On Hiatus

This blog is on hiatus.  I do not know how long or if it is permanent.  Various things have contributed to this.  But mainly that I am overwhelmed and short on time.  I have been dragging this blog through the mud basically for the past year, not able to devout the time is needs and deserves.  It was taking 20+ hours a week just to promote, fix/edit posts errors and coding, write posts/reviews, comment, etc.  My reading has been cut in half!  My family and friends have suffered as well, spending less time with me.  It isn't fair to them.  Plus I am enjoying reading less than I used to.  Books have sat unread on my shelf for years due to trying (and failing) to keep up with review books and newer titles.  And it seemed I was still always behind which just stressed me out.

I will still be around the community, on twitter, and especially goodreads.  I will be visiting other blogs more and still be a part of the community.  But for right now I just do not have the time, energy or drive to keep up posts here right now.  I have more fun just chatting about the books versus formal reviews and having to post oh so often to keep a flow of traffic.  I rarely have been visiting other blogs and commenting and I hate that and want to get back into it again.

If things in life settle down or I miss blogging too much I will come back and in the meanwhile lets keep in touch via social media.

 To authors and publishers who I have yet to read and review your book, I still do short reviews on Goodreads and reviews will still go up on Amazon, but I cannot promise how quickly as I  am adjusting and re-balancing my reading habits to include unfinished series, older titles, books that have been neglected on my shelves for too long etc. 

Task It Tuesday- A Push on Digital Organization

A new month and a fresh chance!  I didn't get as much done on this task list as I would have liked last month but I got quite a bit done nonetheless.  I hope to try and do a bit better this month though.

  

Blogging or Book related

1.  Write& post 10 reviews.  Due July 26th 
2.  Finish getting Archive, Genres and Guest Interview pages up to date Due July 12th
3. Catalog All my physical books.    Due End of August
4.  Respond to all Blog Comments for 2016 Due July 26th
5. Responding to all comments made prior to 2016 Due July 26th 
6. Write 3 discussion or topic based posts Due July 26th 
7. Sort and Organize my Goodreads shelves  Due End of August
8.  Organize Manga bookcases Due July 12th
9.  Go back and add links to all edelweiss reviews. Due July 19th
10. Participate in at least 2 Top Ten Tuesdays Due July 26th DID ONE!
11.  Clean up Twitter Accounts I follow Due July 26th
12. Clean if Facebook pages I follow Due July 26th
13. Clean up GFC blogs I follow Due Mid August
14. Clean up Bloglovin Accounts I follow Due Mid August
15.  Go through and properly tag all posts Due Mid August
16.  Get review posts on Pinterest Due July 19th
17. Check out Edelweiss and Netgalley for new titles I must request Due July 12th 
18. Organize Phyical Bookcases  Due End of August 

Top Ten Tuesday- Ten Books I Have Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Ratings On Goodreads

 

 

Ten Books I Have Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Ratings On Goodreads

 

Please note that these are mode based and are ones that are currently calling out to me saying they deserve recognition.  It was a tough call with many eliminations.   To keep is simple, I stuck to middle grade, YA or adult novels only.  No graphic novels, young kids books, nonfiction included.  Also I made the rule that books have to be first in a series to make it here.  

 

 

Graphic Novel Review: Death Follows

Death Follows

by Cullen Bunn, A.C. Zamudio & Carlos Nicolas Zamudio

Genre(s): Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 136

Published: June 2016

Publisher: Dark Horse Books

Official Summary:  "Birdie, her sister, their pregnant mother, and their sickly father all live together on a struggling farm. When an itinerant farmhand named Cole comes to their aid, the children should be relieved. Instead, they find their lives spiraling into nightmare, as Cole regards Birdie with menacing desire. To make matters much worse, wherever he goes, the dead grow restless. As the horror threatens to consume her home and her family, Birdie is haunted by a chilling warning: Some secrets are meant only for the dead."

Review:  Some good creep factor in this graphic novel. When a stranger arrives looking for work and is hired on the spot then leers at little girls....beware.

Task It Tuesday-Far from Successful.

   What a terrible two weeks on my tasks!  Well, at least those that are here.  Work was busier than expected when unwanted follow-up legal drama that still needs to be resolved (GRRR...) Plus medical family issues arose. I did however, get a really good overhaul clean done on the house.  But still lots to do.  And hardly anything blog related.  I try to write reviews but they all sound horrible. I think I am going to be writing mostly shorter reviews for awhile.  They may not be very exact but hopefully enough to get across what I thought of a book.

Blue is what I have completed

Altercations or notes are in Purple.  This list will be refreshed at the beginning of each month.

Blogging or Book related

1.  Write/post 10 reviews Due June 28th  2 out of 10
2.  Finish getting Archive, Genres and Guest Interview pages up to date Due June 7th Progress
3. Catalog All my physical books.    Due Aug 30th
4.  Respond to all Blog Comments for 2016 Due June 14th
5. Responding to all comments made prior to 2016 Due June 28th
6. Write 3 discussion or topic based posts Due June 28th 1 done
7. Catch up on Challenge links Due June 7th Progress
8.  Participate in a Giveaway Hop Due June 28th
9. Sort and Organize my Goodreads shelves Due June 28th
10.  Organize Manga bookcases Due June 7th
11.  Go back and add links to all edelweiss reviews. Due June28th
12. Participate in at least 2 Top Ten Tuesdays Due June 28th 
13. Participate in at least 2 Stacking the Shelves  Due June 28th Did one!
14.  Clean up Twitter Accounts I follow Due June 28th
15. Clean if Facebook pages I follow Due June 28th Progress
16. Clean up GFC blogs I follow Due July 30th
17. Clean up Bloglovin Accounts I follow Due July 30th
18.  Go through and properly tag all posts Due July 30th
19.  Get review posts on Pinterest Due July 15th
20. Check out Edelweiss and Netgalley for new titles I must request Due June 7th 
21. Take bag of books to used bookstore.  Due June 14th

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Summer Reading 2016

My Top Ten Summer Reading line-up! These are my top focus books for this summer.  

Novels:

 


Graphic Novels:

5 Fandom Friday- Gateway Fandoms and Geeky Wardrobes!

 

I originally kept seeing this meme on Beth's blog Printcess and have enjoyed her posts on it so I decided to track down the origin, over at The Nerdy Girlie. It has been going on for nearly 3 years.  How did I never see this before?!  So I have to throw it out there.  I am way behind so I am starting with the oldest posts and working my way forward until I catch up.  Some weeks topics I might skip if I am less interested or they don't apply to me.  Other times I might to two, if they are short and quick.

SO, lets start this off with:

Gateway Fandoms That Made Me Who I Am Today 

 1. Star Wars- 

 

Starting with the original trilogy, then the young Jedi knights series, then theories on the prequels and what the concept of movies 7-9, to my first experiences reading fanfiction.  I collected the figurines, even exploring yard sales and flea Markets for "Vintage" action figures from the late 70s when the moves first started to come out.  When the Phantom Menace came out I collected the Pepsi cans with the characters.  Had ot have them all.  The book had multiple covers.  Had to have them all too.  It was insane for many years.  I have since slimmed the collection back No more saving empty shampoo bottles or pepsi cans, lol) but I still have some action figures and I still work to collect the books but I do not obsess at keeping up with them like I used to.

 

2. Sweet Valley

  

This is what I blame for my love of series' and the start of my book collecting.  From Sweet Valley Twins, High and University. I read them all.  I watched the TV show (however poor it was) and even had the board game!  I loved these two opposites.  Maybe because identical twins fascinated me.  Maybe because theirs names were two of my favorites growing up and I used to wish I was either one of them.  Regardless, I collected these books like crazy from late elementary through early high school.  I still have many of them and honesly how to read the ones I missed or re-read the ones I don't remember.  Just for old-times sake. 

 

3.  Harry Potter

 I was oblivious to this series at first.  It was actually an friend who was reading The Prisoner of Azkaban and was attempting to describe a Dementor to me that I first learned of the books existence.  A few weeks later I had the first book in my hands.  I read it within a day.  Over that summer I read it many more times plus caught up on the next two books, up the the current release.  From then on I bought each book the day of it's release.  Until this point, I had never done that with a book.  Movies were always seen opening weekend (usually the first midnight showing unless I had work).  This was how I really got into fanfiction.  While Star Wars was my first I had no idea what it actually was until Harry Potter.  This is how I got into fandom deserts and treats as well. 

Task It Tuesday- The need to catch up

A bit more of a productive week.  We got a new swamp cooler (LOVING IT!) Of course now we have a broken one in our yard, increasing work for that project.   Work was a bit busier this week so I didn't get quite as much as I would have liked but still I made some.  I got a bit sidetracked by a few games though.  

I feel a bit more productive today so I hope that carries throughout the week so I can catch up on these past due tasks!  Especially with special company coming-although that does divert my attention to mostly detailed housework but that can overlap with some projects maybe!

  

Blue is what I have completed

Altercations or notes are in Purple.  This list will be refreshed at the beginning of each month.

Blogging or Book related

1.  Write 20 reviews (post at least 1/2 of them).  Due June 28th  2 out of 20/10
2.  Finish getting Archive, Genres and Guest Interview pages up to date Due June 7th Progress
3. Catalog All my physical books.    Due Aug 30th
4.  Respond to all Blog Comments for 2016 Due June 14th
5. Responding to all comments made prior to 2016 Due June 28th
6. Write 3 discussion or topic based posts Due June 28th
7. Catch up on Challenge links Due June 7th Progress
8.  Participate in a Giveaway Hop Due June 28th
9. Sort and Organize my Goodreads shelves Due June 28th
10.  Organize Manga bookcases Due June 7th
11.  Go back and add links to all edelweiss reviews. Due June28th
12. Participate in at least 2 Top Ten Tuesdays Due June 28th Did one!
13. Participate in at least 2 Stacking the Shelves  Due June 28th Did one!
14.  Clean up Twitter Accounts I follow Due June 28th
15. Clean if Facebook pages I follow Due June 28th Progress
16. Clean up GFC blogs I follow Due July 30th
17. Clean up Bloglovin Accounts I follow Due July 30th
18.  Go through and properly tag all posts Due July 30th
19.  Get review posts on Pinterest Due July 15th
20. Check out Edelweiss and Netgalley for new titles I must request Due June 7th 
21. Take bag of books to used bookstore.  Due June 14th

Top Ten Tuesday-Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year 2016

 

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year 

June 2016 New Release Giveaway Hop

 

Any book published in June 2016 could be yours.  Well, any book up to $20 that is. You can get a print book from The Book Depository OR 1 ebook via Amazon or B&N.

Fiction, nonfiction, Y.A, Adult, childrens, graphic novels...you name it, you can pick it!  It is not limited to the image about although there are some great and popular titles there!

 

Giveaway is International as long as The Book Depository can ship to you or you pick an ebook.   And your country allows lottery wins via a giveaway.

If there are at least 1500 entries I will toss in a surprise second book of my choosing (if you have a Goodreads profile or blog I can check there first to get some preference ideas).  

If there are 2000+ entries I will select a second winner! Book of choice only for second draw. 
 

Be sure to read my rules page for giveaway details!!!  Be sure answer all parts of the comment for your first entry to count!  For comments- be sure they are meaningful and complete!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves 105- Mega Review Haul!!! Part 1

 

So it has been two weeks since my last STS post and I didn't get to show you even half of what I got in May.  And June had a major Review book explosion!  I am going to be super busy reading for awhile.  Honestly I am not sure I will even get to all of them on this post but I will do as many as I can.  It has been a very busy week and I had no time to prepare this post so here I sit, very late Friday night to pull this together.  Granted this is over 4 weeks worth of books, but still!  Crazy Insanity has arrived at my door!  I will be quite busy for awhile!!!  Click the image to link back to Goodreads an learn more about each book.

 For Review

 

Task it Tuesday-Overheated!

So this past week was mostly work.  A bit of reading and gaming but nothing substantial.  Our swamp cooler went out and when the heat is in the triple digits I have no energy for anything.  So I vegged and watched too much tv.  It didn't help that I had to speed up dentist appointment (too much pain). And some very unpleasant personal stuff that involved way too many family members and even non family members who butted it.  So not much accomplished this week.  I did finally get a new swamp cooler installed yesterday.  Works wonderfully!  So hoping for a much more productive week.

  

Blue is what I have completed

Altercations or notes are in Purple.  This list will be refreshed at the beginning of each month.

Blogging or Book related

1.  Write 20 reviews (post at least 1/2 of them).  Due June 28th  Got 2 written and posted.
2.  Finish getting Archive, Genres and Guest Interview pages up to date Due June 7th Progress
3. Catalog All my physical books.    Due Aug 30th
4.  Respond to all Blog Comments for 2016 Due June 14th
5. Responding to all comments made prior to 2016 Due June 28th
6. Write 3 discussion or topic based posts Due June 28th
7. Catch up on Challenge links Due June 7th Progress
8.  Participate in a Giveaway Hop Due June 28th
9. Sort and Organize my Goodreads shelves Due June 28th
10.  Organize Manga bookcases Due June 7th
11.  Go back and add links to all edelweiss reviews. Due June28th
12. Participate in at least 2 Top Ten Tuesdays Due June 28th
13. Participate in at least 2 Stacking the Shelves  Due June 28th
14.  Clean up Twitter Accounts I follow Due June 28th
15. Clean if Facebook pages I follow Due June 28th
16. Clean up GFC blogs I follow Due July 30th
17. Clean up Bloglovin Accounts I follow Due July 30th
18.  Go through and properly tag all posts Due July 30th
19.  Get review posts on Pinterest Due July 15th
20. Check out Edelweiss and Netgalley for new titles I must request Due June 7th 
21. Take bag of books to used bookstore.  Due June 14th

Review: These Broken Stars by Anne Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

 

Starbound: These Broken Stars (1)

by Anne Kaufman & Meagan Spooner 

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 374

Published: December 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Official Summary:  "Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth."

 

 

 

Review: This was fantastic! Why did I wait so long to read it?! The spoiled, rich Lilac and the young officer Tarver. They are classes apart yet she is drawn to him yet knows that for his sake he can never be even near her. The joys of a controlling, powerful father. Yet when things go drastically wrong and they crash land on a foreign planet, the two of them alone together.

I loved their interactions and their thoughts of their situation and each other. I loved both characters immensely. They made the book for me! Their adventure across this planet is fascinating as they learn secrets and try to piece together what happened and where they are. There are dangers unknown on this planet and each is unique and wonderfully portrayed.

May 2016 Wrap-Up/Recap...Belated

Another month has come and gone.  The warm spring weather and lovely flower blooms have come and gone.   Not it is Super hot June.  But before I face anymore triple digit days, I better share what happened in May.

It was a busy month for me.  I participated in two readathons, Armchair BEA, participated in a Wind and Art Festival. and other less thrilling real life stuff.

Here is what I finished reading in May: