The Sunday Post is a meme sponsored by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
Whew! So much to catch you up on!
The National Book Festival was awesome! I got books signed by Susan Cooper and Tamora Pierce,
two of my author idols, and I got to hear Tamora Pierce talk. I’ll be blogging about it later this week. I meant to get to it right after the Festival, but my computer woes meant I concentrated more on posts I had already committed to. But here’s a photo from the festival — that’s less than half of the line waiting to get books signed by Tamora Pierce. (The rest of the line is behind me and to my right.)
2013 National Book Festival. Photo © K. Pekar |
My computer woes haven’t stopped, which is why I didn’t get to last week’s Sunday Post. The laptop came back from the repair shop with a new hard drive, and it took several tries over the weekend to get the data and system image loaded. It’s no longer overheating, but Thursday evening, it crashed spectacularly, and now refuses to reboot all the way. It won’t even recharge. So here we go again, mailing it back to the repair shop. Thank goodness it’s still under warranty!
Reading and blog-wise, I had a bad week followed by a better one. The week of 9/23-28, I just felt bleh. I couldn’t even focus on the books I was supposed to be reading, and I didn’t post a single review. I finally gave up and just read a few old favorites to get back my joy of reading. It helped, as did getting over whatever laid me low. From now on I’m going to break up the ARCs occasionally with stuff I want to read just for me, so I don’t lose my reading mojo.
Meanwhile, I have two indexing projects this month, so things may be a little quiet on the blog for the next few weeks.
The past two weeks (9/23 – 9/28 and 9/29 – 10/05) on the blog:
- Tues. 9/24 – Top Ten Tuesday: Best Sequels Ever
- Fri. 9/27 – Book Blogger Hop – Weekly Memes
- Sat. 9/28 – News & Notes – 8/28/13. Goodreads removing content focused on author behavior; news on the Apple ebook pricing case; Sony abandoning the U.S. e-reader market; Penguin allows library e-books again; defining YA; the Periodic Table of Storytelling; and a whole bunch of other interesting stuff. This News & Notes was packed!
- Mon. 9/30 – A Seaside Christmas by Sherryl Woods (review)
- Tues. 10/01: Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Reading Turn-offs
- Wed. 10/02: Tour/Interview/Review/Giveaway: Larissa Reinhart’s Still Life in Brunswick Stew (The giveaway is still open through Tues. 10/08, so check it out!)
- Thur. 10/03: Book Blogger Survey link
- Thurs. 10/03: The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (review)
- Fri. 10/04: Starry Night by Deborah Macomber (review and giveaway)
- Sat. 10/05: News & Notes – 10/05/13. Tom Clancy and Robert Barnard have died; Apple appealed the ebook price-fixing judgement; several authors won various prizes; the trailer for the Hobbit movie #2 is out; and lots of other goodies, including a cool video lecture on fantasy languages (like Elvish, Na’vi, and Klingon.)
The coming week:
- Top Ten Tuesday: Best/Worst Series Enders
- The National Book Festival
- News & Notes – 10/12/13
- Reviews: Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody; others TBD
New additions to the hoard:
Purchased in print (used, from the Friends of the Library bookstore):
I’ve been wanting to read The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe for months. The other two feed some of my non-book interests, knitting and musical theatre (I’m a big G&S fan, and have sung in most of the operettas at one time or another.)
Bargain or free for my E-reader:
Challenges:
I signed up for the year-long Cruisin’ thru the Cozies challenge hosted by Socrates’ Book Reviews. I finished and reviewed one cozy mystery this week: Still Life in Brunswick Stew.
I’m also participating in the year-long NetGalley Challenge sponsored by Red House Books. A Seaside Christmas and Will in Scarlet (review forthcoming) counted toward that challenge.
chucklesthescot
There’s nothing worse than knowing you need to get some reading done when you don’t feel well. It becomes a real chore!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
It really does. But re-reading some fluffy stuff plus Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night pulled me out of it. Well, mostly!
chucklesthescot
Thanks for visiting my blog! Another book I liked with a hero grandpa was Max and the Gatekeeper by James Todd Cochrane. I gave it 4 stars.
http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/book-review-max-and-gatekeeper-by-james.html
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks – I’ll check it out!
readerholicnotes
You got some very good books this week, Lark! I’m sorry you’re still having problems with your computer. So frustrating…but at least it’s under warranty.
It’s great you got to the National Book Festival. And got to meet Susan Cooper and Tamora Pierce.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Omigosh, I’m so frustrated with the computer I’m about to tear my hair out! I’m waiting for the box to come so I can ship it back — but I think it might be toast this time.
The National Book Festival was fantastic, and I’ve got to squeeze out time to write that post!
Becki @ The Flutterby Room
Sorry to hear you’ve still got computer woes 🙁 But I’m super jealous you got to see Tamora Pierce – I hope you had a fab time and I’m looking forward to reading your post about it.
It looks like you’ve got some great books this week, I hope you enjoy them!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thank you, Becki! It was cool to see Tamora Pierce — especially since my daughter got to meet her at the Alpha writer’s workshop this summer. She’s an amazing woman.
Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
Sorry to hear about your ongoing computer woes Lark, I hope things get resolved and nothing else happens to your laptop. I went to our national book festival two weeks ago (posted about it in last week’s Sunday Post) and had a great time, I haven’t read a Tamora Pierce book (well I think I’ve read one but it was years ago) but it’s always awesome to have a favourite author sign a book for you.
I hope you enjoy your new reads and have a great week 🙂
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thank you, Kimberly! I must have missed your post about it — I’ll check it out! There’s something so exciting about meeting an author you love and getting your book(s) signed, isn’t there?
kimbacaffeinate
Just Like Heaven looks good and I am glad you had fun at the festival!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks, Kimba! Actually, I read it when it first came out, but I liked it enough to want an ebook copy, so when it went on sale, I grabbed it. And the festival was great!
Bea
I’m so sorry about your computer, what a nuisance. 🙁
It seems a lot of bloggers lately a have been burnt-out; taking a break is a good idea and usually works for me.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
It really helped. I’ve been enjoying reading new books (ARCs) again. Thank you for stopping by!
Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf
The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe looks like a great read! I hope you enjoy it and your other new books! On the topic of challenges…I signed up for about 15 this year…and haven’t updated anything on them. Total fail!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I’ve wanted to read it since I first saw it in a Goodreads giveaway (I didn’t win, needless to say.) So I was really excited to find it in the library bookstore. I’ve dipped into it already and it looks pretty good!
As for challenges, I’m always forgetting to link my reviews to the host’s challenge page…
Jennifer Bielman
wow, the National Book Festival really does look awesome. So jealous.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I hope you’ll stop back when I post about it! Thanks for coming by, and I’m sorry it took me until now to answer everyone’s comments.
Rita_h
That Blueberry Cafe book just draws me in visually! Beautiful cover. And almost nothing better than fresh blueberry jam on toast- wow! Hope the book lives up to the gastronomical appeal.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Me too! It does look luscious, doesn’t it? As I said on an earlier comment, I’ve dipped into it, and so far I think it’s going to be good.
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite Books
The Festival sounds like fun! I have the “Blueberry” book on my to be read list, it really sounds good!
Thanks for stopping by! =)
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I think it will be! And yes, the Festival was fun!