To Buy or Not to Buy: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

I feel like I will forever be in a state of cleaning up and organizing. Will I ever be able to sit back and say, "That's it! I have cleaned up all my wishlists!"?

No, me neither.

Today's quick impression is Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Book Description (From Amazon):
Publication Date: January 27, 2015

Geek + runway = a runaway UK hit! Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious, internationally bestselling series that's perfect for fans of Louise Rennison and The Princess Diaries.

Harriet Manners is a geek. She always has been, and she thought she always would be—but when she's discovered by a modeling agent, she leaps at the chance to reinvent herself. There's only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Can she transform from geek to chic?

My First Impression:
This is actually an older book that is being re-released. As I could only order it used, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was being re-released and with a Kindle edition.

I just love the title. It’s the story of my life, but I didn't want to buy it without checking it out first.

Release Date: 01/27/15

I came home from work ready to read my sample. I had downloaded it first thing that morning before I went to work.

Oh yeah. I was serious, not playing around.

When it was finally reading time, I couldn't wait to give it a spin.

Cover page and Dedication – Check

Table of Contents, page 1 – Check

Table of contents, pages 2 and 3 – Check

And then…nothing.


Decision?

I have absolutely no idea.  Best to either look for it in the store, download a sample of another book in the series and hope that there is actual book text or bite the bullet, fly blind and buy the book anyway.  What should I do?

Stacking the Shelves - March 8, 2015

Well, this hasn't happened in quite some time. I actually behaved myself for a change. I have taken my friend Terri's (Alexia's Books and Such) advice to try to read off my TBR pile. I carted around about 5 or 6 books for three days from room to room. I didn't know where I actually wanted to read, but I finally settled on the first one. I am now about halfway through Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck and have wanted to throw it against the wall several times. It is like when you go to the movies and people are screaming at the characters on the screen. Yeah, like that. I've been calling Kelsey all kinds of names. But that's not why we're here.

My acquisitions were pre-orders I placed a while ago. Only one book in the mix, so, I am trying hard not to buy. I even had a coupon for B&N this weekend and didn't even go to the store to use it.

Anyway, here are my acquisitions...

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Books Purchased:
A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas - This one was on the HarperCollins Spin and Win game at the New York Comic Con. I wanted this one almost as badly as I wanted The Red Queen. Sadly, I did not win it, so I pre-ordered it toot sweet. That's what happens when I am denied something at BEA or NYCC, I have to order it immediately and sometimes end up waiting a long time to get the book.


Blu Ray Purchased:
Outlander Season One Part One - This was a bit expensive, but slap a Collector's Edition and I am hooked and reeled in. I saw a lot of comments where people were going to wait until the full season was released, but if I waited, I'd lose the opportunity. The Blu Ray has already increased in price by at least $15.00.

Big Hero Six - Missed it in the theater, so I had to get the Blu Ray. Looks fun, but I haven't watched it yet.

Friday Night is Movie Night: Not Another Happy Ending

I was browsing through Netflix for new releases and found a movie that sounded interesting. It starred Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame and it was about books, so I figured what the heck and queued it up.

Product Description (From Amazon):
When a struggling publisher discovers his only successful author is blocked, he knows he has to unblock her or he's finished. She is become too happy with her new found success and she cannot write when she is happy. The only trouble is, the worse he makes her feel, the more he realizes he is in love with her.


My Thoughts:
Karen Gillan plays Jane, the author. The movie opens with her receiving another rejection letter from a publisher for her novel, The Anguish of My Father. She has a Wall of Rejection where she posts all the rejection letters she receives. We next see her donning pants, vest, bowler hat (all in muted earth tones) and a red umbrella; very Annie Hall meets Charlie Chaplin. She starts walking we know not where to until she ends up at a Publishers office, which may or may not have also been his apartment, answered at the door by a guy in his underpants who is the assistant and perhaps roommate. This part of the story was a bit ambiguous. She overhears a conversation by the publisher, Tom, which is in French with a lot of yelling and what I can only assume is cursing.

When he is off his call, he takes her into his office, tells her he sees potential in her book, but that is requires a lot of rewriting and a title change. Then he turns around and tells her he'll give her a two book contract deal. The stage is set.

With his assistance, the rewrites are complete and she shows up at the office (maybe apartment) to see the finished copy of her book. However, when she pulls out a book from one of the boxes, she sees the title is Happy Ending and not The Anguish of My Father. She is livid, starts screaming at him, says some fairly harsh things, promises to get on the second book only so she can deliver on her contract and she will never have to see him again.

She goes on the receive accolades, awards and the affection of the reading populace of Scotland. She also captures the attention of another author, Willy, and they begin a romantic relationship. He is a very successful writer, but also self-absorbed. Their relationship definitely seems a bit one sided, not emotionally, but more that she does all the work and he reaps all the benefits and he seems to be oblivious to anything but himself.

Jane is trying to finish her book for Tom so she can sign to a new publisher, a bigger more successful publisher. She is down to her last chapter and the unthinkable happens, she gets writer's block. She tries to write, but all she can hear is the tap tap tapping of the keys on Willy's traditional typewriter. She starts baking, which she does when she is blocked and then she goes for walks, doing anything she can to avoid the fact that she is unable to write.

This concerns Tom. For one, her book is past due. For another, his publishing company is failing and he needs her finished book, since it will be another bestseller, to save his company. So he devises a plan. Most people are creative when they are miserable. The reason her first book was so powerful was that it is semi-autobiographical (Okay, it is totally based on her life although she won't admit it.)and she had a really rough childhood dealing with abandonment issues from her father. He figures she is not able to write because she is happy, so he decides to sabotage her life so she will become miserable again and she can finish her book.

Does his plan succeed? Tut tut. Spoilers!

It was a diverting enough movie, having some very humorous moments. I don't see it receiving any awards, but it was enjoyable enough. It's quirky, but I will be honest, has received some mixed reviews on Amazon. However, as I don't personally see a lot of movies involving authors and book writing as a theme, I did like it overall. I would definitely suggest queuing it up on Netflix, though, and not paying the money for it.

To Buy or Not to Buy: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

My TBR pile is just getting too out of hand. While I will still purchase very reasonable priced eBooks, a physical copy book really needs to Wow! me in order for me to consider buying it. So, I download the sample and the author has a very short window to drag me in and catch me up in the story. Since I've bought more than my share of books prematurely, whether by cover alone, word of mouth or some other source, I wanted to share my first impressions of the sample I read so that I may assist others in choosing for themselves whether To But or Not to Buy.

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
Book Description  (From Amazon):
Publication Date: June 1, 2013 | Age Level: 12 and up

I can’t feel sadness, anger, or fear. I can’t feel anything. I've grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn't feel emotions . . . she sees them in human form. Longing hovers around the shy, adoring boy at school. Courage materializes beside her dying friend. Fury and Resentment visit her abusive home. They've all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn't succumb to their touch. All, that is, except beautiful Fear, who sometimes torments her and other times plays her compassionate savior. He’s obsessed with finding the answer to one question: What happened to Elizabeth to make her this way?

They both sense that the key to Elizabeth’s condition is somehow connected to the paintings of her dreams, which show visions of death and grief that raise more questions than answers. But as a shadowy menace begins to stalk her, Elizabeth’s very survival depends on discovering the truth about herself. When it matters most, she may not be able to rely on Fear to save her.

My First Impression:
First sentence: Fear is coming.

A chilling, yet gripping opening.

We find our main character, Elizabeth, being stalked by the incarnation of fear.

He stalks her because he wants to taste her fear, but she is devoid of all emotion, empty inside and he can’t touch her. But he won’t give up. He’ll keep trying, he’ll keep appearing to her and hope that something will change.

She was not always like this and now must pretend that she is a normal teenager. Although, she has to constantly remind herself how a normal teenager would act. She is not normal, though. She only has one friend that is sick and dying. She sits alone at school and talks to no one. When her friend Maggie shows up to school, she doesn’t even last a half hour before she collapses and is taken away by an ambulance, but Elizabeth doesn’t feel anything, only reacts how she thinks a concerned friend should act. She endures the taunts of her fellow classmates. After all, she feels nothing, but on the way home from school, she senses a presence, one that is new to her.

See, while most people are ignorant of any other world but ours, Elizabeth knows and she can see them. Fear, envy, greed, all emotions as well as light, wind, the seasons, they are all incarnate beings that are both part and apart from our world.

Decision?

To Buy

Trailer Reveal: Prodigal and Riven by Tyler H. Jolley and Sherry D. Ficklin

Welcome (back) to the TIME WAR...

Books 2 & 3 of the best selling Lost Imperials series

Releasing 5/5/15

from Clean Teen Publishing

Individual digital editions will be available everywhere e-books are sold.

Click on the cover to read more!

Exciting news! Prodigal and Riven will be available in 2 special combined print editions!

Barnes & Noble and other retailers will feature a standard combined print edition:

Stacking the Shelves - March 2, 2015

March the 1st is a big day. Well, in actuality, the first of every month is a big deal and I wait impatiently every month for 27 - 30 days for the first to arrive.

The first of the month used to herald Calendar Day. Calendar day was always such a big deal because I work in a Dilbert world. I have, or had, a cubicle that was U shaped, had high enough walls so I couldn't see my neighbors and it was all grey. So dreary. And as I said before, I am a visual person. I need color and fin things around me. So, I brought in toys, knick-knacks, magnets and calendars. I think I used to have about five calendars up every year. However, we were going to be moving to a new shiny permanent space, but had to temporarily move to another location.

The brand new shiny spaces are all white, grey, chrome and glass with no walls. I can see all my neighbors and they can see me. We can all see what everyone is doing or not doing, who they're talking to, how long they take breaks, etc. It looks like a freaking newsroom or some such. You look and it is a sea of flat desks and heads all the way across the floor to the windows.

Since we were moving to a temporary spot for a few months, we were told to take all our personal belongings home since we could not have them at our desks when we got to the permanent space. The move was in January and this year, for the first time in at least 30 years, I did not buy a calendar since I would have no place in the new location to put it.

So, the first of the month is no longer calendar day. I was always so full of anticipation to see what the new pictures would be. I was not a cheater and would never look ahead at the months unless they were pictured on the back.

The first of the month almost lost meaning, but now, it is a book day. I haven't named it yet, but I should. I wait anxiously every month to see what the new Kindle deals will be.

There is the Kindle First where four forthcoming books are highlighted and you can purchase one for cheap before it is published the next month.
There is the Kindle Daily Deal, which is daily, but it just adds to the excitement of the First of the Month.
And then there are the Kindle Monthly Deals. I get really excited for the monthly deals because sometimes I can find good books.
Occasionally, there is also the Kindle Big Deal which is a periodic sale that sometimes coincides with the First of the Month, but not for March this year.

Anyway, as soon as I could stop my head from spinning, I grabbed my iPad to check out the new deals. I shouldn't have bothered this month. Such a let down when I wait all month for the first and there is nothing good I want. Now I have to wait 30 more days for the next Big Book Day.

So I did not add to my book stacks the First, but here is what I've picked up in the past two weeks.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.


Books Purchased:
Hung Up by Kristen Tracy – Bought used

Divergent Collector’s Edition by Veronica Roth


(Stick a label that says Special Edition, Collector's Edition, or Limited Time Only and I am done. I just can't resist these labels. I must have it before it is gone!)

Insurgent Collector’s Edition by Veronica Roth

(The Collectors editions come with posters and a bunch of exclusive content.  I am such a sucker.)





Kindle Books Purchased:
Written In Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop – Kindle Daily Deal

Lovecraft's Monsters by Neil Gaiman, Ellen Datlow - Kindle Daily Deal

Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School Series Book 3) by Gail Carriger - Kindle Daily Deal

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Series Book 1) by Gail Carriger - Kindle Daily Deal

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School Series Book 2) by Gail Carriger - Kindle Daily Deal

Stay with Me: A Novel (Wait for You Book 3) by J. Lynn - Dropped down to $1.99

Death Sworn (Death Sworn series Book 1) by Leah Cypess - Kindle Daily Deal

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley - Kindle Daily Deal

Midnight in Venice by Meadow Taylor – Dropped down to $1.99

The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger – Currently $2.99

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle – Currently priced at $2.99

Soul Screamers Volume One: My Soul to Lose\My Soul to Take\My Soul to Save: 1 by Rachel Vincent – First Omnibus currently priced at $3.99

Manga Purchased:
Alice in the Country of Joker: Circus and Liar’s Game 7

Stacking the Books - A Cautionary Tale

It just figures. I finally have a day where I can do all manner of books things, whatever I want to do and I end up spending the day in bed. Here's what happened.

I woke up yesterday with a mission, just sprung out of bed with a project all planned out. I had purchased some eBook versions of some physical copies I own on Friday. Upon waking Yesterday, the first thought in my head was that I needed to get the physical copies out of my TBR piles.(Yes, I have more than one.) So, I took the pile of at least 50 Tshirts of my book stacks and the pile of pajamas. I also removed most of the books off my nightstand. Then hubby said, "Let's go get some pancakes."

Original Pancake House has THE best pancakes I have every eaten, so I will never say no to pancakes. We came home, it was still early as we made it to the OPH for lunchtime, and I was still feeling energetic.

I have this thing, as I'm sure most people do, but when I get stressed with things pressing down hard on my shoulders, I find it best to have a lie down and play Minion Rush. I've been having a lie down for about two months. But I digress.

Anyway, yes, came home, I looked about the place and decided it was time to get the rest of the Christmas decorations boxed up. (Don't judge.) My house has 9 rooms counting the bath and a half. Out of all those rooms, only four have an overhead light; the two bathrooms, the kitchen and the dining room. Especially in the winter, it is hard to do any major projects or cleaning as it is already dim by the time I get home from work. I have to leave that kind of stuff to the weekends. Unfortunately, the weekends have been full of errands and other such stuff, so I've been working on the take-down of Christmas slowly.

Yesterday, I had had enough. I couldn't go into March with Christmas still up, so I worked all afternoon and finally got everything boxed up.

I love garland. I have strands of garland for every holiday. There was a mound of holly, poinsettias and other winter foliage that I decided to take upstairs into the attic. This was probably around 8pm, maybe a little earlier. Can't recall. I went up into the attic and found that in the free space where I need to put the Christmas stuff, hubby had moved a stack of his boxes, so I had to drape them elsewhere for the time being. The only spot I could find was where the spring garland was laying out, so I decided to take it downstairs. I would put it up later during the day.

Now, you are probably wondering where I am going with all this. Please forebear.

As I was coming down the stairs from the attic (It's a walk-in attic.), I slipped on about the second stair. My right foot kept sliding down about three steps while my left foot stayed behind and bent behind me getting caught up on the railing. My head, unfortunately, slammed into the wall, made worse because I was wearing my glasses on top of my head. It took a few to be able to get up, but let me rest assure, I suffered no serious harm.

I was feeling the impact, though, and decided I was done with the steps for the night. However, I could not lay down because the foot of the bed was covered in flattened out Tshirts and my side of the bed was covered in books. Before I could have a lie down, I had to put everything back in order.

So, I reclined on the floor and went through my stacks of books. There are four rows of books, four stacks deep and they are piled as high as the window frame. Not only did I want to move the books I now have on Kindle, I also browsed and flipped through some of my ARCs and decided to move some to the get rid of pile. These were books I knew I was never going to get around to reading.

I am trying to clean up not only my wishlists, but also my TBR pile. I probably took about 30 books off the piles I am never going to read and about another 15 I know have in eBook format.

Finally I was able to clear off the bed so I could lay down. I didn't sleep well. I have bruises on both sides of my hips, the right much worse than the left and somewhere in the middle of the night I awoke with a skull splitting headache, which has persisted all day.

I slept on and off until about noon, took some migraine Excedrin and the headache went from skull splitting, to throbbing and finally to a dull ache. Other side effects? Vertigo when I move my head too quickly and a queasy stomach for much of the day. As it turns out, me + slippers + stairs = disaster.

If I hadn't started the day motivated to actually accomplish things starting with the books, I never would have boxed up Christmas or taken the garland into the attic or pulled down the spring garland.

So, the moral of this story is: Don't try to organize your book stacks or you will get concussed.