February Snapshots
1.
Audiobook fiend. I spent February trying really hard with
audiobooks. My library has a bunch of them, so I thought I should use the stuff
my tax dollars pay for. I ended up finishing 4 audiobooks in February. For the
first month in my life, I listened to more books than I read. What is this
madness? I still have a hard time paying attention to them. My mind wanders,
and I suddenly have no idea what’s going on. Does anyone else have this
problem?
2.
And the winner is . . . . I was a judge for the realistic
middlegrade division of the Cybils Awards this year. In February, we finally
got to announce our winner. We chose The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. If you like middlegrade books,
reading this one would be a solid decision.
3.
I was not prepared! My sister had a baby on February 16 at 3:05 in the morning. The baby’s
name is Brooklyn, and her current hobbies include creating endless piles of
laundry and then screaming like a murder victim if you put her down to do the
laundry. Reading about babies is not the same as having one in the house! She’s
a time-consuming little creature.
Also, I learned that hospitals are very odd places. While I was waiting to visit the baby, I saw a dude with a big hunting knife strapped to his belt and another dude completely decked out in Donald Trump paraphernalia. Welcome to the world, baby.
Also, I learned that hospitals are very odd places. While I was waiting to visit the baby, I saw a dude with a big hunting knife strapped to his belt and another dude completely decked out in Donald Trump paraphernalia. Welcome to the world, baby.
 |
| Mom & Baby. |
Wayward Googlers
Here are a few amusing Google
searches that led people to Read All The Things! last month. I’m sorry to the
unfortunate souls who ended up here instead of finding what they were Googling
for.
“Why are Wordpress sites slow loading?” I’m not an expert, but I’d guess bad plugins and too much pointless crap in the sidebars.“a.rant about assumptions.” Haha, I actually wrote one of those . . . .“Game of Thrones language?” English, mostly? This is a vague question! The book series has been translated into more than 20 languages. I feel bad for the translators. Those books are fat bastards.“Instagram private profile viewer online.” Ooh, you’re up to something naughty. Are you internet stalking an ex? Don’t do it. It’ll make you both unhappy.“when is viagra most effective.” Um . . . I sincerely hope you’re not the same person who was just trying to look at private Instagram profiles. Awkward.
Books I Read
February was a terrible reading
month. I finished 6 books and gave up on 2.
Arcadia by
Iain Pears (DNF)
The
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (DNF)
Three
Things about Elsie by Joanna Cannon
I, Alex
Cross by James Patterson (Audiobook)
The
Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes
Dear
Martin by Nic Stone (Audiobook)
The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
(Audiobook)
Best Books Of February
1. The Arsonist by
Stephanie Oakes
2. Three Things about Elsie by
Joanna Cannon
3. Dear Martin by Nic
Stone
Most-Viewed February Reviews
Most-Viewed February Non-Reviews
All The Things!
Number of unread books on my
TBR shelf = 44 books.
I’m currently reading = Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
What
did you do in February?
I'm cracking up over your baby/hospital comments. Yes, reading about babies DEFINITELY cannot completely prepare you for having one. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Yeah, I read a bunch of websites about newborns, but when she came home, I was like “What are we supposed to DO with this creature?!”
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Yay for audios. Yeah I sometimes still have my mind wander but I enjoy them. Congrats on being an aunt!!! Love her name :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I’m finding that I’m better at paying attention to nonfiction. There are fewer plot threads to keep up with.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Isn't being an aunt the best thing ever?
ReplyDeleteYep, I love the baby. (When she’s not barfing or filling diapers . . .)
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Your Arsonist photo on IG was the bomb! 👍✨✨
ReplyDeleteMy mother had a baby when I was sixteen. It was the best birth control in the world. Ha ha. People have no clue until they have a baby living in their house 24/7. 🚼🔊
I will put the Cybil winner on my tbr. 📚
Yeah, giving birth looks painfully gross, and babies are so much work!
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I am struggling through The Shadow of the Wind right now, so it makes me feel better that you did not finish! I feel like it's been recommended to me forever so I really want to finish it, but it's not my cup of tea for sure.
ReplyDeleteA ton of people recommended it, but it was too slow, and I lost interest.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
My mind wanders when I listen to audiobooks, too, that's why I tend to listen to YA or nonfiction where hopefully it won't matter too much!
ReplyDeleteNonfiction seems to work best for me. If I miss a few seconds, I don’t get completely lost.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Enjoy your time with your niece for they grow up too quick! I am always listening to an audio book and unlike the books I read, I will finish an audio book before picking up another. Mostly, I read when driving and at the gym.
ReplyDeletewww.thepulpitandthepen.com
I’ve been listening to audiobooks while running. They’re the only reason I enjoy exercise right now.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I seem to have trouble sitting still enough to watch films and listen to audio books! I have expanded my audiobook collection to 19 recently!
ReplyDeleteI’m so bad with films! That’s why I don’t watch many of them. I can’t sit still and pay attention for hours.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Congrats on becoming an aunt! I'm a godmother but no aunt yet :)
ReplyDeleteI have exactly the same problem with audio books! Can't concentrate at all, so I never use them.
I’m practicing and getting better at concentrating. Right now, nonfiction seems to work best for me.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Bwahahaha AJ you made me laugh with IG and viagra and hunting knife in hospital (though I don't know if laughing at that last one is appropriate!). February was also the first month I listened to audiobooks in my life!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I didn’t know you could bring a giant knife into a hospital! That seems like it could lead to problems.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Yeah, you see the strangest people in hospitals. It's...interesting. LOL
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I haven’t been in many hospitals. There were some real oddities in this one.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm a total convert to audio books. I used to turn my nose up at them but over the last couple years I've done a total 180 and I almost always have one downloaded now.
ReplyDeleteI think I’ll eventually learn to love them. My library has a bunch of them, so I have plenty to practice on.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Hahahha screaming like a murder victim! Audiobooks are so hard for me to focus on!! I need to check out your lightning girl review! <3 Congratulations on becoming an aunt!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on becoming an aunt! I'm also trying to listen to audiobooks, although my mind wanders so I keep having to rewind and play some parts again!
ReplyDeleteYep, I’m also a big user of the rewind button.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I think you missed your calling as a parenting book author. You could definitely convince people NOT to have kids. LOL! Your description of your niece is hilarious. If a story is too complex, I lose my place when listening to it on audio. I mostly listen while I am doing something else, so I really focus on contemporaries, which don't have complex worlds to keep track of.
ReplyDeleteI think memoirs have been easiest for me to focus on. There seems to be a lot less stuff to keep track of.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Congrats on becoming an aunt! My niece was born two years ago, and it took this long for me to be comfortable around her, lol. Tiny humans make me nervous.
ReplyDeleteI listen to a lot of audios now, and I used to have a big problem with losing focus and having to go back a bit to figure out what I missed. I still do it on occasion where I am distracted or tired, but not nearly as much.
What did you think of Shadow of the Wind?
ReplyDeleteHey there Brooklyn! Welcome to the world! I remember taking my first born home and being left home alone with him and thinking OMG SOMEONE THOUGHT HOW AM I GOING TO KEEP THIS CREATURE ALIVE! He's 7 now and I guess he's still alive so I'm doing good at least? My youngest is 4 and I am now terrified of babies.
ReplyDeleteI love audiobooks but recently I haven't been able to listen to many audiobooks like before because my mind was wondering so much. But honestly audiobooks are amazing for when you are cleaning the house.
I hope you have a wonderful March!!
Tina@ As Told By Tina
Ohh wow what a great wrap-up I think you had an amazing month in February, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a baby to put you off having baby's for a while haha. Super congrats with Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteGlad that Mom and Brooklyn are both doing well, and congrats on your Auntyship!!
ReplyDeleteI love the Battenburg cake book cover. That one easily caught me eye. Sorry Shadow Of The Wind didn't work out for you though.
Yeah, it can be a strange experience having a baby in the house. I hope Brooklyn is doing alright!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Monthly Wrap Up!
Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog
Oh, I have high hopes for The Shadow of the Wind, it is a pity you did not liked it. Hopefully it would be different for me.
ReplyDeleteThree Things about Elsie is also on my most anticipated reads list.
I have the same problem with audio books, though I want to try again. I also tune out the TV so I'm not surprised at this. Babies definitely have their own schedules and like wizards are never late, nor are they early. They arrive precisely when they mean to.
ReplyDelete