Bout of Books 14 | Goal & TBR

Bout of Books is tomorrow and I'm just realizing how much it's sneaking up on me (it's tomorrow, tomorrow. What's happening? I have no idea anymore). Anyway - I've been in a serious reading... slump? I guess it's a slump. I've still been reading, technically, but not as much as I'd like to be. So I've been trying to participate in whatever read-a-thon I can to try and get my head back in the reading (and blogging) zone.

So my goals for this week are pretty simple.

• Read as much as I can - don't push myself too hard, not this time around, but also I respond well to goals/pushing. (average of 200 pages a day minimum)
• Finish some book books, not just trades/graphic novels
• Visit blogs! Comment! (I've been so out of just everything that I haven't gone and visited peoples blogs since before I moved, let alone commented and interacted and I miss it so much, I want to see what everyones up to, what they're reading) (not giving myself a goal, just going to push myself)
• Go to both twitter chats! I love the twitter chats, they're fantastic, and normally make me want to read, so hopefully it'll all go well.

I think the biggest thing that'll be making me read the next week instead of anything else is that I somehow hurt my wrist yesterday or the day before, and it randomly just starts to hurt too hard to type/write/really anything. But I can read. 

For my TBR, obvious this is very loose and more like just my pile of things to pick from. Only one of them is something I've started (which I was hoping to finish before the read-a-thon but a family friend had a cook out yesterday and I actually got to sleep in because workmen don't work on Sunday (there's construction still happening in my building. yay)).

So the books first:

• Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (currently-reading)
• Glass Heart by Amy Garvey (sequel obviously, would be cool to also get done and have finished another series this year)
• Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (short story collection, want to read and then move onto Trigger Warnings. I've been missing Gaiman).
• Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (new release and looks super interesting, and the cover is gorgeous, and is also pretty short & YA)
• Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (put this on my BookTubeAThon TBR and didn't get to it, but maybe I can this week? It's long but it's King)
• Werecat: The Trilogy by Andrew J Peters (I bought this at a con, and it's a whole trilogy in like 250 pages, perfect for a readathon)
• The Saint by Tiffany Reisz (I've been wanting to continue on with this series since I finished the last one, I love these characters)

And then the graphic novels/trades and such. First off, I'm going to be reading single issues throughout the week but I'm not going to count them as a full thing unless I read like 1-5 and then I'll just count it as their trade counterpart. (Does that make sense to everyone? Won't count as one thing completed, but will count the pages and list 'em)

• March, Book Two by John Lewis (read book one in July and really want to get to this)
• Phonogram: Rue Britannia by Kiernon Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (currently coming out are the single issues to part three, though they're all self contained stories. I still can't start at three, and I love these two).
• Runaways: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn, Adrian Alphona, Takeshi Miyazawa (I've always wanted to read this and I'm glad they released it in the longer trades. it looks so good, though)
• Black Widow: Vol 1 & Vol 2 by Nathan Edmonson, Phil Noto (I've been dying to read these, dying, and it's complete now, vol 3 all out in single issues but not collected yet).

And for single issues? No idea, I have so many to read - probably some Secret Wars stuff and then just whatever came out the last two weeks since I should get my pull list in on Friday. 

Those are all things that I want to read soon, I hope to get through a good chunk of both lists but we'll see how it goes, I guess. 

Normally I do a separate post for everyday, it feels less cluttered to me but then I feel very guilty if I haven't read anything, so this read-a-thon we're going to go as low stress as possible and just do all the updates in one post (and then have a post next Monday, after the read-a-thon, that'll have everything I read and page count and just my general thoughts about the week).

If you're participating in Bout of Books this coming week let me know so I can check out your blog, and best of luck. 

June + July 2015 | Monthly Wrap Up

Moving and just everything has been highly stressful, so I was on hiatus for a little while, but I don't feel right if I don't wrap up the months in some way. So June was a pretty good month, mostly of volumes of comics and single issues, but still pretty good.

• Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2) by Alice Clayton (3/5)
• Kaptara #2 & #3 by Chip Zdarsky, Kagan McLeod (4/5)
• All-New Hawkeye #3 by Jeff Lemire, Ramón Pérez (4/5)
• Wayward #8 & #9 by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings (5/5)
• Thor, Volume One: Goddess of Thunder & (single issues) #6, #7, #8 by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman (5/5)
• Spider-Gwen #5 by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez (3/5)
• The Wicked and the Divine #11 by Kiernon Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (5/5)
• Nameless #4 by Grant Morrison,  (3/5)
• Descender #4 by Jeff Lemire, 
• Batgirl, Volume 1: The Batgirl of Burnside by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher (5/5)
• Velvet, Volume 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (5/5)
• Redeployment by Phil Klay (5/5)
• The Lost Hero: Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan (3/5)
• Ms. Marvel, Volume 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa (5/5)
• Wayward #9 by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings (5/5)
• RunLoveKill #3 by Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Canete
• The Melancholy of Mechagirl by Catherynne M. Valente (5/5) (so weird, and interesting)
• The Trap Door (Infinity Ring #3) by Lisa McMann (3/5)

So I only read three novels/book books, five trades/graphic novels, and fourteen single issues. I'm really hoping to get more book books read, but I'm just so stuck in this slump, maybe now that I'm moved I can get more into it.

And then we had July, the actual month I moved in. I took the first day to see how much I could read and planned to do the same the second day when I got the call my apartment was ready and the equivalent of - oh shit, only like 75% of my books I liked, good god. And I still don't quite have all my books here, I'm not sure if they'll all go here or if I'll put some in storage, I guess we can figure it out at some point (my mom is also moving so those books are in bookcase with her stuff, it's complicated).

So what I read in July!

• Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen (5/5) (seriously enjoyed and I 100% know why but it's slightly embarrassing - so good, though).
• March, Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (5/5) (important. well written, important, and right to the heart)
• If It Ain't Love by Tamara Allen (3/5)
• Hawkeye #22 by Matt Fraction, David Aja (5/5) (it's over, I'm not okay about it, but it was fantastic)
• Black Canary #1 & #2 by Brenden Fletcher, Annie Wu (5/5)
• All-New Hawkeye #4 by Jeff Lemire, Ramón Pérez (4/5)
• Injection #1, #2 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey (3/5, 4/5)
• The Wicked and the Divine #12 by Kiernon Gillen, Kate Brown (4/5)
• Descender #5 by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen (4/5)
• RunLoveKill #4 by Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Canete (4/5)
• Wolf #1 by Ales Cot (5/5) (so stoked for more, want more)
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (5/5)

I did a video July wrap up / August TBR but I still wanted to type it all out so it's all in one place and nicely put together and such. (Video here)

So there was a lot of awesome shit that I read this month but even through all of it - The Song of Achilles. It's incredible and heart-wrenching and so beautifully written it hurts. I'd recommend it to just everyone - it hurts and it's beautiful, so damn beautiful. 

Also I'm kind of planning on doing a few comics posts - recommendations and then what's on my pull list (which would be a long one, I could split up recommendations into separate things). Let me know if anyone would be interested in that and let me know what you've been reading in the comments - books, comics, fan fiction. I'm up to hear about anything. What have you been up to since I've been so out of touch with everything?

BoutofBooks 14 | Sign Up

I am really back, I promise, it's just still hectic as hell around here. I will definitely be here for daily updates/such for BoutofBooks 14! I couldn't miss a Bout of Books no matter what, my favorite read-a-thon. This time around it starts on the 17th and goes through the 23r, and this is mostly just my sign up post, hopefully I'll be putting up a possible TBR post this weekend.

So I'll be doing daily updates of what I read, which will hopefully be more then I have been reading, and let me know if you're participating as well!

Official BoutofBooks blurb:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Sign Up Post 

BookTubeAThon 2015 | TBR

BookTubeAThon is upon us and I put up a video TBR that's a little vague and subject to some change, but I like trying to set TBRs for read-a-thons with challenges, one part of the fun. It's been a while since I've read-a-thon'd and I'm excited to try and read something, anything, really. I haven't been reading that much with moving, but I'm definitely in the mood to right now.

Anyone over here in the blogging community taking part? I took part last year without vlogging but now I am, and I'm excited about it.

As this goes up, the BookTubeAThon is officially starting, so I hope it goes well. And, even if you're not participating, I hope you have a good week in general and a good reading week.

I'm Back | And Not Just Here

Hello! I've missed this and everyone so much, I'm so glad to be back. I'm not 100% moved in, I have too many books to be there yet, but it's become less stressful. Of course, my mom is also moving so that'll be stressful but I feel more settled with my own space and things on shelves instead of in boxes

You might be wondering what that not just here means in the title. What it means is that I've started YouTubing again! And will hopefully also be booktubing along with that (I mean obviously, books are a big part of my life and what I want to talk about all the time). That definitely doesn't mean I'm giving up on you guys. I love it here, and the blogging community is fantastic, but I was a part of the YouTube community before there even was a book part of it (at least one I found that was just focused on books). I'm glad to finally be getting back to it, if you want to check out my first video you can here.

What does that mean, though? For here and for there? Well, I don't really know yet. I'm definitely going to still be doing posts, especially if I can't find the time to film, the light, or just plain don't feel comfortable with it (which I don't some days. Or can't talk right, which is what editing is for but sometimes it's a bit much).

I'm not sure on a schedule quite yet, but I'm excited about what this all means. The BookTube side of YouTube does have a read-a-thon coming up that I want to participate in (coming up as in it's tomorrow when this goes up). I've filmed a TBR video that'll hopefully also be up today and I'm planning on posting something tomorrow about it. Also, I hope to have my June/July wrap up going up soon, I was considering filming a wrap up for the July part, but it's all up in the air in the moment, I've got to figure it out.

Either way - I am back! In more ways then one. And I'm excited to try and get caught up on what everyones doing and seeing what's going on with everyone. Let me know what you've been up to in the comments if you're so inclined, I want to know. Also what you've been reading.

Hiatus (again) | June 2015

I feel like I was just writing a post like this with a very similar title. It was just February. Life is continuing to just need attention, though, and it's not all bad, most of it at this moment isn't, but I'm trying to pack up all the books I own and move and not be too sad.

And I also just plain haven't really been reading - as seen from my May wrap up and lack of reviews around here - and I'm not sure when my move in date is but it's this month. And I need a good nights sleep, and still have ALL THE BOOKS to pack (I'm way over halfway done now but it still feels like all the books. Also - comics are fucking heavy).

So I think I'll be taking this month off, sadly. Hopefully if my move in date is sooner rather then later I'll be able to sort everything out, see: internet, and be back to you lovely people soon. I'm hopelessly behind on reading blogs, on all the youtubers I watch, on just everything. I'm a tad hopeful I'll be able to at least try and keep up a little, or at least read something.

Here we are again - Hiatus part two, I'll see you soon (end of the month / beginning of January). And I'll still be present on social media because that's easy.


(This is probably going to be a full hiatus, not even weekly updates. And I doubt I'll be reading too much in the coming weeks with moving so it shouldn't be that hard to just put everything into one week).

May 2015 | Monthly Wrap Up

I can't believe May is over already, it was a crazy month, and I spent a lot of it trying to clean the house, packing the move out, and so not a lot of time reading. There was also a convention, that I want to make a post about but currently all I can form about Misti Con is - oh my god it was amazing, holy shit, I miss everyoneeeeee. And I don't you guys want to hear me wax poetry about how amazing everything was and how much I miss new/old friends.

Anyway - there was a read-a-thon this month, well more then one, but I really only participated in one. I have no idea when I'm moving, but I'm assuming it's early June so I'm trying to pack and you guys might understand how impossible it is to pack boxes. Especially when one has hundreds and hundreds of them - possibly 2,000 but we're not talking about that because I'll start to stress out more then I already am.

So I read a lot of comics this month - I got Marvel Unlimited this month and started just reading all the things on that, and comics are just easier when I'm stressing out. I read sixteen things and only two of those, I believe, were novels and they were both barely long enough to be considered that, hopefully next month is better, though it depends on when I can move in/start reorganizing everything.

• Wayward #7 by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings (5/5)
• Kaptara #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Kagan McLeod (4/5)
• Captain America: Winter Soldier, Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (4/5)
• Captain America: Winter Soldier, Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (5/5)
• Captain America, Red Menace, Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (4/5)
• Young Avengers, Volume 1: Sidekicks by Allan Heinberg, Jom Cheung
• Captain America, Red Menace, Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (5/5)
• A Mutiny in Time (Infinity Ring #1) by James Dashner (3/5)
• Divide and Conquer (Infinity Ring #2) by Carrie Ryan (2/5)
• RunLoveKill #1 & 2 by Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Conete (5/5)
• Captain Marvel, Volume 2: Stay Fly by Kelly Sue DeConnick, + multiple artists (5/5)
• Captain Marvel, Volume 1: In Pursuit of Flight by Kelly Sue DeConnick, + (5/5)
• Spider-Gwen #4 by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez (3/5)
• Descender #3 by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen
• The Wicked + The Divine #10 by Kieron Gillen, Jamie, McKelvie
• East of West #19 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta

There's suppose to be a weekly wrap up also going up today, and I didn't put one up last week because I was in New Hampshire. And this week I've just been packing/cleaning like a crazy person. I think I might be going on another hiatus until I'm moved and everything is set up because STRESS and no time to do anything fucking else. I'm also stuck in this strange cycle of not getting enough sleep, which was fine during a con but is not so fine right now.

I hope you guys had a good month - May is a lot of things, hectic for everything - so I hope everything went well and you read some good things amid all of that.

On the Blog:
April Monthly Wrap Up
May 4th | Weekly Wrap Up #18
May 11th | Weekly Wrap Up #19
May 18th | Weekly Wrap Up #20
(Bout of Books related)

Kick-off Post
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Seven / Wrap Up