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:
Helga by Catherine Yu ♦ This Dark Paradise by Erin Luken
Thanks to the publishers for these amazing books!!
eARCs:
Huge thanks to the publishers for these lovelies! I told you all progress was temporary!
Purchased:
Wow someone should give me a medal or something, eh? Just kidding I am just next-level broke and had ordered this ages ago!
Won/Gifted/No Idea But It Showed Up at My House:
Huge Thanks to the publisher for these!
Shenanigans Since Last Time:
I read 16 books this month. Not bad! Still caught up!
Pretty good bunch- also a lot of monster-y books here!
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!
- Sam @ We Live and Breathe Books asks whether trope mentions are spoilers
- Kit @ Metaphors and Moonlight discusses AI book covers
- Jessica @ A GREAT Read chats about authors‘ personal lives
- AJ @ Read All The Things! celebrates her blogoversary by recounting the best books of the last decade
- Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of shares some bizarre book “categories”
- Julie & Lynn @ Chapter Break talk about blogging longevity and how it’s changed over time
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. Thanks to Tammy for putting When We Were Real on my radar, too!
Things we need to talk about at this juncture:
- Okay now the summer is over and I am cranky. Sobs. Back to work, back to school, blah blah blah. Sorry, I am not super cheerful at the moment! I have been incredibly overwhelmed with starting a new job, not having been paid since June yet trying to fund an entire classroom (putting my #ClearTheList classroom wishlist here in case anyone feels inspired- I legit had a mental breakdown because I could not afford markers heh). I have also just been kind of “down” in general- I think lack of sleep, stress, sick family members, and lack of any kind of happy-making events are rough, plus the kids have been stressed with starting new schools too so… it’s a lot.
- What is happening next? Great question! I have no idea! Honestly I feel like the next couple months are going to be rough between work, class (four classes between now and December, yikes!), fall softball for Lena, karate for Sam, back-to-school activities, etc etc etc. But Conageddon tickets go on sale this month, so I will have my usual “which VIP do I pick!?” indecision crisis, which is always fun! If I am MIA for a minute, or neglect to respond and stuff, please give me a bit of grace- I promise I am doing my best, and I love you guys!
I just ordered some stuff from your list, I hope you get it! How does that work? Do those items come off so you don’t get multiples? Good luck with your job, hopefully you’ll settle in soon. We have a bunch of the same books this month, and I’m reading So Thirsty next😁
Tammy, thank you SO much!! Yes, they do come off so I do not get multiples! I cannot thank you enough, you have no idea how much this means to me, and to the kids! I had no idea how rough it would be starting out- I assumed they gave you the basics, right? But NOPE, I got a box of 12 pencils… for the YEAR, about 20 erasers, and a box of band-aids. I did eventually get a basic pack of crayons for each kid. That is IT. Like I obviously knew that teachers spent a ton out of pocket, I did even as a sub, but this was next-level- I even had to find my own CHAIR! So it is more appreciated that I can even express- a MILLION thank yous ♥♥ I will let you know when it comes too!
Also, I LOOOOVED So Thirsty! It was my first Rachel Harrison book, but it won’t be my last! It was just entertaining, and quite relatable! I hope you love it too!
I understand your reasons for dreading the summer’s end, but for what concerns me, the sooner it’s over, the better…after two months of neverending, brutal heat, I’m at the end of my rope, and it feels like September isn’t going to show any mercy (the weather forecasts aren’t encouraging either).
“not having been paid since June yet trying to fund an entire classroom”
I mean, what? and pardon my cluelessness, but why are you supposed to fund your own classrooms?
I hope thing will look up for you soon, and the kids can start new schools without any drama! Anyhow, there’s always Conageddon, right? 😉
I want to read When We Were Real and White Line Fever, and I’m looking forward to your review of The Ravening (mine is coming in three weeks).
Bwhahha yeah I do see your point of view, no question! I am hoping it cools down for you, and for me too- I mean, if I have to be at work, let it at least be bearable! Last week it was so hot (on the third floor, running up and down the stairs all day chasing kids) that I could feel the sweat, ick!
YEP big sigh there. I had no idea that I had to buy *everything*. I got one pack of pencils (12, to last the whole year), a small box of crayons for each kid, about 20 erasers, and a box of band-aids. Oh and like, desks. But I actually had to find my own chair- luckily, I had kept an old one just in case, but you should have seen me trying to shove it in my car! Everything else is on me- actually, I don’t even have textbooks yet! (I will though, thankfully that isn’t my responsibility too!) but the classroom library, and arts and crafts supplies, and whiteboards, and sensory stuff, and even little things you don’t think about like staplers and tape and pens and paper clips and folders… yeah I had to get it all on my own.
Thank you! I am excited that they should be announcing Conageddon guests soon, and tickets go on sale in a couple weeks, so something to look forward to at least!
Oh I am SO curious to what you thought of The Ravening! Mine will probably be around that same time frame, I felt… kind of conflicted? Parts I liked, but parts I didn’t.
The school stuff is unbelievable. The chair, too?
Same about The Ravening…I ended up rating it 4 stars because on the whole, I was entertained, and I did like the last section a lot. The main character, well, I was hot and cold about her…and the sex scene wasn’t really necessary, was it? Especially since it’s a lesbian encounter written by a man…
Yep! Wild, huh?
I am waffling between 3.5 and 4, I liked the main story, I did not like the dream world bits, I found it confusing. Also YES that is so funny because I kind of wondered if a man *should* be writing that since, well, he very much cannot relate to them in that way!
I felt it even more strongly…I thought it was something akin to appropriation, or voyeuristic, or very indelicate at the very least. The dream world was my favourite thing about it, go figure.
Ugh, sorry your school year isn’t starting off great. But it is ridiculous how much we have to pay for our own classrooms/library in my case. I hope it will get better. I also sent something from your list, I think it will be delivered Wednesday? My school year has not started great either, but at least I did have my paychecks this summer with being in the same school district.
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2024/09/02/the-looooong-and-the-short-of-it-a-giveaway-august-2024-wrap-up-post-and-looking-forward-to-september/
Thank you SO much! I got the package today! You are the BESSTTTT! My kids are writing some thank-you cards too, so I will post them when they are done (I mean, if I have to “teach” art, at least we can do something nice with it!)
I am so sorry you are off to a rough start too, and I really hope it gets better. Idk why but this has been a very rough start for me- I think because of family stuff, and like, not having a darn thing to start with, yet feeling like people are expecting me to have my shit together (I very much do not heh). Sending you hugs and good vibes that it gets better soon- or at least goes quickly!
So many great looking books. Hope you enjoy them all.
sherry @ fundinmental
Thanks!!
I am always in awe of how many full length amazing books you read! The covers too are pretty exciting!
AW thank you! That is sweet! Some months I am impressed too heh, but summer is usually a little easier!
Good luck with back-to-school! I got you some stuff from your classroom wish list. You should get it tomorrow.
AJ, that is SO sweet of you! Thank you so, so much! The kids have been so appreciative- they’re busy crafting thank you cards, actually! (I mean, did one kid get mad and throw his at me? Yes. But did he later apologize and make a new, very cool one? Also yes.) So I will post them so you guys can see how much you are appreciated by me AND them ♥♥
All the grace for you! All of it. No paycheck since June….woof. I dunno how you survive it, but I definitely understand Next-Level Broke. Do you need any art supplies? I have a bunch of toilet paper tubes, mini jam jars, beads, and random craft stuff I’d be happy to ship to you. I can’t remember which grade they have you in, so that may be less age appropriate. Hrm.
I know things are rotten right now. Just too much stress. But don’t forget the long view. Things are going to get easier as you adapt to the class, get those dolla dolla bills, as the kids adjust, etc. It WILL get better. If it doesn’t, I’ll kick it in the shins for you. <3
I am seeing this WAY late, but I hope the start of your school year has been going well!! I was thinking of buying some things on your #ClearTheList classroom wishlist, but I thought I’d check first to make sure it’s up to date! (Don’t want to buy something you already got yourself.) Let me know!!