January to June #MinaReadThisIn2021
Even though I’ve been sharing my reading year for several years now, I think this is the first time that I looked at it in terms of months. And whoa, I’m really seeing which months I had the energy to read. Months where less books were read match months when I’m doing work on my own books (or book projects), and that really does drain me a bit so my leisure time goes to other things.
At 45 titles from January to June, I think this is on track to be…an average reading year haha. I’m still reading mostly romance, but with one big difference. I started this year by getting rid of my TBR! I truly did. Meaning I freed myself from that list of “read this soon” books and decided I would read a book whenever I felt like it. This means people tweeting sales and links to their new or backlist books helped because it reminded me of something I could be in the mood for, and I would just read it. Well, if I were in the mood for it and it also fit some guidelines I’d set for myself (more indie, more AOC, try another genre sometimes).
What also changed (did it really) was I did not write reviews promptly, so now there are very few reviews posted of these reads. I can give quick thoughts or opinions though if anyone needs it.
If this seems like too many books, please know that: I don’t watch a lot of TV or movies anymore. I consider this part of my work, and not in a bad way, especially if a reader’s decision to diversify their reading benefits me. (If I wanted people to choose us first I have to be mindful about the reading choices I also make.) I enjoy this, I do. I also deal with a local literary scene where people like to say they don’t read romance and speak over romance authors anyway–it gets hard for them to do that when I say I read 80 new books a year at least. (Not that they will actually read or support or listen, but this has stopped some of the talking over us and that’s progress.)
If this seems like too few books: I know! There are so many books and I can’t read fast enough ahaha.
Links to purchase all of these are compiled in this thread on Twitter: https://twitter.com/minavesguerra/status/1345730556932198400
Read in January: Birthday Shot by Rilzy Adams, Ball Drop by J. Greene, A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau, Bright Lights by Katrina Jackson, The Liar’s Dice by Jeannie Lin, His Captive Princess by Kiru Taye, Ringing in the Lunar New Year by Isla Chiu, Let Me Hold You by Alexandria House, An Affair in Winter by Jess Michaels, I Met You For A Reason: An Illustrated Poem by Layla S. Tanjutco, Acting Up by Adele Buck, Things Hoped For by Chencia C. Higgins, Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett, Captive Desire by Robin Lovett, Stolen Desire by Robin Lovett
Read in February: Ante Up by Christina C. Jones, The Love Bet by G.L. Tomas, Deeper by Rilzy Adams, Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins, The Long Run by Ruby Lang
Read in March: The Lessons We Learn by Alexandra Warren, Three Little Words by Melissa Blue, If the Dress Fits (2nd edition) by Carla de Guzman, I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza, Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha, Alien Quarantine Rescue by Robin Lovett, The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
Read in April: To Buy a Vow by Chencia C. Higgins, Writing into the Wound by Roxane Gay, Sweethand by N.G. Peltier
Read in May: The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan, Trese Vol. 1 Murder on Balete Drive by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo (re-read), Not Just Human by E. Xia, A Matter of Disagreement by EE Ottoman, I Think I Might Want You by Christina C. Jones, Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler, Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee, The Doctor Is In Love: a medical romance anthology by Angeli E. Dumatol, EK Gonzales, Celestine Trinidad, Suzette de Borja
Read in June: How to Find A Princess by Alyssa Cole, Hard Sell by Hudson Lin, The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau, Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles, The Sugared Game by KJ Charles, Subtle Blood by KJ Charles, The Companion by EE Ottoman
