The sheer quantity of books (not those pictured) that I haven't reviewed is starting to get insane, so I'm going to go ahead and go crazy writing mini-reviews, then I hope I will finally, finally get back to blog-hopping. I've missed reading other folks' posts, but when I did manage to read a few, last week, I found myself utterly speechless. I had nothing whatsoever to say. I'm not so sure I ever make brilliant comments anyway, but at least I can usually manage to type something. This weekend, I bought a little pile.
I'm allegedly on a book-buying ban, but . . . okay, forget it. There's no excuse. I bought the following:Stealing Heaven - Elizabeth Scott
How Green Was My Valley - Richard Llewellyn (the spacing gods are out to get me, again)I'm going to remove some of the images
of books I've read and need to review from the sidebar, because it's looking a little heavy. But, here's what I have read and not reviewed in recent weeks (for my sanity, I think I'll cross them off as I review):Custer Survivor - John Koster
I don't believe I've ever fallen quite so far behind. Oh, well. Things happen. C'est la vie.
My wonderful friend Cindi has asked me to post info
about a contest that includes blog columnists and since it's relevant, I agreed. I'm copying her release verbatim, with the exception of the part where I substituted a link for the URL, so write to Cindi at the address noted, if you have any questions:2010 NATIONAL SOCIETY NEWSPAPER COLUMNISTS CONTEST Print, Online and Blog-Columnists it is Win, Place or Show Time! Dust off your columns from 2009, find the ones that shine and enter the 2010 annual contest. Make this YOUR year for recognition. Submit with the best of the best and go for the gold. Entry forms and contest guidelines are an easy click away at the
NSNC web page. You may just have the winning article...but you can't win if you don't play. It's that simple...GOOD LUCK!For additional information contact: Cynthia Borris, National Society Newspaper Columnist Contest Chair
cynthiaborris@gmail.comYes, Cindi, I really did dream God told me I'm fat. It was not my happiest moment.
I've had very few comments to approve for the last few days
, probably because everyone's afraid that I'll regale them with stories of my dearly departed cat (don't worry; if I write about my cats, I'll just write stories about their lives as blog posts and I'll entitle them accordingly, although I don't plan to do so).Yesterday, I took advantage
of not having to reply and updated my sidebar a bit. I've removed the tribute to Dewey, but that doesn't mean I'll ever forget her. I simply felt like my heart needed me to put something even more personal in the sidebar. Yes, of course. The cats. Well, they were great pets.After I added my kitties
, I moved all links that smacked of advertising to the bottom of the sidebar. They're not advertisements. I'm not paid to put them in my sidebar; I added them by choice. But, my blog is meant to be a homey, chatty place and books aren't the only thing it's about. So, I decided to keep my tour group -blog directory - media links but move them to a less prominent position.My third accomplishment
was to finally list and link to the books I've read since 2005 in my sidebar. This is something several people have asked me to do. I don't know how to create tabs, so I decided to just go ahead and set up links. Easy peasy. They're lists by month - title and author only. Just for the heck of it, I tossed in my reads from 2000, as well. Typing up all that info was surprisingly fun. Now, I know when I first read Paul Auster, which year I read that Faulkner "with" my eldest (he pretended to read it), and how the variety of books I've read has changed in recent years. Well, I think it's interesting.Coming up next:
A Brevity Test. I usually fail. This time, I'm determined. We'll see how that works out.Happy Monday!
There's always something to do on ye olde blog! I love the title If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteYes, so true. I've missed Bloggiesta 2 years in a row, so I was happy to have a little free time for improvement. Isn't that a cute title? That's a YA. I think 4 out of 7 titles are YA.
getting behind on reviews always strikes me as an opportunity to read a long book- since I could, at that point, go a few weeks without running out!
ReplyDeleteMarie,
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's an interesting idea. I've got a couple of chunksters on the agenda, actually. Need to get going on those.
I love seeing other people's book stacks. It is interesting to see which titles are in them. I am ten books behind my goal of reviewing every book I read this year. lol I love how you display the pictures of your books on your sidebar. :)
ReplyDeleteBrittanie,
ReplyDeleteI love photos of book stacks, too. You're allowed to be behind because you read so fast!!
Thanks. I'm funny with my sidebar. If I can't find an image (or can't locate one I like), I just take a picture of my own copy. I have files and files of book-cover images. Nutty.
Me and you need to get together and meet somewhere in the middle!! I'm always trying to figure out how to write longer, more put together reviews like you write and it seems like you're trying to write shorter reviews...I'm good at those :p I can spit out a review in a paragraph with no problemo! It's expanding on a book that's my problem!!
ReplyDeleteThings are looking good around here Nancy :) I've been a bit of a blog slacker lately. I'm just starting to catch up on my blog reading now from the last 4 days and I have a LOT to go! But I made you one of my first stops :)
Ok...I can't ramble too long today (ok, well I could, but then I'd never get to other blogs :p). Thinking of you and Spooky. *hugs my friend*
Gotta admit it - that title jumped out at me, probably because it applies to me every bit as much. I did, however, make a little progress in the book department. Not enough to post any sort of ah! moment but getting closer.
ReplyDeleteBrevity isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Seems to me you're doing both what needs doing and what you need to do, if that makes sense.
cjh
Oh, you did good. I need to sort my own blog and tinker around with tiny bits and places. However, I'll have to wait until January ends, when my event month is over with. I so can not wait for January to be over with. My lazy nature does not allow me to be active so long.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny. My problem is that I always find so much to talk about, when it comes to books, that I can't shut myself up! Thanks, so sweet of you to say that you consider mine "put together". I consider my reviews rambly, not organized, but I try. Yeah, we do need to find a happy medium.
So, we've both been slacking. I knew I'd have trouble after putting Miss Spooky to sleep, but it was more traumatic and less defined than with Sunshine (who literally collapsed while following me down the hall because the air to one lung was totally blocked). I felt like a murderer. It's taken me over a week just to stop thinking of myself in that way. That'll stop a girl from blogging. LOL
I *always* visit your blog first, when I've been away. If I can't read or comment, it seems best to step away . . . so I have. But, your blog is the first one I check for updates, even if I'm unable to comment, 'cause I luvs ya.
Thanks for the hugs. :) I still need 'em.
CJ,
Well, you would. Forgetfulness seems to get much worse with age, doesn't it? The nice thing about not feeling up to writing is that sometimes it means you can catch up on the reading. Sounds like you've done that, so good for you!!
Why, thank you. I do need to be brief, though, if I'm ever going to get some of these reviews off my back. I'll take my time with those that were sent to me, but I think it's fine to keep it simple if they came off my personal shelves. We'll see if it works. :)
Harry,
Thanks. I felt like I got some important blog tasks knocked out. It's a good feeling. You don't have long. January's nearly over. Hang in there!! :)
I want to come to your house and touch your books, Nancy! Ever since I cut mine down I do miss having so many in the house, but in a weird way it's made me feel more productive and far less overwhelmed. And I can stash 'em on my Nook and no one is the wiser. Ha!
ReplyDeleteAndiloo!
ReplyDeleteYou can come touch my books, any time you'd like. We're paring down, too, but I collected for many, many years. It's a long process. I have no Nook for stashing. Maybe someday. I'm not quite ready for an e-reader, yet. :)
If it makes you feel any better I have 30 books that have been read but not reviewed and I don't even want to count how many not read yet.
ReplyDeleteCallista,
ReplyDeleteHeavens. 30? Really? You're either a fast reader or you've been procrastinating!! LOL I wish you luck. Banging out 4 reviews in a day was a good feeling. I highly recommend it.