Category: Conversations with Kav

It’s Canada Library Month and this upcoming third week in October is Ontario Public Library Week so now is a perfect time to talk about libraries and how they benefit authors (besides the obvious.)

But first – after all the talk about favourite autumn beverages last week and discovering so many fellow hot chocolate aficionados in our midst, I thought it would be fun to set up a Hot Chocolate Bar. Cocoa for the traditionalist, flavoured hot chocolate pkgs for the adventureous and your choice of toppings, marshmallows (we have regular and vegan), shaved dark chocolate pieces and peppermint stir sticks. Do help yourself. Oh, and, in honour of library month, I’ve made gingerbread librarians. Do be kind and bite the head off first so they can’t watch the dismemberment of their bodies. 🙂

How Libraries Benefit an Author’s Bottom Line

Of course, we know that authors get a royalty payment for every book a library buys and that’s wonderful. Also an important reason for readers to request libraries to purchase titles they don’t already carry. My library allows for three requests per patron a month and I’m happy to say that the library has purchased nearly every book I’ve asked for – sometimes in multiple copies!

Recently though, I got to wondering about what kind of financial benefits there are to digital library purchases. I assumed that it would be similar to physical books and it kinda is…but also not quite. Here’s how authors make money when a book is checked out on Libby and Hoopla:

The library buys a license for an ebook or audiobook which covers x amount of checkouts (usually around 26.) Once they’ve reached their limit they have to buy another license. Each time a license is purchased, the author receives a royalty. So, the more times a book is checked out on Libby, there is the potential for more times a library buys a license and that means more $ for the author. A library often buys multiple copies of popular titles.

Operates on a Cost-Per-Checkout system – the author gets a small amount of money per checkout. You don’t have to even read the book. You just have to check it out. The amount an author earns per checkout is somewhere between 40 – 80 cents which sounds really low BUT when you take into consideration the number of Hoopla accounts across North America, it has the potential to add up to a nice tidy sum and the author doesn’t have to put any money, time or effort into the process – that’s all done by the library and Hoopla, so it’s kind of a bonus.

Interestingly enough all this works the same way for both ebooks and audiobooks on both platforms. Audiobooks cost the library more – around $50 – $75 per book, but that also means a larger royalty for the author, so they actually could make more money on audiobooks. It also explains why my library buys more ebooks than audiobooks on both platforms.

My library has just buddied up with a number of other public libraries in Ontario on the Libby app which means I have access to all their collections as well. I’ve been able to access audiobooks that my library doesn’t carry so I’m uber excited. Plus, now I’m thinking of the boon to authors since the number of checkouts is bound to increase across the board which means more royalties for the authors! Woohoo!

Let’s Chat:

Are you a library user? Have you looked into Libby and Hoopla? They are truly a great free source for ebooks and audiobooks so, even if you don’t live close to a library or want to actually visit the building, you can still borrow from home and contribute to authors’ income. Every little bit helps!

Oh — and I’m curious – how many monthly borrows do you get on Hoopla? My library’s limit is 5 per month and it’s agonizing choosing which five books to pick from a long list of potential borrows. lol I usually used up all my credits before the middle of the month.

The Giveaway:

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 24 2026

And we’re going to celebrate with all things books and reading since they are high up on my thankfulness list! I came across this book tag on booktube courtesy of Paperbacks and Ponytails channel and I thought it would be fun to share here. A great way to discover new books and get to know each other a little better. I imagine this is the kind of conversation that would be going around the table if we all gathered for Thanksgiving dinner.

What book reminds you of Autumn?

This year it’s the ‘Falling for Autumn’ multi-authored series. I hope to get to all the books by the end of November. I’ve read four out of eight so I’m halfway there! Lots of fun autumn activities, community events etc and the romances have all been toe-curling and swoonalicious!

What is your favourite autumnal book cover?

Hmmm….it’s always changing. This year, Autumn at the Cat Cafe by Kathleen Fuller embodies my idea of autumnal splendour on a book cover. And it’s sooooo cozy!

Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?

I’m an equal opportunity reader! Morning, noon and night will find me with a book (or audio book) in hand. But I’m more of an early bird. You know, that annoyingly ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’ person that bounces out of bed eager to embrace the day (or the current story!) so I’ll say I have a morning preference.

Favourite autumnal drink to while you cozy up with a good book?

Hot chocolate with marshmallows! I wait all summer for the weather to get chilly enough to bring out the cocoa! But I’ve also become exceedingly fond of a turmeric ginger tea blend that I picked up at a quaint little shop in my new neighbourhood.

What is your favourite spooky read?

Since I’m a big ol’ scaredy cat, I don’t really do spooky but I recently read The Memory House by Mary Alford and that was quite eerie. Psychological thrillerish which was quite eerie. And look at that atmospheric cover! Shivery delight!

What is your ultimate fall comfort read?

Gotta go full out cozy mystery for this one. A toss up between Lord of the Wings from the Meg Langslow series (it takes place on Halloween and the entire Family Skeleton Mystery series – an actually skeleton is one of the characters. So fun and quirky. And the Halloween one is excellent. Must give it a re-listen this month.

What is your favourite autumnal snack?

Anything pumpkin for sure! Bread, pie, muffins, loaf. Ohhh, Tim Horton’s has the yummiest pumpkin donuts that are only offered in October. Must get some.

When you are not reading, what is your favourite autumnal activity?

Wait…there are other things to do in the fall besides read? Well…I never! 🙂 Okay, I do like to walk a lot. Love rustling up the leaves and watching the squirrels scurrying around preparing for winter and the crisp fall air, light frost in the morning. Happy sigh. But, I’m usually listening to an audio book while I walk so, ha, still reading!

What is on your autumn reading list?

Ohhhh, so many books!!!! Not all autumn themed though. Heavily suspense/mystery because ’tis the season for murder and mayhem – for me anyway. I’ve been bingeing indie author Melanie D. Snitker romantic suspense books the last few weeks and I found This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart (what a thrilling find!) in a little free library that I’ve been saving for October. Oh and Axe Me No Questions by Paula Charles – a cozy mystery with a beautiful autumnal cover – so yay, a setting that will work for the Autumn Bingo Challenge!

Speaking of which, JUST A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE THREE WEEKS LEFT IN THE AUTUMN BINGO CHALLENGE. I’m having so much fun tallying bingo cards and seeing what everyone is reading. Plumping up my TBR as well, and distracting me from my planned reading goals for this month. You guys are such a band influence. Bwahahahaha!

The Giveaway

Just answer one (or more) of the Cozy Autumn Book Tag questions in the comments to be entered in the giveaway. US and Canada only.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17

I had no idea I was a Lionheart – until a few days ago, I didn’t even know what one was! But now I can staunchly affirm that yes, indeed, I am wholeheartedly a Lionheart! In case you haven’t heard, a Lionheart is an ardent follower of all things relating to ‘The UnSelected Journals of Emma M. Lion‘, a series which has made a resurgence in the publishing world since the original indie books were bought up by a mainstream publisher and given some upstage marketing. Now it’s all anyone can talk about in my bookish online world. Instagram and Book Tube are all agog. Can’t speak for Facebook, but I’m curious to know if this particular Emma obsession has taken over there as well.

I met Emma late this summer and I am now obsessed! It didn’t start out that way though. I was kinda ‘meh’ with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 1 until close to the 50% mark and then things really picked up and I was compelled to keep going. But I guess I should backtrack incase you haven’t heard of this suddenly over-the-top popular series.

Emma M. Lyon is a Victorian era heroine – an impoverished young woman, orphaned and under the guardianship of an odious distant cousin until she comes of age at 21. Each journal covers about two months of her life, and yes, that means the entire story(ies) are written in journal format. So, fans of epistolary novels rejoice! These are quite brilliant! And if you are not a fan of this type of storytelling, Emma is sure to change your mind.

The books are funny and poignant and Emma is utterly charming. Feisty and outspoken at a time when women decidedly were not. And the situations she gets into! Her eclectic collection of friends, including a number of single gentlemen who may or may not become romantic interests. I’ve only read three journals so far so I don’t know what’s going to happen though I’m sure it will turn into an unlimited number love triangle. I’m both terrified and thrilled at the prospect. 🙂

The books are expensive in Canada, $25 each and there are eight in the series with a ninth book coming out in November. Luckily I’ve found the audio books on Libby and Hoopla and I have to say they are fantastic! The holds on the print books are crazy long at my library — 200-300 per book! My only complaint about the series is the price of the books – they are novella length so really expensive. Also, it would have been easy for the publisher to combine two journals into one book and cut the cost for readers so I feel like it’s a bit of a money grab.

But I’m as crazed as the rest of the Lionhearts who are posting about “Emma M. Lion” on social media. I’ve seen pictures of shelves showcasing the books along with items that represent scenes from the stories. Posts predicting who Emma will marry. Stirring controversy over whether we have even met her intended yet. (I even have a hair-raising theory that would be catastrophic if it came to pass!) There are bookstagram shots of Emma M. Lion books out in the wild. People dressed in Regency garb as they read one of her journals. All kinds of images are popping up in my feed and I am loving it!

So, I desperately need to know. Have you met Emma yet? If so, what do you think of her journals?

In general, are you a fan of epistolary novels? If so, can you share any titles? I can only think of Pepper Basham’s series with the emails and texts – but not for the entire book, and Daddy-Long-Legs from my childhood. Oh and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Share your thoughts in a comment and you could win:

Offer open to US and Canada readers as well as International Readers who have a US Kindle account. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 25 2026.

I love my new library! It’s smaller than my previous branch but it’s packed with my kind of books! There’s even been a Christian Fiction novel in the end cap displays every time I’ve been there! And I tend go a couple of times a week. Eeeep! I actually picked one up on a whim today. Came home with a nice stash of CF, cozy mysteries and Christmas craft books this time ’round.

Since I’m close to finishing my current read (more about that later), I thought it would be fun to have you help me choose my next read from my recent library haul. I’m going to give you the first line of each book and you let me know which one interests you the most. The first line with the must fanfare will be the next book I read. And to make things interesting, I’m not going to include the author or the title of the book. 🙂

Which library book should I read next?

1. “If I were a character in a novel, this is what the author would write.”
2. “The air in the spectator area of Brownsburg High’s swimming pool is nothing short of heavy, but there’s safety in the thickness.”
3. “For the most part, her days were the same as before.”
4. “Gracie loved Mona with every beat of her heart, but the occasional moment arose when she wanted nothing more than to smack her beloved sister in the face with a Bavarian cream pie.”
5. “The weather is miserable, especially for the middle of October.”
6. “She should have known it was too good to be true.”

Let me know in the comments which first line piques your interest the most, I’ll tally the results at the end of the day and the most popular pick will become my read. And thank you for helping me choose!

What are you reading?

One of my favourite things about doing the Bingo entry tallies is seeing what everyone is reading. I always get some great recommendations that I add to my wishlist. Books and authors I’ve never heard of before and I get absolutely giddy excited! 🙂 Oh — and if you have sent me a bingo notification in the last few days, I’ve seen the emails, just haven’t tallied them into my little book so I haven’t replied to your email. That’s a task for tomorrow afternoon so stay tuned.

Anyway – periodically I sooooo enjoy doing this little ‘what are we reading?’ day where we simply share the title and author of the book we are currently reading. And then share a wee bit how you are feeling about the read so far.

Share in a comment (and don’t forget to include the # of the first sentence of the next book I should read) and you’ll be entered in the draw for:

This is my Current Read

So atmospheric! The perfect autumnal read. I am half way through and I am so befuddled and intrigued. A house full of secrets and a heroine who may or may not be in peril? Sooooo mysterious! A little bit creepy, but not over the top. Gothic vibes all the way in the style of Phyllis A Whitney, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt from back in the day. Such a thrilling read!

Now it’s your turn. Let’s get the conversation started!

I’ve come across some controversy online about 5 star reviews lately and I’d love your take on the subject. Basically, some readers are saying that ‘true’ 5 star reads are rare, if not impossible to find and they criticized reader reviewers who leave a lot of 5 star reviews (Yikes! That’s me!) They object to these ‘false’ high reviews because they distort the ‘true’ rating of the book and do a disservice to other readers. Heated exchanges ensued and became quite hoity-toity literary in my humble opinion – almost like they were talking about professional, critical reviewers instead of bibliophiles who share reviews as an extension of their hobby (or bookish obsession, whichever fits!)

I have to say, it quite surprised me to see these kinds of negative conversations going on amongst fellow book lovers. You’d think we’d be united in our passion for stories and we all understand that not every book is the right match for every reader so shouldn’t that also be reflected in our reviews?

Anyway, this got me to thinking about how I approach starring my reviews and wondering if I am letting the team down, so to speak, in my over enthusiastic ratings? So here’s the discussion question:

What criteria do you use to determine a 5 star rating?

I’ve been living in a happy bubble where most of my reads end up being 5 stars. Perhaps I’m delusional or maybe it’s just that I’m approaching ratings in a very different way?

I consider my relationship to the story, as opposed to taking an objective look at literary devices, word usage etc. Sometimes beautiful writing moves me and I’ll note that in my written review, but mostly a 5 star read is one that:

• engages me wholeheartedly, often to the point that it’s jarring to resurface into my ‘real’ world.
• I connect with characters, have to love MCs, but even loving to hate their nemesis keeps me engaged and invested in the story as well.
• I become emotionally invested
• I think about the plot and or/characters throughout the day when I’m not reading the book. Sometimes I even dream about them.
• I look forward to picking up where I left off and/or find it hard to put the book down
• And when I reach the end I experience the blissful contentment of a story well told.

Fortunately (or unfortunately according to some reviewers,) most of the books I read meet this criteria. I think, partly, because I’ve fine-tuned my ability to pick out books I know I’ll enjoy. Also, I readily DNF ones that don’t interest me. But mostly, I think I’m easy to entertain and I appreciate a good story and why shouldn’t I give it a 5 star rating if it made me happy?

So, what do you think? I’d love to hear how you determine a 5 star read. Oh — and 4.5s – what’s with that? What keeps a 4.5 star read from being a 5 star read? Reviewers never say, but they gush over every aspect of the book and I’m left wondering why they couldn’t just give the poor story a 5 star rating? 🙂

Share your thoughts in a comment and I’ll enter you in a draw for:

It’s the fourth Sunday of the month and time for a new blog tradition – celebrating our independently published authors! I’m trying to read more indie books and have been thrilled to get all kinds of great recommendations from you guys so I thought it would be fun to set aside one day a month where we can chat about indie books as a way to support these hardworking, often overlooked authors.

Topics Up For Discussion

• what we’re reading 
• new release alerts 
• recommended authors

Here’s a look at my Indie Reading in August

I didn’t read as many indie books this month as I planned, though I guess there’s a few days left in the month to catch up. Only two were on the priority list I made up at the beginning of the month – The Lumberjack From the Cabin Next Door and Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – the rest were whimsical mood reads after my audible sale blitz. 🙂

Tracey put me onto this series and I ordered the first book quite a while ago but it’s been languishing on my TBR pile. I’ve been in a suspense-y mood, so I picked this one up today and started reading. I’m already shocked, might even be mildly traumatized depending on if what I think happened actually did happen. Yikes!

The Fall Series I’m Hoping to Read as the Books Release:

So far I’m on track and the audible edition for the third book releases the same time as the ebook and paperback editions so I’ll be able to keep up this week at least. (They mentioned that the audiobooks might not always be available on the release dates.) I’m enjoying the fall vibes / rom/com mix and looking forward to getting to the heart of all the romances. 🙂

These are the same authors who did the ‘Falling for Summer’ series a couple of years back. They’ve also collaborated on ‘The Christmas Escape’ series. I haven’t read any books in that series – have any of you? I’m thinking of targeting it for some of my holiday reading but I haven’t looked into it yet.

Let’s start the conversation:

And now it’s time for a chat. What indie books have you been reading this month? Already on your TBR just waiting to be noticed? New Indie Releases you are looking forward to? Share in the comments 

AND LEAVE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR OF AN INDIE BOOK (CHRISTIAN FICTION OR CLEAN ROMMANCE) THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO OWN AND IF YOUR NAME IS DRAWN, THAT’S THE BOOK YOU WILL WIN.

Giveaway Opportunity:

US – paperback or ebook (check to make sure the book you choose has the edition you want, some seem to only be in ebook format.)

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) and also confirm that the book comes int he format you want

International – ebook if you have a US kindle account

You suggest an independently published Christian Fiction (or Clean Romance) already in print and leave the title and author in a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. If your name comes up, then that’s the book you will win. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 29 2026.

Can you believe we are already halfway through August? Fall will be here in just a few weeks and since the weather has mercifully cooled down (for now) I find myself hit by the strong urge to deep clean and organize. Anyone else get hit by the seasonal housekeeping bug? 🙂

Good news – since I just moved, everything is already organized to the nth degree and my wee little abode is easy to keep tidy so my cleaning frenzy lasted all of an hour. 🙂 But then I thought this is a good time for some blog housekeeping too, especially since we have some new followers. So, just a few reminders and possible changes:

If you haven’t left your email address in your comment it is up to you to contact me with your information. If you have left an email and you haven’t heard from me by mid-week after the winner announcements are posted, please do contact me. Sometimes my email goes to spam, or I’ve typed it wrong or I’ve completely forgotten to send the notifications. That happened a lot this summer because of the move, but I’m getting back on track now. Hopefully. You have one month from the date of the winner announcements to claim your win.

It’s truly as random as I can make it. I enter everyone’s name in a random wheel of names spinner wheel, then I shuffle the board before spinning to get the winner. It looks like this:

You can enter as many giveaways a week as you want. I make a separate wheel for each book. And yes, it’s possible to win a book two weeks in a row if that’s the way the wheel rolls.

Yes, offers change with every title. Editions can even vary depending on where you live. Details are noted in red under the ‘Giveaway Opportunity’ heading and divided by US, Canada and International. The same book might not be available in all editions depending on location. For instance I can only do audible giveaways for Canada. It’s all rather complicated but I’ve tried to simplify things as much as possible.

Not every review I feature will include a giveaway. Check for the addition of ‘+giveaway’ after the book title (which is also the blog title.) So, a giveaway day will look like this: Jane Eyre + Giveaway. You’ll also see the the Giveaway Opportunity section in blue (and red) with all the details.

Due to rising prices and gas surcharges there might be a reduction in print giveaways and international shipping might have to drop to surface mail. Things are constantly changing so I’m playing it by ear but I do know the post office has a fluctuating gas price added to their shipping fee. It all depends on weight and distance etc.

I’ll still be reviewing five books a week and will continue to host as many giveaways as I can.

And now for a bit of bookish whimsy

As you know I am quite enamoured with my new neighbourhood. Tons of walking options in a historical part of town and I do love old houses! Anyway, I happened to be trying out a new walking path while listening to “The Lost Story of Via Belle” by Melanie Dobson and I turned a corner and came upon this:

Eeeepppp!!! That’s the house from the book! Honestly, if you’ve read the book, doesn’t that look like Olivia’s house? Complete with turret room?! What a fantastic bookish wonder! To come across that house as I was listening to that particular book!

Well, that sparked my imagination and I started make book/house connections or making up story starters to fit some of the beautiful architecture I come across every day on my walks. And I thought I’d share some of them here, (yes, I know that’s weird, but, really, are you in any way surprised?)

A modern house that backs onto an inlet. So many possibilities but I’ll go with a romantic suspense. The heroine is house sitting for her boss. It’s a hot summer night and she’s lounging on the deck with all the lights off enjoying the hint of a breeze when suddenly, she spies a dark figure in the park on the other side of the water…dragging something….and then, splash, a body shaped object starts to sink under the water. She gasps and straightens up to get a better look which sets off the motion detector lights and attracts the attention of the dark figure standing at the edge of the water….Bwahahahaha!

Rom/Com / Mystery. The heroine inherits a fixer upper that might just be haunted.

Historical: tenement housing for Irish Immigrants. Forbidden love between our Catholic heroine and her Protestant hero.

Contemporary Romance: Enemies to More – They are both pitching ideas to the city to repurpose a historical landmark church. She wants to create a community arts centre. He wants to convert it into luxury loft apartments.

This gorgeous apartment building is on my walk to the grocery store. Reminds me of the ‘Magic in the Building’ multi-authored series and Eryn Scott’s ‘Murder at the Morrisey Mystery’ series

Okay, true confession time: do any of you make up stories about the houses that strike your fancy on your walks (or drives?) Or see a house that exactly matches a fictional one you’re read about? Or is that just me?

Trixie Belden was the first series I started collecting and I still have those books years (and years and years and…) later! We were a struggling immigrant family in Toronto but my dad somehow found a way to buy me a book every month. He carried around a list of all the different series I wanted to collect and dutifully crossed titles off as be bought them. Adult me now understands the sacrifices he made in order to purchase those books (he often went without lunch in order to save money) and I am so grateful for the way he encouraged reading throughout my childhood.

Fast forward decades and I’m still a voracious series reader. I love spotting connections between books, revisiting a favourite setting and getting to meet up with fave characters again. There’s a special kind of thrill that comes from following along with a series!

The reason series are on my mind this week is because Audible is having another mega sale (ends tonight at midnight, I think.) I mean, serious discounts, like 80% off! I spent hours going over my wishlist and clicking everything under $4 into my cart until it was so full that Audible wouldn’t let me add another book! That’s when I noticed my total was $170 and I realized I needed a purchasing strategy. 🙂 So I narrowed my shopping list down by concentrating on specific series, completing ones I’ve already started and buying the complete set of others. It was agonizing decision making and took the whole week. I also weeded out any books that I could get on hoopla. I finally made my modified purchase on Friday and my audible wishlist dropped from 23 pages to 14 pages! My TBR has grown rather drastically!

Anyway, so all this got me thinking about series and readerly quirks connected to series readings and whether there’s such a thing as series etiquette so I thought it would be a fun conversation starter.

Are you a ‘pick a series book at random’ reader or a ‘read the books in a series in order’ reader?

I used to be a random reader unless it was a continuous series but ever since I got into cozy mysteries I find I need to read the books in order. That’s especially true for continuity series as they can have plot and character development carry over from book to book. But if it’s a series where each book can be read as a standalone (like Love Inspired Suspense books for example) then I’ll mood read them in any order.

Do you wait until all the books in a series have released before beginning the series?

This idea had never occurred to me but I have run across some bookstagrammers and booktubers who actually do that. Even if an author only releases one book a year in a series. They will buy the books when they come out, but wait until the last book is published and then they’ll binge read the series. That’s just….mindboggling to me! I would never have the patience or the shelf-control 🙂 to wait that long, especially for a book by a favourite author!

Mind you, I’ve come across new-to-me series where all the books have already been published and I’ve found it quite fun to read the books back to back. I’m working my way through a fun cozy mystery series this way – The Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton – and I have to admit it’s fun not having to wait between books, especially where the slow burn romance is concerned!

How do you feel about multi-authored series?

I’ve enjoyed a few multi-authored series, usually in the contemporary rom/com genre. I like the continuity of setting and the overlapping characters and getting to see former heroes and heroines live out their happily every afters in the background of the next book.

One of the most ambitious multi-authored series I have read is the ‘Falling for Summer’ series published in 2024. Seven books set on the same island during the summer months so, in essence, each romance is happening at the exact same time and the authors were very clever about the way some key scenes overlapped. It’s hard to explain, but definitely would have been a great binge reading kind of series. I think the books released about every two weeks or so.

I picked up the rest of the ‘Only Magic in the Building’ books in the audible sale. I’ve read the first two out of eight and am excited to complete that series soon. Yay!

Do you have a preference for the type of series? Theme? Genre?

I have to admit, I love a good romantic suspense series. Especially where the common thread is family, siblings, say or an elite team of law enforcement that have a found family feeling. And I adore Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series, where the setting is very much a beloved character I get to visit in every book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US and Canada – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

Do you have a series you are trying to complete? Let us know the title and author of one of the books in a comment and your name will be entered in this week’s giveaway. If your name is drawn, that’s the book you will win.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 15 2026

Can you believe that we are half way through the year already? I can’t! Clearly I’ve spent too much time with my nose buried in a book (well, that and packing and moving) to notice the months slipping past.

So now (if you are a bibliophile, and I know you are!) is the appropriate time to start panicking over books not yet read and commiserating over books that didn’t quite hit the spot and angsting over what exactly has been our favourite read so far this year and a host of other questions we avid readers take to heart during the dog days of summer. 🙂 In other words:

It’s time for the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag!

This is a fun (and sometimes frustrating) activity of bookish reflection. Feel free to participate in the comments by answering one (or more) of the questions and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway:

The Questions:

1. Best book you’ve read so far.
2. Worst Least favourite book you’ve read so far.
3. Best sequel you’ve read so far.
4. Worst Least favourite sequel you’ve read so far.
5. New release you haven’t read yet but want to.
6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
7. Biggest disappointment.
8. Biggest surprise.
9. Favorite new author.
10. Newest fictional crush.
11. Newest favorite character.
12. Book that made you cry.
13. Book that made you happy.
14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).
15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

One of the Best Books you’ve Read This Year – I have emphasized ‘one of’ because I hate picking favourites, but this one really stuck with me and I read it back in February plus it’s definitely on my reread list so fits here perfectly:

Least Favourite book you’ve read so far this year: I really don’t like creating negative bookish content. I tend to DNF books that I don’t connect with early on and don’t write reviews for them since they are largely unread so….nothing to see here. 🙂

One of the Best Sequels you’ve read this year: Intrigue, hidden agendas and so many secrets! The third ‘Hidden Bay’ book reads well as a standalone but I loved the connections I found to the other two books. And, really, who can resist an Elizabeth Goddard romantic suspense?!

Least favourite sequel you’ve read so far: Okay, it’s not that I didn’t like this sequel to Stealing Magnolias but what threw me was How to Sparkle takes place at the same time as Stealing Magnolias, so it’s kind of like filling in the gaps from Zoe’s perspective. The parallel timeline really threw me quite a bit. And, of course, you know how everything is going to play out because you read it first in Stealing Magnolias.

New Release you haven’t read yet but want to: (such a romantic cover!)

Most anticipate release for the second half of the year: (one of many…that I know of, anyway!)

Biggest disappointment: A gritty Icelandic mystery writer who knows how to spin a gripping suspense BUT, this first in the series should actually be the third book since the ending is so final (talk about sucker punching a reader!) and then the second and third books are flashbacks in time but, honestly, who wants to read about a character when you already know how their story ends? Not me.

Biggest Surprise: Totally out of my comfort zone – cozy romantasy? I was lured in by the sentient spider plant, he’s the perfect sassy and snarky sidekick (bwahahaha) and a librarian with a collection of spell books which are in danger. The hero is a kind of rancher with merhorses. Imaginative world building, cozy and sweet romance (close door, no language) and just an all round fun escape read.

Favourite New Author: (one of many)

Newest Fictional Crush: Redemptive hero, Atlas Camden!!!!!

Newest Favourite Character : Chief Inspector Armand Gamache from the Surete due Quebec. He has morals and standards. Adores his wife and treats everyone, even his suspects with compassion and dignity. A legendary Canadian classic that I’m just starting – only 19 books to go!

A book that made you cry:

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought or Received This Year: Not sure if this is supposed to mean physically beautiful, as in cover art or beautiful content – I’m going with the latter. This is such a beautiful, uplifting story!

What books do you need to read before the end of the year? ALL OF THEM! But I’ll go with what’s left from my 26 in 26.

Phew! That was hard…but fun to look back at half a year’s worth of reading. Lucky I keep exacting records. 🙂

Now it’s your turn. Care to share your thoughts on one (or more) of these questions? I’d love to hear them. Let’s get the conversation started!