Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I was so excited with myself this year. I started using Canva and actually making buttons for my blog. Now, everything I used to use on there seems to cost money. It has taken the fun out of the button making because I spend forever trying to find something free. I use my own pictures, I just like the formatting is all ready done and I just change it to what I want to say...

2. | My birthday was an event this year. My maternal grandmother is still alive and she fell last week. So, she was in the hospital recuperating. She has a blood disorder, though, and some other things popped up on my birthday. So, it was a memorable birthday for a not so great reason. She seems to be on the mend again now, so we will see how it plays out.

3. | My grandmother always gives me money for books for my birthday. She was the first person to give me a book gift card ever because the rest of my family didn't seem to understand that books for gifts were fun for me. I had spent her gift this year before my birthday even happened and the books arrived on Wednesday. I am excited to read them all.

4. | I bought more books recently than I should have. I am not finding enough time to read, so everything is going very slowly! And then I have all these books calling to me. It is a struggle! I would like to read a lot of books before the year ends, but unless something really changes that is not looking too promising!

5. | I resurrected the cleaning schedule this week because my house was starting to get overwhelming again. I felt way better just after the first day when I tackled the living room and kitchen. It's just that things do not stay clean. I get really frustrated. I have an issue with Finn (the orange cat) where he throws litter everywhere. So, I clean it up and everything is clean and then come back out a bit later and it is everywhere again. I wish he would stop. He will for a long time and then start up again. It has just been really bad the last couple weeks.

6. | I am wondering when posting on Litsy and Instagram is going to get overwhelming. I have been doing a photo challenge list on Litsy, posting my finished reads, and joining in on theme days. Then, on Instagram I sometimes use the same pictures for other reasons, but typically have to take new pictures for the scavenger hunts I do and the fact that since it is getting back to the colder part of the year, I started doing photo a day again. It's fun, but time consuming!

7. | I am excited about the up-coming three day weekend. I have no idea what the plans will be, but it is a three day weekend. I am hoping to get some reading done because this week has been slow for it... I do know there will be Thanksgiving dinner and I agreed to make pie. Normally for these family events I volunteer myself for things that are all ready made, but I decided to branch out this year. And, if it fails the stores sell all ready made pie!

Birthday Books ~ The 2016 Version

I was trying to think of something to blog about and I got to thinking I used to share my birthday books around this time of the year in the past. My birthday is not until October, but I always pick some books I am excited about as a gift either to myself or sometimes someone else is interested in buying me books. This year they will be a gift! But, I picked them out so I all ready know what will be arriving...

I have been trying to be good and not buy any colouring books because I have so many now, but this one has been on my wish list forever and I always end up taking it off in place of something else. I figured now was the time to order it, so I hope I enjoy it. I have always looked for it in bookstores to see all of the inside and it is not one that ever seems to be in stock. At least it has a great cover!

I read this as an e-galley when it first came out and have always wanted a copy for rereading purposes. I still have not read the follow-up, so decided that since rereading has been going relatively well for me so far this year, it was time to get to the sequel after rereading this one.

I had this preordered but cancelled it because I still have not read Winter. That has not changed, but I would like to finish off this series before starting her new series. So, hopefully I can find time as the year ends to read this and Winter.

I recently read a review of this and it sounds like a 'me' book. So, after being indecisive for like an hour, this is the one that I ended up finishing up my splurge with. There were a few other books on my list that I had wanted to get, but either the prices were crazy (books have got sooo expensive) or I just wasn't sure about what I wanted to do about the series (like Shutter, didn't really enjoy the recent volume so not sure if I want to continue the series...).

Birthday Books...

My birthday is not for about another 2 weeks, but as an early gift and to celebrate my new job... I bought books... It is a 'this time of the year' thing for me. I always try to swing it no matter the circumstances. (hm, in writing this post I discovered that the reason my order was cheaper than expected is because I forgot a book... oops!)

Anyway, so far only one book has arrived:

The only thing is the cover is not this one and that means it doesn't match the first 3 books in the series. Sad...

Then, on its way to me are:

This is the book I thought I ordered and didn't... I was wondering why it hadn't arrived yet!

I bought this by impulse. It sounds good and is compared to some other good series...

I really liked Tender Morsels and people are really liking this one so far...

New Libba Bray! Series start, too. I loved her other trilogy.

The sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns which I enjoyed earlier this year...

Then, I was thinking I was under budget because I forgot the Derek Landy... So, I got this book because I love the author and want to start collecting his books:

So, that's my book splurge of the moment... I have even sort of started reading again. Yay, me! I am reading The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton. A nice book for this time of year. Then, back to blog tours and such that I am failing on...

Birthday Loot

I said I would do a separate post with my Birthday Loot, so I thought I would post it now since all of my books have arrived. My birthday is not actually until Monday, but since I don't expect to receive any other books there is not much point in waiting. I have to catch-up with Jim Butcher's Storm Front for the R.I.P. Read-Along on Monday, anyway.

I bought myself 5 books. There was meant to be at least one more, but I am a bit hesitant about ordering books online at the moment. The mail experiences that I spoke of in my post on Thursday explain why. I don't really need any more books, anyway. I think I have read too many good books lately. It is dulling my reading experience the last couple weeks.

The books I bought were:

Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham - This is an example of my having some issues with my reading lately. I should be done this book by now, but I am really dragging my feet. It is not terrible, but it is nothing like Fables, either. I think I am a bit let down by the experience.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy - This is actually the reason why I wrote the post 'Mail Woes'. It took two weeks for the book to get here and then when it did the package was open. I think of all the books I bought, this is the one I was probably the most excited about. I love this series for some reason. I have started the book and it is fun to visit with old friends.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - I read this book finally last year and loved it, so I decided I wanted my own copy. I actually just finished watching the movie... It was actually pretty good! (FYI: You can watch the whole thing on YouTube.) I will probably review it as part of the R.I.P. challenge. I sort of want to buy a book I haven't read by du Maurier, but I think I will reread this one and take it from there.

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson - This is for the read-along that Carl, Heather, and I are co-hosting for the R.I.P. Challenge. It is actually the entire reason why I ordered books before my birthday instead of after. (The Read-Along starts on October 3.)

Prince of Thorns: Book One of The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence - This actually one of the reasons why I am having a hard time getting into books lately. I quite enjoyed this book and am glad that I splurged after knowing very little about it. September may not have been my busiest reading month number-wise, but it is probably the month where most of my best reads came from so far.

Happy Birthday, Marg!

Of all my blogging friends, I believe I have known Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader the longest. She is why I started blogging, actually. That means it is because of her that I have made so many wonderful blogging friends over the years and read lots of great books.

So, I just wanted to take a moment and wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

Everyone should head to Reading in Bed and wish the author, Vanessa, a very Happy Birthday!

Vanessa is actually one of my real life friends. We have known each other since we were about 12 or 13. We are currently reading Patricia Briggs' books together to eventually do a buddy review of them.

Another Year Older...

Hard to believe it is my birthday again all ready! It seems like a year goes by faster and faster now that I am older. It probably will just get worse... Here's hoping that this year is a wonderful year!

Another Year Older...

I guess it is my birthday! So, that means I am another year older today. This last year seemed to go by really really fast!

I actually celebrated Thursday and I had a lot of fun! We went out to see a band and they sang 'happy birthday' to me which I thought was really cool! (It was also a first for me!) Overall it was a fun night!

Looking forward to what the next year brings... Especially tying to figure out how to make time go slower!

Happy Birthday!

Even though he doesn't read my blog with any real regularity, it is the charming comedians birthday, so I decided I should at least acknowledge it! Last year he worked, so this year it is nice that he is off work and we can actually do something! I gave him a CD, The Powder Blue Band, and we are going to see the new Star Trek movie when it opens. Other than that, it will just be going out for supper and all that stuff! I don't go all out for birthdays and he actually doesn't like cake! (Works for me, I hate icing...)

Anyway, I will say that when he knows I have mentioned him on my blog, he loves reading the comments! He will ask me days later if anyone said anything else, so feel free to comment so I have something to tell him!

Book Haul

I thought people might be wondering what I got for my birthday book-wise... I haven't bought a lot of books this year, so I decided to take some of my birthday money and go on a bit of a splurge. With that, I got:

Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
Once Upon a Dreadful Day by Dennis McKiernan
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson
Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery by Elizabet Waterston
What They Wanted by Donna Morrissey
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

That's a lot of books... I think I destroyed my year in two days!

I also got a gift card and ordered some Star Trek books online...

That's 18 books. Well... Maybe I shouldn't have admitted what I bought...

Today is the Day....

Last year I sang... This year I think I will pass. I am just sitting here waiting for my coffee to perk, so I figured I should stop in and update my blog since I have been so quiet this week. Even though today is actually my birthday, it will probably be a pretty basic day. I went out last night with the charming comedian, so that was my birthday treat. It was actually really fun! We went to the city, which is an hour away, and pretty much just wandered around. He is trying to get my car to run better, so he was messing around with my gas and stuff. I actually think it was driving better last night, so that was a good gift, I think.

Really, though, while the city was fun, my favourite moment from the night was when we were driving home in the car. I was driving and an Alice Cooper song came on. So, he cranked the stereo and sang one of my favourite Alice Cooper songs (actually the one I get him to sing at karaoke). He was worried he was hurting my ears, but I was quite enjoying it. The highway was quiet, we only met a couple cars, and I was eating some type of cracker. That was my favourite moment from the whole night. I think he does Alice Cooper better than Alice Cooper does it himself, but I might be a bit biased!

So, now, he is still sleeping and I am writing a pointless post and waiting for my coffee! My brother just called to say happy birthday, which really shocked me! Actually, it shocked me so much that I had to call my mother and tell her! She was even surprised, she didn't believe me at first!

Oh, and what did he get me for my birthday? I am sure you are wondering... BAILEY'S! The Carmel flavoured kind. I still haven't had any, though. He also took me out for supper. So, now to see what today brings. I had funny stories, but I haven't had coffee yet, so my mind is still sleeping. Maybe I will add some later! I also might review a book... Shocking, I know!

I'm Alive!

Yesterday was my birthday. It was good. :) I got a Sharon Shinn trilogy, as well as a few other things. I was just browsing my book reviews for September, and I think I might have forgotten to review A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon! That was very uncool of me, I will look more closely and see if I have it saved in draft, and if I don't, I will review it on the weekend. As well as Marjane Satrapi's new book, which I also read in September. So far this month, I have finished The Owl and Moon Cafe by Jo-Anne Mapson. I am currently reading a book that I am not sure if it is even out yet. It is called The Uses of Enchantment by Heidi Julavits. I got it in the mail from Random House yesterday, and it is pretty good so far. I really must pick up on my reading, my pile is larger than it normally is. My birthday does that, though. I will crack down and get reading, hopefully, soon.

After The Uses of Enchantment, I want to read Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier. I keep meaning to start it, but I haven't yet. I should be like Dance Chica and write a to do list, it would look a lot like hers!

Book Money

As I think I have made relatively clear, Tuesday is my birthday. That means, I get books. It started today. I had money for the second hand bookstore, and with the second hand bookstore I can either found lots of books that I want, or none. Today, I spent all my book money in one stop. And just in the fantasy aisle...

I got:

The Warrior Prophet - The Prince of Nothing Trilogy - book 2 by R. Scott Bakker (have book 1 already)

R. Scott Bakker established himself as a fantasy writer to watch with The Darkness That Comes Before, the first volume of his Prince of Nothing trilogy. That book largely set the scene for the epic series, introducing the main characters and providing the mandatory fantasy backdrop of an earth-shattering war against an evil, godlike figure. With the explication out of the way, Bakker is free to get on with the action, and The Warrior-Prophet is all action. The novel begins with The Holy War, a Crusades-like army made up of vying factions, invading the desert lands of the jihadist Fanhim. The following 600-plus pages feature one large battle after another, broken up only by 600-plus various subplots involving sorcerous conspiracies and the occasional romantic interlude. Hundreds of thousands die, but Bakker never loses his focus on the human side of the struggles, following the individual quests of characters in the madness of all-out war: the warrior prophet Kellus seeks to unite the strife-riven Holy War before it destroys itself--and him--in the desert; the sorcerer Achamian attempts to understand both his nightmares of the dread No-God's re-awakening and his relationship with Esmenet, a prostitute; the barbarian Cnaiur becomes a fierce leader of the war but slowly goes mad in his thirst for vengeance against Kellhus's father; and secret skin-spies of the demonic Consult seek to control events to usher in their own desired apocalypse. Bakker even pays careful attention to the minor characters, describing the heroic actions and deaths of various warriors in battle, until The Warrior-Prophet often reads more like a history, or even a battle song, than a conventional fantasy novel.

Unfortunately, this is also the book's one weakness. There are so many characters and intrigues that readers will have to frequently consult the glossary to remind themselves of who's who and why they're fighting each other. But it's probably not fair to criticize a fantasy tale for presenting a world that's too real. And it's the world of Earwa that is the real star of the trilogy, as Bakker has invested it with a breathtaking social complexity, thanks in part to his allusions to European and Middle Eastern history. Earwa deserves a place beside Tolkien's Middle-earth, Robert E. Howard's Hyborian world, and Steve Erikson's Malazan Empire in the annals of great fantasy worlds. --Peter Darbyshire

The Dreaming Tree - C.J. Cherryh

Journey to a transitional time in the world, as the dawn of mortal man brings about the downfall of elven magic. But there remains one final place untouched by human hands--the small forest of Ealdwood, in which dwells Arafel the Sidhe, who has more love of the earth than any of her kind. This is a moving, compelling tale of the last stronghold of immortality struggling to survive the rise of man.

Dark Lover - J.R. Ward and Lover Awakened - J.R. Ward
I think most people know what these are about. I wouldn't have bought them if they were not second hand, so if I don't like them, at least they were cheap!

Winter Warriors - David Gemmel - Book 8 in The Drensai Series

David Gemmell has a talent for fantasy tales of heroism and villainy that feature characters who, while sympathetically flawed, are almost superhumanly good at what they do. Often these people are warriors: finely drawn, emotionally complex, and struggling with their individual human challenges against the backdrop of epic events.

The heroic figures here are three Drenai soldiers, Nogusta, Bison, and Kebra, whose services have been rejected by their king because they are no longer young. However, while these old friends might be a tad past their best, they are still very good indeed, and when they are called upon to protect the infant heir to the throne, the little prince could not be in better hands. In the midst of flight and eventual, desperate battle against the forces of the demon lord Anharat, they fight not only a human army and a band of demon riders bent on the heir's death but their own doubts about their ability and worth. Gemmell is particularly deft at describing fine gradations of the friendship between the three men, including the subtleties of liking, of loving, and of the different strengths that come with age. Winter Warriors is both a fast-paced fantasy adventure and a powerful story of living and dying well.

Merlin - Book two of the Pendragon Cycle - Stephen R. Lawhead

An enchanting tale of love and loss, glory and grandeur, set in the twilight of Rome's power . . . where the Celtic chieftains of Britain battle to save their land from an onrushing darkness . . . In this modern classic, Stephen Lawhead presents a majestic retelling of Western literature's most compelling epic. Merlin. His golden eyes saw the shape of a world yet to be. His wisdom would light the path of the coming King. Born of a union between druid and faery, he was trained as a bard and schooled in the ways of battle. But his heart and calling were greater than a warrior's. Son of the great Taliesin, the song of his father coursed through his soul. Yet his life and mission were to be his own. And though sovereignty was his, he would lay it aside to serve a king of his own choosing. As his powers transcended those of mortal men, so, too, would his trials, his griefs . . . and the dark might of his most fearsome enemy. In the twilight of Tome's rule over the Island of the Mighty, as smaller men vied for ascendancy, his would be the hand to lay the foundations of a new order -- the Kingdom of Summer . . . and Arthur, Pendragon of Britain. Merlin is book two in the Pendragon Cycle

Arthur - Book 3 in the Pendragon Cycle - Stephen R. Lawhead

An enchanting tale of love and loss, glory and grandeur, set in the twilight of Rome's power . . . Where the Celtic chieftains of Britain battle to save their land from an onrushing darkness. . . . In this modern classic, Stephen Lawhead presents a majestic retelling of Western literature's most compelling epic. The Sword of Britain. While many strove to claim it, one hand alone could remove the blade of Kingship from its stone sheath. He came -- a raw youth among ambitious lords too blind to recognize their king. He came -- to a Britain divided, ripe for conquest by barbarian hordes. The songs of Taliesin the master bard had foretold his rising. The vision of Merlin the prophet would guide him. He was Arthur, Pendragon of the Isle of the Mighty. His courage would be lauded; his enemies, legion; his reign, legendary. Under Arthur, by wisdom as much as might, Britain would unite. Through Arthur would arise a kingdom of peace, prosperity, and righteousness -- the long-awaited Kingdom of Summer. Yet, in the midst of flourishing virtue, an evil would arise to challenge Britain's most brilliant Crown. . . . Arthur is book three in the Pendragon Cycle. Look for Taliesin and Merlin, books one and two in this award-winning Arthurian series by Stephen Lawhead.

Beneath the Vaulted Hills - Sean Russell - Book One in The River Into Darkness duology

Sean Russell writes for people who prefer books to movies. No snappy dialogue or nonstop action sequences, just a mesmerizing tale, multifaceted characters, and lyrical descriptive prose. Beneath the Vaulted Hills is the first part of Russel's River Into Darkness series, which is itself a two-part prequel to Russell's Moontide and Magic Rise series. Each series stands alone, despite some characters in common.

Both series are set in the first half of an alternative 19th century. In Beneath the Vaulted Hills, Lord Eldrich, the last Mage, seeks to suppress all knowledge of magical powers. Two young men, Hayes and Kehler, and the beautiful Countess of Chilton have discovered clues to a possible trove of magical lore. It's concealed in a labyrinthine cave system behind a mysterious "crypt" linked to Teller, a renegade mage apprentice who founded a society to preserve magic. Erasmus Flattery, once a student in Eldrich's household, knows how dangerous the Mage can be, but finds himself joining the investigation. Both the Tellerites and Lord Eldrich follow, determined to control their discoveries.

Russell has the rare ability to immerse his readers so completely in his tale that reaching the end feels like waking from a particularly vivid dream. Fortunately the second volume of the series, The Compass of the Soul, continues it.

And Lastly,

The Compass of the Soul - Sean Russell - Book Two of The River into Darkness duology

As Lord Eldrich, Farrland's last mage, seeks to destroy all vestiges of magic in the land, a young woman newly awakened to her magical powers strives to thwart his plans. Caught between the pair of warring sorcerers, a countess, a painter, a priest, and a philosopher find their lives shaped by fragmentary memories and dark visions of catastrophe. This sequel to Beneath the Vaulted Hills (DAW, 1997) demonstrates the author's talent for evocative storytelling and intricately drawn characters. Best read in tandem with its predecessor, Russell's finely etched tale of a world on the threshold of change belongs in most libraries.

Yeah, it has been a while since the second hand store has really had anything I wanted, so it was a good day!

Overload!

So, my birthday is October 3rd, and I was researching what books were coming out around my birthday on my wish list. I think I have a bit of a problem, because there are more than I thought! I am going to have a very hard time deciding...

Coming out in October:
Christmas to Remember - Thomas Kinkade (Oct 3/06)
Once Upon a Spring Morn - Dennis McKiernan (Oct 3/06)
Partners in Necessity - Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Oct 4/06)
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks (Oct 30/06)

If I get Once Upon a Spring Morn, I have to buy Once Upon an Autumn Eve first. I don't know if I want them in hardcover, though. I really liked the first two in the quarter, and I have been fighting myself over not the Autumn one for a while now.

Sharon Shinn also has a novel coming out, but I have lots of books by her to read beforehand, so no worries.

Then, there is one book in November. Magic and the Healing - Nick Odonohoe, which comes out November 7th. And I am getting the new Elizabeth Haydon book for Christmas... maybe. I have a few more to read before I get there, and I am slow, but she is an amazing author!

I think I just spent all my birthday money and then some....

After that, though, I just want Blood Bond - Patricia Briggs, which comes out in January. Anything else on my wish list for future releases I have taken care of.

What else does October mean? NEW DAVID GEMMELL BOOK!!!! The second in his trilogy on Troy. I am so excited, but I have that ordered already.

And not a word about me, the fantasy nerd, liking Nicholas Sparks or Thomas Kinkade.

Does anyone know when the new Isabel Allende book comes out? I searched for it on amazon, and I could only find it in Spanish. I will be very honest, I am more of an English reader myself... (I strongly recommend her, great author. I have read all her books but Zorro and her young adult trilogy.)