Tag: books and reading

NetGalley April Read-A-Thon

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | NetGalley Month> NetGalley Review-a-Thon

It’s April, which means it’s time for the quarterly NetGalley catch-up month at Red House Books.

Emily has declared this month to be a Read-A-Thon, a chance to clear some of the backlog of NetGalley books and just plain maintenance tasks associated with reviewing.

Mmm. Well. Mmm. Marlene sticks her toe in the ground and looks down shame-facedly.

On the maintenance, I’m good. On the backlog, not so much.

I did finally take advantage of the “Kindle books don’t expire” option and mailed every possible NetGalley title to my Kindle app. Whether that will help or not, we’ll see. One thing I don’t see with that option is book covers. They are all “docs” and documents don’t have book covers. There is one word for them, and that word is “UGLY”.

Also very hard to tell apart.

I had a second reason for doing this. The Kindle app probably doesn’t get full. Bluefire, much as I love the app, does seem to have a limit. And I found it. Every time I need to add a book to it, I have to delete one.

Guess what? You can fill up an ebook reader, if you try really, really hard. Or at least, you can fill up an ebook app. (I’ve emailed Bluefire support and we’re in the middle of figuring this one out. It seems to have to do with expired books. Update: It turns out it definitely has to do with expired books. I have too many and there’s no easy way to get rid of them. Only very boring ways.)

In the meantime, I’ve got to take a look at my NetGalley queue. There’s plenty in there (shudder). I absolutely must post a couple of reviews this month for the Read-A-Thon.

After all, I can’t let the side down. I’m one of NetGalley’s Librarian Voices.

What’s on my (mostly virtual) nightstand? 4-15-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Virtual Nightstand

If this were not a Sunday, in the U.S. today would be the day that the taxman cometh. Or perhaps goeth might be the better word.

April 15 is usually the deadline for filing U.S. Income Tax returns. Except when it falls on a Sunday–then we get a reprieve. Until April 17th this year.

All the procrastinators in the U.S. are waiting until tomorrow night. Or maybe even Tuesday night!

Does having more time make it better, or worse? You tell me!

In the trying not to put things off department, what books are on my nightstand, just waiting to be read and reviewed?

Two books for tours coming up. I’m doing more tours. I get some very interesting books, and some equally interesting commenters. Folks that I hope will like what they read, and come back for more.

About those books…

The Minefields by Steven C. Eisner was sent by Book Lovers Inc. It’s business fiction, which isn’t quite my usual, but the author’s family reminded me more than little of my own family. The story (I finished this afternoon) seems like fictionalized auto-biography. And if it is the author’s own life fictionalized, it’s definitely one I’d rather read about than have lived. But fascinating. The tour will be stopping at Reading Reality on April 20.

Completely 180° from there, Robyn Carr’s Sunrise Point tour will be stopping at Reading Reality the following week, on April 24. I’ll have an interview with Robyn and also a review of the book, the latest in her Virgin River series.

In addition to the tour books, there are three other books coming up next week that I’ve been really looking forward to.

Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules comes out next week.I have a print ARC that I picked up at PLA, as well as a NetGalley egalley for next week. I adored her Iron Fey series, so I have high hopes for this. I’ve tried not to spoil myself by reading any of the advance reviews.

 

Last year, I found this terrific new urban fantasy, Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis.  I really loved that book. Who would have thought that Scranton, PA would be crawling with the supernatural? The sequel is finally here. I can’t wait to find out just how dark the Evil Dark in Scranton really is.

 

Wicked Road to Hell by Juliana Stone is the first book in her League of Guardians series. Well, it’s the first whole book. I reviewed the prequel novella, Wrong Side of Hell a few weeks ago, and it was a fine introduction. It was also hellishly hot in all the right places!

 

Speaking of series, the next book in Amanda Stevens’ Graveyard Queen series, The Prophet, is on my list for next week. I still need to catch up with this series. I have a paper copy of The Restorer, and The Kingdom is still in my NetGalley queue.

And, back to things in my NetGalley queue, I’ve been trying to resist the impulse, but a couple of Carina Press titles caught my eye for this week: Desert Blade by Ella Drake and Darkest Caress by Kaylea Cross. Desert Blade is science fiction romance, which I can never pass up, and I just liked the sound of the paranormal romance in Darkest Caress.

And that’s my overburdened nightstand for this week. Hopefully I’ve tempted you into adding something to your nightstand.

What are you planning to read this week?

On My Wishlist #5

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | On My Wishlist

I fell in love with historical mysteries a long time ago, courtesy of Ellis Peters and Brother Cadfael. And I’m probably not alone.

There are two “private inquiry agents” operating in historic Rome. Marcus Didius Falco, created by Lindsey Davis, is the more sarcastic one. Falco doesn’t have a new book this year. Damn.

The more serious of the two is Gordianus the Finder. His author, Steven Saylor, has written a book exploring Gordianus’ earlier life. It’s a prequel story. It’s also the story of how Gordianus met his exotic wife in Egypt while on a trip to see the wonders of the world. I’ve always been curious about how he got his start. Maybe I’ll finally get to find out in The Seven Wonders: a novel of the Ancient World.

 

Michelle Sagara announced the on-sale date for Cast in Peril, the next book in her Chronicles of Elantra series. I read the previous  seven books in one big, delicious gulp, and I’m impatient for the next book. This series is fantastic. It reads like urban fantasy, but the world it’s set in is more of a high-fantasy type world. The combination is incredibly marvelous. And Kaylin Neya is a character I still want to know more about, even after 7 pretty long books.

I’ve seen so many terrific reviews for Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire that I want a copy of my very own. It looks like an absolute hoot! Sort of like Sanctuary, only much, much snarkier. Maybe I’m wrong on the comparison, but I definitely want to find out!

Okay peeps, I’ve told you mine, now you tell me yours! What’s on your wishlist?

 

In My Mailbox #5

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | In My Mailbox

If you remember the photos from last week’s In My Mailbox post you’ll understand why I tried to restrain myself this week.

I didn’t completely succeed. Hopefully someone will give me an “E for Effort”?

I subscribe to a few (several) newsletters about forthcoming books and the book trade. Shelf Awareness, Early Word and Publishers Weekly all cover books, bookselling, and publishing, but from different angles. Shelf Awareness is slanted a bit towards Indie Publishing, Early Word is aimed a bit a libraries, and Publishers Weekly, well, what they cover is pretty clear from their name!

Their email newsletters also offer contests for Advance Reading Copies in their sidebars. Every so often, I win one.

I won a print ARC of A Simple Murder by Eleanor Kuhns from one of the above. It’s a historical mystery set in a Shaker village in 1796. So neat setting, interesting premise. This book won an award from the Mystery Writers of America for the Best First Crime Novel. So it might be good. And the author is a librarian. Of course I’m interested!

 

Book Lovers Inc. sent me a request I couldn’t resist. I confess I didn’t read Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula when it came out. It’s just my kind of book, too. Alternate history with vampires! But it never quite made it to the top of the towering TBR pile. Kim Newman is re-issuing the sequel, The Bloody Red Baron, and asked BLI for a review. When the request was passed to me, I said I would, if I could get copies of both Red Baron and Anno Dracula. I got.

The only problem with alternate history is that doing it justice usually takes a lot of pages. Those two books are not short books. Either one. Oy!

The other night I was looking for something light and fun to read. So instead of wading through my TBR piles, I bought myself a treat-a copy of Stacey Kennedy’s Supernaturally Kissed. All the reviews I’ve read said it would be just the ticket. The next day I joined Stacey Kennedy’s Street Team and because I couldn’t resist the temptation to get a review copy of the next book in the series, Demonically Tempted.

I’m a tour host for Goddess Fish Tours, and I asked for review copies of books for two tours I’m hosting in May and June. Seized, an urban fantasy by Lynne Cantwell, and Dark Inheritance: Fallen Empire, a Regency romance/alternate history by K. Reed

 

Finally, I admit it, I gave in and bought Fifty Shades of Grey. I listened to myself dissing a book I’d never read and realized that I wasn’t being fair. I needed to either shut up, or read the book. I read the book. Now I have dissing rights. Which doesn’t mean I’m going to totally use them. You’ll see.

 

 

 

What’s on my (mostly virtual) nightstand? 4-8-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Virtual Nightstand

Before I say anything about any books on the nightstand, virtual or otherwise, there’s something else sitting there that needs to be acknowledged.

I have a great big pile of virtual thank you notes. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came to my Blogo-Birthday Giveaway April 4-5! It was great to see all of you at my party. I’m so happy that you came. Every single one of your comments and follows was a present. Thanks a bunch!

Since this was a hobbit birthday, I’m giving presents. The lucky winners of the ebook giveaways and the Amazon gift cards will get emails and be announced tomorrow, April 9.

Back to our regularly scheduled Mostly Virtual Nightstand…

Last winter (okay, it was winter everywhere else, the U.S. South doesn’t get much real winter) it seemed like everyone else was reading and raving about North of Need by Laura Kaye. I missed picking it up on NetGalley. I should have and just didn’t.

When Ms. Kaye was asking for bloggers to participate in her West of Want cover reveal and contest announcement, I jumped at the chance. It was my opportunity (read excuse) to finally read and review North of Need, and participate in a terrific event. April 10, Reading Reality will be one of the hosts for Laura’s contest announcement and excerpts of West of Want and I’ll post my review of North of Need.

This week is also the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Why is this relevant? I have a copy of Wreck of the Nebula Dream by Veronica Scott to review. Nebula Dream is a science fiction romance based on the Titanic disaster, so it is fitting that the review be posted close to the April 15 anniversary.

I have two books I received from Samhain. One, The Lawman’s Surrender by Debra Mullins, I almost can’t believe I asked for, because it’s part of their Retro Historical line. I reviewed the first book in the Calhoun Sisters series, Donovan’s Bed, for Library Journal and here. It was an absolutely terrific guilty pleasure, one of those books that reminded me how much fun western romances can be when they’re done right. (Also, this retro isn’t very retro, it was originally published in 2001) I just have to find out what happens to sister number 2!

My second Samhain title is Lexxie Couper’s Love’s Rhythm. Her books have done pretty well in the Ebook Review Central tallies, and I wanted to see for myself.

How many of you have mostly virtual nightstands? Would you like to share them? The magic of Mister Linky makes that possible. Just add the link to your Virtual Nightstand post below, and we can all share the books we’re reading and reviewing this week.

 

In My Mailbox #4

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature, started by The Story Siren, as a way to give a shout-out to the books we received the previous week.

From the author:
The Key by Pauline Baird Jones (ebook)
Geared for Pleasure by Rachel Grace (print) I won this in a drawing at The Smutketeers.

From the author or publicist for review for Book Lovers Inc.:
The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich (ebook)
Blind Traveler Down a Dark River and Blind Traveler’s Blues by Robert P. Bennett (ebook)
On One Condition by Diane Alberts (ebook)

From Samhain Publishing:
The Lawman’s Surrender by Debra Mullins (ebook)

From Angry Robot Books as a member of the Robot Army:
Suited by Jo Anderton (ebook)
vN by Madeline Ashby (ebook)

 

 

From NetGalley:
Amped by Daniel H. Wilson (ebook)
The Unholy by Heather Graham (ebook)

And I received the second box of books and ARCs I sent myself from PLA, so I opened the boxes. Here’s the picture of my PLA haul. Pictures, plural. There were too many for one picture to do them justice.

 

 

On My Wishlist #4

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | On My Wishlist

This is the first On My Wishlist that’s going to be officially linked to the new site at Cosy Books.

What’s the On My Wishlist meme? A way for bloggers to share the books they really, really want to read, whether it’s stuff that isn’t out yet, or just books they haven’t been able to get around to.

Which books are on my personal wishlist right this minute?

Redshirts by John Scalzi. I want this book, I really, really want this book. Now would be just fine! I put this on my list of most anticipated books for 2012, I want it so bad. What is it? John Scalzi, the author of Old Man’s War, which is fantastic science fiction, writing about a space ship crewed entirely by “Redshirts”. Yes, those redshirts. Exactly what you’re thinking. The ones who always died in the first five minutes (seconds) of any classic Star Trek episode. Except this crew knows what they are, and they all want to live. At PLA I asked the folks at the Tor booth to send me an Advance Reading Copy, and I am so hoping it will be in my mail soon. I’ve also entered a giveaway on Goodreads. I really want this book bad and June 5 seems so far away.

My ongoing thing for Sherlock Holmes also needs a fix. The next Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell book by Laurie R. King, Garment of Shadows, comes out on September 4. I’ve requested it on Edelweiss, and I’m stalking it on NetGalley, hoping it will appear miraculously there. (I have a better chance on NetGalley) I’ve read ALL the Holmes/Russell books. I reviewed The Pirate King and Beekeeping for Beginners. September is much too far away. I listed Beekeeping for Beginners as one of the best ebook romances of 2011 at Library Journal. I’m so up for Garment of Shadows.

So tell me, what’s on your wishlist?

 

It’s a Blogo-Birthday!

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | About> Blogo-Birthday> Blogoversary> Giveaways

And what’s that, you might very well ask?

On April 4, 2011 this blog was born. The first version was Escape Reality, Read Fiction! Courtesy of The Wayback Machine, here’s what it looked like, back in the early days of…last year. (My own birthday is tomorrow, so blogo-birthday)

Escape Reality, Read Fiction! is still on the masthead, but now it’s under the bar. For anyone who wonders where that phrase came from, like so much wisdom, I got it off a t-shirt–which doesn’t make it any less true. I firmly believe that you can escape reality for very large periods of time by reading fiction. And that’s a good thing!

I’m equally firmly of the opinion that you can’t judge a book by its movie. Also from a t-shirt. There’s some great stuff on t-shirts, if you look for it. Especially if you like pithy.

So, about last year. April 4 was a Monday. My first post was published that day, after a weekend of Galen and I setting things up. There was one absolutely paralyzing bit about selecting a WordPress theme from the zillion and one options I still have nightmares about.

I knew I would write about books. Not a big surprise. I expected to be writing more on the, I guess you would say meta-level, about the business of books, or the business of libraries, rather than book reviews.

I never expected it would be quite so easy to get books to review. I thought I’d be reviewing from my already large TBR stacks. Instead, the TBR stacks are getting bigger by the day, but mainly in the virtual sense. I get most of my review copies in ebook form, with the exception of conference ARCs.

A year means it’s time to reflect a little bit. That’s why there have been a few changes in the last month.  I’ve added features to bring in more traffic. I’ve discovered that writing the blog, even every day, isn’t the hardest part. Getting people to come and read it, the promotion, that’s the more difficult bit. At least for me. As the saying goes, YMMV.

So in addition to regular features like Ebook Review Central, it’s time for Reading Reality to participate in a couple of memes like In My Mailbox and On My Wishlist. On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand turned into a meme itself this past weekend. I’m also participating in some blog tours and blog hops, like the Where’s That Bunny? hop hosted by Reading Romances this week.  (By the way, Nat at Reading Romances designed the Blogo-Birthday graphic. Thanks, Nat!)

But I want to make sure that the loyal readers of Reading Reality keep reading. So, as I start my second year, I want to hear from you. What do you look for in a blog? What keeps you following? Comments please!

This is a Blogoversary Celebration, so of course there is a giveaway!

Here are the steps to enter the drawing for a USD$15 Amazon Gift Card. This giveaway will be open until 12:01 a.m. the morning of April 8, 2012. I will announce the winner on April 9th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ebook Review Central, Amber Quill, Astraea Press, Liquid Silver Books, Riptide Publishing, February 2012

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Ebook Review Central> ebooks

March went out like a lamb in this part of the country. February is going out here at Ebook Review Central. This is the four-in-one post, featuring titles from all of the Amber Quill houses, Astraea Press, Liquid Silver Books and last but definitely not least this month, Riptide Publishing for the month of February 2012.

Before we get to the featured books, let’s talk about the publishers for just a second, because we have more than one. This issue is always different, because the featured titles can move around from publisher to publisher, depending on who has the “hottest” titles in any given month.

But there are definitely some trends.

Astraea Press hired a review coordinator a few months ago. Opal Campbell is doing a bang-up job. Every Astraea Press title gets reviewed.

Amber Quill is…not doing as well. Or they are and they aren’t. Amber Quill is an umbrella name for three houses, Amber Quill for more general fiction, Amber Heat for erotic m/f fiction, and Amber Allure for m/m fiction. The titles they publish from Amber Allure always get reviewed. The Amber Quill and Amber Heat, not so much. This month, the Amber Heat titles, not at all. Whoever or however they do it on the Amber Allure side of the house, please replicate it on the Amber Heat side! It’s not good to see this many books from one publisher with no reviews.

But Riptide Publishing seems to be doing everything right. I have yet to see one of their titles not get reviewed. In at least four places and usually more! Also, from the perspective of the person researching Ebook Review Central every week, Riptide’s website is an absolute gem. Not just because they have a complete entry for every book with all the data readily available in one place, but also because they track the reviews! (I always find a few more, but it is so helpful to have a starting point.)

Riptide published three titles in February 2012. Those three titles each received at least twice as many reviews as the next nearest competitor. Not only did they get the most reviews, they were all pretty darn good ones, too.

Featured title number one for this all-Riptide issue is Dark Soul Vol. 4 by Aleksandr Voinov. This is a collection of three shorter works, Dark Rival I, Dark Rival II and Dark Temptation. These stories involve Silvio, Stefano, the Russian mafia, and whether a man involved in a crime family can afford to be himself without hurting the ones he loves the most. This series has been described as obsessive, dangerous, compelling and delicious. Repeatedly. Notice that this is volume 4 and plan your reading binge accordingly.

The second entry on the Riptide hit parade is The Heart’s Greater Silence by Anne Brooke. This is not a story with an HEA, or even a Happy for Now. Mark loves Craig, but he’s having sexual affair with Richard. Richard is a minister, and is married to his vocation, but he’s having his sexual needs attended to by Mark. When Craig is confronted by Mark’s betrayal, Mark’s world falls apart. This is a moving story about someone who throws away his chance at a happy ending.

But the third featured title in this all-Riptide ERC does end this issue on a much lighter note. Few Are Chosen by Storm Grant is an Urban Fantasy, but this story is one that every single reviewer said they laughed through. Any story about virgin teenage demon hunters who squabble over tighty-whities not being proper super-hero undies and which of them is more the “Chosen One” than the other has a leg up on funny. The reviewers say that the story pokes some gentle fun at Buffy, but with one of the boys wearing a black leather duster, it sounds like my favorite Chicago wizard, Harry Dresden, has some fun thrown his way as well. Harry’s a big wizard, he can take it. (Few Are Chosen sounds like one I’d like to read!)

I never know which titles will be featured until I finish searching for all the reviews. To have all the featured titles in this issue be from the same publisher was a surprise until the very end.

Next week the cycle comes back around to Carina Press’ March titles. Time marches on!

On My Wishlist #3

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | On My Wishlist

 

 

 

 

On My Wishlist is a meme in transition!

Up until now, this very popular tradition has been hosted by Book Chick City. Next week, the linky will be up at Cosy Books.

In the meantime, we all seem to be sharing our addiction through the comments at Cosy Books. Mucho thanks goes to Book Chick City for starting this popular book blog meme and to Cosy Books for stepping up and continuing the love.

I’ve got so many books incoming this week, I’ve been trying to keep the wishing to a minimum. It’s not easy, and it will probably break out in a rash next week. But in the meantime, there’s this one book I’ve seen on other people’s wishlists (there needs to be an acronym for that, maybe OPW?) that I can’t resist.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams
Bobby Dollar #1
Sept. 4, 2012
Urban Fantasy
Penguin

Tad Williams wrote some of the best books I ever read. I still have my print copies of The Dragonbone Chair, The Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower. That epic fantasy series was awesome, and I’ve always meant to re-read it. And I adored Tailchaser’s Song. But I never made it to Otherland, although my husband liked the series and we do have them. I have high hopes for this urban fantasy series because it’s Williams and I love a good, gritty urban fantasy. We’ll see what happens. The cover is awesome!

Stop the presses! I have an update on a previous wishlist title! If anyone out there agreed that Liz Williams’ Worldsoul sounded like an awesome book, it is now available on NetGalley.