*Book Blogger Hop* 6 April 2018

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:

Do you overextend yourself with too many reviews because you can't pass up a book in hopes you will get them all done or do you carefully plan and be sure you can fulfill the deadlines for all the promised reviews? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

Yes. I always overextend myself on everything but I'm pretty sure I'm Wonder Woman and don't need sleep like a sparkly vampire, and also I'm a bit greedy where books are concerned and legitimately want pretty much all of them. At the same time, I don't really take many review requests and instead just get books from Netgalley where I don't actually have to interact with a person, which makes me feel less guilty when I don't get reviews posted in a timely fashion. Yes, I realize I'm a horrible human being. I'm trying to work on that, I promise.

Do you overextend yourself with your reading? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so that I can stop by and see your answer too.* 

*Stacking the Shelves* 31 March 2018

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. And since I am currently technically a displaced person (all my things are packed up on a boat and I don't have a home to call my own at the moment), I'm not currently buying any physical books. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. *All Goodreads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.*

Satyr's Son by Lucinda Brant
Lord I Surrender by Dr. Esther Ula Cofer
Hell's Princess by Harold Schechter - This was my Kindle First selection for March. 
The Waking Land by Callie Bates - Snagged this on sale for $1.99 (still on sale). This book originally snagged my attention because my Facebook wife suggested I write a fake review on my other blog, Whose Review Is It Anyway, for it. And I just love the cover. 
Croaked by T.E. Antonino
He's Gone Now What? by Gregg Michaelsen
Lifeline by Abbey Nash
Betrayal of Blood by Franca Ogbonnaya
Choosing the Strong Path by Fred Bartlit, Steven Droullard, and Marni Boppart ScD
Times Square by Rich Walls
The Fifth Doll by Charlie N. Holmberg - I snagged this audiobook for $2.95 as an Audible Daily Deal. I have a thing for matryoshka dolls, so the cover called to. 
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer - I snagged this on sale for $3.99 (no longer on sale). I've heard good things about this book. 
The Black Witch by Laurie Forest - I snagged this on sale for $1.99 (no longer on sale). The title really appealed to me and I'm a fan of fantasy novels in general. 
The Hills Report by Shawn Sprague 
Molar Pregnancy: 70+ Questions Answered by Lydia Kariuki
Breadcrumbs by Francis J. Shaw
Home Life Around the World by Anita Martinez Baijer
Can Job by Kirsten Mortensen
The Roving Mind by Anthony Simola
The Moon Shines Red by Pamela Sparkman
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray
Wait With Me by Amy Daws - So hype really works on me, and this book has gotten TONS of it. Brief backstory, the author wrote the entire book in a tire store and that story kind of blew up on social media. 
The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom by Nancy Goldstone - I snagged this on sale for $2.99 (no longer on sale). I really enjoy reading about kings and queens in history. 
The Nightingale Murder by Leena Lehtolainen
Gunning for Angels by C. Mack Lewis
The Immigrant Wife by Madhu Bazaz Wangu
To Wed in Scandal by Liana Lefey - I snagged this for just 99 cents because I was eligible for a $3 promotion from Amazon for the purchase of a book from a limited selection. 
Casimir Bridge by Darren Beyer
Devil's Run by AR Simmons
Get Glad: Your Practical Guide to a Happier Life by Harry Hoover 
The Last Plane by Robert Hirzer
Through Fisher's Eyes by Paul Nelson
The Assembly of Thirteen: The First Two Companions by Omayra Velez
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - I snagged this audiobook for just $2.95 as an Audible Daily Deal. My son has started getting interested in listening to audiobooks, so I'm trying to expand the suitable selections in my audio library to accommodate that. 
For a Pint of Mother's Milk by Avishek Sahu
Shanghai Fools by Vann Chow
Memorizing Pharmacology by Tony Guerra
Zeus is Dead by Michael G. Munz
The Interpretation of the Second Seal by Clive Richards
Run Away by Adnan Arduman
Be Careful What You Joust For by Ryan Hauge and Ivy Smoak

So that's all the new books I added to my Kindle this past week (or you know, just my Amazon library because my Kindles would be getting mighty full if every book went straight to one. What new books have you added to your shelves this past week. - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to leave a link to your post below so I can stop by and see all your new pretties.*

*Book Blogger Hop* 30 March 2018

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:

How many book clubs do you belong to? If you do belong to an in-person book club, do you have meetings in the day or evening? Do you meet at someone's house or meet at a local restaurant or coffee house?  (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

At the time of answering this question (which is near the end of January) zero because we just moved back stateside from Germany and I'm a temporarily displaced person until we close on a house in our new location. There is no point joining a bookclub in my parents hometown for about a month.

In the past I've been part of bookclubs that met in the evenings at restaurants most of the time, but occasionally at people's houses (I've hosted a couple of the meetings at my house).

I'm hoping that by the time this is the question I will be part of a proper bookclub again.

*Edit: I'm still not a member of a proper bookclub now that we're at the end of March. I'm about ready to post on the Nextdoor app to see if there are any in my town, or find out if there is interest in starting one.*

What about you? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your answer below so I can stop by and see what you had to say.*

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books that Take Place in Another Country

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This weeks theme is books that take place in another country. This topic would have been so much easier for me if it had come up in 2017, when I was living in Germany (except maybe that would have made it harder because it would have opened up ALL the books set in the US which do make up the bulk of my reading material). But now I'm back in the states, so I'll have to focus on books set elsewhere. So here we go.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - Sure, most of this book takes place in space and on other worlds, but it starts in England (and if the other worlds don't count as another country that's hardly fair too.)

I Know I Am, But What Are You by Samantha Bee - This memoir mostly takes place in Canada, because Samantha Bee is Canadian. It totally counts.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - Set in Australia, although the vibe could probably totally be California or Florida.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Mostly set in Prague, Czech Republic, although there are some scenes in other countries (one of which is the US I think), but the bulk of the story does take place outside of the US.

Artemis by Andy Weir - Alright, so this one takes place on the moon, but the moon city is under the control of an African nation (Kenya I think, but I don't remember now) which basically makes it part of Africa if you ask me.

It Takes Death to Reach a Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington - This dystopian novel mostly takes place in Siberia, with a bit of time spent in outer space. It was a proofread and is currently available for pre-order, but I highly recommend it.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Set in Germany during WWII (couldn't have used this one while living in Germany.)

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - This book is set in Nigeria, and has a bit of a Harry Potter feeling to the story.

Honorable Mentions

A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi - This book only half counts because it's only half set in India and the other half is in California.

Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray - While I feel like the bulk of this story takes place in France, New York plays a significant part in setting as well, so I'm not fully counting it.

A Very Mer-Merry Holiday by Ginna Moran - This book is mostly set in Australia, but I've included it in the honorable mentions section because I already had Australia in my main list (and I was really trying to not have duplicate countries.)

Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you those are my actual Top Ten Books set in other countries, because that would probably be a lie, but trying to sift through all the books I've read and then rank the ones set in other countries to come up with a legitimate top ten is not on my list of fun activities to do, so instead, I've given you my ten (eleven) most recent reads set in countries that are not the US.

So what about you? What are some of your favorite books set in other countries? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can see your recommendations.*

*Stacking the Shelves* 24 March 2017

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. And since I am currently technically a displaced person (all my things are packed up on a boat and I don't have a home to call my own at the moment), I'm not currently buying any physical books. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. (All Goodreads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.)

Living with an Addict: Understanding the Hell of Addiction - Alcohol and Drug Abuse by Biella Blom
Dante's Garden: Magic and Mystery in Bomarzo by Teresa Cutler-Broyles
Spurious Transmissions: Six Diverse Tales of Short Speculative Fiction by Mitchell Christian
Manic Kingdom: A True Story of Breakdown and Breakthrough by Erin Stair
Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor by Anne Edwards - I snagged this audiobook as an Audible daily deal for just $5.95, and I'm pretty interested to listen to it. 
Lulu's Cafe by T.I. Lowe - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). I'm guessing it was shared by one of the lovely ladies at Celebrity Readers, although I'm not entirely sure. 
The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing by Jana DeLeon - I snagged this as a freebie (maybe still free). Not sure how I heard about it, but it was free and apparently that's all it takes for me to one-click. 
Sleepless by Tracey Ward - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). This one I'm about 97.4% sure was recommended by Lenoreo at Celebrity Readers. I totes love the cover too. 
Kymiera: Purity by Steve Turnbull - I snagged this as a freebie (maybe still free). Not sure how I heard about it, but it's a book I one-clicked. 
Holes in the Ground by J.A. Konrath and Iain Rob Wright - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free), where I saw it escapes me at the moment. 
The Federalist Papers by assorted Founding Fathers - I snagged this for $1.99 (still that price) because it seems like a book that would be relevant to read at this point in time with the current political climate in America. Knowledge is power, right.
The Locksmith by Jo Ullah - I got a free copy of this book because I nominated it on Kindle Scout and it was selected for publication. 
Love and Other Phobias by Emma Nichols - I got this book for free by nominating it on Kindle Scout, it too was selected for publication. 
Tomb of Aradia by Antony Davies - I got a free copy of this book for nominating it on Kindle Scout and it being selected for publication. 
Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). I'm guessing I saw it shared on someone's STS post last weekend, maybe. 
Barking Bad!: Woofin' Wurst by Kathy Branden
The Roads to Damascus by Lynda McDaniel
Never Complete: Becoming Who We Were Meant to Be by David Schaub
The Confessions of Socrates by R.L. Prendergast
The Etymology of Fire by Keith D. Jones
Before the Ripcord Broke by Charlie Close
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and John Oliver - I snagged this audiobook because it's narrated by an all-star cast and is only $1.39. I found out about this book when I saw it on a segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It seems like an amazing book and all of the proceeds are going to charity. 
The Pillow Parade by Edward Dron - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). Not sure how I heard about it though. 
My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Leibovitz - I snagged this book on sale for $3.99 (no longer on sale and way more expensive than I would have thought, so I think I got a good deal) because I'm interested in getting more recent recipes for French food than Julia Child wrote. 
The Purpose of Socks by Naomi Griffin
Age of Azmoq: The Valantian Imperium by Rajamayyoor Sharma
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck - I snagged this audiobook for $3.95 when it was the Audible daily deal because while I've been reading my physical copy that I won through Goodreads ages ago, it's been taking a while because I don't have much time for fun reading. I have loads of time for listening while doing things like washing dishes and folding laundry though. 
Double Knot by Gretchen Archer - I snagged this book on sale for 99 cents (no longer on sale) because I've read the second book in this series and found it amusing. Sure, this is like book six, but it's not like I started out by reading them in order in the first place. 
City of Cats by Max Diksztejn
Guarding Her Heart by Jade Webb
The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard - I snagged this on sale for $2.99 (no longer on sale) because I've been on a bit of a reading kick regarding the roles women played in America during WWII lately. This just seemed like the next step after finishing listening to Code Girls. 
Checking Out by Nick Spalding
Bridge of Souls by K.R.M. Morgan
Stingray: You Can't Hide Forever by Gary Zeiger
Quint: The Boy, the Book, and the Buildings by JD LaFrance
The Savage Earth by P.T. Hylton
A Three-Year Minute by Joseph Legaspi
The Halleluiah Baby by Kathleen Martin
Of Half a Mind by Bruce M. Perrin
Kyle in the Corner by Jason Srebnick

And that's all the books that I picked up or won this past week. It's a much more substantial haul than last week, although it does include more actual purchases (or freebie one-clicks at least) as well, which helps. 

What books have you added to your shelves this past week? - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by to see all your new pretties.*

*Book Blogger Hop* 23 March 2018

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:

When meeting with friends, do your discussions usually turn to books? (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

No actually, which is incredibly weird since for the past three years when I was meeting with friends, it was my bookclub, for our monthly meetings, but we almost never talked about the books. It ended up just being like a three hour gab fest with delicious food, but since I mostly needed a reason to get out of the house without the kids in the first place, it was still perfect for me, even if I did wish we'd talk a little bit about each of the books.

Do your discussions with friends usually turn to books? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so that I can stop by and see your answer too.* 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books on my Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This weeks theme is books on my spring TBR. Y'all remember that I'm absolutely horrible at sticking to a TBR right? And you know that my ongoing Platypire Read-A-Thon list that I post each month is already out of control, yes? On top of that, I'm still trying to get my house unpacked (I'm slow, okay!)  But the process of unpacking is reminding me of books that I was so excited about winning at the time that I have yet to read, so I think that's what I'm going to try to focus on this spring. With that in mind, here we go.

After Alice by Gregory Maguire - Guys, I squealed when I got the notification that I'd won this book through Goodreads, and I squealed even more when the book arrived. I made a point of keeping the book handy for reading so it wouldn't get lost in my masses of books, and I NEVER got around to reading it. I even took it on vacation with me in 2016 and didn't read it then, but this spring, I'm finally going to get to it, maybe.

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry - So first of all, this book has an amazingly beautiful cover, although after reading the synopsis, it's a bit deceptive. Apparently it's a thriller/suspense novel, and I'm not super into those in general, but the cover keeps calling to me, so I'm going to have to give this book a shot anyway. We shall see how I like it.

You Don't Look Your Age...And Other Fairytales by Sheila Nevins - So I'm a huge fan of fairytales in general, although I realize this is more of a self-help type book than anything. But as I'm nearing my mid-thirties (I know, I know, I don't look a day over 21), I imagine I'll be able to relate to some of what Ms. Nevins writes about, or at least be able to view it as a cautionary tale so I can stop the aging process before I get too far along.

The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable - I had huge intentions to read this book last year in preparation of summer. The cover on my copy is way better than the current cover on Amazon (in my opinion) even. It makes me think this is going to be a fun book to read, and for some reason, I just keep putting off that fun. Shame on me.

The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder - With a title like that, how could I NOT want to read this book? With any luck, this book will make me glad that I wasn't able to attend either of my siblings' weddings because we were living in Germany at the time.

Dear Reader by Mary O'Connell - I have to read this book. It was written for me. It says so, right there in the title. Even though I have no idea who Mary O'Connell is, she clearly wrote this book with me in mind. It would be rude not to read it, right?

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel - This book is published on the good paper, and it has a cover that makes me think of cheesy Christmas movies (there's no snow or anything that would indicate it's set during Christmas, so I don't know why it makes me think of cheesy Christmas movies). I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret not reading it sooner.

My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen by David Clawson - Do I even need to explain why I want to read this book?

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau - The cover is this book is exquisite and has always made me think of Frozen, except it's pretty clear that this kingdom is in much more danger than Arendelle. I just need more hours in the day, okay.

Christmas in London by Anita Hughes - I know that spring is a weird time to be wanting to read Christmas books, but my Christmas this past year was not very festive, what with moving during the holiday season. So I just kind of need a little wintery pick-me-up.

So what about you? What books are on your Spring TBR? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by and see what you plan on reading.*