So long, and thanks for all the books.

It is with mixed emotions that I report on this, the tenth (!) anniversary of emilyreads.com, that I am taking a break from the blog.

I started this blog as a way to keep track of my own reading, and it has served its purpose well in that regard. The first few posts were more typical book reviews, but I quickly learned that Lazy Emily was incapable of sustaining that kind of production, especially when combined with the editorial letters and other manuscript assessments I do all the time in my professional life. So the Review Haiku was born.

To confirm: the reviews I write are not actual haiku, not even close. But the syllabic structure gave me a helpful means to crystallize my reactions to books. I seldom posted reviews of books I hated, unless they were a) adult books, so there would be no potential conflict-of-interest or awkwardness in future encounters with authors; or b) commercial juggernauts that did not need my help to find an audience anyway. So if you see a book on here, I probably liked it.

Running this blog introduced me to the broader book-blogging community, particularly the Cybils crew. Being a second-round judge for the Cybils for nearly its entire history was super fun for me, and gave me much more exposure to SFF and graphic novels (a new favorite genre!) than I would have had otherwise.

I will still read, of course. And I will still review adult books for my good friends at Unshelved. But I am taking a break from the three-day-a-week posting grind, which proved ever more difficult to keep up in recent years. You can always search for past reviews using the search box, or by tags.

Happy reading, y'all.

Happy golden birthday, Munchkin.

She is twelve, which means greater scrutiny of posted pictures, so no birthday photo this year. But lots of love and angst and Chinese food nonetheless.

Enchanted Air: Review Haiku

For my last review
haiku, a beautiful memoir
of family.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings. A Memoir by Margarita Engle. Atheneum, 2015, 208 pages.

Come see ANNIE!

The John Glenn Middle School Music Department presents ANNIE, JR., this weekend, starring a bunch of fabulous tweenagers including MY KID as ditzy criminal Lily St. Regis. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing that [expletive] "Tomorrow" song for the rest of your life.

Tickets available at JGMS, Davis, and Lane Schools, at Great Road Gallery, or at the door.

Snowden: Review Haiku

A primer, with an
agenda. Is he a
patriot? Or traitor?

Snowden by Ted Rall. Seven Stories Press, 2015, 224 pages.

This Side of Home: Review Haiku

Twin sisters, once in
sync, face new challenges and
mixed expectations.

This Side of Home by Renee Watson. Bloomsbury, 2015, 336 pages.