Sunday Salon: Ramblings

I am not sure if you have noticed or not but it has been kind of quiet around here recently. While I have still been reading up a storm, the idea of sitting down to collect my thoughts and write about a book hasn't been that appealing. Yep....I'm in a reviewing slump. The only thing that gets me to sit down and actually write something is where I have committed to post a review on a particular date, usually for a blog tour. I have even dropped off Weekend Cooking for the last few weeks because I was so uninspired. Of course, it doesn't help that even the baking I have been doing hasn't exactly turned out well either! I did have a book to write about yesterday for Weekend Cooking, but then I saw something shiny and got distracted so it didn't happen. I have posts scheduled for the next two weeks now so it could well be that I don't ever actually write about that book! We'll see!

Of course, getting obsessed with something new isn't going to help motivate me to write reviews! Today, after hearing about them for a long time, I started watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. My intention was just to watch a few episodes. Do you think that 40 can still be quantified as a few or have I crossed the line into many, many episodes now? I can't wait to watch more! So much fun! I have no idea why I didn't start watching them earlier!

I am also way behind on blog hopping but I did notice a few posts the other day announcing that it was time for Once Upon a Time again, being hosted by Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings for the seventh time.

This year I am going to undertake the Journey level of participation.

This is really as simple as the name implies. It means you are participating, but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 21st period. Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic! If not, then we have still had the pleasure of your company during this three month reading journey and hopefully you have read a great book, met some interesting people, and enjoyed the various activities that occur during the challenge. It has always been of utmost importance to me that the challenges that I host be all about experiencing enjoyable literature and sharing it with others. I want you to participate. Hence, The Journey.

In a way it kinds of feels as though I am cheating just a little bit on this one because the book that I finished the day that the challenge started is one that met the criteria, and I did have that in mind at the time I was reading it so technically, I could have finished the challenge already. Of course, see my opening paragraph to find out the likelihood of a review being written is.

Other books that I might reading for the challenge that are sitting on my shelves include:

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller
Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik

I am sure that there are others on my shelves that might make the grade too!

In other news I am still going strong on the #estellagram front and so far haven't missed a prompt for the month of March! Normally I drop off after a few days from these photo a day challenges so I am quite happy with that achievement. Some time this week I will probably do a post with the photos that I haven't yet shown here. I do have to laugh at myself though because for yesterday's prompt I did something a teensy bit embarrassing. I am not sure if anyone has noticed because no one has said anything, but I am going to out myself anyway.

Yesterday's prompt was e-reader, so I put my e-reader on top of a book and took a photo of the both of them saying something along the lines of I am happy to read either paper books or using my e-reader, and didn't think much more about it! After I had received a few likes, I had another look at the picture and I realised that the page I was showing on the e-reader was of....ummm...sexy times in the steamy romance I was reading and not the Tudor set historical mystery that I had thought it was! Whoops! But it is there now so I am not going to take it down! Note to self....make sure you take a look at what you are taking photos of.

So that's it for my rambly Sunday Salon post this week! There will be at least a couple of reviews this week because they are scheduled. We'll see what else happens shall we!

Currently Reading

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau and listening to Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

Up Next

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

Sunday Salon: Bookish Photo a Day Challenge #estellagram

Since joining Instagram a few months ago, I have tried to join in on the Photo A Day style challenges that happen each month. Some months I am a better than others but the most common outcome is that I run out of steam before the end of the month. For example, in February I was doing the #fmsphotoaday challenge and had photos up for the first three weeks but I just didn't do any of the final week's prompts. In March, I put up photos for a couple of days but no more.

Despite the fact that I don't often finish the challenges I was very excited to see a couple of bookish challenges appear for the month of March. While I might try the one being run by Book Soulmates next month, for March I am going to attempt to complete The Estella Society Bookish Photo a Day challenge.

Today I am going to share my photos for March 1 to 10

Day 1 - bookshelves - getting towards needing to cull and reorganise both of these! #estellagram #bookishphotoaday#books

Day 2 - tbr - just the library books#estellagram #bookishphotoaday#books #catchingup

Day 3 - unread - even though bookclub is tomorrow night - eeek #estellagram#bookishphotoaday #books

Day 4 - fiction - my current read#estellagram #books

Day 5 - non fiction - one of the few non fiction books i have out from the library#estellagram #books

A sentiment you will never hear me express #whoadorescleaning #notme. Just realised that this could be my day 6 photo for #estellagram because this is a mystery to me!

Day 7 - it will be a #crime if i return this to the library unread... Again#estellagram

Audiobooks are awesome for when you are travelling even if it is just to work and back #estellagram #books#audiobooks

#day 9 I had every intention of baking today but it's too hot so my reading snack today is ice cream with milo#estellagram #longhotsummer

10. Reading space - i have recently been reminded that i need to get back to reading this series (which is set in space. #estellagram #books

Are you playing along with the challenge?

I do have a question for those of you that use Instagram and put the photos up on your blogs. What is the easiest way to do this? In the past I have shared to Facebook but you have to do that when you create the photo otherwise it doesn't work. I don't necessarily won't to put all those photos up on my FB page either so today I have uploaded from my phone to my computer and then to the blog which is a bit slow and laborious.

Currently Reading

Hope's Road by Margareta Osborn and listening to Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

Up Next

The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Ann Long