When I did my year-end review of what I did and what I'm working towards for 2025 one of the items on my list was creating a website. Expanding this blog into something more is probably a better way of phrasing it. Through my job, I was offered a list of classes to improve myself. Of course I jumped on this.

2024 was the year I tried my hand at reviewing Advanced Reader's Copies of new independent or small press books coming out. I wasn't looking for anyone in particular, but I was approached by someone at Book Sirens, a group that connects readers with authors who are willing to read their books and review them. At first I was hesitant because, as I've mentioned before, I felt uncomfortable with getting free books and the authors expecting to get great reviews for them.

There's a new fad going around recently in the book world. Not only print books but in e-books where, I think, it's probably easier to do. Yes friends, the choose your own adventure books are back. Some of us remember the ones like this. Where we'd read up to a certain point and then if we wanted to go left, we'd turn to page 96.

Christmas has come and gone and we're right around the corner of saying goodbye to 2024 and hello to 2025. I can't believe this year is almost over. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago when I was half asleep on the couch waiting for the ball to drop on television. With the last few days of 2024 coming upon us, come with me while I rehash my year and set up new goals for 2025.

I am of the generation that read the entirety of V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic series while seated in a corner of the library over a period of weeks. At the time, my local library had two cards. The children’s library card and the adult library card. You could not check out books upstairs in the adult section with a children’s library card, but there was no rule saying you couldn’t read them there.

When I began this blog in 2019, the goal was to review independent or small press books, to give them a platform in a time when self-published/independent/ and small press were often ignored. I've gone through a lot of changes in this blog. Expanding the time frame in which I post, adding Musings and discussing book related contributions. Adding the independent bookshop list.

Happy Valentine's Day. Or rather, Happy day before Valentine's Day. Depending on when you're reading this. Love is in the air and celebrated for one day out of the year. Restaurants will be packed, events that can be done as a couple will have been reserved for weeks now. All made more chaotic as the holiday is on a Saturday this year.

Up in the heart of Chicago Illinois, lies a quaint little bookshop. Lilliput Books is an independent bookstore in the heart of Lincoln County. Cozy, community focused, it harbors not only books, but their adorable mascot, Lily. Photo property of Lilliput Books Lily is on everything. From the shop window, the logo and all of their merchandise. She is also patrolling the shop itself making sure Lilliput's knowledgeable staff is helping you find your next favorite read.

Well, we made it friends. 2025 is in the books and we are a little over one day into 2026. How are you? Feel any different? The new year comes with reflections on the old and resolutions that send you into the new. And that's what we're doing today. Nothing too big. Just little resolutions that you've decided on. Things I did on Janurary 1st.

Compliments of the season to you, friends. Now that all the wrapping paper is in the trash and all the presents opened. Did you get anything interesting? I got a lovely little Lego set from my family. The first one I will take probably a frustratingly long time to put together. Even my Lego's are literary! Holiday dinners have been consumed, and there's still a few holidays left in December.

What does it truly mean to make life? Religious leaders and others would say that only God (or insert your chosen Deity here) can give life. But in the modern age of cloning where scientists created Dolly, a clone of a sheep but none the less alive and able to function, the question of who makes life is unanswered.In Jurassic Park Dr.

Happy Halloween friends.What’s your favorite scary movie?Or book? This Halloween, I wanted to see what made the list of scary things to watch or read. So let’s go down Mouse’s top ten list.  Top ten scariest movies: I went searching for what could be listed as the scariest movies of all time. I didn’t want to have them all be modern films because there are some older films that are still creepy as hell.

October's independent bookstore showcase is focusing on Viewpoint Books located in Columbus Indiana. Founded in 1973, Viewpoint has been a staple independent book seller in Indiana ever since. touted as Indiana's second oldest full service bookstore, they carry everything from the newest titles to titles that are out of stock. If they don't have the book, they are more than willing to search for them for you.

Hello friends and welcome to October! It’s spooky season so I’ll of course be reviewing scary books this month as well as talking about autumn things. It’s time to fall into Fall! This month and maybe the rest of the year, I wanted to try my hand at posting themed pictures again. I did it last year in December where I posted a themed photo every day on my Instagram and it went over well.

The end of August is right around the corner. Like right around the corner, some Americans are getting ready for a three-day holiday.For me, it's time to play catch up. Outside assignments that need to be finished. Books to be read. Other books that need reviews written up because I forgot about them. So again, it's time for me to take my September hiatus.

Once upon a time, when I was younger, I was introduced to a marketing technique that was popular in the 1950's/1960's.My mother is a fan of what is now, the older horror movies. Movies that had Vincent Price and Claude Rains, and Boris Karloff. Christopher Lee before everyone knew him as Grand Moff Tarkin or Saruman from Lord of the Rings.

That's a quote from the 10th Doctor. And one that still stays with me. Most times you hear about the movie or TV series that is based on a popular book. The wildly popular Game of Thrones or Bridgerton series were based on books before they became the infamous series everyone talks about.It’s rare when movies or series spin off books. 

Can you believe May is almost over? It feels like May first was just last week and here it is, Memorial Day in the US just passed by, graduations ceremonies are happening, pools have opened. And in two days, it'll be June 1st.So what's going on? Mouse's Reading Nook will be taking it's annual month off in June this year.

In Austin Texas there is a bookshop dedicated to reading, educating and giving back.Black Pearl Books is a black woman owned and family run independent bookstore in the heart of Austin Texas. Beginning at what might possibly have been considered the worst time in current history, November of 2019, Back Pearl Books began as an online store that did pop-ups and markets around Austin.

Last week, something happened that invaded two of my carefully curated worlds.  I’ve mentioned before that I write fanfiction. And I’ve mentioned that I joined Book Sirens, a community that connects ARC authors with readers and reviewers.  While I don’t write about the ARC books that I read and review on this blog, outside of the yearly rundown of the books I’ve enjoyed that have been released for sale, I do put my name out there on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookbub, and Goodreads giving my honest review of the books.

Hey. What are y'all doing on Saturday?The first Saturday in May is kinda special. No, it's not Star Wars Day, that's Sunday the 4th. The first Saturday of May is Free Comic Book Day. Every year, the comic world gets together to send out 46 titles to hand out to people during this event. Thirteen Gold Sponsor and 33 Silver Sponsor to introduce both kids and adults to new lines either coming soon or to reacquaint them with classics they'd forgotten.

In Boise Idaho, there’s a bookshop called Rediscovered Bookshop.  And they are this month’s highlighted independent bookshop of April. Their slogan is “Where books and people meet” and isn’t that the most delightful thing you’ve ever heard? This month's bookshop highlight is an independent shop in Idaho fighting to keep books in people's hands. Opened in 2006 in downtown Boise, …

If you ask any book nerd what the greatest travesty of the past was and a very large percentage of them will tell you that it was the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. So much wealth of knowledge, a renowned center of learning all destroyed by too many leaders who knew destroying knowledge was the easiest way to destroy a civilization.

Happy first day after the first day of Spring everyone!Depending on where you are in the world it’s either snow, rain, high winds, or a combination of the three.  It's that time for our monthly bookshop highlight and this month is Parnassus Books located in Nashville Tennessee. Opened in 2011, Parnassus Books is the creation of novelist Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes.

As I mentioned in Janurary, I am currently taking a class on how to get the most out of the WordPress website. I'm still working on that and it's fascinating. I'm learning more than I knew before with my fumbling around this website. The classes and the exercises have sent me to thinking about what I want to do with this website.