30 Books I'd Keep If I Were To Tidy Up Like Marie Kondo

So I missed participating in the Bookending Spring event, but I bookmarked the prompts to look at posting later because they were so amazing! I hope to participate in an upcoming Bookend Event, but for now, here is my answer to the prompt inspired by "If I Only Owned 30 Books" Hailey in Bookland.

It was actually pretty hard to narrow down to 30 books, but I think I did a decent job, though my tastes are ever changing and I'm a mood reader so there's always that. You are supposed to keep things that spark joy - I'm keeping books that spark the rainbow of emotions!

All of these books draw some kind of emotional reaction from me: happiness, sadness, anger, love, pride, hope, and more. Some make me smile just looking at the cover and thinking about how the book made me feel. Others make me think about life and the challenges we all face. And still some are fun little novels to make me forget the every day. 

These are in no particular order - just colour because that makes me happy!

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan 
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Last Unicorn by  Peter S. Beagle
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Room by Emma Donoghue
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 
The Milestone Tapes by Ashely Mackler-Paternostro
A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
The History of Bees by Maja Lunde
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore
Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Little Prince by Anoine de Saint-Exupery 
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Looking for Alaska by John Green

I should write reviews of each one on this list, some I have already and others I just haven't found the right words to convey my thoughts. Many I want to reread before I nail down my true feelings. Some I own copies of and others I need to buy for my permanent collection. But ONE I have never read and am struggling with when I will finally break down and do so - GONE WITH THE WIND was my mother's favourite book ever and I have her copy sitting on my shelf. I just haven't brought myself to tackle this tome though it makes me smile to know I have the copy that she held in her hands and was so dear to her heart. 

I find books that draw strong emotional reactions from me are the ones I cherish most and the ones that truly make me think are next. Based on the books in this list... do you have any to suggest that I need to try? Have you read any of these and felt a strong emotional pull towards?

Tips For Reading More Than One Book at a Time

I have a tendency to have more than one book on the go at any given time. It's not that I can't focus on one story at a time nor is it a question of trying to fit in ALL THE BOOKS. It's being able to read at any given time on multiple platforms. So I'd like to share with you the tips I use to maximize my reading time by reading more than one book at a time.

1) Read different formats 

I like to have an audiobook loaded on my cell phone, borrow a CD audiobook from the library or request review copies in audio format when available to me. This allows me to listen to a story during my commute or at lunch when I want to take a walk (if using my cell phone). I have the most time to "read" during my daily drive to daycare and then work, so I generally have an audiobook on the go and can complete one a week or every two weeks in this manner depending on length. 

I also use my tablet or cell phone for ebooks. Lately it's been my cell phone with the Kindle app since my toddler dropped my tablet and shattered the screen and I'm not in a rush to replace it just so she can take it over again. I do love reading ebooks mostly in times like at night when I need the lights off for hubby or toddler when they are trying to sleep, but I just want to read a bit more. This allows me set the screen to a mode that will not bother them while they sleep, but also allows me a little more book time!

And lastly, the tried and true print copy - paperback or hardcover. I find trade paperback to be my favourite because they tend to lay flat so I can have a book with me while eating my lunch at work and not need my hands to hold the book while I eat. So I have taken to carrying a physical book with me daily too. Even graphic novels are starting to appear in my rotation (I'm giving them another try).

2) Vary your stories/genres

I find that if you are trying to read multiple books at a time, then the best way to keep the stories straight are to read different genres or at least topics so you can keep the plots and characters straight in your mind. If I read two thrillers at a time, I find I start to mix up what is happening in the books and then get lost or confused. So normally, I'd have a thriller going, maybe a YA and possibly a romance or general fiction at the same time. This helps me keeps things separated in my mind a little better.

3) Sticky notes are your friends!

Don't think of sticky notes as a nuisance. Think of them as your friends. You can use just the little tabs to mark things that you find interesting or want to remember or use full size sticky notes to jot down thoughts along the way and put then on the pages of the book or on the inside cover. This will help when you write your reviews later.

4) Notebooks/Book Journals

The other way to keep track of your thoughts on multiple books at a time, is to use a notebook or a book journal to capture your thoughts, reference page numbers of important scenes, jot down quotes that mean something to  you, write about characters and their development or draw out a character map to show who people are and how they are linked (this is great for books with lots of characters or similar names).

I think having a child changed the way I read and it's not a bad thing. I just like to maximize the time that I do get to read, so I need the above options so that I can make that happen daily. 

Do you have any tips to share about best ways to read more than one book at a time? Leave a comment below!

My Reading Identity | Who I Am and Who I Want To Be

I'm the kind of reader who will pick up a random book, regardless of genre, as long as it sounds good. I don't like to stick to just one or two genres, as I enjoy a variety to not feel stuck in a reading rut. I tend to go through cycles where I'll read mostly thrillers for a bit and then switch it up to historical romances or women's fiction. I'm definitely a mood reader as well, so I don't like being stuck to a set list. I'm now the kind of reader that has more time for audiobooks than print and that actually saddens me as I always loved the feel of a physical book in my hands, staying up until all hours or the night or early morning just to try and finish the book. 

I want to be the kind of reader who can get through books faster, but I have limited time between working and a toddler who always wants to play. I want to be the kind of reader who can recommend amazing stories to friends and family based on their likes and dislikes. I want to be the kind of reader who will DNF a book and not feel guilty for not reading just a little more to see if it gets better. 

I'm throwing away this feeling of not being an adequate reader just because I'm behind on my reading goals or I don't read as often as I used to. I'm going to be the reader that focuses on the books I want to read and make me happy, not what's popular and hyped up. 

I want to be the kind of reader that encourages my child to love reading too. This is my main goal right now, to bring the love or reading to life for her, just like my mother did for me. It's my fondest memory of my Mom and I want that for my daughter. 

What kind of reader do you want to be? What kind of reader are you now? How would you summarize your identity as a reader? Let me know in the comments.

My Auto-Buy/Must Read Author List

 

Though there are authors that I have read many more books by, these seem to be the authors that I seem to auto buy lately. My tastes have changed over the years so it makes sense that my auto buy authors would change as well. 

Rainbow Rowell is probably one of the top must buy authors on my list. Funny enough I only own one audiobook, Landline, while the rest have been borrowed from the library. I still think my favourite reads to date are Eleanor & Park and Fangirl. 

Jennifer Niven is a new favourite. I adored All The Bright Places and it stays in my mind all the time. And just recently I listened to the audiobook of Holding Up The Universe. Ms. Niven's writing is just beautiful and her stories will both break your heart and make you fall in love all at the same time.

Courtney Summers is a local to me author and I've actually had the chance to meet her in person. She is quiet, yet sassy. I'd love to meet her again. I still need to read some of her backlisted books, but her writing is amazing. Her best to date is her most recent release, Sadie. It's told from multiple POVs, including a podcast. It was so well written, that I think I need a reread (or relisten since I tackled this one via audiobook as well since it has a full cast that and absolutely suits the story).

Sarah Addison Allen writes magical realism in such a beautiful way. She's the first author that I read that had this element to it and that started my love for the genre. My favourite by far is Garden Spells, closely followed by The Sugar Queen.

And lastly is, Kathy Reichs. At one point I owned all of her books, but when we had to move I ended up passing most along to my mother in law, who also loves her writing. I still have a few copies on my shelves, signed editions, since her Temperance Brennan series is a favourite of mine. I was in the middle of listening to Two Nights, a start to a new series about her new character, Sunday Night. But my audiobook reservation expired via the library and I'm on a wait list to get it again so I can finish. I already know that I love this new character.

Do you have any auto buy/must read authors that you just cannot do without? Who would you suggest to me?

10 Money Saving Tips for Book Lovers on a Budget

For many of us, we just don't have an unlimited budget when it comes to being able to buy ALL THE BOOKS! So I thought I'd compile a list of all the amazing ways to get our hands on books while also being able to be frugal and maximizing our dollars!

I personally have used many of these resources over the years and continue to use them even now. Most of these ideas will be based on the fact that I am in Canada, so I won't be linking to American only places. 

1. Use your local library.

This will always be my number one suggestion! Not only can you borrow books from your library for free, but you can also borrow DVDs, CDs, puzzles, video games, and more. Our local libraries even have bicycles, telescopes, GPS units and more. Our library also has inter-library loans (I've used these a few times), Overdrive and Hoopla.

2. Shop The Sales! 

Library book sales, thrift sales and yard sales. I love finding books at the local thrift store as they have the best prices! Next is the Friends of the Library sales - my library has year round shelves to peruse, but also a gigantic annual book sale. And lastly, yard sales - you can find some amazing deals at yard sales, but you have to be willing to dig.

3. Little Free Library 

I'm lucky enough to have a few little free library locations in my city and in the neighbouring towns. I stop by once a month to drop a few books and see what gems I might find. You can look here to see if there is a location near you. Or you can start your own!

4. Swap/Trade

Use sites like BookMooch to trade books (pay postage only and earn points to redeem towards books from other users). Or organize a book swap with family or friends - this could be a lot of fun if you did themed book swaps or just got a fun group of readers together with snacks and made a night of it.

5. FREE! 

Collect loyalty points to redeem for discounts or free books such as Plum Rewards or iRewards via Chapters Indigo. Some sites like Amazon will have free ebooks for download, so why not check out their ebook section! Sites like Project Gutenberg and DailyLit are where you will find Classics for free.

6. Discounted Books 

These you can find via the used bookstore or places like Book Outlet. Book Outlet has amazing deals all the time and sometimes if you're lucky there will be signed editions!

7. Giftcards! 

I always love receiving gift cards for my birthday of Christmas. This way I can buy the books I'm dying to get my hands on without having to spend the money myself and the person giving the gift knows I'll always end up with something I'll love. It's a win/win. Also, I get reward points at work and I redeem mine for giftcards to Chapters all the time.

8. Enter Giveaways

Another great way to get the latest release in your hands is to enter giveaways. Goodreads hosts giveaways regularly so check them out. You can find some great giveaways via Twitter searching the hashtag #giveaway. Another great resource is fellow book bloggers - there are always giveaways being held for publishers, promo groups and blogger hops - so go check out your fave blogs and see what they are supporting!

9. Subscriptions to Audiobooks

Use apps like Hoopla, Audbile and Scribd to listen to audiobooks for a discount or free! I personally still use Overdrive via my local library. 

10. Request e-ARCs 

Use NetGalley or Edelweiss+ to requeset eARC review copies. I've been a big user of NetGalley in the past, but had to step back a little as I was requesting more eARCs than I could review in a timely manner, so just be sure you are only requesting books you will for sure be able to review as it can get out of hand quickly.

As an additional note, you can also write to publishers to request physical ARCs especially if you are a more established blog or have a strong presence online (social media, blog, etc). Each publisher has different requirements to meet for them to approve advance copies so be sure to check out their sites before sending in your requests.

Please feel free to share your money saving tips for fellow book lovers. I'd love to hear how you get your read on while saving money!

What I've Learned About Graphic Novels

A lot of fellow book bloggers are very into graphic novels and I had only read a few here and there, so I thought I should give a few more a try. Overall, I've come to realize I'm not a huge fan and this saddens me as I thought I would love them more.

These are the few that I've read in the past:

I recently picked up three graphic novels from my local library. They have three sections for graphic novels there including children's, young adult and adult. I scoured them all and here are my thoughts on the few that I picked up.

Runaways: Fund Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka

GET READY TO RUN!

The "IT" book of the early 2000s with the original cast is back--Nico! Karolina! Molly! Chase! Old Lace! And, could it be...GERT?!

The heart of the Runaways died years ago, but you won't believe how she returns! Superstar author Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park, Carry On) makes her Marvel debut with fan-favorite artist Kris Anka (ALL-NEW X-MEN, CAPTAIN MARVEL) in the series that will shock you and break your heart! Did Chase and Gert's love survive their time apart? Have Karolina and Nico's feelings made their friendship impossible? What emotional landmines lie in wait to DESTROY the Runaways?!

First off, just know that I picked this up because RAINBOW ROWELL! I pretty much love anything she does. I did enjoy the story line in this one, though I hadn't read any previous Runaways before. The artwork is beautiful. I think mainly I need to go back and read the previous Runaways editions so that I could understand more of the back story - you do get a bit with this one, but I think it may have had a bigger impact if I had read from the beginning. 

Ms Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Aphona

Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation!


Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!

I didn't really know a lot about Captain Marvel, so Ms. Marvel is new to me too. I really liked the idea of a teenage Muslim superhero and this story actually demonstrates a lot of the challenges that teens face when trying to grow up surrounded by your cultures beliefs but living in America. They want to follow their family's beliefs, but also be their own person since they are growing up surrounded by possibilities. Kamala rebels against her parents only slightly at the beginning, but once she gains her powers, she starts to act out more and do what she wants as she feels the responsibility to help those around her. This cover is everything!

Funko Universe by John Layman, Georgia Ball, Caleb Goellner, Philip Murphy and Nico Pena

The biggest and best characters from Funko get their own comic book stories focused on the Ghostbusters,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The X-Files, Strawberry Shortcake, and Judge Dredd in the fun and magical Funko Universe!

It's all out fun when The Ghostbusters battle an undead ninja and the total destruction of the land of the living. Then the TMNT get wind of a new Shredder-inspired cereal and go to the source to investigate the bad-guy based breakfast! While in The X-Files, a bevy of talented creators seek the truth--and some laughs--with your favorite FBI agents! Then journey back to Strawberryland with Funko Pop and old friends like Blueberry Muffin, Huckleberry Pie and of course, Strawberry Shortcake! And finally check out the funkiest Judge Dredd of all-time as Funko takes over Mega-City One.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love FUNKO POPS! So I just had to grab this one to try. The fun thing about this one was that there were different illustrators for each story inside. I will say that my favourite stories inside were Ghostbusters and Strawberry Shortcake, but my favourite illustrations were Ghostbusters and TMNT!

After writing my short thoughts on these graphic novels, it seems like I enjoyed them more than I initially thought. They were a nice break from novels or audiobooks, but I still think overall they are not for me. It might by nice to throw one in here and there, but they won't be becoming my go to anytime soon. Overall, I think the thing I enjoy most about graphic novels is the artwork. I realize just how much I like reading longer more details stories.

A few that I've reserved at the library to try are:

What graphic novels can you recommend that I try?

My MUST BUY Books or The Books That Got Away

To piggyback off my most recent quote post featuring All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, which is a book that I adore but only borrowed from the library. I intend to buy this in the next few weeks! I'm pretty excited to finally own a copy for my library.

I've decided to make a list of other books that I either borrowed from friends or the library, but I am desperate to own for my shelves. My goal is to only have books I love on my shelves at our new place. 

I'd love to know what books you let get away, so tell me what are the best books you have read that you don’t own yet?

Annotating Books | Should I Try It?

I recently watched a BookTube video all about annotating books, via the Little Book Owl, and it got me thinking about how I have in the past kept my thoughts organized or tabbed parts I liked in books and whether or not I could actually bring myself to writing in a book or highlighting passages.

In the past, I had highlighted in text books for college courses when studying, but I have never written or used a highlighter in a book. A few years ago, I actually wanted to try my hand at it, but somehow I didn't get the chance. The local library had a program called Graffiti in the Margins where you could borrow a book and highlight, write, etc in the margins of the book and then they would be added to by more readers. It sounded so fun, I wonder if it's still a program or not? 

EDIT: They no longer offer it. 

I normally just put post it notes in books that I'm reading and I want to remember a quote or passage. But I've gotten away from this lately. 

So now I'm torn about even attempting this or using a combination. Perhaps sticky tabs for now and maybe down the road I could try writing in an ARC or a copy of a book I know I'll reread again and again so that I can put updated annotations each time I read it? Think: Harry Potter? Or a 5 star fave?

So my questions are: Do you annotate your books? What method do you use most?

What book would you be willing to try it with first?

BookTubers | A New Obsession

During my blogging hiatus I was still trying to be in the bookish community as much as I could via social media and I leaned towards watching BookTube for the first time and fell in love. So here is a list of my favourite BookTubers and a link for a few of my favourite videos they've produced.

BooksandLala - a Canadian BookTuber! Lala has such amazing content, always keeps my interest, love her little FamJam and always excited to see them featured! She is my favourite BookTuber and I have alerts setup to tell me as soon as she uploads new content!

• Choosing Books Based On My DNA
• Books Featuring Podcasts (she started a series called Overly Specific Book Recommendations and I adore it!)
• Husband Runs My Bookstagram For A Month

MyReadingIsOdd - another Canadian BookTuber! Natasha loves a wide variety of genres so it's right up my alley. Also, love her star jars! All the love for this girl!

• TBR Star Jar Picks - February 2019 (she shows us how she folds her stars!!!)
• Husband Buys My TBR
• 18 Booktubers to Watch in 2018 (this post helped me find new BookTubers!)

Little Book Owl - I stumbled upon this one randomly. Very detailed book reviews and fun extras!

• How I Annotate Books
• All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (review - TRIGGER WARNINGS - suicide, depression, anxiety, abuse)
• Book Folding

Hardback Hoarder - Love this BookTuber and her honesty. She has some hilarious vlogs and some great informative ones as well.

• Diverse Authors to Read in 2019
• Graphic Novel Recommendations
• Downloadable Reading Spreadsheets & How To Use

Paper Faerie - A new to me account with lots of fun content and discussions.

• Do Reviewers and Authors Have an ARC Problem?
• Non Fiction on my TBR
• Reading and Channel Goals for 2019

The Book Castle - New to me just recently and I am really enjoying her content and how unique many of her posts are.

• Reading The World: Round 3
• 3 Memoirs of Different Childhoods
• 5 Books I'm Giving Away For Christmas

Saidthestory... - another Canadian BookTuber! She also has the cutest dog ever!

• Goodreads Picks My TBR
• Canadian Book Recommendations
• Unread Canadian TBR

Who would you recommend that I check out? I'm still new to BookTube so send me all the recs!

 

Updating my Goodreads Shelves

For years I've struggled with my Goodreads shelves, but this year I think I finally have it nailed down. I have added and deleted a dozen different shelves while trying to manage this revamp of my shelves. We moved in November, so I had already done a huge clean up of my physical bookshelves and updated my Goodreads accordingly as we were downsizing and I couldn't bring all the books with me. But only after watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, did I actually try to do a major Goodreads shelf clean up. Funny enough, I have her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tiding Up on my shelf (I almost purged this one during the move, but somehow it made it back onto my shelf).

Pretty much I've kept my yearly bookshelves where I track what I've read each year so it's easier to find. And I have kept a few of the shelves or my ongoing goals, like 1001 Books To Read Before I Die and the Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge.

I did have a wishlist which has now just merged with my to read shelf. I used to sort books I wanted to read vs books I already have on my shelves to read, but I decided they could all be on one shelf because either way I want to read them. If the book happens to not physically be on my bookcase in my home then I'll just borrow it from the library. That was easy enough to tackle. My WANT TO READ shelf is currently at 273!

I did add a list for BOOKS I WANT TO BUY. This is for books I loved, but don't own a copy and I know that I want to own a physical copy so I can read again and again. This list is pretty small only coming in at 18 books and are the books that SPARK JOY for me. I cannot wait to own them!

And last, I have BOOKS TO REVIEW ASAP. This is the section that needs attention and where I list all the books that have come in for review either solicited or unsolicited. I still have quite a few to get through and plan to mix them up with other mood reading. I am not requesting anything further from publishers at this time as I'm still in the middle of weighing the pros and cons of continuing my blog, switching to Instagram & Twitter exclusively or just tracking on Goodreads. I still don't truly know what is going to work best for me.

Here are some articles that inspired me to get my Goodreads shelves in order.

-Ways to Shelve Your Books on Goodreads

-Getting Organized on Goodreads (TIP: don't forget to turn off notifications while you clean up your shelves like I did or you'll be spamming your friends/followers - Hannah has the deets on how to turn this off while fixing up your shelves!)  

-How Do You Organize Your Goodreads Shelves (specifically TBR)

So tell me, how do you organize your Goodreads shelves - any magic tips?

Unhauling! Letting go...

UNHAULING MY BOOKS

I'll admit it... I love the look of so many books piled on my bookshelf. BUT... I think it's time I cull a ton. It makes me sad, but at the same time it's overwhelming to have so many on my shelf that are unread or that I don't plan to reread - ever. So I've decided to just cull them all. I'll be slowly donating books to the Little Free Library near my mother in law's house and maybe even boxing some up to donate to the library book sale.

So many books that I wanted to read at the time, but either don't feel the same about anymore or don't think I'll ever get to. And I think I only want to keep those that I loved, want to reread or will for sure get to in the next 2 years. That seems like a good time frame. Even review books that I was once interested in, but now so much time has passed that I'm just not feeling them - best to pass along to someone who will enjoy them!

Netgalley - cull out ones I'll never get to - DNF the ones I'm no longer interested in. And stop requesting so many books on there. Only a few at a time... I can eventually get books from the library if I'm still interested in the titles.

Have you ever done this? Did you feel guilty for culling unread books or did you feel relief? I'm hoping it helps me deal with my blogger shame of having so many older review books that I just never got to.

EDIT: I didn't know that unhauling was a thing, but I do it often. Who knew? I'm new to watching BookTube and love BooksandLala and that's where I learned about unhauling books. 

UPDATE: I unhauled 46 books from my shelves. I still need to do the ebooks, but I'm not in such a hurry for those as they are not taking up physical space.

To Continue Blogging or Not...

Recently, I made the decision to not renew my domain name. I know! This was a big decision for me, since snowdropdreams.ca has been a big part of my life for many years, but I find I am not able to blog nearly as much as I had in the past and I'm struggling to even write reviews at all. I'm still happily reading and listening to audiobooks, but I don't seem to have the time/energy to sit and blog that often anymore.

So I think the first step for me is to let go of my domain name and just keep my boring old Blogger web address - snowdropdreams.blogspot.com - this way I still have my blog, but I'm not paying for a service that I don't really need.

The next step is deciding if I'll blog at all anymore or if I'll just review my reads directly on Goodreads and what my reviews will look like going forward... fully thought out reviews, quick thoughts right after reading, another format? I still hang around Twitter and Instagram too and hope to start posting more bookish related photos on IG again with quick thoughts on my reads. I have a huge back log of reviews that I need to write up and am debating on just logging on to Goodreads and writing my thoughts down quickly and rating the books. I'm thinking that formatting a blog post is what keeps my from writing my thoughts down lately and this leads me to think it's almost time to say goodbye to my blog. I don't want to close it down, just maybe not continue writing anymore.

I have been constantly emailing myself links to post ideas, bookmarking all kinds of fun reading related things to do or try, but never have time for them. Ugh.

Decisions, decisions.

Being a Mom to a rambunctious 2 year old, working, taking care of a home and large property has been taking it's toll on my energy and time for actual blogging. I find that when I have a moment of quiet, that all I want to do is chill, browse social media or read. The more I write in this post, the more I feel like I'm making a decision already. Maybe I'm just not ready to say goodbye just yet?

Any one else go through something similar and make a come back later on - or did you just make a clean break and moved on in the next stage of your reader life? Any regrets?

NetGalley Addicition | Trying To Request Less & Finally Get Caught Up

So here it is... my NetGalley confession. I have a ridiculous amount of books to get caught up on via NetGalley (many were the Read Now books available and I'd get carried away clicking my little heart out). And a few were ones I asked for, but got sidetracked from actually reading them. This work/life balance thing is hard y'all - especially when you add in a child. Things get out of control very easily - either work suffers or some aspect of your personal life does and believe me that usually ends up being chores or random to do lists.

I'm hoping to read quite a few from my backlist of NetGalley review books to get caught up. I want my feedback ratio to be higher and to not feel guilty about the number I still have outstanding. Recently I've read a handful from this list, but I need to get my thoughts together to write reviews before I can submit them.

 I know I'm not alone, because I found this group on Goodreads: NetGalley Addicts Support Group!

GOALS:

-DO NOT ask for any more books until I am caught up or within 5 books of being caught up. No matter how much I want to read a book. I need to get my ratio up and clear the backlog. 

-Read at least ONE book a month from this overwhelming pile. 

-Catch up on reviews so that I can post them on NetGalley ASAP.

What are some tips you have for getting caught up and staying up to date with your NetGalley review books?

Using my TBR Jar again...

I made this TBR Jar back in 2015 and it sat on my shelf all pretty and unused. I had so many review books to get through and then I kind of took I hiatus when I was pregnant and now I am trying to tackle my obscene TBR pile (all while continually adding new review books to my shelves).

The only real reason it has come back to my attention is the fact that my toddler pulls everything she can reach off my shelves. She brought me the jar the other day and wanted to look at the papers inside. So, I dumped it out to take a peak and see if it still applies and it does! 

The things I wrote on the papers were things like: horror, thriller, romance; red cover, blue cover, yellow cover; A, B, C; Kathy Reichs, Bertrice Small. So genres, cover ideas, letters of alphabet to chose a book starting with that letter or books by a certain author. Oh and the best one: book that's been on TBR the longest! 

I have decided that I'll be using this in combination with reading my review copies (trying to get caught up) and reading books for the TBR Pile Challenge (since that had to be predetermined). I hope this will help me tackle my huge pile of unread books.

So a big thanks to my toddler, for accidentally nudging me in the right direction!

Going to be giving my TBR Jar another try. Hoping it helps me to tackle my giant TBR pile.  New post on the blog about it and why I've decided to try it again.  #tbrpile #booknerdproblems #reading #bookaddict #bookhoarder #bookstagram #booknerd

A post shared by Chrystal (@snowdropdreams) on Apr 23, 2018 at 7:27pm PDT

Do you have a TBR Jar? Either way, what did/would you write on the slips of paper? Leave a comment because you just might inspire me to add more slips to my jar!

Blogs I'm Digging Lately

This week I thought I'd share the book blogs that I have been digging with lately. I've found that I have more time to fit in social media and commenting on other bloggers posts then I have for writing my own posts. Perhaps this is because I can use my phone to do this during my lunch and breaks, but at home that's a whole other ballpark. My toddler keeps me so busy, that I generally crash in bed shortly after I get her to sleep. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to read for 30 minutes before passing out. And many nights hubby wakes me in the middle of the night to take my book away, my glasses off and turn out the light when he comes to bed. 

My latest go to blogs are:

Reading In Winter - Kristilyn is a fellow Canadian book blogger who has been posting some amazing discussion posts lately. She's on a Classics kick right now, but she reads quite a broad range of genres so there's generally something for everyone on her blog.

Drop and Give Me Nerdy - Love the mix of adult, YA and children's lit. And it's pretty awesome that she's the owner of Nerdy Post! I'm addicted to her Instragram account as well.

Happy Indulgence - I found Jenna via Twitter somehow. I can't even remember, but it might have been a suggested person to follow or a comment on another tweet that made me notice her. I love her content and check it out weekly.

Queen of Contemporary - I actually found this YouTuber/Blogger via Reading In Winter! 

What Sarah Read - I've been a long time follower now, but I've more recently been actively commenting and reading her posts.

Leave me links to bloggers you think I need to check! Let me know your faves or just blogs you think would fit my style. 

 

Reasons I Love My Library! | Ontario Library Week 15-21 #GetTheCard

It's that time of year again where we celebrate and promote out local libraries! It's Ontario Library Week! I've decided this year that I'm going to make a post about all of the amazing reasons that I love my library.

My most recent reason for adoring my library is the children's area. Our library has an awesome play area with a train table, a giant Connect Four game, infant toy section, computers, craft area with weekly crafts, Lego/Mega Blocks, musical instruments, puzzles, colouring pages and more! And of course an overwhelming selection of board books, picture books, middle grade readers, DVDs, audiobooks, and video games to borrow!

Fun at @landalibrary today! #bookstagram #booknerdintraining #10monthsold #librarylove #librarybook #reading #booklove #momlife #books #library #bookish #babygirl #growingup #traintable #veryhungrycaterpiller #blocks #musicalinstruments  I'd love to get Lil Miss a set of the music shakers they had at the library. She just loved them and they're really colourful and fun.

A post shared by Chrystal (@snowdropdreams) on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:58pm PDT

Lately, I've been using the Overdrive application on my cell phone to listen to audiobooks and read ebooks. I love that I can download the books I'm wanting access to right on my phone and not need to run to the library to get them. I've been finding it easy to listen to books while I go for walks on my lunch hour or cutting the lawn. They have a wide selection of titles.

Hoopla is the newest application that I want to try, but I've heard amazing things from friends. I think it's going to be a handy way to watch TV shows and movies. I already have Netflix at home, but I think since there are a lot of shows missing or that have been retired from Netflix, that perhaps I'll be able to find them on there. I'll be giving it a try this week actually.

My local library hosts an annual Local Author Showcase in summer with used book sale. It's a host to a wide variety of authors from children's picture books and memoirs to both fiction and non-fiction. I've met quite a few interesting people when attending - like author/illustrator Peggy Collins.

Each week the head librarian writes an article for the local newspaper. The topics vary from new releases, upcoming programs, tips on picking the right book for you, etc. I love ripping open the paper to see what she'll write next. It's how I found out about Blind Date With A Book years ago.

They also attend the Farmer's Market and have a booth for kids to listen to stories and play games and make crafts while their parents are shopping the booths. Sometimes they even have surprise guests like Belle!

Our library has an amazing YA section and graphic novel selection. I know they are trying to appeal to the younger generations and I think they are doing a great job in our town.These sections keep growing and they are sure to bring in the hottest new releases.

There are some really fun programs that our library has started and continues to run each year. Some of my favourites are Graffiti in the Margins (I still need to try this, but I've been donating books to use), Blind Date With A Book for both adults and children (my first and second years participating), Teen Paint Nites, lending of telescopes for use at the viewing center, bicycles to use around town, museum passes for local places and in bigger cities and GPS lending for geocaching in the area. Our library is so much more then books!

Unwrapping the "bunny book" from @landalibrary the other day! She gets excited to unwrap things. We found counting books! #booknerdintraining #librarylove #childrensbook #reading #books #bookstagram

A post shared by Chrystal (@snowdropdreams) on Apr 6, 2017 at 7:01am PDT

I love that there are multiple branches to reach as much of the community as possible. I've attended three of the locations and they are all different. The one closest to me just closed down as it was tiny and not visited enough (which made me sad because it was a five minute walk), the main branch which hosts many of the exciting events they have during the year and another branch about a 20 minutes drive from my home that seems to be the children and teen hub (it happens to be located at the community centre where the swimming pool and arena are located).

Our library has a very active social media presence and they are interactive with those that reach out to them. I follow them via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I love interacting with them whether it's to ask a specific question, to find out upcoming events or discuss a great new read.

Overall, I love their dedication to community involvement both in person and via online avenues. It just shows their dedication to their clients and their understanding of the changing needs in our society. I'm hoping to pass along my love of reading and libraries to my daughter and they are already making my job that much easier with all that they do.

A post shared by Chrystal (@snowdropdreams) on Jun 14, 2017 at 4:15pm PDT

I also have access to another library system close by in the city that I work and I've been lucky enough to check out some of the amazing things they do as well, including a traveling exhibit about Anne Frank. But since we moved five years ago, I only visit this one a few times a year now.

So tell me what you love most about your local library. Do they have any interesting or unique programs that I should ask my library to try?