Happy November, friends 🍂 This year’s almost over and… I’m kind of happy about it, to be honest.
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October was my birthday month! 🎉 I turned 29 on the 15th and I don’t feel a year older than 19, aerm. I had a lovely day, went to a delicious italian restaurant, got one more plant because apparently my goal is to live in a jungle and just, felt grateful.
Other than that, the month was another mixed bag. Days are getting shorter and darker now, which hasn’t been the best on my mental health, not going to lie. It’s also been a complicated, exhausting month professionally (once again). On the bright side, I went back to my home, my roots, for a week early October and it’s been so good. It was good for my heart to get back to see my family for a little while, even if I still had to work.
I also ended the month on a good note with my sister coming to spend a couple of days with us, so I’m grateful for that. Not really looking forward to November or any of the winter season coming with it, but well, let’s hope for the best!
Monthly Reading Wrap-Up
October has been okay, reading-wise. I’ve had some disappointments, but also found some little gems and somehow managed to read one more book than usual, so…. YAY!
IF YOU’RE OUT THERE ☂️ I’ve been meaning to read this for a while and I’m so glad I did! Loved the focus on friendships, social media and the adorable romance and the family vibes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A HUNDRED OTHER GIRLS ☂️ This was alright, but I was disappointed. I expected much more from this. This was blurbed as a sort of The Devil Wears Prada, but I missed the high stakes and excitement of it and, I also had a bit of a hard time with the main character at times. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARCHENEMIES ☂️ I read the first book in this series a while ago, so I was nervous to continue. I’m happy to say: I remembered what had happened before (isn’t it our biggest fear, with reading series) and this was such a wild, wild ride. Can’t wait to read the last book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY ☂️ What a lovely surprise! I didn’t expect much from this contemporary read and I ended up loving it. The characters were wonderful, loved their growth, the family vibes and.. such a great read for winter time! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN ☂️ I found this one to be such a funny, yet important read with such an endearing main character. A lovely balance between small teenage life stresses such as crushes and college applications, with bigger issues at the time in the USA, the Iran Hostage Crisis. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Discoveries of The Month
GOING DARK ☂️ I’ve been really into thrillers lately and this one sounds excellent. It’s about an influencer disappearing mysteriously and it sounds SO good, I’m impatient to read it!
💧 Find the book on Goodreads
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT ☂️ I loved this author’s The Summer of Broken Rules so much, I can’t wait to read more! This has an epic boarding school prank, an ex-boyfriend with feelings remaining and it sounds like SO much fun!
💧 Find the book on Goodreads
Goodreads challenge: 45/50 books
I’m still ahead, so yay! I’ve been checking my reading statistics the other day and realized that I read, like, 75 books back in 2019. Which made me sad, a little bit. Yet, I also know my life’s different now so… 45 books is pretty good! And I think I’ll make it to my 50 books goal, so, yay!
I had hoped I’d finish my edits in time for NaNoWriMo, but well… I put too many expectations on myself.
It’s okay, I guess, even if it’s been a bit frustrating. I’m working at my own pace given everything and that’s what matters. I’m really hoping to finish this 3rd draft this month, so that I can let it rest and start thinking really harder about ✨ what’s next ✨
As I’m writing this, I think I have less than 10 chapters left to edit, but I want to make things as right as they possibly can be. Let’s hope I can do this.
The other day, I stumbled upon a tweet that broke my heart a little bit. It said “Does anyone really reads blogs anymore?” and… it upset me. I’ll admit it.
Of course, it’s upsetting for someone who’s worked for almost 8 years now on this little platform to read that kind of thing.
Yet, I also know it’s realistic, to think and to feel that way. I’m still here writing my blog posts because I believe that people still read them and because, in the end, it makes me happy.
Yet, I also feel like some things maybe have to change, to grow, some content has to be more interesting, maybe I need to be more on social media and blog, less.
I don’t know, I’ve been feeling a bit numb and bummed, ever since I read this.
I’m not leaving and I still have some content ideas, and I still want to write on the blog, but… yeah, I got a bit sad about that, this month. Okay, rant’s over!
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On the blog this month: book reviews
On the blog this month: blogging, books & more
October’s spooky month, but since I already did a list about spooky, atmospheric reads on the blog, I thought I’d go another way and share some really unsettling books I loved!
October 15th was my birthday and, as usual, I reflected on the past years’ happening and shared some goals for the upcoming year!
My sister and co-blogger shared a lovely list about sex-positive YA books!
Last but certainly not least: I shared some of my most anticipated YA books for 2023. There are SO many excellent books here, check them out!!
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On instagram
I’m still doing this instagram experience, where I try to post a little more often and share a mix of travel reels, bookish recommendations and more. I don’t know if it’s “working” or what “working” even means, for me, but.. I’m trying to be more present there and to find my pace, hoping to turn this into something that feels like me, that I love more and more and YOU enjoy, as well!
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I didn’t blog hop much in the past month and, as always, I’m a bit disappointed in myself. That being said, I know I spent a whole damn lot writing and it made me happy, so… I’m trying to be okay with that! Anyway, here are a couple blog posts I enjoyed. If you wrote a blog post you’re proud of, feel free to share it in comments!
- I loved Laura’s post about taking breaks in between books. Really made me think about my own reading pace!
- Caro shared some great spooky recommendations for the season!
How was your month? What was your favorite read this October? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Tell me about your story!!
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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OMG I got married on your birthday!! My birthday was 10.7! Happy belated birthday. I hope it was wonderful <3
I feel the same way about blog posts. I feel like so many people would rather watch booktok and stuff but I love how creative you can get with just written words and graphics. I absolutely LOVE your blog <3
AH CONGRATULATIONS! So happy for you! 😍 Hope you had the most fantastic wedding!
I’m happy I’m not the only one feeling this way. I love writing so much more and I don’t feel comfortable going to booktok. Who knows, maybe someday, but well. I do love good old blogs! Thank you so much for your kinds words, this means so much 🥺🥺
It looks like you read a lot of great books in October. I hope November is just as good.
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll have a lovely month as well 🙂
Thank you!
Happy belated birthday! My month was okay too. It’s sad when we work so hard on blog for long time and then hear such comments. I hope you have amazing November.
Thank you so much! 🥺 These comments are very frustrating indeed. I hope that your November has been good so far!
Hope you had a great birthday 🎂
Thank you so much! 🙂
It sounds like you had a good October! 😊
If I’m being honest, I’m glad it’s over, the month dragged personally for me so I’m looking forward to November because I love this month (my birthday might have something to do with that 😉). Speaking of, I say the same thing too, I honestly don’t feel older than 18 every year… maybe one day I will? Who knows. 😂
That was such a sad tweet. I’m with you, I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. Surprisingly my stats have gone up a bit so I’m going to take that as a positive note! 😄
I hope you have a wonderful November! 💜
AHH YAY happy birthday month!! I hope I didn’t miss it just yet! 🥺
So happy that your stats have grown a little bit in the past month, that’s so great and definitely something positive to hang onto, yay! I hope November will be fantastic for you! <3
Aw thank you, Marie! 💜 Nope, not yet – it’s next Sunday! 😊
Right?! I don’t know what I did, but I’ll take it! Thank you, I hope you have an amazing November too! ❤️
Ohhh good I haven’t missed it just yet! 😀
Happy Belated Birthday!! My month was ok. I finally finished reading a book series that I was putting off. I loved it, but this new book series I am reading now is not good. I trying to decide if I want to continue reading the book series. I found out I no longer have Hepatitis C. The medicine I took worked, but my liver levels are still high.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you loved that first book series, I hope that second one will maybe get better! And so happy to hear the medecine worked. Take care of yourself, sending you lots of love and hoping for the best for this new month! <3
Happy belated birthday and i love your book recommendations. These are things i missed about your blog.
Definitely going to check out your blog
P.s I just relaunched my blog and i was hoping if you could check it out Thank you in advance
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Glad to see that you liked If You’re Out There, I’ve had this on my TBR for way too long 😄 It’s great that you loved Archenemies, I need to finish this series, as I only have Supernova left to read 😱 What Happens After Midnight sounds really interesting and the cover is gorgeous!! Also thank you so much for sharing my post 🧡
It’s such a good book, I regret leaving it on my TBR for so long! Hope you’ll get a chance to read it soon! 🙂
Thank you, Caro, I hope you’re having a lovely November! <3
45 books is definitely something to celebrate. I think sometimes we can get frustrated when we see some bloggers reading 100-120 books a year. I do wonder where they get the time but most of them explain that they don’t watch tv so use that time to read.
I also wonder how they get so much time! Everyone has different lives though, jobs or not, they watch tv or not, take care of kids or not…and some people manage to read really quickly, as well! I’ll forever be amazed by people reading over 100 books a year, but great for them 😀
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Great wrap-up, Marie – and happy belated birthday! 🎉 I have wondered the same about book blogs lately and it makes me sad too. It’s true that book blogs receive much less engagement than they did a couple of years ago, despite the content still being interesting and relevant. The problem is, other social media platforms are more visual, influential, and favoured by publishers. I still want to keep blogging as I love creating posts, but fewer people read blogs these days for sure so that has made me think about the future. I’ll admit that I don’t have as much time to read blogs as I used to. You have always been an inspiring advocate for book blogs, so thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️
Thank you so, so much! <3
I agree. I completely understand the appeal of these platforms, but I also feel like everyone's moving on from blogs and publishers are forgetting how powerful these platforms can be, too. I'm also thinking a lot about what's next, I know I don't have (or take) as much time as I used to to read blogs. It makes me really sad to see the world's moving on as a whole.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Stephen, I appreciate it so much <3
I hope November will be wonderful to you despite it getting darker and colder <3
October was pretty much dark for me, with some good days inbetween, but mostly it was filled with grief and I really want November to be better. But I really enjoyed long walks through the forest, finding many mushrooms. This just heals my soul a bit 😀
I hope you have a good weekend! <3
Thank you so much, Kat! I’m so sorry October has been so tough for you, please know that I’m always just a message away if you ever need to talk 🥺 I hope November will be better and brighter, sending you lots of love!
Thanks for mentioning my blog post!
I always get kind of sad too when people question whether or not anyone actually reads blogs these days. I definitely think that a lot of people do, but I think when you have been doing it a long time and look back at what it used to be like, comparatively it does seem like no one reads blogs anymore. But as long as there are still a few people reading I’ll keep writing, because I really enjoy it, and to be honest, I’m really not great at social media!
I hope you have a great November!
Of course, thank you for writing it, I loved it!
You’re so right about this: when we’ve been here for so many years, the switch from blogs to social media is obvious. I’m right here with you though, I try but don’t feel that great (or as at ease) with social media either.
Thank you so much! I hope November will be lovely for you <3
Hello!
Happy belated birthday! And if you feel young at heart and in the mind, don’t let turning 29 bother you at all!
I feel you so much on that post you stumbled across. I recently returned to the blogging world after years of not blogging properly…and it was upsetting because I felt the vibe changed? It’s so hard to stumble across blogs/content I’m into/regulars have dipped/hard to get interaction!
I feel like there are so many alternatives to blogging now – it’s great that people are exploring other aspects but it’s sad too because why does it seem like the blogging world is slowly growing smaller?!
Also tryna figure out how to use insta to promote your blog/share your interests is hard. I will have a stalk of your insta though 🙂
Your photos are very nice on this blog btw and I love the aesthetics going on!
Oh thank you so much, you’re so kind! <3
I'm so glad I'm not the only one feeling this way! The vibes here definitely have changed and interaction isn't as important as it used to be, on blogs. I feel indeed, like the blogging world is getting smaller and smaller every day, but maybe we haven't found the crowds that are still there? I hope so!
Thank you so much for your kind words and all the best of luck with your instagram! :D
Well I’ve managed to stumble across your blog, and it won’t be the last time you her from me so I suppose there is hope! The likeminded souls will eventually be drawn together. All the best for your blog <3
Thank you so, so much, all the best to you, too!! <3
Happy belated birthday! I’m glad you had an amazing day and ate good food (and adopted a new plant). I’m sorry it’s been a complicated and exhausting month professionally, I can definitely relate and kind of happy about the year being almost over so a new leaf can be turned in 2023. Manifesting good things for both of us.
Good luck on finishing your Goodreads challenge and finishing edits!
I think I saw that tweet as well, and honestly as someone who’s blogged for over a decade, yeah, it definitely hurt. 🙁 But I also believe that people still read blogs and especially with Musk taking over Twitter well… sure people might flock to another social media platform, but it’s not like blogs are going anywhere (not unless the entire internet gets taken down too, at least for self-hosted).
I hope you have a lovely November!
Thank you so, so much, Sophia! I hope that the last months of 2022 and then 2023 will be kinder to us all, sending you lots of love <3
I completely agree with you, and that's what makes me keep on hoping. Blogs aren't going anywhere, and especially self-hosted blogs. I'm still really happy about my platform and hope that more people will come back to blogs and realize how lovely these places are :D
I hope November will be lovely to you! <3
a very belated but happy birthday to you, marie!!! we always feel younger than we are, and that’s what matters 😉 i’m feeling you w/nanowrimo. i really just wanted to make sure i wrote something, anything, every single day this month. i successfully did so at camp and nano last year, and for some reason fell rather short of the mark in both april and july this year.
then, i fell ill saturday and didn’t write for two days :/ i have to just accept that it wasn’t meant to be this year, and that i need to just focus on writing what i can, when i can. i still have the rest of the month, and the rest of the year! moreover, i have the rest of my life to work on my craft :’)
Macey thank you so much 🥺🥺 I think you have the right mindset! Don’t put too much pressure on trying to write every single day, it doesn’t work for everyone (and certainly not for me at times!). As long as you write when you can, when you feel like it, as well, and don’t give up on your craft, you’ll do great. I believe in you, and always here to chat about writing if you want to! <3
you’re the sweetest <3333 same here!!
I’m sorry to hear that you had a tough October, my month wasn’t much better. My mental health took a huge dive, and it was really difficult. I do what I also do when I feel this way, and retreat into books. I feel a bit better at the moment, which I am beyond grateful for, and hope this feeling continues on into the new year. Sending you so much love, strength and hugs for the month of November xx
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear it’s been such a tough month. I’m glad you’re better at the moment and hope this continues. Always here for you if you ever need to talk! Sending you lots of love <3 <3