News Years Message

So here we are, in the dying hours of 2011. And what a year it has been. This year I think I've learnt so much about myself both as a person and as a reader. The books I love to read, and crave to read. I just wanted to say, thank you so much to all the amazing publicists and indeed publishers for being so generous and sending me so many freaking awesome books this year. I truly appreciate every book I am sent and still find it amazing that people want to send me books to hear what I have to say about them? It's crazy!

I have been thinking lately what I can do to Empire of Books this coming year. I definitely want to review more. Way way more. I think, in total, I only read about 50 books this year, and while that's not terrible, it is for me. In 2010 I read over 100 books so I'm down by half. A resolution for 2012 is to read so much more. And to enjoy what I read as well. At times this year I felt myself not really enjoying what I was reading and it stresses me out. Normally I love pretty much everything. Of course not everything literally, because some stuff is bad, naturally. I went through a readers slump more than once this year where I didn't really feel like reading - for one reason or another, work, family commitments and so on - and this went on for a length of time ranging from a couple of days to a whole month. But previously mentioned reasons have lessened, the pressure is off so I can try and read more.

I have actually set myself a target of 111 books. All the 1's. Don't ask me why. Originally I thought 100. But then I thought, no, I can do better than that... 110... But I like the look of 111 better than 110... so 111 it is. I am going to be keeping a list here, of all the books I've read throughout the year, and I've picked what I think will be a real corker of a book to kickstart my year, Will Hill's Department 19: The Rising. Might as well kick the year off with an almighty (and hopefully bloody...) bang. I did last year with Curtis Jobling's Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf, so why make a change?

Thanks also to everyone that continues to visit EoB, even though posts have been a bit sparse this year! Without you, and without this blog, my life probably wouldn't be the same as it is now. When I started this blog in February 2010, I was in a very bad and dark place, and this blog allowed me to find my place, my niche. I've spoken to so many amazing people, read so many amazing reviews which have led me to read the books which I probably never would of without the blogging community. The book blogging community is the best out there and I am so proud to be a part of it!

Here's to a stunning 2012 and I hope it kicks ass, big time! :D