How was the first month of 2023? #MonthlyWrapUp
Hello readers! How was the first month of 2023? I hope you all had a great first month of 2023 but for me, it wasn’t really good. In life it was good but in reading, it wasn’t satisfactory as I couldn’t read as much as I wanted. Yes, I anticipated that a month before, I also said often I might read less in 2023 because of more social visits and visits for the interior of the flat and all but preparing myself mentally and actually facing it in reality is harder than I thought. Not reading daily, not finishing book in 3-4 days (which is normal for me) and taking almost a week to finish one book was frustrating for me. All 4 books I read were really good so that is something positive.
As for the blog, I I didn’t write my weekly wrap up posts as honestly there wasn’t much to say and so I replaced them with list posts, 2022 year end lists. I still need to write some more year end posts that I’ll be posting throughout February.
Highlights of the month
- I absolutely enjoyed reading with my kid throughout the month. It’s amazing she is asking me to read to her at bedtime. As I said in Children’s review post, she loves one-sentence books. She can read most of the easy words herself and she loves princess stories. I randomly found Storyberries when I was looking for more free bedtime stories online. I love their site and how they sectioned stories agewise and the illustrations are amazing. I think stories are free to read, not all are the best but some of the stories I read to my kid were good. If you wish to check out here is the link – https://www.storyberries.com/
- Did I mention now my kid can speak three words sentences? Before it was 2 words and sometimes 3 with help, but now she makes new sentences on her own as well. The biggest improvement is she answers questions like, what did you do in school or in park. She is more assertive in what she likes and doesn’t like and once she has made up her mind, there is no going back which is good.
- I received my first gifted bookish merch, one ARC, and a couple of eARCs. It’s going to be a busy February!
- I signed up for Swell! I know I don’t have enough time to be on another social media but this is a trial for me to prepare myself for booktube or at least for Bookstagram videos that I’m sure I’ll start posting this year (don’t ask me when exactly!). I want to have more confidence in speaking English which I know for a long time is much harder than writing English for me as all my daily communications are either in Gujarati or Hindi. I made my English and writing better (or at least good, I’m sure it’s not as terrible as it used to be) by reading and writing blog, this year I wish to be fluent in speaking as well. Let’s see how that will go at the end of the year!
- And I signed up for a challenge Write A Page A Day challenge that starts today. What I love about this challenge is I can write even in my journal or a diary and the reviews I post here also counts. Cool, right?
Reading Stats
Books read- 4
Pages read- 1781
Books I read in January
(click on title for full review)
Mahagatha by Satyarth Nayak is unique, amazing, and well-written compilation of 100 diverse tales from Puranas narrated in chronological order. It is filled with wisdom, learning, curses and boons, karma, dharma, emotions, and evolutions beautifully narrated and illustrated bringing each story to life. I sure recommend this if you wish to understand Hindu mythology better. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo is outstanding, action-packed, and flawlessly written YA fantasy. I loved each and every aspect of this book and the author made this come very very close to her masterpiece Six of Crows so it’s easy to say I love this book much as Six of Crows. This was last book in Grishaverse series and I’m going to miss this world and characters for long time. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott is a unique and beautifully written Baba Yaga and her chicken-legged house retelling inspired by Jewish myths. I loved the concept and theme and unique narration style but the characters and confusing narration style make it okay for me.⭐⭐⭐
Hyderabad by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is second book in Partition trilogy is about the refusal of Hyderbad’s Nizam to accede to India at any cost and Prime Minister of India- Jawaharlal Nehru, last Viceroy of India- Mountbatten, and Deputy Prime Minister – Vallabhbhai Patel trying to make Hyderabad accede to India. This was as complex as the subject matter of the book. Lots of things were going on during and after Independence of India and looking at all the trouble it was facing and events happened along with riots and problems in Hyderabad… just reading it cause me headache and I wish to have swift solution (just flip pages and reach to conclusion) and be done with it so i can’t even imagine how leaders of that time managed everything. While I loved all historical aspects and reading the realistic situations through character I found the pace a little slow and I didn’t get who exactly ordered the Hyderabad force to fall back and not engage with the Indian army, was it Nizam or Laik Ali? Review will be up this week.⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best Book of the Month
Can you guess? Of course, it’s Rule of Wolves
Other Post
Beautiful Portable Travel Tea Set – Review
10 Popular tropes in Fantasy– Guest Post by Moody Two Shoes
10 Indian Books To Read This Republic Day
Children’s books reviews : Stories for 3-7 yr old kids
Blog Stats
views – 5606
visits – 4291
comments – 197
Plans for February
- Reading -Try to read 6 books including the those I was supposed to read in January but couldn’t.
- Blog – Write and post all remaining year end posts.
- Watch- a show or movie and review it.
- Life- we have social functions to attend this week and in weekends of next week but the second half of the month is free.
Thank you for reading! Let’s chat..,
How was your first month of the year?
Have you read any of these books or plan to?
What are your plans for February?
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Sign up to receive email whenever I publish new post-
[instagram-feed feed=1]
Discover more from Books Teacup and Reviews
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Hi, I'm Yesha, an Indian book blogger. Avid and eclectic reader who loves to read with a cup of tea. Not born reader but I don't think I’m going to stop reading books in this life. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
20 Comments
Carla
You might not have read a lot, but it sounds like you had a good month in other ways. I’m so happy for your daughter talking more all the time.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Carla! In life it wasn’t too bad and I was happy with my kid’s progress. Each month shows me how different they are and that’s life.
Hooked By That Book
I say read what you can when you can. It’s not a contest. And great news about your kid’s reading. That is so fun and encouraging.
Rosepoint Publishing
Great post, Yesha! Somehow I could predict you’d be looking into and contemplating starting your own Booktube and I think you’ll be great at it. I really enjoy your Instagram reels and pics. You do a fine job with your social media. Yes, I’m trying to slack back a bit on reading and giving myself a bit more time as well but your home life is important.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Virginia! It would lot more practice and confidence for me with Booktube. But yes I have some plans and idea how I want it to be, hopefully I get enough courage to actually make it work.
Teagan Riordain Geneviene
You have so much going on, Yesha. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the page a month challenge. That seems like a great idea. Hugs.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Teagan! I like that idea too.
ashley @ socially awkward bookworm
That’s cute that your daughter wants stories at bedtime. 🙂 Maybe she’ll grow up to be a lover of books and stories like you! It’s great hearing about her progress and happy to hear that she can now dow three word sentences, that’s awesome! I really need to get back into reading Leigh Bardugo’s books. I haven’t read King of Scars yet and I really should!
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you! I’m so happy she likes story now. There is huge progress in her than last year.
I highly recommend king of scars. It’s amazing duology.
WendyW
I love to hear about your daughters progress. That’s wonderful that she loves to read with you and is speaking more. She’s such a cutie. On your recommendation, I got King of Scars, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get to it, but I’m really looking forward to it.
Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes
I’m glad to read that even if you’re not reading as much as you’d like, you’ve got to see your daughter grow faster and faster, achieving amazing things too! I hope February will be a better month for you, Yesha! 😀
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Lashaan! Seeing her grow, learning different things and reactions and behavior… it’s totally best thing in life.
Tessa
When it takes me much more time to read a book than I need or want it to take- that’s one of the few things that stresses me out. Hope February is a better month.
Books Teacup and Reviews
what is most frustrating is I can’t manage to have more than an hr a day for reading. It feels like there is always so much to do! Hopefully I can change that this month.
Teri Polen
I love that your daughter is asking for bedtime stories, Yesha. I read to the boys every night and have wonderful memories from that time.
Books Teacup and Reviews
it’s such a good feeling! When i tell her it’s bed time, the next minute she will say opposite story (the one I reviewed last week) and as soon as that is done she will ask for princess story. It’s huge change from how she was last year at this time.
kat
Sounds like your daughter is making great progress! My son was the same and now that he’s eight, he never stops talking, haha. I can’t wait to show my daughter Storyberries. The stories sound so cute!
Books Teacup and Reviews
Yeah, I can see her being like that already! 😃I love some of the stories while some are okay but good thing is illustrations and some even have videos and audios so it’s really great.
Susy's Cozy World
Adjusting your reading habits can be frustrating, especially when it comes to the time you need to finish a book. It happens to me sometimes, especially when I am in a slump, and it’s so annoying! The adjustment period is hard, but once you pass it, all would be good again!!
And I need to check out Swell, I never heard of it but it sounds like something I’d love! (and I need to practice my English too, because my pronunciation is awful!)
Books Teacup and Reviews
It’s terrible to adjust with routine in which I have less time for reading. I hope I can fit reading in this new routine and not feel bad for reading less than usual.
Swell is not like apps that help with language, it’s a social media app but everything is in audio. You post short audio, make short podcast and even reply in your voice kind of thing and there is no ‘edit audio’ or ‘post already recorded audio’ options so either you record in one go or delete it and try again. so I’m using it as trial and practice for speaking as I think without any script and edits. I have to see how that turns out.
Wish you fabulous Feb! ❤