Welcome to September’s Monthly Minutes at Midnight!
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. Also, covers all link to Goodreads, because I am awesome. As always, I link up with the Wrap Up Round Up, too!
The Books
For Review/From Publishers:
Hugest of thanks to the publishers for these lovelies!
eARCs:
Huge thanks to the publishers for these lovelies! (Also look at me not being too bad this month!)
Purchased:
Green Rising by Lauren James ♦ Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer ♦ Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger ♦ Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool ♦ The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova ♦ Steelstriker by Marie Lu ♦ The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ♦ Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain ♦ So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow
Look, a lot of books came out this month, okay? Plus, Orquídea Divina is a gift for my mom’s birthday. But she’ll eventually donate it to my library, so I counted it, heh. Defy the Night was a bit of an impulse buy because even though I have it, the B&N edition was just so… shiny. I’d never heard of Holdout but it was $5 off and calling my name.
Won/Gifted/Traded:
Nothing this month!
Shenanigans Since Last Time:
I read 17 books this month. Not bad at all considering I feel like I didn’t even have enough time to breathe.
Most of these are excellent. A few are meh.
Giveaways: Click Here, or on Sidebar
Blogosphere Bulletin
Here are some of the loveliest/most entertaining/super helpful/just plain interesting posts I found this month!
Guys I am so sorry I failed at blog hopping this month (see below) but I did the best I could!
- Hasini @ Bibliosini shares 50 books with Young Adult Books With Disability, Chronic Illness & Neurodivergence Rep
- Becky @ A Fool’s Inginuity asks why she is so bad at series (hard same)
- Beth @ Bethwyrm discusses extroversion struggles
- Genesis @ Whispering Chapters discusses the art of the DNF
- Cait @ Paper Fury shares far too many end of 2021 books to add to your TBR
- Sam @ We Live and Breathe Books wonders when it is too late to comment on a blog post (answer: The Limit Does Not Exist)
- Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books shares some great blogging organization tips
- Malka @ Paper Procrastinators shares tips and tricks for Netgalley users
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!
Pretty covers are pretty. And there is much pretty this month!
Things we need to talk about at this juncture:
- Guys, I fail at blogging. So look, we all know from past monthly posts that I requested kind of a lot of books, yeah? Well, that was cool when I was not working and sitting home pandemic-ing all the time. But now… I am exhausted, guys. The kids are back at school in person again, which means early wake ups- extra early, because Lena’s new school starts even earlier. Then work, which is draining, because kids can be draining, right? Then, because we’re back in person, we have homework. And karate, and dinner, and baths, and I am seriously barely keeping my head above water. Like, I will survive, but I really have to work on factoring blogging back into the mix, because that is one thing that kind of falls by the wayside quickest. And if I owe you some comments, I promise, I have like 5 of your posts open in tabs, so many that I can’t even see what they are. I am working on it!
- I got a new (to me) car! My old one was a hand-me-down from my parents, in the midst of all the divorce and awfulness shenanigans, so it was getting old. Plus, many times last winter, I couldn’t get up my driveway, and then got plowed into the street, whee! This will be much better, one hopes!
I don’t think you’re the only parent struggling right now. My kids are out of school but I have lots of friends that still have school age kids and going back to school with covid tests, masks and other stuff is no fun. Hang in there!!
Ugh right? It is so messy! And scary! Especially when you see how little people seem to care about the precautions! I just cannot wait until they can get vaccinated, at least that will ease *some* stress haha. And thank you!
I laughed checking out your haul. Counting your mother’s gift in your haul is fabulous, and I struggle with resisting that $5 off from amazon. Hope they are all amazing! I feel you. Blogging was a lot easier to manage when I was working from home. I would hop during my downtime “at work”. Can’t do that now that I am back in the office. Congratulations on the new car! I can’t tell what it is, but it looks nice.
Bwhahah right? Like she loves to read, but she hates “clutter”, so this is a great win-win for us both ? And right? I had no idea how impossible it would be to get back into the swing of things- especially when Lena’s school starts so much earlier, ugh. And yes- shouldn’t we really ALL have more down time? Too much work, too little self care, IMO. And thanks! It’s a Jeep Renegade- I tried to at least get that part in the picture, but you know, between the kids and penguins… hah.
Oh boy, I remember that feeling of blogging stuff piling up and piling up when life got busy… Good luck! And congrats on the new car! I hope it makes winter more bearable, and that you feel less exhausted in the meantime. Hang in there!
Aw thank you so much, you are too sweet as always! It is really hard- I truly don’t know how people do it! Like- when I was at home with the kids, it was easier, because there were naps and junk, but now…. Idk dude! It’s rough!
Looks like you have your reading set for a while! So many good books…
I hear you on struggling to fit in blogging. Your family and your life has to come first.
Have a good October!
Indeed, hah! I may never get to them all, frankly! And seriously, we need more hours in the day! Thank you, hope you have a great October too!
Your covers look so gorgeous, I’m very excited for The Kindred, I really enjoyed Alechia’s last book.
Aw thanks! And yes, I did too, hopefully we both love this one too!
How RUDE of life to intrude into BLOGGING! LOL. You’ll get round to it of course, but…yeah, it’s an ongoing struggle.
Congrats on the car and all those books!
I’m not a parent and I still struggle with blogging, so I can’t imagine how hectic it must be for you! Take your time, Shannon! In other news, I read CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT too last month and I liked it! I’m so excited that you got an eARC of YOU TRULY ASSUMED! Can’t wait to hear what you think about it!
17 books is fantastic! I am really looking forward to reading Within These Wicked Walls. I just added The Lost Dreamer to my TBR the other day, it sounds like it’s going to be fantastic. I hope you have a good October!
Wow I wish I read like you did. 17 books is amazing. Glimmer looks good to me- and that cover of PRimal Animals. Nice!!!
Love your new car BTW!!!
Thank you for the link up. Series is hard and I don’t know how I’m ever going to conquer them all.
No need to apologise for being absent on the blogging front, returning to some form of non-pandemic life is crazy time-consuming. I don’t know how we used to do it. I mean, I am constantly tired now but I think I must have been functioning on way less sleep pre-pandemic and didn’t realise. You’ll get into some kind of routine eventually. And yay for a new car, hopefully it’s better through winter, who doesn’t love new things?
I am amazed at how much you get done — don’t worry about commenting back, take care of youself and give yourself a break and a pat on the back. Enjoy your new car, it’s so important to have a good one for winter weather. Stay safe and remember, you rock!
Curious to see what you think of Dark and Shallow Lies! and I think that is a pretty normal stack to purchase haha (I mean I guess I’m not one to trust on that front considering my piles…)
And I feel you. Commenting is always the thing that gives way for me. I still have so many ones to reply to from last month on my own blog. Let alone visiting everyone ._.
Lots of great looking books, with some good diversity. Sorry you are feeling overwhelmed, I heard parents complain about home schooling during the lockdown about having to do all the teaching at home. Forgetting that life when the children are at school is every bit as stressful and time consuming.
Congrats on the new car, and I hope you love the new books! I understand how blogging gets neglected. I’ve been a terrible blogger this summer because my summer work schedule is . . . a lot. I wish I had wise advice for you, but I also feel like I’m just trying to get through each day without dropping dead from exhaustion. I hope October is good to you!
Sorry you feel like you‘re drowning, but yay for the new car!
Ooh I’m so curious about Spin Me Right Round. Hope it’s wonderful. And don’t worry about the blogging thing – I am feeling the same these days. Everything seems to be last minute, or I just don’t do it , etc. hah I’m really trying to catch up on some blogs at the moment!
-Lauren
I’m so sorry about the overwhelm. But hey, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from handling my illness (which causes very small things to overwhelm me very quickly), it’s that you have to be flexible enough to shift priorities so that your actions serve you. Obviously, caring for your kids is a high priority, as is employment (stupid American Capitalism). But blogging is a low priority, and you should *never* feel guilty about taking time to comment, or not commenting, or skipping a month or several of blogging. You don’t, in the end, owe anyone but yourself *anything*. And we’d all prefer you prioritize your physical and mental health over anything blog-related or social media-related. <3
Okay, I know by now that the pretty covers section is at the end of your wrap ups, but all the eARCs you acquired this month are just GORGEOUS! And of course, I’m obsessed with a bunch of the actual pretty covers as well! I want a Prayer for the Crown Shy as an art print for myself it’s so pretty!
Thanks for mentioning my post! I’m currently playing catch up on posts from January of 2021, so I feel you when you say blog hopping has been a struggle lately!
And I just want to say, new normals can be super rough. As life has gotten busier for me I’ve come to realize how much time I had when I was in high school and such, that I just don’t have now. And I know life will only get more hectic. If blogging falls by the wayside, so be it! We’ll still be here when you’re ready. Taking time to breathe and relax and read and just chill is way more important than responding to comments! (At least, I speak for myself! You don’t even have to respond to this comment if it causes you stress. Or is the solution for me to stop commenting on your posts altogether, so you don’t feel a sense of obligation? OH NO! Okay, I’m gonna stop now before this anxiety spiral gets out of hand!)
Also, congrats on the new car! I wish you many happy travels in it for many years to come!
Have a wonderful October!
I also have Our Violent Ends and can’t wait for it! Lots of new books! Yeah, I know what you’re saying about the blogging fail. My fail unfortunately has gone to my writing. Although not that I was doing well with that during the pandemic when I was stuck at home. Ugh. Love the new car, those are always fun, even if they’re just new to you! Hope you have a good October!
Lisa Loves Literature