The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: April 2022 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in May

Posted May 2, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in End of the month post / 17 Comments

April was sooooooooo long! But a lot of good things happened too. My library clerk came back. I got to go to a school librarian conference.

Weather wise we had up and down. Still some wintery days, but also some beautiful spring days and even one or two that were edging closer to a summer like warmth!

I didn’t get quite as many books read over the whole month, although I had a few days, especially during my weekend at the conference where I finished about a book a day. But I had a few I should have given up on earlier and not wasted time on.

Spent a lot of time packing and weeding/discarding books in my library. Loved the conference for just getting rejuvenated to be a librarian. The end of May is the end of the school year, however my contract includes like 4 or 5 days after the students and teachers are gone, so I won’t be done till after the first week of June. Or maybe longer if they don’t forgive the 2 or 3 snow days we had.

I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t actually used my exercise bike. Between all the weekends being gone, or the weekends I’ve had some bad vertigo, and then still not having a chance to get someone to help me from the company to make the seat stay where I set it, I haven’t used it. I need to do that this month because what a HUGE waste of money!

Still loving my blog planner. One of these days I’ll have to take some pictures and share! My number of books total this month was closer to what it usually is, 18. Several or a lot of the books were over 300 pages, so that of course definitely takes away from the number I can finish in a month. Also when I have vertigo, I have to put the books down. I also ended up with 3 more DNF books this month. I’ve got a DNF Report post scheduled for May.

April Reviews

I’m still a little behind on reviews, but I’m currently working on getting a few big posts full of a lot of little reviews ready to post in May.

Challenge Wrap-ups

Again, not the progress I’d like to see.

My goal was 12, and I’ve only got two done so far this year, no new ones this month. 🙁

Another one with a goal of 12, and none done this month, so only 2 done for the year.

Again, none done this month. Only one, that was a DNF, that I’m counting for this year.

This is the one I have been doing every year and that I actually get stuff done one.

  • Blogging – Still at 78% on Netgalley because even though I’m keeping up, I’m not getting any from the past done, and I’ve added a few new ones.
  • Reading – Still ahead on my goal of 200 books on Goodreads. For sequels, well, any of the SmartyPants Romance books are kind of sequels, but I haven’t done anything from my cart shelf. I really should do the Tara Sivec book, because I ended up reading the 5th one this month when I got selected to be on the author’s review team! yay! And I guess I did read a Samantha Young new addition to her Adair Family series. But again, not on my book shelf.
  • Writing – So again, no writing. But, I am getting a little motivated again. I think I’m going to try to get some done this summer. Maybe schedule to go to the library every day for an hour or two and only write or edit/ etc. I’ve gotten some motivation this past month. And I “won” an auction to get the first three chapters of my novel read by an author and critiqued. I also realized something I’d forgotten, and I plan to use that to go back through and work on some novels that I’m stuck on and maybe finish! So nothing achieved exactly this month, but inspired to go on!

Bookstagram

My favorites from this month:

What to Expect in May 2022

Lots more packing in the library this month. As well as we’ll have to start collecting textbooks and laptops at the end of the year. Going to the NKOTB concert on the 15th, can’t wait for that! And the end of the month, Memorial Day weekend, is my family’s usual annual trip to stay in some cabins down in Branson, and I’m always about ready for that this time of the year! Again, lots of books to read!

Here is my proposed list of books to read in May:
  1. The Mrs. Degree by Sara Ney for an author team review on the 3rd
  2. Checking You Out by Ann Whynot for SPR, should have read last month but didn’t get to, official review on the 4th
  3. A Rival’s Kiss by Maya Hughes for an author team review on the 5th
  4. It Takes a Woman by Piper Sheldon for SPR, again, should have read already, official review on the 6th
  5. Smart Mouth by Emma Lee Jayne for SPR, same as above, official review on the 9th
  6. Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting for an author team review on the 10th
  7. Meet Cute Method by Portia MacIntosh for a blog tour review on the 12th
  8. Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater for a blog tour review on the 13th
  9. Neanderthal Seeks Duchess by Laney Hatcher for SPR, same as above I think, official review on the 16th
  10. Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho for a blog tour review on the 17th
  11. Flirt by Adriana Locke – an audio review possibly for the 19th
  12. Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas – maybe a book tour review on the 20th, but this is one I might cancel due to how I’ve had trouble with her last two books.
  13. Dig Two Graves by Gretchen McNeil for a blog tour review on the 20th
  14. Hide by Kiersten White – an e-galley review on the 21st or 22nd
  15. A Callahan Wedding by Monica Murphy for an author team review on the 26th
  16. Just Friends at the Doggy Spa by Elsie Woods for an author requested review on the 28th?
  17. All Signs Point to Yes Anthology – ARC review on the 29th or 30th?
  18. Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle – ARC review on the 30th or 31st?
  19. Any audiobooks I decide to listen to! Trying to get some new narrators listened to before Book Bonanza in July since they will be there too!

Once again I might have gotten behind last month! Ugh, a lot of catching up to do this first week! May have one or two that I don’t do, based on time.

Final Thoughts

So, how was your April? Did you get all the reading you wanted done? Are you getting spring weather yet? What are you looking forward to in May?

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. And I know this picture is missing some because I took it before I finished a couple of books. 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. I might even do a second winner if we can get over 100 entries into the rafflecopter by the end of the month!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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17 responses to “The Looooong and the Short of It with a Giveaway: April 2022 Wrap-Up Post and What to Expect in May

  1. I love seeing so many good things listed in your wrap up, and it’s a great time of year when you can start that summer countdown. I have no qualms about DNFing because, like you said, don’t want to waste too much time on a book that isn’t working for me. The more approvals you have, the harder it is to move that NG ratio. It took me four months with low number of approvals to move mine 1%. The struggle.

    • Lisa Mandina

      For a while I was making more progress on Netgalley because I wasn’t requesting any. And I really haven’t requested too many, but more publishers are getting me books that way lately, so it definitely keeps my ratio stuck.

  2. Danielle Hammelef

    I can’t believe how fast this spring is flying by for me. It’s been a relatively good one both life stuff and in books too. We are looking like spring up here finally and I’m loving all the flowers and greenery.

    • Lisa Mandina

      It has been a lot of weird weather here, but I’m enjoying some spring like days this week!

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