And now, the end is near, and so I face the final day of #Orentober

Wow, what a month! What a crazy CRAZY month! I am absolutely knackered, but in THE BEST way! It feels like it was yesterday that I was jumping up and down and screaming that #Orentober had finally come, and now it’s over and I don’t want it to be!

Hugest of thanks to everyone who liked, shared or commented on any of my posts, to everyone who (re)shared their own posts, to everyone who liked or retweeted anything else with the hashtag. Mahoosive thanks for sharing the Orenda love!

I have tried my best to be everywhere and see everything and share all the #Orentober tweets and posts, but I must have missed some, and if I missed yours: I’m so sorry! If you shared any of my posts and I didn’t acknowledge it, it must have slipped through the cracks, and I’m so sorry! Also, I know I’ve been very a very bad blogger friend, I’ve not been blog-hopping much apart from #Orentober posts, and I’m so sorry about that too! The truth is, between #Orentober, work, life, chronic fatigue and blistering headaches, there just weren’t enough (productive) hours in a day!

So yeah, it’s been a tad busy (understatement of the year), but it’s been so much fun! I’ve loved seeing your posts, checking out your Orenda shelfies and seeing how much you love Orenda Books too, and I hope that we’ve convinced those of you who are new to Orenda to pick up an Orenda novel, and that we’ve helped Orenda lovers and newbies alike to find some new and exciting reads!

Let’s have a look at my #Orentober stats:

Orenda books I’ve bought:
Welcome to the Heady Heights by David F. Ross (because I had a Q&A with David and he’s just so much fun, I had to get his book), We Were the Salt of the Sea by Roxanne Bouchard (all because of Meggy from Chocolate‘n’Waffles) and The Last Resort (a Lori Anderson short story) by Steph Broadribb via the Orenda eBookstore.
The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn on Audible (I blame/thank Nicki from The Secret Library Book Blog and Eva from Novel Deelights).
Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski on Audible (It’s the only Six Stories installment I read, not listened to, and I was thinking throughout what a great audiobook it would make, so I got Hydra and Changeling on Audible, but I’ve been dying to have a listen to book 1, and what better time to do it than #Orentober!)
Epiphany Jones by Michael Grothaus (Karen @ Hair Past A Freckle is to blame for that one).

Orenda books I’ve been gifted (thank you, Karen!):
A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone and The Home by Sarah Stovell
Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen on Audible

Orenda books I’ve read:
Like I said at the kick-off, I read most of my Orenda books for review prior to #Orentober, but I did read a few new ones:
Attend by West Camel
The Last Resort (a Lori Anderson short story) by Steph Broadribb
The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn
A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone
The Home by Sarah Stovell
And I also re-read The Lion Tamer Who Lost and Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech, and re-listened to House of Spines by Michael J. Malone. A teeny tiny part of me is always a teeny tiny bit afraid when re-visiting a book that I loved the first time around: what if it doesn’t live up to my memories, what if I’m in a different state of mind and won’t enjoy it as much the second time around? I was pretty sure I would still love these three, and I was right, I did, and perhaps even a little more! (And yes, I cried again, so much so that my right eye stayed puffy for a day)
As we speak, I’m listening to Six Stories, and it’s even better as an audiobook than it is as an eBook!

I also hosted a giveaway, and it’s my absolute pleasure to announce the winners today! And the lovely people who will be receiving the entire Reykjavik Noir series in paperback are: Jo Ouest, Janet-is-reading and Jo Shaw! Congratulations!!

Thanks for joining me on this last day of #Orentober, and thanks again for all your love this month, you’ve made my heart glow, and I’m immensely grateful! As the leaves continue to fall and the temperatures are dropping, I bid #Orentober farewell, but it (and we) will be back next year ?