You guys, I am having too much fun with Canva! Which of these two new buttons do you like the best?
Once again I’m joining up with the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up which is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.
February was a crazy month with lots more snow and days off of school! It wasn’t the triumphant month for a 3-peat Superbowl win for my Chiefs. But that’s okay, they still made it a third time in a row, which is quite a feat in itself! Especially since for most of my life they were one of the worst performing teams in the league. So I’m still happy with my team and supporting them!
I started a new feature, based on what I saw on someone else’s blog that I can’t remember who at the moment. But I tried to keep track of the first lines in some of my books if I thought they were interesting or stood out.
I did have a bunch of novellas I listened to on audio, so that kind of kept my reading numbers up for the month even though it is a shorter month. But I did DNF a couple audiobooks too so didn’t get as many finished as I would have liked.
I got 14 books finished, that’s 5 less than last month. But with February being shorter, I’m not upset!
Here is my fun monthly wrap-up image I like to make in Canva.
Here are my StoryGraph stats for February in the graphic they now provide.
My February Reviews
Of the 8 specific titles listed last month, I got 7 read and reviewed. So nice that I only had a few scheduled, although I found a few more after I made my monthly wrap-up post I needed to read. I got 3 more Beat the Backlist titles read, but no more for my COYER goals.
- [5 Feb] All Better Now by Neal Shusterman ★★★★½
- [8 Feb] A Rebel Without Claws by Juliette Cross ★★★★½
- [10 Feb] Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne ★★★★★
- [10 Feb] Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory ★★★½
- [10 Feb] With Any Luck by Ashley Poston ★★★★
- [10 Feb] Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson ★★★½
- [10 Feb] Cupid Has a Heart-On by Tara Sivec ★★★★★
- [11 Feb] The Kiss Lottery by Ilsa Madden-Mills ★★★★½
- [13 Feb] Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn ★★★★★
- [15 Feb] I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming ★★★★½
- [20 Feb] On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young ★★★★★
- [22 Feb] Hook, Line and Single by Phoebe MacLeod ★★★½
- [25 Feb] Best Friends for Never by Teagan Hunter ★★★★½
- [26 Feb] Slayers by Amber Benson, Christopher Golden ★★★★
- [26 Feb] Juicy Pickle by J.J. Knight ★★★★½
- [27 Feb] When in Rome by Sarah Adams
- [27 Feb] Pour It On Me by Meg Becker
- [27 Feb] No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear
- [27 Feb] They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Challenge Wrap-Ups
So I saw this over on That Happy Reader, I hope Jodie doesn’t mind if I borrow this idea to make my monthly wrap-up posts a little shorter? I may go back and add the Romance Reading Challenge and take the Goodreads off before next month. We’ll see.
Once again I am doing the Chapter Break Bingo Challenge for February, and here are my books that fit each spot. I only got 21 squares including the free space. And even though I did listen to some audiobooks from the library, I didn’t finish any of them, still working on one, so not counting that square.
I also gave in and joined the 2025 Romance Reading Bingo Challenge hosted by Blodeuedd @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About, and Carole @ Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings. Only 2 more boxes checked off this month.
What to Expect in March 2025
Once again I ended up with more review books than I thought I had, realized a couple I almost forgot and had to add those in. But I did still get some BTB books done, so that is good! March is kind of full of review books too, unfortunately. And I’m going to be in New Orleans the last week, so my blogging might be a bit off that week.
Here is my proposed TBR for March:
- Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar – started this e-galley the last week of February but didn’t finish till March 1st – so review will be posted on the 3rd
- One Night Hand Stand by Julia Kent – got an e-galley from the author and I should have time to read it and post my review on the 4th
- Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti – reading an e-galley for a blog tour on the 7th
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Sara Ney – should hopefully be reading this as an e-galley for the author’s review team and posting my review on the 10th
- If You Love Me by Helena Hunting – another e-galley for an author’s team, I already have it. A little worried as it is an age gap and I’m not a big fan of those, so we will see. But I do love the author’s writing, so will be reading it and reviewing hopefully on the 13th
- I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew – I got an ARC in the mail for this one, and though it publishes at the beginning of the month, I probably won’t get to it until possibly a review on the 15th
- Airhead by Avery Flynn – got an e-galley for being on the author’s new review team, should be posting my review on the 17th
- Save Your Breath by Kandi Steiner – might be reading this e-galley for a blog tour on the 20th. I’ve read the author and enjoyed her before, so signed up for this before my month started filling up. I don’t think I’ve officially heard back yet if I will get the e-galley though.
- I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker – a blog tour e-galley review should be posted on the 24th when I’m on spring break in NOLA! So I’ll need to finish it before I go. As I don’t know how my mom will feel about me having my laptop out and me blogging on our trip, lol.
- The Payback Girls by Alex Travis – I got this ARC from the publisher and should be posting a review on the 20th. That’s the day I get back from spring break, so it maybe a little later on that day!
- King’s Legacy by L.C. Rosen – got the ARC from the publisher and should be posting a review on the 29th
- Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju – I have the e-galley from the publisher on this one, and I should be reviewing on the 31st
- Any audiobooks I decide to listen to, should finish up You, With a View that I started the last week of February.
- Hope to get some Beat the Backlist books added in between as well. Still want to get Iron Flame read. Maybe I’ll take it on my trip to NOLA.
Final Thoughts
So how was your February? Were you like me and had a lot of snow? Did you continue on your new year goals and challenges? Half the things I was hoping in my personal life happened, my HELOC was finalized, but my library clerk is still not fully in the library with me. I also got the surprise that my student loans were forgiven with the PSLF program.
I am sooooooo ready for my trip to NOLA with my mom over spring break at the end of March. I’ve been to NOLA 3 times. Once with a group of my sorority sisters I’d never traveled with, so we did some fun things, but there were still things I’d like to have done. Twice by myself for book conventions where I did some stuff on my own. But it will be nice to travel with my mom who we have a lot of the same interests (outside of my book love, even if she is the one who kind of helped get me hooked on books when I was little, lol).
What are you looking forward to in March?
As of the time when this post first goes live I don’t have a giveaway planned, but if I didn’t give away the books like I wanted to in the last month wrap-up, then I might come back and add a giveaway later, so you might check back!
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February here was snowy too and very cold. Today is very gusty and cold too. I have a concert performance this afternoon that I’ve been looking forward to as I have many solos. My family must be tired of hearing me play them over and over, but I want to do my best. I’m also looking forward to my trip to Philadelphia this month and then a day in D.C. to see the monuments and hopefully cherry blossoms.
Yeah, we are back to the cooler temps and windy too! Good luck with you performance this afternoon! Seeing the cherry blossoms would be so neat, hope you get to do that this month.
You did so well with all your challenges. I voted for Single dog AND two dogs. What can I say? Glad you are having fun with Canva.
I like them both so much I couldn’t choose either! lol. Canva is too much fun. I could just play all day and make things that I don’t need, lol.
My February was atrocious! I listened to 4 audiobooks and that was it! The month totally got away from me 🙁
I love Canva and Storygraph too!
Ah, sorry it was such a bad month for you. :-(. Canva is just so much fun to play around with. I’d have a new button for every post I make if I wanted to!
I don’t mind at all Lisa! You had such a great month and you’re doing so well with your challenges. I hope you have a great March!
Thanks! You too!
NOLA is going to be fun! I voted for the 2 dogs, but both are really cute. And you’re doing so well with your challenges. I hope March is a good month too!
Hoping for a nicer weather month for sure!
Both of those buttons you made in Canva look great. It’s fun to see how well you’re doing with your challenges, I liked that graphic you made for the overview of your challenges. I also got a bunch of novellas read this month which kept my numbers from being low. I did a post with opening lines a while back, so that might be were you got the idea, I liked seeing your opening lines post. Your upcoming trip to NOLA with your mom sounds exciting and I hope you have a great time!
It might have been your opening lines post! I can’t wait for NOLA, and just the next break from school.
It sounds like you had a busy but exciting February! I love how you keep track of everything. Your upcoming trip to NOLA with your mom sounds like a great adventure—hope you have a fantastic time!
Thanks! I can’t wait!
It has been so snowy and cold here too. I am so ready for spring.
Sounds like you have a lovely amount of reading in February – congrats. I need to write my recap, I am slacking and have a bunch of things to post for next week so I likely won’t even have a recap up until mid month (oops).
NOLA sounds like so much fun! I hope the weather is spectacular for you!
I’m ready for spring, but afraid it will go right into summer and I’m not ready for the heat! Lots of reading, but still a little less than I’d hoped because of some DNFs. Hey, we post when we can, and don’t let us stress us, because then we wouldn’t enjoy it, right? 🙂
It looks like you had a good and productive February over all. Way to go on your reading challenges and bingo cards! I hope your weather warms up and you have a good March, both personally and with your reading. I bet you are counting down days until Spring Break and your trip!
Thanks! Looking forward to March and spring weather for sure!
We did have a lot of snow here, but since we are meant to handle it, it didn’t lead to any significant time off. Looks like you are doing great on the Romance Reading bingo challenge! So glad you are doing it. I have my post scheduled for tomorrow. Overall, I’m doing well on my reading after two months.
Yeah, I’m on track so I’m happy about that!
Love all the graphics and pictures.
Thanks!
Awesome job on book bingo, Lisa. Including the elusive shelf love square!
I’m trying to get those books on my shelf read this year! Or at least some of them, lol.