Category: Virtual Nightstand

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-5-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

The week that was was a week for getting lucky. Not one, not two, but three giveaway hops! Think of it as a warm-up for next month’s annual Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week. Reading Reality is turning TWELVE!

Speaking of lucky, here’s a picture of Luna in all her glory celebrating just how lucky she is to be between her people in the big people bed. It’s a rare shot of her underside with all its tabby spots, so we were lucky to get the shot as well.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the For the Love of Reading Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Leaping Leprechauns Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Wish Big Giveaway Hop is Wanda

Blog Recap:

A Review: The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
A+ Review: Nightwatch by M.L. Buchman
Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
For the Love of Reading Giveaway Hop
Leaping Leprechauns Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (538)

Coming This Week:

Dead Country by Max Gladstone (review)
The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery (blog tour review)
The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill (review)
Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace (review)
A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-26-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

This week was just a damn good reading week. Next week should be fun for everyone as I’m giving stuff away more than I’m reviewing – which is rare. But it gives me a break to sink my reading teeth into something long and meaty which can be a bit difficult for me to pull off at times.

Speaking of something long and meaty – also large and round and meaty – here’s Tuna. This isn’t so much a case of ‘if I fits, I sits’ as it is ‘if I doesn’t fit, I sprawls’. The biggest cat in the house in the tiniest cat bed, looking just a bit bewildered because it works fine for everyone else!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the February Favorites Giveaway Hop is Rajee

Blog Recap:

Presidents’ Day 2023 (Guest post by Galen)
A+ Review: The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
A Review: The Weight of Command by Michael Mammay
B+ Review: Full Exposure by Thien-Kim Lam
A+ Review: Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris
Stacking the Shelves (537)

Coming This Week:

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner (blog tour review)
Nightwatch by M.L. Buchman
Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
For the Love of Reading Giveaway Hop
Leaping Leprechauns Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-19-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

Lucifer gave us a bit of a scare this week, so we took him to the vet yesterday to see what was up. Or down in this particular case, as he wasn’t quite his usual grumpy but bouncy self. He’s going on 12 so he’s getting up there, and he has arthritis and is slowing down a bit. Still, he worried us this week and that meant a trip to the V-E-T. Today’s picture of is of his rather disgruntled self while waiting for his exam.

He seems to have had an arthritis flare-up, as we do, and was just uncomfortable for a couple of days. We have meds for him now if it happens again. Of course, he’s still peeved about the whole experience – but that’s just normal catitude.

This turned out to be a damn good reading week. Never Too Old To Save the World turned out to be an especial favorite, and I’ve been referring to it – as appropriate – in quite a few reviews, so I’m glad to finally get its own review out into the world!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the February Favorites Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop is L Lam

Blog Recap:

A+ Review: Never too Old to Save the World edited by Addie J. King and Alana Joli Abbott
A- Review: The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen
A+ Review: Junkyard War by Faith Hunter
Wish Big Giveaway Hop
A Review: World Running Down by Al Hess
Stacking the Shelves (536)

Coming This Week:

Presidents’ Day 2023 (Guest Post by Galen)
The Weight of Command by Michael Mammay (review)
Full Exposure by Thien-Kim Lam (review)
Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris (review)
The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-12-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

I’m not quite sure whether to refer to Luna as “Sinkable Luna” or “Unsinkable Luna” in this picture. She’s in the sink but she’s not sinking. She’s still cute as a button no matter what we call her!

Speaking of sinking, however, I kind of sank my intended reading plan for this week. I shifted The Scarlet Circus because as soon as I started it I realized it was just a much better book for Valentine’s Day than I had originally planned. While just writing the review of Babel made me go running for a comfort read, leading me straight to The Cliff’s Edge. I’m still planning to read Firebreak, probably Presidents’ Day week.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the February Favorites Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

D Review: Babel by R.F. Kuang
B Review: Encore in Death by J.D. Robb
A- Review: The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde
A Review: The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg
B- Review: The Cliff’s Edge by Charles Todd
Stacking the Shelves (535)

Coming This Week:

Never Too Old to Save the World edited by Addie J. King and Alana Joli Abbott (review)
The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen (review)
Junkyard War by Faith Hunter (audio review)
Wish Big Giveaway Hop
World Running Down by Al Hess (blog tour review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-5-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

First things first. The Terraformers was just incredibly awesome, so if you like science fiction at all it is so worth taking a look at!

Second thing – but clearly not any less important (because they’d never forgive me) – this week’s cat picture. This is George looking entirely too adorable. He also looks rather kittenish but the picture was taken just last week so he’s three and supposed to be out of the kitten stage. Which he clearly doesn’t think he is. Yet or possibly ever.

Third thing – I finished Babel Friday. I have thoughts. I have lots of thoughts. They are far from pleasant thoughts. You’ll see…

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the February Favorites Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop is Rita W.

Blog Recap:

A+ Review: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
B+ Review: Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
February Favorites Giveaway Hop
A Review: The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly
Stacking the Shelves (534)

Coming This Week:

Encore in Death by J.D. Robb (review)
Babel by R.F. Kuang (audiobook review)
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg (review)
The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen (review)
Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-29-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

The results of the Zoom marathon two weeks ago will become available late this afternoon as part of the RUSA Book & Media Awards at LibLearnX in New Orleans. (The conference formerly known as ALA Midwinter.) Which means that tomorrow I’ll be able to clear out all of my request queues at NetGalley and Edelweiss and get ready to start all over again with a different committee. It’s a bit of a shock every year to see just how many books I received just for whatever committee I happen to have been on and how much those queues get cut down when they’re all gone.

Now that this committee is over, I’ve been looking at some of my other queues and slotting reviews in for books that I always intended to read but never found the round tuit. So some old stuff will be getting mixed into the new to start cleaning up some of that – like my Highly Anticipated Shelf at Edelweiss and a few other places.

And there’s a cat picture. There’s always a cat picture. This is Luna cuddled up to Galen’s hand giving her very best “upside-down kitty face” – a pose she is particularly adorable at. And she certainly does know it! Just look at that sweet but slightly conniving little face!

 

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Welcome Winter Giveaway Hop is Brigette

Blog Recap:

B Review: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
A Review: Don’t Open the Door by Allison Brennan
A- Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
A- Review: Sentinel Security: Steel by Anna Hackett
A- Review: The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
Stacking the Shelves (533)

Coming This Week:

The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz (review)
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen (blog tour review)
Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
February Favorites Giveaway Hop
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-22-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

OMG it was a DAMN good reading week. (Or considering Tuesday’s book, perhaps that should be a “glassdamn” good reading week). Even though I did have a couple of these prepped in advance in order to handle being tied up in a four-day Zoom marathon and being totally “dain bramaged” at the end of each day.

My committee has completed its business, the awards presentation has been recorded, and all will be revealed one week from today. Then the new committee year begins and I’ll have a new assignment and a bit of a different set of books to contend with for the upcoming year – along with my usuals, of course.

I’m looking forward to the new challenge.

But speaking of challenges new and old, here’s today’s cat picture, which I’ve titled, “The Teetering Tower of Tuna and Le Chat Noir” because Lucifer’s a bit too slender form on the right looks just like the pose of the black cat in the famous historical poster “Le Chat Noir” and Tuna’s position on the left is entirely too self-evident. The high platform on the cat tree is just not up to dealing with either his size or his tendency to “galumph” into position!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Welcome Winter Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
A+ Review: In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan
A+ Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
A+ Review: Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings
A- Review: The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott
Stacking the Shelves (532)

Coming This Week:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (review)
Don’t Open the Door by Allison Brennan (review)
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (review)
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (review)
Sentinel Security: Steel by Anna Hackett (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-15-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

This is probably it for this week. I’m also probably going to lose my mind before the end of it. Yesterday, today, tomorrow and Tuesday comprise my annual Zoom marathon for the American Library Association Reading List Committee deliberations. That four days, eight-ish hours per day, on Zoom with 10 of my fellow book lovers hashing out who will get the awards this year. It’s both a terrific time and more than a bit of torture, as four solid days on Zoom is just a LOT!

Here’s a picture of one Tuna-loaf, size extra large. The vacancy between his eyes will be similar to my own state by the time the meetings are all wrapped up.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Welcome Winter Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

A- Review: Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
Welcome Winter Giveaway Hop
A- Review: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
A+ Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
A Review: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Stacking the Shelves (531)

Coming This Week:

Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan (audio review)
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (review)
The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott (review)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-8-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

I’m not terribly sure what I’m reading this week – at least towards the end. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are all set for one reason or another but the end of the week, not so much.

I’m equally unsure of exactly what George and Luna are looking at out the window. They’re clearly watching something on “Kitty Television” in the backyard, but we can’t see what. That one of their preferred perches for this activity is behind the human TV makes it all that much more inscrutable. But then again, they ARE cats.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

New Year’s Day 2023 (observed) You are the New Day (Guest Post by Galen)
23 for 2023: My Most Anticipated Reads for 2023
A- Review: Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz
A- Review: Courting Dragons by Jeri Westerson
A- Review: Breaking the Circle by M.J. Trow
Stacking the Shelves (530)

Coming This Week:

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (review)
Welcome Winter Giveaway Hop
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita (blog tour review)
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (review)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-1-23

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

ICYMI, today is New Year’s Day of 2023. (The holidays do have a tendency to sneak up on me, but by the time we get to this one it’s a bit hard to miss!)

Also a bit sad, as we look back on the year that was while also perhaps not looking forward to going back to the daily grind either tomorrow or Tuesday – depending on how fortunate you are in your work/holiday arrangements. The holiday weeks always provided a bit of a break for me, even if I had to work the days in between. But January 2 was usually a sharp shock, back to the grind, often in weather that blew big winter winds and vibes, and no break in sight from either for a while.

Here’s hoping that we’ll all have a happy, healthy, safe, sane and prosperous New Year!

And here’s Lucifer, looking just a bit disgruntled. It’s the companion picture to last week, when he was looking on with displeasure as all the beds on top of Galen’s dresser were filled with other cats. We put one up just for him on my dresser – it’s even heated to help his old bones! – and Luna jumped in first. (We have since put up yet a fourth cat bed which has finally ended the disgruntlement as Hecate prefers sleeping downstairs.)

 

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2022-23 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Holiday Ho Ho Ho Giveaway Hop is Will G.
The winner of the Dashing December Giveaway Hop is Aadel

Blog Recap:

Boxing Day 2022 and the detection of tsunamis (Guest post by Galen)
A- Review: The Gingerbread Cat by Stephanie Osborn
A- Review: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
B Review: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Best Books of 2022
Stacking the Shelves (529)

Coming This Week:

New Year’s Day (Belated Guest Post by Galen)
Most Anticipated Books for 2023
Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz (review)
Courting Dragons by Jeri Westerson (review)
Breaking the Circle by M.J. Trow (review)