monthly wrapup – TheGeekishBrunette

Monthly Wrap-Up | August 2022

Published on September 1, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette19 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Does anyone else feel like this year is just zooming by? I swear that August had just started!

August was filled with a lot of car fixes and am still dealing with it haha. It was also filled with chickens and cats like always! The baby chicks and kittens are already growing so fast. It’s crazy what can happen in a couple months.

My daughter started school and she is doing well. It’s sometimes hard to keep her attention but it just means a lot of breaks in-between.

The best part of the month was my reading. I have been getting back into the swing of things and read quite a bit!

This month I managed to read 15 books, 12 audiobooks, and 0 manga.
27 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber for obvious reasons!

My least favorite would be Falling for Korea by Piper Jean. It had too much drama.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (🎧)
The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber (arc)

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (🎧)
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (arc) (4.5 stars)
The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon (🎧) (4.5 stars)
A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers (arc)
Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel (arc)
The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon (🎧)
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer (arc)
Empty Smiles (Small Spaces #4) by Katherine Arden (🎧)
Seoulmates by Susan Lee (arc)
Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke (🎧)
The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie (arc)

The Darkening by Sunya Mara (🎧) (3.5 stars)
Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry (arc)
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (🎧)
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti (arc)
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (arc)
A Venom So Dark and Sweet (The Book of Tea #2) by Judy I. Lin (🎧)

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi (arc) (2.5 stars)
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah (arc)
The Make-Up Test by Jenny Howe (arc) (2.5 stars)
Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt
In the Weeds (Lovelight #2) by B.K. Borison (arc/🎧)
Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin (🎧)
The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen (arc/🎧)

Falling for Korea by Piper Jean (arc)

How many books did you read in July? Did you have a favorite?
Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2022

Published on August 10, 2022August 9, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette12 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Does anyone else feel like this year is just zooming by? And apparently I have done one of these posts since March so that’s cool, haha. I guess we will pretend the months in between this one and that one didn’t count! It’s not like I got much reading done while moving anyways.

I honestly don’t remember what happened in July. It was a pretty good month and I did get some reading done. I did a lot of gardening as well and it’s been nice to get out more! The sun has definitely done wonders for me.

Hopefully you all had a great July as well!

This month I managed to read 14 books, 6 audiobooks, and 1 manga.

21 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen. It was a great audiobook!

My least favorite would be my one star read.

None This Month

A Tale of Three Sisters by Anika Fajardo
Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen (arc / audio)
No One is Alone by Rachel Vincent (arc)

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Don’t Go to Sleep by Bryce Moore (arc)
Beasts of Ruin (Beasts of Prey) by Ayana gray (arc / 3.5 stars)
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (arc / 3.5 stars)
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay (audio)
All Downhill With You by Julie Olivia
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (arc)

To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert (arc)
Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey (arc)
A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey (audio)
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (audio)
A Year to the Day by Robin Benway (audio)
No Funny Business by Amanda Aksel (arc)
We Made It All Up by Margot Harrison (arc)
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Vol. 1 by Fujita (manga)
The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson (audio)
Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

No Way Home by Jody Feldman (arc)

How many books did you read in July? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | March 2022

Published on April 7, 2022April 3, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette19 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Does anyone else feel like this year is just zooming by? How are we into April already?

This month was pretty busy with travelling to see family and getting through school for my daughter as well as my husband finishing up. They both will finish in May and it will be here sooner than I know. I am not looking forward to everything that comes with it as we will be diving into the unknown. For that, my blogging, and even reading, may take a dip.

At the end of March I started watching Bridgerton and I am hooked! I honestly didn’t think I would like it as much as I have. It has made me cry and laugh out loud. It’s also nice having two computer screens so I can watch and type up blog posts, lol. It’s a win-win.

On another note, my husband and I celebrated 8 years of marriage this month. It’s wild to think it has been so long and yet I have known him for almost 13…Time goes by fast but I wouldn’t change the direction it has went.

I hope you all had a spectacular March as I have! And that April will be just as lovely. ❤

This month I managed to read 13 books, 5 audiobooks, and 6 mangas.

24 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would probably be my 5 star reads! I liked finishing up the manga series.

My least favorite would be my one stars.

Waiting for Spring Vol. 11 by Anashin (manga)
Waiting for Spring Vol. 12 by Anashin
Waiting for Spring Vol. 13 by Anashin

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (4.5 stars)
Waiting for Spring Vol. 14 by Anashin
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (audiobook)
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
A Warm Rainy Day in Tokyo by Kana Wu (arc)
Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho (arc)
A Devil and Her Love Song Vol. 1 by Miyoshi Tōmori
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Cana
Cinder’s Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding! by Marissa Meyer

The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
The Call of the Wild by Jack London (audiobook)
The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill (arc)
An Illusion of Thieves by Cate Glass (audiobook)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Never Coming Home by Kate Williams
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 1 by Waco Ioka

Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Always Jane by Jenn Bennett (arc)

How many books did you read in February? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | February 2022

Published on March 6, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette7 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Does anyone else feel like this year is just zooming by?

February was filled with a couple visits to the doctor and just getting back into the swing of things after having the plague in January. I have skipped more blog posts and hopping this month than any other for quite some time. It’s been hard to fit it all in when I have a lot of places to go and homeschooling my daughter. This weekend I have taken some time to write ahead, ones that are reviews. Hopefully I can get back into a schedule. 🤞

My reading has been about the same the last couple of months. I didn’t like a lot of the books I read in February though. I don’t know if it was because of my slump or just not actually enjoying the book. I’m hoping that March goes much better when it comes to ratings.

Other than that, it’s been playing a game here and there and just spending time with my husband and daughter.

This month I managed to read 9 books, 5 audiobooks, and 3 mangas.

17 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be White Fang by Jack London! I was very surprised with how much I liked it.

My least favorite would be what I dnfed.

None This Month

White Fang by Jack London (audiobook)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (audiobook)
Waiting for Spring Vol. 10 by Anashin (manga)
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 5 by Yoko Nogiri (manga) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle (arc)
Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald (arc)
The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller (arc)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (audiobook)
Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot (arc)
How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (arc) (3.5 stars)
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas (arc)
A Sign of Affection Vol. 5 by Suu Morishita (manga)
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (audiobook)

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary (arc)
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett (audiobook) (2.5 stars)
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong (arc)
A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan (arc)

None This Month

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike (audiobook)
This Woven Kingdom by Taherah Mafi

How many books did you read in February? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | January 2022

Published on February 5, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette13 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

January has come and gone!

This month we went to the in-laws and got the dreaded plague in between, lol. I am still recovering and sometimes this leftover cough is insane! Other than that, everything is pretty much back to normal.

My reading was the same as December and if it wasn’t for audiobooks it wouldn’t have been. During the plague I didn’t read at all and so there was like a week of nothing. It is what it is. I’m glad that I also read some shorter things, haha.

This month I managed to read 8 books, 7 audiobooks, and 3 mangas.

18 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen!

My least favorite would be what I rated one star, lol. Boring!

The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom #2) by Danielle L. Jensen
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 31 by Mizuho Kusanagi
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 32 by Mizuho Kusanagi
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 33 by Mizuho Kusanagi

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby (audiobook)
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (audiobook)
This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg (arc)

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (audiobook)
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen (arc)
Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (audiobook)
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez (arc)
The Matchbreaker Summer by Annie Rains (arc)

How to Be the Best Third Wheel by Loridee De Villa (arc)
What We Find by Robyn Carr (audiobook) (2.5 stars)
The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West (2.5)

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (audiobook)
Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber & Catherine Doyle (arc)

Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes

How many books did you read in December? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | December 2021

Published on January 5, 2022January 5, 2022 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette22 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is another monthly wrap-up! How is it already 2022? I will never know, lol.

December was a busy month! I did manage to read what I wanted to finish by the end of the year so that was good. My reading has definitely declined in the last few months but I do want to give it my all in the new year. Hopefully I can!

I did enjoy my time away from homeschooling my daughter but by next week we will be back at it. I can’t believe she is already halfway done with Kindergarten.

This month I managed to read 17 books and 1 manga.

18 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be my only 5 star read! It was so good!

My least favorite was The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe (arc). I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t like the characters all that much.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (arc)

Springhatch (Bridge of Legends #5) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Delphine and the Dark Thread (Delphine and the Silver Needle #2) by Alyssa Moon (arc)
The Corpse Queen by Heather Herrman
Wings of Shadow (Crown of Feathers #3) by Nicki Pau Preto
The Counterclockwise Heart by Brian Farrey (arc)
Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor (arc)
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar (arc)
The Unexpected Fall by Anna Salcedo (arc)
Heartless Prince by Angela De Vito & Leigh Dragoon (graphic Novel)
Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #2) by Mia P. Manansala (arc)
The Charmed List by Julie Abe (arc) (3.5 stars)
As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson
Empress of Flames (The Girl King #2) by Mimi Yu
Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins (arc)

A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox (arc) (2.5 stars)
The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe (arc)

None This Month

None This Month

How many books did you read in December? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

Monthly Wrap-Up | November 2021

Published on December 2, 2021 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette18 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is another monthly wrap-up! Not sure how it is December already…

November was a very busy month! My husband has been going into work earlier and now working on weekends. My daughter is still going strong with school as well as my husband. I can tell school is coming to an end for the semester! I will be happy for a break though, but will still continue to do some things with my daughter.

I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, but that’s okay. I also didn’t have any 5 stars, although one came close! Hopefully December will be filled with all of the 5 stars to end the year right, haha.

This month I managed to read 12 books and 4 audiobooks.

16 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier! It was a 4.5 star read and it will definitely be added to my shelf since I at first borrowed it from the library.

My least favorite was my dnfed books. I just couldn’t get into them.

None This Month

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian (arc)
Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso (arc)
Aurora’s End (The Aurora Cycle #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (audiobook)
Autumngale (Bridge of Legends #4) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett (audiobook)
Winterfast (Bridge of Legends #4) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier (4.5 stars)
Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard (arc)
Witchshadow (The Witchlands #4) by Susan Dennard (audiobook)
A Psalm of Storms and Silence (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #2) by Roseanne A. Brown
If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher (arc) (3.5 stars)
The Singles Table (Marriage Game #3) by Sara Desai (3.5 stars)

The New Girl by Jesse Q Sutanto (arc)
When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey (arc)
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman (arc)

None This Month

Gilded by Marissa Meyer
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
Starling by Isabel Strychacz

How many books did you read in November? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

October 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up

Published on November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette11 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is another monthly wrap-up! I say this every time but each month goes by so quickly. I’m not sure where the time goes anymore.

This month was filled with a lot of reading and taking a break from World of Warcraft. I’m just not enjoying it as much as I was. I have went back to FFXIV. It is another MMORPG I have played before. It’s been fun! Here is a photo of my character and my husband’s:

School is going great for my daughter. She only puts up a fight sometimes, haha. I’m glad that she is enjoying learning and soon we will have another break when it comes to Thanksgiving.

Other than that, it’s the same as usual.

This month I managed to read 18 books, 2 audiobooks, and 4 mangas.

24 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would be both of my 5 star reads! They were both really good and made me cry. I just wouldn’t be able to pick one over the other.

My least favorite was my dnfed books. I just couldn’t get into them.

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross (arc)
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (audiobook)

Love Me, Love Me Not Vol. 10 by Io Sakisaka (manga)
A Sign of Affection Vol. 4 by Suu Morishita (manga)
Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (arc)
Emma: The Manga by Stacy King (manga)
Summernight (Bridge of Legends #1) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (arc)
Dawnspell (Bridge of Legends #2) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Usborne Graphic Novel: Dracula by Russel Punter
Bound by Firelight (Wickery #1) by Dana Swift (arc)
Shadow Grave by Marina Cohen (arc)
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (arc) (3.5 stars)
Seoulmates (Seoul Series #2) by Jen Frederick (arc)
You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow (3.5 stars)
Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu (3.5 stars)
The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George (arc) (3.5 stars)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 4 by Yoko Nogiri (manga)
It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh (arc)

Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne (arc)
Rising Like a Storm (Wrath of Ambar #2) by Tanaz Bhathena (2.5 stars)
Rise Up from the Embers (Set Fire to the Gods #2) by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons (2.5 stars)

None This Month

Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

How many books did you read in October? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

September 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up

Published on October 2, 2021October 1, 2021 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette22 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is another monthly wrap-up! I say this every time but each month goes by so quickly.

This month has been another busy one with school for both my husband and daughter. I feel like I did get more reading done but maybe that’s because a lot of the books I read were great reads! It felt good to have a decent month when it comes to ratings.

Other than that, I was playing a lot of videogames at the beginning of the month but have been taking it slower the last couple of weeks. I’ve honestly just been a bit slumpy when it comes to general life things so it has caused me to just not want to do any of my usual hobbies which includes reading as well. I feel like it’s just the changing of seasons even though it’s my favorite season of all.

This month I managed to read 11 books and 6 mangas.

17 books in total!

My favorite book of the month would have to be Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. I just love Jacks, haha.

My least favorite was Not Another Love Song by Olivia Wildenstein. I couldn’t get behind the main character.

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien (audiobook)
Love Me, Love Me Not Vol. 7 by Io Sakisaka (manga)
Love Me, Love Me Not Vol. 8 by Io Sakisaka (manga)
The Lost Jewels of Nabooti by R.A. Montgomery
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 29 by Mizuho Kusanagi (manga)
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 30 by Mizuho Kusanagi (manga)
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
We Were Kings by Court Stevens (arc)

Land of Sand and Song by Joyce Chua (arc)
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Love Me, Love Me Not Vol. 9 by Io Sakisaka (manga)
Frozen 2: The Manga by Arina Tanemura (manga)
What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie (arc)

How We Fell Apart by Katie Zhao (3.5 stars)
The Suite Spot (Becks Sisters #2) by Trish Doller (arc)

Not Another Love Song by Olivia Wildenstein
The Shaadi Set-Up by Lillie Vale (2.5 stars)

None This Month

None This Month

How many books did you read in September? Did you have a favorite?

Find me on Instagram / Goodreads

August 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up

Published on September 4, 2021 by Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette5 Comments

Hello Lovely Readers!

Here is another monthly wrap-up! I say this every time but each month goes by so quickly.

August was filled with finding a routine for my daughter and schooling and just getting back into the swing of not having my husband around as much. It took a bit in the beginning but we have managed to finish a month of school so far! I’d say that’s pretty good, haha. I’m going to keep celebrating the small things when it comes to it. My daughter seems to be enjoying it for the most part and having little problems.

I’ve still been playing the usual game, World of Warcraft. It’s been fun and we’ve met a few new friends through it.

My reading wasn’t as great as it has been due to anxiety and just not feeling like it so it took a dip but that’s okay! I did manage to finish all of my arcs recently so I am solely focusing on mood reading through my tbr.

This month I managed to read 11 books and 3 mangas.

14 books in total!