Seeing that I just reached my one year anniversary for my blog and that it is the week of Thanksgiving (for those in the U.S.) I thought it would be a perfect time to say thank you.

I would like to thank:

those that have chosen to follow my blog; I hope that you continue to enjoy my posts

anyone that stopped by to view a post or more

all the authors that have shared their books with me in exchange for an honest review

all the authors that I read for the first time this year, filling my time with hours of fabulous reading and helping me reach my goal of reading 50 new authors this year

Here are all the new-to-me authors I read this year:

I couldn’t image listening to an audiobook.  I didn’t want someone else’s voice in my head.  When I read, I like to imagine how the characters’ voices sound and I didn’t want someone else altering that experience.  I figured that hearing someone else read would completely ruin the fantasy of the book.  I love to get lost in the author’s words.  I didn’t want any distractions.

But then I found myself entrenched in those pesky times of the day when I had to tear myself away from a good book and actually clean the house, do laundry, make dinner, etc.

A few days ago, I finally decided that I would try an audio book.  I chose a book by a well known author that I adore.  I downloaded the book and put in my ear buds.  I set very low expectations and pressed play.  Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the urge to cut-off the voice.

It didn’t take long until I was hooked.  Even when I had time to return to my traditional book, I wanted to finish the audiobook.  Yes, I found a new love for audiobooks.

After I finished my first audiobook, I quickly downloaded another.  Eager to start another book, I began it immediately.  Whoa!  There it was.  An annoying voice that grated on my nerves.  The inflections and accent were all wrong.  After five minutes, I couldn’t bare another minute.  There was no way that I could endure listening to that voice for an entire novel.  I’m not usually one to abandon a book but this was dreadful.

I considered whether or not I should give up on audiobooks completely.  I decided I would give it another shot.  The quality of the audio of the third book was not as good as the first but still very enjoying.

What do I think of audiobooks?  Well, just like all books, some are good and some are not.  They definitely fill a gap in my day when I have to do mundane chores.  Even sorting laundry doesn’t seem so terrible when I’m listening to a book.  Also, after spending an entire day working at the computer, my eyes are sometimes too tired to focus on a traditional book.  An audiobook is a nice substitute.  Of course, there are limitations.  I read much more quickly than an audiobook.  So when I’m listening to an audiobook and I’m desperate for the happily-ever-after, I have to dig deep for a little extra patience.

I guess I’m a traditional girl at heart and prefer a book that I can hold in my hands and turn the pages, be it a paperback or an ebook.

In the end, the format of the book doesn’t really matter.  All that matters is the quality and enjoyment of the story.

I 

image from http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/perfect-gifts-for-book-loving-babies?sub=3245433_2942977#.mnJ4eZddb

HAPPY READING!

I’m a romance book junkie!  I can’t get enough.  I read all kinds of romance: historical, suspense, humorous, sad, BDSM, erotic, cowboys, sports, paranormal, and everything in between.  I love the build up, the tragedy, and the happily ever after or happily for now.

What don’t I like?  Book Blurbs that represent a book as being a romance novel or novella, but then include graphically violent scenes that include things such as rape.  There’s nothing romantic about rape.  The one exception is when the story mentions that a character has been violated in the past and it is done as part of the character development.

However, CONSENSUAL simulated rape in a kinky BDSM scene in a novel can be hot if written well.

A reader’s reaction to a book starts at the book blurb.  It puts the reader in a particular mindset and sets up expectations.  When the book doesn’t meet those expectations it can be disappointing.  If the book goes off into a completely different direction, it can either be great or can be a bust.  That’s a serious risk.  Beware, the result can be a scathing review.  It’s the bad reviews that make more of an impression than the good reviews.

I’ve been an avid book reader for years and I’ve been blogging about books for one year.  I try to be very fair about my book reviews.  I make it a policy not to bash authors or books.

Please don’t misrepresent a story with a falsified book blurb.