Recap #1: April-May 2020

Wow, it has been a crazy month for me. I started Word Wilderness at the end of April because I was tired of putting off something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I am so happy to have joined the blogging community, and would not have succeeded if not for the help and support I received from other bloggers. Kimberly at The Caffeinated Reviewer was the first blogger I contacted with questions about getting my blog started up. She posts frequent, high-quality reviews and features many other reviewers on her blog. Suddenly Psychic, a paranormal fantasy novel I plan on reading was reviewed by Kimberly. Her original review can be found here.

This May I joined Wyrd and Wonder with Imryl, Lisa, and Jorie and couldn’t be happier about it. Wyrd and Wonder is a fantasy celebration that introduced me to countless interesting blogs, including some of my favorites, Natrossette, Space and Sorcery, Zeezee With Books, and A Dance With Books.

Announcements

Alright, before we get to cozy in the recaps it’s time for some announcements. I have spent the past month researching and planning updates for Word Wilderness and have come to a decision. I am going to switch my blog to self-hosted WordPress. Initially, I was going to wait a year before switching my blog over. I figured I needed time to get used to blogging, considering I’m so bad at technology I had to google “how to tweet” when I set up my twitter account. Anyway, I’ve spent the past month researching and decided waiting will only make the move harder. I plan on having the new site up in the next few weeks and will keep everyone updated through my twitter page, @wwbookblog.

Speaking of social media platforms, I am starting an Instagram page! I have been loosely following the “bookstagram” community and feel ready to jump in. The link to my page will be provided once the new site is up, and shared on twitter.

My Past-Month Activity

Now, onto my blogging activities for the past month. As a part of Wyrd and Wonder, I participated in a read-along of The Goblin Emperor. The read-along ended up being one of the most fun things I’ve done in a long time, especially since it was such an interesting book. Here is a list of all my discussion posts for the May 2020 read-along.

Discussion posts from other blogs can be found on the Goodreads group page. I highly recommend checking these posts out if you read the book. I had a lot of fun reading other people’s interpretations.

Here’s a list of all the posts I completed this month and at the end of April:

The Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka’s short story was my very first post on Word Wilderness, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. The Metamorphosis was one of those rare assignments I enjoyed during high school and having it free online has made it easy for me to go back to it every once in a while.

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The Last Wish

This series of shorts stories introduces Adrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series, which is dark and exciting. I’ve really enjoyed the series so far, and recommend starting at The Last Wish if you are interested in reading it.

Psych Facts #1: Why Is Reading Fiction Important?

I just really love learning about psychology, so I couldn’t help starting a series of posts based on it. I will be posting interesting psychology facts and health tips on all posts titled, “Psych Facts”.

Wyrd & Wonder 2020: My TBR

My official TBR for Wyrd and Wonder! This is one of my favorite posts, mostly because I got to find lots of cool covers to put on my post. I still have books left on the list (clearly not a TBR person), but I do plan on completing it soon. Depending on the moon and tides and such…

Confounding Expectations: Books I Didn’t Expect to Love

This post was based on one of Wyrd and Wonder’s challenge prompts that caught my interest. I discuss Susan Collin’s Gregor the Overlander, Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men, and Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit and how each of these books surprised me.

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Savage (The Dragonrider Legacy #1)

I kicked off my fantasy month with a solid Dragonriders series. Savage is the first book of a fast-paced young adult series.

Harbinger (The Dragonrider Legacy #2)

This is the sequel to Savage, which continued the story from another POV. I thought this book had stronger character development, which made me more interested in reading the last book, Legend.

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Psych Facts #2: The Circadian Rythm

My second Psych Facts post was on the circadian rhythm, and how I shifted my daily schedule to work overnight. In this post, I discuss the health issues associated with disrupting your circadian rhythm.

Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1)

This unique YA novel was a new release this year that I’m glad I picked up. I wasn’t sure about this book at first and was surprised by how much I liked it.

Whew. That list was both longer and shorter than I expected, so thank you to anyone with the willpower to read this far. Overall it’s been a very exciting month for me. I’ve been interested in blogging for years but never had the gumption to do it until now. Thanks to everyone supporting me as I start my blogging journey. Hopefully, there are many more adventures to come.

For the month of June, I plan on continuing with my TBR from May with a few extras. I’m adding a book of the month feature to replace TBR’s in the future. This month’s book is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Look for my introduction post this Wednesday!

May your days be full of magic and dragons,

Peyton

Author: Peyton
Creator of Word Wilderness.