Anyway, I have some more weird dream stuff to tell you all about! Except this time it's more of a recurring thing that's been happening rather than a specific dream.
Sometimes my mind narrates my dreams as though I'm reading a book.
Seriously. This is a new thing that started happening about a year or two ago when I started getting back into writing. And it's not even like a voiceover in a movie, it's literally like I'm reading (or writing) a book at the same that the scene is playing out in front of me with the descriptions of everything going on and all that. Now if only I could harness this power, record all the writing I apparently literally do in my sleep, maybe I'd have a book written by now, haha. Does this ever happen to anyone else? It feels really strange.
Anyway, I actually do not have any real news to share this week, so I will just leave you with that and get on with the bookish and bloggy stuff.
Blog/Bookish Updates:
I was interviewed! If you want to learn some random things about me, on Daniela Ark’s blog 🙂 (Actually, you should just check out her blog anyway!)
I’ve also been thinking, even though I never actually went ARC crazy and am pretty picky about what I accept… I still feel like I’m accepting too many review copies that just aren’t books I’m DYING to read, and therefore I end up enjoying them but not LOVING them. Meanwhile, I have a whole TBR full of books, some of which I am dying to read. And I had goals at the beginning of the year that have been getting neglected. So I think I might get even stricter about review copies from now on. Well, I’m gonna try. I make no promises lol. But I did good this week since I didn’t get any!
Books I Received for Review:
Nothing!
Books I Finished:
Yeah, slow reading week for me. I’ve been having trouble concentrating. Anyway, Chasing Sunrise was surprisingly dark considering the lightness of the cover, and it was very character driven, so I was happy about those things. I was also happy that it had vampires because I feel like I haven’t read enough vampire books lately. And I had never read about a cross-dressing character before.
Song of the Week:
“Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow – I have no idea what this song is about (I really don’t see the connection between Genghis Khan and monogamy), but it’s catchy.
In Case You Missed It:
– I shared book covers with skulls on them.
– I asked you all what age protagonists you prefer.
– I reviewed How to Ditch Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser, a great sequel in an amazing, emotional, quirky urban fantasy series.
– I reviewed Artificial by Jadah McCoy, a gritty, gripping start to a new sci-fi/cyberpunk/android/dystopian/genetic engineering series.
The Sunday Post Link-Up:
Once again, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer 🙂
I often dream about my papers when it’s that time of the semester for uni, and so, I keep a notebook and some pens in my nightstand. It has really helped me – especially if I was stuck at one point 🙂 And that one sentence I didn’t even remember writing down in the middle of the night ended up earning me a great grade, and helped me finish my paper really quickly 🙂
I have the same problem when it comes to review books, Kristen. I think I’m going to try to stay away from Netgalley, and just enjoy all the books I have bought, and that are neglected on my shelves.
Have a fantastic week ahead and happy reading.
So I’m not completely alone! Lol. Except I never actually remember specific sentences, so that’s cool that you’ve actually gotten help from your dreams.
I’m not planning to completely stay away from Netgalley or from review copies, but yeah, I do want to enjoy some more of my neglected non-review copies! You have a great week too 🙂
First off, I hope they fix your laptop for real this time. That’s such an annoying situation! Secondly, it sounds like your dreams are far more entertaining and vivid than mine tend to be. Also, I’ve tried to get a lot more discriminating when it comes to requesting books for review. I’ve done a pretty good job so far. Of course, I’ve also more or less chucked my “schedule” out the window and I’m reading what I want, when I want. It’s liberating and I’m enjoying it all so much more now.
Thank you, it has definitely been frustrating!
Yeah, ever since I was a kid I’ve had crazy vivid dreams and remembered them often. For the most part I like it, but sometimes it’s actually kind of exhausting.
I feel like I do miss that freeness of just reading whatever I want after the past month or two of pretty much only reading review copies. On the other hand, I’m super indecisive, and it’s been surprisingly helpful having a schedule of books to read. I think I just need a balance of the two.
I used to have that very same problem with review books, but I have reined myself in only allowing a certain number each month. This means I’ve become much pickier about the books I agree to, but it keeps me from being overwhelmed.
My dreams don’t do the narration thing, actually I don’t remember my dreams hardly at all if I do dream. But I tended to run through possible plot lines before I fall asleep, ok this might sound weird but it’s like I’m telling myself a bedtime story. I keep a notebook next to the bed in case I make any breakthroughs.
Putting a limit on the number of books sounds like a good method. If I can’t manage to keep myself in control, I might do that. Reading excerpts from the beginning of the book when possible is proving to be a pretty good deterrent for some books though lol.
Actually that doesn’t weird, it sounds like a great way to fall asleep and possibly get some good ideas since, let’s face, we all get our best ideas when we’re either in the shower and trying to fall asleep lol.
I haven’t had a dream like that Kirsten but do have a few recurring ones. Some of mine are pretty common and their meaning kinda obvious… but yours sounds a bit more complex.
Keen to read your interview over at Daniela’s blog!
I’ve actually never believed most of my dreams have meaning. Some of them, yeah, I can see the connection to my life or some sort of meaning. But most of them throughout my life have just been so freaking weird that I really think it was just my imagination having fun and nothing more.
And I definitely think you should check out the interview, though my opinion about it is probably bit biased 😉
I totally get you about those review copies. I definitely need to get stricter about them too. It’s just so hard!! Sigh..
I hardly ever dream.. Atleast I almost never remember them.. And when I do I would love to forget about them because they freak me out or scare the crap out of me.
I had a very slow reading week. I’m going to catch up on my reading ASAP!!
Happy reading 😉
That is one downside of remembering my dreams—I remember the unsettling and bad ones too. Luckily I don’t have too many of those though.
Ugh I seriously need to catch up reading too. I mean, one book?! I didn’t even do anything else productive enough to make up for the lack of reading lol.
I hope they finally get your laptop fixed up! Have a great week!
Thanks! They’d better get it fixed this time lol. You have a great week too 🙂
Oh I hope they fix it right this time. Sometimes my dreams are so vivid when I first wake up I am unsure if it happened or I dreamt it..LOL I am avoiding all arcs, and only looking for ones that I would have bought anyway. My own tbr pile has been calling me lately. Have a wonderful week!
Thanks, they’d better lol. I too have actually have had a few dreams in my life that were so realistic and kind of like my normal life that I did get a bit confused, ended up being angry at someone and having to remind myself they didn’t actually do the thing that made me angry in real life, etc.
Yeah, I’m trying to basically only accept books that I would put on my TBR even if they weren’t free review copies. But then of course it’s really easy to lie to ourselves lol. You have a great week too!
I couldn’t consider myself ARC crazy either, but I’m drowning in ARCs too. Why is it soo easy??
And my fingers are crossed for your laptop!
Right?! It really is so easy to start drowning in ARCs! Even if you only accept two a week, for example, if you don’t *read* two a week, they just multiplying.
Thanks! My fingers are crossed too!
Best of luck with your laptop. I always feel so lost when mine is away from me. Your dreams sound fascinating. Do you dream in color? I don’t but my sister used to.
My Sunday Post
I’ve at least got an old one I’m using now, but for a while I was just using my kindle, and I definitely felt lost. I’m still trying to catch up on everything!
I do dream in color. I didn’t actually realize that everyone didn’t! So that’s interesting that you don’t.
I have been feeling the same way with ARCs. I don’t even accept that many to begin with, but I still accepted if I was even mildly interested. So now, I kind of have a backlog of review copies to read while still wanted to read books I bought! So, I’ve actually started saying no more often. I think I might actually close requests for a little while to allow myself to get caught up. But then that scares me because what If I miss something good! I’ve discovered a few favorites from ARCs :/ THE STRUGGLE.
Haha, exactly, I don’t plan to completely stop or even to put an exact number limit because what if I miss something great?! Or what if one month there are no ARCs I want but another there are a bunch? So I’m just trying to have willpower and mostly to not get sucked in by pretty covers that only have decent sounding stories. I think if I can find a balance between review copies and other books, that’ll be best for me.
Ugh, but the pretty covers! xD I actually just went through all the books I own and I’m parting with about 20. WOAH. I either didn’t like them or STILL haven’t read them. So maybe that’ll make me less stress when it comes to all the books I do want to read, including ARCs 😀
I really am getting worse about judging books by their covers. But wow! I kind of only have like 20 physical books to begin with, haha, but I have a few that I won in a prize pack that I KNOW I’ll never read, and I can’t even bring myself to get rid of those yet lol. I like to think I will at some point though, just so they can have happy homes and make other people happy. But anyway, I’m kind of a book hoarder, even with ebooks, so I commend you! It probably make you less stressed too 🙂
That’s good they at least paid for the shipping this time. Let’s hope they will fix it now.
I don’t think I’ve had dreams like that, but I do often have these types of dreams where it’s like I am an actor in a book or story and we’re playing the story through. I know it’s me, but at the same time I am someone else too, a character in the story. And I’ve had quite some dreams where I thought they would make a great story, although usually when I wake up I forget some parts or it doesn’t sound as good as it did when I was sleeping.
Just stopped by the interview post this afternoon and I really enjoyed reading it and learning more about you! Daniela is a great interviewer! I can’t wait to see with what questions she’ll come up for me.
It’s sometimes hard to be strict about review copies. I have been doing a bit better at netgalley and only requesting books i really want to read or are sequels to books I’ve read already. And now I suddenly got a bunch of books I really want to read directly from authors. Which is great, but it does add to my review pile again.
Chasing Sunrise does look like a lighter book from the cover. I am glad you enjoyed it. I don’t think I’ve read a book about a cross dresser before either. I hope you’ll have a great week!
Yeah, I thought they would hassle me about the shipping, so that was good at least.
Hmm, your type of dream is interesting too. Dreams can really be so weird. Like, not just the things that happen, but the way my mind narrates some of them, or your mind knows you’re you but also being another person at the same time, or times when I’ve had dreams that were more just about a feeling than actual stuff happening, etc. Though my dreams have always been too weird to make actual stories out of lol.
Glad you enjoyed the interview! I saw that you commented but didn’t get a chance to respond yet, so I’ll stop by there soon 🙂
It is hard to be strict about review copies sometimes because what if one day I decide I want to read that, and I then I missed out?! But yeah, Chasing Sunrise was good, and I really liked the way his cross-dressing was handled in the book. You have a great week too!
Dreams are so weird. A lot of times I forget mine but occasionally one stays with me and it’s like whoa what’s up with that? The mind does strange things sometimes. 🙂 I have noticed lately that if I’m stuck with writing that sometimes an idea comes late at night, when you’d think my brain would be tired. Maybe that’s when my brain is mot creative, in a weird way. Who knows? 🙂
I have often wondered if doing something creative (writing art, whatever) makes our brains work differently. I’m sure it does. Anyway… the other thing is how a dream can make so much sense at the time, then you wake up and it’s like that made NO sense lol.
The mind really does do strange things, especially in dreams. But actually it makes complete sense to me that you get ideas late at night because I’m a night owl. I’ve always been most creative and done most of my writing and creative stuff at night. Something about the daylight kinda zaps my creativity. But as I mention in my bio and whatnot, there’s this magic in the night for me.
But yeah, I’m sure doing creative things probably does make the brain work differently, uses different sections of it, maybe gives off different chemicals, etc. I mean, that happens with things like working out, so it makes sense that it would happen with creative things!
I’ve always loved the night. Something about it- the stillness, moonlight, the slightly dangerous feel of it lol. I’ve always been a night person so yeah I can relate. I used to love stargazing… I stay up way too late sometimes. 🙂
So you understand me 🙂 No matter how quiet it gets, the daytime just doesn’t have that same stillness or feel to it. I feel like you have to actual feel it to understand it. People who don’t feel the magic just don’t get it. I know I’ve read somewhere though that creativity people are often night people/most people are more creative at night. Something along those lines.
ugh laptop people better don’t! I already told you about us book bloggers!
This is seriously the FIRST time I EVER hear about writing while dreaming! that is sooooo a sign you need to talk about your WIP [sorry I had to go there 🙂 ]
I totally know what you mean about the ARCs, That’s why I stopped accepting requests for reviews. I’m on the honeymoon phase with my girl NetGalley and that’s why I’m requesting like crazy but I’m sure I’m gonna get over it and gonna want to go back to the books I’m dying to read.
Oh thanks for the blog love 🙂 <3<3<3
Haha, if they don’t fix it this time, I’m gonna sic you on them.
I think your expectations for my WIP are far too high though lol. It’s *barely* a WIP, and it still has so many issues I’m trying to work out!
I still accept requests because that’s not so much my problem. It’s more just in general, from Netgalley and everything too, I get too sucked in by books that I’m not completely sure about. But lol to your honeymoon phase. And no problem about the blog love 😀
I hope your computer is properly repaired this time! Ugh! It must be so frustrating! I can’t say as I have dreams like yours…I wish I did! But I’d be like you and wish I could harness the ability to actually record all I was writing in my dream. I rarely even remember my dreams though. Although last week, I awoke in a panic as I’d been dreaming that I drove off the side of a mountain…it’s somewhere I drive by weekly, and I could feel the fall, see the trees and rocks of the bottom of the gorge coming at me, and I was thinking “I’m not going to survive this.” I woke up before I made impact. Yeah. Scary.
I can appreciate your thoughts on review copies. I ended up having to say I’m not accepting review requests (unless I’ve already read for you) to manage *not* accepting too many ARCs. I also don’t visit Netgalley often. *haha* I have waaaay too many books already and they really need my attention. Besides, a certain blogger (she who shall not be named *cough* you *cough*) keeps adding books to my shelves faster than I can read! 😉
Have a wonderful week, Kristen!!
Thanks! It’s definitely been frustrating.
Yikes, that dream sounds terrible! The majority of my dreams are just good, or rather just weird but not bad lol, but I do occasionally have bad/scary ones, so I know what it’s like, though yours seems particularly terrifying.
See my problem isn’t just the requests from authors though. Sometimes I do get requests for good sounding books. It’s just that on Netgalley and everything I’m often plagued by the “I’m not really sure about this book but then what if it’s great and I miss out on it?!” line of reasoning lol. But whaaaat? Someone keeps adding books to your TBR? Who would do such a thing?! *looks around innocently* 😉
You have a great week too!
It must be time for laptops to play up. I’ve been having battery issues with mine. Although I’ve been having internet issues in general thanks to a hoard of insane squirrels chewing through the lines.
As for the dream thing, if I’m stressed, I noticed that my dreams go all out of whack.
Squirrels chewing through the line?! That does sound rather insane of them lol.
Yeah, I suppose stress does sometimes give me unsettling/bad dreams, but my dreams are just plain weird all the time 😛
I really hope they finally get your laptop fixed properly! That’s so annoying!
Your dreams sound interesting. That has never happened to me! BUT I did just have a dream where I was stuck in a haunted house but couldn’t escape because I was trying to pack all my books in a bag but they wouldn’t fit and I couldn’t leave any behind…
I guess we know what’s on our minds even when we sleep, though: books/writing. 😉
Good job on not requesting review copies! That must take some effort!
Thanks, it really has been frustrating.
Hahahaha I love that you had a dream about not being able to fit all your books while escaping a haunted house. That’s like the sign of a true bookworm. You clearly have your priorities straight 😉
Yeah… after I posted about not taking review copies, I went and requested like four on Edelweiss lol.