Secret Reader Exchange

[Kim]

I forgot to post that I received my third secret sender book. Women Talking by Miriam Toews. Thank you very much. I look forward to reading it.

[Allison]

Oh great choice from your sender, Kim! I’m intrigued by this one and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Petra]

That's a terrific surprise and choice! Miriam Toews can't disappoint. She's a terrific author.

[Sarah]

I haven't heard of that one and I have yet to read a Miriam Toews novel.

[✿✿✿May]

OMG, my secret sender is a total psychic!! Just as I am anxiously waiting for my library hold to come through for Sing, Unburied, Sing, I received it in the mail today!! I am reading it for my in-person book club for next month. Thank you, thank you, my secret sender!

[Allison]

Hahaha! Awesome! Secret Senders are so extremely cool, aren’t they??? Great choice, @May!

[Wanda]

I was spoiled by my Secret Sender today, book #2 and book #3 arrived! Do Not Say We Have Nothing and Flights. I am eager to read them both! An awesome end to my day! Thank-you Secret Sender!

[Gillian]

My secret sender just sent me Middlesex! This was on my list of books to read before I died but now I'll actually get around to it! Thank you!

I love reading about the books everyone got. :)

[Allison]

I loved both Do Not Say We Have Nothing and Middlesex! Two great choices! I don't know your second book, Wanda. Will have to look into it.

[Petra]

Wow! The books are flying lately! I love coming here and reading the happiness the books are giving.

All the books sound wonderful. I loved Middlesex.

[Story]

@Wanda, I finished Flights last week and loved it. Hope you do too.

[Sarah]

This is so fun! Middlesex, one of my all time faves. I've got Do Not Say We Have Nothing and Sing, Unburied Sing on my shelf (have yet to read). And Flights, I'll have to check that one out.

[Gillian]

I just started Flights actually. I loved her other novel Primeval and Other Times so I thought I'd check her other work out. It's quite different but good so far.

[Petra]

I received a Secret Reader package yesterday! I was expecting a package and therefore put it aside and didn't open it until today when I was totally surprised. Thank you, Secret Sender!

I received New Boy from the Hogarth Shakespeare series. I am really enjoying this series and now have 2 to read. With winter coming, I'm going to enjoy these a lot.

New Boy is the retelling of Othello from the setting of a school ground. We all know how jealousies can boil up in a school yard. This should be an interesting plot point.

Thank you again, Secret Sender, for a perfect choice. Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors, although I haven't read her in a few years. I'm looking forward to rediscovering her again.

[Wanda]

@Petra- I think the Hogarth Shakespeare series is a unique story re-told experience- I have only read Dunbar but enjoyed it and would love to read the rest, I hope you enjoy yours!

[Petra]

Wanda wrote: "@Petra- I think the Hogarth Shakespeare series is a unique story re-told experience- I have only read Dunbar but enjoyed it and would love to read the rest, I hope you enjoy yours!"

Wanda, I'm so sorry to have missed this message!
I have read 2 of the Hogarth Shakespeare series and enjoyed both very much. I want to read them all, too.
The two I read (Hag-Seed and Vinegar Girl) were wonderful reads.
I'm looking forward to the longer evenings coming to catch up with the 2 I have sitting beside the couch: Macbeth and New Boy.

[Petra]

I have received a surprise gift in the mail that I can only attribute to my very generous Secret Sender (I think).
I've received a copy of Norwegian Wood! I'm thrilled....and completely surprised. I'm currently reading another book by Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and then another pops up in my mail box.
Thank you, Secret Sender!

[Allison]

Oh. My. Goodness!!!

My awesome Secret Sender sent me a HUMONGOUS book called By The Next Pause! At a whopping 875 pages, I cannot wait to get into it! I checked, and I had it on my "To Get My Hands On" list -- but I have no memory of where or when I got the recommendation to read it! Ha!

It sounds amazing, has great reviews, and has an absolutely beautiful cover -- the back cover is maybe even more beautiful, with a sprawling and gorgeous horizon of Toronto. I'm so excited -- thank you! I fear I won't get to this massive tome before March, as I need to finish BINGO and then Canada Reads starts. But please know, lovely Sender, that all the books you've sent are cherished and sitting on the "soon" pile in my bedroom!

[Rainey]

Allison wrote: "Oh. My. Goodness!!!

My awesome Secret Sender sent me a HUMONGOUS book called By The Next Pause! At a whopping 875 pages, I cannot wait to get into it! I checked, and I had it on my..."

The author introduced herself on our group page. I bought the Kindle Version.

[Allison]

Oh right! Thanks Rainey! You’re absolutely right.

[Petra]

I love seeing the posts of books arriving to their new owners.

Allison, that book does sound really good. You're going to be a busy reader. Almost 900 pages! LOL!

[Sarah]

Dear Secret Sender,

Today, I will be cracking the book you sent me, Alias Grace, for my Margaret Atwood BINGO square. Thank you again!

[Natasha]

I have a very generous and attentive Secret Santa. I received a greatly appreciated copy of “Our Homesick Songs”. Someone knows I can’t resist award listed books - short or longlist. I returned my eBook copy tonight and when I pick up the story again, it will be with my new present. Thank you!

[Shannon]

Hi guys - question.... I always participate in the Christmas/Holiday version of Secret Santa but opted out of the quarterly one. Will there still be a Christmas one?

[Allison]

Hi Shannon! I was just thinking about it!

Yes, for sure we added the option for people just to participate in the seasonal one. I’ll post something this weekend to get people involved in that, for those who weren’t involved in the year-long one. Good timing!

[Shannon]

Thank you! (count me in please :) )

[Rainey]

Great. Count me in as well please.

[Story]

Me too, please.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

For those of us who have participated all year @Allison, will we keep the same person for Secret Santa or will there be a new draw of names?

[Allison]

I think a year ago we decided that we’d stick with our same person for the December book. That way for those that are behind, or for those who are building a theme with gifts can keep it up for the last send.

So, I guess for those that want to add on for the December send, just let me know, like a few have here this afternoon! If your address has changed from last year, or if you didn’t participate last year, please send me your address.

Please let me know by Nov 1. I’ll finalize the list in the first week of Nov.

Then after that’s all sorted out, I will post again for a 2019 year-long exchange!

[Story]

@Allison, I've just PMed you with my address. Thanks so much for organizing this!

[❀ Susan]

Great to see the enthusiasm building for the Christmas exchange - i will add a new thread and Allison can add details when she is able.

Thank you to my secret sender for a very curious package!!! It is a black box called a ghost box. inside there are a collection of short, spooky stories including authors like Patricia Highsmith, Stephen King and Joe Hill.

It will be great to bring to my book club as we are all choosing our own Stephen King novel to discuss and I will be able to bring this along, read the short story and show the group this cool box set!!!

thanks again!

[Louise]

Thank you Secret Sender for making it clear that the wonderful book I received today came from you! Gift wrapped with a card that said from Secret Sender so there was no mistaken that I had ordered it myself, which I might very well have done! I already have A Chill in the Air: An Italian War Diary 1939–1940, and now added to my collection of NYRB Classics is War in Val d'Orcia: An Italian War Diary, 1943-1944, just published this past August.

Here is a write up: https://www.nyrb.com/collections/clas...

So HUGE THANK YOU to my Secret Sender! You keep hitting the mark with books I haven't read yet, and don't have either, yet I want :-)

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

Well I received two book-shaped packages this morning, which really are the best kind of packages! Since I have no idea where they came from they must be from my Secret Sender, so thank you mystery person! They are a recipe book called Yum & Yummer (perhaps my Secret Sender is overestimating my culinary skills after that picture I posted a couple of weeks ago!?) and The Clockmaker's Daughter, which I'm very excited about. I'd been kicking myself over not requesting an ARC when it was on NetGalley and now I have a hard copy, which is soooo much better. I even made an Instagram post since the cover is dang beautiful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFHNhFHI...

[Allison]

Wow!! Not just a beautiful cover — a beautiful post too! 🧡

[Rainey]

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "Well I received two book-shaped packages this morning, which really are the best kind of packages! Since I have no idea where they came from they must be from my Secret Sender, so thank you mystery..."

Pretty post

[Story]

Ooh...gorgeous on both counts!

[✿✿✿May]

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "Well I received two book-shaped packages this morning, which really are the best kind of packages! Since I have no idea where they came from they must be from my Secret Sender, so thank you mystery..."

Beautiful Instapost!

[Natasha]

Louise your book sounds really interesting.

Beautiful Instagram post Allison.

[Petra]

Allison, that's a perfect picture! You are very artistic.

[❀ Susan]

This thread keeps me smiling!

[Sarah]

I was pleasantly surprised today at the mailbox!! Thank you secret giver for And the Birds Rained Down!! And the extra treat (book light), how lovely. I've heard this book is fantastic and haven't yet read. Thank you😊

[Petra]

I also came home to a lovely surprise today: a box with beautifully wrapped gifts in it from my Secret Sender! The packages are truly wonderfully wrapped.
I've put these away for Christmas and will gleefully open them then. Secret Sender, you are the best! I will smile every time I look at these packages and can't wait to find the treasures within.

Thank you!

[❀ Susan]

Awesome surprises!

@Sarah - i need to reread this one!

@Petra - i am in awe of your will power... I can't say that I could put beautifully wrapped book gifts away until Christmas!!!

[Petra]

@Susan: I may not make it until Christmas. LOL! I have already picked them up many times and am very curious.
The packages look so pretty, though. I'm enjoying seeing them there, looking so festive. Leaving them be for awhile will bring seasonal cheer.

[Allison]

We had seven people join us for the last month of our Secret Sender exchange -- the Secret Santa part! Horray!

I have just emailed all seven of those people with the name and address for their recipients. I hope you guys have fun stalking the shelves of the person you're going to send a book to! :) It's the best part, if you ask me!

Now's a good time for anyone to remind us how you shelve your stuff. Lots of people here own a ton of books, so if there's a way to let your sender know how to identify those books you do not already own, that's a great help! Please post those comments here.

If you were expecting an email an didn't get one (eek) please contact me. I'm going to post this on the Secret Santa thread as well -- sorry, Susan! Duplication!

[Story]

Thank you Allison. My wish list is under 'want to buy"

My secret santa recipient has their shelf set to private...something to keep in mind if you've signed up. It makes it hard for your Santa to know what you like.

[Kim]

To my secret Santa, I have a to read list and the ones I already own are also marked as being on the shelf waiting. But I am open to anything you think I would like!

[Allison]

Don’t forget - total surprises are really fun too! :)

[Story]

Total surprises are the best!