I want to thank everyone who has worked with me and supported me and read the blog as we now reach 7 years. I am so grateful for all the support and connection with the amazing blog community.
I appreciate my team which writes reviews, retweets posts, joins me on Read-alongs, and helps with memes like Series on Saturday and Top 10. That’s just to name a few things. It’s a pleasure to have such good friends to join me in this blogging community. Thanks so very much to Robin, Melanie, KC and Sophia!
A little bit about Books of My Heart:
Even though we have been 6 years, I was able to bring over all my posts from my 3 years reviewing at The Book Nympho and have republished the ones from my year at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks. So I have 10 years of reviews. I do this as a hobby; I don’t make money on anything. I spend my own money on prizes or get things donated by publishers or authors.
Books of My Heart is the co-sponsor of the Library Love Challenge. I’m a big fan and avid user of the library so I am thrilled to be involved. This feature has its own tab on the top menu bar. Most of the work is by Angela at Angel’s Book Nook.
Thrifty Thursday is a new challenge in 2023 to encourage us all to read those freebies we love to click, gifts or giveaway wins. I do a monthly post where I share some reviews of freebies. Participants in the challenge can also link up their reviews and get more entries towards prizes. Learn more about Thrifty Thursday HERE.
There are several other features, under the Feature tab on the top menu bar, which I am proud to have developed.
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- Thrifty Thursday – where I review Kindle or Audio freebies. I started this all the way back at Yummy Men & Kickass Chicks.
- Friends on Friday – where I will be inviting blogger friends to contribute and link up reviews with their blogs (because friends is a big reason why I blog). We did this more in the early years but not as much lately, although I still like the concept.
- Series on Saturday – This one is so much fun. We discuss monthly the best in a genre or theme. There is a vote for favorite series and you can share ones I didn’t choose in your comments.
- Sunday Series Satisfaction– My new Meme to encourage myself (or Sophia) to finish series or read series I have always wanted to read.
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- Top 10 – This is a meme I took on since others stopped doing it. The lists run Christmas week in December. They include: Top 10 Books, Top 10 Audiobooks, Top 10 Characters, Top 10 Book Covers, Top 10 Books I Want Next Year and Top 10 your choice. We share our lists for the year and let you link up your lists (one or all). It’s really fun to see everyone’s lists!
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Read-along – This is another one of my favorite things! Each year I pick a series where we read about one book a month. We have discussions, games and prizes. Each month there is a prize and there is a grand prize. Usually the publishers donate something and I buy the rest of the prizes. I alternate between series I have read and series I have NOT read. I also did The Hollows by Kim Harrison in 2014 when I was at Yummy Men & Kickass Chicks and it was new to me.
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- 2018 – Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews (re-read)
- 2019 – Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka (new to me)
- 2020 – Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs (re-read)
- 2021 – Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh (new to me)
- 2022 – Night Huntress world by Jeaniene Frost (half re-read, half new to me)
- 2023 – Iron Druid by Kevin Hearne (new to me)
- 2024 – White Trash Zombies by Diana Rowland (new to me)
- 2024b- Mageri by Dannika Dark (new to me)
- 2025 – Edge – Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (re-read)
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Some of us participate in Challenges. I always do COYER, but have also joined in the New Release Challenge, Beat the Backlist Challenge, the Audiobook Challenge. and of course, the Library Love Challenge.
Mostly on the blog we do reviews, features and occasionally discussions. Cover reveals, spotlights and special deals are posted on the Facebook page and to Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, and sometimes Twitter.
So I hope you will like us on the Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram, Mastodon, Twitter and Goodreads, and subscribe to our blog. There are options on the right sidebar to subscribe by email to all posts or a weekly digest, or to follow through Bloglovin or Feedly.
History of how I ended up with Books of My Heart:
The first blog I subscribed to was Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks. I mean, seriously, that’s what I want to read. Somehow, I realized it was published by a Canadian and when I was riding my Harley up there for an event, I asked Julie if she lived nearby. It turned out she was right on my route, only 50Km from where I was staying, so I could meet her for dinner. She invited me to review on her blog, which I did for the next year until she closed. She taught me a lot and was a joy to have in my daily life.
A week later, somehow, Jennifer, invited me to review at The Book Nympho. I was there for three years. Jennifer and Jonetta were amazing. Jennifer was kind enough to let me dabble in pretty much any genre. I am so grateful for all her help and support. I have learned and admired much from her. Jennifer closed The Book Nympho at the end of 2017. Jonetta has her own new bog, The Blue Mood Cafe.
So I started my own book blog. I am challenged by graphics and know little about WordPress, so there are some bobbles here. Michelle at Limabean Designs is handling my graphics as she is a professional. Ashley at NoseGraze has helped me through my additional learning about Ultimate Book Blogger and WordPress.
Giveaway:
I am going to choose multiple winners and you will have your choice of items remaining on the list. Each winner can only win once. To keep this open to Intl readers, I will offer them up to a $15 book at Better World Books or a $15 Amazon gift card. US readers will choose from the list below. You need to be willing to provide your address for some prizes to be sent to you.
Prize list:
Up to $15 book from Better World Books or Amazon gift card (Intl only)- One Audible audiobook (I’ll gift to you if you can access Audible US)
- $5 Amazon gift card
- CDs – Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
- CDs – Heart of Evil by Heather Graham, narrated by Luke Daniels
- MP3 CD set – 4 abridged audios by Heather Graham, narrated by Luke Daniels
- New Hardcover – Funny Story by Emily Henry
- New Hardcover – Happy Place by Emily Henry
- New Hardcover- There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh
- New paperback – Back to Your Love by Kianna Alexander
New paperback – A Small Town Bride by Hope Ramsey- New paperback – The Second Christmas by Marta Perry
- New Paperback – Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
- New Paperback- Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
- New paperback – Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo
- New paperback – The Stand-Up Groomsmen by Jackie Lau
- New paperback – If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher
- New paperback – Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams
- New paperback – Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Youg
- New paperback – Reckless Fortune by MM Crane
- New paperback – The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews
- New paperback – Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins
- New Paperback – Cold Curses by Chloe Neill
- New Paperback – Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon
- New paperback – Deep Tide by Laura Griffin
- New paperback – Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
- New paperback – The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant
- New paperback – The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
- New paperback – Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
- New paperback – Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
- New paperback – The Fenmere Job by Marshall Ryan Maresca
- Used paperback – Under Fire by Scarlett Cole (read once)
- New ARC – Winter’s End by Paige Shelton
- New ARC – Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong
- New ARC – Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg
- New ARC – It’s in His Kiss
- New ARC – The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- Sunday Post – 8 December 2024 @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - December 8, 2024
- Read A Series in a Month Challenge November 2024 Results @AndrewMayne @OhSusannahJones #BrillianceAudio @Limabean74 #BerlsS #SeriesinaMonth #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited🎧 - December 7, 2024
- Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot @AmandaPanitch @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #HoHoHoRAT2024 - December 5, 2024
I can’t believe it’s been 7 years!!! Congratulations on having a great blog and sustaining it this long. So glad I met you💜
Thanks Jonetta. I am very grateful to have met you and keep in touch now.
Happy blogoversary! I’m thankful for my mama. I just started blogging thanks to my mom.
Thank you Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy your blogging.
Congratulations! I’m thankful for my family. We are all very close.
Thank you Laura. It is great you have them close. Have a suspenseful spooky season!
Happy Blogoversary!! Wishing you many more. I enjoy your post, features, and I’m so happy to have you help support the Library Love Challenge. Thank you.
Thank you! I am so happy to have you in the blogging community. I have been busy with setting up the 2025 Read-along but now it will be time over the next week or so to get the Library Love posts ready to go for 2025.
I’m thankful for family (even though they drive me crazy sometimes). Happy Blogoversary!
Thank you! That’s a great thing to have and if they live close (but not too close?) I just have my daughter who lives with me and no one else close.
Unfortunately, my extended family doesn’t live close by, but I’m hoping we’ll get to see them sometime in the near future.
Congratulations! That’s really awesome. You’ve been around for a while! Right now I’m grateful for spooky season and cooler temperatures. I love this time of year.
Thank you Mary. I’m with you on the cooler weather. The spooky that’s fun but not so much the horror.
Happy 7th Blogaversary!!! So happy for you!!!
I’m so thankful for the blog!
Wishing you many more!
Thank you Elizabeth. I keep thinking of new ideas and trying a few new things.
Congratulations, Anne! You contribute so much to our reading/blogging community – THANK YOU!!
Thank you Jen. I could say the same of you!
Happy Blogoversary! Time flies!!
Thank you! The time has gone by so quickly.
I’m sorry I’m late to this post! I worked on Sunday and Monday and then was so busy commenting back that I didn’t see this. Congratulations, Anne! I’m so happy we’ve connected! I enjoy your blog and our book conversations! I will have to come back to see if I should enter the giveaway. I think I have a lot of the books already. Wonderful giveaway!
Thank you Rachel! I love having you and your blog in my community. You make such a difference for the Read-alongs too.
Congratulations! That’s amazing. I’m so happy that I found you and your blog a few years ago. Good luck for all the years still coming.
Thank you ! I love having you on the Read-along with us. I’m reading Gravity now – gah.
Congrats!! Blogging for this long is a big accomplishment!
Thank you, it’s been fun. I like to learn about new things and also read books obviously.
Congrats!!! So amazing. 🙂
Thank you. I have friends who have been around much longer though.
Wow, time flies. I am thankful for the wonderful people I meet in this life. Congratulations!
Thank you Nancy. yes it does feel like time has gone so quickly. I appreciate the community here.
I’m thankful for family and good friends.
Me too! And for reader friends and books!