"The site is live and running again. No other features are planned in the nearest future. The performance will be looked into depending on the problems and the availability of resources. Sorry for any inconvenience."

Comment on BookLikes' Facebook page, last night (July 13, 2020).

Sorry, but that just isn't good enough. 

Not any more.  Not by a long shot.

It's not about "new" features.  It's about fixing problems that have existed for years -- in fact, ever since Legimi acquired BookLikes four years ago --, that have grown progressively worse over the course of time, and that have been brought to the attention of BL management time and again, always (as we all know) to no avail whatsoever.

A serious commitment to fix those problems would require immediate action: no ifs or buts.  Not "depending on the problems and the availability of resources."  Not just "looking into" the performance of the site.

Not just a canned response that couldn't possibly say "we really don't care" any clearer if it had shouted as much in neon letters a foot high or higher.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After last night's statement on behalf of BookLikes, I won't create any content here anymore.  In fact, if that statement had been posted about 45 minutes or an hour earlier, I wouldn't even have created the new post(s) I did still create last night.  I will instead continue to do what I already started doing when BL crashed for several days back in January of this year; namely, back up and salvage all that content of my BL account that isn't already backed up elsewhere anyway (such as, fortunately, most of my blog posts, my library and most of my book-related data).

To those who want to stay in touch, as of now you can chiefly find me here:

Wordpress: This is where I will continue posting my reviews and other blog posts.  In the past, my WP blog has been primarily -- though not exclusively -- my back up site for BookLikes posts, so it will take some tender love and care to be made truly presentable, but some projects are already under way; and other than salvaging my BL content, that will be my focus over the rest of the summer.

Librarything: Far and away the best online library system; you can really tell that the site was created by people who are librarians (and techies) first and foremost.  LT's book database -- and librarian / editing features -- were superior to those of BookLikes by a magnitude of several galaxies even at the best of times: I've been willing to put up with the standard that BL had to offer for the sake of its blogging features and, most importantly of course, the BL community, but ... no longer so.  There is no question that LT's social / communication features are unwieldy and in need of a serious overhaul.  And no, I am not entirely comfortable with the fact that Amazon holds an indirect minority ownership interest in LT, which it very likely could increase to direct / sole or majority ownership at any time if it so chose.  But at least LT (unlike BookLikes) lets you export your book data -- and I am not planning to post any reviews there --, so if it ever comes to that point, it will be easy enough to pull out.  And its social features are "learnable" and, like everything else, get easier to manage with increased use.

Goodreads: I left GR behind as my main book site back in 2013 and have no intention of reversing that decision.  However, I understand that not all of my friends from the BookLikes community feel comfortable creating a blog elsewhere or navigating Librarything, and at this point many have already made the move to the Outpost and / or (Mostly) Dead Writers Society groups on GR.  So to the extent that discussions and community activities are hosted there, I'll participate.

Twitter: This is not an account I use to actively participate in any discussions, at least not outside the rare book-related convo or other; but I can be reached by PM there if necessary.  If you do have a blog or a Librarything or a Goodreads account, though, those are the paths of communication that I prefer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buddy Reads

There are two buddy reads to which I had been looking forward here on BookLikes in the near future.

For Hannah Arendt's The Origin of Totalitarianism, BT has already created a thread in the Outpost group. (@ Mark, I hope you've found us there!)  As she said in her first post, please join us -- everybody is welcome!

As for the planned second French buddy read (and possible "buddy watch" of the TV adaptation of the Nicholas Le Floch novels), @ Tannat and @ Onnurtilraun, please let me know your preferred venue!  You can comment on this post -- I'll still be around for a while, so there is every chance I'll see it -- or reach me on any of the above-mentioned sites.  (Tannat, I know you're on GR, LT and WP ... not sure about Onnurtilraun, though?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like so many others who have posted something similar in the past couple of days and weeks, it breaks my heart to be making this decision.  The BookLikes community is, without question or comparison, far and away the best book community I've ever belonged to.  The basic setup of BookLikes -- a blogging community with an integrated book database -- is, as such, unique in the online world.  But while I've always said that I'll be here until the end, I feel the end has now indeed come -- not because the community has given up on the site, but because its owners and administrators have.  Their statement on Facebook couldn't possibly make that any clearer.  So:

(You didn't really think I could do this without a cat meme, did you?)

SQL Injection is The most widespread stability vulnerabilities online. Here I’ll consider to elucidate in detail this type of vulnerabilities with examples of bugs in PHP and possible answers.

If You're not so confident with programming languages and web technologies you may well be thinking what SQL remain for. Properly, it’s an acronym for Structured Question Language (pronounced “sequel”). It’s “de facto” the conventional language to entry and manipulate info in databases.

Currently most Internet sites depend upon a database (ordinarily MySQL) to keep and access info.

Our example will probably be a common login kind. Web surfers see Those people login varieties daily, you place your username and password in after which the server checks the qualifications you equipped. Okay, that’s straightforward, but what comes about just on the server when he checks your credentials?

The consumer (or user) sends towards the server two strings, the username and the password.

Ordinarily the server will likely have a database by using a table wherever the user’s facts are stored. This table has no less than two columns, just one to retailer the username and one particular with the password. Once the server gets the username and password strings he will query the databases to see In the event the supplied qualifications are valid. He will use an SQL statement for that which will appear to be this:

Pick out * FROM customers Exactly where username=’SUPPLIED_USER’ AND password=’SUPPLIED_PASS’

For those of you who are not knowledgeable about the SQL language, in SQL the ‘ character is utilised like a delimiter for string variables. Below we utilize it to delimit the username and password strings supplied Force HTTP to HTTP through the consumer.

In this example we see which the username and password equipped are inserted in the question in between the ‘ and all the question is then executed from the database motor. When the question returns any rows, then the provided qualifications are valid (that consumer exists from the database and has the password which was provided).

Now, what comes about if a consumer sorts a ‘ character in to the username or password area? Nicely, by putting only a ‘ to the username industry and residing the password discipline blank, the query would grow to be:

Find * FROM customers In which username=”’ AND password=”

This would set off an error, Because the databases engine would evaluate the end of your string at the second ‘ and then it would result in a parsing mistake in the 3rd ‘ character. Permit’s now what would transpire if we would send this enter data:

Username: ‘ OR ‘a’=’a

Password: ‘ OR ‘a’=’a

The query would develop into

SELECT * FROM buyers Where by username=” OR ‘a’=’a’ AND password=” OR ‘a’=’a’

Due to the fact a is always equal to a, this query will return all of the rows in the table buyers along with the server will “think” we equipped him with valid qualifications and let as in – the SQL injection was effective :).

Now we are going to see some extra advanced strategies.. My example will likely be based upon a PHP and MySQL System. In my MySQL databases I designed the following desk:

CREATE Desk end users (

username VARCHAR(128),

password VARCHAR(128),

e-mail VARCHAR(128))

There’s a single row in that table with data:

username: testuser

password: tests

electronic mail: testuser@tests.com

To examine the qualifications I designed the subsequent query in the PHP code:

$query=”find username, password from buyers in which username='”.$consumer.”‘ and password='”.$go.”‘”;

The server can also be configured to print out faults triggered by MySQL (this is beneficial for debugging, but need to be averted over a manufacturing server).

So, previous time I confirmed you ways SQL injection fundamentally is effective. Now I’ll explain to you how can we make more advanced queries and the way to use the MySQL mistake messages to acquire a lot more information about the database structure.

Allows start! So, if we set just an ‘ character from the username area we get an mistake concept like

You may have an error within your SQL syntax; Examine the handbook that corresponds for your MySQL server Model for the correct syntax to implement close to ”” and password=”’ at line one

That’s since the question turned

pick username, password from buyers exactly where username=”’ and password=”

What happens now if we try and set into your username industry a string like ‘ or person=’abc ?

The query becomes

decide on username, password from users wherever username=” or consumer=’abc ‘ and password=”

And this give us the mistake information

Mysterious column ‘consumer’ in ‘exactly where clause’

That’s great! Making use of these mistake messages we are able to guess the columns while in the table. We could endeavor to put from the username subject ‘ or e mail=’ and since we get no error message, we recognize that the e-mail column exists in that desk. If We all know the e-mail handle of the user, we will now just try with ‘ or email=’testuser@tests.com in both equally the username and password fields and our query turns into

find username, password from buyers exactly where username=” or electronic mail=’testuser@screening.com’ and password=” or e-mail=’testuser@screening.com’

and that is a valid question and if that email handle exists from the table we will correctly login!

You can even use the mistake messages to guess the table name. Due to the fact in SQL You should utilize the table.column notation, you'll be able to make an effort to put within the username area ‘ or consumer.exam=’ and you will see an mistake information like

Mysterious table ‘user’ in where by clause

High-quality! Allow’s check out with ‘ or end users.test=’ and We've got

Not known column ‘people.check’ in ‘where clause’

so logically there’s a table named customers :).

Fundamentally, In the event the server is configured to present out the error messages, You should utilize them to enumerate the database framework and Then you certainly may be able to use these informations in an attack.

Last Seen Leaving combines two books in one. The first is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a teenager. This part wasn't really special, it was nice enough, but having read a couple of these books before, it becomes rather formulaic with little surprises.

On the other hand, there is the coming of age story of the main character, which was way more interesting as he struggles with his true self and is trying to keep his own secret, well, secret. I wish the book would have focused more on this aspect.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield

About the Book:

Twenty-year-old Emily Winslowe has had an adventurous upbringing. Daughter of a Himalayan mountain guide, she has climbed Mount Everest and other peaks most Americans only dream of. But for all her mountaineering prowess, she's lacking some key experiences. Namely, guys. Especially one guy in particular—Luke Norgay, her childhood best friend who she hasn't seen since he left for college in the United States two years ago.

Luke unexpectedly reappears as a guide just in time for the Everest climbing season. He's even more handsome than she remembers, and that something that had been building between them during their last season together is back in front of them, bigger than ever.

The problem is, there's a detail about Emily's past that Luke doesn't know. It's the reason she ended up in the Himalayas in the first place...and the reason she must make it to the summit of Mount Everest this year. It's also the reason she would never consider following him back to Washington after the climbing season ends.

But first, they'll have to survive the mountain.

Purchase Link: https://entangledpublishing.com/leaving-everest.html



About Megan:

Megan Westfield grew up in Washington State, attended college in Oregon, and lived in Virginia, California, and Rhode Island during her five years as a navy officer. She is now a permanent resident of San Diego, along with her husband and two young children. Aside from writing and her family, her great passions in life are reading, candy, and spending lots of time outside hiking, skiing, camping, climbing, running, and biking.
Connect with Megan Westfield and learn more about her upcoming books at www.meganwestfield.com.

Megan’s Links:

Author Website: www.meganwestfield.com
Author Blog: www.meganwestfield.com/blog
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/MegWestfield
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganWestfieldAuthor/
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganwestfield/
Author Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/westfieldwrites/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15342456.Megan_Westfield
Newsletter: http://meganwestfield.com/connect/

Straight Up Irish by Magan Vernon




About the Book:

I need a wife if I want to help save my family’s billion-dollar pub empire. There’s just one problem: I never plan on marrying. So, I need someone who understands that this is just another business deal. I don’t do commitments. And my brother’s executive assistant, Fallon Smith, fits that bill.

Fallon needs help with her grandmother’s expenses, and her pretending to be my fake wife is a way we can make that happen. She’s not my biggest fan, but we can help each other and then go our separate ways. That she’s beautiful and I enjoy spending time with her–doesn’t matter. When all of this is done, she’s heading home to America, and I’ve got a company to run.

A fake wedding and a whole lot of whiskey. What could go wrong?

Purchase Liink: https://entangledpublishing.com/straight-up-irish.html


About Magan:

Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amuck around her Texas ranch.

Magan’s Links:

Website: www.maganvernon.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/maganvernon
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authormaganvernon
Twitter: www.twitter.com/maganvernon
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/qIJA5
#FEELTHEVERN (Reader Group): http://on.fb.me/1lVsZEo

Cinderella and the Geek by Christina Phillips




About the Book:

From Christina Phillips a sexy, new romance with a hero you won’t forget…

I'm not looking for love or a Happily-Ever-After because I know how that ends. I just need to concentrate on my degree and look after myself. But there's something about my boss, Harry, I can't resist. It's crazy since he's so hot and smart it should be illegal.
And then, just like Cinderella, I have my night at the ball and a midnight kiss, and for a week all my sexy daydreams come true. That fake date changes my life in a way I could never imagine. It turns out, Harry wants me too.

But I’m off to pursue my dreams, and he’s taking his business to the next level. There’s no way this fairytale has a happy ending, but that doesn’t keep me from wishing for it.

Purchase Link: https://entangledpublishing.com/cinderella-and-the-geek.html

Cinderella and the Geek by Christina Phillips

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harry and his partner run a successful gaming site. Their assistant is leaving them for higher education. How will they survive without her?

Alice has definitely found herself falling down the rabbit hole. She has a thing for her boss, but rather than ruin what they have, she decides to go to school without telling him. Then one day - he invites her to a ball.....

This is a rather sweet story which has rich characters I hope to see again. Compelling from page one, I eagerly turned the pages. These characters were meant to be together. As things heat up, the pace picks up also. I hope to see these MC's again in future installments in the British Bad Boys series.


***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publishers.

View all my reviews

About Christina:

Christina Phillips is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in sunny Western Australia with her high school sweetheart and their family. She enjoys writing contemporary, historical and paranormal romance where the stories sizzle and the heroine brings her hero to his knees.

She is also owned by three gorgeous cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong.

Christina’s Links:

Author Website: http://christinaphillips.com/
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaPh_
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinaphillips.author/

Maisie investigates the death of an Indian woman working in London. Meanwhile Billy is looking for a missing boy (and not doing well) and things are getting complicated between Maisie and James. 

I don't know, I felt a little dissatisfied with this and the murdered women seemed to be almost incidental to the plot.