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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (27)


... do I hear Santa?

Feeling all fa-la-la-la yet? I sure am ... and I hope you are too.

If you noticed the dearth of book reviews, it's intentional. I'm not stressing myself out to get reviews done although I have continued posting here and there. (Because really, I just don't see the point in stressing ... I want to enjoy the Christmas preps without my book blogging hanging over my head.)

So without further ado, here's how the week has gone down:
#BookmarkMonday:
Have a Monster 2015!

Author Guest Post:
Making Memories into Memoirs by Paul Spillane, author of Four Before Their Time

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings: 

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

 It's a Month of Faves!
Top 10 New-to-Me Authors for 2014
5 Favourite Non-Bookish Things



Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to?

Sundays at Guiltless Reading (26)


... almost Christmas?

I'm posting a little early because this Sunday is going to be a little nuts (insert speculation here).

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? (me: no).

Did you know we're having our office party next week? (me: what? what the heck am I bringing?!)

*Sigh*

Christmas is everywhere, and I know most of you are getting ready for festivities. I've been slowing down on the reviewing but there is still plenty happening on the blog for your downtime pleasure :)
#BookmarkMonday:
A local vintage bookworm!

Guest post:
Accountability, WTF?

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings:
The Mask Carver's Son

 It's a Month of Faves!
5 Books of ... Short Stories

10 Fave Book Covers (actually it's a dozen)
Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to?

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (24)


Happy Winter!

Is it snowing in your part of the world? If it is, stay safe, folks, and bundle up! Anyway, this last week has been full. Here's what I've been up to ...

Bookmark Monday! It's the third week of #BookmarkMonday and Sci-Fi November and I've got a few old tech that been made into something new ... like these old circuit board bookmarks.

Both Sci-Fi November and Nonfiction November are coming to a close.

For Nonfiction November ...

NonFiction November and Diversity. Reading around the world? Reading different themes? What are your thoughts?

The Ebola scare may have passed but it is still something in the back of people's minds. D.J. Donaldson, a forensic/medical author analyzes Outbreak ... Breakdown in his novel Louisiana Fever.

For SciFi Month ...

Ever read classic dystopian story The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood? Even if you haven't, check out these unexpected homages to The Handmaid's Tale.

Here's my review of Doctor Who, The Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand.

Last week, I reviewed another strange tale The Heart Does Not Grow Back. I have the author Fred Venturini over to explain the  origins of his story about his regenerating man. 

Last Friday ...

For Friday 56 and #BookBeginnings, I have another short story collection featured, called Hellgoing by Lynn Coady.

Giveaways!


(5 paperbacks, 5 ebooks, open worldwide)

(1 paperback, US/Can)


Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to? Do tell!

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (23)


Happy (cold) Sunday!

I'm still in a bit of a flurry here, but it's been a good, busy week on the blog. Has it turned winter in your part of the world? I'm always cold, so I'm bundling up a lot more these days!

So here's what I've been up to ...

It's the second week of #BookmarkMonday and Sci-Fi November and Mr. Roboto just had to make an appearance ...

NonFiction November does Foodies! I decided to be the expert and ask the expert for some foodie reads. Like that amazing bread book you see ... I highly recommend it!

I had a blast having author Elisa DeCarlo over. She loves fashion ... and she loved the research she put into her novel The Abortionist's Daughter.

Looking to read more sci-fi? Did you know that dystopian lit falls into this genre? In my post I do a quick Dystopian Reading Round-Up of some books I've read and reviewed on the blog!

Book Review & Giveaways!

Science Fiction is sort-of-taking-over, in a good way! I have two books to giveaway that are sci-fi'y but completely different!

A man who regenerates body parts? I had the weirdly wonderful time with this unusual book The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini. When you think you've read the weirdest book, I urge you to pick this up. Loved this book and highly recommend to anyone looking for a dose of heart in their sci-fi reading.

Don't forget to join the giveaway! (US/Can)


Zimbabwe’s last hangman retired in 2004 and they're looking for The Hangman's Replacement. Here's another unusual book up for grabs and the giveaway is open worldwide! (5 paperbacks & 5 ebooks)

Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to? Do tell!

Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts?

Sundays at Guiltless Reading (22)

Happy Sunday!

I hope you're all doing great, and with the cooler weather getting more reading done! This week has been a flurry of activity and I haven't been able to make my rounds around the blogosphere much. So thank you for bearing with me ...


Literary Blog Hop Giveaway Winner!Congrats to Martha for winning a copy of Kristiana Kahakauwila's This is Paradise: Stories from among the six short story collections that I recommended.

I hope you all had  fun with the Literary Blog Hop Giveaway. I certainly did and I've got a long list (again!) of some literary reads that you all recommended. I'm going to compile them somewhere and share them with you somewhere on this blog; it's a growing and impressive list.


Now off to the rest of the week:

#BookmarkMonday and Sci-Fi November collide in this month's bookmarks. The first is some cool galaxy-themed bookmarks ...

It's also NonFiction November and in this post I look back on my year of nonfiction .. so far ...

I had Lynn Kanter, author of Her Own Vietnam, over to provide some author insights from an excerpt of her book ...

Again, for Sci-Fi November, I shared a Doctor Who Retrospective with some Doctor Who book reviews, nail art, and even socks ...

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings features The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, a book that I got from a recent fundraise, and which I've been meaning to read for the longest time now ...

And lastly, I have one book review of the unforgettable Man V. Nature by Diane Cook, a collection of short stories that I found disturbingly illuminating.  


Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to? Do tell!

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (21)


Happy Sunday everyone!

I hope you all had a fun Halloween! I certainly did, and I dressed up as a zombie and scared a few kids who came for their candy. What did you do?

It's finally fall, I'm feeling better, and I am back on track with more great bookishness! November is going to be  crazy busy month ... and so it starts ...

#BookmarkMonday is the last of my Halloween bookmarks for the year. I love these cute Japanese ghosts!

You've probably guessed that I like elephants ... so here's a quick round-up of elephant bookends.

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings is a cozy foodie mystery set in Singapore featuring a nosy aunt.


Book Reviews
I have two for the week!

Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu is a cozy mystery featuring a busybody of a lady who cooks up a mean meal.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs, the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, which features more mysterious and bizarre vintage photos and an even more chilling plot!


Tons of events!
I'm kicking off the month with the Literary Blog Hop Giveaway (November 1-5) and I'm giving away a short story collection to one lucky reader! Go see if you can WIN one of my recommendations!

Did you know, it's Sci-Fi November? This is my second year joining and I've got a modest line-up so far ..

For Non-Fiction November, I'm still getting ready for this first year joining in. I'm joining in the weekly questions and I am still figuring out my nonfiction read for the month. 


Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to?

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (20)

Happy Sunday on Guiltless Reading!

Still taking it slowly lately. I haven't been feeling the greatest so soup and ginger candy are my best friends these days.
#BookmarkMonday was some free printable bookmarks, if you're thinking of something non-candy to give away, this may be the thing!

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings is a cozy foodie mystery set in Singapore featuring a nosy aunt.

Edgar Allan Poe is some good Halloween reading ... and if you like your Polka Dots, you're in for a Poe-Ka-Dots treat!

Book Review
I told you I've been slow on the reviews. This week's review is Madame Picasso by Anne Girard. This richly detailed historical fiction novel conjectures on the little-known love story of Pablo Picasso and Eva Gouel. A non-sensationalised recounting that highlights what it means to love, and to lose someone you love.

Upcoming Events
I'm getting ready for November, which has got some amazing events lined up.
Literary Blog Hop Giveaway (November 1-5) - I'll be giving away a short story collection and if you're signed up for my email updates, I'm going to let you have a head start!

Non-Fiction November - This is my first year joining in so I am looking forward to discovering and discussing with some fellow nonfiction readers and maybe bulk up my nonfiction TBR.

Sci-Fi November - My second year joining, I will continue to get my feet wet in a genre that I apparently haven't been paying much attention to!

Miscellany
I still haven't figured out what I should be on Halloween! Any suggestions? Someone has to scare those kiddos asking for candy ;)

Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to?

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (19)

Yay Sunday on Guiltless Reading!

The blog for the past week hasn't been overly busy, but I am in the sidelines as I'm preparing for three upcoming events! It's going to be a crazy month! 
Lots of Bookishness

Book Review
Only one, but a definite conversation piece. Check out Caitlin Moran's How to Build a Girl and see why I liked (and disliked) her Almost Famous-like story of a brashmouthed 14-year-old girl.

Upcoming Events
I haven't written up any intro posts yet, but go check out the hosts of the events I am joining in in November! Maybe you'll join in?

Anything catch your eye in my week? What are you up to?

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (18)

Yo yo yo Sunday once again on Guiltless Reading!

I'm crossing my fingers we get a nice bit of sun before it settles into true fall weather. How about you -- have you made peace that it's fall? ;) I've got a huge pile of new books from a recent book sale and I'm set for the until well into the new year. Anyway, let's see what the blog for the past week:
I've got some awesome Halloween-themed bookmarks for all of October's #BookmarkMonday.
This week it's all about weapons!
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Ready for a Q&A? Read my answers to 55 Quirky Questions for Readers and do let me know if we're kindred souls or not ;)
+ 
Friday 56 & Book Beginnings is from one of my new booksale books The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. I confess, it was the cover.

Book Reviews

Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen
This was so, so good! I loved this spicy retelling of Romeo and Juliet!

What a surprise of a read! This Young Adult urban fantasy is a modern retelling of a selkie/mermaid tale, with an X-Men feel to it!

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Sundays at Guiltless Reading (17)

Hello, it's Sunday on Guiltless Reading!

How are things for you? Me? It's quieting down a bit more here and I feel like I need to slow down a bit, what with work and the lovely cooler weather. It just puts me in a lazy mood.

This week, here's what happened:

I had some "dirty" bookmarks for #BookmarkMonday [insert laugh here after clicking the link] ...
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I changed things up for Friday 56 & Book Beginnings with an excerpt from The Breast Cancer Alphabet for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Book Reviews

I'm on a bit of a roll, catching up on book reviews!
Daring: My Passages by Gail Sheehy


Giveaways 

Congrats to  ...
Vidya on winning the Blogger Template Giveaway

.. and Amy for winning The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner


Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts?

Sundays at Guiltless Reading (16)

Hello, it's Sunday on Guiltless Reading!

I decided to wrap up my Sunday posts under a new title because I was finding Sunday Salon slash Sunday Post unwieldy in the title. We all know it's Sunday, right? ;)

Last week I didn't put up a Sunday post because of all the #Bloggiesta and #Diversiverse activity. What with my regular posts plus getting reading done, I was a bit flustered! Anyway, on to this past week, which is also Banned Books Week!

I went through two decades worth of banned books and found out that I haven't read very many banned books. How many have you read?
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This week's #BookmarkMonday is all about pencils ...
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Juliet's Nurse, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, was my pick for Friday 56 & Book Beginnings ...
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I had Lisa Unger over to review Carla Norton's The Edge of Normal for #30Authors in 30 Days!

Book Reviews

This was a good week. Three reviews! This is ... unprecedented ;)

May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin
I was worried this review wouldn't get written! This was my pick for #Diversiverse. This is a collection of five short stories with themes of love, family life, religion and faith set during the Spanish Colonial Period in the Philippines.

Classified as young adult reading, this is all about women challenging and defying the stereotypes in 1908 London. An engaging story about the suffragette movement!

Want some Halloween reading? Get some campy gruesome fun in this modern day haunted store story, packaged in this unique IKEA-esque catalog format!

Giveaways 

Two giveaways are ending this coming week, so don't forget to join in! 

Blogger Template Giveaway (open worldwide!)

The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner (US/Can)

Congrats! to Lianne and April who won copies of Madame Picasso by Anne Girard


Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts?

Sunday Post (15) / Sunday Salon

 

Last week on Guiltless Reading 

Happy Sunday everyone! Let's see what's happened over this past week:

This week's #BookmarkMonday does double duty.

Book Review

Just one this week but this is a really powerful one. 
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
While graphic and disturbing, this collection of short stories of about the horrors that children face in a conflict-ridden Africa, is a brave voice that speaks of the inequities and the horrors that exist in the world.

Travel the World in Books Readathon

The Travel the World in Books Readathon - September 1-14
is wrapping up today!

 Some readathon-related posts on my blog:

 My Notable Reads I recommend for the Challenge

My Notable Foodie Reads


Make Your Own Book Map Mini-challenge + Giveaway

Get your entries in by noon today!

I'll announce the winner later today!

Check out my tutorials: Part 1 and Part 2.

Giveaways


Congrats to Juli, Tanya and Courtney who won copies of Mortom by Erik Therme courtesy of the author! Check out the Friday 56 & Book Beginnings and Erik's Guest Post if you haven't already.


New Giveaway!
(2 paperbacks, US/Can)

Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts?

Sunday Post (14) / Sunday Salon

 

Last week on Guiltless Reading 

Happy Sunday everyone! Let's see what's happened over this past week:

The week kicked off with an itsy bitsy teeny weeny #BookmarkMonday
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Giveaway (int) ending soon ...



Mortom by Erik Therme is featured on Friday 56 & Book Beginnings 
.. and don't forget to check out Erik's Guest Post
and join the international giveaway!


Book Reviews

I got two reviews done this week, woopee!
Frankie Dupont and the Mystery of Enderby Manor by Julie Anne Grasso
A fun middle-grade book, this one has a mystery, some cupcakes and an unexpected twist!

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
This Booker Prize winner explores the darkness of human character through moral and ethical dilemmas, a tight, intricate plot and obnoxious characters.

Bookish Events

The Travel the World in Books Readathon - September 1-14
is on its second week.

Highlights:
Check out my Notable Reads for the challenge!
Lots of great books with their country, both fiction and non-fiction.

I am hosting a mini-challenge + giveaway
All you have to do is make your own Book Map using Google Maps. Check out my tutorials: Part 1 and Part 2. At the end of the readathon, I'm giving away any book up to $15 from the Book Depository.

Enjoying your Guiltless Reading?
Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts (+ more exclusive content in your email?

Sunday Post (13) / Sunday Salon

 Last week on Guiltless Reading 

I guess I need to start accepting that this post marks summer's last hurrah. Summer's come and gone ... are you still in denial mode?

General Bookishness

A Mona Lisa flip book.
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#BookmarkMonday that reminds me of squid.
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Friday 56 & Book Beginnings
Zombies at an IKEA-ish store? Bring it on!

Author Guest Post + Giveaway (int)!


Mortom by Erik Therme
Erik muses on promotional interventions, and is giving away copies of his mystery thriller. The best thing is that it's open international!

Book Review

Flings by Justin Taylor
A collection of short stories with brilliant characterizations of very ordinary people.

Giveaway Winners!

 Congrats to ...
Elizabeth of The Book Attict  who won a copy of 2 AM at The Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
+
Lolli who won a copy of Deadly Errors by Allen Wyler

Bookish Events

 Travel the World in Books Readathon - September 1-14
It's here! Starting tomorrow it's the first ever Travel the World in Books Readathon.

As part of this event, I am hosting a mini-challenge + giveaway.
All you have to do is make your own Book Map using Google Maps.

Get a head start. Check out the tutorials: Part 1 and Part 2.

At the end of the readathon, I'm giving away any book worth up to $15 from the Book Depository (open to all where Book Depository ships).

The  #30Authors event kicks off on The Book Wheel tomorrow! I'll let you know who I am hosting ... soon!

Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts (+ more exclusive content in your email?

Sunday Post (12) / Sunday Salon


Last week on Guiltless Reading 

Summer days are going by fast. It's almost fall. And It's almost time for school! I still can't believe how fast this year is going by ... Here on the blog, it's been reasonably fun, although my reviewing streak isn't so great at the moment:

General Bookishness

First off, you may want to head over to freado.com. Yours truly was featured in its about "Life as a Book Blogger" series.
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A cat flip book. Fun!
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#BookmarkMonday
This is for those who love to dog-ear ;)
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Friday 56 & Book Beginnings
A classic, I featured Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Author Guest Post


Reejecttion by Daniel Clausen (FREE E-book!)
Being an author means being rejected quite a bit ... or a lot. A humorous guest post and a free e-book for anyone who can related. Or not.

Book Review + Giveaway!


2 AM at The Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino 
I featured this book last Friday, and now here's my review. As unpredictable as a jazz scat!
The giveaway is still ongoing (US/Can), so don't miss out!

Upcoming Reading Challenge

 Travel the World in Books Readathon
This September 1-14, it's the first ever Travel the World in Books Readathon. If you want to get more diverse reading into your TBR, this may be the perfect challenge for you!

So what have you been up to?

Enjoying your Guiltless Reading? Why not SUBSCRIBE to get these posts in your email?

Sunday Post (11) / Sunday Salon

Last week on Guiltless Reading 

I think the summer heat is getting to me. I've been lazy with reviewing although my reading has been pretty spectacular. Got lots going on, including 2 book giveaways:

#BookmarkMonday
A whale of surprise in a teeny bookmark!
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Friday 56 & Book Beginnings + Giveaway (US/Can)
2 Am at The Cat's Pajamas!
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Your library card served up in three different ways!

Author Guest Post

Stephanie Feldman: On the many Holy Wizards  of The Angel of Losses
I had debut novelist Stephanie Feldman share her insight on The White Rebbe, a mystical character in her The Angel of Losses. You can also check out my review of this book here.

Book Review

Have you read this as a teen? Well, I missed this one and only just got to read this courtesy of a giveaway at Freda's Voice. Unfortunately, these flowers wilted pretty quickly for me.

Giveaways

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© guiltless readingMaira Gall