CanadianContent discussion

Welcome to the fun year-long book exchange for 2019! This year we have eleven people participating. In the next couple of days, everyone should have their partners assigned.

Once you know who you're sending books to, please go ahead and start "creeping" their shelves! A reminder to everyone -- now is a good time to help your sender by making your shelves intuitive for creeping! We're all such big readers (and book owners!) that it's helpful to make it obvious what books you already own or have read.

Over the next 12 months, please send your recipient four new books. The final book should arrive after November 15, 2019.

We can use this space to chit chat about what parcels we receive -- and anything else that comes up between now and Nov 15! After that date, we'll start a new thread to include people who'd like to join in for the last/holiday portion of the exchange.

Have fun!

Fun! Thanks for organizing another year of exciting book surprises.

Super excited to join again this year.

For my secret sender, I have a couple shelves that may be of interest.

Tsunkoku is where I list books that I own but haven't read.
Own and Read is pretty self-explanatory.
Want to Own is a short shelf where I put books I loved and want to read again and again.
Anticipated is where I list books I'm looking forward to reading or being published.

I had so much fun last year and am looking forward to more fun this year.

Secret Sender, I have a Wish List and a Wish List Canadian shelf that I keep updated. I am very open to all books that you think I'd enjoy.

My "Want To Read" list is also fairly current, if you can see which ones I own. Otherwise, this shelf is possibly confusing. I wish we could add books to GR without using one of the three "mandatory" shelves.

Super excited to be involved in a year of secret sender! I loved being a Secret Santa and this will be even more fun! Thanks for making this possible.

Petra wrote: "I had so much fun last year and am looking forward to more fun this year.

Secret Sender, I have a Wish List and a Wish List Canadian shelf that I keep updated. I am very open to all books that yo..."

Why don't you create a shelf called Want to Read and Own - and include owned books that you haven't read yet but want to read on this shelf. Then you can leave GR standard Want to Read shelf for books you want to read and don't yet own. As well as being helpful to your Secret Sender for gifting possibilities, it might be helpful for you as well to keep track of the books you already own but haven't read yet..

MJ, I'll explore that. I didn't realize we could add a mandatory shelf.
Thanks!
I do have a "books I own" shelf but GR puts all books on one of the mandatory shelves as well as my own shelves, so that's no help. If I can make your suggestion work, that would be great.
…..and I could get rid of my current "books I own" shelf, so no extra clutter.

@ Petra, it won't be a mandatory shelf, but it will be a shelf that indicates to others want you Want to Read and don't own yet.

The new shelf will not be included in the Want to Read books that GR shows. Depends on how important that number is to you. IMO the Want to Read number just inflates peoples' books in their profile - they've read 200 but want to read 1000 so there's a hugely inflated number. Also GR Want to Reads is included in book comparisons between readers....which makes no sense to me because the reader may never read the books or read them and dislike them. Just choose whatever works for you.

Ahh, thanks, MJ. That makes sense.
When I do comparisons of books with others, I change the parameters to books "read" for both of us.
I'm also not fond that GR uses the "want to read" shelf for recommendations for the same reasons you state.

For me the only shelf that has books that I do not own are the shelves labelled:

- entered giveaway
- waiting for price drop
- wish list - want to buy

Everything else I own: Yes I am a book addict and own a s**t load of books.

@Rainey ~ Thanks for sharing. I own a lot of books, too. This week I started to list them on a shelf, but it is using precious reading time and there is no way that I can list all the books that I own. I like your wish list - want to buy shelf and hope to make one.

Kathleen wrote: "@Rainey ~ Thanks for sharing. I own a lot of books, too. This week I started to list them on a shelf, but it is using precious reading time and there is no way that I can list all the books that I ..."

I actually had them originally listed on the other book website that Amazon used to own - they shut it down and transferred my books to this one.

If you own any books bought from Amazon you can import them.

Aww, seems like I missed a wonderful opportunity! I would love to be included for the 2019 holiday season, and the 2020 Secret Sender Group ... what fun!!!

Can I please use in a couple of my groups? Such a great idea!

Sincerely,
Ali

For my secret sender, I have the following shelves for books I own, but haven't yet read:

- hardcopy unread
- eBook unread
- audiobook unread

I also have a shelf called "wish list" for books I really want to get my hands on!

Good morning everyone. My shelves are pretty easy. If it is on my "want to read" shelf, it means I own it. I am open to read anything, which you can see from my "read" shelf. I am looking forward to participating in this again.

Oh my goodness, am I the first recipient of 2019!?!! Lucky me!

The spoiling continues.... today I received two beautifully wrapped books! I ripped them right open in front of my tiniest girl, who was waiting for me inside the door when I drove in and saw the package on the step. The first was a book that is newly on my horizon, which I am VERY excited for!! That Time I Loved You! Whether or not it makes the Canada Reads short list (less than 48 hours now!) I'm very excited to read this book.

The second is By Gaslight which has been on my radar since Sept 2017 when I saw Steven Price speaking at the Kingston Writer's Fest. He had this beautiful deep velvet voice (!!!!!) and I totally fell for him. Hadn't picked up his book yet, but am excited to get to it this year.

Man, I have some (more) great reading ahead. Thank you Secret Sender!

@Allison I am very excited for you! What a lovely way to start off the year 2019! Enjoy.

Its great to get new books in the mail.

That’s so exciting ally!! Have fun with those.

Alison, how exciting! What a wonderful surprise to come home to.

Both of those books sound like good reads. Enjoy!

exciting! I have had By Gaslight on my shelf forever....

I have had By Gaslight on my shelf as well. Maybe I need to move it up to my TBR soon pile!

Fun news of the day! I also have Gaslight on my shelf and have been wanting to read it for a long time... this group always makes me chuckle- great minds, great people!

Greetings!! Today was a rough day and coming home to a secret sender package was exactly what i needed. my work team said good bye to a colleague who died of cancer last week. He was kind and thoughtful, always thinking of others. We often chatted about books when we ran into each other. As i left his funeral, I was thinking about all the silly things we worry about when in the scale of life what is really important is being kind to others. Secret sender fits the bill.... it is being kind and thoughtful to others and it makes us all smile as we receive, send and read about the books being chosen.

Thank you to my secret sender. Both books are ones that I have been looking forward to reading: Homes: A Refugee Story which is on my Canada Reads reading list and Born with a Tooth which I have been looking forward to reading since I met this author.

The timing could not have been more perfect and I thank you for your thoughtful gift!

Oh Susan, that’s perfect! So sorry to hear about your colleague. What a very nice surprise to come home to — book therapy. Sometimes it’s just perfect.

Susan, so sorry to hear about your colleague, never an easy time. Book-giving/receiving is upon us...wow...already! I love reading this thread, especially when a gift happens in a serendipitous way🙂

Susan, I'm so sorry to hear the news of your colleague. I'm sending hugs your way.
Your friend's thoughtfulness through Life will not be forgotten by those who had the good fortune to spend time with him.
I'm glad you came home to find a fun package to raise your spirits.

My thoughts are with you @Susan on the loss of your colleague. I hope that you and your team can lean on one another during this time and that this group can also be a support to you through friendship and the comfort of books.

I'm so sorry for your and your team's loss, Susan. He sounds like a good man to have known.

I am so sorry about your colleague, Susan. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

@Susan, I am so sorry to hear about your colleague!

Thanks everyone!

My oh my! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the first book from my secret Santa. Days by Moonlight by Andre Alexis. Thank you for the thoughtful book SS. I’m going to check to see if it fits on my bingo😘

AND it’s a signed edition!

Oh very cool choice, @Sarah! Awesome!

@ Sarah - Lucky You!! It is a bingo choice for a 2019 published book. In fact it's what I initially chose for the B4 square. Just released and a signed copy. Enjoy!!

Oh yay! That's great news!! Ok, it's definitely going in that square. Thank you SS.

That is awesome!!! I look forward to hearing what you think of his latest book!

@Sarah How exciting! I look forward to seeing how you like the book.

Sarah, that's terrific. A signed copy! That certainly is a fun surprise.

I’ll be adding that to my b4 square for bingo. I look forward to reading it!

Greetings - Today I received a book from my secret sender.

The Silence: A Novel - It is an autographed copy and it also includes a CD of the authors own music. How cool is that.

Thank you so much Secret Sender.

Link to pic below

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...

Very cool, Rainey! Once again, my favourite thread to read... 😁

Rainey, that is such a wonderful package to get. Have you listened to the CD yet?

Allison, I agree, this is a wonderful thread to see updates in. Love reading all the posts.

Petra wrote: "Rainey, that is such a wonderful package to get. Have you listened to the CD yet?

Allison, I agree, this is a wonderful thread to see updates in. Love reading all the posts."

I have not listened to the CD yet as my work computer CD player isn't working. All of her songs are on YouTube so have listened that way at work . Her music is nice.

@Rainey- I love the cover art on your new book! Story, art and music all wrapped into one gift!

Thank you, Secret Sender. I received a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday - a copy of Michelle Obama's Becoming. I'm really looking forward to reading this book.

Nice gift, Natasha! I haven't read it but she's just so engaging, of course. I hope you love it!

I received a wonderful surprise package in the mail today: a copy of Monkey Beach. What a perfect book! I've wanted to read this for years and haven't been able to.

Story: I have taken this book out of the library 3 times already. Each time I have it in my hands, we get unexpectedly busy and I can't find time to read it. Always.....always, there's a queue and I have to return it unread.
Obviously owning the book is the way to go with this read. LOL!

Thank you, Secret Sender! This is truly the perfect book and I can't wait to dig in. Thank you!

@Rainey, Natasha and Petra - how exciting!

The Silence is new to me - enjoy!

Becoming is a great book!

Monkey Beach is a terrific read and I love the story you shared Petra!