Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Do you like getting unsolicited books in the mail?

Answer:

This does happen to me but very rarely. Maybe 5-ish books per year. Mostly from Skyscape publishing (Amazon), Penguin, Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins.

So yay! Free books and, yes, I’m thankful but on the other hand….

I have no idea who the contact person is, how they got my mailing address or anything like that. If I were to request a book from any of those publishers I would (& have been) be rejected. So I really don’t get it. 😕

And not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying goes, but a lot of the books are not in genres I read and a LOT of them are mid-grade. I just wish I could fine tune it lol Like…thank you my secret Book Fairy but could you please send these types of books instead?

I don’t worry about it too much though because it doesn't happen often, I have found a few new authors this way and I feel absolutely no pressure to review anything I didn’t ask for.

So it’s fine but maybe a waste of resources on their part if the book doesn’t get in the hands of the right reader IMHO. I do try to pass the books on to someone who would enjoy them more but that can get expensive.

* I was sticking with actual snail mail here but any unsolicited books I get via email get deleted ASAP!

Do you ever get unsolicited books? Do you feel pressured to review them?

My Monday Musings

Happy Earth Day!

Things aren’t looking good for Mother Earth these days but here are a few changes I have made to do my part.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

That slogan has been drilled into my head for over a decade now. It seems like most Americans have gotten the message about recycling but not so much the reduce and reuse.

Most of our recycled products are shipped overseas, primarily China, and they have started to restrict what they will accept. Local municipalities are left to either pay more to recycle, which most can’t afford, or throw it all out – or worse – burn it.

I know where I lived in FL and here in WA, they stopped accepting glass and my current county is way more restrictive on the types of plastic they recycle.

So that has led me to be more proactive on the reduce/reuse end of things.

Bring my own bags while shopping. I’ve done this sporadically for years. I own approximately 7000 shopping bags but used to forget to bring them in. I switched to cuter one – my favorite this HANGRY bag from Blue Q that I got on clearance. It’s large, sturdy and easy to wipe down.


Reusable mug for coffee/water/straws. I use a big stainless steel cup for my water and a smaller one for my daily iced coffee. And a reusable plastic one for hiking. I do still use some bottled water but one case lasts me forever as opposed to going through one a week.

Reusable snack/sandwhich bags. I just started using these because I realized how many ziplock bags I was going through. They are made of silicone and so far work great. (@ $6.99 for 2 at Target)

Buy local. I also try to buy things at farmers market and stores where I can reuse their containers – like berry baskets, yogurt jars, milk bottles. You can usually rinse them out and bring them back. Most places I’ve been also give you a a refund ($1-$3) for doing so.

Go plant based. I’m not vegetarian but about 80% of my diet is plant based as I find more products that don’t use dairy/meat and also taste delicious.

I used to do more when I had my own place – we switched to a hybrid water heater, had a compost bin, organic garden that encouraged bees and pollinators and I hope to do more of that when I’m settled out here. But those are just a few things.

I also need to pick up mesh vegetable bags for produce shopping. That’s another area that I waste a lot of plastic on.

On the Book-ish front:

 


I’m reading How (not) to Ask a Boy to Prom by S.J. Goslee. Finished Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole (adorable novella!), Play Hard by Avery Cockburn (also adorable, fun and sexy)

Listening to - Podcasts

Still Processing: I listened to the Joy episode where they discussed Marie Kondo, what tidying to means on a higher level and the art of Swedish Death Cleaning.

Love this duo and they’re take on pop culture and I’ll be listing to more.

You’re Wrong About…Each podcasts takes a fresh look at an “event, person or phenomenon that has been miscast in the public imagination” Terri Schiavo, The Challenger Disaster, Enron, Anna Nicole Smith are just a few topics.

The hosts come off a little glib sounding at first but overall this is a fun new look at news stories that you thought you knew about.

So what are you all reading, listening to, watching?

*Excuse my wonky photo formatting - it was fighting me and I gave up lol

Review: The Fever King (Feverwake #1) by Victoria Lee

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good. ~ Goodreads

Source: arc (& and finished copy) provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: I was immediately drawn to the characters of this book but the world/plot left me struggling to grasp things at first.

The Fever King is post apocalyptic/sci-fi that hits the ground running, while I was sputtering behind going huh? Our protagonist, Noam, is the son of Atlantia immigrants – living as a hacker, in Carolinia, and caring for his now despondent father. So far so good. I got that and to say that this plotline parallels our current political climate – would be an understatement.

There’s a virus that causes magic outbreaks mainly to immigrants seeking a better life in Carolinia. The infected die but a rare few present with magical powers. Something native Carolinians fear and try to protect themselves from by whipping themselves into a hysteria about immigrants and unleashing increasingly cruel methods to control them.

The children who present with magical powers, including Noam, who survives an outbreak, are brought in for training and are considered useful to the government. This is where I started to get confused.

The story bypasses the usual group training montages (although it does show how one channels their power and that was unique and cool) and I appreciated that . If you’ve read one training montage – you’ve read them all lol but it also kept me from getting to know the supporting characters and their struggles better and why people were being hurt outside the walls of the training facility but were treated well here.

There’s just a lot going on with the science/politics of it vs the personal aspect of the story. And teh personal side where The Fever King REALLY shines. This is a very character drive book.

Noam, Dara (another student and Noam’s love interest), and Calix, teacher/mentor, Minister, and Dara’s father have an extremely complicated dynamic and I was her for it!

It’s hard to get into without spoiling anything but the lines between hero and villain, savior and tormentor are frequently blurred. Lee does something really brilliant with her characters – presenting them as one thing but slowly revealing their past and an opposing view of their current actions so that it turns everything and on it’s head.

The morally grey areas are vast in The Fever King and while the first third made me feel confused and sometimes frustrated with the characters actions – it all came together beautifully and had me sprinting to the end to see how it would all turn out.

And boy was that an ending! I felt satisfied that it wrapped up the immediate story but it is kind of cliffhangery in that WHAT THE HELL IS GOING TO HAPPEN?? way.

To be honest, I’m baffled by most sci-fi/fantasy worlds – so your mileage may vary on that aspect (although it totally makes sense in the end!) but I was in it more for the complexity; of the characters and their actions/relationships, the portrayal of trauma, mental health, political activism and LBGQ rep. Everything was so well done.

I love when an author is able to walk that line between right and wrong and make you question things so I’m looking forward to The Electric Heir (Feverwake #2).

*Also – there’s a lot of darkness in this book and Lee posted a content warning list on her blog if you would like to check that first here.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Where do you get your review books?

Answer:

Netgalley - but I’m pretty cautious about that because it makes me feel pressured – to read and post on a schedule. Also, I want to be sure it’s something I really think I will like because I don’t want to DNF or write a lot of negative reviews for books I request.

I probably get under 10 books per year from Netgalley per year and that’s a generous #.

Edelweiss is completely baffling to me so I’ve only requested about 3 books from there over the years – and only got approved for 1.

PR companies - I’m signed up to a PR company newsletter that represents a lot of authors for the romances that I like to read. I haven’t requested anything in months because of the move but that’s where I get a lot of my romance arc’s.

Publishers - Occasionally, publishers send books to me unsolicited – about 5-6 per year. I have no idea why I get them – who my contact is or how to ask for more/less lol But they’re usually for  S&S, Harper, Penguin so I roll with it.

Authors - I have a few authors that I've worked with over the years who still offer me their upcoming books or send out a blogger request form for upcoming releases.

Conferences - by far, the biggest source for my arc’s/review books is book conferences like BEA and ALA.

I live too far away from the conferences now so that will come to a screeching halt. But honestly, I’ve been stepping away from review books anyway.

Blogger friends - the generosity of this community is always overshadowed by the bad sides/drama. My blogger buddies and I have been trading arc's or just passing them on to each other for years now. It's something, personally, that I LOVE to do for other bloggers. Especially newbies or people who don't have access.

This is not about collecting arc's or using bloggers for free books. I'm talking about making real friends and sharing the bookish love. 

Library - This is my #1 source for books right now. It's easy, free and doesn't require any obligation to anyone. It's been a great way to see if I like a book/author before committing to buying or requesting books.

I want to tackle all the arc’s and books I’ve accumulated and never read for the past 9 years of blogging. And, more importantly, read without pressure. So, yes, I'll still request a book I REALLY want to read but it's something I've been backing away from.

Where do you get your review books? 

My monday Musings

It’s still weird for me to be up to 3 hours behind. I used to wing it and write a post up first thing in the morning but now – it’s morning for me when this goes up but afternoon for (most of) you.

Our FL house sale became official this morning sot hat’s one big worry done!

Fonzi goes for his ultrasound of his bladder tomorrow. His blood and urinalysis so far have been inconsistent and they worry about cancer so this should tell us either way. All good thoughts and positive thoughts are welcome.

It’s my birthday this week and Kevin bought me the camera I was eyeing. We had to order it because there aren’t any stores that carry it around here. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

We went to a tulip festival at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, OR (about 1 1/2 hours away). It was gorgeous. Every weekend here seems to bring more spectacular views than the last.

Dogs were allowed but it had rained all week, making the field a muddy mess. With all of Fonzi’s fur that would have been quite the mess afterwards lol

  

We stopped at the mall on the way back and had an amazing lunch at Din Tai Fung for dumplings and noodles. We’re kind of novices when it comes to dumplings so I had to Google the menu while we waited for a table lol but everything was AMAZING.

As for reading – I’m getting there!


I finished The Fever King by Victoria Lee - the first book in a post apocalyptic.sci-fi series and liked it. And I’m almost done with Becoming by Michele Obama on audio and it’s the book I didn’t know I needed at this moment in life. She talks a lot about big life changes, in which you have no control, and that's basically my life right now lol

I’m hoping to review at least one of them this week.



So what’s up everyone? What are you all reading, watching, planning for Easter this upcoming weekend?

My Monday Musings…life and a Falling back into a routine (or trying…)

I’m finally settling into the new place. TBH – I don’t like the new area we’ve moved to  - but I do love the all the outdoor activities. There is just SO much variety out here. In one weekend you can go to a farmers market in a vibrant city (Vancouver), go hiking in what feels like a prehistoric forest and then walk along a beach. And we take Fonzi to our local park several days a week and the spring blooms have been nothing short of spectacular.








*I’ve been posting pictures of all this on IG (@teamsheltie) if you’re interested but here is a pic of one of my favorite hikes so far. It's Seaquest Park  in Silver Lake, WA. Mt. Saint Helens is the snow capped mountain in the distance. The roads to that are still closed for now but we’ll be heading up there in a few months to explore.

Figment is FINALLY emerging out from under the bed. Damn, that cat holds a grudge! He does not trust me after that road trip. He’s starting to walk around during the afternoon and evenings and he'll eat breakfast for Kevin in the mornings but not me. He still associates it with me drugging and crating him for the day lol

And in great news! We’re closing on the sale of our FL house next week! That’s a huge relief - although bittersweet. We put so much work, $$$ and love into that house for 20 years. So it's sad for it to be final and not mine anymore but I'm still glad that the sale will be concluded.

So onto the bookish front.

I read ONE book in March and only 10 books so far this year. I usually read 9-12 per month! And I’ve only written one review since the move. I feel very discombobulated in the new place and need to start new routines. But I feel like I’m back on track and headed in the right direction at least.

Here’s the reading plan for April – keep in mind that I’m a mood reader – so I may not end up reading entirely different books lol At this point, I'll just be happy if I read at all.



I am reading The Fever King right now and it’s pretty cool so far, and I’m listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama on audio. Her voice is so and soothing and her story so relatable – even though she’s lived an entirely different life than mine - and inspiring.

As for non-bookish things – we watched The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. I thought the first few episodes were kind of slow but it all came together REALLY well and we loved it. Awesome music too!

Now we’re watching season 3 of Santa Clarita Diet and I’m enjoying it more than S2 so far. It’s such a silly but fun series.

It’s my birthday this month – so I’m hoping to get myself a decent camera so I can take pictures of all these glorious views.

What are you all reading, watching, listening to this month?

I’ll close out with Fonzi weirdness. I woke up to him laying like this and staring at me lol He’s wedged between me and a body pillow I use for my back. It looks very uncomfortable to me.

He's had some abnormal lab work recently and gets an ultrasound on the 16th - so please send good thoughts his way.

Review: Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne young

The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardians, the all-girl boarding school offers an array of studies and activities, from “Growing a Beautiful and Prosperous Garden” to “Art Appreciation” and “Interior Design.” The girls learn to be the best society has to offer. Absent is the difficult math coursework, or the unnecessary sciences or current events. They are obedient young ladies, free from arrogance or defiance. Until Mena starts to realize that their carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears.

As Mena and her friends begin to uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations will find out what they are truly capable of. Because some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns. ~ Goodreads

Source; ARC provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review

Review:

I’ll be honest and say that it took me a little bit to get into this book at first. I had read, and loved! Young’s The Program series and there were just too many similarities that made it feel repetitive. But then the author turned all that on it’s head and made this a series that stands entirely on it’s own, seamlessly blending genres into a horrifying tale of misogyny, abuse and ultimately... empowerment.

The characters, including the main POV of Mena, come off pretty bland at first but that’s because she is a student of The Girls of Innovations Academy – an elite school that accepts only the best. And in this case, the best means only the most beautiful and obedient of girls so that they can be trained to become the perfect wife for the men awaiting their graduation. They are taught to be bland and it takes a bit before Mena starts to come into her own personality and voice.

After a chance encounter with a boy on one of the girls infrequent field trips, Mena starts to question the things she’s been taught at the academy and pushes back.

You do not push back a the academy without consequence.

This is where Girls with Sharp Sticks starts to shine. A boy may have been the catalyst (and on ongoing source of support) but it’s the girls who use their fierce bond to outsmart and out maneuver the men who have been controlling both their minds and bodies for so long.

I’m not going to say much more – because there are a few twists. While not entirely surprising to me – they were genuinely creepy and will make you squirm and want to rage against the system because, while this is an exaggerated – fictional account, there is plenty of reality to recognize on these pages.

Girls with Sharp Sticks is a stand alone novel but leaves enough open to continue on with stories from the other girls from the academy.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Hey there! Since I’ve missed a few of these, I’m going to play a little catch up with the past topics.

Also – I FINISHED A BOOK! My only book for March and only my 8th book for 2019. But I have faith that I will start catching up now that I’m settled into the new place and have unpacked most of my unread books.

*she says as she avoids books by going on Twitter, IG, and plays games instead*

Anyway – it was Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young and after a bit of a rough start (I found it to be very similar to her previous books) it took a fun (or should I say CREEPY) turn and I enjoyed it. I’m hoping to get a review up this week. So maybe look for it in 2-3 weeks lol

On to TMST!

From March 12th: To Tour or Not to Tour? Do you participate in book tours? Why or why not?

Answer: Not to tour. I used to enjoy promoting books and authors back in the day (& I still do of course!) but it’s become so labor intensive and for awhile there every tour post was similar on every blog so it was like being hit over & over with the same content. BORING.

But mostly it’s because the tour groups either…1) have bad formatting and getting it all right takes HOURS to make it look readable 2) they don’t bother promoting your post (unless you’re a bigger/more popular blog) so it just sits there – neglected after all that work.

I really have to believe in what I promote these days.

So I’m not totally against it but it will be for a books or authors I love to make it worth the effort.

March 19th: What personality traits do you love/hate in a character? (Courtesy of Roberta@ Offbeat YA

Answer: I’ll stick with traits I love since I’ve ranted about what I hate numerous times.

Characters that want to do do better, characters with a sense of humor, ones that communicate well instead of jumping to conclusions and running off.

March 26th: What are things that make you steer clear of a book?

Answer: Short answer – the opposite of any of the above.

April 2nd: How do you feel about author’s throwing big, obscure words into their books?

Answer: I don’t mind – especially with e-readers since you can highlight and get the definition in a snap.

It’s fun to learn obscure words and use them in front of Kevin and watch Mr. Smarty Pants go….what the hell does that mean? lol

I don’t like it if the book, as a whole, becomes so obscure that I’m stopping every page to look up a word or they are used just to make the characters seem smarter than they are or if it makes the prose to flowery and pretentious.

What are your thoughts about any or all of the above topics?

Do you think I will actually post a review this week? 😜