Welcome to August’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 publisher!!

eARCs:

Huge thanks to the publishers for these lovelies! I am so excited for all of them! Also… whoops? 

Purchased:

NOTHING 😱😱😱

Nothing! I have a few pre-orders on the way, but that sounds like September’s problem. 

Won/Gifted/Traded:

Nothing this month!

Thanks to no one ♥♥ (heh) 


Shenanigans Since Last Time:

I read 15 books this month. I’d say this was good but. I read the first 13 in like, the first 2 weeks of the month? And then… Conageddon. It’s fine though! 

Some of these were great. A couple were not. That… is life.

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!

Sorry guys, I didn’t get to do nearly as much blog hopping as I’d hoped. Feel free to blame the airline industry.


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. 


Things we need to talk about at this juncture:

  • Conageddon was fabulousFrankly, it was so fabulous that I probably need to devote a whole post to it, despite my adamance that I would do no such thing since they never responded to my press request. Alas, it was great enough that I shall do so anyway. Have a preview pic while you wait:
  • You know what I do not love?   United Airlines, and also, the Newark Airport. My ass was stuck for 14 hours in Newark, in the baggage claim, no less, being harassed by random grifters wandering in off the streets. Honestly airpeople, get it together. Know what else I am not loving? Back to work time. Mostly because I like sleeping, but also because drama
  • Um guys I think I have a problem. A Netgalley Problem™:I mean. You did see my “for review” books up there ↑↑↑, so you have to know that I have issues. I mean- 500+ books is excessive for any human being, frankly. But, do note that I reviewed  500, not just requested them, so I guess that has to be moderately impressive, yeah? (I’ll just be over here waiting patiently for the intervention.) 

Have a great September, loves! Let me know how your month was! Looking forward to anything coming up?

Posted August 31, 2022 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Blog Recaps / 27 Comments

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27 responses to “Monthly Minutes at Midnight: August 2022

  1. Aw… thanks for the shout out about my post! As for 500 book reviews on NetGalley, I just passed the 500 book review mark on my blog, but I’ve a long way to go to get there on NetGalley!

      • Easy… I have this excel spreadsheet where I keep track of all my book reviews. I’ve had it for many years now, and I’m careful to keep it up because I also use that to keep track of my next reads. All I have to do is see how many are there that I’ve reviewed already!

  2. Wow congrats on that 500 banner from Netgalley!! I was so excited because I just crossed over the 300 line, only to realize I was not going to be rewarded until I reached 500, lol. So many great books coming up! I have a bunch of these too. I just featured Whether Violent or Natural on my blog today and I’m debating whether or not to request it😁

    • Aw thank you! The same thing happened to me at 300, I was MAD! I didn’t even know if there would be a 500 one but luckily there was- though now I assume there will be no more until 1,000. And I swear if I hit 1k, someone needs to stage an intervention 😂

      YESS I knew I needed it as soon as I saw it- I love me a dystopian/apocalyptic book! And they’re too rare, frankly!

  3. We both have a NG problem because I am 826, and I only started blogging in 2016. It’s slowing down though. I am reading a lot more library books. Congratulations on the 500. It shows you review the books you download. *high five* I was loving all your con pictures. Looks like so much fun! I miss going to events like that. What happened in Newark that you were stuck for 14 hours? I always leave from Newark, but it’s a 15 minute drive for me. My sister actually drove to Baltimore and flew out of there because it was cheaper. She liked the airport though

    • Holy. CRAP, Sam! Now to be fair, you DO read a lot more than I do, so I guess it kind of tracks? I only started requesting in… maybe like 2015? I was too intimated that first year and a half or so heh.

      AW Thank you! I am so glad you liked them (even though you probably don’t know who any of the people are, I appreciate it!)

      SO. My flight from Boston to Newark was delayed, but only like 15 minutes. Problem was, I had only had like a 40 minute layover to begin with. We STILL got to Newark in time, but the gate wasn’t ready so we had to sit there for a half an hour. I RAN, but I knew I was probably going to miss it (it was two terminals away), and when I hit the 90 degree outside weather, I had a terrible asthma attack and some employee actually YELLED AT ME to “calm down ma’am” like WHAT!? Anyway, after standing in line for TWO AND A HALF HOURS, a United employee told me that I could take the next flight… which was 24 hours later! Now Sam, I could legit walk home faster than that. It’s about 2 hours from my house to Newark. I almost got an Uber, but it seemed like crossing state lines with a stranger at 2am was a bad call? Anyway, my parents had the kids, and didn’t want to wake them to come to the airport, so I stayed there until they could come and get me. In total, it was 14 hours, from landing to when they finally got there and I can honestly say it was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I had to go get my stuff from baggage claim, so I wasn’t even in the airport proper- and fun fact, random grifters can just mosey in off the street to try to shake you down for money! I wholly do not recommend. AT. ALL. On the way home my mom was like “we should have just come for you then, none of us slept well” and I was like “YOU THINK!??!” bwhahah.

  4. It’s been a hot minute since I used Netgalley and I had no idea how many books I’ve reviewed there. I was curious enough to check it out and it’s 111. I’m actually surprised it’s that many. Your 500 is pretty mazing (and so is Sam’s 800+!). Boo hiss to the Newark airport. What a nightmare.

  5. Cruel Illusions has such a badass cover. And ooh you got Hollows. Please let me know how Scourge Between the Stars is because that cover alone has me thinking Aliens vibes.

    LOVE the 100 pic. Especially Chelsey and Tasya (that’s Tasya, right) hamming it up in the back. 🙂

  6. My friend, Conageddon straight robbed ALL your time for 5 days. You get to give yourself a wash for that, I think. 😉 I had such a blast hanging out with you and chatting until 3am! 😀 Next Conageddon, I’m badgering staff about accepting you as Press ASAP. You deserve it and they could use the positive coverage, and also they owe me for taking all my unopened COVID tests. 😀

    That is a hell of a lot of Netgalley books, Shannon. Where to even start?? I look forward to seeing which of those are 5 star reads, though! Cuz….you know…Netgalley is never gonna approve me for anything, but there’s still the library. 😀

    Good luck with work drama!

    • Honestly, that is a good point, about the 5 days- because it WAS 5 days no question. But I am sad because I was on such a roll, but Conageddon was certainly worth it! I wasn’t even mad that they didn’t approve me (I’d have paid for VIP anyway) but like… respond either way? And seriously, you didn’t even have any tests left for yourself! 😂

      Dude. I have a problem. Like a REAL problem. I will say, NONE of the books I read last month was 5 stars? A couple 4.5s but that is it. Now, in Sept, I already have two 5s and two 4.5s. Which, is impressive. I feel it is good juju from the Piratathon!

      • I’ll take that! 😀 Someone just completed a 724 page book for Pirateathon (in 7 days!) so there’s definitely something special happening there. I hope the rest of your Sept reads are 4.5+!

  7. Looks like you had a great month of reading along with some fun (and not so fun) events. As always I love the pretty covers! I especially like all the pinks this time. Have a great September!

  8. I love your aestetic for The Ballad of Never After! And I’m looking forward to your review of Full Immersion (mine is coming in 5 days). And…I’m in awe of those 500 REVIEWED books.
    “My ass was stuck for 14 hours in Newark, in the baggage claim”.
    Uh??? What a shame!

  9. You’ve got several books I’m interested in! A few that I either just read or will be reading soon as well! I need to check out your post for Conageddon too, I think I just got an email about it. And I’m adding Retro to my Goodreads TBR. Lots of books on your August read list! Hope September is going as well!
    https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2022/09/02/the-looooong-and-the-short-of-it-with-a-giveaway-august-2022-wrap-up-post-and-what-to-expect-in-september/

  10. I’m impressed by your NetGalley problem. I think I’ve only read around 800 books since I started keeping track in 2013. Sorry about the airport and work drama. The one great thing about my job is that everyone is exhausted all the time. We don’t have the energy for drama.

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