It seems like every time I open Twitter and Facebook, I'm hit with some new kind of horrific book world discourse. Sometimes, it's enough to make me rethink book blogging altogether. Here are the top-of-mind offenders that make me consider shutting it all down (but don't worry, I won't--because for every crappy book take on social media, there are at least 5 good reasons to be there...but I'm all about complaining right now. I'll save the good stuff for another day):

Look, I think we can all agree that 2020 was a shitshow. Pandemic, murder hornets, quarantine, social injustice and unrest, fire tornadoes...there was pretty much something there for everyone to loathe. But maybe, just maybe, if we all try our hardest, 2021 will be better. I would say "it can't be worse", but I think 2020 taught us NEVER to do that. So, all that said, here's my advice for everyone (or almost everyone at least) on how we can all try to have a better year in 2021:    

I'm in A LOT of author fan groups. It's just part of the book blogger gig. And I've been noticing something in these groups that has been bugging me for a while, but I've kept my mouth shut. Well, yesterday, I was in one my favorite fan groups and someone complained that the author's new release was $1 more than the last release, and that she hoped the price would be reduced soon because that was just more than her budget could handle. While I totally understand budget constraints, this statement irked me on a few levels. Number 1: It was made in the author's own fan group, but the comment wasn't addressed directly to the author, so it was basically just a really passive-aggressive way to bitch to the author about pricing. And Number 2: I got the feeling that this reader wasn't aware of all that goes into an author's book pricing strategy before complaining about that extra dollar. So, with that in mind, here's what I think readers should know about book pricing before they pop up to try and shame an author for how much they've decided to charge for their work:     

Well, the Great Book Slump of 2020 rages on. There were more books thrown on the DNF pile last week. Here's the full report (save yourselves...it's too late for me): 

While I did get a brief reprieve from The Great Book Slump of 2020 when I read an ARC of The Has-Been and the Hot Mess by Isabel Jordan, I have been sent back to the pits of book despair. Here's this week's DNF report:   

I used to be one of those people who never DNF'd a book. Not ever. I read to the bitter end, even if I was hating every minute of it. I don't do that anymore, and you shouldn't either. Here's why:  

Given that I am in the midst of an unprecedented book slump, I'm hoping y'all can help me decide what to read next (since I no longer trust my own judgement). I'll let you know what's sitting on my Kindle right now, and if you could let me know your picks, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!!  Here it goes: 

I'm in a horrific book slump, y'all. It's unprecedented. I've marked so many books DNF (did not finish) lately that if I was to stop and review them all, I'd never get anything else done. So, because I have a life, I'm just going to give you a brief report on everything I've DNF'd lately. Now, please note, none of these books were poorly written. They just weren't for me. But I'm including buy links because one person's crapola is another's cat nip. (I don't judge. You do you.) Here it goes (takes deep breath):  

Look, I've talked about this before. There was a rather tongue-in-cheek post a while back about things males writers do in their books that would NEVER happen in romance novels (and for GOOD reason). I've also talked about characters who were completely let down by their writers. I've also mentioned things that the television and movie industry can learn from romance novels. But lately, I'm seeing more and more examples of writing atrocities, 99% of which are being committed by men (sorry guys), that could've (should've) been avoided. There's also A LOT of disrespect going on in the fandoms towards shippers (i.e.: folks who want to see a particular set of characters get involved in a romantic relationship). But guys, I'm here to tell you, embracing romance novels and shippers is a good move for EVERYONE. And now, more than ever, it's time to try new things. Here's what I mean: 

I've seen some disturbing things on social media lately. Lots of BAD advice is being thrown about. Readers are doing things to authors that will NOT end well. The publishing business is really hard, and it's stuff like THIS that might throw a romance author over the edge and make them stop writing at all:

First of all, I binge-watched this series in 2 days. It's that good. Whether you were a fan of the original 1984 movie, or you were a Gen X kid who wants to wallow in some good old nostalgia, this is the series for you. It also helps that it's funny, at times heart-warming, and incredibly well-written. The great writing alone should keep any youngsters who weren't even born when the original movie came out interested. So, that said, this post is a combo Cobra Kai review, and book recommendations list. 'Cause that's just how I roll. You're welcome. Here it goes:   

Look, I try really hard not to let the drama that goes on in the book reviewing world (especially Romancelandia drama) impact anything that I'm doing. The fact of the matter is that someone is always pissed off about something. But there was another HUGE dust-up this past week that got me thinking: why am I doing this again? Why am I putting myself through this? And the decision I ultimately made was that it would be in my best interest to cut WAY back on the number of books I review each month. Not to say that I'll be reading less, because that'd be a big ole lie, but I will not be reviewing every book I read from this point on. Here's why:  

This movie was ALL OVER my Netflix recommendations, I had just finished a binge-watch of Cobra Kai season 2, and I didn't have anything else to watch, OK? That's why I watched The Lost Husband. Am I glad I did? Well...not entirely. But was a complete dud? No. This movie can be enjoyable...if you know what to expect going into it. So, that's what I'm here to do: Tell you what to expect before you watch it. You're welcome. Here it goes:    

Men always want to know: Why do women love bad boys and villains so much? Why don't they ever go for the nice guy? Well, first of all, we DO try to go for the nice guy more often than not. No one wakes up in the morning and says, "Hmmm, I think I'll try to hook up with a dark, tormented guy who's trying to take over the world today." In real life, at heart, we're all hoping for healthy relationships. But why deprive us of the bad boy fantasy? I blame film makers and authors for the bad boy fantasy, frankly. And here's why...  

We’ve all played dump, date or marry at some point in our lives. It never really gets old, does it? With that in mind, we’ve got a good one for you. Which one of these romantic comedy heroes would you dump, date, or marry? We’ve got our answers, even though it was anything but easy to decide ...