ARC August 2017: Sign Up and Books I Want to Read

It's that time of the year again... no, I don't mean the end of summer! I mean it's time for ARC August!

Netflix and Books Reading Challenge Update

Hey, everyone! It's time for a reading challenge update!

Way, way back in March, I decided to join Lauren and Erica's Netflix and Books Challenge. Yes, I realize that it's now mid-July, and I'm only just offering up my first update. Oops. I've really failed you, my readers, lately. But I'm hoping to change all of that starting now. So let's get to the update, shall we?

Reading Challenge Update: April 2017

Hey, everyone, and Happy May Day! Unfortunately for me, there wasn't any spring celebration today, but we did get a huge thunderstorm, and some funnel clouds were spotted in the area. Cool, huh?

Anyway, if you're new to The Hardcover Lover, I try to keep my readers updated with the reading challenges I'm participating in through a monthly update - The Hardcover Lover's Reading Challenge Update. I've been pretty busy lately, and haven't had a lot of time to dedicate to my reading challenges, but I do have a small update for you this month...

Challenge Accepted: 2017 Netflix and Books Challenge

So you're probably thinking to yourself, "Erin, shouldn't you have posted about reading challenges two or three months ago?" The answer to that would be yes, but I was in a blogging funk, so be prepared for a few challenges to be posted during the next few days.

The first challenge I'm accepting for 2017 is the 2017 Netflix and Books Challenge. This challenge is hosted by two of my friends and favorite bloggers, Lauren from Bookmark Lit and Erica from Novel Ink.

Reading Challenge Update: November

Oh boy! Where does the time go? It's hard to believe that December and the holiday season is already here. It really seems like it was just yesterday that The Hardcover Lover got a makeover and new features were unveiled.

One of those features was The Hardcover Lover's Reading Challenge Update. So just what is this post about? I'll tell you...

At the end of 2015, I decided that I was reading too many similar books and too many books that were inside of my comfort zone. To change this, I decided to try reading some different books, and the best way to do that was to join a few different reading challenges, especially challenges that focused on genres that I don't typically read. To keep track of the reading challenges, I came up with a way to keep track of the books I was reading for the challenges, and it is the very generically named Reading Challenge Update.

Reading Challenge Update: October

At the end of 2015, I decided that I was going to challenge myself to read more books, but not just more books in general... I wanted to challenge myself to read more books outside of my comfort zone and outside of the genres that I normally read. To do this, I decided to join a few different reading challenges, hosted by many different bloggers in the book community. To keep track of the reading challenges, I came up with a way to keep track of the books I was reading for the challenges, and it is the very generically named Reading Challenge Update.

Reading Challenge Update: March

Can you believe that we've already gone through three months in 2016? I can't believe that we're into April right now. The year is flying by so quickly!

Many of you know that I'm participating in a few different reading challenges this year. To keep myself on track (and to let you know what I've been reading), I came up with these Reading Challenge Update posts. Yes, I know they aren't very original, but because of them, I've been keeping track of the books I've been reading for the many reading challenges I signed up for at the end of 2015.

Alright... so let's see how I faired for all of my challenges in March!

Reading Challenge Update: February

Two months down and ten to go! Who would have thought that 2016 would fly by as quickly as it has been, right?

Many of you know that I'm participating in a few different reading challenges this year. To keep myself on track (and to let you know what I've been reading), I came up with these Reading Challenge Update posts. Yes, I know they aren't very original, but because of them, I've been keeping track of the books I've been reading for the many reading challenges I signed up for at the end of 2015.

So... let's check in on my progress for February!

Reading Challenge Update: January

Hello, all you lovely people! We made it through January! It seems like the new year started yesterday, but we're already a month into 2016, and things are only just getting started. Hooray!

Some of you might remember that I signed up for a lot of reading challenges in 2015, and unfortunately I never really kept up with them. Yes, I read the books that I wanted to for the challenges, but I forgot to link up and keep track of my progress. That's not good, right!

This new feature is one that I'm hoping will help me stay on track. Instead of just reading the books that I've challenged myself to read, I'm going to be sharing them with you at the end of each month. I'm really hoping that this helps me remember and keep track of all of the books I'm reading and the challenges I've signed up for this year.

Alright... so let's see how I faired for January...

The Backlist Books Reading Challenge

Guess what! It's time for me to pledge my allegiance to another reading challenge for 2016! I know I've already announced that I'll be participating in the Debut Author Challenge and the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge, but I also wanted to be a part of Bekka's Backlist Books Reading Challenge so I can finally get to some of those older books that are on my shelves!

Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2016

It's time for me to tell you all about another reading challenge that I'm joining for 2016! This challenge is the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge, and it's hosted by Jess of Gone with the Words and Danielle of Love at First Page.

Bookish Bingo: Spring 2015

Bookish Bingo is a reading challenge/game hosted by the lovely bloggers at Great Imaginations. It's a bookish reading challenge that resembles a Bingo board but the only person you're challenging is yourself! As you read books, you get to mark off that square on your Bingo Board, but you only get to use one square per book. This means that a book can't be used for multiple squares.

This is my first time participating in the Bookish Bingo challenge, so I'm definitely not planning to finish the entire board, but it would definitely be fun if I did. Realistically, I think I will try for one or two Bingos or maybe even a four corners, diamond, or postage stamp game. (I play Bingo a lot at camp...)

I have a few ideas for some of these squares, but if you have any recommendations or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment. I'm always open for book recommendations, especially if it will help me complete a challenge. I know I'll definitely need some suggestions for an Aussie author as I'm not entirely familiar with many of them. I'll probably also need some help with choosing a high fantasy book.

I'll update everyone at the end of every month (probably with my monthly wrap-up posts), to see just how I'm doing with the Bookish Bingo game. (I even have a cute plan for marking off the squares I complete!)

Books I'm Planning on Reading for Bookish Bingo