General blog update & Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a feature by Tynga's reviews to showcase books we have bought or received and generally update followers, share reading progress, etc.

So... I've been quite these past two weeks. Bad blogger-me >.< But! I've been thinking a lot, about what I want to do with this blog, how I want to handle things etc. Why?

BECAUSE I NOW HAVE OVER 200 FOLLOWERS!!! 200, YOU GUYS!! I never expected this, and I'm grateful for every single one of you. Every one who takes the time to read one of my reviews or other posts. I get excited about every single comment. And I am definitely going to host another GIVEAWAY to celebrate this, as well as my 3 month-blogoversary at the end of the month. I'm planning something special with either book bundles or several winners or both! I might even throw in some of what little swag I possess. I'm not quite sure how to do this yet (and how much I can afford) but I will definitely keep you guys posted!

I'm also fiddling around with my blog theme and design. I like the new one a lot better, but it's still not quite what I have in mind. Do you guys like it?

Also, I've been approved for my first advance copies on Netgalley!! Getting to read awesome books early is a new and amazing experience for me. So here's what's on my Negalley pile at the moment. Click the images to get to the goodreads page of the books.



Other than that, I resisted the urge to buy more books.

Here's what I recently finished and am planning to review:

Both books really blew my mind!
As concerns reviews, I'm also thinking about coming up with a second review format for me. One that is more concise and integrates the objective with some of my more personal thoughts without being spoilery. I'd use the two formats alongside one another depending on the book. I just feel that the way I want to write the reviews sometimes puts a strain on what I really want to say and how I want to say it with some books, and that annoys me. I think The White Forest will be the first book review with the new format, and it will go online in the next couple days.

Finally, my current reads:

I'm almost finished with Pushing The Limits (Negalley copy) and it's really as awesome as everyone is saying!!!! I think I'll finish tonight before I go to sleep. I'll be slower with the others because I really need to tackle those Negalley books I still have left before they 'disappear' on me.


Finally, the book I'd do pretty much ANYTHING to get an ARC of because I can't possibly wait until November to read it:

Seriously. This is one of those books that just call out to me. I know it's gonna be awesome. It's a 'me' book. I need need need it. There's not a day I don't think about it, and it's even my phone background >.< Yes, this sounds way obsessed. I've read the first 4 or so chapters in the free sample of Penguin's Breathless Reads and I'll be damned if I'm not craving it even more since then. Seriously. If anyone reading this is done with an ARC they're lucky enough to own and don't want anymore, I'd offer a Book Depository book of your choice that covers the postage if you'd be willing to send it to me. I'd offer to trade an ARC of my own, but I don't receive any at this point. And I don't quite know how to go about requesting a Black City ARC from the publisher and I'd probably be denied anyway >.< I'm just pining and kinda desperate ^^''
Ahem. You probably best ignore this paragraph.

EDIT:

Okay, so today started out really really shitty with my whole plans rescheduled and hours of valuable time wasted plus other bad news.
But. I had something pretty in the mail that I had ordered but wasn't expecting to arrive yet. That brightened my day quite a bit :)

I've been meaning to read Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel for quite a while but was waiting for the pretty paperback edition I now got. Even if the post office could have treated the book a bit more kindly...
Also, I'm a huge fan of Stephen Crane's poetry and I've read this book online at least twice. One poem after the other, the whole collection of them. But I needed them in print too. This is a reprint of the original book, but if I ever find an old copy in a used bookstore I'll have to buy that one.


Anyway, what books did you guys buy/receive recently? What are you reading? Have you heard of some of the books on my pile or have them on your own? Tell me in the comments, and leave me links to your own posts :)