My name is Gwen. I live in the US with my husband and two cats. When I am not working, one of my favorite things to do is read. I will read almost anything so long as it has a good story and characters (Though I have found that hard science-fiction is not for me). By creating this blog I have to do two things.
- Review my current reads and share my excitement.
- Encourage myself to read more. (When I started my first book blog, Garabrandtreviews, I was reading about 200 books a year but I was much younger and had no other hobbies). Last year I read 64 books. I watch a lot of dramas and play Final Fantasy XIV as well now (admittedly badly, but we have fun). I want to get back into reading more, though. My goal for this year is eighty books but I am hoping for one hundred.
I have had a previous book blog and have been lucky enough to work with Netgalley as a reviewer since 2016. I wanted to change… well, nearly everything about my blog and make it look more my current style. “New Year, New Me”, right? What better way to start my next reading adventure than with a whole new blog?
What I know I want to do:
- Book reviews for advanced reads I recieve from Netgalley and other sources.
- Book reviews for anything else I am reading.
What I think I want to do:
- Weekly memes such as Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. (Not going to lie, this will only be when the topic of discussion interests me enough that I think I have ten talking points.) Possibly a “Current Obsession” weekly post. It sounds great in my head… but I wonder how well it implements.
How I review:
To be honest, I become far to invested in fictional characters and my reviews will sometimes show this. I tend to be more lenient on a book if the plot is good and well implemented, or if the characters stand out to me. I find that most books become friends that I look at fondly, warm memories. It’s extremely rare for me to find a book that I didn’t like. That said, three and four star reviews from me are still fantastic reads- they just aren’t obsession level. Five star books? Obsession level- I think of these characters after finishing the book. I can’t pass the book in a store without stopping. These are the ones I will definitely have special copies of- trophies as my husband calls them.
My reviews will lightly discuss any adult content for each book. It isn’t because I believe we should be policing what anyone reads no matter the age, but that I think we should know what’s in it going in; especially where younger readers are concerned. When my niece was about ten she had read everything she could think of in her age level and wanted “big girl books”. Young adult books. Now, Google lists this as ages twelve to eighteen, but as I was reading the books my niece wanted there were things that stood out. One had an orgy by chapter ten and was still listed as YA. My sister did not want that one just yet. Forwarned is forarmed- plus there is content that can trigger people. Knowing ahead of time allows you to decide what you want to read.
There may also be spoilers in my reviews as I am discussing characters and interactions. I will always try to keep them at a minimum.
Thank you for joining me on my new reading adventure!
Happy Reading,
Gwen
