My BYOBthon TBR

BYOBthon 1st-31st October 2018

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This October I'm taking part in the first #BYOBthon!

This readathon is hosted by @LostAndBoundBks with @AlwellPhaedra @BookQuester @ReaderOnTheRun and @thebrokenshelf

Here's my TBR video with what books I'll be reading to go with which of the challenges.

You might also like: BookTubeAThon Day 1

About the books:

Fade to Black

In Fade to Black, the thrilling sequel to Blackout from David Rosenfelt, policeman Doug Brock helps a fellow victim of amnesia untangle a murder case and discovers he may not be as distant as he thinks.

After getting shot in the line of duty, New Jersey state police officer Doug Brock has been busy rebuilding his life. He’s reunited with his fiancé and started to get some of his memories back. He hopes he can continue to recover with the help of an amnesia support group and that the damage from his past isn’t permanent.

It isn’t until fellow group member Sean Conner approaches him after a meeting that Doug realizes the trouble is just beginning. Sean has discovered in his attic what can only be called a scrapbook of a murder victim, but he has no recollection of the girl’s identity or why he might have gathered this information. Doug agrees to help and convinces his captain to open what had been a cold case. When he discovers that he had a personal connection to this case, suddenly he’s questioning everything he thought he knew about the case, about Sean, and about his own past.

In the next page-turning thriller by David Rosenfelt, Doug Brock is back to delight readers and keep them guessing until the end.

Dark Rivers of the Heart

Will he be able to solve the mystery that has him running from the law?

If you delight in the suspense of Stephen King and The Stranger by Harlan Coben chilled you to the bone (in the best possible way), you'll love Dark Rivers of the Heart - the classic thriller by Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.

'As usual, Koontz's writing is flawless... Dark Rivers of the Heart is exciting, entertaining, and thoughtful' - Denver Post

Spencer Grant is physically and emotionally scarred. An outsider, he often sits for hours in bars just to avoid being alone - and to tell his story to someone who won't remember it the next morning. But last night he met Valerie and something about her melted his isolation.

Then she doesn't turn up for work and he finds her home abandoned, with a strange message fixed to the wall. Before he has time to wonder who or what Valerie is, the house is hit by an explosion.

Spencer escapes, only to find himself on the run - not only from his past but also from the conspiracy he has unwittingly stumbled on.

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

Are you taking part in BYOBthon this month? or are you planning on doing another readathon? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

You might also like: DEARathon Recap

September Struggles: Increasing Website Security

September Chaos: Life Lately

September has been a whirlwind! I know I haven’t posted as often this month, but life has been busy. It was my birthday, school started up again (with my eldest beginning a new adventure at secondary school), and sports training kicked off too. Throw in a few general “life” things and — ta-da! — busy Jo.

Towards the end of the month, I tried to get back into the flow of blogging, but life had other plans. It all started when Facebook suddenly blocked my website URL...

Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full disclosure about all the legal stuff here.

Facebook blocked my website

I'm still not sure why they decided to block my URL as they have possibly the worst user/customer service on the web.

I messaged them, filed reports, and even used their Debug tool — nothing worked. I even reached out to them on Twitter (or X, as it’s now called) since I wasn’t getting any help on their own platform. You can probably guess how that went — no reply there either.

After rereading the Facebook Community Standards about a thousand times, I couldn’t find a single rule my blog might have violated. I post mainly about books and blogging, and I’m definitely not a spammer. In fact, I’d actually been sharing fewer links than usual over the summer!

It would be a shame to have to close my Facebook page but to be honest it's not what bothered me most about them blocking my URL. What I'd really miss is Facebook groups. I've been a member of some awesome groups on there for a while now and would miss the other members. Those groups were also getting good results in terms of traffic to my website and comments on my content.

Facebook finally unblocked my website yesterday. YAY! In true Facebook style they didn't send any communication about it, but at least it works again now. I also still don't know why it was blocked in the first place. Ah the mysteries of Facebook...

What I Learnt About Website Security

After that ordeal, I decided to take it as a bit of a wake-up call. Whether or not the block was related to my site’s security, it made me realise that I needed to take a closer look at how well protected everything was.

So, I’ve made a few important updates:

I renewed my Who Is Guard for extra privacy.
I installed a new SSL Certificate
I activated Comodo Secure, which you might notice as the security seal in the footer.

I can’t say for certain whether these updates convinced Facebook to unblock my site, but they were things I’d been meaning to sort out anyway. In a strange way, I’m glad it happened — it gave me the push I needed to tighten up my website’s security.

Website security is important and now I'm all up to date. This also means you have peace of mind when visiting my website as you know the systems in place to protect you.

Simple Steps to Secure Your Own Website

If you run a blog or small website, it’s worth checking your own security setup. Here are a few easy things you can do:

Use an SSL certificate to encrypt your visitors’ connection.
Keep plugins and themes updated to prevent vulnerabilities.
Enable WHOIS privacy to hide your personal details.
Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where possible.
Back up your website regularly — just in case!

Taking a few simple steps like these can make a big difference in keeping your website safe and trustworthy.

September Struggles: Increasing Website Security

Moving Forward

Now that everything’s sorted, my website is up to date and fully secure — and that means you can browse with confidence, knowing there are systems in place to protect your information too.

So, while September might have been a struggle, at least it ended with something positive!

Have You Ever Had This Happen?

Has Facebook ever blocked your website for no clear reason? What steps have you taken to secure your own site or blog? I’d love to hear about your experiences — share them in the comments below!