📅📚👀 YEAR IN REVIEW – 2019 “A Bookish Year” 👀📚📅
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| [New Year's Eve BookHaul total? $3] |
2019 was a great year for books and reading!
I’ve been an avid reader since childhood.
FACT: One
place we lived at in California (right before moving to Nevada) – it was across
the street from a library. Not kidding. Now, it wasn’t the “best place” to
live. And, I won’t even describe the apartment. It was a “bad” time in our lives.
However, the bright was how much fun to be able
to walk across the street with my mom to bring home a BAG of books. We’re
talking 10-15 books at a time. I won several reading challenges, where I also
got books.
Even as a toddler I had TONS of those little
Golden Books along with the Dr. Suess books.
Now, with that said …
As I reached my teens, I still read, but only
when I could afford books, and as an adult – my purchases were confined usually
to the subscription book clubs of the late 1990’s to the 2000’s (The Literary
Guild, Doubleday Book Club, Mystery Guild, Crossings). And, some of their
selections weren’t the best.
My mother had once subscribed to Harlequin –
but not the reads I liked. She was more the Desire, Presents, or Historical
type reads.
I discovered their Intrigue line around 2000
and LOVED it. So, I got that. I also subscribed to their MIRA Romance/Suspense
collection. I did that for about 3-5 years, until it got a bit too expensive.
But, I certainly had a collection of books by that time. And, I had gotten
several other collections as well. I even got a few of the American Romance (now
Western Romance), Super Romance, and their Special Edition. I’d even get some “gently
used” books in the gift shop of the hospital where my mom worked.
As of about 2005, I hadn’t bought many books
and my purchases dwindled. I’d see something here or there at the library or if
I got a Barnes & Noble gift card from a survey place. There were a few Debbie
Macomber books I’d buy (usually part of her series) through Amazon.
Then by 2011, most of the books I was buying
were textbooks for my online college studies. While I was provided eBooks, I
think I’ve covered the “eBook” thing – and it’s sometimes easier to work in
public with a physical book.
But, getting back to my reading habits …
After college, I focused on my own writing.
And, I still am – in fact, I’m even more invested in my writing.
In November 2017, I received my first ARC
(Advanced Reading Copy/Advanced Reader Copy). It was a suspense/thriller by two
authors – Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen – “The Wife Between Us”.
Not only was I going outside my usual genre –
but, it was a free book. I’d never heard of an ARC. And, I’d never written a
book review either. So … I put it off for a while.
After a low grade on a high school book report
because a teacher simply couldn’t understand that you can recommend a group to
certain readers while not recommending it to others … I gave up writing reports
or reviews.
Example: “I’d recommend the book “Of Mice and
Men” to fans of John Steinbeck. If you’re not a fan of his or the genre, I
wouldn’t recommend it.”
That statement right there; that according to
the teacher; made me look indecisive as if I couldn’t make up my mind.
To me, a review is an adult version of a book
report. It meets ALL the same requirements: What is it About?; What Did You
Like/Dislike; Theme/Main Idea; Did you Like it?; Would you Recommend it?
But, seeing that a review was sometimes a
requirement of a getting a book, well … I had to get over it and get it done.
And, from there it went – I got a few more ARCs
here or there.
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| [ARCs from publishers. Mostly St. Martin's Press; Celadon; Flatiron Books; Minotaur] |
2019 was a stellar reading year for me!
I started off 2019 by being on a “launch team”.
This was the first time I’d ever heard of such a thing. But, when I saw the
link on Gary Sinise’s Twitter feed … well, I had to!
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| [Launch team - Grateful American and Lulu’s Café. And, was asked to be a reviewer for the Christmas book pictured] |
After all, he has done so much for our military
and first responders, the least I could do was to loan out my social media
account to build up momentum for the book’s release. I was so excited to get
the ARC; I kept refreshing the UPS tracking information as much as possible.
I even found a website called “BookishFirst”
where I could earn points and either “win” ARCs or “redeem” for them. I got
some good ones, and I got some stinkers. There are some that I really can’t
even believe I read.
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| [Most of my BookishFirst books. I won another book not featured, and won "The Janes". The others I claimed with points.] |
Also, in early 2019, I learned about JustRead Publicity
Tours. It sounded like a great deal – help authors promote books, and even get
books to review. And, if I want to SOMEDAY be an author, it’s best to help
others out as well – build up a network.
Thanks to JustRead – and, yes I sincerely mean this – I am so thankful to them for re-introducing me to Christian Fiction, in addition to introducing “new-to-me” authors. I also was able to discover Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. I had a few books from 2003/2004, but hadn’t read them. It’s SO interesting to see how the line progressed and I think it has gotten better.
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| [Thank you to JustRead for these 17 books] |
I was even matched with two blind-date books.
I also signed up to be a reviewer for Revell
Reads both non-fiction and fiction lines.
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| [The Revell Reads Review Program Books, except for the third down from the top. Sneaky little Instagram prize] |
Late last year, I also found Prism Book Tours
which deal with Clean Reads as well. Through them, and another author, I
discovered Harlequin’s Heartwarming series.
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| [Thanks to Prism I was able to get "The Dating Charade" and "The Christmas Kiss"] |
I even started picking up more books at the
library, finding some great bargains and oldies! I even “won” some books
through social media, two of which were from Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense
line.
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| [One of my "library" hauls ... September 2019] |
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| [November library haul ... $5] |
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| [Two Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense novels I won. A JustRead "Christy" package; Susan May Warren book from Tyndale Rewards; and a publisher Instagram prize] |
And, I did a second launch team – this time it
was for a writer by the name of T.I Lowe. Her book “Lulu’s Café” had previously
been an eBook, but was being re-released in paperback by Tyndale House.
In addition to managing my own writing,
starting (and maintaining) yet another blog … I managed to read 76 books. One was
a reference book, so I’ll say 75 books. I started with 20, 25, and went up
about five books each goal I neared. I didn’t think I’d manage even 50, so 75
was a nice surprise. After all, 50 books is roughly a book per week.
My blogging got better as a result. I learned a
few new tricks too – scheduling, adding links to photos, and how to position
photos inside the blog.
I even borrowed some books from the library
after much needed car repairs!
Anyway …
What do I see for 2020? I’ve set an early goal
of 30 books, which I know will likely increase before too long. I won’t say how
close to the 2019 goal I will get or might get.
So far, I’ve got nine (9) books to read and
review from NOW until April; there are three (3) due by the end of this month.
Some for Revell, JustRead, a few ARCs, and one I won.
But, I don’t see the TBR list staying that
light. I’ve got requests in for three (3) more Revell non-fiction, two (2)
Prism Tours, and four (4) JustRead ones. That Right there is another nine (9)
bringing the total to 18.
There’s also my “Christmas” stack which included
some books that toured with JustRead along with the stacks of books I still
have – there are 14 in that stack, along with three to go with them. And, some
books in boxes I haven’t opened for almost ten (10) years.
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| [My Christmas stack! This was to complete a few sets, and start new ones. Thankful for Amazon gift cards] |
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