I’m just not that into you: unfinishable books

It happens: you see a book and fall in love with the cover. The jacket blurb sounds like something you’d love. You request it for review and then it lands on your doorstep. There is a happy book dance and you eagerly dig in only to find out – ooops – you kinda hate it. Or maybe you don’t hate it but it just doesn’t hold your interest. And while you try to slog through to the end, you keep sneaking glances at your growing pile of other review books that you’ll probably enjoy a whole lot more. But it’s a review book. So you HAVE to read it, right? Right?

No, seriously, I’m asking: if you get a review book that you can’t imagine finishing in a million years, what do you do? It’s something that is whispered about on Twitter, but I think there’s a bit of embarrassment and guilt tacked on to any discussion about it.  After all the books are sent to bloggers specifically for review. We get them for free. Not reading and reviewing them just, well, feels wrong.

So, fellow book bloggers, what do you do when you hit a review book dud? Do you push on through? Skin until the end? Pass the book on to another blogger? And if you get part-way through a book, do you post a review?

This is something I’m trying to figure out, but I could sure used some help.

In my mailbox

This weekly meme is a great way to let other readers know what books they should be looking out for. In My Mailbox is hosted by the  The Story Siren.  You can find out more deets about it  here.

REVIEW
It was a light week for me (thank God) and I only received two books for review.

Tainted by Ross Pennie (ECW Press) – this one is for the Eco Libris Green Books Campaign.
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Random House Canada)

BOUGHT
So, I went to Word on the Street. I bought books at Word on the Street. Here’s what I got:

Zombie Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
Brain Camp by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan and Faith Erin Hicks
the road to god knows where by Von Allan
Play Me by Laura Ruby
how to ruin your life and other lessons school doesn’t teach you by Carolyn McTighe
The Dread Crew : Pirates of the Backwoods by Kate Inglis
Rattled by Lisa Harrington(signed)
The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean(signed)
The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy by Jilkl MacLean(signed)
The Canadian Press Stylebook(14th ed)

SWAG
There were free bookmarks galore at WotS. Of course I snagged some.

TBR month wrap-up

Last month a bunch of us got together for TBR month. Basically it was a supportive way of doing a book buying ban. I did pretty darn well until I bought my Kobo – then all bets were off. I bought three ebooks and that was the beginning of my downward spiral. I then went and bought 4 books at our local second hand book store (using a credit I already head). I also had a slew of review books come in that I had requested before September.

I don’t see my massive book purchases at WotS as failure, because from the get-go I said I was only doing it until the 26th.

I also didn’t make it through my last attempt at a book buying ban either. But, I successfully completed a 3 freaking month book buying ban in the past, so I know it can be done.

Between now and January 1st, I’m not going to stress about my huge TBR pile too much. But I see big changes coming in 2011 for sure.

WotS – it’s all about the friends

I’m on Twitter, well,  ALL the time. Not only is it a great way to procrastinate, but I’ve met some really, really nicce people through Twitter. In fact, Amy from Amy Reads ( who I met on Twitter) was one of the gals that headed over to Word on the Street with me.

Before I went I put out a general tweet asking if anyone else was going to be there. I knew I chatted regularly with some folks in the Halifax area and thought it would be fun to meet face to face.  As a result I got to meet 4 of my favorite tweeps.

I’ve met people in real life from online before (Hell, I married one) and it’s always a bit nerve-wracking because you never know if you’re going to hit it off once you actually meet. When we all met up there was some general nervousness at the beginning, but from there it was just like a group of friends hanging out.

It was a super cool experience. Honestly there wasn’t anything weird about it at all. We laughed, we talked, we ate, we drooled over books. We all parted with hugs and promises to try and visit again.

I’m a major introvert – no really, I am – and I don’t often do the group thing. I usually prefer to hand out with one person at a time, and that’s usually the hubs. But my total WotS experience wouldn’t have been half as fun if I had been by myself or with the hubs.

So I say “Yay!” for online friends. You guys rock in a big way.

WotS – The books

I must admit – I was mucho overwhelmed by all the wonderful books available at Word on the Street. I knew this was going to happen, so I did up a list of books I wanted to buy before hand. Of course, the list pretty much went out the window from the get-go, but I did manage to stick to my book budget. In fact, I was actually under. I know, everyone go ahead and gasp in surprise. The reason was by about 4 pm I got so tired giddy I had no idea which was was up. (Wait, since I was under, that means I have some book money this week!)

So, the books.  Most of the ones I picked up are YA contemp with some MG thrown in for good measure. I also couldn’t resist picking up a few graphic novels by local writers and artists. I’m not a HUGE graphic novel fan, but it’s a genre I want to get into more.  Here’s the books I brought home with me.

Zombie Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
Brain Camp by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan and Faith Erin Hicks
the road to god knows where by Von Allan
Play Me by Laura Ruby
how to ruin your life and other lessons school doesn’t teach you by Carolyn McTighe
The Dread Crew : Pirates of the Backwoods by Kate Inglis
Rattled by Lisa Harrington(signed)
The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean(signed)
The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy by Jilkl MacLean(signed)
The Canadian Press Stylebook(14th ed)

I also grabbed some preview books from Island graphic artist and writer Brenda Hickey.

So, yeah it was a great book haul day for me. Now to figure out what to read first……..

In My Mailbox

This weekly meme is a great way to let other readers know what books they should be looking out for. In My Mailbox is hosted by the  The Story Siren.  You can find out more deets about it  here.

REVIEW
One Bird’s Choice by Iain Reid (House of Anansi Press)
The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Arielle Eckstut & David Henry Sterry (Workman Publishing)
American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque & Stephen King (Random House Canada)

WON (I think)
The Things that Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (Delacorte Press) – This one arrived signed to me. I think I won it? I’m not sure, so if I won it from you, please let me know!

BOUGHT, REFUNDED, THEN GIFTED(kinda)
Kiki the infamous KINDLE!!!!!!!

AND ……

My business cards!!!!

Banned Book Week guest post

When Cait over at Escape through the Pages asked me to do a guest post for Banned Book Week I was totally into it. I was going to do a Very Serious Post but then realized that wasn’t really my shtick. So, in typical Colleen form, my post is very much tongue-in-check. Pop over to her blog and give it a read.

It’s official …..

…. I am signed up for Pitch the Publisher for Word on the Street! I mentioned this event a while ago, when I asked for help in deciding what to pitch. I got some great adviced, the most common being wait to see the publishers who will be involved.

Well, I did a bit of research and have decided not to pitch EITHER book. It’s not that I don’t think my books are awesome, because I do. It’s just that Atlantic publishers don’t publish a lot of paranormal or urban fantasy novels.  So instead I am going to pitch a brand-new YA book that I have barely plotted out, let alone written.  This one is contemporary with no ghosts, witches, demons or talking animals in sight. It’s about dealing with what life slings at you, finding out who you are VS who you think you should be. And of course, since it’s being written by me, it’ll be sprinkled with plenty of the quirky and snarky.

Word on the Street is the 26th of this month, which gives me two weeks to plot out the book, get some writing done and plan my 10 minute pitch.

I am nervous. And so frigging excited.

And 100% aware that I don’t really know what I’m doing. So any advice or help you can send my way will be appreciated. 🙂

In My Mailbox

This weekly meme is a great way to let other readers know what books they should be looking out for. In My Mailbox is hosted by the  The Story Siren.  You can find out more deets about it  here.

Last week my book buying ban kinda went straight to Hell. But, after counting and realize I have, oh, about 400 unread books in the house, I’m thinking I really need to try harder not to bring any books into the house. But, on the other hand, I have a small talking book on my shoulder mumbling, “What’s the damage? Who are you hurting by buying books?” So, we’ll. Now for this weeks books:

REVIEWED/GIFTED

Thankfully the number of review books that are coming into the house has slowed down. I find that most of my review books tend to arrive all at the same time, leaving me with so many books to review that I get a bit panicky. I am woefully behind on the review copies I have that have already been released and my September/October releases are begging to be read. I’ll pick away at them, and have decided not to accept anymore review copies until my stack is much, much lower.

Review
Rotten Apple by Rebecca Eckler(Random House Canada)
The Raven’s Gift by Don Rearden (Penguin Canada)

Gifted
Amy from Amy Reads, who is fast becoming my local bookish partner in crime, gifted me some ARCs that she has already finished.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Home is with Our Family by Joyce Hansen
Stranger Here Below by Joyce Hinnefeld
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

BOUGHT

So, that big book sale at Indigo I went to last Saturday? I kinda went back again on Sunday. Only so the hubs could check it out, you know? And, lo and behold, any book over $10 was on for $2 and the rest were all $1 each. Seriously, what was I to do but buy some more books? I also picked up a book at the Mockingjay release party and received one through bookmooch.

Hinterland from James Clemens – This one came via bookmooch
Benny and Omar by Eoin Cofler
Ordinary Ghosts by Eireann Corrigan
Alex Detail’s Revolution by Darren Campo
Alien Taste by Wen Spencer
The Magical Monastery by Idries Shab
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

And, of course, the big one:

Book purge 2010 update: an idea is born

So, as some of you may know, about a month or so ago I did a major book purge. In total I think that I decided about 200 books needed to find a new home. A bunch of them went to a really cool local second hand bookstore and the hubs and I exchanged them for more books (kinda counter-intuitive, I know, but work with me folks.) At that bookstore visit an idea took seed in the hubs’ brain. He didn’t share it with me right away,  but later that day he said the magical words most bookworms would love to hear;

“Hey, wanna open a second hand book store?”

Of course my first response was “Bawha?”  Then I giggled. A LOT.

So it looks like I’ll be opening a used book store next June. Wanna see where it’ll be?

Future home of the Book Nook

I know, I know. It doesn’t look like much now, and trust me, it isn’t. It needs to be re-shingled, re-floored and windowed. But the hubs thinks it’s all doable. Swears that it’s all doable. And he says even if we have to sell the books on tables outside the store, I’m opening up in the spring.

Aaaand, since I didn’t sell all of my purged books, I even have some stock!

Yes that's Twilight. Please don't judge.

Am I excited? You bet. Scared shitless? Goes without saying. But it’s a new adventure and I’m about due for another one.