Weekly Wrap-Up: 4/17 – 4/23/17

Happy Sunday bookworms!

I know I have been fairly scarce this month, but traveling out of town for the past 3 weekends + the blog redesign has really put me behind on things around here.  I hope you all will keep being patient with me as I play a little catch up.  I promise I am going to knock your socks off in May 🙂

Let’s see what I had going on this week, shall we?

*Weekly Wrap-Up is a weekly post where I feature what posts were published on the blog for the past week, any bookish/blog happenings, what I recently finished reading, what I am currently reading, what I will be reading next, noteworthy posts around the bookish blogosphere, and any interesting bookish articles I came across.

Tuesday 4/18

Book Event: 2017 Ohioana Book Festival + Book Haul

Wednesday 4/19

Top 5 Wednesday: LGBTQ+ Reads

» I attended the SOKY Book Festival this weekend!  I had a great time with my bookish partner in crime, Nicole.  We got to meet many wonderful authors, including R.L. Stine.  Yes, you read that right.  I’ll have a full post all about it up sometime in the next week or so.  Keep your eyes peeled for it because I will also be announcing an exciting giveaway in this post.  Trust me, you won’t want to miss it 🙂

*Book titles link to Goodreads

Recently finished reading:

» Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

*4.5 stars

This was such a unique and heartwarming read.  Quirky characters are my absolute favorite, so Willow Chance is a new favorite.  If you liked books like A Man Called Ove, The One-in-a-Million Boy, and even Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I think you’d enjoy this one.  This is one of those books where there isn’t much going on plot wise, but it’s more about the characters and relationships.

*Full review to come!

» love, and you by Gretchen Gomez

I finally got the chance to pick up Gretchen’s (@ChicNerdReads ) poetry book!  This is such a raw & honest account of what it’s like to be in the clutches of a toxic relationship.  I feel like I was given personal access into Gretchen’s soul.  I learned so much about her within these pages.  I also got better insight into the inner turmoil someone goes through when they are involved in a bad relationship.  I have never experienced this type of relationship personally (I am very thankful for this) as I married my high school sweetheart, BUT I have watched friends and family go through relationships like this.  I definitely think I can now sympathize better with them now after reading this.  Sometimes it isn’t as easy as just walking away.

*Full review to come!

» Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

After listing this book on my T5W this week, I decided to give it a go via audiobook.  I had no idea this was actually a short story… had I known I probably would have read it much sooner.  I think the print version is 55 pages?  The audiobook is only an hour long.  I don’t typically read romance books, or books where the romance is the central plot.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this short story.   I think this could have definitely been a full length book.

*Full review to come!

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Currently reading:

» The Illusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy Cambron

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

I only got 50% through this one before the festival, but I am enjoying it thus far.  I picked up a copy from the author at the event.  Kristy Cambron is such a sweet heart!

» Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

I started this book this past week as part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR.  This was my 4th Ann Patchett book I was reading in preparation to meet her at the book festival… then she CANCELED at the last minute.  I was super bummed.  I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt here and assume that something serious came up that she would have to cancel attending the event when she was the featured author…

» Pax by Sara Pennypacker

This book is giving me Fox and the Hound (minus the hound) vibes.  I have a feeling I will be crying at some point in this book.

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On deck:

» Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

*April book club selection

» CW @Read Think Ponder shares some book recs→ Book Recs: Amazing Romances & Books with Ace Representation

» Drew @The Tattooed Book Geek talks about foul language in book reviews →Foul Language In Reviews, Is It A Turn-Off??

» Marie @Drizzle & Hurricane Books asks if you need a blogging schedule? →Do you need to have a blogging schedule ?

» Gretchen @ChicNerdReads shares some exciting news about her poetry book →something in regards to my poetry book

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» Which Country Publishes the Most Books?

*I was surprised by #1, but really shouldn’t have been considering the population in that country…

» 17 New Books 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Teachers Should Have in Their Classrooms

*LOVE this list!

» The Most Addictive Books of the Last 25 Years

*I’ve read 8 books out of 33.  #Fail

» Which Book Was the Most Popular the Year You Were Born?

*I got Patriot Games by Tom Clancy, which I had never heard of… but I have heard of Tom Clancy, so that counts for something right?

» 11 Children’s and YA Books to Help Remember the Holocaust

What are you currently reading?

What will you read next?

Have a wonderful week, and happy reading