December 2022 Wrap Up

January 2, 2023January 1, 2023 fangirlfury2 Comments

Kicking off the new year on the blog by looking back once more at 2022 with my December Wrap Up. I read 15 books in December (thank you holiday break!) and finished the year with 182 books read (and yes, this includes some rereads and novellas but I haven’t had the opportunity yet (and honestly feeling to) look more into my reading stats). This intro is slowly turning into a year reflection, but I didn’t feel the need to really analyze my reading at the end of the year and just really want to focus on reading (good!!) books.

My favorite books of the month:

Anon. Pls by Deux Moi – This was such a fun binge-read and reminded me of the YA gossipy-like books I loved in my early YA days (and honestly still love). My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk – Many books over the past 2 years especially have taken on the time loop trope and The Christmas Wish is one of the best books with this plot point. It’s also one of my new favorite Christmas books and has the best sense of humor & witty dialogue. My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell – This short story collection was a Christmas gift that I devoured over the two days after the holiday. This book reminded me why I love Rainbow Rowell’s writing so much and made me once again crave another contemporary release from her. My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

October 2022 Wrap Up

October 31, 2022October 30, 2022 fangirlfury2 Comments

Happy Halloween (coming from the reader who read 1 ‘spooky’ read this month)!! October was the beginning of cozy season. While I hung out with friends on weekends and did some fall things (my sister and I went apple picking on the most gorgeous fall day last weekend), there were plenty of quiet moments on the weekends spent reading.

I almost always have a sprinkle of YA in my reading, but YA books made up at least half of my total reading AND were my favorite reads. My absolute favorite book of the month was Isaac Blum’s The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, & I really enjoyed reading The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka , and the Birthright trilogy by Gabrielle Zevin.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson | 3.5/5 Stars

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka / 5/5

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead | 4/5

When We Were Bright & Beautiful by Jillian Medoff

Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz | 3.5/5

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum | 5/5

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson | 4.5/5

Birthright series by Gabrielle Zevin: All These Things I’ve Done, Because It is My Blood, & In the Age of Love and Chocolate | Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds | 4/5

Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean | 4/5

From Scratch (Netflix) – From Scratch is based on Tembi Locke’s memoir of the same name (there were some changes, but I feel like it captured the spirit of the book well), following her life after meeting her husband in Italy. I watched an episode here and there … and then binged the last five. There were some moments when I think the acting could’ve been better, but I still sobbed during the seventh episode and was teary during the last few.

Not a TV show but I watched Jessica of Peace Love Books and Lacey of LaceyBooklovers’s romance predictions for the Goodreads Choice Awards and agreed with most of their predictions. I personally would LOVE to see Book Lovers by Emily Henry take the title, but I think Colleen Hoover has it in the bag with It Starts With Us.

Recent TBR Additions: October 2022 Edition

What I’ve Been Reading Lately: October 2022 Edition

WORTH THE READ? Things We Never Got Over Review

What did you read and watch in October? Anything I read? Share in the comments!

September 2022 Reading Wrap Up

October 3, 2022October 1, 2022 fangirlfury2 Comments

Starting this October with looking back on September! This month was back to school season and farewell to beach and pool season, but I keep trying to read outside as much as possible (writing this as I’m experiencing our first dreary fall weekend of the season).

Disclaimer that I usually include what I watched on TV and movies wise in my wrap-ups, but I in all honestly haven’t really been gravitating towards TV at all. I’ve been trying to watch newer shows – I’ve heard such good things about Tell Me Lies on Hulu (based on the book by Carola Lovering) – but I’m struggling to get into new shows. I’m hoping this will turn around this month, especially since Derry Girls Season 3 FINALLY comes to Netflix this Friday and the Netflix mini series of Tembi Locke’s From Scratch premieres on October 21st.

I read 13 books in September – I’m hoping to keep up this momentum throughout the rest of the year. My FAVORITE books of the month were Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan, Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, and Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I also really enjoyed Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score, An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn, and Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Morgan.

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy | 5/5

A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia | 3.5/5

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan | 4/5

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory | 4/5

Ghost by Jason Reynolds | 4/5

An Offer from a Gentleman (Bridgerton #3) by Julia Quinn | 4/5

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 5/5

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Novel Adaptation by Anne Frank, Ari Folman, & David Polonsky | 5/5

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn | 5/5

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan | 5/5

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld | 3.5/5

The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 4/5

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score | 4/5

Book Reviews

The Final Gambit Review

2022 MUST READ: Thank You for Listening Review

FIVE STAR READ: Killers of a Certain Age Review

Drunk on Love Review

FAVORITE TJR BOOK: Carrie Soto is Back Review

Bookish Posts

My Favorite Summer Reads 2022

Fall 2022 Anticipated Releases

Current Library Holds: September 2022 Edition

What did you read in September? Have you read any of the books that I mentioned? Share in the comments!

IT’S SUMMER: June 2022 Wrap Up

July 1, 2022June 30, 2022 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

It’s officially summer and I am reading absolutely everything! I’m going to keep this intro short for the sake of getting into what I read, but just know after completing my first full year of teaching (!!), I am so looking forward to this season of reading and summer days!

I read a total of 13 books this month and 2 novellas. 2 books were rereads, my audiobook of One Italian Summer (please read this month ASAP in general, but better yet, listen to the audiobook with Lauren Graham as the narrator!!) and Majesty before reading Rivals, the latest American Royals books.

My FAVORITES of the month – it was hard to determine because the majority of the books I read in June were so good – include Every Summer After (not a total 5 star read for me, but I ate this one up on a beach day and def see the hype), I Kissed Shara Wheeler, The Hotel Nantucket, Rivals, and The Dead Romantics.

I also really enjoyed Fake, By the Book, & Counterfeit, and after some reflection, felt medium on The No Show (it took almost three weeks to fully read this one, but the ending did surprise me – I’m finding that Beth O’Leary’s later books take a twist on the premise), Stuck with You (I’m going to read the third novella when it comes out as an ebook, but unfortunately haven’t really been loving this novella series), and True Biz (I still enjoyed and loved the ASL representation, but it didn’t wow me as much as expected from the hype).

By the Book (Meant to Be Mine #2) by Jasmine Guillory | 4/5 Stars

SUMMER READING START: May 2022 Wrap Up

May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

I’m writing this wrap-up post on Memorial Day, which is my unofficial start to summer. I have read SO much this month – it honestly feels like the kind’ve reading I do from June through August when my schedule frees up and that makes me even more excited to see what my summer reading will be like. I also didn’t watch a ton of TV this month, but I have been really enjoying the shows that I did watch.

I did read some absolutely spectacular books this month, but it is no surprise whatsoever that my absolute favorite book was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I’ve mentioned before and while there are a few other contenders for this title, it’s my favorite book of 2022 and possibly my favorite book ever.

Some other favorites from May include Dating Dr.Dil by Nisha Sharma, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub, and The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz. I’m going to share a what I’ve been recently post soon with some of my latter reads that were mostly absolute GEMS.

Dating Dr.Dil by Nisha Sharma | 4.5/5

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay (ARC) | 4/5

BOOKS & BRIDGERTON: March 2022 Wrap Up

March 31, 2022April 28, 2022 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

In March, I got two of my most anticipated sequels of 2022: Sarah J. Maas’ second book in the Crescent City series, House of Sky & Breath, AND Bridgerton Season 2. Despite being consumed by both SJM and Bridgerton (when I watched last weekend, I did manage to finish 2 books while consuming the second season), I still read a total of 11 books in March. I am loving my reading progress this year, as I have read 39 books so far! Today, I’ll be sharing the books I read in March, my Bridgerton Season 2 thoughts, and reshare what I wrote this month.

I started this month with some poetry, then transitioned to the massive beast that is House of Sky & Breath, and made my way back to my usual romance self. My favorites this month were The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton #2) by Julia Quinn, If You Ask Me by Libby Huscher, The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith, and In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer. My absolute favorite though was One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle!

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson | 4/5 Stars

unlock your storybook heart by amanda lovelace | 4/5

House of Sky & Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas | 4.5/5

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick | 4/5

GREAT NEW YEAR READING START: January 2022 Wrap Up

January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

This month has been the BEST January of reading that I’ve ever had. January usually signals the end of winter break and the start of a new spring semester for me, aka my reading life taking a dip, but I am SO enjoying the free time that has come with post college life… and yes, I am prioritizing reading in my free time after work vs. scrolling on my phone and watching TV — on TV, I also feel like lately I find maybe 1 TV show a month I’m obsessed with, binge it in a handful of days (and yes, you’ll find out the show I’m talking about below), and then feel meh about any other TV I watch.

I read a total of 15 books in January and I either really enjoyed or LOVED all of them. I also spent the past two weekends starting a book on Friday night or early Saturday morning and then having it finished by Saturday night… and then starting another in between/after doing my weekly school prep on Sundays. I don’t even finding myself pressuring to read or thinking about any annual reading challenges, as I genuinely just want to be reading & hope to keep this motivation up!

This month was about getting to some backlist books I’ve had on my TBR, a new release from a favorite author, some ARCs, and the start of an unexpected YA kick. Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon was my favorite book of the month, always loving any adult contemporary romance or YA book that Rachel Lynn Solomon writes. I attended Matzah Book Soup’s book club meeting with Rachel yesterday afternoon and it was so fun learning more about the book & her upcoming releases. I read both Denise Williams’ The Fastest Way to Fall & How to Fail at Flirting – I enjoyed The Fastest Way to Fall the most out of the two & I attended BBBC’s virtual meet with Denise Williams. I FINALLY picked up my copy of Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming (this was one of my most anticipated YA releases of 2021), and reread my favorite book of hers, More Than Maybe, before picking the former up.

The books I was the most obsessed with below include The Boys Club by Erica Katz, Wish You Were by Jodi Picoult, & Very Bad People by Kit Frick. I’m so glad I finally read Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down, definitely one of the most powerful books I’ve read and one with an ending I’m still thinking about. I’ve mentioned before that 2021 was exactly the year of YA books for me, reading way more contemporary romance than YA, but I found myself picking up so much YA this month, including some of the books I’ve mentioned & specifically, All the Right Reasons, If This Gets Out, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

The Boys Club by Erica Katz | 4.5/5

ALL THE HOLIDAY BOOKS & MORE: December 2021 Wrap Up

December 31, 2021December 30, 2021 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

December was a mix of hectic times and relaxing times. My New Year’s Eve plans with friends have unfortunately been cancelled again this year, but I am actually looking forward to staying in with my family, watching some movies, and maybe finishing another book before midnight. I did my most amount of reading in December since the summer, as of right now having read 13 books and 1 novella. Over the past week or so, it’s been super nice to unplug from work and the screen and just dive into reading & relaxing. I’ve included some of my thoughts on the books I read this month – so many must reads!

I read a few holiday books this month, like Jenny Bayliss’ A Season for Second Chances (very cozy & cute) and Kara McDowell’s One Way or Another – this one is in my classroom library, and one of my students recently loved it, so I wanted to give it a read to). My favorite holiday read of the month was definitely Jean Meltzer’s Hanukkah inspired romance, The Matzah Ball. I remembered the day after Christmas that Rainbow Rowell’s e-novella following Reagan from Fangirl is available for free. The novella is also Christmas-themed, set in 2020 and 2021. There was a lot of covid/pandemic talk involved, but I loved being in the Fangirl world and loved Reagan’s banter & personality . I also read Elin Hildebrand’s entire Winter Street series in December, her holiday/Christmas series set on Nantucket. I wouldn’t necessarily say that they’re my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books, but they all had such a binge-worthy & cozy quality.

I also finally read the first book in the Bridgerton series. I found myself rewatching season 1 this month, and I think I’m going to continue on with the book series closer to season 2’s March 25th release on Netflix!I also found myself reading some adult fiction picks and was heavily addicted to them, specifically Lisa Patton’s Rush (following a fictional sorority at Ole Miss) and Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West (following a high school English and a stay-at-home mom caught in school scandals).

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer | 4.5/5 Stars

The Winter Street series by Elin Hilderbrand: Winter Street, Winter Stroll, Winter Storms, & Winter Solstice | Overall Series Rating: 4/5 Stars

November 2021 Wrap Up

December 1, 2021December 5, 2021 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

And just like that, it’s the last month of 2021! I’m looking forward to my reading in December, not because I necessarily know what I’m reading (my December reading is always a mix oof holiday books and a mix of books I didn’t yet have the time to get to in 2021), but because I feel so energized by my November reading. I read a total of 12 books in November, much in part to some holiday breaks from work that were spread out throughout the month, and I also dived a bit more into TV than I had earlier in the fall.

My favorite books of November were Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox, and Palm Beach by Mary Adkins

22 BOOK READING MONTH: August 2021 Wrap Up

September 1, 2021August 31, 2021 fangirlfuryLeave a comment

In the words of Taylor Swift, this August “slipped away into a moment in time” so quickly! We’ve had some ‘meh’ summer weather where I live this month, so some days blurred together, but I definitely took advantage of the few sunny and not super humid days to run to the beach with a good book.

I read 22 books in August. I’ll include a bigger snapshot of my summer reading in my favorites post, but I’ve read the most amount of books over the summer than I ever have before! My favorite books this month (in no particular order) were The Guncle, Between Two Kingdoms, The Matchmaker, & The Beach Club.