Last year was a rough one for many of us, both readers and reviewers alike. I personally found myself having to take a hiatus as trying to keep up with not just this website but other projects was causing burnout.
But, I am happy to announce that I am returning! Hurrah!
To help keep my stress to a more manageable level, I will be changing my posts from every week to every other week. This will hopefully allow me to spend more time on not just this blog but on other projects that are also near and dear to my heart.
My most prolific thanks to those of you who have stayed through my hiatus and a warm welcome to those who are just joining us on this journey.
Sometimes the most difficult thing we must do is say goodbye.
For anyone who has followed me on any of my social media accounts, they will have heard me mention my Emma. She started out as the “family dog” but that soon turned in to “Melissa’s dog”. She was my best friend and confidant.
For 13 (almost 14) years we have been side by side. And this past Saturday we were forced to part. She passed from natural causes and while her passing was a shock neither was it unexpected.
I say all of this so my readers will understand when I say I am going on a brief hiatus. I simply do not have the emotional energy right now to read and write reviews.
I know I am signed up for a few book tours but I must drop out. I apologize profusely to you all. I do not like having to drop out so suddenly but neither is it fair to anyone for me to deliver a subpar product.
I will continue to remain on Twitter and Facebook though it will be on a limited basis.
My phone has been quite abuzz recently with recent notifications of new visitors and new followers. To all of you I say hello and welcome! I’m so glad you’ve come across my little corner and I’ve even more glad that you’ve decided to subscribe and stay.
If you’ve looked around a bit, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I post reviews every Tuesday. These past few weeks I’ve been alternating between new reviews and re-sharing old reviews. Something that has helped me immensely, especially as I have been quite sick this past week.
There is quite a back log of reviews, going for over five years. I’m quite sure there is something for every one here. Thank you again for dropping by!
It’s that time of year again, my dear readers! It is the holiday season and the end of the year, which means I take a small break from posting here to concentrate on spending time with friends and family.
Even during these few weeks, I won’t disappear completely. If you are not already following me on Twitter, I encourage you to do so. I’m quite active over there and will likely be so through the end of the year.
As always, I wish my readers all the best. Not only during this holiday season but year round. Thank you for helping support this little blog and I will see you all in the new year!
On November 9th, 2014 I posted my first review and I’ve done my best to post weekly reviews ever since. Of course I haven’t been able to post *every* week, but looking at my past posts I’ve come pretty darn close. Even when my family had to evacuate because of a flood, I only missed one week and got back in to my regular schedule in the following weeks.
Keeping up with this blog has definitely been a roller coaster of a ride and while there have been stressful moments, I don’t regret a single one.
Happy anniversary to my little blog and here’s to another 5 years!
A common idiom we often hear is “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. And while this is good advice on the whole, sometimes it just doesn’t apply to actual books. There are books whose covers are works of art. And here are some of my faves…
A small aside – all of the books showcased here are from my personal collection and most were purchased with my own money.
Crimson Peak by Guillermo del Toro. While it might not have done well at the box office, the books it inspired are works of art unto themselves.
The official art book. It is stunning with a plethora of pictures from the movie and behind the scenes. There are also in depth characterizations of the main characters as well as “news articles” of events mentioned in the movie.
One of the limited edition hardback novelizations. Easily one of the prettiest books I own. It comes with a slip cover and is autographed by Guillermo del Toro on the inside.
Even the end pages of the book are lovely to look at and include the theme of moths that is prevalent throughout the story.
Those who are familiar with the Final Fantasy series of video games are likely also familiar with the name Yoshitaka Amano. Amano has done all the title art for the games since the beginning. This lovely artbook has copies of his prints from Final Fantasy to Vampire Hunter D.
When one of my favorite artists joined up with one of my favorite authors, I simply cannot resist. Especially when it involves one of my favorite comic characters. Not only is the story lovely and sad but the artwork inside is exquisite.
The first series of books that earned me a bit of recognition on this site. And also the first books where the author thanked me for my review! The covers do not do the stories justice.
Older computer gamers – especially ones like me who were playing in the late 90’s – will likely recognize the name Myst. They were games that were unlike anything seen up to that point. Puzzle games that really made you think.
Only three books were released and they were only available in hardback for a very limited time. All three of mine are in new/like new condition are among the “You’ll have them when you take them from my cold dead hands” group of books I own.
While many of the books I review on here are considered ‘serious’, I am a fan of more humorous stories as well. Terry Pratchett and Christopher Moore are two personal faves.
I recently referenced this book on a Twitter thread and it is one I recommend to all of my friends. I actually own two copies of this book, one the trade paperback and the second this special edition. It’s made to look like a real Bible with gilt edged pages and a ribbon bookmark. Even the cover is leather tooled with gold.
How can I talk about books without mentioning Terry Pratchett? I became a fan of his with the first Discworld book I borrowed from my local library and I’ve never looked back. This is one of the special editions of Paul Kidby’s Imaginarium artbook. A thick and heavy book it has art both familiar and brand new from Pratchett’s Discworld books.
This last group of books are included, not because they’re pretty, but because of what they mean to me. These are books from my grandmother’s immense collection, taken from her house after she passed away.
I don’t know if you can see, but one of those books is my beloved Sherlock Holmes. All of these books are from the late 40’s and 50’s and while they may be falling apart, they are still deeply loved.
It’s that time again, dear readers. Time for our monthly author spotlight!
*cue wild applause*
This month, our spotlight shines on Kimberly Davis Basso – author of I’m a Little Brain Dead. She is an award winning author and playwright, and has worked as a stage director and producer for over twenty five years. Her book is a true life account of the stroke and all of its little repercussions she had to deal with a the young age of 44.
Nominated for several awards, including: INDIES Book of the Year in Humor from Foreword Reviews Winner, Writers Digest Self Published Awards – Honorable Mention for Life StoriesWinner Finalist for Humor, 2018 International Book AwardsWinner Finalist for Humor, 2018 Readers Favorite AwardsWinner Top Ten Indie Book of 2018.
Having just read and reviewed the book myself, I can easily see why it was nominated for so many awards. The book is available on Amazon as well as other book sites. Or, if you’d prefer, you can get in touch with the author herself:
When @the_writereads approached me on Twitter to join their queue for Site of the Day, I of course jumped on the chance. As I looked through my posts to pick some to share, I realized that while I have plenty of actual reviews, there weren’t many other kinds of posts.
So now, I’m going to rectify that issue…
My business cards. If you’ve seen my reviews on Goodreads, you’ll see that I use them as my logo.
These are my actual current bookshelves. I had twice as many books at one time, but the great flood of 2016 destroyed a good many of them. Believe me, there is nothing harder for a book lover than having to shovel sodden books in to a wheelbarrow to be taken away.
These are some of the books I’ve purchased or were given to me since starting this blog. Because of limited shelf space, I don’t buy books like I used to and instead rely on e-books and my local library.
And finally, my partner in crime and the best friend a girl could ever have. That is Emma and she is my baby. She also oversees any photoshoot I do, as you can see. She makes sure just the right amount of dog hair is included.
So far it’s been an interesting whirlwind of a ride. My 5 year anniversary will be coming up soon and I am hopeful there will be many more!
I apologize for my brief disappearance, but if you are following me on Twitter, it is easy to see why. For those who do not, allow me to give a brief summary of this past week:
On Saturday the 15th, I was at work and received a text from my mom. She said my dad was being taken to the hospital as he had slipped and was feeling nauseous, etc. Turns out he had had a mild heart attach and in doing the heart catheterization the doctors learned that he had several major blockages. He was admitted to the hospital where he had open heart surgery Tuesday morning and ended up having a quadruple bypass.
As of today (Friday) he is still in the ICU but is doing well and will hopefully be moved to a real room in a day or so and after several days there will be able to come home.
Naturally, this has taken up the majority of my attention and I am sure you all understand.
It is during this time of the year that I generally go on hiatus from posting. I continue to read and one can always keep up with what I’m reading by checking out my Goodreads list, but new reviews won’t be posted until the new year.
Until that point, I want to wish all my readers a happy end of year. Whatever you celebrate, may it be a enjoyable time. As always, I can be reached via my Twitter or my e-mail and I look forward to seeing you all in the new year!
Never enough books... 