Books, Life, & Everything Else (5)

1. | Mount Mackie is back again this year. The picture above is from last year, but we have got a lot of snow over the last couple weeks to make a new one for this year. I was trying to find how tall it was in 2015 because the dog could reach the garage roof, but my 2015 pictures are apparently not organised. Something I really should do one of these days...

2. | After January was so good with audio books, I sort of fizzled on them this month. I think it is partly because I read 4 books in one series. While I enjoyed the series, that is really not the norm for me at all. I am just meant to only read standalone books. I am currently listening to Lincoln in the Bardo and it is going really well. There are 166 narrators. It is quite the experience!

3. | My reading in general started off better at the beginning of the month and then also fizzled. I am not sure what is wrong that is preventing me from reading. I am too distracted, I guess. I started flipping through my e-reader and reading shorter works this week and I think that is going better. I guess I am just not in the mood for something that I have to work at.

4. | One of the charming animals got sick on our bed on Wednesday at some point. It blended in, so it was likely there for a while before it was noticed. So, it unfortunately soaked through a few layers. That meant that on the negative side, I had to do a lot of laundry yesterday. On the positive side, everything was nice and clean when we went to bed last night. I even washed our duvet. It is 6 years old and I was like if it ruins, it has had a good run.

5. | I am tired of politics. There is always some new drama from the US. Our prime minister is doing pretty good, but people always find something to criticise him for. And, then closer to home the teachers have been on some weird strike situation all year. It is coming to a dramatic head at the moment. I don't have kids, so I only am sort of paying attention. You cannot avoid it, though.

6. | What did everyone do for Valentine's Day? We were dealing with the aftermath of a storm, but still went out for supper. Apparently because of the whole aftermath of the storm thing, not many other people decided to go anywhere. So, it was a quiet meal. We had originally planned to go out on the 13th to avoid the crowds, but everything was closed for the snow. It all worked out.

7. | I continue to make puzzles. There is this site online where people sell stuff second hand. I get like 5 puzzles or something for 10 dollars at the thrift stores. There are people on the site asking for 10 dollars for one puzzle. I just think that is expensive. So, I will stick with the 2 dollar puzzles at the thrift stores. lol

Books, Life, & Everything Else (4)

1. | Well, I missed this post last week. My blogging is not off to the start for the year that I had hoped. But, really, last week was just a bust in all areas. I didn't even do my bullet journal last week. Last week is just lost in time.

2. | It is #ComicsFebruary and I am off to a great start. So far I have read Morning Glories - Volume 10 (such a weird series) and Black Science - Volume 1 (been curious about this series for a while, but didn't love it enough I can see me reading on). I am excited to make February about comics.

3. | Speaking of comics, I wasn't going to get the Image Humble Bundle, but then I remembered that February is #ComicsFebruary and got the bundle. Black Science is from it, so hopefully I can work my way through it in a timely manner. (The current bundle is Tank Girl. I would love to get that one, but thankfully they have made it easier to resist because it is not collected volumes of the series, just single issues.)

4. | So far February is off to a good start reading wise in general. I have read 3 books. January just didn't go well, so I am hoping February I can settle in with some of those books that I wanted to read last year and never got to. I know that graphic novels and audiobooks is still considered reading, but I just want to concentrate on some of the longer works on my shelves.

5. | The problem with my getting over my reading slump is that I want to read everything. lol On audio, I finally got a copy of Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop, so I am on book 4 in that series! Book 5 will be out in March, so all ready plan to spend a credit on it. Then, I am over 100 pages into The Last Days of Magic by Mark L. Tompkins. I got the e-copy from the library after trying it on audio last year and not clicking with it. I am enjoying reading it much more. (For the record, it was not the narrator, just the jumping around story and too many characters to keep straight.) Then, I have about 5 other books with bookmarks in them. They are mostly left over from January's slump.

6. | I went to read Black Science last night and my app that I read my e-books on was gone off my e-reader. I guess it has a new name, but not sure if they deleted it because of the new name, or when I was cleaning off my tablet to make room for a software update I was a little too thorough. I found it under its new name this morning and it is back on there and ready for me to use it again. Hopefully everything else is the same on it!

7. | Chloe continues to grow like a bad weed. She is still not a really cuddly cat, but she is a shadow cat. If I come downstairs, she comes downstairs kind of thing. She will follow Finn around a bit and deviate from that, but mostly she is always near where I am. She is sleeping on my desk while I write this post!

8. | I should mention that there was a possible Casey sighing last week, but upon receiving some pictures, it wasn't her. It has been since October so I am not really optimistic, but keep hoping she is in a house somewhere and they let her out and she comes back. She would be good for Chloe. Finn has some really annoying habits that Chloe has picked up on. (For the record, I was really tempted to take in the Casey look-alike. The people that found her said she was really friendly and she's a cat, so less likely she will be adopted. But, well, we all ready have two cats and Chloe still needs to get spayed and they were pretty sure this cat did, too. Just not in the budget at the moment.)

Books, Life, & Everything Else (3)

1. | I still cannot seem to find the hours in the day for like, well, anything. I am quieter with blogging, reading, etc so far this year and it is making me sad.

2. | I decided to reactivate my library account because I was hoping it would offset my audio listening. I went through my audio wish list last night and the library has about 3 of the books. So, there goes that idea. I can still listen through my library, but to things that are not necessarily on my wish list. I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing? I was really surprised by the lack of big titles from last year. I thought they would at least have them... And, clearly my province is not big on fantasy and science fiction because even though I have hardly used my library in a couple years, they still don't have much from either genre.

3. | I am continuing to try and use Marvel Unlimited as much as I can to justify keeping it. I cancelled everything but it and Audible this year. And, my library has never been great for graphic novels. And, I love graphic novels. So, you do what you can, right?

4. | I have the Timehop app on my phone and I am seeing all these books that I got last January. I have hardly had anything enter my house so far this year, so yay, progress! 2017 has to be quieter because 2016 was way too much retail therapy. lol

5. |  Chloe continues to be a source of entertainment. She doesn't meow yet, she does these little squeaks. I am finding they happen more lately when she wants food or when there is a fly that she can't catch and needs help. (Or when she thinks a piece of dirt is a fly...) Casey was always big on bug catching, so it is nice we have a replacement. This morning I was like that's weird, Chloe didn't sleep with us... And then I heard purring by my head. If she thinks you are awake, she starts purring.

6. | I just detoured to put my first books on hold with my new library reactivation. For audiobook, I put Talking as Fast I Can by Lauren Graham. A book I have wanted to do the audio of, but don't need to own. Then I did 4 e-books: The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins (I tried this on audio and there was just too much going on and I couldn't keep track...), Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, and The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittal. I got Gabi, A Girl In Pieces as my e-book test on my tablet. I still haven't decided what to get to test out the audio settings...

7. | Mackie doesn't know it yet, because he is a dog, but he has a play date with Henry today. He will be very excited once he sees where we end up later. They are getting older and my mother is more willing to allow play-dates than she used to be. Henry is actually more hyper than Mackie. I am still always shocked by this fact. Mackie will find a toy and go lay down with it and Henry will be right in his face trying to get him to play still.

8. | I am trying to decide if I want to get the recent Humble Bundle. I love Image comics, but I just did a quick comparison between the recent Bundle and previous ones... And I still have a bunch of unread stuff. But, there is a lot of stuff in the recent bundle that I don't own. Decisions, decisions. lol

Books, Life, & Everything Else (2)

1. | I am sitting here blogging and also writing up postcards to send on postcrossing. I just did up one for the Czech Republic and now am doing Germany. My issue has never been writing up the cards. It is simply I never have stamps and they sit around waiting for me to get some. The plan is to do these up and then go to the post office after a bit and get whatever stamps are necessary. If I make that a habit, maybe I can keep up the postcard sending. We will see how that goes. I really enjoy receiving postcards and definitely have to make rearranging my postcards a priority for this year because there is no organization anymore.

2. | At the beginning of the year, I decided to start The Others series by Anne Bishop. I am on the third book! I definitely plan to get book 4 later in the month and then book 5 is out in March. I apparently am better at series if I do the audio instead of reading them...

3. | I am trying to clean off some short story and essay collections from my shelves. I am atrocious at both. I have two short story collections on the go right now and just read a story from each every day. One I started last year, but then neglected. The other is me finally checking out Tad Williams. Hopefully that will mean reading some of his longer works later this year.

4. | My novel reading is going so slowly. January is usually a good reading month for me, but I seem to be mostly reading graphic novels and listening to my audio. I hope I can get back on track soon because this is supposed to be the year of the TBR!

5. | I am pretty sure that I spend more time fixing my puzzles after Chloe has tore through than actually making any progress on the puzzle itself. Puzzle making with cats is an adventure! I am hoping she will lose interest because I have two puzzles that I really want to make and they will not fit on my the table I have been using, so I will likely have to take over the kitchen table for a while. We will see how that goes...

6. | Speaking of Chloe, we live in an old house and we tend to have a fly issue. She found one in the bathroom and fell in the toilet trying to catch it. (It was flushed.) She has now fell in the bath tub and the toilet. It did not stop her from trying to catch the fly.

7. | I feel like I am getting better at this purging thing. I cleaned out some random stuff in my mother's basement yesterday. I need to do more at my own house, but that always seems to be the case. I got rid of a bunch of books last week and my bookshelves look much better!

8. | So far compared to last year, my book buying has been pretty quiet for January. Hopefully I can keep this up all year!

Plans for 2017

I am terrible with making lists and actually following through on anything... An example of this is that I just posted a list of 2016 books that I never got around to, but really want to. I did the same Top Ten Tuesday back in 2016 about 2015. I have read one book out of the 10. What is the matter with me? I am on a mission to severally cut back on my book purchases this year, but I have done this in previous years and still didn't really make any real progress on my TBR. And, even with the over-abundance of new books last year, I still actually own less books that I ever have before. So, tackling the TBR should not be so unmanageable! But, plans go out the window as the year goes...

Let's see what I would like to do in 2017:

1. | Continue my habit of using an Audible credit and immediately reading the book. The only time I swerved from that plan was when they had a sale on Lois McMaster Bujold and I used some credits to get a bunch of her famous series. Otherwise, in 2016, I listened to everything that I used a credit on and need to continue that practice in 2017.

2. | Keep up the habit of audiobook listening. I tend to fall of the wagon with this here and there. I need to keep it up!

3. | Concentrate on reading my own books. This should be manageable this year because I rarely go to the library here, I do not have Scribd anymore, etc. I do have Marvel Unlimited and Audible, but they add to my reading; not really take away from it.

4. | Catch up on series. I am so bad with series people. I like them, but I am so behind on so many. I honestly purged a bunch of series over the last couple book purges because I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Some of the fantasy was because I have read book 1 and the series is 20 books long. Or, I had a couple series that I had not even started. Or, it had just been forever since I read book one, so clearly I was not in a rush to get to book 2 anytime soon. These were mainly series I see at the second hand store all the time, so if my mind changes then I can always easily get them back. It was just an attempt to take some pressure off myself! I love fantasy but everything is a flipping series.

5. | Read every book that enters my house this year, this year. Considering my track record, we will see how that goes!

6. | Read the 9 books off this Top Ten Tuesday from 2016 that I never got to in 2015 or '16.

7. | Read the books that I got in 2016. I made a list and for the month of January I have a small pile of them on my nightstand. If this works out, I will make a pile every month. I didn't do my normal Books for Christmas book splurge this year, so all ready less books are entering my house for 2017.

8. | Read from Marvel Unlimited. I go through spurts with this app. As long as I am reading from it fairly regularly, then I can keep it. I find that it helps off-set my reading when I am not in the mood for longer works.

9. | Read more nonfiction. Even 12 this year would be a good goal!

10. | Don't ignore my e-reader. If I had an ideal goal it would be read a physical book, read a comic, read an e-book, read a comic, etc. The comics work by getting to the few unread graphic novels on my TBR and also by using Marvel Unlimited.

Non-Bookish Goals

1. | I rejoined Postcrossing this year and sent 8 postcards so far. I want to keep up the postcard sending and start collecting more postcards from around the world again.

2. | Use the treadmill regularly. I am really off the wagon with this between a cold and just general blah that I have been feeling the last few months. I need to get back in the routine.

3. | Use my real camera! Something tells me this will be more in the spring than right now, but honestly, use it more.

4. | Post a phone everyday on Instagram. Try to find pictures of something other than cats, the dog, and books. lol

5. | Use Litsy! I love Litsy, but it sort of fell off the priority list as 2016 went. 

There are other things, but not stuff I need to share on here.

So, there we have it. Things I would like to do in 2017. We will see how that goes!

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I am kind of behind on everything lately. I am even starting to slack on blogging after doing pretty well with it this year. I should have taken a blogging break, but there are a few things that I want to do blogging-wise before the year ends. If you are wondering what happened to Countdown to Christmas and #AMonthofFaves, I have a post saved in draft from every time I sit down and try to catch-up. Maybe today will be the day!

2. | I mentioned it on Twitter, but not on here, but my blog turned 11 on the 16th! I very rarely remember to do anything for my blogiversary, but it happened!

3. | After lots of snow last week, it is looking like it is going to be another green Christmas unless something drastic changes. I like snow at Christmas and thought maybe it would happen this year because of last weeks craziness, but in our true fashion we got a lot of rain and washed it mostly away.

4. | I finished reading all of the Y: The Last Man comics this week. I had a lot of fun with the series and am one step closer to my goal of tackling my comics in 2017. That was my goal in 2016, so maybe 2017 will go better?

5. | I made a list of the books I want to pre-order next year and it is at like 25 books and that is mostly the first like 8 months of the year. Hopefully there will not be too much that I want in the second part of the year. I really need to buy less books next year compared to this year!

6. | I preordered Morning Glories Volume 10 in February of last year. The release date keeps changing and is now saying it will be out in January. Let's cross our fingers that it comes out because I did that big read of the series earlier this year and thought I was all prepared for it!

7. | One of our early Christmas presents was a gift card to the movies. Hoping it will be used to see the new Star Wars movie as soon as we can find the time!

8. | In 2017 I would really like to watch more television, movies, and listen to more music. I am pretty sure I say this every year. Maybe this year it will happen?

9. | I am thinking 2017 will also be a good year to get back into sending postcards. I really have stalled on that and I love postcards. I would like to send more snail mail in general and maybe will even send Christmas cards in 2017. (ha) Don't be surprised if I check in for updated addresses provided I actually go the post office and get stamps... That seems to be my issue. lol

10. | We are getting periodic flurries, so while I have been writing this Chloe has been sitting on my desk watching the snow out the window... It is better than climbing the Christmas tree!

Countdown to Christmas & #AMonthofFaves2016

Favorite Christmas songs or albums from your growing up years...

I always really enjoyed The Muppets. Still do!!

Favorite movies or Christmas specials from your growing up years...

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Muppet Christmas Carol

Mickey's Christmas Carol

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Frosty the Snowman

Favorite present(s) from your growing up years...

Books! I was always happy when I actually got some. I remember sitting off in a corner while family was visiting and reading whatever I got on the sly. My family was a bit slow understanding that was really what I wanted...

Favorite present(s) from recent years....

Okay, it is a bit materialistic, but my Canon Camera is my favourite gift over the last few years. And, books... Always books. lol

Favorite Christmas songs or albums currently...

December goes so fast! I have only really checked out the Pentatonix new album. Otherwise, it is the old favourites. For some reason I really like Amy Grant's Christmas albums and have been listening to them for years. Then, I still listen to the Muppets. lol

Favorite Christmas movies or specials currently...

I have not watched a single Christmas movie. December is going too fast. :(

--------------------

5 Books on Our Winter Reading List #AMonthofFaves2016

After really enjoying Age of Myth, I really want to read his older stuff. Thanks to audio sales, I have this trilogy and I am really excited to check it out. I have been saving it for winter listens.

I really liked this book and a couple of the sequels. I have been meaning to reread the early books and catch-up as I own all the audios. I am hoping to start this project in 2017 and it would be nice if it was a winter project of sorts.

Otherwise, 2017 is hopefully going to be a tackle the TBR pile year, so, while I have nothing set in concrete at the moment, I have hopes!

Best Changes We Made This Year

Less pressure. If I read, I read. If I blog, I blog. If my house is perfect, my house is perfect. Instead of looking at the big picture all the time, I just worry about the smaller things that make up the larger thing. And, it seems to be working out well. I read a lot this year and that included reading slumps. I blogged more than I have in a few years. My house is not perfect, but it has been cleaner to the point where there are moments where I don't feel like I should be cleaning instead of doing something fun. I still have stressful moments where I would love to accomplish more than I do, you can see it in my blog posts, but it is more relaxed than previous years and that is what matters!

5 Fave “New to Me” Author Discoveries or Audiobook Narrations This Year

Okay, so this was a recent Top Ten Tuesday topic and you can see my 10 picks on my post.

If I had to narrow the 10 to 5, it would be hard... Let's see...

Helen Sedgwick

Mira Grant

Michael J. Sullivan

V.E. Schwab

Jay Kristoff

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | There have been 3 snow days this week and it is not even officially winter yet. This doesn't look promising for actual winter. I was supposed to do things today and it is very not nice looking out at the moment. Hopefully it clears as the day goes.

2. | I am pretty much done Christmas. I just need to get two more things and wrap something that isn't set to arrive until Tuesday. This is more accomplished than most years. I tend to wrap presents very last minute, so the fact that I am done that is a miracle.

3. | My cold went away and came back. Hope you do not catch the cold going around this year. The last couple years I was lucky and didn't catch one. This one has made up for that!

4. | I am determined to work on my TBR in 2017. One of my goals for 2016 was to not have any unread graphic novels in my house. I still have a few. I am bad with reading goals... This definitely has to happen for 2017, though. And, I would just like to decrease the unread books in my house in general. I am making my way through audiobooks faster, so hopefully that continues. I have a backlog of those, too!

5. | I am still quiet with my reading. I have been listening to audios and reading a bit here and there. I guess it is a way to cleanse the expectations and get back on a roll in January. Still a couple weeks left, so I could read a bit more before the year officially ends. I think it is more that I want to read many things to the point where I am just not reading anything. I am weird like that.

6. | I read a novella by Fran Wilde a bit earlier this year, so I decided to finally listen to her novels. The first one is narrated by the same narrator that did Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so this was a very good decision. I have read some really good fantasy this year. I have listened to way more audio than I normally do, too. This has all helped!

7. | With the thought of getting to all of my graphic novels before the end of next year, I started with Y: The Last Man last night. I am honestly not sure if I have read all of the volumes. I could check on Goodreads, but I am just going to go with it and read all of the Volumes to end out 2016 (and maybe start 2017). If I can stay on top of this graphic novel project, I can see me rereading some comics. I am excited!

8. | I am off to try and warm up. So cold today!

WWW Wednesday - On Thursday (11)

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

~ I am a bit of the way into The Story Thieves by James Riley. I heard about it on a blog and it sounded fun and it was a recent daily deal. I am liking it so far, but I am early in.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO?

~ I stared Updraft by Fiona Wilde yesterday. It is really good so far. I read a novella by her earlier this year and really wanted to see what her longer stuff was like. It helped that the book was narrated by the same person that did Daughter of Smoke & Bone, which I really enjoyed earlier this year.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH?

~ I have finished two things recently... The Crown's Game as an e-book and All the Birds in the Sky as an audio. I really liked The Crown's Game and cannot wait for the sequel. I liked All the Birds in the Sky, but didn't love it in the way that I had hoped. Maybe I should have read it instead of listening...

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?

~ I think I am really just planning my reading for 2017. The month is busy and I am just taking it as it goes. In January I am sure I will want to read everything... I kind of have some projects that I would like to accomplish next year, but I suck at reading lists.

#AMonthofFaves & Countdown to Christmas

Favorite Book to Movie or TV Shows

Those that know me, know I do not watch much TV... So, all I can think of for this is The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Lord of the Rings. There are many others but I haven't read the book or I haven't seen the movie. (Like Still Alice. I have heard good things about the book, planned to read it before watching the movie, but the guy was watching it one night and I ended up watching it, too... It was really good. I still want to read the book.) 

#WeekendReading {Picking Favorites}

While I love the idea of #AMonthofFaves, I have not really visited many blogs participating. So, I am sure I will have a great answer for this once I have a chance to do some blog hopping!

The Most Unique, Weird or Most Memorable Book(s) Read This

~ We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - This book is just creepy.

~ The Fireman by Joe Hill - This was my first longer work by Joe Hill and I really liked it, but it is outside of my normal genre reading so stands out to me.

~ Locke & Key by Joe Hill (Audio) - I have read the comics, so I knew what to expect, but this was my first time doing an adaptation of a comic and it was a lot of fun!

The movie I'm looking forward to watching this Christmas season...

I would have watched this all ready if I could find my copy. It's vanished!

A treat I love to make or eat during the holidays...

um, I don't really bake. There are only two of us and I just figure I will avoid the temptation. lol Our holiday tradition is lobster. We are having some for Christmas Eve this year.

Favourite thing I love to do with my family during the holidays...

I am not even sure if we have Christmas traditions to be honest. When we were kids we used to have fondue night on New Year's Eve. Nowadays, the holidays are just a big rush and I just kind of go with the flow.

Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

Casey, 2011

1. | Casey's birthday was in June, but we got her in December of 2011 so this was her adoption month. It's unfortunate that I didn't have Instagram or my camera when we first got her, so there are not as many pictures of her as a kitten as of Mackie, Finn, and now Chloe as they grow. Casey was my main subject for years, though, so there are no shortage of pictures of her!

2. | Chloe will not stay out of the Christmas tree. She has been forced out of it about 10 times today. Finn keeps running away like he is the one in trouble. No, Finn, Chloe. You are just sitting there watching her act a fool. Smart me for getting a kitten before Christmas. I am reconsidering that thought process. lol

3. | I am starting to plan for 2017 in the sense that I need to make more of an effort to cycle through my physical TBR and my e-book one. And, I need to read books I actually own, so I suspended my Scribd account and may just cancel it if this plan works out. I was going to suspend Audible, too, but I like using my credits every month even though I have a backlog. This year it has been a good way to read 2016 releases I wouldn't have read otherwise. And, I can think of three 2017 books that I plan to listen to on audio. So, I will keep it for now.

4. | I hate wrapping Christmas presents. Does anyone want to come do this for me? I have a rule that we cannot buy weirdly shaped objects... when that gets broken, bags for the win! I would use bags for everything, but that gets expensive.

5. | I got one of my Christmas presents early. I had to retire my Keurig and really didn't like the new ones, so I am back to a regular coffee maker. The test run was this morning and I used too much coffee. Learning curve! It's really nice. My main issue with regular coffee makers is the cheaply made pots. We even tried a metal one once and the handle fell off and I had to duct tape it on... This one seems sturdy compared to all my others, so fingers crossed it lasts.

6. | I have decided that I need new glasses and today is a glasses browsing day. I hate glasses shopping because I cannot see without my glasses. I thought my current ones looked good on me until I could actually see. I personally hate them, but my main pair got a big scratch on the lens and had to be retired. I used to love getting new glasses, but I am so blind without them that it is more of a form of torture at this point. Wish me luck!

7. | We got our first snowfall overnight. I really don't think it is that much snow, but they cancelled school. Times have sure changed when it comes to that. It was really pretty this morning, but melting now.

WWW Wednesday - On Thursday (10)

This is the very first picture I ever took of Casey almost exactly 5 years ago because we got her in December of 2011. She was a cuddler and lap cat right from the start!

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

~ I am having a quiet reading month and kind of expected it. I started The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye earlier this week and I am really liking it so far. I just haven't really been sitting down to read... Maybe before the week is out I will get to settle in and finish it!

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO?

~ All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders. This is one of the 2016 books I really wanted to read, so I grabbed an audio and now sneaking it in before 2016 ends. It is really quite good so far, but I am still early in only having started it yesterday.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

~ Since my last post for this, I have finished two audiobooks. Who am I? lol The first was Where'd You Go, Bernadette and was a really fun listen that I have been meaning to get to for ages. The other was Free the Darkness by Kel Kade. For some reason I loved this book and just flew through it. I am hesitant to recommend it after reading other reviews of it simply because I understand why people didn't like it. But, I did and I am excited for the sequel, which I also grabbed a copy of and hope to get to soon. Then, I just read comics. I really enjoyed Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat on Marvel Unlimited. I look forward to more in that series. And then I checked out Volume 2 of Sunstone. That is so not my normal genre at all, but I don't mind them and have Volume 3 here to read soon.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?

~ When I downloaded All the Birds in the Sky onto my iPod, I also downloaded Mort(e). So, that is likely what is up next. It only wasn't up now because I got that as part of a sale, while I used a credit for All the Birds in the Sky. Actual reading is looking like comics unless my mood changes!

Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. | It's been a month of no Casey. I last saw her October 17th, she went out that night, and we never saw her again. I really miss her. She had a great personality, I took a million pictures of her over the years, and even now that we have Chloe... The house just isn't the same without her. Every time I let Mackie out and every time we come home from being out, I hope she will be waiting at the door. She just would not stay in. I feel a lot of guilt about this.

The last picture. October 17th, 2016

2. | Chloe is great, though. I never planned to have a kitten because I thought Finn and Casey would be around for years, and two cats seemed like enough. So, as much as I am enjoying having Chloe around, it is all bittersweet.

3. | Finn is not only warming up to Chloe, but he seems friendlier in general. He rubs up against the dog and stuff. He still only tolerates me because I feed him and change his litter box. But, he has been playing with the kitten and he could use a little bit of weight loss... (Okay, more than a little bit...)

4. | Casey would love Chloe. I am still hoping they will get to meet. We will be in trouble when it comes to food, though. Finn has absolutely no interest in human meals, but Casey always did. She is worse than the dog. Chloe didn't seem too interested at first, but she is now. And she is still little and can climb up the sides of chairs and stuff. We feed our animals, I promise. Both Casey and Finn are chubby. (It is not me that gives them treats for the record.)

5. | Amazon gave me Prime free for a month. This is the 3rd time that has happened, but it is the first time I am considering keeping it. We use Amazon a lot because there are not many stores near here and they bumped up the limit for free shipping to 35 from 25. It would be nice to just order without having to worry. I have a month to decide.

6. | My reading is still just all over the place. I have so many good books to read, but I skip around and can't seem to settle. I have been listening to the same audiobook forever! I think the fact that I have had a cold that will not go away, added to other things happening, is to blame. I had higher hopes for 2016 than what has came to pass.

7. | On the plus side, I read with Mackie and Chloe. So, I got my wish of another cuddly kitten. Finn hovers, but he finds the cuddling thing all overwhelming. The kitten really wants to be friends with Finn, so she is determined and Finn just wants her to go away a lot of the time.

8. | I have way too many books and audio books that I want to get to soon. I clearly need to read faster... This is the slowest I have been going with audio books since I started listening to them again. Hopefully I can get back into a groove!

Nonfiction November & The Intimidating TBR Tag

When I saw that Nonfiction November was a thing for November, I decided that it was time for me to join in because I love nonfiction and really do not read it any more. Clearly, my reading plans this year have been derailed a lot because of life this year, but I may accomplish something, right?

What do I want to read?

1. The Promise of Canada by Charlotte Gray

2. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

3. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

4. The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

And now, the first week discussion post:

1. What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year?

~ This is a tough one. It is either As You Wish by Cary Elwes or A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett.

2. What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

~ Probably the Pratchett. His fiction is awesome, but have you checked out his nonfiction?

3. What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven't read enough of yet?

~ This is actually a sparse year of nonfiction in general. I would like to get more in general this year, but I have been trying to do better with essay collections and hope to get to a couple more before the year is out!

4. What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

~ Book recommendations! I don't need anymore books, but recommendations can't help, right? lol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw Jenny had done this, so I decided to as well!

1. What book have you been unable to finish?
~ Books that typically I start and do not finish are usually very long or short story collections. I am atrocious with both! This year there are a lot of books I have started and then not finished because my mind has been elsewhere most of the year. More recently I started The Round House because everyone seems to love it. It's good, but I haven't picked it up in like a week or more. If you are depressed to begin with, depressing books are not a good idea... I likely will put it aside for now and pick it up when my head is better.

2. Which book haven't you read yet because you haven't had the time?
~ ugh, so many. This is a complicated question when you have a TBR that is always out of control! There are many books I have wanted to read for months and just haven't got around to. I am really struggling with finding reading time... It just seems like there is always other things to do and reading takes the backseat. And, there is the mood thing. If the books are slower or depressing, I am just not interested this year. One that pops to mind is The Underground Railroad. It is a book that lots of people have loved and I just haven't had a chance to read it. And, right now, I am not sure if it will happen very soon because of my whole mood...

3. Which book haven't you read yet because it's a sequel?
~ Oh, me and sequels... I love series. I get really excited to find out what is going to happen next. And then... fizzle. I have never been good about finishing one book in a series and then immediately picking up the next one, either, so that doesn't help! One of my goals for the year was to read all of the Iron Druid Series and make a dent in my Lois McMaster Bujold books. Oh, and re-read Robin Hobb. At the beginning of the year I was all into this project... Then, it fizzled. And, it is a definitely a me issue. I just suck at series. I am trying to do the Lois McMaster Bujold on audio, so definitely won't finish that this year. And, I haven't read anything by the other two authors in months.

4. Which book haven't you read yet because it's brand new?
~ Amazingly, the newest book in my house is Promise of Canada by Charlotte Gray and I have all ready started it! It would be the newest released book I own at the moment, too. Before that, there is The Comet Seekers. I bought this on a whim because it sounded good when it got buzz around BEA, but then I really have not seen anything else about it. I still grabbed a copy, though, and it is patiently waiting for me to get around to it. (As well as so many other books...)

5. Which book haven't your read yet because you read a book by the same author and didn't enjoy it?
~ I don't read Isabel Allende anymore because I just do not like her newer stuff as much as her older stuff. Her early stuff like The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune were both really good. I lost interest around Zorro and have hardly read her since. She used to be an auto-buy and I really should try some of her other stuff, but why are so many authors moving away so much from the stuff that made them famous?

6. Which book haven't you read yet because you're just not in the mood for it?
~ I suppose I should have read ahead on these questions. lol My issue is I just don't know what I am in the mood for lately. Even what could be a good pick isn't working well for me. I am also trying really hard to get caught up in reading to take my mind off everything else. It works when I have long periods of time to read, but it doesn't work so well when I am busy. I just don't make time for it. I think one that pops to mind is Homegoing. I know people really like it, but it starts kind of quiet and so I couldn't get into it. Hopefully soon, though!

7. Which book haven't you read yet because it's humongous?
~ ha. There are a few chunksters that have been hiding on my TBR for way too long... If I had to pick, I will go with Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. (Jenny mentioned it for a different reason in her post, so it is on my mind.) I suspect that given the chance, I will really like it, but with the exception of The Fireman earlier this year, my reading has been shorter stuff...

8. Which book haven't you read yet because it was a cover buy that turned out to have poor reviews?
~ As Jenny said in her post, this is a very specific question and really doesn't apply to me... I very rarely impulse buy anymore because I own so many books to begin with! So, I am going to change this to a book I have because of the cover and the reviews, but I am not sure if it is a 'me' book. That book is Bellweather Rhapsody. It sounds good, but it also sounds way out of my normal zone. I don't read as much out of my zone as I used to because I read too widely as it is. But, it comes recommended and everyone likes music. I am not sure when I will get to it because my reading is so slow lately, but we will see how it goes!

9. What is the most intimidating book in your TBR pile?
~ Typically, I would answer some sort of classic. But, when I bought my e-reader, I got rid of all my classics because it takes me forever to get to them and I was in the land of free e-books that were classics. (I even read some back then... Those were the days...) Now, I am not so sure I am intimidated by anything on my bookshelves. It is more about time nowadays. If it takes me like two weeks to listen to a 6 hour audiobook, just imagine how long it would take me to read a longer work! I will go with The Pillars of the Earth. It used to be on my TBR, but I got rid of it at one point. When my grandmother got rid of her books, I took her copy. So, now it is back and maybe I will read it this time!

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | Another post a week later with no Casey. I called all the vets and shelters and nothing. I keep getting told that cats wander all the time, and my cats when I was a kid did, but this is the first time Casey has ever been gone for more than a few hours and I am losing hope.

2. | Still struggling with reading. I know that reading should be an escape from everything else, but I have always had a really hard time reading when I am stressed out. I just cannot turn my mind off and always feel like I should be doing something else.

3. | My Q&A a Day Journal arrived yesterday! I looked at starting it yesterday, but maybe I will wait and start it November 1st. Or, maybe I should have waited and got it in the New Year. Or, maybe I should stop overthinking things and just start it today. I hope I can keep it up. I only got it because I have been keeping up my Bullet Journal and other projects, so I figured I was safe. I still do my day by day journal that I started in 2012 and always enjoy looking back on what I did on this day in previous years.

4. | I had a lot of fun during the Readathon co-hosting the Instagram account. People take such great photos and there were lots of furry companions. I enjoyed visiting everyone and all ready volunteered for next year. Hope to see people then!

5. | My grandmother's house is on the market. A bit of a sad situation because it is closing off an aspect of my childhood, but it will be much better to have her closer to my mother and in an environment that if she falls again there is help close by. Not that we want her to fall again, but I know that she is really paranoid it will happen again.

6. | I am still continuing my 'pick random audios from Scribd' project. I started off really well, but the latest one I just could not find time to listen to it and I felt like I read it forever. I am ready to pick a new one, though! Just have to decide what I want to go with... I am still adjusting to listening at regular speed. When I do Audible audios, I speed them up or I find that I lose interest.

7. | I am going to document right here that I started my project to listen to the Vorksogian series by Lois McMaster Bujold having started Falling Free. I will be curious if a year from now I will be done the series, or if it will by my typical take forever project that never gets completed... We will see!

8. | This post isn't as depressing as last weeks. I still probably should take a blogging break and try to get my head together after everything that has happened this month, but I just got back into a groove with blogging and I would be worried I wouldn't be able to get it back... What I really need is a fun project to take my mind off all the stress. (I am not going to lie, at least two times while writing this post I thought I heard a cat cry. I am losing my mind!)

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts is hosted at Bookishly Boisterous.

This or That

I saw this on Diary of an Eccentric and thought I would play along!

Reading on the couch or reading in bed?
~ In the morning when I am the only one up, I will read on the couch with Mackie or Casey. The rest of the time I read in bed.

Main character: Male or Female?
~ It doesn't really bother me one or another as long as they are written well. I think I gravitate more towards women just because I try to seek books out that are about women. The men's story have been told for years in many genres, it is time for the women.

Sweet or salty snacks while reading?
~ I don't really snack while reading. Usually just drink my coffee or another drink. That's about it.

Trilogies or quartets?
~ Trilogies. Only because that is one less book in a series and I am atrocious at series. lol

First Person or Third person POV?
~ I will read both. I don't seek one out over the other really. It is all in the writer and if they can pull it off.

Night or morning reader?
~ I read when I get the chance. I do most of my reading in the morning, though, because that is the usual time I have the peace and quiet to do so.

Libraries or bookstores?
~ Bookstores. I love libraries, too, but never go to the one here because of its inconvenient location.

Books that make you laugh or books that make you cry?
~ I guess unintentionally I tend to read sadder books than books that make me laugh. I don't necessarily seek one out above the other, but tend to read more darker books than lighter ones.

Black or white book covers?
~ Not sure why this is a question because covers are many colours? If I judge a book by the cover, it is usually to appreciate the art. Like Charles de Lint or Patricia McKillip. They scored in the cover art department!

Character driven or plot driven stories?
~ In fantasy, I find that a lot of books tend to be more plot driven than character driven. But, again, I honestly do not have a preference when I pick out books. It is again all in how well the author does it!

This, That, and The Other Thing

So... We have a lot of snow. I am not even sure if this picture does it justice. My province considered declaring a state of emergency. I am not sure if we are there yet. Yes, there is a lot of snow, but amazingly the power didn't go out. Considering that we live in a province with very old grid-lines that usually go out, I am impressed with how few power outages there have been this winter. I have seen less snow and more power outages frankly. We just have a lot of snow... The best part about this province is that way back in history the settlers decided to build these dykes and live on flood plains. This means that when all this snow melts there is going to be flooding. It won't effect us, we live in higher elevation, but it will be a real problem... I am thinking that Mackie will have 'Mount Mackie' for a while yet, though.

Speaking of Mackie... He has decided that this week would be the most stressful week of dog ownership EVER! On Monday he was insanely sick... Like, wake the humans up in the middle of the night sick. I even took the day off work to watch him... I have no idea what he got into, but I hope he never gets into it again! Thankfully he bounced back and there was no vet visit involved. Then, on Tuesday he decided that things were not stressful enough. We have very high piles of snow, so cars cannot see my dog. Needless to say his ball got away from him and out into the road. And, that was almost the end of my dog ownership. It was insanely close to him being hit. If he hadn't been so terrified or had slipped, that would have been it. I guess I was pretty loud because my neighbour heard me yelling and saw it all happen. She had a better vantage point so I know when she says it was close.... It was close... It really freaked him out so hopefully that will be a lesson for him. (Have I really talked about Mackie on my blog before? I just went to use him as a tag and it didn't come up... I need to rectify that!)

It seems that 2015 is turning in the year of the comics for me. It's funny considering a few years ago I wouldn't even read comics. Now I find myself basically only reading them! I just think it is a combination of the horrible weather and the satisfaction. After over a year of hardly reading at all, here I am finishing stuff. I hope that longer works will reenter my reading, but for now I am enjoying my foray into comic books. I have read some really awesome stuff lately and hopefully it will continue!

What's happening in your neck of the woods?

In Which 2015 is Shaping up to be THE YEAR OF THE COMIC

I am off today and decided I was going to visit Scribd again just to see if they had Diana Wynne Jones back on there (they do). And then my morning got all side-tracked... One of the fun things I find with Scribd is all the recommendations they give you. This morning they maybe made me squeal a little!

In February I randomly read the first full volume (issues 1-5) and Issue 6 of The Woods. I knew nothing about it, but it was there and I decided to take a chance on it. Frankly, it is weird, but I am really liking it so far. (Yay, for taking chances!) Today Scribd offered me as a suggestion to finish reading the series. A quick look resulted in me finding they had added 4 more issues of the series. So, I, of course, dropped everything and went off to read them. And, the series continues to be weird and I am not sure if I love it, but I do really really like it. Plus, as far as I can tell I am caught up! (Did I mention I am loving Scribd?)

So, I still had Scribd open on my computer when I came back from my quick binge and the wonders I found! Namely, 10 issues of Lumberjanes! A lot of bloggers that I love and trust are reading that series and here was my chance. I imagine you can picture how the rest of my morning went... Holy fun! I really like this series so far! And, the art is fantastic. I really find that strong female characters are the minority in comics, so I am so excited that this about a group of young girls getting into a lot of adventures and being brave and showing the pleasures of female friendship. It's a great example of strong female characters for the younger readers out there. And, it is just fun for us older readers.

That just covers today... Other goodies of the March so far include finally reading the first volumes of American Vampires and 100 Bullets. I had them on my TBR pile but think I was mostly holding off because I am in the midst of SO. MANY. SERIES. But, one of my goals for 2015 is to not have a comic book TBR. I had this grand plan for March that I would read a book and then read a comic... The whole Scribd excitement earlier today sort of derailed that plan... If you look at the year so far I am just in a comics mood. There are so many there that I want to read and Scribd is giving me a chance to explore with less damage to my pocket book!

Which brings me to my own personal dilemma.... I essentially read 14 books today, but do they count because they are single issues of comics? I dutifully went to Goodreads and added them to my 'To Read' shelf, but is that cheating? I really have battled with this since I started reading comics in the first place. I mostly read trades, but in this digital age it is so much easier to read single issues and keep up with favourite series. But, it means I have read 73 books so far this year. This is all ready more than I read total in 2014 and it is only March. I like to think that reading is reading no matter the page length, but I can't relax about it entirely...

Do you battle with any forms of reading guilt?

Impromptu Read-a-thon

I know the real read-a-thon is not until next weekend, but I have essentially been in a reading slump since last month. This weekend, though, the reading gods seem to have stepped in and books are connecting with me. It did not start off good... I picked up probably 5 books on Thursday and wound up putting them aside. I was starting to get worried! Then... It happened... I picked up Incendiary Girl by Kodi Scheer and it clicked. I wound up reading it in almost one sitting. That was Thursday. Then, after finishing that, I sat there and flipped around through my review copies and came across Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen. That one clicked and I finished it up on Friday. (Finally!)

It hasn't been easy, though. I pick up and abandon books before finding one that works... Now we are on Saturday and I am reading The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison and The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld. It would be awesome to finish both of them!

Things I Have Been Thinking About While Reading:

• I started off the year reading older books, but mixed in I have read way more 2014 books than I would expect. It is nice to feel like you are keeping up!
• One of the books I put aside for now was The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor. I thought this was a new book, but it isn't. The reason the opening felt so familiar is because I have a Kindle edition of this book and started it in 2012. I guess I made it to chapter 11 and then something distracted me. I was starting to feel like I was going crazy! Now that I have that sorted I am going to go back and finish the book!
• I never noticed before how bad of an influence Michelle from That's What She Read was. I have known her for a few years, but it took me until this year to discover she reads a lot of the same stuff as me... This means that she has greatly influenced my TBR this year. (Not that it is a bad thing!)
• I have been using my e-reader more than ever before so far this year... Only one book I read this month was not on my e-reader, actually. This is not helping my physical TBR... (Although, I do own a hardcover copy of Lost Lake, so even though I read it on my e-reader, it still counts as reading a book on my physical TBR.)
• I wish e-readers had better batteries. The only way this read-a-thon has worked is by putting my reader on airplane mode and it still died while I was reading The Goblin Emperor last night. That is why I switched to my tablet and wound up reading The Enchanted. My e-books could sync with each other, but that would mean using the internet...
• I seem to be having a fantasy-heavy year. If nothing is working for me, usually switching to a fantasy novel works.
• It is really fun to just flip around in your e-reader and read whatever works for you. Even if I do not have specific reading plans, there is usually a book I have in mind to read next. This weekend I am just reading whatever.

I look forward to seeing where my reading takes me next! And, this has been my rambles for Saturday...

Twenty-Five Favourite Books... So Far...

On August 23, 2006 I said that these were my favourite books (so far):

The Time-Traveller's Wife - Audrey Nieffenegger

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Phantom - Susan Kay

The Other Boelyn Girl - Philippa Gregory

The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Penman

A Rose for the Crown - Anne Easter Smith

All Families are Psychotic - Douglas Coupland

The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

Amazonia - James Rollins

Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery

Green Grass, Running Water - Thomas King

The Birth House - Ami McKay

Black and Blue - Anna Quindlen

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Moon Called - Patricia Briggs

The Dark Queen - Susan Carroll

Crow Lake - Mary Lawson

Daughter of Fortune - Isabel Allende

The Skystone - Jack Whyte

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

Fortune's Rocks - Anita Shreve

The Romantic - Barbara Gowdy

Embers from the Sun - Mark Cantor

Lord of the Silver Bow - David Gemmell

Downhill Chance - Donna Morrissey

Now, if I were to update this list 6 years later (And not in any particular order):

1. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
2. Shadows Walking by Douglas Skopp
3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
6. The Republic of Nothing by Lesley Choyce
7. Ghost Rider by Neil Peart
8. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld
9. Phantom by Susan Kay
10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
11. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
12. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
13. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
14. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
15. The Book of Flying by Keith Miller
16. Jolted by Arthur Slade
17. The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
18. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
19. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman
20. The Time-Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
21. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
22. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
23. Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
24. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
25. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

This was actually easier in 2006 because I wasn't always the best about keeping track of my reading back then. Now I have a lot of books to choose from!