I finished Double Blind early but since I promise that review for September and I really need a bit of time to process that book before I post a review on it, I thought I’d add a bit of non-book musings this time around.
The pandemic of 20/21 has sent my brain into sleep mode ninety percent of the time so creative ideas are few and far between at the moment. I hate it. In researching ideas for a blog topic, I ended up on, surprise, another blog. There were some interesting ideas for topics for book blogs, i.e.: how to creatively decorate your bookshelves, your favorite books by your favorite color, how to create the perfect reading nook…. the list goes on. While some of them are interesting and I might use because they appeal to my weird brain, my bookshelves are full of books and action figures, I am not that much into aesthetic to have my favorite books in different colors and I have zero room for a reading nook. That’s what my couch is for.
I am trying to figure out how to make an outdoor area with those cute lights, so maybe that’ll be my summer reading nook by next summer if I can figure out how to create it.
While reading over that list, I realized that at the start of this journey…two or so years ago, I gave a brief introduction to what the blog was going to be about and jumped right in. I never really introduced myself, so consider this a very late introduction to the person behind Mouse’s Reading Nook.
Hi!
My name is Heather, although I do go by Mouse as well. It’s my pen name. I am a Gen Xer mom of two (now) adult kids. I’ve been reading since I was in single digits. Being a Gen X book nerd, I identified with Ally Sheedy’s character in The Breakfast Club and the only time I ever identified with Sarah Jessica Parker was when she played Patty Green on Square Pegs. I was the girl who got in trouble in Math Class because she was reading underneath the table. It stands to reason that I would have a BA in English Literature.
I write fanfiction and am in the process of preparing for my first original work. We’ll see how that goes. I am a huge geek. I love Science fiction, superheroes, comics, geeky things. I cosplay (not so much anymore) go to conventions and my Pop Vinyl collection truly is concerning at times. As you have seen from previous blogs, my favorite classic authors are Jane Austen and Arthur Conan Doyle and I read way too many pastiches/ variations to be considered healthy. My only consolation is that I know there are other’s who have read more than me. Where do you think I got my box plus stacks of Sherlock Holmes pastiches? Friends who understand me. Or are trying to recruit me, I’m not sure. As for contemporary authors, I’m not sure I have favorites. At one time I read every book Stephen King wrote but recently, I think I’ve missed the last three books he’s written. I used to read everything Anne Rice wrote but stopped in the late 2000’s. Right now, I will read anything that J.D. Robb puts out. I am addicted to her Eve Dallas series. If y’all want a blog post later down the line on why I love J.D. Robb more than her alter ego, I can absolutely write one. Alexandria Bellefluer right now, if there’s a book with her name on the cover, chances are I’m going to buy it without looking at the blurb. I trust her writing enough to just buy her books.
My love of books was only passed down to my Millennial daughter. My Gen Z son isn’t a big reader and outside The Maze Runner Series and ironically Neil Gaiman, (Neil can get through to anyone!) he is more of a gamer than a reader. Still, those few moments, like when we went to see The Maze Runner at the movies after he’d finished the first book and he spent time repeating “That’s not how it happened in the book” make me so happy. Mostly because he now knows what readers go through.
I started this blog two years ago because going to book conventions (these are things!) and listening in on panels with authors, I realized that people read blogs about reviews on books. I read enough book and I have thoughts, maybe people would listen to me? Reading through some of these blogs, I realize they all read the same stuff, whatever is popular and whatever is given to them free. The idea of free books for review confuses me. If someone gives you a book for free, how can you give an honest review? If you hate it, you can’t really say that because you’re running the risk of a book supply being cut off. And honestly, the only not good reviews I’ve ever seen in the reviews are from people who bought the books and either they like it, or they don’t. None of those reviews are ever from book bloggers. Unless, of course, there is controversy to be had.
I wanted to create a blog that reviewed books that hardly anyone else did. The back of the shelf books, the independent books, the ones that get passed over by popular blogs because they’re reviewing the latest favorite book. And while I will, at times, probably end up reviewing a popular book (Red, White, and Royal Blue is one), the majority of the books I want to review are the lesser heard ones.
I want the smaller authors to have a voice, for someone to see them. If one person reads a review on my blog and buys the book, I consider this blog a success. I might be small, but I appreciate every one of you who take your time to read this blog every other week, just to see what sort of odd things I’ll come up with this time. Thank you. You mean the world to me.
So that’s me in a nutshell. Thanks for sticking around with me. If there’s anything you ever want to ask, to know, to see if I’ve read, my comments are below or if you have Twitter I can be found at @MouseNine9. I have a Good Reads as well under Heather. There’s a bunny in a teacup for an icon. I read so much more than I ever blog about because honestly, half the books I read are just candy for the brain. Feel free to peek in, see what I’m reading, what I’ve read, what I want to read. Give me suggestions, comments, recommendations. I’m always up for a good book.
So! The rest of the year sort of. At least the next few months. After I review Double Blind, I have on my reading list The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi, Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost by Lindsay Marco and Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian (because I also have a fascination with Arthurian legends and The Lady of Shallot was by favorite poem when I was teen. I told you I was a nerd!).
Maybe for October, I’ll review Sherlock & Dracula: Lifeblood by Kev Freeman. Or maybe some new fun horror or creepy story will pop up between then and now and catch my eye.
Thanks for coming on this trip with me. Enjoy the last bits of summer before falls begins poking its nose in. And remember friends, no season is a bad season to curl up with a good drink and a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 