A Note of Thanks: Late December, 2024

I want to express my appreciation of those that are still reading after my absence. I had surgery in early November, and I thought being largely bedridden for a month would provide me with extra opportunities to read and review. But I hadn’t reckoned on not having a laptop, and it was a long time before I could stand to sit at my desk. So I read…and read…and read….and have only just begun to catch up on the reviews that go with all of that. So know that I am back now, for real; and I thank you for your loyalty. 

Anniversary Message from Spring, 2024

Remarkably enough, this blog has been up and running for ten years now! I’ve never walked away from it for longer than a week. I want to thank those of you that have been with me from the start, and to extend my gratitude to those that have joined me since then. 

In celebration of this milestone, I’ve gone through the galleys I’ve reviewed here and selected some absolute favorites; it isn’t easy! For the next few months you’ll see an extra page featured highlighting these and providing links to my reviews. This has been more fun than I ever anticipated. Happy reading!  

About Me

My name is Donna Davis, and I am a retired teacher. An academic’s dream retirement gig is reading all those books that have been calling to us from the corners of our shelves, and so I have gone from the classroom to paradise. This blog has provided me the chance to read and review excellent literature before it hits the stores, and so I am delightfully busy with the printed word.

My purpose in creating this blog is to share  books about the things, people, and events that affect every day people the most, both fictionally and in nonfiction, across a wide array of genres.  

Review Policy

It’s a treat to run across a brilliant debut novel, but I don’t accept, read, or review unsolicited manuscripts or self-published work. I also don’t run guest blogs.

Net Galley has been an indispensable partner, though I also review books from other sources. Most of my favorite books come from the major publishing houses that have learned that although I am not always a flattering reviewer, I am a fair and dependable one. Special thanks go to Simon and Schuster, Random House, Putnam Penguin, Doubleday, William Morrow, and St. Martin’s Press, who consistently provide me with high quality literature.

That said–as you can see–I am never shy when it comes to sharing my honest opinion about a book, regardless of who provided it. Because I sometimes have hard things to say about a galley, I like having a buffer between the author and me. So once again, since it’s been an issue lately: don’t offer me your “free” book. I prefer to get these through established sources. I do not reply to authors soliciting reviews. I also don’t respond to free product offers. 

Whether you read digitally, listen to audio books, or prefer to flip open an old-fashioned paper copy and drink in the story there, I hope you’ll join me.                          

Find me on Twitter: Seayomama@Twitter.com