Hello! It’s been a while since I did a bookish discussion post, but things have eased up a little bit and I’m able to sit and come up with this post. I’d like to reiterate that if you have any ideas for bookish discussion topics, please share them! I’ll ensure that you’re credited for your idea. Seriously though, it can be tough to come up with topics for this without outside assistance.
Seeing how close it is to the end of the month, and I finally caught up with my reviews, I wanted to restart this weekly post with a topic I haven’t discussed before. And naturally, the topic my flustered brain came up with is wrap-up posts. As I get ready to polish my own monthly wrap-up for August, I wanted to hear your thoughts on these type of posts. I’ll share some of my own thoughts, and why I have consistently done a monthly wrap-up post since I started blogging.
Before I started a blog of my own, I blog hopped a bit to get an idea of what is involved and quickly realized that I have a favorite type of post. I’m sure you can guess what that was, but in case you can’t, it is wrap-up posts. I keep a word document with the outline of my posts to keep things consistent, and simply replace the info throughout the month. This makes the bones of my wrap-up post: the number of books I’ve read and DNF’d, the genre, format, age group, and my backlist vs. current year reads, along with all of the books I read that month with links to my review, Goodreads, and Amazon. I also include a little summary of my month, with highlights and struggles, as well as my blog progress.
I’m partial to lists, so it wasn’t difficult for me to come up with this format. I have seen blogs that offer weekly or monthly wrap-ups, and the monthly update works well for me. Updating the wrap-up format I have saved throughout the month, which I do as I schedule my reviews, makes it so much easier, and the hardest part is going through and ensuring all the hyperlinks open in a new window. It isn’t even hard to maintain the list, as long as I stay on top of adding my reads as I finish and write the review. I’ve even seen some really cool graphs and other visuals that people much more creative than me can come up with, but I’m happy with my minimalist style for now.
Seeing other people’s wrap-up posts, whether they are weekly, monthly, or on a different schedule, was always my favorite type of blog posts—from the beginning of my blogging journey to the present. I like being able to see the different types of books that a person reads, and even being able to click through to the reviews to see what they thought of the book. It’s a fun way to engage with others, while also staying somewhat accountable with my reading goals. Although I’m terrible with sticking to my TBR because I’m too much of a mood reader, it gives me a page to look back on and see how my reading and blogging habits have changed. I hope any of you that create wrap-up posts know you can always drop your link under my own wrap-up post so I can check yours out.
One thing that I’ve seen and really loved is the way some bloggers include links to reviews from other bloggers of the same book, thought provoking posts such as discussions, and just interesting posts. I’ve done a few TTT lists focused on my favorite bloggers (a few because I have a lot of favorites), but I’ve been thinking about including some links to posts I’ve enjoyed throughout the month. It seems like a nice way to send some traffic towards the bloggers I like reading, and who have been supportive of my own blogging journey.
Now I want to hear your thoughts—do you like wrap-up posts or not? Do you post them on your blog? Why or why not?
Categories: Sunday Bookish Discussion
Leah's Books 
A while a go a tried wrap up posts, but they didn’t seem popular with my reading audience. Perhaps it was a reflection on me as I’m not really into them either.
Adding links is always good though. And I like the idea of linking to reviews from other bloggers who have read the same book. I don’t read a lot of mainstream books, though, so rarely come across another blogger, that I follow, who might have read the same book as me.
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If it isn’t something you like or enjoy reading, wrap up posts probably aren’t very enjoyable to prepare either. I like that everyone’s blog has a different direction, and it would be so boring if everyone had the same opinions.
While I do read a good amount of hyped books or authors, I also very much follow my own path when checking out nonfiction or whatever catches my eye, so I get what you’re saying. I try my best to avoid reading reviews before and while reading a book, so I go into it with a completely open mind. But that makes it tough to link other reviews to mine. I might just have to put a little more work into this, because I love seeing linked reviews.
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I absolutely love reading wrap-up posts, it allows me to discover new books and see what other people thought of them! 😀 I have just posted my own wrap-up for august – https://justreadjessie.blog/2025/08/31/august-reading-wrap-up/
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Oooh, this post was made just in time! Since I’m not on social media very much anymore, I don’t come across new books as early. Instead, I get them from checking out other blogs, especially on Tuesdays. Blog hopping for Top Ten Tuesday has introduced me to so many awesome book bloggers, and it’s a good mix of people who read the same genres as me and people who don’t, introducing me to books I might not have been aware of. Can’t wait to read your wrap up post!
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I really like both reading and writing wrap ups for a lot of the same reasons as you, and I also enjoy linking/seeing wrap ups where other bloggers have linked to some of their favourite posts for the month. I think it helps encourage me to seek out new bloggers that don’t pop up in my reader and that’s always lots of fun!
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I love discovering people who have overlapping likes with me! I’m going to have to work on this for my September wrap up, because I love seeing what posts or reviews resonated with others. Another cool thing that I’ve seen is when someone reviews a book, they link to other reviews that run the gamut from ‘love it’ to ‘it wasn’t for me’ so readers get a range of reactions. It’s wonderful to find new bloggers that you might not have come across otherwise.
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Oh that’s a good idea with linking to different types of reviews for the same book!
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Yes- obviously not only books, but other topics as well. Haven’t thought of why though
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I love hearing about what you did in a month. You always go to shows and do other cool stuff, so it’s fun to see your updates each month.
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Most likely I started them due to be inspired by other blogs who did the same posts
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I started doing a monthly wrap up post for my own accountability. It is just how I am doing with my goals, not my challenges, I do that quarterly. I also publish bookish travels each month, listing places I visited through reading during the month. I do enjoy seeing peoples monthly wrap ups, especially if they include their top reads for the month.
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I have to say, they really help for accountability. Between that and my State of the ARC post for NetGalley, I’ve made a lot of progress on my goals. There’s another book blogger who shared how to create a map of all our reading, and I created my own ‘Reading Around the World’ map. I also love seeing how people rate books, and what they thought of it, plus it introduces me to new books I wasn’t aware of. So many books, so little time!
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I have a Reading Around the World map that I am working on as well and will add it to my final Bookish Travel post of the year.
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That’s my plan too! It’s so cool to see that visual representation.
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