November & December Whispers // Festive Fun, Happiness & it snowed (!!)

So I missed November’s recap, like the procrastinator I am, and now have 2 months to recap!

So this will be a ginormous post. Honestly, NaNoWriMo, then school, then last-minute exams and the festive season and the new year and being awesome, it’s tiring. But new year, new me! Not really, but I guess I have to pick up the pace with blogging because I have been slacking.

So get out a lot of snacks because this will be a long post! 

I read 8 books! over the span of 2 months. What can I say? I had finished my reading challenge and was in a reading slump for that exact reason. 8 books per month is fantastic but practically 4 books a month is horrible by my standards.

NOVEMBER

Blue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater ★★★★★ // I freaking loved it! I will always fangirl over Bluesy and Pynch. [review here]

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed ★★☆☆☆ // This was originally 3 stars but I changed it to 2 because it honestly wasn’t that amazing. [goodreads review here and blog review here]

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater  ★★★★☆ // I mean, of course, I loved it, but it was a little underwhelming in terms of things she had been leading up to forever.[review here]

Kings Cage by Victoria Aveyard ★★☆☆☆ // I was so excited for the premise and while Maven is awesome, the rest was trash. [review here]

DECEMBER

Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl ★★★☆☆ // An enjoyable read with lots of French food but didn’t pack that punch for me. [goodreads review here and blog review here]

The End by Lemony Snicket ★★★☆☆ // It depends on how you look at it.

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield ★★★★★ // I’m not crying, YOU ARE.

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu ★★★★☆ // This was SO EPIC! I loved Maybelline so much but the plot twists were slight…boring. [review here]

I purchased NONE of these books! Which goes to show how many free books you get as a blogger haha. Thanks to Shanah @ The Bionic Bookworm for the giveaway prize, Daughter of the Pirate King. Thanks to S.K ALI for the *SIGNED* Copy of Saints and Misfits!  Thank you to Div Book Bridge for the *SIGNED* ARC of City of Brass! Thank you to Jackie for The Book of Dust (not pictured) and Flame in the Mist. Thanks to Amulet Books for The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. Thanks to Bloomsbury for The Wren Hunt. And thank you to Penguin Random House for the early copy of Batman!

Well, I’ve gotten back to posting consistently! In December I really upped my game and I am incredibly proud of myself. I’m starting to love my content and have so many comments to reply to it’s insane.

I’m also getting back into blog hopping, slowly but surely! So, I would say that blogging is going quite well right now.

I got accepted for ACE OF SHADES. GUYS A PHYSICAL COPY OF ACE OF SHADES I’M NOT LYING. I HAVE PROOF! Thanks again to publishers. Means the world to me. I JUST CANNOT GO OVER THIS. I’m going to be receiving it in Spring and I JUST…NEED IT NOW!

I’m part of Amanda Foody’s Shadow Gang and am *IRON LORD*. If you don’t know, Foody has set up an awesome street team who will get a load of stuff. It’s going to be a virtual battle between 3 teams and I am the *LORD* of the gang of cheaters. I JUSt…CANNOT FUNCTION. ASDFGHJKLKJHGFDSASDFGHJKL I AM SO EXCITED DUDE you can not imagine.

I won another giveaway! I ended up giving the wrong address but I got Daughter of The Pirate King (hardback) in the end and am super excited to read!

ME WHEN I GET BOOK MAIL

I hosted my OWN giveaway of a hardback copy of Haven and 2 *mystery* books. It was super cool to host a giveaway, I gained 100 new followers on Twitter in the process which I’m very proud about.

I won NaNoWriMo and then took a break! Which was honestly great. Winning and then not looking at writing for a month. It was one the best and worst things ever and I’m glad it’s over and ready to revise, rewrite and edit and just make my novel awesome! You can read my post about NaNo here.

I received hate! on a review! WHICH WAS FUN. I uploaded the review in October and then November? OH BOY. People attacked me with comments and for a while it was hilarious. People actually got offended by my opinions? Haha. And then it got really…not so nice, I guess. People calling me immature and throwing insults at me. Like, my opinion counts too you know?

BLOGS

• Joce talks about her favourite bloggers and somehow I’m there? Um. I think there was a glitch.
• Lu posts a really important topic about…the lack of YA Boy Book Bloggers and honestly? WHERE ARE THEY ALL?
• Jackie talks about audiobooks and I love discussions okay?
• Em posts the most beautiful thing ever which is her review of Strange The Dreamer and I can’t, it’s soo good!
• Coolbeans talks about “empty followers” and I definitely agree. Glad someone spoke up about this!
• May @ Forever and Everly celebrated finishing her WIP and there are snippets?!?!?!? DO YOU HEAR ME HOWLING?!
• Mikaela @ The Well Thumbed Reader posts her Naugty Bookish confessions!
• Ioana @ Dragon Waffles chats about tropes and ugh, I am utter trash for her blog.
• Cait @ Paperfury lists the reasons why bookworms panic at the end of the year!
• Lia @ lost in a story posts some emails for INTL bloggers requesting ARCs
• Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane books wraps up 2017 and kicks off 2018! 

So what’s being going on with my life?

• The festive season happened! And it was lovely, to be honest. I adored the fairy lights and the food and I’m so sad its all over.
• IT SNOWED. Guys it actually snowed. ASDFGHJKL I JUST CANNOT OKAY!? It hasn’t snowed properly for simply forever and when it did? I went out and played in the snow for 3 hours straight. Snow angels, snowmen, snowball fights, GAH IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. After that day, well not so much luck.
• 

  

  

  
• I did a blogger exchange for Christmas and it was fabulous. My blogger friends and I set out to do a secret Santa but then because of shipping we just went with the people closest to us. So that was me and Jackie and May and Ju. AND I JUST SQUEAL ABOUT WHAT I RECEIVED. Tonnes of German food which I mostly devoured and snacked on for the rest of December and two SHINY NEW BOOKS! I can’t wait to do this again next year with more online friends! THANK YOU, JACKIE!
• 
• I was in a reading slump? AND IT WAS THE WORST. Actually, not really? I kind of just hanging around doing nothing in the last couple of months.
• IT’S HOLIDAYS! I only have two days left until school and I honestly don’t want to go back. Having days off school is such a luxury and wish I could just say like this, happy and content, forever. Sadly, I can only dream.
• I watched the first season of Stranger Things! ELEVEN. I lovvvee eleven and now she’s gone? I really need to watch the next season but it’s fabulous. So creepy and atmospheric and I love the plot and all the feels. UGH. So good. 
• 
• I just feel a lot happier! I’m not sure why? BUT I AM JUST FEELING GREAT DUDE AND I AM GRATEFUL. We had a talent show at our school and I donated a gift to children’s hospital and took the most awesome drama classes.
• I went to my friend’s house and it was great! Two of my friend’s birthdays were in December and obviously, I gifted them book + stationery.
• I watched Doctor Who! I admit…I didn’t keep up with the last series and I watched the Christmas Special and…it was so boring? Some weird sloppy speech from The Doctor and some thrown together special. Eh.
• 

Well ITS ALREADY JANUARY OOPS. But it’s going to be filled with posting twice or once a week which I’m okay with. I’ve planned –>

• 3 reviews for all you all!
• 1 discussion (I missed these)
• How to recommend books + why it is the best
• 10 reasons I DON’T LIKE BOOK BLOGGING
• A tag (haven’t done one in a while lol)
• And lots  more

By the time you read this, I’ll probably be back in school! UGH. January is the first month of 2018 so I hope you all have a great first month. I’m going to be getting back to writing and maybe starting edits so look out for me screaming about that on twitter!

{goals from last month}

• Win NaNo ✔✔✔
• Reach 1400 followers (currently @ 1341)✔
• have ice cream❌
• Read 6 Books ✔✔
• 2 of them should be from Netgalley❌ ❌
• Post at least once a week ✔❌
• STICK TO NETGALLEY BAN✔
• don’t procrastinate✔
• be nice✔
• BUDDY READ VICIOUS WITH JU❌
• I’m honestly not making too many goals because of NaNo ✔✔✔

{goals for this month}

• Bullet journal consistently (at least every 2 days)
• Start a reading spreadsheet
• do homeworks as soon as i get them (the same day)
• try not to procrastinate
• start mini edits on my novel
• share my poems with you (?)
• start talking about mini secret writing thing maybe (?)
• smash the ace of shades street team and win everyone else
• read 12 books
• watch season 2 of stranger things
• buddy read city of brass with may
• Reach 800 followers on twitter!

How were the last 2 months of 2017 for you? How did you finish off last year? The questions are really awkward for this since I’m asking about  2 months, so tell me about December! Did you finish the year splendidly or horribly? Tell me what you have been reading!