Well. who saw this coming? I certainly didn’t. If you’d have told me six years ago, when I first set up this strange old blog of mine, that I’d still be going and reviewing books (apparently for fun?) in 2022, I’d have laughed at you. Hell. I laughed at me for just doing it in the first place. I have no natural inclination towards the tinterweb, although I will admit I’m not technophobic either, but I had literally no clue what I wanted to do other than it seeming like a good place to pull together all my reviews. I mean. How much work could it really be?

It’s been a very unexpected six years, I can’t lie. I’ve read some wonderful books, met some fabulous people, and found a whole new set of friends as a result of the blog. For a solitary activity reading sure ups your social reach! I’ve not yet mastered Instagram, although I’m trying to remember to give it a go. Tried TikTok. Didn’t like it. To be honest, I’m kind of struggling with social media full stop – I think you need to be a lot more invested in it than I am to make it a success, but I do still remember to engage on the odd occasion. As for the blog … well, clearly we are still here. Still reading. Still churning out excessively long reviews. Occasionally making sense, more often not. Author’s still seem to like them – the whole reason I started writing up my thoughts in the first place, so ho-hum.

It’s been a challenging couple of years for everyone but reading has kept me as sane as I’m ever going to get. It’s all cyclical really. Sometimes I am in the zone, sometimes I’m not, but books still get read and reviews still (eventually) get written, and that’s why I’m still here. Enjoyed getting out to more festivals last year and hopefully more still this, but either way, I hope you’ll still stop by occasionally to read my ramblings.

Some stats – apparently they matter or are interesting (?)

Total blog posts: 2489 including this one. Soon hit 2500. In 6 years!!!!!
Views: 300k +
Visitors: 160k+

Books of The Year:

2016: Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker

2017: The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen

2018: The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech

2019: Turbulent Wake by Paul E. Hardisty

2020: We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker

2021: This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech

Does that surprise you? For a crime heavy blog and a crime favouring reader, half of my books of the year over the past 6 years have NOT BEEN CRIME. See – I can do sensitive and intelligent. Sort of. They are all pretty spectacular books though, with some definitely stiff competition along the way. What started as a 24 day countdown of my favourite books leading up to Christmas, very quickly escalated when I realised I loved far more than 24 books each year … Whoops. I’ve given out many “Red Hot Read’ awards to some very deserving books, and even swapped out the darkness for the odd rom-com to keep things lively, but I have loved every minute of reading then all. With over 1200 books read since I started properly tracking via Goodreads in 2017, I’m surprised I whittled the numbers down at all.

Six years is a pretty impressive number, for me at least, so Mandie and I will be celebrating with cake later. But because we are nice people, we’ve decided to also celebrate with a giveaway. To win a wonderful selection of Orenda Books, including my 2021 Book of the Year – This Is How We Are Human, simply follow the link below and choose one of the many ways to enter. Competition closes at midnight on 29th May and is open to UK and NI only. Good luck.

Enter Here

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Jen & Mandie x