The Blog Squad Tag

If you're not familiar with these ladies, the Blog Squad consists of Uma at Books.Bags.Burgers, Di at Book Reviews by Di, and Amy at A Magical World of Words - they collaborate on a series of fun discussion posts about book blogging.  Last week they created their own book tag (I've linked to each of their posts) and since I had such fun reading their answers, I wanted to take part, too!

Is there a particular blogger who inspires you?

Oh, man, just one??  I've a relatively new blogger, so pretty much everyone inspires me!  Bloggers who have been at it for years and other newbies like me - I can learn something from everyone.  I think we all have a unique perspective, and so mostly I've been inspired to just be myself!


What is your blog's niche?

I'm not sure if I really have one yet.  I broadly focus on adult fiction, but I love and talk about many genres, and I also toss in some posts about my other interests, particularly hiking.  Maybe someday I'll narrow down the focus a bit, but I like being able to talk about whatever I want!


What is your top bookish confession?

I often read the last page or two of a book first!  #sorrynotsorry


What are your top three bookish pet peeves?

1. Synopses that don't give an accurate representation of what the book is really about.  There are fewer things worse than starting a book thinking it's about one thing, and then getting hit with something completely different.
2. Quick or overly convenient endings.  If I'm going to spend hours reading a book, I want a good ending!
3. Paragraphs and chapters that are too long.  I tend to skim long paragraphs and I always check how long a chapter is before I start reading it - I hate stopping in the middle!


Name three books you would recommend to anyone.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton - I get lost in Kate Morton's books; they're like entering another world.  This one is about three sisters who live in an English castle, surrounded by their secrets.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - It's a classic but it's still very readable.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Beautiful writing, gorgeous settings, and magic make this one of my favorite books.

Thank you to the Blog Squad for coming up with this great tag!

"Waiting on" Wednesday: The Last Piece of My Heart

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Last Piece of My Heart
Paige Toon
Expected publication date: May 18, 2017

Meet Bridget, a successful travel journalist with ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog into a novel. But, after numerous rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition: Nicole Dupre died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel, and the family need someone to finish it. Bridget is just thankful to have her foot in the publishing door. But as she gets to know Nicole’s grieving family, and the woman behind the writing, Bridget’s priorities begin to change … - from Goodreads

Quotables #3

Hi all!  It's time for another round of Quotables! 

Why it speaks to me: This one just made me laugh, because it's so true!  Is anyone else's husband or partner like this?  Sometimes if I can drop subtle enough hints, I can steer Tom towards what I want AND make him think he's the one who wanted it and thought of it in the first place!

Why it speaks to me: I'm a worrier - about things that have already happened, things that haven't happened yet, things that probably won't ever happen.  Is there such a thing as worrying too much? 

Why it speaks to me: Fall is absolutely my favorite season.  I love the colors, the smells, the weather.  This quote describes me to a T, and even though it's still spring, I'm already looking forward to fall!

Which of these is your favorite?  Can you relate to any of them?


Review: The Weight of Him

The Weight of Him
Ethel Rohan
Published February 14, 2017

At four hundred pounds, Billy Brennan can always count on food. From his earliest memories, he has loved food's colors, textures and tastes. The way flavors go off in his mouth. How food keeps his mind still and his bad feelings quiet. Food has always made everything better, until the day Billy's beloved son Michael takes his own life.

Billy determines to make a difference in Michael's memory and undertakes a public weight-loss campaign, to raise money for suicide prevention―his first step in an ambitious plan to save himself, and to save others. However, Billy's dramatic crusade appalls his family, who want to simply try to go on, quietly, privately.

Despite his crushing detractors, Billy gains welcome allies: his community-at-large; a co-worker who lost his father to suicide; a filmmaker with his own dubious agenda; and a secret, miniature kingdom that Billy populates with the sub-quality dolls and soldiers he saves from disposal at the toy factory where he works. But it is only if Billy can confront the truth of the suffering and brokenness within and around him that he and others will be able to realize the recovery they need. - from Goodreads

Sometimes a simply written novel can convey the deepest emotions.   With a straightforward, easy to read style, The Weight of Him touches on so many difficult topics but still contains a sense of hope.

At the open of the story, Billy Brennan is not in a good place.  His son Michael recently committed suicide; he is morbidly obese; and he and his wife are growing apart.  In order to bring awareness to the suicide epidemic (his words), he starts a public weight loss journey, complete with fliers, t-shirts, a public march, and maybe even a documentary.  He wants to donate all the money he raises to charity and hopes to prevent others from taking the same path his son did.

It was easy to root for Billy - he jumps into this endeavor whole-heartedly.  Even though he's failed at diets before, I just wanted him to succeed this time, for his son's memory.  Unfortunately, other characters, most notably his family, don't support him.  I can understand how his wife wouldn't want their grief to be made public; she just wants to be able to move forward, eventually.  It was both hurtful and honest when his wife and kids wonder about his motivation - why did it take Michael's death for Billy to become so proactive?  If he had shown this kind of interest in anything before, would things have been different?

I had some issues with the book.  The whole toy factory thing was kind of odd - Billy works at a toy factory, but he takes the sub-par toys and creates this miniature ideal world in his garage.  Billy's emotions sometimes gave me whiplash.  One moment he was confident and the next he was a nervous wreck wondering if he could even go on.  Also, I felt the idea of bringing awareness to suicide prevention was oversimplified at times or perhaps not explored well enough.  I think the problem was that Billy didn't understand why his son committed suicide, so he wasn't aware enough of the depression, hurt, and hopelessness that accompanied it.  His ideas for "saving others" just seemed too simple.

3.5 stars

"Waiting on" Wednesday: The Best Kind of Magic

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Best Kind of Magic
Crystal Cestari
Expected publication date: May 16, 2017

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber's pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone's soul mate.

Amber works at her mother's magic shop--Windy City Magic--in downtown Chicago, and she's confident she's seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one--her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor's son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father's missing girlfriend, she's distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can't see her own match, she can see his--and it's not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn't her match? - from Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: If The Shoe Fits...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.  This week's topic is a cover freebie.  I thought it would be fun to put together a collage of covers featuring footwear - spikey heels, cozy slippers, and of course, some hiking boots.  Who doesn't love a good pair of shoes? 

You'll probably notice that Lauren Weisberger dominates this list - I love how she does an alternate cover for each of her books that features the signature heel!

Why Book Blogging is a Good Fit For Shy People

I'm a shy person and have been my whole life - I was that kid who never spoke up in class unless my grade depended on it; I am forever on the outside of a group; and making small talk terrifies me.  I don't like to draw attention to myself because of what other people might think of me, and I often feel uncomfortable and awkward at parties.  So when I thought about maybe starting a book blog, I really went back and forth on it for a long time.  Why did I want to do it?  Could I really put myself and my thoughts out there for people to read and even judge?  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that blogging (and book blogging in particular) is actually a pretty good hobby for a shy person.

Choose your own level of involvement
Like with any hobby, you can choose how much time you want to spend on it and how involved you want to get.  If posting a review or some recommendations once a week is what you want to do, then go for it!  If you're worried about comments or interacting with readers on your blog, you could disable or moderate comments.  And if keeping up with all the different forms of social media is overwhelming, just stick to the ones you feel comfortable with.

Be anonymous - or not
A book blog is perfect for someone who wants to share one aspect of their life without getting too personal.  If you're worried about talking about yourself, don't be. Yes, lots of bloggers share things about their personal lives, but that's a choice that you can make.  If you want to just talk about books, then only talk about books!  It's up to you what to share with your readers.  There is room for everyone and all types of blogs. 

Time to gather your thoughts
The biggest problem I have when I'm in a group of people is thinking of something to say - by the time I've thought of a witty remark, they've moved on to the next topic.  But while blogging, I can spend as much time as I want on each post, deciding what I want to say and how to say it.

Connect with others who share your interests
One of the best things for me is finding a common interest with someone (whether it's books or Real Housewives) and once we start talking, I find I have a lot to say!  By starting your own book blog, you're joining a whole community of enthusiastic readers who can't wait to share some booktalk with you.  Reading is often a solitary activity, but it really enhances the experience when you can discuss what you love or don't love about certain books or share recommendations for new reads.

Take steps towards becoming more outgoing
I've surprised myself at how much I've come out of my shell while blogging for the past year.  At first, I thought the blog would mostly just be for me to put down my thoughts about books and hiking (it was simultaneously scary and nice to think that other people might read it, too).  As people started visiting and even commenting, it helped boost my confidence and made me want to interact more with other bloggers.  It was hard at first, but I think I'm getting better at it every day.  I have a feeling there are a lot of bloggers out there who consider themselves shy in their real life, but are totally outgoing when it comes to blogging and books.

Do you consider yourself shy or outgoing?  If you're shy IRL, do you find that blogging helps you?