What I Want To Know

Welcome to TNBBC's "What I Want To Know" - a mini series of sorts that will hopefully answer some of the questions and quiet some of the concerns I know fellow bloggers, authors, and publishers have regarding how to choose a reviewer or book to review, review etiquette, how to pitch and be pitched.. among other things.

Last week, the bloggers shared their views on writing negative reviews. The ball is now back in the Author and Publisher's court and I want to know:

What is your opinion on bloggers/reviewers who refuse to accept review copies from self published or independent authors/publishers?

Here is what they had to say:

"Luckily, in our experience, I don’t think we’ve ever had a reviewer refuse to accept a review copy from us because we’re an independent press. (Who doesn’t love free books?!) We certainly understand if a reviewer doesn’t have time in their reading/reviewing schedule to add another title, or they don’t think their readership is a good fit for the book in question. But I certainly hope reviewers aren’t turning away publishers just because they’re an independent press." - Marisa, Graywolfpress

"The number of books being self-published/indie-published is increasing dramatically due to e-publishing/POD. Unless the self-published/indie-published book comes with a glowing recommendation or blurb from a well-known author/authority, I understand that bloggers/reviewers need to institute policies like this in order to sift through the slush. A book published by a well-known publisher means that there are dozens of people who have vouched for the book's quality. I've only self-published small comics and parodies (via Scribd), and would frankly be shocked if anyone actually took the time to review them." - Andrew Shaffer, HuffPost columnist and author of GREAT PHILOSOPHERS WHO FAILED AT LOVE (Harper Perennial, Jan '11)

"They are out of touch with the changing world of publishing, especially when it comes to small or independent presses. There are, sadly, many self-published books that are poorly written and edited, but on the other hand, some have more attention to detail than their big publisher counterparts. This year's Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, Tinkers, was published by tiny Bellevue Literary Press and had not been reviewed by many of the big magazines and only sold a couple thousand copies. Now it's a bestseller and the author has a three book deal with a major publisher. Don't overlook small books from small presses -- their are treasures to be found." - Collin Kelley, Poet, journalist, social media consultant, author of Conquering Venus

"We're an independent publisher so, we're disappointed, but otherwise no opinion. No time to do anything else but move along." - VagabondagePress, Arts/Lit Online 'Zine The Battered Suitcase

" The bigger the reviewer is, the harder it is to reach them with something, and I sort of understand that. Granting that it's the small publisher that is most in need of the publicity a major review can bring, there's a law of averages in play in terms of quality. But if you're a small blogger/reviewer blanket-declining indies and self-published books? Those are what you SHOULD be looking at.

I'm reminded of a story. In college a friend and I were interviewing to host a show on our college radio station. When the obvious question-- what would we play-- came up I answered with a list of the music I usually listened to. This was the wrong answer. The station played small indie rock, not U2 and Springsteen. The question wasn't even whether those bands were any good (although I suspect the station manager's answer to that would have been "no") but why I would want to play something that you could hear on any other station? For some bands college radio was their only exposure.

I feel the same way about reviewers. I can go anywhere to read a review of, say, Jonathan Franzen's latest book. Give me something I can't read about anywhere else.
- " - Gene Doucette, author of Immortal

I love Gene's final sentence. "Give me something I can't read about anywhere else"! Why read and review the same 50 books that everyone else is reading and reviewing? I want to read reviews on great books that I might never have heard of. I want to expose myself to those amazing unknowns and then spread the word to anyone who will listen!

I know this has been a topic of discussion on blogs and other social forums before, and I really wanted to address it and hear what the indies thought - how do they feel when they see review policies that say "no self-published or independent" books, or "all books released independently have grammar and spelling errors, poor content", etc.

Most of you know me well enough by now. I will read just about anything that comes my way. If the summary sounds interesting, and the book is pitched well, sign me up, I'm game! I am always on the look out for that next best book, and you never know who will write or publish it!

I say - give the little guys a chance! Blockbusters and award winners are not the only books out there worth reading!

What did you think?

Was this post helpful and insightful? Was there anything here that shocked you? What experiences have you had with independent publishers or self-published authors that support or negate what you read here?

Next week, it's back to the bloggers to find out what their opinions are on self-published and independent authors/publishers. Be sure to check it out!

Note: We are quickly closing in on the end of the current "What I Want To Know" series. There are three weeks left. I am still seeking publishers and authors who would like to participate in the next series! Please email me at mescorn@ptd.net or tweet me @tnbbc.

Giving Up - An Object of Beauty

Started 11/19/10

Threw in the towel 11/24/10

Read 162 out of 292 pages

Oops. I did it again. I quit on another book.

At least I didn't wait until I was 20 pages from the end this time, right?

What has gotten into me? This is so unlike me. I've said it before, and I will say it again. I just do.not.give.up.on.books. (except, well, that I do now, apparently!)

This is a book I snagged at BEA10. It might have actually been the 1st book I snagged, to be honest. I adore Steve Martin, and have loved his other novels - Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company - to death! He's got a great sense of humor, and it reveals itself subtly in his writing.

However, An Object of Beauty was completely devoid of humor. It was all seriousness and artsy-fartsy highbrow sophisticated drivel. Yes - I get that Lacey was an aggressive young up-and-coming associate in the art gallery world. And yes - I get that there is more going on behind the scenes when it comes to the acquisition of art, and the showcasing of art, and the storage of art, and the selling of art. There was so much time and energy spent on the behind-the-scenes set up of the novel that the characters felt a little underdeveloped and stale.

Even the few sex scenes that I managed to read through were dry and creaky (I was so disconnected from what was going on that I tweeted that it was creepy reading a sex scene written by Steve Martin, that it felt very much like walking in on my parents in the middle of the 'act').

It was so unlike his other novels that I found myself peeking at the cover of the book to reconfirm that...yes... this book really was written by Steve Martin.

I have all the respect in the world for this actor-cum-writer and cannot imagine the amount of research that must have gone into the creation of this novel. I really wish I could have lost myself in it. Set in the 1990's contemporary art craze in NYC, I just felt totally disconnected from the entire thing, and kept waiting for something, anything, to happen. And when something kind of, sort of, did start to happen, I found that I really didn't care anymore.

The book released yesterday to the public. I wish Steve Martin all the success in the world with it. And I know that it is receiving high praise within it's true audience. It just was not my cup of tea.

And so I am moving on....

Sick For the Holidays

Somehow, I can never seem to make it through the holidays without getting sick.

When I was younger, I remember quite a few trips from my dad's house to my mom's with a bucket and plastic bag between my legs in the front seat of the car, throwing up on Easter break. I recall spending an entire thanksgiving day wrapped up in a comforter on my couch watching reruns of X Files on the Sci-Fi channel feeling nauseous and feverish while the hubby and kids enjoyed their turkey dinner at the in-laws.

This year, it appears I have a caught a nasty little cold that is nestling in my throat. Painful to swallow, ears so itchy I want to scream, body just achey and blah.

Thank goodness for three days off and good books to lose myself in. The plan is to take scolding hot baths, drink lots of hot tea, curl up on the couch with my current read, and do as little as possible.

How are you spending the days leading up to Thanksgiving???

Review: A Tale Dark & Grimm

Read 11/15/10 - 11/18/10

4 Stars - Strongly recommended

Pgs:246

This is not the Hansel and Gretel you grew up with.

It's darker. It's bloodier. Think "The Book of Lost Things" and "The Eyes of the Dragon" - a twisted spin on the fairy tale you thought you knew.

It starts as all fairy tales start... Once upon a time.

A young boy and a young girl, children who should never have been born, were born into a life of unhappy endings. After running away from their murderous parents into the edible home of an evil old witch, Hansel and Gretel find themselves searching all throughout the land for good grown-ups who will take care of them. This search finds them running from bad homes to worse ones - walking for months to the crystal mountain, outwitting the Devil at the Gates of Hell, killing and sacrificing for their own survival...

Adam Gidwitz breaks into this unexpectedly, delightfully, macabre tale to warn the reader of upcoming terrors and traumas, pleading with parents to send their children to bed, faking a happy ending until he is certain every last child is out of hearing (or reading) range, before continuing with his gruesome story.

A Tale Dark & Grimm was a refreshing take on a favorite fairy tale. Delivered tongue in cheek, Gidwitz's style works well for both the old and young at heart. Full of witches and warlocks, dragons and demons, you can't go wrong!

Go ahead, get your Grimm on!

What I Want To Know

Welcome to TNBBC's "What I Want To Know" - a mini series of sorts that will hopefully answer some of the questions and quiet some of the concerns I know fellow bloggers, authors, and publishers have regarding how to choose a reviewer or book to review, review etiquette, how to pitch and be pitched.. among other things.

Last week, authors and publishers talked about their views on negative reviews. This week, we pass the potato to the book bloggers because I want to know:

How do you handle writing negative reviews?

This is what they had to say:

"I hate writing negative reviews, but I pride myself on honesty. I have found that authors appreciate this quality in my reviews more than anything. As a matter of fact I have had authors email me thanking me for my input and even offer me a copy of their next novel in hopes to change my view on their writing ability. So my approach? Write what I think, don't skirt around it, it does nobody any favors in the end." - Misty Baker, KindleObsessed.Com

"I try to give it some balance. Much like with favourable reviews, I think it is a mistake to publish a hysterical raves (or in the case of a lousy book, frothing-at-the-mouth spite). So for example with Stephanie Meyer’s New Moon, which I had a number of issues with, while I said it wasn’t to my taste, I acknowledged that a lot of folk love this series. The internet is a realm of extremes and I try to make it a rule of thumb to exercise moderation in my reviews.

(A few weeks ago)in a coffee shop I was talking about Twilight with my wife and a friend. A young woman sitting at a neighbouring table became visibly upset with our discussion, stood up and left. Had this been a discussion on the internet, her reaction may have manifested itself as a page long diatribe on our failings as human beings. This is the difference between the real world and online discussion, and it applies to every popular forum, from message board debates on American health care to the dissolution of Spider-Man’s marriage. I feel this is a great shame, so I try to eschew negativity when I can." - Emmett O'Cuana, ABookADayTillICanStay.wordpress.com

" I only request books that I'm fairly certain I'll like. I've been reading for most of my life and I know my own taste by now. ;) If it's something I really can't stand, I won't finish it, but if it's a book I just didn't like much, I try and say good things about it and then explain why it didn't work for me. I don't want to keep someone who would really like the book from reading it." - Kelly Hager, KellyVision.wordpress.com

"Like I would if somebody had a really ugly baby. I wouldn't come right out and say that is the ugliest baby I've ever seen but I'm not going to be telling you to enter in a cute baby contest anytime soon.

But seriously, I try to respect that it IS like somebody's baby by having tact and trying to not be harsh. I've learned in college how to be professional while disagreeing and giving negative opinions and I think that is important. It is my personal blog but it is a part of my resume so I try to be professional yet let my personality show through.

I will not, however, compromise myself and my opinions for the sake of making an author like me or sleep better at night. If your book sucks, well, I'm going to explain why. I might try to throw in a redeeming aspect of it but I'm not going to try to be nice and gentle all the time. The reality of it is that not everyone is going to like a book. It might not be everybody's taste and not everyone will "get" it. My job, in a negative review, is to explain why I did not care for it so that a reader might be able to gauge whether or not they will enjoy it. I let myself be available on email to more fully explain a book to readers wanting to know more." - Jamie Bennett, PerpetualPageTurner.blogspot.com

As I mentioned in the last post, no one enjoys negative reviews. They can be difficult to write and even more difficult to read. The best negative reviews are honest reviews that incorporate specific critiques. Pull excerpts out and analyze them. If it's the writing style, what was it specifically that didn't work for you? What could the author have done differently? Is it the subject matter, the character development...? How did that hinder the novel?

Before I learned how to say no to authors seeking reviews, I had accepted a book that I knew I was not going to like. It was called "The Spiritual Significance of Music" and the author had interviewed over 1,000 artists and musicians to find out what the spiritual significance of music meant to them. I gave the book 2 stars, and struggled to finish it. But finish it I did, and when I wrote the review, I pulled out quotes and themes - and countered them with my own personal feelings.

The author contacted me almost immediately to thank me for such a well thought out review, and shared it on his facebook page.

That is when you know you have created something worthwhile for your readership. Sharing your personal reactions, but also reviewing in such a way as to try to find the books audience too.

What did you think?

Was this post helpful and insightful? Was there anything here that shocked you? What interactions have you had with publishers or authors that support or negate what you read here?

Next week, we will find out what the authors and publishers think about bloggers/reviewers who decline requests to review copies from self published or independent authors/publishers.

Review: A Cake Appeared

Read 11/15/10 - 11/16/10

3.5 Stars - Strongly recommended to readers familiar with genre

Pgs:75

Now this is how you write unconventional short stories!

Shane Jones blew me away with his novel Light Boxes, in which the month of February refused to release the townspeople from it's cold clutches.

In A Cake Appeared, - a collection of poems, fables, and scrolls - we get a larger sample of the type of writing Shane is capable of.

Twisted and dark, silly and strange, we discover the man with the ax for a nose, the nightmares that cause townfolk to kill themselves, a man and woman who build chimneys around themselves.... it's all so bizarre, and yet, at the same time, quite believable.

Here is a sample of what this collection contains:

"I promise to myself each year that I will set the trees on fire. I have imagines what burning trees would look like through the blue stained kitchen windows. I can see the leaves as ghosts burning and flying and curling through the air. And each year I find myself in bed like all the rest of you, small and sweater clad." - pg.72

This collection is perfect for readers who like their short stories with a splash of imagination!

Review: Pee on Water

Read 11/10/10 - 11/12/10

3 Stars - Recommended for readers familiar with genre

Pgs:143

Rachel B. Glaser has a unique way of looking at the world. She sees beyond the surface, into the blood and marrow of things, and she exposes that through the people and things that populate her collection of short stories in Pee on Water.

In the story THE JON LENNIN XPERIENCE - Our main guy's sister purchases him a Beatles reality video game. He is anti-everything technological and ignores the game for many days. Eventually he decides to give it a whirl and ends up becoming obsessed with being John Lennon.

In THE TOTEMS ARE GRAND - a family comes together to celebrate their terminally ill grandmother's life by creating totem poles out of the trees in their yard.

THE KID is a story about a bored guy who takes his dog and his girlfriend on a road trip to deliver drugs for his dead brothers friend. On one particular drop off, someone holds the kid and his girlfriend at gunpoint - and forces the kid to choose between his girlfriend, who he loves having sex with, and his dog, a loyal sidekick who he has raised since it was a puppy.

THE MONKEY HANDLER deals with the complicated and tragic ending of a puppy-dog crush in the confined quarters of space travel.

The title story, PEE ON WATER, takes a creative look at the process of evolution.

These stories were my favorite - by miles. They had the perfect pace. They were pretty straight-forward. They snagged my attention from the first sentence and held it throughout the entire story.

Some of the others, like ICONOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS OF PRE- AND EARLY RENAISSANCE, INFECTIONS, MY BOYFRIEND BUT TRAGIC, and MCGRADY's SWEETHEART, appeared to take on too much all at once. They confused and frustrated me, and in the case of ICONOGRAPHIC and MCGRADY'S - turned me off so much that I stopped reading them and moved on to the next one.

Rachel takes the english language and makes it her own. No matter what story you're reading, you can see her fingerprints all over them. I would be very interested to see what she could do with a full length novel.

Many thanks to Publishing Genius for sending me the review copy! Check out Pee on Water for the Kindle and Nook. And check out this interview with the author from WeWhoAreAboutToDie.

Your Favorite Book Can Tell Time

With the holidays right around the corner, tell me this isn't the coolest gift idea ever?! A step by step guide on how to turn a favorite book into a clock.

Review: Cursed

Read 11/9/10 - 11/10/10

4 Stars: Strongly recommended

Pgs:214

This novel was exactly what I needed because I:

1. Finally threw in the towel on a three-week struggle with my previous read.

2. Wanted something fun and fast to help me fall in love with books again.

3. Was dying to read me a little Jeremy C. Shipp.

Cursed is a novel unlike any other. When the book opens, Nicholas has been slapped in the face 11 days in a row. He is expecting #12 to come from his sister. He is pretty sure that he is cursed.

He starts to question whether it is something he is bringing upon himself until he talks to his friend Cicely, who is also struggling with a strange curse of her own - an inability to let go of a tennis ball for fear that the world will end.

Together, this team of two join forces with Nicholas's blind roommate - who has an unhealthy obsession with profiling serial killers - and Abbey - a girl who answers their wanted posters for other 'cursed' people - in an effort to uncover whoever it was that did this to them.

An absolute page turner from the first to the last, Cursed hooked me with it's list-fetish narrator, who outlines almost every thought and action in a humorous 1. 2. 3. format. The author creates these perfectly fucked up, quirky, lovable characters that you can't help but root for, and delivers them to you on a plate that is overflowing with witty comments and a side of neuroses.

Jeremy C. Shipp has definitely caught my attention with this novel, and will have me quickly seeking out his others... A clever player-on-words, an active tweeter, and a man with a unique imagination, Jeremy twists the english language and knocks it to its knees. And the world really should take notice!

A great introduction into the realm of Bizarro fiction, for those who have yet to wet their feet, and a softer horror fiction for those who want to skip the screams and just get their creep on.

What I Want to Know

Welcome to TNBBC's "What I Want To Know" - a mini series of sorts that will hopefully answer some of the questions and quiet some of the concerns I know fellow bloggers, authors, and publishers have regarding how to choose a reviewer or book to review, review etiquette, how to pitch and be pitched.. among other things.

Last week, we listened as the book bloggers explained how they choose what they will read for review. These week, the ball is back in the authors' and publishers' court, because I want to know:

How do you handle negative reviews?

Here is what they said:

"As we all know, reading tastes can be very subjective and not all reviews can be as positive as you’d hope they would be. It’s certainly easier to stomach a negative review if the criticisms of the book are constructive and thoughtful. And you have to consider the fact that the reviewer is reviewing the book on behalf of its intended audience, and of course not every book is a great fit for every audience. You can’t dwell on negative reviews; you just have to read them, consider them, and move on." - Marisa, Graywolfpress


"I would leave (the review) as is, and likely not approach the reviewer again unless I was in agreement with the reasoning behind the review, and felt it to be smart and demonstrate careful reading." - Lucinda, Book Marketer



"Thankfully, my book isn't out yet until January, so I haven't had to deal with negative reviews yet! Most writers advise against reading reviews altogether, but I'm enough of a narcissist that I doubt I can resist the allure. When I encounter the first negative book review of my book on a blog or review site, I will undoubtedly transform from my mild-mannered self into a fire-breathing, angry demon and leave scathing comments on the post ripping the reviewer apart on a very personal level. And then link to the negative review from my blog, Facebook, and Twitter feed and ask my friends and followers to join in tearing the reviewer apart." - Andrew Shaffer, HuffPost columnist and author of GREAT PHILOSOPHERS WHO FAILED AT LOVE (Harper Perennial, Jan '11)

"They are to be expected because writing is so subjective. I had a couple of mediocre reviews for Venus and I posted the links for my readers to see. I never respond to reviews. Okay, I take that back. When my poetry collection After the Poison was reviewed by The Pedestal, the reviewer called me a racist after failing to read the collection in context with its political themes. It was clear this reviewer had their own agenda and I wrote a very strong letter to the editor and reviewer, but I also posted the review. That is the only time I have protested a review because it moved from critical thinking to personal attack." - Collin Kelley, Poet, journalist, social media consultant, author of Conquering Venus

"I haven't gotten one yet. But to go back to an earlier point from a different angle, a good book reviewer is one who can write a critical review in such a way that even the author says, "yeah, okay; that's fair."" - Gene Doucette, author of Immortal

I love the variety in responses here! A confident author with a sense of humor, a publisher who understands not every book is a great fit for every reader, a poet who links his readers to the negative as well as the positive... It's great to hear how well negative reviews are received by the people who supply us our books.

Writing a negative review can be a very difficult thing to do. When I've written them in the past (thankfully this is something I do not have to do very often) I am basically reviewing the feelings I had as I read the book, and stick to critiquing the specific elements of the story line or writing that did not work for me . I never bash or belittle the novel or author or use subjective adjectives. I also try to offer up some constructive feedback - what would have made this novel work better? what could the author have done differently?

I also try to point out the things that DID work for me. It helps to keep in mind that this novel might be perfect for someone, somewhere out there. I want to try to help this novel find it's readership!

As you can see from the statements listed above, most people want to know what it is about their work that you didn't like. They understand that not everyone is going to like what they wrote, or what they publish. Be honest, be constructive, and give examples. Write a review you can be proud of!

What did you think?

Was this post helpful and insightful? Was there anything here that shocked you? What interactions have you had with publishers or authors that support or negate what you read here?

Next week, we turn the tables and hit up the book bloggers - I want to know how they handle writing negative reviews. Be sure to check back next week to see what they had to say! Thanks for reading...

Giving Up - Aurorarama

Started 10/21/10

Threw the towel in 11/9/10

Pages read: 386 out of 409

I just made one of the hardest decisions in my life: giving up on a book!

This is something I just simply do.not.do. so it is strange for me to admit defeat and just chuck Aurorarama to the side like this. And with only 22 pages left to go??? Well, I look at it this way... At least you can't say I didn't give it a fighting chance!

It started out really slow and rough for me. I couldn't get a handle on what the storyline was, and kept flipping back through the pages I had just finished reading to try to get a better understanding of what was taking place.

Then, just as my motivation started slipping, right around the 200 page mark, the book began to get incredibly creepy and twisted, and I finally found myself sucked in and unwilling to put it down.

And then, somehow, somewhere towards the end of the book, it all just started falling apart again. To the point where I found myself even more frustrated and confused than I was in the beginning!

The book has so much potential - An underground movement to purge New Venice of it's current leadership, street police and policy enforcers called Gentlemen of the Night, an evil magician, secret Siamese Twins, and Eskimo orgies.... Tell me this doesn't sound like the recipe for a great book?

I am thinking that this book needed a stronger editor - one who could take the mumble-jumbleness of the story and organize it into a cleaner, smoother novel. There was so much right about it - but in the end, it just didn't work for me.

So much so, that I simply could not bring myself to read the final 22 pages. I care that little about how the novel ends. It's just not worth my time to find out. My motivation finally packed it's bags and took off running down the road when I wasn't looking... Never to return.

Seeing Your Review in Print - Priceless!

(click on photo for close up)

Author Gene Doucette and his publisher Lisa Hamel-Reader, of Hamel Integrity Publishing, each deserve a big bear hug and kiss on the cheek. I came home from work today to find a signed copy of Immortal on my doorstep, and nearly peed my pants when I opened it and saw my NAME and a portion of MY REVIEW on the inside page!!!!

There is no better feeling than what I am feeling right now! Thank you both for acknowledging this teeny tiny book blogger. And for making all of this so worth while!

The book is available now - run out and buy it! Support these guys! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Where's My Motivation?

Needed in order to finish my current read : AURORARAMA

Last seen: October 21st, shortly after starting current read.

Responds best when approached with new books by indie authors and/or indie publishers.

Distracted easily by Twitter, Goodreads, Blogspot, and Facebook.

Megan's Way Giveaway

Melissa Foster, founder of The Women's Nest, has offered to give away 3 signed copies of her novel "Megan's Way"!

Here is book description according to Goodreads:

"What would you give up for the people you love?

When Megan Taylor, a single mother and artist, receives the shocking news that her cancer has returned, she'll be faced with the most difficult decision she's ever had to make. She'll endure an emotional journey, questioning her own moral and ethical values, and the decisions she'd made long ago. The love she has for her daughter, Olivia, and her closest friends, will be stretched and frayed.

Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Olivia's world is falling apart right before her eyes, and there's nothing she can do about it. She finds herself acting in ways she cannot even begin to understand. When her internal struggles turn to dangerous behavior, her life will hang in the balance.

Megan's closest friends are caught in a tangled web of deceit. Each must figure out how, and if, they can expose their secrets, or forever be haunted by their pasts."

Take a peek at the book trailer here.

The giveaway will end on November 13th.

Here are the rules for entering:

1 - Leave a comment here telling me why you would like one of the three signed copies of this book.

2 - Please do not enter if you have won a book from this blog in the last 3 months to give some of the other followers an opportunity to win.

3 - You must currently be living in the US and Canada. And you must leave a way for me to contact you in the event that you are chosen to win.

I will choose the three winners at random once the giveaway has ended. Good luck!

I Miss the Old Me

I was feeling nostalgic and took a peek through some of my older blog posts... from when I first broke into the blogging scene 11 months ago. (my how time flys!)

I really enjoyed my younger blogger self, and will be making a new year's resolution to revive some of my old funky spirit! Like listing the review books that are forever being added to the TBR piles (yes, plural pile..as in 'more than one'..yikes!), and all of the bookish events I was excited to be going to, and the cool bookish things I found while lurking around the internet. Like loosening up and having fun with it again, rather than taking it all so gosh darn serious!

I got a kick out of me then, so I am going to bring me back! Screw the whole recent 'oh my god i'm getting old' age-crisis thing I've got going on... I'm going to rock this blog like it's 2012!

Watch out World. I'm Baaaaaacckkkkkk....