November wrap up

Hello my lovelies!  I hope you are having a better day than I am.  It is quite chilly and pouring rain - in November! - when it usually is hot enough to fry an egg under the blistering Australian sun.  Don't get me wrong, I love this kind of weather... however, it is becoming clear that the weather has no idea what it is supposed to be doing ;-D

November has been quite a good reading month for me.  I've had a very very late order arrive, ticked a few more books off my TBR list, and bought a few more books in current series.  Favourite reads of the month so far have been White Hot and Wildfire by Ilona Andrews, as well as Hardcore 24 by Janet Evanovich (even though it didn't get a high rating from me).

Biggest dud was Come Sundown by Nora Roberts.  Can't believe how much this didn't enthuse me.  Perhaps it's because I loved Obsession (ignore the first 80 pages) and have reread that so many times since it was published.  Oh well, will keep my fingers crossed that Year One will redeem her in December.

I've managed to make my way through two more Agatha Christies.  Murder on the Orient Express and After the Funeral were quick and compelling reads.  Not my favourites, but not too shabby either.

Still have a lot of books sitting on my ever expanding TBR pile.  Still have to get around to Artemis and Vigil before the end of the year and am saving the Decameron for next years Big Book project.

I think that's about it.  I need to get off the computer as the storm has picked up and the rain in bucketing down.  Don't need to be online if the power craps out ;-D

So until I see you next time,

 

Really late bookmail

What the hell is going on with the postal service at the moment?  I finally received some mail today that was as much as 6 weeks overdue (Misty's letter) and my order from Awesome Books was 2 weeks late.  Even my Funko and Booktopia order (in the flat oversized parcel) were late.  Is it the pre-Christmas postal panic?  I don't know - and I don't particularly care.  I am only worried about my orders getting to me in a reasonable amount of time!

Okay, now that that mini rant is out of my system - I actually didn't indulge in a hissy fit in the video - I will say that for once, all of the used books I ordered from Awesome Books arrived in very good condition.  There is always one item that looks like it's been dragged through the bushes backwards, but today, not a problem.

So out of everything that I opened this morning, the biggest surprise came with the green Harper Perennial spine you can see above on the video titlecard, it is sooo floopy and very much smaller than other editions of the book I own.  I'm trying so hard not to go into video spoilers, but if you've read the book you'll know how much of a chunker it is.  On the plus side, I now no longer have to worry about emailing sellers asking for refunds (and then quibbling about the refund of postage as well) so that's a huge plus.

I was also going to haul the books I discovered at a local thrift shop last week (and I have been posting images on IG) but that would have made this video super long so I might just leave for now.

Anyway, so happy to finally have all my missing orders here, I'm only waiting on two books I won on Twitter comps over the past two weeks.  I'm now going to clean up this mess around my desk and try to find a spot for them on my shelves.  Wish me luck ;-D

And until I see next time,

 

A quick reading update

Yes, this is just a really quick update on what's on my desk at the moment.  I am currently rereading Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh for the umpteenth time (I adore this series, but the author is running out of characters to centre her books on!) and after I finish AH I'll be picking up Archangel's Viper, again.  This is one of those series that I can reread over and over again without becoming bored.

Also, I did walk up to the Post Office after filming this only to be told that they hadn't even opened the bag containing parcels, let alone got them sorted *le sigh*  I hate it when this happens.  Looks like I'll be making an extra trip.  Good thing my PO is quite close so it's only a few minutes walk, but still... I don't want to do it.

So, my video is edited and posted, I've put my laundry on the line and now I need to get my butt in gear and start some general cleaning so the bedrooms don't look like a bomb has gone off in them.

Cheerio for now, and until I see you next time

 

Bookish update (with free tangent included)

Hi there!  Welcome back to my not so short rambling update where I just talk about a few of the books that I read recently.  As it says on the tin, there is a free tangent on Anita Blake included (and about how the amped up sex in the series really ruined it for me), but it's short so don't worry.  But it gave me an idea, so this will be a topic I'll get more into in a future video.

My reading has been a bit all over the place lately, and with Summer fast approaching I think my reading time will be sorely interrupted with pesky chores like mowing and other necessary outdoor maintenance. Oh the joys of being a homeowner - not.

Anyway, I must dash.  I'm absolutely famished and need to make some lunch.  One small croissant for breakfast (before 7am) just isn't doing it.

Until I see you next time,

 

October sucked

Yep, it's true.  October sucked.

At the beginning of the month a good family friend, and our neighbour for almost 25 years, passed away.  It was expected, and unexpected at the same time, but it threw everything I had planned out the window.  There was no way on earth that I felt like reading all the Stephen King books I had planned for my Kingoween challenge, so instead I fell back to my old favourites like the In Death series by JD Robb and Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series.

We are all slowly recovering our equilibrium after this, but it takes time.  I haven't been on the computer for almost 3 weeks, just disappearing into a book to escape and try to put all the sadness behind me for those few hours.   But I've hit the turning point where I can go for a day or two without it being in the back of my mind.

Perhaps I'll try to get to some of my Kingoween books this month.  Perhaps not.  However, I think all this time away from the TV has done me a world of good.  I think in the last month I've watched about 8 hours of TV!

Okay, that's about all that I can tell you.  I didn't do anything amazing, or travel anywhere.  Just spent the month at home, enjoying the wet weather that closed in around us and reading my favourite books.  I hope your month was better than mine.  If you discovered a great book, let me know in the comments as I'm looking for new books all the time.

So, until I see you next time,

Stress buying is a thing update

Hi again, 

This is just a quick update to last nights post about all the books I bought because I was stressed out.   Like a complete space cadet, I forgot to mention the books that I had actually been reading since my Stephen King Halloween TBR has been thrown right out the effing window!

I am regrouping fairly well at the moment, so I'm hoping to get up the Halloween tags and other stuff I was planning to film last week out before Halloween.

Have to go as a severe thunderstorm warning went out a while ago and I don't want to be online if there is lightning again like there was yesterday afternoon (it was glorious!).

So until next time,

 

Stress buying is a thing

I would say it's been one of those weeks, but in truth it's been worse.  On Monday morning my mother called me to let me know that our neighbour of over 20 years had passed away during the night.  For people who don't talk to their neighbours you may not know how close you can get to a person you see every day, or at least a couple of times a week, for decades.

Coral was a lovely lady and I would often chat over the fence with her for an hour or two.  Towards the end, before we knew about how sick she really was, I would often talk to her where she would stand on her balcony and chat to me as I stood near the garden that separated our yards.  I saw her back in June/July when I went home to get my new glasses, never thinking that would be the last time I would speak to her....

So.  Today was her funeral.  I couldn't go (medical reasons), but that didn't stop me from stressing out about my mother and aunt who were going.   And you can tell what happened from the title.  I got on my handy dandy mobile phone and bought more books that I should have... but at least it wasn't chocolate!

So, Dallass (you might be asking yourself), exactly what did you buy?

Well, I splurged.  Seriously, I spent over $100 dollars (a lot for me) and I have to admit that although I feel a little guilty about it, I'm not sorry.  First indulgence came via Book Depository - and it was all that 10% off codes fault!  This order includes the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (which I still haven't read, but didn't want to miss snapping up a special edition of), Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs and The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths are two books that are from series that I'm following, Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews because I need some more from her since I found out that Magic Triumphs is the final Kate Daniels book!, and finally Vigil by Angela Slatter as I haven't read a book that is set in Brisbane (QLD) before - and an urban fantasy at that ;-D

Even using my 10% off code it was still a pretty penny, but when I swung my attention over to Awesome Books early this evening to see if the books in my cart were still there I realized that I needed to snap them up asap as I had a few items that were "1 of 1" in stock.  After a few tense moments when I couldn't get the stupid website to accept my payment (which resulted in me firing up the computer), I was the proud owner of seven more books!  Seven!  Okay, it's really five because I bought two that my mum was after, but still - that's a lot of books.

I can now add The Making of a Marchioness by Francis Burnett Hodgson to my shelves, as well as two books by Marisha Pessl, Night Film and Special Topics in Calamity Physics.  Should be interesting because I have never read anything by Pessl.  Dark Aemilia by Sally O'Reilly will do nicely for the historical paranormal craving I've been having ever since I reread Shadow of Night, and Villette by Charlotte Bronte was available in the PEL edition, so of course that was coming home to me.  Finally there were the two books that I was getting for my mum, and they are MacKenzie's Legacy by Linda Howard.  I really adored the first of the two stories in this bind up.  MacKenzie's Mountain is a wonderful story.  And alongside that, mum will be getting Born in Flame by Nora Roberts.  Hopefully this order will get here a little early, otherwise it'll be early November before I can haul them.

I tell you, when you're clicking on buttons with your phone, it doesn't seem like this many items...

So that was how I spent this Friday the 13th.  Avoiding all thoughts of a funeral and the lovely neighbour I will never see again, and stress buying more books - because that really is a thing.

I think I'm going to go get a hot cup of tea and destress some more, but with YouTube this time - and until I see you next time,

 

Kingoween TBR

It's that time of the year again!  Okay, it's Spring here in Australia, but still.... Halloween!

This year I'm going ahead and having a King themed month.  Yah, Kingoween!  Autumn/Winter is just made for Stephen King reading, but early spring will still do, so I've got four books that I'm hoping to read - Pet Sematary, Misery, Doctor Sleep, and Gerald's Game - as well as a couple of movie adaptations.

Thankfully the heatwave that sprang up so unexpectedly - and worryingly - has broken.  It's dropped about 18°c (I'm back in long sleeves and a cardigan!) from temperatures over the last 10 or so days.  Having a WTF moment wondering how hot it's going to get this summer.  But that's beside the point.  What I'm trying to say in a rather long winded fashion, is that it's actually perfect weather to start on my Kingoween plans.  I might heat up some lunch and watch one of the movies, and see how it goes from there.

If you want to join in on my Kingoween TBR, or have a TBR of your own, let me know down below ;-D

And that's all I've got to say at the moment.  I"m off to make my lunch.  So until I see you next time,

 

More King Swag

Yes, I'm back with some more King stuff ;-D

I had a great King inspired week, with bookmail and funko's arriving in the post - God, I love bookmail!

Last week I tried ordering from a new bookshop that sells rare, collectible, hard to find and out of print books.  If you're in Australia and are trying to locate a certain special book, try MARLOWES BOOKS.  They were super helpful, and my order was posted quickly and arrived in a few days.

On the home front I'm not doing a huge amount of reading thanks to the mini heatwave that has hit parts of Australia.  So I won't be adding reviews any time soon - although I do plan to start adding those in the future.  I've got a few 'scripts' written, but I'm just lacking the energy to film them (and my old camera is acting up), so they'll just have to wait.

Oh, and when I filmed this I completely forgot that my Dark Tower funkos had arrived on Monday (durp!), but I'll do a video on my King funkos when I have them all.

Okay, I'm out.  And until I see you next time,

 

A big week in books

I had such a great week!  Found some amazing books - including one that I have been eying off for ages (and it costs a fortune) - at the annual booksale that takes place at the Town Hall here.  Spent a good 3 hours wandering around on the first day with my mother, and found some great books.  I had to go back the next day to see if there was anything else - and there was!  A much sort after King! *sigh*

Anyway, I bought a stack at the booksale, and then picked up some more books during the week - as well as ordering some more titles online (but that's for another video!).

In the meantime, I had the bright idea to move a huge bookcase into my bedroom (so I could have all my favourite books nearby when I want them), but now I have to finish sorting and shelving hundreds of books before the electrician is due on Thursday.  Why do I do this to myself?

Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these books, I'd love to know what you thought of them - but please, no spoilers ;-D

So that's all from me at the moment.  Have to get off the computer and back to hauling books.

And until I see you next time,

 

Yah, my Funko finally arrived!

Hi there!  Just a quick update today as I couldn't wait to show off today's bookmail.   

There were only two books, an Agatha Christie plus the obligatory Stephen King, but they were in great condition and I can't wait to start reading Murder in the Mews by Christie... well, at least her short story Triangle at Rhodes anyway.

Have another Hodder cover to add to the collection (seriously, I really do need like another two bookcases for all my new books this year!) and I really liked the simple design and the colour combination used.  Still have a handful of the Hodder's to collect, but I do enjoy the simplicity for the covers.

And last, but certainly not least, my Funko order finally arrived from Popcultcha (I'm still waiting impatiently for the Pennywise pre-orders to be released!) but these are so cute... if a little creepy.  Having a little issue with the poor paint job, but they are perfect for what I have in mind.  Lots of photos with a copy of The Shining, or other Kingly books/movies, for my Instagram booktags ;-D

Okay, so it wasn't the longest haul, but I'm super happy with adding the Funko's to my growing collection.  In the meantime, I'm off to do some housework before the family descends in the morning so I'll bid you all adieu, and until I see you next time,

 

Weekly Wrap Up

Hello fuds and duds!

Finally got my reading groove back.  It's been a while since I've been able to pick up a book and read more than about a page, but Agatha Christie has pulled me out of my funk.  I had fun reading Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun (loved that Death on the Nile is directly referenced in Evil Under the Sun).  Needed a little more Christie, so I picked up Black Coffee.  Although it's a novelization of her play, Black Coffee, I forgot that fact and enjoyed the locked room whodunit.

Bookmail, as always, trickled in.  Only four items this week - but I had a problem with one.  Still, the other three were amazing, so I'll call this a win.  Still waiting on late parcels - The Tommyknockers hardcover will get here one of these weeks - and I'm now switching my attention to completing my Discworld Library as those amazing clothbound hardcovers are soooo beautiful.  Four new titles are available in October, I think?, so I'm steadily buying any books I'm missing.

So that just leaves my reading plans for this week.  In honour of the A Discovery of Witches casting announcement the other day, I'm picking up A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night (my favourite!) for their yearly reread.  They are waiting on my bedside table, and I am planning on diving into them tonight.  

Then, if I manage to finish those two books, I have book one in the Dark Heavens series by Kylie Chan standing by.  White Tiger is such a fun read.  It's one of the few books where I have actually been to one of the places the characters visit!

Anyway, that's all from me for the moment.  Need to get my butt in gear and do a little tidying up around the house as I have electricians coming over on Tuesday to do a lot of work....

So until I see you next time,

 

What I'm reading

Well, hello there.  It feels like such a long time since I posted my last video, but it's only been a few days.  The windy weather is slowing, but still gusty at times - which has made for some tense moments.  At the moment all I want to do is snuggle up with a blanket and a movie, but that's not happening today.  All those pesky household chores to get done.

However tonight I will be starting either Evil Under the Sun, or Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. Reading The Stand and NOS4R2 last month has really thrown my urge to read out into the doghouse.  But I did happen to catch the adaptations on the telly last week, starring Peter Ustinov as Poirot, so it has fired up a desire to at least read these.

Finger's crossed I can get through these two relatively short books this week.  I really need to get back into reading as I have a mountain of TBR books to get through - before more bookmail arrives to take their place!

Oops, need to go move the garden hose.  Don't need to drown my plants ;-D

So until I see you next time,

 

Mid August Bookhaul

Okay now.  I know it's been a shitty couple of days in US politics (wish I could turn on the TV, Twitter, or any news program and NOT hear about Trump!) and you'd think living in Australia it would be okay, but no.  It's all over the freaking media.  So, I'm avoiding most of it via old Agatha Christie movies.  There nothing like a sweet Miss Marple mystery to throw all things Trump out of your head.

On the book front, I've received a lot of books in the mail over the last week.  Most of them were either my usual Stephen King hardcovers that I'm attempting to collect, or a handful of books that Sophie {HERE} made me buy because she made them sound so amazing!  One of the pitfalls of booktube - all the recommendations.  I'm like a kid in a candy shop ;-D

So, I hope you enjoy this haul.  I'm still waiting on some overdue parcels, but hopefully they will arrived soon and I can start planning my August Wrap Up.

Let me know if you've read any of these books.  I'd like to hear what you thought of it.

And until next time,

July wrap up

Hello, my lovelies!  

It's been a little while, hasn't it?  Finally gotten my butt into gear and filmed a short wrap up of what I read in July as well as the books that came my way over the last week.  It wasn't until this video was up that I realized that I'd forgotten to haul 4 books.  Feeling like a complete and total dingleberry, but I'll add them to next months bookmail ;-D

Almost finished NOS4R2 by Joe Hill.  I think I'll have to make a quick review video for that too.  Now that I've finally joined the 21st century - and BookTube - I feel like there are numerous idea's that I'd like to do video's on.  Not practical at the moment (still using webcam on desktop), but I have my fingers crossed that Santa might rectify this situation for Christmas!

Anyway, have to dash.  Have a lot of cleaning to do around the house before it starts to get cold again.  Would rather be reading!

Let me know below if you have read NOS4R2, and what you think my next Joe Hill read should be.  I do like his style.

And until next time,

 

Yet another SK book haul

Hello, my lovelies!

Yes, here is yet another smallish bookmail bookhaul of Kingly titles (with two Jasper Fforde books as well).  I'm loving these Hodder covers and hope to collect the majority of them in the future.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite Stephen King find of late is.

And until next time,

 

Bookmail loveliness

It's always exciting to get stuff in the mail - well, not those envelopes with windows, but the good stuff.  Parcels.

I will admit to buying a decent number of Stephen King books recently, and most of them have been arriving in dribs and drabs.  Doesn't matter, I love it!

There is nothing quite like opening up a parcel that contains a book you've been looking forward to adding to your collection.  Most of the books have been in good, or better, condition - with a couple of notable exceptions (but that's another post).

At the moment I'm trying to find as many of the Hodder editions as I can because I like the interesting cover designs and the way they will all be a uniform size on my shelves { mismatched sizes are a big bookish pet peeve of mine } and the rainbow spines will look great.  Well, once I get a bookcase for my King collection.

So I will continue to buy used King books.  I'm still trying to source some of the harder to find titles, although recently I was abke to get The Stand, Cujo, Pet Sematary and Christine in the Hodder covers.

Next challenge is to find some first editions, or at least an imprint from the year of release.  Have a few, but some have just been eluding me so it's nearly time to start the hunt in earnest.

So until next time,

Stephen King Mini Book Haul

Had a pile of books arrive yesterday, so I thought that I'd do a quick book haul video.  Forgive any mistakes, I'm still trying to get a handle on the filming - using webcam for the moment - and editing, but I'm having fun so that's the main objective ;-D

There are more King books on their way, so I'll be doing more SK hauls in the near future.

So until next time,

The Stand Reading Update #1

Hi there!  Here's a quick video where I ramble on about The Stand by Stephen King.  I'm enjoying my foray into this post-pandemic landscape.  While it's not exactly how I had imagined it, I am flying through the chapters.

I will hopefully get another update done before I make a full review.

Let me know in the comments if you've read The Stand, and what you through of it.  Do you have a dream cast?  Let me know below ;-D 

 And until next time,

June Used Book Haul

Hello, my lovelies!

Yes, I have finally joined BookTube - well, new to posting videos anyway ;-D

My used book haul is the third video that I've posted.  I'm still getting used to some things, and I keep forgetting exactly where to hold up the book so it shows the full cover at times, but I'm enjoying this new (to me) way of sharing my love of books.

This is not a King haul, but I'll be hoping to have a reading update of The Stand up at some point in the near future as that it a chunker!

Hope you enjoy my foray into BookTube, and until next time,

A King Quickie

Hello, my lovelies!

I have a new video up!  Yes, I've finally joined the BookTube crowd.  Not sure how it'll go, but it hasn't been too torturous editing video's so far ;-D

This one is just a few King bits and bobs that have come my way this week. 

Have a lot more King books en-route to me from various places around the world, and will make a video as often as possible.

Until next time,

We all float

It's now June, so I've started rereading IT for the first time in over 25 years!  I can't believe its been so long since I've read this book.  I was going to read it before seeing the remake due out in September, but when I saw that @jobis89 was doing a readalong on IG (#weallfloatreadalong) I knew I had to join in.

At the moment I'm 170 pages in (out of a whopping 1153!) and I'm realizing that I have forgotten quite a bit of the details surrounding the characters.  So far all the Losers have been contacted in 1985 by Mike, and we're now being taken back to 1958 for what I assume will be a not so pleasant walk down memory lane.

I tried reading outside on the lawn yesterday but a neighbours mowing put the kybosh on that.  Pondered trying again today as the weather is gorgeous - if bloody cold - but other neighbour has since jumped on his ride-on mower so I guess I'll just settle down on the couch in a nest of blankets while I catch up.

Fingers crossed I can get a chunk of this read today.  Need to get back into the King shelf and read more.  Perhaps I'll even tackle The Stand later this year?

Do you have a favourite King novel?  Let me know in the comments 😄

And until next time,