Monday Combo 8/31

Off to start another fresh new week Meine Damen und Herren! (sorry, I’m listening to Cabaret right now) so here are the usual memes I participate in, in no particular order:

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Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books for children…

Do you buy books as gifts for children – either your own or those of friends or family? Would you buy books for all children, or only children who are already practiced readers?

- Seeing as my two furbabies don’t read, and I’ll never have children of my own (my personal choice) yes, I do buy books for other people’s children. In my personal opinion I feel children nowadays don’t read enough. They’re too much glued to the TV and video games and I find it extremely sad. Sure, I’m a gamer too but if I had to choose between a book and a game, I almost always go for the book. Of course I do a balance between gaming and reading. Even when I was a kid I did more reading I was just born a bookworm I guess. So when my nephew or niece’s birthday come up, I always, almost always get them books. I worry about their future sometimes. Especially when I’ve come into contact with people younger than me that think the capital of India is Pakistan. THAT’S JUST SCARY. If these kinds of people are going to be running the country and I’m still alive, I’m moving to the mountains and becoming a hermit with a computer to order my books online.

So yes, if I were ever invited to a children’s birthday party (god forbid) expect books from me. Kiddies have enough toys nowadays. They need to exercise that brain of theirs.

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For In my Mailbox I got:

Bending Toward The Sun: A Mother And Daughter Memoir by Leslie Gilbert-lurie (FSB Associates)

Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford (From Perseus Books)

Playing House by  Fredrica Wagman (FSB Associates)

The Invisible Mountain by Caroline De Robertis (I requested from Random House)

What did you guys get?

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For Library Finds I got..um..a lot. My library was my best friend for the week:

Off Armageddon Reef – David Weber (For Sci fi Challenge)

Earth Abides – George R Stewart (looked awesome)

Heartsick – Chelsea Cain (read good reviews on it)

Terra Incognita – Ruth Downie (Liked Medicus, will be trying this one)

A Time to Kill – John Grisham (for suspense/thriller challenge)

Crossfire – Miyuki Miyabe (Okay..my main choice for the Japanese Literature challenge wasn’t available so I’ll change it to this one..besides this one looks great!)

What did you find at the library?

Have a great Monday everybody!

Monday Combo 8/24

Here goes another week! below you’ll find my Monday Combo!
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Today’s Musing Monday’s question is:

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first instalment? Are there any particular series you enjoy?

- I like both! although I notice I like to collect series a lot, especially when it comes to fantasy books.  I usually go with the series the whole way through unless the books are just really really bad then I have to stop. I do get my special moments of stubborness where I have to complete the series but so far, I’ve only had to stop once recently. My favorite series? wow where do I start? I like the Dragonlance Chronicles. I like anything to do with Drizzt Do’Urden. I absolutely love The War of the Spider Queen series (Forgotten Realms). I love Sookie Stackhouse and well, obviously, Harry Potter! I really love The Warriorcats series by Erin Hunter (anything to do with kitties is fun to read!). Aside from fantasy, well, historical fiction I loved the Tudor series from Philippa Gregory or the Sano Ichiro mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland. I’m about to start the Alex Cross series by James Patterson (I’ve heard real good stuff from it) but I also like Agent Pendergast (even though I only read one so far). I haven’t started the Twilight series yet (yes I know..I’m behind) I will once Breaking Dawn comes out in paperback. Whew! a lot of series that I listed huh?
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In Mailbox Monday I received the following:

The Grand Sophy – Georgette Heyer (won in a contest)
Secondhand Spirits – Juliet Blackwell (requested by me)
Unpredictable Crossing by Jonna-Lynn Mandelbaum (Bostick)
The Cave by Steve McGill (Bostick)
The Devil’s Brood – Sharon Kay Penman (Librarything win)

pretty good for the week

what did everybody else get?
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For Library Finds this week I got:

The Kommedant’s Girl – Pam Jenoff (WWII fix, The 6th Lamentation didn’t work for me)
Poltergeist – Kat Richardson (Read Greywalker, might as well continue)
The Blue Notebook – James Levine (Sounded interesting)
Blindness – Jose Saramago (saw the movie, liked it, wanted to read the book)

What did you guys find at the library?

it’s gonna be a real busy week of reading!

Monday Combo 8/17

It’s Monday again! so I’ll combine all the memes I participate in (It’s much easier)

Musing Monday:

How do you react to movies made of your favourite books (or even not-so-favourite books)? Do you look forward to seeing them, or avoid them? Do you like to have read the book before seeing the movie?

- I HAVE to read the book before the movie. The are a few exceptions. The Godfather being one. (One of the few where I have enjoyed both). I did a mistake with Angels and Demons. I saw the movie first and now the book is just lying there. I’m reading it bit by bit and it looks like I’ll enjoy both with that one too. I suppose it depends. I was looking forward to watching The Other Boleyn Girl but read the book first so I can watch the movie. I am SO GLAD I read the book. The movie STUNK. Also lately I’ve been VERY VERY disenchanted with the recent Harry Potter movies. WTF are they doing?? so now I made myself a new rule: READ THE BOOK FIRST!
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Mailbox Monday:

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG IT CAME! IT CAME! OMG OMG OMG OMG What came you ask?

*drum roll please*

THE WHITE QUEEN BY PHILIPPA GREGORY (THANK YOU S & S)

*starts saying OMG again*

I also received:

Lori’s Song – Lori Foroozandeh (Bostick)
Dancing With Ana – Nicole Barker (From Author, Thank you!)
Cult Insanity – Irene Spencer (Hachette)
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Library Finds:

I only got two at the library (moderation here!)

Wicked Lovely – Melissa Marr (was on hold)
Too Close to Home – Linwood Barclay (I liked Fear The Worst, wanted to try this one)
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That’s it! so what are you guys reading? what did you receive? what did you find at the library?

Monday Combo

Since they are short posts today, I’ll be combining Musing Mondays, Mailbox Monday and my Library Finds all in one post!
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Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about publishing houses …

Do you have a favourite publishing house — one that puts out books that you constantly find yourself wanting to read? If so, who? And, what books have they published that you’ve loved? (question courtesy of MizB)

- It’s a tie between Random House Canada and Simon and Schuster. I noticed Random House are responsible for having my wishlist exploding numerous times. Simon and Schuster has great books and is also responsible for me screaming in glee about Philippa Gregory’s new book (The White Queen). Just wait until I get my ARC on that one. You’ll probably hear me screaming all the way from the Gobi Desert.

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For Mailbox Monday, I received the following:

Aging With Grace – Greg Lieberman (Thanks Bostick)
Mr Darcy, Vampyre – Amanda Grange (Thank you Sourcebooks! I screamed in glee when I got this one!)
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For Library Finds this week, it was a small one. The hombre was waiting in the car and was whining about me not taking too long. Bah. Stupid hombre. Anyway I got these:

Black Man – Richard Morgan
The Sweet Far Thing – Libba Bray (can’t wait to get into this one)
Dark Hours – Gudrun Pausewang (looked really interesting) (WWII stuff)
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All are short and sweet. So what did you guys get and find at the library?

Mailbox Monday and Library Finds 8/3

Today is Mailbox Monday and Library Finds. I got A LOT of goodies both at the library and at my mailbox!

For Mailbox Monday:

Dark Time Mortal Path Book One – Dakota Banks (Shelf Awareness)
Jumping Off Swings – Jo Knowles (Requsted from publisher)
Liquid Soul – Matthew Carter (Requested from Bostick)
The Lie – Fredrica Wagman (Requested review)
Benny and Shrimp – Katarina Mazetti (Requested review)
The Desert Baron: Friedrich: A Warrior for All Seasons by Conrad Crease (Bostick)
The Amanda Project – Stella Lennon (Requested at Barnes and Noble)

Library Finds:

The Spies of Warsa – Alan Furst (More WWII stuff)
Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson (I love his fantasy stuff)
Nefertiti – Michelle Moran (I feel like going to Ancient Egypt)
Masquerade: Blue Bloods Novel – Melissa De La Cruz (I know I’m going to read Italian Vogue when I open the first few pages. I’m too stubborn to give this series up. Let’s pray she stops using so many name brands) (seriously..Cosabella Thong? who the F@#$ cares?) (I still can’t get over the label dropping over some frakking piece of underwear!!!!)

And for those of you wondering what I won at Goodreads?

I won: What the Bayou Saw – Patty Lacy (looks like a good Southern read)

That’s it! lots of goodies!!!!! time to read!!!

Mailbox Monday and Library Find 7/27

Today’s also Mailbox Monday and my own Library Finds. I put them both together today as they’re both small this time around!

The only thing I received last week was Intertwined by Gena Showalter (Thanks Harlequin Teen!)

and at the library I took these out:

The Godfather – Mario Puzo (for Suspense & Thriller Challenge)
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side – Beth Fantaskey (YA Challenge)
The Other Queen – Philippa Gregory (Last one of the Tudors by Gregory!)
Contagious – Scott Sigler (WOOT! can’t wait to read this one, sequel to Infected)
The Poet – Michael Connelly (Suspense & Thriller Challenge)

that’s it! not bad for the week

Mailbox Monday 7/20

Today’s Mailbox Monday! I’ve been getting quite a few packages in the mail some were total surprises to me:

Under This Unbroken Sky – Shandi Mitchell (Barnes and Noble First Look Club)
Hannibal’s Elephant Girl – Charley Brindley (requested by me)
Lizzi & Fredl – Willam Stanford (from Bostick, total surprise)
Giv: The Story of a Dog and America – Boston Teran (Bostick again, another surprise)
The Wife’s Tale – Lori Lansens (Thanks Random House Canada! I won this one)

that’s it for last week! I got some nice goodies

Mailbox Monday!

Hoooray! I can participate in Mailbox Monday today! ever since my bf said that there’s two packages here waiting for me to open I was waiting for work to end and then rushed home to get my goodies! here’s what I got:

Night of the Flames – Douglas Jacobson (WW II book, I seriously need a WWII fix or I’ll get bored of reading my beloved Tudors)
Fear the Worst – Linwood Barclay (A thriller that I was interested in. I actually won this on Twitter)

finally! got something! my patience pulled off!!!!!! can’t wait to read these! what goodies did everyone else get?