Happy end of November! We’re officially in a time vortex where time seems to move faster because of how busy we all are through the end of the year. I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a good one! We were in Boston and had a great time. Now, onto business: it’s time for my November book blog wrap-up. In case you missed anything, here’s what I was up to…
Book Reviews
I posted four reviews on November. From earliest to latest they are:
- Calamity by Constance Fay
- Roxy Buckles and the Flight of the Sparrow
- We’re All Monsters Here by Amy Marsden
- Gwen & Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher
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. These statistics are from Google Analytics 4.
As of the evening of November 28, my top five posts for total page views are:
- Book Review: Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer Armentrout: 691 views
- Arthurian Retellings Reading List: 613 views
- Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: 480 views
- Book Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer: 468 views
- ARC Book Review Etiquette: 194 views
I’m also thrilled to see my viewership stats improved once again this month. In November I hit over 5,000 views…so exciting!! I really didn’t think I’d surpass October, but for whatever reason my review of FALL OF RUIN AND WRATH received a ton of traffic. Allow me to once again credit SEO for these stats. Finally, a few more kind souls decided to follow my blog for a new total of 157. Thank you!
#BeatTheBacklog
I finished one book that I had on my TBR prior to 2023: HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas.
Other Bookish Items
I read seven books in November. Again, some of these are novellas I read for the ongoing SFINCS competition. I DNF one novella and have several books going right now (e.g., MAKING IT SO by Patrick Stewart, TWO TWISTED CROWNS by Rachel Gillig, and A TOUCH OF DARKNESS by Scarlett St. Clair). But, let’s keep it real…HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD should count as two books!
- CALAMITY by Constance Fay (ARC)
- HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas
- ROXY BUCKLES AND THE FLIGHT OF THE SPARROW by Nicole Little (SFINCS)
- WE’RE ALL MONSTERS HERE by Amy Marsden (SFINCS)
- NOT FUNNY: ESSAYS ON LIFE, COMEDY, CULTURE, ETCETERA by Jena Friedman
- GWEN & ART ARE NOT IN LOVE by Lex Croucher (ARC)
- THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS by Erika Johansen (ARC)
I received a digital ARC of IMMORTAL PLEASURES by V. Castro. This book looks so decadent. A big thanks to Caitlin at Realms of My Mind for her post alerting me to this upcoming book.
I decided to hold off on reading IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros. The overhype of it really turned me off to it, so I’ll read it on my terms. So, for now, I will continue to dodge spoilers.
Non-Bookish Items
I’m still doing well with my non-bookish goal of working out more consistently. Like last month, I’ve been doing some form of exercise 3-4x per week whether it’s a walk or something more intense. I also started dropping in to adult ballet classes once per week. It’s nice to know I have some muscle memory of the movements, though my brain isn’t used to remembering combinations. Ballet is also more about using stabilizer muscles, which aren’t really activated as much through more traditional workouts (e.g., running, cycling, weight lifting). So I have different muscle groups getting sore now, which is good!
Our garden is all shut down for the year. Technically we still have some greens and turnips growing, but I don’t think the former will grow very much. They typically overwinter and take off in the spring. And, speaking of gardening, the USDA released their latest hardiness zone map. We moved up a half zone. Ten years ago we were zone 7a and now we’re zone 7b. Prior to that was a map from 1990 where we were either zone 7a or zone 6b, but it’s hard to tell since the granularity isn’t there. In short, though, climate change is real. My hardiness zone is a half zone warmer now than it was 10+ years ago. This jives with anecdotal stories of Halloweens generally not being as chilly as they were when we were kids. And I can grow things into November.
How was your November?!
Congrats on a really good blogging month! The end of November is where I officially start to panic about the holidays, lol. It goes by so fast. I plan to have a more relaxed December on the blog, at least????
Thanks, Tammy! I was planning for a more relaxed December, but while I was making my TBR I realized I still have some ARCs left from October to read. ????
It looks like you had a great month! Congrats on the success with your stats. Those are awesome numbers. 🙂
Thanks, Chris! It took some time for SEO to pay off, but it’s certainly working now!
Autumn is definitely not as cold here as it used to be. I still have Summer flowers in the garden which I’m reluctant to pull out. However, as the temperature has plummeted to below freezing this week, I don’t think that they will survive much longer.
I’m reading Iron Flame next as it has arrived from the library. I’ve seen a few mixed reviews but they have all been really good about not including spoilers. My fingers are crossed that I enjoy it. It’s a lot of book to not enjoy!
Oooo it got really cold here last night (20F), but surprisingly my winter greens are still alive! Plants are amazing.
Have fun reading IRON FLAME…hopefully you’ll enjoy it!
Looks like you had a great blogging and reading month!! I hope that December is just as great!
Thanks, Leslie! I was hoping for a quieter December, but I realized I still have some backlogged ARCs. ???? Maybe I can squeeze in a mood read.
I live in zone 8b and look through older books the zone for my region has always been either 8 a or b. I am growing carrots which will last through the winter. As well as lattes and spinach which will continue to grow as long as the frost doesn’t get them. Even if there a danger of frost I can put plastic wrap over the garden box to trap in some heat.
Have a great December reading month.
I have a couple of spinach plants growing, too, and my greens usually make it through the winter (as long as the frost doesn’t kill them, as you said!). Yay for gardens! I hope you read some great books this month! 🙂