(ARC) April 2016 Wrap Up

Books Read:

    

    

1. The Island by S. Usher Evans

ARC Review

2. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

ARC Review

3. Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

ARC Review

4. A New Hope: The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken

ARC Review

5. Black Dove White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

DNF ARC review to come.

6. Wandering Star by Romina Russell

ARC review to come.

    

    

7. Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

ARC Review to come.

8. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Audiobook Review

9. Whisper to Me by Nick Lake

ARC Review to come.

10. Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror by Rachel R. Smith

ARC Review to come.

11. A Mirror Among Shattered Glass by Romarin Demetri

DNF ARC review to come.

12. Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins

ARC Review to come.

13. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Audiobook Review to come.

Total Read 13

30/75 for the year

***

Books Acquired:

Bought: 12

Me Before You

Warriors

Myth Series 1-7

Memoirs of a Geisha

The Star-Touched Queen

The Rose and the Dagger

Otherwise Acquired: 9

Dreamology

Arena

The Darkest Corners

Cruel Beauty

Queen of the Tearling

For Darkness Shows the Stars

Atonement

My Mad Fat Diary

Lady Midnight

Total: 21

***

Posts of Interest:

Besides the above linked books that I read and reviewed this month, I reviewed Assassin's Heart and Once Upon a Dream.

I helped reveal the cover for The Chasm by S. Usher Evans! It's the sequel to The Island which was excellent and there is a link to my review linked above! I also helped reveal the cover for Unknown by Wendy Higgins!

I shared what May releases I'm just dying to get my hands on!

I showed off my Books 'n' Bloggers Swap goodies!

I discussed DNFs and things that can make or break a book for you.

I did the Book Life Tag and the Birthstone Book Tag!

I posted my first author guest post!

I posted a review of my Best Damn Book Box subscription box.

Here is the first post for a new feature I started! More info on that below!

I participated in the blog tour for the paperback of Armada by Ernest Cline!

***

Life Update:

April has been a REALLY busy month for me!

First of all, it's calving time and it has been REALLY busy taking care of the calves and getting them all tagged and feeding all the cows and just everything. I've been really stressed out. Getting up and going to work in the morning and then coming home in the afternoon and being forced to work with cows (for free I might add, but that is a rant for a different day) and THEN having to find time to do housework and work on this blog and everything else that needs doing.

I'm surprised I've only had one little half breakdown this month. I'm so glad that the calves are finally slowing down because I'm close to a big full breakdown.

Anyway, this month was also ARC April and along with all of the above stuff that I had to do this month, I read 11 ARCs. How I found the time or energy for that, I do not know. I spent a lot of time watching gates and shirking my housework duties.

I went home to visit my dad and my sister twice this month. The first time was meant to be to spend Easter with family, but I was 100% wrong about what weekend Easter was so it basically ended up just being an excuse to come home and buy Hyrule Warriors for my 3DS. 

The second time was for an eye doctor appointment. Is it weird that I drive four hours for an eye doctor appointment? After I moved I switched dentists to one closer to where I live now and I really didn't like anyone that I had to deal with there so I'm too scared to switch eye doctors too.

Anyway, I finally got to test out my swanky new vision care insurance and everything was mostly affordable! I got new frames and lenses and it cost me like $230! Without my insurance I would have paid over $700!!

I have six baby kittens in my bathtub! One day when I was being held against my will in the barn doing cow stuff, my favorite barn kitty came over to me and was being super lovey as she usually is. Then she just laid down by my feet and started having contractions! What are the odds!?

So I kidnapped her and stuffed her in my bathtub and watched her have kittens. It was... an experience. But I love having them in the tub! And it's been a good thing because since she had them a little under two weeks ago, the weather has been kinda crappy so I think that my bathtub is better than the barn. Warmer. Dryer. Just better because I get to look at kittens and sometimes hold them.

I created a new feature this month that I'm super proud of! I started A Glimpse Back in Time! A feature to showcase historical fiction books or just books that have some kind of basis in history like maybe they're inspired by a historical event or person. Basically just talk about the interesting history behind your favorite books! I love historical fiction books so I'm really excited to work on this feature! Check it out here!

I also have come up with lots of big bookish plans. That's all I'm gonna say because for all I know that's as far as it's gonna get. Just plans. But I'm excited about them and if I ever get my credit card paid off in full again, I will be starting on that ASAP!

Once again, I'm half feeling like I need to go job hunting. My paychecks are getting more and more pitiful, but apparently we might be getting some more/bigger clients so maybe things will pick up and all will be well. I hope so because I don't wanna give up that vision care insurance. Like ever.

So yeah, that's my life update for April. Here's to hoping that May is better to me. I need a break.

How was the month of April for you? Did you participate in ARC April? How many books did you read? Tell me all about it!