Get To Know Me

 Hi, hello, welcome! 

So, with this being a comeback, some of you will already know me, while some of you may not. You might have known me from "back in the day" of Twitter and blogging, long before Booktok. This post is to help reintroduce myself and fill you in on where I've been and why I stopped blogging for a while. 

I started book reviewing in around 2009, had a blog on Wordpress but got locked out of it, and moved over here. I have always loved blog tours and sharing author posts etc, and am hoping to bring that back. It may take me a while to get back into the swing of things, so please bear with me. 

So, here's what you might have missed...

I suffered the greatest loss of my life in December 2023 when my husband, Steve, passed away. He was in renal failure and dialysis wasn't improving his quality of life, so he chose to stop treatment. We had 2 weeks together before he took his final breath. I can't explain that kind of loss to someone who hasn't experienced it. I spent the next 18 months barely leaving my house. My chronic illness and mental health took a beating, and I only went out for necessary appointments and the odd visit to town with my best friend.

In March last year, there was a knock on my door. I answered it, which in itself was unusual as I never answered the door unless I knew it was a parcel. But that day, I opened the door and met the loveliest man, Sam, who is the vicar of my local church. We had a chat, he invited me to church, and the rest as they say, is history. I became a Christian, gave my life to Jesus, was Confirmed and now have the most amazing church family surrounding me. 

In that same time period, my best friend stopped speaking to me. I still have no real idea why, and it hurts so much, but have decided I will no longer chase people. If  you want to be part of my life, you  know where I am. 

Moving on... 

I discovered Tiktok in early 2024 and bought many, many books that were popular on Booktok. I read some and have to say, I was largely unimpressed. I also have realised that I am not technically minded enough to learn how to make cute transition videos or film voiceovers, so I mainly just share photos with written reviews. I also post these on Goodreads, Instagram, and Facebook. When I figure it out, I will add links to these here. Somewhere... 

So, what can you expect from me? 

I want to bring back my more in-depth, long-form reviews, share books that I'm excited about with you, maybe do some reading challenges. I will share my love for my favourite authors and books. I will share some personal stuff and, let's face it, there will probably be the odd unhinged tangent because... well... it's my blog after all. So, now the fun stuff!

Here Are 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1) I started blogging in around 2009 as a way to get free books because my ultra controlling ex wouldn't let me buy books. (I promise it hasn't been about that for YEARS!)

2) Stephen King has been a favourite of mine for years, and Pet Sematary is my fave of his books.

3) I turned 49 last week and decided to dye my hair purple. It hasn't been coloured since I shaved it off for charity in 2020.

4) I am so, so bad at making tiktoks and I have no idea how everyone else makes it look so easy!

5) I have strong opinions about books. like very strong. Especially since becoming a Christian. My reading taste has changed a lot, and I no longer want to read spice/smut etc, but I will never judge your reading choices. I do still love a good horror story and a behind closed doors romance.

6) I am a dog Mama x 2. I have a 10 year old Pomeranian called Bella and a 4 year old miniature dachshund called Pippa. They are my whole world.

7) I have 8 tattoos. One of them is a book stack on my forearm that I'm trying to get signed by all 4 authors featured: Amanda Prowse, Lisa Jewell, Caroline Cauchi, and Bryony Gordon. Bryony and Caroline have already signed and so has Jane Green, even though her book isn't featured yet. But watch this space!

So, what happens next?

Tomorrow I will be bringing you my first "new" book review. It's a book that is very, very close to my heart by one of my absolute favourite people in the whole world. When you see what it is, you'll probably understand why it means so much to me. Any guesses?

Til tomorrow, my loves! Txx