A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Looking Back at 2016

As I look back on 2016, I see that my reading has gone down again.

This distresses me, because I love books.

I love everything about them; print or ebooks. I love them all.

I haven't finished a goodreads challenge since 2013 and I have lowered my expectations each year too. Of course, in 2013 my dad's health started to fail and he passed away in 2014 and then in 2015 we moved. So there's been a lot of upheaval in my life, as well as my developing a strange affinity for facebook games.

That is one thing that absolutely has to stop in 2017.

I want to get back to books and get away from facebook, which also makes my nerves bad. (way too much political stuff anymore)

I haven't decided what number of books I'll try for in 2017, I may lower myself to 100. This year I read 114 and that was really hard.

I hope in the next couple of days to go through my books and come up with my best of list for this past year too. So many good books and not nearly enough time to read them

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: How I Converted To Kindle

I admit, I was a Nook girl until Christmas.  I had a first generation Nook and I loved it, until it took a rather nasty plunge from an elliptical at my local YMCA.

Can you say shattered screen?

I cried.

I had a Nook Color, but I wasn't fond of it. I'm still not very fond of it. So I bought the SimpleTouch with Glolight.

I hated it.

In a little over the year, the screen was giving me problems. I started using the Color more regularly and even got the new HD + to jump on the whole tablet bandwagon.

Guess what?

I use the HD to listen to music at bed time, but I still hate reading on a tablet. The screen bothers my eyes.

I really wanted a basic ereader, even though that isn't the trend. So I got the basic Kindle 7th generation.

I love it, it like I loved my original Nook.  If you don't need the bells and whistles of a tablet, the basic Kindle is the best way too go. And if you use Net Galley, Kindle is definitely the better device.

I feel bad that I've shifted loyalties, but for a product that was pretty much interchangeable when they first came out, Kindle is now the superior product as an ereader. I can't comment on the Fire, because I don't own one and likely won't as I'm no fan of tablets.

Which device do you use for ereading?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Book Boyfriends

There's a cute little feature over at Romance At Random to find your next book boyfriend....click here to give it a try.

Sadly, I'll never have a book boyfriend, because my ideal type of guy just isn't written about in romance novels, or really in any kind of novels.

See, I don't like big, buff military men, or cowboys, or the next billionaire or sheikh of some made up country. I like the geeky guys, or someone dashing. Heck, I think Peter Capaldi is a pretty hot guy. That's not your typical romantic hero, if you know what I mean. And really, most women seem to love Benedict Cumberbatch, but I wouldn't call him your typical romantic hero...same goes for Tom Hiddleston and Ioan Gruffudd. I personally think all of them are hotties.

But the feature is really cute and it will point you to some fabulous reads. (And really, who doesn't need more books!)

So what do you look for in a book boyfriend?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Read What You Want

I know I've said it many times before, but reading should be for enjoyment. (That is if you aren't in school...then it is for education and often torturous purposes).

When I go to pick out my next read, I don't think, I have to read this because everyone else is reading it, or because it is on a list of books everyone should read before they die or some other such nonsense. I pick up a book because I want to enjoy it and to have fun while I'm reading it.

That's why I hate lists...like "Books every woman should read..."

Sure some of them are great books. I loved A Wrinkle In Time and To Kill A Mockingbird, but others like Jane Eyre never really kept my attention.

That's why I've always felt that schools should teach reading enjoyment, rather than literature. And if you can't get away from Classic Literature, students should be able to decide which books they want to read. I still have panic attacks when I look at a copy of Moby Dick.

I have to say, no matter how hard I tried, I never could finish that damn book.

I hated it with a passion.

I'd rather create a world with children and adults that have a passion for books and reading, whether on ereaders and tablets or print than people that cringe at the sight of a book because of English class.

Let's face it, the more people read, even if it is a Harlequin novel, the more likely they'll be to be open to other ideas, or want to learn more about things. I know that through my love of historical fiction, I've learned more history than I would have otherwise.

So lets be glad that there were books out there in recent years that made kids and young adults passionate about reading.

Yay for Harry Potter.....Yay for Twilight (even though I say that reluctantly). Any book that brings the masses to the printed word, can't be half bad.

What are you thoughts on what people should read?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: The Keeper Shelf

Its that time of year when I try to declutter. That's not an easy task for a book lover and book blogger. Books seem to arrive at my doorstep on a daily basis, and though I love my ereader, I still love print books too.

~sigh~

I have so many ARCs and review copies that I don't know what to do with them. Some of them I've loved. Seriously, "Cancel The Wedding" that I read in the last few weeks, I loved. Nothing will make me part with that. But there are some that I just don't know what to do with. And my cozy mysteries...I love many of them too much to part with them.

The ARCs will likely go to the YMCA lending library. I like to know some of the books I have are going to be enjoyed again and again.

I have a lot of books I consider 5 flowers in my reviews. I figure those are my keepers. (And some titles, because, they make me feel like I've read something smart...which I don't often do. I like fun reads over thoughtful ones)

Yes, I have several shelves of Harlequins, sue me! I love romance too!

How do you decide what stays on your shelves?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Nook, You Should Have Been So Great

I have a rant about Nook. I bought the first generation Nook way back when, and I loved it. It was a superb product. Then it fell on the floor and the screen cracked. (Insert much crying here)

I have a Nook Color that I use quite a bit, but quite frankly it is too heavy. The weight is one of the reasons why I ended up buying a Nook Simple Touch with the glo light. I am not really a tablet girl. I don't watch tv on my devices or do anything other than use the good reads app and read. I thought the Simple Touch would be perfect.

I loved the light and the battery life is much better than that on the Color, but the product is crap. My touch screen is going, meaning, I can't even get it to turn on properly, let alone get to my books. Some of the other stuff that its been doing is even too ridiculous and hard to explain. It is also past its warranty. Damn!

I also have an HD + which I'm slowly getting used to. I like that I can have the Kindle app on the device as well as my Nook books and my Amazon mp3 app.

It is a shame Nook couldn't have stayed as great as their first ereader, which was really just as good as the Kindle. I loved that you could delete things straight from the device. That was something you can't do on any of the other Nooks.

I understand progress, but I hate that progress ruined a great product.

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Getting My Blog On

This year has gotten off to a very slow start for me, but I want to enjoy my blogging. Even if my nook is making it very difficult for me to do anything.

I've decided...this year, there will be no monthly recap posts.

Does anyone really care about them anyway?

I doubt it.

I'm hoping I'll be able to update challenges and my reviews this week sometime, but right now, I will get to things as I get to them.

I really just want to enjoy reading.

(Kicks my nook for making that difficult)

So from  now on...no pressure...just a great enjoyment of my books

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: My Nook Hates Me

My reading these last few weeks has been very slow. I mean really slow. Not because I haven't had anything great to read, but because my Nook Simple Touch is acting like a spoiled child, only letting me read whenever it feels like it, and whatever it feels like letting me read.

I've had the Simple Touch for 2 years, and though I have 2 other Nook....erm what's the plural of Nook? Nooks? Nooki? Nookie? But the size of the Simple Touch has always made it my ereader of choice.

Until now.

I've been rebooting more than reading.

It won't unlock the device.

I consider myself lucky when it lets me read my book of choice!

I think after I finish my current book, Simple Touch is going to be retired, or tossed out a window. (Right now the window is looking good)

I think until I get a sturdy cover (not bought from B & N) for my HD+, I'll be using my old Nook Color.

What's the weirdest thing your ereader has ever done?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: A Reading Slump

This year has gotten off to a slow start for me, reading wise. We've had temperatures that were just too damn cold to read.

I know that's crazy.

Its cold. The best thing to do is curl up with a book, but you can't do that in my house. You just try to keep warm. (Its pretty hard to read under 5 blankets!)

It doesn't help matters that my dad's health has been up and down. Its hard to concentrate when I'm worried about him. Also it doesn't help that Downton Abbey and Sherlock both aired last month. Ah...Sherlock, give me some Benedict Cumberbatch any day!

The good thing is, that the books I've managed to read were fabulous.

Here's hoping I can get back on track this month.

Anyone else in a slump this winter?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: I Need More Space!

You would think that after buying an ereader that I'd stop purchasing print books.

Ha!

I have more than ever now.

I really need more room in my house for them. They are on the floor. They are everywhere! It is insane. And I can't stop buying them, because, well, ebooks don't have pretty covers that I can look at when my eyes need a break.

I spent several hours today moving furniture around to accommodate my habit. I think things look pretty good too.

If only I could just turn my bedroom into a library.

That would be ideal.

My house would look neater, that's for sure. And I'm up for anything that helps make my house look neat.

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Why I Love My Library

I actually have 2 really awesome libraries within 10 minutes of my house. One in my hometown, another in a neighboring town.

Of the two, Monessen Public Library is my favorite.

Why?

Well, because it is beautiful.

I'm going to make it my top priority to get a few pictures of my library the next time I go there, but trust me when I say it is super cozy and though it doesn't have a fantastic selection, thank's to budget cuts, it has introduced me to some great reads over the years.

One of the authors I was re-introduced to was Jennifer Chiaverini. I read a few of her "Quilt" series before, but they didn't do it for me. But then I read The Christmas Quilt...and now I have to read more. If I hadn't re-opened my library account I probably never would have read that book, and I have to say, it is a holiday story that I highly recommend.

When I was a little girl, I remember reading all the Jean Plaidy novels I could get my hands on from that library and the John K. Tener Library, which is the one in my hometown of Charleroi, PA.

There are so many books I never would have found, if not for these two fabulous libraries, and that is why I love them.

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: 2014 Reading Resolutions

In 2014 I have a few small resolutions.

1. Take more time to read things I really want to read and less things that I feel I have to read.

2. Scale back on book tours unless it is a book I feel totally excited about.

3. I won't go overboard on reading challenges.

In short..I want 2014 to be about reading for pleasure and not let my reading feel like work. What are your resolutions for the new year?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Life Interupttus

Life has interrupted in a very big way. My father's COPD has taken a turn for the worse. He is home from the hospital on hospice care.

He's in a bad way, but he is still with us, and that's important.

I will review as much as I can and keep everything as active as I can because without books I would likely lose my mind.

Keep us in your prayers

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: The 3 Star Review

There's a lot of talk about how reviewers rate books. I had a hard time trying to decide how to rate the books I read, or if I even wanted to, but eventually I did decide on the 1-5 scale that most people use.

Why then is there such a stigma on the 3 star/flower reviews.

For me that means a book is good. I enjoyed it. It was worth the time I spent reading it. It may not have bowled me over, but it was a good read. (Hence the rating)

Even if a book doesn't wow me, I try my best to focus on the positive aspects of the story as much as I can.

3 star reviews shouldn't offend the author, at least the way I see it.

For the most part I like most books I read. The 3 star/flower review is saying good job. This is a good book. The wow factor is what kicks things up a notch.

If I didn't finish or struggled to finish a book is what takes things down.

Honestly there are very few books that I don't finish and very few books that I rate less than 3 flowers. I appreciate the time and effort that authors take in their work and I think I'm safe to say that most book bloggers feel the same.

I don't want to write negative reviews, but I also believe in honesty, since I review everything that I read.

3 star reviews...not so bad really...

What do you think?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Books I Can't Wait to Read

There was a huge pre-order sale at Amazon this week and I went a little crazy. I ordered a bunch of cozy mysteries and quickly placed my order. I neglected to pay attention to the date my order would ship...cos well I was pre-ordering books.

I'm not getting my books until Feb 2014!

Oh yeah...I'm dumb... their were two books on my list that weren't releasing until next year.


Here's what I ordered

Author: Denise Swanson
Title: Murder Of A Stacked Librarian
Release Date: Sept 3, 2013
Book Blurb: There’s no place like Scumble River at Christmastime, and this year, school psychologist Skye Denison has twice as much to celebrate—and to do. In addition to the usual holiday frenzy, Skye’s wedding to police chief Wally Boyd is less than a week away—that is, if the groom isn’t too busy working to attend. The town’s sexy new librarian, Yvonne Osborn, has just been murdered, and the list of suspects is piling up faster than late fees on an overdue book.

Yvonne’s strict sense of right and wrong annoyed some townspeople and infuriated others. Did her high standards lead to her death? Skye is distracted by worries about what havoc the crazy Dooziers will wreak on her wedding day and whether she’ll fit into her dress. But Skye can’t afford to leave any page unturned because unless she works quickly to expose the scheming killer, her happy ending may be put on permanent hold.…


Preorder: Amazon

Author: Krista Davis
Title: Murder She Barked
Release Date: Dec 3, 2013
Book Blurb: FIRST IN A NEW SERIES

The Sugar Maple Inn in Wagtail, Virginia, is the country's premiere vacation hot spot for pet owners who can’t bear to leave their furry friends behind. But this tourist town smells trouble when a killer goes on the prowl....

Holly Miller's life has gone to the dogs. She has no job, her boyfriend's former flame is sniffing around, and a scruffy but loveable Jack Russell Terrier is scattering crumbs all over her borrowed car. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, a troubling phone call about her grandmother sends her rushing home to the family inn on Wagtail Mountain.

The staff—and a frisky Calico kitten named Twinkletoes—adopts Holly and her new dog on arrival. But someone in this friendly town is bad to the bone. One of the employees at the inn has been killed in a hit-and-run accident—which is looking anything but accidental. Now Holly and her furry companions will have to nose out the murderer before someone else gets muzzled.

Delicious recipes for owners and pets included!

Preorder: Amazon

Author: Jenn McKinlay
Title: Read It And Weep
Release Date: Nov 5, 2013
Book Blurb: 
William Shakespeare is credited with inventing how many words?*

Answering Shakespeare trivia comes with the job description for library director Lindsey Norris. But when the Briar Creek Community Theater mounts their newest production of the Bard, she has no intention of leaving the stacks for the stage. Unfortunately a villain is waiting in the wings…

Former Broadway actress Violet La Rue is holding auditions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream—and everyone from the sour spinster librarian Ms. Cole to Lindsey’s youthful library pages are trying out for parts. Brought in to play the mischievous Puck is the flirtatious professional actor Robbie Vine, who seems to have eyes for Lindsey. Before her blush has faded, the Bard’s dream turns into a nightmare—when one of the cast is poisoned. Now Lindsey and her crafternooners must take center stage to unmask the culprit before the final curtain call…

*Over 17,000
 
Preorder: Amazon

Author: Lily Arlington
Title: Books, Cooks and Crooks
Release Date: Feb 4, 2014
Book Blurb:
The national bestselling Novel Idea Mysteries are back, as Lila Wilkins—literary agent and sleuth—is setting up a delicious cookbook fair. But the tension in the kitchen is about to boil over…

Inspiration Valley, North Carolina, is bubbling with excitement for the Taste of the Town festival, and Lila is right in the middle of it all. Along with her coworkers at the Novel Idea Literary Agency, Lila is organizing a grand celebrity chef event, featuring food television's biggest stars, complete with cooking demonstrations, cookbook giveaways, and even a culinary writing contest.

But just as the celebration is about to start, the demo kitchen blows up, taking one of the star cooks with it. With all the explosive egos of the cook’s colleagues, it’s hard to find someone who didn’t have a motive to eliminate the competition. Now Lila will have to scramble to figure out which of her clients is a killer—before someone else gets burned.

Preorder: Amazon

Author: Meg London
Title: A Fatal Slip
Release Date: Feb 4, 2014
Book Blurb: 
From selling camisoles to solving crimes, the ladies of the Sweet Nothings lingerie shop in Paris, Tennessee, will make this Valentine’s a day to remember…

For Valentine’s Day, Emma Taylor and her aunt Arabella have organized a special evening for men only to shop for their sweethearts in the Sweet Nothings lingerie shop, complete with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. But when a former valentine shows up, Aunt Arabella is not her usual bubbly self.

Art dealer Hugh Granger is still a charmer, though. He invites the women to a ball he’s having to celebrate his birthday and his return to Paris, Tennessee. But when Granger is pushed from the balcony, it paints a sinister picture for Aunt Arabella, who gets framed…for her old flame’s murder.

Preorder: Amazon

Do you have any of these books pre-ordered yet? 

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Book Geekery

Last night I spent several hours organizing a new bookcase that I bought.

I set up the top shelf for most of my Doctor Who books!

Take a look!

Had to get some of my other Doctor Who stuff in the picture too.

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Why I Hate Posting Reviews On Amazon

I despise posting book reviews or any kind of review on Amazon.

Why?

There's so much drama there.

I recently had a comment on a review I posted over a year ago complaining of spoilers. I went back and looked at the review and there were none there.

I try very hard to write spoiler free reviews.

What I find really annoying about Amazon and even to a certain extent, Goodreads, is how many people write their reviews almost as comments to other reviews.

I get annoyed when I see people say...I don't know why this book got so many...5 star reviews because I hated it...yada yada yada or even vice versa.

If I'm reading a review, I want to know why that particular reviewer liked or didn't like the book, not a comparison with the rest of the reviewers.

After this last experience, I think I'm a little less inclined to share my reviews on Amazon. I really like to keep my stress levels down and...well, I hate to admit it, but I'm easily annoyed and I can be even more easily provoked. So comments like the one I received on that one review make me want to lash out.

I know I shouldn't let stupid stuff like that bother me, but I can't help it. It angers me so much.

So have any of you had any bad experiences with your reviews on Amazon?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Reading & The Summer Heat

When I was younger, I used to love summer reading. (Well, not the stuff they assigned me to read for school, I always resented that reading) But most of my summers in high school and college were spent out in my back yard on a deck chair with a good book.

You know...reading and working on my tan, which I never seemed to get.

I have to skin shades, pasty white and red.

Flash forward to 2013...and I can't freaking concentrate on a book when it is over 80. It is like my brain has totally melted.

I don't know if it is age, or if it is the heat that is different these days. Damn climate change! Whatever it is, it is slowing my reading down immensely this summer, and I don't like it one bit.

In fact, the weather in Charleroi, PA where I live makes me think of this Rob Thomas video...

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: The Did Not Finish Pile

This was not a good reading weekend. I tried to read repeatedly while I sat in my dad's hospital room. It is one of the places I can always get reading done.

He's got a broken pelvis and is in rehab for at least the rest of this week.

Every book I picked up, got put down.

Absolutely nothing was holding my interest.

One of the books I gave up on was by one of my favorite authors, but for some reason, the characters just weren't clicking with me. My interest wouldn't last more than 60 pages and I gave up.

That's something that I seldom do.

Blame it on stress...

Blame it on the heat and lack of air conditioning.

Whatever you blame it on, I just simply couldn't find anything to read this weekend and that makes me very depressed.

When was the last time you had a book you simply couldn't finish?

A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Look At What I Bought!

The only good thing about my dad going to the hospital, and believe me there's never anything good about his stays at Mon Valley Hospital, are the stops at the Gift Shop.

Why?

I bought all these books at the shop and each one was only a quarter!

You really can't get much better than that, unless they were giving them away!

My favorite purchase though, has to be my new bookcase, which is causing me some mess at the present time. I'm trying to go through old books and sort through new ones and there's a terrible mess on the floor right now.

But the case is awesome and really reasonable!

$19.99 at Ollie's Bargain Outlet! And its one of those book cases that you don't have to put together! It folds down!

Double awesome!

Now if only I could get the room back into some semblance of order all would be good.

I am happy to have the new book case. It is a start!