Bookish Wisps

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I now have a positive feeling for both my blog and personal life! I feel like I’m truly heading in the right direction and I can’t wait for what the future (for both my personal life and blogging) awaits for me.

For February, I didn’t set a particular TBR since I have a bold one for my Year of the Asian Reading Challenge sign-up and I think that it may be too much pressure for me if I had another TBR for February.

So, I guess that’s it for this wrap-up. I haven’t achieved much in retrospect but I’m pretty happy with myself nevertheless. How about you? How was your January? What other things do you put on wrap-ups? (Please help I am CLUELESS!) Let’s chat!