Tag: book-blog

Top Ten Tuesday: Ways In Which My Blogging Habits Have Changed.

BonnieReadsAndWrites22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. The topic this week is “Ten Ways That My Blogging Habits Have Changed.”

1. My Indie Spotlight feature started out as Self-Published Saturday back in 2021, and then it became Indie Weekend. I just recently changed it to Indie Spotlight because I am retired and I don’t need to wait until the weekend anymore. All of them have the same goal: To celebrate and share Indie books.

2. My first review was a Two-Star back in October 2020! Although I do post some bad reviews sometimes, I now usually use my blog to celebrate good books. The exceptions are when a book I didn’t like is really expensive and popular, and I want to warn people before they spend the money. John Grisham’s supposed sequel to The Firm comes to mind.

3. My graphics are way better. I started using Shutterstock a few years ago, and I think I provide more eye-catching posts now.

4. I change my blog background seasonally, but I started putting clocks in all of my background pictures in maybe 2022. That is a nod to my love of time-travel fiction.

Book Header Bonnie Reads and Writes with white letters over a red background. A red and white clock wearing a Christmas hat is on one side.
A Thanksgiving cornucopia is on the left, and the banner reads Bonnie Reads and Writes in red. An old gold clock sits on top of a book to complete the banner.

5. I only had a little over 3,000 views in 2020. Now I am just about 100 views away from 100,000. That is despite having a down year last year due to moving, retirement, and Hurricane Helene.

6. I have had over 45,000 visitors to my blog since 2020. I’ll do a celebration post when I pass 50,000 visitors.

7. I was very focused on Netgalley reviews for a long time. Now I only have 12 books on my Netgalley shelf. A lot of my reviews now come from The Historical Novel Society and from Indie authors. I’m also about to embark on a “Reviewing the Classics” journey.

8. My logo has changed a lot. Thanks to Author Gail Meath for my latest, and best, logo.

There are six logos that have been used for Bonnie Reads and Writes, with the most recent one being a woman with auburn hair and a green shirt sitting in front of a pile of books. There is a blue background, with Bonniereadsandwrites.com at the bottom.

9. I feel like my reviews are better written now. Reviewing for The Historical Novel Society has helped with that.

10. The best change is the friendships. I’ve made some very dear friends who I met via this blog.

I am so thankful for this blog, and the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you, and that will never change.

How about you? How have your blogging habits changed?

Sunday Post: Fuzzy Socks Are the Best

BonnieReadsAndWrites20 Comments

Sunday Post is run by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 

I think it’s cold almost everywhere in the U.S., at least colder than everyone is used to. We don’t have the snow right now like Buffalo and other cities are experiencing, but it’s definitely very windy and cold. I find if I have warm socks on, the rest of me is generally warm. The fuzzier, the warmer and more comfy, IMO.

Stay warm out there everyone! Put on your warmest socks and get that cocoa ready! 

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Thursday I reviewed The Pierogi Peril by Geri Krotow.
On Friday I participated in Book Blogger Hop and answered the question: How Many Books Are On Your TBR?
On Saturday I reviewed the audiobook of the romance Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker.
Today I reviewed the audiobook of The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler. 

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

I will review two audiobooks that are currently on my Netgalley Shelf, My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman and Beneath Her Skin by Greg Olsen.

I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday and Book Blogger Hop if time permits. 

I hope to finish and review The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews. It’s the third in the Belles of London Victorian romance series, and I enjoyed the first two books.

I’m working hard on my Indie books and hope to post a lot of reviews and spotlights for Indie weekend.

My Top Ten Indie books of the year list is still in progress.

BOOK HAUL

I posted my book haul already this week on Book Blogger Hop. Since then I have also picked up The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Gray. I am off in search of more audiobooks for my list.

I hope you are staying warm and getting some reading in!

Have a great week!


Book Blast: Something Borrowed by Rebecca Connolly

BonnieReadsAndWrites3 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Forsaking all others…

Gage Trembath is getting married. He is the only one who knows it, but the statement is true, nonetheless. The woman he had once loved has been married elsewhere for a time, and he can put off his own marriage no longer. The woman he has chosen to marry, without love, is sensible, quiet, musical, and amenable, which should enable him to have a good marriage and a content life. That is all he wants now, and Honora Berkeley makes the most sense.

Honora cannot believe that a handsome and wealthy man like Gage has any interest at all in marrying her, even without love. She certainly has very little to recommend her, but escaping her life of criticism and abandonment is something she cannot resist. But what about the woman Gage had once loved? The one who was perfect for him and the one who made him determined to abandon love? Are his feelings for her truly gone? Will Honora ever have his affection along with his respect?

Is a convenient, sensible marriage what Gage wants? Or will his capacity for love reignite under Honora’s influence?

PRAISE FOR SOMETHING BORROWED

  • 5 STARS “An excellent read…This book had me smiling, laughing, cheering, and crying.”— Shauna Jones, Goodreads

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Rebecca Connolly is the author of more than three dozen novels. She calls herself a Midwest girl, having lived in Ohio and Indiana. She’s always been a bookworm, and her grandma would send her books almost every month so she would never run out. Book Fairs were her carnival, and libraries are her happy place. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She received a master’s degree from West Virginia University and is a hot cocoa addict.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X (Formerly Twitter) | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

GIVEAWAY

Author Rebecca Connolly has generously offered one print or digital copy (winner’s choice) and a $25.00 Amazon gift card as a giveaway chance to one lucky winner.

TO ENTER:

  1. LIKE & SAVE My Instagram post.
  2. FOLLOW me @BonnieReads777, Rebecca Connolly @author.rebecca.connolly, and @austenprose on Instagram.
  3. COMMENT sharing the most memorable gift that you ever received and why.
  4. TAG up to 5 friends in the comments. One additional entry per tag.

TERMS

Entrants must be US residents 18 years or older. The contest ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time, December 12, 2023. Void where prohibited. Not associated with Instagram or its affiliates, nor are they responsible for this giveaway. The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and contacted by @austenprose as a direct message on December 13, 2023. The prize must be claimed by December 17, 2023. Please be aware of scam accounts!