When I began this blog in 2019, the goal was to review independent or small press books, to give them a platform in a time when self-published/independent/ and small press were often ignored. I've gone through a lot of changes in this blog. Expanding the time frame in which I post, adding Musings and discussing book related contributions. Adding the independent bookshop list.

I am a fangirl. There I said it.  I have been in groups of shows that everyone knows about, the Doctor Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, Good Omens. I was glued to the television every week with friends watching the entire series of The X Files, frustrated with the “will they, won’t they” relationship between Mulder and Scully.  I wasn’t a dedicated fan of Xena but I remember the first time the term “queerbating” was used regarding the Xena/Gabrielle relationship.

The amount of women’s fiction books I read is small. Usually, there has to be something that catches my attention for me to read it. This book was different in that nothing originally about it caught my attention. But the blurb for it made me keep coming back. There was something was intriguing about the story that called to me.

Happy Valentine's Day. Or rather, Happy day before Valentine's Day. Depending on when you're reading this. Love is in the air and celebrated for one day out of the year. Restaurants will be packed, events that can be done as a couple will have been reserved for weeks now. All made more chaotic as the holiday is on a Saturday this year.

Up in the heart of Chicago Illinois, lies a quaint little bookshop. Lilliput Books is an independent bookstore in the heart of Lincoln County. Cozy, community focused, it harbors not only books, but their adorable mascot, Lily. Photo property of Lilliput Books Lily is on everything. From the shop window, the logo and all of their merchandise. She is also patrolling the shop itself making sure Lilliput's knowledgeable staff is helping you find your next favorite read.

I am of the generation that read the entirety of V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic series while seated in a corner of the library over a period of weeks. At the time, my local library had two cards. The children’s library card and the adult library card. You could not check out books upstairs in the adult section with a children’s library card, but there was no rule saying you couldn’t read them there.

Have you ever had a desperation that comes with wanting something so badly that you’re willing to do anything to get it? A need that has sent you to wish for something you know is out of your reach but you have an overwhelming urge to try for it anyway? How much is a soul worth? Samantha Cooper is desperate. Alexandria Bellefleur's latest novel, …

There’s a place deep in the heart of Texas. Not that deep. Denton Texas is located within the Dallas/Fort Worth area and hours from the border of Texas. But it’s what’s within Denton’s boundaries that is interesting.Inside Denton lies a store called The Plot Twist. The Plot Twist is an independent romance bookstore with, well, a twist. It’s also a bar.

Writers, hear me out.  Do you ever have those moments at work or out where you see someone or hear something or even are in a situation where you think, “This would be great as a story?”That’s what Andrea Andersen did in her latest novel, Written by a Woman.Before we get started, let me just mention that the title is two-fold and I love it.

Well, we made it friends. 2025 is in the books and we are a little over one day into 2026. How are you? Feel any different? The new year comes with reflections on the old and resolutions that send you into the new. And that's what we're doing today. Nothing too big. Just little resolutions that you've decided on. Things I did on Janurary 1st.

Compliments of the season to you, friends. Now that all the wrapping paper is in the trash and all the presents opened. Did you get anything interesting? I got a lovely little Lego set from my family. The first one I will take probably a frustratingly long time to put together. Even my Lego's are literary! Holiday dinners have been consumed, and there's still a few holidays left in December.

I heard about this bookstore during Black Friday.First, I’d like to apologize to the woman who I cornered at our local mall the day after Thanksgiving.I was standing in line to pay on discounted fleece quarter zips when I spotted the woman a few people in front of me finishing her purchase. She had this tote bag, and I was peering at it to make it out. 

Welcome to December! We’ve already had snow…twice. Which is unusual for my part of the Midwest. Over the last decade, while we might get a little bit of snow, most of the hard-hitting inches of white doesn’t usually hit until January or February. Getting 8 inches of snow in late November/early December is something I remember from my younger years.

I've been really good at not really talking about Pride & Prejudice this year (even though my Goodreads reading challenge list would tell you differently) but I wanted a quick, sweet Christmas read for this season and this modern version was perfect. Unwrapping Christmas by Melanie Rachel is a modern day version of Pride and Prejudice slice of life story. It's a low angst fun little Christmas story where Elizabeth and William are navigating the Christmas holidays together.

Nestled on the corner of Euclid and McPherson in the historic Central West End of St. Louis, is a long-standing independent bookstore. Left Bank Books was opened in 1969 by a group of Washington University graduate students. This is one of the oldest and largest independently owned full-line bookstores in the St. Louis area. Their mission is to spark public conversation by curating an intelligent, relevant, culturally diverse selection of books.

Have you ever had a book that’s made you so frustrated and annoyed, yet you tore through it like it was your favorite chocolate bar? That was me while reading Almost Hers by Maisie Serein.  In the hunt for new books to read (like I don’t have a TBR pile larger than my house), I joined Threads and jumped feet first into the book community there.

What does it truly mean to make life? Religious leaders and others would say that only God (or insert your chosen Deity here) can give life. But in the modern age of cloning where scientists created Dolly, a clone of a sheep but none the less alive and able to function, the question of who makes life is unanswered.In Jurassic Park Dr.

Did you ever wish you suddenly inherited a house from a family member you barely remember, find a new himbo bestie and a scorching hot one-night stands that ends up being your family lawyer?Yeah, neither did Natalie Roche but that’s what happened. In Betting on the House by Cassandra Medcalf, Natalie is a talent manager in LA for one of the largest music management firms.

Happy Halloween friends.What’s your favorite scary movie?Or book? This Halloween, I wanted to see what made the list of scary things to watch or read. So let’s go down Mouse’s top ten list.  Top ten scariest movies: I went searching for what could be listed as the scariest movies of all time. I didn’t want to have them all be modern films because there are some older films that are still creepy as hell.

ALT: a picture of a robot in the desert with the words monday mood above it

Scary stories are something I love. And I am on a continuous search to find horror books that truly scare me. The last anthology by Jordan Peele I reviewed was good so I was on the quest to find th…

October's independent bookstore showcase is focusing on Viewpoint Books located in Columbus Indiana. Founded in 1973, Viewpoint has been a staple independent book seller in Indiana ever since. touted as Indiana's second oldest full service bookstore, they carry everything from the newest titles to titles that are out of stock. If they don't have the book, they are more than willing to search for them for you.

Long from the days of his Comedy Central sketch comedy, Jordan Peele has made a name in Hollywood by creating banger horror or psychological thriller movies that not only terrify you but pull up the uncomfortable fear that lurks deep down. "You done messed up Aaron!" copyright 2012 Monkeypaw Productions He has moved from movies to books with his 2024 anthology titled…

Hello friends and welcome to October! It’s spooky season so I’ll of course be reviewing scary books this month as well as talking about autumn things. It’s time to fall into Fall! This month and maybe the rest of the year, I wanted to try my hand at posting themed pictures again. I did it last year in December where I posted a themed photo every day on my Instagram and it went over well.

The end of August is right around the corner. Like right around the corner, some Americans are getting ready for a three-day holiday.For me, it's time to play catch up. Outside assignments that need to be finished. Books to be read. Other books that need reviews written up because I forgot about them. So again, it's time for me to take my September hiatus.

The year of the pandemic is notable for other reason than, well, the pandemic. Love it or hate it, the social media app Tik Tok blew up. Mostly because people were trapped at home and this was a way for individuals to connect with each other. And while there were silly dances and thirst traps and ignorant people on the app, it was also a way for people to create wonderful things.

Once upon a time, when I was younger, I was introduced to a marketing technique that was popular in the 1950's/1960's.My mother is a fan of what is now, the older horror movies. Movies that had Vincent Price and Claude Rains, and Boris Karloff. Christopher Lee before everyone knew him as Grand Moff Tarkin or Saruman from Lord of the Rings.

The year is 1865. Slavery has been revoked. The Civil War has just ended. And President Lincoln has just been assassinated.  In Boston, two daughters of the Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice William Stevenson and fighting for women’s reform. They are also huge fans of novelist Jane Austen, dead these 48 years, and have been writing her brother, aging retired Navy Admiral Francis Austen.

Read it now

YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION WINNERCalifornia Book Award WinnerJ. Anthony Lukas Book Prize WinnerFrom the New York Times-bestselling author of Th...

Today we celebrate the amazing creativity and social commentary found in the pages of our favorite graphic novels and comic books. What's your favorite comic book series?