I’m back from my few days away in Ottawa and ready to get back into blogging.  We travelled by coach, so I was able to listen to an audiobook, which this time was Erika Johannsen’s Queen of the Tearling.  

One of the big pieces of news in the book world this week has been Amazon’s rumoured subscription service, Kindle Unlimited.  According to “leaked” webpages, Amazon is preparing a service whereby for $10 a month, the subscriber will have unlimited access to 600,000 Kindle ebooks AND Audible audiobooks.  If that were true, it could be a very interesting service.  However, I had a couple of concerns.  I understand that none of the Big Six publishing houses (Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster) are involved in the scheme, although I wouldn’t swear to it.  

My second concern was whether or not this would be available to those of us outside of the US.  The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library isn’t available to us Canadians for example, so I doubted that Kindle Unlimited would be available here.  However, today I was browsing my Amazon.com Manage Your Content and Devices and I saw a section for Kindle Unlimited, with sections for books and audiobooks!

Mind you, I’m not becoming overly excited yet – my Manage Your Content page also has Music and Instant Video, neither of which are available to me.  I will keep you updated of any developments Canada wise.  I do actually have a Scribd subscription, but I really should cancel it as I don’t make much use of it.  The selection is not great, and the books aren’t integrated into my reading devices the way a Kindle/audiobook subscription would be.

This week during my trip away I continued to read mainly epic fantasy.  I finished Erika Johansen’s Queen of the Tearling, and I have say I was rather disappointed in it.  A full review will come your way next week.  

I also continued with Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, which I really must finish before my library loan expires.  I must admit, I’m kind of overdosed on epic fantasy right now, so I’m rather struggling with this.  

Added to my library this week

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.  This is the start of a new YA series by Lord Grimdark himself.  What drew me to this series is that the protagonist, Yarvi, has to struggle with physical disability in a world where physical strength is paramount.  I can’t help thinking of Tyrion Lannister here.  In any case, the scope for fascinating character development is limitless, and I look forward to reading what Abercrombie does with it.  I bought this in Kindle format and I am still waiting for the Audible version to be released.

Through Audiosync I picked up two free audiobooks to add to my collection – both mysteries, Conan Doyle’s second volume of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer.  If you’re interested, check them out quickly – Audiosync only has the right to offer them free for one week only.

I’ve just about had my fill of epic fantasy for a while, so while looking for something fresh and different, I picked up Stephanie Perkins’ contemporary cutsie romance Anna and the French Kiss.  I loved the sample I read and booktubers have been raving about it.  I look forward to reading it.  I picked it up in Kindle format.  

I’m still trying to decide whether to use my remaining Audible credit  on Half a King or Anna and the French Kiss.

That’s all I have for this week, folks.  Have a nice weekend and see you next week.