I took November off when it came to blogging…and I’ve got to say, I regret absolutely about that decision. Especially since I got hit with some brand-new health problems and a family emergency (now resolved, worry not): I was really grateful not to have many blogging responsibilities this month! I did some creative writing every day instead (NOT Nano), and I’d like to keep that up. I guess we’ll see!

ARCs Received

For the first time in a while, I was rejected for a string of ARCs, but that’s probably not the worst thing for my ego. And I was approved for four really GORGEOUS books! Hunger of Thorns and The Buried and the Bound are both YA – in fact Hunger might technically be MG? – but both really appealed to me. Dragonfall is a book I’ve been waiting for since the publishing deaI was announced, and I was interested in The First Bright Thing already, but after what Seanan McGuire said about it? Instant must-read!

Read

Just 12 books read in November, almost half of what I managed in October. I spent most of this month reading fanfiction instead of novels, and I’m not sorry. But the books I did read were all fantastic! Of the new-to-mes, Golden Enclaves was the brilliant finale of the Scholamance trilogy, and Babel was painfully perfect in every respect; and as I expected, I really enjoyed the indulgently queer and magical Might of Monsters, and desperately need the next book in the series!

To the best of my knowledge, 20% of this month’s authors were BIPOC.

Reviewed

I really thought, even when taking a break, that I’d manage more than just one review this month…but so it goes!

DNF-ed

ZERO DNFs for November! Although that’s at least partly due to my not counting all the books I picked up and put down again due to my brain refusing to concentrate…

ARCs Outstanding

Look at all these beauties – I feel SO LUCKY to be able to read them all!

I’ve already finished Encyclopaedia, and ended up MASSIVELY enjoying it, and I think I’m on track to get all the January books read and reviewed during December. Really looking forward to all of these!

Misc

I don’t think there was anything of note this month, except for one thing I’m not allowed talk about, and getting to write stories instead of read them (as you’d expect, keeping up an active blog eats into the time and spoons I need for creative writing). It really felt amazing to be writing again, so I’m going to have to work out a way to balance writing reviews with writing fiction going forward. Devoting all my time to blogging is not something I want to do any more.

Oh!!! There was REALLY GREAT NEWS about the 2023 editions (reissues? reprints?) of the Kushiel/Phedre Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey; I’ve got to remember to make a book news post about it!

Looking Forward

December has only one self-pubbed book I’m looking forward to, so I plan on spending the month reading and reviewing ARCs – as well as working on my Best of 2022 and Unmissables of 2023 lists! All my Yuletide shopping is done, so fingers crossed, I should have no other distractions…

I hope your November was great, and your December is even better!