Hello, hello, hello! 

How is January treating you so far?

It's okay here, trying to get back in the swing of things and I'm mostly succeeding, except for Instagram, which unsurprisingly has fallen to the wayside a little as things become busier with work and home-ed commitments. 

However, I have been keeping tabs on a couple of bookish things this week and so I decided to do a little news style post. Here goes...

Goodreads Challenge Update

I've officially begun my Goodreads challenge this year, thanks to my daughter because we read an adorable little chapter-book called, The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn by Bella Swift. It is a Christmas book but it's incredibly sweet and has great morals. 

I'm also still reading The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I think that I started this book back in November so it's been really slow-going but I love it so much. I'm about 100 pages from the end and I'm still waiting for all of the pieces to connect which is something I adore about the way that this author writes. 

What are you reading right now?

#NYALITFEST

I am determined to get to a book festival this year and since YALC is out of the question for me, I'm really hoping to get to the Northern YA Literary Festival i.e. NYALITFest especially since they're having a day dedicated to children's books this year, which is going to be a great way of finding books to read with my daughter. 

If you've been following @nyalitfest over the past week you'll have seen their steady announcements for guest authors and panellists. 

The list is extensive and I'm so excited to meet all of these fantastic authors. I've made a list of all of the authors and a few of their books below to help you make an NYALitFest TBR - I think more authors are due to be announced but this is the lineup as it stands today.

Wow, that's quite a lot of authors and I'm pleasantly surprised to see so much diversity, in the YA category at least. It's also great to see so many empowering children's books with girl leads.

So, what do you think of the lineup so far? Will you be at NYALitFest this year?

If you know of any other book festivals taking place around the midlands, let me know! 

Literary Podcasts

I received an email yesterday letting me know that BookRiot have started a new podcast called Novel Gazing. Truthfully, I hadn't realised that they had another podcast series simply called The Podcast. 

It probably sounds really stupid of me but I've never actually thought to search for book-related podcasts before so I want your advice, what bookish podcasts do you listen to and what would you recommend?

I did enjoy the first episode of Novel Gazing although it wasn't hugely my cup of tea. I'd prefer something a little more fantasy/YA based, so I might check out the general BookRiot podcast tomorrow if I have time. 

I'm also toying with the idea of starting my own...but I should probably try to manage the commitments I already have a little better before I start taking on new ones. 

Anyway, that's all for today. If you have any thoughts on anything above, feel free to comment below! 

Okay so, #bookstagram didn't go anywhere, I did. 

Life got in the way yada, yada, yada and I lost track BUT the other night, I found time to take a few photos and it got me itching to keep at it. So, I'm going to try carving out an hour or two each week to take a bunch of book pics.

If you're already on Instagram and you love nothing more than fawning over all of the pretty books, I'd love for you to come and join me @myendlessshelf. 

My Instagram feed has changed a bit since I first started #bookstagram. I'll be sharing one of my posts each day using either my own prompt/idea, or I might sign up a for a #bookstagram challenge depending on where the mood takes me. 

If you've read some of my other blog posts, or you follow me on IG already, you might know that I'm a home-ed mum, homeschooling my 5 year old. We read a LOT of books together and are currently taking part in #abookandagameaday home-ed challenge where the idea is that we read a book and play a game together every day. These photos aren't as polished as my other bookish photos but I do recommend some fantastic children's books (we're always on the lookout for diverse kids books, so let us know if you find any) and games. So, if you have a young child in your life and want ideas for future gifts, feel free to follow along with these daily posts. 

We're also big explorers and usually find somewhere new to explore each week, so you'll probably see a few photos from our adventures cropping up here and there alongside mini-book hauls now and again.

And that's all for now. A short post today, but I've included a slideshow of some of my IG photos below so you know what to expect and some behind-the-scenes shot from the other night. 

If anyone's interested, I'm using a Radiance Ring Pro for my lighting (this thing is monstrously powerful but so easy to use and has a really handy dimmer) and my phone to take the photos. I have a few backdrops and some props but it's mostly quite simple or just improvising with things I find lying around the house. 

I don't typically set New Year Resolutions but I'm trying be more productive (and more accountable) this year. 

2019 was a bit of a struggle in terms of finding time to read and write between work, homeschooling and family commitments, but I'm really hoping to achieve more in 2020. 

My Goodreads challenge is 50 books, which may be a tad over zealous because I do want to focus mainly on my writing - more on that later. 

My reading goal this year is to read more of the books on my actual bookshelves instead of binge-reading so many books on my Kindle. To help, I've made a TBR jar that contains all of the unread books on my shelves (I think!). We'll see how it goes! 

Do you have a TBR jar? Have you found it useful?

I'm also reconsidering starting bookstagram, but instead of trying to take a new photo each day I'm going to try and take a batch each week to save on time. I also figured it'd be a fun home-ed lesson of sorts for my daughter to help out with the photos and practice her own photography. 

So, if you're on Instagram, feel free to follow me @myendlessshelf - if you do bookstagram I'll follow back!

Now, onto those all important writing goals!

This year I HAVE to finish my book! I've been working on it for almost three years now and I so badly want to complete it.

Editing is kicking my butt - I'm clearly awful at it and I'm just finding it really overwhelming BUT, I have made some progress lately and I'm determined to keep at it. 

On top of this, I want to upload an edited version of my LGBT short, The Midnight Cab to Wattpad (which is done, I just need to update it) and keep working on my other Wattpad WIP, The Witch and the Dragon's Sister, which is a children's book/short. 

When I'm not writing or reading, I keep being drawn back to another idea that I've had for a while now. I keep making notes on it and I'm almost ready to start writing it, which I can't wait for - it feels like a YA right now so we'll see how that one goes. 

I'm currently working on my new author website which I'm hoping to have live in a month or so. I really love the design and layout so far and I can't wait to get that published. 

On the blog, I'm not going to set a specific goal because truthfully, it can't be a priority with everything else going on in my life BUT I do want to blog more this year and, if I can stick to my reading goal, I should hopefully get out at least one review each week (fingers crossed!)

In other news, my daughter and I are approaching six months since we started our home ed journey and it's going great so far, she's reading so much she's putting me to shame! I'll also be celebrating seven years of being in business as a VA in February which I'm really excited about. 

And, that's it.

What about you? What are you planning or looking forward to in 2020?

I absolutely LOVE audio books, I love how they can make the story come alive and some of my favourite books are the audio versions. 

What I really, really loved about Audible was the ability to return books, something that Audible promoted to me as a feature. Something along the lines of:

"Don't like a book? Just return it and get another!"

or 

"Want another book but you don't have any credits? Just return a book in your library and we'll refund your credit!" 

I loved it! I had access to a vast audio-library that I could use much like a real library, swapping and exchanging books as I saw fit. 

That is, until I came across a recent tweet by @howlinglibrary who was highlighting another tweet by @MikeH5856.

Here's the tweet:

​Safe to say, that I felt pretty shitty after reading this tweet. 

It turns out that when you return a book on Audible, Amazon will refund your credit (that you've paid for), but they'll also bill the author for the book - so in effect, they're being paid TWICE for every returned book! WTF!

I mentioned this to my sister, another fond Audible user, and she had the same reaction of shock followed by guilt as she realised that we had, unintentionally, been costing some of our favourite authors money.

Money that they should NOT have to pay. 

Following the tweets above, I've seen differing opinions including readers saying that you should only return a book if you didn't enjoy it. But, let me ask you this, if you bought a book from your local bookshop and finished it, or even read a few chapters, would you then return it and ask for a refund saying that you hadn't enjoyed it? 

I know I wouldn't, so why is Audible any different?

Maybe it's the lack of a physical book that makes us feel like we're somehow getting something 'less' than we would if we bought a hard copy but then think about the additional work of the voice actors who spend hours upon hours bringing your favourite characters to life. 

Is that book really less valuable than a physical book? I don't think so, which is why I'll no longer be returning ANY book on Audible whether I like it or not. 

What about you? Did you know about this? What's your opinion on returning Audible books?

Happy New Year! 

I hope you've had a wonderful festive season and that you enjoyed lots of reading time and bookish gifts. 

​I've had some fantastic bookish gifts this Christmas and birthday (also in December) including; a gorgeous Harry Potter moleskin notebook (not a book to read, I know, but a great writing gift), a Harry Potter - Magic of the Movies book (yes, there's a Harry Potter trend here.) I was also really grateful to receive a Waterstones voucher which I used to buy Children of Virtue and Vengeance (with its gorgeous blue sprayed pages) and Queen of Nothing. I also picked up The Pug Who Wanted to be a Unicorn for my daughter, which we're both enjoying. 

Then, as a further treat, my lovely sister took me out for my birthday to the bookshop where I picked up a gorgeous sprayed edges and signed edition of Deeplight by Frances Hardinge which looks and sounds incredible, Infinity Son by Adam Silvera which I spotted and completely freaked out as I had no idea it was out already - I honestly CANNOT wait to dig into this book, and Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar because the blurb grabbed me and thanks to my current read (The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern) I'm a little obsessed with bees.

I've added these to my TBR jar (more on that in my next post) and I can't wait to start reading them. 

I've decided to use Goodreads for my 2019 review as I love looking back at all of the fun facts/info about my reading year. 

In 2019, I read 50 books, less than in previous years but I wanted a smaller goal to coincide with my heavier workload and homeschooling my daughter. 

This totalled 13,398 pages with my shortest read being Fence by C.S. Pascat, which I didn't enjoy half as much as I'd hoped, and the longest being M/M time travel romance, Downtime by James Allen, which truthfully, I didn't even remember when seeing it listed and had to re-read the blurb and my review, but I did enjoy it. It's strange how you can really enjoy a book but then forget almost everything about it....

The most popular book (on Goodreads) that I read was The Deal by Elle Kennedy which incidentally, I really did NOT enjoy. 

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (which is absolutely incredible by the way) was the highest rated book that I read in 2019. 

I've read so many amazing books this year, and some not so great. I've enjoyed books by new-to-me authors alongside some incredible re-reads. 

My favourite LGBTQ+ book of the year HAS to be Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green because it was just so wholesome, British and downright hilarious that I couldn't stop reading it - it even inspired an impromptu trip to the seaside that I just loved. 

My favourite re-read of the year was, without a doubt, Blind Beauty by K.M. Peyton, a story I loved as a teen and almost dreaded re-reading in case I didn't enjoy it again, but I did and it was perfect. 

My favourite new-to-me book of the year was easily Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson which I devoured and fell in love with.

So, there you have it, my 2019 year of books in review, alongside a few recommendations for your own TBR. 

​What about you? How was your year of reading in 2019?

Lately, I don’t really feel as though I can still call myself a blogger since I’m barely doing it.

As I’ve said so many times before, I do want to but other things keep taking precedence, so I’m going to cut it with the excuses and just do my best.

So, without further ado, here’s my September Wrap Up!

Don’t forget to let me know what books you read last month in the comments or on Twitter.
​
You click on the title to see the full review, if there is one, or to visit GoodReads:

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff - Godsgrave was fantastic and a wonderful sequel to Nevernight. I absolutely adore the new characters introduced in this book and following the next leg in Mia's journey of revenge and blood was just as thrilling as book one. I can't wait to see how it all ends in Darkdawn!

Happy for You by Anyta Sunday - I love this series and was lucky enough to receive a free ARC copy from the author. It's a great continuation to a series I can't get enough of and whilst this book was a little problematic for me, I still love Anyta's ability to write adorable characters and sweet, excruciating slow-burn romance. 

Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry - ​This book was lots of fun. The MC is a little ridiculous and hopeless but in the best way and with a real heart of gold. He's eighteen-years-old trying to find himself, struggling against the path set out for him by his parents and rebelling, without really meaning to. His life takes an unexpected turn when he gets tangled up with twenty-five-year-old Jai and things get even more hilarious. If you're looking for a low-angst, fun and easy read, you can't go wrong with Adulting 101. 

​All Chained Up & Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan - I found myself in the mood for easy-to-read romance this week and dove back into some old favourites. I've read these two books a couple of times in the past and they were just as enjoyable the third time around. These books have strong heroines, sexy hero's and plenty of action and drama. 

​I’ve also started (but not yet finished):

Bear, Otter and the Kid by T.J. Klune - I started listening to this on Audible the other week when I was sick. I love the narration and the characters, especially the kid who makes me laugh so much. I’m still listening to this one and am around 50% of the way through it. I love the way TJ writes, I haven’t been disappointed yet, and this book is shaping up to be another amazing read.

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab – I started this but had to give up because I honestly couldn’t remember enough of Vicious and I just found myself feeling lost and confused. I guess I’m going to have to re-read Vicious before tackling Vengeful again.

Fury on Fire by Sophie Jordan – Continuing with last month’s Devil’s Rock series by Sophie Jordan, I’ve started to read North’s story for the second time. Truthfully, it’s because I picked up book 4 for £2.50 and just got an itch to re-read the series. They’re quick, fun and packed full of heat.

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff – My partner has FINALLY finished reading this after stealing it from me a few weeks ago, so now it’s my turn to delve in and discover the end to Mia’s story. I’m only just about to start chapter two but it’s started thick in the middle of all the action at the end of Godsgrave and I am ready for answers!

Frostheart by Jamie Littler - I spotted this on my last book shopping trip to Waterstones and thought it looked perfect to read to my 5-year-old. She loves books but still prefers lots of pictures and since this book is packed full of amazing illustrations, I figured it's the perfect segway towards the more traditional novel, and we're both having so much fun reading it!
​
And that’s a wrap!

Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and feel free to chat about any of the books above too! 

Until next time, happy reading! x

Pride Month might be over now, but I will never stop reading all of the amazing LGBT+ books that keep on coming! 

So, whilst this is my pride month book wrap-up you can still, as always, expect to see plenty of LGBT+ content on my blog. 

I'm also thinking of posting reviews of the LGBT+ children's books that I keep buying for my offspring, so if you'd like to read those and hear more about our finds, just let me know in the comments! 

Right, onto the wrap-up. For those of you who haven't joined me for one of these in the past, this is a post where I quickly list and mini-review the books I read this month. It's also one of the only places you'll see me mention any books that I reviewed below 3 stars or DNF. 

Please note that any trigger warnings are in my full reviews so do feel free to check those out. 

​Here goes, (you can click on the title to see the full review, if there is one, or to visit GoodReads) I read 15 books this month (somehow!) so this might be a long one: ​

Mud & Lace (Rainbow Place Book 4) by Jay Northcote - In my attempt to find more own-voices books for Pride Month, I stumbled across this whilst browsing Amazon. Featuring a gender fluid protagonist and written by a trans author, I was intrigued, especially as the main character moonlights as a drag queen. The relationship pairing was unique, as was the kink, which worked. I also loved that this was a British story and I do like the author's writing style and pace, it's certainly not the first book I've read by Jay that had me chuckling aloud. 

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton - I was drawn to this one because it sounded a little like Wolfsong by TJ Klune, which is a truly stunning book. How to Howl at the Moon is a shifter book with a bit of an unexpected twist and truthfully, one that felt a little cringe-worthy at times but there were plenty of heartfelt moments and I adored the two main characters. 

Within Ash and Stardust by Chani Lynn Feener - This wasn't a Pride Month read but it's a book that I read as part of a blog tour, so the full review for this is coming later this month. I won't give much away except to say that I love this trilogy and so I was interested to finally see how it came to an end.

Blind Beauty by K.M. Peyton - This wasn't a Pride Month read but it was a book I loved as a teenager that I just desperately wanted to re-read. It's such a powerful book full of hope, determination and pain and it wrecked my emotions. It's one of the few books I've read that felt as though I was reading it for the first time all over again. 

Heartstopper Vol:One by Alice Oseman - I read two graphic novels this month which is a complete first for me as I've never really read any before. Heartstopper was a re-read as I'd forgotten to review it last time. I adore this boy meets boy love story, the characters are the absolute sweetest, the art is gorgeous and the storyline is perfectly mushy. I cannot wait for Volume Two to come out next week!! I'm so excited!! 

Fence Vol 1-3 by C.S. Pacat - Sadly, I didn't really enjoy this graphic novel. 1.) It didn't have as much LGBT+ rep as I'd hoped for and 2.) The plot was pretty limited, in that I felt there was hardly any. So, suffice it to say, this one just wasn't for me. 

Shrewd Angel by Anyta Sunday - Gah! I LOVED THIS! I don't care that it's a Christmas novel, it was so so so so good! So much cuteness, witty banter and adorable, clueless dorks. Anyta Sunday writes the most amazing slow-burn romance! 

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson - I love it when a book that isn't tagged as LGBT+ turns out to have some rep, especially when that rep is your own!! Readers of all ages with love this story - it's full of magic, deception, danger, demons and above all, books. 

The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes - I struggled with this graphic novel. I almost didn't feel qualified to read it. It uses magic and adventure to clearly illustrate racism in a way that's completely uncomfortable to read, which is exactly the point. It was a difficult one to digest. 

Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green - My favourite book of the year so far and my favourite pride month read, Alex in Wonderland deserved a spot on its own. This wonderful book made me laugh right from the very beginning. Alex is the perfect character - so awkward, romantic and downright hopeless at times. This book was such a pleasure to read and I can't wait to see what the author does next!

And that's it! 

What did you read during Pride Month? Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and feel free to chat about any of the books above too! 

Until next time x

Do you ever feel as though you're running, trying desperately to catch up but no matter how fast you go, you're never fast enough, so you keep running but you never get any closer to where you're supposed to be? 

So, this is pretty much how I feel right now. Work is crazy, I love my job but it's been a little up and down lately and trying to get things moving in the right direction is challenging. Homeschooling my daughter is an absolute whirlwind, I love it, but combined with running a business full-time it's draining to say the least and I honestly can't remember the last time me and my partner went out on a date and some days I just want to stay in bed and read (don't we all though?)

All of this is why, again, I haven't been seen around here or book Twitter much lately but I am trying, I promise!

Last weekend was fantastic, my daughter and I went to visit a family friend at her stables and we helped to groom the horses, collect chicken eggs and I even had a short ride (it's been a long time since I last sat on the back of a horse and it was a lot scarier than I remember!) 

For those of you who don't know, I'm sort of low-key obsessed with horses and have been devouring Heartland on Netflix. My gosh I love this show! The only way that I can describe the tone of the show (for those who haven't seen it) is sort of like Gilmore Girls but with horses and cowboys - in that there's a fair amount of drama but plenty of laughs and smiles too.

Anyway, since my visit I'm sort of feeling the need to re-read Blind Beauty by K.M. Peyton. I adored this book growing up; the drama, the tragedy, the love and, of course, the horses, and I keep eyeing it on my bookshelf so I'm guessing I'll be reading this again soon. 

I recently invested in Kindle Unlimited and I've been reading an absolute ton of M/M romance (I don't know why I love it, but I do). Some of it good and some of it just wasn't my cup of tea. Here's a quick run-down of a few titles I've read so far this month:

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton - I was drawn to this one because it sounded a little like Wolfsong by TJ Klune, which is a truly stunning book. How to Howl at the Moon is a shifter book with a bit of an unexpected twist and truthfully, one that felt a little cringe-worthy at times but there were plenty of heartfelt moments and I adored the two main characters. 

Stuck With You by Jay Northcote - not too sure why I decided to read a Christmas novel in the middle of June, but hey, the weather in the UK is so utterly rubbish at the moment that it may as well be the middle of winter. This book just didn't do it for me. It started off really well with an enemies to lovers romance that was fun but then it took a turn for the far too predictable and whilst I did read it to the end, I found myself skipping pages just to get it over with.

I'm currently reading Light Years by Kass Morgan, the second sci-fi book that I've read this month (which is bizarre for me as I don't usually read sci-fi) and I'm really loving it. I'm only 124 pages into this 372 page novel but I can't get enough. The pacing is fantastic, I love the 4-way split narrative and that each character is distinct and different enough that it's never difficult to tell them apart. 

This book does feature one queer character (so far) and so fits nicely with my Pride Month reading goals and I can't wait to see how his storyline develops.   

I haven't been so quickly invested in a new book for a while so I'm excited to see where this one goes! 

Have you read it? Let me know what you think, but please, no spoilers!!

I do have a couple of exciting blog tours on the horizon, one is the final book in a trilogy that I've loved since I read the first one two years ago and the second is a new LGBT novel that I'm really excited to get my hands on so do keep your eyes peeled for those. 

In the meantime, I'd love to know what you're currently reading? Are you reading any books specifically for Pride Month? Send me your recommendations! 

As you know, I'm doing my best to catch up on all of the things I've missed lately and so today, I'm catching up on The Unique Blogger Award!

I was nominated by the incredible and lovely Noly over at The Artsy Reader (seriously, go check out her stuff!) last September (has it really been that long??) and I really love these tags. They're just short, fun little ways for you us all to get to know each other a bit better. 

First up, the rules:

• Share the link of the blogger who nominated you
• Answer their questions
• Share some love with the blogging community by nominating 8-12 people
• Ask three questions for your nominees

So, without further ado, here are Noly's questions and my answers:

1. If you could pick three book characters to have as close friends, who would they be and why?

OMG, why is this so hard? Okay, so here goes, off the top of my head: 

- Amren from A Court of Thorns and Roses so that we can drink the blood of our victims together and adore all the shiny things. 
- Reichis from Spellslinger because who wouldn't want a cute and furry yet bloodthirsty squirrel cat as a close friend?
- Sam of Wilds from The Lightning Struck heart because you'd always end up on the best adventures, laughing your head off and receiving the all-time best hugs ever!!

2. What makes a good book for you?

Good question, difficult to answer because it depends, mainly on what mood I'm in. Sometimes the book I need is a delicious and hilarious slow-burn enemies to lovers romance where the plot focuses on their relationship. Other times, I fall in love with books that make me cry with laughter and are filled with oblivious wizard's apprentices, occasionally douchey knights, monologuing evil wizards, gay unicorns and disturbingly sexually active dragons. And then sometimes, I'll enjoy a book about two boys who meet by chance, become friends and fall in love over the course of single day and then both die in equally horrific ways while I cry my eyes out - NO, ADAM SILVERA, I AM STILL NOT OVER IT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE WERE WARNED!! 

So, I guess, any book can be a good book for me if I fall in love with it. Here are some of my favourites to help demonstrate my answer:

- Jed Had to Die by Tara Sivec (romantic comedy/murder mystery)
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini (epic fantasy with dragons)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (epic female-led fantasy with magic)
- Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (epic female-led fantasy with magic, murder, sex and shadow cats)
- They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera (heart-breaking contemporary)
- Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (heist-style fantasy with magic)
- The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (sci-fi m/m romance )
- The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee (historical LGBT romance/fantasy - it has pirates!)
- Children of Blood and Bone (epic female-led fantasy with incredible magic and battle scenes) 
- Clean by Juno Dawson (gritty YA contemporary)

Okay, so writing that list sort of gave me an answer because each book title I wrote was inspired by a character (that I love) from said book popping into my head and so I guess, yeah, it's the characters who make a good book for me. It doesn't matter what the genre is or the setting or whether or not it has romance. If the character is compelling and amazing, that's usually what hooks me. 

Sorry for the massive answer!

3. What is the first book you remember to have read by yourself as a child? 

It was either The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or Lyrico. I loved both as a child and found both in my grandparents attic but I don't remember which came first. I do know that they sparked my love of reading, particularly fantasy. I'm currently reading Lyrico to my daughter so I've gone full circle. 

My three questions for you: 

1. What's the one food item from a book that you'd love to eat right now (real or fictional)?
2. If you could jump into any book which would it be and at what moment? 
3. If your life was an 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' novel, using the last thing you ate and the object to your right, what would the title be? Here's mine as an example: A Court of Cheese and Cushions 🤣

Thanks for reading lovelies, I'll tag a bunch of accounts on Twitter but feel free to join in via the comments (you don't need to be a blogger to take part). Let me know your answers to my questions and what you think of my own (slightly lengthy) answers. 

Want to know the number one secret to writing the perfect book review? 

There isn't one. 

That's it, blog post over! Just kidding...

The truth is, a book review is an extremely personal, subjective thing, as is the process of actually reading a book. 

Think about it, how many times have you spoken to someone about a book you've both read and found that you've had differing opinions/feelings?

Maybe you even both loved the book but your favourite character was someone different or there was a particular thing that you both had contrasting opinions about. 

Whilst you've both, in theory, read the same book, your own personality, experiences, mindset (and a whole load of other things) have shaped how you read and processed that book in a completely different way than the other person did, so in essence, you've both actually read a different book. 

That leads me to the trickiness of writing a book review, especially when it comes to 'negative' reviews because what's negative to you (or positive for that matter) might not be for someone else.

Your thoughts and feelings towards a book and whether it was good or bad, what worked or what didn't is subjective to you and your preferences. Those same preferences might not apply to someone else and so the truth is, or at least this is the way that I see it, you can only be as honest as you can when writing a review. 

If you say that something didn't work for you, say why i.e. writing, 'I prefer a faster plot' is much more helpful to readers than 'the plot pacing was terrible' - the second phrasing leaves too many questions, why was it terrible? Was it too fast, too slow? etc.

With the first phrasing, other fast-paced book lovers might choose to steer clear of this particular book but other readers who enjoy or prefer a slower-paced book might find their next favourite author. 

So, in summary, the secret to writing the perfect book review is to simply write how you feel, be honest but be descriptive. Simply writing that you don't like something, or that you do like something isn't much help because you're you and we're not, but maybe we share some reading interests/preferences and it'd be really helpful as readers to understand why you did/didn't like something. 

Oh, and just a personal preference from me, where possible, try to keep your reviews spoiler free. I HATE SPOILERS! For example, before watching any big movie (i.e. End Game) and TV Show (i.e. GOT) I avoid the internet and social media like the plague (as much as I can since I have to use it for work) and even with my efforts, some careless twit managed to ruin yesterday's episode for me, and it completely spoiled my mood. Surely the last thing you'd want to do is ruin a book for a reader? On My Endless Shelf, I try my hardest to keep reviews spoiler-free whilst still sharing my thoughts and feelings (and the occasional out-of-context snippets) and, in the case of sequels, I always put a warning at the start in case you haven't read the previous installment. Saying that, I'm only human and if you do spot a spoiler in any of my posts, feel free to let me know!

What about you? What are your tips for writing the perfect book review and how do you feel about spoilers?