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Plan Your Posts With May Books!

Sep 5, 2013


In my recent Top Ten Tuesday post about things that make my life as a reader and blogger easier, I included my addiction to May Books. These softcover notebooks have stitched spines and are the perfect 5x8 in size. I can't remember when I first discovered them, but I think it was from a friend's Instagram photo. As a Southern girl who loves monograms and pretty notebooks, I knew I had to have some of my own! The only problem? Making all those decisions.

Creating a May Book is so easy! All it takes is four quick and easy steps:
  1. Pick Your Pattern! With a great selection of swatches, I could spend hours trying to choose one.
  2. Customize It. Choose a background shape, the typographic style for your monogram or name and the monogram color. There's a Preview of your book to the left, so have fun checking out all the different combinations that are possible.
  3. Choose Your Inside Pages. There are so many things your book could be: a meal planner, an agenda, a budget journal... or even just lined pages. This is the reason I already own so many May Books.
  4. Preview & Checkout. Or, you know, make a couple more before you pay... If you're anything like me, it's almost impossible to order just one at a time.
I was really excited reading the comments on that post because I realized that a lot of people had never heard of May Books before. Y'all, I love being able to tell people about things that I love. It's just an extra bonus that these make my blogging life easier.

So, how exactly do I use my two blogging-related May Books? Let's discuss.


My very first May Book - EVER! I knew I wanted to order one, but I couldn't decide how I wanted to use it. After spending a few days contemplating, I finally settled on creating a May Book for my blog. I choose the "Monthly Agenda: Days + Weeks" for my Inside Pages because I knew I wanted something to help me create a schedule for my blog.

I'd read a really helpful post from Amanda @ On A Book Bender titled Organization and Scheduled Posts," and it was on my mind. I hadn't really thought about creating a schedule before, and Amanda provided some valuable advice for getting started. While I don't use her method exactly, I never would have had the push to do it without her post. 

In the front of my May Book, I listed some of my 2013 blogging resolutions. Those came from my post at the beginning of the year about what I wanted to accomplish. I haven't followed through on them all, but it's a nice reminder of the things I'd like to do.

On the Month-At-A-Glance pages, I jot down whatever will be posted on my blog that day. Because I'm crazy, different types of posts (Top Ten Tuesday, Reviews, Discussions, etc.) are written in different colors. I like that I can quickly get a sense for what type of posts I've got planned without looking too closely. Some things - like Top Ten Tuesday topics - are filled out really far in advance. For other things, like Reviews, it depends. I know what days I like to post Reviews on, so sometimes I'll just write a "R" on that day and fill it in with the book title once I know what's coming.

On the weekly view, I'll write down what I've got scheduled on the blog. But I'll also add a little more information on these pages - jotting down books that are being released that I've been looking forward to and noting publication dates for books I've received for review. I love that I can just flip forward and keep an eye on what's coming out soon, what I really need to read and review, where there are days when I don't have anything scheduled, etc. I usually have a sticky note tucked in there with random notes and thoughts on it, too.


My other blogging May Book has these lovely zebras gracing its cover. I choose blank pages for the inside of this book because I really wanted it to be for anything blog-related. Lists of books to review, brainstorming new book features, outlining guest posts, possible discussion post idea... you name it, you could probably find it in here!

My favorite thing about both of these books is the fact that they are so easy to carry around in my purse. With the softcover and convenient size, I've usually got at least one of these on hand at any given time. I love technology so much, but there's just something I love about putting pen to paper for certain things. So, just remember: Cute + Useful = May Books.

But I'm also curious about your blogging habits! 
How do you organize and schedule your posts? 
Do you use anything to keep track of all your blogging plans and ideas?
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Saying Goodbye to the Series Challenge!

Sep 4, 2013


Am I allowed to be sad about saying goodbye to the Summer Series Challenge? This three-month challenge was hosted by Lauren at Love Is Not A Triangle, Heather at Flyleaf Review and Asheley at Into the Hall of Books. Basically, it was everything I ever wanted in a challenge! It was low-key, easy to participate in and had some awesome possible prizes. I didn't actually win anything, but you better believe I found the chance to win an Amazon gift card super motivating!

My goals post was really ambitious - I listed SO many series that I'd like to finish! Looking over what I ended up reading, I have to laugh at how I diverged from that original list. I feel really successful for the fact that I read 22 series books this summer (21 that actually counted for the challenge) - finishing six total series. While a number of them weren't on my original list, I'm still pretty proud of my progress.

I also got to write about my series addiction for one of the Series Challenge Friday posts. I had so much fun writing it, and I really looked forward to all the other posts each Friday. There were so many great things shared - I'm so proud of what these ladies put together and thrilled that I was able to join in.

So, what did I read over the last three months? Let's review!

 Series I Finished
Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen
Matched series by Ally Condie
Series I Started & Finished
The Heist Society series by Ally Carter
The Grand Tour series by Lisa T. Bergren
The Passing Bells series by Phillip Rock
Series I Re-Read from Start to Finish
The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
Series Read That Didn't Count
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
  • #2 Scarlet 
Well, what do you think? I'm pretty pleased with myself. I still have a long way to go, but I am, after all, a series addict. You didn't expect me to have a complete recovery, did you?

I certainly hope these ladies host it again next year. In fact, I'm kind of mad that I didn't think of the idea myself - that's how much I love it! I can't wait to see take a look at everyone's progress - always looking for more series to add to my shelves. So long, summer! But I'll never say goodbye to my love for series.
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School Is Back In Session

Sep 3, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Even though you'd think this book would be perfect for me, I actually just wasn't reading it this week. So, I decided to make my own list keeping the assigned topic in mind but giving it my own twist.

Top Five Required Reading Books I Never Had To Read

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I have since read this book, but I always remember hearing people talk about being required to read this book in high school. I'm really not sure how I managed to avoid reading this American classic.

2. Of Mice and Men / The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - I feel like most people had to read at least one Steinbeck novel. Not me! I have, however, added a copy of Of Mice and Men to my shelves so one day I'll fix this hole in my literary education.

3. Animal Farm / 1984 by George Orwell - Again, I somehow never had to read anything by Orwell. I think it was on a list one year where you got to choose what you wanted from that list, and I was seriously not interested in talking animals or controlling governments. But that's just a guess.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - This is one of those required reading books that I have no desire to read. I feel like my reading experience might be similar to when I had to read The Lord of the Flies, which was one of the only required books that I absolutely hated with a passion. 

5. A Separate Peace by John Knowles - I actually choose this from a required reading list one year and later changed my mind. I have no idea what I ended up reading, but I've always meant to actually give this one a chance.

Top Five Required Reading Books I'm Glad I Had To Read

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - I might never have picked this book up without my AP English class during my senior year, and that makes me sad to think about because I absolutely adored this book. Even though, yes, there were some boring parts.

2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - So, so, so good. Thank goodness this was required and sparked so much class discussion! I've been meaning to reread this one.

3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I loved this one so much I think I picked to read it twice. I'm not sure how it happened - or even if it was allowed - but I'm not one bit sorry. That book was so incredible!

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Do I even need to explain?

5. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - I feel like this is a book I might not appreciate as much upon rereading, but my teacher absolutely helped me see the beauty in this classic. I remember reading whole pages just to soak it all in. It's a classic that so benefited from having a skilled teacher leading us through it.
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The Flower Bird Girls

Sep 2, 2013



Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 464 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

 Summary (from Goodreads)
Iris Crane's tranquil life is shattered when a letter summons memories from her bittersweet past: her first love, her best friend, and the tragedy that changed everything. Iris, a young Australian nurse, travels to France during World War I to bring home her fifteen-year-old brother, who ran away to enlist. But in Paris she meets the charismatic Dr. Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help establish a field hospital in the old abbey at Royaumont, staffed entirely by women - a decision that will change her life. Seamlessly interwoven is the story of Grace, Iris's granddaughter in 1970s Australia. Together their narratives paint a portrait of the changing role of women in medicine and the powerful legacy of love.

Thoughts on In Falling Snow
Estelle from Rather Be Reading recently tweeted me with a link to In Falling Snow and asked if I'd heard of it. I had to laugh when I saw it because I was actually reading this book at that exact moment. I loved that she knew this was a book I'd be drawn to without any idea that I was currently in the middle of it.

I wasn't sure what to expect from In Falling Snow. I haven't read anything by Mary-Rose MacColl, and I've actually read very little historical fiction set during World War I. A quick glance at the summary had me intrigued, but I honestly didn't realize that it was about a field hospital in France that was run entirely by women. Royaumont, the hospital, was a real place - an old abbey that was converted to a hospital during the war. The doctors, drivers and nurses were all women, and they ran an efficient hospital as an extension of the Scottish Women's Suffrage Federation.

In Falling Snow is told from the perspective of two different characters - Iris Crane and her granddaughter, Grace Hogan. It takes place during two main time periods, 1916-1918 and the 1970s, and in two places, France and Australia.

Iris Crane and her brother, Tom, are growing up in Australia with their father. Their mother died after giving birth to Tom, and it was just the three of them for years. Iris became like a mother to Tom, which is why her father sends her to France when, at fifteen, Tom runs off to fight in the Great War. Instead of doing what she's told, she ends up at Royaumont after a chance meeting with one of the doctors at a train station. It's a decision that will change her life.

Fast forward almost sixty years, and Iris' granddaughter, Grace, is a obstetrician and the mother of three. She's struggling to juggle her family and her career, in addition to the health of her aging grandmother. Iris has recently received an invitation to an event commemorating Royaumont, and it brings back a flood of memories. Iris drifts from past to present - reliving some of the best and worst moments of her years in France. She wants to travel back to France, but Grace feels that Iris shouldn't go alone. There's some tension between the two, and the book works toward unraveling the secrets at the foundation of their relationship.

One of the only things I didn't love were the shifts between the two narrators and time periods. I've read a lot of historical fiction that uses this method to tell a story, and I think it's often really effective when trying to build a sense of mystery. There are a lot of secrets in Iris' past, and each flashback leads to the culmination at the end about what exactly happened in France that's left her still scarred to this day. There are scenes from 1916 France and 1970s Australia with Iris, and then additional moments in 1970s Australia with Grace. But there are very short episodes set in 1918 with no defined narrator and unnamed characters. I think it was done this way to heighten the sense of the secrets being kept. Those are the scenes I found confusing, and I found myself flipping back on my e-reader to try and make sense of them.

However, this book is rich in historical detail. The setting was vibrant and interesting - I loved all the people who worked at Royaumont and being able to see these women build something that would leave an incredible legacy. I learned things about World War I that I never knew before, which I always appreciate in historical fiction novels.

Iris' best friend at Royaumont, Violet Heron, is an interesting character but I thought she was somewhat underdeveloped. Iris hints at things about Violet, her personality and her past, that never really receive further attention. It's like these little references to some hidden pain, but there's never any closure as to what it might be. I did love that they called themselves "the flower bird girls" for their unusual names (flowers for the first and birds for the last). Violet was brave and unflappable and, in many ways, an even more intriguing character. I really wanted some more from her story!

I enjoyed the two main characters, but I did find myself favoring the time spent in France. I wanted more of Royaumont with Iris, Tom, Violet and the rest of the nurses and doctors because those were the aspects of the book that I found most interesting. I liked Grace's story, too, but I also found her to be a really frustrating character. I wasn't that interested in her story, despite its connection to Iris' past. However, I still really enjoyed this book!

I haven't read anything quiet like In Falling Snow, and it highlighted a number of aspects of war and medicine that I hadn't learned about before. I feel like I haven't said anything about the plot, but that's mostly because it really hinges on the slow unfolding of the mysteries of the past. I found Royaumont interesting, the women who ran it admirable, and the story of love and sacrifice to be ultimately uplifting.

So Quotable
"We are not warriors here, just pieces of meat to put before guns."

"We knew them just a little, but every one of the millions killed in those four years was a life surrounded by others that would never be the same. So that when you took that one life, you took others and the casualties ran on and on until there was nothing left but grief. It ran like a river through every small town and city of Australia and the world. And for what?"

*I received this book from Penguin Books in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review.
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August 2013: On My Shelves + Recap

Sep 1, 2013

Sarah Hearts
I still can't believe August has already come and gone! When did that happen? I traveled to Boston for work for a few days in August, so I made sure to stop by two local bookstores there and pick up a few "souvenirs." I didn't read quite as many books this month, but I was glad to slow down and take my time with the books I did read. I also met my Goodreads challenge to read 100 books! There is still plenty of time left in the year, so I'm excited to see how many books I end up reading.

Prior to blogging, I read adult reads and classics almost exclusively. The year I started blogging is when I was first got into young adult, and blogging has only fed those reading interests. However, I've been more drawn to adult reads lately and am loving the change of pace. I'm remembering just how much I love books for big kids and have found so many new ones to add to my shelves, as you'll see from my book purchases this month.

I also received the sweetest surprise from Magan at Rather Be Reading that had me jumping up and down, squealing, and clutching a certain book to my chest like I'd never let it go. I cannot thank her enough for thinking of me, and I know what's next on my nightstand!

On My Shelves


NetGalley: In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, Belle Cora by Phillip Margulies and The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Bought for Kindle: The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas


Bookstore Shopping: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, Jane Austen's England by Roy and Lesley Adkins, The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway, The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig, Night Film by Marisha Pessl and The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes


Online Purchases: Middlemarch by George Eliot, Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe, The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Kantor and The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon


Surprise from Magan at Rather Be Reading: Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Books Read

96. Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
97. The Passing Bells - Phillip Rock
98. The Gallery of Vanished Husbands - Natasha Solomons
99. Circles of time - Phillip Rock
100. Born of Persuasion - Jessica Dotta
101. A Future Arrived - Phillip Rock
102. In Falling Snow - Mary-Rose MacColl

On My Blog

I reviewed: Glittering Promises by Lisa T. Bergren, Golden by Jessi Kirby, The Distance Between You & Me by Kasie West, Nowhere but Home by Liza Palmer, The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes, Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara, The Caged Graves by Dianne Salerni, The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons, The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock, Circles of Time by Phillip Rock, A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock


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