Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Wrapping up 2017 and Goals for 2018

Hey everyone!Happy Saturday!

Now that the craziness of the holidays has died down, and life kind of goes back to being its boring self, I decided to take a moment and look over 2017 a little bit, because it was a pretty important year for me, both for my reader self and for my blogger self.

Friday, January 1, 2016

My 2016 Blogging and Reading Resolutions

Hey guys! I hope you partied hard last night and that you had an amazing time. And I hope that 2016 will be fantastic for you!

I saw a bunch of bloggers that I follow make posts about their 2016 resolutions (*waves at everyone*), so I thought I'd join in on the fun. Here are my blogging and reading resolutions for this year:


  • Make a dent in my TBR pile.
Now, I know what you're thinking. I say this all the time. But this time I'm serious. I've signed up for the Shelf Love Reading Challenge and I plan on finishing it. Last year I had my thesis to write, so my free time was dedicated to sleep. Now I have a bunch of time on my hands (when I'm not working, of course) that I want to dedicate to reading. Or a part of it, anyway.

  • Post regularly
This is another thing I need to correct this year. I need to plan my posts ahead and I need to blog regularly. Which is what I'm going to do.

  • Comment, comment, comment
Being an insecure introvert means that I rarely comment. Not because I have nothing to say, but because sometimes I fear my comment my be sorely misinterpreted. So I end up deleting a huge and thoughtful (in my opinion) response to a blog post because of that. I will change that this year and push that "Post" button more often. And if I offend anyone, it usually isn't my goal, so I'm sorry. (If it is my goal to offend, you'll know).

  • Be more active on social media
This includes Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (maybe), Goodreads and all the other fun sites a book blogger usually uses. I'm one of those people with an irregular online activity, but I really want to change that. Which I'll do this year.

  • Keep an open mind
Last year I discovered comic books. I am hooked on them, to be honest (which is probably why I managed to not only achieve my 2015 Goodreads goal, but to surpass it). So I'll keep an open mind to new genres, new authors, new everything. (That still doesn't mean I'll try audiobooks though, sorry!)

So this is it, folks. These are my 2016 resolutions for my book blogging self. What are yours?

Monday, October 26, 2015

I'm baaaack!




Hey guys! So I finally can get back to blogging. I graduated last week and it feels amazing!


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One of the perks of finally graduating is being able to read and binge watch TV shows. So that's what I've been doing for the past 6 days. Oh, and let's not forget sleep without dreaming of scary-as-hell scenarios in which I either don't graduate, forget to go to my final exam or even don't have my thesis ready to present. So that's good, right? Thought so too!

Now that I've graduated I can start blogging again. Which I've missed like crazy, to be honest. So be ready folks, because I've got stuff to talk about, books to review and covers to obsess over and I'll share it all with you :D

It is so good to be back!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Survey: Reading Habits

I have a confession to make: I love surveys. I do. I was doing my daily blog lurking and I stumbled upon this survey on Shae's blog and I thought it was so cool so I decided to do it here. So, here it goes.


1. Do you snack while reading? If so, favorite snack?

I don't snack. That's one of my main issues actually, because if the book is engaging enough, I tend to forget to eat... *oops*

2. What is your favorite drink while reading?

It depends on my mood. I usually like to drink more tea when I'm reading, but coffee or water are good too...

3. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the mere thought horrify you?

If the books are for college (and it's my book, the one I bought) then I will underline, mark, highlight and scribble the hell out of that book. If it's a fiction book then no way in hell.... I hate marks on my precious books.

4. How do you keep your place while reading a book?

I use bookmarks. Or a bus ticket if I don't have a bookmark handy.

5. Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Both...Well, actually I read a lot of fiction. Sometimes I read the occasional non-fiction, but those are usually either autobiographies or books about Ancient history.

6. Are you the type of person who needs to read to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I like to get to the end of a chapter when I close a book. But if that can't happen then I'm okay to stop anywhere. Usually I try to stop after a dialogue has ended though, otherwise I forget what the characters were talking about *blush*

7. Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or onto the floor if the author irritates you?

I have done that once or twice. I usually tend to just close the book and just pick another one.

8. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you look it up right away?

If I can't understand the meaning from the context then yes.

9. What are you currently reading?

I'm between books. I'm not sure if I should start Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead or Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz.

10. What is the last book you bought?

I bought Three Essays On The Theory Of Sexuality by Freud.

11. Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

No. I'll read whenever and wherever. I do however adore reading when it's raining. The rain sort of gets me in the mood to snuggle up on the couch and read.

12. Do you prefer series books or standalones?

Series definitely.

13. Is there a specific book you recommend over and over?

Anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon. No specific book. Actually if someone ends up listening to at least one of the suggestions that I make and they like it, I'll end up doing some serious book pimpage

14. How do you organize your books?

By language first. Then in this order: genre, author, series. And if they're standalones, by publishing house (because some publish standalones in the same height and that makes me insanely happy) and by collection.

What about you? What would you answer on this survey?

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Confession Of A Weird Reader #2: Why I Love Re-reads

I've been preparing for an exam these last few days (as shown by the lack of posts). I didn't have time for reading new books and, though it's extremely frustrating because it seems like all the new, shiny books are rushing to come out DURING those times, this gave me a great idea for today's confession post.

Whenever I'm studying for an exam, unless it's a book I've been dying to read that gets published during that time frame (like it happened with Lover Mine, when it was published a week before my finals), I generally stay away from new books. The reason is quite easy to understand, actually: I want to take my time reading it without feeling guilty about procrastinating. Plus, I generally don't have much free time on my hands and because I'm weird about my studying (I generally do my best studying at night) I'd rather sleep a few precious hours.


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And a second reason that is a little weird: if I end up loving the book, I'll have an incredibly hard time going back to nonfiction and boring, stuffy text books. Which is why I re-read.

Now on to the weird part of this confession, shall we?

Re-reading a book that I loved, to me, is liberating in a way. For one, I know for a fact that I'll love the book. There hasn't been a book that I loved the first time I read it that I didn't love at a second or third read. So when you think about it, I don't have to worry about not liking a book. Or felling bad that a book has disappointed me (especially if a book was written by one of my favorite authors).

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Secondly, while I still focus on the main characters, I can now pay attention to all the little details in the background, the subplots, the hints for future books (if it's in a series), the secondary characters. I can't begin to tell you the amount of stuff I missed when I first read Harry Potter or any other book for that matter. But because I already know what happens, I can sort of stand back and really focus on other details and I'll usually have an "AH-HA!" moment every two, three pages.

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There's a third reason for why I love re-reads. While I love discovering new books, new adventures and characters, new worlds and the authors that created them, re-reading a book is really like visiting an old, very dear friend. I know, it sounds strange, but I get this sense of peace that I've never felt while reading a book for the first time. Of course, some of the excitement of finally reading a book that I've been waiting for isn't there at a second read. And there isn't that sense of dread when something somewhat worrisome happens to a character. Unless I'm reading one of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books. Then I always cry like a baby. But I get this "Oh hey, I've been here before" feeling that is amazing for me. Don't get me wrong, this feeling can turn out to be very bad when it's with a book I'm reading for the very first time and I'm anticipating EVERYTHING (don't you just hate that? The fact that a book doesn't surprise you?)

Also, the nerd inside me is adult enough to admit that re-reading is like a time machine. I can't do it in real life, but I can damn well do it with my books.

So this is why I re-read and why I love it. One last thing. Re-reading helps me get out of a reading funk or if I'm having book hangovers. Gets me out of those blue moods every time :D

Oh, and in case you where wondering, I did pass my exam this week *bouncing*

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Confessions Of A Weird Reader #1: How To Make Sure I Won't Want To Read Your Book

WARNING: Spoilers for True Blood in case you haven't watched it. Also, this post will be long-ish.

Last week, while reading Charlotte's post about if "The Next..." really works or not, I realized something. I stay away from books that are randomly compared to other books. The last book I actually read (and yes, I did love it) that has something similar on the cover was Beautiful Creatures. In case you haven't seen the back cover of the edition with the movie poster on the cover, it says "Give this to fans of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight or HBO's True Blood series".

After reading this book, I must say I have no idea why they compared Beautiful Creatures to either of those two. Here's why:

  • Twilight: There's no sparkling, whining vampire, there's no "woe is me" heroine. So I've NO clue why it's compared to that book *confused* Granted, I only saw the movies, but my BFF Lucy read the books and she told me in details what was different from the movies and I've read enough reviews about the series to be pretty sure about the lack of similarities.
  • True Blood: Let's remember that this TV show is based on a book series. This is the first thing that baffles me, why compare a book to a TV show based on a different book, when you can actually compare the two books/series? But maybe my brain is wired differently. Let's stick to the original comparison, okay? There's no mind reader, no sexy viking vampire, no confusing creatures that get killed just 'cause it makes the book interesting (remember Claudine in Southern Vampires? Yeah, I wanted her in the show!) Oh, let's not forget how in TB everyone seems to be horny all the time (I'm not a prude, I'm just saying that the show has more sex than Sex And The City ever did)
So really, why compare this book, or any other book for that matter? Maybe it attracts readers, but the way I see it, a comparison like this can make a lot more damage than good. Think of your favorite books of all times. Now imagine a book you've never heard about that it's being compared to it. The first thing that actually comes to my mind when I see that is "Copycats!". I swear, I have an insane fear it will be so similar with the original book that it's being compared to. (Think Black Dagger Brotherhood - Midnight Breeds similar). So I will definitely won't want to read that book. Then there's the thing about expectations. If they're comparing the new book to a book I loved, I will have expectations so high, chances are I won't like the new book. If, however, the comparison is with a novel I didn't like, my expectations will be low and, as such, I won't be reading that book.

Because I have no clue how marketing is supposed to work, I must wonder who's bright idea was it to start this trend. And does it really help the fans having honest feelings about the new book? Is it the story they like, or the apparent similarities? Would they be looking just at those similarities and say "Yes, this book is good" or do they look at the whole package? I would be looking for those similarities, unfortunately. And I know I'd probably say things like "Harry wouldn't have done that" or "Frodo would have said something else" or "Sookie would've banged the other guy". Maybe that's just me? 

And another thing. The fact that you're comparing two books is like comparing lemons and oranges. After all, they're in the same extended family - literature (or is it prose?). But comparing movies/TV shows and books? That's similar to apples and carrots or saying an eagle and a snake are similar. They're not. Books are books, movies are movies. I have no idea why someone would compare the two. 

Now, this has nothing to do with the connections someone might do or write about in a review of the book. If the reviewer says it's similar to some other work of fiction, I just shrug and move along and either buy the book because I want to or I don't. Just because someone noticed some similarities doesn't mean I will. But when it's on the cover of that book, that's when I get weary. 

What about you? Do you care about these comparisons or do you just ignore them?

Friday, June 28, 2013

Ch-ch-ch-changeees!

Hello everyone! Oh, how I've missed blogging! I know, bad blogger *blush* I won't go into details, but let's just say my life's so hectic, I don't even have time to sleep like a normal person. Which is why I'm going to make a few changes around here.

One of the most important change is that I am no longer accepting review requests. From anyone. I thought about it long and hard and I realized a few things.

  • One, I don't have time. I hate writing a post or a review just for the sake of getting it up here. I want to give you the best post I can write and with the time limitations that I have now, I can't. And I'd hate to accept a review request and make a bad job at reviewing it. :-(
  • Two, because I don't have enough time on my hands, I don't have time to read as much as I did. In June last year I was at my 60 books mark, this year I barely reach 30. I miss reading for days and not care about the "wasted" time, but for now it's not possible. 
  • Three, I want to stop experimenting with the genres I read for a little while. I am not complaining, don't get me wrong, but I want to read in my favorite genres for now. I will go back to experimenting, because I love finding new books and reading about things I've never read before, but not for now.
This doesn't mean I'll stop blogging, it doesn't mean I won't be requesting books for review from the authors I love and stalk a little too often, it just means I don't accept review requests. 

Other changes aren't as important as this one. There might be a short period of time in which my posts will be fewer, because I don't want to do memes every day and write 1 review a week, I feel that's not me being a book blogger. I will schedule reviews and posts ahead of time (not like I did the last time I said that, I swear. You'll see!), it's just that for at least a month I won't have posts every single day of the week.

I hope you had an amazing summer so far. Mine has been mostly cold, rainy and stressful. I'm waiting for hot summer days when I can do nothing but sit in a comfy chair and read *fingers crossed* 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

News and stuff

Hey peeps! Sorry for being absent lately. I've been having a hellish month and apparently May isn't going to be any different *pouts* I have some projects to prepare and a lot of studying to do. It all caught me by surprise and I didn't have anything prepared for the blog, but now that I have a week off I will work my ass off to schedule posts and read. That way you won't feel like I'm absent and I won't feel bad for every day I don't post.

One more thing. I'm not accepting review requests! Please read the "Review Policy" page BEFORE you email me with a request. I don't want to sound bitchy or annoy anyone, but please read that page. Yes, it is important.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it. I will try to be active on Twitter though, so you know I'm still alive LOL.

Happy Reading!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Since learning that Google Reads will be no more, I've decided to find other ways for you, my readers to follow my blog. Besides email and GFC (which I heard a rumor will be no more?? *sobs**whines*) Anyway, I found Bloglovin through the other book bloggers I'm following. So, if you want to use Bloglovin to follow my blog, just click on the link below:

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Reading Blogs & Eating Popcorn #2

Reading Blogs & Eating Popcorn is a weekly feature here at Ruby's Books, in which I share some of the posts written by other fellow book bloggers over the last week, posts that I loved so much I have to share. 



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The first post comes from JoV from JoV's Book Pyramid. If you haven't heard yet, Google Readers will become history after July 1st. I was sad and disappointed and a little panicked to be honest. If you're wondering "what now?" JoV shares a few alternatives to Google Reader. 


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The next post is from Debbie from Snuggly Oranges. It's about social awkwardness and it actually hits right in the center of my being. Here's the thing. I'm not antisocial. I love talking and socializing and meeting new people and everything socializing implies. But when I have to choose between going out on a Friday night with friends and stay at home and read, the second option wins almost every time. I said once that I'm not a picky reader. I'm not and I think if you check the books I've reviewed, you can see that. When it comes to music though, the subject changes. If I go out, the music has to be perfect. I have to like the music in order to feel good. If I don't like the music, the night is pretty much destroyed for me. I'm weird that way, yes *blush*


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Michelle from Pink Polka Dot Book Blog (along with other bloggers) talks about DNFs and how books end up in that pile. It's always difficult to DNF a book, at least it is for me. It's also very difficult to specifically define what it takes for me to say "Ok, I can't read this book, I give up". Sometimes it's bad grammar that even I can spot, sometimes it's the fact that things are so weird, I'm cross-eyed trying to figure it out and understand it. I don't care about historical accuracy. If I want that, I'll go read a text book. It has nothing to do with accuracy, but sometimes the plot, subplots, mini-plots and everything in between are just so tangled, nothing makes sense. Or I have those "Oh, come on!" moments, when even I wouldn't buy half of the things that happen. Again, nothing to do with historical accuracy. And it happens in SciFi/fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, any genre. So the fact that it's all real or in another universe has nothing to do with that. Other times it's just a... sort of emptiness. I can't connect with the characters or the story. They're just not for me and that's that :P


Friday, March 8, 2013

Reading Blogs & Eating Popcorn #1

While I've been missing from my blog the past few weeks, I have been stalking reading other blogs. So I thought I would share with you some of the blog posts I've read and adored. Before you ask, eating popcorn has nothing to do with me reading blogs. It's actually what I'm doing right at this very moment and it's the only cool title I have for this post.

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Kat from Cuddlebuggery talks about why stats don't matter. I loved this post and it made me remember something. When I started book blogging I was, to be completely honest, one of those people who obsessed over stats. Then I realized how much stressful it was and how it was completely ruining the blogging experience. And like Kat says, I've had that moment where I scratch my head and shake it because there's always a blog post or a book review that gets so many page views it completely baffles me, and then there's the one I'm hoping will get many views, thst doesn't. So, the way I see it, blog and enjoy ;)
  
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Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner talks about how feelings, experiences and values influence how we read. I think she's right, I do think that there's something that makes each reader experience a book in a very different way and I do believe reading is personal.


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Sarah from Workaday Reads talks about how difficult it is sometimes to write reviews for series. It is difficult, especially with series that have one (or two or three) major characters. 



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What about you? Do you have blog posts that you read, loved and you want to share?

Saturday, February 16, 2013

No, I didn't forget about my blog!

Hey everyone *waves*

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with yous SO/DH/BF/Book Boyfriend (especially Adrian Ivashkov. I didn't get to read The Indigo Spell yet,  but I did get to ogle...I mean *coughs* look lovingly at the cover *g*)

I know I've been absent lately. The first two months of this year have been way too hectic for me (don't remember a year like that before). Anyway. I'll be missing next week too, but two weeks from now I'm back in the game with reviews and soundtracks and stuff like that.

Have a good weekend and see you in two weeks. Be good and happy reading until then!!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Know Me Better #1

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Know Me Better is a Weekly Meme hosted by I'm A Reader, Not A Writer. Each week she'll pick 5 questions off of her author's interview list to answer and invites us to join in on the fun, giving a way for our readers to get to know us better.

I invite you to share your answers to these questions as well. You can share them as a comment on this post or share them on your own blog and link up to this post.



  1. Where is your favorite spot to read? 
  2. If I have to pick a spot I'd say in my bed. I like to be comfortable when I read, and my soft bed and fluffy blanket and my numerous pillows get me in the mood to read, so to speak.
  3. Are you a fast or slow reader? (you can test your reading speed here
  4. Well, it depends on what I'm reading. Sometimes, a book makes me want to read each and every word and take my time with it. Other books don't make me want to do that and I sort of skip a few rows or so. But if it's non-fiction (mostly text books) then I'm as slow as a snail.
  5. Fanfition - Love it or Hate it? Have your ever read/written it? 
  6. I have read it. Never wrote it. I much rather read original stories than fanfics, though I have to admit that some of them are quite good.
  7. Summer or Winter? 
  8. This one's tricky. I love summer, but the excessive heat drives me crazy and I get sick sometimes (think a powerful hangover, that's what too much heat will make me feel like). I'd choose something in between.
  9. Truth or Dare?
  10. I always choose truth. What can I say, I'm a wuss *blushes*


Your turn now! Share your answers either in the comments or the link to your post.



Thursday, December 20, 2012

15 Opening Lines - My Favorite Books

A few days ago I saw a list with 21 classic opening lines in books and out of all the books mentioned I've only read 2: Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter. I wonder, why doesn't someone make a list like that with books I actually love? Not that the two I've read from that list aren't good and among my favorite, but there should be more. Anyway, I decided to make my own list, though a tad shorter (just 15 books). I've included both YA and adult books and I'll have a +18 for books with explicit language. Feel free to add more if you want:

  1. "This story is about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun" -  The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
  2. "Amy Jo Foster had loved Cord McKay her entire life" - Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James (+18)
  3. "Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf's cloak" - The Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkien
  4. "Zarek leaned back in his seat as the helicopter took off" - Dance With The Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon (+18)
  5. "I am the vampire Lestat" - The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (+18)
  6. "What fresh humiliation does this day bring?" - Lothaire by Kresley Cole (+18)
  7. "He hated the forest" - Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (+18)
  8. "Still in bed, Lucas eyed the screen on his furiously blinking pager" - Seven Days for an Eternity by Marc Levy
  9. ''It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'' - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  10. "The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane" - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling
  11. "I found the note taped to my door when I got home from work." - Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (+18)
  12. "I never thought I would beg for death." - Arise by Amber Garr
  13. "Goddamn it, Zsadist! Don't jump—"- Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward (+18)
  14. "From the river, it looked as if two suns were setting over London " - Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
  15. "Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife." - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum


Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sunday Book Soundtrack #2

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Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 



This week's book soundtrack is for Sweet Evil. Before you ask, no, I didn't plan to do two soundtracks for YA books in a row, but, to be fair, with all the Bloggiesta weekend I completely forgot to dig out my other lists *blushes**is sorry* I promise I'll have an adult book for next week's soundtrack :D

Back to my soundtrack though. If you want to read my review for Sweet Evil, click here.



  1. Roxette - Dressed for Success - Does it have a direct connection to Anna and Kai? No. But, to be honest, Roxette is my favorite band since my childhood. And for some reason, this song reminds me of Anna in a way.
  2. Matchbox 20 - If You're Gone - This just seemed the perfect song for the very last scene. I'm sure this song would be the same if that scene was told from Kai's perspective. 
  3. Kenny Chesney ft. Grace Potter - You & Tequila - If I say why I think this song is perfect for Kai and Anna, it would be a spoiler. Just know that I do believe it's perfect :D
  4. Nickelback - Fight for all the wrong reasons - Oh well. I can't say this one either, sorry :D
  5. Coldplay - Spies - This has nothing to do with the lyrics, but the sound of the song if that makes sense. Anyway, it did to me LOL 
  6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama - This one is spoiler-ish too. Oops
So, this is this week's soundtrack. I hope you liked it ;) Have fun for what's left of this weekend :D

Friday, September 28, 2012

Bloggiesta: What it is & My To Do list

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You know, I've heard a lot about Bloggiesta since I started book blogging. I think it's a great idea and a good opportunity to learn a few new things about blogging. If you aren't sure about it, here's what you can do:


  • spiff up your blog
  • try something new on your blog, fix something, add something or delete something
  • catch up on reviews, Google Reader, email, or anything else that's out of control
  • work and party together with other bloggers
  • learn new things from blogging experts
  • join several mini challenges and win prizes
  • have fun for three days blogging and connecting with your blogging friends!
Also, throughout this weekend there will be many discussions and mini-challenges on various topics:

  • Scheduling Posts and Organization
  • Increasing Blog Traffic
  • Using a Variety of Applications in Conjunction with your Blogging. (ie. Evernote, Microsoft Access, etc.)
  • WordPress vs. Blogger
  • Discussion Posts…How-to
  • And many many more!
Cool right? So I decided this year I'll join my very first Bloggiesta round.

This round of Bloggiesta runs from September 28th – 30th and is hosted by It’s All About Books & There’s a Book.


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Here's my to do list for these 3 days:

  • Catch up on writing reviews
  • Update the Reviews by Author page completed. *pats self* I should add some linky features to make navigating that page easier. Will do it tomorrow though. Promise!
  • Update my Review Challenges pages
  • Publish reviews on Goodreads, Shelfari, Barn & Noble and the likes - Done with Shelfari and Goodreads. Barnes & Noble and other book-related websites have to wait though *blush*
  • Finish the summer and spring banners for my blog 
  • Finish designing the book badges 
  • Back up blogCompleted Well, this was the easiest one, to be honest
  • Update my Facebook page - Completed  This I did on Friday :D
  • Design and upload the Social Media icons
  • Update the Copyright notice
  • Format all the upcoming posts for blog tours
  • Work on some banners for my features
On a side note, I also have to catch up on reading. Reading aside though, looks like this is going to be a full weekend. 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

News, Feedburner and other stuff

Hey everyone!

You might have heard that Google decided to shut down FeedBurner. So that means no more email subscription from them. No worries though. Karina from Nocturnal Book Reviews found Blogtrottr as an alternative. And it's so cool! You can even sign up and manage all your subscriptions and everything. And it's easy to use. So, if you want to re-subscribe by email, you can do so using the Email Subscription form on my  sidebar on the left. It should lead you to the Blogtrottr website and you put your email and how you want to subscribe (Daily Email, real-time email and other options). If it doesn't work, please let me know (my email address is rubys_books@yahoo.com - no spam, please!) Also, if you want to know more about what may happen with FeedBurner, read this post made Parajunkee.

That's one thing. Another news is that I finally finished the autumn header *points up*. I know it's a little naked, by I have a back-ache from hell and I really don't have any patience left to tweak it a little bit more. The doll was made using one of Ola's (Doll Divine) exclusive doll makers. One of the book graphics were made using a free tutorial from The Paint Shop Pro Users Group and the leaf brush and the pumpkins I made using a tutorial made by Louise G. And the shinny stars and the other book graphics were made with tutorials too, but I can't find any link right now. Will search in my history and put up a link as soon as I find it. Before you ask, yes, I use Paint Shop Pro. And no, I won't change to Photoshop. Tried that and it confused me for some reason.

I'm also half-done with my book badges graphics. I do hope I finish soon, though I can't promise when I'll start using them.

Yeah, so that's it for news and stuff. Now back to reading :D

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sunday Book Sountrack #1

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Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 



This week's book soundtrack is for my newest literary obsession, Vampire Academy. What can I say, I love this series very, very much. If you want to read my review for Vampire Academy, go here.



  1. Godsmack - Vampires  - Cliché ? Yes, yes it is and I'm not ashamed. I love that song and it seems perfect for almost every vampire book :D
  2. Evanescence - Bring Me To Life - For me, this is the song for Lissa and Christian. Even the lyrics fit with how I see Lissa before she met Christian and how he helps her. Cheesy, maybe, but it still sounds perfect to me :D
  3. Hugo - 99 problems - Love the song. But don't ask what it has to do with Vampire Academy. At the time it seemed like a bad-ass song meant for a bad-ass Rose  
  4. Runaways - I Love Playing With Fire - If you've read the book, you might know which scene I think this is perfect for. If not, think about a certain necklace ;)
  5. The Pierces - Two Can Keep a Secret 
  6. Prince - When Doves Cry - If you've read the book, you know about the scene with this particular song. Can't say I'm a huge Prince fan, but now I can't hear that song without thinking about the scene. 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Fall Into Reading 2012



I remembered, I remembered! I'm actually proud of myself, since I had a very weird week and my internet connection wasn't working very well. Anyway, I really do want to be a good reader and manage to read all the books in my list. I know I said no more lists, but I was looking at my TBR pile last week and I thought that poor pile (ha! mountain is more like it) needs a little change. Fall Into Reading is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. Before I share my list, here are the guidelines:

To participate, here’s what you need to do:
  • Create a list of books you’d like to read or finish this fall. This is the only real requirement for participating in the challenge.
  • Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). However, this is not required; setting additional goals is completely optional.
  • Write a blog post that includes the list of books you want to read (and any additional goals you’ve set), and get ready to post it on your blog on September 22nd.
  • Visit Callapidder Days on September 22nd to sign up for the challenge. I’ll have an official launch post up that morning, complete with an area for you to submit a link to your personal Fall Into Reading post, where it will be added to the master list of participants.
  • Read! Work on your goals throughout Fall 2012.
  • Report your results. Write another blog post in December to let everyone know how you did. (I’ll post an official wrap-up to the challenge on December 22nd, where you’ll be able to share your results.)
  • Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your fall reading!


So, here are a few of the books that I hope I'll read during this challenge:

  1. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
  2. Hell On Wheels by Julie Ann Walker
  3. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
  4. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
  5. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  6. The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair
  7. The Clan of The Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
  8. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
  9. Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon
  10. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
That's my list. Now, before you think I'm going soft, I have to tell you that I do plan to read more. But I'm trying to keep my goals simple.

If you want to participate, click on the button at the start of this post and read the guidelines. 

Monday, September 3, 2012

August in Retrospect

Hey everyone! I know I've been a "little" absent with my posts this month. August was a pretty difficult month, what with the heat wave and all that. Plus I had some relatives visiting, so I couldn't spend as much time on my blog as I wanted. But I did manage to read a lot, which was awesome. I finally read the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I won the first book and then after I finished reading it I knew I couldn't wait for the paperbacks to get delivered and so I bought them all in e-books and read the entire series in 3 days. I'm glad I finally read it. I loooooved Rose and I loved Dimitri (how can someone in their right mind not love him though?). And now I'm waiting for the third Bloodlines book to come out in February 2013. It's actually cruel that readers get to read books so fast, but have to wait so damn long for a new book in a series to be released, you know?

Anyway, here are the books I read in August:

  1. Broken - Kelley Armstrong
  2. No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong
  3. His Heart For The Trusting - Lisa Mondello
  4. The More I See - Lisa Mondello
  5. Breaking The Rules - Cat Lavoie
  6. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
  7. Frostbite - Richelle Mead
  8. Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead
  9. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead
  10. Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead
  11. Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead
  12. Bloodlines - Richelle Mead
  13. The Golden Lilly - Richelle Mead
  14. Differential Equations - Julian Iragorri & Lou Aronica
  15. Betrayal - Amber Garr
  16. Arise - Amber Garr
  17. Soul Weaver - Hailey Edwards
Talk about a reading spree, huh? Anyway, I think I'm not wrong if I say this was the most productive month so far. I'm curious to see if I can beat that, but somehow I doubt it. 

I was missing this month, but I managed to write some reviews:
  1. Her Heart For The Asking - Lisa Mondello 
  2. His Heart For The Trusting - Lisa Mondello
  3. The More I See - Lisa Mondello
  4. Breaking the Rules - Cat Lavoie
  5. Betrayal - Amber Garr
  6. Soul Weaver - Hailey Edwards
  7. Differential Equations - Julian Iragorri & Lou Aronica
  8. Broken - Kelley Armstrong
I also managed to get a little closer to meeting my reading goals this month, more so than last year:

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge 14/20
New Author Challenge 2012 32/25 - FINISHED - the books I read over 25 don't count towards any goal, because I don't want to make it my goal to read more than 25 new authors this year. I might do it next year, but so far I'm happy I managed to finish one goal and I'll leave it at that. If I manage to read more new authors, then that's fine. If not, it's no big deal :P
100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012 62/100

I'm pretty proud of myself, let me tell you! Maybe there should be more heat waves in the future, so I can read more? *shakes head* That would be a bad idea though, as this year was awful, let me tell you! The A/C didn't manage to make even a little cold in the house, it was that hot. Some days, it was like it wasn't even on.

Anyway, so this was my month. How did you do last month with your reading?
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