May Wrap Up + Elevation Review

OMG, Winter is here.  This morning was so cold and I didn't even want to stick my nose out from under the blankets.  When I finally emerged it was to discover that the mercury had plummeted to -2.4°c (felt like -4.8°c) and that does not bode well for the next few months.  It's at times like this that I really wish all houses in Australia came with wood heaters or radiators, because OMG it's so freaking cold.

On the book front, I have just filmed my book haul for May.  Not sure if I'll use that, or re-film it on the weekend because those last stragglers could arrive in the next two days, couldn't they? ;-D  Anyway, I'm feeling more upbeat about things, so hopefully that will translate into filming more, and actually editing the footage I already have.

In the meantime, I'm off to play with the new floof that I adopted on Sunday.  Earl Grey, or EG (as I've already dubbed him), is such a ball of energy. He can be so relaxed and chill and then be zooming off somewhere to chase a leaf.  Such a cutie.

Let me know what you thought of Elevation, and do you think King should stop publishing these novellas and just concentrate on his big ass novels? But I digress.  I'm out. Thanks for watching/reading this, and until I see you next time,

 

2017 Reading Stats

Hi there!

In keeping with my plans I am getting out another video.  This is just a quick run down of my stats.  I didn't go into breaking it down so far as to record male vs female authors, authors nationality, etc. - but perhaps that's something to look at for this year?

For this year I've still kept my Goodreads goal at 100 books, but I'm only including new to me books and not any rereads (because that just makes it almost impossible to keep up with at times!).

Anyway, until I see you next time,

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,

 

October Wrap-up

October has been a good reading month.  

As you know, I started Gone With The Wind earlier this month.  While I don't read it every day, I have made a little bit of progress and am 152 pages into this behemoth.  If you want to know what my thoughts are so far CLICK HERE.  I will say that if I had the option, I would have prefered to read this with a book buddy.

While I have added GWTW to my Goodreads list, I have not added any of the Arcane Society and Rainshadow Island series books I've been devouring to the list.  Why?  Because I decided that I would only add new books to my Goodreads Challenge otherwise I would be forever adding and updating progress on the numerous books I reread every month.  I am a huge rereader, and love to go back into the worlds, with characters I enjoy - who have fun adventures.  For some reason October has been the month of the Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle) marathon.  I find these books to be quick, fast paced and fun - especially the books set on Harmony as I adore those fuzzy little dust bunnies!

Then there is this months book purchase extravaganza.  Yes, I spent waaay too much money at Book Depository this month.  I'm still waiting for about 10 books to come in the mail - yes, 10! - and have already received another 13 in the post since the start of the month (I hadn't counted until now!), as well as bought a further 4 books at my local Big W (only place to buy new books in town), and 6 used books.

OMG, I am a complete and total book tart!

Please let me know in the comments what your most extravagant book month was (so I don't feel like it's only me who does this!) ;-D

Until next time,

May wrap-up

Some of my pics from this months IG book challenge by @commasandampersands

May was actually a pretty good reading month for me.  Read a lot of good books, bought more, and generally spent the month reading, and trying to figure out what photo to take for the #ampersandmay16 challenge over on IG 😸

Last month also saw the final book in the Dark Heavens series by Kylie Chan.  Black Jade was a bittersweet read as I didn't want the series to end, but yet I was ready for the Demon King to eat dirt and die!

Finished my personal book challenges for the month.  They Do It With Mirrors was okay.  It's not my favourite adaptation, but it was nice to read a book where Miss Marple is present from day one.  And then there was Emma.... oh, Emma, you vexed me so.  I was ready to strangle her for the first chunk of the book, but once we started to get more of Mr. Knightley, it turned into a better read.  Still love the adaptations, but I will give this another read at some point to see if I can improve the rating I gave it.

So, I guess it's time to get on to the book stats...

Bought: 28 - including a lot of secondhand books

Read: 15

Pages: 5,827

First buy: School Ship Tobermory by Alexander McCall Smith

Last buy: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

Okay, it seems bad when I look at that and realize that I bought 28 freaking books!  I need an intervention 🍷

And on that note, I'll say cheerio for now.  My blogging will be a little haphazard over the next couple of weeks - as it was through May, sorry - as I'm having physiotherapy from the hospital {my wrist is still not up to scratch} so typing may be off the cards at times.

I hope you had a great reading month in May, and since it's starting to get cold and into the winter spirit down here in Australia I'd love to hear if you have any recommendations for me for great winter reads.  I need something to fit the frosty atmosphere (no snow in QLD).

Until next time,

End of October Wrap-Up

I ended up reading quite a few books off my TBR pile over the last 3 days of this month.  Started off when I woke up early on Thursday morning, and picked up Magnus Chase - which was sitting on the desk near my bed - and by 5:30am I was well and truly engrossed in the world that Rick Riordan had created.

It only took me just over 3½ hours to complete!  So while I got up and finally got my breakfast, I decided to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  While not as fabulous as Magnus Chase, I did enjoy this first book in Ransom Rigg's trilogy.