Welcome to December’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:
Afterglow: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors edited by Grist
Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb
Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes
Hugest of thanks to the publishers for these lovelies!
eARCs:
Huge thanks to the publishers for these lovelies!
Purchased:
Lute ♦ The Mountain in the Sea ♦ Plutoshine ♦ The Awoken ♦ All the Blood We Share ♦ Poster Girl ♦ Flying the Coop ♦ Stella Maris
Okay look I started out awesome. Until… I was informed that Barnes & Noble was selling all hardcovers for 50% off 😱
Won/Gifted/Traded:
Thanks so much to Amber for My Second Impression of You and A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy!! ♥♥ And to the publisher for The Davenports!
Shenanigans Since Last Time:
I read 14 books this month. I can live with that.
Some of these were amazing. Most, really. A few were solid bummers. Seems like that is how 2023 will roll, eh?
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!
- Nicole @ Thoughts Stained With Ink discusses the importance of supporting the Harper Collins Union Strike
- Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books provides a book recommendation based on your winter aesthetic
- Sam @ We Live and Breathe Books shares her best book surprises of the year
- Lili @ Lost in a Book talks about bookish things she’s learned about herself this year
- AJ @ Read All the Things! has created some hilariously fabulous romance books
- Laura @ Daydreaming Dragons talks about using Goodreads versus Storygraph
- Malka @ Paper Procrastinators discusses why she loves Bookshop
- Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction announced sign-ups for the 2023 Discussion Challenge (see what I did there? 😂)
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.
Yearly Recap/Up Next:
- I read 158 books. I get the sads when I don’t read the most books of all time, but alas, this was the first year I was back to full-time, non-COVID interrupted work, so. And the upside is, most of them were good! I will be posting my “best of” list for TTT this week!
- I truly did not post a ton, yet again. I think I managed a discussion? And I did do the Winter Olympics Book Tag, so that was something!
- For the new year, I am stopping the seasonal giveaway. If anyone wants to take it up, you have my blessing. I am just trying to pare down unnecessary responsibilities and well… it has to go. I will still do giveaways, probably with the same regularity, but now I can just do them whenever the mood strikes me as opposed to feeling obligated.
- For 2023, random.org has challenged me to read… 33 books. Thanks, Random! I appreciate it!
Things we need to talk about at this juncture:
- December flew by, as the months seem to lately. I am in denial that the weeklong break is already at its end. I mean I know time flies, but this is just ridiculous! Nothing too exciting happened this month, but we did finally get to have a Christmas without COVID, so that was nice! I tried to get these nerds to take an actual, non-selfie picture several times, but alas. This is the best I can do!
Happy 2023, my friend! Great job on the reading–I accomplished my reading goal on Goodreads and then surpassed it. I read and reviewed a few picture books for authors there, so that always helps my totals, but picture books need exposure too. My last book of 2022 is Master of Iron–so good!
Thank you so much! And I am glad you surpassed your goal as well! Picture books DO need reviews- I feel like they never get enough to have a good sample to choose from, so you are doing good work! And yess Master of Iron is a great one! I am glad you enjoyed it! My last will be The Drift, and it was SO wonderfully, horribly messed up 😂
Happy 2023! Congrats on reading 158 books. I think my grand total for the year will be 62. Yeah, this was my worst reading year in recorded history, but I guess I did lots of other interesting stuff. I hope you have a great January!
33 books HAHAHAHAHA.
Happy 2023 Shannon! Thank you for all the entertaining, in-depth reviews!
Christmas without Covid really is a gift (it almost kept my kid from Christmas last year). You read a lot of books. I know you let the random generator pick your number, but you crushed it nonetheless. Every time you post a picture, I cannot get over how big the kids are getting and how much your daughter looks like you. I am forever jealous of all the moms with mini-mes (recently I was asked how me and my daughter knew each other. Yeah.)
Happy New Year Shannon! I can only dream of reading 158 books in a year, so in my opinion you did great. I’ll be reading some of the books you’ve already read, so I’ll look forward to comparing notes😁
What a haul of books! So many interesting titles and good mix of books and ebooks. I agree that December (and the year) just flew by….but I feel like that most every year! 🙂 My final book tally is 147 – the most I’ve ever read in a year! Like you, some surprise books I loved and a few DNF and everything in between, but mostly good books. Let’s hope for the same in 2023!
Happy New Year.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/monthly-wrap-up-december-2022
I got Throwback as well! I’d love to get a copy of The Davenports, it is so pretty with all that yellow! I am glad I don’t work at B&N anymore so I’m not there and don’t get tempted on those sales, lol. I love the picture of the books by the tree. I wish I’d done that this year1 Hope you have a great January and 2023!
A belated Merry Christmas and a very happy new year to you and the kiddos! I had hoped we could get together for coffee and catch up this week . . . and then came down with a post-Christmas virus, lol. Best laid plans, right? Congrats on 158 books! That’s amazing, but also yay for 33 in 2023! Random.org definitely set you up for success there. Hope you’re enjoying this last bit of Christmas break!
Wait, how is 159 books in one year not *all* the books? I’m over here at 79 (goal of 52) feeling smug about myself and you roll up with twice that number. 😀
Now make those 33 books you bought because you want to read them, as opposed to books you’re obligated to read. 😉
Can we collectively agree to just all take next week off, too? Between rampant illness and most of the country dealing with a week of record low temps, ice storms, etc, I feel like we should all get a do-over.
Yay for a Christmas without COVID! The weeks sure do fly by. Happy New Year!
Happy new year, Shannon! I hope 2023 is even better and you and the fam can stay healthy! Also, thank you so much for sharing my post about the strike!
Honestly, 14 books a month sounds amazing! Teach me your ways! And I’m glad so many were good books, even if there were a few disappointments in the mix.
Thanks so much for mentioning my post! I’m always so honored when I make the cut!
Oooh, I love the covers for Good Fortune and The Celebrants! Thanks for sharing such pretty designs with me!
And I’m glad you’re setting yourself up for a less stressful year by letting go of some responsibilities and by having a reading challenge that’s a third of your 2022 goal. I really hope that helps you find a better balance in your daily reading/blogging/working/relaxing/parenting/othering.
I hope 2023 ends up being the greatest year for you in all ways possible!
I’m always impressed by how many books you manage to read! I clearly have not been making an effort!
Happy New Year! Glad that you finished your Goodreads challenge! Unfortunately, I haven’t really read any books in 2022.
Happy New Year!! I read 25 books in 2022. I reset my Goodreads challenge to 18 for this year. December was busy with appointments and I finally went to NJ to visit my boyfriend. In December, I have decided to alternate reading Harlan Coben books and Lawrence Block books.
Happy happy new year, wishing you all the very best for 2023 <3 and so happy you got to celebrate Christmas without covid, yay <3
I'm happy to see Ro Devereux in your read list, I hope you enjoyed it! and so excited to read Imogen, Obviously, can't wait to hear what you think of it 🙂
i really like how you show the traded/gifted books specifically!
I’m so behind, but Happy New Year! I was sick a lot in December but thankfully not for the actual holidays. I’m still bummed because I missed out on quite a bit that I wanted to do. Oh well, at least it wasn’t COVID! I’m glad you had a nice holiday too.
I’m doing the Winter giveaway, but then I’m stopping too. I want to keep doing giveaways but definitely just make it more random. LOL
-Lauren