Reading Update, November 2018

Hello, my lovelies!

It's been a bit longer than I'd anticipated.  Things are just all over the place here.  At the beginning of last week I undertook the massive task of scrubbing all the floors in the house - and promptly started paying for it with my Achilles troubles flaring up, as well as my back issues roaring back to life... and we won't even talk about what happened with my carpal tunnel.  

Results... clean floor,  but I was stuck in bed for a few days.

This did, however, lend itself to getting some more books read.  I had already earmarked an Agatha Christie or two to pick up, and with some of my most anticipated books coming out, well I was perfectly content to become a hermit for a few days ;-D

Luckily, by the end of the week I was feeling pretty good, and was able to resume normal day-to-day activities.  Picked up some boxed sets of Poirot (series 4, 6 and 7&8 which are combined), and had a great weekend just flaked out on the couch with the AC running (mini-heatwave here in QLD), while I enjoyed revisiting with Poirot.  We won't even talk about the new remake of Murder on the Orient Express, because I just can't.

Anyway, I have some plans for future videos that I'm trying to nail down at the moment.  Still, there's always time to pick up a book, and I have quite a few I'd like to get read before the end of the year - but that's another video ;-D

Thank you for watching, and until I see you next time

 

Making up for Lost Time

Apparently June was my reread Nora Roberts month!  Yep, once I hauled myself out of my reading funk with Shelter in Place, it opened the floodgates for rereading all my favourite NR novels from the last few years.

Birthright, Black Hills, The Search, The Witness, The Obsession. . . and Come Sundown?  I don't know how that snuck in there, but I didn't hate rereading it so. . . ?

However, this was only the first stop in my rereading binge.  Next I moved onto Ilona Andrews and had so much fun reacquainting myself with her Hidden Legacy books as well as the delightful characters in the Innkeeper Chronicles  *sigh*  Then it was onto Anne Bishop's A Novel of the Others series as I devoured all 5 books in two days - as well as ordering book 6,  Lake Silence - so I will have the complete set. 

I think I've gotten the rereading urge out of my system (for the moment), and have moved on to some new reads.  Last night I read Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer and found it to be a fun fantasy of manners book.  It's been sitting on my tbr shelves for at least 18 months, but I just haven't had the inclination to read it until yesterday.  So I struck while the iron was hot and read it while indulging by eating dinner in bed (yum!) and found it charming and sweet, in the nicest way possible.  Will definitely be looking for books 2 and 3 to add to my collection.

The weather here has been cooperating marvelously.  It's been very cold and foggy, with a couple of rainy days, which has lent itself to staying indoors and snuggling up on the couch with a couple of blankets - or making a nest in bed and whiling away the hours with a guaranteed comfort read, a couple of cats and a hot cup of tea.  Heavenly.

Anyway, that is all I have at the moment.  I need to get lunch in to oven so I'll say cheerio for now, and until I see you guys next time, 

 

January Wrap-Up

Hey there!

This is just a quick-ish wrap-up of what I read in January.  I found a few new authors, and series, that I am excited to continue reading, as well as some old favourite series that are still dropping new titles.

The weather has been nuts here in QLD.  It was nearly 40°c on Tuesday, and yet yesterday it didn't read 17°c, and it was pouring all day.  I even had to dig out some winter woollies early and put a thicker bedspread on the bed so I didn't freeze!  Weird, but it's given me some more reading time so I'm very happy to be rained in.

If you've read any of the books I talk about, let me know in the comments what you thought of them.  I'd love to chat with you.

And until I see you next time,

 

Most Anticipated New Releases

So many great books coming out this year!  Here are a few of the books I'm most looking forward to getting during the first half of 2018.

Favourite reads of 2017

Well, hello!

Yes, it's been a hot minute since I last posted.  December was a crackin' reading month.  I caved in and used my library's Overdrive platform to devour a ton of books.  Apparently I can read even faster on a device, and the week before Christmas I managed to power through 40 books!  Yes, that was not a typo.  I will try to do a 2017 statistics wrap up soon, but today I just spoke about some of my favourite reads of 2017.  These are not based on ratings, or Goodreads reviews.  These are just the books that I kept thinking of when trying to decide what I enjoyed reading last year. 

It is a longer video, and it almost a wasn't.  I tried to film it twice on my little digital camera, but the battery got so hot that I had to stop, and the second time my battery went flat half way through so that was a bust.  Still, I wanted to get a video up today so I had to resort to the webcam on my desktop so the quality isn't all that.  Then it took nearly 3 hours for the video to upload to YouTube.  Seriously, 3 hours!

So, I've done my dash with this video.  It was as frustrating as all get out to do, but I'm glad I was able to upload something after being a no-show in December.

This year I have a few self imposed challenges.  My #aclassicamonth is heading into it's third year, and I'll once again be reading slogging through the Big Book 2018.  I'm hoping to get back to reading a Poirot a month, and I'm tentatively planning my Halloween reading list.  My Goodreads challenge is set at 100 books.  I completed the challenge in Aug/Sept last year and didn't bother to add any of the books I read after that point, so this year I want to log everything I read on Goodreads - just to see exactly what my reading year looks like.

Okay.  I've been online for hours today trying to get all this up.  My butts gone numb, and my computer is getting rather hot to the touch, so I'll say Happy New Year and good luck with your reading in 2018, and until I see you next time,

 

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,

 

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,

 

New in March

I've been a tad tardy with my book hauling this month - seasons 1-7 of Castle has been taking up way too of my free time lately.  However since I'm expecting the last of my book order to arrive before the end of next week, I thought it would be a good time to revisit what's new in my library.

Okay, as you know I pre-ordered copies of Marked in Flesh and Fire Touched.  Marked in Flesh, by Anne Bishop, arrived and looked fabulous once it was beside the first three books in the series (read it before lunch the following day! Review up soon-ish)  However, Fire Touched, by Patricia Briggs, never arrived {see HERE for more}.  Still miffed over that one so I'll move on.

Not long after that bookish drama I picked up two Miss Marple's at my local newsagents.  Talk about a lucky break as I needed them to add to my A Year of Marple book collection.  Still have a few more titles to pick up, but I think I'll have to resort to Book Depository for them.

And finally, I recently ordered the mass market edition of Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews - I'll now be up to date when the new book in the series is released later this year! - and Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.  This is definitely my 'wildcard' book for the month as I have never read any thing by him, but after watching more than a few BookTube reviews that recommended this book in particular, I thought I'd give it a go.

So, this is what's new to my shelves in March.  I hope you found something new that you might like to check out.  What did you add to your shelves this month?  Let me know below as I'd love to find some new authors ;-D

Until next time,

 

T5W || Debut Novels

Hello Gals and Pals ;-D

This weeks topic is Debut Novels.  

While most first novels are published without a ripple in the literary world, there are some that cause a tidal wave of hype.  This can simple be for the content.  Is it risqué?  Very violent, too taboo, heartbreaking or poignant?  Will we wet out pants laughing?  Is it the best kids book out since Harry Potter?  Or perhaps word has gotten out about their style of writing.  Is it lyrical?  Free-form?  Are they the next Jane Austen, Bronte, Hemingway or Steinbeck?

Whatever the reason - "Congratulations!" you have bought this debut novel and supported an author ;-D

Now after that small little rant, or was it a rave?... thing, I'd better get to the point and show you my top 5 choices for debut novel.  So without further ado, here they are;

ta da!

Out of all the books I could have chosen, I thought that these were a broad representation of my bookshelves.   As you can see there are fantasy, urban fantasy, children's (fantasy) literature as well as a modern (fantasy) classic.  Hmmm, I'm sensing a theme here... ;-D

Let me know in the comment section what you thought of these books.  Have you read them, do you plan to read them?  I need to know, people! ;-D

As always, T5W was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and I'll include a link to the Goodreads group {here} if you would also like to participate. 

Until next time,

Top 5 Wednesday - Re-reads

Where has the week gone?  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was posting last weeks Top 5.  Anyway, this week we are doing one of my favourite tags - the re-read.  I love re-reading books!  It's always fun to go back to a book you loved and fall in love with it all over again... which is why I am so surprised when I watch YouTube and see a majority of people don't re-read!  Yes, I know.  How can you not re-read a truly awesome book?  Anyhow, lets get on with this list...

   

 NORA ROBERTS STAND-ALONES

Yes, I do read Nora Roberts.  I particularly enjoy these two books, also I re-read The Search at least once or twice a year, but I just didn't have enough room to add the picture ;-D  I like most Nora Roberts books because there is a little bit of romance, some mystery, occasionally paranormal aspects, and they aren't overly violent (which is a nice change from time to time).  I find I read these books more in winter when I can snuggle up under a blanket on the couch with a hot cup of tea.

covers are made of that suede-y material that just doesn't seem to show damage!

 

 NAKED IN DEATH - J.D. ROBB

This is the first book in J.D. Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) massive In Death series - that will see the release of the 40th book in February next year!  These books are great to just chill out with when you're in a bit of a detective, slash mystery, mood.

 

 GUILD HUNTERS - NALINI SINGH

This is an amazing Urban Fantasy series!  See what the world could be like if Archangels were the apex predator.  I tend to read the first three books together, almost as if they were one bind up.  Can't recommend this series highly enough if you want something great to read that's not going to take 2 weeks, or you love those of the angelic persuasion ;-D

 

 STEPHANIE PLUM - JANET EVANOVICH

I love this series, and although the last 5 or so books have been less than stellar, I can't help but go back to Two for the Dough and Hot Six when I want something that's guaranteed to make me laugh ;-D

 

 WRITTEN IN RED - ANNE BISHOP

 I adore this book - and series - and as you can see from the photo I took of the spine this is a well read, and re-read, book ;-D

Just leaving a pic of the spine of some of my more well re-read books ;-D

Okay, so I promise that's me done for this weeks Top 5.  I hope you found something new to read, and if you want to find out more about this series, it was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and I'll include a link to the Goodreads group {here} if you would also like to participate.

 

If you have any questions, or comments, I'd love to hear from you... and you know what to do down below ;-D

So until next time,