Category: Local book Bloggers meet Up

Its hard to believe its time for another Local Book Blogger Meet Up post. It actually feels as though its been awhile since I wrote one up but in reality its only been a month.

This month Avis from She Reads and Reads was unable to attend. We missed you Avis. In attendance was Donna from Books Bound, Linda from Better With Books, Tina from Bookshipper also joining us for the second time was Amanda from Tales and Treats.

We were happy to welcome two new bloggers to our meeting, Laura who blogs at Library of Clean Reads and if you remember she is also an author of the book Daughter of Mine which I have read and reviewed. Laura brought her co-blogging partner Sandra with her.

For some reason I always find that it seems like its a long time between the meet ups and I am always anxiously awaiting for them when then come but then once we go I find the time just flies. I am sure we could sit and chat much longer then we do.

One thing that Tina and I commented on was how busy our little tea shop has gotten since we started meeting up. Its no longer a quiet spot on a Sunday to meet up with a few stray customers coming and going. Within an hour of being there the tables quickly fill up which is a good thing for them. Thankfully Tina always reserve the tables for us. Thanks Tina.

One of the great things about our meet ups is being able to talk about anything at all and no one hates us for what we say. We speak our minds and what we feel. Plus we all can poke fun of each other without anyone getting hurt. Although this week I quickly realized how alike we are becoming that some of us are starting to dress alike LOL right Tina?

Its nice being able to talk about books, blogs, life etc with everyone in the group. I personally love that because my other friends aren’t much into books or blogs so its nice to be able to have a group of friends that like the same things I do even if we don’t share the same interest of certain genres of books.

Here is the list of books I picked up at this meet up:
From Tina:
-Late, Late at night by Rick Springfield (I am so excited to read this one)
-Louder then words series: Rae, Alexis and Hannah (another set of books I am excited to read)

From Laura:
-Lone Wolf Book 1 of the Wolves of the Beyond by Kathryn Lasky (I love the cover)

From Linda: (I actually borrowed this from her)
-book 3 of Scrapped Princess manga

From Amanda:
-Room by Emma Donoghue
-The Percy Jackson & Olympian series book 1 to 4 by Rick Riordan
-Eragon by Christopher Paolini
-Sarah’s Key by Tatina De Rosnay
-The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

I also came home with a bag of hot chocolate and tea bags that I bought while we were in the tea shop and Tina gave me a can of Banana Nut tea that I picked up for her earlier that she didn’t like.

Oops almost forgot that Donna gave me two puzzles for Michael and I. Michael loves doing puzzles and has always loved doing them. Which I think is good for kids to want to do.

Sadly there won’t be a November meet up because things are planned but we do have a meet up planned for December on my birthday so that will be fun. What better way to spend your birthday then with fellow book lovers. See you then 🙂

One of the best things I love since starting my blog two years ago is getting to meet up monthly with fellow book lovers/bloggers Avis, Donna, Linda and Tina. Since the last meet up in August I was contacted by another local blogger wanting to take part in our meet ups, so on Sunday (today) we all got to meet Amanda from the blogTales and Treats. If you haven’t checked out this new blogger be sure to hop on over and say hi.

By the way if you happen to be in the Montreal area and would love to join us please contact me or any of the other bloggers for info.

We met at our regular tea shop for some great drinks and food. I love their spicy hot apple drink because its a great fall drink and of course the hot chocolate was really good. Although towards the end I was thinking of ordering a cold drink because the tea shop was very warm but in the end changed my mind.

We exchanged books and I was able to pass on a few titles to the group and I came home with only two borrowed books that are Linda’s and they were:

I love reading manga’s since discovering them earlier this year. I find them to be a great read in between books and also because they are pretty much a quick and easy read. I still have a bunch that I picked up earlier this year at a library book sale that I am slowly starting to dig into.

During our meet ups we always talk about out blogs, books (such as what we are reading, getting in the mail, waiting for etc), our lives (what we are doing outside of reading and blogging) and really pretty much of anything that comes to mind. Of course there was talk about BEA again and so far Donna and Linda will probably be going. The rest of us aren’t sure yet. I have mentioned that I am really hoping that BEA and ALA will join forces for 2012 and have BEA in Chicago because I know I can and will be able to pull that trip off.

This meeting there was a bit of excitement happening in the neighborhood, actually at the next corner. We were sitting and talking when we were seeing all kinds of firetrucks going by we discovered there was a fire in one of the triplex’s. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt. So in case you read Donna’s post about the meet up and was wondering what she meant by firemen you will now why. I admit I like a man in a uniform as this was an on going joke at the table.

So this was our meet up looking forward to the October one.

Today was the day that the Montreal Book Bloggers met up at our favorite little tea shop.

It was mentioned that it has felt like its been awhile since we have met up (and I have to agree that it feels like its been longer then a month since our last meet up) but really its only been a month. It was great to see everyone again.

In attendance was Avis, Donna, Linda and Tina.

We had some great drinks (2 ice teas made with black tea, oranges and cinnamon and a hot chocolate and carrot cake for me.) I am not quite sure what everyone else had but all the drinks looked really good.

We always have the best talks at our meet ups and they range from book related to life related and everything in between.

This time not many books were exchanged and not quite sure why? But thankfully I came home with The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel from Avis and from Tina I got the Fall Announcement Issue of Publishers Weekly which I am really excited about as I have been interested in Publishers Weekly since BEA.

I am hoping that I can find Publishers Weekly in a magazine store as I am seriously interested in it but not quite willing to pay the subscription fee.

So this is what our August meet up was like, check back in September to hear about that meet up.

Today was the Local Book Blogger Meet Up and its been awhile since I have seen Avis and Linda. Its actually been since we got back from NYC/BEA. I actually saw Donna and Tina since our trip. It was great to see everyone and to be back in a routine of meeting up again.

As we sipped our assorted drinks (hot chocolate and a cold apple & strawberry drink for me, I am not sure what everyone else had) we talked about our trip, about BEA, we got Avis’s feedback about BBC that she went to, spoke about the next BEA, life and of course books.

I managed to pass on a few books to Tina (which I know she loved) along with a few magazines, passed on two to Linda and one to Avis. I love sharing books with everyone.

I managed to come home with only one book and its this one:

ABOUT THE BOOK
Wedding bells ring

Detective Alex Cross and Bree”s wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.”s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and an underhanded lobbyist. Next, the elusive gunman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories–is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?

A murderer returns

The case explodes, and the FBI assigns agent Max Siegel to the investigation. As Alex and Siegel battle over jurisdiction, the murders continue. It becomes clear that they are the work of a professional who has detailed knowledge of his victims” movements–information that only a Washington insider could possess.

Caught in a lethal cross fire

As Alex contends with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross and his family for good. With a supercharged blend of action, deception, and suspense, Cross Fire is James Patterson”s most visceral and exciting Alex Cross novel ever.

I am really excited to read this one as I am a huge James Patterson fan. So check back in November for my review of this book.

See you guys in August!

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that once a month a bunch of us local book blogger’s meet up at a local tea shop to drink some great hot drinks (no coffee is served), eat some great cakes or other kinds of food, to exchange books and to talk.

In case you happen to be a new reader (welcome) once a month myself and some very local bloggers meet up at a tea shop. The local bloggers are: Tina from Bookshipper, Avis from She Reads and Reads, Donna from Books Bound and Linda from Better With Books. We have been meeting for well over a year now and we all love our meet ups.

I had the chance this past weekend to take part in a Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference that Terry Kate from Romance In The Backseat organized. Which was very imformative and I enjoyed being able to take part. So everyone was eagered to hear about it and to find out what I got from the conference.

Just before we got into any other discussions we exchange books. Here is what I managed to snag:

From Linda she gave everyone her new business cards (its not pictured) but they were super cute and she gave Michael the Geronimo Stilton book # 40 The Karate Mouse. Which he has placed on top of his night table. Anxiously awaiting to get books # 12 and up so that he can read it. He is a serial reader. He won’t start any other books unless they are in order.

From Tina I picked up:
Swoon At Your Own Risk
Tagged
White Cat (Which I am so excited to read and can’t wait!)
Saving Maddie
My Double Life
She’s So Dead To Us (another one I am super excited for)
The Karma Club
The Way I See It (I really want to read this one too!)

When we meet up no topic is left alone. We talk about books (upcoming), blogging, what is going on it our lives, what is going on in the blogosphere, mail, upcoming author signings and of course BEA/NYC.

Something else we talked about was hoarding. I personally have to admit that I have things but don’t consider myself a hoarder because I have no trouble passing things on ie clothes, books, games, dishes etc you name it I can give it away. What about you? Do you think of yourself as a hoarder or can you get rid of your stuff?

Another thing we did this time at our meet up was a sorta show and tell of our knitting. This was something new that Linda and I just got into. Donna and Tina are knitters and Avis has recently learned as well.

Linda learned from watching YouTube videos, Avis has been taking some classes and my sister taught me. I have to say I should have taken a photo of our works, too bad maybe next time. Or maybe you guys can make a post on your knitting? HINT HINT….

We are all making a scarf. Each one different in a different style and colors.

Donna showed us how to perl which I didn’t know how to do I was just doing basic knitting and having learned how to perl I have to say that I am thinking of restarting my scarf again to add that element into my scarf.

Anyway here is a picture of what I have done up until last night:

What do you think? The color is Burgundy which is a favorite color of mine.

Looking forward to our next meet up as it will be the last one until we meet at the train station in May for our trip to NYC.

Its that time of the month again when I get to meet up with She Reads and Reads (Avis), Books Bound (Donna), Better with Books (Linda) and Bookshipper (Tina). They are all local book bloggers here in Montreal. We met at our regular little teashop in Verdun.

We all got some really good hot drinks and some food. This time I still stuck with my Hot Spicy Apple drink (2x), hot chocolate and since I didn’t get to eat much lunch I got a selection of 3 Quebec cheeses that were surrounded in mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds etc) and it came with a salad (carrot) and a basket of crusty bread.

We had talked about going to BEA (trying to figure out if we will do one day or two days) and NYC (Ellis Island, museums, The Strand etc) and how we were going to try and fit in sight seeing with all that each of us wanted to do (I made a promise to my brother in laws that I would get to the Museum of Natural History because their name is on a plaque there. They worked on making a dinosaur for the exhibit and Michael wants me to go to Central Park Zoo)

We exchanged books with each other and here is what I managed to come home with:

From Tina I picked up:
-The Curable Romantic by Katherine Miller
-How To Make a Bird by Martine Murray (look for my review in June)
-A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
-Cinderella Cleaners: Change of a dress Book 1 by Maya Gold (look for my review in April)
-Cinderella Cleaners: Prep Cool Book 2 by Maya Gold (look for my review in April)
-Finally by Wendy Mass (look for my review in March)

From Donna I got The Girls by Lori Lansens. From Avis I got Boys, Girls and other Hazardous Materials.

Michael was even lucky at this meet up he got these two books from Tina and they are Tim Horton from Stanley Cup to Coffee Cups by Don Quinlan and Hockey Talk by John Goldner and illustrated by Ted Heeley. He loved both books and has already started to read Hockey Talk. (Mind you we have to read it too him.)

I love our monthly meet ups because we talk about everything and anything and it can sometimes get into a heated debate. Right Tina? But that is okay because in the end we are still friends.

See you guys again in March.