“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.”

Helen Keller

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May 2019 Wrap Up

Hey friends! I’m a little late to post this but it was a remarkable month for reading and events and I didn’t want to rush and forget something.

I attended 4️⃣ events: Y’all West, Book Club with Angie Kim, A conversation with Steven Rowley and the monthly Silent Book Club meetup. I met some wonderful new book friends/fellow book bloggers and even a local author who has written a unique and original book! Serendipity! Check out Book Review and Interview with Robert Tomoguchi.

I read 1️⃣1️⃣ Books in May.

9️⃣ Fiction 2️⃣ Nonfiction

(I read 11 in April too!)

Exceptional Reads in May

👏Miracle Creek by Angie Kim was a surprise! It was complex and riveting and suspenseful in a way I wasn’t expecting.

👏The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer was excellent, similar vibes to The Immortalists and The Last Romantics. What would you call the genre? SibLit?

👏The End of Your Life Bookclub by Will Schwalbe was such a beautiful love story to books and the author’s mom. ICYMI, Make sure you tell your kids you’re proud of them.

👏The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke was one of the best World War II, Historical Fiction books I’ve ever read! Set in Warsaw, this story based on real events, was magnificent. Look for my blog tour post on Friday!

I thoroughly enjoyed the other books, they were all unique and compelling for different reasons. Vampires, Tiny Houses, Weight Loss, Near Death Experiences… and more!

Book Reviews

I posted 8️⃣ Book Reviews (Links go to my reviews.)

The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor | Waisted | The Favorite Daughter | Miracle Creek | The Season of Silver Linings | The Girl Puzzle | The Overdue Life of Amy Bylar | The Silent Woman

I had 2️⃣ DNF books this month.

Most Viewed This Month

I’m happy to say that the So Cal Events page on the blog was the most visited in May! Besides reviewing books, I always wanted this page to be a helpful resource to other bookworms in Southern California, so yay!

TOTAL 🆕 POSTS 1️⃣7️⃣

⬇️ 3️⃣ from April

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Book Haul

It was a ridiculous month. An embarrassment of riches. 🙏 I purchased/ received/was gifted 4️⃣9️⃣ physical books! I participated in a “Spring Cleaning Bookswap” so I did rehome a decent pile as well. I stood in some insane lines at Y’all West so I paid for some of these ARCs with sweat and blisters!

I am so grateful for the very generous pile of special book-mail this month. It’s a huge compliment to know I’ve been trusted to help promote new books and authors.

Thank you 🙏 authors, publishers and friends!

Blogging News

– 231 Blog followers through WordPress

– 1,853 Instagram (Bookstagram) followers

– 3,559 Twitter followers

– 76% Netgalley Feedback Ratio

I celebrated my one year blogaversary and changed my WordPress theme! On the full site (not the mobile version) you should see two “featured” pages. The Events page and the 🆕 Read Local page where I’ll be showcasing interviews with local authors. It’s all about my “brand” and niche market!

Southern California Events

In June I’ll be attending several events with talented authors Kaira Rouda, Wendy Heard, Eldonna Edwards, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Busy Phillips, Kim Hooper and Elizabeth Gilbert! I’m so excited – some people go to concerts, I go to Book Signings!

Click over to the events page to see what else is coming up. I just added events with Louise Penny, Jasmine Guillory, Sonali Dev, Kerry Lonsdale and more!

June Books TBR

I don’t even know where to start with June! Here are just a few new releases I’m excited about…

What do you think, are any of these beauties on your June TBR as well? Which cover is your eye drawn to?

Upcoming Blog Tours

Watch for posts on these fantastic books this month! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I so enjoy discovering new authors and PR professionals like Suzy L. and Amy B. are Book Rockstars! Thank you!

Summer Plans

It’s fairly hot where we live and our home doesn’t have an air conditioner. So we try to stay cool, go to the beach and OPP (other people’s pools)! We’re planning on going out to the desert in July and doing a few days and nights locally. What about you? Is it summer for you? What are your big plans?

And that’s it! Thanks for checking out my month. What are you excited about in June? Tell me in the comments!

Love, Jaymi

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