The Book Report October 2019

Posted October 31, 2019 by Shari in The Book Report / 2 Comments

Welcome to The Book Report where we run down everything that happened in the month and update you on challenges, giveaways, reviews and more!

Shari’s Update

October is probably one of my favorite months as the days get cooler, apple and pumpkin products seem appropriate, my kid has a birthday and usually I get to visit Disney World for Halloween. Well, all of those things happened but the trip to Disney. My husband was out of town for 3 weeks leaving me to take my two youngest kids on my own. We call the ADHD wonder twins, so I decided it wasn’t going to happen this year on my own.

I am also not a camping type person, so I was kind of glad when the cub scout camping trip got canceled. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of money on a tent, lanterns, first-aid kit, air mattress, flash lights, etc. Camping has never been my thing, but my son was so looking forward to it. With my husband gone for three weeks, it was left to me to be a single mom. Not to mention the popcorn sales stuff.

My husband finally came home last weekend. It’s up in the air if he will be traveling or not in November and December. Missed him.

Planting grass since the weather finally got out of the 90s. I tried to hire someone last year to do it, but they never returned any of my 5 calls and then did on Halloween. He tried to seed the yard on the first frost and then put down sod in December. Needless to say, it was a battle. So this year I did it on my own. So far no new grass coming up after a week of watering. I really don’t think I have a green thumb.

On the writing front….I took a class called Write Better-Fast in September and it changed how I am going to write and what I am going to write. I was 16,000+ words in to my novel and struggling with the wounds these two had. This course showed me my personality really didn’t suit the story I was writing. Maybe someday when I have more experience, but not as my first novel.

The class is hard to explain, but we took some personality tests and then walked through things that we tend to do for those personalities and things we should be doing. One of the tests was on our strengths and my top strength is Harmony. Harmony is keeping me from writing conflict to deep. It was suggested I might need to try a different genre – I wasn’t sure if that meant something other than romance, which I was resistent or if it was just not contemporary romance. It was suggested I write sweet romance or RomCom. Soooooo, I am not writing in either of those genres either. I don’t have enough comedy in me to do RomCom and sweet romance (no sex) just is boring even for me to write let alone read. I have two more book ideas I am working on with lighter conflicts, but still in the contemporary and possibly paranormal romance realms. I have been planning in October so I can be ready to write 50,000+ words in November. I still hope to have the book written by the end of December, just on a very short timeframe.

Some other things I learned is I am a planner (not really a surprise). I am an Introvert and need to schedule quiet time to write on a regular schedule (Consistency was my second strength). I also sense things, over think things and judge things without being distracted (well I was midline there as I do get distracted when cleaning house…yeah the closet is still not cleaned out because I kept getting distracted). The course doesn’t get into the craft of writing, but into how to write with the personality you have.

I have faultered a few times as I over think this. At times I wonder if I can even write a book, let alone a romance story. I have almost quit. But I try not to be a quitter. So I am going to write this dang book, come Hell or High Water. I have to know if I can do it. So November is going to be a busy month getting 50,000 words written!

We have a fun event coming up in November. We are Daring each other to read Sports Romances! I committed to read 5-7 books for the event. I have at least 3 of them down. Just need to push to get the others read! See you the week before Thansgiving for a fun week of sports, romance and lots of romance!

October – My Reading Breakdown: 2 book tour provided books, 2 re-read, 3 purchased, 7 reviews written.

Challenges

The Series That Never Ends: 6/7 – 85% – Dirty by Jaine Diamond
Bad Boys of Romance: 19/30 – 63%
Literary Pickers: 42/50 – 76%
Books ‘N Tunes: 34/35 – 97%
Review Writing: 56/75 – 75%
Reading Challenge: 87/100 – 87%
Audiobook Challenge: 10/5 – 200% done
New Release Challenge: 23/20 – 115%
Try Something New Challenge: 26/50 – 52%
Blogger Shame Challenge: 7/15 -47%

Sophia Rose’s Update

Happy Halloween, all!

Hope this finds you minus that germy infection and flu that is making its rounds. It hit our house for a bit and seems to be gone. Good Riddance!

Still working on our porch cement project because of delays between sickness, weather, and other more immediate tasks, but it’s coming along nicely. Hubby’s masonry skills seem to be up to the challenge.

We are having a late fall. Leaves have just started turning and falling for us with only a few frosts. So, we’ve been enjoying cooler temps and no real lawn work for a while. I have been doing more cooking and baking now with a few soups, chilis, casseroles, pies, and other bake goods. Love the smell spreading through the house and the extra warmth from the oven makes it a popular place for human and feline gathering.

Oh! And, update on the rescue cats. They are settling in nicely. Bath time and pet-icures were touch and go, but we made it through. They are great lap and leg warmers.

On the reading front, I had a good time with #FraterfestRAT hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. I managed to read 4 books during the readathon and not one was a dud.

Onward to November and new book events.

First is Can You Read a Series in a Month hosted by Michelle and Berls @ Because Reading. I’ll be tackling the last three books needed to complete Virginia Kantra’s Children of the Sea series. The challenge does allow for three book minimum and is a great way to finish a series. Here are the deets: https://www.becausereading.com/can-you-read-a-series-in-a-month-challenge-sign-up-today-seriesinamonth/

Then, there is #HoHoHoRAT hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer, Nov 8-17th. If you are interested in participating or even helping to host, here is the link to the info: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2019/10/hohoho-readathon-november-2019-sign-up.html

Next, our own I Dare You: Fall Sports Romance edition, Nov 18-24th. We’ll have the invitation up soon, but be looking for a sports romance or two you can share your thoughts on or feel free to host your own special post.

October Reading Total: 34 Books

Reading Breakdown: 8 Netgalley (97%), 11 author/publisher, 2 Kindle Unlimited, 12 TBR, 1 DNF, 1 library, 10 audio, 11 first in series, 9 new to me authors, 1 end of series

Challenge Updates:

Herding Cats Burning Soup’s Blog All About It: 11/12 topics

Austenesque Lovers TBR: 42/50 books

My Reader’s Block’s TBR: 78/100 books

Unconventional Bookworm’s New Release: 154/200 books

Delighted Reader’s Series That Never Ends: 10/11 books

Because Reading’s A Year in Anthologies: 10 books

Because Reading’s Reading Assignment Fall: 7/12 books

Delighted Reader’s Books N Tunes: 45/50 books

Angela’s Guilty Pleasures’ Library Love: 22/23 books

Delighted Reader’s Literary Pickers: 99/100 books

Under the Cover’s Romance-opoly: 35/35 books COMPLETED, going around the board again

Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer’s Audio: 86/100 books

Addicted to Romance’s Oldie But a Goodie: 16/17 books

Hope your October was the good sort of thrilling and chilling! Save the date on our I Dare You Fall Sports. How was your October? Did you dress up for Halloween? Read or watch anything scary? Do tell!

This Month’s Reviews

Did you miss a review? No fear! Here’s what we wrote about.

[1 Oct] A New Leash on Love by Debbie Burns
[2 Oct] The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice by Donna Kauffman, Allyson Charles, Kate Angell ★★★★
[4 Oct] Beyond the Rules by Anna Del Mar ★★★½
[5 Oct] Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley ★★★★
[6 Oct] The Teacher's Billionaire by Christina Tetreault ★★★½
[7 Oct] The Heartbreaker by Lili Valente ★★★★
[8 Oct] Cowboy Charming by Dylann Crush ★★★★
[9 Oct] Cowboy Christmas Homecoming by June Faver ★★★
[13 Oct] Delighted By the Series: The Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery Series by Danielle Garrett ★★★★
[15 Oct] The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas ★★★★½
[16 Oct] A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare ★★★½
[17 Oct] Reaper by Larissa Ione ★★★★½
[19 Oct] The Sinner by Amanda Stevens ★★★★
[19 Oct] Kord by Cara Bristol ★★★★
[20 Oct] Once Upon a Hallow's Eve by Danielle Garrett ★★★★
[21 Oct] Simply Magic by Mary Balogh ★★★
[22 Oct] Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren ★★★★
[23 Oct] Whisper of Bones by Melinda Leigh ★★★★
[24 Oct] CEO Daddy by Taryn Quinn ★★★★½
[27 Oct] Wake the Dead by Stacey Rourke ★★★★
[27 Oct] Bred in the Bone by Kendra Elliot ★★★★½
[29 Oct] Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber ★★★★½
[29 Oct] Christmas Past by Mary Burton ★★★½
[31 Oct] The Journals of Octavia Hollows by Stacey Rourke ★★★★

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Shari

Owner at Delighted Reader

Shari is the Delighted Reader. Married to her Prince Charming and mother to two Princesses and one Prince. When she is not slaving away as Cinderella she loves to get lost in the pages of a good book. Never without a reading device and a few good paperback books, because she never knows when she might get 5 minutes to read!