In My Mailbox (7)

I've been slacking lately on my segments so I'll be doing IMM for the month!

It was my birthday at the start of the month so I got so I have more books than usual.

Second-hand Bookshops
Bookshops are failing and it's breaking my heart. However, I've discovered quite a wonderful wellspring of opportunity in second-hand bookshops. I have a lovely Op-shop down the road, and there is a second-hand bookshop on Maling Road, in Canterbury (Victoria) that I love. 

• War and Peace, Volume One, by Leo Tolstoy
• Magician (The Riftwar Saga #1 + 2) by Raymond E. Feist
• Axeman (Wayfarer Redemption #1) by Sara Douglass
• Starman (Wayfarer #3) by Sara Douglass
• Terrier (Beka Cooper #1) by Tamora Pierce

Library

• 1984 by George Orwell
• The Time Machine by H.G Wells
• Stolen: A Letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher

Birthday Gifts!
I'm being a little silly, but I'm including the ARC as a birthday gift because I got it so close to my birthday.

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.
• Beowulf
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

In My Mailbox (6)

I'm still moving through my NetGalley books from last week but I spent some time at the library today.

Pegasus by Robin McKinly
Goodreads | Amazon
A Brief History of Montmoray by Michelle Cooper
Goodreads | Amazon
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (5)

I have so many books to read this week that I'm tempted to skip work and just read all week!

 From the Library:


 Meridian by Amber Kizer
Goodreads | Amazon
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Goodreads | Amazon
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Goodreads | Amazon
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
Goodreads | Amazon
0.4 by Mike Lancaster

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (4)

NetGalley did well by me this week:

The Viking's Sacrifice by Julia Knight

Amazon | Goodreads

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Amazon | Goodreads

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Amazon | Goodreads

The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge

Amazon | Goodreads

In My Mailbox (3)

Thanks to NetGalley I got my hands on a few fun books this week, including:

Caught in Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede

Goodreads | Amazon

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathon Stroud

Goodreads | Amazon

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Goodreads | Amazon

Falling In Between by Devon Ashley

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (2)

I've been keeping up with my new years resolutions quite nicely, and have been requesting lots of titles through NetGalley to keep up a steady stream of new release reviews (I've got the books, and will, eventually, post the reviews). 
In the past week I got my hands on:

Priestess of the Nile by Veronica Scott

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox (1)

My first IMM of 2012. Since many of Australia's bookshops have closed most of my books are borrowed from friends and libraries or downloaded to my eReader. 
To Be Read:

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Goodreads | Amazon

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Goodreads | Amazon

Moving into 2012

I succeeded in reading 200 books this year; in fact, I'm close to 250 with a few days to go. Unfortunately, due to responsibilities at home, at uni and at work I didn't manage to review even a quarter of them. I think I gave up around the 50ish mark. In fact, I haven't published much since March.
Pathetic, I know. I'm definitely going to keep the blog going next year. It has been a real asset and helped me get a 6 month internship with a Melbourne based Women's magazine. So, in order to keep my writing skills up to date, I will be creating a review schedule. My NYE resolution will not be to read a certain number of books (and kill it) but to post regularly and with more variety. 2012 will start on a Sunday and so will my posting schedule. 
Sunday: Weekly ReviewMonday: In My MailboxTuesday: Top Ten TuesdayWednesday: Waiting on WednesdayThursday: RestFriday: From Page to ScreenSaturday: Rest
I'll hopefully be posting some early reviews of ARC's and participating in blog tours, but I need to work on my blog first. It will be undergoing some renovations in the next few weeks as I get my brother to do some design work.
Something else I'll be introducing will be monthly genres. Each month will have a theme and the reviews will reflect that theme. I might post a few extra reviews, but it means I won't be as overloaded trying to catch up. I only have four reviews to stick to a month. Here's the monthly schedule:
This year Raiding Bookshelves will have a new format. At least four reviews a month, published every sunday. Each month will have it's own genre.I will also be publishing extra reviews on soon to be released ARCS.
January - Debut AuthorsFebruary - Romance and Bodice RippersMarch - Dystopian April - Young Adult and General FictionMay - FantasyJune - Jane Austen and RegencyJuly - AdventureAugust - Action and ThrillerSeptember - Science FictionOctober - Non-fiction and biographicalNovember - Fables, fairy tales and mytholoyDecember - Picture books and Children's literature
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and enjoy your New Years Eve.