Category Archives: Blog Hops

October 16, 2019 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Famous Books I Don’t Plan to Read

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

The pages of a book have been bent into a circle. A person's face is staring at you from the other end of that circle.The assumption I made this week was that most participants would be talking about books they are not interested in reading that were published in the last twenty years or so.

It will be interesting to see if everyone else answered this from the same perspective.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson

Why: I do enjoy the occasional mystery, but I’ve heard this is more of an action/adventure novel. Generally, I’m not interested in mixing those two genres together.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Why: This book includes some disturbing content that I refuse to read about.

No Country for Old Men  by Cormac McCarthy

Why: After finishing The Road, I decided not to read anything else from this author. He’s a talented writer, but his imagination is too dark for my tastes.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Why: I’m burned out on World War II novels, especially if they’re about all of the inhumane things that happened in concentration camps. Of course it’s important that we never forget what happened to the victims of the Holocaust, but this reader needs a long break from stories set in that time and place.

Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) by Ernest Cline

Why: I’ve read too many books similar to it. If that wasn’t the case, this would be the sort of thing that would grab my attention. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)
by Sarah J. Maas

Why: Romance is a genre I’m generally not that interested in. While there are definitely aspects of this story that appeal to me, I’d much rather read fantasy that doesn’t include plots about falling into or out of love.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question. The image below is the list of upcoming prompts for this blog hop.

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October 15, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Extraordinary Book Titles

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m going to assume that this week’s prompt is asking us to make a list of book titles that are unique and attention grabbing. Everything on my list is something that grabbed my attention so thoroughly I had to pick it up and read the blurb as soon as I spotted its title. Since most of them are still on my TBR, I won’t go into detail about them this time.

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, #1) by Seth Grahame-Smith

2. The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin

3. Fairy Tales Written by Rabbits by Mary A. Parker

4. Never Slow Dance with a Zombie  by E. Van Lowe

5. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Two story library with a painted vault ceiling

6. Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

7.The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

8.Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

9. Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook by Sarah Schmelling

10. Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs

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October 9, 2019 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Did a Great Job of Explaining Science to Non-Scientists

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Three DNA strandsI’ve mentioned my interest in science in previous posts here. There’s nothing like finding new books about various branches of science that were written for people who are not experts on the topic.

All of these titles were good reads that I’d recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about their subject matter.

 

The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic – and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

Branches of Science It Covers: Medicine, Public Health, and Sociology

This is one of those books that made me very grateful to grow up in a time and place when vaccinations, antibiotics, and clean water exist.

 

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

Branches of Science It Covers: Astronomy

Since I’m currently reading this book, I won’t provide any commentary on it yet other than to say that it’s as educational as it is humorous. Scientists are still debating whether to designate Pluto a planet again, but it never stopped being a planet in my opinion. Ha!

 

Lone Survivors: How We Came to Be The Only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer

Branches of Science It Covers: Biology and Paleoanthropology

Longterm readers might remember my never-ending fascination with how and why the various types of humans evolved over time. Every time a new book comes out on Neanderthals, Archaic humans, or any other closely related species, I simply must read it. It’s the closest I’ll ever come to actually meeting the people that eventually lead to the birth of modern humans.

 

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Doidge

Branches of Science It Covers: Neuroscience, Medicine, and Psychology

Is anyone else fascinated by neuroplasticity? It’s been a while since I read this, but I do recall being surprised by how much the human mind can adapt when accidents, injuries, or other issues cause damage to it.

 

American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree by Susan Freinkel

Branches of Science It Covers: Botany, Mycology, and Ecology

The American Chestnut is a tree that has been driven nearly to extinction by a fungus called the chestnut blight. Since this was published, there have been a few signs of hope for this species. My fingers are crossed that scientists will find a way to keep it alive either by killing the fungus or figuring out a way for the remaining American Chestnut trees to no longer be so susceptible to it.

 

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question. The image below is the list of upcoming prompts for this blog hop.

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October 8, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Character Traits I Love

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Wooden figurine posed to look as if its grieving, despondent, curious, and happy. This was such a fun and easy prompt to do.

The stock photo attached to this post made me think of all of the different emotions the same character may show in the same story.

1. Intelligent

They don’t have to be geniuses, but I do enjoy reading about how bright characters see the world.

2. Warm and Affectionate

There’s something about characters with this personality that make them irresistible to me. I can appreciate many different types of flaws in a character so long as they start from this base.

3. Active

I exercise regularly and enjoy spending time outdoors. It’s nice to read about characters who are also into staying active.

4. Cautious

There’s something to be said for thinking things through before rushing into a possibly dangerous situation.

5. Quirky

I was about to put the term strange here, but maybe quirky is a little bit more accurate. Characters who wander off the beaten path of life are alluring.

6. Easygoing

While I  can and do also enjoy stories about people who can be high-strung, I generally prefer to read about folks who take a more relaxed approach to life.

7. Bashful

There aren’t enough books out there about folks who are quietly amazing but who will never be the life of the party. For example, I would have loved to read a chapter or two of Anne of Green Gables from Matthew Cuthbert’s perspective. He was honestly more interesting to me than Anne was because of how shy he was about sharing his feelings.

8. Innocent

Honestly, I’ve grown weary of reading about shady protagonists who may not be trustworthy. Retaining some innocence is a good thing no matter how old someone is.

9. Thrifty

That is, it’s nice when characters take care of what they own and are mindful of how they spend their money.

10. Creative

It doesn’t matter how that creativity is expressed. I’m always interested in reading about people who can take an ordinary moment in life and find the beauty in it somewhere.

 

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October 3, 2019 · 1:00 am

Calling All Bookish Folks to the Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop

Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop Banner

This event is so cool I decided to dedicate a full post to it today.

On October 31, blogger Patricia Lynne is going to be hosting a Trick-or-Treat blog hop for anyone who is looking for free, new e-books to read.

Authors, you have until October 31 to hop on over to her site and share a link to your free book or books.

Bloggers, readers, and reviewers, the full list of free e-books will be available on that site on October 31. Be sure to go check it out then if you need something new to read. The hashtag they’re using on Twitter is #trickortreatreads, so keep an eye out for that, too.

I’ve already added the link for my books. If I find any titles there that fit the theme of my blog, you may see reviews of them here in the future. A big part of the reason why I wrote this post is so that I can link back to it over the coming months to explain how I gained access to so many free books at once if this pans out as well as I hope it does.

Happy reading, everyone!

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October 2, 2019 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: What I’d Want on a Deserted Island

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Here are the assumptions I’m going to be making for this week’s prompt:

  1. The island has a climate that will not kill me with heat stroke, frost bite, or unlucky encounters with the wildlife when I arrive.
  2. I will have enough food, water, shelter, medicine, and other basic supplies to keep me alive and well until I’m rescued.

If we’re talking about an island that is freezing cold, filled with venomous snakes, or is otherwise inhospitable to human visitors, all I’d want is to get the heck out of there as soon as possible. I’m going to assume this is not what Long and Short Reviews intended and answer this question under the assumption that I’m safe there as long as I don’t do anything silly like try to jump off a cliff.

In that case, this is what I’d want to have with me.

A notebook to write down memories of and stories about my time there.

A camera to snap a few pictures.

A hammock to sleep in (and a warm blanket in case the night air was damp).

A couple of buckets to use in my sand castle creations.

A swimming suit and towel to make my explorations of the shore a bit easier.

A few people I loved for the companionship.

A few large, friendly dogs to play with and to help me grab the attention of the rescuers whenever they arrived.

And a paperback or two to read if I grew bored.

Give me all of those things, and I’d be pretty happy there for a little while until the rescuers arrived.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question. The image below is the list of upcoming prompts for this blog hop.

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October 1, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles with Numbers in Them

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Open book on a table. The book is in Spanish, there is a cup of tea nearby, and there is a leaf lying in the middle of the book.This week I had no idea what to say about any of these books, so I’m simply going to list them with links to their Goodreads pages for anyone who wants more information.

I’ve read the first nine from front to back. Someday I hope to be able to get through all of A Tale of Two Cities, too.

1. 1984 by George Orwell

2. Molly: An American Girl: 1944 by Valerie Tripp

3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

4. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien

5. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

6. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

7. The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede

8. These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner

9. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

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September 25, 2019 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Authors I Wish More People Knew About

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

I blog about my favourite authors, well-known and otherwise, so often that I had to do a little thinking to come up with some new recommendations for today’s prompt. As usual, this list is going to be a little eclectic.

Open book. There is a dog, park, lamp, and person carrying an umbrella walking on it. They're all miniature. Chesya Burke. The only book I’ve read from her so far was Let’s Play White, but it impressed me so much that I’ve added her to the list of authors I want to read everything from in the future. She does a wonderful job of capturing a moment and then expanding it to show how a few minutes truly can change everything for a character.

Jason Arnopp. He wrote the delightfully scary, “A Sincere Warning About the Entity In Your Home.” While I’ve seriously cut back on how much horror I read, he’s still at the top of the list when people who like that genre want some fresh, new names.

Mary Oliver. So many of the people I know never read poetry. I’ve sadly lost nearly all of my interest in the genre, but I still enjoy Mary’s practical, down-to-earth approach to the subject. Her work is a wonderful introduction to poetry for people who have never gotten into it, and our world is a sadder place now that she’s no longer part of it.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question. The image below is the list of upcoming prompts for this blog hop.

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September 24, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2019 TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I decided to narrow this week’s topic down by only discussing books that have been or will be published in the autumn of 2019. When I actually read them depends on how long the wait lists are at my local library, but I’m hoping at least a few of these titles will become available soon.

Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid book cover. An eye with a native american symbol for a pupil and spruce trees for eyelashes is crying a single tear on it.

1. Title and Author: Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
Why I Want to Read It: The murders and disappearances of Indigenous women is a serious issue here in Canada. Our mainstream media isn’t giving this topic the attention it needs, so I’m glad to see there’s a book about it.
Publication Date: Today

Alex McKenna & the Geranium Deaths by Vicki-Ann Bush book cover. Image is of sprayprainted outiline of man's head with an X over where his eyes should be.

2. Title and Author: Alex McKenna & the Geranium Deaths by Vicki-Ann Bush
Why I Want to Read It: A witch who can speak to ghosts? Sign me up! I’ve also been trying to read more novels about characters who are trans in general, so that addition to the plot is icing on the cake.
Publication Date: Today

How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones book cover. Image on the cover is of a red, abstract swirly object.

3. Title and Author: How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
Why I Want to Read It: 2019 has not been a year of reading many memoirs or autobiographies for me. I’m trying to change that before the year ends for good.
Publication Date: October 8

:The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson book cover. Images on the front are drawings of a man and woman. Their organs are showing for illustrative purposes.

4. Title and Author:The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
Why I Want to Read It: I never grow tired of reading books about all of the unusual things the human body can be capable of doing.
Publication Date: October 15

Small Hearts by Bryan W. Dull book cover. Image on front is of yearbook photos. Some faces are crossed out.

5. Title and Author: Small Hearts by Bryan W. Dull
Why I Want to Read It: I’m still deciding if this is the right book for me, to be honest, but I do like the idea of reading about the aftermath of a school shooting rather than the crime itself.
Publication Date: October 15

Supernova Era by Liu Cixin book cover. Image on cover is of bright ray of light hitting Earth.

6. Title and Author: Supernova Era by Liu Cixin
Why I Want to Read It: There aren’t many books out there about supernovas. I get excited every time I find another one.
Publication Date: October 22

When They Come for You: How Police and Governments are Trampling our Liberties - And How to Take Them Back by David Kirby book cover. Image on cover show three houses. One of them has been targeted by a red dot from a missile launcher.

7. Title and Author: When They Come for You: How Police and Governments are Trampling our Liberties – And How to Take Them Back by David Kirby
Why I Want to Read It: Civil liberties are important. It’s crucial for everyone to know what their rights are and how they should respond if their rights or the rights of someone close to them are violated.
Publication Date: October 29

The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown book cover. Image on cover is of a young girl staring straight ahead.

8. Title and Author: The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
Why I Want to Read It: So many of the books on my list this week are serious. A fun, middle-grade horror novel might be just the thing to help me relax after them.
Publication Date: November 5

The Deep by Rivers Solomon book cover. Image on cover is of a mermaid swimming in the ocean with a whale.

9. Title and Author: The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Why I Want to Read It: I love the origin story of these characters’ ancestors. The thought that pregnant slaves who were thrown overboard ships hundreds of years ago somehow managed to thrive on the ocean floor is fascinating.
Publication Date: November 5

Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-Downs by Keena Roberts book cover. Image on cover is of young girl sitting on an inner tube in a lake. She is surrounded by hippos.

10. Title and Author: Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-Downs by Keena Roberts
Why I Want to Read It: The author of this memoir spent part of her adolescence in a remote part of Botswana thanks to her parents’ field work with baboons. This sounds like such a cool way to grow up that I’d love to know more about it!
Publication Date: November 12

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September 18, 2019 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: What Is My Superpower?

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

What a fun prompt this one was!

I have several different superpowers. Almost all of the humorous things I was going to include on this list fit better into the Strange or Useless Talent prompt that’s coming up in November, so keep an eye out for that one. It’s going to be delightful.

1. Analyzing stuff. That is, I’m really good at picking a story apart, figuring out what did (or didn’t) work in it, and then writing a solid review about that book, TV show, or movie.

2. Working quietly behind the scenes. I’m a little too bashful to want the spotlight pointed at me, but I excel at keeping things going behind the scenes while someone else gives a speech or otherwise acts as the public face of whatever it is we’re working on.

3. Using up leftovers. I grew up in a family culture that deeply disliked waste, especially when it came to food. If there was only half a serving of rice or potatoes left, it went back into the fridge and someone would eat it before it went bad. Sometimes this means my meals are a little nontraditional, but I love the feeling of making sure that everything that is cooked is eaten. For example, I recently ate three ears of corn, two hardboiled eggs, and a slightly soft pear for dinner because that was what needed to be used up in the fridge. I like those kinds of mish-mash meals, though!

4. Seeing the best in people. If someone does something I find perplexing, I do everything I can to find a rational explanation for it. We all have off days, and I have a lot of grace for people who accidentally say or do the wrong thing.

5. Making and updating spreadsheets. This is something I’ve done for years for fun. It’s so satisfying to see neat, little rows of numbers in a document.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question. The image below is the list of upcoming prompts for this blog hop.

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