October went by in a flash! I felt like it was gone in the blink of an eye and I hardly had a moment to sit down. I only managed a few blog posts, but I did get through more books than I had thought, so that’s a plus. Can you believe it’s already November and the holiday season is upon us???


I'm actually pretty surprised I read 9 books in October. I didn't think the number was quite so high until I was putting this list together. Falling Kingdoms was my 100th read of the year! I have officially met my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal for 2016. At this point I'm ultimately going to try for 120 finishes, we'll see if I can make it!

July, also known as my birthday month, and as well as the month in which our nation celebrates its independence. If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to find ways to stay indoors because the 5 days in a row of triple digits with no pool or a break in the heat in sight is no bueno. I’ll stick with iced coffee and my air conditioning, thank you.





The Crown’s Game was a quick and easy read. The premise was great, but I wasn’t as enthralled as I hoped I would be. Skye’s writing and world building is beautiful, as wells as her dedication to the time and Russian heritage, but I just didn’t feel much for the characters. I also found it to be predictable.

I’m pretty sure I’d read The Lucky One before this because it was very familiar to me, but I’m not 100%. It could be because I’ve seen the movie, but the movie isn’t exactly the same, but who knows. It’s a good campy romance novel like most Nicholas Sparks books. This one didn’t make me cry at least.

I fell 3 weeks behind on my Steotchalong (mentioned in June’s recap) due to life’s events mentioned below, but I did my damnedest to catch up, and made it! That was tough. It took a lot of sitting and a stiff neck, but I managed it. Tyrion has a neck and a full head of hair, a goatee, and a shirt!


Look at all that shiny metallic gold threat. It’s a pain in the butt to stitch with! Thread Heaven is a life saver when it comes to working with metallic thread. Also, I will never work with DMC metallic ever again and will only work with Kreinik braided metallics. They don’t fray like DMC and they’re much easier to anchor to the needle.

Sadly I haven’t touched my Hogwarts Crest *pout* I probably won’t be finished this year as I’d hoped. Too many other things going on. I haven’t touched my other secret project mentioned in other monthly recaps either. I guess it could be worse; I could have no projects or hobbies.

July was incredibly busy for me. I know I say this every month, but this month especially. It was my birthday the first week and I turned the big three-oh. Oh lordy… Don’t judge me for still reading loads of YA, it’s my favorite. My husband surprised me with a whole spa package and the above pictured totally awesome Harry Potter Quidditch set for my b-day. He totally gets me. My mom found my Top-10 Birthday Wishlist post and sent me a stack of books (also pictured above)! Overall I’d say I had an awesome 30th!


I went to my future sister-in-law’s bachelorette party weekend where we attended a Giant’s game and spent a day wine tasting in Sonoma.
While everyone else was at SDCC, my husband and I made our annual trek to the state fair. I know it’s pretty much the same every year, but I love it, and it’s a tradition now. By 10am, it was 85 deg, so naturally we started the day with milkshakes. I had Reece’s Peanut butter and my husband had Oreo. The day topped out at 104 deg! I didn’t win big at the horse races but we have a good time with family and trying not to melt. After the fair, I went to a Sacramento Rivercats game, where I also proceeded to melt.


HAS ANYONE ELSE DISCOVERED STRANGER THINGS?! I binge watched it in only 3 days. Holy man it was so good! I may re-watch it just because I couldn’t get enough! It was the first show in so long where all I wanted to do was sit and watch and do nothing else. Not play on my phone or even cross-stitch. Usually I have to be doing something while watching TV or a movie or I feel incredibly lazy or I get bored, but not with Stranger. It was just too good. If you haven’t watched yet, you totally should.

I know, I know. This is very late. Sorry dear readers! Life has gotten a bit hectic as of late. It seems like I turned one year older and everything has just started to lag behind; now I’m stuck playing catch-up.

The blog got a redesign at the end of the month! What do you think? I’m pretty happy with it.
On to the recap!










I finished 10 books in June! I listened to more books than I physically read due to me being extremely busy, spending more time in the car, and spending more time listening while cross stitching my Steotchalong project (which I’ll talk about more below). I’m still happy about my progress. This is also why I don’t make TBR lists. The photo above? That is what I planned to read in June.

This is what I actually read. Pretty big difference.


I carved some time out to go to BFest at my local Barnes & Noble. Apparently, despite living in a heavily populated city, my store is not busy enough to get that big of an event, but I still had a good time! I played YA trivia on day 1, and won! – don’t worry, I didn’t beat down any kids to get the prize, only 2 others my age participated so it was well matched. They even gave us these mustaches to wear.


Did you go to your local BFest? I hope they continue this even annually? I think it’s a great way to get more young people involved in reading, or anyone really.


I’m participating in the fourth Mystery Steotchalong! If you’re a cross stitcher (and even if you’re not), this is a fun event. It’s the second time I’ve participated (last year was Star Wars!). I think I’ve figured this year’s pattern out already but I’m not 100%. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’m pretty sure we’re stitching upside down. What tricky people! If you don’t want to know, don’t tilt your head, but once you do, it will probably become pretty obvious. If not, feel free to ask me in the comments and I’ll share my theory.



Just wanted to share this picture of my cats being a little crazy and cute. Leia is 'trying' to help me with my cross stitch.

How was your June? Are you playing catch up? Read anything excellent or have any good recommendations for me?

I've been a terrible blogger this last month! There's been so much going on that I haven't posted, but my Instagram and Twitter are still alive, so fret not.

I suppose this will have to be a March recap as I didn’t manage to post in March other than my February recap – oops! Sorry guys. I managed to read 14 books in March! Granted some were short and many were audiobooks, they still count.

1. No One Knows by J.T. Ellison - 4/5 ✩
2. Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han* - 3/5 ✩
3. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen* - 3/5 ✩
4. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling - 5/5 ✩
5. Morning Star by Pierce Brown - 5/5 ✩
6. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin* - 4/5 ✩
7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman*  - 5/5 ✩
8. Graceling by Kristin Cashore* - 2/5 ✩
9. The Flood Girls by Richard Fifield - 4/5 ✩
10. Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins* - 3/5 ✩
11. The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee* - 2/5 ✩
12. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams* - 3/5 ✩
13. Black Canary, Vol. 1: Kicking and Screaming by Brenden Fletcher - 3/5 ✩
14. Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee - 2.5/5 ✩

*audiobooks - part of my Audiobook 2016 challenge

Thoughts
Morning Star was one of my most anticipated reads of 2016 and it did not disappoint! I took so many pages of notes and quotes from Brown’s work and couldn’t get through it fast enough. It was a fantastic, yet bittersweet end to one of my favorite trilogies.

The Flood Girls was my suggestion for book club this month and I am so glad we went with this one. It was funny and real and stuck with me. The characters just got under my skin in a way that I was sad when it was over. The main character, Rachel, goes home to a small town in Montana to make amends as part of AA after being gone for 9 years. It really shows small town life in America in the 90’s and I’d even say now in some places. Jake, Rachel’s 12-year-old neighbor, just melted my heart.

The Queen of the Night – to be honest, I couldn’t finish this one. I made it half way and was so bored I couldn’t take it. Which isn’t to say it was a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.

Cover Reveals!

We finally got the cover reveal for The Fate of the Tearling *Squee*!! Just look at it! My most anticipated book of 2016! Well, I suppose technically second, right behind the special, collector’s edition of the Illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – which I’m STILL waiting for Scholastic to put up for pre-order. Bloomsbury UK had the UK version up on their site the same day they revealed the cover. Get it together Scholastic! BUT since it’s not a new story/release, The Tearling is my most anticipated *new book*. Anyway, back to The Tearling. Have you started the series yet? You should, I’m telling you right now that you’re missing out if you haven’t.

Cross Stitch
I made some real progress on my Hogwarts Crest; I finally finished page 2 (of 12)! I’ve also started a small side project for my husband (it’s a secret, shhhh…) but haven’t posted any progress photos yet. Sorry, I know these aren't the greatest pics.

March 1

March 23

I made my own grime guards for my scroll stand (the colorful, dotted cloths on the top and bottom). I used this tutorial, and the measurements were good for my stand but I'll make them thinner/not as fat, next time around. The tut used 5 inches, but I probably could have gotten away with 3 - I had to tuck them in the back.

TV/Bookish?
I also discovered Outlander and holy, Jamie Fraser, Batman! Why did I not start watching this show sooner? Jamie is so adorable at times I just want to squeeze him! Have you watched it? So good.


The dynamic between him and Claire is amazing and these actors pull it off so well. It's been a long time since a new show has pulled me in so thoroughly. It has time travel, 1700s Scotland, Scots, a brilliant, smart female lead with a fiery temper, and a strong male lead who can make you melt.  I need to know what happens next! I love it so much I picked up the first book in the series and plan to start it soon.




Life
What else happened in March… my husband and I got to be the cool aunt and uncle and take my niece to the zoo.


Being the cool aunt is exhausting by the way. I bought (and built) some new bookshelves, which I’m totally in love with.


I went to my library’s warehouse sale and snagged some great books that have been on my TBR forever, as well as some new (to me) ones.


All in all, I’d say March was good to me. How about you?

The Invention of Wings was not a book I normally would have picked up and read on my own, but this was my book club's January pick. It's an historical fiction with some parts based on fact and others completely made up to suite the story.

Here's the Good Reads synopsis:

"Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women."

The story revolves around the two main characters, Handful/Hetty and Sarah. Sarah is the white daughter of a rich and powerful landowner in Charleston, South Carolina in the early 1800s. Handful and her mother are seamstress slaves owned by the Grimke family.

At Sarah's 11th birthday party, she is presented with Handful as her gift. Even at the young age of 11, Sarah knows that owning another human being is wrong. She tries to refuse the gift only to be severely reprimanded by her mother and forced to accept in front of all their guests. As they grow up together, they walk a fine line between the roles of master and slave and friendship.

Sarah Grimke and her sister Nina were actually real women who grew up to help lead an anti-slavery movement that also led to a partial women's right's movement. Handful's character was not a real person, but I can see why Kidd created her to balance Sarah's story.

I really enjoyed Handful and her spunky personality. She seemed much deeper than Sarah, with thoughts such as, "I have a mind for the master to see, I have another for what I know is me." While Sarah was a prisoner of her station but she was by no means as tragic as she was made out to be. I felt she was dramatic.

Overall, I thought the novel was good, but I just don't think it was for me. It took me a while to get into, and it didn't really hook me or pull me in.