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

Posted December 1, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in End of the month post / 24 Comments

Oh my gosh, November went by so fast and it was so busy and crazy! I got absolutely NO writing done this month. So I was a complete and total NaNoWriMo failure this year. And I actually am thinking that maybe I’ll not do any writing at all anymore. Take a break. And see if the urge and motivation ever comes back. Concentrate more on just my reading again next year.

For the most part I had my library assistant with me, just a few days she was gone this past month. But the days she was gone were crazy busy. I didn’t really get any new displays done this month. But am working on Christmas/holiday displays this week. I did get my first book order in this month, so that was fun! However since I do the ordering myself, even with all the stuff that Follett does on their end to get my books ready, there were still things I had to do once the books arrived. I had to download the MARC records myself. But that turned out to be really easy. Then I went through and added a genre for the second location in case I am still in this library next year and go ahead and genrefy it.

I used my retirement money to get some things paid off and do a couple things around the house. Got a new washing machine, new vacuum, and fixed up the path my dog likes to run on in the back yard.

I got to go to a Monkees concert, that was fun. My mom participated in the annual craft fair at one of the local high schools that they cancelled last year of course, so that was nice to be back.

And on a not so good note, we had the first case of Covid in my immediate family when my sister-in-law come down with it the morning of Thanksgiving. It ruined the plans we had since they were supposed to be hosting it. We quickly got things reset to have at my mom’s house instead. But one of my aunts and her family decided not to come. Which is crazy because they’d been in person around my sister-in-law at the same time my mom and step-dad and I had last, and all of us tested ourselves and were negative. But my aunt has plans to go to Vegas in a week or two and didn’t want to mess that up, so I guess that makes sense. But it was sad. We only had my other aunt, her boyfriend, my cousin and her new fiance and his daughter. I didn’t go to my dad and stepmom’s side that day for lunch because I didn’t want them to worry about if I had it, even though I’d taken a test that day which was positive. Since I knew I’d have a dinner that night, and my dad’s was the only family one my sister would have, I excused myself. I did go get a plate of leftovers the next day. We also had to postpone my nephew’s 4th birthday for a week as well because of it. By the end of the week everyone in my brother’s family had tested positive, him, my sister-in-law who had it first, my 8 year old niece, and 3 year old nephew.

With not writing this month I guess I devoted more time to reading, and my numbers were up! 20 books this month! Well 20 new, and 2 rereads.

November Reviews:

Other than a post at the end that caught up books I needed to review, most were part of blog tours and got reviewed during the 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.

Even with all I got read in November, nothing more completed for this challenge. So still 3 behind even with the ones I read not on this picture. 🙁

What to Expect in December:

I should be doing a lot of yearly wrap-up posts including the Top 10 lists. I’m going to skip my Wednesday posts again. Thinking of joining a different weekly post, like the Book Blogger Hop with a weekly prompt hosted now by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer, or maybe the Top 10 Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Although that second one might take as much time as the Wednesday posts do sometimes.

Still haven’t bought a plane ticket to go see my sister in Scotland. I had planned to do it last month but then the ticket prices went back up. And now I need to try to make sure I buy refundable or transferrable tickets just to be safe in case of what might happen with Covid next year. Although sometimes the way my sister acts when I ask her about it, I’m not sure she wants me to come.

Here is my Proposed TBR for December:
  1. I’m finishing up the audiobook of Room for More by Beth Ehemann, not sure when I’ll review
  2. The Starless Crown by James Rollins – the publishers reached out to me about this one. I didn’t get a physical ARC, a little disappointed, but I have an e-galley and should be posting my review on the 4th.
  3. The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska – I have an ARC of this from the publisher and I should be posting my review on the 5th or 6th
  4. Washed Up by Kandi Steiner – I signed up to review this through the author’s newsletter. I’m planning to review on the 8th
  5. Jock Romeo by Sara Ney – I’m part of her review team, so should be reading and reviewing on the 9th
  6. The One Night by Meghan Quinn – I’m also part of her review team, and will be reading this novella for a review on the 13th, maybe the 11th if nothing else comes up.
  7. Forever with the Bouncer by Allie York – reading for a blog tour review on the 14th.
  8. Screwed Up by Harloe Rae – this goes along with Washed Up above, I signed up through the author’s newsletter. If I get picked to read it, I will post my review on the 15th
  9. Kissing My Co-Worker by J. Sterling – I signed up through Grey’s Promos for this one, if I get selected, I’ll be posting my review on the 16th
  10. The Romance Novel Formula by A.K. Leigh – even with all my being down on writing, I signed up to read and review this one with RockStar Book tours. If I get selected, I’ll be posting my review on the 17th
  11. Fired Up by K.K. Allen – this one is also in the same author’s newsletter and is part of the series with the Kandi Steiner and Harloe Rae books above. If I get chosen for this one, I’ll be reviewing on the 20th.
  12. Blood and Silver by Vali Benson – the author reached out and requested me to review this one. I already have it. Planning to post my review on the 21st.
  13. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – this was on my Tackle My TBR Challenge, hoping to get it read and reviewed by the 23rd
  14. Tangled Up by Tia Louise – another in the series with Kandi Steiner, Harloe Rae, and K.K. Allen above. If I get selected I’ll be posting my review on the 27th
  15. Kiss My Putt by Tara Sivec – another that will count toward my Tackle My TBR Challenge and that I’m actually in the middle of right now
  16. Homecoming King by Penny Reid – I’ve signed up for the tour, hoping that I’ll get selected since I’ve been reading all of Penny Reid’s books lately. But we’ll see. If I am selected, I’ll be posting my review on the 31st.
  17. I’m currently listening to Room for More by Beth Ehemann. I’m sure I’ll be done listening to it in the next week or so with my work drives. Don’t know when I’ll post a review, hope to do that this month.
  18. At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp – I have the ARC and plan to review in January, but am trying to get 2022 started out ahead on ARCs.

Only 18, and some of those I don’t know if they are for sure. If not, I’ll go ahead and maybe get one or two other for my Tackle My TBR Challenge read. Or get started on ARCs for next month, as I mentioned in #18. Plus there will be one or two more audiobooks added to the total.

Bookstagram:

Only one picture this month really.

Weekly Wrap-Up Posts:

Final Thoughts:

So, how was your November? Did you get all the reading you wanted done? If you celebrate Thanksgiving, were you able to spend time with your family this year? What are you looking forward to in December?

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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24 responses to “The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: November 2021 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in December

  1. Sorry to hear Thanksgiving plans were a bit different this year. I hope your family that did get Covid are doing okay. I really didn’t read much in November. I’m hoping to do a bit better in December, but we’ll see. It’s been kind of up and down lately, so I don’t want to push myself obviously.

    -Lauren

    ShootingStarsMag recently posted: {Currently} December 2021
    • Lisa Mandina

      Thanks, they seem to be doing okay. My niece and nephew, 8 and 4 years old, didn’t seem to have it very bad at all. Especially the 4 year old. You’ll do what you can! Don’t make reading something you start to hate, if you’re not feeling it, that’s just how it is. I had to DNF a couple review books for that very reason. Thanks for visiting! I need to get over to your blog this weekend to see what you’re up to!

    • Lisa Mandina

      They seem to be getting better thank goodness. I’m very thankful that’s all the worse case that they got. Thanks for visiting!

  2. Danielle Hammelef

    I’m so sorry about the COVID mess right at Thanksgiving! We had only our immediate family here and I ended up cooking way too much food, but after making soup last night, all leftovers have been used up. Lisa, you helped kick start my December with your email! Thank you! December is my birthday month (14th) so I always enjoy the holiday lights and extra cheer it seems most people have this month. I have started slowly getting back into my writing after the pandemic basically killed all motivation for me, especially when the print magazines I wrote for folded, so I totally understand where you are coming from with your own writing.

    • Lisa Mandina

      Yay! Glad I could make your day! You’re such a loyal follower I love when I can help out! I had a short burst of writing for a while this summer when masks at the library were no longer mandated. And I had such good intentions for NaNoWriMo, but then it started and I had no desire to actually write. Hoping 2022 is either a year of writing, or that I just get a bunch more reading done! That is too bad about the magazine you wrote for folding. They didn’t want to switch to online and you could still write for them? 🙁

      • Danielle Hammelef

        As far as the magazine, I have no idea, but another writer friend of mine was also surprised by the complete closing.

  3. John Smith

    “How was your November or what are you looking forward to in December?” November was fine. I’m busy doing the important work of watching the entire series of the sitcom “Wings” on DVD.

    Bad luck with the family Covid cases. I don’t know if I’ve ever had it, but I got my vaccine doses as soon as I could.

    What fun with the Monkees! Seeing “The Monkees” on daytime-TV repeats on a local station were always a highlight of childhood trips to the Minneapolis area, where one could see such sophisticated offerings on TV!

    • Lisa Mandina

      I remember that show Wings! And yeah, that sounds like some important work! lol I just started rewatching The Monkees on DVD too. My family seems to have all had pretty mild cases. I got vaccinated as soon as I could as well, the part of the family though had held out. Although obviously my 3, now 4 year old nephew couldn’t get it, and the 8 year old just now do they have one for her that she could get.

    • Lisa Mandina

      They are doing better. It’s been a pretty mild case for all of them. I started The Starless Crown, but I don’t know that I’ll finish it. I’m just not a big high fantasy reader and that’s pretty much what it is. It wasn’t bad, just not what I’m reading these days.

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