Sucky Sunday, ROW Check-in and 5 Favorite Book Blogs

Without going into too much detail, drove down the four hours to my parents' house, my fan on my car broke, my car overheated, and I had to get towed the rest of the way there.  This did not for a good Sunday make, to say the least.  I'm slightly more cooled off now, but for a while there I was hot, cranky, hungry and MAJORLY had to pee. hahaha

To top it all off, the in-laws invaded last week, and while they are delightful people and I highly enjoy spending time with them, they (and my husband) have no clue what proper bedtimes and naptimes are for toddlers (and pregnant women for that matter) consequently, my writing schedule was TOTALLY thrown off and instead of being close to 80,000 words for Aeris, I'm still stuck at 70k.  Unhappy face.  Hopefully, I can get a lot done while I'm here at the folks' and bring myself closer to the 90ish I want to be at.

On to happy things.  I get asked all the time about which book bloggers I like and which I don't.  I don't want to pass out negativity, because I love book bloggers and I value what they do (much like librarians), so I'll refrain from commenting on book blogging practices I do NOT admire and instead give you a short list of the best bloggers I've come across thus far.  I can't pretend you've heard of all of them, but I've read and appreciated their blogs, and follow their reviews on goodreads.

1. The top of my list is Cuddlebuggery, otherwise known as Kat Kennedy.  The reason I like her so much is that she's like me: not afraid to tell you how she sees it.  She bashes books if she doesn't like them, or if she sees a weakness in them.  It makes me terrified to ever have her read one of MY books, but on the other hand I don't think she does indies, so I'm probably safe! :)  I just get tired of reviewers that ALWAYS have something positive to say about a book.  I like seeing pros and cons.  Kat does pros like a pro and cons with a healthy dose of humor.  She's also an aspiring writer and I hope she finishes her book soon, because I would LOVE to see what comes out of her brain!
2. Next up is The Well Read Wife, Mandy Boles.  Her reading covers such a wide array of genres that I can't help loving her blog. She is always insightful and honest about her reviews, and I trust them, even if I don't always agree with them.  (We agree to disagree about Jane Austen, for instance. hahaha)
3. If you're an indie reader like me, then Red Adept Reviews is the place for you to go.  Feeling tired of books that are full of grammar errors, bad characters, holey plots?  The professional reviewers at Red Adept will lay it all out for you, honestly, and without prejudice.  I know that if I'm considering a certain indie, they are the place to go to find a review on it.  Each book is categorized and rated based on: Plot/Storyline, Characters, Writing Style and IF it applies, grammar.  Then they are given an overall rating.  Excellent site, couldn't do without them!
4. Another blogger who reads both traditional and indie books is one of my favorites: The Book Faery.  WRW is always my first stop, and Kristi is always my second, when I'm looking for new reviews.  Her book blog is more like the others I've seen, with giveaways and questions, and blog hopping, but she manages to do it in a way that is FUN and not tiring.  She'll read anything she is interested in, but mostly YA.  
5. Finally, I have one last stop, and a new discovery for me: The Modge Podge Bookshelf.  Just discovered her by happenstance on goodreads when I saw that like myself, she is a cover lover.  Not sure if she reads indies or not, yet, but I've read several of her reviews and even though there are some I don't agree with her on, they are all honest and give good and bad things about the books she reads.  She also has many insightful observations about books, covers, and the industry that I found myself nodding along with. Oh, and she's having a one year anniversary giveaway, so sign up for it, if you can.

Happy Reading!