{"id":1036,"date":"2015-09-10T21:08:08","date_gmt":"2015-09-11T01:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/?p=1036"},"modified":"2015-09-10T21:08:08","modified_gmt":"2015-09-11T01:08:08","slug":"thursday-bookish-updates-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/?p=1036","title":{"rendered":"Thursday Bookish Updates #7"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><center><a href=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ThursdayBookishUpdatesBow.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-812\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ThursdayBookishUpdatesBow.png\" alt=\"ThursdayBookishUpdatesBow\" width=\"643\" height=\"56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ThursdayBookishUpdatesBow.png 643w, https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ThursdayBookishUpdatesBow-640x56.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/a><\/center>Thursday Bookish Updates is a weekly post here at Silk&amp;Serif devoted to anything book related. The main goal of this posting is to keep readers up to date on what&#8217;s going on in the community and get a taste of future posts. I will provide information on some community events I am participating in and blurbs on newly acquired titles to be reviewed at a later date. <em>I might even slip in a few surprises here and there. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>I was inspired by a post I read by Kelsye at Wise Ink Blog <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wiseinkblog.com\/social-media-2\/the-ultimate-bloggers-guide-to-growing-your-readership\/\">Ultimate Bloggers Guide to Growing Your Readership<\/a>. Her list of ways to increase traffic got me thinking about how little I actually do to set schedules and really update readers on what to expect from my little slice of the inter-webs. In <i>theory<\/i>, this feature should help keep me on track and active. My long term goal is to turn this post into a weekly newsletter of sorts outlining <em>where we are<\/em> and <em>where we are going. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><center><a href=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Inthecommunitybow.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-814\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Inthecommunitybow.png\" alt=\"Inthecommunitybow\" width=\"446\" height=\"58\" \/><\/a><\/center>I&#8217;m sorry for the lack of posting last week for the Thursday Bookish Updates, Ive been focusing on my job search efforts and its been rather difficult to bolster any enthusiasm concerning any of my usual hobbies. Some days the mood meter gets rather low and it stays there until you get a pep talk. Hoorah!<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, what has been going on and what have I been up to?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bookaddictsguide.com\/2015\/07\/15\/the-lunar-chronicles-reread-along-intro-sign-ups\/\">The Lunar Chronicles Read Along<\/a> is starting book two of the series, Scarlet, this month and I&#8217;ve been hastily crafting together a reading plan where Scarlet fits into my month.<em> I might just trash the plan to read it straight away, though.<\/em> Cinder was fantastic and you should definitely read my <a href=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/?p=1017\">review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I received my second <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bookaddictsguide.com\/2015\/07\/11\/on-the-same-page-secret-sister-project-round-3-sign-ups\/\">On The Same Page Secret Sister<\/a> gift! <em>It was faaaabulous<\/em><strong>.<\/strong> My sister clearly has been doing her homework because it had The Elite, pumpkin flavoured cookies and 1894 by George Orwell. I have been wanting to read 1984 since before high school and am pretty much developing a obsessive need to finish Kiera Cass&#8217; The Selection series &#8211; the best book choices ever! Not only that but the box came with pumpkin cookies! <em>Pumpkin is the -best- flavour of anything, ever.<\/em> I tried to make the cookies last for a few days because they were that delicious! Sadly, they are all gone now. I must know where they came from! <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1044\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SecretSisterCollage.png\" alt=\"SecretSisterCollage\" width=\"700\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SecretSisterCollage.png 700w, https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SecretSisterCollage-640x312.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>She also sent a card that I -had- to respond to immediately. I can&#8217;t wait to see what her next card says. <strong>If you&#8217;re reading this, secret sister, I am still figuring out who you are!<\/strong> Perhaps some day I can thank you in person!<\/p>\n<p>I also received a new post card featured in the first picture from Rift at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/group\/show\/9526-the-post-card-exchange\"> The Postcard Exchange Group<\/a> on Goodreads. It&#8217;s a pretty bird! I love sending and receiving snail mail and post cards!<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve also signed up to the <a href=\"http:\/\/gobooksparks.com\/frc2015\/\">BookSparks&#8217; Fall Reading Challenge 2015<\/a> which is a really creative Back-To-School idea. I can&#8217;t return to school this semester so I thought, &#8220;let&#8217;s do book school!&#8221;. I essentially review a novel once a month as an &#8220;assignment&#8221; to collect &#8220;credits&#8221; from Spark University.<em> I really think smaller bloggers should check it out because it seems like it will be lots of fun, but also gets you out of your comfort zone posting wise.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><a href=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/InmailboxBluebpow1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-813\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/InmailboxBluebpow1.png\" alt=\"InmailboxBluebpow\" width=\"374\" height=\"46\" \/><\/a><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/26164334-nirvana\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1034\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/26164334.jpg\" alt=\"Nirvana - JR Stewart\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>by J.R. Stewart<\/strong>: <em>Blue Moon Publishers .<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I read the summary and thought this novel would a fun and easy dystopian romance. The whole idea of love prevailing in a time of trial is really compelling for me..actually, the gorgeous cover didn&#8217;t hurt either! Expected publication date November 10th, 2015!<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?<\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Larissa Kenders lives in a world where the real and the virtual intermingle daily. After the supposed death of her soulmate, Andrew, Larissa is able to find solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world where anything is possible \u2013 even visits with Andrew. Although Larissa is told that these meetings are not real, she cannot shake her suspicion that Andrew is indeed alive. When she begins an investigation of Hexagon, the very institution that she has been taught to trust, Larissa uncovers much more than she ever expected and places herself in serious danger. Her biggest challenge, however, remains determining what is real \u2013 and what is virtual.<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/25638227-the-morning-after-memoirs\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1038\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/25638227.jpg\" alt=\"The Morning After - Kate Michaels\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>by Kate Michaels<\/strong>: <em>Ago Publishers .<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A definite chick flick with a London charm, The Morning After Memoirs is something a little bit different from my usual reading materials. I&#8217;ve been branching out to new genres and authors that intersect my base blog genres lately, so when I received a review request for Michaels new novel I took a chance. I also feel like I could probably relate to Jess in this point in my life, and it would be great to get a humourous take of the situation! Laughter, after all, is life&#8217;s medicine!<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twenty-nine-year-old Jess wakes up on New Year\u2019s Day a touch hungover and a whole lot confused. The man in bed next to her is not her boyfriend, Ben. In fact, she doesn\u2019t even remember Not-Ben\u2019s name. It won\u2019t be the first time she finds herself in a questionable situation in a year that proves her new single-in-the-city lifestyle is far from the glamorous, Sex And The City world she\u2019s been promised on TV. Between hacking through last year\u2019s leg hair, accidentally snogging someone who may well be her cousin, getting hit over the head with a sex toy that isn\u2019t even hers, and ending the night with a walk of shame into her parent\u2019s garage, Jess\u2019s single life is turning out more cockroaches than cocktails.<\/h5>\n<p>The Morning After Memoirs is the story of one woman\u2019s search for love, meaning, and a low-calorie alternative to wine.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/25693079-crooked-little-lies\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1039\" src=\"http:\/\/silk-serif.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/25693079.jpg\" alt=\"25693079\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>by Barbara Taylor Sissel<\/strong>: <em>Lake Union Publishing\/Spark U .<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I received a copy of this beautiful story as part of my participation with the <a href=\"http:\/\/gobooksparks.com\/frc2015\/\">Fall 2015 BookSpark University<\/a> event. I cannot wait to delve into the life of Lauren and the interesting mystery of Bo&#8217;s disappearance. Crooked Little Lies is so very different from my usual reading habits, so I am hoping is refreshing scenery will invigorate me and develop a love for a new author!<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\">On a cool October morning, Lauren Wilder is shaken when she comes close to striking Bo Laughlin with her car as he\u2019s walking along the road\u2019s edge. A young man well known in their small town of Hardys Walk, Texas, Bo seems fine, even if Lauren\u2019s intuition says otherwise. Since the accident two years ago that left her brain in a fragile state, she can\u2019t trust her own instincts\u2014and neither can her family. Then Bo vanishes, and as the search for him ensues, the police question whether she\u2019s responsible. Lauren is terrified, not of what she remembers but of what she doesn\u2019t.<\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unable to trust herself and unwilling to trust anyone else, Lauren begins her own investigation into the mystery of Bo\u2019s disappearance. But the truth can prove to be as shocking as any lie, and as Lauren exposes each one, from her family, from her friends, she isn\u2019t the only one who will face heart-stopping repercussions.<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Got some ideas on how to improve this feature or something that may interest us? Feel free to throw out suggestions, ideas or your own event!<\/h2>\n<table class=\"rating-report\">\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"2\">Rating Report<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Plot<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\">\n<div class=\"rr-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Characters<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\">\n<div class=\"rr-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Writing<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\">\n<div class=\"rr-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Pacing<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\">\n<div class=\"rr-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Cover<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\">\n<div class=\"rr-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"ubb-rr-overall\">\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-title\">Overall:<\/td>\n<td class=\"ubb-rr-section-rating\"><span class=\"star_rating\"><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-regular fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday Bookish Updates is a weekly post here at Silk&amp;Serif devoted to anything book related. The main goal of this posting is to keep readers up to date on what&#8217;s going on in the community and get a taste of future posts. I will provide information on some community events I am participating in and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-thursday-bookish-updates","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1036"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1051,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036\/revisions\/1051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silk-serif.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}