Stuff On Sunday: Thought of the day…

Stuff On Sundays: Bookshelf Bounty

It’s that time of the month or near enough,  so time to to show you what I have added to my shelves recently.

Click on the cover images to view at Goodreads

For Review (print)

For Review (electronic)

Bought

(Hmm I think this classifies as a binge thanks to the annual Easter Rotary Book Sale – I spent about $60 all up!)

Gifted or Won

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well today I am 40 – I would prefer not to be – I don’t feel 40, most of the time I feel like I am say 27, not a day older, despite the gray hairs and the beginning of crow’s feet.

I am spending the day with family since my dad,  grandfather and aunt  all celebrate their birthdays this month as well, we always have a mini family reunion of sorts.

I have written before, that despite my book fetish I have never received a book for my birthday (or Christmas) and given my family’s and friends mild concern for my rapidly expanding library I think it is unlikely I will receive any today either.

Still, it didn’t stop me from making a wishlist and I thought I would share it with you.

In no particular order:

 

 

Stuff On Sundays: And I Quote…

 

I was thrilled this week to discover my reviews have been quoted in not just one but two books. I’m really am ridiculously pleased, and proud so forgive my boasting!

The first is on Cathryn Hein’s third novel Heartland (Penguin Australia) due for release on May 23rd , from my review of her title,  Heart of The Valley.

The second is for With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan. It was published back in February, but I only just received a copy as I was sent a hardcover from Simon & Schuster UK signed by the author. It’s seen on the inside front cover of both the hardcover and paperback. The only slight disappointment is that my name was spelt wrong (it’s missing the second e) but still, I know it’s me!

Stuff on Sundays: Google down the gurgler…

 

If you haven’t yet heard the news, Google is closing their Reader service from June 1st. I was horrified to learn of its imminent demise. I’ve written before on how I use the RSS service to keep up with the multiple book blogs I follow (see Stuff on Sundays: It’s simple – feed me!) . Browsing through the days posts from my feed is an important part of my  routine that I actually look forward to and with close to 1000 blogs on that list, I usually have around 500 to scroll through each day.

So, not wanting to get caught out, I started looking around for an alternative to Google Reader.  Though I experimented briefly with Feedly and Netvibes I have settled on BlogLovin’  as my reader of choice. Firstly I liked how simple it was to transfer my feeds from Google to Blog Lovin’. All I had to do was click Import and enter my Google  ID. Since I use the feed exclusively on my iPhone it was important to me that the service offered a compatible app, which Blog Lovin’ does.  I wanted an interface that was clear and simple to use which would still let me email individual posts back to my desktop for following up on and so far I find I am not missing any features.

I have been using Blog Lovin’ for about a week now and I am finding it a good alternative to Google Reader.  If you are looking for a new RSS Reader, you might want to give Blog Lovin a try.

If you are already using BlogLovin then click below to add my feed to your list.

If you choose another service, you can add it through the RSS  link at right

or

if you are a WordPress user subscribe by clicking the follow button up the top left there on the WP toolbar (which shows as long as you are logged in to WP)

or

copy and paste this address into your Reader

http://www.bookdout.wordpress.com/feed/

Thanks for the follow!

Stuff on Sundays: Bookshelf Bounty

It’s that time of the month or near enough,  so time to to show you what I have added to my shelves recently.

Click on the cover images to view at Goodreads

For Review (print)

For Review (electronic)

Bought

Gifted or Won

Stuff on Sundays: From the Eclectic Readers

For the second year I am hosting the Eclectic Reader’s Challenge designed to encourage readers to move out of their comfort zones by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different genres. Over 100 readers have signed up and to date over 100 review links have been submitted.

There are 12 categories and  I thought that today I would share some of the diverse titles chosen by participants to satisfy the challenge requirements. Click on the cover images to read their reviews.

1. Translated fiction

2. Historical Mystery

3. Romantic suspense

4.  Made into a Movie

5. New Adult

6. Urban Fantasy

7. Dystopian

8. Memoir

9.  LGBT

10. Action Adventure

11. Humour

12. Published in 2013

 

Interested in joining the challenge? You can sign up to the  Eclectic Reader Challenge until November 30th 2013, for more details click HERE

Stuff On Sundays: The 2013 Harlequin Summit

The room Bree and I shared

I was fortunate to be invited attend the Harlequin Summit this past week at their Sydney offices. Just over 30 book bloggers gathered from all over Australia. Several had come from as far away as Perth to attend the Summit, there were also a few from Queensland and Victoria and some a little more local. I shared a room with Bree from All The Books I Can Read - she had flown in from Melbourne and I endured a five hour coach ride from the mid north coast. We stayed nearby in a bed and breakfast type accommodation and talked books and blogging.

The Summit began at 4pm with an introduction to key personnel before moving into a preview of Harlequins’s upcoming print schedule.

Featured titles for the MIRA imprint included Saving Grace by Fiona Mccallum (April), The Returned by Jason Mott (September) which sounds awesome and October Dreams by Rachel Johns (October) – the first in a rural romance trilogy.

From Harlequin Spice you can expect Deeper by Megan Hart and The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz – the third in her erotic trilogy

Young Adult fans can expect a plethora of new releases including  Wicked Kiss {Nightwatchers #2}  by Michelle Rowen  (March), The Goddess Inheritance {Goddess Test #4} by Aimee Carter  (March), With All My Soul {Soul Screamers #7} by Rachel Vincent (April), The Eternity Cure {A Blood of Eden Novel #2} by Julie Kagawa (May), Dare To You  {Pushing the Limits #2}by Katie McGarry (June), Ink by Amanda Sun (July), Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett (July), Banished by Nicola Marsh (August) and Enmity by Evelyn Andrews (September)

Escape – Harlequin’s digital only imprint – plans to continue releasing around half a dozen titles a month. You can see the latest HERE

Harlequin also introduced their new onsite community page which will feature social media streams, videos from Harlequin TV, trailers, book extracts, photo’s and more – make sure you check it out!

After a short break, we were introduced to international bestselling author Rachel Vincent. She was very personable, despite her jet lag and minor crises since landing which included frying her phone and her flat iron. She talked mainly about the upcoming release of With All My Soul, the final book her in her Soul Screamers series but I couldn’t resist asking a few questions about her Undone series (she feels like Shadow Bound was the best book she has written so far) and a few questions were asked about her popular Shifter series (don’t expect a reprise) as well. Rachel revealed she is currently writing a book for a new adult paranormal romance series and a book in a new to her genre, she gave no real details though – just teased us a little.

After the discussion Rachel offered to sign books for us. I had my copies of Blood Bound and Shadow Bound signed, as well as the advance copy of With All My Soul gifted from Harlequin.

Rachel Vincent and I

We all milled around for a little while chatting and exclaiming over our gift bags which included print copies of Saving Grace by Fiona Mccallum, The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa, Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen and With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent, as well as a cute key shaped USB with the entire Escape line on it (and the entire Soul Screamers series) , a magnetised calender and an umbrella printed with the Harlequin insignia.

At the Chelsea Hotel

Afterwards all who were able to wandered down the road to the Chelsea Hotel where we took over the upper level, put names to faces and chatted for a few hours,  Rachel Vincent also joined us for a short while. I didn’t get a chance to talk with everyone but it was great to say hello to Monique from The Book Mystress, Stephanie from ReadinASingleSitting and Kat from BookThingo. I also discovered a few ‘new to me bloggers’ like Maree from Maree’s Musings and Jasmine of Fiction in Fiction in Fiction and enjoyed meeting with Kayleigh of Nylon Admiral, Belle of Belle’s Bookshelf, Nikk of Sapphired Dragon, Katrina of PageFlipperz , Hannah of The Girl in a Cafe and Mandee of YAVeganNerds. There were more but I can’t list them all!

In all it was a great evening, my only complaint was that it wasn’t long enough!Thank you Harlequin for a great event!

I would love it if other Australian publishers followed Harlequin’s lead and held similar events for book bloggers.

Stuff on Sundays: I’m going to the Harlequin Summit!

I’m excited to be attending the Harlequin Summit this week in Sydney with dozens of other Australian bloggers that I’ll be meeting for the first time, including Bree from All The Books I Can Read, who I will be sharing a hotel room with. I’m not exactly sure what to expect from the Summit but as it will be my first event of this nature I can’t wait!

When the Summit finishes on the Wednesday evening we bloggers are planning to meet up at a local hotel for dinner, drinks and endless chatting.  If you are attending the Summit and would like to join us, the details are HERE – even if you won’t be attending the summit you are welcome to come along.

The special guest for the Summit is international best selling author Rachel Vincent who writes urban fantasy/paranormal romance for YA and adults.

I have read her Shifters series

 

and this week I read the first two of her Undone Trilogy (the third Oathbound is due out in April)

I’ll be leaving my husband in charge of the kids for three days – the longest he has ever had to cope with all four on his own for and I think it will be the longest time I have been on my own since my youngest (who is 7) was born! I’ve been busy getting things organised in advance – school lunches, laundry, meals and blog posts. It will be a five hour coach ride for me to get there (quicker than the train at least which takes 7 hours). At least the hotel claims to have free WiFi so I can check in

Just two more sleeps!

Stuff on Sundays: Bookshelf Bounty

It’s the third Sunday of the month so time to to show you what I have added to my shelves recently.

Click on the cover images to view at Goodreads

For Review (print)

For Review (electronic)

Bought

Gifted or Won

Which would you like to add to your reading list?