Oh November, you wild thing you. I started this month full of bad anxiety because of Election Day which turned into Election Week…of course my birthday fell on the day after Election Day. So yeah…it was the worst week ever. I never want to relive that, ever.😅

Because of all that anxiety – I barely read anything. I couldn’t, so this was the month I read the least I think. This was what my November was like:

Cast in Firelight by. Dana Swift – 5/5

These Violent Delights by. Chloe Gong – 4/5

Parachutes by. Kelly Yang 3.5/5

Grown by. Tiffany D. Jackson – 4/5

Deal with the Elf King by. Elise Kova – 4/5

Unravel the Dusk by. Elizabeth Lim – 3/5

Savage Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown – 4/5

Shadow Knights (Knights of the Realm, #2) – 2/5

Skin Curse (The Gate Cycle, #2) – 4/5

How was your November? What are you looking forward to reading in December? I don’t think I have anything I’m dying to read for December – I just want a nice break and catch up on NetGalley arcs I have to finish, but that’s it. I wish you all a Happy December!

🎄 ~ Yolanda

Here we are in the second half of the year and I’m exhausted but school starts up again for my son, so here we go…the challenge of August because, every month is something different, right? 2020…we need to like do a full on sage, cleansing, purge…I don’t know what…haha. Anyway, here is what I read and/or reviewed in July:

I’m usually so lazy about posting links to my reviews but I’m trying to be less lazy about that haha…so here are the ratings and links:

The Black Kids by. Christina Hammonds Reed – 4 STARS

Today Tonight Tomorrow by. Rachel Lynn Solomon – 4 1/2 STARS

Black Girl Unlimited by. Echo Brown – 5 STARS

Into the Crooked Place by. Alexandra Christo – 3 STARS

I’ll Be the One by. Lyla Lee – 4 1/2 STARS

Dark Skies by. Danielle L. Jensen – 4 1/2 STARS

More Than Maybe by. Erin Harn – 3 1/2 STARS

In the Neighborhood of True by. Susan Kaplan Carlton – 4 STARS

Daring and the Duke by. Sarah MacLEAN – 4 STARS

The Kinder Poison by. Natalie Mae – 4 1/2 STARS

The Dark Tide by. Alicia Jasinska – 3 STARS

Queen of the Conquered by. Kacen Callender – 3 STARS

Mayhem by. Estelle Laure – 3 1/2 STARS

The Lost City by. Amanda Hocking – 3 STARS

I think July was a good month until the hurricane came our way haha – then my anxiety levels went up and I was struggling to read but that was at the end of the month.

We shall see how August goes but I hope it’s a good month. I read a lot of arcs that are releasing in September and they are SO good. Anyway, some of those reviews will be posted this month.

How did your July reading go?

Hi Lovelies!

Hello July, goodbye June. I want to say goodbye 2020 with a vaccine on hand haha, I’m ready for 2021 folks. Anyway, I think I read more in June because Hawaii’s flattened our covid curve to 0 cases in June and then…it’s starting to creep back up again, but not high, just the usual range we had pre-lockdown. My anxiety lessened in June, but we shall see for July. My son starts 2nd grade in 4 weeks. 😱 And we aren’t sure what the rest of the year will be like…will schools shutdown again and I’ll be his 2nd grade teacher? 😩 Will dwell on that when it comes, but here’s what I read in June:

Eleven books, not bad! But I’m pretty sure I read a few others on Kindle Unlimited, but because it’s a series, I’m trying to wait for the last book to do a mini review of the whole series. Also I read some books that have later publications and those reviews won’t post until late in the year.

My goal for June was to add more black authors and yay, I reached my goal! I read 6 books written by black authors and 2 by POC-Asian authors.

How was your month of June? I hope you have an awesome July!

May was about grieving for me and my family. My husband had lost his aunt to COVID-19 in the last week of April and her funeral was in the first week of May. And yes there was Mother’s Day, my sister’s birthday, my husband’s birthday – some happy moments and then again…grief, watching George Floyd’s life snuffed out on video. I don’t even remember what I read for May…it’s been chaos.

We were social distancing and locked down and now in Hawaii we are almost fully open (only tourism is closed) so before Memorial Day, I was feeling less anxiety. Then we started June with protests, anger, rage, grief, tears, and now…change. I see the change and it gives me hope. I love seeing the activism in young people so I will cling to that hope.

With that May update…(it’s been crazy right?)…here is what I read in May:

The 3 book series were so short, it could have been combine to make a duology so I read those fast. Two of the books in the list also were read months ago but posted nearer to their publication dates. But yeah, not bad for a rough month. At least I got to escape for a little bit. How did you do in May?

It’s been a stressful month everyone and so my motivation to read was not there at all. You’ve gotten into a routine which is in a way good – some ways, bad (like my son is so lazy to go outside to play 🤦🏻‍♀️). My husband works at home and in the office when he needs to. I still go out and get groceries and necessities. I still get my favorite coffee from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (it’s been my lifesaver dealing with homeschooling haha…thank God they stayed open!). Hawaii is in pretty good shape compared to the rest of the USA, so I’m happy yet it’s staying that way that will be the challenge.

But my husband’s aunt who lives in Pennsylvania, sadly, is losing her battle with covid-19. Her conditioned deteriorated this week and so she is in hospice now. The heartbreaking thing about this virus? People die alone, without their loved ones beside them. I’ve seen two of my aunts die from cancer, but we could be there in the room, hold their hands, say what we wanted to say until the end. Not with this virus..😞. So my husband and his family, have to deal with grief but so far apart from one another.

And that depressing news brings me to my reading numbers for this month.

Here is what I read:

A bunch of the series I read could have been made into one or two books so they were really quick reads.

I’m working on finishing up my NetGalley shelf, which only has about five books on it. So that was April. Not my best month, I lack the motivation to read right now, but I know it will get better. May was supposed to be when we took our big family trip but that was cancelled of course but it’s truly okay. We’d rather be safe than sorry. So I’m wishing all of you good vibes and positivity! I hope you had a better reading month than I did, and let’s home it all gets better!

*P.S. I stopped paying my upgraded wordpress account so it went to default free settings and everything is just thrown off with ads, HAHA… Anyway I’m trying to fix formatting as I go along, but sometimes I miss something.

I almost forgot to do a monthly wrap up for March! I want to forget about March altogether. It’s been the most anxiety filled, stressful month ever and April might be worse. All the news about the coronavirus is messing with my ability to concentrate on a book. I have so many books piling up on my nightstand, they do not hold my interest right now. 😞 It’s frustrating but I’m trying not to force anything. If I don’t want to read it, I put it aside and pick up another. I have a lot of books haha – maybe I need a book cleanse and not read for a good week. What will keep me occupied? Probably the new Animal Crossing game on the Nintendo Switch that I’ve been playing ~ plus home schooling my son takes up more than half the day.

Another thing I forgot because of everything going on? My one year anniversary for my blog! Yup, my first post was on March 13, 2019!! Oh how time flew by and how much has changed in one year exactly. I was bored and starting a blog last year, and today I’m worrying about my loved ones, friends, strangers – everyone in the world and pray, pray, pray for a vaccine or anti-viral to help with this deadly virus.

But thank you so much to my followers who stuck through with me as I find my way in this book review blogging world. It’s been fun meeting so many bloggers and book lovers out there. I’m grateful to all of you!

Anyway let’s see what I read in March 2020:

The next titles I had read months ago but reviews were posted in March 2020:

I think I did pretty good and read more than I expected. Let’s see if how I do in April. At least I can somewhat escape the news of the day with a book, even if I don’t finish it – I just keep trying to find one that will take my mind off current events for awhile. Stay safe everyone and stay healthy. Positive vibes to you all!

Well I totally forgot to do a monthly wrap up post for February! I’ve been doing resin crafting and my brain has mostly been on that and also this coronavirus or COVID-19 news. We finally have a first confirmed case in Hawaii…but I’m pretty sure it’s been in the islands since February when a tourist went back home and his symptoms appeared. So…it’s been crazy right?

This was the year I was supposed to go on my first trip since becoming a mom 8 years ago! I haven’t gone anywhere, stayed home raising my first child, then number two came alone and yup have been chillin’ here in Hawaii dying to go on vacay. Planned a Disney Alaska cruise with my whole family (mine, my sister’s and my parents)…we’ve been so excited and now this. The cruise is the first week of June and this thing looks like it isn’t dying down soon but ramping up here in the USA…SO…that’s that. I’m sure our trip isn’t happening and now I’m wary of even being on a cruise ship. Oh well…it is what it is. Safety/health first, right? Yes.

So this is what I read and/or posted a review for in February:

I didn’t read a lot in February but that’s okay. 😍 I’m itching to buy so many new books but I’m trying to control myself and finish reading what’s still waiting on my shelves. Hope everyone has a good reading month in March!