Slow at Writing This Month

The shortest month of the year (which often seems longer than it really is!) has come to the end today. I've not been on the blog much this month. Weird weather and fatigue mostly kept me away. And I still haven't gotten back to writing. Again, the weird weather takes my energy away. I scrambled to get in at least one Thursday 13 post and one Book Discussion post before the month was over. 

As soon as I decide on my A to Z theme, I will begin drafting and scheduling my posts for April. Last year's A to Z was when I first learned how to schedule posts. How I did not know about it until then, I don't know, but I do now. I didn't begin the schedule-posting until fifth day of the A to Z. With a medical procedure I had that month, I figured this was the way to go, as well as timeliness of the challenge posting. This year, all alphabet posts will be scheduled to give me more time to see and comment on other participants' posts. (No colonoscopy needed this year--they said in five years 😊). And as I said earlier, I'm trying to limit my non-A to Z posts in April to Sundays, and don't know how the Thursday 13 will play out then. I will likely make any other posts that month the day of, only scheduling the alphabetical posts ahead of time. 

Since I plan to begin my A to Z posts next month, I don't know how often I'll be on the blog in March. I will be sure to get in at least one Thursday 13 and one Book Discussion post, as I did this month. 

Book Discussion: Book Buying & New Bookstore in Town

 

When I began participating in the challenge last year, the subject of book buying came up twice (here and here). In recent months, I have only bought two new books when in Gilroy and stopping at Barnes & Noble in January. I was there again last Sunday, but did not make any purchases this time. And as far as  getting used books at Goodwill or other thrift stores, there has not been much lately that I have wanted to buy; as such I have not added much to my already growing pile. I am currently trying to read from my stacks at home, but still want to visit the library again soon, likely after the first of next month. And I skipped this month's book sale at the library. I wasn't sure about going at first, but a last-minute driving request from a friend made me decide against it. The last few months I'd gone to the sale, I did not buy anything. Obviously not much has caught my interest lately, except the two books I got at B&N in January. And it's been some time since I ordered books (or other things) on Amazon.

And as I have may have mentioned already, my hometown has a new bookstore, the first one in more than 20 years. I was excited to learn about this. I have visited several times already, once before the grand opening. Nothing purchased just yet. A little pricy, but if something catches my interest eventually, I will get it. It's always fun just to look.

How much book buying do you tend to do?

Getting to Be That Time!

The Blogging A to Z home blog just began posting info about the 2025 challenge. I've already begun trying to come up with themes, and will start narrowing them down in time for next month's theme reveal. Be prepared for a month of alphabetical madness in April. I'm loving the graphics for this year! 

Here is the schedule:

The THEME REVEAL (optional bonus hop) : March 9- 15

Official Challenge Sign-ups : March 24 to April 5

Reflections (optional bonus hop) : May 2-9

Road-trip (sign up to keep visiting others all year _ optional bonus) : Opens May 10

The challenge, as you can see in the badges, has been around for more than a decade, but I have only been going at it since 2021. I'd viewed and commented on posts by those joining in the years prior, but was unsure if I'd ever be one of them. It was many years before I decided to take the plunge. Not ready to give up now! Here are my past themes. Click on the links to begin reading.

2021: Life During the Pandemic 

2022: Forgotten TV Shows

2023: Childhood Memories

2024: Barbie

I will begin drafting the posts once I pick the theme. Last year was the first time I ever scheduled my posts. It worked well with the A to Z posting schedule and with the medical procedure I had last year in mid-April. I will be scheduling them once again. The sooner I finish writing and publishing my posts, the more time I will have to read and comment on other participants' posts. It's always fun to see what others come up with and to see who comments on what. 

My blog for April will primarily be A to Z posts. I don't know how often I'll get on outside the challenge, even though we will be off on Sundays. As I did last year, I may try to squeeze in a Book Blogging Challenge post on one of the Sundays. I also made some bonus posts last year, both of which were planned after the main ones had been set up. I don't know how the Thursday 13 is going to play out then, but I may try to squeeze in one for the month. I didn't begin the Thursday 13 posting until June last year.

13 Things This Week

Colleen at The Thursday 13 holds a weekly blogging prompt where bloggers make a list of 13 things on Thursdays. The topic is for you to choose. The blog host doesn't have any official graphics to display on the Thursday 13 posts, so I decided to whip one up myself. 🙂  

Just some stuff from around the Web this week :)

February Bookish Bingo

 Here is the card for February.

My Books:

1. Green is a Chili Pepper--Roseanne Greenfield Thong (1 square): Audiobook
2. The Quilts of Gee's Bend--Susan Goldman Rubin (1 square): E-Book
3. The Beach Club--Elin Hilderbrand (8 squares): Library Book, Physical Book, Not in a Series, Book Club Read, Lovers, Travel, Free Space, Chaos
4. Tweet Cute--Emma Lord (3 squares): Shelf Love, Red or Pink on Cover, Wings on the Cover
5. Spindle's End--Robin McKinley (5 squares): Free Book,  In a Series, Mythical Creatures, Prisoner, Rescue
6. Table for Five--Susan Wiggs (2 squares): Anxiously Awaiting, Female Friendship

20 squares completed on February 23