2022 February Wrap-Up and March Hopefuls

Hey guys!!

Every time I tried to draft this post I was either lazy or too tired to type. This week I wanted to see that I publish my wrap-up no matter what.

February was *sighs heavily* exhausting but personally a good month. I was out with my friends and after two years we could properly hang out and catch up with all that’s happened in our lives.

Reading-wise it was a relaxed month. I didn’t worry about the numbers and just focused on enjoying the books. I had plans to write many blog posts, and still do, but I have a block and don’t seem to find words to convert my ideas into writing. I’m taking it one-step-at-a-time for now.

I might be fully back here (on the blog) in April. I have my cousin’s wedding in April and I’m a bit occupied with it. Once it’s done, I think I might have more time to blog and write. But don’t worry, I have a couple of blog tours coming in next month, so it’s not like I’m going to disappear again.

Globally, things are going downhill. There’s a war happening, covid is still persistent, climate change is drastic that is affecting (and will affect) us all. After hearing the Ukraine-Russian war, it felt horrible to even read because there were people who were rushing out of their own country and fighting for their lives and it didn’t feel right to read or do anything. But I know that this feeling won’t change anything and don’t know what’s going to happen in the near future. I’m hoping things don’t become worse than it already is.

Now let’s jump to my much-delayed February wrap-up.

Reading Stats for February 2022

• Total Books: 7

• Pages: 3068

Reading Moodboard

Books Read in February 2022

➼The Poppy War ★★★★★ | After a year of not picking The Poppy War, I was convinced enough to read it this year and made it a point to read it in Jan. Though I had to carry it over to Feb, I deliberately took my time with it. From the easy-going Rin to the warrior soldier, this book’s tone took a complete 180 in the second half that left me speechless and with a lot of thoughts to ponder upon. Anyway, The Poppy War was my first fantasy read of the year, which lived up to the hype for me.

➼Defy the Night ★★★.5 | Defy the Night was a light fantasy that had me under its spell till the end. With a fine balance between romance and political intrigue, Defy the Night left me wanting more. And now that we have the date for book 2, we don’t have to wait for long to be back in this world.

➼ Ophelia After All ★★★★.3 | Ophelia Afer All will be a special book for me for two reasons. 1. Because it was my first Adavnce Listening Copy. 2. The story is full of life, angsty at times, with great character development for both main and side characters. The best YA contemporary I’ve read in a while.

➼ The Dragon Republic ★★★★ | This was a full-fledged war novel. We get to see more military strategy and science used in the most dishonest way to fight the war. Su Daji’s army was one step ahead of everyone in the book, and as much as I hated what she did, her words to Rin was honest. The colonization part hit me hard. I didn’t like the Hesperians from the start. By the end, I was suspicious of their every move and they were more dangerous than the Federation.
Rin felt more volatile in this book. I understand she had many traumas to deal with and was just an echo of her old self, but I think she should have dealt with the Yins with caution. There were obvious red flags, which I’m sad that she didn’t see sooner.

➼ Jade Fire Gold ★★★ | Jade Fire Gold was rehashing a few things that I’ve read in other Fantasy books except for the myth on which it was based, so I didn’t have more to look for, but it was a good one-time read.

➼ Boys I Know (ARC) | This book showed how messy teen relationships could put you in a position where you feel stuck and crave to belong somewhere. So there’s a lot this book unpacks but I wish it was delivered better, but for a debut, Boys I know is a solid one.

➼ Gallant | I have mixed opinions on this book. The setting is amazing and the story is easy to get into. It’s not like I dislike it but there were a few things that didn’t hit the mark for me. If you’re a seasonal reader, Gallant will make a great companion for Fall (Halloween in particular) or Winter.

Books to be Reviewed

• The Green Bone Saga, Gallant, Boys I know, My Mechanical Romance.

I haven’t forgotten that I still have the Green Bone Saga to review. I won’t be able to do it mid Apri, I guess I’ll have to postpone it to May for now. Since this pile is growing every day, I’ll review some books on my booksta so that I have some room to breathe.

Other Posts on the Blog

I wrote only three posts last month including my Jan wrap-up. It’s the lowest number since I started this blog. I’m hoping to get back to writing more this month.

• Books Bloggers Nook ft Angele
• 15 Things Only Bibliophiles Can Relate To

March 2022 Hopefuls

By the time I finish this wrap-up, I must have finished half the book on my TBR. It’s been a hectic month and decided I had to sign up for many blog tours and ARCs like the world was ending tomorrow. Now I have too many books to read and posts to write. Sure there’s a lot to read, but the stories make it fun and possible.

• One for All by Lillie Lainoff [ALC]
• My Mechanical Romance [ARC] ✔️
• A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I Lin [ARC] ✔️
• Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kemp [ARC] ✔️
• The Match Breaker by Annie Rains [ARC]
• An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X R Pan [ARC]

Things I liked in February

• I went out a lot in February. I met my friends after two years, had sleepovers, and had a great time catching up with them. It made my month.
• Suho (EXO’s leader) got discharged from his military service last month and told us, the fans, he’s preparing for an album and also hinted there might be an EXO comeback soon. This news literally lit me up with joy, and I have satrted the countdown. Not to forget there’s an EXO Ladder S3 on the way too. What more could I ask for?! (maybe for SM to promote their works better this time)
• I was journaling regularly last month. It’s one thing that I made sure to stick to every day.

To-Do List for MARCH

• Set schedules. I have no control over time these days and I have forgotten how to manage it. So I’d like to have a routine where I can do all the things I want to but not dump everything for the weekend.
• Write every day. I have been in a writing slump since November. I haven’t felt like writing much and that’s why I had to put off reviewing books or posting on this blog. I was posting mini-reviews on my booksta because there were too many ARCs that had to be read and reviewed, but the word limit always cut my thoughts short. I’m still not ready to write reviews, so this month I have decided to write my Wednesday posts hoping that it’d make me write more and probably get me out of my writing (blogging) slump.
• To upload my reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

Songs of February

• Never Gonna Come Down by Mark Tuan, Bibi
• Untitled, 2014 by G-Dragon
• Peach Jam by 88Rising, Joji, Blcoboy, JB
• Ophelia by The Lumineers
• Snowdrop by Choe Jeong In ( I watched Snowdrop for this tarck and counted the days waiting for it to be officially out)
• Warpaint by 88Rising, Niki
• Good Thing by Maple Glider

Posts To Check Out

• Veronica @ LITTLE CORNER READS recommends Eight Asian-Inspired Fantasies to Read for Lunar New Year
• This is a year old post but ICYMI heres What Blogging Is Actually Like- 10 Relatable & True Facts by Sumedha @ THE WORDY HABITAT
• Author Interview with Vanessa Len (Only a Monster) from24HRYABOOKBLOG
• The Red Palace by June Hur has been on my twitter timeline a lot and I have added it to my TBR. Here’s the author’s interview with Gauri@ A BOOK AND CHAI and Jayati @ IT’S JUST A COFFEE ADDICTED BIBLIOPHILE gives us 4 reasons why we should be reading it.
• I found this interesting post on Marvel movies from KAYA @ AFICTIONALBOOKWORM – Are Marvel Movies REAL Cinema? what do you think?
• Ophelia After All is the best YA fiction I’ve read in a while and here’s the author’s interview with KASHVI @ MISTY REALMS
• This was a fun and a great post by Lay @ BOOKSHELFSOLILOQUIES on 5 Musicians Who Would Be Their Auto-Buy Authors

SHow(s) Watched in February

My first drama of the year was utterly disappointing. Snowdrop had such a great cast and a good start, but it ended just like I predicted, albeit losing its focus on the plot. The drama could have done with 10 episodes because the last 6 episodes went in circles and dragged the show. I don’t know if it’s a me thing, but this drama was a letdown but don’t let that stop you from watching the show if you’re interested in it. 

Let’s Talk

How was February for you? Did you achieve your monthly goals? I, for one, failed miserably with my monthly goals, but as it was a good month, I have decided to work on them this month along with the others.