About the blog

About me:

I've always loved to read. I have not always loved to run, but that changed a few years ago when I started running to get out of my apartment; even a librarian can go a little stir-crazy alone with a cat over the course of a mid-Atlantic winter.

I've since run two half-marathons. Through the wonder of audiobooks, I can combine these two loves and "read" on the run.

This blog shares my reviews of books I read and books I hear. I enjoy a wide variety of genres and am fairly format-agnostic. I will occasionally post about running or fitness-related topics.

I read ebooks on my Barnes & Noble Simple Touch ereader and listen to audiobooks on my first-generation Microsoft Zune (Don't mock, these things are beasts).

I am an academic librarian by day, but this blog is a purely personal endeavor and opinions and views are my own.

I have a B.A. in English with a history minor as well as a Master of Library Science degree. I like to pretend that these credentials lend some sort of weight to my critiques. :)

My reviewing system:

I don't believe in spoilers. I strive to write an informative review of the book without giving away more than you would find on the dust jacket. 

My reviews indicate the format and source from which I acquired the book.

Generally, I use a 5-star scale to rate books. I may occasionally give my personal enjoyment rating and my objective assessment of the book's merit separately if I think the book is good but just not my thing.

When I review an audiobook, I use a similar 5-star scale to rate its "runability." Some audiobooks are wonderful but, due to the subject matter or the reader's voice or other factors, may not lend themselves well to workouts. A 5-star "runable" book is one that kept me interested while I ran and that I was able to follow with the part of my brain not focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

I am a Christian and often read and review Christian books, both fiction and non-fiction, but most of what I read is secular material. Readers should use their personal judgment in selecting reading materials that are in alignment with their own preferences and beliefs.