Meggy | Chocolate'n'Waffles

Bye 2018! Hello 2019! Happy 3rd Blogiversary to Me! Let’s Start This New Year!

Do I need to write Happy New Year again?

Okay…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now, I took a day to look back on 2018 before deciding on what to write in a wrap-up.

I’m joking, I was too lazy to write and post it on 31th December and I had too much to eat the next two days to do anything else than play Super Mario 3. That’s why you are getting a December wrap-up, a 2018 wrap-up and Let’s Roll, 2019 post all in one today!

How lucky are you?

first post of the year

Let’s kick this off with a monthly wrap-up!

DECEMBER 2018

What’s New?

New books, new yoga poses, new post issues… December was a good month overall.

I went to an amazing concert (francophile: Marc Lavoine, wow!) with my mom for her birthday, and my time at Bloody Scotland came up handy as we finished the concert dancing in front of the stage!

It turns out I’m good at gifts and I’m now in love with some pieces of jewelry from Swarovski!

I also decided to finally get rid of some toxic people and I don’t even feel guilty about it. I just hope it’ll work out as you can’t just ignore family members all the time…

I survived Christmas and the New Year with less pressure as I refused to go to parties. It feels good to decide for yourself instead of feeling compelled to attend events and fake smiles.

Books I read this month

December was the month I read the most in 2018!

I ended the year with a FABULOUS Bookouture week and an amazing time just reading, keeping anxiety at bay, and reviewing. I don’t hate December as much as I used to. And I even read romance!

Books I reviewed

Again, I’m pretty sure I set a new personal record in terms of reviews! Yay! It might look small compared to some fellow bloggers but hey, who’s counting?

Blood is Thicker… and Messier: Cuckoo by Sophie Draper @sophiedraper9 @AvonBooksUK #BlogTour

Don’t Blink: The Uninvited by J. A. Baker @thewriterjude @Bloodhoundbook

Lazy Saturday Review: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult @jodipicoult @HodderBooks @ThePigeonholeHQ @HodderPublicity

A Case of the Mondays? The Sentence Is Death by Anthony Horowitz @AnthonyHorowitz @SarahHarwood_ @arrowpublishing @PenguinUKBooks

One For The World: Start by Graham Morgan @GrahamM23694298 @FledglingPress @LoveBooksGroup #LoveBooksGroupTours

Fancy a Trip? Today South London, Tomorrow South London by Andrew Grumbridge & Vincent Raison @deserterblog @Unbound_Digital #TodaySouthLondon @Unbounders

Lazy Saturday Review: Bridge to Burn by Rachel Amphlett @RachelAmphlett #favouriteseriesalert #KayReturns #TheKayMystery

Bush Telegraph: The Rumour by Lesley Kara @LesleyKara @TransworldBooks #SpreadTheWord #TheRumour

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Day 1: Last Witness by Chris Merritt @bookouture @DrCJMerritt

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Day 2: Last Lullaby by Carol Wyer @carolewyer @bookouture

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Day 3: The Best Friend by Shalini Boland @ShaliniBoland @Bookouture

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Day 4: If You’re Not The One by Laura Briggs @PaperDollWrites @bookouture

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Day 5: Death in the Lakes by Graham Smith @GrahamSmith1972 @bookouture

It’s #BookoutureWeek! Last Day: The Visitor by K.L. Slater @KimLSlater @bookouture

New Books (won, purchased, to review…)

I was surprised with some beautiful new babies and I treated myself with a couple of Amazon deals, although in France we don’t get Boxing Days deals. A massive thanks to Alison Jean Lester for my copies in English and in French of her novel! You can expect two reviews of the same book! Also, I almost had a heart attack when two publishers sent me e-ARCs of books I hadn’t requested and a NetGalley wish was granted. I thought it would NEVER happen! I thought wishes were sent to a bookish void!

Book of the Month Award

Ha.

Ha ha.

Ha ha ha.

How am I supposed to choose? I mean, the more you read, the more choices you have. Add to the mix the fact you got drunk on Bookouture and received a visit from your favourite crime fiction character and you’re stuck. That’s why I didn’t post any Best of 2018 article. No way I could have picked books out of the 114 I read this past year.

When my head can’t do it, I usually rely on my poor heart.

My love for Kay Hunter is strong…

bridge to burn

Yep. It wins! Why? Because Rachel Amphlett doesn’t disappoint. Because the seventh book is just as good as the first. Because I say so!

But I’d like to mention The Rumour, Cuckoo, Dirty Little Secrets, and The Best Friend, which were at the top of the list!

Now! Time to say goodbye to 2018 with a few facts!

  • I reached 100 reviews on NetGalley! Yay! It feels so good to have read enough and worked a bit to help books. Well, okay, I win in the process as I get to read lots and lots of beauties.

Screenshot 2018-12-30 at 21.44.25

  • I read 114 books! Ten more than in 2017! I love the fact it didn’t require a lot of work, just some adjustments to make time for reading. I’m hoping to reach another goal in 2019…

Screenshot 2019-01-02 at 12.16.56

  • I attended my first book festivals! Can’t forget about it, can’t wait to come back!
  • My blog is now 3 years old!!! I can’t believe I’m still here, haha! I never thought something born out of boredom would lead me this far. Here’s to many more years of book love!

49345182_715306652217163_3925611030645833728_n.jpg

And hello to 2019 with a few bookish goals!

  • Say bye to the backlog of NetGalley books! Only 50 to go!!!
  • Attend Bloody Scotland and Quai du Polar (both are almost certain because hotels are booked, tickets have been received, and hope is high!)
  • Read 150 books (yep, I set the Gooreads challenge lower so I don’t panic whenever I see my goal)

Screenshot 2019-01-02 at 12.21.06.png

  • Review at least one book in French per month
  • Vlog about one book on mental health a month
  • Have fun
  • Keep the pressure away

And off to my personal life… No resolutions, I don’t believe in them. I don’t even set goals except for not dreading the next 365 blank pages of 2019, but to enjoy and live in the moment.

That’s it! A big messy post to start afresh! Thanks for sticking with me for the ride!

 

 

 

 

43 comments

  1. Happy New Year to you!! My Goodreads challenge for the year is 50. The goal last year was 25 and I hit 30. I am currently reading “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. A simplified Life by Emily Ley and Savor by Shauna Niequest! Good Luck in 2019.

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  5. Bonne annee, my dear, hope this is a good year for you and for all of us! You seem to have LOTS of plans, as usual, so I wish you the best of luck and joy and satisfaction with them.

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  10. YAY for good concerts and great gifts ❤ I'm so glad to hear December was a good reading month overall, you got through so many books, you're going to have to teach me all of your tricks 😛
    I'm excited about your upcoming bookish events and I hope that you'll achieve all of your goals! Sending you all the love and all the best for 2019 ❤ ❤

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  11. Well done you for getting rid of some toxic people from your life (I’ve done the same), and for not forcing yourself to go to parties when you didn’t want to. It takes a lot to say no but once you start it does make life feel easier. It looks like you had a fab month of reading in December, and I’m in awe of all the reviews you got written and posted. 🙂 Snap to the number of NetGalley reviews – I have about 50 books on there to read and/or review too so I’m planning on making those my top priority in the coming weeks. We can spur each other on! 🙂 I hope 2019 is kind to you and brings happiness, good health and amazing books your way. xx

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    • I think it’s time to put myself first, and too bad if it doesn’t go well with others. We have to take care of ourselves, right? 🙂
      December was a fabulous reading month, I didn’t know I could read this much, haha! Thanks so much, I had lots of fun reviewing. I don’t worry so much about doing it perfectly, I just follow my feelings.
      Same here, NG backlog to tackle!!! It’ll be much easier if we do it together, indeed!!
      I wish you a beautiful new year, with joy and books, and lots of love xxxx

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  12. I loved that post. I love that you don’t hate December as much now and I love that you banished some toxicity from your life.
    That’s a whole lot of reading and good books you read this year. I hope 2019 brings lots more great reads. I have no doubt that it will.
    Of the books you won/purchased, I saw a new Jane Fallon. I loved her book that I read called Sweet Revenge. I hope the new one will be as good.
    You will have seen I expect that I bought the first 3 of the Kay books. I feel I am about to become a huge fan like you!
    Lots of love and wishing you health happiness friendship and a good year, with the strength to get through the not so good days too.
    Amanda xx

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    • Thanks for going through this big post! ❤ Sweet Revenge is on my TBR, and I've been dying to read it. I hope it'll be as good as Tell Me A Secret, because I just LOVED this one! I couldn't be happier about you meeting Kay! I can't wait to hear what you think of her and of the series.
      Sending you massive hugs, lots of love, and wishing you the best for this new year. Thank you so much for being an amazing friend xxxx

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  13. I think I already said it but HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY! You go for sticking with it for so long.
    I also refused to do much of anything for the holiday season. I never really do anything to be fair though.

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  15. Okay, you’ve mentioned far too many books in this post for me to single them out, so I’ll just say there’s several I have, and several I want to have (haha). And a very happy blogiversary, happy new year, all the best for 2019!

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  16. Happy Blogiversary!! Hope you hit your goals in the New Year!
    Lol sometimes it’s good to chill out and not rush to do a post – am basically saying that I lazed around and played gamed (Sims) instead of posting too, lol!

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  17. Happy New Year Meggy x 2018 seems to have been such a fab reading year for you. We had a couple of common reads especially from Bookouture. I hope that 2019 will be an even better year for you. All the best and happy reading 

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  19. Happy New Year, Meggy ❤️
    Also congratulations on three years of blogging! I’m so happy I discovered your wonderful blog all those years ago. Good luck with your Goodreads goal, I’m sure you’ll be able to read 100 books – I haven’t set a goal this year, I’m just reading as many books as I can without any pressure!

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