Thursday, October 4, 2018

September Wrap-Up






September Snapshots








1. Remember that giveaway I yammered about incessantly for a month? It ended in September. Rafflecopter picked Chuckles @ Chuckles Book Cave as the winner. The book she chose was Stop Me by Richard Jay Parker. I hope it’s excellent!









2. I am the stair master! September started with me walking up 200 very steep steps to get to the top of a hill. Why would I do that? Because hills must be conquered. Guys, I have no athletic skills at all. Skinny, beautiful people were running up and down these steps. They didn’t even have to pause to die a little! Not even one of them fell down the steps! I made it to the top of the hill, flopped on a bench, and felt my lifespan shrinking by approximately 7 years. I didn’t get many good photos because the air was smoky from wildfires, but here’s the view from the top of the steps.











3. I’m so tired. Send help. And a social life. In September, I scheduled my 1000th blog post. I can’t believe I’ve written 1000 of these things. Actually, I’ve written over 1000. I deleted most of the stuff I posted during my first two years of blogging. I’ve been doing this for way too long, people.









4. A solid hour of nonstop internal screaming. The best thing I did in September was attend V.E. Schwab’s Vengeful event in Denver. I usually can’t go to author events because getting to Denver is an ordeal. It involves miles of walking and longer-than-tolerable rides on public transportation. My dad was able to give me a ride this time. (Thanks, Dad!) He sat in the car and listened to a baseball game during the event because he doesn’t understand that seeing V.E. Schwab is vitally important. I silently fangirled in my head for an hour while she talked. If you ever have a chance to see V.E. Schwab, you should go. She’s smart, and funny, and hyperactive.









5. Pinterest: Hours of Time-Wasting Entertainment. The randomness of my suggested pins on Pinterest is endlessly entertaining. Today, Pinterest suggests that I look at Halloween costumes, book covers, and the occasional sandwich. Also, it keeps prompting me to save my ideas about creepy hallways. Pinterest, literally no one wants to know my ideas about creepy hallways. Calm down.














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.

“What goes in The Sunday Post?” Good question. If you’re a book blogger, you can learn all about The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Basically, you write a post about what happened last week and what’s going to happen this week. Then you post it on Sunday. Simple! 

 “The chests of heaven.” I hope you mean The Ghosts of Heaven. It’s a good book. You should read it. Though, The Chests of Heaven may be some kind of erotica novel that I don’t know about. It might also be good. I haven’t read it, so I can’t judge.










Books I Read



I think I’ve mostly given up on my reading challenges. Last month, I read 5 books and DNFed 1. That’s a terrible reading month.





I don’t usually talk about this online because you guys don’t come here for whining, but I have depression. It’s been bad for the last 5-ish months. My body aches all the time, my brain feels nonexistent, I have no attention span. I tend to stare blankly at books instead of reading them. Basically, I’m an irritable zombie with intense sugar cravings. Reading isn’t happening. (Unless somebody possesses the technology to print books on doughnuts. If this exists, I would probably read/eat a lot more books.)

Now that I’ve said that, watch me read 20 books in October . . . . Anyway, here's what I read in September:





Psycho by Robert Bloch
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics (DNF)
The Snowman by Jo Nesbรธ
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey











Best Books Of September





1. Psycho by Robert Bloch










Most-Viewed September Reviews

















Most-Viewed September Non-Reviews

















All The Things!



Distance I’ve sloppily jogged so far this year = 186 miles (299 km)

Number of unread books on my TBR shelf = 57 books

I’m currently reading = An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green


















What did you do in September?








56 comments:

  1. Go you on walking up all those stairs! Going up stairs/uphill is always way worse for me than just walking for a long time. LOL I'm sorry to hear your depression has been bad for awhile now. I understand that, and you can totally talk about it if you want! Sometimes it helps a bit.
    Yay for seeing V.E. Schwab - and that's awesome your dad drove you. I'd LOVE to see her sometime, so fingers crossed she comes my way in the future.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I’m the same! I can walk forever, but those steep stairs made me a little dizzy.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  2. Sorry about the depression thing. My dd is dealing with it fairly badly right now too. Hope things pick up for you next month.

    That's cool that you got to see VE Schwab. I still haven't read any of her books, although I bought some.

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    1. Her books are so good! I rarely reread anymore, but I’m rereading Vicious right now.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  3. Congrats to Chuckles on the win!
    Stairs are from Satan. I read it on the internet. But the pics are gorgeous so there’s that.
    Awesome that you got to see Schwab! And kudos to dad for playing chauffeur.
    I’m so sorry to hear that you struggle with depression. It’s a freaking horrible thing to deal with. I’ll keep an eye for the doughnut books and let you know if I find any.
    Totally interested to see what you think of Hank Green’s book!

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    1. I really liked Hank Green’s book. It’s not perfect, but it’s funny and entertaining.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  4. I can't wait to read Vengeful!

    Those views are beautiful - too bad about the smoke though.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. The smoke did make climbing the stairs harder than it needed to be. My lungs were on fire.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  5. Hi AJ - well done on your stair walking ... I'm sure you'll feel easier when the exercise slots into the brain - let alone the bod ... that's great news. Depression is difficult - so I hope the Autumn brings a calmer spirit. Take care and enjoy the books you do end up reading. Brilliant father supporting you with the trip in to Denver to see Schwab ... obviously was very rewarding. Cheers Hilary

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    1. Thanks! I’m trying to exercise every day. I don’t know if it’s helping me, but I like getting away from the computer screen.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  6. I laughed with the 'stair master' bit, it was hilarious, and so relatable! Also, that one otgether with the talk about Depression... it can be demoralizing sometimes, because something that other people take for granted can be an accomplishment for you, and it's just so weird!
    Like, I routinely have to psych myself before sending an email, or talking to someone, or just going outside and I feel like a winner and a loser at the same time.
    TLDR: going outside = hard; exercising = hard; you = awesome, cause you've done both!

    VE Schwab is <3<3<3<3

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Staying motivated to do things has been hard. Most of the time, I’d rather being lying in bed and staring at the wall. I’m trying not to let that happen.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  7. Sorry to hear your depression if affecting on such a level right now - I get it; positive thoughts being sent your way.

    Lovely views up the top of those stairs; well worth it. And great that you were able to make it to the V.E. Schwab event; go dad too!! 1000 blog posts is AMAZING!

    Happy October!

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    1. Climbing all those stairs was totally worth it. I want to go back when there aren’t wildfires. Climbing stairs is easier when you can breathe.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  8. I'm sorry to hear about your depression, my mum has been dealing with it for years and I have not been feeling on top of the world for the last two months either plus I am in a massive reading slump. I hope things will get better soon!

    VE Schwab is the best! It sounds like you had a great time at the event. Congrats on the 1000th post!

    Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thanks! I hope you and your mum feel better soon. It’s exhausting to feel terrible all the time.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  9. I read Woman in the Walls and I almost DNFd it but something kept me reading (ghosts maybe) it sort of got better and then the end made it not better anymore and I was like WTF did I just read. :)

    Congrats on your 1000th Post. I lost count of how many I did before getting a co-blogger. I also have been blogging for what feels like FOREVER. I love it! :)

    I hope your October is filled with amazing reads! :)

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    1. I actually read the majority of The Women In The Walls. I was waiting for it to get scary, but NOTHING was happening.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  10. I love this round up. Well done on conquering those steps. It reminded me of my feelings walking up the steps in Whitby from the town to the church. So steep, and uneven, and I got overtaken by a toddler on one of the first days there!

    Cait @ Click's Clan

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    1. Haha, there weren’t any kids on these steps, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if a toddler passed me.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  11. Hurray for making it up the steps! I feel like that would be difficult for me too. I finally turned on the search thing on Analytics so I'm hoping to have some interesting results coming up. Yours are always hilarious! I'm sorry you've had a rough few months. I can totally sympathize and I hope you feel better soon. I'm excited to see your review of Psycho! That's one I've always wanted to read.

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    1. I hope you get some hilarious search results! Most of the ones I get are pretty boring. A lot of people Google book titles or quotes. Sometimes something bizarre pops up, though. The bizarre ones give me life.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  12. I'm sorry to hear about the depression settling in and I hope yours isn't seasonal (with the days getting shorter). I hope you've got a little self care bible nearby!

    I really wanted to go to the Chicago Schwab event, but it was the next day after a long work trip and I didnt have it in my bones to go.

    Beautiful Instagram shots. You conquered that hill!

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    1. I don’t think it’s seasonal? I’m not sure. I first noticed it in spring. I’m hoping it will go away on its own, but it doesn’t seem to be fixing itself.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  13. Love all the pictures! The book event sounds fun and awesome of your dad to take you. Sorry about the depression. I do support books on donuts though :)

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    1. Books on doughnuts would be great. Reading and eating are my favorite activities.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  14. I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with depression, it's so difficult and lots of people just don't understand what it's like to go through it.

    Stairs are the bane of my existence. When we visited Diamondhead in Hawaii, there were so many stairs leading to the top that I almost threw up/quit/died. Little old ladies in flip flops were doing better than me.

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    1. Ooh, Hawaii. I’d love to go there. I was so envious of the people running up the stairs. They’d run to the top, turn around, and run right back down. There was 1 group that was trying to do 1000 stairs.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  15. The Passion of Dolssa is on my TBR, glad to see you`ve enjoyed it. Sorry about your depression, I hope it gets better soon.

    Carmen`s Reading Corner

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  16. Your nature shots are awesome! I don't really go outside, but I like to look at how pretty it is. I have to set a timer, when I go on Pinterest, because that is my social media blackhole. I cannot wait to hear what you think of the Hank Green book. I love his videos, and think he could write something I would like. I was born depressed, and that's why I read all the cute and fluffy books.

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    1. I thought Twitter was a time-waster, but it’s NOTHING compared to Pinterest. I can get lost on there forever. I really liked Hank’s book. It’s funny and escapist.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  17. *massive hugs* - you've done awesome. Depression sucks. No-one thinks that you're whining! :) <3

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    1. Thanks! I try to keep the blog as upbeat as possible, but it’s hard to be upbeat when I feel terrible and have no attention span.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  18. And thank you again for picking me! *waves* Stop Me looks good as does his other work so I'll be excited to get stuck into them! I was diagnosed with depression in 2002 and haven't worked since because of it. 2003 was a year of endless crying and lying in my bed doing nothing and feeling useless. Thanks to medication I did get my life back but it is peaks and troughs, good spella and bad spells. I try to avoid people and don't like going out unless I really have to. On the days you want to talk about it, blog it and lots of us will be happy to chat about it. We don't think you're whining at all, promise!

    I wish I had a magic solution to share for the reading slump but for me, different things worked at different times. Harry Potter audio cds were a popular solution! Lounging in front of a favourite dvd boxset or films with some tasty food sometimes helps. Switching to short stories and novellas. Hopefully something will work for you AJ. *hugs*

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    1. I’m glad medication was helpful for you. I’m thinking about going back on mine. It didn’t fix any of my problems, but it helped me feel motivated. I’m currently rereading a book I love, so that’s been a good distraction.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  19. Hi Aj! First of all, OMG I'm answering comments and I'm finding SO MANY by you on my blog! I've been so busy, too busy - and I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit. Thank you so much for all those awesome, sincere comments! You're the best <3 I really would visit more often if I had the time :)

    Woah, you got Vengeful! Awesome :) I am getting curious about that book. I requested, but no such luck. One day then :) oh, you went to an event! That's is SO awesome!

    1000 blog posts! Congratulations!!! That's so awesome! I think I've only written a couple hundred so far. I think I will be writing less now because I'm so busy, and I don't want to push myself too much. I want to still love blogging, haha :)

    I also had a lot of DNFs the last month, and I'm currently reading like ELEVEN or something. Bit of a slump, I guess xD

    Everyone seems to be going wild about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and I feel like I'm so out of the loop, I just heard about that book like yesterday :D is it good?

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    1. I love your blog and all the work you do to help new bloggers and international bloggers. :)

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  20. Ooh, that's a pretty view, I'd say it was worth conquering the hike for! Congrats on 1,000 posts, that's a huge accomplishment. I have to say, creepy hallways do sound intriguing...

    I totally understand you on the depression front--I am very familiar with those struggles, especially when it comes to reading. It seriously makes it hard to focus on any books or even get into them, which doesn't seem to help the situation at all.

    The Passion of Dolssa is one I'm really intrigued by, so I'm glad to see it made your top! I hope you have a great October!

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    1. Yes! The view was so pretty! I’m really happy that I walked up all those stairs.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  21. I really love all your snapshots and it looks like you had a great reading month here.

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  22. Congratulations on 1000 posts! I'm glad The Passion of Dolssa turned out to be a good as I love the cover. See my September wrap up at Girl Who Reads

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    1. Isn’t the cover pretty? I’m not ashamed to say that the cover is one of the reasons I read it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  23. Those are some beautiful pictures!!

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  24. Great month! The hill conquering, the VE Schwab event... sounds great.
    I also think it is good that you talk about your depression when you want to; it's not complaining. I deal with depression and anxiety as well and can understand the effects it can have. I hope you have a support system that you can depend on. Be well and enjoy your October!

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  25. 1,000 posts! ๐Ÿ‘✨

    How did I not know Psycho was a book? ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

    Here's to a better reading month for you in October. ๐Ÿ“š

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  26. I can completely relate to your thoughts on climbing those stairs. I have had many moments where I realize just how out of shape I really am. Not every month is going to be a good reading month. Just make sure that you are always taking care of yourself. Yay for getting to meet VE Schwab!

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  27. oh WOW congrats on your 1000th blog post! That's quite the accomplishment! Even though it feels to you that you’ve been doing this for way too long I hope you keep doing it for many years to come! I LOVE your blog AJ!

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  28. Oooh! I love all your September snapshots! So pretty! Glad you got to meet Victoria Schwab! I would love to meet her someday! Sorry to hear about your depression. I hope you're feeling alright!

    Here’s my Monthly Wrap Up!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  29. Sorry that September was a tough month for you. It's hard to motivate yourself to read when you just want to hide away from life. I hope that you really do end up reading 20 books in October because that will mean that your mental health is in a much better place. :-) (And I totally agree about Schwab. I LOVED her when I got to see her on tour.)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  30. I am a big believer in pestering doctors until you get a depression plan that works (at least for awhile). Three of the four people in my house are on meds for mental illnesses, and while it's SO HARD to persist in getting a good plan when you're feeling like a lump (and it seems that nothing is helping anyway, so why bother?) it really is worth it when you start to get yourself back. Are you parents able to help advocate for you when you're too far down to?

    A thousand posts is very impressive! As are stairs of any sort. I used to do a lot of hiking and even mountain climbing, then I gained 75 pounds and lost all my energy and now going upstairs in my own house makes me pant a bit.

    I have a Book of the Month Club 3 month subscription that I've been nursing along for a year or so now, because I always turn it down if there's no YA or other books I could put in my classroom. But I just got the Hank Green, mostly out of curiosity. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.

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  31. I'm still so jealous of your meet up with VE Schwab!! :-D And congratulations on your 1000th post!! That's so exciting! And I'm obsessed with your "WAYWARD GOOGLERS" section. That is too funny! I'm so sorry to hear your depression has been a struggle recently. If you ever need to vent/chat, I'm here <3

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  32. Stairs always get my heart rate skyrocketing. I try to take them at the mall (we have a ranch-style house, on purpose for lack of stairs), just for the extra exercise. I hope to meet more authors, but as most indie stores closed around here, finding author appearances is few and far in between. I would love to meet VE Schwab as she sounds fun.

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  33. Those steps were worth it. That view is absolutely beautiful! And trust me, I know hiking is hard. I literally am screaming every time I get to the top of a mountain. And then I remember that sometimes the way down isn't much easier either DD: But I love it! Also, it's amazing that you have written 1000 posts DD: And even more than that! I've been blogging for... 3? Maybe 4 years and I actually have around half that amount. You go above and beyond. I am sorry to hear that your depression has been really affecting you negatively lately. Hope things look up soon xx

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