May’s Moments of the Month: November // Absolutely Failed at Blogging and NaNoWriMo… but I Read 7 Books in 2 Days

Hi guys!! Sorry for my absence…

I don’t know if anyone noticed (and I don’t expect anyone to have noticed), but I took an unplanned break from blogging this past month. I’m half sorry and half not: I’m sorry for having become terrible at this whole blogging thing, but I’m glad I took the accidental hiatus because I feel more refreshed! (And I honestly needed it.)

I’ve missed you guys a lot, and I’ve missed blogging a lot, and I have to say, I’ve come back at the right time because end of the year blog posts are my absolute favorite to read and write! I guess I’ll explain more about why I didn’t post, and also what I did in November, because I actually kind of accomplished a lot? Just kidding I just read a bunch.

I read 16 books in November, and I will not!! shut up!! about it!!! I basically tried to finish a book every other day, and that was fine at the beginning of the month. But then I stopped doing that and ended up having to read 7 books in the last 2 days of the month, and I would be lying to myself if I said that wasn’t my proudest achievement in my entire life.

(We’re not going to talk about how only 2 of the 7 were actual books of prose.)

Long Way Down Jason Reynolds // this was so well-written but also just completely. messed with my mind. how dare it end like that!! ★★★★☆
Beneath the Sugar Sky Seanan McGuire // slowly liking each series installment more and more so I’m excited for the next one!! ★★★☆☆ [3.5]
First & Then Emma Mills // did this book really achieve anything? no. is it Emma Mills’ most well-written? probably not. but did it make me happy and was it bingeable? absolutely ★★★★☆
The Princess and the Fangirl Ashley Poston // this one was just… not it for me folks!! I love the gays, but they were not strong enough to overcome the insta-love this time ★★☆☆☆

Hot Dog Girl Jennifer Dugan // I was mainly annoyed and uninterested in the story the entire time, just as I expected I would be!! ★★☆☆☆
Shout Laurie Halse Anderson // very beautiful, poignant, and important memoir told in verse about trauma and being a survivor ★★★★☆
The Lost Hero (GN) Robert Venditti // surprisingly enjoyable?? ★★★★☆
The Son of Neptune (GN) Robert Venditti // why was there no Percy content I’m upset ★★★☆☆

A Wish in the Dark Christina Soontornvat // this was literally perfect and I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about it. loved the characters, the story, and the Thainess of it all so very much ★★★★★ [4.5]
Time of Our Lives Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka // yeah this really wasn’t my kind of thing, but the amount of family vibes in this made me like it slightly more!! ★★★☆☆
This One Summer Mariko & Jillian Tamaki // did not understand what happened At All ★★☆☆☆
Anya’s Ghost Vera Brosgol // forgettable, but kinda fun kinda spooky! ★★★☆☆

Monstress, Vol 1: Awakening Marjorie M Liu & Sana Takeda // the art is beautiful and I’m really excited to see where the story goes!! if Kippa is hurt I WILL commit a crime ★★★★☆
Far From You Tess Sharpe // this one hurt!! so much!!!! Tess Sharpe did not have to do this to me (but she also deserves a better, actually relevant cover). gritty and emotional and so, so powerful ★★★★☆ [4.5]
Not Even Bones Alai Cinereo // haven’t read the YA novel version but I’m loving the webcomic!! very, uh, gorey, but I’m interested to see where it goes
The Wrath and the Dawn SilvesterVitale // also haven’t read the YA novel version and I probably will just read the webcomic and not the book >:)

book haul?

First off, I received A Wish in the Dark at the beginning of the month by tweeting out a #bookishwish about it. I didn’t expect to actually get a copy from it, but turns out publishing industry gods are real!! My friend got me the PJO box set (with the new pretty covers!!!), and I’ll be honest, that gave me enough serotonin to last a good year.

The only thing I want to put in this section is that I am so, so sorry. I feel like abandoning my blog last month was the last straw of me being a terrible blogger, not only for this year but last year as well. If you’ve read my many, many whiny posts, you’ll know that I resent myself a lot for not being able to reply to comments or comment on blog posts as much as I used to be able to. And every time I step away from the blogging world, that feeling of resentment for myself only grows.

I’m glad I took this break, because I needed it. As I write this, I’m feeling ridiculously excited to be back and writing all the fun end of year blog posts I have in mind! I’m so happy to return to a community of people I love talking to about things that I love. But there’s just always that lingering feeling of letting people down and not even trying to be half of the best I could be.

So yeah! I don’t know how much my word means at this point since I’ve failed over and over again to be better, but I’m really going to try to just. not be so bad at all of this!!! Love you guys a lot. <33

Oh god, I think besides my blog, NaNoWriMo was my biggest failure of November. I started off SO strong, but not having a plan for my WIP really bit me in the ass like I knew it would and not even a week after NaNoWriMo started, I had already given up!!
I would share a screenshot of the graph, but it’s not accurate. I also have not logged on to the NaNoWriMo site since like November 10 and I am too scared to face my own failure. So here’s are some snippets I shared on Twitter!! I don’t hate what I wrote (well… most of it) but I just Can’t be a pantser.

With my lack of activity in the writing and blogging worlds, I actually had a lot of ~life moments~! First of all, it was my birthday, so that was exciting and everything. I didn’t do much to celebrate, but I did get an iPhone 11 Pro so… very neat very cool. (Technically I can’t use it yet because of something regarding my current phone number, but still!!)
I also went to a concert with my friends for my friend’s birthday! Not to be gross but it was a Brockhampton concert, and while I’d heard terrifying things about the mosh, it was actually not bad at all and a lot of fun!! I also may or may not be still emotional from it.
I watched a bunch of things, because it was the only thing I really had motivation to do. I’ve almost finished my rewatch of Miraculous Ladybug (yes…. I have an issue……), rewatched Into the Spider-verse, watched Coraline twice, and watched Frozen 2 (which was meh to me sorry!!).

Related image — *yes I will be using only this photo in the life section of my wrap-ups to represent how this show Is the only thing keeping me alive*

I also started learning how to drive!! Which is both nerve-wracking and exciting to me. I don’t know how I’m going to hold up when I actually have to go faster than 30 mph and share the road with other cars but so far I haven’t crashed anything (because I’m a coward and stay at 20 mph in the parking lot) and I consider that a win.
Overall, though, I think I’ve just been having little to no motivation to do things I usually love this entire year. My reading and blogging have been slack, and my writing has been almost nonexistent. This month, though, was when I tried too hard to bring everything back all at once and it was too far. I’d pushed through my lack of motivation for so long that I just couldn’t anymore this month, so I’m planning on taking it easy for December!!

read 16 books ✓ (I’m never gonna stop bragging about my 7 books in 2 days)
read more webcomics and poetry books ✓ㄨ (I Did read some but not a lot more? I was focused more on graphic novels actually)
post at least 5 times ㄨ (oh no not the feeling of complete and utter failure sinking in…)
answer some comments!! comment on blogs!!! ㄨ (oh no not the feeling of complete and utter resentment for myself sinking in…)
write at least 25k for NaNoWriMo ㄨ (yeah we’re not talking about this one)
stop procrastinating as much ㄨ (my procrastination was terrible as a result of my lack of motivation for anything!!)

read 16 books (and reach my Goodreads challenge goal!!)
read at least 8 books of prose
post 5 times (I’m planning my end of year/decade posts and that’ll be all I’m posting this month!)
answer some comments!! comment on blogs!!!
maybe get… back into poetry? (I want to write Something and I miss writing poetry a lot!!)
don’t last minute study/prep for exams!
get out of the house during break

Holiday season!!! This time of year is truly my favorite time of year. The lights and the songs and the mood always make me so so happy, and I’m really excited for everything!! Not to be emo but I’m desperate enough for some cheering up that I will GLADLY listen to repeats of obnoxious Christmas songs.

Exams… but also winter break! In the past, my midterms haven’t been TERRIBLY difficult so I’m hoping it’ll be the same way this year. But after that comes winter break, and I’m always excited about any break I get from school!! In general, I’m just looking forward to spending more time with my friends (especially one coming home after being away for a few months!) and being able to take my mind off of school.

how was November for you? did you succeed in the way you wished for NaNoWriMo? do you like the holiday season/end of the year? please leave me links to recent favorite blog posts of yours too!!