[Month in Review] May was busy but productive, which hopefully will continue into June!

Event Burn-Out!?

I feel like not much happened on the blog in May. I apologize for that. This year, I spent far more time recovering from Fairy Tale Fortnight than I have in previous years, so I was lethargic on the blog. IDK why. Too much at once, I guess, and then a small burn-out? 

It's made me not really want to do Splash into Summer this year, however. It would be the first year since I've been blogging since I haven't, though so I'm still thinking about it! There also aren't many mermaid/underwater books out anymore. We'll see!

Launch Party!!!

I was lucky enough to go to Sarah J. Maas' LAUNCH PARTY for A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES!!!! Sarah is always so kind and gracious, and so, so nice. And her new book is FANTASTIC. This was definitely a highlight of my month!!!

Writing Vs. Reading.

I also didn't read much of anything in May! I put myself on a book reading ban so I could begin writing a fantasy idea that's been in my head. Of course, when I put pen to paper, a contemporary idea that's been in my head started coming out instead. And THEN I got a  really interesting sci-fi idea that I've been working on. That's hard in other ways because, you guys, I don't know sci-fi!!! 

*Sigh* 

I really want to work on this fantasy because it's what I'd eventually like to query and I'm going to a Writer's Workshop + Retreat hosted byDefiance Trilogy author C.J. Redwine in September. But I guess if this sci-fi idea isn't too scary by then...!

Okay, brain, okay...

So, yeah, book ban! I only read three books. THREE. They were all contemporary, and all right before BEA because they were being called "BEA Buzz Bookz" so I could see if I wanted to pick them up for co-workers to buzz about during my BEA trip. I managed to pick up THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp, which I gave an early recommendation for last week!

So This Thing Called BEA Happened.

The other big event of May was, of course, BEA! If you've been following my blog recently, you've already seen all my thoughts, but I covered the Teen Author Carnival, BEA Days One, Two, and Three, and the first day of Book Con. I was very fortunate to meet so many amazing authors, publishers, and bloggers last week, and to receive so many of my Most Wanted BEA Titles!!!


Ummm, MUSIC. 

I'm still obsessed with everything I found in April!

I'm still loving "Heroes (We Could Be)" by Alesso ft. Tove Lo thanks to exposure due to a cover from Christina Grimmie, and like listening to both versions. I was also lucky enough to discover and become obsessed with "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten right before she blew up. I'm so excited with how big she's becoming this summer!!! I also fell in love with Melanie Martinez all over again thanks to "Dollhouse" and "Carousel." Right now, I really like "Picking Up the Pieces" by Paloma Faith, too. It isn't often that I discover new music...and I've found a lot of good stuff all at once!

Oooooh, AND the Tony Awards are on tonight!!! I'm a huge Broadway nut. I'M SO EXCITED!!!!
I was lucky enough to see Tony-Nominated Something Rotten last week while I was in New York (So that was some new music I listened to in May!), and I'll be returning in July to see Kristin Chenoweth's Tony-Nominated Revival On the 20th Century!!!

OH, and MOVIES!!! 

I didn't see anything at the movie theater in May, but I did rent and watch last year's blockbuster sci-fi movie Interstellar, French animated selkie movie Song of the Sea, and Studio Ghibli's folktale retelling Princess Kaguya! My favorite of the three was definitely Song of the Sea. The animation was SO LOVELY and I will absolutely be buying it. I've been so impressed lately with the animated movies coming out of France! I thought I'd love Kaguya-hime, but I wound up not enjoying it too much. And it was sooooo long!!! And Interstellar. WELL. First, the backing music was SO LOUD and the voices were SO SOFT. I brought it to my dad's when I went to visit because he liked Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy and Inception and is a big sci-fi person. (I'm really not) We had to keep cranking the sound and using subtitles to understand the voices, then lowering it during loud music. Talk about a bad mix!!! That movie was also way too smart for me. I think that's one reason I'm not big on sci-fi. I'm not smart enough for it!!!

 
So yeah, that was my May. 

How was yours???

Here's a look at everything that happened in May!
 

ONGOING GIVEAWAYS:

*None right now BUT check back this month!!!

Check out the May Blog Tour Schedule for more upcoming giveaways!

MAY BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
(Most blog tour stops feature giveaways as well!)


*SPELLED by Betsy Schow {6/25 Review}

 

READING NOW:
{All links to Goodreads!}

*TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard {YA}
*INVASION OF THE TEARLING by Erika Johansen {Adult}


PLANNING TO READ IN JUNE:

*SPELLED by Betsy Schow
*TRULY MADLY FAMOUSLY by Rebecca Serle
*PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken
*THE IMMORTAL HEIGHTS by Sherry Thomas
*SPINNING STARLIGHT by R.C. Lewis
*SERPENTINE by Cindy Pon

...A few more of my BEA grabs!!! I'm just going to play it by ear ^_^
 

 

[link to my GoodReads account so you can see my blurb feed as I read]

READ IN MAY:
{All links to Goodreads!}

TOTAL: 3 Books (Boo, reading bans!!!)

*THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp {YA}
*WHAT WE SAW by Aaron Hartzler {YA}
*EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon {YA}

REVIEWED IN APRIL:
{All links to my review!}

*THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan {Adult}
*{Review//Design Analysis Vlog} AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir {YA}

FEATURES IN APRIL:

**Fairy Tale Fortnight Wrap-Up
*{Month in Review} April Showers Bring May Flowers... And Books. LOTS Of Books!!!
*{Excerpt} HALFWAY PERFECT by Julie Cross and Mark Perini
*Happy Book Day to Two Awesome FAIRY TALES!!!!!! (*throws confetti and shares reviews*) 
*{Tour Stop! Excerpt! Guest Post! Interview!} CHANTRESS FURY by Amy Butler Greenfield
*{A Twist in the Tail} Introducing TRIXTER by Alethea Kontis!
*Alternative Free Fridays + Weekly E-Book Deals (40 Titles Featured Today!) 
*What Would I Do If I Woke Up and Discovered I Was Royalty!? + GIVING AWAY Meg Cabot's new Princess Diaries companion, FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCESS!
*Revealing 15 Gorgeous Late 2015 / Early 2016 Covers!
*{Excerpt} SPELLED by Betsy Schow
*Alternative Free Fridays + Weekly E-Book Deals (42 Titles Featured Today!) 
*{Mad About Nails} Do-It-Yourself Avengers-Themed Nails
*Have You Watched Beauty And The Beat by Todrick Hall? Version 2 Just Released on YouTube!
*Teen Author Carnival 2015 and Sneak Peek Photos of the BEA Showfloor!
*A Round-up of Intriguing Titles From Book Expo, Day One!
*A Round-up of Intriguing Titles From Book Expo, Day Two!