I should apologize.  But I’m not sure that I honestly need to – more like, I hope you won’t leave my feed when you see too many notices coming in from @keeperbookshelf over the next few days.

As the end of the year approaches I, like many people, am trying to get caught up on 2016.

There have been times this year when I’ve been away from the computer when I finished a book.  Usually I head straight to write up the review and either post or schedule it for later.  But there are times when I cannot do that, it’s then that I’ll take notes or write up a review on paper to post when I can get to the computer again.

It’s those reviews that I need to get published, so you’ll see an increase of postings across my blogs for the next few days.  It won’t last long, but it does need to get done.

So (sad puppy eyes)… please don’t leave.  But I do need to keep to my commitments.

Thanks… ((HUGS))

There are moments that stay in one’s memories.  A kitten fetching a pom-pom tiny “ball” and bringing it back to me over and over again for me to toss one more time.  The indignant glare when a water dish was dry.  The contented purr when I found just the right spot under his chin.  The constant head butting to insure that I was paying attention.  The heavy weight of a sleeping cat on my lap.

Sunday, my sweet boy left this earth for, hopefully, fields of catnip and constant sunshine.  He was over two decades old, he had lost the spring in his pounce, he was deaf, it obviously hurt to walk around and he couldn’t see us very well anymore.  But he was still our Charlie.  Defender of a young boy, comforter to that boy’s mom.

It’s too quiet here now.  We’re missing a heartbeat.  I don’t think I’m going to get much done today.  I keep staring off into space, and wiping away tears.

If you’ve ever loved a pet then you know how I’m feeling today.  My heart is broken.

Vacations are a wonderful invention, but like all good things they eventually come to a close.

Now it’s back to the books – the reviewing of novels – for me.

I had my fun, an amazing trip, a visit to the Las Vegas edition of the Titanic Exhibit – which was simply stunning and moving beyond words… but I did spend some time on the Kindle, so it’s back to the non-vacation fun stuff for me.

…and I have to admit, it’s going to be a really good feeling to sleep in my own bed tonight *grin*

Sometimes you just gotta cut  loose – so I’m heading to Vegas, baby.  Gamble?  Nah, I’m guaranteed to lose but there is more in Sin City than gambling.   Plus the surrounding area is stunningly beautiful so some day trips are happening as well.

I hope you all have a safe and fun week – and I’ll be back in touch next Wednesday.

Viva Las Vegas!   (in my poorly done imitation of Elvis.  *grin*)

On this day lives changed forever.  And on this day all those years ago I, like many Americans and other people around the world, vowed to never forget the lives that were taken, the men and women who walked into the chaos as others ran away.  Life was changed.

So today – I remember and honor those people… and the loved ones that were left behind.

I am so happy to introduce this beauty.  She doesn’t have an official name just yet – we’re going to get to know her personality a bit before giving her that forever name.  But I’ve been referring to her as Bella or Baby Girl because she is a beautiful baby girl puppy.

She’s a Shetland Sheepdog or otherwise known as a Sheltie… actually she is definitely a mini-collie. in looks  🙂

Sheltie’s are natural herders – and we have a 20 year old cat and a 3 year old cat… so this is going to be interesting.

She is the pup of championship dogs, but since she has a slight under-bite she could never be shown or expected to win.  How sad is that?  But that’s fine, it simply means that she gets to come to us for a forever loving home.

We get to pick her up tomorrow – and I cannot wait to get my hands on that fluffy bit of cuteness.

Come on – look at that face is she not adorable?  *grin*

Computers hate me.  Yeah.  They really do.  *sigh*

I was going along, working like every day and out of nowhere *BAM*  *SMACK* … *Dead*

With the help of my computer whiz son over the last week we’ve pretty much rearranged this bad boy’s innards enough to get it working again… with a brand spanking new one on order.  So, for now, I’m workable… I think.  Guess time will tell.

So, with sincere apologies I’m now back at work writing up the reviews of the books I’ve had time to read (between doing computer surgery) while I was unplugged.  It really is no fun being unplugged when it’s not for a fun thing, like a vacation.  Nope.  Not one little bit.

I believe I’ve finally figured something out that has perplexed me for the 18 months or so that I’ve been reviewing what I read onto one of my blogs.  I do not read reviews before I post my own or read the book.  I want my view to be fresh and unbiased by others opinions.  I do, however, read the reviews on the site I’m posting at after mine is up and running.  Just to see what other reviewers and readers thought.  And I’m often struck by how often it seems that I’ve read a totally different book than some people have, based purely on their review or comments.  This puzzled me for quite some time.  But today, I have a theory on that difference.

What brought about this revelation was one book that I recently reviewed.  I gave it a high rating, not top dog but up there because I enjoyed the story, I was engaged and entertained by what I had read.  I was emotionally invested in the story of this couple.

There were two scathingly nasty reviews on Goodreads about this book.  And I mean get out the pitchforks and the tar – I actually felt badly for the author who had to read those words about their work.  Cringe worthy is a mild description.  And again, my first thought was, “Did we read the same freaking book cos that’s not what I got from it?!”  Their reviews focused on commas not being in the right places, grammar, words that should not have been capitalized, etc.  Really I would have expected this to be a red pen infused final paper for a freshman writing class instead of a review.  It was a critique of the worst sort, one that truly was nasty and intended to hurt and humiliate.

So, I sat for the longest time with a bitter acid feeling in my stomach trying to figure why our reactions were so different about the same book.  And I finally realized what might make me a very bad reviewer (but deal with it because I’m not changing my ways) is one very simple, fundamental difference.  I am an emotional reader.  I read to escape my reality for a short period of time.  I enjoy sharing my thoughts about what I’ve read, which is why my blogs exist – but it’s not my profession, it is my entertainment, my hobby, my fun time.

When I’m telling “you” about a book I’ve read, in my mind we are sitting at a table sharing coffee, wine or something stronger depending on the mood and I’m simply talking about this great, good, so-so book that I just finished.  Sharing the story with you is like sitting down with a friend and saying, “Hey I just finished this great book, you should try it.”  I’m not only sharing the story with you, I’m also sharing my emotional reaction to that story, the characters, the plot and the resolution of the twists and turns within that couple’s universe.  Oh, I may notice when there are too many or even worse a lack of commas – but that is not my focus.  I am becoming lost in, as well as a visitor to someone else’s world.  I’m experiencing the journey not the proper placement of commas.

Are you an emotional reader or a technical reader?  I suppose we need both in the world.  I know that I come down heavily on the emotions driven type of reader, and ultimately reviewer.  I don’t think one is better or worse than the other.  I do think we need to review the work and not the author.  Telling someone to go back to their day job just because you didn’t like their comma placements is simply… wrong.

I will freely admit that as a reviewer (hobby and fun passing along my opinions) – I do give a higher ratio of 5 – 4.5 – 4 – 3.5 – 3 star reviews.  The truth is I will request and/or buy the type of novels that I normally enjoy so I’m not surprised by that.  I fully expect to enjoy, on some level, what I’ve decided to read.

I have to tell you that as a READER – the number of stars matters not one little bit to me.  *gasp*  Perhaps I’ve said something impolite there – but truth nonetheless.  A well written, descriptive Story Blurb/Cover Description will make my decision to plop down my hard earned money faster than the number of stars some anonymous person gives a book.  (and yes, I know that I’m one of those antonymous persons)

It goes without saying that authors and publishing houses want as many stars as they can gather.  After all, the author has spent hours, bled tears and sweat, consumed copious amounts of coffee, torn their hair out and spent many a sleepless night delivering their book baby.  I am astonished by the ability of writers who can do what they do time and time again.  So, the number of stars on a review does reflect somewhat on how their baby has done out in the world – to a certain extent.

Yet, for me personally, as purely a reader – I base my interest on the description of the story I’m about to decide to read or not.  If I had one wish for authors it would be to please spend some time thinking about, designing that Cover Description – pique my interest, make me want to know more, ask me into your world because I’m going to love the experience.  I have seen Story Blurbs that come no where near the story that was within the pages – and honestly, it annoys me, feel kinda cheated in a way that I didn’t get the story I was expecting.

So my question to anyone who wanders in and discovers this discussion post – as a READER only… do the number of rating stars a book gets make a difference in your decision to buy or read that book?

It was a long road back, ten years to the day – but Lord Stanley’s Cup has returned to Pittsburgh.

Way to go guys – you worked hard and did us all proud.  So proud to be from Pittsburgh!