What I’ve been up to in January ☃️ Starting off the year right with four 5-star reads

Hello fellow bookworms ☃️ The first month of the year is already over! It somehow went by very fast and also painfully slowly 😱 As much as I enjoy New Year’s Eve and the planning for the new year, I always get a bit stressed about everything that is coming up (like my internship and Master thesis), so it was a bittersweet beginning of the year.

Important Resources

• https://globalissuesawareness.carrd.co/
• https://dotherightthing.carrd.co/
• Anti-Asian Violence Resources Carrd
• BLM Resources Spreadsheet
• Help India during its COVID crisis
• HelpPalestine Carrd, Learn about Palestinian history Help Palestine with a Click & Resources Masterlist
• Support the LGBTQ Community in Hungary
• HelpAfghanistan Carrd

🔁 = Reread 💌 = Library Books ⌛ = Digital Arc

📚 = #TackleYourTBR 📖 = #DevourYourTBR 😊 = Buddy Read 💕 = 12 Book Recs by Friends

I read 10 books in January and had a fantastic reading month! I found FOUR 5-star reads in one month which has got to be a record 😊 I’m incredibly happy that I loved so many books, especially as last year was my shortest best-of list. Now I already have four books on my best of 2022 Goodreads shelf 🎉 I’m also very proud that I finally dedicated time to read my owned books with the help of #DevourYourTBR ~ the theme was reading books you’ve owned prior to 2022 (including review copies). I read 7 books from my physical/Kindle TBR and 3 digital Arcs that I had on my Kindle 📚 This was the first month in a long time that I didn’t read any e-books from my library and wholefully focused on my owned books. I definitely want to make that a priority this year, even though I’ll also use the library a lot. I did listen to audiobooks of books I owned and switched between them, which was a really great idea 🥰 I also buddy read The Bronzed Beasts with Marie and it was so lovely 💕 I would have put off reading this finale for so long, if it hadn’t been for her!

I read 7 books out of my comfort zone this month, so we’re off to a good start!! 🎉 I found 2 new favorites and generally enjoyed all the books I read as well. In terms of age range I read 1 MG, 3 YA and 3 Adult, so a good mix. For genre I read Historical Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery and Romance 💕

• The Bronzed Beasts (Roshani Chokshi) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖
• Daughter of the Deep (Rick Riordan) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖
• The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester (Maya MacGregor) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖
• Delilah Green Doesn’t Care (Ashley Herring Blake) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖

• Take a Hint, Dani Brown (Talia Hibbert) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖
• Chef’s Kiss (Jarrett Melendez) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖
• Aurora Rising (Kaufman & Kristoff) ⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖

1. The Bronzed Beasts (Roshani Chokshi) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖😊 ➽ Review

2. Daughter of the Deep (Rick Riordan) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖 ➽ Review

3. Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry (Joya Goffney) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖🎧 ➽ Review

4. Wundersmith (Jessica Townsend) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖 ➽ Review

5. The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester (Maya MacGregor) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖 ➽ Review

6. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care (Ashley Herring Blake) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖 ➽ Review

7. Take a Hint, Dani Brown (Talia Hibbert) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖🎧 ➽ RTC!

8. Legendborn (Tracy Deonn) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖💕🎧 ➽ RTC! {Recommended by Aarushi}

9. Chef’s Kiss (Jarrett Melendez) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏳📖 ➽ Review

10. Aurora Rising (Kaufman & Kristoff) ⭐⭐⭐ 📚📖🎧 ➽ RTC!

Favorite Books 💕

Pondathon Garden & Achievement Update 🌷

January Pondathon Garden

Achievements & Badges

• Side Quest (Encourage Xiaolong’s Flowers to Grow) ➽ Read 3 diverse books (Budding Friend Badge)
• Side Quest (Encourage Xiaolong’s Flowers to Grow) ➽ Read 5 diverse books (Secret Achievement)
• Companion Quest (Racquel Marie – author of Ophelia After All) ➽ Create a Rose inspired by your favorite book

For more Infos about the Pondathon visit thequietpond 🌷

What I’ve been up to in December 🎄Christmas & End of the Year Planning ~ Out of Your Comfort Zone 2022 Reading Challenge Announcement 💗 feat. 2021 Wrapup

22 Most Anticipated Releases of 2022 (January to June) 💕 ~ 2022 Reading Challenges I’m joining 📚 #TackleMyTBR, 12 Books, #DevourYourTBR & #Pondathon ~ My 2022 Out of Your Comfort Zone Challenge TBR 💗

Review: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune 💙 In BUZZWORDS ~ 8 Authors I Discovered in 2021 ❤ Finding new favorites

For this section of my wrapup I’m linking up with the Favorite Blog Posts of the Month Meme that has been created by Kristin @ kristinkravesbooks to showcase our favorite blogs of the month! 💗

• Books That Got me Into Reading (Aarushi @ aarushireads)
• My 2022 TBR Challenge | Read it or lose it (Abi @ scribblesandstories)
• Book Lists: 2021 Releases I’m Making a Priority in 2022 (Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense)
• Let’s Get Romantic: Reviewing the Goodreads Top 10 Romance Novels of 2021 (Ashley @ The Infinite Library)
• Tag Time: 2021 Year in Review! & 2021 Releases I Still Need to Read! & The House in the Cerulean Sea — T.J. Klune & Cemetery Boys — Aiden Thomas (Destiny @ howlinglibraries)
• ✨ Graphicsathon round 5 announcement! ✨ | my tbr + recommendations 💕 & ALL OF MY 2022 ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASES | JAN – DEC 📚💕 (Ellyn @ allonsythornraxxbooks)
• 13 New Books Hitting the Shelves in February 2022 | Anticipated Reads (Kal @ readervoracious)
• Books I’d Recommend to Celebs Based on THEIR Taste! & Book to Screen Adaptations 2022 (Kat @ lifeandotherdiasasters)
• comparing brazilian & american book covers #2 & out of comfort zone challenge wrap up & 2022 sign up! (Lais @ thebookishskies)
• 2022 Reading Wishes (Maria @ thecharacterstudy)
• 10 Feel-Good YA Books You Need To Read For All The Warm, Happy Feels & How To Increase Your Book Blog’s Traffic : 7 Easy Ways To Grow & Review: Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Solomon & 14 Awesome YA Books To Read Based On TV Shows You Like & 10 Promising Books I Want To Read in 2022 (Marie & Nyx @ drizzleandhurricanebooks)
• Goodbye 2021: My Favorite Books of 2021! (May @ foreverandeverly)
• Top 5 books that changed my life (Meeghan @ meeghanreads)
• Bookish memories (Morgan @ morganisreadingagain)
• Fantasy and Sci-fi book series I want to read in 2022 (Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura)
• 2022 Reading Resolutions & a TBR of 5* Predictions ✨ (Pauliina @ thebookaholicdreamer)
• A 2021 Wrap-Up: Reading, Blogging, Stats & Reflections (Ritz @ Living, Loving & Reading)
• 2021 READING AND BLOGGING RECAP // last year in review ft. 2022 tbr, reading challenges, pie charts & new years goals (Ruby @ rubyraereads)
• If You Liked This Book, Try This Book! & Five Popular Books I Have No Desire To Read & Recommending Some of My Favorite Underrated Books & 22 Books I Want To Read in 2022 & My Sign-Up and TBR: Out of Your Comfort Zone 2022 & Revisiting My 2021 TBR – How Many of the Books Did I Manage to Read?(Sabrina & Veronika @ wordyandwhimsical)
• 2021: my year in books (Saima @ storieswithsaima)
• The Best Books I Read in 2021! (Saniya @ sunnysidereviews)
• 2021 WRAP-UP | books & blogging & 2021 WRAP-UP | non-bookish media & To My Favourite TV of 2021 (Sophie @ meandink)
• Backlist Books I Want to Read in 2022 (Tasya @ theliteraryhuntress)

My winter break ended & the semester started up again! I was lucky that this winter break lasted longer than last year and I got to spend some extra time with my family. I also got ahead on some projects and two assignments are basically finished by now. There was a long weekend seminar in-person for one of my classes and though it was draining, I also had a good time finally connecting to some of my classmates! It was nice to just casually chat with others, as that gets cut a bit short since I live alone. I did worry a lot about the case numbers exploding everywhere though. I didn’t think I mentioned it in the last wrapup, but I got my booster at the end of 2021, which I’m grateful for! Nevertheless, one person in our project group got COVID a week before our weekend seminar and it was pretty stressful. Luckily I didn’t have direct contact with her and she’s doing fine/having a good recovery. Still, it was a bit scary 😔 Ending on a good note though with my highlights of the month:

💫 Highlights 💫

➽ What I Watched in January ❤ I started off 2022 with lots of great shows and movies, I loved all of them and I’m trying to watch at least 1-2 movies per month 🥰 I’m usually so bad at keeping up with TV, but watching with my friend and writing down what else I want to watch in a priority list has really helped!

• Bake Squad (S1) ~ a friendly baking competition between 4 colleagues/friends, made me smile so much!
• Queer Eye (S6) ~ the Fab5 are back for another emotional season! 🥺
• Archive 81 (S1) ~ based on a podcast; I’m glad I knew nothing about it, as it allowed me to enjoy it!
• Little Women (Movie) ~ a bit slow at first, but super emotional & really won me over in the end 🥰
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Movie) 🔁 ~ was in the mood to rewatch this and it was lots of fun, but the unchecked fatphobia wasn’t it 😖

➽ I didn’t have many big moments to mention, so here are some smaller things that brought me joy!

• Reading Wundersmith (part of my new all-time favorite series, such a comfort) 💕
• Participating in the Pondathon: reading diverse books for the sidequest & designing a rose for the Companion Quest 🥰🌹
• Watching some Twitch streams! (I still don’t fully understand Twitch, but I love watching people play video games)
• Meeting up with a friend for a walk + coffee & cake ☕
• We had a bit of snow again this month! ☃️
• The GraphicsAThon Announcement, as I love this Readathon and I’m happy that we get a full month of reading graphics 📚

It’s already February! I sadly have to study for my one big exam in March, but I’m very relieved that it’s just one exam and not 3 like in the previous semesters. I like having just one focus and even though there is a lot of material I hope that studying will go well 🙏🏻 I’ll be on a semi-hiatus for the month, posting a little less and probably taking longer to catch up with comments and other blogs. Nevertheless, I have very exciting reading plans!! I’m doing a buddy read with Destiny and will be joining the GraphicsAThon! The latter is running for the entire month this round and that has got me hyped!! It gives me more time to read all the graphic novels I want and it’ll be nice to switch up my reading, especially when I get busier 💕 I also plan on reading some adult romance books, as two have been waiting on my Kindle for quite some time. Very hyped to read more of the Pondathon as well, this Readathon has such wholesome vibes and got me so motivated to read! 🥺

#DevourYourTBR 📚

This month’s challenge is to read the books that celebrate love (all kinds)!

© DevourYourTBR

 

• The Ex Talk (Rachel Lynn Solomon) 📚
• Act Your Age, Eve Brown (Talia Hibbert) 📚
• The Intimacy Experiment (Rosie Danan) 🎧

• We are Inevitable (Gayle Forman) 💕 12 in 12: Recommended by Lais
• A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Becky Chambers) 😊 Buddy Read with Destiny
• Greenglass House (Kate Milford) 📚
• & a lot more books, as many can fit this prompt 🥰

GraphicsAThon TBR 💕

What were you up to in January? What was your favorite book? Any graphic novels you love? ☃️

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