State of the ARC is a monthly meme temporarily hosted by Sarah at All The Book Blog Names Are Taken meant to motivate you to finish up your long overdue ARCs (Advanced or Early Reader Copies). This is its original intention, while some bloggers have tweaked it a bit for their own purposes, such as just keeping ARCs in order by due dates. Or you can just be a hot mess like me who sometimes misses publishing dates (or ignores them altogether) and needs a way to stay organized on what has been read, reviewed, or is still begging for attention. Thank you to Evelina @ Avalinah’s Books for coming up with this super helpful monthly meme.
I finished November with 18 ARCs left to be read.
December was another fun month, but is it just me or did it fly by ridiculously fast? I spent half the month fighting off a cough and runny nose, and trying to rest as much as possible, then the other half of the month panic-buying last minute gifts, praying that they arrived on time, wrapping everything, babying my pup after her spay, and not finding the time to get to the post office to mail out my long-distance family some gifts.
This month was somehow both relaxed and stressful if that makes sense, but it’s the perfect way to close out the year. Rather than making resolutions, I’m going to work on being more present and intentional, rather than just reacting as things happen. I also want to work on taking better care of my health, and continuing to grow my sense of spirituality.
I read some really great ARCs in December, even though a bunch of them were released months earlier, but the good news is that I’m now officially caught up on my NG ARCs. I started with 18 ARCs, and wound up with the same number at the end of the month, but in that time, I read and reviewed all of my past due ARCs. My feedback ratio stayed at 96%, and I’m happy to be starting the new year without any past due ARCs. That’s another thing I want to improve on—reading and reviewing the rest of my ARCs before they’re published.
Here’s how this month went for my NG ARCs:
I got approved for 9 new books in December:
- Wuhan: A Documentary Novel by Liao Yiwu
- Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
- Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler
- A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
- The Sirens by Emilia Hart
- You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly
- The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- A Charming Touch of Tarot by Melissa Holtz
- The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer
These are the ARCs that I read and reviewed, with links to my reviews:
- Murder at the Lemonberry Tea by Darci Hannah — see my review here.
- Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot — see my review here.
- The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche —see my review here.
- The Voyage Home by Pat Barker — see my review here.
- Wuhan: A Documentary Novel by Liao Yiwu — see my review here.
- The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike — see my review here.
- You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly — see my review here.
- The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb — see my review here.
- Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee — see my review here.
- Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee (audiobook)
Here are the ARCs I still have to read:
- The Empress by Kristin Cast | Amazon
- The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer | Amazon
- The Lost House by Melissa Larsen | Amazon
- Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney | Amazon
- Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives | Amazon
- Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson | Amazon
- A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling | Amazon
- Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine | Amazon
- A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall | Amazon
- I Am the Cage by Allison Sweet Grant | Amazon
- Swordheart by T. Kingfisher | Amazon
- Saltwater by Katy Hays | Amazon
- Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen | Amazon
- The Sirens by Emilia Hart | Amazon
- A Charming Touch of Tarot by Melissa Holtz | Amazon
- Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler | Amazon
- The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Amazon
- High Season by Katie Bishop | Amazon
Which ARCs are you excited about this month? Do we have any in common? Have you already read any of the ones on my list?
Categories: State of the ARC
Leah's Books 
I keep my ARCs in publication order, if I don’t read something before the due date. Because of that I’m not really requesting any new ones right now. Wow! 96% feedback ratio is impressive! I’m still working on getting 80%. I don’t have any of the ARCs on my list. I only have 4 on my NG shelf and I hope to finish 2 before the end of the month. I do have one from an author I need to read this weekend as well. I want to add in some books that are more relaxed (i.e., no deadline).
Being present and intentional is a wonderful thing to work on!
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I was really struggling to manage my ARCs, and I always try my best to read them in date order, but it wasn’t until I started keeping them as reminders on my phone that something clicked. I’m so happy with my ratio, but want to see if I can raise it a little in 2025. And of course, to include some more books that I am not obligated to read and review. Happy New Year, Carla!
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So many books on here look good, The Bewitching most of all because I love that author! It sounds like you had a great year with NetGalley – 96% is amazing!!
I hope you are feeling better now!
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Thank you, I’m feeling back to normal now. I’m so excited for these books!! I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing too, and I am beyond thrilled with my ratio. This monthly post has really helped me so much. I hope you guys had a fantastic new year!
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