{Month in Review/Monthly Preview} So many awesome things happened this past month!!!

  Let me start by dedicating this post to Elmo, our wonderful, crazy, annoying, snuggly cat who was put down yesterday.

Because I will miss you!!!!

SO YOU WANT TO KNOW MY SECRETS?

I have a lot of really exciting changes planned for the blog. One of them is coming this month! My friend and co-worker is going to start blogging with me, and I can't wait for you guys to meet her!

We also have two week-long events planned for August that are going to be so much fun!!!!

And...I'm still being very secretive, aren't I? ^^;;
 
All the signings!!!

Barnes and Nobles across the country hosted BFest last month. My local store had so many great authors.

There was a fun afternoon panel featuring Megan McCafferty, Claire Legrand, and Leanna Hieber:

Followed by an evening launch party for IVORY AND BONE by Julie Eshbaugh--and moderated by Sarah J. Maas!!!

The other big highlight of BFest was the fact that yours truly was on a panel with some other amazing bloggers, and we had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who turned out and made the day awesome!!!

NAIL POLISH

My nails are still broken and short, but I'm taking more vitamins and hope to have them nice again by fall!

I didn't do much this month, but I HAD to have Broadway-themed nails for the Tony Awards!!!!

I decided to do Hamilton nails, of course!

 
Do you need a closer look? Here's a peek from when they were growing out....not as pretty, but easier to see!!!

PHOTOS OF THE MONTH


Here are some of the photos I've taken and shared this month!

My first time using my brand-new computer...
...and my first-ever Mac!!!

How do you choose what book to read on a summer day?
Grab some ice cream and ask on Twitter!!!

I ate dinner at TGI Friday's, and they were remodeling.
They left a paint bucket and some roses behind.
...Think they're getting ready to paint the roses red!?

Coming home from TGI Friday's, there was the most beautiful rainbow!!!

I love finding great deals at the library, don't you?
Got lucky and went on a night when they were doing
a Buck a Bag. Got all this for....a dollar!!!

MUSIC 🎶

You're sick of hearing it, but it's still Hamilton the Musical. I listen to it almost daily. I can't wait to finally see it this fall, ahhh!!!

I also finally re-listened to Lin Manuel Miranda's In the Heights again, which I never paid much attention to when it was actually on Broadway. I had an easier time watching this full-length show on YouTube than I did listening to the OBC on CD, though. Because LMM wrote and acted in both In the Heights and Hamilton, I had a lot of trouble separating his voice and his tone because it was "too Hamilton-esque" due to...well....LMM being LMM. If he'd been in a show created by someone else, it wouldn't be a big issue, but the lines were too blurred and gray atm for me.
....Which just means that I've listened to Hamilton too many times, right? ^^;;;;

Outside of musicals, I've been listening to a couple of Ariana Grande's new songs. Mostly "Moonlight" and "Jason's Song" (Which was written by one of my all-time favorite Broadway composers, Jason Robert Brown!!!!)

MOVIES AND TV


I saw two movies at the theater in June: Captain America: Civil War and Alice Through the Looking Glass.  

Lots of really good CGI in both!!! I loved all the clocks in Alice! And wow, was Captain America really Avengers Part III or what!?

I haven't really caught up on any TV...wait, that's not true. We finally got to watch the last two episdoes of S.H.I.E.L.D., so now we need to find our summer show to watch while everything is on hiatus!!!

That was my June. 

How was yours???

Here's a look at everything that happened this past month!
 

ONGOING GIVEAWAYS:


*DEFENDING TAYLOR by Miranda Kenneally (7/11)
*CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins (7/7)

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

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


*CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins  {7/1 cover reveal/chapter one reveal}
*MARKED by Jenny Martin {TBA guest post}
*STOLEN HEART by Jaclyn Dolamore {TBA guest post}

 

READING NOW:
{All links to Goodreads!}

*AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White

PLANNING TO READ IN JULY:


*NEMESIS by Anna Banks
*THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab {YA}
*CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber {YA}
*THE BEAUTY OF DARKNESS by Mary Pearson {YA}
*MARKED by Jenny Martin {YA}
*WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook {YA}
*OUTLIERS by Kimberly McCreight {YA}
*SABRIEL by Garth Nix {YA}

 

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

READ IN JUNE:
{All links to Goodreads!}

TOTAL: 5 Books (Really??? I Think I'm missing a couple, Goodreads!!! I know I read a book that I struck from my history because OMG it was so bad! But what did I read between REBEL and DEFENDING TAYLOR!?)

*REBOOT by Amy Tintera {YA}
*WITHERING ROSE by Kaitlyn Davis {YA}
*REBEL by Amy Tintera {YA}
*DEFENDING TAYLOR by Miranda Kenneally {Upper YA}
*GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE by Paula Stokes {YA}

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

*WITHERING ROSE by Kaitlyn Davis {YA}
*THE FAIREST POISON by Lauren Skidmore {YA}
*MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows {YA} [Design Vlog Spotlight]
*[A Sneak Peek Spotlight at 24 Books I Love...with links to reviews!]
*RUINED by Amy Tintera {YA}
*GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE by Paula Stokes {YA}
*WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord {Upper YA}
*DEFENDING TAYLOR by Miranda Kenneally {Upper YA}

FEATURES IN JUNE:

*{Month in Review/Monthly Preview} Changes Are FINALLY Coming, Just in Time For Summer!!!
*Come Meet me + 4 of Your Other Favorite Bloggers at a Blogger Panel This Sunday, June 12!!!!
*Ten Reasons I Love...Blogging!!!
*{Design Analysis Vlog} MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
*24 of the Books I Love to Recommend the Most Are..........!
*What Makes a Musical INTERESTING? AKA the thread that became All About the Hamilton!!!
*Top 24 Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year!!!
*{Excerpt} 27 DAYS TO MIDNIGHT by Kristine Kruppa
*Let's Talk About That MOANA Teaser Trailer!!!
*Please Help TIDES by Alex Lidell Receive a Publishing Deal! Hitting NOMINATE takes just a minute & if she wins, you'll receive a FREE copy of the book!!!!
*My Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year Are...
*{Cover Reveal} TORN by Jennifer L. Armentrout
*{Cover Reveal} FALL OF THRONES AND THORNS by Jennifer Ellision