November 02, 2022

Offbeat Offline: October 2022 (+ Announcing Blog Reprise in December)


Welcome to Offbeat Offline, where I bring you up-to-date with what went on in my life during the month just gone, give you a sneak peek of my next shenanigans, and share my favourite posts of late!

What happened last month to yours truly? I've STILL been tending to my husband and working myself to the bone and basically going mad. But I did make a point of reading a bit every day or so, and that's how I finished 4 books (I also had a DNF though). Anyhow, I have news, so let's dive straight into my monthly recap...


📚 FOR THE THRILL OF IT. As I mentioned above, I read 4 books in October, and I DNF a fifth. Too bad the DNF one was a NG approval...😬
I read Rules for Vanishing and Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall (both YA, supernatural/horror/multiverse - the second being a semi-sequel to the first). I've found a new-to-me author to watch (though me and OLE got off to a bumpy start...but by the second half of the book I was finally enjoying it properly).


I read Boneyard by Seanan McGuire (adult, historical/steampunk/supernatural/horror)...to keep with the Halloween theme! LOL, no I swear it wasn't intentional...it's just that, now more than ever, supernatural horror is my comfort genre (OK, I know, I'm one weird chick 😂).
Anyhow, I also read Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught (YA, contemporary with mental health rep).
Lastly, I DNF Seeds for the Swarm by Sim Kern (YA, sci-fi), which is a shame, since it was an ARC I got via NetGalley...but eh...it happens. Mini reviews for all these books are on Goodreads for now, though they will be posted on my blog in due time...As a matter of fact, Seeds for the Swarm, Freaks Like Us and Boneyard will be featured in a mini-review round in December!


Also, I was approved for 3 books this month! Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sidoti (YA, thriller - out on April 4th), Nothing but the Rain by Naomi Salman (adult, sci-fi/contemporary with a twist - out on March 14th) and We Don't Swim Here by Vincent Tirado (YA, supernatural??? - out on May 2nd).



Normally, at this point, I would list the reviews I plan on posting and the Tell Me Something Tuesdays I mean to participate in during this month, but due to my ongoing home problems (see below) I'll have to sit November out. Here is a list of the next TMST questions though, covering November, December and January, so that you can schedule your posts if they strike your fancy. I plan on making a blogging comeback next month, but I don't think I'll be able to join the meme again until January...
  • November 1st: What was/were your favourite subject/s in high school?
  • November 8th: Do you belong to any book clubs?
  • November 15th: What activity that you've read a character doing in a book have you dreamed of trying?
  • November 22nd: Tell us about your favorite books as a kid
  • November 29th: Which books are you looking forward to reading this winter? (Dec-Feb)
  • December 6th: Which character from a book would you like to be friends with and why?
  • December 13th: Do you have a favorite quote/s from a book?
  • December 20th: What are your favorite holiday-centric movies? Do you rewatch them every December?
  • December 27th: What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2022?
  • January 3rd: What are your blogging/reading goals for the new year?
  • January 10th: Do you read classics? Why or why not?
  • January 17th: Do you tend to enjoy spin off series? Or are you hesitant about them? 
  • January 24th: Do you listen to author/book playlists? Do you create your own?
  • January 31st: Do you reread series before reading the newest book if it's been a while?


😩 MESS & STRESS PT. 2. My husband is still bedridden because of his foot ulcer, and since the doppler test showed a peripheral arterial occlusive disease (which caused the problem), he's now in line for surgery. In the meantime, the nurses keep coming every day except Sunday to medicate and bandage him, and the surgeon keeps checking on him thrice a week in order to remove the necrotic tissue from said ulcer. Of course, my life is still hectic and exhausting, to say the least. But at least now we have surgery to look forward to (though we don't have a date yet, but it will happen within the month).


😠 COME AGAIN? I'm sure you all remember that my Twitter account was hacked last year and used to promote b1tc01n (ironically, under the face and name of Twitter's current owner), and I ultimately had to create a new one because I couldn't find anyone who would listen to my innocence pleas. Well...on October 1st, one year and three months after, it happened again. Luckily, this time the suspicious activity didn't attract the powers-that-be's attention - it was a small breach really, a handful of tweets saying stuff like "So good!" and providing a link that I didn't investigate. I was able to delete them and change my password before it turned into a whole thing. BTW, thanks again to Karen who alerted me via email (I was having internet issues those days, so I didn't notice until she told me). I don't have a clue why it must always be ME. I have a small follower count, and I never use obvious passwords...


Of course, I haven't blog-hopped at all this month (again), so I've got nothing 🙁. And November will be a repeat of this scenario 😞. BUT I definitely plan on being around in December, because I want to exit the year with a bang!

That's it for now! My next post will be up on December 3rd, and it will be a new installment in my Offbeat Offline series, that should mark my official return to blogging!

So, what were your highs/lows in the past month?

18 comments:

  1. Wow, Twitter hackers sure are on time with you! That's so weird, but glad it was a more minor breach this time around.

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    Replies
    1. Apparently, I'm an influencer in their eyes 😂.

      Delete
  2. Both of those Kate Marshall books look fabulous. For some reason I seem to be missing all the YA spooky reads lately, I guess I've been slacking on YA in general

    Deadlands looks good, I kinda like the weird Western genre sometimes so has me curious.

    Sorry to hear about the Twitter mess. And man, is that place turning into a hellscape in just the last few days? Geez...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YA supernatural horror is on a roll lately!

      I'm scared about Twitter's future to be honest. I don't know if we'll be able to stay. And the fact is, content creators (especially the smaller ones) rely on it a lot, so it would be a disaster.

      Delete
    2. I think it is- I keep seeing reviews

      Yeah I never knew much about Elon before but now- he just seems obnoxious

      Delete
    3. The best YA books I'm reading lately are in that genre!

      And...yup 😖.

      Delete
  3. You poor dear. ((HUGS)) and hang in there. I hope the surgery comes quickly and they are able to help your husband. I don't think you need to feel bad about DNFing an ARC. I do it plenty. You give the feedback, and you're done. We all request hoping we will like the books, but sometimes, they don't work for us. I hope the next batch are all winners.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Surgery is scheduled for the 9th now. Thank you!

      At least when you request a book from NG/EW instead than from the author/publisher themselves, DNFs feel less personal...still a pity, but well, you're right. It's not like we request books out of a perverse desire to bash them, after all (at least I hope it's not a thing...).

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  4. Hopefully the surgery will clear the foot up eventually after it heals. I have diabetes so I am always worried about foot problems. I saw the Twitter problems you were having and Karen said she contacted you so I was waiting to see if you would be able to fix your account. Thankfully you were. I hope things settle down for you soon.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you - surgery is now scheduled for the 9th, and it won't be a moment too soon, because things look bad.

      Yep, I know you were one of the three loyal followers who noticed my being hacked again LOL. Minions will be minions 😂 💚. At least no damage was done this time...

      Delete
  5. Comfort reads are great. I seeing nothing wrong finding comfort in horror books though it would be the opposite for me.

    Twitter hack again? That doesn't seem fair. I guess the good thing is you don't have to get a new account.

    Highs and lows, I couldn't say. I like to think maybe October is not anyone's month.

    I hope things go well with your husband. And you. And anything else worrying you, I hope it gets resolve.

    Have a lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "I seeing nothing wrong finding comfort in horror books though it would be the opposite for me."
      I suppose it would be cozy mysteries for you, right? 🙂

      Thank you! It sounds like your October wasn't particularly good either (?), so I hope November will bring something nice your way!

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  6. Oh Roberta... I'm sorry things are still so rough for you and your husband. I hope the nurse and doctor can keep him safe until the surgery. We are all here for you, and will stick around for your return. I'm glad you were able to get in some reading.

    With the recent purchase of Twitter by EM, many are jumping ship. Yesterday, several people went to Mastodon. I've got an account there, and I'm jumping between the two. I'm worried that after the election in the US on Tuesday, it's just going to get worse. I'm glad you didn't have to dump your account, regardless of what happens there.

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    1. Thank you! 🧡 Only 2 days to surgery now. I hope the situation will get more liveable after that...maybe not right away, but enough for things to start looking up...

      Ah, I saw! Mastodon sounds confusing though...and I will need a place where to hang out with my bookish friends AND authors, if I have to leave Twitter...which I don't know if Mastodon is. I'm keeping you in mind though, in case I decide to migrate there! Sending all the good vibes for your midterm elections!

      Delete
  7. I'm sorry about the impending surgery. As you know, I've had my own crap going on and the last time I asked - it seemed he was on the mend.
    I'm rarely on Twitter or anything anymore so I don't know what I'll end up doing.
    I'm not sure I have it in me to start yet another account somewhere. SM hasn't been a happy place for me for a long time but I love my small group of friends and would hate to lose that contact that helps me through so many things.

    Hugs

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    Replies
    1. Don't worry - I understand! And same about SM...I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I hope I won't have to migrate somewhere else...

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  8. I hope the surgery went well. I know I am very late in commenting but I hope it did, and that you had a good recovery.

    The Twitter hackers sound annoying, glad you were able to get rid of them.
    And I hope you're having a good December so far.
    -Quinley
    P.S. It is nice to hear from you again. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The surgery went well, but my husband has still a lot of healing to do. For that reason, my December will be super hectic, just like the previous months have been, but I'm easing myself back into blogging and commenting...so we'll see LOL. Thank you!

      Delete

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