October Wrap Up, November TBR, and Slumps

Hello again honeybees. It’s been another cool minute but I’m here. I’m in an unintentional slump due to school and a surprisingly busy social life. I haven’t read in awhile, and my blog and bookstagram is suffering due to lack of time. I’m going to discuss all that’s come with my very long slump and hopefully someone finds this entertaining/interesting.

But first, the wrap up. 

Books I Read In October

This is all tricks and no treats. I didn’t finish a single book this month, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with these numbers. It was an exceptionally busy month, filled with a lot of steps forward, and I’m only slightly worried that I won’t have enough time for reading and blogging. 

November TBR

Alright so I do have my UC and CSU applications due on the 30th *cue stress* but I am going to make a TBR. My goal is two books.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (finish)

So, if you look at my October TBR you might see something funny. This book was on there and I explicitly said that I had to finish it because I had an essay due very soon. Suffice to say I’m writing an essay on a book I’ve only read 3/4s of. But I am determined to finish it sometime this month because I did not waste this much time on the damn book for it to count for nothing.

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

I received this one in the mail about a week ago and have started reading it. I’m only a few chapters in but so far I’m really enjoying it. And look at that cover *heart eyes*

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

I loved the audiobook for this one when I read it last year and I’m excited to jump back into the world of Cassidy Blake! I’ve heard mixed things about this one so I’m curious to see which side I’ll land on.

I already finished a book and you’ll hear about that in my November Wrap Up. This means I have one more book to go!

Why I’m In A Slump

Hi hello. If you don’t know a bit about me, I’m a senior in high school and college app deadlines are coming up really fast. I also made the *very smart* decision to get a boyfriend (he’s amazing and one of my best friends but omg relationships take a lot of time, effort, and emotion. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.) 

I’m pretty strategic when it comes to review requests and I’ve declined about five in the past month, but the few that I did take on piled up and became too much. Every single novel has been a miss– even my Harry Potter reread didn’t get me out of my slump– and I’m not quite sure what to read to get out of it. So I’m keeping it lowkey and not reading much of anything at the moment.

What I’m Doing To Get Out of My Slump

Didn’t I just say I wasn’t trying to get out of my slump? I‘m so contradictory. Let’s talk about all my slumps and break down how I plan to eventually get out of them.

My reading slump. I haven’t had time to read because of schoolwork, college apps, and mi novio. However, I’ve been getting too deep into each of those and am losing myself in the process. I’m working on dedicating more time to myself and my hobbies, even if it means slacking on another end.

My blogging slump. How do I blog about books when I’m not reading them? I’ve found this predicament incredibly hard to deal with because while blogging is a recent love, I don’t feel like myself if I’m away from it for too long. I’ll have a week off for Thanksgiving Break and I intend to devote some time to writing blog posts and planning for Blogmas!

How about you? How was your October? What are your plans for November? Do you have any tips for balancing life and blogging? Do share, I’d love to hear!

Bye for now honeybees,

Destiny