Tag: wishlist

Books on My Holiday Wish List

~ EMM

Before I begin this post, I will make two disclaimers. #1: Mom, this post is not meant for you. And #2: I don’t really expect to receive any of the books I mention in this post. This post really should be called “books I’ve been tempted to buy for myself while book shopping for other people.” But that’s a very long (and a lot less catchy) title. 🙂

I usually don’t ask for books as gifts. I’m too picky about format. Plus, if it’s something I’m not sure if I’m going to like, or not planning to read immediately, I’d much rather get it from the library than buy it. But I did save a few books (mostly non-fiction) to my Amazon wish list this year.

First up is a cookbook, Run Fast. Eat Slow. by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. I bought their second book (Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.) this year, and it has become my near daily cookbook. Now that I’ve tried most of the recipes in that book, I’d like to see what I missed in their first book so I can add a few new dishes into my meal plan rotation.

As long as we’re on the topic of running, I’ll also mention this running training journal created by Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas. Lauren Fleshman mentioned this in her book, Good for a Girl, and it sounded so good that I had to go check it out and add it to my wish list immediately.

I also would love to get a paperback copy of Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell so I can add it to my “keepers shelf” alongside my paperback of Winter’s Orbit.

And, finally, I am always aspiring to do more doodling and sketching. I really like Peggy Dean’s how-to line drawing books (Botanical Line Drawing and Animal Line Drawing). I noticed that she has a new(er) book that is called Mindful Sketching: How to Develop a Drawing Practice and Embrace the Art of Imperfection. That sounds like something I would definitely enjoy and would love to receive this holiday season.

As I said, I do most of my fiction reading on my Kindle, and I get most of what I read from the library. But there are some ebooks that I’d rather not have to borrow. Sometimes it’s because I want to read it now and not wait. Other times it’s because the ebook is only available on Kindle Unlimited and not at the library. And then there are the tomes that I worry will take me longer than twenty-one days to finish. (I used to have a work-around for that, but I believe that loophole may have finally been closed.)

So, I’ll end this post with a few ebooks that I’d love to receive as a gift:

  • The Faceless Mage by Kenley Davidson — I think I heard someone talking about this series on a podcast, and it sounded like something I might like, but it’s only available on Kindle Unlimited (which I don’t have and don’t want).
  • Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky — This one is a tome and very likely to be a slow read for me, but it’s a book (and series) that, the more I hear about it, the more I am convinced that I would enjoy.
  • Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher — This is a new release that comes out tomorrow (!!). I’ve been really enjoying this series and would love to not have to wait until it’s available to borrow from my library.
  • Seven Mercies by L.R. Lam and Elizabeth May — I really liked the first book in this duology, but this book isn’t available at my library, and the ebook is ridiculously expensive.
  • Back in a Spell by Lana Harper — I bought a paperback edition of the first book in this series because I liked it so much. I also really liked the second book, but I listened to that one on audiobook. I’d definitely love to get book two (From Bad to Cursed) in paperback at some point (bonus wish list item). And I’d definitely love book three (this one) and book four in ebook.
  • Jade War (and Jade Legacy) by Fonda Lee — I’ve had the first book in this series (Jade City) on ebook since 2017 and only recently read it. But now that I have, I know I definitely want to continue with the series. The only problem is, books two (Jade War) and three (Jade Legacy) are also tomes. The first book took me almost two months to finish. So, I’d love to have books two and three on kindle so I can continue reading at my leisure without worrying about library due dates.

So there you have it. What’s on your wish list this year?

Top Five Wednesday: Book Wish List (#T5W)

~ EMM

I think we’ve established that I have more than enough books on my Kindle, on my bedside table, and on my TBR shelf. I probably have enough to keep me reading for years without ever buying another book. Yet somehow that does not seem to stop me from buying more, or putting more on my wish list.

This week’s “Top 5 Wednesday” topic, inspired by the holiday season, is asking about the top five books on your wish list. Narrowing my list down to just five was challenging. Luckily, a lot of the books on my list don’t release until 2019. So, I excluded those (for now…they’ll probably show up in a future T5W post…). Since the spirit of this list is about gift giving, and giving print books is usually more fun than giving/receiving ebooks, I decided to keep my top five focused on the books I wouldn’t mind having in print.

Given that, right now the top five books on my wish list this year are (in no particular order):

  1. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson — I’m super curious about this book. It sounds like something I would love. But I’m skeptical. No offense to an author who is clearly a beloved fantasy writer, but I’ve been a little unsure about white male writers writing young female main characters of late. I’ve been burned before. So, I’m hesitant to spend money on this when I might not like it. Also, I don’t love the cover, which is kind of a maker or break it print buy thing for me. My solution to this is that I’m waiting for it to come out in paperback, be available at the library, or for someone to get it for me.
  2. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi — I loved the first book in this series and am really excited to find out what happens next, just not $13.99 on Kindle worth of excited. Especially not when I have a pile of other great stuff to read. So, like Skyward, I’m waiting for it to be available in paperback, or at my library, or to go on sale, or for someone to get it for me.
  3. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle — Somehow I never read this book. I was reading a blog post recently on Tor’s website talking about how it’s the 50 year anniversary of this book and how well it’s held up. The article really made me want to read this book. Unfortunately, because it’s an older book, it appears you can only get it in print. No digital options are available. So, I added this to my wish list.
  4. Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The rise and reign of the unruly woman by Anne Helen Petersen — I recently listened to a Smart Bitches podcast interview with the author of this book and immediately added it to my wish list. Non-fiction is an automatic print read for me, unless I can get it on audiobook from the library. Reading non-fiction in a digital format annoys me. I think it’s because I’m a very visual reader who can flip back to find a passage in print a book super fast because I remember where it was physically on the page and in the text. I can’t do that as well in digital, and its something that I find useful when reading (or referencing) non-fiction.
  5. The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll — I’m a bullet journal nerd and this book looks great. I’m always looking for inspiration and ideas for how to organize and track things better. This would make an excellent present for any paper-planner person in your life. I put it on the wish list I sent to my “The Broke and The Bookish” secret Santa. But, if I don’t get it from them, I may just have to buy myself a copy.

If you happen to be someone I exchange gifts with, and you don’t know what to buy me, you can always check what books are on my “want to read” list over on Goodreads. Those are the books I don’t own yet, but that I’ve marked as ones I want to read. Some more than others. Conversely, if you’re looking to rule out something I may already own, just have a look at my tbr-Kindle or tbr-paper shelves. If it’s on one of those, then I already own it.

What books are on your wish list? Definitely let me know, especially if we exchange presents. Also, let me know if you’ve added Eve of the Fae or Vivian’s Promise to your wish list this year, or if you’re planning to give a copy as a gift, because that would be awesome, and I would love to know about it! 🙂

Books on my Christmas wish list

~ EMM

So, yes, I did just post about having too many books to read and not enough time. But, really… is it even possible to have too many books? I don’t think so.

Of course I asked for books for Christmas. Some were included on my “Santa Mom” wish list. Some I put on my TBTB Secret Santa wish list. Most I don’t really *need* right now, but I there are just so many books I want to read. I can’t help it! These are the books I wished for this year:

ChristmasWishlist2016

Comics…

  • Saga vol 1 comic trade — Everyone loves this series and I want to see what all the fuss is about…
  • Monstress Volume 1: Awakening — This art-deco/steam punk art looks so gorgeous, and the story sounds intriguing…

Sequels or companion books…

  • One Was a Solider and Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer Fleming — The final two books (I think) in this Adirondak mystery series that I’ve been enjoying during my summer vacations at Camp for several years now.
  • A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers — The follow up to Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet, which I really enjoyed and might even make it into my top five books read in 2016…
  • The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 2: Fandemonium vol 2 comic trade — I enjoyed the first volume and want to know what happens next…
  • Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen — I haven’t even read the first two books yet, but I will definitely be binge-reading them before the movie comes out…
  • Book Smugglers Quarterly Almanac vol 2 — I really enjoyed their first Quarterly Almanac. So, I plan on continuing to pick these up as they are released.

New releases…

  • Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith — This book about the “alien consciousness” of the octopus looks absolutely fascinating and is possibly the non-fiction book I am most looking forward to reading
  • Revenger by Alastair Reynolds — I am really excited about this new book by one of my favorite sci-fi authors!
  • Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake — I’ve heard such great things about this book, I can’t wait to read it!
  • Frantumaglia by Elena Ferrante — Because I write and I am enjoying her Neapolitan series, I thought I might enjoy this “behind the scenes” book about her writing.
  • The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst — This book looks so good.
  • The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi — This has been getting great reviews…

Not-so-new fiction…

  • Escape from Baghdad! by Saad Hossain — Looks good, can’t get it on Kindle from the library…
  • Slade House by David Mitchell — Really enjoyed Bone Clocks and this is a companion to that book…
  • The Anatomy of Curiosity by Brenna Yovanoff, Tessa Gratton, and Maggie Stiefvater — I’ve wanted this one for a LONG time, but keep forgetting to put it on my wish list… stories by these authors, plus commentary on the creative process!
  • Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson — This looks awesome, even though I don’t often read books of short stories, a review of this caught my eye, and the blurb that says the author has “an imagination that most of us would kill for” sold me on it…
  • Kraken by China MiĂ©ville — This looks awesome… and I’ve not read anything by him yet…

And some non-fiction…

  • Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — A classic book on writing that’s been recommended to me multiple times, but I still haven’t read it yet…
  • Automate the Boring Stuff by Al Sweigart — I’ve been trying to learn to code in Python and this combines that plus the fact that, in my day job, I spend way too much time in spreadsheets doing stuff that really should be automated…
  • Song for the Blue Ocean by Carl Safina — Another one that I’ve been wanting to read for a LONG time because I’m fascinated with the ocean…
  • The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson — Same as above… I really don’t *need* either of these, yet… but I don’t want to lose track of them, either…
  • Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenberg — Something about this made me want to read it… maybe the fact that it was a husband/wife team doing a business together… something that my husband and I talk about a lot.

So, there you go. Way more books than I’d ever get around to reading in the next year. Some new, some really old. Some comics, some short stories. A little bit of everything.

Anything on here that you’ve already read and think I should move to the top of my list? Anything you also put on your list? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

Top 5 Most Recent Additions to Your #Reading Wishlist

~ EMM

Sorry I haven’t been posting much this month, blog fans. I was out of town and I’ve been swamped with work and PitchWars prep. But, I have two posts planned for next week that you can look forward to… one is my usual month-end summary post for July, and the other is a summary of my PitchWars prep process for anyone out there who’s curious about my writing process and/or how much work goes into preparing for a contest like PitchWars.

In the meantime, I thought I’d do a fun “top five” list from the “Top 5 Wednesday” prompts for this month.

I’ve been doing a lot of book browsing lately. While I was “back East,” I got to visit an amazing bookstore in Ann Arbor that is owned by a swimmer and his wife (Literati). I highly recommend stopping in if you’re in the area. It’s super cute and they have an excellent selection of books. Plus they have a sweet espresso bar upstairs. I could have spent the entire day there.

I’ve also been getting quite a few recommendations from friends–especially my best two reader friends who I got to spend time with recently. And, in my prep for PitchWars, I’ve been introduced to a ton of really great looking books written by the PitchWars mentors.

Since it seems like all I’ve been doing lately is adding books to my wishlist, I thought I’d do the “Top 5 Most Recent Additions to Your Wishlist” prompt. I’ve limited this to books that I currently do not own, but would really like to buy (or borrow from the library). Here are my five picks:

Top5-Wishlist

  1. Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz – This one came highly recommended by my two best bookish friends and I’ve learned that if they both like something, I better add it to my TBR immediately and reserve a copy at the library because there is a high likelihood that I will love it.
  2. Zero K by Don DeLillo – I think that one of my very first ever purchases from Amazon was his book Americana. Or maybe it was White Noise. I can’t remember. I could look this up, but I’m too lazy to log in to Amazon. It doesn’t really matter. I only bring it up to point out that I really like his writing style and when I saw he had a new book, I freaked out. The only problem is, something about his writing makes me want to read this in paper instead of on my Kindle. So, I may have to wait for it to come out in paperback…
  3. Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith – I heard one of the Book Riot folks talking about this book on their podcast and I started bouncing in my seat. My first intended major was marine biology (later changed to something much more practical and boring: operations management). But, ever since reading The Arm of the Starfish in my formative years, I REALLY wanted to be a marine biologist like Mr. Murray (aka Calvin from A Wrinkle in Time, aka Polly’s dad). This one doesn’t come out until December. I may have to pre-order the hardcover. That’s how badly I want to read this book.
  4. Girl Underwater by Claire Kells – This one came recommended from a PitchWars mentor who found out about my love of swimming / swimmers. The blurb reads a little like a cross between a high school “swimcest” novel and the TV show Lost. Of course, I’ve never watched Lost, but there’s a plane crash and survival at stake, so that’s immediately what I thought of…
  5. Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation and Time Travel by Michio Kaku — This was one I saw someone I follow on Twitter talking about. Maybe another PitchWars mentor? It’s pop science that sounds like it would really help me with world building for a novel I’ve wanted to write but is more sci-fi than fantasy. But again, this is one of those books that I think I might enjoy more in paperback. Lucky for me, there appear to be many reasonably priced used copies available.

So, how about you? What’s on your wishlist? Do you have any recommendations for me?