Happy Sunday everyone! Hope everyone is having (or has had) a fabulous weekend! It's been a busy one for us, and I haven't had much time for reading, but I hope to be able to devote a few hours to The Woman In White (finally!!) by Wilkie Collins later today. I thought I'd use today's Salon post as a month-in-review for April, since I normally write week-in-review posts here, anyway. Hope nobody minds!!
April was a pretty good month for me, though I always wish I could read more books every week. In the end, I read and reviewed 11 books. If I'd been a reader in the Read-A-Thon, I have no doubt that total could have been a good bit higher! In case you missed them, here are links to my reviews from April:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Sin & Vengeance by CJ West
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
April was a pretty good month for me, though I always wish I could read more books every week. In the end, I read and reviewed 11 books. If I'd been a reader in the Read-A-Thon, I have no doubt that total could have been a good bit higher! In case you missed them, here are links to my reviews from April:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Sin & Vengeance by CJ West
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
No Place For a Lady by Maggie Brendan
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Deadly Exchange by Geoffrey M. Gluckman
The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
The Dawning of Power by Brian Rathbone
A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Star Ratings Summary
5 stars: 3
4-1/2 stars: 3
4 stars: 3
3-1/2 stars: 1
2-1/2 stars: 1
April's Top Picks (2)
I couldn't limit myself to one top pick this month--as you see, I had three 5-star books, so in the end I'm going with two of those... And as I predicted last month, The Host by Stephenie Meyer is one of them! My second top pick is Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr!
April was also a month of milestones... Most recently, as you know from my current contest, I reached 100 followers this week, which was very exciting for me! If you haven't already, go to my contest post and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card! I had to do something to thank all of you for reading my blog and leaving encouraging comments! In other milestones, earlier in the month I wrote my 100th post, and had both 100 followers on Feedburner and Twitter. With the help of the Read-A-Thon, my Twitter follower count is now over 300, holy cow!! In other interesting stats, I had 1,999 visits to my blog in the month of April--just shy of the 2,000 mark!
I also ran a series of posts with Blogger Tips & Tricks, which I am happy to know that so many of you found helpful! I do realize I owe you all one more post--a link wrap-up of helpful sites. I'll try to get that up in the next couple of days!
And for the first time in several years, I went to a book signing last Sunday, as you might remember from my Salon post and pictures. :-) I'm now going to make it a point to go to as many book signings as my schedule will allow! The next one I know I'm hope to make it to is Julie Lessman's signing at the Mall of Georgia in June!
Now for something completely unrelated except for the fact it occurred on the last day of April... I got a new haircut, shorter and more layered, with side-sweeping bangs:
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Deadly Exchange by Geoffrey M. Gluckman
The Crimes of Paris by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
The Dawning of Power by Brian Rathbone
A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Star Ratings Summary
5 stars: 3
4-1/2 stars: 3
4 stars: 3
3-1/2 stars: 1
2-1/2 stars: 1
April's Top Picks (2)
I couldn't limit myself to one top pick this month--as you see, I had three 5-star books, so in the end I'm going with two of those... And as I predicted last month, The Host by Stephenie Meyer is one of them! My second top pick is Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr!
April was also a month of milestones... Most recently, as you know from my current contest, I reached 100 followers this week, which was very exciting for me! If you haven't already, go to my contest post and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card! I had to do something to thank all of you for reading my blog and leaving encouraging comments! In other milestones, earlier in the month I wrote my 100th post, and had both 100 followers on Feedburner and Twitter. With the help of the Read-A-Thon, my Twitter follower count is now over 300, holy cow!! In other interesting stats, I had 1,999 visits to my blog in the month of April--just shy of the 2,000 mark!
I also ran a series of posts with Blogger Tips & Tricks, which I am happy to know that so many of you found helpful! I do realize I owe you all one more post--a link wrap-up of helpful sites. I'll try to get that up in the next couple of days!
And for the first time in several years, I went to a book signing last Sunday, as you might remember from my Salon post and pictures. :-) I'm now going to make it a point to go to as many book signings as my schedule will allow! The next one I know I'm hope to make it to is Julie Lessman's signing at the Mall of Georgia in June!
Now for something completely unrelated except for the fact it occurred on the last day of April... I got a new haircut, shorter and more layered, with side-sweeping bangs:
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That's a darling haircut! I also got my hair cut yesterday, but I'm not yet brave enough to go shorter. Looks so cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I forget that most of you won't know my hair history, too, which makes my short hair the last few months even more significant... I used to have hair down to my rear end until I was twenty and it's just gotten shorter and shorter except for when I grew it out for my wedding last year :-)
ReplyDeleteCute haircut.. I went through the stages of getting shorter and shorter, and I just could not handle the styling required. My hair is just made to be a big mop so I have recently decided to give up, and just trim it.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post, you have it well organized, I just couldn't get that organized yet. :)
And I have left you an award on my post here, do with it what you will; but I hope you like it.
Take care,
marie
Love the hair cut. I'm growing my layers out at the moment. It's always so painful.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on having so many followers! I was thrilled to make it to 20 last month! :-)
ReplyDeleteCute haircut!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your review of The Crimes of Paris. That is what I wrote about today as well. Especially appreciated that the scope of the book is not confined to the theft but reaches out into whole experience of Belle Epoque Frances.
Today I am reading the new Laurie King book The Language of Bees, and hosting a book giveaway for The Crimes of Paris. Happy reading!
you're sooo cute!!! Love the hair btw.
ReplyDelete:D
Marie ~ Thank you! I can definitely tell this cut is going to require a lot of work, but hope I'm up to the task! And thank you for the award, too :-D
ReplyDeleteBeth F ~ Oh, growing out layers is such a pain sometimes, isn't it? Good luck :-)
Debnance ~ Thank you :-)
Frances ~ Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my review. It really was an interesting book even if it wasn't one of my favorites of the year. Hope you're enjoying The Language of Bees!
Reverie ~ Thank you, my dear! Hope you're having a great weekend! :-D
I love your haircut! You also have a lovely smile :D
ReplyDeleteI love your hair, very pretty.
ReplyDeletei really want to read The Host, it sounds great.
YOU ARE SO PRETTY! Have you ever done pageants?
ReplyDeleteNymeth ~ Thank you :-) Hope you enjoyed your break!!
ReplyDeleteAlexa ~ Thanks. I definitely recommend The Host, hope you get to read it soon!
ANM ~ Thank you *blushes* but I can't say that I have. I'm not really the pageant type. Let's say the rest of me doesn't quite fit that mold, anyway ;-)
Your haircut looks great - and so do you~!!
ReplyDeleteI love your new hairstyle, Melissa! Very stylish and it suits you! :)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I just have to say FABULOUS new do!! Looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteI read The Host last year, and it was truly one of my favorites of the year!! I'm glad you like Ink Exchange. I have a copy on the way!
I always wish, like you that I could read more books than I do. You did read good books there though. I am now listening to 'Ink Exchange' and I do have to say that the tone is much darker than 'Wicked Lovely' and i like it.
ReplyDeleteLove the new haircut! Awesome!
Luanne & Melody ~ Thank you so much! :-)
ReplyDeleteStephanie ~ Thanks! I hope you enjoy Ink Exchange. It's a little darker (as Lilly noted), but SUCH a good book!
Lilly ~ Thanks :-) Hope you continue to enjoy the series. Maybe one of these days we'll have as much time to read everything we want to (hmm, I must have fallen asleep and started dreaming...)
Love the haircut Melissa-you're gorgeous girl! I'm thinking of cutting mine but haven't gotten that brave yet. lol.
ReplyDeleteCute hair!! I recently bought Ink Exchange and can't wait to start reading it!
ReplyDeleteLove it! I'm trying to grow out my hair (not very successfully), but seeing your pictures makes me want to chop chop chop! Just in time for summer--great look for you!
ReplyDeleteApril sounds like a fabulous month for you hun! Btw, I just love your new hair cut. I meant to facebook you that comment when I saw your pictures but I got distracted...or something. lol
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