The Weekly Update: 3/26/17

 
 

First of all, I want to give a big, giant thank you to everyone who commented last week <3 I didn’t even go around commenting on other Sunday Posts myself and instead waited for you all to come to me first because I was worried my post might be too long or make other people uncomfortable, and I didn’t want anyone to feel obligated to comment. But you all came and commented anyway and just further proved how amazing this community is.

I’ve not had the best week health-wise though. The headaches and shakiness (it feels like when you haven’t eaten in a while and have low blood sugar) have been persistent, so I’ve spent a fair amount of time resting in bed (the good news is that I at least felt well enough to read most of the time and got a lot of reading done). I think I may have figured out what’s been causing the recent bout of headaches though, so fingers crossed that I’m right. (I’ve been eating this new granola and almond butter snack thing, but it has a lot of fiber, and apparently too much insoluble fiber can dehydrate you because it pulls in lots of water instead of letting your body have it. Just wanted to let you all know so that you won’t make the same mistake!)

But anyway, I have no news since rest is all I’ve done this week. So let’s proceed to the bookish stuff!


Blog/Bookish Updates:

I’ve currently got a giveaway going on for the first book in this awesome urban fantasy series! It’s one of my favorites, so I recommend entering if you live in the US and reading the books regardless of where you live πŸ˜‰

Win a Signed Paperback of The Immortal Coil by J. Armand!

 

Books I Received for Review:

Hell Divers II: Ghosts by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
The Human Wilderness by S.H. Livernois
 

I’ve always said my blog is mostly sci-fi/fantasy, and I guess my blog is finally starting to live up to the sci-fi half of that with all the sci-fi books I’ve been getting/reading lol. Hell Divers II is from NetGalley, and The Human Wilderness is from Story Cartel.

 

Books I Finished:

Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat
Prince's Gambit by C. S. Pacat
Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat
Hell Divers II: Ghosts by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
 

I had a fantastic reading week! So I don’t think I had ever actually read the blurb… or any reviews… for Captive Prince? I’m honestly not sure what it was that convinced me to read it, haha. It was so different than I thought it would be, but so freaking good! I couldn’t put the books down! I don’t often end up liking the popular hyped books, so this was a pleasant surprise. I am also loving all the fan art! I almost never read books popular enough to have fan art, so it’s extra exciting for me. Ghosts was also fantastic. If you like sci-fi and books that are crazy intense, you should definitely read this series!

 

Song of the Week:

“Run From Me” by Timber Timbre – The lyrics are kind of creepy and haunting, but the song sounds kind of old and sweet? I kind of love when the way a song sounds doesn’t match the words but it still works together in an amazing way.

 
 

In Case You Missed It:

– I interviewed J. Armand about his urban fantasy series The Immortal Coil, plus there’s a giveaway a signed copy of the first book!
– I reviewed When Planets Fall by Abby J. Reed, a unique YA dystopian set in space with awesome disability rep.
– I discussed why some books make us more emotional than others.
– I reviewed The Alabaster Concordat by J. Armand, a book with lots of action and supernaturals but also incredibly lovable and complex characters.

 

The Sunday Post Link-Up:

Once again, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer πŸ™‚

 
 
 
 

Talk to me!

Have you found any good books or music recently?
Have you ever read a book without reading the blurb or any reviews first?

 
 
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Your Thoughts

 

64 thoughts on “The Weekly Update: 3/26/17

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  1. Greg

    Hey at least this week I can link up and get around lol. Sorry to hear you had a rough week! Hope you’re feeling better and yeah it’s funny how certain foods can affect us. Weird the way our bodies react.

    The Human Wilderness looks worth checking out, and I love the look of the Pacat books. I’ve seen those around someone’s blog before, they look really familiar, and I don’t know what they’re about but I like those pastel- ish covers a lot!

    Glad you’ve got some good sci-fi going on. πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yay for internet! Thanks, since I stopped eating the granola things yesterday I’ve managed two whole days without needing Tylenol, so it’s an improvement!

      Not sure if Captive Prince would be your kinda thing, but your should totally go download The Human Wilderness so that I’ll have someone to talk about it with πŸ˜‰

      I’m just really surprised by my sudden sci-fi mood this year!

      1. Greg

        Yeah I think I will. I went over to read the blurb and it’s only 2.99. Sounds good too. Sold ha ha! Have you read it yet?

  2. Literary Feline (Wendy)

    I am sorry you weren’t feeling well this week, Kristen. Hopefully you’re right about the cause of some of your troubles and will be feeling better in no time. Being able to read while sick is a definite positive. πŸ™‚

    I have indeed read books without reading the blurb first–or a review–although it’s not as common anymore as it once was. I don’t know why, but I just like to know what I’m getting myself into when I open a book to read it. LOL

    I hope you have a great week, Kristen!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks, I’m feeling a little better already, so I think I was right about the cause πŸ™‚ But yes, at least I was able to read!

      It’s super rare for me. I always read blurbs, except this one time apparently lol, and often read like 27 reviews too πŸ˜› I’m just picky and don’t want to waste time on books that definitely won’t be for me.

      Thanks, you too!

  3. Geybie's Book Blog

    Sorry to hear you weren’t feeling well. I hope you’re feeling better now.
    Anyway, I’ve been reading awesome reviews for Captive Prince series. I’m planning to read it. Now now, though, but hopefully next month. Glad that you enjoyed it. πŸ˜€
    Have a great week and happy reading.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks, the headache has mostly gone away, so that’s a good sign πŸ™‚

      Captive Prince was so amazing! I was seriously impressed.

      Thanks, same to you!

  4. chucklesthescot

    I’m sorry you had a bad health week and hope you feel better very soon. The only good thing is that it didn’t affect your reading. I hate it when I can’t concentrate on my reading! I never read a book without checking out the blurb and I sometimes (when I remember) check out GR reviews to check for tropes before wasting my time! I’ve been reading a few decent monster themed books this month which I hope to be reviewing in the not too distant future! Hope this week is better for you.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Right? I was glad that I was at least still able to read!

      I never do either, which is why it was so weird that I didn’t read the blurb for Captive Prince. Or if I did, it must’ve been a really long time ago and I completely forgot. I also usually read a bunch of reviews when possible (sometimes there are no reviews yet for ARCs, but I always have the hardest time making a decision for those). Yay monster books! And thanks πŸ™‚

  5. Prabhleen

    Sorry I missed your previous week’s post -_-. I suck. Anyways, I hope you get well soon πŸ˜‰ *sends virtual chocolate* And you read 4 books?? Omg that is awesome! I have read some pretty big series’ myself, and I love seeing fanart! Although I am 100% sure I will never make one myself since I only do abstract and landscapes. (I cannot make humans for the love of God)

    1. Kristen Burns

      Don’t worry about it! Wasn’t trying to make anyone feel bad for not commenting, and thank you πŸ™‚ Yeah, I got lots of reading done since all I did was rest lol. Fan art is so awesome! It’s making me want to read more popular series, haha. But yeah, I don’t have that kind of skill either. Abstracts and landscapes are cool too though!

  6. verushka

    I’m with you — overhyped books tend to make me head in the other direction, so YAY for this one being as good as the hype! oooh, how’d you find Timber Timbre? (cool name is cool!)

    1. Kristen Burns

      I tend to avoid them for the mere fact that they usually don’t interest me, and I usually end up disliking or feeling kind of meh about them. But yes, I was so happy that this one ended up being amazing! Honestly I have no idea how I find any of the music I find, haha. Probably 8tracks. That’s where I find most new (to me) songs, I think.

  7. cindy

    I am sorry to hear that you had a rough week and I hope that this week is better for you. At least you got to read a lot and link up today. Your post looks beautiful and as always your graphics are awesome!

  8. Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity

    I can’t believe that you had doubts about your post last week. Glad to see everyone has been really supportive and sorry to hear your troubles this week. I can only imagine what it feels like, I get having low blood sugar and getting the shakes but to have that for a long time would absolutely suck so I hope you’re feeling better especially as you may have found the cause for the headaches. On the bridgeside, yay for a good reading week. Will you be reviewing the Captive Prince books? I’ve been wanting to read them but they are crazy expensive here in the UK so I really need to be convinced.

    I hope you have a good week this week.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Even though I managed to post it, I was still so unsure about it! Thanks, everyone was definitely supportive πŸ™‚ Yeah, the shakiness sucks since low blood sugar isn’t actually the cause, so eating doesn’t help. Lying down in bed is the only thing that seems to make it ease up a bit when it gets bad. I Googled, and apparently it’s another CFS/ME thing. But I’m really glad the headaches are mostly gone now since those were way worse to deal with.

      I will be reviewing the Captive Prince books, and I’m like 90% sure you’re going to want to read them after reading my reviews, so you might as well go buy them right now πŸ˜‰ I got them from my library, maybe your library would get them if you requested them?

      Thanks, you too!

  9. Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library

    Last week I was a disaster and didn’t get to visit anyone but today I’m trying to make up for it! That’s interesting about the insoluble fiber and dehydration. It makes sense but I never would have thought about it like that. I have some sugar issues and that low sugar feeling is awful. I hope you’re feeling better! Have a great week!

    1. Kristen Burns

      We all end up busy with real life sometimes! Yeah, it took me weeks of being kind of miserable to make the fiber-dehydration connection, so I figured maybe it could someone else if they end up in a similar situation. The low blood sugar feeling does suck, but at least it doesn’t affect my ability to read while I’m resting πŸ™‚ Thanks, you too!

  10. Barb (boxermommyreads)

    Great song. I hope you get to feeling better. Headaches are the worst. I’ve been looking to get Hell Divers from my library soon. I’ve heard tons of good things about it and know a few people excited to get the second one. Here’s hoping we both have great reading eels.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Glad you like the song too! And thanks πŸ™‚ Headaches are so debilitating because, well, they’re in your head, so everything you do just makes them worse. Hell Divers is awesome, I think you’ll love it!

  11. S. J. Pajonas

    I’m so glad you had a good response to your post. <3 This community is really great and super supportive. I love how caring everyone is! Sorry to hear your health took a turn for the worse, though, and I'm glad you told us about the fiber thing! I had no idea.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks πŸ™‚ I’m so glad to have found this community. Yeah, it took me weeks of feeling miserable and dehydrated and in pain to finally figure out the fiber connection, so I figure maybe I can save someone else from going through that. And that’s definitely what was causing it since it’s been two days of not eating the granola things now, and I no longer feel dehydrated!

  12. Laura Thomas

    Thanks for sharing the music. I watched it twice. I hope you find out the cause of your ills and feel better. I was wondering if your neck might be causing headaches. Even if mine doesn’t hurt, I find keeping my head bent at the same angle too long causes them for me. Feel better and enjoy reading:)

    1. Kristen Burns

      Glad you like the song! And thanks for the tip, but it did turn out to be the granola things causing the headaches this time. I’m just glad I finally figured it out! Thanks, have a great week πŸ™‚

  13. Molly @ Molly's Book Nook

    I had to go to your last weeks post to know what you were talking about – I’m sorry I didn’t read it then. But I hope you know that we’re all here even when you’re feeling down! There’s no shame in that and if you ever need someone, my email & dms are open for you <3

    To answer your question,I have read books without reading the blurb first! Sometimes I find it fun and I enjoy the book more. Other time I've read it AFTER finishing it and thought "well I'm glad I didn't read the blurb because I wouldn't have picked this one up!"

    1. Kristen Burns

      No worries, thanks for reading it today πŸ™‚ And thank you for the support <3

      I'm just super picky with books and generally know what I like, so it's rare for me to not read blurbs. I guess the exception is those books that are so popular everyone talks about them all the time and I pretty much figure out what they're about from that. But I can see how it would help you find new books you might not have tried otherwise!

  14. kris @ lemon-notes

    I personally like to go into books knowing as little as possible! I don’t trust the synopsis – IT’S LET ME DOWN SO MANY TIMES (in the form of spoiling and just being crappy). I’m currently reading Of Fire and Stars HOWEVER yesterday I stumbled upon an arc of Strange The Dreamer? How do I stumble upon an arc TWO DAYS before the book comes out. I am a mish-mash of frustration at myself AND SHEER EXCITEMENT OMG. I need to finish Of Fire and Stars first though, or I fear I won’t return!!
    I hope the granola bar situation is solved soon!

    1. Kristen Burns

      I’m picky, so I don’t really ever go into books blind. Lol well it’s better to stumble upon the ARC two day before release than not at all, right? Hope you enjoy it! And thank you, stopping eating the granola did make me feel better!

  15. Christy LoveOfBooks

    Aw man, hope you’re feeling better today. It’s good that you can at least get some reading done while suffering. Ooo I’ve been so curious about Captive Prince! I should read it already. Have a great week. Nice song. πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks, the headaches have gone away since I stopped eating the granola things πŸ™‚ Captive Prince was amazing, you should try it! Thanks, you have a great week too πŸ™‚

  16. Dragonfly @ Our Familiarium

    oh πŸ™ sorry to hear you are still not feeling well πŸ™ I wonder if so much reading would make your headaches worse. I was going to mention dehydration too last week. So I’m glad you figure it out. Other things to keep in mind that can trigger fibro or CFS/ME symptoms are low Vitamin D level [which happens often during winter] and unknown food allergies or intolerance. E.g. My symptoms get worse when I eat gluten.
    I’m glad to hear you read a lot [unless that makes it worse and you don’t know it yet!] and the Ghost was fantastic!
    OMG Now I’m gonna be miserable until I read it. The dwelling the procrastinating… will be horrible, LOL

    1. Kristen Burns

      There were times when I just had to close my eyes or take a nap, but mostly it didn’t really make a difference what I did, I was in pain anyway. I’ve never had an issue with my vit D levels, and I take supplements. In this case, it was that the fiber made my body dehydrated which then dried out my sinuses which then gave me a headache (I’ve had super screwy/sensitive sinuses since my illness started, so they’re often the cause of my headaches, except then I have to puzzle out what’s causing the sinus problems).

      I thought you were already starting Ghosts?!

      1. Dragonfly

        I started it but stopped when I suddenly realized I had been left behind by my reading buddy, abandoned like X, to endlessly drift in the vastness of Hades’ storms by myself. Since then, I have remained there, hurt, and in a perpetual state of confusion and perplexity… “Why??? Why was I left behind”
        ?

        1. Kristen Burns

          How dare you compare me to Captain Jordan! I did not abandon you like he abandoned X! You could’ve kept reading and been finished by now and we could already be discussing it, you can’t blame me for that!

          1. Dragonfly @ Our Familiarium

            wow you really dislike this Jordan guy huh? πŸ˜‰ I don’t think he was the one that left X stranded I think it was just the way things played out πŸ™‚ I hope to get over all this sadness and feelings of abandonment soon so we can chat about the book πŸ™‚

            1. Kristen Burns

              He was the one! Trust me, you’re going to hate Captain Jordan too. You find out right away how selfish and shitty he is. Once you read it, we can chat about our hatred for him lol.

  17. Victoria Grace Howell

    I’m glad you’re feeling better! I didn’t even know such a thing could happen! Further reason why I need to increase my water intake. It’s something I got on last year then fell out of the habit of. XD

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks! I didn’t either until I thought about it and Googled, which is why it took me weeks to figure it out. And I was already drinking more water than necessary for my weight, but it still wasn’t helping!

  18. sjhigbee

    Sorry to hear that you are still struggling – but those shaky feelings… thank you for your heads-up about the fibre issue on the granola bars – I’ve been having just a few problems with some of the nutty/oat snacks I’ve been recently eating since giving up meat and it sounds like that might be an issue for me, too. Thank you for sharing. I do hope you feel better, soon.

  19. Bookworm Brandee

    I hope you’re continuing to feel better, Kristen, and that the culprit – at least for the headaches – is actually what you thought it was and so you’re not having them anymore. Thanks for the tip on insoluble fiber – that’s actually good to know!
    I’m happy that you were able to get so much reading done and I’m even more happy to see you read Captive Prince (the whole trilogy) and enjoyed it. I’d read some great reviews last year and one-clicked (you know I have that habit – which I’m working on with the ban πŸ˜‰ ) but haven’t read it yet. I’ll try to get to it sooner than later. πŸ™‚
    Happy Friday! Geez! How is it Friday already? My kids’ spring break is over and it went by so quickly! :/ Anyway, feel better, enjoy your day, and happy reading. πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thank you, it was the granola things fortunately! I figured maybe I could prevent other people from going through the same misery by spreading the word about too much fiber!

      I think you’re going to love Captive Prince!

      Thank you, same to you!

  20. Lola

    That’s one of the things I love most about blogging, the amazing community. I am glad to hear so many people commented on your post. Sorry to hear you didn’t have a good week health wise, but it’s nice that at least you could read. I never heard too much fiber could be bad, but I usually drink a lot so hopefully I don’t get that. I do notice I get headaches sometimes when I drink too little.

    I retweeted about the giveaway on twitter, I haven’t read your post yet, but hope to do so this weekend.

    I am glad to hear you enjoyed Captive Prince and the sequels. I don’t think I’ve heard fo that series before. I hope this was a better week for you!

    1. Kristen Burns

      I agree, the community is absolutely the best part of blogging for me. I do drink plenty of water for my weight, and I was drinking extra, but I was still feeling dehydrated because of the fiber. Apparently it also happens to people sometimes when they go on raw food diets and stuff since that has a lot of fiber.

      Thanks for spreading the word about the giveaway πŸ™‚ Honestly I was so worried for a few days when it had NO entries! But I think everyone was just afraid to be the first to enter since now it’s going well.

    1. Kristen Burns

      And I’m responding late, haha, so we’re both hopeless. Thanks, and I guess you already know my headaches are gone since you’ve already seen my latest post πŸ™‚

  21. Di @ Book Reviews by Di

    Ahh Kristen! I’m so glad you had a great response last week (last last week!?) and I’m happy you feel more comfortable with us all. πŸ™‚

    Captive Prince has been on my TBR for a while but I hust haven’t got around to it yet. I’m so glad to hear that you’ve been loving it!

    Excellent job with all thre reading this week although I’m sorry you had to feel so yucky at the same time. πŸ™

    I hope you had a better week this week and I’m looking forward to this week’s post! xx