I start with more important matters. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS OUTRAGE?? NetGalley has cut international reviewers out of the loop. We were never good enough for print ARCs, but now we don’t deserve even eARCs anymore. Read more here.
Another week has flown by, and I am happy to say, this one has finally been less stressful than the past couple have been! My week in a nutshell:
- finally rid of the fever!
- work is still busy, but I think we’ll be doing better now that I’m not sick anymore
- I have no evening class to teach this week!
- a client gave us free concert tickets xD
- I didn’t request any books!! How often does that even happen??
- I won a giveaway! Thank you, Nicole <3 (and Rafflecopter xD)
So the week has been fine, apart from me not actually doing any proper reading cause the only times that I could do it was literally between 0-3 AM. Of course…
~ Last Week On The Blog ~
Last week we had two reviews and one discussion. Happiness is a memoir of actual events – a mother with a dangerously ill infant, trying to save her life (and succeeding). This is the story of the journey. It was uplifting, but not for the feint of heart. Then, I also reviewed The Girl in the Tower, which was beautiful and stronger than The Bear and the Nightingale in so many ways. Strong female characters win! And last but not least, we have the discussion about how I’m afraid I’ll never find such good and epic books as I’ve already read. Come share your opinion with me!
~ Coming Up Next Week~
As you can see, so far I’m sticking with my new plan of review-list-discussion. Hope you’ll enjoy it! I will be posting a review of All Day that I’ve been promising since forever ago. If you’ve read The Hate U Give or Dear Martin, you should read this review. Then, I will post a list of books to go with cocoa and a warm blanket – for pleasant and engaging reading when you need something warm, encouraging and sweet. And also, I will be posting a very relevant discussion! For all those book bloggers who get tired of being told they should just write a book. And also about how we should respect our own identity as bloggers and how that’s an identity that’s complete on it’s own! So I hope you will enjoy.
~ Little Book Haul ~
This time the haul is actually little!!! Would you believe I only hauled two books, and even that happened in two weeks rather than one? I know! I’m pleasantly surprised myself. Anyway, have you read those?
~ In The Bookish Community ~
Terri @ Second Run Reviews talks about how the books she reads reflect who she wants to be
Cam @ Camillea Reads talks about how it’s important to learn to actually read… less
Trang @ Bookidote shares why she loves villains in books so much
Cam @ Camillea Reads shares that buying [print] books is actually a privilege, and not many Westerners realize it
Briana @ Pages Unbound writes about how we should stop stressing about how many books we’ve read this year
So how has your week been? And what are you reading? What did you haul?
As usual, I’m linking up with the Sunday post meme at Kimba’s book blog and Stacking The Shelves over at Tynga’s Reviews.
I’m Evelina and I try to blog about books that matter, with a bit of fun there too! Disability and equality will be topics you see a lot, but there’s also a lot of scifi, fantasy and… GIFs. I’m also the proud founder of #ARCsAnonymous.
Yay for free concert tickets, winning a giveaway and banishing the bug! And I can’t wait for your post about writing a book! I’m always being asked that and I’m happy just blogging. Just because I’m a good reader, doesn’t make me a good writer!
Yeah, all of that was good stuff 🙂 you are? Well I’m glad it’s not just me! It really pushes my buttons xD
Glad you are feeling a bit better. Next weeks discussion sounds interesting – looking forward to it.
Thanks! And I’m glad 🙂 I’m going to try posting more discussions now, those are always more interesting to read 🙂
Oh my god you were sick?! I’m so glad you’re better now.
I only have won one giveaway once in my life so far. And to be honest, I think this would most likely be the only time I’ll ever win a giveaway XD. What concert are you going to?
Have a great week!
Yeah, I’ve been pretty sick for the past two weeks. Lost a lot of weight :/ problems with eating. Remember I told you I was going to have to teach a class while having a fever xD (that went alright, though.)
The concert is just a random Broadway/Christmas song concert, I don’t really know 😀 I guess I can tell you more when I come back! 🙂
You have a great week too 🙂
I’m glad your fever has finally left your body, Evelina! And YAY for free concert tickets – who are you going to see live?
Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.
Oh, nothing special, nobody ever comes to my country 🙂 but it’s probably going to be cool – something to do with Christmas musicals. Just Broadway songs with an orchestra, I guess. Nothing I would buy a ticket myself to, but as a free one, sure – why not. And I did want to go somewhere for the Christmas season 🙂
I bet they will figure something out with NetGallery. I’m sorry that this new rule is impacting you so badly.
https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/12/snow-day.html
Yeah.. I hope so, but I also feel like they won’t. At least there’s Edelweiss, I guess…
Glad you are feeling better, and I hope the concert is great. I love live shows. It’s been a long time since I went to one, because I always went with my daughter and she’s 8 hours away now. Hope things slow down a little for you, though sometimes busy is good.
Thank you 🙂 yeah, I’d love a slow Christmas! Who knows 🙂 maybe it will settle down for a while. January should be calmer in my job, at least. Usually the big stuff happens before the end of December.
Good to hear you’re feeling better Evelina. Also, enjoy your free concert tickets. 🙂 I’ve heard about Netgalley and Goodreads a few weeks ago (now I understand why Netgalley UK was created a couple of months ago) and once again international readers are being treated as second rated readers -we have none of the perks that other readers have and yet spend lots of money to get printed books. I don’t think the people who are in charge of these websites will ever realize how much international readers help to promote a book in their own country. Happy readings &… Read more »
Yeah, I really think they don’t get how the internet works, or that I buy my books in America. Sucks for NetGalley though, imagine the readership they’re losing. Imagine their morning tomorrow! They’ll wake up to that shitstorm on Twitter 😀 well, serves them right… I am still fuming. And sad. But tomorrow I’m posting an emergency post about what we can do and what our other options are as internationals. Stay tuned 🙂
I can’t wait to read it. Hopefully there’s something we can do to show them how much they will be losing.
Well, either way, I think this has led to a positive thing because of our wonderful group 🙂
Yay, your fever is gone! Mine is gone aswell, I still have a terrible cough, but tommorrow I will go to the doctor, because I have it for two weeks now and nothing helps. Pfff. Hate it.
I hope you have a wonderful week.
It seems like everyone is sick! I guess the start of winter will do that to you 🙂 I hope the doctor can help, cough is pretty bad mostly because it’s so hard to sleep. I hope you get better soon too!
He gave me medicine for my cough, but I can’t even take it because it makes you all drowsy. lol. So, not taking that! 🙂
Maybe before bed then? 😀
Thanks for mentioning the Net Galley and Goodreads issues. Got me thinking if I want to continue to include memberships with them.
I know right! I’m fuming. Well, you can’t really escape from Goodreads that much, but NetGalley is a whole ‘nother matter.
Freeeeeee stufff!!!! 😀 That has to be pretty awesome! The whole international thing regarding Goodreads and Netgalley sounds awful though… I heard about the Goodreads one, but making it harder on Netgalllleey???? I don’t know how that helps anyone. I mean.. it’s just an electronic copy of a book. It can’t possibly cost much to make it more accessible. Hope it doesn’t however cut you off from reading awesome books though. 😉 Have a nice Sunday, Evelina. 🙂
I guess there’s always Edelweiss… But yeah, just another day to find out that the US is the only country in the world. Nobody else matters -.- ugh. Ruined my mood today for sure!
I’m posting a post tomorrow about other options for internationals. I wonder if you guys will be affected? Canada is not exactly US, although I guess it gets lumped into the same thing a lot, when it comes to ARCs.
Thanks Lashaan 🙂
I honestly have no clue if we’re affected indeed… I’d assume they’d do exactly that and consider us as part of the US. Although there’s A LOT of giveaways out there that is USA only, and what’s usually worse for me and my coblogger is the whole “giveaway for Canada, excluding the province of Quebec”… Apparently we have a law that makes it complicated for giveaways to happen and be sent our way so they usually exclude us in their terms. I do hope however that this issue gets attention and opens up for international readers. It’s too embarrassing to… Read more »
I think you guys are like in the middle… Like, still much better off than me are (cause you keep getting all those paper ARCs that I see on your blog), but of course you miss out on some giveaways that are US only. I’d take it any day though xD but I guess it isn’t so bad where I’m at! Some people from my new international group of bloggers? THE KINDLE APP IS NOT SUPPORTED IN THEIR COUNTRIES. Now that… That is mean and sad 🙁 some of them literally can only pirate their books – there’s no other… Read more »
I didn’t know that about Netgalley! How awful! Myth looks really interesting! I hope you love your new reads. Have a great week 😀
Thank you! You too 🙂
I’m glad you are feeling better! It sucks being sick, and how awesome you got free concert tickets! I hope it’s to somebody you’ll enjoy (although live music is always fun, no matter who it is). Happy reading!
Yeah, the tickets are just for a Christmassy show, so I guess I’ll get in the mood of the season 🙂 thanks!
So glad you are feeling better…and those discussion posts look good. Thanks for sharing…and have a great week! Thanks for visiting my blog.
Have a great week too 🙂
Sorry you weren’t feeling well but glad to hear you are doing better. Lately I am not a fan of how Netgalley is handling reviews and links. plus it seem impossible again to get accepted for books. It’s like they put the books up but never hit approve. I only have one book left on my Netgalley shelf and I might just call it quits with them. I didn’t hear about the change to international, that is a dumb move.
I hope this week is awesome for you! Happy Reading! ox
Really? I haven’t been requesting lately, so I guess I haven’t noticed. That’s sad 🙁 tomorrow I’ll be posting a post about what other options we have, besides NetGalley. But I believe they will lose readership. Quite a bit of it. It’s a big PR nightmare for them right now, probably.
And thanks!
So THAT’S why I’m suddenly finding I’m having to WISH for so many books! I’m now signed up to the Brit version of Netgalley and you’re right – there are a lot of books I click onto where I’m being asked to WISH for them. And a whole bunch more that simply don’t come up AT ALL. You probably think I’m really thick – but I didn’t put the two together… And if it’s like that here where there is a reasonably large and flourishing publishing industry, even if it cannot compare with the likes of the USA – I… Read more »
I think it’s been active for only a week.. I didn’t even know either! Because I’ve been avoiding NetGalley all this time 😀
So dumb of them to just flat out do this and not talk about it though. Ugh.
I mean, I don’t even HAVE a NetGalley for my country. It just doesn’t exist, and it will NEVER exist. My country effectively doesn’t exist to America.
So yeah, this makes me pretty sad :/
So sorry to hear of your difficulties – crass ignorance regarding the situation in Europe and so typically modern US attitudes (the government and big corporations, NOT the lovely folks we meet up here, I hasten to add…). I completely understand:(
Yep, it’s the lovely folks we meet up here that make it all better 🙂 thankfully! Well, to be honest, there has been a positive outcome too – we have formed an international blogger community now, because of all this. And it’s pretty cool 🙂 it’s nice to finally belong!
Happy to hear you kicked that fever! And it’s crazy about Netgalley. I’m US and never got print copies but I dd get eBooks. Makes you wonder what they’re thinking. eBooks are international. It’s not like a file can’t be sent anywhere?
I kicked the fever, but I’m still getting up from it… I really hope I can be better by the time it’s Christmas 🙂
Really, you never got print copies? Didn’t know that. Most Americans seem to be drowning in them somehow xD
I think eARCs are not a problem to send, they’re a problem legally sometimes though. Like selling rights, etc… God knows their legal stuff. Might be complicated. And yet, it’s annoying… It needs to catch up with globalization and the 21st century.
I’ve been so sorry to hear about the whole NetGalley thing. You international bloggers always seem to get the short end of the stick. Really sad.
That’s alright, we still have Edelweiss 🙂 and the NetGalley thing probably seemed a lot worse than it really is (mostly because they didn’t bother explaining). But we have weathered the change, I guess, and it led to something really positive – a growing and super fun blogging internationals group that we have formed 🙂
I am glad that you are feeling better now. I hope that NetGalley gets something situated for all the international blogger and soon. I didn’t know about any of this until today, but I think it is awful. I hope you have a great week. 🙂
My Sunday Post
Yeah well, it is how it is, we still have Edelweiss 🙂 thanks!
I didn’t realize it was NG’s choice. For some reason, I assumed it had to do with publisher’s rights. I often cannot get books published out of the US for this reason. I imagine we will see an uptick in author advanced readers groups particularly for Indie authors who depended on NG.
Oh no, it’s definitely NG’s choice, because Edelweiss doesn’t have this issue. After all, the publisher replies with granting or denying the request, so they do choose in the end. And on Edelweiss, you can request absolutely anything. Meanwhile, NetGalley just sort of labels us. Oh well, but it is how it is! I believe they still have the choice to choose to give their books to us, but who knows. I guess we’ll see how it is as time passes. Either way, I know this has led to us forming an awesome international readers’ group that I am very… Read more »
I had not heard that about Netgalley! Sorry to hear that they are making that change. Boo to them 🙁
Congrats on the concert tickets though! And the giveaway win. 🙂
Looking forward to your upcoming discussion posts!
As it turns out, maybe the NetGalley thing isn’t actually as bad as it looks, although it’s certainly mean of them not to inform readers at all.
And thanks, Greg 🙂
Glad you are feeling better. Thanks for educating me about the Netgalley issue. I had no idea. But, Yay for concert tickets and winning a giveaway!
I hope you have a better week!
Yeah, and the concert was pretty cool as well 🙂 thank you!
Sorry to hear that you have been feeling sick but glad to hear that you are on the mend. Yay for concert tickets and small book hauls! Wasn’t The Girl in the Tower an amazing book?!?! I just loved it! I do wonder if anything will change in regards to the NetGalley issue. I hope so!
I’m still on the mend, heheh 😀 but I’m hoping for the best… Holidays are coming up anyway! Need to have a healthy stomach for that, right? 🙂
The Girl in the Tower was an AMAZING book 🙂 I love it.
I think the NetGalley issue isn’t as bad as we thought it would be, so basically just a big scare, although it’s really neglecting of them not to talk to us about it or inform us, but what are you gonna do 🙂
Yay for free tickets and winning the giveaway. So happy for you. I hope you enjoy your new books and have a wonderful week. Sorry about netgalley though. I’ve been rarely there these past few months. I get books from authors or publishers or buy them myself.
Thanks 🙂 we don’t really get books from publishers straight when we’re international though xD just kind of… Doesn’t happen. So we rely on NetGalley. But I guess we still have Edelweiss 🙂
Sorry about the NetGalley thing. I’ve never used that site or requested an ARC from a publisher, but I know that a lot of people are upset about it. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Have a great week!
Really, you’ve never requested? O_o do you get ARCs some other way, or maybe you don’t do them at all? I’m very curious now, actually 😀
I’m glad your week was less stressful! I’m looking forward to a quieter week…hopefully in a week or two 😉 [[though I am excited I don’t have any more 8 AM classes to teach!]]
You always have the coolest discussion post ideas! I’m looking forward to reading what books you think go best with a warm blanket and coco 🙂
A week later, I am still hoping for a slower week 😀 but holidays are not far away. At least a few more days off, right 🙂
And thanks! I love writing discussions, I just hope I don’t run out of those ideas 😀
Sorry about the crappy stuff going happening for international bloggers :-/ But other than and a fever, sounds like you had a good week? Congrats on winning a giveaway! Hopefully this week will be ever better 🙂
Yeah, mostly a good week, apart from the health troubles -.- I’m so ready to not have them anymore 😀 but you know the drill!
Thank you for sharing my post!
It’s good to hear you’re feeling better now! Which concert did you get the tickets to?? I hope you have a wonderful time 😀 I’m looking forward to your post about a book blogger’s identity! <3
I’m always glad to share your posts, and will be sharing again this Sunday xD
The concert was a Broadway Christmas songs concert 🙂 it was sweet!
Glad to hear you’re healthy again! And congrats on all those little victories <3 It sure is nice to have a great week once in a while 😀
Thanks 🙂
OOh I’m curious about your post on blogging not JUST being a stepping stone. And I heard that about Netgalley and International readers – I’m so sorry! That’s just not right. I don’t get it at all.
-Lauren
Thanks 🙂 I hope you liked the post about bloggers’ identities and it not being a stepping stone 🙂
That’s too bad about NetGalley, hopefully they will realize what a mistake they are making. I don’t know much about NetGalley, but their decision is just wrong. Glad to hear you got over your fever, the free concert ticket hopefully made up for it. Enjoy your reads this week.
I think their decision supports publishers rather than reviewers, because it’s the publishers who pay the money in the end, and the client is always right. So I can understand that… but of course, it still sucks. Meh! Well, what can you do 🙂
Good to hear you got rid of the fever. What is it about this time of year right? I’ve been having the longest cold ever! Sigh.. Congrats on winning the concert tickets. 😉
Happy Reading!
Yeah, I guess our immunity is not very strong 🙂 well, you are also a nurse, so you are around more bacteria! It must be even harder for you. A noble profession 🙂
No one has ever told me that I ” should just write a book” ! 🙂 But I did schedule a discussion about how some articles in the internet that say that “Bloggers are not really writers??” Come again??? SAY WHAAAAAT???? I think some issues in this discussions may overlap, so, looking forward to that discussion post! Glad to hear you are not sick anymore, and giveaway, and free concert!! YAY! Since you mentioned this thing with NetGalley cutting international reviewers out of the loop I’ve made my goal to learn more about this issue because it is disturbing! So… Read more »
But maybe nobody has ever told you because you ARE a writer 😀 at least, from what I gathered. Cause you keep writing 😀
Or… maybe no one thought I should right a book??? Lol
think some people may say it to you as a compliment? I like how you write! So I think if you decided to write a book it will be well written!
Lol I totally think you should write a book 🙂
Yes, I think they might mean it as a compliment. But it’s kind of like one of those “so when are you two getting married?” kind of compliments xD haha
Such a small haul for you this week! Yay for getting rid of the fever and for the concert tickets. How awesome is that.
Hope you have another great week.
I know right, it might be the smallest haul of the year 😀