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.

Come see CINDERELLA!

The BHS drama and music departments present CINDERELLA this weekend! Come see it, even though it's probably already sold out by now!

Bedford votes tomorrow!

Local friends, I'm grateful for your support of my candidacy for Library Trustee.

It's Cybils Day!

Calloo callay, it's Cybils Day! Head on over here for the winners.

And many thanks to my fellow judges on the Graphic Novel panel!

I'm back!

I'm still in the throes of Cybils reading and manuscript reading and ARCs-I-picked-up-at-Midwinter reading, but I am getting tired of not having anything here to share. Expect lighter than usual posting through April, but I promise I'm still reading,

And local friends, don't forget to vote on March 12! I appreciate your support for my candidacy for Library Trustee.

Happy New Year!

Hope you are all suitably resolved and recovered from the year-end festivities.

I'll be in Cybils judging mode for January and half of February, so posting may be lighter than usual. Godspeed.

2015: Year in Review

What time is it?

SHOWTIME!

No, really. It's time to take a gander at my favorites from 2015. (Please remember that all the books I read in 2015 aren't necessarily published in 2015. Sometimes I am ahead of the game; sometimes behind.)

Number of posts: 122
Number of books reviewed: 99 (ye gods; really? weaksauce)

Favorite MG
Orbiting Jupiter (this one could go YA or MG)
Roller Girl

Favorite YA
Goodbye Stranger (this too could go YA or MG)
Read Between the Lines

Favorite adult
Furiously Happy
Syllabus

Favorite discoveries of backlist awesomeness
Phoebe and her Unicorn
Missile Mouse

Favorite jackets
Good Mourning
Circus Mirandus
George
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Merry Christmas.

TOMORROW: Come to the Advent Fair!

Local peeps, get your holiday shopping done at the annual St. Paul's Advent Fair! 9:00am to 2:00pm, 100 Pine Hill Road in Bedford.

http://www.thebedfordcitizen.org/2015/11/23/st-pauls-advent-fair-saturday-december-5-from-9-am-until-2-pm/

Sigh.

My Cubbies lost.

My Mets lost.

I do like the Royals, and they fought fiercely for a well-deserved title. But still. Sigh.

Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

P.S. PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT IN 108 DAYS.

Can't post. Baseball.

Happy birthday to him.

This guy is in his prime today. (Get it? GET IT?)

It's Labor Day.

I'm not laboring.

YOU GUYS I'M GOING TO SEE HAMILTON TONIGHT

I am just an eensy bit excited.

http://www.hamiltonbroadway.com/

On vacation

As is my wont, I'm taking July off from blogging. Think of me fondly, especially from 7/11 through 7/18, when eleven of my favorite high schoolers, three of my favorite adults, and I will be sweating and grunting through a week of hard work with Appalachia Service Project.

www.asphome.org

ALA bound

I will do my best not to leave my heart here.

http://alaac15.ala.org/

Vermont, I am in you.

Excited for a weekend at VCFA. Please be kind to me!

http://vcfa.edu/programs-faculty/postgraduate-non-degree/amr

BEA: I am here.

Spending midweek at everyone's favorite level of Hell: the Javits Center.

http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/

THIS IS FORTY, BITCHEZZZZ.

Happy birthday to me.