Max Edwards's Blog

My book collection is not the biggest one on the market but I am proud of every single novel I own. I can pull out any book at any time and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it the first time I’ve read it. Were you thinking of starting your own library? If you follow up the below steps- you not only will achieve your goal but you will also have a lot of fun while doing it and save a lot…

Be patient- Rome wasn’t built in a day neither.

Seeing all the gorgeous pictures on the Instagram did not help at the beginning of my journey of building my own library. I wanted to have it all straight away, regardless if I had money or not. I went crazy into the buying, researching, selling mode that if my boyfriend didn’t stop me I wouldn’t have had food to put on my plate at the end of them month. Be patient- great things take time.

Set a realistic goal.

Make a monthly budget and stick to it. Do not spend money you don’t have, don’t borrow or buy on credit. Slowly you will achieve your goal if you stick to the sane side J. Set up a goal and reach for it but don’t let it over shine your day-to-day life.  10 books a month will give you 120 in a year, 600 in 5 years- doesn’t it sound impressive already? Will you have time to read it all?

Quality not quantity.

Don’t buy books just to have as many as possible. Instead buy the ones you know you are going to read. There is no point in buying the cheap copies just to have them. This book has feelings too. How would you feel if you were never read? Never enjoyed? This way also you create something personal just for yourself and believe me you will love it more if you can take any book out and not fall asleep from boredom while reading it. Ok, unless you already have it… I’m letting you to keep it.

Do the research.

If you’re buying online check at least three websites for the prices before clicking the ‘BUY NOW’ button. Compare as much as you can. Even If you save only one euro on a book, at the end of the month it’s gonna be 10 euro, which equals to one more book on the shelf. If you buy your books in the stationary book shops try to check two or three before buying. I will also recommend to purchase your stock in the bigger cities- they tend to be cheaper than small village book shops. And they have a bigger selection of what you might be interested in.

Don’t be afraid of the second-hand finds.

A lot of people are still ashamed of admitting that something in their wardrobe or home is from the charity shop. Why?! Most of my books on the shelf are from the second-hand shops and I am not afraid to say so. I did the maths- in my local shop they do a deal- 3 books for 5 euro and if it’s a series that you are able to find all the books from, they will treat it as one book. Crazy, isn’t it? Last time I got 8 books and paid only 10 euro… And they were in an excellent condition. And genre I was interested in. No one tells you to get the first book that you see- look through the shelves, you might be surprised in what you could find.

Amazon –source of amazing deals on new and not so new books.

Ok, I am kind of embarrassed here… In the beginning of my journey I would spend hours on amazon just searching and buying and buying and searching, more and more books that after a week I have received an e-mail from amazon that said ‘We noticed you are purchasing large amount. Are you using Amazon for work?’. But it is not their fault that I just love the seasonal deals they sometimes do. Last month I was able to get a box set of Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare for only 12 euro… All 6 books! So I was buying and searching so much that they thought I’m purchasing to re-sell… By the way- did you know that you can get used copies of books for cheaper on amazon? But here’s the deal – shipping might actually drown you (it was my mistake).

Bulk buy = less spent on shipping.

If you have your budget set up and you know what you want, I would highly recommend to buy books at the same time (and if you’re using ebay- one seller). You will pay for the shipping once which straight away will let you save money. There is even better option- did you know that book depository will not charge you for shipping at all? They dispatch for free to 100 countries worldwide! So check all the websites possible, calculate and enjoy you shopping time!

Full series instead of singles.

My very first book I got, once I decided that I want to have my own collection of books, was part of the series The Chosen Ones by Christina Dodd (paranormal romance) – the Storm of Visions. Then I got the second book and the rest while spending fortune on singles from different shops or sellers. After a week I found a deal for all 5 books in a box set that would cost me 60% less than I have already spent. Since that day, before buying, I check if it’s available in a set for cheaper.

Stalk your local bookstores on social media.

Again- deals, vouchers or discounts. Where better to find them if not on their Facebook page or Instagram account?

Become a PR.

If you love writing yourself this would be an opportunity for getting the books for free. Ok, not completely for free -as a PR you would probably have to write a review or promote it on your social media but hey, at least you didn’t have to pay for it, did you? And don’t be discouraged if the company won’t contact you a minute later, keep knocking to their doors and promote you social account as much as you can- more people seeing it makes your chances on becoming the PR higher.

Family and friends.

What is the best way ever to get something for free? Ask your family and/ or friends if they have it and want to get rid of. Your bestie got an unwanted book for her birthday? She could either dump it or throw it somewhere in the corner, to forget. Just tell her that you will take care of it as it was your own. Even better if someone in your family is moving houses- this usually make people to go through their stuff and ‘declutter’- again win-win situation. Dumpster or a new home in your room.

Enter giveaways.

Get yourself an Instagram account and start following people. A lot of different instagrammers to celebrate (example 1000 followers) are organizing the giveaways. There are of course terms and conditions applied but it’s usually something small and free to do.

Sacrifice.

And the worst at the end… Sacrifice my ass… I did give up my beautiful set of acrylic nails, done every 3 weeks at a nail beautician to achieve my goal. I do not earn gold unfortunately and something had to come down to put this one up. Don’t be hard on yourself. Just make a list of all your spending and eliminate the one that you can live without. But no- your electricity bill has to be paid…

 

Please let me know down in a comment section if you know any more ways of cheap book buying. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did while writing it :).

The post 13 steps to create your own library on a budget. appeared first on One Chapter More.

Mass Market Paperback, 436 pages
Published September 7th 2004 by Plume Books (first published September 21st 2001)



Original Title
Bitten
Author
Kelley Armstrong


ISBN
0452286034 (ISBN13: 9780452286030)
My rating:
4,5/10

 

Elena lives in Toronto with her human boyfriend and tries to lead as normal life as possible. It’s not an easy task since she was bitten by a werewolf – she never is going to be normal.  But between changes into a wolf -she tries. One day she gets a phone call from the alpha of her old pack. They need her skills and help to catch the mutt that might put them all in danger. Even though she promised herself she’s not going back she can’t leave them on their own. Elena decides to visit New York for the last time, just for few days. She doesn’t know yet that few mutts might not be her only problem, there is also Clay- her sexy ex-lover who wants to stop her from leaving him again.

Now imagine you are going on a blind date. All you know is that the guy is handsome as fuck, his job is the most interesting you could ever think of and add to this his car- the newest version of Lamborghini. In red. Anything the girl could dream of, isn’t it? Then you go on this date all happy and excited but after 10 min you realize the guy is as boring as a tennis shoe and you cannot wait until the date is over (or fake emergency phone call from your friend. Upss… You didn’t set up one as you thought it’s gonna be just great). This is how I felt about this book… Idea, subject, characters even the plot all sounded so much like my type of a story and then I started reading it. So static that even a fight was just boring, no action whatsoever. Cut to the point girl!

Don’t get me wrong- it was very well written. Very well just not in a style that this book should have been written. It would suit better a diary or historical fiction not a paranormal romance that usually is full of action and changes (and if you read between all the retrospection going on you see that the author was trying to show it- unsuccessfully- at least for me). The monumental descriptions, all the retrospection made this so called ‘art’ just too heavy for a reader. That feeling when you read and read and read and read for hours and it’s only page 44… It took me almost a week to finish it and usually I like to get over a book throughout the night. It wasn’t a one night stand but neither a week long romance. More like a guest that starts to smell after three days. Even your favourite aunt- if she stays too long you just get annoyed that you cannot walk naked in your own space. Ok, maybe this was a very bad metaphor but you know what I mean?

I bought “bitten”- first book in a series- and I am not sure if I’m going to give a second chance to it. Elena as a nice character was quite bitter for me and poor Clay… I wish my boyfriend was as devoted to me as he was to her. 10 years of her fighting him and he still didn’t see a world… Just her. I understand he made her life ‘a hell’ but let’s be honest- she didn’t have the happiest childhood neither. At least with him biting her he gave her much more than just the werewolf power (and hello- isn’t that just so cool on its own??), he also gave her a family she never had before. Christmas like she never had before. My heart is melting while writing it… Maybe a little bit of appreciation would be in order? And what is wrong with you girl, going on two fronts? Oh, I decided to be a human so I’m gonna get myself a human boyfriend. And then you’re back not even 48h and you’re fucking the guy you supposedly hate so much? I smell a personality disorder… Make up your mind, please… I could feel she was looking for excuses for her behaviour but let’s be honest you can’t have everything! You can’t leave one fella to have another and then come back whenever you feel like it. Few sessions at the shrink Klaudia and we would fix you good :).

To be honest after almost 200 pages I was about to give up and get something else to read but I am quite happy this book didn’t win over me. The last part of it was quite interesting but I know a lot of people do not have enough patience to survive that long. Only if it was written like that from the beginning… It would make my rating way higher.

To finalize this already too long review I’m going to quote Lil Uzi Vert ‘If you’re you, it doesn’t matter if you’re the most boring person in the world: someone will like you.’ And this relates to this book. I didn’t really enjoy it but you might, so do not be discouraged and after reading- comment below. Maybe you’re be able to convince me to read the second book in the series “Stolen”. Or if you share my point of few please show me some love :).

The post Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. Book of no action but long retrospection appeared first on One Chapter More.

 

There was once a young woman, seemingly ordinary in her uniqueness. She shone like a lighthouse in the dark and rainy day showing the way to those who said goodbye to this world. She was a portal to the other plane (heaven) where good enough souls were getting the ticket to. That’s not all she did in her life. She was excellent in getting herself in trouble, pursuing criminals every day, and making her loved ones crazy by telling them stories about herself. She was hit, challenged, thrown of the building and somehow she came out of every situation alive.

“I have three words for you,” EMT Guy said. “Possible internal bleeding.”

I turned back to him. “Don’t you think if I was bleeding internally, I’d know somewhere deep inside? Like, internally?” 

Charley Davidson because I am talking about her here – the undisputed queen of the situation took me for a journey of 12 books (so far) that I will not forget for a long, long time. Because of her I fell in love with reading again and decided to create this website.

I am reviewing the books as a series here not as singles because I believe there has to be at least one review showing the entirety (except the 13th book which I already am not able to wait for!). If you want to know what the books are about, please scroll down (where I’m leaving the links to good reads) and then check out ‘ the rest of the post.

I came across the First Grave on the Right quite accidentally in the library. I was wondering the corridors filled with works of the great authors but still wasn’t motivated to choose anything. The time of the month did not help either as my hormones (I know TMI…) were up to the ceiling causing me to feel sorry about myself. Literally with having no idea what I want I grabbed the very random book and went to the check out. Next day during my lunch break at work I was lost. Completely fell for it. Just with few pages in I was laughing like I never laughed before when reading a book. I wasn’t able to do my job properly waiting to get home and swallow the novel. Which I did. And the same day I went onto the online library and requested other 11 books that were available.

“That took balls.”

“Please,” I said with a snort, “that took ovaries. Of which I have two.”

Now the question is why. Why did I like it so much? I even had nightmares about Satan and his demons all night long after reading the first book. They were possessing me and I had to put the night lamp on in order to fall asleep again at down (alone in bed- my Boo was working). So why for God’s sake did I like it so much? The only credible explanation is that I must be cray-cray. But let me tell you one thing- since the day I’ve read this book I can’t stop thinking about it. I might have or might have not cry a little bit after finishing the 12th part.

Every chapter starts with a little quote- sarcastic, strong, hilarious and 80% of them about coffee (my favourite ones). The language the book is written in is easy but sharp, witty and very clever. If you don’t know how the sarcasm works you will not appreciate the excellent dialogs, humorous jokes or even the various description of things and people. Darynda Jones (author) is not afraid of using words like fuck or cunt but she does it so charmingly that even a saint would forgive her. Love scenes for sure they will make you hot. Especially if it’s also on the spiritual level (how else to call it if you have hot ricky ticky on the body level as well as spiritually in other dimension? In the same time?). This story is alive and as alive thing it constantly changes. Full of crimes, enemies and bruises but also laughs, love and friendships.

“Can I jump in your body and make out with my wife through you?”

I fought a grin. “It doesn’t really work that way.”

“Then can you just make out with my wife and pretend I’m in your body?”

“No.”

“I can pay. I have money.”

“How much we talking?”

The only downside of this story is that I don’t know how it ends. Yet… All I have to do is wait patiently and in the meantime drink coffee (coconut milk cappuccino with peppermint syrup- try before judging!).

Charley, oh Charley… If you weren’t god (with the small letter) and no one tried to kill you every now and then I think we could be best friends. Klaudia –your second Cookie – there are never to many, right? We both love coffee, six packs and can’t help the sarcasm. The Dream Team.

 

The last thing I felt before completely disappearing into the ether was the heat, the blinding heat, of Reyes’s incomprehensible fury as I was cast into a lightless realm.

 

And as a conclusion for this series read the below quote:

“I’m like crack. People don’t want to like me, but once they get a taste, they always come back for more.”

 

 

For more details check out the Good Reads :

https://www.goodreads.com/series/5263...

The post Stories you can’t sleep after reading- Life of Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones (12 first books in a series) appeared first on One Chapter More.

Hardcover, 356 pages
Published September 16th 2014 by HarperCollins (first published September 1st 2014)



Original Title
Made For You
Author
Melissa Marr


ISBN
0062011197 (ISBN13: 9780062011190)

What teenagers do in their spare time? Plan the murders. At least that is what he does.  But not to harm… Just to teach. To send a message.

God gave him a sign that Eve can be saved when she survived him running over her with his car so now he needs to plan how to give her a lesson that in a past someone else- so close to him- taught himself. Even if he needs to kill in order to do so- even if he needs to kill a girl ‘so much like Eve’ that occasionally pleases him physically.  He’ll do anything- after all she was made for him. What he doesn’t know is that Eve so close to death woke up with special ability – she sees how the person is going to die and she’s not planning on sitting quietly while people around her are getting killed because of her…

Made for you by Melissa Marr is the first book I have decided to write a review about on my website. The twisted events that should never had happened in a quiet and safe Jessup made me read this book in one evening. I just simply wanted to know how it ends so I ‘swallowed’ the novel. This is why I rated it so high- I love books that keep me in the flow of reading, making me tired in the morning cause I ‘haven’t had enough of sleep’. I honestly believe I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the story 5 years ago as a ‘young adult’ reader.

So many topics that could be discussed after reading this book- what will she do with her gift? What does the obsession do to the young mind? How much parents can actually fuck up the kid? Can we improve the relations with our parents even after 17 years of living next to each other with no emotional contact? What is the teenager actually doing when saying ‘I’m going to the library to study’? This book is definitely the one that a parent should read. Very disturbing but also very interesting as in 21 centaury anything is possible.

After reading first 30 pages I noticed two things so true and cruel in today’s world. Firstly looks are very important – it is mentioned at least 6 times by the 6th day- it made me so irritated that I needed to share my piece of mind with other people on Instagram. Three out of five people felt the same way (I’m besties with one of them now

Hopeless romantic who believes in fairy tales, cheat day and power of coffee. Not everyone tolerates me. But not everyone matters. I like my bed more than I like most people. Especially if I can just stay in it all day and read a book with the caffeine next to my bed or a glass of Malbec. Or both. And multiple it by two. I speak my mind. I never mind what I speak- unless you’re my future mother in law. When I’m bored I start to sing. Then I realize that my voice is giving me a headache so I take a romance novel instead. I’m not sarcastic only when I sleep. I wish the week was upside down – 5 days of the weekend and 2 of business/working days. I drink coffee for your protection.

I’m currently 23 years old and still have no idea how I got here. Millions of plans for the future but too lazy to make half of them happen. I have my love story writing itself at the moment. English is not my first language so don’t mind my grammar – most certainly I won’t. I write the way I think –chaotically and I might change my mind twice in a sentence.  I can go from €500 to €0 way too quickly- the library won’t build itself! That is why I love freebies and charities so much- they let me spend the money for food not books.

Don’t be shy to write me an email or comment a post or follow me on the Instagram – I am very confident I’ll forget to answer/follow back but please don’t be mad because of this- it’s not on purpose- I really did forget!

The post Head in the cloud- About me appeared first on One Chapter More.

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So, I had a story published. And they paid me. Even a month later I haven’t quite got over this. So proud. It’s called White Noise and it is published by Holdfast Magazine. You can find it here.