Hello, book nerds.

I’m writing this on the tail end of a great two week vacation, where I truly disconnected from work and my routine. I am now back home, in my office, contemplating the next era of my life.

I started reviewing books on Instagram back in 2020 or 2021, when my life looked markedly different. I had a job (in sales, no less) that drained me. I was burnout on legs, a walking husk in search of escape. Reading was one thing I’d always loved, and I leaned into it with a fervor.

Eventually, I had the courage to leave my job and find the next one – and I am thankful to have loved it. It was cozy and comfortable, with people I enjoyed, doing work I felt confident in. This allowed me, I think, to start this blog in January of 2023 and devote more of my time to writing my thoughts and connecting with the book world more deeply.

My life has changed and improved much in these last few years. I’m ready now for the next thing: writing.

The tug-of-war that I’ve always had with writing has left me oscillating between a desire to do it, do the thing, write the book, and a feeling that I simply couldn’t, wouldn’t, am unable. But I recently turned thirty – not that this is a magical age where suddenly I’m approaching life with clarity I’ve never had before, but it is true that this is a milestone. And as with most milestones I’ve touched and passed, it’s made me contemplate my life and desires in new ways.

Firstly, and most importantly, I no longer give a fuck. Is that crude? Oh well. Sorry, mom.

As a younger person, there were many unimportant things about which I did give a fuck, and many things that I rightfully didn’t. I don’t know why I cared so much what others thought, but there it is. I did. I find now that I don’t, and perhaps I haven’t for some time now and it’s just suddenly apparent to me.

Turning thirty also means, hey, I’m not getting younger. Do I really want to live my life not doing the thing I love? The thing from which I derive the most satisfaction and the most challenge and the most frustration? Things in my personal life have fallen into place; I have no debts and a supportive spouse. I feel I have the least to lose now, even if I fall on my face trying.

And so this has prompted other changes I must consider. The biggest is that, as a writer, all other writers become my peers. And I don’t want to critique my peers’ work (unless they ask me to, most likely in a writing workshop – certainly not on the internet for all to see). Secondly, I have always believed strongly that authors don’t belong in book review spaces. Book reviews belong to readers.

Which leads me to the good-bye portion of this entry. After three full years and over 250 posts, it’s time to sunset my book reviews.

I’ve learned so much while running this blog, and I thank everyone who’s supported me with a read, a follow, a subscribe. You’ve all been such an important part of this for me.

I will keep this site active while I decide what to do with it. Will I delete it and start over? Will I keep it and remove my reviews, and repurpose as an author site? I don’t know yet – I still have much to mull over and consider about the next steps in my bookish journey.

If you’re still here when I do make my decision, thank you for following along, and maybe I’ll share the occasional update.

If this is good-bye for good, thanks for being here this far, and cheers to new beginnings.