Feature and Follow #3 and TGIF #2

Thursday, August 9, 2012 10:23 PM

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. If you'd like to know more, click the button above. 

This Friday's question is: 

What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch? 

Hmmm...I'm thinking. I would have put a little more thought into my earlier reviews. I edited them a little recently. They weren't offering enough information about the book, or at least not as clearly as I wanted. I want my followers to have well-written reviews, and I realized how important that is to book bloggers. Obviously. So I had to hit myself in the forehead for not thinking. :) Reviews need substance, and I put more effort into writing my reviews now.

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TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by GReads! where a bookish question is posed to followers. 

This week's question is: 

Unexpected books: Which books did you have reservations about reading, but ended up loving once you did? 


The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley 
It is 2008 and Carrie McClelland can't hit the right note for her next novel, but an unplanned detour in Scotland, and a stop at the castle that inspired Count Dracula, sets her on a different path; a path that took her back in time exactly 300 years, to that same castle, and to a rebellion doomed to failure. Alternating between the contemporary setting and the past, The Winter Sea takes us at every turn into little known worlds; historical footnotes writ large, a history of Scotland and the Jacobite rebellion of 1708 and the possibility of genetic memory. Historical fiction at its best and Susanna Kearsley at hers, The Winter Sea evokes the writing of Thomas Raddall, Daphne Du Maurier, and Mary Stewart. 
-Goodreads

This book was a random pick, and I was worried it would be cliched or the story would just fall flat. I was wrong. I loved it! I want to travel to Scotland so badly, so the setting appealed to me, and the descriptions were breathtaking. Plus, a wonderful story and romance. Loved it! 

I can't wait to read everybody's answers! 

Happy reading,

Courtney 

41 comments:

  1. My early reviews were like that too. And I had them on a different site because for the longest time I didn't know how to use blogger properly lol. I should really go back and fix them like you did, but that seems like a lot of work. Here's mine: http://harleybearbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/feature-follow-friday-10.html

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    1. Luckily, I don't have many reviews yet so there weren't too many to fix up or I would've been like hell no. lol

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  2. My early reviews were all rambly and just awful. I just want to smack my head for writing such bad reviews! I don't even want to go back and change my reviews because it is a pain in the behind!
    My FF

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Roxy! I know the feeling. I went to your site and I love your FF answer, but I am having trouble finding your comments. It's prolly me. Life hates me sometimes. But I am a new follower by GFC! :)

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  3. Stopping by through FF! I understand wanting to edit your early reviews! I have wanted to do that as well- my early stuff was very basic.

    Following now through GFC! My FF post!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Charlene and for following! I guess it's like with any writing. Practice and time helps. :)

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  4. My early reviews were...terrible. I can't even look at them now. I try to edit them occasionally but they're bad and unfixable. But I guess you live and you learn. I wouldn't be the blogger I am today (I hope a good one) without the mess I was at the start.

    New follower!

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    1. Thanks Grace for stopping by and following back! Yeah, I know what you mean. We always learn over time and our reviews get better.

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  5. Good answer! I think my reviews are usually some kind of word purge where my fingers just won't quit typing! Kinda like now! ;)
    New follower here, Hooray!
    Stopping through with My FF!

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    1. Thanks Book me! I like that. Word purge. Sounds cool and so true.

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  6. I have also changed my review format. My first reviews were one liners but now they are more in depth. Great answer!

    Here's my Follow Friday. Have a great weekend.

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  7. I'm often tweaking how I do my reviews. I think the more you do the more comfortable it becomes. Thanks for stopping by, following

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    1. Yeah you learn over time. Thanks Kristina! :)

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  8. All my early reviews are terrible, practise makes perfect I think LOL. Old follower hopping through.

    Here is
    My FF and international giveaway

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    1. I agree completely, Kate. Not about your early reviews being terrible but about practice makes perfect. lol

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  9. Mine were terrible! And I do regret participating in so many reading challenges which I kinda do feel obligated to finish.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  10. Hi! I'm a new blogger! Mind checking out my blog?(: And maybe possibly follow?(x I bet in a couple of months I'll be smacking myself for writing so badly, but for now it's fine because I'm just starting out!(:

    New follower!
    simple-books.blogspot.com

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    1. Sure, I'll definitely check out your blog and follow back! I'm just starting out too, and it can be difficult. Good luck to you! :)

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  11. I think we all learn as we go :)

    I'm a new follower via GFC, and here's my FF post #7.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  12. Reviewing actually isn't easy. It takes some time to figure out your style! Thanks for stopping by!

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    1. Sure thing! Yeah, reviewing is definitely not easy. Completely agree.

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  13. Great response this week :)

    Happy reading and thanks for stopping by!!

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    1. Thanks Sarah! Happy reading to you too!

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  14. Hi there, thanks for stopping by :) Great answer! New follower via GFC :)

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  15. Great answer! My reviews were like that at first too.... now I feel like they've just gotten longer! :O
    Thanks for stopping by!
    following you back :)

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    1. Yeah, mine have definitely gotten longer. Sometimes I worry they're too long. :) thanks, Joie!

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  16. Good answer I agree. Nice book too.

    new follower
    http://itchingforbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/feature-and-follow-810.html

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  17. I really appreciate your honesty. I’m glad I dropped by from TGFI. I am your newest follower.
    Cheers,
    Shanae
    My Blog

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    1. Thanks Shanae! I'm glad you dropped by too! :)

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  18. Your blog is so cute! New follower!

    Stop by my blog over at: booksaremylove.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks stargirl! I'm stopping over right now!

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  19. Thanks for stopping by! I'm checking out your blog now!

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  20. Oh I feel your early reviews. I have movie reviews dating all the way back to 2005 and back then, I wasn't big on the proper grammar. One of these days I'll go back and edit them, but then again, it shows the evolution of my writing through the years.

    Also, Scotland? Done. Added to my TBR.

    Thanks for stopping by and following back :)
    Otherwhere.co

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    1. Awesome! I want to go to Scotland and England and Ireland. Maybe someday. And Italy too. Thanks for following back! And yeah it shows how we evolved as writers. I'm sure I'll look back at these current reviews in the future and think they suck. haha

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  21. Heya! New follower here. Here's my FF. :)
    Have a great day!

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    1. Thanks Michelle! Have a great day too! :)

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