As you may (or may not) know, I took an international vacation in October for this first time since February 2020. My husband and I have a tradition of going on a big trip abroad each year. So this was our first one in a while. I felt a little rusty packing and doing all the things one does in an airport. We went to Switzerland first for a week followed by a second week in southern France.
In Switzerland we spent nearly all of our time in and around the Lauterbrunnen valley, which apparently inspired Tolkien’s Rivendell. So that was a fun fact to learn. The mountains there are gorgeous and we got super lucky that the clouds held off, for the most part, at the top of the ones we wanted to visit. In France we stayed in Orange and did various day trips from there. We tasted Rhone valley wines, took a scenic bike ride, and visited a lot of Roman ruins.
The only downer is that we paid the “travel tax” in the end. After evading THE THING for 2.5 years, we caught it despite our masking precautions and eating outdoors everywhere. However, as of writing this, what made me feel bad was actually a co-infection of strep throat. (So when you see those headlines saying people are now getting co-infections, hi, it’s me, I’m the problem, it’s me. See what I did there?) Trying to get a doctor’s appointment was interesting because even their virtual appointments were booked 5 days out. So that was a whole other thing, but in the end I got a house call and some antibiotics. So I guess that’s a new thing now?
Anyway, let’s talk book stuff…
Book Reviews
I posted four book reviews in October. From earliest to latest they are:
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
- Spear by Nicola Griffith
- A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
- The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
I also participated in memes throughout October, as I typically do every month. You can find them in my October archives.
Blog Statistics
Every month I share some statistics from Google Analytics because I think it helps put expectations into perspective for other micro-bloggers like me who are out there.
My top five posts for unique page views in October are:
- How to Make Book Blog Friends and Grow Your Audience: 54 views
- Spooktastic Reads: Dark Fantasy Books: 38 views
- October 2022 TBR List: 35 views
- Book Review: Spear by Nicola Griffith: 19 views
- ARC Review: A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson: 18 views
I also gained two more followers and now have 107 lovely folks following my blathering.
#BeatTheBacklong
Once again I failed to read any books that I added to my TBR prior to 2022.
NetGalley
Although I achieved the elusive 80% feedback threshold last month, that number dropped a teensy bit during October. But it’s all ok because I was approved for several books that I requested a little while ago: BOOKWORM by Robin Yeatman and SOME DESPERATE GLORY by Emily Tesh. Also new to my NG list is THE MAGICIAN’S DAUGHTER by H.G. Parry. Moreover, I submitted a review during the last few days of the month and kept my feedback at 79%.
Other Bookish Items
- In addition to book reviews and memes, I also put together a post of tips that have helped me find my niche and grow my audience. Please do check it out!
- I completed the October prompt for the 2022 Book Blogger Support Challenge.
- I did my first book tag in a while all about Halloween!
- My first BBNYA 2022 Spotlight for a semifinalist went live for A STAR NAMED VEGA by Benjamin J. Roberts.
- Books I finished in October are: THE VISIT by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a speculative fiction short story; GLOW by Raven Kennedy; A STORM OF WRATH & RUIN by Kristin Ward; A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD by Elise Kova; THE DARK QUEENS by Shelley Puhak; and HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR by Sue Lynn Tan.
How was your October?
Hi Celeste,
I hope you are already feeling better. I was house-bound, thanks to COVID-19, last week. But I had very mild symptoms. Here it was also a hassle to get the doctor on the phone. Today, I am already back to work, just some nasal spray and cough syrup did the trick for me.
Despite your traveling your October was pretty packed. Not just by blog posts but also by the amount of books you read. That is really great.
Cheerio
RoXXie
Hi RoXXie! Thanks for the well wishes. I am improving–for me, for the most part, it’s been major nose congestion which feels like it’s taking forever to go away. I’m glad you’re feeling better, though! 🙂
Yes, I was surprised to see I read as much as I did! Either my reading speed has increased, or I’m picking books I end up enjoying. Have a great November!
Glad you had a wonderful time in Europe, even if the travel tax caught up with you. Strep is no fun, hope you’re feeling better!
Thanks! Yea, I’m mildly annoyed about the travel tax considering the only major thing we did differently was take public transportation; maybe that’s what did us in in the end! That and lowered immune systems from 2.5 years of keeping a tight knit crew.