The Sunday Mix (17)

This particular edition of this feature heralds the last week of October. Isn't that incredible? It means the last week of the month I think of fondly as "Anne's month". It also means Halloween is very nearly upon us. Is anyone dressing up? I'm not doing anything particularly special, most likely just staying in with husband and eating copious amounts of candy and watching Doctor Who. Couldn't ask for a better Halloween plan!

WHAT I READ

• Hazel touches on the fact that reading is much more than entertainment. It's education. It's inspiration. It's a challenge to know more, understand better and grow. I love that we get so much more than just entertainment out of books (though that's definitely a good purpose for them to have.)
• Chachic talks about her endless TBR pile and why it's okay. I personally love that she mentions the concepts of book hungry and book full, which I've definitely experienced a time or two. My TBR pile has certainly gotten smaller this year (thanks to The Picky Pledge!), but it's still quite substantial. Sometimes, that's good and sometimes, that's overwhelming. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have it any other way.
• Brittany (and a whole bunch of bloggers) has teamed up for Seasons Readings. Brittany is specifically sharing her favorite fall reads, and I have to say, I love her list! The gothic/horror section is the only one with books I haven't read yet, but I definitely think I'll check them out.
• Wendy reflects on the series that changed her childhood, also known as Harry Potter. This series is one of two that affected my younger years; the other series is the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, one of my earliest series binges.
• Hazel compares the reading experience of a physical book versus an e-book. I have to say that I'm with her on loving physical reads. I like holding books, and I like having to turn actual pages, and I like spending hours browsing in bookstores. What about you?
• I'm so in love with the Capeside Revisited event that Rachel put together! Rachel pairs Joey + Pacey moments with YA books, Estelle waxes nostalgic about the show, Andi does the ABCs for the four main characters, Tiff talks about love triangles and Alex writes about her favorite episode.
• Rachel muses on creativity and ideas. She brings up some interesting thoughts on similar features or events that crop up in the blogging community, touching on originality and innovation too.
• I'm often blown away by the artistic sensibilities of my fellow book lovers, and Meg's redesigned covers for The Raven Cycle are lovely. Seriously. They would make such a stunning addition to any library (and you can actually buy them)!
• Stephanie offers up five helpful ways to increase engagement in your book reviews. Her advice is practical, and I actually employ some of these methods myself. But, as she says at the end of her post, there is no one right way to review!
• Ever been curious about what an author's daily schedule looks like? Victoria Schwab got eighteen authors to share a "day in their life". It's fascinating to catalog the similarities and differences between each of these authors!
• Is there really a best reading position for each genre? I actually find that I do read romance and YA in the positions suggested quite often, but not necessarily all the time. Are any of these true for you?
• Gillian shares about her second chances with authors, and how sometimes the second book she reads from them turns out to be the book that she enjoys from them. There are a few authors I can think of that I do want to give a second chance, but I definitely think it's fair to try more than one story (especially if they write in different genres) from an author.
• Hazel shares her tips for maximizing your reads during a read-a-thon. I haven't participated in an official read-a-thon in ages, but I do embark on personal ones on occasion. The tip that resonated with me the most is picking what you're in the mood for. I definitely do that, and it guarantees I'll read a whole bunch of things!
• I've been a long-time reader and fan of Meg Fee's blog. She recently shared "the experience of the view is shaped by the difficulty in getting there", a post I sorely needed to write. (Meg's also written a collection of essays called "Places I Stopped on the Way Home". I can't wait to read these!)
• Emily talks about twenty things she wishes she knew at twenty. I'm still in the middle of my twenties (boy, I've typed that word a whole lot), but I thought her insights were really spot on and practical. I definitely think I've learned some of the lessons she has too!
• Hazel shares information she learned after she did a reader survey. It's interesting to see just what people are enjoying about blogs, and what they would like to see more of. I know I took away some interesting perspectives from Hazel's data!
• Rebecca talks about her social media insecurities. I could relate in such a strong way, because there once was a time where I felt the pressure to be active on various social media sites. It wore away at me because it required a lot of time and effort and commitment. Eventually, I had the power to decide what worked for me and what didn't. Since then, I've felt a lot freer!
• J.K. Rowling is the best, a declaration brought to you by the official announcement that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story. I'm so excited, y'all. I feel the urge to book a trip to London immediately. Who's with me? (Also, I really want this Harry Potter coloring book.)
• Lauren talks about the evolution of blog tours. Like her, I really enjoy the tours that put a more creative spin on their content! It's much more fun to read a post that's unique to the blogger; plus, there are some insanely creative ideas just waiting to be shared. (So grateful for her shoutouts too!)

WHAT I ACQUIRED

from publishers (Thanks Harper Collins!)

physical: Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul / Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown (my review is out later this week!) / The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody (not in photo)

from friends (Thanks Sharon + Racquel!)

physical: Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

bought

physical: The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith / You are Here by Jennifer E. Smith / The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas / A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas (not in photo)

Kindle: The Pact by Karina Halle / Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson / Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson / Playing for Her Heart by Megan Erickson