New blog, same content

 This blog has moved so come on over and join us. Same kinds of reviews and giveaways, just in a more user friendly environment. :-) Here's the link:

https://kavsbestreads.ca

New Year's Giveaway -- Part Two

 READ IN THE NEW YEAR

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

HISTORICAL WINNERS

WON BY TRACEY HAGWOOD

WON BY KAYLEE

CONTEMPORARY WINNERS

WON BY PAM K
AND
HEIDI READS

MYSTERY / SUSPENSE WINNERS

WON BY DIANA FLOWERS

WON BY DIANE ESTRELLA

AMISH WINNERS

WON BY KAY GARRETT

WON BY ANGIE POOL

CHRISTIAN FICTION WINNERS

WON BY FAITH

WON BY LORI SMANSKI

GOAL REVIEW WINNERS

WON BY CHERYL BARKER

WON BY PERRIANNE

But wait, it's not over yet. The Vanity category has become a blog tradition. It's where a book is actually judged by its cover and I choose my favourite cover art per genre and then draw from a pool of readers to requested that title. Here are my COVER LOVE winners!!

HISTORICAL 

COVER LOVE WINNER

(love the intricate steel work

that frames this cover and the cool

colour palette except for that

pop of..aqua?...in his jacket.

And an interesting choice to

have the hero looking off into

the distance, instead of the heroine, 

as is usually the case. 

And that grid work really

draws the eye, inviting me in.)

WON BY JACKIE SMITH

CONTEMPORARY 

COVER LOVE WINNER

(Pops of colour, the easel in

the midst of nature and that

beautiful blue sky...well, it

all just makes me happy!)

WON BY ELIZABETH LITTON

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE 

COVER LOVE WINNER

(Love the cool blue tones 

and the frost patterns 

etched across the cover.

Perfect for an Alaskan setting.)

WON BY LUCY REYNOLDS

AMISH 

COVER LOVE WINNER

WON BY RUBYNREBA

WAIT! Don't go away 'cause we're not through. We have another Reader's Choice tradition of picking a random number which becomes a 'just because giveaway' on the genre specific days. If that doesn't make sense, all you need to know is that it means more book giveaways. Woohoo! This time the number is: 46

HISTORICAL 46TH

WON BY KIM HANSEN

CONTEMPORARY 46TH

WON BY BEAUTY IN THE BINDING

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE 46TH

WON BY TRIXI

That's another RC wrap up. I'll send winners an email stating their book win, publication date and requesting contact info so that I'll have everything ready for release day. Then I'll email you once again once the book has been ordered.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

AND 

HAPPY READING!

New Year's Eve Giveaway / Part One

A bit of Housekeeping before we get into the festivities: 

Phew -- what a whirlwind of festive celebrations accompanied by bibliophile anticipations! I can't believe that 2022 is over already! Also can't believe I'm going to say this:

This will be the second last Best Reads blog post. :-( It's been running over twelve years now but the issues I'm experiencing with blogger just don't make it feasible for me to continue. 

• notifications not working
• so many people unable to post comments
• including me! I have to fire up my old dell laptop in order to comment!
• that laptop is on the verge of extinction and the virus protection is coming to an end and I don't want to renew it.
• plus, the way blogger randomly unpublishes 'unsuitable' posts -- both new and old -- is beyond frustrating to deal with.

So, it's just not fun anymore. I'm gutted 'cause I'm fearful of losing twelve years of my reading history and I'm going to miss the camaraderie of fellow book lovers.

HOWEVER

I'm  hoping to figure out another platform. I'm no techno geek so that's likely going to take a bit of time to sort out. I checked out a WordPress for Dummies from the library, so there's hope. Also considering starting a Booktube channel. Which ever one seems less fraught with technical angst. lol If you have a preference let me know.

So, I'm taking January off to regroup. In the meantime you can follow my reviews on Good Reads. Kay's Good Reads

I've also started up an instagram account where I'll post what I'm reading and possibly a few giveaways in January. Just created an account and haven't figured out how to share pics etc yet (techno un-nerd, remember?) but I hope to start posting January 1. kavsbestreads instagram

In the mean time, if any of you would be willing to act as a town crier once my new virtual digs are set up and ready to go, I'd appreciate it. I'd just ask you to post a link to the new blog one time from whatever social platform you are on to get the word out. If you'd be willing to do that either leave a comment with your email below or contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca

Thank you!!!

And now, before we get to the fun stuff, here's a bit of bibliophile nerdy stats for you:

MOST REQUESTED HISTORICAL FICTION

MOST REQUESTED CONTEMPORARY FICTION

MOST REQUESTED MYSTERY/SUSPENSE

MOST REQUESTED AMISH FICTION

NOW STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO OF 

THE NEW YEAR'S EVE GIVEAWAY

WHERE THE WINNER'S ARE 

ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED!

OFFICIALLY CLOSING UP THE ENTRIES 

AND BEGINNING TO TALLY

SO IT WILL BE AN HOUR OR TWO

Reader's Choice -- 2022 Goals Review

GIVEAWAY

Reader's Choice Giveaway

Read in the New Year Edition

2022 GOALS REVIEW

GIVEAWAY!

It's the end of the year and time to reflect on our 2022 reading goals as well as setting our 2023 reading goals. So, to enter this giveaway, just share anything goal related in the comments. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

"I want to catch up on some suspense series. Night Prey by Susan Sleeman."

****NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION****

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments -- and you can use the same goal or different ones each time.

Books can be published any time up through March 2023. Currently published books will be ordered the first week in January for the winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a later title.

See? Easy Peasy. But if you're still not clear, don't be shy about asking questions.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: TODAY'S GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO EMAIL ENTRIES. JUST TYPE 'READING GOALS' IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND THEN LIST YOUR ENTRY SELECTIONS IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.*

KAV'S 2022 

READING GOALS

   YEAR END REVIEW:

472 books read (that seems like a lot, but keep in mind, I live alone and have a chronic pain condition that limits what I can do. Plus I have a tedious amount of stretches and exercises to do daily, plus walks and listening to books is my dangling carrot! :-) And yes, audible books have really increased the number of books I am able to read.

29 books DNF (Did Not Finish) mostly because of content issues, only 6 Christian Fiction books 

#1 READ MORE INDIE AUTHORS

46 books -- I wanted to see if I could reach 50, but I'm just shy of that. Will definitely continue with this goal in the New Year.

#2 CATCH UP ON SERIES I'M BEHIND IN

16 series completely caught up and so many more in progress or just started!!!!!

#3 READ MORE DEBUT AUTHORS

20 authors -- not bad -- nearly averages out to 2 per month (yes, I'm cheating on the math a bit but it makes me feel better.)

#4 READ MORE NEW-TO-ME AUTHORS

65 authors -- have found some real keepers among them too.

#5 DIVERSIFY MY READING 

133 books! -- pretty good but I'd like to see if I can improve next year.

This is largely thanks to my penchant for Regency Romances though, 'cause I had a lot of UK settings. By the end of the year the US might be considered a diverse setting for me. Bwahahaha! But I'm trying to be more mindful when selecting books. Here's the breakdown:

Diverse settings:

47 books set in the UK

8 books set in Ireland

11 books set in Canada

4 books set in France

2 book set in Australia

3 book set in Africa 

2 book set in Germany

1 book set in Russia

1 book set in Lapland

Diverse author nationality:

12 Canadian

9 Irish

6 British

3 Australian

2 South African

16 Ethnically diverse authors

33 books with ethnically diverse characters

22 books with disabled or chronically ill characters

#6 STAY CURRENT WITH SERIES

62 series current to date!!! Ha! That number went down a bit because series I was got up with went a released new books. It's a never ending battle to keep current!

#7 START NEW-TO-ME SERIES

79 new series started! (ack, this nearly doubled from my last tally. Oops.)

#8 PLAY AUTHOR CATCH-UP

These are the authors I chose to play catch-up with and where I stand:

Marta Perry -- Yay, I have read everything I can find in print or audible.

Susan Sleeman -- 6 books short of reading all that are in print. So close!

Sarah M. Eden -- 16 books to go!

Lisa Wingate -- 14 left unread!!!

Lisa Scott -- 41!!!!!!!!!

So, a huge bust. But there's always next year, right?

#9 READ OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE (OCCASIONALLY!)

18 books -- I'm discovering that I like to stay inside my comfort zone!!!!

#10 GIVE UNLOVED TROPES A SECOND CHANCE

5 books read!!!!! What can I say, I'm a reader of habit and I'm okay with that. I'm not going to set this goal again, but that doesn't mean I won't dabble in unloved tropes occasionally in the future. :-)

Tada! That's it (so far!) So, now it's your turn:

How did you do with your reading goals this year? Have you set any goals for 2023? Share below or in an email (remember to include book titles that will help you achieve your goal) and you have a chance to win one of those titles.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

SATURDAY DECEMBER 31 2022

Reader's Choice -- Christian Fiction

GIVEAWAY

IMPORTANT EDIT: Due to an ongoing problem with issues some people are having with posting comments on blogger, I'm opening up all the Reader's Choice Week giveaways to email entries as well, however, if you can post in the comments please do  It's so much more fun for everyone to see what other readers are looking forward to in new releases. Plus we all need the info so that we can add titles to our TBR lists!!!  Oh -- and please put in your subject line: the genre, so today would be Historical Fiction, and then in the body of the email put in all three of your choices.

Eeeepppp! Let's get started on compiling those reading lists! 

Reader's Choice Giveaway

Read in the New Year Edition

So, here's how this thing works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION titles with release dates in January, February or March 2023 (up to three suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it's a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IT'S GENERAL CHRISTIAN FICTION

GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Christian Fiction genre you would like to win.

Christian Fiction -- a full length story or novella or collection of novellas. Any genre including previous selections you've made on other days and also for specific genres not covered this week like Women's Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction etc. 

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication dates must be

Jan, Feb or Mar 2023

Each day is genre specific so

only submit books from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions

per genre day

BUT

they need to be made in

three separate comments

(makes it easier to tally)

Email entries permissable

if you can't post a comment

entrants must submit their own selections

(no piggyback on someone else's log in)

Open to International Readers

(I'm all about spreading the good news

about Christian Fiction far and wide)

It's helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it's up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on 

Saturday December 31 2023

Reader's Choice -- Amish Fiction

GIVEAWAY

IMPORTANT EDIT: Due to an ongoing problem with issues some people are having with posting comments on blogger, I'm opening up all the Reader's Choice Week giveaways to email entries as well, however, if you can post in the comments please do  It's so much more fun for everyone to see what other readers are looking forward to in new releases. Plus we all need the info so that we can add titles to our TBR lists!!!  Oh -- and please put in your subject line: the genre, so today would be Historical Fiction, and then in the body of the email put in all three of your choices.

Eeeepppp! Let's get started on compiling those reading lists! 

Reader's Choice Giveaway

Read in the New Year Edition

So, here's how this thing works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION titles with release dates in January, February or March 2023 (up to three suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it's a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IT'S AMISH FICTION

GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Amish Fiction genre you would like to win.

Amish Fiction -- a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where the hero or heroine (or both) are Amish OR the story has significant Amish involvement through Amish secondary characters and an Amish community. Can be historical or contemporary and cross genres such as YA, Suspense, etc and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication dates must be

Jan, Feb or Mar 2023

Each day is genre specific so

only submit books from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions

per genre day

BUT

they need to be made in

three separate comments

(makes it easier to tally)

Email entries permissible

if you can't post a comment

entrants must submit their own selections

(no piggyback on someone else's log in)

Open to International Readers

(I'm all about spreading the good news

about Christian Fiction far and wide)

It's helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it's up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on 

Saturday December 31 2022

Reader's Choice -- Romantic Suspense / Mystery

 IMPORTANT EDIT: Due to an ongoing problem with issues some people are having with posting comments on blogger, I'm opening up all the Reader's Choice Week giveaways to email entries as well, however, if you can post in the comments please do  It's so much more fun for everyone to see what other readers are looking forward to in new releases. Plus we all need the info so that we can add titles to our TBR lists!!!  Oh -- and please put in your subject line: the genre, so today would be Historical Fiction, and then in the body of the email put in all three of your choices.

Eeeepppp! Let's get started on compiling those reading lists! 

GIVEAWAY

Reader's Choice Giveaway

Read in the New Year Edition

Eeeepppp! Let's get started on compiling those reading lists! (Santa's going to want an early heads up!)

Reader's Choice Giveaway

Summer Bookfest Edition

So, here's how this thing works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION titles with release dates in January, February or March 2023 (up to three suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it's a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IT'S ROMANTIC SUSPENSE / MYSTERY

GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Romantic Suspense / Mystery genre you would like to win.

Romantic Suspense / Mystery -- a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where mystery is an important part of the plot. The hero or heroine (or both) are often in peril (more so in suspense) Can be set in any time period -- contemporary or historical and may cross genres such as YA, Amish etc and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication dates must be

Jan, Feb, or Mar 2023

Each day is genre specific so

only submit books from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions

per genre day

BUT

they need to be made in

three separate comments

(makes it easier to tally)

Email entries  permissable

if you can't post a comment

entrants must submit their own selections

(no piggyback on someone else's log in)

Open to International Readers

(I'm all about spreading the good news

about Christian Fiction far and wide)

It's helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it's up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on 

Saturday December 31 2023

(You can enter any of the giveaways

in the next two weeks up until

noon on December 31. Winners will be

announced later that afternoon.)