Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Happy Friday, folks! I saw this on a blog which lead me to Bookishly Boisterous who hosts it. It doesn't say there is a certain day to participate, so I decided to use it for today and join in! I am trying to do better at blogging and set ideas seems to be the method that is working for me right now!

1.| It is my birthday on Monday and compared to last year, I have bought a lot of books so far with various gift cards! The guy bought me these books I blogged about last week. Then with another gift card I bought The Geek Feminist Revolution and Three Dark Crowns. And, then, I went entirely crazy with the last one I received. On the way to me next week is The Girl From Everywhere, The Natural Way of Things, The Kingdom of Gods, The Obelisk Gate, Bellwether Rhapsody, and The Muse. I really need to keep up the reading, folks!

2. | As I mentioned on Sunday, I joined Litsy! I have been really excited about Litsy since it was released for Apple, but my poor little iPod is my only Apple product and it is too old to install new apps. So, I had to wait! I have been having fun with it, though. I was all ready a heavy Instagram user, so now I have two places to take pictures. I am bookishnerd on there. I have been trying to get other friends that don't really blog anymore to join, but not been successful so far...

3. | I have amazingly kept up my Bullet Journal and added in a regular planner! I have lost some of the steam with both projects this week because been busy with other things, but still keeping them up! One thing I have slacked on is my cleaning schedule because I thought I had developed the habits enough I didn't need to have a set thing everyday... But, feel like that has slacked this week. I might go back to it for October to get back on track!

4. | I have been trying to blog more and I am not sure what I think about it really. If I post tomorrow, I will have posted everyday this week. I am not sure when the last time I accomplished that was! And, it really doesn't take that much time away from other things because I work on it a bit at a time (other than this post which I am writing on Friday because yesterday was a crazy day...). But, I don't really think I have the readership I once had and people don't really comment. Am I doing this to talk to myself?

5. | Another thing I have slacked on is adding books to Libib. I did all my physical books, but e-books and audiobooks I have to enter manually and I just haven't made it work in my schedule lately because it takes longer. I would like to have that completed by the end of October, so I should brainstorm when to fit it in! Instead, I rearranged books this week because I wasn't happy with the way they were before and now I have to tidy the shelves up.

6. | I have no real plans for the weekend. Maybe a reading weekend? That would be so nice! I hardly ever have free days to just read anymore. What are your plans for the weekend?

A Bookish Meme

I saw this on Jenni's blog and thought it would be fun to do.

1. | What book is currently on your nightstand?

~ Nothing. I keep putting things back because my reading has been so sporadic! My tablet rests there sometimes, though, and more recently I have been reading The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin on in.

2. | What was the last truly great book you read?

~ Nevernight was probably the most recent, but I have read a lot of really good books this year despite reading slumps... 

3. | If you could meet any other, dead or alive, who would it be? And what would you like to know?

~ Man, I have no idea. I have too many favourite authors to ever narrow down who I would like to meet about all others!

4. | What books might someone be surprised to find on your shelves?

~ Well, I don't think my reading is really a secret since I blog about it in some capacity... Most of my shelves are fantasy, science-fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction. I suppose books that don't meet those genres? I have a bunch of J.D. Robb! I haven't read much from her in years despite efforts to try and get back around to her...

5. | How do you organise your personal library?

~ Currently, it is alphabetical by author. It used to be broken into genres and then by author, but that got too complicated. My TBR is mixed in with my read books, too. If I had more room, it would likely be more broken up. But, I can find books and that is ultimately the important thing!

6. | What book have you always meant to read and haven't gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

~ This post could go on forever if I discussed every book that I have been meaning to get to and haven't. I think one surprising thing is Sharon Kay Penman. I loved The Sunne in Splendour but have never read anything else by her! As to the second half of this question, there are so many classics that I have never got around to reading... And, I know there are many I would love. One day I will get to them!

7. | Disappointing, overrated, just not good: which book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

~  I know that lots of people love Pullman, but this trilogy didn't work for me at all. It sounded like a me book at the time, but I just only kind of liked it and have never felt any interest in reading the sequels. As to books I have put down? So many. I have started books all over the place the last few months. It is likely not the book, but me, so I won't name names.

8. | What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you steer clear of?

~ I would say my favourite genre is fantasy. It is definitely the type of genre that I can always find stories that I enjoy in it and it is where I am comfortable. As to what I steer clear of... Westerns. I don't think I have read a Western in the entire time I have been blogging.

9. | What do you plan to read next?

~ The Last Days of Magic will likely be my next audio. Have no idea what I will read with my eyes next, though!

*Note, if you plan to do this yourself there was another question that I skipped. Please see Jenni's post if you are interested!

Wordless Wednesday - Take 2

Panucke Lake, Nova Scotia

To see more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books On My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

With the moody way that I tend to read, everything could be on my Fall TBR... But, if I was making a list and actually following it, these would be the books I would like to get to!

Music Munday - Idina Menzel (Week 1)

Not really happy with this icon, but everything I used to use on Canva costs money now. :(

I am not someone that really pays attention to music, but way back in 2009 I used to do a Music Munday feature and I thought I would bring it back... We will see if I can think of enough to post about to make it a regular thing! The reason I am thinking about music today is because I decided to try out Idina Menzel's new CD. I know that she is very popular for Frozen, but I loved her in Rent and have kept my eye on her over the years. While her new CD is not my typical music, I did like it overall and enjoyed a couple of the songs.

The two I thought I would share are these:


And, if you have never seen her in Rent, check out this video!
(If anyone is bored and better at graphics than me, can you make me a nicer one? lol)

Week in Review - Week 39

Random Thoughts

Okay, folks. I blogged everyday this week but Monday! When does that ever happen? Yes, they were not reviews and were mostly just pictures and answering questions I found online, but, still.... Blogged 6 out of 7 days. We will see if that ever happens again. I guess the secret is to work on a blog post a bit every day so then you get ahead and it is not so overwhelming! Like, this post... I started it on Wednesday instead of throwing it together in a rush on Sunday. I am still pretty happy that I have posted this Week in Review post every Sunday for 39 weeks now. That is pretty consistent blogging for me after years of sporadic posts. Who knows, maybe I will even start reviewing books again... Or, not. We will see where I head. I go through periods where I consider just deleting my blog, but in the end I stick it out!

In other news, Litsy is available for Android now, so you can add me if you like! I am bookishnerd on there.

Graphic Novel Year

Batgirl - Volume 3: Mindfields

Currently Reading

Not sure... Haven't had a chance to start anything new!

Audiobook

(I think, anyway. I haven't had a chance to start a new audio yet.)

Weekly Reads

Batgirl - Volume 3: Mindfields ~ A new edition in the Batgirl series that continues to be fun. I really enjoy this interpretation of Batgirl and all of the characters that are included in her adventures. Cameron Stewart does a great job with the writing and the art is really well done. If you haven't tried this series and like this type of thing, worth checking out! Recommended!

The Bone Knife ~ Since I have Scribd back again, I have been exploring titles in my library. I have been meaning to read Intisar Khanani for ages and just never got around to her... Until now! This was only a short story, but it was unlimited on Scribd and a good way to try her writing. It really is as good as people say, even in this short form, and I am so glad I finally gave her a try! I am pretty sure between Scribd and my e-books, I have most of her books. So, hopefully will enjoy her other stuff, too! Recommended!

The Rook ~ I really liked this audio production of Daniel O'Malley's novel. I think the narrator fit the main character perfectly and captured the overall personality of her. I have heard the buzz around this book, but actually had no idea what the story was about. It turns out it is a supernatural society that fits perfectly with this time of year. I have heard the sequel is not quite as good, but I probably will check it out sooner rather than later. Recommended!

Where Am I Now? ~ I had originally planned to read this in paperback, but I had an Audible credit and decided to see what it was like in audio. I really rarely read celebrity memoirs, but Mara Wilson is one actress that I watched in her famous days and was curious where she was now. The book is a collection of essays narrated by her and while it was not amazing, I did really like it. I was not surprised when one whole essay was about Robin Williams. She also talked about her early life, current life, struggles, etc. Her life was pretty normal! Recommended!

Sunbolt ~ I am so proud of myself. Two books by the same author in one week! I think I should keep the momentum going and read the sequel to this next... It's on Scribd. I really like her books so far and finally get why everyone was recommending them! This was a novella, but I believe the sequel is a full-length novel. I haven't had a chance to check as I just finished this last night. Great cover art, too! Recommended!

New Additions

Nothing this week...

Weekly Posts

Week in Review - Week 38

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Eleven Audiobooks I Have Enjoyed in 2016

Wordless Wednesday - Take 1
Birthday Books ~ The 2016 Edition
Book Blogger Hop - Take 1
Saturday Snapshot - Take 2

Weekly Pictures

Saturday Snapshot - Take 2

Despite the fact that this dog rarely looks at the camera, I really like this shot of him and the start of fall behind him.

Book Blogger Hop - Take 1

Book Blogger Hop

Question: How many years have you been blogging? Anything special you want to tell everyone about your experiences?

Answer: In December I celebrate my 11th Blogging Anniversary. (I had a Live Journal before that, but I don't count it). I started blogging because an online friend got into in November. Book blogging was still a relatively new thing back then. Then, it sort of exploded. It is hard to believe what has changed in that time. I remember when I first started getting offered review copies of books. I was so excited! This was before e-readers were popular, or maybe even invented... (I was a bit slow to e-readers, so I can't remember when they launched). It was before Netgalley, Twitter, and Instagram. There was Facebook, though, but social media was just in its infancy. And, now... I find the blogging world can get kind of overwhelming. I try to stick to my quiet little corner and I don't branch out like I used to. I rarely accept review copies any more and most of my book blogging is a Sunday post where I tell what I read that week. My blog has changed a lot from the one that I started, but I like how it has changed. I still read, but I have developed many other interests that I like to talk about. And, my blogging ebbs and flows, but that's life...

How long have you been blogging? What are your thoughts on it?

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...).