Book Haul and Sunday FUN!!

Weekly Book Haul!!


I'm still confused as to where to link up my new books, which is handy for summer because I am working rather hard on NOT accumulating so many new ones. I am figuring out the library. I am reading every moment I get the chance to. It's wonderful. And I don't have to post - or feel badly about not having new books - every week.

I'm curious... which link up are you finding the most interesting for sharing your books? Or do you link up anywhere?

My favorite new book is an ARC of Grave Mercy sent to me by Valeria, which I've already RE-read and RE-reviewed. *sigh* Absolute deliciousness!!  As you can see, she also sent me swag and a hand-written note, which I'll be saving with my swag treasure box. Hand written letters are rare, you know, and worth treasuring.

Want to see my treasure box?  It's real!!  :-D

I like my little swag collection, over which the signed bikini coconuts rule. Before blogging, I didn't know I needed a treasure box of swag. *sigh* Life is so much better now!!



I snuck my library book in the picture, too, since I read Every Other Day in record time despite being too busy to read. I'll post my review SOON. I've already shared two fun quotes. This is the best book I've read by Jennifer Lynn Barnes so far and she's joined my short list of Must Read All By This Author.

Speaking of "my library", how many people get two?! I live in one of those odd zones where I can get two library cards. Clackamas County AND Multnomah County, both of which are great libraries with great programs and extensive networks so that I can reserve anything online for easy pick-up.  Just writing that makes me drool in jealousy.

Technically, the kids' school district is in Multnomah County, which is how we get that wonderful library system. This is "the library that feels like my own, familiar shelves", which was so near my husband's work, I visited weekly.  About which I blogged about on Book Love Tier, or how to effectively love books.

5 - More Beneficial Than we Realize - Borrowing books from the local libraryLibraries are major purchasing powers. They make decisions based on what people want to read. They buy more copies of books that are checked out repeatedly. The author I learned these tips from  figures out which books she wants to read from the library, then returns the books and buys them at the local bookstore. (How nice!!) She also encouraged her readers to check out books of their favorite authors whether they intend to read them or not. :-) This is a very fun practice. I just set my book-lovin' self free... I check out 10, 20, 30 books at a time. It doesn't hurt the library or the author or the book-lover. Well... maybe it does hurt my arms if I didn't bring in a tote to carry out the haul. And sometimes I suffer embarrassment over my enthusiasm.

 Recently, however, Clackamas County went out of their way to build a library within a mile of me. Could they be more considerate?! I may carry two library cards, but I was 10 miles from either of 'em until this new development.

When I say "build", I mean "new". It's so new that I don't know where my favorite authors are located, yet. I've only barely explored the layout. I feel like listing off all the people I'm grateful to for receiving such a great reward, except  I'm the only one in the audience. Instead I keep looking over my shoulder to see if this is a trick. Maybe they'll relocate the library once they realize how close it is to me. I'm not going to tell them, just in case.

In other book news... Trisha Leigh generously shared her book with me. Did you see my Interview with her? Make sure to enter to win a copy of Whispers in Autumn as well as The Fairytale Keeper by Andrea Cefalo.

Saturday I was more busy than usual, packing my day full of fun. Happily for me this included a trip to our lil' Day in Damascus where there was a book sale. Hehehehe

Earlier this week, Alyce blogged about the Best & Worst of Anne McCaffrey. We're both wild, raving fans (or maybe I'm the wild one and she's simply raving?) She described Crystal Singer as one of her fav books and I commented on The Ship Who Sang (which we also agree is comparably also the best) and wouldn't ya know I found 'em both at the sale?! I was so absorbed in looking over my books that I lost my tickets to buy them... but I wouldn't leave my stack in the book seller's care, oh, no. I tried to tell her I'd come back to pay, which she wasn't goin' for. Lol. So, I compromised and looked the sale over again and found my tickets.  I purchased all of these for $4!! 

Kali, I might not have looked hard enough to find all these books except there was #4 in The Dark Tower series that you recommended I had better read or else... so I kept looking 'til I found #1, too. Oh yea!!  I have my own copy of The Gunslinger, now!!  And I'm blaming it on you!  (Um, that's a really good thing.)

As well as Island of the Blue Dolphins & A Midsummer Night's Dream. Does anyone else collect Shakespeare?  I do.

Sunday Delights -n- Nit Noids

Ha-HA!!



Welcome Sunday Saloners & Colorimetry followers!!  

How was your week?

Having returned from our totally awesome Road Trip to host a super-fun 4th of July party, we find ourselves full of life and fun and staying up too late, soaking up summer vacation!

I tried to turn back the tide a bit, so to speak, and demanded the kiddledids head to bed at 9pm... which is when all the rest of the world is sound asleep, since I'm at the end of the time zone spectrum. I think about that, you know... "You're going to bed NOW 'cause there isn't another 8 yr old awake in the world ANYWHERE unless they're gettin' up for breakfast!!  One!"  I finish my long instruction with a countdown. I think they tune out 'til the numbers start comin'. (That's my fault for using such long instructions. I admit it!)


Summer is so fun. It has that flavor of enjoying the beautiful weather and good book. I love the theme of the giveaway I'm hosting comin' up soon, The Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway. It's so perfect!!  (If you've been thinking about joining a giveaway, this is the one!!!  :-D  It's going to be FUN!!)

However... summer is not "lazy" in my experience. If anyone sees mom lying around reading a book, they're suddenly starving... or they have some issue that requires mom immediately.

So, what have I managed to read despite all my "help"?

I finished Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett. And... The Iron Daughter and Half-Blood. I still need to post my reviews of all of these. It takes a bit of quiet time to write a review, time I am squandering this early Sunday morning on chit-chatting with you!!  I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Shall we grab a second cup of coffee?

I did post a review this week for Scarlet by AC Gaughen. Plus two interviews, which are so fun. I really enjoy interviews because they reveal so much about the writer behind the book. It's like the research I wish I could do while deciding what to read, and these two interviews were fun: 

Satan's Chamber by Tinsley & Hubbard

 & 

The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper

I have a super-fun interview/giveaway going up tomorrow. :-D  I update my giveaways in the upper left-hand side-bar all the time. I like to ask fun questions, so they're fun to enter. "Fun" is important, you know, and this week is going to be a lots of that!!

I did acquire a new book this week... this was a spontaneous buy after reading this review of The Golden Lilly. I ran into Bloodlines for a great price while grocery shopping. SCORE, right?  "Just pickin' up some groceries! This hopped in the basket!" I'm totally innocent!!


I caught up on all the Giveaways this week, which meant I felt like I was getting lots of books, even if they aren't for me...

Lisa of Lisa's Loves (Books of course!) won the Indie Author Giveaway - her first choice was Soul Sisters, which the author kindly made available FOR FREE this week!!!  So she got a second choice and picked Eden's Root. Two books is better than one!!  :-D

Katarina in Slovakia won the Debut Author Giveaway, and she chose Of Poseidon - Ohmysweetgoodness!!

Len won the Feature & Follow Giveaway and she chose a pre-order of Reached. I am still super-jealous, if that's possible. Great choice!!!

Anika in Australia won the Midsummer's Eve Giveaway - and she's hosting Discover Australian Fantasy this month on her blog, the Oaken Bookcase. She chose Wildwood Dancing!!

PLUS there were multiple winners from Bonds of Fenris, Paraglide, Masters of the Veil & for the Becoming a Butterfly swag. I thoroughly enjoyed working with these authors, who offered these to give away. So gracious and generous!!!  Thank you!!

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone!!

That was my busy week!!  I'm lookin' forward to seeing yours!!  

Finding my Sunday Again

Welcome everyone!!

Sunday Salon is a FB gathering, where book blogger share the week's fun, or whatever. This week, I'm thinking about what I'm missing more than what I did!!

For the Fourth Week in a Row, I'm wandering around lost-ish wondering how to fix my craving! On one hand, I like Sunday's being sorta open & empty, hangin' with family. It's perfect. But there's this HUGE HOLE in my week. Typically I like to go window shopping and DROOL over everyone's new book arrivals!!

I did not realize how fun it was to visit everyone. And by "everyone" I mean book bloggers who are scooping up books I wish I had. Jajajajaja


Quite honestly, the last four weeks have clarified a few things for me. These Memes... they're a lot of fun. They make it easy to visit like-minded book bloggers. I enjoy all kinds of books and book bloggers... but I feel starved of getting an eye-full of delicious YA fantasy books. 

So... I've learned which Memes I cannot live without. (Didn't even know they existed eight months ago!)

Only, which one?! Stacking the Shelves? Sunday Post? Showcase Sunday?  Argh... While I think about it...

Here's my new arrivals:

   Won!!  Rose Daughter from Books Beside my Bed:

  Won!!!  Fade Out - signed book plus signed swag from Miss Vain - I serious screamed when I opened this:

  To Share:  Signed bookmarks & postcards for my review & giveaway of Becoming a Butterfly tomorrow. Mia wrote a sweet note, too. As for her book?  Come back for my review TOMORROW!!  :-D  The Blog Tour starts today, I do believe, at The Reading Nook.

  Purchased: Starcrossed for $.99 on my Nook.  I'm not kidding. There are some really great deals this week. When I find these Amazon sales, I check B&N for my Nook.  I don't know how I only got one.


Here's what I WANTED to buy!!!

I've already read (and love) Jennifer's werewolf books, but they're only $1.59!  How does one say "no"?!?!  Geez... I'm talking myself into buying them.

As for the Meme... I'm going with Stacking the Shelves. She posted on Saturday, which suits me GREAT. I have some alternative ideas for Sunday, which involve reading and napping. :-D  And some blog visiting, of course. But Mondays, I'll have you know, always arrive with a BANG! and I can never seem to catch up 'til Thursday, when it's time to prep for the weekend and another pending Monday. That's just blogging, never mind work!!  (No really, I'd rather never mind work!)

Thanks to everyone hosting Memes!!  They're work, but so much fun to join in with!!

As for this past week... I've posted the giveaways in the left sidebar and the discussions -n- reviews on the right. What Do You Like In a Review? Survey will be posted for another 10 days, or so, and then we can chat about the results!!