I understand it's not the right Monday, however Book Blogger Confessions is one of my favourite features and I would like to participate, albeit a little late.

This is a really awesome feature hosted by Midnyte Reader and For What It's Worth all about discussing and venting about bookish topics  

This week's (or last week's, hehe) topic:

Does participating in book tours/cover reveals and author guests post drive traffic to your blog? What type of problems have you encountered when hosting them? (please keep it civil - no names or calling specific people out) As a blog follower, are you ever turned off by these kinds of posts? How much publicity is too much? 

P.E.'s thoughts

I've done some book tours/cover reveals on my old blog, Tantalizing Illusions and they did get some traffic. Mostly it was the author letting everyone know what happened on what day but I did get a few new visitors. I doubt any of them stayed. I didn't participate in them too much, maybe just a handful of times and never with any of the marquee tours or events. Some posts had a huge spike in views but this didn't mean much for my blog in general. 

To be honest, I don't like doing them too much. It's not very much original content and often it's someone that asks me. There's a schedule and it's pretty organized, but a little chaotic in my experience. It ends up clogging my inbox and I'm constantly thinking about posting it on the right date. The formatting also takes a lot of time and in general, I find it a lot of work. 

What I don't like is that often, the content isn't original when it comes to blog tours or cover reveals. There's dozens of other blogs posting similar posts and while that can help with exposure for an author, as a blogger it's important to have original, creative posts. I feel like my blog is just for promotions when it's really not. I always consider my posts more about the discussion of books than the promotion. 

I've also had some issues when some authors gave in content that was misspelled which totally threw me off. If I fix it, it makes them look good even though they should have done that themselves. If I leave it, it makes my blog look unprofessional. Of course the negative stuff didn't happen very often. Most authors are very professional and respectful. I prefer as a blogger to post my own content however I've always been open to guest posts and the like. 

As a blog reader, I very rarely seek out these types of posts. If it's available on my reader, I'll take a look at it but beyond that I prefer reading bloggers' features and reviews. I don't often check out blogs that post exclusively promotional material. The only thing that differentiates any blog from another is the blogger writing the posts so if a blogger seems to be posting almost exclusively promotional material, then they probably won't get a follow from me. 

There are exceptions though. If it's an author interview with my favourite author, I will definitely check it out. I guess it's a nice way for authors to show their personality. 

Those were just my thoughts. What do you think?

And this wraps up The Sirenic Codex's first week! This week of hellish blog-template-editing for me is done and I can look forward to next week for some great posts.

If you're new to my posts, The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap-up post every Sunday to look back on the week that was. I'm writing this post today, but Mari may write one in the future, or we'll both collaborate on a post. 

First, let's talk books. 

Read

Yes, this was a pretty shoddy reading week. A lot of my time was spent editing blog templates and studying. I was also reading Mystic City by Theo Lawrence which I got as an ebook edition from the library but I didn't finish it in time and it got deleted. 

Currently Reading

The Silent Deal is a book I received for review. It's about two Russian blood brothers and seems to have a very creative plot. It could be a possible gem so I'm optimistic. 

On the Blog

Mari wrote the bulk of the posts this week and she did a great job. 

First she wrote about Scarlet, a book I've never read, that apparently is amazing. She says I need to read it. I think I may have to. 

Then on Wednesday she did a WoW on Crown of Midnight. I wasn't too much of a fan of Throne of Glass, but it has a 4.15 average rating on Goodreads so I may be in the minority.  

There was also a book trailer of In The After and wow does it look great. The book and the trailer. 

My only two posts was a welcome/introduction to The Sirenic Codex and a review of Sketchy by Olivia Samms which was a nice debut to what looks to be a promising new series. I love that there were drawings in the book and Bea's voice is very distinct. Plus Sketchy has not one, but two really awesome covers. 

Current Obsessions

This part doesn't have to do much about books, but it's about what's on my mind for the week. Currently, it's music and hockey. Hockey in the sense that the playoffs are happening with the finals starting soon. My second favourite team just destroyed my least favourite team, the Penguins (sorry Mari) so there's a fair bit of schadenfreude going around. 

I've also been listening to a lot of music. Mostly house songs. Spectrum by Zedd is the newest fave, but I can never get this melody out of my head. I'll let you all enjoy it. The melody is amazing and I love John Martin's voice.

In Conclusion

This week was nice, and I'm excited for next week. We've fixed most of the kinks in the blog to this point and although next week looks awful for both of us (summative projects + exams), between the two of us we should be able to post some cool stuff. 

Thanks for reading and let me know about your book week in the comments. 

-P.E.

 

In The After - Demitria Lunneta

Release Date: June 25, 2013
(Goodreads)

 

Trailer

I've always been the one who got excited over book trailer but just recently that excitement has started to be met with some videos worth the books they represent. Saying this, I'm really happy that publishers are putting in an effort to advertise their book using trailer. We, the in technology era, really appreciate it!

Now as for this trailer in particular. It's really intriguing as trailer should be and I think it carries it's message out to the audience. Love the creepy music, it's a book I'm adding to my tbr :)

What Do You Think?

-MARI

Author: Olivia Samms

Date of Publication: April 30th 2013

Publisher: Amazon Childrens Publishing

Pages: 238

Source: Review Copy- Thank you!

A popular cheerleader—raped, beaten, and left for dead. An edgy outsider with a gift. Can they team up to catch a killer? 

Bea’s life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman—the one who survived—doesn’t remember a thing. But Bea has a disturbing new “skill”: she can see—and then draw—images from other people’s minds. And when she looks at Willa, Bea is shocked by what she sketches. Bea might be the only one who knows Willa’s secrets—and who can take down the killer before he strikes again.

Amazon / Goodreads

Review:

I finished Sketchy and I feel a little sad that I read the ending in such a crappy mood. However, it does say something that when I wasn't very pleased I thought this book would be able to help. It did because Sketchy is entertaining with a really cool main character.

Bea has personality and she has some very identifiable traits. She's sarcastic and energetic, but also persistently caring. She feels like she needs to do something to help the poor murdered and assaulted girls and so she puts herself out there and tries to do so, even if she could get hurt in the process. She's so impulsive and has this adorable enthusiasm for her hobby, clothes, which I can relate to. Everyone gushes about something, right? There's also a bit of background demonstrating that all is not good in Bea's life. She's a recovering drug addict and one of the most fascinating aspects of Sketchy was seeing how different people, mainly her understandably overprotective parents deal with that. It's interesting seeing the trust be rebuilt and it was interesting to explore Bea's dynamic with her mom.

The plot was also pretty interesting and fast. There was a mystery and it was solved by the end. There was one issue I had with the story that affected everything else, and for me that was the writing. I loved the personality and voice in the writing. It felt like Bea was talking to me as I read, so that part was well done. Believe it or not, I would have liked more description. Scenes felt a little too abrupt and the transition from setting to setting wasn't very smooth. It's not like it'll ruin your reading experience, but I would read a paragraph and the next paragraph would kind of zoom forward and it would make me wonder how Bea got from A to B. If you enjoy action, this is great, and I do so I still liked the book. It was just a little jarring at times for me. Maybe I'm just not used to this writing style? Nonetheless, I would have liked more description and thought to balance out the dialogue.

Now let's talk about something really awesome about Sketchy: the design! It's genuinely well made and pretty with even my friend commenting on how they like the cover. What I adored were the journal entries, the texts, and the sketches. Little visual details in a book always excite me because that means someone cared about doing that little bit of extra and it's beneficial to the reader. For once, texts felt like real texts and I could see Bea's mental image too which made her all the more real to me. It seems like such small features but I do enjoy them.

Overall, I think Sketchy is a nice way to start the series. Definitely entertaining and easy to read so I liked it. It wasn't without its issues and I'm sure with more experience for the author and maybe practice for me, the writing will feel more comfortable. I also hope to see some more depth in the sequel, particularly when it comes to Chris. He's a great BFF but I wonder if there's more to him. Either way, my curiosity is definitely piqued and I am looking forward to reading more of the Bea Catcher chronicles. 3 hearts,

-P.E.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Sarah J. Mass

August 27, 2013 

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.


After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Goodreads

I'm really loving the female assassin type books as of late. I read Throne of Glass last year and enjoyed it. Hoping to like this one just as much if not more. Also, I love the cover!

What Are You Waiting On?

-MARI

Scarlet - A.C Gaughen (Scarlet #1)

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Walker Children's 

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 292

Buy the Book: Amazon

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. 

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.  

Why It's Awesome:

- An epic Robin Hood retelling! 

- Strong female protagonist who cross dresses!

- Tree climbing and action packed adventure.

- A honourable band of thieves!

- A past that has come to haunt her. 

- A ticking timer, will they be able to save the people of Nottinghamshire?

Similar Titles:
Eon/Eona - Allison Goodmen
Grave Mercy/Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder

Book Trailer:

-MARI

Hello!

I'm P.E., previously from Tantalizing Illusions. You may know me from Twitter rants, Goodreads reviews, or you may not know me at all. Either way, welcome to The Sirenic Codex, mine and Mari's new book blog.

Now you may have some questions. Mari and I both already had book blogs; why are we starting a new one? Also, looking at my history, you may wonder why would I start a book blog after being such an infrequent poster?

I've always enjoyed reading but I admit, it's harder when you're a blogger. There's so much pressure to post content and that's a daunting task. Especially when you're new and not established. The first time I made a blog, I think I was a little naive. I expected that when everyone saw my content, they'd love it right away. I was expecting brilliant discussions in the comments section and I thought it would be much easier then it actually was.

I had a reasonable amount of success. I did gain a following; a few people that knew about me and that commented sometimes. This made me so incredibly happy, but I still felt like I needed more content. I needed my blog to look better; I needed better posts; I needed to be better socially. If you're an overachiever like I can be, you realize that when your goals look impossible, you tend to give up. So I took some time off and came to some pretty huge realizations.

First of all, I enjoy writing reviews. I noticed this when I kept writing about books on Goodreads and reading other peoples' thoughts. I love writing about books and how they make me feel. I also realized that I wasn't interested in just promoting books. I wanted a recollection of my honest feelings on them with the key word being 'honest'. If there is anything I've learned, it's that honesty is so important.

Mari told me how she wanted to continue blogging but wanted someone else with her. We talked and texted and mused for days before we decided to do it. A brand new blog representing a fresh start.

It's been a few days of setting up this blog and adjusting the template (do you like it?!) and I've had so much fun. It's fun to start something with a friend and know that this huge responsibility you're welcoming isn't yours to shoulder alone. We can do it together with different styles.

I feel more free now to be able to post what I like to post; reviews. Mari will bring her creativity into this blog, and together I hope we can make a site worth reading. Somewhere honest with no false pretenses. This will be our book blog with our opinions. There will be memes, features, and long, rambly reviews, and I hope you'll join us.

Welcome to The Sirenic Codex.

-P.E.