Spooky Reading Recs for Children under 10 & Level 3 Library Info

Hi!

I recently posted my own Halloween reading recommendations and TBR pile for October. Do you think I've read a single one of them yet? Guess. 

This is a childrens edition in case you want to read some spooky books with/to your children during Spooky Season. The library is a brilliant resource when it comes to Halloween books for children, because they have such a huge selection to suit all ages. Personally, I used to borrow so many Goosebumps, Fear Street and Point Horror as a kid (which would still all be perfect for a pre-teen to read now).

Ireland is currently under Level 3 Restrictions, which unfortunately means that libraries are not open for browsing. However, at the time of posting this, libraries ARE still in operation for click and collect or delivery in some areas (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown are currently delivering books to coccooners, for example). You can check the Libraries Ireland Twitter account or have a look at your own County library website for more information, but please do continue to use the library during this time. You can also join the library free online at any time of the day or night, and you can use the free Borrowbox app for audiobooks and ebooks on your phone or tablet. 

Let's get straight into the books. All of these would be suitable for children under the age of ten, some are scary and some are not, I'll let you know which is which. All bookshops linked are non-affiliate links to independent Irish bookshops. 

ROOM ON THE BROOM by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

The witch and her cat are having a great time flying round on her broom until she loses some of her belongings and needs the help of some animals to help her find them. In return, the animals want a ride on the broom, but is there room? This book doesn't have anything scary in it. 

Gutter Bookshop | Kennys.ie | Reserve at the Library

HAVE YOU SEEN THE DUBLIN VAMPIRE? by Úna Woods

Join the vampire as he takes us on a tour all around Dublin City, home of Bram Stoker. This is a gorgeous new book with beautiful illustrations depicting some of the famous City sights. There's nothing scary in this book. 

Gutter Bookshop | Kennys.ie | Reserve at the Library

SCARY EDWIN PAGE by Alec Sillifant, illustrated by Daniel Postgate

Edwin Page loves to scare people. His hair is blacker than the night, and he loves Halloween more than anything. Nothing scares Edwin - until he knocks on the door of a nice old lady...

This one is a little scary, the old lady is actually a bug lady and scares Edwin so much that his hair turns white, so if your child is very nervous then stay away from it. My boys are gross and adored it. I bought this book in Dealz, so please do have a look in their book section because they always have really cute Halloween and Christmas books for €1.49.

 Kennys.ie | Reserve at the Library

MR. MEN HALLOWEEN PARTY by Roger Hargreaves & Adam Hargreaves

Lots of the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters are having a party. Everyone has their own cool costume, but who is the spooky ghost?? This one isn't scary and is suitable for a 6+ year old to read on their own.

Kennys.ie | Reserve at the Library 

THIS BOOK IS NOT A BEDTIME STORY by Eoin McLoughlin, illustrated by Rob Starling

A very sweet book about some monsters who think they're very scary, but are actually very loveable and cuddly. They tell stories about a haunted house, a creepy wood, and lots of other spooky places - but they're not spooky at all. Spoiler alert - it kinda IS a bedtime story, it's not a scary book.

Gutter Bookshop | Reserve at the Library

If you are on the hunt for Halloween books for young children (why else would you be reading this) then you can find LOADS in a similar vein to the ones above by typing "Halloween" into the search bar on Kennys.ie. They have hundreds of books, all priced really reasonably, with free delivery. 

There's also thebookshop.ie, Ireland's largest second hand online book retailer. This is where you'll find books you probably read yourself as a kid - Goosebumps, the Buffy TV tie-ins, Point Horror (search by author, like R.L. Stine or Caroline B Cooney), and more. Prices start at only a couple of euro, you're shopping sustainably AND supporting a small Irish business. The search function can be a little funny so I recommend a good old fashioned browse through your preferred genres instead. Delivery is free on orders over €20.

Do let me know if you have any Halloween reading traditions or any books you love to read every year at Halloween!

How to Read Books for Free

Nothing to Declare 

Hi!

Firstly, the title is a bit clickbaity. I know. I don't think that anyone should feel like they can get a book someone has poured a year of their life into FOR FREE, but I do want people to read and I do want people to click this post. So, apologies.

I spoke briefly on my Instagram stories last night about NetGalley, and there was enough interest expressed in it to warrant this post. Firstly, the best way to "get books for free" is TO JOIN YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. I say this so often that I should just get it printed on a t-shirt - I really wish everyone who reads even one book a year would join the library. It's such a great resource, and like everything else, if it's not used, it could be in danger of not being there at some stage down the line. I've written a couple of posts about the library before, this one should tell you all you need to know about what services are offered and how to go about getting a shiny library card for yourself.

Back to NetGalley - I'm going to do this in question format so you it's easier to navigate.

What is NetGalley?
A website where publishers offer eBooks or digital ARCs (Advance Reading Copies) of books by authors they represent to people who will read and review said books. Books are available in advance of their official release, meaning that you can potentially read books months before you can buy them online or in a shop. You can sign up at www.netgalley.co.uk. Create a profile and remember, this is what a publisher will see if they're checking your profile to approve you. Link your social media.

Who can use NetGalley?
Anyone with an e-Reader and a platform to review books.

A platform - does that mean I need a blog?
Absolutely not. You can have a blog, if you want, or you can have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, a Goodreads account, an Amazon account - you must have SOMEWHERE you can review the book after you've read it. Different publishers have different requirements.

How do I get books?
Some books are available immediately, by clicking on "find titles" and going to the "read now" section. Others are harder to access, you must request them, and they will only be granted to you if you meet a certain feedback score. You need to grow your feedback in order to increase your chances of being approved.

How do I grow my feedback?
By downloading some books from the "read now" section. Granted, they're not likely to be by authors you've heard of yet, but there are some real gems in there (and a nice scattering of Christian Literature, if that floats your ark). If you download some of them, read them, and give feedback to the publishers, this will push your feedback ratio up and give you a better shot at getting to read some of the more well known or more anticipated releases. You can still chance your arm and apply for any book you want - sometimes you'll be approved, sometimes you'll be declined. Keep trying!

How do I get the books?
When you sign up, you put in the e-mail address of whatever device you want the books to be sent to. If this is a Kindle, you'll find that address in your Amazon account. You then need to add the Netgalley address to your list of approved e-mail addresses in Amazon. This sounds so complicated but it's really not, it's easy to set up and it only has to be done once to make sure anything you're approved for gets to you. When you apply for a book, you will receive an e-mail letting you know whether or not you have been approved. This mail could be instant, or it may take a few days.

What if I download a book and I hate it?
Probably best to not leave a scathing hate-filled rant on the publishers feedback page (and for the love of all that's holy do NOT tag the author into said rant on social media) but in general, Publishers WANT honest opinions. Tell them what exactly you didn't like. I've disliked covers, characters, story formats - just be fair. Equally, tell them what you did like. If you can't finish a book, there's now an option to declare that you won't be leaving feedback on that title, but this may affect your feedback score.

What happens if I request 10 books at a time and they all get approved?
Welcome to my greedy little world. I've done this repeatedly and every single time I do it I swear it won't happen again - I'm currently trying to clear a backlog so I can request more recent ones. Don't be greedy! Choose 2 or 3 at a time, read them, and review them in good time.

How do I get physical copies of books to review?
These are mainly issued to book bloggers. Often if you submit a review, you'll get an email from a PR contact or publisher about it. I've had a couple of reviews featured in copies of books based on my NetGalley feedback, which is always lovely. Other times you'll be invited to participate in a book blog tour, which readers of this blog will be familiar with (I've a few coming up). This is when a group of bloggers all post about a book around the date of its release to generate a bit of a buzz online. Eventually you can build up a nice relationship wth publishers or PR contacts who will add you to press lists and include you in mailings they think you may be interested in.

Anything else I should know?
Join your local library. But, nope. That should be enough to get you set up on NetGalley.

Happy Reading!

Audiobooks: A Beginners Guide

Nothing to Disclose

Hi!

I've always been a little bit wary of Audiobooks. I mean - why would I want to listen to someone reading a book when I could just read it myself?

Every year, my reading drops off a bit from September onwards. This is for a number of reasons - mainly due to Halloween/Christmas prep. This is my favourite time of the year, and I get a lot of crafting done, but I hate that I have to sacrifice reading in order to do it. Enter audiobooks.

What's an Audiobook?
It's a book, read aloud by a narrator. It's a file that you can send to any compatible device. You can download it and listen at any time offline.

Where do I get one?
The most well known source is probably Audible, because it's an Amazon company. Audiobooks are also available to borrow from the library for free via the Borrowbox app.

Who narrates the books?
This varies. In most cases, a professional narrator will do it. In some (mainly autobiographies), they're read by the author. Sometimes, well known celebrities will narrate books written by other people - for example, Anne Hathaway narrates The Princess Diaries; Alan Cumming narrates Macbeth: A Novel.

How long does it take to listen to one?
This also varies, depending on the length of the book. I've found that most standard psychological thrillers tend to run about 6-8 hours, while something like "IT" by Stephen King is over 44 hours long.

I'm on a limited Internet plan. Will this use up loads of my data?
The only time it uses data or wifi is when you're downloading a book. When you're playing a book, it doesn't use any data or wifi, or require any kind of internet connection. Books average a couple of hundred megabytes to download - the largest I've come across is, again, "IT", which was over 600mb (but it's also a beast of a book physically, over 1,000 pages).

What's the point?
If you want to read more books, or you enjoy reading but don't have the time, you can use listen to Audiobooks while you're doing something else. I let them play while I'm doing housework, or out walking, or at night. This means that I can get through an extra couple of books a week even if I'm busy doing something else. I know other people also listen to them on a commute, on lunch breaks, or in the car. People with certain learning difficulties may also find it easier to listen rather than read. They could be useful for people with arthritis or injuries that make it difficult to hold a book or turn pages.

What apps do I need? 
I use the free Audible app, and the free Borrowbox app to listen.

Tell me more about Audible.
- It's owned by Amazon. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial, using your Amazon account, and choose any book.
- You will need to download the free Audible app to listen.
- If you cancel your free trial, you can keep the book.
- If you decide to keep your subscription, it costs £7.99 per month.
- Every month you are given one "credit" - you can cash this in for a book of your choice.
- If you don't like it, you can return it and pick another one.
- All of the books you get using credits are yours to keep indefinitely.
- If you want more than one book a month, you'll have to pay for it on top of your membership fee.
- If you buy a book on Kindle, you'll sometimes be offered the eBook at a reduced rate.
- There are free books available, but it's quite hard to find them.
- You can listen to a 3-5 minute sample of any book before you choose to buy.

Tell me more about Borrowbox.
- It's used by all libraries in Ireland to provide eBooks and Audiobooks.
- You will need to download the free Borrowbox app and join your local library for free.
- You can borrow a number of Audiobooks at once, return as you read, then borrow more.
- If you are not finished a book before the return date, you can renew it provided no other member has reserved it.
- New releases get snapped up very quickly, so check the site regularly.
- You can reserve a book if it's already checked out by someone else.
- You can listen to a sample of any book before you choose to buy.

Which is better, Audible or Borrowbox?
There are pros and cons to both. I really love that I can borrow from the library, but I find the selection can be very limited. I love the selection on Audible, and the fact that I can keep every book I buy, but some of the books are woefully expensive (Hannah Hart's biography is over £17 and under 6 hours long?!). I would prefer something like the Kindle Unlimited scheme for Audiobooks - where you pay a flat monthly fee and are able to borrow and return as much as you wish.

I usually use my monthly credit on Audible to pick something new or popular that I'd have to wait months for at the library. Then I use the library in the meantime to catch up with books I may have missed, or even sometimes books I already own but haven't got time to physically read.

Some of my favourite listens so far have been:

Stephen King - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (read by Stephen King)
Alan Cumming - Not My Father's Son (read by Alan Cumming)
Stephen King - IT (read by Stephen Weber)
Sue Perkins - Spectacles (read by Sue Perkins)
Amy Poehler - Yes, Please (read by Amy Poehler)

I'd absolutely recommend that you give Audiobooks a go - especially if you'd like to read more but find that time is an issue.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, just shout!

Libraries Ireland - How to Borrow eBooks and Audiobooks

Not Sponsored or Paid | Nothing to Disclose

Hi!

As a child, Friday evening was the best time of the week. After school, I'd go down town in Mohill and head into the library. I'd be allowed pick 6 (or sometimes more) books and devour them over the weekend.

I'm still a library fiend - but sometimes I don't get the time to read physical books as much anymore so it takes me much longer to read, leaving me a bit daunted by the prospect of having to return them within a few weeks. I find it faster and easier to use the Kindle - especially as I can use it at night without disturbing anyone else.

A few months ago I discovered that not only do my library offer a huge range of eBooks to borrow online, but that I can also place requests, automatically renew books, borrow Audiobooks, and access a huge range of magazines.

For the purposes of this post, I'm not going to go through every County in Ireland - just Google your County and find out where your local library is - but I'll use my local one as an example to show you what's available. For free. Yep - membership of all public libraries in Ireland is now free. 

Longford County Library

This is the Umbrella for  6 libraries in Longford - Longford Town, Edgeworthstown, Drumlish, Ballymahon, Granard, Lanesborough. You can go in and join any of these libraries for free, then you'll be issued with a library card. Ask for a PIN to be set up on your account so you can access the Longford County Library site online, then you're all set. If you're already a member, just ask for your PIN to be activated. Should you need to, you can reset your PIN here.

eBooks and Audiobooks

Longford County Library uses the BorrowBox app, which is available on iOS and Android. You can install this for free on your Apple or Android device. I ran into a problem trying to get it on my Kindle Fire - but there's a step-by-step guide right here. Once you have the app, you can log in to the online library and start borrowing. Log on to your County Library website and find the eBook section. The online libraries are all on Bolinda Digital - the Longford one is at http://library.bolindadigital.com/longford. You're allowed a maximum number of Audiobooks and eBooks at a time (this varies - e.g. Longford allows you to borrow 5 of each, Galway 4 of each). You can borrow instantly and access your content through the app, or you can reserve books that are currently on loan (these count towards your total). You will not be able to borrow anything without a library card and PIN. There are adult, young adult, reference, childrens, cookery - the same selection as you'd get in a physical library. When you click borrow, you'll be given a return date (I think about 3 weeks). Once the date is coming near, you'll get an email to remind you that your time is almost up, then you can either return or renew by clicking the "return" button beside your book or "renew" provided no other member has reserved it.

You can check at the Libraries Ireland homepage here to see if your County library currently offers eBook or Audiobook services. By County library I mean the entire library network in your county - e.g. joining the library in Raheny would give you access to the entire Dublin City online catalogue, joining the library in Granard gives me access to the entire Longford County online catalogue. 

Magazines

Also available are magazines via Zinio. You can join here - Zinio. You'll need your library card number. Zinio is currently available to members of Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Donegal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick City and County, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford City & County, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow libraries.

With Zinio, you can download a free app (iPad, iPhone, Kindle HD/HDX, Android) to read magazines offline, or you can read online. Just scroll to the bottom of the page on the site (here) and you'll see the links to download.

There's an enormous range of current and back issues available - everything from All About Soap magazine to Top Gear, Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers US, Cross Stitcher, Teen Vogue. You can tick a box to receive an email when the next issue is available.

Newspapers

Newspapers are provided online by Proquest. You can find a link to your County here. When you click the link, you'll get this screen:

Enter your library card number to access the site. There's a huge archive of newspapers, magazines and trade journals from all over the world, available to read instantly (1,109 at last look). You can browse through publications or search for something specific.

When you click on a title, you can choose what year, then what month, week, etc you want to look at. The articles will then be shown and you can click through them - e.g. this is an article from the May 20th issue of the North Shore Times (Sydney) about Wi-Fi - you can see that it says "7 of 55" - meaning there are 55 articles to view from that issue. This could be a lovely way to keep up with local news from home if you don't have access to newspapers from where you grew up.

Hopefully this was easy to understand - I would love if more people joined the library and encouraged their children to join too. Books have been a comfort to me throughout every stage of my life, no matter what was going on at the time - so even if you're not a reader it would be such a great thing to introduce your children (or younger relatives) to!