Updates: School, Stress, Summer, and No More Monthly Bookhauls

I mulled over constantly whether or not I wanted to write this post. Usually when I decide on something I almost never make a post about it. I'll usually make that decision and then people will have to see the subtle change for themselves, but this time I felt like voicing my reasons why.

It's pretty evident that I've been lax with blogging in recent months. I wouldn't use the term 'failing at blogging' because I personally don't believe the frequency of your posts correlate to you being a better blogger.

I debated with the fact of stop blogging altogether, transitioning domains, and or taking a lengthy break. As you can see, I did the latter, but not by choice, more or less because of school. Something I struggle with time and time again is my time management skills. I never hide the fact that I am a terrible procrastinator. If I'm given time to do something I will most likely wait until the last possible second to do it, or not at all. Pretty bad, but I'm working on it.

Now that we're nearing the end of the school year I can definitely relax a bit more. My summer will still be pretty busy with with my AP English and AP Psychology summer assignments, college tours, studying for both the SAT/ACT, coordinating the Summer Reading Challenge all summer long at my local library, all while trying to keep up with reading, bookstagram, and blog posts. Not to mention trying to find time to catch up and keep up with Games of Thrones season 6, Mr. Robot season 2, Big Brother season 18, and Orange is The New Black season 4.

Reading might not be my top priority this summer, but I'm totally okay with that. I have a few great high fantasy tomes that I really want to get through this summer at a steady pace, and if that's all I get to I'll be satisfied.

My main goal is to definitely be more consistent with blog posts. My hope is to get down to a steady consistency of two posts a week, more if possible. Which I deem doable, because I have a list written down of post topics, which I'm really excited about.

Another factor to my mild absence would have to be related to my monthly bookhauls and wrap-ups. I never even use to do bookhaul posts, but ever since I've been acquiring more books I felt this obligation to make a master post of all the books I bought/received in the month. But now after deliberating and watching a few discussion posts I decided to no longer post monthly bookhauls on here.

It just doesn't work for me personally. For some reason those posts take me the longest to write up, but throughout I have a sense of I'm just repeating myself. And I realized that bookhauls are no longer the videos I gravitate towards on Booktube. I'm just no longer interested in watching lengthy videos of someone holding up a book they most likely haven't read, and giving a vague description. And yes I know that bookhauls are a great way for people to find new reads, I am one of the said people that have found books that I have loved through watching bookhauls. But recently I prefer recommendation posts/videos of someone talking about books they love in a specific genre/category and also wrap-ups, which are like mini reviews and can really sell me on looking up a new book to read.

I still do watch the occasional bookhaul, and yes, everyone is different and people may find that as something they love and that's perfectly fine. Everyone has their own niche and it just wasn't working out for me.

From now on I'll still be doing monthly book wrap-ups, and I'll still be posting the occasional bookmail on my instagram and twitter, but doing a collective montly bookhaul, is something you'll cease to see on here. And considering that was a main focus of my posts, this new decision will definitely force me to think more creatively and I'm looking towards whatever this summer brings. I wish you all the best.

The Song Rising Cover Analysis

After awaiting many anxious months, the cover for The Song Rising, book three in The Bone Season series was revealed yesterday. And here it is in all its glory...

And also the UK/RoW cover which slightly differentiates in font color and missing the orange hue that resides on the U.S. cover...

In the beginning of the week I was quite nervous to see these covers, not only because I have been anxiously await for ages, but it was announced there was going to be a series cover change. You can imagine my reaction. There is nothing worse than a bibliophile hearing that there is going to be a cover change in their beloved series that is not even complete yet.

To be wholly honest I'm not the hugest fan of this new cover. I appreciate the minimalistic look they were trying to go for with these redesigns, but I prefer the look of the original Bone Season and Mime Order covers.

There is just something about this cover that throws me off. I think its the bright flame against the stark background. I'm curious as to why it was placed on the cover, which leads me to believe that there will probably be an inferno of some sort. Or can it be a metaphorical flame of an uprising revolution? Anyways I'm pretty sure the crown refers to pseudo-monarchy of the Mime-Queens and Mime-Lords of each cohort of The Unnatural Assembly, and of course Paige's new role in it all.

The covers for these books always remain obscure to me until I actually read the novel and see the symbols represented. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Along with the reveal of The Song Rising cover, the redesigned The Bone Season and The Mime Order covers were also revealed...

Again I will always love and prefer the new covers. I just don't really see the point in deciding to redesign the covers now, especially three books in what is to be a seven book series.

But to remedy the change, it came to my attention that the release date to The Song Rising has been set to March 2017, and according to Goodreads it says March 7th, 2017.

For some reason, when I heard about this book being pushed back to 2017, I assumed fall 2017, but we are getting it in the beginning of next year and I cannot wait.

I will have to give props to Bloomsbury for at least keeping the spines consistent. We as readers know that with a dreaded cover change comes the uneven, non-matching spines, but Samantha Shannon has confirmed that the future books will match the old book spines.

And here are the old paperback covers, next to the mock redesigned ones...

At least I can now sleep soundly, knowing that my series will still match spine wise, when viewing my shelves. This cover change does not in anyway hinder my excitement for The Song Rising release, I'm all the more eager to get it in my hands. Who knows, maybe it'll grow on me, once I've held a physical copy.

What do you think of these new redesigned covers?