Fond Farewell | The book review café

Today I have some big news to share, in many ways this post saddens me, but it’s one that I have been thinking about writing for a while now, so please excuse the ramblings.

This year has been a particularly tough year for every one including myself, who would have thought back in December 2019 that the coming year would bring a pandemic, lockdowns, that we would be unable to hug or see vulnerable family members, hairdressers, pubs and non essential shops would be shut for business? Not me that’s for sure!

But the last few months have taken it’s toll I’m not reading as much as I would like to, reviews are becoming harder to write, (after nearly 5 years of blogging I feel I’m repeating myself time after time), I’m hardly posting anything on my blog and I feel I am doing a disservice to authors and publishers who have put there trust in me.

The burning question I kept returning to over the last few months was ‘do I still enjoy blogging?’ and I must admit the answer was a resounding ‘no’, blogging was beginning to feel like a chore rather than something I loved and enjoyed. So after much thought and consideration I have decided to give up blogging and this post will be final one.

I’m hoping that I will now be able to read a book because I want to, no deadlines, no writing lengthy reviews or putting posts together, if I’m honest it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m really looking forward to reading all the books that have been sat waiting patiently on my bookshelves.

Please don’t think I’m moaning or it’s ‘a woe is me post’ I really have loved every minute of my blogging journey, I just feel the time is right for me to hang up my blogger hat. Talking of ‘hats’ I take my hat off to all the bloggers who post every day of the week, I applaud each and everyone of you, I’m not sure people realise just how much time and effort go into running a blog, it’s a full time job in itself.

Before I go I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to each and everyone of my followers, believe it or not I rarely check my stats, so I was flabbergasted to see I now have over 20,000 followers, although I’m sure the only reason some people follow me is because they think I’m a real book café (sorry if you were disappointed, when you found out it was a book review site🤣🤣).

A big thank you to all my fellow bloggers you’re an amazing bunch, supportive, passionate and incredibly focused on sharing the book love, and very generous to boot. I have lost count of the number of bloggers who attended book events and sent me copies of books that they picked up knowing they were my favourite authors a big thank you to each and everyone of you.

Thank you for all your support, shares, likes and comments, especially when I know most of you all have such busy life’s. There are so many bloggers I would like to thank individually but I’m sure I would forget someone, and it would be a hell of a long list!

A big thank you must go to all the fabulous publishers and authors out there who have given me the opportunity to read the most amazing books, a special thank you must go to Bookouture and Orenda Books, and two very special ladies Kim Nash and Karen Sullivan who have been a huge support to me over the years, and have provided me with some of the best books I’ve had the pleasure to read.

I have been incredible lucky to have become friends with some of my favourite authors and even now when I get an email or a message from them I still get really excited, and I would like to thank each and everyone of them for allowing me to read their ‘book babies’ and trusting me to write a review.

Who knows in six months time I may regret my decision, but I know I can always return to the book review café, become a guest book blogger or I could start up a brand new book blog (I have the perfect name on the back burner, just in case!).

I will continue to follow my favourite bloggers and hopefully keep up with all things bookish, as I need recommendations for books to buy, just because I’m giving up blogging it doesn’t mean I will give up my passion for buying and reading books (sorry Mr book review café if you thought that was case 🤣😂).

I will keep my Twitter and Instagram accounts open so hopefully I will interact with some of you on there and the FB book clubs I belong too. I will also continue to share some reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram when the mood takes.