The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: August 2021 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in September

Posted September 2, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in End of the month post / 38 Comments

The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: August 2021 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in September

So August has been a roller coaster of a month. From starting my new job and really thinking it was going to be so good to the end of the month when things got piled on that hadn’t been originally part of said new job and that were NOT what I was prepared to do as a school librarian. The only good thing is that the district did realize part of what they were having me, and the other middle and high school librarians do with the online learning was a lot more than they thought it was. And so they ended up raising the stipend that we were getting for it. So I guess I have more money to look forward to. I had mentioned last month how I had extra time with no teachers to work in my library and I did have that. But now I just wish they’d told me about all the extra stuff on the first of those 10 extra days. I’d have been at least a little bit farther ahead than I am now. If I’m still at this job next year, I guess I will do my best to get things ready ahead of time. If you want to see my post when I first got into my library and was all excited and took pictures, you can check out that weekly wrap-up HERE.

My new job also means I don’t have time to do any blogging while at work. No time, plus they are very particular about the use of their laptops and wifi, so I can’t get to a lot of site, or don’t want to do that on my school laptop anymore. I mean it’s good, they haven’t had any of those data breaches, because of all the security guidelines they have though. But it also means I am trying to play catch up and slowing down on signing up for blog tours unless it is a book I know I’m going to read. I also haven’t been able to really take a half hour lunch since we’ve been back in school either. Every time I sit down to eat, someone comes to ask me something. And my library assistant doesn’t get to just do her library job because she has been enlisted in the laptop distribution I’m now in charge of. I feel like she deserves a raise or something, I’m guessing anyone who works in the tech department probably makes more money than she does, so that doesn’t seem fair to me at all. Unfortunately I have no say in what they pay her.

Also, it was miserably hot this month. I’m sooooooo ready for fall weather. And we did have another bad storm this month that ended up making me lose power and have branches down in my yard again. My internet and cable were out for two full days thanks to that storm.

August was also my blogoversary, and I’m keeping that giveaway going for a little bit longer this month, you can go enter that giveaway HERE. The week of my blogoversary we had another crazy thunderstorm here and I lost power again and had tree limbs down. There are pictures in that blog post.

I also went and chopped my hair off a bit, and got some fun color.

Because of all this craziness, the number of books I read this month was down quite a bit, one less than last month’s low number. I think part of that is also because I had some longer books I was reading as well as having less time to read. Here are the books I finished in August:

August Reviews:

I got my one overdue review done, as well as posting reviews for everything I read or listened to this past month!

Challenges:

You can see my sign up post for this challenge HERE. And here is the image with all the books I thought would be read.

I finished and reviewed Stepsister this month. Another book I had as a possibility to finish for this challenge was Berserker. Both of them got reviewed in the same post HERE. So that means with the books that weren’t in this picture that I’ve read, I’m up to a total of 9 out of my goal of 12 for the year, which means I only have 3 left, basically one a month for the rest of the year!

Last year I was doing the posts about Cleaning Up My TBR. I quit doing the posts by the end of the year, and was just going through Goodreads and clearing out books. So at the end of July I had 1,916 books on my TBR list. With how crazy my August has been, I only had time to look at my list once, and even with adding books, somehow I’m still at 1,916. Weird! Not sure how in the world that happened. But let’s hope I can get more time to go through the last 20 or so pages of books I have in my TBR list on Goodreads.

What to Expect in September:

Well, as expected there was no writing done this past month. Especially once they put the mask mandate back in place and I couldn’t go sit at the library to write because I can’t write sitting with a mask on. I just can’t. However I got an exciting chance through author Beth Revis’s emails. There is an online writing seminar on Saturday, September 25th, that was free for K-12 Educators. So I signed up for it. I mean, why not? I want to work on the things I need to finish, and the one I need to get edited, and I want to get prepared for NaNoWriMo in November using all the different things and outlining tips that I’ve gotten through different things this past year.

I’m hoping that things start to slow down a bit at my new school. That once we get all the laptops distributed to the students, and I get all the online students enrolled and divided up between one or two other people to keep track of, I can start doing library stuff again.

On the reading front, the next release of SmartyPants Romance books start to come out this month, so my reading plate is full! Wish me luck that I can get through them all!

Here is my proposed TBR for September:

  1. The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley – I’m actually reading an ARC of this over 450 page book right now! Hoping to get it finished in time for a review on either Friday or Saturday.
  2. So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow – I “won” this book on the Bookish First site by using the points I’d collected from doing first impressions over the past few months. Hoping to read it and post a review for it on either Sunday or Monday.
  3. Hard to Love by K. Bromberg – I usually am on Bromberg’s review team, but I haven’t received anything for this yet and it comes out next week, hope I get it in time to do a review!
  4. Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale – this is the second in this new series, I wasn’t able to fit in the first one, but looking forward to this series set at a gym. Should be reading for a blog tour review on the 7th
  5. The Junior by Monica Murphy – reading for a blog tour review on the 9th
  6. The Dating Game by Sandy Barker – reading for a blog tour review on the 11th
  7. The Corpse Queen by Heather Herrman – won an ARC of this on Goodreads, should be reading to post a review on the pub date of the 14th
  8. Red Velvet by Carla Luna – the first book in this series, Blue Hawaiian is one of my favorite books this year, so I can’t wait to read this one, for a blog tour review post on the 16th
  9. The Curveball by A.M. Williams – I liked the other book in this series by this author that I read, so I should be reading and posting a review as part of a blog tour on the 17th
  10. Forever with the Chef by Allie York – I signed up for this one, and am supposed to post a review as part of a blog tour on the 20th. But the one in the series that I’ve read so far didn’t blow me away, so I don’t know if I’ll stay on the tour. If I do, it is only because the book is as short as the other one and I can speed through it without a lot of thought or emotion.
  11. When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting – can’t wait to read this one as part of the author’s review team. I hope to post a review on it’s pub date,or maybe a day or two before, somewhere between the 18th-21st
  12. For Love or Honey by Staci Hart – another author review team read, also to be reviewed around the 21st
  13. Kiss and Don’t Tell by Meghan Quinn – another author review team read, probably reviewing on the 22nd
  14. The Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf – a copy of a book I got from the publisher and plan to post my review on the 23rd
  15. Blue Bayou by Jiffy Kate – this is an audiobook I signed up to review through Audiobookworm Tours along with the other two in this series. I’m actually listening to it now. This review should be on the 26th
  16. For All Time by Shanna Miles – an ARC I was so excited to get from the publisher, and should be posting a review on the 27th
  17. Mama’s Boy by Avery Flynn – this is one that the pub date has been postponed a few times, supposedly it will be coming out on the 27th and that is when I’ll be reviewing it?
  18. Jock Reign by Sara Ney – another author review team that I should be posting a review on the 29th
  19. Fool Me Twice at Christmas by Camilla Isley – I don’t normally start holiday reads this early in the year, but I have liked the other books by this author I’ve read, so I jumped on the blog tour for this one, should be posting a review on the 30th

I’m able to get more audiobooks finished with my new drive, well, when they’re good. And so I’ll be listening to those in the Blue Bayou series I mentioned above. I have to post those reviews the first couple weeks of October, so I’m going to listen to them as I get through with each one, also as I actually get copies of them. I have no idea if I’ll be able to get through all of these! So wish me luck with having some time to read this month. Getting to actually take real 30 minute lunch breaks at work for a change so I know I have that time to read for sure.

Bookstagram:

Two ARCs/ or advanced copies, and then the middle book is one I won from the author in a Facebook giveaway

Weekly Wrap-up Posts:

Wednesday – Lisa’s Looking Forward To Posts:

The DNF Report #8: May – July of 2021

Final Thoughts:

So, how was your August? Is it hot where you are? Did schools in your area start up yet? Did you get all the reading you wanted done?

Giveaway:

Below are ARCs I’ve finished and also a couple of finished copies, the winner will get to pick out 3 books from the list. I’ve added some books from an older ARC stack I had too, ones I just don’t know that I’m going to get to. There may even be a few more choices by the end of the month! I will make the giveaway international in that you can pick a book for under $10 if The Book Depository ships to you. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below the picture.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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38 responses to “The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: August 2021 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in September

  1. Danielle Hammelef

    August was another month of transitions here with getting ready for back to school and also a quick visit to my parents’ place (after not being allowed to visit for over 10 years–long story). We had very hot, story weather in which I got caught outside running in twice with pop up thunderstorms–scary stuff! My reading time was excellent though and I chose all 4 or 5 star books for myself.

    • Lisa Mandina

      Oh no! But glad you’re out running. I wish I’d make myself get out and walk this summer like I said I would. It’s awesome when we have lots of good books that we read!

  2. What a month. The job really does sound crazy – and so much more than you bargained for. At least they realize that and are offering more money. Hopefully that helps make up for the rest. Lame on the power outages. Two days is a long time with no power! That’s a big TBR for September… I hope you gets lots of them read! 🙂

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books recently posted: WWW Wednesday #106 | September 1, 2021
    • Lisa Mandina

      I actually got power back after about 12 hours, it was the internet and cable that were out for 2 days. Already realized one of my TBR won’t be done this month because somehow I didn’t get on the tour. 🙁

  3. Sounds like August was intense. I am sure you will get into the swing of things soon though, and it will be smooth sailing. I cut way back on tours. I only really do the publicists organized ones now, and I always already have the book. I have been enjoying the 2/3 split – 2 any book, 3 ARCs per week.

    • Lisa Mandina

      Second week with students hasn’t been any better. I know more what I’m doing, but they keep piling it on! I like your plan of the 2/3. I should set something like that for next year for sure. I tried to plan to read so many books from my TBR piles for a challenge and it is going okay, I’m almost complete, but I really need to step it up! lol

    • Lisa Mandina

      Still pretty hot here too. September not starting out great, but maybe just because there were still days of August this week? Who knows. Thanks for stopping by!

    • Lisa Mandina

      I love fall as well, so ready for cooler temps! I hate sweating when I’m just walking outside. I tell people sweating is for when I’m exercising, not just walking to my car. lol Thanks for stopping by!

  4. Jen

    Your hair turned out absolutely gorgeous, wow, I love it! And I’m so excited you were able to sign up for the writing seminar, I can’t wait to hear how it goes! And yay for winning a giveaway, congratulations! Here’s hoping September allows you lots of time to read!

    Jen recently posted: Monthly Wrap-Up: July & August
    • Lisa Mandina

      Thanks! I’m getting used to the shorter style again too. I’m hoping the writing seminar helps me get my butt in gear with some of my stories so I can do at least maybe another self-publish? Hope September is good for us all!

    • Lisa Mandina

      It is up and down with the job. Slowing down in some aspects, but already a little unhappy and ready to move on. Oh well. I’ve got all school year to have my mind changed.

  5. Candice G

    Love the hair! My August was fine except for the last week when my puppy got into something and her face swelled up. We took her to the vet and she is better now. We think ants attacked her while she was digging a hole.

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