It’s time for a look back over the last week with Clock Rewinders. This feature is based on the original Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge.
Last Week on the Bookcase
This week was huge for incoming books – more on that later. Early in the week I visited Brisbane’s Lifeline Bookfest – an enormous second-hand book sale to raise money for the Lifeline charity. I could have gone nuts in that place, but I was rather restrained and managed to leave with only four books. I nearly turned around and went back in again when she said it was only a total of $8.50 though! Here’s what it looked like. Cheap books ahoy!
In other news, during the week I saw a few people mention on twitter that it would be great to have a list of bloggers participating in Armchair BEA by city, state and country. Being a map nerd myself, I knew what needed to be done – and the Book Blogger Map was born. Have you added yourself? Please, spread the word! At the moment we have 50 placemarks and counting!
The Kingdom blog tour is on until the end of June – make sure you get your entry in the giveaway for the chance to win a Kindle Fire. My review will be up on June 22!
Reviews:
- Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device, Tee Morris – A steampunked fairy-tale novella.
- The Oracle, K.B. Hoyle (Gateway Chronicles #2) – Very enjoyable sequel. Get your copy of this fantasy for teens now!
Around the Community
- This week coming is the Wicked Wildfire read-a-thon, June 20-24! There’s still time to sign up if you’d like to be involved.
- Fantasy’s Ink wrote a very interesting article about what makes main characters interesting. Are you finding the same old heroes a little boring? The list on this post might help you find a new kind of main character.
- Shannon of Giraffe Days has started her Obernewtyn reading marathon in preparation for the final book in the series, due later this year (although apparently it’s been shifted to next year now? *cry*). If you’re a fan of fantasy/dystopian/awesomeness, and haven’t read the Obernewtyn series I suggest you get a hold of it right away. It’s one of my all-time favourites!
- Finally, I don’t usually post about other giveaways but the prizes are really great in this case. Pure Imagination is giving away an item from the TangleThorn Etsy shop, which is full of all sorts of bookish goodies including Hunger Games and Harry Potter t-shirts and charms. Check it out!
Book Loot
Oh wow, such a huge week this week! Fourteen books! I totally didn’t mean it! *hides from to-read pile*
For review:
- Traitor (Bridger #2), Megan Curd – for an upcoming blog tour. I picked up Bridger as a freebie a while ago so I must get around to reading both of them.
- White Witch (Coven #1), Trish Milburn – from Netgalley (March 2012)
- Bane (Coven #2), Trish Milburn – from Netgalley (May 2012)
- Ahead of the Game, Shaun Micallef (June 2012) – This is a short novel from one of Australia’s top comedians. This guy’s a nutter – should be hilarious.
Bookfest loots:
- Battleaxe (Also titled: The Wayfarer Redemption), Sara Douglass
- Daughter of the Dark (Shadow Through Time #2), Louise Cusack – I already have a Kindle copy of this book but.. this one is signed!
- Blood Ties (Castings Trilogy #1), Pamela Freeman
- The Tower on the Rift (The View from the Mirror #2), Ian Irvine
- A Brush of Darkness (Abby Sinclair #1), Allison Pang – these were from a giveaway from Jennifer at Books Make Me Happy – thanks very much!
- A Sliver of Shadow (Abby Sinclair #2), Allison Pang
- Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere #2), Melina Marchetta – I just finished reading Finnikin of the Rock, but you’ll have to wait until July and my Australian Fantasy feature to hear what I thought about it and this second one!
- Darkfall (Legendsong #1), Isobelle Carmody – Another one for my Aussie Fantasy feature. Why don’t Aussies write any small books, these ones are enormous!
- The Gathering Dark (also titled Shadow and Bone), Leigh Bardugo – Perhaps the most hyped book since Insurgent, but I’ve bought a copy and I’m really looking forward to reading it.
- Clockwise, Elle Strauss – A freebie, and still free today! Amazon.com/amazon.co.uk
Currently Reading
The Long Earth, Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter
1916: the Western Front, France. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No man’s Land gone?
Very interesting so far. It’s a bit different from Pratchett’s usual fare and I haven’t read any Baxter before, but the first 20% has been exciting.
Coming up
Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of “Riding Lessons.”
Here’s something completely different towards the Eclectic Reader challenge. I haven’t seen the film, so have no idea what to expect (trying to keep Robert Pattinson out of mind).
Have a great week, everyone!
Look at all those books! I’m so jealous that you’ve gone The Long Earth already and Water for Elephants is one of my favourite books – though it was last month’s book group read and half the group thought it wasa bit cheesy 🙁
Ellie recently posted..Incoming!
I’ve got to get onto Water for Elephants quick smart because it’s a library book and they won’t let me renew it for some reason… so Long Earth may have to be on hold for a few days!
I can’t wait for the read-a-thon!! Just so happens I have a rare 3 days off in a row this week, and they fall 20th, 21st, and 22nd! 😀 YAY!
Oh wow! Look at that. I wanted to request the Trish Milburn books but knew I wouldn’t get around to them so I shall wishlist them at some point and maybe buy them if I get around to it.
I need to read Bridger too. Quite like the newer cover for it.
Alison Pang has been on my wishlist for a while.. Gathering Dark I’m ITCHING to get my hands on. Love kick-ass female heroine fantasy, though I don’t feel like it’s been overhyped at all, personally.
Clockwise I grabbed and I LOVE LOVE that cover for Water for Elephants! We had an awful one in the UK.
Hannah recently posted..Clock Rewinders #8
Hooray for days off!! I guess I thought Gathering Dark was overhyped because every single blog I’ve read recently has been raving about it xD We’ll see!
Cheap book sales are the BEST!!! I love it when it’s that time of year for our library’s biannual book sale! I always get a ton of loot then!
Natalie @ Mindful Musings recently posted..Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge (7)
Hmm, I wonder if Brisbane libraries sell their books off… I suppose they must! Must look into that 🙂
Lifeline Bookfest looks dangerous
The map is going really well. Too bad there isn’t a lot of Aussie bloggers.
Michael @ Literary Exploration recently posted..Book Review: Wolf Hall
Yeah, there are plenty out there though… perhaps I should put some notes on goodreads or book blogs.
So I had a complete nostalgic moment, seeing that Louise Cusack book. I have one of hers, the first in a series, which I got when it was new – YEARS ago now, but I never came across any more (and then I moved…). I wonder if it’s related, like the same series or something? What was mine called, something about a light… had a lighthouse on the cover. I can’t remember much about it but I did like it.
Ah Sara Douglas, another sentimental favourite! I was big into her years ago, until she switched from that fantasy series to the one about hell and stuff and I wasn’t sure I was interested.
And you got Darkfall, yay! That’s one of my favourite covers. Unique and distinct and I find it beautiful, though I know others hate it because it’s not generic. I’m the opposite – bring on the original covers!! LOVE that book!
You have so many great books here, ones that will probably never be available in Canada or the States. So sad. And I haven’t seen that cover for Water for Elephants before but it’s lovely.
And thanks for the shout-out!
Destiny of the Light? Yep, that’s the first one in this series 🙂 I thought I hadn’t read Darkfall before, but when I picked up this copy with this cover, I get the feeling that I have read it. We’ll see when I start reading it!
You know that if you see any Aussie books that aren’t available on Amazon you can usually get them at booktopia.com.au? And if all else fails, email me and I’ll send you a copy xD
Yes! That’s what it was called! So she did write more, that’s good to hear.
Aw thanks for the offer, that’s so nice of you! I get the new Obernewtyn books mailed to me but other than that (oh and The Book Thief, I didn’t want the US version!) I’m happy to wait. Friends have also mentioned fishpond.com.au but the prices are steep. I certainly won’t be buying books so readily once I’ve moved back I’m sure. Well, a bit slower anyway 😉
Shannon (Giraffe Days) recently posted..My Top Ten … Books on My Summer Reading List