How To: A Novel Companion (Reading Diary)

If you are like me, you want to track your reading habits and also the books you manage to consume. Prolific readers tend to lose track of the books they have read - something that personally drives me insane. For the longest time, I would pick up a seemingly new book, read two chapters in, and realize I had read it before. So when I finally found a reading diary/planner specifically for bibliophiles, I was ecstatic! Here's my video review of A Novel Companion, by Little Inklings.

Out of the Ashes...

So I'm trying to reboot my book blog. For a long time, it has been short, inconsistent, and boring, TBH. It's time for a change.

This year, I'll be hitting a big number in terms of birthdays, and I want to accomplish something big. My goal: writing a blog post every day for the rest of the year. Ambitious? Yes. Possible? Also, yes. If only I don't let my OCD/anxiety win.

Here's a little insight into my brain every time I write (even reviews):

I should write reviews for every book I read this year. It'll be easy...
Well, maybe not easy if I put too much effort into it - like loading pics and making jokes. Plus, who is even going to waste their time reading this tripe? 
And I'll have to start it on a significant day. Like January 1st? Or at least the first day of the month? Or maybe exactly half way through the year? Because if I don't, it won't look right in the history of the blog. And people might judge me for that - if anyone reads it. 
Honestly, why am I putting this pressure on myself? I want to write my own novel, but I keep reviewing others? But I love to read, and spread my love of reading, so this is the next logical step right? But who the hell is going to even visit the blog?!?
I might as well give up and forget it.
Plus it isn't the right time to start...
And I'll fail my goal anyway...
Because who has the time...
or the energy..

This time, I'm not letting that voice win. I'm going to attempt this goal, and if I fail, I will just have to deal with it. I want to find some meaning in my reading, even if it is a short story that made me smile. I might even write some non-review posts about my struggles with anxiety and mental health - I think that is also extremely important to share and break the stigma.

So here goes nothing...

Review: Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years

Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years by John Guy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a breath of fresh air when it comes biographies of Elizabeth. Not only does it delve into her later years, that are often skipped over by historians, but it also tries to be fair to her image in a way I found refreshing. She isn't the bitter, twisted, cruel old woman that she is often referenced to - but instead an aging monarch who is trying to be the best queen she can, in spite of being human and having very real personality faults. I definitely will be checking out more of John Guy's work.

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Review: Whiskey Neat

Whiskey Neat by Lani Lynn Vale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading JR Ward's brilliant Bourbon country series, I was jonesing for something vaguely related. And while this looked promising - after all, I love a good MC romance - it didn't quite connect with my hopes. I dig that the MC is full of current or ex law enforcement officers and I also enjoyed that Lenore owns a sex shop. But what I struggled with was their relationship. Sure, Griffin is seriously messed up. That man needs about ten therapists. But the "show up - have sex - disappear" act was not appealing, and I still can't figure out why Lenore even got back with him. Sure, he needed a little saving, but I just didn't see that as something I would have put up with myself. However, there were a few funny and touching moments. So I forged on into the series...

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Review: Outlander

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have watched the TV series first, so I sort of knew what I was getting into. I enjoyed being able to hear Claire's thoughts through this - however, like the TV series, I'm not a big fan of Claire's. I don't understand some of her decisions. She seems to have the oddest of ethics and morals, and it throws the story off, IMHO. But I'm in love with Jamie and always will be. I will continue reading the series because of this.

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Review: Breaking Away

Breaking Away by Toni Aleo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Of the Assassins books, this one fell a little short for me. It was definitely a step up from Falling for the Backup, but then I'm not usually into novellas (not enough time to connect with the characters. Reese was too snappish and withdrawn for me to connect with her, truly. Meanwhile, I also couldn't really connect with Phillip. I couldn't determine if he was mourning the loss of his sister and what that meant for his neice, or if he was just really put out by the situation. I will say there were a lot of sweet moments between Reese and Claire and Phillip and Claire, but I struggled to really "get" the main characters. Bummer.

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Review: Falling for the Backup

Falling for the Backup by Toni Aleo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While technically this was a novella, I still felt like there was enough of a story to make me fall in love with this sweet couple. It certainly was a palette cleanser from the drama in the Assassins series to this point. But there is angst in these pages, folks. Aynslee is a "heart of gold" kind of girl, with a lot on her plate and nothing to show for it. And Jordan is a man with something to prove, not only to his team but to himself and the world. My favorite thing about this book? The banter and general playfulness between these two is so sweet, you could get a toothache. And their love seems to be one for the ages.

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