Mon. | Dec. 5 – This Is How We Read #AMonthofFaves2016

Mon. | Dec. 5 – This Is How We Read #AMonthofFaves2016 – eg. Number of books read so far, genre you read the most from, picture of favorite (or most often used) reading location, most read author, % eBooks, hardcovers, paperbacks and/or audiobooks, hint at what your favorite read of the year is (let us guess), types of books you wish you read more of, month you read the most and least)


You guys. I'm legitimate scared I'm not going to hit 100 books read in 2016. For a little perspective - in 2014 I read 239 books, in 2015 I read 150 books, and this year....95. I have a couple of weeks to squeeze in 5 more. I can do it..... A more time consuming job with a shorter lunch break, a house, and a dog...that's what I'm going to blame.

Best short story collections I read this year: 

Best Graphic Novels I read all year:

Book that I've read that now both my parents are reading:

Book that I was wary of but then ended up loving on:

Book I knew I was going to love that Totes Ma Goats lived up to the hype:

Book that scared the shit out me, but I loved:

Book that confused that shit out of me, but I loved:

Best Classic that I read this year:

Books I liked the least that I read this year:

So much wasted potential. Uggggggh.

I know a ton of people who LOVED this book but it just didn't catch for me.

No. Just no. Hating this book got me ostracized from my book club momentarily.

Month of Faves - Favorite Book Covers From My Reads This Year

 Favorite Book Covers From My Reads This Year – what did you like about each one?

I love every literal thing about this cover. I love the font. I love the interesting perspective of the picture. I even love the mustardy yellow which is weird because I usually hate that color.

For a whole book that deals with how much our main character is made up of by the books that she encounters, reads and translates it just couldn't get anymore perfect. Kind of simple, absolutely great.

I love that the Viking is wood-grainy. It cracks me up.

I just love the colors and the fluffiness of the clouds and everything about how this whole thing is arranged.

Book was kinda meh (review forthcoming) but I do like that cover

This book is all about a family whose life is just awash in alcohol. So not only is this cover interesting to look at, but is incredibly apt.

Month of Faves – Books on My Winter Reading List

Tue. | Dec. 22 – Books on My Winter Reading List 

Anyone read any of these? I've got Lazarus project to take with me to my in-laws this week.

Month of Faves – Most Useful Tools For Getting Sh&! Done

Wed. | Dec. 16 – Most Useful Tools For Getting Sh&! Done – apps, websites, journals or programs.


My new planner that is designed specifically for book blogger's from the Books and Beverages Shoppe! It has taken the place of my calendar from the Dollar Spot at Target and I'm the better for it. Especially since I've got new things on the horizon for the blog in the new year, I'm going to need to keep my sh&! together. I plan a lot of things pretty far in advance, and while I'm jealous of the bloggers who can just wing it the thought of doing that makes the anxiety start churning in my stomach.


Goodreads. Even with it's flaws, it's still the best way that I have found for myself to keep track of the books in my life. I like to line everything up so I anticipate what to order from the library next so I don't have a repeat of that time when I accidentally read too many WWII books in a row and got deeeeeepressed.


My library card. Because the magical free book fairy does not stop by my house like she should.

So I guess I keep it pretty simple! A planner, an app and a library card. And the occasional impending sense of doom. That's what keeps me on track.

via GIPHY

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things in 2015 (Month of Faves)

This is the description that we're working with today– eg. to eat, drink, wear, smell, see, do, enjoy, best thing I bought, most used gift received etc, favorite concert, outdoor activity, place visited, most squee worthy moment of the year, biggest change

e.l.f. makeup brushes - I'm generally not one to invest heavily in makeup brushes (or anything makeup related, if we're being honest) so when Quinn introduced these to me I was so excited. $3 for a brush? So when I inevitably drop it in a sink full of water and ruin it I won't feel too bad about it. And they still look nice and work well! Link is to my BFF stipple brush.

Nivea crème - Most important, this thick crème is rich and creamy, and not greasy (though it takes a little while to dry.) And I feel like Greta Garbo or Grace Kelly about using lotion from a glass jar. There's something old school glam about it.

Cheese plates/boards - This year on my European vacation I learned the joy of the cheese plate. The simple and real joy of eating a bunch of cheese that you don't know quite what it is or what it will taste like but you jump in anyway, accompanied by a glass or pint of something delicious and boozy. Yes. 2 cheeseboards, no entrees needed.

Attached garages - This was a thing that I didn't want when we bought a house. It wasn't something I was going to be all up in arms about, but I would have rather not have had one. Mostly a security issue. Turns out, I like the attached garage. I'm still very mindful of the security aspect but I also really like being able to go get stuff out of or put things in my car in my jammies. In the apartment, when I inevitably realized that I'd left something I needed in the car, I would have to put on real clothes/shoes and walk across our considerable parking lot to get to our garage. Now I don't even put on pants.


Prague - I was in Prague this summer, and I have to say it's basically my favorite place in the history of places. (If you want to hear about my European adventure the posts are all in one spot.) I loved the fact the oldness of everything, but then it seemed like it was full of young Czechs who make it vibrant and fun. The Czech Republic as a whole is heavy on history (and sometimes sorrow) and I was thrilled to walk the streets and learn all about it. Time for some gratuitous Prague pictures? Hell to the yes. -For the record, my second favorite place that I saw on that trip was Dresden. There is not an old building in that city, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't know it's history. I was so ready to see ghosts that day, and I don't even believe in ghosts. -

 

 

 

 

#AMonthofFaves {My Reading Year}

Here's the description we're working with today:
eg. Number of books read so far, genre you read the most from, picture of favorite (or most often used) reading location, most read author, % eBooks, hardcovers, paperbacks and/or audiobooks, hint at what your favorite read of the year is (let us guess), types of books you wish you read more of, month you read the most and least)


Top 5 most popular posts:
"Spotify Lists of Classic Book Characters"


"All Lady Guest Post: Jamie from Books & Beverages talks about what person and what books shaped her as a reader!"


"Cheesy Books" (This was a complete throw away post I wrote in like, 15 minutes so I'm surprised, a little horrified, by how popular this post is, tbh.

Form Letter for a Book Review Request: A Dream


Viking River Cruise Recap - Day #1


Top 5 rated books I've read this year (rated by me, yikes it was hard to narrow it down to 5!)

"The Library at Mount Char" by Scott Hawkins

"Uprooted" by Naomi Novik


"Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning" by Timothy Snyder

"Dead Wake" by Erik Larson

"When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II" by Molly Guptill Manning

5 books that were my least favorite I've read this year

"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok


"This Dark Endeavor" by Kenneth Oppel 

"Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert

"The Good Shufu: Finding Love, Self and Home on the Far Side of the World" by Tracy Slater

"Our Man in Charleston: Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South" by Christopher Dickey







I use Goodreads to monitor all of my reading progress. (You can be friends with me if you like!) I've knocked down my reading goal by several books because a lot of reading time has been lost to working on the house. But as it stands now, my goal is 150 books and I'm at 133. I don't think I'll make it! But such is life :)

Excited to read everyone else's posts today!