Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to wish you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Enjoy,

Jackie

Miss me much??

I hope all 17 of my loyal followers haven’t been missing me too much. I've been off being so incredibly awesome and finding things to blog about that I forgot to actually blog about them :)

First, let me touch upon my addiction problem. The library sales ban has been going way better than expected. There have been quite a few sales in the area, but I’ve managed to avoid them all with the exception of one. The one I went to was in the very beginning of September and really it was a selfless act on my part. I had to buy smutty books so that Fiona and Becky could participate in my Smut-tember Fest since I didn’t have enough of my own smutty books to go around. I only bought books for them and none for me. It was actually a fun experience and I scored a couple of goodies for my friends. I haven’t been to a library sale for a couple of months now…I think I’m going on over 2 months and really I have no desire too. I’ve been packing my bookies in preparation for a move and it’s been a real hassle. It’s actually made me realize how much I’ve acquired over the past year so I’m really resolving to get rid of some.

The September ban also went really well. I did acquire 2 books during this time thanks to Allison, but I managed to get rid of 2 in the process so it balanced out. I also conquered my goal of reading 8 books for the challenge. Whoohoo! The challenge was definitely tough since I had Borders emailing me awesome coupons and sales announcements, but it was a really good feeling avoiding all the temptation.

I want to thank the Smut-tember Fest participants: Becky, Allison, Heather, Southpaw and Fiona!! It was definitely a hot month. I read the following smutty books:
This Matter of Marriage
Mine Till Midnight
Seduce Me at Sunrise
Tempt Me At Twilight
Married by Morning
Love in the Afternoon (finished in October)

So that’s it for updates. :)

Conquering an Addiction: September Book Ban (Day 7)

Day 7…. muahahahahhaaaahhaa. Nope, I haven’t broken down yet. :D I even went to the bookstore twice, just to get a frozen drink and didn’t buy anything. I looked at a couple of books, even picked some up and read the first few pages, but none came home with me. Taking a good hard look at what I own has really opened up my eyes and made me realize that I really shouldn’t buy anymore until I get through these stacks. So far I’ve read 2 of my own books, which includes one smutty book for Smut-tember Fest. Go me! 23 days more to go!

Conquering an Addiction: September Book Ban (Day 1)

Here it is day one of the ban and already I’m bombarded with temptation. Today I received an email from Borders announcing their new Rewards Membership along with $1.99 bargain bin. You.Have.Got.To.Be. Kidding.Me!!!! They couldn’t release this last week, when I was still crazily snapping up books like the world was coming to an end?? Bah-humbug. I would drop them if it wasn’t for their lovely cheap books, wonderful atmosphere and awesome drinks. The jerks. So here I am grumpy as can be because there’s a sale and I’m not at it. Oh and I have to modify one of my guidelines. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had requested The Passage from the library a long time ago, so I do have a library book. *shrug* It was either read it now or wait another few months until my name gets called again.

To console myself I’ve started organizing and counting my own books. It seems as if my books have started having bookies of their own. I’m not through so I don’t have the final number yet. That shall be my next posting in this long, long journey. On the plus side though, I’ve prepared a few book packages for some good friends of mine and I’m participating in Becky’s Read-a-thon Challenge this coming week, which should help reduce my numbers…I hope. And I have my wonderful Smut-tember Fest to look forward too. Considering how much smut I own I think that will definitely reduce my numbers. So there you have it. I guess it’s not totally a bad day. :D

Smut-tember Fest: CALLING ALL SMUTTY READERS!!!

What is Smut-tember Fest you say? It’s a chance for all those closet romance readers to let it all hang out. I used to be one of you until I got outed by the Vine. At the library I’d nonchalantly go from the regular fiction section to the romance section, the whole time looking around to see if anyone was looking at me. Then I hurriedly look at the romance books and try to pick one out that not only looked interesting, but that had a decent cover that wouldn’t reveal too much of my secret obsession. Even with a decent cover I would cringe going up to the library check-out counter. The titles alone would set my cheeks aflame with embarrassment (ex. Naked in Death, Seduce Me at Sunrise, Savage Pride). Now I don’t care so much thanks to self-checkout at the library. Taking my smut out of the house is another matter though. I’m just not ready for that yet. :P

So in honor of smutty readers everywhere, I’ve declared the month of September as Smut-tember Fest. It’s time to dust off those old Harlequins and dig out the erotica and cheesy romance novels from your secret hiding place and have fun! The challenge is for all those romance readers or non-romance readers looking to expand their horizons to join me in reading at least 5 smutty books during September. If you want to do more you are more than welcomed too.

Here are the requirements:

• If you plan on joining in on the fun, register below and grab my button to display on your blog or website.
• Choose 5 smutty books you want to read for the month. If you are new to the genre feel free to do less. If you would like to do more that’s great too!
• Review the books you have read and let us know how steamy it is. I’ll be posting the best reviews on my blog for easy access.
• Have fun!!!

My 5 books will be the Lisa Kleypas Hathaway series:

The first four are re-reads, but I recently acquired the last two in the series prompting me to want to read them back to back. With cheesy titles like these, I don’t see how you cannot like this series.

So here’s to a smutty-licious month!!! Have fun everyone!!

Special thanks to Becky from Escapism Through Books for the great idea.

Conquering an Addiction- Part 2: September Book Ban

As if banning myself from library sales isn’t enough Fiona suggested that I join her and a few other brave souls in the September Book Buying Ban. The ban is being hosted by Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. After reading about her humongous TBR, I don’t feel so bad but that doesn’t solve my space problem.

So here are my set guidelines:

(1) No purchasing of new books, however purchasing for giveaways and gifts for other people is okay.

(2) No going to the library for any reason…not even to check out books. I have 2 checked out library books which I have not read, but I’m taking them back this Saturday. I’m currently reading Shogun and there is no way I will be able to get to them by the end of August.

(3) Books to review are acceptable- it’s the perks of blogging *shrug*

(4) My goal is to read 8 or more of my own books in September

So there you have it folks. I will be held responsible or I’m sure Fi will peck my eyes out. :P

Conquering an Addiction: Library Sales

What is it about a pile of used books at under $2 that drives me into a crazed obsessive state? I’m still trying to figure out this question after a year or so of mad buying at library sales. I didn’t always use to be this way, you know? I used to be an avid library patron. I would go once a week or two weeks, checkout a bunch of books that I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to within the 3 week time frame and go home happy. Happy because it was completely free unless I bought it back late and happy because I had plenty of clutter free living space. Then I learned about library sales and how to find them. I learned how other readers had over a hundred or sometimes hundreds of books in their homes (ahem, Miss Book Coop). They put my 40 unread books to shame. One day I figured, “What the heck? You can’t beat buying a book for less than $2 so why not try it?” Well, try I did and now I’ve developed one heck of an addiction.

My favorite way to fulfill my addiction check for library sales is at Book Sale Finder. You just click on your state and it shows you all your local library sales by date. I really don’t even need this anymore…yes people it’s that bad. I’m such a regular that I have the dates memorized of when is the next one. I just stroll in with my cloth grocery bags ready to elbow the first person that gets in my way. I go through each table and sometimes even under tables, book by book searching out titles that were recommended to me or that look interesting. If I’m at a table of particular interest, like the popular fiction table, I get all mama bear about my space. I start hovering over the books and when I see someone take a book from my table I immediately try to see what the title is and if it’s one that I want I give them the hardcore eye, complete with raised eyebrow. It’s really quite disgusting.

I can’t even explain why I do this. I guess it’s the thrill of the hunt. Finding that book that someone else paid full price for 50₵, just so I can come online and boast “Hey you guys, look at what I got and how little I paid!!” Nevermind, that I have no bookshelves to display these gems. Nearly all my books are neatly crammed into any available space in my apartment, like the TV cabinet and closet. My poor nightstand has a lean to the right with all the books that I couldn’t cram. I started with 40 owned, moved to about 103 owned last year and this year…well I think I’m at or close to 150. I’m afraid to do a re-count.

So I realized after genuinely not having the space for these wonderful books that I NEED TO STOP. The Pequot Library Sale was my last hurrah and I made sure it was a good one by picking up 19 newbies at less than $13 (damn, there goes that boasting thing again).

Here is part of what I picked up at the Pequot sale in July (ahem, yes I went twice):



I’ve been making an effort to read what I own by going to the library much less and joining challenges where I can read my own books for the tasks. It’s helped me stay motivated and I’ve read 19 of my own books this year. Whoohoo! But I realize that I still have a long way to go. So you have it here first: I am swearing off library sales for the rest of the year. Yes, I said it. No more library sales. It’s not fair to my already crammed books to keep acquiring more. Every time I open up a cabinet they stare at me pathetically. My stomach twists every time I see a pile or find a book in a weird place and I wonder “when did I buy this?” So that’s it for the next 4 months. I swear. lol.