SBS January & February Monthly Wrap-Up

Crushed on by Christy Jane, on March 5, 2023, in Blogging, Feature, It's Personal / 0 Comments

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#SBS January & February Monthly Wrap-Up

Welcome to our monthly feature where we talk about what we read, adopted into our libraries, and what’s on our minds. After hosting #SignedBookSundays on instagram for 4+ years, we are transitioning to this format as a way to share signed books and talk about bookish (and personal) highlights. Join us the last Sunday or last day of every month (or whatever day today is…we are busy!)!

We skipped January because we were focusing on getting a SBS challenge set up on instagram to continue our 10 year blogiversary celebration, so today we are just combining both months. Enjoy.

In Case You Missed It


What We Read

Kelly: January felt like I was on a reading roll, read 6 books, 2 of them were still holiday romances, which were awesome! February slowed down way too much as I hit a wall with a book I wasn’t feeling, but kept reading anyways, only finished 4 books – so 10 books so far for the year, and I am 5 behind on the goal. Guess I have a lot of catching up to do for those lofty reading goals of mine (ha!). Some of my favorites of the month were:

  • One Girl in all the World (In Every Generation #2) by Kendare Blake – 4.5 stars – This is the sequel to the new spinoff Buffyverse books, that follow newly minted slayer, Frankie, Willow’s witchy daughter, a bunch of the old scoobies are back as well as many new crew helping solve a bigger mystery about the Slayers, as well as keeping Sunnydale free of monsters.
  • Hell Bent (Alex Stern #2) by Leigh Bardugo – 4.5 stars – Not often do you see me picking up a book to read the day it is released…that’s how much I wanted to read this highly anticipated adult, dark academia series, complete with a trip to Hell!
  • Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei – 4.5 stars – this sporty, freshman in college queer YA, was full of angst, and enemies to lovers, plus wonderful mental health rep, and dealing with unrealistic pressures and goals set upon the main MC. The Sports Gays(TM) get me every time.

Christy: As of writing this (8 days before the end of February), I’ve read a total of 12 books. Dang, I miss the days when I could read 20 books in a month! Here’s a few highlights of the year so far.

  • Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen – Thank the universe that the Harper strike is over so I can tell you all that I LOVED THIS BOOK! It explores the loneliness of being a vampire plus the mundane parts. Another winner for me.
  • Star Wars The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – I’ve been cool to flat-out cold on the latest phase of The High Republic but this audiodrama had my whole attention. The audiodramas are a step above an audiobook and might be my favorite part of the universe.
  • The Hunger Between Us by Marina Scott – If you love any Ruta Sepetys stories, this book is for you. This story humanizes the Siege of Leningrad during WWII and, while a tough read, is worth your time.


What We Hauled

You too can be obsessed with signed books, look here for where to buy a copy from your favorite author’s local indie or preorder incentives that include bookplates.

Kelly’s Highlights

  • I’ll Take Everything You Have by James Klise – Releases Feb 28th – Thank you Algonquin YR for the finished copy!
  • Remind Me to Hate You Later by Lizzy Mason – Releases Feb 28th – Thank you Bloomsbury for the finished copy!
  • Afterglow by Phil Stamper – Released Feb 7th – Thank you Bloomsbury for the finished copy!
  • Planning Perfect by Haley Neil – Released Feb 14th – Thank you Bloomsbury for the finished copy!
  • The Buried and The Bound by Rochelle Hassan – Released Jan 24th – Thank you Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan for the finished copy!
  • Don’t Ask if I’m Okay by Jessica Kara – Releases May 16th – Thank you PageStreetYA for the advance copy!
  • If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – Releases May 9th – Thank you to Bloomsbury for the advance copy!
  • Signed Books I added to my collection this month: Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, One Girl in all The World by Kendare Blake.

Christy’s Highlights

  • Remind Me to Hate You Later by Lizzy Mason – TY to Bloomsbury. I read this book and yeah it broke me.
  • The Pledge by Cale Dietrich
  • The Lion’s Legacy by L.C. Rosen – TY to Union Square! I can’t wait for Lev’s next book (he has like a million out this year).
  • Don’t Ask If I’m Okay by Jessica Kara – TY to Pagestreet!

What We Hope to Read

Kelly’s TBR

As I said in December, my plan was all holiday books, and what a wonderful plan that was! I was still reading some of the holigays romance books well into January! They were all so wonderful, and wow it’s amazing how badly I, and I am sure most of the community, really needed some adult queer holiday romances!

Now I am starting fresh and trying to read some of the new releases I have so far this year!

You can follow my reading on goodreads and/or storygraph where I share what I just read, and some immediate reading reactions – full reviews are almost exclusively on here on the blog or instagram.

  • The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
  • Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
  • The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
  • I’ll Take Everything You Have by James Klise
  • Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

Christy’s TBR

I read all of the books from the last list we made (November) – yay me! I am STRUGGLING with what to read right now.

  • Three Drops of Blood by Gretchen McNeil
  • Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia, with art by Gabriel Picolo
  • Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones


On the Top of Our Minds

Kelly: 

Well I can hardly believe it’s March! I feel like nothing happened, yet time flew by! Why is time so weird. I hope to start planning for a few vacations, one which will bring Christy and me together for the first time since 2019…way too long! I am also, as always, trying to work on my overflowing, too few shelves, home library. I am really trying not to buy too many new books, because I have to admit that buying books is a completely different hobby/habit than actually reading them, and well I am literally drowning in books. HA! Bookworm problems. Wish me luck unhauling…it is very hard for me.

Christy:

How are we only and also already 2 months into the year? January was a whirlwind with running my first marathon and a long trip to Disney World. Work has been so busy and I traveled a bunch in February with more coming in March. I just finished an AWESOME rundisney weekend <3.

I told myself this year was a year of stasis but I am not sure I am achieving that!




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