Quest Reviews Went To Empire, Michigan

Ellen: Surprise, readers! Sierra and I are on vacation. Together! (Along with Karan, Sierra’s German Shepherd, and four foster kittens.) It was a packed car. But once we made it to Nancy's Garden Home, our Airbnb, it was all worth it.

[caption id="attachment_5337" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Our view from Nancy's Garden Home in Empire, MI[/caption]

Sierra: I convinced Ellen to visit my favorite place in Michigan — the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I used to come here every year to camp with my dojo friends.

[caption id="attachment_5347" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The cumulative amount of sand discovered on our person upon leaving the dunes[/caption]

Ellen: What is a dojo? ...What? I need a refresher.

Sierra: I used to do martial arts, and our training location was called a dojo. So I just call my martial arts friends, my dojo friends.

Ellen: Got it. I think part of being really good friends, but also being really recent friends, is that you’re in this rush to share all the places and people that are important to you, with the other person. So it means a lot that Sierra wanted us to go to a place that she loves a lot.



Sierra: There is always an adjustment period when you go from being online friends to being in-person friends. I think the biggest shock for me was realizing HOW EARLY Ellen goes to bed. I’m a night owl.

Ellen: It’s true. I don’t hold it against Sierra that she’s a night-rider at all. It’s just lame that our awake hours don’t line up as perfectly as we’d like. Like, in my ideal vacation-world, we’d pass out and then arise in perfect tandem so that we’d spend every minute together. But then, we’re both introverts and need some alone time to recharge our batteries.

[caption id="attachment_5344" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ellen is a FIRE GODDESS[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5378" align="alignnone" width="959"] How much wine did we consume on our trip you ask? Just enough for Karan to get all judgy on us...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5379" align="alignnone" width="959"] The more you pet him, the less judgy he gets.[/caption]

Sierra: Besides wandering around the dunes, my favorite moments have to be when we read aloud to each other. Ellen introduced me to the historical romance novelist, Tessa Dare. SO GOOD. Listening to Ellen read it out aloud was absolutely hilarious.

Ellen: The reading aloud thing started when we were spending the sunrise on a high, lonely dune, and Sierra wanted to read her kindle up there. I was tired, hungry, cranky, and bored, so I tentatively asked for a compromise. I was like, “Sierra, will you do me a huge favor? Will you read out loud to me?” And she was all, “Duh, girl.” And it was awesome. Taking turns reading aloud with a friend is my new favorite thing. Although I have a problem that once I get going with my voices and accents and dramatic narration, I don’t want to stop.

[caption id="attachment_5356" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Flooping on the sand after our long trek up Pyramid Point! Also, pre-boobs read aloud session[/caption]

Sierra: I did tell Ellen to bring a book when we went to that dune. :P. We were at Pyramid Point, which is one of the most beautiful spots. You get a clear view of the Lake and the woods that surround you. It was beyond words. Though reading a romance novel out loud in that setting was kind of awkward. I CAN’T READ OUT LOUD ABOUT BOOBS.

[caption id="attachment_5360" align="aligncenter" width="720"] We climbed a dune for this![/caption]

Ellen: And I can. I can read aloud about nipples and not dissolve into a giggle-guts. It’s a superpower.

[caption id="attachment_5354" align="aligncenter" width="800"] What I was looking at while giggling about nipples. NOT FOR ALL THE TITS IN COVENT GARDEN[/caption]

Ellen: Also, you know who can’t read aloud? Or speak a human language? Sierra’s dog. I mean, I like the dude, but he’s the competition. I appreciate that Karan has been an emotional bastion for Sierra for all of his furry, little life and I’m a new girl on the scene, but COME ON. I have opposable thumbs and I can cook really well. Why is this not a shutout? I’m stuck in a war of attrition for the status of Sierra’s bestie with a canine.

[caption id="attachment_5357" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Karan's first foray into the water! He made it in... eventually.[/caption]

Sierra: Oh God. I made the mistake of greeting my dog with “Hi, Bestie!” when we got home from one of our trips. And the competition began. Ellen is a Slytherin. So that should explain a lot.

[caption id="attachment_5358" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Ahem, my besties duking it out.[/caption]

Ellen: Karan does a few nice things for me.

1. When I go to the bathroom, he follows me, ostensibly to make sure I don’t fall in the toilet.


2. When I swam pretty far into Lake Michigan, he seemed kind of concerned.


3. Sometimes he comes over to see me on the couch and breathes doggie breath into my face, which smells, but I know it means he likes me.


4. He’s nice to Sierra’s foster kittens, and that pleases me, because interspecies cooperation is adorable.


5. He understands Malayalam commands, and that makes him Indian, which is cool.


6. His pointy ears make him look like Batman.

[caption id="attachment_5339" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Sierra and her... casual acquaintance. Definitely not her bestie.[/caption]

But let’s get real. Karan is a dog and a huge crybaby. I am an adult woman. This shouldn’t even be a contest, guys.

Sierra: I LOVE THEM BOTH. But heaven help me if I accidentally address Karan as ‘bestie’ in her presence ever again. We also had another one of my friends, Rachel, join us at our cabin. She is also a blogger! Rachel is one of the friends I went to BookCon with. Luckily, there haven’t been any showdowns between the two of them. I FINALLY UNDERSTAND HOW A YA HEROINE FEELS LIKE.

[caption id="attachment_5338" align="aligncenter" width="775"] Say hi to Rachel![/caption]

Sierra: It is NOT exciting to have people fight over you. Maybe a little… Just a smidge. NOT AT ALL.

Ellen: I am in a bit of a reading slump right now. The most fun I’ve had reading on this vacation has been Tessa Dare, out loud with mah bestie, Sierra. But, I tried to get into an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints, and felt overly picky and irritable about every little thing. The fact that there was no juicy hook bummed me out. I may also have been pissy because it was a physical ARC, and God help me, I have completely transitioned to ebooks now. I require brightly-lit screens and swipe-able pages, else I turn into a whiny, little baby.

This book is too heavy. Wah!

I have to turn the page now. Wah!

There’s a shadow over this paragraph. Wah!

But I haven’t even been drawn to my kindle on this trip, either. I’d rather play Yo-Kai Watch on my 3DS or shoot the shit with Sierra on the couch. I don’t feel the need to get lost in another world, because I’m really enjoying the one I’m in right now.

[caption id="attachment_5345" align="aligncenter" width="959"] To sleep or to read. That is the battle.[/caption]

Sierra: I’ve been in an overall reading slump too! Romance novels seem the easiest to get through because it immediately absorbs you into their world and it feels like the least amount of work. But I am getting bored with the genre, so the introduction to Tessa Dare was a godsend. I think I’m ready to transition back into fantasy though. I picked up All The Crooked Saints after Ellen deemed it unworthy. I made it to 40-some pages before I fell asleep on the beach. No regrets. I do plan on finishing it up though. Ellen is right about there not being a ‘juicy hook’. You just sort of have to trudge along until you like it. And I have no clue about what is going on. The only thing that is giving me faith is that our friend, Rachel, really enjoyed it. You can read her review HERE.

[caption id="attachment_5343" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Ellen's beach read that she read most of but would not finish...[/caption]

Ellen: I guess the point of this post is just let our friends and readers know that Sierra and I are actually super good friends, just over a year from our co-blogging anniversary. And just because we come and go from this blog, it doesn’t mean we aren’t in near constant contact. Going forward, I’d like for us to communicate that more in our blog posts.

[caption id="attachment_5341" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Ellen gets weirdly excited about long green beans. Nipples and green beans... whatever floats your boat, girl.[/caption]

Sierra: BESTIES FOREVER.

Ellen: What?! YES!!! TAKE THAT, DOG!

[caption id="attachment_5351" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The personification of our bestie relationship as depicted by Chomper and Petrie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5375" align="alignnone" width="960"] A trip to remember. Full of sand, petty bestie brawls and excellent food.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] I can make sandcastles too! TAKE THAT KIDS. *falls asleep two mins later from sheer exhaustion*[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5367" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] These rocks were hella painful on our feet, but so gorgeous![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5368" align="aligncenter" width="960"] *sigh* This little fucker (Petrie) learned to climb his pen[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5369" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] More of Lake Michigan and its beautiful beaches[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5370" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ellen bitterly trailing behind Karan[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5371" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Those little dots in the far distance... those are people climbing up the dune. Dem crazies.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5372" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Sexy Ellen whipping her hair back and forth.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5374" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Ellen says just leave Karan behind and frolic with me! I'm only slightly kidding ;)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5373" align="aligncenter" width="959"] The water was lava and it was burning our skin. That is our yearly dojo mantra for braving the cold Lake Michigan.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5376" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ellen searching for rocks for her mermaid! She gave up at the boobs.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5377" align="aligncenter" width="959"] Ducky! If you haven't noticed, my kittens are named after Land Before Time characters.[/caption]

 

Real Quest » Thoughts During My First Week of Veganism

/I'm going to cut someone if I don't have some coffee/

I know you're thinking... Ellen. Coffee is vegan. Why did you try to give that up, too?

What can I say, but it was three days of foolishness? The book I was using to help me transition was DL anti-pharmaceuticals/stimulants/depressants, and they had a large chunk of the book devoted to shaming coffee addicts. I was throwing out so much of my diet anyway, I was like, what's another thing on top of it all? Bye, coffee!

So far, aside from a wistful moment of saying farewell to nutty, salty parmesan goodness, I haven't been craving animal products. But on my third day of transitioning, I felt BAD. I mean, totally bleak. I had a headache and I wanted to murder people on the street. I was buying earbuds in Target when I passed the bottled drink section and remembered that I hadn't had coffee in THREE DAMN DAYS. Immediately, I caved and bought a chilled espresso with soymilk. It was fucking HEAVEN. I immediately felt AWESOME.

So, I'm addicted to coffee. But I only drink about 1.525 cups a day, on average, and always before 4pm. It helps me focus. It helps me write. It helps me not run red lights by accident. I'm keeping my coffee.

/Isn't this supposed to be harder?/

I know, I know. I'm only on day four of going vegan. I have a lifetime of challenges ahead of me, because I do intend for this to be a lifetime thing. But, I'm really lucky in three things, I think.

First — I do not have a sweet tooth. I don't crave baked goods, with all of their butter, milk, and eggs. 

Second — I was a vegetarian for two years when I was seventeen and eighteen. I think my body remembers what it's like to not eat meat. 

Third — I'm a decent cook and have been exposed to lots of different produce and spices throughout my life.

I've been eating a ton of spreads on toast. Guacamole and tomato on toast. Mashed beans and olive oil on toast. And then I sprinkle it all with cumin and paprika. It's so flavorful and delicious. My taste buds are really happy so far because spices make a huge difference.

Tonight I'm having marinated portobello burgers. It's going to be transcendent, and I'm going to eat two, because this isn't a fucking diet. 

/Yeah, this isn't a fucking diet!/

I have not been restricting myself. I eat when I'm hungry and I'm eating even when I'm not hungry, because I want to. Eating is fun. But my body already feels different. It's been four days, but I swear, my body feels more... elastic. My waist is starting to reverse-pop. 

So, even though I'm giving up a ton of things, I don't want to view my new veganism as a diet. This isn't a drill; I plan on this being a very long-term thing. So I'm going to have fun with it. 

/This time, I'm not living with carnivores/

This is going to make a huge difference. When I went vegetarian as a teenager, I lived at home and my parents and family eat meat. Enthusiastically. I got so tired of only having side dishes all the time at family dinners. I stopped being a vegetarian because it was hard being around delicious smelling meat all the time and not having it.

But now, I can veganize my environment and make sure that my fridge is lifestyle-friendly.

/I was such a dumbass teenager/

Back when I was a vegetarian, I got a vitamin deficiency, because I did not do my research well enough. I didn't eat enough dark greens to get iron. I didn't eat enough fruit to get those A, B, and C vitamins. I didn't eat a well-balanced, range of produce, grains, nuts, and seeds to get my full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. I didn't take supplements. I DIDN'T TAKE SUPPLEMENTS.

This time, I'm going in with much better information. I know that the only vitamin — THE ONLY VITAMIN — we need that can't be gotten through a vegan diet, is B12. I'm taking the supplement already. Bam. 

I'm also getting periodic bloodwork done and if it shows that I'm not getting enough of something important, I'll adjust and not just give up.

/I'm not having meals, I'm having snacks/

Because plant-based foods have way fewer calories than animal products, you need to up your volume of consumption when going vegetarian or vegan. The idea is to not feel run down and starving. 

Because of that, I'm snacking constantly throughout the day. I'll have an apple with nut butter one hour and a banana with nut butter the next. After that I'll get really hangry, so I'll make myself a vegan sandwich and chips. 

So far, lunch and dinner is when I have a more elaborate meal and try to get in some robust vegetables. But then, thirty minutes later, I'm ready for another snack. 

/Potato chips are vegan/

Could I have gone vegan if my favorite food wasn't on the menu any longer? Possibly. But I'm lucky enough that my favorite food — potatoes (particularly fried potatoes) — are vegan. True, they are vegan junk food, but still vegan. 

Yesterday, when I was feeling quite low because of my coffee withdrawal, I paired my icy soymilk and espresso with some potato chips. It wasn't healthy. But it made me feel so. damn. good. 

And that's the thing. Just because I'm going vegan, it doesn't mean I can't still eat junk occasionally. Plain, old popcorn is vegan. Bread is vegan. Pasta is vegan. Corn is vegan. Oil is vegan. Salt is vegan. VEGANS CAN EAT JUNK FOOD!

/Oh my God... Books are not vegan!/

Guys... physical books aren't vegan. They're made with animal products... GLUE. That makes me sad. It really does. I guess I can stop feeling guilty for preferring ebooks now.

Sierra's One Month Anniversary » Co-blogging & Life Update

Hello friends!

I was looking through Quest Reviews' stats and analytics today when I realized 'OH MY GOSH ITS BEEN A MONTH'.

It's been a month since I started reviewing again. A month since Ellen and I have become even better friends. A month since I've reconnected with familiar faces (Joy!) and made new blogger friends (that means you!). A month since the Netgalley gods have decided, hmmm, maybe we don't hate her so much anymore.

Life Update

The last couple of months have been really tough on me. Some of you may already know this, but I have PTSD (Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder). Debilitating depression and agonizing anxiety (see what I did there, I do love me some alliteration!) just comes along with the territory. This means an endless parade of therapy, doctors appointments, medicines to try, side-effects to deal with and visits to the hospital (just to name a few). All done in the hopes that one day, I will be normal.



Normal. The word makes me laugh sometimes or cry in frustration. What the hell is it even supposed to mean?

The point of this somewhat depressing sneak peek into my life is that blogging has given me a sense of purpose with achievable goals. It's also helped me connect with wonderful people out there in a meaningful way. It's something I will never take for granted because I often struggle with maintaining such connections with my dearest friends in real life.

Co-blogging Update

I LOVE co-blogging with Ellen! I love the support we give each other, our ridiculous and semi-frantic messages we exchange about books at all hours of the day, and the excitement we feel when our stats get higher and higher.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Can you tell I'm excited?[/caption]

We've done some fabulous joint posts together like our Top Ten Tuesdays (bookish facts, books under 2000 ratings & books we feel differently about). We tackled the Buzz Books 2016 YA sampler together, which was a doozy!

My favorite joint venture by far was our discussion of Paper Princess. The post took a lot of time to write but it was just so much fun to do it together and discuss wild and outlandish theories in the process.

Ellen is participating in a Comment Challenge (for the month of July) hosted by Alicia @ A Kernal of Nonsense & Lonna @ FLYLēF. Even though I'm not exactly an official participant, I have been having a great deal of fun visiting other blogs and leaving (hopefully) interesting comments. It's been a wonderful way to network and I encourage all of you to join us for the month of August! That's how Ellen and I met our friends Lauren @ Always Me and Anne @ My Head is Full of Books, and they are amazing bloggers.

My personal blogging goal for the rest of the year is to write more discussion posts. I made the mistake of assuming that as a book blogger, I should stick to book reviews and bookish memes. As I've been wandering around the blogosphere, I realize that while I do enjoy reading my share of reviews (as my TBR berates me), I enjoy reading discussions more.

To that end, I've decided to join a challenge! I'm officially signing up for the 2016 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.



Thank you everyone for being such a valuable part of Quest Reviews and Happy One Month Anniversary to Ellen and I as co-bloggers!

July Comment Challege + Why Bloggers Don't Comment Back

This challenge is hosted by Alicia @ A Kernal of Nonsense and Lonna @ FLYLēF

As I've mentioned, I've been participating this June in a commenting challenge, paired with the lovely Lauren at Always Me. It's been wonderful to meet and get on friendly terms with another blogger in our community, particularly one as interesting as Lauren.  She's a librarian, people! All bow down!

This month, I've met my commenting quotas, but I think I could do even better with reaching out through social media platforms.  So that's my goal for the remainder of June and this upcoming July.

My commenting partner for July will be Anne at My Head Is Full of Books. I look forward to sharing feedback with you, Anne! And Lauren, I look forward our continued friendship!

Why It's Okay To Not Comment Back

I want to write briefly on "commenting back."  As many know, it's when a blogger replies to the comments left by readers. Some bloggers always comment back.  Others don't, or do so only sporadically.

Some of my favorite bloggers do not comment back. It seems rather forthright to ask them why they don't, but I used my brain and came up with some feasible reasons why:

• They don't have the time!


• They'd rather visit your blog and comment there or reach out through social media.


• They're overwhelmed by the sheer amount of comments.


• They're shy and communicating directly to people is difficult.


• They forget because there is a lot on their mind.


• They don't know what to say in reply to people.


• They feel like they'd repeat the same sentiment over and over again.


• The comments are too confrontational and they want to keep the peace.


• They believe that commenters won't check back to see a reply.

All of these are totally legit and respectable reasons why some bloggers choose not to comment back.

And here's one reason that may be assumed...

• They don't care.

This is an easy thing to suspect of people, especially since human minds tend to suspect the worst before anything else.  I've fallen into the trap of thinking that a few bloggers don't care about the comments I leave them.  And maybe it's been true on a few occasions.  But most likely, there are other reasons behind the radio silence.

My Point Is...

To believe that bloggers who always comment back (and promptly, too!) are somehow more virtuous than less communicative bloggers, well, I think that's not the case.   Everyone has their own blogging style and operates their own way. Blogging is all about independence and freedom. If a blogger wants to run her blog in the manner she sees fit, more power to her, I say!

Meet Quest Reviews' New Co-Blogger!

It's my absolute pleasure to announce that Quest Reviews has a new co-blogger, Sierra! *cue trumpets and streamers and angel choirs*

Sierra and I met on the internet a while back after the launch of the book-lovers' website, Leafmarks. We developed a quick rapport over our mutual love of reading and our startlingly similar tastes in books. Over the years, we've kept in light contact, and I always have such a great time talking books with her.

So, when I started to think about making Quest Reviews a joint operation, my first thought was, I'll ask Sierra if she's interested.  Thanks be, she was! *tosses confetti madly around*

Today, for her big debut, I'm going to ask Sierra a few burning questions.

---

Hi, Sierra, and welcome to Quest Reviews. To start off, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Indeed I can! Excuse me, while I haul my cat off my keyboard... *tosses scowling cat off my computer*

Hello everyone! I'm so pleased that Ellen invited me to join her in this wonderful venture and kept the spot open while I took my time to actually find and read her message. You're the best, girl! Now onto me :).

I'm 25, slowly working towards my Accounting and Finance degree while helping out at my local Humane Society as well as their brand new cat cafe. I adore my job. I get to play with all sorts of animals (though I staunchly stay away from our occasional snake), assist in the clinic surgery room, and help our cats and dogs and puppies and kittens find their furr-ever homes. Honestly, it's a miracle that I don't come home with jacket pockets full of fluffy kittens. Maybe it's because I do get the occasional pat-down after my shift ;).

I do have two beautiful animal siblings of my own (as well as my two human ones). My previously mentioned computer-hogging cat is 4-yr old Rani (translation: Queen). I adopted her two months ago and I'm hopelessly in love. Karan (translation: Helper/Companion) is our 6-yr old German Shepherd that we've had since he was a little pup. He is loving, and kind, and always by your side. The two of them don't get along as of yet, but we are hoping that one day they will be able to tolerate each other's presence in the same room. It will be a true hallelujah moment.

The visual image of you getting patted down for kitten stowaways seriously made my day, Sierra. Next question: what has reading meant to you, in your life?

Now that I have exhausted you all with talk of my precious darlings, we can move on to the most important topic, READING!

Reading alleviated my loneliness. I was an only child for the first 12 years of my life and that led to quite a few lonely moments. As children, we are completely dependent upon the whims and actions of our parents. They are our whole world. Reading gave me some measure of control, in a way that I can't fully explain. I could see beyond my parents and my circumstances. It taught me true compassion and empathy. It opened up my universe.

I longed for adventures that went beyond my fanciful playground antics. I longed to know that children could DO things. Stories gave me hope for my future. A hope that still sustains me in the darkest of times.

I am eternally grateful to my mother for introducing me to this fantastical world, and my father for sending me books when I temporarily lived in a rural part of India where I had no access to English bookstores.

No access to a bookstore?! Why YES. It is indeed as horrible as it sounds. Also, no pizza for two years. The combination of the two was the epitome of true suffering for a 13-yr old.

Thanks for sharing so eloquently! Reading helped me in powerful ways as well, so I'm glad we have that in common. Next: who is on your list of favorite authors?

Oooh. SO MANY.

As a child, my favorites were J.K. Rowling (naturally!), Roald Dahl, Anthony Horowitz and Enid Blyton. As I have grown into the dreadfully mature 25-yr old crazy animal lady that I am, my favorites now include Jay Kristoff, Anne Bishop, Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman, Laini Taylor, Megan Whalen Turner, Patricia Wrede, Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker, Patricia Briggs (just to name a few).

As you can tell, my tastes tend to run towards YA Fantasy, though I have been enjoying my foray into Steampunk and Urban Fantasy.

Fantastic. I love that you shared some authors that I'm unfamiliar with. I'll have to look them up! But first: what is your favorite classic novel and why?

I must confess that I have not read many classics. I used to read them as a child, but I stopped once I realized how many fascinating fantasy books out there I could read instead. Whoops. That being said, I am determined to get into some this year! I've been wanting to read Frankenstein, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. We can blame Penny Dreadful for that. It's on Showtime, it's creepy yet fervent in its portrayal of Gothic characters. WATCH IT!

However, the two classic novels that I read over and over again as a child were Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Clearly we can all see where my animal craze first began. I blame my family/the apartment building for not allowing me animals as I was growing up. I loved those books because it showed the resilience of Buck and Black Beauty, how they could survive and eventually thrive. It laid down the fundamentals and ignited my passion for working with homeless/abused animals.

Perfect! I love how pure childhood reading is. There's such an element of discovery to it. The classics I read as a child stay in my heart as well. Anyways, back to the task at hand! Do you have a reviewing style that you're drawn to?

Yours, Ellen! I am always so impressed at how thoughtful and yet critical your reviews are. You have a way with words that is nothing short of magical. I sure hope you end up writing a book of your own! If only so I can claw myself into your Acknowledgements page :P.

My review style is a bit of a hodge-podge mess. I do not have an English major background though I fancy myself a pretty decent writer. My reviews tend to be a little less critical and analytical than Ellen's or Emily May's reviews. I prefer to rely on my lifetime experience of being a reader and my intuition in terms of how I personally review a book. Hopefully mine and Ellen's styles will provide an interesting contrast for our readers.

You put a total smile on my face, and I love how you say that intuition guides your reviews. I really trust your opinion, so I'm very eager to work with you in a reviewing partnership! Next question: how do social media and the internet influence your reading life?

It's wonderful and yet a little stressful. I'm sure many of you can relate. It has definitely expanded my reading world and introduced me to my amazing book buddies. I'm never experiencing a lack of books to read or people to follow and watch on Goodreads and Booktube but sometimes it can be overwhelming. I love the community that has been formed online for our mutual passion for books but once in a while, I do enjoy an internet-free zone.

I have learned that I need to place appropriate boundaries in my life. So that means when I am in a reading slump, or realize that I am reading JUST to read and get up a post, I need to stop and take a step back. My main goal for my participation in the blog is to keep reading a pleasurable activity (instead of a job), and to enjoy the process and the many friends I hope to make along the way. And this is where co-blogging comes in! Hopefully Ellen and I will be able to juggle our respective lives and our reading lives while still maintaining a high quality of content on our blog. At least, we can dream so :).

And now it's time for me to beg for my Rani's forgiveness... *runs after Rani in dramatic Bollywood fashion*

I, as well, take a more... stretchy stance... towards blogging.  I post in rhythm with my reading too, and some months I read quite a bit. Other months, I break. So, together, I think we'll be able to keep this blog a wonderful hobby and be part of an amazing community! Thanks so much, Sierra! Let our partnership officially begin!

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Where I've Been and Where I'm Going

It's been some time since I've posted!  The reason is slightly embarrassing.  I've been sulking.  A number of weeks ago I was about to get a job I was hugely excited over.  I was essentially told that I'd be employed in early January.  Then, my would-be employers changed their minds and hired somebody else.  I was... demoralized and deflated, to say the least. This, compounded by other matters, caused a little breaking point, I think. So, I went traveling. First to Iowa, to visit my sister and brother-in-law.  Then overseas, the day after Christmas, to Hastings, England to visit my aunt.  Now I'm in Florida, for family vacation.  I'm wandering.  I show no signs of stopping.  In fact, this May I'll be traveling to Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia to begin a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail is 2,185 miles long and meanders through 14 eastern states — Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.  It ought to take me around five to seven months to complete... around half a year.  My friend Anna and I have been chattering about hiking the Appalachian Trail for a long time.  We were supposed to hike the trail last summer, but this plan fell through for a whole barge-full of reasons. However, the stars are aligning for us in 2015.  It's actually happening this year!

I am beyond excited for this expedition.  May cannot get here fast enough!  I've begun to plan like a maniac in the meantime, researching gear, combing the forum on WhiteBlaze.com, and reading scores of trail journals.  I've also been thinking about this blog, and what a potential six month absence will mean for it.  I decided that I simply couldn't let my baby fall by the wayside.  I'll be updating from the trail, whenever wifi presents itself or by using precious data minutes.

I will be taking my kindle with me OF COURSE, and will write book reviews, but I also thought I'd shift gears a little bit and post my trail journal as well.  It's sort of a weird jump.  This is a book blog after all.  At first I thought to start another, separate blog where I'd post about my Appalachian adventure.  Then, I considered the nature of this blog.  It is a book blog, but I also named it Quest Reviews, in salute to the vicarious adventures I've had my entire life through reading.  Now, I'm going on a real quest!  I'm so excited to share it with you guys!

I've done a good deal of reading whilst sulking, so expect a slew of reviews in the next few days!