A Final Farewell (+ book recs!)

    Summer 2020 was when I started posting with a dream that felt as wide as the horizon: to create a Common Sense Media-esque haven for bookworms like me. I knew there were others out there who didn't want to get sucked into reading a brilliant premise with a weak story. It started with me recommending books that took up my headspace, and then catapulted into a much bigger endeavor, hosting interviews with authors creating meaningful stories and participating in blog challenges that helped me to discover more of myself as a writer and a person. 

    But life, like story arcs, changes. In late 2021 I found myself unable to blog due to real-life activities. Then I struggled with a lack of motivation. I found myself forcing words to appear on the screen, worried about letting the small audience I had down. This past few year has been filled with more of the same, up to the point where I ended up going on multiple hiatuses, unsure about the amount of time I spent not blogging.

    While I still fully believe in the mission I had when starting this journey, writing on this blog has recently felt more like a chore than a joy. At this point I believe I've been so inactive that I've lost most of the audience I wanted to reach, and with new happenings in my personal and writing life I don't believe I have the time and energy to post enough to gain it back. So, I've decided to stop posting on Stepping Stones Book Reviews for good.

   I'm not blaming anyone but myself for the lack of activity on here. This also does not mean I don't consider myself a reader or a writer anymore. Simply, my priorities as a person have shifted. Like any of my finished or abandoned stories, I will always treasure the time I spent brainstorming and working on them. 

    My blog will remain up for future readers who want to enjoy what I've already posted.

    I'd like to say one last, heartfelt thank-you to anyone who interacted with this blog. Whether you scrolled through a post, allowed me to interview you (some multiple times!), or left me a comment, I deeply treasure you and wish you all the best going forward. Thank you for making my blogging years a lovely, wonderful memory.

    ~ JadeSky

(P.S. Below are a list of books that I planned to recommend in the future. Keep in mind that I have not reviewed these books for content, so please use your own judgement. I hope you enjoy!)

Update + Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56: Nisei Daughter, and Book Blogger Hop

    Hello! It's been a while, hasn't it? Due to school, work, and other distractions I haven't had the time to get back on here and start regularly posting again. I'm so sorry about the wait!

    Looking at my schedule as of late, I don't think I'll be returning to weekly posts again soon. My own motivation to blog has considerably waned since 2021 ended. However, I do still believe in this blog's purpose and I do want to keep posting. That's why I've decided to aim for biweekly Friday updates: and if that doesn't work, trying to post triweekly. Stepping Stones Book Reviews may be less active, but in no way do I consider it a lost project. 

    I'm very excited to be coming back with another one of my book memes to restart my blogging schedule. This week, I'm pleased to spotlight Nisei Daughter! This is an autobiography that I consider an underrated classic. I read it for school, and was fascinated with the author's conversational style and personal experiences. 100/10 recommend!

An Author Interview: E.G. Bella (The Toymaker's Doll Blog Tour)

    Hey, everyone. First off, Merry Christmas! I hope you all are having a wonderful season gathering with friends and family.

    Today I'm excited to announce that one of my dear writer friends has released her first book. It's a short story called The Toymaker's Doll, and I'm honored to be a part of her blog tour for it! Here's the amazing cover and synopsis:

A limp. A scuff. A cowardly heart.

Jane is a doll struggling with all these things. She and her friend Isabel, a blind stuffed kitten, spend their days in the corner of their shelf, watching the other toys in the shop play—and wishing they could be like them.

Questions plague the friends. Why has the Toymaker allowed them to be flawed? Surely it's a mistake. One day, Jane sets off to find his workshop, eager to be fixed, and to bring him back for Isabel.

But the journey is hard and the road long. How can such a weak, fearful doll ever reach the Toymaker? And how will he respond if she does? 

In this sweet story reminiscent of a children's book, E. G. Bella offers a moving tale of what it means to trust, to love, and to shine light into the dark discouragements of life. 

    Doesn't that sound incredible? You can buy The Toymaker's Doll now on Amazon (and head over to E.G. Bella's site for a sneak peek, as well as a playlist link!) I'll also be planning to post a Goodreads review, so if you follow me there expect to see something from me soon 😉

    Along with the author's blog launch post (you can find her blog HERE), she and her upcoming book will be featured on the blogs of Vanessa Hall, Kristina Hall, Grace A. Johnson, and Teen Writers' Nook. You can click on those links to visit each site, and view the schedule for the blog tour below.

    Today, I got to interview the author herself about her book, her journey as a writer, and some fun Christmas themed questions! If you've stuck around here for a while, you'll recognize that some of the Christmas ones are from my interview with Kaley Rhea: I thought it would be fun to use them again this year.

    This is my fourteenth author interview. To see all the author interviews I've done in the past, click HERE.

    This interview is spoiler-free!

Update + Guest Blog Post Announcement!

Hey, everyone. Since Stepping Stones Book Reviews has gone on another multiple-week hiatus, I figured I should post a little update on myself and this site.

2021 has been pretty hectic for me. I've begun a lot of new activities, most of them with more responsibility. I've started (hopefully!) to become more of an adult, and I've realized that I haven't had the time to dedicate myself to blogging each week. Given that and the fact that I haven't read as many books I want to recommend lately, this blog has become more than a little inactive.

I still love being in this place, so this doesn't mean I'm saying goodbye. However, I've been considering moving around my posting schedule so I can keep providing quality content. With that being said, I'm hoping that Christmas break will allow me to start posting more regularly, maybe do another Week of Book Memes if I get there. So, please look forward to some new things here soon. 

I also wanted to let you know that I'm guest posting on my writer friend Allie Andersen's blog on December 15th, so if you're interested, stay ready for that. I'd love to see you there! 

I know I've said this in my previous posts, but thank you for remaining by my side. Ever since I started this book blog, it's been a true joy to find other people interested in my reviews and rambling. It means the world to me that others are still looking for recommendations and interesting material. 

See you soon!

- JadeSky <3

Blog With Character Tag

     Hi again! *waves from unexpected hiatus* Sorry for the long wait. Again, school and my schedule have hit me harder than I expected, which has led to me not posting. 

    It may seem now like my blog is reduced to monthly updates and blog tags, but I'm hoping to get back into book reviews and other fun things soon. Again, thanks for being patient with me.

    Today, Stepping Stones Book Reviews receives another honor: one of the first to send a blog tag out in the world! Stick around to watch me answer a few questions about how I write characters, as well as a couple of my favorites.

The Bookworm's (Blog) Tag

    Hey, everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it?

    To be honest, a bunch of things, including lack of inspiration, real life, and procrastination, led to me taking an extended break. I'm back now, though, and I'm hoping to start posting regularly again soon!

    I'm dipping my toe back in the blogging world by participating in The Bookworm's Tag, which I saw featured on fellow writer friend E.G. Bella's site last week. I thought this was a perfect way to get back into the habit of typing up my bookish thoughts!

A Small Break

     Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you know that life's been a bit crazy right now, so I'm taking a small break from Stepping Stones Book Reviews. This is in no way a permanent hiatus, it's just a way for me to take a breather as I find new inspiration to make this blog the best it can be. I am aiming for regular posts again by August. Love you all and thanks for stopping by!

A Bookish Opinion: Music in Story

       Hello everyone, and welcome to another Bookish Opinion! Originally I decided to write about standalones vs. series, but as I've had several songs stuck in my head lately, and am participating in a month-long song challenge, I decided that it would be more fun to focus on something I've never tried tackling before: music and stories!

A Bookish Opinion: Communicating Theme

      Hey everyone! Fridays (well, the Fridays when I'm active on here) are usually when I post another book review. There are so many great books out there and it's incredible to have an opportunity to share them with the world. However, since I haven't been reading as much lately, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different in my posting schedule. 

    So, give a temporary welcome back to Bookish Opinions! 

    For these next few weeks the "bookish opinions" will be truly "bookish", as I'm going to be not only taking examples of the topics I'm blogging about from books, but also from...movies! The drastic topic change may seem strange, but I think that there's something to be learned from this type of media too, especially when thinking about books to pick, read, and write. After all, aren't movies stories too? 

    Today I'll be talking about themes in story, and more importantly how they can be shown.

A Book Review: Lilies of the Field

    Hello! This week I wasn't sure what to review (as I haven't been reading a lot of new books lately) so I'm going to be reviewing a nuanced classic I found through school. Hope you enjoy!

    This review has no spoilers. The discussion questions will have spoilers, since they are supposed to be used after reading the book.

A Book Review: Interrupted (Plus Blog Giveaway Winner!)

     Hey! I hope you're all having a good week. Today, I'm going to be focusing on a YA pick that has inspired me personally, as well as being an example of the worth of young writers' work.

    After the review, stay tuned for the results of my blogiversary giveaway, including signed copies of Kara Swanson's Dust and Kaley and Rhonda Rhea's Off-Script and Over-Caffeinated! 

Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56: Off-Script and Over-Caffeinated, and Book Blogger Hop

   

    Hey! If you've visited my blog earlier this May, I hope that you've been enjoying all of the fun blogiversary stuff. This marks the end of that very special month, and I hope you've enjoyed the Bookish Opinion series as well as all the other stuff that made it into this Week of Book Memes!

    This week my Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56 is actually spotlighting Off-Script and Over-Caffeinated, one of the books part of my blogiversary giveaway! I've actually reviewed the book already AND interviewed one of the authors, but I love it so much I thought it would be fun to include it here.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Shadow

   

    Hi! Welcome to another Can't-Wait-Wednesday post. The pick for this month is a teeny bit different, as I technically have an ARC version of it on my personal TBR list. However, the author is so great and I loved the prequel so much that I just HAD to feature it on here!

    Below, you can find the cover, synopsis, and my reasons for waiting on this. Click on the author's name to head to her website, and click on the book title to go to the special link.

Top Ten Tuesday: FIRST BLOGIVERSARY & Top Ten Posts!

    

    Today marks a VERY IMPORTANT day in my life and on this blog (which, if you've hung around here already, I'm sure you already know about). 

    One year ago, I sat down at my desk, typed up a couple paragraphs from a sheet of paper, and posted my first entry on this site.

    This was my first time blogging ANYTHING, as well as my first time reviewing a book in public, and I honestly wasn't sure where I wanted to go down the road. All I knew was that I'd held on to this dream of providing quality, content-assessing reviews of mainstream books, and that I wanted to be a resource for parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone looking for a worthwhile read.

    A year later it's honestly shocking to see how far this blog has come. I've not only gotten to reach more people than I thought would read, but I've also been able to step out of my comfort zone by asking authors for interviews, participating in more public bookish topics, and even starting to follow other book blogs and find recommendations from them too. Throughout everything that this blog has been through in the past year, the bookish community has continued to be nothing but welcoming, generous, and wonderful. 

    Today, I wanted to highlight ten of my favorite posts, with a small explanation and link. This Tuesday's list, though, is focused on book quotes. So to meld the two, I'm taking a little liberty and quoting a segment from the posts themselves. Interview posts will quote directly from the authors featured while the rest will focus on my opinion on certain subjects. 

    Check out my picks below!

    (To see all the TTT lists I've done in the past, click HERE.)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #6

     

    Hi, everyone! To celebrate my first full year of blogging on this site, I'm hosting another Week of Book Memes, which means my (usually) bimonthly #IMWAYR post! Like the last time I did this, I've been more focused on other things during these past few months, so my list will be more general, instead of focused on just last week.

    To check out what I've been posting during past Week of Book Memes, click HERE.

    

    Scroll below to view my list.

A Bookish Opinion: Disabilities/Medical Conditions in Literature

     Hello! If you've stuck around my blog for a little, you've learned that this month marks the one-year anniversary of my blog, and to celebrate, I'm starting a type of post called Bookish Opinions. This Friday's topic is less clear-cut, but I'm excited to be able to share my thoughts about it with you. The things we're the most passionate about make for the best discussions, right?

A Bookish Opinion: Formats of Publishing

    Hi! If you saw last week's post, then you've already figured out that this month is my blog's first anniversary, which I'm celebrating through a new blog series called Bookish Opinions. This Friday's topic is another fun, much-discussed one: the different formats we use to invite stories into our lives. 

A Bookish Opinion: Story Length (Plus Goodreads Giveaway!)

     Hey, everyone! If you were able to catch my blog post last week, I promised yet another book review. Well, after posting, I remembered that next week was the first week of May.

    Why is that detail so important? Well, because May is the month I first started this blog.

    Yes, it's been a year since I started posting, and this blog has grown so much more than I ever thought or hoped it could. I wanted to do something special to celebrate the occasion (okay, more than a few somethings), and so I came up with a new, month-long post series: Bookish Opinions!

    Bookish Opinions is just that: me writing on some of the most popular, widely debated, and overall fun topics that are floating around in the book world. I hope that this will be a chance for me to share more about myself outside of blog tags and book reviews, and that it'll be a way to jumpstart more conversations with readers old and new. 

    Today, I'm starting the series with a topic that I'm sure many bookworms will have an opinion on: story lengths! How short is too short for a story to grab your heart and soul? How many page numbers should you focus on if you want to continue to read or write well?

A Book Review: Big Dog Decisions

     As planned, here is my book review for the last book in the Sidney and Sydney trilogy: Big Dog Decisions! Again, this was such a fun series to spotlight. I hope that through more posts about it the books will find more of an audience, especially toward the just-learning-to-read age group that they're meant for. You can also look at my reviews for Sidney and Sydney and Dodgeball, Drama, and Other Dilemmas too. 

    This review has no spoilers. The discussion questions will have spoilers, since they are supposed to be used after reading the book.

A Book Review: Dodgeball, Drama, and Other Dilemmas

     I was looking through all my books earlier this week, trying to find something to review...and I stumbled across this lovely title again 😀 As I've never heard this series mentioned by anyone else or featured on other blogs, I figured: why not review the rest of the trilogy so others can use it and benefit from it? So, here we are! 

    This review has no spoilers. The discussion questions will have spoilers, since they are supposed to be used after reading the book.