Sunday Post #38 and Stacking the Shelves October 11th, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 
Last week on the blog:

• Review and Blog Tour:  Future Perfect by Jen Larsen
• Cover Characteristic: Airplanes
•  Books to Movies Giveaway Hop (4 more days to enter!)
•  Promo Post:  Another Girl by Allison Burnett
• Review:  The Detour by S.A. Bodeen 
• Audio Review:  Rapture (Fallen #4) by Lauren Kate 

I got one post done each day. Didn't get as much reading as I wanted done last week though, even if I did still get at least two reviews posted.  Need to get back on track!   I am still on track with my Blog Ahead, as of yesterday I have one post scheduled from November 1st on for each day of October, still need to do one today.  For preparing for NaNoWriMo, I met with my writing partner both last Sunday and today, and I've gotten several prompts written.  Hoping that will be helpful since I'm not having a easy of a time with doing an outline this time.  I've also really started using my Facebook page for my blog more.  Hope to get that going in a more interactive way eventually.  My Fit Blogger goals, well, nothing done this week.

 This week on the blog:

• Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull Spotlight Post
• October New Release Giveaway starts Wednesday
• Interview Post for Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall
• Cover Characteristic:  TVs
• Review:  The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
• Possible Reviews:  The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow, The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff.

I started a new audiobook yesterday, Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor, but I'm not sure I'm enjoying the narrator.  Yes, I know the characters are from Prague, and yes they would have an accent if I listened to them talk. But the narrator doing the fake accent in the audio book really makes it hard for me to listen to it.  So I may have to do a different audio book. And that is going to be very important as a goal I've set for myself this week is to get back to walking.  I mean I'm now paying for the Planet Fitness membershp, and yes it's a good price, but only if I'm using it.  So I must make sure to get my exercise clothes packed and ready to take to work with me every day this week.  But it also means I need a good audio book to listen to while I'm on the treadmill.  

I really want to go see The Martian this week.  I didn't end up going last Tuesday night like I'd planned, as I felt too broke to go. But I really am going to try to go this week, because I want to see it so bad!  I've also decided that I think I'm going to go to the NOLA Story-Con next September.  I think I've given up on being able to save money to go to the annual ALA convention in Orlando next summer.  As much as I want to go, I just think it might be unrealistic for me to save as much money as Orlando will cost. Especially since if I go, I will HAVE to go to the Harry Potter park at Universal, and that won't be cheap.  So I'm going to go ahead and purchase a VIP ticket for the NOLA Story-Con when they go on sale this month and make that my plan.  My friend said I could stay in his condo again, and then I'll just have to figure out a cheap airplane ticket, or see if I can convince my brother to get me another plane ticket with all his miles.  

I pretty much have writing dates set up with my friend every Sunday this month in prep for NanNoWriMo, and then our November writing dates will be much more frequent!  I've also still been keeping up with my Instagram October Book Challenge.  I really, really, really want to actually go a whole month without just stopping. 

 Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  It's a pretty big pile of physical books this week!   It was a much smaller week, purchase-wise, in that I didn't buy anything, hooray!

Physical books:

 I got this as a strip cover from the bookstore where I work.  I've wanted to read this since I first saw it on Netgalley or Edelweiss, and then was turned down to read the egalley, but I'd really enjoyed another book by the author.  The 2nd one I won from the YA Scavenger Hunt!  I was so excited to get the email that I'd won it after I didn't get all the groups entered in time.  

Free e-books:

 The very last book I realized I'd already downloaded and owned from Kindle, but oh well, different cover, Nook book.  I'll get to it.  I know that some of them are not free anymore, but I got them from both Amazon and Nook, so you'd have to check to see what they were now.

No e-galleys this week.  Which is good since I have got to slow down and am now even not getting to all the ones I've requested.  One of my goals next year.  

So, what books did you add to your shelves this week? 

 

Review: Waterfall (River of Time #1) by Lisa Tawn Bergren (COYER Summer Challenge #1)

This is a book I downloaded for free quite a while ago.  I think it was one of the first books I downloaded for my Nook that wasn't an e-galley.  Now that I've read it, just as with other books like this I read for the last COYER challenge, I can't believe I waited for so long!

The main character is Gabi.  Her mother is an archaeologist, and so she and her younger sister Lia are spending their summer on a dig site in Tuscany.  But as the girls have been doing this their entire life, they know this isn't as glamorous as it seems.  They'll be stuck in a small town, away from anything that other kids their age will be doing.  When they get to this site there is a bit of an issue with a local official, which gives Gabi and Lia the chance to sneak off to get a look at the artifacts before everything is cleared out, something they normally have to wait for.  When they find these interesting handprints on the wall of the tomb, they each put one of their hands on the print that fits them, and when the stone becomes warm instead of how a stone is normally cool, things start to get weird.  Gabi pulls her hand away first, and lands in the past, 14th century Italy, where there is a fight going on for the land.  Her sister doesn't seem to be there. But she knows that she must find her sister.  She will have to learn how to live and speak with the people of this time, fortunately she knows Italian, and also figure out how to get their help to find her sister.  Of course there will be love, not only is it a love she shouldn't have because of the years of time between when they live, but he is also taken. There will also be bad guys out to take over the castello where she has been helped, and grown to feel a part of the family, as she helps them in ways she can as well  There is family intrigue, forbidden romance, and some interesting history woven in. 

While it is a Christian book, it is in a way that I totally liked. The main girl was not really religious but began to wonder in the book what was really out there. And I like the way it was done.  As someone who grew up very religious, attending a religious school from 1st-8th grade, but now questioning what I believe, it was done very realistically.  While I'm now not sure if I believe, I do still find myself praying for help, etc., just like Gabi did. 

I now have to wait until I can get a copy of the 2nd book to read.  Definitely a good read, a quick read, and highly recommended.

Sunday Post #23 and Stacking the Shelves April 12th, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.   


Last week on the blog:

• A to Z Challenge:  E Reviews, F Reviews, G Reviews, H Reviews, I Reviews, J Reviews
•  Review:  Broken Symmetry by Dan Rix
•  Review and Blog Tour:  Becoming Jinn  by Lori Goldstein

So far my mini-mini-reviews for the A to Z Challenge have gone well.  I also met my two new reviews a week goal as well.  Not time for much else really, it was a busy week with working three nights at the bookstore. 

This week on the blog:

• A to Z Challenge, posts K-P
• Review and Bog tour:  Supervision by Alison Stine
• Review and Blog tour:  Never Sleep by Cady Vance
• Review and Blog tour:  Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman
• Maybe Cover Characteristic

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  This was a huge week for e-galleys!  Let's hope I can remember all that I got.  But let's start with the easy books, the physical ones.

Borrowed:
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I checked out the first one from the bookstore where I work.  The 2nd one a fellow teacher loaned me after we discussed both loving Grasshopper Jungle by the same author.

YA Book Exchange:

I finally have the ARC that I'd hoped for at BEA last summer, but it wasn't even offered then, only a sampler.  Very glad to have it!  Thanks to Emily at Falling for YA for trading with me.

E-galleys from Edelweiss:

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Look at all these wonderful books!  And there were more I thought about, but I had to hold myself back!  Three of these were already on my TBR list, and the other two I had to add of course.

E-galleys from Netgalley:

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 I've never read Mercedes Lackey, so the first one is really exciting for me.  The second one is one that falls into my latest obsession with fairy tale retellings.  Disney is publishing this retelling of Aladdin.  The third one is by a favorite author of mine, just a little teaser story before the actual Lois Lane is published.  And the last one, well you've probably seen me mention how excited I am for it!  So excited to see it on Netgalley!

Free Nook Books:

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Ooh, almost forgot one more that I got for free and was very happy because it is by an author I read a book by a while back and was waiting to see when this would come out.

E-books for Review:

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Purchased e-books:

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 I won a $5 Amazon Gift Card for a Twitter contest posted by Kelly's Lucky You, where I guessed who was the first voice of Mickey Mouse.  It was Walt Disney himself if you didn't know.

So that is my week, including all the ebooks I added to my Nook this week!  Were you able to get ahold of any of these egalleys or free ebooks?  And while you're here, make sure to enter my giveaway that goes along with my A to Z Challenge in the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves - January 31st, 2015

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  I added quite a few this week, so not great for trying to get less books, but hey, any new books are things that make me happy.  

Free e-books for Review:

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The first one I got for a Book Tour.  The second one I got through The Book Machine.

Free e-books:

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The first one I got through Amazon, the second through Nook.

Physical book won:

I won this back in October from Books a la mode, just finally got it in the mail from the publisher. Purchased from The Book Outlet:  With a $5 gift code I got from them, it only cost $5 out of my pocket to get these 3 books, and the middle one was a hardcover book!  It's the only one I've actually read of the three, so that means the other two are ones I need to read still. Physical book purchased from the book store: Again I've already read the first one, just needed it on my shelf, as well as my sister wants to finish reading the series.  And the 2nd one I had to have, loved that show, and thought it would be fun to play!   Physical ARCs:  The first one I don't know if I requested through Shelf Awareness newsletter, or what, but now that I read what it is actually about, not sure I want to read it.  I may let a science teacher at my school have it.  The 2nd one is a street team that I'm very excited to be a part of.  Can't wait to read the book and share it with you.  I also got that cool book bag with it! E-galleys: The first two are from Netgalley.  The 2nd two are from Edelweiss.  And can I get a squee for how excited about the last one, Get Dirty, I am?  Can't wait to read it!  Loved the first one.   Whew!!!  So many books this way!  But some pretty good ones.  So what did you add to your shelves this week?