February News
It has been an out-of-control month. As the month continued, I picked up stress like the classic snow avalanche cartoon. Everything just started compounding on itself. It is THE month before the yearbook is due, so that means last-ditch efforts or no efforts on my students’ parts, and more work on me. I know this is a major contributor to my stress, but the demand at work for the month seemed unbalanceable.
February saw The Man and I through our second Valentine’s day. While we did absolutely nothing on Valentine’s Day except send a bunch of kissing emojis, the man graced me with some beauty and thoughtful gifts.
And in February I had a birthday! I am a Washington baby, born on the President’s birthday. Family Fact: I was born on my great-great grandmother’s 101st birthday (and I was supposed to be named after her but then my dad went all “We have to have a Jr.” and my mom wasn’t kosher with that so she beat him to the punch and headed him off with that whole disaster.) I was born early in the morning after one cold, stormy night and I was born at a time that contains two numbers with one being considered lucky and the other being very unlucky: 7 and 13.
February Reads
My goal for this month was to read five books. Instead, I am going to change this personal goal to “start reading five books” because I can’t finish five books in a regular month. For a while I was thinking my students and I would finish The Phantom Tollbooth before the month ended, but I was just disillusioning myself.
Average Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages Read: 1,283 pages
Favorite Book: Someone to Love
February Posts
I was not very active this month (again), and the stress got to me. I had a good blogging weekend toward the beginning of the month and cranked out some great posts and got ahead. Then it was like it zapped all my blogging energy for the whole month. Do you ever feel like that?
My three best-faring posts this month were:
- Top Ten Tuesday: I Loved More Than I Thought I Would
- Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books For Readers Who Like Dead Poet’s Society
- Top Ten Tuesday: Graphic Novels
I would love if you’d go show a little love to one of these other posts from the month:
- Chit Chat – January 2017
- Review + Giveaway: Somebody Like You
- Tuesday Teaser & Intro: King of the Friend Zone
Remember, the YA Lit Giveaway is open for another 40 days!
Visitors & Search Terms
I was absent most of the month thanks to yearbook, and visitors dipped below a thousand for the second time in over two years. February clocked in at 851.
Search Terms
first chapter of wonder – Uh, yeah, no. See, that’s called piracy. There’s also such a thing as copyright, and that’s not how we roll as book bloggers. Quit being a cheap ass penny-pinching Scrooge and go buy yourself a copy.
a book review harry potter – You will find many book reviews of Harry Potter here. Actually, seven to be precise. You have come to the right place.
wonder first page – Seriously, bro? Like when you didn’t find anything for “first chapter of wonder” you decided to search for the first page? GO. BUY. A. COPY.
wish of wonders – Or wonder of wishes? Did you eat pot brownies? You don’t even know what’s going on anymore.
*Unknown – 100
Challenge Updates
I made very little progress last month, but the gains I’ve made for the year are starting to look good! This month brings COYER Blackout and Winter BINGO to a close, and ushers in Mini Blog Ahead (March 1-15) as well as Take Control TBR.
- Goodreads – 8/52 completed
- Alphabet Soup – 3/26 completed
- Audiobook – 3/6 completed
- NetGalley – 4/50 completed
- Shelf Love – 5/52 completed
- COYER Blackout – 8/xx completed –> ending Mar. 3
- Winter BINGO – 15/25 completed –> ended Feb. 28
- February BINGO – 17/25 completed
March Reads
Since I have a week of well-deserved and well-needed break, I am hoping to read seven books in March!
Girl of 1000 Wonders 
I absolutely love that card that the man gave you!! So pretty! Sorry you’ve had a stressful month—I can relate. 😦
Sorry your month was stressful. I can relate since my month in February was pretty crazy, what with my laptop breaking down all of a sudden.
sorry it was a stressful month. I find that only sometimes blogging helps me take away from the stress – other times I find myself wordless so it doesn’t really. I hope things get better. Your march reads look good, enjoy 🙂
Happy birthday! What lovely Valentine’s day gifts! We don’t celebrate really either but I do love the flowers and chocolates that I always get. I’m looking forward to the Donna Alwards. I’m really loving this new series. Hope March is fantastic and way less stressful!
What? February is over?!? *haha* Yeah, that’s how I’m feeling. Sorry the month was so stressful for you, Charlie. But your birthday and a lovely V-Day gift-wise sounds like some sort of silver lining for the month. 😉 Hopefully March will go more smoothly and I hope you enjoy your spring break along with all those books!! 😀
It sounds like a very stressful month for you! Your Valentine little things look adorable! I never celebrate it, we prefer to make normal days fantastic than focus on a special day like everybody else 🙂 I hope March treats you better!
I’m so sorry you’ve been so stressed! Praying things settle down for you soon. Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com this week!
Tina
Thanks, Tina. I would be very scared to see the results of a cortisol test right now!
Happy belated birthday! The card is so beautiful–this is a piece of art for sure to keep and treasure. hopefully your stress levels decrease–remember that God will never give you more than you can handle and he will send people to help you.
Thank you, Danielle! I wish I had two of the cards. I want to put it in my bullet journal, but also have the cover featured because it’s so beautiful. Right now it is just a matter of riding out the wave and finding a new job. God gave me a LOT of signs and nudges and some all-out pushes this year.