Books, What's On Your Bookshelf?

What’s On Your Bookshelf? Netgalley and More!

Retirement Reflections

Netgalley

Sometimes I swear that I live under a rock–a very big one. I just discovered Netgalley… and that the world isn’t flat. Seriously, who knew?!

For others unfamiliar with Netgalley, it helps readers discover and recommend new books. Publishers provide free digital review copies to the Netgalley community in exchange for honest reviews. Win-win!

I originally signed up (free and easy) in hopes of securing an advanced copy of Amanda in France by author/blogger, Darlene Foster. You need to request which book you would like to review. I was delighted with how quick and hassle-free this process was. I even received a friendly note from Darlene’s publisher thanking me for my interest and sharing more of the process. This personalized touch was a great start.

Part travel story, part mystery, Amanda in France reminds us that not everything (nor everyone) is as it first appears. I also learned about Shakespeare and Company’s Tumbleweeds. I now have a new life goal. 😀 Full review here.

I was on a roll with NetGalley, so I also requested Sophie Irwin’s debut novel. I’m so glad that I did. Such a fun read! You can catch my full review on Goodreads.

And of course, I didn’t stop there either (you knew I wouldn’t right?)! This book is loaded with important information and reminders for women. Review here.

Book Club Reads

My online book club is in the midst of our Jane Austen reads. I didn’t think I could like any of her writing more than Pride & Prejudice. For me, this came very, very close. Austen’s biting wit is truly breathtaking!
Full review here.

Bake & Babble (‘Bout Books)

As part of our Jane Austen reads, our Classic Book Club made a Dorset Apple Cake while also discussing Sense & Sensibility. We had planned this bake to go with our reading of Persuasion…but you know how busy lives go. 😀 Anyway, this cake was well worth the wait — sooooo delicious!

So, what have you been reading lately? Please join Jo, Debbie, Sue and me and share your recent read(s). We’d love to hear from you!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

84 thoughts on “What’s On Your Bookshelf? Netgalley and More!”

    1. Hi, Janis – I’m delighted to have good company under ‘the rock.’ 😀 I used to read almost soley from the library – which meant that I waited a VERY. LONG. TIME. for anything title that was remotely new or popular. Netgalley has been great for getting advanced copies and for introducing me to a few books that I would not otherwise have known about. Members are only requested to review 80% of the books that they download from them. Reviews can be short and sweet and posted anywhere that you like. For me this has been a real win-win!

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  3. Pingback: Books make the world go around #WOYBS – Deb's World

  5. I’d never heard of NetGalley either Donna – it sounds like a great place for people who enjoy leaving book reviews (and for those who read them). I’ll have to pop over next time I need a review on a new author before leaping in. (Although, after Hamnet, I may not trust all the opinions!) 😀

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    1. Hi, Leanne – Thank you so much for dropping by. I love reviewing books (it helps me keep track of what I’ve read). Being able to five my feedback on what I’ve read directly to the publisher is also a win-win for me! I hope that all is well for you.

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  7. These look like great books and I will have to come back to this post (and the other gals’ posts) when my life settles down again. I have heard the term “NetGalley” but had no idea what it was or meant. Cool. Learned something new!!! Thanks, Donna..😄

    Deb

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  8. I’d heard about Netgalley but had no idea it was so easy to access. Coincidentqlly, Amazon just popped out a recommendation to read the Sophie Irwin book. Not one I would normally read but if you say it’s good …

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    1. Hi, Sandy – I really enjoyed Sophie Irwin’s debut novel, and found it a fun and light-hearted read. As I have recently been immersed in Jane Austen’s books, including Pride and Predjudice, Irwin’s book was a great fit for me. But if you are not into Austen, or Regency Romance, do a free sample read first to ensure it is the book for you. (I only use caution because I once recommended Hamnet to a friend…and she has never forgiven me for it.) 😀

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  10. I hadn’t heard of Netgalley. I’m not in the habit of writing reviews but I’m quick to share reviews verbally with friends. A common question in my circle is “What are you reading?” and that’s how I learn about new and old books that I might be interested in. I see that Where The Crawdads Sing has been made into a movie. Right now, I’m reading Taste by Stanley Tucci, a memoir that’s easy to read and humorous and there are recipes. I read a few Bill Bryson books on your recommendation and my cousin offered me his book, A Short History of Nearly Everything. I also get recommendations from monthly magazines like Canadian Living and from lifestyle tv programs.

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    1. Hi, Mona – Thanks for stopping by. Like so many others, I loved the book ‘Where the Crawdads Sing.’ So far, I have not heard good things about the movie — but you never know! I also loved Stanley Tucci’s television series ‘In Search of Italy’. Sadly, I think that I was one of the few who was not crazy about his book ‘Taste’. One contributing factor for me could have been that I listened to this as an audiobook. My guess is that Stanley’s dry sense of humour (he was the reader) repeatedly came across as arrogance. Oh yeah, and then there was the name-dropping. The audiobook was okay, but since I loved the television series my expectations may have been too high.
      😦

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      1. Donna, I saw Crawdads yesterday and enjoyed it very much. The movie stayed close to the story and brought Kya’s world to life beautifully. Malcolm hadn’t read the book and also thought it was a very good movie. Don’t hesitate to see it.

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  11. Hi Donna – I’d also not heard of netgalley but an author sent me the ARC. Although I’ve seen ARC here and there, only now do I know that it stands for advance reader copy. A few steps to download netgalley and I now have her book downloaded to read off my iPad. Did the fancy finger footsie on my phone – hope I’ll get it on iPhone and/or laptop.
    I recently read ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ – Bonnie Garmus. Excellent.

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    1. Hi, Susan – I’m glad that you were able to explore Netgalley – and that you had an author send you an ARC. I have been reading Netgalley books off of my phone. I know that they can also be downloaded to Kindles. I’m sure that they can also be read on computers and Kobos (as well as iPads) but I haven’t explored that far yet! Thank you for letting me know about Lessons in Chemistry. I have heard great things about it!

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  12. Thanks for the NetGalley info, I have now joined as well. Your books all sound great and I’ve since got A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting to read :). You always have such an interesting take on things and our Jane Austen reads are going well with all of us learning and sharing our thoughts along the way. Love being a co-host of this linkup with you all!

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  13. I have heard other bloggers talk of NetGalley but I never actually bothered to look into what it was! Thanks for the info. Your cake looks yummy and it sounds like you and your book club have lots of fun together.

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    1. Hi, Joanne – Since I know that you read widely, and review well, I definitely recommend Netgalley to you. I think that you would greatly enjoy it. PS – You are correct about books and cake — perfect combination!

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  14. Hi Donna – I knew about NetGalley, but being the ‘hopeless’ reader of books I am – I’ve never explored it – but you’ve given us a great review here – thank you. I’m definitely hooked on the books you’ve recommended … particularly Darlene’s ‘Amanda in France’ … very enticing. While the Dorset apple cake makes a good tasty accompaniment to a cup of tea with book in hand … thank you for the links – cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi, Hilary – Great to hear from you. I definitely recommend Darlene Foster’s books. Earlier this year I was able to get one of her books at our local library which was also awesome. I hope that all is well for you.

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  15. If you live under a rock, then I live under a boulder, Donna! Maybe I should check out NetGalley as well (I have heard about it from other authors) – not to read books (no time for that) but to offer Plunge on there. I did know the world was round, though. 🙂

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    1. Hi, Liesbet – I hope that your VanLife conference is going well. Thinking of you.
      When you have the time, I definitely recommend Netgalley to you as an author. It would be a great Advanced Reader platform for your next book! 😀

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  16. Hi Donna, I must live under the same rock because I have never heard of NetGalley either. Thank you for sharing NetGalley and your book recommendations. I recently read The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams and enjoyed it.

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  17. Pingback: Of books and serial killers (with gratuitous complaints about the Arizona heat) - Janet Alcorn

  19. Net galley is the big carrot in a writer’s world. Once a writer gets positive accolades from Newtgalley readers, doors open. Happy reading!

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  22. Donna, we must live under the same rock because I have not heard of NetGalley. I am going over to sign up now. I am an Austen fan and thought I had read Persuasion, but I just watched it on Netflix (with Dakota Johnson) and realized I have not. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I’d love to hear your take on it. I thought that using the ‘fourth wall’ filming technique was genius.

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    1. Hi, Suzanne – The experience of thinking that I (long ago) read something that I actually hadn’t has happened to me more than once with Classic books. I did recently (and very hesitantly) watch the new Netflix version of Persuassion. I was pleasantly surprised. Since the book was set up so differently than the novel (with a different purpose and a different audience in mind) it was easy to enjoy the tv version without being disappointed when it departed from the book (or from Regency England for that matter). Dakota Johnson did a great job. And Mia McKenna-Bruce…how perfect for the part was she?!!

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  23. I signed up for NetGalley some years ago, but never used it – possibly because I’m too lazy to write reviews! My last read was The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki which won this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. It’s a paean to books and libraries, but a bit weird so you have to suspend disbelief in some impossible things to enjoy it. My current read is Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan, the second of her books that I have read recently. It’s very Scottish so might not cross the Atlantic well. You also have to accept some weird stuff. Weird is not usually my thing so I’m surprised at myself for enjoying these two.

    PS I’m not super keen on either Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park, but if you don’t fall for the delightfully awful Emma Woodhouse I might have to have words.

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    1. Hi, Anabel – Your comment made me smile. I am sure that I will love Emma. It not, at least I have been forewarned. 😀 I am now very interested to read NA and MP. I have heard mixed reveiws about NA, and sadly only negative ones about MP. I am trying to keep an open mind and will keep you posted.

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  24. Hi Donna, I didn’t realise I was a member of NetGalley until you mentioned it! On your recommendation I read A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting which was a fun read. I appreciate our Book Club discussions and was sorry to miss our baking session. I will be putting Heart Smarter on my list of books TBR as well as Amanda in France. Thanks for co-hosting #WOYBS and I look forward to more of your recommendations and also starting Mansfield Park for Book Club. xx

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    1. Thanks, Sue – I greatly look forward to reading Mansfield Park together as well. Since we won’t be discussing until September I have to remind myself to HOLD OFF on reading for now (easier said than done). 😀 If you read the Heart Smarter book, I would love your opinion on it. In a nutshell, it’s chief recommendation was to begin a ’30’s Day to Fit’ and then keep it going.

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  25. Looks like there are a lot of us under that rock with you Donna! Good sharing. I saw a book about recovering from Cancer and dealing with all the effects, written by a psychologist from the hospital where I had my surgeries, and reached out to the publisher and got a copy and I reviewed it. I send my review to the publisher and added it to my blog, and heard nothing back. At all. Recently when I was going a google search up came the review by the author on her site and thanking me….and I never knew it had happened till that accidental find. I would have preferred to have been told as well. Enjoy seeing what everyone is up to…and thanks for the link up, Denyse.

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      2. Wow! You are very fast! I literally just pressed ‘send’ 😀 It’s surprising that an author wouldn’t be more sensitive to all firms of copyright. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

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  26. Pingback: What’s on your Bookshelf – July – Travels with Ali

  28. Hi Donna! I found NetGalley a couple of years ago and love the idea of being able to read great books for no cost (except a review). I am not at all surprised to think of how much you love it because you read so much. Everything I have been reading on my trip has mainly been books I have downloaded from my library and from Amazon Prime during the last 6 months or so…and I’ve read quite a few. But I was happy to just read and move on without doing a review….but like you say, they aren’t too picky about the review you just have to do one somewhere. Good for you for sharing that with everyone so now everyone can take advantage of the service. Happy reading! ~Kathy

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    1. Thanks, Kathy – I hope that the remainder of your travels are going well. Your photos have been beautiful! As I always review books that I read anyway (so I remember what I read), Netgalley was a win-win for me. I am excited to explore it further!

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  29. Another great blog post which has taught me two new things – Netgalley and Tumbleweeds. I shall be spending the rest of the morning exploring their websites. Thank you for sharing

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  30. Hi Donna! So glad you found NetGalley! It’s a great way to get advance copies of books for free. I haven’t reviewed one in a while, but I have enjoyed using it! Great to see you got your hands on Darlene’s book too. Happy reading 🙂

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  31. It seems I’ve been living under that rock as I’ve also never heard of Netgalley. . I’m definitely going to check it out so thanks for the heads up. Sense and Sensibility is a favourite for me too

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  32. Pingback: Books that take you places (July 2022 reads) – Eat, Play, Live

  33. I’m like everyone else — under that same rock. I suspect I won’t head on over. I have enough free reading on Libby and I haven’t written a book review since 1976? Bernie

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  35. So late to the party, Donna! I’ve heard about NetGalley too, seems like a wonderful resource! You sure manage to get in some great reads! Love the thumbnail of all you ladies baking and talking–so much fun!

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  36. Thanks for the reminder about Netgalley – I’d completely forgotten about it as a resource & have jumped in to order a couple of things. So many books so little time…

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  38. I cannot imagine life without books 🙂 Netgalley is a find and the cake sounds delicious and must have been so :). I am reading Ethnographic I by Carolyn Ellis , Indian Food Tradition, a Historical Companion by K T Achaya, The Rings of Saturn by W G Sebald. I am listening to Daddy Long Legs in Librivox 🙂

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    1. Hi, Laksmi – Thank you so much for dropping by. I love your diverse selection of current reads. Indian Food Tradition sounds especially appealing to me. am taking a good friend (The Widow Badass) out for an Indian meal this evening (it is her birthday tomorrow)!

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  39. Many years ago I was part of BloggingforBooks where I would get a physical copy of the book and do a review in exchange. I believe they disbanded the book reviews. Maybe next year I’ll sign up for NetGalley review some upcoming releases.

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