Survey XI

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Mass market paperback. Reading hardbacks and trades hurt my hands.

Waterstones, Borders or Amazon?
None of the above. I shop at Galaxy, Abbeys, Dymocks and a second hand store in Burwood that specialises in romance novels of a variety of subgenres.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Both *sadface* I choose to use bookmarks, but I grew up using dog-ears and sometimes I forget I shouldn't. It is one of those habbits I have spent more than a decade trying to break, but sometimes I slip up. I collect bookmarks, but I can never have enough!!

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
I sort my books by genre and then by authors.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
I hoard books. I can't seem to thin out my collection. I do have a stack of books that my great aunt gave me that I want to give away, but I can't find anyone who likes chick lit. Contact me if you are in Sydney and like chick lit and I'll give them too you :)

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
I take it off when I am reading the novel, but I replace it when I reshelve the book.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove.

Short story or novel?
Both.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter

Buy or borrow?
Both! I have a preference of buying books, but I am skint at the moment, so I rely on my local library. It is driving me crazy though, because I've read all the books I would usually choose to read. I'm now picking books up at random and reading them even if I'm not really interested in them.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. Cliff hangers only work if it is something like the early Morganville Vampires books. Rachel Caine was amazing. You wanted to throw the book across the room in disgust, and at the same time, grasp the following book, even if it wasn't due to be published for months.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
All of the above.

Favourite series?
Too many to number.


Favourite children’s book?
Too many to number.


Favourite YA book?
This changes constantly. I would say The Hunger Games, however I haven't read it for two years and the hype is crazy at the moment. I'd have to reread it to make sure it does my memory justice.

Favourite book no one has heard of?
Merlin's Keep by Madeline Brent

Favourite books read last year?
The Flame and the Shadow by Denise Rossetti

Favourite book to re-read?
Merlin's Keep by Madeline Brent

Do you ever smell books?
Yes

What are you reading right now?
I'm at the library and plan to max out my card.

What are you reading next?
As above.

Just Breathe - why I haven't been blogging as much as I want

It has been busy these last few months. I keep telling myself I’ll be a good girl and write some reviews, but then something else comes up. If you want to know why I've been a bad bad blogging girl, this may help you understand:

• Australian speculative fiction blog carnival: done and dusted.
• ARRC: photos uploaded, key tweets collated, summary blogged. 
• Article about ebooks for ARRA: submitted.
• Review of Bite Club ARC: read preceding books, reading now, released May, review ASAP, highest priority.
• Review for Galaxy blog: need to choose a book (maybe Navarro’s Promise?) and check with Mark, on hiatus for Bite Club.
• Aussie Author Month: reading Genesis, writing Aussie themed Teaser Tuesdays, other things planned, but taking a back burner position for Bite Club. You can find any posts I do using my AAM tag. If you want to be a guest blogger and review an Australian author's work, please comment on this blog or email me at bookbites oz at gmail dot com *blows kiss*
• Dead-Tossed Waves: review for Book Thingo, started reading, on hiatus for Bite Club.
• Thyla: review for Book Thingo, TBR pile, Aussie Author Month?
• Crazy TBR pile: I've not been buying books regularly since August. I’m slowly working my way through the pile, but every time I think I have made a dent in it, somehow there are more! I've decided to stop entering competitions unless I am absolutely in love with the author. I've worked my way through most of the ARRC books. I am working my way through the review copies. I’m not buying new books unless I absolutely need them. I can’t comprehend how I’m not buying books but my TBR pile is increasing. I think my books are having babies while I am at work. Books humping like bunnies! Seriously! There is no other explanation!
• Bookshelf: I have a dentist appointment tomorrow that will probably take up most of my savings, but I am hoping there is $100 left to buy the bookshelf I want from Officeworks when my parents visit over Easter. I have the problem that for delivery I would need to take a day off work (not happening!) or hire a ute (seems pointless). My friends don’t have cars, and the one that does lives over an hour away. My parents have agreed to take me to Officeworks to purchase it, and I know I can con my daddy to put it together for me. I just hope I have the cash! I've decided it will be for romance and classics, which leaves the big bookshelf for fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and the other two bookshelves for everything else (mysteries, thrillers, horror, science fiction, general fiction, text books, children’s books and dictionaries). Wish me luck! I will probably have to rearrange my room, which I am NOT looking forward to.
• Supanova costume: I've decided to go as Simi from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series. I can totally see myself as a goth demon, can’t you? My other option was Sara from Witchblade, but it would have taken a lot of effort to make the blades, and, well, she just doesn’t wear much when she is wearing the blades, does she LOL I need to buy a new corset, red contact lenses, make wings and hornays, buy new boots and either resurrect an old skirt, make a new one, or buy a new one. I need to reread the DH books to get the costume right.

Upcoming events:

• Sir Terry Pratchett at the Sydney Opera House, 17th April
• Sydney Writers' Festival,16-22nd May
• Karen Miller at Galaxy, 21st May
• Supanova at Sydney Olympic Park, 17-19th June

Nalini Sign Signing!! Yeay!

Nalini Singh will be at my Paranormal Romance Bookclub tonight! I swear the best thing I ever did was move to Sydney! Just got all the shenanigans involving Galaxy LOL So far I met Sherrilyn Kenyon (I swear I was ready to swoon.. hehe I got a hug! and she loved my jewellery and the fact that our outfits matched LOL) and Rachel Caine and Tracey O'Hara, and now, the first signing for the new year is Nalini Singh! I've read her Psy series, and dragged Lillian and Linda to bookclub the week we discussed her work, and got Lill hooked. ;-p I think it’s fantastic that authors from down under (New Zealand is still "down under" as far as I am concerned) like Nalini Singh and Tracey O’Hara are doing it big overseas – Australians & New Zealanders appear to mostly get recognition on their own soil. Anyway, I'm getting my copy of Branded by Fire signed! It was hard choosing which book, and - this is so bizarre - Lill sent down a book to see if I can get Nalini to sign it for her - out of all the books, guess which one she chose? You got it... Branded by Fire :D

Anyways all very excited!!

I also got my rewards voucher in the mail yesterday... so I have to find $100 worth of books to purchase... shudder to thing how much money I spent to get such a big reward! But I love it, so it’s worth it!!! *happy dance* I'm not sure what I am buying yet... I have Christine Feehan's Street Game on hold, and I think I am tempted to get Charles de Lint's Mystery of Grace... However, its in hardcover and $50, and the paperback is due out in a few months *le sigh* This is going to be HARD!! I have too many books I want, and I KNOW I will get to the store and not be able to choose any to buy. Oh, actually... I just got into Lilith Saintcrow, so I want to pick up a few of those. It will still be difficult to spend $100 - I know I will be either one book too short or too many!! :D joy!!!!!!!!!

I'll blog after I meet Nalini tonight!! *squeee*

Book Signings of 2009

Sherrilyn Kenyon

I met Sherrilyn Kenyon!!! Author of one of my favourite series.. She bases her series very heavily in ancient mythology..

This was one of my two highlights of 2009 - meeing Sherrilyn and seeing Opeth live...

And she loved my earrings!! They are skeletal hands, i bought from my favourite goth shop, Le Cabinet des Curiosities .. she also loved my lace tunic and my demon necklace - we raved about our favourite haunts in our cities (I have to check out that gothic shop if i get to New Orleans LOL) anway, i got a chat with a fav author, a hug, 2 photos, and she spelt my name correctly when she signed my copy of Acheron!!! I couldn't read it, but one of the girls at my bookclub said it was in ancient greek LOL


Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead, author of the Dark Swan, Vampire Academy and Georgina Kincaid Series.



Tracey O'Hara

I met Tracey O'Hara at the Paranormal Romance bookclub at Galaxy. She signed my book and gave me a self-printed copy of the prequel short story (available on her website). She stuck around for the bookclub, and I discovered she is into a lot of the same things I am...