This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Happy Christmas!

OK, now that’s out of the way. Oh, I should clarify. There’s an idea that this is my attitude to Christmas:

Thanks to Eileen for the photo. Except, my attitude is more:

I’ve taken to ignoring Christmas. I can’t recall what my reading was last year for Jolabokaflod. This year will probably be The Similars by Rebecca Hanover. But that’s mainly because I over-committed to reviews and it’s released January 1.

BUT….. When Andrew at The Pewter Wolf publishes a fun, albeit Christmas, tag post. I want in. So here’s my bookish naughty or nice tag.

1. Received an ARC and not reviewed it

For those not bookish, an ARC is an Advanced Review Copy. Most of the time mine are ebooks because producing ARCs is pricey for the publisher.

For this I’m naughty. But only once this year. It’s why I’m not currently doing blog tours. No, I wasn’t kicked off the tour. I was working with a publicist who took on some books that needed a stronger editor. The second ARC from them was so poorly written I suggested I be removed from the tour because I was struggling to say nice things about the book.

2. Have less than 60% feedback rating on NetGalley

Nice. Nice. Nice. But it took work and takes self-control. My NetGalley feedback rating is an incredibly high 92%. I nerdily structure my reading (I have a Trello board) and avoid logging on to NetGalley so I can’t be enticed by all the gorgeous upcoming releases.

3. Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did)

Mainly nice. I track a lot more reading on GoodReads than I review here. However… there’s a pre-review post on here about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. It’s an amazing book, but I needed time to think it over and probably re-read it before writing a review. And I still haven’t written the review.

4. Folded down the page of a book

Nice. I’m not a monster. Maybe it’s an overhang of having to treat schoolbooks with kid gloves so we could sell them, but I could never fold pages or write in books. That’s just an abhorrent idea.

5. Accidentally spilled on a book

This is just in 2018, right? Andrew mentions his copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix having a hot chocolate ring. My hot chocolate ring is in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Deathly Hallows has pink hair spray). OK, so for 2018, I am disappointed to admit I’m naughty. While I’ll never fold a page or write in a book, I admit to food spills and sometimes chocolate. Oops.

6. DNF a book this year

Apart from the ARC in question one? I’m still naughty. This was the year I stopped forcing myself to finish bad books. I’d try to get at least half in though before making the call. While I mark them complete, I do comment on GoodReads if they’re unfinished.

7. Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it

Kinda sorta naughty. and I know a cover is not the book.

I haven’t read my copy of The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir, but I did read the ARC ebook first. The cover is so beautiful I felt compelled to buy a print copy, despite adopting minimalism AND having to save money for next year. It’s also one of my favorite reads for 2018.

8. Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else

Is doing this naughty or nice? I have no guilt for reading while I’m meant to be doing something else.

9. Skim read a book

Naughty. Skimming is a step before DNF. I start a book intending to read every word. If it doesn’t appeal, then I skim for a bit. Finally, if there’s no improvement it’s a DNF. Unless you count business books via Blinkist. Skimming is the app’s purpose. It summarizes books down to a 15 minute read or audio file. It improves so many business books.

10. Completely missed your Goodreads goal

Nice. I haven’t missed a goal for a few years. This year I shattered it with more than 210 books (I aimed for 52).

11. Borrowed a book and not returned it

Mostly nice. Eileen handed me Uncertainty, so I technically didn’t borrow it. And she gave permission for me to pass it to a mutual friend before I gave it to Claudia.

12. Broke a book buying ban

Naughty, but it was a signed copy of Muse of Nightmares. SIGNED. It’s also a big, heavy hardcover so I’m cursing the idea of sending it to Melbourne, but it’s signed. And it’s Muse of Nightmares.

13. Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about

Naughty. Thanks to all who write detailed reviews that I may have referenced to jog my memory. I’m not admitting which books I’ve done it with.

14. Wrote in a book you were reading

NEVER! I’ve actually stocked up on SmartMarks from my ever favorite Best Self Co for next year so I have my notes but don’t write in my textbooks. Nice.

15. Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads

I think, nice. I don’t think I read anything too embarrassing to track this year.

So am I bookish naughty or nice? Gasp, It’s nearly even, but I’m just a little bit naughty.

If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas to you. Otherwise, Happy Tuesday. I’m off to read some more.

Do you want to read more posts like this? Subscribe with email and have them delivered to you.

Proofread with Pro Writing Aid (affiliate ad)
Pinterest Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Featured Photo by Andreea Radu on Unsplash