After falling further behind, rather than catching up, I was briefly tempted to just chuck it all.

The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @Caffeinated Book Reviewer, is a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Caution: Her site has sidebar ads that sometimes contain cover images which may be offensive to some.

Last week I wrote about how I read too much and got behind on writing and other blogging tasks (as well as real life stuff as well). This week I spent 3 days fighting an on & off migraine. I couldn't help thinking that if I didn't have the blog, I would have a lot less stuff on my to do list.

But that same day, I saw an announcement for SciFi Month (coming up in November). I looked at my calendar and spent the next hour brainstorming how I could rearrange things to better participate. I was reminded of how much I enjoy sharing the books I love. Add to that that I won the $5 Amazon Gift Card from the SFF Friday link up again this week (I won it back on the very first week I participated) and I was encouraged not to give up.

However, I am most definitely behind on the Twitter research for my Creating Community efforts. So if you have any Twitter tips, please visit the link and share. As specific question, is it possible to add 2 links to the same Tweet? (If so, how?)

Last Week on GMB

• SUN: I Read Too Much | Sunday Summary #15
• TUE: Before, the Borrowed, Blade | New Audiobook Releases
• WED: 6 Down 0 to Go: The Wrath of the Great Guilds | Review - ★★★★½ YA SF
• THU: But I Wanted You to Have a Normal Life | My Musings - (Rant/Rave: Dangerous Secrets Kept or Shared)
• SAT: Spooky but not Scary: The Poe Estate | Review - ★★★★ MG Contemporary Fantasy

Next Week on GMB

• TUE: New Audiobook Releases
• WED: One Good Dragon Deserves Another | Review - ★★★★ NA Urban Fantasy
• THU: Care to Matriculate?: Ten Top Schools of Science & Magic | My Musings
• SAT: Birthright | Review - ★★★★ Urban Fantasy
• SUN: Sunday Summary #17

Exploring Cyberspace

• "Monsters and magic can help kids through tough times" by Kate Wilford & Fran Wilde for The Washington Post (Thanks to Charlotte's Library for the link)

"In fiction, dystopias come and go, but magic and monsters are forever.

 

During times of real-world upheaval, tales of fantasy can provide a useful escape into wonder. But can these stories also provide real, useful coping mechanisms to kids muddling through difficult times?

 

We say, emphatically, yes."

• "The Role of Male Leads in YA Fantasy (Just heartthrobs?)" by A. @ Going Through Books
  

"I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing (heck, even I’m attached to quite a few male protagonists) but have we ever considered or analysed the actual personality/character of the person? Now now now…don’t jump at me. You’re probably bursting with frustration over the fact that you actually do take in the true personality of your YA male leads, but the real question is how often? And since we’re talking about YA, and the only other genre I can compare it with over this issue is adult, let’s face it : the depth and sincerity with which we analyse and soak up an adult male lead’s character is far deeper than a YA lead’s character. For a YA male, all it takes is a physical description and some sexy, cool talks and we’re won over. "

• "Sex and Violence in YA Books: Is There a Difference?" by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
  

"In the end, I guess I feel a little resentful when I see people insisting that me making these types of choices for my children is censorship. (Especially when I note that most of the people dishing out these sorts of opinions don’t have young teens of their own.) I see it as part of parenting – almost no one would advocate letting your kids do whatever they want whenever they “feel ready” to do it. In most areas, we agree that kids aren’t mature enough to make all of their own decisions, so why should it be any different when it comes to reading? Of course, when they’re older teens they’ll have more freedom to decide these things for themselves, but by then I hope that I’ll have set a solid framework for them so that they can take the messages the world is bombarding them with and decide which ones they want to apply and which ones they want to ignore. At least that’s the hope …"

• "...Catherine Banner on the magic of audiobooks" @ Books on Tape

"Listening to Edoardo Ballerini’s beautiful reading, I was reminded of why I first loved audiobooks, and stories. I had expected to find the process of hearing my own book read aloud odd and unsettling. Instead, it was a great gift. To hear your own book read so perfectly, as its writer, is to have that story returned to you when you thought it gone. The House at the Edge of Night is out in the world now, no longer mine. But now, if I ever want my story back for a while, I know where to find it."

Reading Update

I re-listened to the following in preparation for upcoming reviews:

Up Next

"The Bout of Books is organized by Amanda @On a Book Bender and Kelly @Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Mon, Aug 22nd and runs through Sun, Aug 28th in whatever time zone you are in. BoB is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog."

Acquisitions

All the Kindle books I acquired that have Audible versions available.

Some of the other Kindle books I acquired.

Talk to Me (pretty please)

• What's your most reliable way of fending off a loss of blogging motivation?
• Has anything you've read in fiction helped you deal with issues IRL?
• Are you participating in Bout of Books 17?

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• If you are a first time visitor, how did you discover my blog?

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