Thursday, August 29, 2013

A Confession: What I really mean when I say I don't have time to blog

I was hesitant to actually admit what I'm about to say and post it, but given my spotty appearances in this corner of the internet, it's been on my mind quite a bit. So I've decided to just bite the bullet and fess up. Here goes nothing...

Many bloggers struggle with finding the time to post quality content on a regular basis (or semi-regular basis -- let's face it, that's the best I'll ever do!). Inevitably, life happens and there are times when we drift away from the blogosphere. This has obviously happened to me a lot this summer and I'm OK with that. BUT, if I am 100% honest, when I say I haven't had time to blog, what I REALLY mean is that I haven't had time to keep up with my Feedly (previously Google -- you get the gist) reader and comment on other blogs.

You see, even when life is really busy, I usually can still find time to jot down my thoughts on what I've read. I like writing out reviews as a way of processing and evaluating books I have finished. I've gotten so used to doing this, I would probably still do it even if not a single other person would ever read them. Sometimes I have no time to read at all, but that's not really what I'm talking about here -- no matter what is happening in life, I typically have a book I'm plugging away at, even if it's at a slower pace than normal. There will always be a book to write about, I have no doubt about that.

So the real *problem* is the majority people who actually read this blog are also bloggers (whose blogs I thoroughly enjoy, mind you). I just feel guilty hitting 'publish' when I know I won't have time to return comments or catch up with other bloggers' latest posts. Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with other book-lovers and I am so grateful some of you have found your way here, but sometimes somthing's got to give. Someone please tell me I am not the only one who feels this way!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Mini Review: Absent

Soooo the day after my grand declaration that I was returning to this little corner of the internet, I ended up traveling unexpectedly due to a bit of a family emergency. Everything is OK, but needless to say I haven't been around. Again. I was starting to think some of these reviews I've had stuck in my head were never going to come out, so I've decided to share my thoughts in shorter format just to make sure I do indeed share them at all! So, here's my first mini review of a book that's been waaaaay overdue.
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Absent by Katie Williams
Series: no
Publisher: Chronicle
Date: May 21, 2013
How did I get this book? free Advanced Reader's Copy from a publisher Facebook contest
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

When Paige dies in an accident, she becomes a ghost who can't leave the grounds of her high school. Shortly after starting to hear rumors she committed suicide, she realizes she can posess the body of anyone who is thinking of her and tries to set the record straight. I wasn't thrilled by how the ending of his book went, but it was very thought-provoking read that I definitely recommend. It gives a really interesting perspective on how hurtful rumors and gossip can be. I thought it was a very realistic view of high school and one of this book's greatest strengths was actually it's lack of details. I would normally never say that, so hear me out -- by not being overly descriptive about the school itself even though it was a central element of the book, it was able to clearly evoke what high school means for me. As I was reading, I was picturing the hallways, classrooms, and grounds of my own past and I think that was quite powerful. By not making this particular high school stand out in any significant way, I think it made the story infinitely more relatable and, therefore, that much more universal.

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This book counts toward my reading goals for:
2013 ARC Reading Challenge

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Has it really been that long?

Sorry for the disappearing act everyone! I seriously can't believe my last post was at the end of June and it's now August... I went on vacation in early July and it seems the blogging side of my brain decided it wanted to stay on a more extended leave. There's just something about summer that makes me not want to be sitting at my computer more than I have to (and trust me, I'm sitting at it often enough for work). As much as I miss all the bookish conversations, it's been really hard to return to my little corner of the net. But I definitely want to catch up on some reviews -- while summer isn't a great blogging season (for me), it is excellent season for reading, so I have a few good ones I want to share.

Oh, and I was window shopping for more bookcases this weekend and if all goes as planned I should finally be able to unpack the rest of my collection and share some photos soon. Wish me luck on that project -- I'm going to need it!

Where I wish I could be every single day of the summer