An October Recap (ft. my birthday, books, & a broken toe) + Goals for November

I can’t stop smiling because it’s really, truly fall.

I know fall technically started on back in September, but this past month is when it actually started feeling like fall for me- with chilly days, leaves changing colors, and all the fuzzy blankets and socks. I’m so excited for the rest of the season!

As much as I do love fall, this post isn’t an ode to it. Though I should do one of those someday.p Today I’m going to be talking all about October and the crazy month that it was, and then I’ll be getting very excited about November because I have the best feeling about what’s to come.

Without further rambling, let’s get right into it!

Hi, I’m Olivia, and I miss the summer days when I actually had time to read.

My fall has been so busy so far, and I just don’t have too much time to read. I did go to the library this month, though, and I was able to read 5 books.

All of these were first time reads, except for A Thousand Perfect Notes, which I read for the first time in July and have already reread. I think that’s a proper representation of how much I love it. 😉

As for the other books I read, I LOVED THEM ALL. I really want to do a mini reviews post this month featuring a few of them, because there are just too many amazing books that I need to scream about on here. I’m too obsessed, send help. 

I’m currently reading The Raven King (and I’m procrastinating it so much because I just don’t want the series to be over) and Darius the Great Is Not Okay (I’m so in love with this book, I can’t wait to finish it).

In other bookish news, I had the opportunity to beta read the second season of Audrey’s Dean & Lily, which will be coming out very soon. If I were you, I’d check it out. 😉

I also upped my Goodreads challenge for 2018! I had it at 75 books, and somehow I’m already at 73, so I decided to move it up to 85. I’m about 90% sure I can make it? Especially with having a fall break this month (!!) and a winter break in December (!!!).

October Goals:

• Go to the library ✅ Look at me, achieving goals
• Read 6 books ❌ barely missed it….I read 5
• Start a bookstagram ✅ I did this and I’m so excited about it!
• Read 4 books from TBR ✅
• Write Goodreads reviews ❌ Agh, I’ll have to try again this month

November Goals:

• Go to the library
• Read 10 books (I’ll have a week long break from school)
• Stay active on bookstagram
• Look into Netgalley/Edelweiss

Oh, dear blog, I am so sorry that I keep neglecting you.

After taking my hiatus in September, I thought I would be back for real, but I found myself taking another (this one unannounced) break in October. School and dance have just gotten so busy, and I don’t want to post just to post, which means less posts if I don’t have time to write one that I’m proud of.

Thank you all for being so kind to me in my absence! Y’all are amazing.💓I’m hoping to get back on my normal schedule this November (I have some exciting posts planned!), hence why this post is on a Friday instead of my normal posting day- I want to start on Monday with my ordinary programming instead of a recap post. XD

What I Posted:

• 7 Favorite Things Tag // I Made a Bookstagram, I’m Obsessed With Friends, & More // This was a fun tag in which I talked about all my most recent obsessions. XD
• 5 Book Characters I Would Be Best Friends with in a Heartbeat // If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with book characters, and what better way to acknowledge them than with this post?!

Since I was very MIA from WordPress this month, I didn’t get to read many posts. I don’t think I’ll be able to catch up on all the ones I missed, but this month I’ll be making more of an effort to read some everyday. 🙂

Goals For October:

• Stay on blogging schedule ❌ I JUST COULDN’T DO IT
• Writing update ❌
• Harry Potter post ❌
• Book reviews of some sort ❌
• KEEP TRACK OF POSTS I LOVED ❌
• Stay on top of reading posts in the blogosphere ❌ wow, this was so sad

Goals for November:

• Keep on blogging schedule
• KEEP TRACK OF POSTS I LOVED
• Harry Potter post
• Mini-review post
• Special surprise(s) that I have planned 😉
• Interact more, blog hop

Here’s to hoping this month is a better blogging month! I really am very excited to get back into it.

October. My favorite month of the whole year. While it didn’t disappoint, I don’t think it’s going to make history as my favorite month of 2018…we’ll have to see. 😉

For now, here are a few notable things that happened:

• MY BIRTHDAY. This is always what I look forward to most each October, and it was wonderful this year. Thanks to everyone that made it amazing! (i.e. my friends, family, and all of y’all who wished me a happy birthday, too)
• I broke my toe. Storytime…I was babysitting my neighbors, and I was being chased around the house, and my foot slammed into a doorframe. I broke my pinky toe, which is probably the least painful bone to break, so that’s good, but the bad things is I haven’t been able to dance full-out for a few weeks. With our winter concert coming up, it just wasn’t the best timing.
• I saw my favorite band and Taylor Swift in concert! I was lucky enough to see my favorite boy band (they’re not too famous yet, but they are amazing) in concert this month, as well as my all-time favorite singer Taylor Swift.
• I got my driver’s license. I am so incredibly excited about this! I was so nervous for my test but it actually went well, and now I can drive places. Like the library. *screams*
• I have been listening to Hamilton nonstop. True fans will understand what I just did there. 😉 Also, you better believe that every drive to school is a production of Hamilton starring me as everyone.

I’m looking forward to November! Normally, it isn’t really anything special, but I’m just getting good vibes from it already, and we’re only on the second day. I get a week off school for Thanksgiving, which I’m SO happy about. I also really want to see The Hate U Give movie this month!

And there we have it, my month in a slightly long nutshell. I hope all of you had a great October, and are just as excited for November as I am! Thank you for sticking with me through all of my hiatuses lately, y’all are the best. 🙂

How was your month? Have you seen The Hate U Give movie? What was the best book you read? I’d love to chat with you all in the comments.

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash >> Credits to the photographer of the image in my featured image, many thanks. :))