Please someone tell me how the first month of this new year has already come to an end. How did that happen so quickly?
2021 kicked off pretty quietly (on this side of the world) although globally, it seemed that chaos still reigned in many places causing tensions to remain high and people to feel pretty low, not to mention the pandemic. I took a one-week holiday at the start of the month to “decompress” between work contracts, although not much of that happened before it was time to start work again but this time on a part-time contract! I have to admit that since I started working three days a week, my days have begun to blur into one giant blob of working, reading, blogging and not much else. 😂
Half the time I feel like I don’t even know what day it is anymore and that definitely didn’t help by the brain fog that came creeping in around mid-month. Although I still struggle with my mental health and this month got a bit rough towards the end, the three day work week has really helped to keep extra pressure at bay and that’s exactly why I agreed to it in the first place!
In bookish mail news, I was surprised to actually receive the Cemetery Boys pre-order goodies from Aiden Thomas (even if it’s quite late)! I never usually receive these goodies and I blame that entirely on the mail system in my country so colour me very shook when I saw the beautiful character cards (and sign plate) arrive the other week. My photos don’t do the cards justice but trust, they’re gorgeous and I love to see them! 😍 If I’m not mistaken, the art is by: @mmarsloud.
January ended up being a pretty great reading month thanks to having more time in general. I ended up reading 22 books (that I’m counting with three books that I read and won’t be counting towards my GR goal). This month was unsurprisingly heavy on fantasy and romance with a sprinkle of middle-grade and literary fiction. A couple books took me a few steps out of my comfort zone but I ended up really loving them and they were strong contenders for favourites this month! The majority of the books I read were also by new-to-me-authors with some potential favourite new ones on the list!
I’m still a bit behind on my reviews and part of me just wants to start writing mini-reviews for all of them but is that a cop out? 😂 I loved most of my reads this month but I also had quite a few ratings below three-stars and I don’t tend to give those out a lot, so that was pretty surprising! With only one five-star read this month Ever After Always was the winning favourite and I’ve linked my review below if you want to check it out. 😊
Book covers are linked to Goodreads and the title text is linked to my reviews, if available!
5 pandas
Ever After Always (Bergman Brothers #3)
4.5 pandas
Kept from Cages (Ikiri #1)
Choosing Theo (Clecanian #1)
White Trash Warlock (The Adam Binder Novels #1)
4 pandas
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2)
Glimpsed
The Fortunate Ones
The Mistletoe Trap (Heart in the Game #2)
Cast in Firelight
Taken to Heimo (Xiveri Mates #4)
The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady
3.5 pandas
Fortuna Sworn (Fortuna Sworn #1)
3 pandas
Among the Beasts & Briars
Girl on the Ferris Wheel
Freeing Luka (Clecanian #2)
Deadly Dreams (Fortuna Sworn #3)
2.5 pandas
At the Edge of the Haight
Restless Slumber (Fortuna Sworn #2)
2 pandas
The Crowns of Croswald (The Croswald Series #1)
The Tobacco Girls
Sew Basic
Back in the Game (Dating by Numbers #2.5)
I did a better job of blog hopping and checking out more posts in the community this month but I know there are a lot out there that I’m still missing out on! If you have a post that you’d like for me and the rest of the community to check out and give love to, please do leave a link the comments below!
- I read Krysta’s post @ Pages Unbound about being okay with not being paid to book blog — a popular topic that comes up now and again in the book community!
- Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den wrote a great post about chronic illness in literature with tons of fantastic recommendations!
- Stephanie @ Adventures of a Bibliophile shares 2021 Nonfiction Releases she’s adding to her TBR and I added most to mine too! 😂
- One of the #LetsTalkBookish prompts in January was about Bookish Memes & Games and Rukky @ Eternity Books wrote a great post about it!
- After reading Kat @ Novels and Waffles review of Tokyo Ever After I immediately added the book to my TBR and I want it now! Her review (and aesthetic) are *chefs kiss* 😍
- Chana @ Paper Procrastinators wrote a really insightful post about misogyny in fiction and it really made me think about the books I used to read and my current/future reads too!
- Perfect for those who want to diversify their reads, Kathryn @ Metaphors and Miscellanea shared a list of books with great asexual representation!
- Charvi @ Not Just Fiction takes us through her decision making process about which books to buy and discard in building her personal library!
- Alexx @ Enthralled Bookworm reviews Winter’s Orbit, one of my anticipated releases of 2021 and I’m even more excited for it now!
- Michelle @ Magical Reads shares a thoughtful review for A Pho Love Story and if this doesn’t get you excited for it, I don’t know what will!
- Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical shares a great list of 3-star books she didn’t love but thinks you should still read.
- Rae @ Rae’s Reads and Reviews made a list of 22 books by BIPOC coming out in February and you better get ready for your TBR to grow cos mine certainly did! 😂
- Coming at you with another great discussion post, Stephen @ Stephen Writes talks about how he hears about upcoming releases. Where do you hear about upcoming releases?
And that’s a wrap on the first month of 2021! How was your reading this month? How was your month in general? I know for many of you January was not the best of months but I’m hoping that February starts to see a turn around for the better for all of us! Hang in there friends and happy reading! 🐼
dinipandareads 
Thank you so much for including my post among so many wonderful ones! Looks like you had a nice reading month. My reading was lighter since my new semster began but overall January was kinda nice? February will probably be academically heavy but still, I’m trying go stay optimistic 🙂
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Yay for a nice January! It’s great to hear since a lot of people have mentioned the opposite in their wrap-ups 😊 I hope you have a great February and manage to get in more fun reading time between school work!
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Haha yeah, my January went surprisingly well. Thank you so much, hope you have a good month too 🥰
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The cards for Cemetery Boys are so beautifully, I cannot! (And I am not jealouse at all. No, no. But for real, happy you had a chance to get some pre-order goodies)
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They are! I’m honestly so surprised that they arrived because I’ve done pre-orders before for goodies and never received them, so I assumed it’d be the same this time. Colour me shook! They’re absolutely stunning 😍
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I adore the preorder cards from Cemetery Boys, I was so excited to receive them in the mail! Sounds like a great reading month, I’ll have to check out the first Bergman Brothers book because they honestly look adorable. Hope you have a great start to Feb! ♥
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Omg, they’re so pretty and I love that they look/feel like quality, too! 😍 I would definitely recommend the Bergman Brothers series especially if you’re looking for more diverse romance with great mental health, disability and autistic rep! Happy reading, Erin and I hope you have a fabulous February! ❤️
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Wow – you had a fantastic reading month! I loved Choosing Theo (can I live on that planet, please!! lol) I also really enjoyed Cast in Firelight – can’t wait for the next book in the series!
And Those character cards are gorgeous!!
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Omg, I’d totally move with you to Clecania 😂 I still haven’t read the third book in the series but so far Theo is really my fave hero in that series! I can’t wait for the next book in the Cast in Firelight series. I want more Adraa and Jatin 😍 I hope you have an awesome February, Julie!
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Thank you so much for linking to my post ☺️ I’m glad you had such a full reading month!
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Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful February 😊
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What an amazing reading month!!! That’s awesome about spending more time reading and blogging. I hope that you end up in a routine, I find that helps. Being a SAHM, I NEVER know what day it is. haha!! Oh nooooo Fortuna Sworn?! Book two is 2.5 stars?! I still have to read it and I’m scared now!!! Also, mini-reviews saved my life at the end of last year. I actually love it!! Sweet and to the point! 🙂 I hope that your February is even better. I can’t wait for our buddy read! ❤
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Thanks, Leslie! I have to say that I’m definitely in the minority about my feels for book two of Fortuna Sworn BUT I was truly mad at that ending but I don’t wanna give my thoughts on it cos I don’t wanna hint at spoilers. Other readers obviously didn’t have an issue with it though? So I hope you enjoy it and can’t wait to hear your thoughts! 😂 Also, yeah, I think I wanna do more mini-reviews this year. Might try clumping a few of the same genres together to make it easier! Aah, I can’t wait for our buddy read as well!! Super excited for more Beth O’Leary in my life 😍 I hope you have a fabulous Feb!
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Honestly, we are all different readers so that’s okay! The good thing is that they are shorter books and I don’t have to put a lot of time into it haha. I started doing mini-reviews at the end of last year and it was so nice! OBviosuly, I didn’t for ARCs and books that I really loved or hated. Haha
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Wow, you had an amazing reading month, Dini! I don’t think it’s a cop out to do mini book reviews if it’s what you want to do–I think it’s fun when bloggers group mini reviews together by theme. 😀
Those Cemetery Boys cards are so pretty! I’m glad the 3 day work week has helped you, Dini, but you’re definitely not alone in feeling like the days are all blending into one; I’m working 4 days a week for the foreseeable and it does feel like time doesn’t really exist anymore.
I hope you February is a great month for you!
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Thanks, Jess! I’m quite chuffed with how Jan has gone and I’m hoping the reading streak does continue 😂 I think I’m gonna start to do more mini-reviews… I feel like I tend to waffle on a lot about random things in reviews so this might help me focus more! LOL
What is it about shorter work weeks that make the days blend into one? 🙃 I hope you’re having a great week so far and hope February is also an awesome month for you! ❤️
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“my days have begun to blur into one giant blob of working, reading, blogging and not much else.”
This is me LOL. All my days look the same and I’m SO BORED.
You had a really good reading month! It’s a bummer when I have to rate books lower 3 stars so I totally feel you! Hopefully, you won’t have too many of those this month! 😀
Happy February!
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LOL it seems to be happening to a lot of people in January. What are days anyway?! 😂 I also hate rating books lower than 3-stars and that’s why I don’t do it so often but I think that I also need to be stricter with my 2-3 star ratings 🙈 Hope you have a great February too, Nick!
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Aww ohmygosh, thank you for the mention! I hope you enjoy Winter’s Orbit! It was a delight!
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You’re welcome! Your review really made me want to pick up Winter’s Orbit ASAP and I can’t wait to give it t ago 😊
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“my days have begun to blur into one giant blob of working, reading, blogging and not much else.”
Yes, I know exactly what this is because, same. LOL
I hope that you have a wonderful February, Dini! Hopefully it will be just a little more varied for both of us. 😉
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Haha, I’m glad to know that’s not just me experiencing the blurring days. I hope February is a little bit more varied, too! Really need to do something to make days stand out 😂 I hope you have a wonderful February too, Lisa! ❤️
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Wonderful wrap-up, Dini! I’m so glad the three-day working week is helping you, that’s great to hear. And congratulations on 22 books, that’s really impressive!
Thank you so much for featuring my post!
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Thanks, Stephen! Loved your discussion post. Made me think about where I find out about new releases and I have to say it’s mostly through the new/anticipated releases book bloggers seem to love making 😂 I have no idea how I used to find new books to read before joining the blogosphere! Haha
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Aw, thank you for the shoutout, Dini! I was weirdly proud of myself for writing that post lol.
And 22 books in one month is CRAZY good–I’m glad you got so much reading done!
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It was such a great post–you should be proud! 😉 I’m really looking forward to checking out some of the books you mentioned! Thanks for adding to my TBR (haha) 😍
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Great reading month, Dini! I am with you though when it comes to never knowing what day it is. I thought that it was going to be March and was quickly stressing because I then thought a review would be needed in two days. In that same day I also thought it was Friday when it was Sunday, haha. I’m such a mess!
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Haha, I haven’t yet skipped months but the days are all a big blur and the weeks are slowly starting to feel the same 😂 I think it’s kinda comforting to know that we’re not the only ones who are experiencing it! LOL hope your February is going well so far, Joanna!
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Mini reviews are definitely NOT a cop-out. Sometimes you don’t have that much to say. Or you just want to share the highlights, check the box that you reviewed it, and move on. 🙂 I’m excited to pick up Ever After Always!
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I hope you love Ever After Always! I didn’t think it’d be my jam as I’m not much for the marriage-in-crisis trope but I loved it. Chloe Liese can do no wrong in my eyes right now 😂
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Those cards are stunning!!! 😍 You had an amazing reading month, Dini. I think it’s ok if you want to do mini reviews, I actually like to read on point mini reviews. 💛
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I’m SO pleased they arrived! I’m already pre-ordering their next book (Lost in the Neverwoods) cos the PO goodies look great as well 😍 Haha, I’m gonna give mini-reviews a go especially for the romance/romantasy series that I’ve been reading in bulk so far this year! Hope you’re having a great Feb, Andie! ❤️
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