I love books. Clearly, or why would I be here, on the internet writing about books and book related things? I also love e-books. For me reading isn’t about the physical book, it’s about getting lost in a story, spending time with beloved characters, and exploring fictional new worlds.  Whether I hold a paper book in my hand, listen to the words on an iPod or CD, or click through pages on a digital reader, I still get that experience.

I often read comments about how true book lovers could never read on a reader because it wouldn’t give them the same satisfaction as holding a wonderful book. This makes me sad for a number of reasons.

Admittedly, I’ve never been as passionate about the physical book as some people are, and I am absolutely a gadget addict, so it’s no surprise that I have embraced the e-book.  For me, it all started with the Kindle. I know the Kindle was by no means the first e-reader our there, but it’s the one that caught my attention. And boy did I want one. Of course Amazon hasn’t figured out how to share the Kindle with their neighbours from the North, so a Kindle was not to be for me.  And thus began the research. After weeks of obsessively reading everything I could find about e-readers, e-books, software and formats, I decided on the Sony e-reader.  I’ve had my PRS-505 for almost 6 months now, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love it.

I confess that my love affair with the e-book started somewhat slowly. The first time I read a book on it, I found page turns slow and flipping back through pages awkward, and it took me a bit to adjust to the look of the e-ink screen. But right away I noticed how much easier it was to read.  I know that may sound weird if you haven’t used a digital reader, but think of all those paperbacks that don’t stay open, giving you finger cramps while you try to hold it open with one hand while attempting to read and eat or grab a drink, etc.  Without the book flipping shut every time you need one of your hands, there are fewer interruptions and I found I was reading faster. Or how about lying in bed trying to hold a 700 page hardcover book? Those suckers get heavy, and are a pain to lug around. An e-reader is always light and fits in almost any bag.

I also love being able to hop online and download the next book I want in minutes. There’s no wi-fi or 3G on the Sony PRS-505, so I do have to get on a computer and then transfer the book to my reader, but I don’t have any problem with that. I don’t have to drive to the bookstore, and the digital stores are always open, so if I finish a book at midnight, and want the next one in the series right away I can get it.

Click to read more about the benefits of e-readers

I often find myself standing in front of one of my bookshelves, moving books around in an attempt to either fit more books on the already crammed shelf, or to try and make them look more pleasing. It’s almost as if the books are art or a decoration when they’re not busy telling me a story.  I can only assume, but based on some of my recent internet travels, I think this might be something that many book lovers do?

I’ve been fascinated with colour coordinated bookshelves lately, and have been thinking about doing this with my books. The only thing that’s stopping me is my OCD need to have all my series together and in order. Of course with the current overpopulation of my bookshelves, that’s getting harder and harder to do anyway.  Judging from my web searches, it seems that this colour coordinating is an older trend that people are starting to move away from, but I’ve just discovered it, so it’s all new to me!

So, I thought I’d bring the question to my fellow book lovers! How do you organize your books? And is this your ideal method that you’ve honed over the years, or do you dream of one day having a different system?  And if you’re so inclined, tell us why you prefer them this way… Simply because they look pretty?  Because they’re easier to find? Or maybe it’s because you just can’t be bothered to try and organize them?

Instead of going to bed like a normal person, I decided to test out this colour coordination on one of my shelves last night. Now there’s not much of an impact with just one shelf done, but tell me what you think! Which do you like better?

You Slay Me
by Katie MacAlister

This is actually the second time I’ve read You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around! The first time I read it was quite a few years ago, so I didn’t remember much of the story, making it feel much more like a new adventuere than a re-read.

You Slay Me is the first book in the Aisling Grey, Guardian series and Katie has created a fantastic world populated with entertaining characters and situations. Even though the story is set in a world where dragons exist and supernatural beings abound, the story never feels forced or unbelievable. I think the fact that Aisling is as unknowledgeable as the reader when she first enters this new supernatural environment, helps us to overcome any doubts we may have, as we learn the ropes right along with her.  She makes many mistakes but that doesn’t make her any less endearing, in fact it makes her more lovable as she stumbles along through one hilarious situation after another, with no idea what she’s getting herself into. But Aisling is a fast learner and by the end of the novel it’s clear that she’s becoming one of the more powerful characters to inhabit “l’au delà”, and there’s nothing I love more than a funny, hot chick with superpowers. Aside from Aisling, the book is filled with many lovable characters such as Drake, the Green Dragon Wyvern and Aisling’s mate. Drake is so hot and sultry he practically makes the pages steam, and his encounters with Aisling are filled with chemistry right from the get-go. Even oddball demon Jim is hilarious and hard not to love.

The story is filled with chuckles, and despite the fact that I had read it before, the mystery kept me guessing and I didn’t figure out who dunnit until the very end of the book.  You Slay Me is an entertaining and fast paced supernatural adventure, and after getting to know Aisling and her world, I can’t wait to read more of her adventures in Fire Me Up, the next Aisling Grey, Guardian adventure!

Good Monday morning fellow book lovers! Welcome to the first With A Good Book Chat! We originally started this blog as way for friends who share a love of books and reading but live far apart to be able to talk about books.  We’ve done some reviews, and discussed a few books in the Book Club, but we haven’t really just chatted about books and reading… and I think it’s time to change that!  Ideally you’ll all be chatting back to me and I won’t just be here talking about books, reading and the general life of a book lover all by myself… but I will if I have to, so you’ve been forewarned!

Now… let’s chat!

It’s a chilly Monday morning here in Ottawa, but thankfully the sun is out, making it a bit easier to drag myself out of bed and into the office.  What’s it like where you are?

Sun or no sun, I’d still much rather be at home working my way through the last 200(ish) pages of The Sorceress by Michael Scott. Unfortunately, my goal to finish reading it over the weekend was thwarted by the combination of owning a house and living with a non-reader. The lack of a new Dollhouse episode on Friday night did allow me to spend the evening reading when I’d normally be watching TV, but most of Saturday and Sunday were spent doing yard work and other outdoor winter preparations so there wasn’t much time for reading after Friday night.  How was your weekend? Did you manage to get any reading done? Did you read anything good? (or bad?) What are you reading now?

Since it doesn’t seem to be available in digital format, I’ll be stopping at Coles on my way home from work tonight to pick up my copy of our October Book Club selection, The Book Thief.  (Don’t forget… join the book club in October and be entered to win a copy of our November selection Fablehaven!)  I’ve been trying to go digital with most of my new books, but sometimes the option still isn’t available.  How will you get your copy? Have you started it yet?

And speaking of new books, I totally broke my “No new books until the TBR (To Be Read) pile is significantly reduced!” rule last week by ordering not one, but THREE new books. Seriously folks, I have a sickness. I need to be banned from my Chapters and Amazon accounts. I did manage to wait long enough so that I had enough books on my list to qualify for free shipping, but still. Anyway, I am now the proud owner of Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich, Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull, and Heat Wave by “Richard Castle”.  Now my goal is to have Fillion sign it!!

I’ve had Fearless Fifteen by Janet Evanovich for some time now, but have been waiting to read Plum Spooky before getting into it. Yes – I have an OCD need to only ever read a series in order.  As you’ll learn (if you didn’t already know), I am a continuity nut, so reading a series out of order drives me batty, but that’s a chat for another time.  Have you gotten any new books recently? What’s on your book wish list?

One of the many things that I love about reading is that it can expand your vocabulary. This is a good thing because it makes you look smarter! And who doesn’t want to be smart? (Ask around… smart chicks are sexy!)

Often when I come across a word I’m unfamiliar with, I’ll just guess at it’s meaning based on the context, but I figure the best way to really learn is to look up the word and actually understand it’s full meaning.  And why not share all that knowledge with you?

Each week I’ll post the words that I looked up and their meanings. Sometimes they’ll be words I’ve never encountered before, sometimes they’ll be words that I thought I knew, but the context didn’t fit, and sometimes I’ll go with commonly misused words, or just ones that I found interesting. Basically, the only stipulation is that they’re from something I read.

And if you have some new words or additional info to add, PLEASE share with us in the comments below.  I know I can’t be the only one learning as I read, and we’d love to hear what words stood out for you too.

Here are the words for the week of October 12:

From A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

• Parley:  to hold an informal conference with an enemy under a truce, as between active hostilities.
  - to speak, talk, or confer.

Use in book: My brother had offered my land as a Were parley ground?

• Parlay:  Informal. to use (one’s money, talent, or other assets) to achieve a desired objective, as spectacular wealth or success: He parlayed a modest inheritance into a fortune.
  - to bet or gamble (an original amount and its winnings) on a subsequent race, contest, etc.

Use in book: Werewolves tend to take blue-collar jobs in their human lives, though some of them parlay those jobs into business empires.

• Transgression:  A violation of a law, command, or duty:
  - The exceeding of due bounds or limits.

Use in book: Considering the satisfying outcome, I decided to forgive and forget – at least that one transgression.

read more »

Hey fellow Fantasy Lovers! If like me, you’re a fan of the fantastic Inheritance Trilogy Cycle by Christopher Paolini, and you somehow haven’t gotten your copy of Brisingr yet (unlike me), then you’ll be pleased to know that the Brisingr Deluxe Edition was released this week!

According to the press release, the Deluxe Edition includes: deleted scenes, an exclusive foldout poster, never-before-seen art by the author, and a guide to dwarf runes.

Now, I’ve never heard of a deleted scene in a book is, but I’m super curious! So, I did some looking and found a great review that details all of the “special features” in this deluxe edition. Check out this fab review at Shur’tugal.com to learn all about it!

Are you a fan of the series? Have you read Brisingr? What do you think about the Brisingr Deluxe Edition?

And as a reader, what do you think of Deluxe Editions in general? A welcome addition to your library, or an unwelcome cash grab?

Sometimes life gets in the way of our best blogging intentions, and thus we’re running a little behind schedule with the book club again this month. But that does not mean we’ve forgotten! In fact, we’ve been working hard and even have a little surprise for you this month! But first, our selection…

As you may know, we put out a call for your help in choosing the October Book Club Book, and while the response was not exactly overwhelming, we did get a few great suggestions. (Thank-you!) As a result, this month’s book will be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which was suggested by Kay of Kay’s Bookshelf.

Here’s a little bit about the book:

Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken to live in Germany with a foster family who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book – although she has not yet learned how to read – and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when she is roused by nightmares. Across the ensuing years, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayors reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward.

Now, because we’re so behind this month we’ll only have a little over a week to read the book, but hopefully everyone is up for the task! We’ll put up the post for discussion the week of October 26.

And now for our surprise… as a special treat this month, everyone who participates in the October Book Club, will be entered to win our November book Fablehaven by Brandon Mull!!

Fablehaven is the first book in a YA fantasy series, and both Rae and I really enjoyed it. Now we’d like to share the love with you, by offering up a copy just for joining us in the book club.

If you’d like to know a little bit more about Fablehaven, have a look around the official website.

I’m home today, and with that comes the luxury of being able to curl up with a good book in total comfort. While enjoying my book, I got to wondering… Where does everyone else like to curl up and read? So, that’s our Question of the Week: What’s Your Favorite Place to Curl up With a Good Book?

While my very favorite place to read is outside in the backyard by the creek, it’s a little too cold out there to be sitting around outside these days. So when the weather turns against me, I’m forced to take refuge inside, but thankfully I have the perfect little reading corner in my living room. Our couch is conveniently located in front of a big window and directly across from our fireplace. I just love curling up in the corner with a good book and a cup coffee (or hot chocolate) while the fire crackles, and the cat is curled up beside me taking advantage of the heat as well. I even have a reading lamp in the corner for those days that I sit there long enough to loose the light.

Now tell us What’s Your Favorite Place to Curl up With a Good Book?

A Touch of Dead
by Charlaine Harris

A Touch of Dead consists of 5 short stories that fall in various places in the Southern Vampire Series, featuring heroine Sookie Stackhouse. I absolutely love that Harris has collected up all of the Sookie short stories into one volume. Now I really wish all the other series that I read would do the same thing!

The stories in A Touch of Dead are thoughtfully given to us in chronological order, making it easier to place them in their correct spot in the series as you read.  Some give us a little more back-story about events that we’ve read about in the series, while others just tell a fun little Sookie side-story.

The stories in the order the occur in Sookie’s life are “Fairy Dust” (from Powers of Detection), “Dracula Night” (from Many Bloody Returns), “One Word Answer” (from Bite), “Lucky” (from Unusual Suspects), and “Gift Wrap” (from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe).  I’m assuming these stories were also written in that same order because they get better and better as they go along.

“Fairy Dust” tells the story of how fairies Claudine and Claude lost their triplet Claudette. While I enjoyed getting back-story on the Fairy twins, I found the mystery to be a bit confusing. I was tired when I read this story, so that could have something to do with it, but this was my least favourite of the bunch.

“Dracula Night” is a fun little story that has Sookie joining Eric and Pam at Fangtasia to celebrate Dracula’s birthday. No real information in relation to the series, but a cute story nonetheless.

“One Word Answer” gives us much-wanted back-story on how Sookie learned of her cousin Hadley’s death. I was thrilled to finally learn how Hadley’s death fit into the greater story told in the Southern Vampire novels.

“Lucky” is another cute story that doesn’t have much bearing in the series, but is still a very enjoyable read. Featuring Sookie and her new housemate Amelia, “Lucky” has the two ladies playing a little supernatural detective as they try to uncover who has been messing with the local insurance agents. Fun stuff that had me wishing Sookie played detective more often!

“Gift Wrap”, the final story in the collection tells the story of Sookie’s most recent Christmas. A great little story that had me smiling, “Gift Wrap” features a new character that I’d love to see more of – despite the fact that that doesn’t seem likely to happen, and a bit of twist that made for a great ending.

Overall, A Touch of Dead is a very enjoyable read, and a must have for any Sookie lover!

That’s right folks, it’s time to select our October book for the WAGB Book Club, but this month we’re asking for YOUR help! In an effort to get more of our fellow book lovers to join us in the WAGB Book Club, we thought we’d let YOU tell us what you’d like to read!

All you have to do is let us know which book you’d like us to feature for the October Book Club. Anything goes… it can be a new book or one you’ve read before, and we’re open to almost any genre. Whichever book gets the most votes, will be our winner. In case there are no duplicate suggestions, we will randomly select one from the list.

So, PLEASE help us grow our book club, and let us know what kind of books you would like to be talking about. Your opinion matters to us, and we really want to talk about books with YOU!