This summer I landed a second job. I didn’t necessarily need one, but I got an offer I couldn’t refuse. An old colleague of mine came to the library in July to say hello. It was wonderful to see Linda and catch up. She told me she was writing book reviews for a local magazine but was going to have to quit because of health issues. She asked if I wanted to be her replacement and I said yes! So now I’m doing book reviews for Old Naples News and North Naples News eight times a year. These are two glossy magazines that are distributed in all mailboxes in certain zip codes.

The most fun part of this job is all the advanced reader’s copies of as-yet-unreleased books I get. The publishing houses have me on their lists to get the catalogs of new releases and I admit I got a little drunk with ordering. Yes, I’ll read that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that and… well, you get the picture.

Most advanced reader’s copies are digital now. There is a service called Net Galley which supplies reviewers and other industry types with these downloadable books. But Net Galley also keeps track of how many you request and how many you actually review. And if I’m doing only eight reviews a year and I’m requesting many more than that, well, my average doesn’t look so favorable and publishers won’t be quite so quick to send me things.

I could write reviews on Amazon or Good Reads, but I thought since I haven’t been writing on this blog for a while, why don’t I start posting book reviews here? All you good people can hear about what’s coming out. Then my average will be high and I’ll keep supplying my habit of free books.

So be on the lookout for book reviews by me. I’ll let you know when it will be hitting bookstores and libraries so you can put things on your wishlists.

And included is my headshot I had taken for the magazine. It was done by Jesi Cason Photography in Fort Myers. She was lots of fun to work with, and if you’re local, I highly recommend her!