February 2018 Recap // I Tried This Month and LOOK AT MY NEW DESIGN AND NAME DO YOU SEE IT

Wow, I posted this month.* ARE YOU ALL CHEERING?? BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE.

Anyways, I’m lowkey proud of myself for posting and lowkey annoyed at myself for not posting enough. I have too many high standards for posting?? Maybe my goal should just be to post at least once a month… but then that would literally just be my recap.**

*well at least more than other months, okay?

**my recap is literally my only consistent post for every month.

Also HAVE YOU NOTICED THE BLOG NAME CHANGE. THE BLOG DESIGN CHANGE. IT’S FANTASTIC AND I WILL TALK MORE ABOUT IT LATER. I’M SO HYPED ABOUT IT. I LOVE MY NEW GRAPHICS AHHHHHH.

BOOKS I READ

So I read a lot this month. Not really YA books, though! I read a ton of Webtoons and they are just?? So addicting?? Since I read around.. 10 webcomics* I just have a tumblr post list of all of them because a) THERE ARE SO MANY WOW and b) I want to start using Tumblr more but it’s so hard?? To find the community?? And also interact?? WHO SHOULD I FOLLOW DO ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE A TUMBLR? (link me pls)

I think I read a total of 3 YA books this month??**

  

Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen // ★★★★☆

• This was a powerful and intense fantasy and honestly?? It was higher than my kind of low expectations! I want to read A.C.’s other books nowwww. [review]

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs // ★★★★☆

• SUCH A COOL CONCEPT and I just?? I love the whole idea and everything was so mysterious and mystical and IT WAS JUST A GENERALLY GOOD BOOK. ★★★★☆ [review]

I’m actually going to feature some of my favorite webtoons and do that little blurby thing that I always do! I’ll probably just link to their webtoon or reading links because that makes the most sense, and I won’t put their covers here because with all of those shapes the formatting is going to be… weird.

Lookism // ★★★★★

• THERE ARE SO MANY SHIPS IN THIS BOOK THAT I CAN’T. But there’s also like… no canon romance and it sucks. This is such a real book and also it’s sooo creepy at times?? JUST READ IT. 10/10 recommended to all.

Heartstopper // ★★★★★

• This book??? Is the cutest thing ever?? It just makes me so happy and honestly, how do I survive waiting for the next updates. THE MAIN CHARACTERS (oops I forgot their names) ARE MY CHILDREN.

(also this link is to the first page, obviously!! don’t worry about getting spoiled!)

Unordinary // ★★★★★

• AHHHHHHHHHHH. John??? Is my favorite?? And also Sera?? THE PLOT IS DONE REALLY WELL and I really like the story arcs and it’s just all so interesting and I love it all!!! I love this book so much how does my heart hold this much love!!

Super Secret // ★★★★★

• THIS IS ALSO THE CUTEST THING. Ryan is soooo smol and so is Emma and I love their relationship and it’s all so cute and this has magic and witches and just??? So many ships??? I’m dead.

I Love Yoo // ★★★★★

• THIS IS CLICHE I KNOW but also IT’S SO FREAKING HILARIOUS and I love the main character’s narration. Also I like cliche’s (sometimes) okay?? Don’t judge me.

*But this is actually great because I’m marking them on Goodreads and therefore upping the amount of books I read HA.

**IT WAS LOWER THAN THE AMOUNT I PREDICTED RIP ME AND MY YA BOOKS

OVERALL READING ANALYSIS

• My favorite book this month was probably Reign the Earth?
• My favorite webcomic/s are probably Lookism, I Love Yoo, Super Secret, Heartstopper, and Unordinary. LSKDFJLSDKJF I HAVE TOO MANY FAVORITES.
• My least favorite book was Nemesis. There wasn’t much choices anyways, haha.
• Least favorite webcomic was probably Let’s Play, because… I dislike and also like the art style? And the storyline’s kind of… weird? I DON’T KNOW.

I actually don’t have a book haul this month because I didn’t request any books or accept any requests! I’m dead under this pile of books pls help me!! I’m going to try and read all of the books that I need to read and all of the ARCs that I have before I do anything requesting them. LOOK AT ME, BEING ACTUALLY PRODUCTIVE AND RESTRAINING MYSELF.

THINGS I CHANGED

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE BLOG DESIGN CHANGE & THE BLOG NAME CHANGE?

I’ve literally been talking about trying to change my blog name for around four months and I fINALLY decided to contact a graphic designer (which was free!! I ain’t going to spend money on this!!) and just… look at my new design. DO YOU LOVE IT because I do?? It’s great?? I’m so happy??

“Blots of Ink and Words” was just too long and Paper Blots sounds much, much cooler. Also I made a Twitter poll for “Paper Blots” vs. “Page Blots” and?? I don’t think anyone actually caught on that I was changing my name??

Originally I was trying to do something like “Blotted Ink” or something but all of the two word variations were taken up by BLOGS CREATED THREE YEARS AGO AND THAT HAVEN’T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE. You have no idea how salty I was about that wow.

(I mean I did lie about it and say it was for a friend.. but if I were you I’d STILL BE SUSPICIOUS.)

I’m just so… happy with my blog design you guys.

look at me, last month, hintING AT THIS BLOG CHANGE

POSTS I LOVED

Elise talks about the #BuryYourGays trope and she basically explains why it’s so harmful and has counterpoints to any other questions that you might have! IT’S SO HELPFUL.

Lu discusses how representation helps people love themselves in her special Valentine’s day post.

Marie gets real with her book blogging pressures and um. we can all relate. Book blogging is hard.

Balie gives reasons as to why writing negative reviews is hard, and tips on how to write them!

Analee lists types of families in books and also lists some recommendations for you.

Jackie puts down her 2018 goals and go support her!! Also tell her to blog more!!

May shares reasons she runs towards books. And also why she likes to read them.

Mikaela throws all of the book blogging hacks (hax/haqs) at us.

I’m not going to write any book news because 1) the main reason I did it last month was so I could throw the Love, Simon trailer in your face. And then I looked for other news to accompany it. and 2) I HAVE TOO MANY WORDS IN THIS BLOG POST ALREADY SOMEBODY STOP ME.

I’m pretty sure there was a lot of life stuff but WHY CAN’T I REMEMBER ANYTHING. AHHHHH.

(Later in, after looking at my calendar app and trying to think of things that I did.)

LUNAR NEW YEAR WAS THIS MONTH. I love Lunar New Year so much?? I’m Chinese and I celebrate it and me and my family went to this festival event where there was FOOD and also we got to see a lot of cool dances/performances! The food was my favorite part though.

And then the day after we also went to this party and it was a potluck and I got even MORE food and I think the main thing that we can discern from this is that I really like food.

I also had a February break from my school and it was for a whole week and the whole time I just?? Read webcomics and did homework and slept? I LEFT MY HOUSE MAYBE FIVE TIMES TOTAL, and that was to go eat Chipotle. (I love food.)

I was approved for a media badge for both Book Expo & BookCon and IM DEAD AND DECEASED although I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Book Expo, unfortunately?? EVEN THOUGH I REALLY REALLY WANT TO GO AHHHHH. But I’ll definitely be able to go to BookCon! SO I’M REALLY EXCITED. And I think I’ll go on both days!

READING STUFF

• Read at least 5 books this month and post ARC reviews at least two days before release date. ㄨ✓ I read?? Webcomics?? But I didn’t post ARC reviews early?? (Although I wasn’t supposed to, they were mainly blog tours.)
• Write at least three Goodreads reviews that are complex and funny and get >40 likes on all of them. ㄨㄨ Actually I’m going to change my goal to go on Goodreads less because it gives me too much anxiety oops.

BLOGGING STUFF

• Write a post in advance to its publication date by 2 days at least THREE TIMES. ㄨㄨㄨ
• Post at least 7 times this month. ㄨㄨㄨ

WRITING STUFF

• Think about my novel for at least 12 seconds and write at least 5 words of it. ㄨ✓ I thought about it. And I thought about writing it. Honestly I think I’m just going to try and start a new WIP during Camp Nano.

LIFE STUFF

• Drink from my Swell bottle. ㄨ IT’S IN MY ROOM AND IT’S BEEN THERE FOR THE WHOLE MONTH.
• Stop biting my fingernails. ㄨ✓ I kind of stopped? I still do it, but less frequently I think.
• Start saying no to people. ㄨ✓ I ACTUALLY CAN’T REMEMBER A TIME I DIDN’T SAY NO TO ANYONE. SO THAT’S A START. *fist pump*

BOOKISH STUFF

• read at least 7 things that you can mark on goodreads (webcomics or other things count) 
• write at least 2 full reviews on goodreads before posting them

BLOGGING STUFF

• take more pictures for bookstagram (10+) and upload them on a schedule (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) Hey, if I can’t regularly post on my blog, I’ll go for my bookstagram.
• write at least 2 posts over one day before you post it
• post at least 3 discussions
• catch up on all of my required reviews for my blog
• make more notes tracking my arcs and everything that I need to do
• reach a place where I feel happy with my stats

LIFE STUFF

• drink more water!!!
• become better at lacrosse Lacrosse for me, started in March so I’m not ~allowed~ to talk about it in this recap even though it already HAPPENED for me but I really want to try for the FIRST SPORT I HAVE EVER BEEN IN.
• go to sleep before 10:30 regularly on weekdays
• finish all homework before 4:30 pm (I CAN DO IT I KNOW I CAN) It’s not even a matter of doing my homework?? I JUST PROCRASTINATE.
• find more hobbies that don’t involve spending too much time online
• organize my books (ALL OF MY BOOKS ARE IN PILES AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE AND NOT ORGANIZED AT ALL.)

Do you have a tumblr? (LINK ME. ALSO LINK ME SUGGESTIONS.) What are some of your hobbies that don’t include blogging? What are your goals for the next month? HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE MY NEW BLOGGING GRAPHICS? Because you should love them a lot. Do you read webcomics and have you read any of the ones that I read?