Welcome to…. Monthly Minutes at Midnight!! I finally gave it a name. Yay for it?
Here’s the deal: I’ll share the books I’ve obtained, posts of interest from others, giveaways I have happening, and just general random shenanigans. You know I love a shenanigan.
The Books
For Review:
Of Better Blood by Susan Moger
Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs
Thanks to Abrams Kids, Media Masters Publicity, and author Elise Kova!!
e-ARCs (Pictures link to Goodreads)
Via author Elise Kova, Edelweiss, Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles Blog Tours, and Netgalley. Thanks to Elise, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Brittany, Harlequin Teen, Random House, St. Martin’s, and Bloomsbury.
Purchased:
It’s like a fandom explosion. No, you have too many obsessions. ?
Won:
Lotus and Thorn by Sara Wilson Etienne
Incognita by Kristen Lippert-Martin
Thanks to YABC and Adventures in YA Publishing
Traded:
Thanks so much!! ♥♥♥
Shenanigans Since Last Time:
Thirteen books this month. It isn’t bad, per se, but I was on track for like, 16 at least at the start of the month. Idk what happened. I was kind of in a slumpette, so maybe that. (Also, just added slumpette to my personal dictionary, because, tbh, it should have been there all along.)
Also not linking, because time. Google and Goodreads, Google and Goodreads.
The Memory Book and Crystal Crowned.
Giveaways: Click Here, or on Sidebar
Blogosphere Bulletin
- Amanda @ Nellie & Co. shares an incredibly brave, honest, and raw post about why it is not okay to use rape and assault as a plot device
- Kelly @ Diva Booknerd has some wonderful guests help her discuss diversity in YA!
- Jess @ Princessica of Books ponders a world without ARCs
- Christy & Erica @ Novel Ink are celebrating their 4th Birthday!
- Val @ The Innocent Smiley wants to know if rage-inducing characters make or break a book for you.
- Pamela @ A Writer’s Tales wonders if there are too many advice posts out there
- Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction has a hilarious post about spam comments!
- Jenna @ Happy Indulgence wants to know where all the fierce STEM ladies in books are! (Me too, girl!)
- Nereyda & Nick @ Nick & Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist share some characters that they think need a good throat punch.
- Laura @ Boats Against the Current wants to know how you came up with your blog name!
- Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic is going to to help you survive a book buying ban!
- Zoey @ Uncreatively Zoey asks if maybe we are a little too quick to jump on a blogger’s faux pas
- Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books shares four signs you know you’re a book blogger!
- Lola @ Lola’s Reviews talks about how she comes up with discussion posts.
- Eva @ All Books Considered asks how you view author-blogger interactions
- Inge @ Of Wonderland explains why authors need bloggers (and probably shouldn’t bash them on the internet.)
- Becky @ A Fool’s Ingenuity asks if sometimes romance can actually ruin a book
- Liza @ Quite the Novel Idea wants to know how you feel when a book series suddenly expands.
- Tasya @ The Literary Huntress asks if book adaptations alter our reading experience (I think yes, personally)
- Cait @ Paper Fury tells you what the heck the book blogger person actually does.
- Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction wants to know if celibacy-shaming is a new “thing” (sadly, I think she is right)
- Tonyalee @ Lilybloombooks discusses her own insecurities as a blogger
- Lexie & Natalie @ The Honest Book Club post their favorite non-canon ships… And I LOVE THEM!
- Kristen @ Moonlight & Metaphors talks about why the label of “strong female character” is a huge double standard.
- Christy @ Novel Ink is looking for a brand rep for her awesome Etsy line!
- Sue @ Crushing Cinders doesn’t love starting new books ::whispers:: me either.
- Cynthia @ Bingeing on Books asks if it is easier to hate than to love a book when reviewing (spoiler: yep!)
- Shay @ The Story Goes… tells you why you should join her Camp NaNo cabin… and what she is working on!
- Aly @ Of Wonderland wants to know if fantasy books can be done justice as standalones.
- Liselle @ Lunch Time Librarian contemplates writing diversely using #ownvoices.
- Rashika @ The Social Potato shares seven ways to be sure you’re in a blogging slump
- Bee @ Quite the Novel Idea talks about Pride Month, and awesomely shares her own coming out experience!
Random Musings:
So, I did a lot of posts this year for Rachel’s Meet the Newbies event, which was SO much fun! Now, if you have read the posts, I promised that since I asked all the authors the questions, I’d answer the ones (well, the ones I could!) after the event, which is right now! So if you missed any #MeetTheNewbies posts, find the master list on Rachel’s blog, and the list of lovely authors I hosted here!
My Q&A With… ME!
As a Teen
What was your high school experience like?
I loved every. Last. Minute. Look, I know that’s probably weird. I was really freaking terrified at the start because I was going to a Catholic high school where I didn’t know anyone and also I wasn’t Catholic. But no worries, I ended up loving it. And then being the saddest little human on earth when it ended. Spoiler: I hate when stuff ends. Here, have a picture!
If you had the chance to go back and do it again, what would you change?
I would not be as completely awkward and uncomfortable in my own skin. Figured out sooner that everyone else felt that way too? Actually, if we’re wishing for stuff, maybe I could have had like, a boyfriend and won states or something. Let’s dream big!As an Author
Alas, not being one of these prohibits me from answering the questions. I can tell you how to procrastinate/have a marginally respectable half of a draft? No, you’re good? Fine, be that way.
As an Everyday Woman
What are a few things you simply cannot get through the day without?
Iced coffee. The internet. You people (no, really). Hummus. Thinking about The 100. Getting Hamilton songs stuck in my head- actually, mash-ups of several songs. “My name is Alexander…. helplesssssss“. I could probably do without the last one.
Describe the absolute perfect day for you- sky’s the limit!Kidding, kidding. Ish.
Well, this day would immediately proceed AND precede days of sleep. I hope that’s allowed, but since I made up this post… it is. Then what would I do? Go somewhere cool. I mean, okay, first I would go pick up my friends, and neglect the whole “24 hours in a day” conundrum. Actually- we could get on a plane, meet in the Caribbean, and go on a cruise. You didn’t say that I had to be home at the end of the day, right? Anyway, there’d be swimming and drinks involved.
Add in some friends, and it sounds perfect. I’ll check in with the small humans too, of course. 🙂As a Reader
What book has made the most impact on your life (in any way, really) and how?
Shit, I should have remembered that I was going to ask myself these… Remember that time I was obsessed with The Hunger Games? I know I joke, but honestly, that series did change my life. We wouldn’t be speaking if Suzanne Collins hadn’t played matchmaker. No joke.Is there a book that you could read over and over again and never get tired of?
Yes. We know this. But guess what, now there is a show I can watch over and over again and not get tired of. Bonus points because it’s based on a book! (And yes, I am telling you that my obsession with The 100 is entering THG levels of seriousness. Be scared, friends. Be scared.)Thanks to Rachel for letting me take part in this awesome event, and special thanks to the awesome eight women who took time out to come play with me!
Fancy & New Since Last I Saw You!
I love looking at pretty covers! So here are some new ones that I have fallen in love with since our last update!
::Grabby hands::
Things we need to talk about at this juncture:
- The results from my The Indecision Games post are final! You can find the books I will be reading here!
- I’ve been rewatching The 100 seasons. I finished Season 2 too soon; Season 3 won’t be out until mid-July. I started watching True Blood Season 6, but it isn’t the same. If you missed it, Holly and I recapped the season!
- Shattering Stigmas Part TWO is in planning mode! I emailed everyone who filled out the form… so if you didn’t get an email and did fill out the form, let me know- and if you didn’t but still want to participate, please do let me know! It’s only a month or so away!
*GASP* Look at those shiny new covers. Also devastated that A CROWN OF WISHES is so pretty, because I really didn’t like THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN, so I won’t be continuing the series.
I also hope you enjoy WITH MALICE. I finished that one last week and it was a nice surprise 😀
I ummm will probably buy the book just to own on my shelf? Is that bad? I mean, maybe I will read it at some point? I didn’t dislike TSTQ, but I also don’t know if I *need* to read the next one. You could always wait a few years and grab the prettiness on sale somewhere ?
And thanks, I am super excited about With Malice, I keep hearing such great things!
oMG LONG MAY SHE REIGNS COVER = I AM IN LOVE AND WANT IT MORE THAN EVER IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE.?? And also I’m entirely convinced slumpette should be a word. It’s fabulous. Also yay for 13 books! THAT’S STILL AWESOME. I read a ton of manga in June so I feel like I massively cheated hahahah.? But I mean, pfft, there were still words and I still wrote ranty reviews so I’m okay. *nod sagely*
Also I loved the Q&A with you!! YAYYYYY. And I quite liked my highschool experience too! Although, I mean, I was home doing school at 6am in my pyjamas so I could spend the rest of the day doing WHATEVER I WANTED MWAHAHA #priorities Ahem. So school was fun.
Also I’m so glad you liked The Memory Book! I JUST GOT THAT ONE AND I’M KEEN TO READ IT AHHHHH. *flails because books equal flails where I am concerned clearly*
BWHAHAH it’s totally NOT cheating and here is why- sometimes, you have to read some crazy-long 800 page Sarah J Maas number, which is like, at LEAST 3 regular books in length, right? So if you read some manga, you’ve just evened it back out again. So you’re fine!
I really love the idea of homeschool, it just seems so much… better. Like, you can learn actual things instead of just nonsense that you get tested on. I guess private school was a bit like that too, we had more leeway.
I hope you LOVE The Memory Book!! EEP!
I’ve never heard of a ‘slumpette’ but it sounds way better than a regular old slump.. You’ve convinced me that I need to experience this phenomenon for myself! 😀 Don’t mind me, I’m just ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your book haul haha. It’s too bad you couldn’t hit your goal for this month. Also, I may have clicked on a bunch of links and now I’m drowning in all the posts I missed that were published this month!! Your Q&A with yourself is also very funny and cute haha.
Hahhaha thanks! It IS better than a full blown slump- and easier to get out of, I think 😉 And I feel you about drowning in links and posts- I wish I had time to read them ALL, you know? 😀
Lol, I love your Q&A with yourself. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who actually enjoyed high school. I hope you love your new books!
Bwhaha was most people’s that bad?! I always assumed that was just a stereotype ? I hope yours wasn’t terrible! And thank you so much!
Omg I would love to read what you think about Neal Shusterman’s Scythe. I’ve been thinking deeply on it these days. So I hope you end up doing a mini review with it!
And as always I love your list of links, so fantastic for finding cool posts. And thank you for linking one of my posts this month!
Oh I will DEFINITELY review it, no question! I hope I love it, because Neal Shusterman is on a very high pedestal for me 😉 And of course! I am so glad you enjoy them! 😀
I am so in awe with the idea of enjoying high school hahaha. It’s like when my friend gets all nostalgic about it and I’m like BUT LOOK WE ARE ADULT NOW AND WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT WHEN WE WANT AND DON’T HAVE TO HANG OUT WITH JERKS WE DON’T LIKE ANYMORE. Um… I guess my experience was different haha. I do miss art classes though and, like, one or two people I actually liked seeing all the time. I am not in love with the fact that everyone I know is now living randomly living all over the country. Oh, and bills. Bills are another disadvantage of being adult. And the crippling self-doubt and questions like what’s the sense of life if and what the fuck should I do with it. BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT’S PERFECT. 😀 Love those book covers and I do the exact same thing with Hamilton haha. It’s like a constant medley of all the different songs in my head. :’D
There’s basically zero things about adulting that appeal to me. I mean, this so called “freedom” seems like a sham! I just answer to different people about different shit. Are least in high school, I had swimming, and friends, and what at the time I assumed were the endless funds of my parents’ bank account ?
GOOD LORD WHAT A MONTH IT HAS BEEN RIGHT? I really want a copy of Fear The Drowning Deep so all the envy for that one. Seriously. Also, THEM COVERS OMG. Long May She Reign & Spindle Fire are goooorgeous! <3 Also, thanks for sharing my post. <3 <3
Aww of course! I also assume that Fear the Drowning Deep will be on Edelweiss soon, if I see it I’ll let you know ? It was quite good! And I feel you, I need those books like, yesterday!
I love all of those new covers! Why do they have to be so pretty?? My wallet will be very sad…
I have heard about The Graces and it sounds like a really interesting book. I can’t wait to see what you think of it.
Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Ohhh I feel you, my poor wallet will HATE me! The Graces sounds sooo good, I am excited to read it, I’ll definitely be reviewing it too!
Great post and I’m so glad you finally found a name.
Aww thanks ?
Hahaha I had NO IDEA you went to Catholic school! Well maybe I did, but I forgot. And wow I had no idea you loved The Hunger Games. Wow. No idea. ALSO LOOK AT YOUR LITTLE PICTURES I LOVE IT.
Also look at the shiny. So much shiny.
But… you did! I know you did. I mean, Bishop Hoban kind of screams Catholic, no? I wish I had that Chandler gif to share with the group.DOESN’T ANYBODY KNOW ME?!
I’m happy to see The Memory Book was one of your top read in June because I’m reading it now and LOVING it!
-Lauren
Ohhh YAY! I hope you ended up loving it, I will have to check to see if you have reviewed it ?
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! You have the new Denton Little book? I am soooooooooooo jealous! I’m going to be off to request it from wherever I can find it now. Sounds like June was as busy of a month for you as it was for me.
Check out my June Wrap-Up Post
Noooo I just love the cover ? I would, however, sell my soul for it sooo yeah. I will request it too, but I feel like I am not sending requests to the right people at RH because I have never even gotten acknowledgment of an email and that seems… odd. And sad. ?
I really hope you enjoy Future Shock – It’s so much fun!
Happy reading!
Oh yay, glad to hear you enjoyed it! I’m looking forward to it ?
Oh, little high school me. I had a finger in about every club and group of students (except art, no time and not a lot of talent). I remember eating lunch with two very distinctive and different groups one year when we had A and B days. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum! I love that you shared a picture!
That is awesome! I love that you spent your high school years well. I was definitely more of a tunnel vision situation, but similar outcome I guess 😀 And thanks!!
My perfect day would be sitting at the back of a cruise ship looking at the wake, listening to 24 hours of audiobooks (you did say we were all caught up on sleep), and eating my weight in free ice cream / frozen yogurt (without gaining an ounce of course).
Those are some beautiful book covers alright.
I Make a Big (for me) Decision | Sunday Summary #9
THAT. SOUNDS. AMAZING. Please, let us all go do that immediately! GAH that would be so perfect- I can like, smell the salt water and fresh air now!
oops, here’s my Twitter
Awwww Shannon!!! YOU READ A LOT LAST MONTH!! EEEEEPPP!!! #readergoals
ALSO SLUMPETTE is a legit word now! hahaha 🙂
I’m also waiting for The 100 to be on Netflix because I missed watching it on TV. STUPID, I know! I’m starting The Shanara Chronicles tho!
ALSO the Q&A is FUNNY! hahaha I was an awkward teenager, too!
Aww thanks!! And GAH, you HAVE TO watch it- the DVD/Blu-Ray comes out on the 19th- and I think you can watch them on cw.com? I mean, try all the ways, of course! What do you think of Shannara? I tried and gave up, so I hope you have better luck!
I love the new word, slumpette!! I am totally stealing that one! I was in kind of a slumpette too before reading The Memory Book. That book was so crazy good. Oh, and Denton Little’s Not Dead has a cover?!? Does that mean there is a release date?? Excitement!!!
Hahhaha yes you should! And YES- Denton is being released in February of 2017! So, not too far away! Now, if someone could kindly find me an ARC of it, we’d be set 😉
Haha, I love your answers to your own Q & A, that’s awesome. I am scared that you are so obsessed with The 100. I understand The Hunger Games, because it is epic, but I have yet to read or watch any The 100 at all. What if I don’t understand anything on your site anymore!!!
I love those epic pretty covers at the bottom of this post. I NEED all of them.
Aww no worries! I mean, sure I will do my weekly recap. And a post here or there. But I promise, I won’t let it take over the blog- I have a specific Tumblr started for my obsession ? And dude, I need all of those covers too- like NOW!!
Those Hunger Games books were on sale at Book Depository recently and now I regret now getting them. They look gorgeous. Your collection is growing. Happy reading!!
I know they were still on sale the last time I checked- like $5 each! I hope you do get them, they’re prettier in person than on the site, very shiny! And thanks so much!!
Crystal Crowned and The Graces sounds really interesting! And Long May She Reign title really reminds me with the TV show reign! Also thank you for linking my post! 🙂
Aw of course! And I agree- I thought of that show too haha! 😀
I love your Q&A! I loved HS too — not as much as college but I don’t have bad memories! I can’t wait to read The Graces — I’m seeing such good reviews already!
Thanks for the link up as always! Have a wonderful July ♥
Aw thanks! And I did NOT love college, so maybe that will help me be more relatable hahha. College was the worst. I am glad that you enjoyed them both- and maybe I’m a little jealous too 😉
Ooooh, those shiny, sparkly HG editions… niiiice! You may vry well be the only person I know (other than my husband) who enjoyed high school and had a positive experience. LOL My high school years… not so much. In fact, my 30 year reunion is this year and I keep getting Facebook messages and flyers in the mail about it and my husband can’t believe I don’t want to go. As if! I’d rather stay at home and read. 🙂
Aw thanks 😀 And that is so funny! I assume then that he and I went to the same school, by the sound of it ? Though to be fair, I have ZERO interest in a reunion. I don’t like, still talk to them hahha. We’ll have a blogger party instead 😉
I love that you decided to do the author interview that you’ve been featuring yourself! How fun! Get-to-know-you posts are some of my favorites because I love learning new things about the people I already love! 🙂
Aww thank you! I agree, I LOVE getting to know people behind the blog, it makes me feel so much more connected to them!
Those shiny new Hunger Games covers are stunning! Please keep the awesome shenanigans coming & thanks for the link 🙂
Aww thank youuu! And you are very welcome ♥
That sure is a dazzling spread you’re showing this month — both the old and new! Book covers are a thing. I try to be a text supremacist, but beautiful cover art and juxtapositions of various works in this medium can just be so pleasing at the end of a long, stressful day.
Thanks for answering the personal q’s. I’m too busy sleeping through my to-read list to ever have considered becoming a blogger let alone a novelist! If you’re weary, chances are I’m with you, sister. 😉
Sounds like you had a pretty great June! I m very much looking forward to checking out some of the posts you shared with us.