*slowly edges back onto the blog*

*slowly edges back onto the blog*

Nothing to see here! I was here the whole time. Ok, I wasn't, but reading slumps and blogger slumps/burnouts happen. And it happened to me. Annoyingly.

Mainly because I was cooking up plans. I wanted to do a nice Halloween reading month (focusing on fantasy or really creepy crime!), a NetGalley reading month in November (I would like to get some of my audiobooks under control) and I wanted to just get back into fun, no worries blogging.

And then the slump hit and my plans came to a grinding halt.

I would quit everything I started, feel really underwhelmed over blogging and the idea of calling the blog and all social media a day was very tempting (I came really close to closing my Twitter account! One more strike and it's gone!). So, I took a break (feels like I've taken so many breaks this year! I don't know if my blogging has recovered from COVID burnout, if I am being honest with you [or maybe I'm too old to continue comparing self to the whipper-snappers of BookTok and Booksagram).

I've always said that I wanted this bookish blog to be like a friend you meet up in a coffee shop and have a bookish chat over. And I still want that, but maybe I should change it to a bookish friend you meet you every now and then for a coffee and a chat.

Or maybe I should, dare I say it, embrace Instagram/Goodreads/StoryGraph more. I do use these (mainly Stories on Instagram and I do like sharing songs, as I want to have some fun with you guys! Silly fun with a positive spin, I hope!) but maybe I should try and do more with them...

And use the blog to pop in and take a little of a chinwag with you (or to gush over a book or two).

So, I'm going to take it easy on here. Have fun, maybe write odd little posts here & there and, dare I say, try and put self out there more... So, if any podcasts/instragram lives want me...

And, the books I chatted about back in July as my "Here's what I am going to attempt by end of the year?". Well, one I quit, two I have put on the backburner, one I am determinded to start this year and the other three... their time will come...

But going to take it easy on self and lurk on instagram/goodreads & storygraph for a while. HUNT ME DOWN AND SAY HI!

Summer Blog Break

I'm going to be honest with you: I seem to be going through a reading slump and blogger burnout. Fun, huh? No idea how it happened but here we are. 

So, going to take a month off blogging and not worry about reading. Hopefully this reset will do wonders as I am finding it a struggle to blog at the moment as it feels a bit pointless of late. Which I know it isn't, but every now and then, I can't help but notice how much time and effort I put into my blog and my bookish socials, only to get very little back (hence why I no longer look at the blog posts's statics).

Maybe I need to shake my blog up and post more non-bookish content like I used to in ye olde days. Maybe it's time to wind down the blog and focus on my socials (mainly instagram, Goodreads and Storygraph). Maybe it's time to ease self out of the bookblogsphere and enjoy reading for pleasure without the worry about blogging. Who knows.

But, before I going and take time out from blogging (and possibly scaring myself with podcasts again and Apple Fitness+ yoga classes [how on earth do you guys do Crow and Side-Crow?!]), I thought I would throw some titles at you that I do have my eye on attempting to read on the next few months...

So, I decided to give myself August off from blogging (barring the blog tours I have agreed to). Which kinda screws up my idea of a possible themed reading months of September and October (I had an idea of calling them something along the lines of "Cyanide September" and "All Hallow's Reads/Occult October"). But, sometimes, you need a timeout and just do something silly and fun.

And that’s what I’m going to do with my reading & audiobooks. Some are a little left field but am excited to try and see if I can finally get round to them in August or make myself go “you have to attempt to try these by the end of the year”. Wanna see some of the titles I have my eye on for the next few months?

Mini Catch-Up

Oh, the joy of blogger’s guilt. Been blogging for over 14 years (flipping heck, feeling old in book blogosphere! Hey Siri, play something young as I AM YOUNG, DAMNIT!) and, after a period of time, if you’re not blogging, you feel guilty for not blogging and chat about reads past, present and future. 

Plus, been going through a bit of a blogging/real life slowdown. Nothing wrong with that, but let me touch base with you as you guys know I haven’t vanished off the face of the earth with me blogging and reading (though if you follow me on my socials, you know I am very active). 

The main audiobook I listened to since we last chatted was Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie (affiliate link to bookshop.org is here). It seems that I might be considering doing an Agatha Christie a month or an Golden Age Mystery a month as I seem to have a load of these on my To Be Read lists (either on my physical shelves, my e-reader shelves or on my radar to investigate at a later date). Now, this seems to be one of the faves of the Poirot fans as it ticks all the boxes: a closed circle mystery of suspect on an holiday island off the coast, a messy love triangle (of sorts) and Poirot at his finest. I can see why fans of Agatha Christie rate this so highly. There is elements that are stuck in its time (the sexism at the end of the book where a successful businesswoman is told to quit her business so she can marry and be a good little wife left a sour taste in the mouth) and the case hinging on a lot of chance/luck…

Am I going to do another Christie this month? Yes, I think I am. I am leaning over between 3 titles (maybe a poll is needed on my socials?) and i am eyeing my British Library Crime Classics (I have one I am desperate to read but saving that for nearer the General Election as the murder is set at the Houses of Parliament). Would you guys like to know the British Library Crime Classics on my TBR? I am very tempted to blog them as they are a weird little mix…

Because I was having a bit of a DNFing blitz, I wanted to read something comforting but I wasn’t in the mood to reread (something I do want to do this year as I did NO REREADING last year. At ALL! I have three books I want to try and reread this year so hopefully, will attack them before the year is out). So, I dived into Mary Norton’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks (affiliate link to bookshop.org is here). This is a bind up of two stories (The Magic Bedknob and Bonfires and Broomsticks), which acts as the inspiration to the Disney movie, starring Angela Lansbury (I adore this movie. Yes, it’s trying too hard to be catch the success of Mary Poppins). And it was a delightfully cosy read but oh my, SO DIFFERENT from the movie. Yes, I knew going into this that the books were inspiration for the movie so there will be huge changes, but I was shocked on how different the two medias were and how dark the book got compared to the movie (yes, the movie is set during the Second World War, but we saw no one die. In the book, we saw someone get nearly burnt at the stake for being a witch).

But it was a nice read. Something I desperately needed as I go into reading some non-fiction (Rough Justice by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC) and some literary/historical fiction (The Glutton by A…). Don’t worry, normal reading (and I use the term “normal” loosely) will return as I suspect that once these are done, I will be attacking my NetGalley backlog of audiobooks and eProofs (sorry in advance).

Unscheduled Blog Break

Oh, the joys of reading/blogging burnout. Aren’t it grand?!

So yeah, my brain wasn’t happy with me last month so decided to “Nope!” itself out of here while I was planning to read a few short novels/short story collections and then indulge myself into slowly reading Cassandra Clare’s upcoming adult fantasy novel, Sword Catcher (which I got at an bookish event that I was very excited to be invited and go to. Second bookish event of the year that I managed to go to - and be invited to as I am not longer youthful or down with the kids with TikTok & Threads [innit?])

But nope, not happened like I planned. I still am reading Sword Catcher and I am enjoying the world and sinking into it. I am going to enjoy taking my time over this so no rushing me on this one as I want to savour!

I have done some short, quick reads (a novella [mini-review for that is coming], a short story prequel to a MM romance series I started via audiobook & the first book in that series [yes, a reread - sometimes, you need a platter cleanser] and sample chapters of an recently released novel [which am in two minds about finishing as, while good in places, I wasn’t completely sold on finishing]) and I am going to try and do a few audiobooks this month - should I make this month an audiobook only reading month?

So, yeah, last few weeks hasn’t been great. But am slowly getting back on track with my reading and audiobooking by allowing myself to not worry about it. Easier said than done. I am a worry wart at heart and things do get the best of me, but I feel like with my reading and blogging, I can allow myself to go “ok, I have blogged and read solidly for over 12 years now. I am allowed to not blog everything I read.”
So, that’s what I’m going to do. Take my time, blog not every book and audiobook, and think of some new ideas for fun blogging. I have ideas… let’s see if I follow through with them…

But yes, here I am, once again. Slowly trying to get out of a funk of my own making. Hopefully, normal service will resume shortly with a slightly different twist.

Surprise Blog Holiday Time

Last minute surprise, but am taking a few weeks off blogging. 
 
No big secret on why (in fact, I don’t need to tell you am taking a blog holiday, dear reader, as I’ve seen so many bloggers/vloggers take time away then come back and go “I needed a break”, but I like telling you), but am going on holiday for a few days/weeks and am not taking my laptop with me. Then, when I return, I want a few more days to play catch-up on real life (work, family, mental health, cleaning – oh, I need to do so much cleaning, etc) 
 
Another reason (again, I never hid this) but recently, have been finding blogging a bit of a struggle. I don’t have the energy like I used to. I know it’s because of the events of the last few years and, while I’m out of my summer reading slump, it’s taking me longer to get my blogging mojo back on track. So, hopefully, this little time away will help me come back with zest and vigour. 
 
Plus, my To Be Read has got a little out of control. Earlier this week, I got approved to read several eBooks for review in a space of an hour (HOW?! WHEN DID I REQUEST YOU ALL?!). That doesn’t include the books/eBooks/Audiobooks I already have for review (gifted very kindly by publishers/PR companies/authors/etc in exchange for an honest review/reaction), audiobooks I would like to borrow from my local library and books/ebooks/audiobooks that I have bought. So… yeah, I might need a few weeks away from laptop to focus on reading, hopefully at a leisurely pace, but there are titles I want done… 
 
Plus, I have a plan or two for November and December (plus, I would like a few weeks off for Christmas) but I want to enjoy blogging again and, hopefully, this mini-blog break will do the trick. (Maybe I should book some time away in 2023 for a reading retreat. Just me, my books/kindle and NO WIFI. Maybe some nature walks – sounds like heaven!)

Did You Miss Me?

Well, that blog break was longer than I expected. I doubt you guys noticed, but I only wanted to be away for a few weeks, mainly over the Easter. But I think my slight book blogger/reader/being human burnout was a little worse than I thought and so, took longer off and it was only a few weekends ago that I felt like I could get back to blogging. 

Why, yes. Am writing this a few weeks in advance, just so am a little ahead of the game and to ease myself back in. 

Now, I guess you think am going to write about all the books/ebooks/audiobooks I read over my break. Well, no. Not really. I wrote little things on my Goodreads (goodreads.com/pewterwolf - like you didn't know) and I usually try and keep my Twitter Thread of my 2022 Reading up to date (or you can follow me in Twitter at twitter.com/pewterwolf as I normally chat/tweet-scream any reads. Whether good or bad or meh), but I don't really feel that need to write mini-reviews or posts on here at the moment. 

But I'm not gonna be cruel. I will put some book covers up so you know what I read. 

Oh, please note one of these was a reread on a different format to my first read. 

Now, at time of writing this, I should be hoovering the house, but I want to write two more posts (I think we all know what one of them is going to be... no? Really? Fine, I'll give you a hint in a moment...) and then I'm going to dip in and out of blogging for a while. I want to be more chill and enjoy myself with this again. Yes, this might be a sign that am ready to leave the book blog behind and be more... whatever I'm going to be next, but I think, with the world being as it is, we should have some fun. 

Upcoming Easter Blog Break Alert

This isn't a big thing, but I thought I would get in early with this, dear reader. I've decided to take a blog break for a few weeks, and with Easter round the corner, I thought that fortnight would be perfect. I say fortnight, might be longer. Am gonna be honest, am having a little blogger/reader burnout of late, so a well-earned blog holiday for two (maybe longer) weeks sounds ideal and lovely. 

Plus, with this break, I can be more looser with what I want to read and how longer it takes me to read. 

Oh yes, I am thinking of going more outside my comfort zone and try new (to me) authors and authors that I read in the past and want to rediscover. Plus, am doing two blog tours (one next week and one at the end of May) so I want to get ahead of myself and tackle them now while the mood takes me.

So yes, am taking a break from here (though not from Twitter and Goodreads. Oh, I will still be lurking on  these!) for a few weeks. But, I don't want to be mean and leave you completely in the dark so am going to put up one or two books on my TBR (new, rereads and "It was on sale!") so you have an idea of how loose am going to be with my reading. I haven't decided how am going to review these (maybe only on Goodreads, maybe mini-reviews when I return, no idea) but I will chat about these in one form or another... 

Anyway, ideas of my future reading during my break... Thoughts?

... Well, This Is Unexpected

... well, this is unexpected.

I know, dear readers. I know what I said at the end of March 2021. I said it was only going to be a two or three weeks due to Easter. And that was the plan. Expect, that didn't happen. A month's blog holiday happened.

I feel I should explain, but there's not much to explain. As you know, I normally take a few weeks off for Easter or I try to. But the last few months, with COVID and trying to get back in the swing of "normal" life, I found that I didn't really have the energy to blog every book I read or audiobook I listened to. And every time I tried to force myself to write something, I usually hate it and just go "DELETE!". 

And I have been writing short reviews on Goodreads (goodreads.com/pewterwolf) and do star ratings on my Twitter (twitter.com/PewterWolf) to keep my foot in the reviewing. But the energy lately has been sagging and, at times, I feel a little like an outsider, looking at the cooler bloggers and vloggers and all the other bookish content-makers and feeling not good enough. Not loud, not brave enough, just not enough. 

Yep. Pity party time. 

And then another book drama hit the socials after Easter (should we talk about that? Or if I give it air, will it get worse? Same goes with the Book Drama that happened a few weeks later) and I kinda lost my rag with this. I tweeted this and, though I knew that I wouldn't quit, I did feel frustrated and wondering if this tiny corner of the Internet is worth it? 

So yeah, this happened. And this was the moment I went "I need to stay away. I need a holiday. No blogging, not involving in anything bookish for a while. I need to read for the enjoyment of reading." This lasted... oh... two days. Then I went on a huge email blitz of authors, publishers, PR people and others and then I looked at my huge TBR and went "Right, what exactly do I want this blog to be?". 

Oh yes, I hit a wall and, over the course of my first real week off blogging, I went "F*** it!" and decide to just do fun again. You might notice it, you might not. But hey, am going to inject some fun in it at my end. It;'s gonna be weird with a bunch of left turns but I'm going to have a bit of fun with this. 

So, I might not review everything on here, but I will on Goodreads and Twitter (please follow me on both or either. I am a chatter!). And I will do some bookish chat on here but them might be more wrap ups or focusing on one or two titles. BUT the main plan is fun. I want to show off books that are fun and wonderful. Let's see if I actually stick to this plan! 

Easter Blog Break Time

A few weeks back, I wanted to do a big blog post about the arts. How the arts as a whole (books, TV, film, radio, museums, theatres, etc) are an escape from the world (and we need escape because of the last 12-18 months and, probably, more than ever in the next 12-24 months). But that the arts is a mirror to the world around us. 

And how the world around us affects art and how art effects the world. And, due to that, how it affects us with our sleep, work, relaxation, etc. 

And oh, the plans I had to write this went flying out of the window due to the everything that has happened in the world the past few weeks, and how it affected my reading choices and my energy to blog (something I have been struggling with since last year, though I am getting my groove back). So much so, I've just decide that "Ok, I am going to take my Easter Blog Break a few weeks earlier than planned". 

Yes, dear reader, I'm taking a little longer Easter Blog Break. Only an extra week or two. If I change it to the whole month of April (which is strangely tempting), will let you know but, at the time of writing, I'll be back in early/mid April and I have plans to scare you with a ton of really un-me books and other themed blog posts (I have ideas but I need to, you know, actually write them!). If you follow me on my social medias (mainly Goodreads or Twitter), you know I have been making some really questionable choices with my reading/audiobooking in the past few months: some have worked, some not so much, and some I DNFing and quit for one reason or another (at the time of writing this, I am on verge of quitting another book. That makes it... er... seven stories I have DNFed so far in 2021. Eight if I DNF current read). 

Speaking of DNF/quitting reads, I know I have said this multiply times, but it's ok to quit a story if you're not liking it. It might be "Right Book, Wrong Time" (several of my quit reads have been that, meaning I will return to them one day when I am ready). It might be something rubs you up the wrong way (yep, I've had this as well this year). Or it might be "Oh no, this book isn't for me AT ALL" (we're all had this!). But DNFing/quitting a read for whatever reason is ok. It's ok to quit something you don't like and move onto something you do. 

Plus, the break is more due to the fact the books I want to read/am currently reading or audiobooking are going to take a little longer to read/audiobook than normal. This is a mix of story's length or the fact the story is in a genre I am not well read in. Plus, I do want to do some rereads and I want to not have the blog fear lurking over my head. 

So, yeah, I am taking a bit of a break. But don't worry. I will be back and, hopefully, the Pewter Wolf will be giving you book suggestions you will be desperate to read and a few other posts/ideas that you won't be expecting...

Sit Crooked And Talk Straight

I've been hiding my reading for the past two(ish) months, haven't I? Not on purpose! HONEST! But am surprise no-one's called me out since I've come back from my blog break and with the past few weeks, I've said yes to quite a few blog tours and with me not wanting to overwhelm you with too many posts (I usually only like to have two/three posts a week. Max.), but I can not talk about it now, can I?

What have I been reading the past few months since I went on a reading break and a blogger break?

Ok, let me backtrack and start the story in the middle of June 2020. Yes, a whole two and a half month back. After reading and audiobooking a heck of a lot of books, I hit a wall. All the books I was picking up were two or three stars and were very "meh", I was loosing the energy to read/on verge of reading slump and blog at the same time. I just felt run down.

So, I did a mini, under the radar, taking a break from reading and blogging. Reading was ok as I reread a book I love (Sabriel by Garth Nix) and I found myself jumping straight back into audiobooking. Reading took a little while longer.

But blogging. Blogging has taken longer. And I think it's because I've lost my spark and my energy for it. Don't get me wrong, I like blogging and I like being involved in the bookish world in my small way. But there are days where I couldn't muster the energy to write a post as "What is the point?! No one reads my blog, I feel like I've outgrown the community because of The Weekly Drama and am putting so much time/effort/thought into these posts and yet, am getting so little back lately? What is the point?!"

Oh yes, the I Should Quit Book Blogging voice has come back again, making its yearly appearance. But this time, this time, I'm actually listening to it and thinking about my reasons. I think, also, I felt like I lost my voice. I lost my space. Am I a YA book blogger? Am I now adult? Crime? Fantasy? Who am I?

So, been thinking about who I am now as a book blogger?

And the answer is ... I don't know.

I still read, I still blog, so maybe what I should do is using the blog to figure it out. Which means, maybe, changing the way I use the blog. For example, should I write-up every book I read or should have write-up one or two fuller reviews on the Pewter Wolf and do short, snapper reviews on Goodreads and change/delete some of my social media platform and try new bookish social media (which is the idea I'm leaning towards at the moment)? Or, find a nice medium between the two?

Should I change what books/audiobooks I read? Am I still happy reading YA or should I change my focus to something a bit more grown-up? Should I take bigger risks, experiment a little more with genres I both love and don't read in often/at all? Or should I admit to myself that writing the Pewter Wolf isn't giving me the same joy it use to and, if I want to keep going, I need to admit this and adjust? Or is the just the fact that it's been such a hot summer that my brain can't cope?

I don't know. And I'm not sure if/when I will know. But I think I've lost my voice and my likes along the way, hence why I fear it might have gone stale and I've lost my spark, so I need to find them again. So, maybe the next few months, things will change on here. It's going to be a bit trial and error for the next few months till I find something I feel comfortable and proud of. So, forgive me in advance, but I'm going to try and figure it out and make Pewter Wolf more... me

Join me while I figure this out, won't you?

Surprise Blog Break Alert

Well... this is unexpected. Not just to you, dear reader, but to me also.

Ok, let me start from the beginning and we can go from there.

Usually, I try and have two blog breaks a year. The first is usually round Easter so March/April and the second in October. I do try and take a few weeks off at the end of the year to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

But this year has been different. With COVID-19 and lockdown, I have been reading then blogging a lot more so I just went through my first usual blog break without much through. The plan, I decide, was when I was allowed to go back to work, I would take a few weeks off and try and get back into the rhymes of life again.

But, a few weeks ago, I found myself on the edge of a reading slump. After reading multiply stories that were always 2 or 3 stars, my brain was rebelling against the idea of reading. I was relistening to some old podcasts and my brain wasn't fully ready to read (though it did allow me to audiobook one of my favourite reads, Sabriel by Garth Nix). For the past few weeks, I have been binging the books from the  Old Kingdom (I should be finished with Goldenhand by the end of the month, fingers crossed!).

So, I have, slowly, walked away from my reading slump verge. But, at the same time this was happening, things were happening on Book Twitter (for a good few weeks, there was always something - and with good reason), which made me question my blogging or if I was still a member of book blogging, especially the YA book blogging community.

If you've followed the Pewter Wolf for a while, you know that I have been struggling on how long I should keep blogging for the past few years on and off, and with this and everything that has been happening, the idea of writing blog posts for the past few weeks makes me feel tired. I feel tired of the blog and every time I wanted to type a post, I just couldn't muster the energy to do it. Why should I when it felt like I was doing it for no reason?

Though, writing this has been quite helpful as now I'm giving myself the permission to take a blog break, I feel like now I could write posts. But I'm going to take time out and now worry about writing posts of books I read this month. Unless a book catches my eye and I need to talk to you guys badly about it.

So, yes, I am taking a small blog break and I'm not really going to write up my reviews/write-up of the stories I read/listen to this month and save them for next month like I normally do. I'm just going to titles that catch my eye and, when I come back at the end of the month/August/whenever, I can start afresh and anything that I do read this month, I will do a small write-up on my Goodreads or Twitter (so, yeah, now is the time to meet my social media and I am looking into joining other bookish social media such as BookSloth. Maybe... am still thinking this over... ) and I'm not going to pressure self to read x amount of books/audiobooks within a stupid timeframe like I normally do.

Maybe this is a time-out the Pewter Wolf and myself need. So, blog break time! I will be reading and I will be plotting...

So, till I return, stay safe, stay kind and stay fighting.

RSM

Ok, this is a bit out of the blue, I know, but I have decided to take a small blog break or RSM (Radio Silence Month as I like to call it as the first few times I did this, it was for a month but I use this now as shorthand when I need a blog break for a few weeks.)

Now, I don't think this is gonna be a month as I have no idea how long this break is going to be. And this break is a little out of the blue as I kept changing my mind of when to have it. I originally thought Easter or mid-May to co-inside with my birthday, but I kept going "I feel ok to keep going". Until a few days after my birthday, when I went "Actually, I need to go on a little break..."

I can say a number of reads - lack of time to read, the lengths of the books, money and being a grown-up - but the main reason that made me go "I need a break" is a fear I've been happening for quite some time but it came to surface when the UKYA Blogger Awards longests and shortlists nominations were announced.

Like most of you know, I came into book blogging by sheer fluke and happy accident. I have, since I started taking my book blogging seriously back in 2010, mainly read Young Adult. I love reading YA. But recently... I've noticed something the past few months... that I'm eyeing up more grown up reads and I've started to feel more comfortable and more challenged reading more adult novels.

This normally doesn't bother it (why would it? A good story is a good story, regardless of the age it's written for).

But the past few months, I feel like I'm ... how can I write this in a way that makes sense to you and myself? ... I feel like I am a YA book blogger, and yet I'm not. I feel like I am part of this wonderful YA book blogger community, and yet and on the edges and am slowly edging out.

Basically, I can't help but feel that maybe I don't exactly fit in the YA book blogging community like I used to. And that's kinda freaking me out.

In the past, this would never bother me. I would read what I like and to hell with it. But recently... I feel a little out of place with blogging. I don't want to quit, but I seem to have lost my identity a little, or I've shifted/grown-up a little in my tastes, and the Pewter Wolf needs to catch up and figure out where I fit in this book blogging community.

Or maybe I need a blog holiday to recharge.

So, that is what I am going to do! I am taking a book blogging break. I am still going to be reading and am still going to do what I have planned for the blog (the polls are on hold for a little while but keep eyes peeled on socials, all my guest post/blog tours are still gonna happen as promised) though I put hold fire on my His Fair Assassin and Inheritance Cycle Year Challenge read as I am failing beautifully on that front. But I need a recharge.

You will know when I am back properly as I will be screaming it! But bear with me for a while as I need to find my reading, then my blogging voice again... While waiting for that day, here is a gif of a cat that I saw at work a few days ago and I laughed over for nearly 15 minutes solid!

I'm Back (Again)

Well… that blog break throughout most/all of July kinda came out of nowhere, didn’t it? 

What happened? What called this blog break, I hear none of you ask. 

It was a mix of things, truth be told. 

As you lovely readers know if you follow me on Twitter for the past few months, I seem to be having a lot of reading slumps recently and I’m not 100% sure why. I’m reading pretty much what I always read, but it feels like recently these types of reads are are feeling a bit predictable. Not the stories fault, but because am reading some much of the same thing in a short space of time, am hitting a wall. Because of this, I had to take a step back from reading these types of books in the timeframe I usually give myself to read (another reason why I keep having reading slumps recently - am putting too much pressure on self to read books within a certain timeframe and that’s not gonna work, Andrew. You should know better). 

RSM - The Easter Edition

You guys have probably seen this coming for a while as I have been mentioning it for the past few weeks, but I am going to take the next few weeks off from the blog.

As much as I want to say "I feel OH-SO-GUILTY for taking a break from my blog", I'm not. I'm actually quite looking forward to it. Things are happening behind the scenes in that awful thing we call real life and I want to not worry about them and the blog.

But I always kinda knew I was going to take this break from the blog due to Easter and holiday am taking with my Other Half's family (there will be heat and sunshine so I will be hiding in the shade, hissing at the hideous yellow ball in the sky) so it just made sense to have this little break now.

Hopefully, I will have my laptop with me so can still write stuff and use them for future posts and I will hopefully be out of my fantasy reading slump so I have, since the beginning of the year, know what book I want to take with me (barring my kindle, of course) and that book is Priestess of the White by Trudi Canavan. And this is fantasy and I NEED to get out of my fantasy slump before I go away - I have back-up reads just in case but... I WANNA READ THIS BOOK!!! Magic, religion, Gods - what more can I ask for?

So, yes... am taking a tiny blog holiday. At the moment, am thinking two weeks. I might have one/two posts scheduled (not sure at time of writing this) so don't be surprised if something does pop up on the blog.

But then, don't be surprised if nothing pops up or my blog holiday goes over two weeks. I will be on Twitter and Instagram so don't worry too much. If anything happens, will tweet.

But before I go, I just wanna say thank you for reading my blog. Yes, I know it sounds corny and there's probably double meaning which will make one or two of you go "IS HE QUITTING?!" (am not), but I don't say thank you enough to you guys for reading my blog/twitter/instagram/facebook/pinterest/goodreads (wow! I need to maybe cull one or two of my social medias! *eyes Facebook for some unknown reason*) and doing involved. You guys rock!

Thank you again and I hope you have a lovely Easter and enjoy the next few weeks of quiet. But before I leave you, random rabbit gif to show me running away to my holiday? ... why not!

RSM - Am Back!

Am back from my holiday and my blog holiday! Did you miss me?

Well, it's so nice to have a few weeks off work/real life/blog life and just chill out. I went travelling (I will put a pic of where I went on Instagram in the coming few days once I got my work groove back (this week, they doing shifts and am working 6am till 2pm. meaning am awake at 5 and walking to work at half 5...).

ANYWAY, I thought to celebrate me coming back to the blog world (and me VERY SLOWLY AND VERY LEISURELY reading La Belle Sauvage), I thought I would put some songs up that my other half and I had on our holiday driving playlist as we have quite different taste in music.

So, sit back and relax/dance and see you tomorrow for my first "true" post back!

RSM - A Break

I'M GOING TO BE ON HOLIDAY FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS!!! A NICE LITTLE BREAK WITH MY OTHER HALF!!!

Which means, for a little while, am going to go on a blog break. Nothing hugely. Maybe two weeks, maybe longer...

It's not a big deal. I will be in the country for the next few days so will be tweeting/Instagraming like normal. Plus, with October being a month where am focusing on quite a few meaty books (Fate of the Tearling, Origin, La Belle Sauvage, etc), so a blog break might do me some good as I won't (in theory) worry about getting reviews up.

When I come back from my break and have got myself more in control of blog posts and ideas, will shout at you. But am off on my hols now so I'll see you all when I get back. Stay safe, stay happy and I will see your faces all real soon!!!

A Mini RSM

Hi everyone! To everyone who went to YALC, how was it? Did you guys have fun? And to those, like me, who didn't go, how jealous did you get over their Twitter and Instagram posts?

The reason why am writing this post is because I decided, for a next few days/weeks, to take a little blog break. And it's all INVASION OF THE TEARLING'S FAULT!!!

Ok, backstory time. I had plans for what I was going to read and blog about this month. I was going to go on a bit of a LGBT+ reading binge in July and get my NetGalley/eProofs in some order during August. But reading Invasion of the Tearling took longer to read than I expected, and then I got invited to Waterstones Piccadilly to see "An Evening With Kathy Reichs" so I decided to read her latest, Two Nights, which I am having such a blast reading, FYI. Will take about this once I come back from my mini-break.  

But because the book reading plan has gone flying out of the window (my TBR plans always done, I now realise), I decided that I want a few days (7-10ish days) where I can just focus on my reading and go very erratic over what I read next within this timeframe. I have one or two books in my head I want to tackle but seeing as I am a slow reader, I might only just finish Two Nights when this mini-blog break is over! (Not sure what's going to happen with my 30 Minutes Writing Sprint Challenge in my break... keep eyes peeled!)

But, weirdly, this mini break is going to be helpful as one or two things have creeped up in real life so I want to focus on them for however long it's going to take. 

So, sorry for the last minute announcement/change of my plans.  I do have an blog break happening in October but this was unschedule. Hope that's ok! I'll see you all in the next 7 to 10 days on the blog, but I will be on my Twitter and the other social media sites so you can check in on me there! 

RSM Time Again

If you guys have followed me on Twitter and on other social media, I am going away for the next few days. Actually, am going out of the country. Actually, am going to New York City.

NEW YORK, BABY!!! 

You can guess am a little excited. So, because of this, I am going on a tiny blog holiday - or RSM - for maybe two weeks.

The reason I say "maybe" is because I'm not sure how long I want to be away from my laptop and the blog. I know I won't do 7-10 days. I know this without hesitation. So, sorry in advance for seven to ten days with you miss my beautiful words [yes, you can laugh here. You have my blessing].

But beyond that, I have no idea. I have time off work and am planning to take a few days off to recharge. So, might be reading, catching up on TV, hugging my cat because he will miss me... ok, he will miss my lap and crushing my bladder (why do cats like sitting on your bladder? WHY!?).

Or I will be blitzing this so I can schedule a ton of posts for the rest of this month and next month. I have plans for next month and I have no idea how I am going to do it without some planning (and we all know I am not a natural planner!).

So yes, am going to take some time off. Sorry it's short-noticed but yes. Am away from laptop and country so... yeah.

I shall return to you refreshed from visiting the US of A and, with hopefully, a ton of books to talk to you guys about.

Until then, let me kiss you goodbye....

Tiny RSM Announcement

I was going to post this on the 1st April, but I didn't want to post it and then tell you guys that it's not an April Fool's joke.

The last two weeks of next month, I am going to take off. I won't be blogging from 15th April (ish) to the very end of the month.

No, WAIT! Don't react like that! I have reasons!!!

Ok, this could be seen as a tiny blog break - I do believe tiny breaks are good for the blog, you guys and myself and I will probably have another blog break before the year is through.

But my main, true reason is that next month (May 2016), I am doing a themed month. Which means I will be trying to get ahead of myself and give you a good mix of stories, linked to the genre I am going to dive into throughout the course of May.

I'm not going to tell you what genre as I want it to be a surprise, but if you follow my Twitter/Pinterest in the next few weeks, you might have an idea. But I want this themed month to be the best I can give to you guys so am going to give myself these two weeks to try and read/audiobook a lot of stories.

Probably a bad idea but yes, am going to try!

But don't worry. You have me for the next two weeks so you can't get away from me that easily! But forewarned is forearmed.

So, before we carry on like nothing has happened, here is a gif of a cat wearing bunny ears and looks not so thrilled about it. Well... it was Easter a few days ago...

4 Weeks of Summer

AM BACK!!! Did you miss me while I was taking July off?

No? Oh... well... Ok...

Anyway, I am back from my lovely break away from the blog and I am ready to go again! And because I have been reading throughout my month off, I am going to push two months of book reviews into one month.

AKA my 4 Weeks of Summer.

Basically, by the time we get to the end of the month or the start of September, I should be back to my normal way of reviewing, which is me reviewing books within 48 hours of finishing the books. So you get a instant reaction to the book.

So, for the next 4 weeks, you guys should get quite a few reviews (if all goes to plan). If not... well.... at least I tried to have a quiet weekend to curl up and read while having a hyper kitten and this weird British summer we're having...

Ok, so, let's enjoy the summer, the wonderful books that we have to read or that we have read and LOOK AT MY AWESOME NEW HAT!!!