February 2021 Reading Wrap Up

It's that time of the month: my reading wrap up! This is a separate little series that you won't see over on my bookstagram, so stay tuned here for the wrap up of each month!

Tutankhamen: Amenism, Atenism and Egyptian Monotheism,  E. A. Wallis Budge

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Becoming, Michelle Obama

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

Histories, Herodotus

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: N/A

The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys

Did I read this? Yes     No

How I read it: Physical Book

Rating, out of 5 stars: N/A

Helen of Troy, Margaret George

Did I read this? Yes    No

How I read it: Physical book

Rating, out of 5 stars: 3.75 stars

Books I read that weren't on my TBR

Revolution, Peter Ackroyd

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

Books I started but haven't finished

Lore, Alexandra Bracken

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

Dominion: The History of England from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Peter Ackroyd

How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app

10 Tips For Setting Up Monthly TBR Lists

Setting up monthly TBR lists can be tough, to say the least. There's a lot to take into account while selecting certain books - and a certain number of them - to be on your TBR.

Hopefully, this post will help out a little with that. I plan to have tomorrow's post be on what I do specifically for my monthly TBR lists, so stay tuned.

Tip 1: Give yourself "reading bar".

It can feel overwhelming to pack a large number of books into one month, especially if some of the books are 500+ pages. Even if the books are short, it can feel like you're rushing to get through every book you set for a TBR if you have a large monthly TBR pile. So give yourself a "reading bar" as I call it. Have a certain number of books in your TBR list that is manageable for you and your schedule and not what other people are doing. You can read more than what you put in your monthly TBR, but have a bar - a goal - that you can reach despite what's going on in your life.

Tip 2: Read what you can.

I put this as the second tip, and deliberately after the first tip, for a reason. Read what you can in a month. If you read all of what's on that month's TBR, that's great. If you read more than that, that's also great. But don't mentally beat yourself up for not meeting your monthly TBR goal. There's no point in that when you have other months to read.

Tip 3: Include multiple book formats.

This is something I've stated in a lot of reading tip blog posts, so I'm not going to go too much into this tip. But allowing for multiple book formats (physical, audiobook, and ebook) may be of some help to you. There might be a time where you want to read, but you don't want to pick up a physical book - then there's you can still have an ebook accessible. If you're a little too busy to take a reading break, then listening to an audiobook may help, depending on what you're doing.

Tip 4: Don't force yourself to read.

This is another tip I mention in a lot of these blog posts: not forcing yourself to read. If you don't want to read a particular book on your TBR, you don't have to read it. It's okay to pick up another book not on your TBR and read that instead. If you don't feel like reading at all, that is also okay. Just don't force yourself to read.

Tip 5: Choose a variety.

Whether you choose multiple genres, authors, etc., try to have a bit of variety on your monthly TBR list. If you're not feeling like the fantasy or a particular author on your TBR quite yet, then maybe read the contemporary or another author on your TBR. Having some variety on your monthly TBR lists, even if it's minor, can make a big difference.

Tip 6: Make your TBR list based on how you're feeling.

I know what I put in Tip 5, but hear me out. You can still have a variety of books in your TBR while having a theme going on in your TBR. Let's say you're setting up you're April TBR, you're setting your reading bar at 7 books (Tip 1), and you're feeling more like fantasy books. Then have 3 fantasy books, 2 contemporaries, and 2 YAs planned for your TBR that month. See? There's still variety, but you have more books of what you're feeling like reading.

Tip 7: Start small, then go big.

Start with your smaller books, and then go into any big books you have. That way, you can ease into a new reading month without feeling pressure to finish a 500+ page book at the beginning of March (unless that is your smallest book, then you go for it!). Start out small, then go for your big books.

Tip 8: Use the bookish internet community to your advantage.

Look at Booktuber's monthly TBR videos, look up Bookstagram posts of monthly TBR lists, book blogs, Goodreads, etc. The bookish internet community is a great source for finding new books and authors to add to your general TBR list, and then to your monthly TBRs.

Tip 9: If you're not liking a book that's on your TBR list, it is okay to DNF it.

You don't have to finish a book just because it was on your TBR list for that month. You're not liking it for whatever reason? Set it down and move on to the next book.

Two of my blog posts on this topic: DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing and DNF-ing a Book: When to Do It and What to Do

Tip 10: If you get to one of your anticipated books, make sure you sit down and have long periods of time to read it.

This may seem a bit obvious, which is why I had it as the last tip. But if you finally pick up a book you're excited to read, make sure you have a decent amount of time that you can sit down with the book and  read it. This way, you're not setting it down every 5 or so minutes to do something else, and you can really get invested in it for a good amount of time.

6 Tips for Reading at Night

This is another tip you'll hear many readers give: read at night, before you fall asleep. Hopefully this post will help you make it a habit for reading at night, if that is when you choose to have your reading time.

Tip 1: Have a book in a place easily accessible from your bed. This way, you're not getting up to pick up a book or to put it back.

Tip 2: Choose physical book over audiobooks and ebooks. This way, you can avoid blue light right before you go to sleep. (See these two links: How Blue Light Affects Your Sleep and Blue Light Has A Dark Side.)

Tip 3: Set a limit. Whether it's a time limit (e.g. an hour), a chapter limit (e.g. 2 chapters), or a page limit (e.g. 100 pages), setting that limit will help you have a better, longer sleep.

Tip 4: Be in a comfortable position as you read. Whether it's lying down, or sitting up, make sure you're comfortable while you read before bed.

Tip 5: Read in a calm, quiet environment. This will help you settle down for bed as you read.

Tip 6: Stay off technology. As mentioned in Tip 2, you want to avoid blue light right before you go to sleep. Choosing a physical book (as mentioned in Tip 2) and staying off technology will help you read a bit more before you go to sleep.

6 Tips for Reading in the Mornings

This is a tip you'll hear many readers give: read first thing in the morning, when you wake up. Hopefully this post will help you make it a habit for reading in the morning, if that is when you choose to have your reading time.

Tip 1: Have a book by your bed where your head rests. Whether it's on your nightstand, on your bookshelf, or anywhere else, have it near you so that it's easy to grab and read even though you're still in bed.

Tip 2: Read a little bit each night before you go to bed. Usually, when you do something right before you go to sleep, you'll be thinking about it when you wake up again.

Tip 3: Use ebooks and audiobooks. If you don't like having your physical books near food and drink, it's useful to have access to ebooks and audiobooks.

Tip 4: Read while you do your morning routine and eat breakfast. (This is where audiobooks and ebooks come in a lot of help.)

Tip 5: Don't force yourself to read large chunks of your book(s) in the mornings. If you can only a single page in the mornings (or only a couple of minutes of your audiobook), then that is okay.

Tip 6: Don't rush to get out of bed. Tale your time, and let yourself read as much or little as you want.

Why Being Selective of Your Reading is a Good Habit to Have

I got the idea for this blog post from a video I watched recently on A Clockwork Reader's YouTube channel: every book I read in 2020. In it, she mentioned that she was going to be more selective in the books she read for 2021.

Being open to all genres is a great way to approach reading. You're introduced to more books, more authors. As a result, you have more opportunity to find new books and authors that may become your favorites.

However, being selective about your reading and curating what books you read can greatly improve the overall quality of your reading.

With social media like book blogs, booktube, and bookstagram, it's easy to get swept up in the idea of quantity over quality. It's easy to think that the quantity of books you consume over a certain period of time is more important than the quality of your reads.

By "quality of your reads," I mean how many books you actually enjoyed. When it comes to reading, being selective of the books you read can really improve your overall reading year.

Here are 3 ways you can improve your reading year and be selective about what you read:

1. Know the basics of the book(s) you're planning to read. Look at its synopsis. Find it on Goodreads and look at the ratings and reviews. See what the statistics for how many 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star ratings there are. Also take a look at reviews (spoiler free) under each rating to get a rounded view of the book.
2. Come to terms with the fact that it's okay to DNF books. Setting a book down and no longer reading it is perfectly fine to do, especially if you're not liking the book.
3. Limit yourself to your favorite genres. You are always free to explore new or different genres, but if you limit whatever books you read to your favorite genre(s), it'll make for a much better reading year.

DNF-ing a Book: When to Do It and What to Do

See yesterday's post for a bit more context: DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing.

When you DNF a book and what you do as a result is completely up to you. It is all at your discretion because you're the one reading, and no one is forcing you to choose one way or another. (At the very least, the people in your life shouldn't be forcing you to choose one way or another when it comes to your reading.)

Hopefully, this post can give you some pointers as to when to DNF a book and what to do.

When/Why to DNF a book:

1. When you're not enjoying a book. There is no point in continuing a book that you're not enjoying.
2. When you have a lot on your plate for whatever reason. Whether it's school, work, family, or anything else, if you have a lot on your plate, you may not be in the mood or have the time to read.
3. If you're reading too many books at the same time. Yes, this is a thing, especially when you're not used to reading multiple books at once. It's okay to DNF a book and then pick it up again later when you're not reading as many books.

Remember that nothing is stopping you from picking up a book you DNF-ed to give it another try. No matter why you DNF-ed it at a given moment, you can still pick it back up when you want to.

What to do when you DNF a book:

1. You can rate and review a book you DNF.
2. You can count a book you DNF towards your reading goal.
3. You can pick up a book you DNF at a later point in time.

Whatever you decide to do with the books you DNF is up to you. If you decide to rate and/or review a book you DNFed, and if you decide to count it toward your reading goal, I would suggest noting how far, percentage-wise, you were in the book in your rating and review.

Lastly, try not to be overly critical of a book you DNF-ed. Yes, you may have hated it, and with good reason. But there are others that will most likely enjoy that same book. In your review, I'd suggest saying why you DNF-ed it, but also acknowledge that it wasn't a book for you.

DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing

 If you haven't seen my bookish terms post, you can check it out here for the lingo that many readers, including myself, use: Bookish Terms 101.

What does it mean to "DNF" a book? DNF is an acronym for "did not finish." When applied to reading, it essentially means what it sounds like: you didn't finish a particular book, no matter the reason.

There has been a long-standing stigma that you shouldn't DNF a book once you've picked it up. Some argue that it doesn't matter if you're not enjoying the book . They say that you should still finish it "because you may end up liking it in the end."

Here's the issue with the stigma: if you're not liking a book, forcing yourself to finish it could result in one or more of the following:

1. You take forever to finish the book because you're not liking it, and it's not getting better in your opinion
2. You hate the book and refuse to read it again or give the author another chance
3. You end up in a reading slump

The stigma does have a point: you may end up liking the book in the end. But that doesn't mean you should force yourself to finish it in a particular moment when you're not enjoying it. If you set the book down, you can prevent the things listed above from happening. In addition, it's not set in stone that you will like a book you're not liking it if you finish it. That's why there's the "may" in the statement: it's only a possibility.

You don't have to force yourself to finish a book you're not enjoying. You are allowed to set it down. It doesn't matter what the reason is, and it doesn't matter if you plan to pick it up again in the future. You don't have to finish a book if you're not liking the book at any point in time. 

10 Tips for Meeting a Reading Challenge of 50+ Books

First off, I would like to direct you to the following posts I've done up until this point:

• Reading Slumps: What Are They?
• Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them
• Reading Slumps: Tips on How to Deal with One
• 10 Tips for Reading More
• 10 Tips for Reading Multiple Books at Once
• 6 Tips for Setting Aside Time for Reading

Hopefully, these 10 tips will help you meet a reading challenge of 50+ books.

Tip 1: Don't pressure yourself into reading 50+ books each year. This is not something everyone can do, and it's not something you can do immediately after reading less than 50 books per year.

Tip 2: Read multiple books at once. 

Tip 3: Use every format of book - physical, ebook, and audiobook.

Tip 4: Don't force yourself to read/finish a book you're not enjoying. Set it down and move on to a new book. (You can still pick it up later. If you're not enjoying it in a particular moment, don't force yourself to read it.)

Tip 5: Be selective about what you read. Don't read books you have no interest in. Look into books, and read a book's synopsis and some reviews.

Tip 6: Know what books are on your immediate TBR. This way, you have an easier time choosing your next book once you finish a book.

Tip 7: Be quick to pick up a new read once you finish a book. You don't need to pick up a book the minute you finish a book, but try to pick up a new read soon after.

Tip 8: Prioritize your book over your phone, iPad, TV, etc. If you're on your phone scrolling through social media, that's when you can be reading a book.

Tip 9: Listen to audiobooks as you do small tasks that don't require much of your attention, like laundry or the dishes.

Tip 10: Set aside time for reading on a daily basis.

Book Formats: Where and How to Use Different Forms of Books

There are 3 formats of books, as we all know: physical, ebook, and audiobook. There are times and places where we can use one or more of the book formats, and hopefully this post will help you discern and prepare for those moments.

Physical books. They tend to be the preference among readers. However, there is a time and place for physical books. If you're at home, or relaxing in any other place that doesn't require much attention from you (such as a line, driving, and a wait, in some situations), those are good places to have access to whatever physical book(s) you're reading. If you're a passenger in a transportation vehicle (car, bus, train, etc.) and don't get motion sick, then that is also a good time to have a physical book on hand. (However, you should know to not read a physical book if you're the driver.) Places like beaches and pools are also good places to have a physical book for reading, if you take the proper precautions to take care of your books.

Electronic books, usually referred to as ebooks. Ebooks tend to be useful in most of the same situations as physical books are. It's easier to have an ebook for a wait - like in a line or for an appointment - if you have something like the Kindle app on your phone or iPad. It can be easy to carry around your phone or iPad over a physical book, and ebooks tend to be easier to have when you're not at home.

Audiobooks. Audiobooks, whether through Audible or another streaming service, are the easiest to have on hand when you're not at home. All you need is the app on your phone, and you have easy access to audiobooks. Audiobooks are great reading sources, and you can use them when you're in the car driving, or if you get motion sick but still want to read on a transportation vehicle. They can also be useful for when you're doing activities that don't require much attention, like exercise, laundry, or the dishes.

Loaning Library Books During the Pandemic: The Libby App

Loaning and borrowing books from your local library is a great way to gain access to more books you can read. Now, though, with Covid-19 still making it not safe to be out and about, going to your local library and/or bookstore can be tough.

That's where Libby app comes in. You can download the app on your phone or iPad, or you can access it online via the link provided above. Through the app, you can select your nearest library (local or not) and you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks that the library has access to.

The Libby app has been a life saver for me. At least when it comes to books.

I didn't really loan a lot of library books before the pandemic. I've always been okay with un-hauling books that I'm not interested in anymore, making room for new books I've bought. (There will be a blog post on this on Saturday and Sunday.) I always knew that loaning from the library was an option, but I had been a bit lazy about looking into it before now.

Since quarantine began, I've gone to a bookstore once. Safely, of course. Honestly, it hit me a bit hard knowing that I couldn't just pick up my wallet and head to the bookstore without all the precautions we need to take. That's when my sister told me about Libby.

Through Libby - as mentioned above - you can select your nearest library and you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks. And this isn't the only benefit of Libby, in my opinion.

I've had a lot of books on my radar that I've wanted to read. Thanks to Libby, I've been able to read the ones I don't own. This way, I can decide if I like them enough to spend money on. (This is a benefit of loaning library books I always knew, but didn't consciously consider until Libby.)

So if you're a big reader like myself, give Libby look into. Downloading the app and getting an e-library card are both free. (Yes, free.)

8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting This Blog

Like with yesterday's post, there are some things I wish I knew before starting this blog. Hopefully, if you plan to start a blog - history, book, or otherwise - this post may give you some tips before you kickstart your blog.

Item 1: Have a clear, definitive idea of what your blog will be. Yes, you can have a "book blog" or a "history blog," but what exactly will be the focus of your blog? "Books" and "history" are just types of blogs you can have, but figure out what the focus of your blog will be. Reviews? Recommendations? The Tudors? Museums? Libraries? Having a specific focus in mind will help you figure out your blog.

Item 2: Set up your blog's look ahead of time. It's perfectly okay to change the look of your blog later on, but don't change your blog's look regularly. Once you find a look you like, stick to it for some time.

Item 3: Write up and pre-schedule your posts well in advance. Having your posts for March, let's say, drafted and scheduled for publication on your blog by mid-February will help you out in the long run. This way, you're not worried about what you'll post in the upcoming week when they're already written up and scheduled.

Item 4: If you're on a writing streak for your blog, go with it. This way, you can get more posts drafted and scheduled in one go. And you can get ahead this way, as well.

Item 5: If you have some free time, use it to work on your blog. You don't have to work on your blog for hours on end, but use a bit of your free time to work on it. Again, this will help you out in the long run.

Item 6: Don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether it's post recommendations, asking what post(s) people are liking or not liking, etc., asking for help and/or opinions is perfectly okay when it comes to your blog.

Item 7: Look into having guest posts and/or interviews on your blog. Having guests make posts on your blog, and interviewing authors (or historians) can help make more people aware of your blog.

Item 8: Promote your blog in whatever way(s) you can. Whether you have only one way to promote it, or have 5 ways, promote your blog. Share when there's a new post on your blog, ask for blog post recommendations, and make the link of your blog available.

8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My History Bookstagram

There are things we all wish we knew before we started one of our hobbies. Things like the amount of commitment, or "necessary" equipment, or even time. If you're a fellow bookstagrammer like me, there are some things we all wish we knew before we plopped ourselves into the bookish corner of Instagram.

This post, as I say in the title, includes some of the things I wish I knew before starting my history bookstagram, @historybookreads. If you're a fellow bookstagrammer or fellow history Instagrammer, feel free to comment with some things you wish you knew before starting your account!

Item 1: It's okay to not have an aesthetic right off the bat. Heck, it's even okay to not have an "aesthetic." Yes, having an aesthetic can pull an Instagram feed all together, but if that's not your thing, then you don't need to be "in trend" with all the other bookstagrammers. However, if you want an aesthetic, it is totally okay to start your account and begin posting BEFORE you decide upon what your aesthetic is. You can even figure it out as you go. (If I'm honest, I figured out my history bookstagram's aesthetic as I went along.

Item 2: You do not need special lighting, a special camera, or a special photo spot for your bookstagram. All you need for a bookstagram is your phone camera, books, and a bookstagram account. If getting higher end photography products and having a specific spot for your book photos is what you want to do for your bookstagram account, then go for it. But to those of you who can't do this (not enough space, time, etc.), then that is okay.

Item 3: You do not need to have 2+ bookshelves to be considered a "valid" bookstagrammer. I, along with many others, only have one bookshelf, and we're just as valid as the other bookstagrammers who have 4+ bookshelves. Again, all you need for a bookstagram are books, your phone, and an Instagram account. Heck, you can even only have one book.

Item 4: Post at your own schedule. You don't need to post daily - or even multiple times a day - to keep up with other bookstagrammers. Whether that schedule is daily, weekly, or even monthly, post with whatever schedule works best for YOU.

Item 5: Try to prep posts ahead of time, and save the photos on multiple devices. Instagram has had its weird moments, and it won't always post the drafts that you've saved in the app (it could even lose those drafts, depending on what happens). So, at the very least, have your photos saved on your device(s), and have basic hashtags prepped in a note on your device.

Item 6: You ARE NOT obligated to stick to your posting schedule. If something happens - whether it was simply that you forgot to post or you got busy - don't feel pressured to post at the schedule you've set up for your account. Yes, you've set that schedule up, but tbis is Instagram we're talking about. It's not the end of the world if you don't post to Instagram for a day or two.

Item 7: Take days off from posting. Whether these days off are a part of your schedule - i.e. you don't post on weekends - or if they're spur of the moment decisions, allow yourself to take a break from posting every now and again. Like I mentioned in Item 6, it's not the end of the world if you don't post to Instagram for a day or two.

Item 8: Make friends. There are people all over Instagram - and all over the world - who are part of the bookish community on Instagram. Follow people, reach out, and make friends when you can. Having a bookstagram account is, for the most part, solely for fun.

The Reader Problems Book Tag

I've been wanting to do some more reading/book tags like this, so I found another one to do!

Here are my answers to the "The Reader Problems Book Tag." I found the questions at "Reading, Reading, Reading: The Reader Problems Book Tag!," so go check out their post.

This post will be a bit on the longer side, so let's get to these 11 questions!

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

I try to take a look at what books I have access to: physical, ebook, or audiobook. I filter through the ones I have read, usually with the help of Goodreads, and then I take a look at the ones I have yet to read. I also try to let myself figure out which book is "calling to me," as I like to say - in other words, the book (or books) that my eyes are gravitating towards. I also try not to limit myself to books I haven't read; I know what I said at the beginning of this answer, but if I'm feeling like rereading a certain book, then I'll do that.

2. You're halfway through a book and you're jus not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I usually don't DNF a book since I tend to read mostly history books (nonfiction). The only time I'll DNF a history nonfiction book is when it's very dated, but even then I may just stick through it to see what the available information was at the time the author wrote the book. However, when it comes to fiction books - historical fiction or otherwise - I usually allow myself to DNF a book if I'm not loving it.

3. The end of the year is coming and you're so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

Whether or not I try to catch up really depends on the kind of year I've had, mentally and emotionally. If the year hasn't been so great, I usually don't try to catch up. (If I'm honest, I'll usually lower my reading challenge to make myself feel a bit better about the number of books I have read.) If the year was relatively good, I usually try to catch up by reading multiple, shorter books. Sometimes, I'll even read children's books.

4. The covers of a book series you love do not match. How do you cope?

I'll be perfectly honest: book series covers not matching usually doesn't bother me. I read a lot of history (nonfiction) and historical fiction, so there aren't that many "series" at my disposal. I have one series on the history of England where the covers sort of match, but sort of don't, which doesn't bother me. It may bug me a bit initially if the covers are drastically different from each other, but I'm usually able to deal with it.

5. Everyone and their mother loves a book you really don't like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

Usually, I don't really care if it seems like everyone loves a book I don't like. I tend to be a social butterfly, so I don't have trouble bonding with people. If they like a book I don't like, I usually try to figure out why they like it and what exactly they liked about it. (This way, I find out if they actually liked the book or if they're just liking it because of any hype surrounding it.)

6. You're reading a book and you're about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

I'm usually not driven to tears - or even to the point where I actually will cry - because of a book. I think there are only 3 (maybe 4) books that I've read where I've teared up. But if I needed to cry over a book and I was in public, I'd try to find a nearby bathroom or a place that's a bit private where I can hide and get the tears out.

7. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten a lot from the prior book. Will you re-read the book?

I would re-read the book. I have no problems with re-reading books, even if there's no sequel(s) to it.

8. You do not want anyone - ANYONE - borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people no when they ask?

For me, it really depends on the book if I mind people borrowing it. However, telling someone something as simple as "I'm not going to lend you my book" or "I don't lend out my books" are perfectly fine responses, as long as your tone is polite and calm. And even if the other person gets offended and annoyed, you should still remain calm.

9. You've picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

I actually have 3 posts on reading slumps, posted between Jan. 24-26, linked to their corresponding titles and links: "Reading Slumps: What Are They?", "Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them", and "Reading Slumps: Tips on How to Deal With One". I usually don't force myself to read during a reading slump, and I always have access to a book for if I feel up to it. Even if I'm only able to read one sentence, then I'm okay with being in the slump until I'm over it.

10. There are so many new books coming out that you're dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

Disclaimer: I am terrible at keeping up with recent releases. This is mainly due to the fact that I have a hard time finding reliable lists for plain history books. Not historical fiction books, or historical romance fiction books, but plain and simple history books. Nonfiction. Not even Goodreads is helpful with it. Usually, I'm reliant on the author, but that's only if I'm following them on social media, like Instagram. (If you have good links for keeping up with history NONFICTION new releases, PLEASE hit me up with them.) I may only buy 2-3 books of my most anticipated reads.

11. After you've bought new books you can't wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

It really depends on the book. Some sit on my shelf for close to a year, while other books immediately get read. However, I usually try to get to the books I've had on my shelf for a while before I pick up recent purchases.

So I Got Blue Light Glasses . . .

In early January, I decided to buy some blue light glasses from Amazon. I decided to buy some and try them out because I have been on technology a lot since quarantine back in March. (I think it was March 2020, but that's not important at this point.)

I've been on my computer a lot over the past couple of months. Now that I'm in my Spring 2021 semester, I'm on my computer even more due to Zoom classes, and online classes in general. I also set up a 2nd screen on my desk to make navigating windows a bit easier on myself.

I have to wear glasses due to having bad eyesight. I wear contacts during the day, which has made wearing these blue light glasses easier.

What are my thoughts on these glasses?

I personally really like them. They fit well, were decently priced, and they seem to work nicely. It didn't take me long to get used to them. It's having access to these glasses for the times I'm at my desk, working on my computer for extended lengths of time.

If you're interested in buying blue light glasses, here's the one I got from Amazon: MEETSUN Blue Light Blocking Glasses. If you're not in the US and/or are having trouble with the link, just look up "MEETSUN Blue Light Blocking Glasses" on Amazon; these ones had a lot of good reviews and ratings.

6 Tips for Setting Aside Time for Reading

Setting aside time for reading on a daily basis is a tip many readers give to those who want to read more. I think it's one of the most important tips to act upon if you want to read more. It's something to work on and make into a habit.

Hopefully, this post will help you make reading daily a habit.

Tip 1: Consider what reading makes you feel or think about. If it makes you feel rejuvenated or is something you like doing as soon as possible, set aside time early in the morning, such as when you wake up or when you eat breakfast. If it's something you want to do during as a break, read as you eat lunch or in between chores. If it's something you want to do as you settle down, set aside time to read before you go to bed.

Tip 2: Read at the same time each day. This way, you know exactly when you can and will read, and you can plan around that time depending on what needs to be done.

Tip 3: Prioritize reading over other "relaxing" activities. Pick up a book - ebook, physical, or audiobook - instead of watching TV, scrolling through social media, or playing games. All the time you spend on your social media or watching TV is time you can spend reading.

Tip 4: Have a book on hand at all times. This is a tip that is essentially beating a dead horse at this point, so I won't re-explain it.

Tip 5: Don't limit yourself to one format of book. Again, this is a tip I've repeated a lot on this blog. However, allowing yourself to read any format of book - physical, ebook, or audiobook - can allow you to read at multiple points throughout the day that may be a little bit of free time for you.

Tip 6: Listen to audiobooks while you do simple chores, such as laundry, dishes, or cleaning up. This can help you read more throughout the day without trying to squeeze time in to read.

5 Pros and 5 Cons of Reading Challenges

Most of us readers know what a reading challenge. Many of us are familiar with the one we set through Goodreads, but many readers also set personal reading challenges.

As much as we may not like to admit it, there are pros and cons to reading challenges. The pros and cons are what this post will focus on.

Pro 1: You have a goal to strive for. Setting a reading challenge, whether it's a yearly goal or reading a new genre, it allows you to try new things or do better than a previous time. And you set a standard for your reading.

Pro 2: You can inspire yourself to read more. Setting a reading challenge can encourage you to try to get more books read in a year, and even a month.

Pro 3: You're intentionally reading. You're not reading for any other purpose other than to read and make your goal.

Pro 4: You're opening yourself up to a more diverse selection of books. By setting a reading challenge, you're, in a way, forcing yourself to look into more books to read.

Pro 5: Reading can help relieve stress, so having a reading challenge can remind you to sit down and read.

Con 1: It's hard to differentiate between reasonable and unreasonable reading goals. And reading goals that count as "reasonable" or "unreasonable" change from person to person.

Con 2: Reading challenges often don't take reading slumps into account. Reading slumps happen to the best of us, and they can seriously derail our reading plans.

Con 3: Sometimes, you're reading just to reach your goal, and you're not really enjoying the book or taking in its information.

Con 4: You don't always enjoy the books you read, and sometimes even DNF books. Depending on where you were in the book you DNFed, should you count it? (This will be in an upcoming post.)

Con 5: Reading challenges can cause a lot of stress. If you've set what ends up being an unreasonable reading challenge for you (Con 1), that can end up stressing you out in the end.

Historical Cinema Dramas Other Than "Hamilton: An American Musical"

I was thinking about making a few posts on this topic, but I decided to start off with a general post. As time goes on, I'll publish more posts with more details about each historical cinema drama mentioned in this post.

"Hamilton: An American Musical" immediately blew up when it was first preformed back in 2015. I remember it distinctly. Many people talked about the musical and loved it. 6 years later, people are still talking about and loving "Hamilton: An American Musical."

"Hamilton" is a historical cinema drama that is talked about a lot. I think there are a lot of other historical cinema dramas - tv shows, movies, and musicals - that should be talked about more than they currently are. This is what inspired this post, so here we go. In this list, I've included 4 of my favorite historical cinema dramas, their name, the director(s), and the year in parentheses.

Prince of Egypt, Brenda Chapman/Steve Hickner/Simon Wells (1998)

The Young Victoria, Jean-Marc Vallée (2009)

Lincoln, Steven Spielberg (2012)

Turn: Washington's Spies, Craig Silverstein (2014-2017)

Six: The Musical (2017)

10 Tips for Reading Multiple Books at Once

You can see yesterday's post for how to read more linked here: 10 Tips for Reading More. Today's post is focused on the 7th tip from yesterday's post: reading multiple books at once.

This is something that can be complicated for many of us. It can be made more complicated if you're reading 2+ books in the same genre at the same time.

Let me start off by saying this: not everyone can read 2 or more books at once. You can get storylines, characters, and even titles mixed up. It can become hard to concentrate on specific stories - fictional or not - once you begin reading 2 or more books at the same time. Hopefully, this post can help with that.

In yesterday's post, I gave a specific tip: start out by reading 2 books at one time, and no more. If you're not used to reading multiple books at once, then it can be hard to start and keep up. So starting out by reading only 2 books will help you determine how easy it is for you to read multiple books at once.

However, let's get into more tips for reading multiple books at once.

Tip 1: Don't limit yourself to one format of book. If you read only one format of book - physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks - it can be easy to mix up storylines when reading 2+ books.

Tip 2: Audiobooks and ebooks are some of your best friends. Physical books are great, but letting yourself use audiobooks and ebooks as well as physical books will help you read more books at once and in one year.

Tip 3: Set a certain amount for how much you'll read of each book per day. Examples would be reading 100 pages in your physical book, reading 1 chapter of your ebook, or reading 1 hour of your audiobook. And reach that amount each day.

Tip 4: Read books from different genres. Reading from different genres can make it easier to not mix up storylines.

Tip 5: Have different reading locations for different books. Associating different locations for different books can help you read more of that specific book. For example, read your audiobook at your desk, your ebook at the table, and your physical book in bed.

Tip 6: Don't rush your reading. If you rush your reading, it can send you into a reading slump. Even more so when you're reading multiple books at once.

Tip 7: Read based on your mood. If you're reading 2 or more books, it is okay to read based on your mood. This will help you read more.

Tip 8: Always have a book on hand. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse by having this tip in so many posts at once, but I felt the need to include it.

Tip 9: Read while your attention is fresh. If you do this, you'll retain more of the book's storyline.

    Tip 9-A: If you want to read more of a specific book, read more and don't stop yourself. Let yourself go

        on a reading streak/binge when and where you feel it.

Tip 10: Don't set down a book too long. If you do this, you can forget the storyline and where you were. And you may need to start it over. This will set you back, especially if you have a specific reading goal you're trying to accomplish.

10 Tips for Reading More

See the first of this "series," posted yesterday, at the following link: 10 Tips for Getting into Reading (or Getting Back into Reading).

Whether or not you're an avid reader, the thought of reading more can be daunting. Hopefully, this post can help with giving ideas for how to read more. A lot of these tips may be similar to those in 10 Tips for Getting into Reading (or Getting Back into Reading), but these tips will be specifically directed toward reading more.

Tip 1: Be open to multiple forms of books - physical (paperback & hardback), ebook, and audiobook. This way, you don't have to rely on solely one format of book for all the books you want to read.

Tip 2: Have a book with you most - if not all - of the time. This way, you can spend some time reading if you end up with some free time, either due to a wait, break in activities, etc.

Tip 3: Make it a habit to read daily. It doesn't matter the time of day, how much you read, or how long. If you read daily, you'll be able to read more.

Tip 4: Have a set time to read daily. This way, you have a set time you can rely on for reading. Whether it's when you wake up or before you go to sleep, or while you eat, or as you commute. You can even have multiple times where you read. There are no rules to this: just set aside time to read each day.

Tip 5: Get a library card. During this time, it's easier to get an e-card and/or use the Libby app, but having a library card offers you access to more books without having to worry about paying for all the books you'd like to read. You don't have to worry about buying books that you end up not liking, and you can spend your money on books you do like.

Tip 6: Keep track of the books you read. The easiest way to do so is through Goodreads, but your list could be kept anywhere - notebook, computer, etc.

Tip 7: Read multiple books at the same time. This may sound weird, but if you read a few books at a time, you'll increase the number of books you read over the course of a month or year.

    Tip 7-A: Start out by reading 2 books at one time, and then see if you can read 3+ books at once. But

        don't force yourself to read multiple books at once.

Tip 8:Prioritize reading over other activities, such as Netflix or social media. Your time spent watching movies or shows could be spent reading.

Tip 9: Participate in a reading challenge, such as the yearly reading challenge Goodreads has. It doesn't have to be a large number of books, but you'll have more of an incentive to read more to achieve that goal.

Tip 10: Set aside a space that is your designated "reading space." It can be anywhere, and you don't have to do anything special to make it into a reading space. It cam be your chair, your bed, or anywhere else in your home.