Monthly Wrap-up: January 2017

Hello everyone and welcome to my January wrap-up. I hope you all had a wonderful month. For me it was quite busy with unpacking (we moved into a new place) and doctors appointments.

I am now in the third trimester of my pregnancy and feeling great. Time sure is flying by. We have started gathering baby items and I can't wait to start putting together my little boys nursery. 11 more weeks to go!

We had some very mild weather here in Ontario this past month. There were a couple of days with heavy fog, but now it is starting to get quite cold.

Last weekend we watched the movie X-Men: Apocalypse and it was pretty good. Normally I'm not into superhero movies, but for some reason I really enjoy this franchise. Here is the trailer:

Is it just me or does James McAvoy (Professor X) look like an 80's Paul McCartney? Quicksilver is definitely my favourite character in this movie though.

I completed 2 books in January, which isn't quite up to my monthly standard, but it I did get much more reading done this month than I have in a while.

Click the links below to read my reviews:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley 
Rating: 5/5
I loved this young adult contemporary novel about a teen who hasn't left his house in 3 years and the people who befriend him.
Favourite Part: The main character Solomon was wonderful. I was able to relate to so much in this book and re-read many parts several times.
Recommendations: I would recommend Highly Illogical Behavior to fans of young adult contemporary who are looking for a humerus novel that will make them reflect.

🌟🌟🌟.5 Skeletons in the Attic (A Marketville Mystery, #1) by Judy Penz Sheluk 
Rating: 3.5/5
This was an enjoyable mystery written by a local author. It follows a woman who inherits her childhood home and begins investigating the mysteries behind her mothers sudden disappearance.
Favourite Part: The author based the setting of this novel on a town that it nearby me. I enjoyed the familiar locations and also the Canadian references throughout.
Recommendations: I would recommend Skeletons in the Attic to those who enjoy mysteries that have a bit more meat to their bones than the typical cozy.

The Stats:

Total Number of Books Read: 2

Total Number of Fiction: 2

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review Read: 1

Total Books Read From My Shelves: 0

Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 1

eBooks: 1

Genres Read:

Young Adult: 1

Mystery: 1

Total Books Read in 2017: 2

A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware is a historical fiction set after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. I had hoped to have this one finished to include in January's wrap-up, but I'm not quite there yet. It shouldn't take me too much longer though as I am really enjoying this story.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan is another one I was hoping to have finished by now. I am listening to it in audio format on my Overdrive app from my library and it expired before I got to the end. So now I'm on the waiting list to borrow it again. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait.

• The Empress Holds the Key by Gabriel Farago (sent for review) 
• No Safe Harbor (Edge of Freedom, #1) by Elizabeth Ludwig

Did you do a monthly wrap-up? If so I'd love to check out your post, so leave me a message below and I will be sure to check it out. Hope you all have a wonderful (possibly romance filled) February. 

Hosted by: Book Date 

Monthly Wrap-up: July 2016

Well am I ever glad to see the month of July end. For me this past month was stressful and way too hot. Thankfully things are starting to look up and I am optimistic for the weeks to come. I don't really have anything to report other than that, so lets move on to my reading progress.

My Reading Progress:

Unfortunately my reading progress slowed down even more during the month of July. However according to Goodreads I am 11 books ahead of schedule. I have set a goal for myself to read 50 books this year and I am already at 40. 

Books Read By Month:

January: 8

February: 5
March: 6

April: 4
May: 8
June: 5
July: 4

1. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan 
   Rating: 3.5/5
   My Review
2. Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris
   Rating: 4/5
   My Review
3. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 
   Rating: 4/5
   My Review: Date TBD
4. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
   Rating: 3/5
   My Review: Date TBD

The Stats

Favourite Book of the Month and Favourite Cover of the Month:

Favourite Setting: Rural Scotland (The Bookshop on the Corner)
Favourite Character: Nina (The Bookshop on the Corner)
Total Books Read: 4
Total Number of Fiction: 4
Total Number of Non-fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 2
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 1
Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 1
eBooks: 2
Audio Books: 1

I hope you all had a wonderful July and wishing you happy reading in August! 

Hosted by: Book Date

Monthly Wrap-up: May 2016

Well I am not sad to see the month of May go, as it was one of the most challenging months for me so far this year. I am happy to report that things are starting to get a little big easier. I am keeping busy just trying to make the days go by faster. You can mostly find me with my nose in a book, which is a wonderful escape from reality.

The weather is now hot, hot hot which I am dealing with by keeping my apartment as cold as an igloo (lol). As I mentioned in a my previous Sunday Wrap-up, everything looks so beautiful outside now that all the flowers are in bloom and the fields are brilliant shades of green.

Above is a picture of my Mom's beautiful purple irises, that are growing in her garden.

And here is a picture of one of her lilac bushes. I just love the smell of lilac's. Its too bad they only bloom for a short time.

My Reading Progress

I had a great reading month in May. I have read a total of 30 books since January, which I know may not be all that much compared to some readers, but for me this is an amazing number. As I write this post I find myself curious as to how many books I've read each month, so I decided to go back and include those stats in this wrap-up. 

Books Read By Month

January: 8

February: 5

March: 6

April: 4

May: 8

At 8 books read in May, I doubled my total from April. I am pleased with this number and think that it is going to be my aim for each month. Although I do realize that some months this might not be possible, but clearly it is an attainable goal for me. I read some great books in May and my total was achieved in due part to the Bout of Books Read-a-thon. 

This past month I decided to do an expariment to see how it would affect the total number of books I read. Normally I would read multiple books at once, but for the month of May I decided to read only one at a time. The only time this month that I had two books going as once was when I listened to Percy Jackson in audio with my partner. I think that this really helped me to achieve the number of books I completed.

1. Becoming Phoebe by J. Michael Neal
   Rating: 3.5/5
   My Review
   
2. Unbearably Deadly (Roger and Suzanne South American Mystery, Book 9) by Jerold Last
   Rating: 2/5
   My Review
   
3. The Quieting (The Bishops Family, #2) by Suzanne Woods Fisher
   Rating: 4/5
   My Review
   
4. The Girls They Left Behind by Bernice Thurman Hunter
   Rating: 4/5
   Review Date: June 3, 2016
   
5. Banished From Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angelique Richard (Dear Canada) by Sharon Stewart
   Rating: 4/5
   Review Date: June 8, 2016
   
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
   Rating: 4/5
   Review Date: June 10, 2016
   
7. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
   Rating: 4/5
   Review Date: TBD
   
8. Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #2) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
   Rating: 3/5
   Review Date: TBD

DNF: A Place Called Bliss (Saskatchewan Saga, #1) by Ruth Glover
Reason for DNF: I couldn't get into this story even though the premise sounded like a book I would like. I didn't care for the characters or the way they were described. After reading some less than favorable Goodreads reviews for it I decided to move on.

May Notes

•  Becoming Phoebe is one of the most diverse books I have ever read. 
• I learned a lot about Alaska and how their national parks are run.
• Suzanne Woods Fisher is definietly one of my favourite authors. 
• The teenage girls of today really aren't that different than their 1940's counterparts. 
• I learned more about the expulsion of the Acadian people from a middle-grade book than I was taught in history class. 
• Not all classic books are as daunting as I fear.
• I tried out a series that I didn't think I would enjoy and ended up loving it!
• Re-reading a book from my childhood didn't necessarily have the same emotional affect it did than I was younger. 

The Stats

 Favourite Book of the Month: 

Favourite Cover of the Month:

 Favourite Setting: Stoney Ridge (The Quieting)

Favourite Character: Grover (The Lightning Thief)

Total Books Read: 8

Total Number of Fiction: 8

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 3 

Total Books Read From My Shelves: 2

Total Books Sent for Review: 3

Total Library Books Read: 3

Formats Read

Physical Books: 4
eBooks: 3
Audio Books: 1

 Like last month I am going to try to concentrate on reading one book at a time (with the exception of the audio books I listen to with my partner). This may be more difficult this month because I am signed up to participate in COYER and my goals are kind of lofty. 

I hope that you all had a wonderful May. What did you learn from the books you read over the past few weeks? Did you post a Monthly Wrap-up? If so please leave your links in the comments so I can return the visit. 

Hosted by: Book Date

 

Monthly Favourites: March 2016

Monthly Favourites

March 2016

Today I would like to share with you a new segment I will be adding to my monthly wrap-ups. Here are some of my favourite random non-bookish favourites from the past few weeks. 

I've been on a yogurt and granola kick recently. 

Source

One of my favourite Easter treats are Lil' Scoops, especially the kind with the white chocolate mousse inside

Source

I probably sound like a broken record, but I've been really enjoying watching season one of When Calls the Heart. It is a Hallmark Channel television show that follows a young woman who takes a teaching position in a western Canadian coal mining town. 

Source: Hallmark Channel

My favourite movie that I watched in March was the 2014 remake of Annie, staring: Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale. This was a wonderfully modern remake of the classic tale about little orphan Annie. I had so much fun watching it and singing along to the familiar soundtrack. 

One of my favourite games to play on Facebook is SongPop. My username is mlsmanreads if anyone would like to send me a challenge.

It doesn't take much to get a song stuck in my head, especially if it is catchy. Lately I've have Renegade by Styx stuck in my head. Yes I know, very random but I can't stop singing it..

And last but not least I've been really into listening to the Australian pop-punk band 5 Seconds of Summer. 

Source

These guys are just as fun as their music. Take a listen to She's Kinda Hot, so catchy!

What are some of your favourites from the month of March? Are you into any of the things I've mentioned? I'd also love to hear what you think of this new segment. Should I keep it or scrap it? Leave me a message in the comments.