The first half of April felt like it lasted forever and then suddenly May arrived! Funny how that happens. Time, what a concept. Anyway, it’s time for my April 2025 book blog wrap-up.
But before I jump into that, just a little blurb to say I kind of want to step back a little from blogging/social media-ing. I still plan to post. But I think I’ll focus my limited free time and energy more on those with whom I mutually interact. To be honest, I’ve slid more into that custom for the past few months because I’m tired of trying to be the social butterfly on all the blogs, but then receive little reciprocal interaction; it’s not sustainable for me. I know it’s not mandatory for someone to reciprocally interact, but it certainly is a nice thing to do. So, to those of you who show up and interact with me, I see you and I appreciate you! I know life is busy and stressful (I can absolutely relate–if only I shared my behind the scenes life), so it means a lot that you all take the time to comment every now and then.
Anyway, enough of my blathering. Here’s my April 2025 book blog wrap-up for your perusal.
Book Reviews
I posted six book reviews in April. From earliest to latest they are:
- Curiouser And… by Jillian Maria
- As Born to Rule the Storm by Cate Baumer
- Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire
- Tideborn by Eliza Chan
- Roll For Romance by Lenora Woods
- The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
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.
My top five posts for total page views are (as of the morning of April 30):
- Book Review: Gild by Raven Kennedy: 709 views
- Arthurian Retellings Reading List: 526 views
- ARC Review: Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig: 266 views
- Book Review: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake: 255 views
- Book Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer: 248 views
April’s viewership statistics are about 1,000 views lower than March’s. My interaction (comments, likes) statistics were about the same. So, I strongly suspect this is because Google did a core update. And every time they do that it f*cks me over and I get less views related to SEO. But, I just remind myself this is a hobby, not a job. Happily, though, I gained nine followers and sit at 248!
#BeattheBacklog
I feel like I did really well in April for this challenge. I read four books that I’ve had on my TBR prior to 2025. Those books are CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas, A FATE INKED IN BLOOD by Danielle Jensen, SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young, and THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune. All of these are books I also own, which gives me an opportunity now to keep or remove them from my collection. (Obviously I’m keeping my SJM book! :-P)
Other Bookish Items
I finished eight books in April:
- WHAT WE FED TO THE MANTICORE by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri (audiobook)
- ROLL FOR ROMANCE by Lenora Woods (ARC)
- CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas
- A FATE INKED IN BLOOD by Danielle Jensen
- MORE: A MEMOIR OF OPEN MARRIAGE by Molly Roden Winter (audiobook)
- SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young (audiobook)
- THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune
- MADDENING MAST CELL MATHEMATICS by Sarah Klein (ARC)
Now that the SFINCS is over, all of my reads are full-length novels. So I doubt I’ll reach books-read monthly totals in the teens again this year. And that’s totally ok!
Other Media Wrap-Up
I haven’t watched enough to warrant a list format this month. But we started the new season of Doctor Who and finished episode one. I liked it, but I have the same critique now as I did for last season. Everything happens so fast that there’s little time for actual character development and emotional attachment. I feel like I’m watching vignettes rather than working my way toward an overarching story. That’s also how I felt with The Mandalorian by the end; I was so over bopping around from planet to planet.
We’re also slowly working our way through One Piece, the live action version on Netflix. I’m not big into pirate-y stuff, but it kept being suggested to us so we succumbed. I think the acting is great, but, unlike my husband, I’m not yet grabbed by the plot.
Finally, we saw an Alice in Wonderland-inspired ballet last week. It was fun and more modern and included students from the school associated with the Washington Ballet. The best part was when little kids dressed as flamingoes were actually used as croquet mallets to “hit” the kids dressed as the hedgehogs. I’m more of a classical ballet person, though. But it was good to try something different and support the arts.
Non-Bookish Items
I did a lot of gardening in April. The potatoes, strawberry bare roots, and asparagus crowns arrived in the mail, so those are now in the dirt. I also cut back all of last year’s dead foliage from the perennials. I transplanted a few vegetables, but most of them are still too small. However, it’s now warm enough that they’re outside, so that light source helps immensely for growth relative to my sad grow lights. I’ve been trying to grow slips from a white sweet potato and it’s been slow. So slow that the potato is now slowly decomposing with only the tiniest slips poking through, so I had to put it outside. It’s been a different experience from the purple sweet potato I tried a couple years ago.
For my husband’s birthday we drove three hours to southern Virginia to ride our bikes on a rail trail there. One of the wooden bridges we rode across is a half mile long! It’s also a spot where the Union and Confederate troops met. I know there’s a lot of Civil War history in Virginia, but it definitely becomes more apparent the farther south you go. Anyway, it was a gorgeous day despite the threat of scattered rain storms.
How was your April? Did we read any of the same books?
My views went down pretty significantly in April, too. I’m not sure if it was because of SEO or because I posted a little less. It is probably a mix of both. It looks like you had a good reading month, though, especially when it comes to getting through some older owned books. That’s awesome!
I spent a lot of time in the garden in April, too. I had to build it and fill it. Now I’ve got potato, lettuce, onion, and carrots in the dirt and already coming up. It is almost time to add the pepper plants, squash, okra, and beans. 🙂
I’ve been watching Doctor Who each week. The first episode was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed the second and third ones more. I agree with you and do miss the days when the seasons had time for slower development and build up to an overall arc. I’m curious to see where this season is going, though, and how it will all wrap up, especially since they still haven’t announced whether it will get a season three.
I bet for the most part your lower views are because of SEO. Literally every time Google does a big update I see it affect my viewership stats. My interaction stats stay roughly the same, so that’s why I’m pretty convinced it’s related to SEO.
I’m so excited for your gardening adventures! I expect to read updates every month in your recaps or whatever. No pressure. 🙂 I’ll be curious to see how well okra do where you live now, since they like pretty hot weather. I love to freeze ours and throw them into chicken soup.
As for Doctor Who, we’re a few episodes behind and still have only watched episode 1. Hopefully, like you, I enjoy the next episodes more. I still liked episode 1, but I just wish the pace was slower and more filled in. I hope they get a season three…switching doctors in and out after two seasons is honestly kind of a pain because then they have to think of some big plot reason why the doctor changed faces.
Looks like a pretty solid reading month! A few of your reads from this month are on my TBR – Roll for Romance and A Fate Inked in Blood. I know the feeling of needing to step back from all the engagement. It can get overwhelming, especially when life is life-ing.
I think (hope) you’ll like ROLL FOR ROMANCE! It’s “wholesome,” for lack of a better word. I liked the MC’s growth during the whole thing. I liked A FATE INKED IN BLOOD, but I’m pretty sure there are some more critical reviews about it. But it kept me engaged & I plan to finish the duology.
And yes, trying to find time for all the engagement can be a lot sometimes. My free time is finite, so I want to concentrate on spending it on others who appreciate that I take the time to read & interact with what they put out into the blogosphere.
It looks like you had a really good reading month!
A little more varied than usual, which probably means it’s time for a bit of a fantasy break, haha.
I definitely hear you on focusing on blogs where there is some contact. I’ve given posting comments on a couple of blogs lately as there is no return feedback at all. I don’t expect people to come to my blog and comment but it would be nice to get some reaction to the comments that I post especially if you ask a question. I love how your Arthurian blog post is still getting so many views.
The ballet sounds interesting even if not quite what you prefer to watch. Have you watched the new series on Amazon. I’ve got it on my watch list but haven’t got around to starting it yet.
Have a great reading month in May.
Yes!! That’s exactly it. There are a few blogs I used to comment on with some frequency. And while they’d return the comment on their own blog, they’d almost never return the favor, so to speak. Aside from the busy-ness of life, sometimes I wonder if they do that because their blog is large enough that they don’t feel the need to blog hop. Alternatively, maybe they just don’t get that if they want to keep getting engagement, they need to put in the effort, too? And then there are other blogs where commenting is just a pain because of how they’re set up, but that’s a whole other thing. So now I’m just going to spend my limited free time where I feel other bloggers appreciate it and appreciate me. So thank you for always popping by…it makes me feel like I’m not blogging into the void!
I’ve not watched the new ballet series on Amazon (I don’t have Prime & I try really hard not to buy from them), but it looks interesting. I wish it was on Netflix, lol, so I could watch it.
I did wonder if you were trying not to buy from Amazon as I know a lot of people are trying not to at the moment. It’s the biggest problem with streaming services that you can’t watch everything you want to without spending a fortune.
I’ve been an Amazon hater for a while now, even before the current climate. So it’s not a new habit for me. For the most part putting my money with my morals has proven to be the right choice for me (also the same for a particular electric car company—the writing was on the wall years ago with that guy). Of course I totally understand why not everyone can do that, but I’m thankful I can. And I’m not perfect either…there are some places I shop at because that’s just what there is…like having to choose between Wal-Mart or Target for every day items (I’m so disappointed with Target). Anyway, I’ll stop talking about depressing stuff lol. Back to our regularly programmed bookish stuff. 😅
I have mixed feelings about Amazon. I do try not to use it for buying stuff and to buy from proper ships but then they are putting money into films and TV shows which I feel is a good thing
Happy reading and I hope your stats go back up in May X
I hear you on blogging and real life. It can be demanding to keep up with posting content and trying to comment on others, and still have time for anything else! I go up and down in terms of how much time and effort I’m willing to devote to blogging. I still enjoy doing it, but sometimes it feels like it’s at the expense of having more time for other “real life” hobbies and interactions.
Your bike trip sounds terrific! It’s so great that you and your husband find time to get away and explore! Wishing you a happy May.
I don’t mind finding time to comment on other blogs, and I’ll try to give everyone a fair shot, but if I’m putting in the effort to hop around, it’s always nice if that person returns the favor (so to speak) every now and then. I, like everyone else, have limited free time, so lately I prefer to spend it where it’s appreciated, if that makes sense? I do really enjoy blogging, so I try to set a steady pace for myself, but it is nice to pull back sometimes for a limited amount of time. And you’re right that it can take away time for other “real life” hobbies and interactions.
The bike trip was fun…it’s not a part of Virginia I’d visit otherwise because it takes a lot of time to get there.
I sent the last comment before I’d finished😳 It’s the interaction of the comments that make the blogging so worthwhile. There’s at least one blog where the blogger doesn’t even reply to comments on their own blog which seems weird to me. I love it when a comment develops into a random chat and that builds friendships X
Couldn’t agree more! ♥️ And if someone just doesn’t reply ever then that’s a hard stop for me.
I have been feeling the same way lately about a lack of reciprocity so I must admit it makes me feel a lot better seeing someone else say the same 😅 If I spend a year commenting on someone’s blog and they’ve never stopped by mine, I think I need to stop putting so much effort there. For me, blogging is about building a dialogue with readers who have similar habits. I think if I often have something to say on one person’s blog, then they’d probably find something to say on mine on occassion. I also don’t expect one-to-one reciprocity, but if someone isn’t interested in building a mutual blogging relationship, then why I am putting so much time into reading and responding to their blog when I could focus on my own reading, writing, and communicating with those who are intested in dialgoue? Phew, thanks for letting me get that off my chest 😆
I was hit by fewers views in April as well but May already seems to be trending back to ‘usual’?? I am also glad I just do this as a hobby as otherwise the ups and downs might drive me mad!
I have historically been a Doctor Who fan (as in, from the Christopher Eccleston/David Tennant days) but haven’t started the new season… hard to feel interested in it after the previous one, for that pacing reason you note here.
And to think I almost skipped saying something about the reciprocity thing…I’ve been wanting to say something for months and finally did because I was like, “Surely I can’t be the only one who feels this way!” So I’m glad it helped you in some way? lol. I also agree that blogging is about building a dialogue with readers who read similarly to you…that’s a good way of putting it.
I’m still not trending back to “usual” with views. 🙁 When Google does an update it usually takes 2-3 months for my blog to recover. T_T
I hear you about the time spent on blogging. I didn’t do much in March and April as it became too much to juggle with a demanding job and personal life. I think these days several bloggers have pulled back a bit. I try to just do what I can when I can and not let it bother me too much.
Yep, that’s exactly right…I do the same, just trying to do what I can when I can. I do pretty well at not letting it bother me too much, but there are times it sometimes get to me.
Sounds like you had an eventful and fulfilling April! Time is truly an interesting concept because I can never seem to get a handle on it 😂 This week feels like it’s going to be 50 million years long but last week passed by in a blink. I bet May is going to fly (again)! I totally relate regarding the blogging thing. I’ve taken the hint over the years that those who really want to interact with me will and those who don’t are just blogs that I won’t spend excessive energy on engaging with. With the need to balance everything else and blogging life (and with the everything else being exhausting enough) you should just do what’s best for you! I hope that whichever books you pick up in May will be entertaining and fulfilling 🙂
Yea, it was nice to just mood read and not “worry” about ARC deadlines. I did that last year for a couple months and it was really nice. I think I should do that every quarter or so because it’s a good way to refresh my reading.
It’s nice to see I’m not the only one who feels that way sometimes about interaction (as also evidenced by all the other comments, lol). Thanks for encouraging me to do what works best for me. 🙂