[WEEKEND READS] where February ends strong for me, reading-wise

Hi,

I finished both Map of Fates and Tender is the Flesh early this past week. So that's really good for me, reading-wise. That makes it five books so far and I'm looking to finish one more tonight.

I'm trying to remember what's up with my week and I can't seem to remember anything significant other than waking up on Monday to an impromptu meeting with my boss and the rest of the marketing team only for it to be cancelled (which kind of feels like a relief for me). The awkward introvert in me still gets scared of meetings/online meetings even though we've done in several times. And it's not like I'm slacking on work to be scared of it as well. 

It's finally March and I'm excited for the days to be moving and somehow I'm hyped for baseball season. The fangirl in me gets too excited with all the little moves, workouts, and the prospect of Spring Training kicking off. Hockey is good but it's really nothing like baseball for me.

My 2020 Reading Breakdown and Stats

just me exaggerating the weight of my books. lmao.

Hi,

Early this year, I posted My Year in Books in 2020. That got me really excited to look through my reading stats this last year especially with how I tracked everything I'm reading with a spreadsheet.

2020 was my first year of doing reading spreadsheets. I made one for: the books I read, books I acquire, and reading challenges.

SO as I mentioned in my Year in Books post, I read 19,978 pages across 59 books. I was very happy with this because I was able to exceed my goal of 51 books. SO here I am looking at my spreadsheets just for the fun of things! I'm not doing all those pie charts and whatnot. I'm just gonna throw some numbers. lol.

BOOKS FROM THE BACKLOG #23

Hi,

Books from the Backlog is a weekly feature hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

[REVIEW] Tender Is the Flesh

title: Tender Is the Flesh

author: Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses (Translator)

genre: adult, horror
published: February 6th 2020 by Pushkin Press
my copy: kindle, 166 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
goodreads

Everyone's eating human meat. Would you? A vivid, shocking dystopian novel from an Argentinian rising star 

'This book will pull you in, take hold, and not let go until you reach the final page – perhaps far longer than that. Without a doubt, my favourite read of this year' Christina Dalcher, author of VOX 

It all happened so quickly. First, animals became infected with the virus and their meat became poisonous. Then governments initiated the Transition. Now, 'special meat' – human meat – is legal. 

Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans – only no one calls them that. He works with numbers, consignments, processing. One day, he's given a gift to seal a deal: a specimen of the finest quality. He leaves her in his barn, tied up, a problem to be disposed of later. 

But the specimen haunts Marcos. Her trembling body, her eyes that watch him, that seem to understand. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost – and what might still be saved…

it's not for everyone but if you're intrigued and you think you can take it, I'd say go for it.

When this book came to my radar, it's easily a must read for me! 

[WEEKEND READS] where I finally put Dune aside and pick up a different physical book

i haven't updated myshelf. haha. i should probably clean and rearrange next month!!

Hi,

Still busy days but we're getting by. I still have a few more things I need to do for work but thank the stars for breather weekends.

I haven't been reading much this week which kind of disappoints me since I didn't finish a single book throughout the week. I finally put Dune down but maybe read a chapter every now and then. It just isn't working out but somehow I still really want to finish it but I won't push myself to it for now. I just don't need things to put me in a pretty bored mood right now. haha. I did pick up Map of Fates 👇👇👇 and still trying to get through Tender is the Flesh but I'll probably be done with it tonight.

BOOKS FROM THE BACKLOG #22

Hi,

Books from the Backlog is a weekly feature hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

10 Books I want to Read in 2021!

Hi,

This is SUCH a late post but we're still rolling with it!

I picked these books before 2020 ends. These are the books I want to get through this year and some of these I've been too scared to read, others I really, REALLY just want to get through! I won't be adding these to my monthly TBRs just because they're already here 😅

[REVIEW] The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

title: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

author: Kelly Harms

genre: adult, chick lit
published: May 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing
my copy: kindle, 328 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4 / 5 stars
goodreads

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.

But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart.

it's about finding oneself and realizing that you don't have to take the world alone.

This is one of those books I picked up on Kindle Deals because I was thinking, "why not?" It sounds okay and it really seems like something I can speed though. It's not a story I can relate to given the single mother aspect but why not?

[WEEKEND READS] where I'm reading 3 books in 3 different formats!!

Hi,

I can't believe I still haven't recovered from being busy. lmao.

This long weekend came and went. I pretty much relaxed last Friday and stayed away from my laptop because I was sick of work. Then we visited my sister yesterday. We worked on our starting small business then ate some good food and watched a little Big Bang Theory while working (because why not). Then today (Sunday), we had a mini Valentine's eat-together with relatives just us here who live close by. I hang out with my cousins then I had the motivation to draw. I started my sketch last night and finally finished it today. I will gradually post it over on my art accounts (as well as my twitter): facebook / instagram (hecc my instagram is so out of it. i need to update it!!). 

BOOKS FROM THE BACKLOG #21

Hi,

Books from the Backlog is a weekly feature hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

My Personal Monthly TBR Challenge!

oh hecc, i'm running out of stock photos. i don't even know if i've used this before. time to take new ones!!

Hi,

Mid-2020, I decided to share a month-long TBR of books I borrowed from my best friend. I just wanted to get done with some books so I can return them. The result of that: I read 5 of 9 books from that stack. So I say that went well for me.

AND that's what I thought about talking about this time around. I've been making monthly TBRs or quarterly TBRs since I started this blog. So what's the difference of this and that?

[REVIEW] The Weight of Zero

title: The Weight of Zero

author: Karen Fortunati

genre: young adult, contemporary
published: October 11th 2016 by Delacorte Press
my copy: hardcover, 400 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4 / 5 stars
goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Pulaski knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disorder, almost triumphed once; that was her first suicide attempt. 

Being bipolar is forever. It never goes away. The med du jour might work right now, but Zero will be back for her. It’s only a matter of time. 

And so, in an old ballet-shoe box, Catherine stockpiles medications, preparing to take her own life before Zero can inflict its living death on her again. Before she goes, though, she starts a short bucket list. 

The bucket list, the support of her family, new friends, and a new course of treatment all begin to lessen Catherine’s sense of isolation. The problem is, her plan is already in place, and has been for so long that she might not be able to see a future beyond it. 

This is a story of loss and grief and hope, and how some of the many shapes of love—maternal, romantic, and platonic—affect a young woman’s struggle with mental illness and the stigma of treatment.

Catherine is a main character you'll love and wish good things for.

This has been on my tbr since I saw it waaaay back in 2016. Without reading the synopsis and reviews about it, I honestly thought it has something to do with eating disorder or being too light on weight (which I think I would relate to) but oh hecc I was wrong. I checked the synopsis eventually and yeah, I'm still interested especially since I don't think I've read anything that involves bipolar disorder.

[WEEKEND READS] where I get a bit busy with work but still get to read

Hi,

I was a bit preoccupied this week with work with Valentine's coming up.

As a graphic artist for a hotel and restaurant group of companies, I made way too much layouts for Valentine's, I don't even want to see anything with hearts or reds or whatnot. hahaha. It seems like my best friend is planning something for Valentine's though or maybe not. But I don't want to get my hopes up for anything. lmao. But we went out for Valentine's (more like pre-Valentine's last year because we both hated the Valentine's crowd) for the past 2 years so we'll see.

I'm happy I finished Wink Poppy Midnight a couple of days ago and I just sat there 12MN-ish and thought about this book. I wouldn't say I love it but I also can't say I didn't like it because while I did not like the characters, I've been very intrigued with them and I just idk. I wanna write a review but I need to gather my thoughts. So I don't know if I can do that. lmao.

This weekend, after finishing Wink Poppy Midnight, I finally really focused on my February TBR which is all about my ebooks!! So right now I'm probably simultaneously reading three books? But really now, am I supposed to be counting Strange Planet #2? I won't. lmao.

10 Recent Ebook Hauls I Need to Read

Hi,

February is #ebookathon month for me!

I decided to do a month dedicated to reading ebooks because I've been neglecting them. I barely read them last year. SO this month I plan to go through them. I just miss those days when I read ebooks way faster than physical books. but ohwell. Here's my attempt to go back there (but really, who am I kidding? of course I'll still lowkey read physical books. lmao).

I decided to pick 10 books from my Netgalley shelf and my regular Kindle shelf (just to get a bit of balance although we both know that I'm just reading two or three of these. lmao). The first five books are my recent Netgalley hauls and the last five are my recent Kindle hauls (well I got a new one yesterday but since I've already scheduled this, there's no way I'm changing this tbr).

BOOKS FROM THE BACKLOG #20

Hi,

Books from the Backlog is a weekly feature hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

JANUARY WRAP UP (aka the month of hoping for better things)

Hi,

January was an okay start for the year for me.

Reading-wise, I think I've been okay. At least I'm on track for my reading goal of 52 books but in all honesty, I want to get through more than that. I have Dune on my night table for a couple of weeks now and I'm really hoping to get it done soon (but to be honest, I'm somehow not getting into it right now). Aside from that, I'm currently reading Wink Poppy Midnight and The Overdue Life of Amy Byler (which I mentioned on my last weekly wrapup)

I'm quite hopeful for February, sports-wise. It's gonna be a full month of Hockey (here's hoping Rangers actually do something. lmao). And MLB Spring Training starts at the end of the month (although I'm generally just hoping for the season to start! Excited for my Yankees this year!).

books read

Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown | The Other Widow by Susan Crawford | Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) by Lyssa Kay Adams | The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

[REVIEW] The Other Widow

title: The Other Widow

author: Susan Crawford
genre: adult fiction, mystery
published: April 26th 2016 by William Morrow
my copy: ARC, 352 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 3 / 5 stars
goodreads

The author of The Pocket Wife explores the dark side of love, marriage, and infidelity in this sizzling novel of psychological suspense.

Everybody’s luck runs out. This time it could be theirs . . .

It isn’t safe. That’s what Joe tells her when he ends their affair—moments before their car skids off an icy road in a blinding snowstorm and hits a tree. Desperate to keep her life intact—her job, her husband, and her precious daughter, Lily—Dorrie will do everything she can to protect herself, even if it means walking away from the wreckage. Dorrie has always been a good actress, pretending to be someone else: the dutiful daughter, the satisfied wife, the woman who can handle anything. Now she’s going to put on the most challenging performance of her life. But details about the accident leave her feeling uneasy and afraid. Why didn’t Joe’s airbag work? Why was his car door open before the EMTs arrived? And now suddenly someone is calling her from her dead lover’s burner phone. . . .

Joe’s death has left his wife in free fall as well. Karen knew Joe was cheating—she found some suspicious e-mails. Trying to cope with grief is devastating enough without the constant fear that has overtaken her—this feeling she can’t shake that someone is watching her. And with Joe gone and the kids grown, she’s vulnerable . . . and on her own.

Insurance investigator Maggie Devlin is suspicious of the latest claim that’s landed on her desk—a man dying on an icy road shortly after buying a lucrative life insurance policy. Maggie doesn’t believe in coincidences. The former cop knows that things—and people—are never what they seem to be.

As the fates of these three women become more tightly entwined, layers of lies and deception begin to peel away, pushing them dangerously to the edge . . . closer to each other . . . to a terrifying truth . . . to a shocking end.

could have been better.

This is one of those books I randomly picked up from the discarded piles of ARC on the bookstore I used to work in. I grabbed it because it looks like a psychological-thriller and somehow it is. But also, it isn't. OR it just isn't good. for me.