This is a collaborative post. 


If you're a big fan of reading (and maybe if you enjoy my book reviews), you may be considering starting your own book blog or Bookstagram to review books. Especially in our current situation more and more folks are picking up books for pleasure again (I recently read book sales are up 400%!). Reviewing books is a great way to encourage yourself to read more and the book community online is a pretty great thing to be a part of. I wanted to share a few tips about how you may want to get started on a book blog of your own.


Read Other Reviews

Before you start writing your own reviews, you should spend some time reading other reviews to get a feel for the process and the kind of things that you should consider including in a review. You're a reader after all, so it's only natural to get started by reading. Hopefully my book reviews feel pretty inspiring to you, but make sure to check out other book blogs and Bookstagram accounts because everybody has their own style. By reading lots of different reviews, you can learn more about the format of a review, and start developing your own style when you start writing your own reviews. Some reviews are more formal (think: New York Times), but many (such as my own style) are more conversational. Find your own voice - I think that's the most important thing.



Start Listing Some Books

Next, you'll want to start listing some books you may want to review. In some cases, you may want to pick a specific genre, so you could write a fantasy or a horror book blog, for example. However, if you like to read a lot of different genres, it’s fine to review whatever you are enjoying right now. I really love thrillers, horror, and YA, but I'm kind of all over the place. I just love fiction (and the occasional memoir). And a lot of reviewers tend to only review brand new books, so you'll want to consider that as well. I read new books and backlist books. When you are picking your first books to review, you could totally choose a favorite book that you've read time and time again (hello, Harry Potter). Reviewing something that you are very familiar with may feel easier and be a good way to find your footing and share your favorite books with your readers. I also always encourage posting your reviews in multiple places - I tend to post a full review on my blog and Goodreads, and a smaller snippet on my Instagram. If I purchased the book from a particular website, I'll add a review there. But you don't want to post a review to Amazon (for example), if you didn't buy it from Amazon. It could get you banned from Amazon reviews, as it appears you're not a verified purchaser.



Promote Yourself

Once you have reviewed some books and written your first posts, you need to start promoting your new book blog. There is a great community of writers and book reviewers on Twitter and on Instagram, so those are great places to start. As I mentioned above, you also want to cross-post on sites like Goodreads (I always add a snippet that says something like "Originally posted at apaperarrow.com" and link back to my review.) Connect with people in the community and start posting links to your blog on there, and you can get some organic traffic that way. Once you start seeing more traffic on your site, it is important that you keep up with a pretty consistent posting schedule so people do not lose interest. I also encourage linking your blog to a feed like Bloglovin', so folks can subscribe to your content.



Once You're Established, Reach Out To New Authors

One of my biggest pet peeves in the bookish community is there are always groups of people who are just trying to get free books, but are brand new to the book reviewing world. When getting started, you'll want to review whatever books you read - these should be books you already have, books you've purchased, or even books you've checked out from the library. You may want to consider subscribing to Book of the Month so you can purchase a new book every single month for $15 - sometimes they even have early release options. You don't have to receive free books to be a book reviewer! This irks me to no end - start reviewing for at least six months to a year (if not longer) before you start requesting free books.

Once you do start requesting books, I'd encourage you to try new authors, who are always trying to get reviews so they can make a name for themselves. I'd definitely encourage working with them - this makes a name for them and few you, so it's mutually beneficial. If you don’t like the idea of giving out your address online, you can use a service like physicaladdress so you can get mail/packages sent to a different address and forwarded on to you. If you spend some time reaching out to recently published authors on social media, you may get a good response and find plenty of new books to review. I'd also encourage trying sites like Netgalley or Edelweiss, who will provide digital galleys (uncorrected proofs) that you can eread on your phone or tablet.




Starting a book review blog is such a great way to share your love of reading, and makes for a wonderful online community. Depending on your commitment and reach, it could maybe even help you make a little extra money on the side in the future.

A very special thanks to Dan & Nicole at American Axes for hosting our visit at a discounted price. All opinions are entirely my own.

If you've been following around for any length of time, you may know that I create a goal list for myself every three-ish years called 101 in 1001. It's a list of 101 goals I'd like to complete in 1001 days. This time around, I was really hoping to visit an axe-throwing facility or a break stuff room. Lucky for me, several axe-throwing rooms have been popping up all over the place, especially in the Atlanta area. After some research, I really gravitated towards American Axes in Marietta - the first axe-throwing facility in all of Cobb County. Before you say "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Marietta's not Atlanta," I'm here to convince you why this was such a good choice. First of all, the Atlanta-area is expanding, and the Braves are now in Marietta - very close to American Axes, actually. There's also a ton of great food options in the area. We opted for The Bowl, which is Asian fusion, and the servings were huge and delicious.




Now, let's talk about axe-throwing.

Leading up to our fun little palentine's adventure, I was so excited. So pumped! But I got reallllly nervous when it came time to actually throw real, live axes. We had to sign a waiver beforehand, which I read thoroughly. We were able to actually read and sign the waivers a couple of days beforehand, which gave me the opportunity to actually read it. That way I felt like I knew what I was actually going into. Having some ground rules were helpful.

Basically, don't get too drunk, don't throw axes at people, and use common sense.

Once we got to the facility, we were in the main room, but we had a private lane (not beside anyone else). Something that's really cool and unique about American Axes is that it's completely themed on the outdoors and American National Parks. It keeps the focus on the American Great Outdoors, where axe-throwing originated. Each lane is named after a national park. Our lane was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which ironically is the only national park I've ever visited.




We started with a brief demonstration by a staff member, who gave us directions on how to actually manage the axe, which was helpful. It took me probably more than 10 tries before I actually even hit the board. Then I tried one-handed throwing, and I was much better at it than using two hands. Weird, I know.










American Axes is strictly an axe-throwing facility, which is different than a lot of other facilities. Because of that, safety is a top priority, and the entire facility is top-notch and everything inside is of the highest quality. In fact, this being specifically for axe-throwing (as opposed to a bar with axe-throwing available, etc.) makes it kind of like a bowling alley. It's a chance to compete (if you're into that), or just have fun!









Something else that makes American Axes different is it's BYOB, and what's perfect is that there's a fantastic brewery in the same complex. In fact, it's maybe my new favorite brewery. It's called Schoolhouse Brewing, and they're a home brew company. So they only brew a beer once, and when it's out - it's out! But they'll give you directions to brew your own beer. You'll also get a discount if you mention you're going axe-throwing.





We had such a great time. We were all pretty nervous at first, but once we started throwing and got the hang of it, it was so much fun. We'd definitely go back in the future. We're also planning another trip to Schoolhouse Brewing, once life goes back to normal.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020

TW: Abduction, murder/death, misogyny, mentions of sexual assault



I wouldn't consider myself a murderino, though I've always had a fascination with serial killers and the psychology behind their ways. But I've never actually listened to a podcast, though I did notice My Favorite Murder is on Spotify, and a quick Google search told me it's "true crime comedy," so maybe I'll start listening during my commute. Anyways, The Sun Down Motel is really marketed to murderinos, and in fact dedicated to them as well. But murderino or not, if you're into a good ghost story mixed with a story of a disappearing woman, then this book will be right up your alley.


35 years ago, Carly's aunt Viv took on a job as the night clerk of the Sun Down Motel in the small, mysterious town of Fell, NY. Then she disappeared. Now Carly, the same age as her aunt was when she disappeared, leaves college to enter Fell and search for answers. In Fell, Carly finds herself taking on the same job as her aunt, living in the same apartment, and facing many of the same terrors. 


I've seen Simone St. James' novels around before, but this was my first time reading anything by her, and while I really enjoyed the story, I'm not sure this book would convince me to read more from her. While I loved the story, I wasn't incredibly fond of the writing style.

I didn't love that every single chapter was titled "Fell, NY." It seemed redundant and unnecessary, and irked me irrationally. In terms of the writing, it took me several chapters to get used to it. And prior to getting used to it, I was reading sentences over and over again, because for some reason they weren't making sense to me; the words didn't flow properly. After I was used to the writing style, I was sucked in.

I wasn't sure really if this book was supernatural/a ghost story or if it was a crime story, or what. I wasn't sure what was real and what was speculation. I didn't know what to expect as I read each chapter. And because of those things, I begin to feel like I had to keep reading. I had to know more of the story. I needed to know what had happened, and what would happen next.

The way the story was set up, St. James gives just a little bit of the story at a time. So instead of one big twist, the reader develops an understanding throughout the novel, and learns bits and pieces slowly - just like the way folks tend to learn in real life. It's rarely a big twist or major a-ha moment in real life, so I liked how that slow learning process was integrated into the novel.

I also liked the parallels between Viv's and Carly's stories (1982 and 2017). It was interesting to see the similarities between the two timelines. But it also made it incredibly confusing at times, and I kept getting mixed up about what timeline I was currently reading.





Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was different than many other books I've read and seemed a bit genre-bending. It was spooky and enthralling. I also enjoyed the little easter eggs - like the family named McNamara (as in Michelle McNamara of Golden State Killer fame), or James March (possibly unintentionally the name of a serial killer from AHS: Hotel). If you're into the spooky, true crime, or serial killers - you'll likely enjoy this novel.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

February was a pretty good reading month for me. I read a mixture of new and old books. And everything I read I liked. No major complaints here.




Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid ★★★★★

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club (Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine, and literally the rest of the internet)

Brief synopsis: During one of her best friend's birthday parties, Emira gets a call from her employer asking her to come pick up their young daughter and take her out of the house for a while. It's close to 11 pm, and the Chamberlains have had a situation occur that requires the cops. Alix Chamberlain, an affluential White influencer, doesn't want her daughter around to witness police officers in their home. Emira, a babysitter and 20-something Black woman, takes two-year old Briar to the high-end grocery store down the street, where she's reported to store security and forced to remain in the store until Briar's father can show up and confirm his daughter was not, in fact, kidnapped. Following the grocery store incident, Emira continues living her life as normal, but the situation forces Alix to further consider her own actions and perceptions and to become more involved in the life of her babysitter.

Overall thoughts: When books are incredibly hyped, I oftentimes find they fall short of my expectations. This book was totally hyped up, but still exceeded everything I expected of it. Such a Fun Age not only entertained me as a story, it made me really think more introspectively about my actions and how they may affect others. I thought this book was incredibly well written, especially as a debut novel, and the characters were amazing to connect with and learn through. I definitely recommend this one! Full review here.







Real Life* by Adeline Dieudonné ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A bildungsroman

Brief synopsis: An unknown narrator tells this story of a broken family, one that feeds on violence and hatred. At 8 years old, the narrator and her little brother Sam witness a horrible accident that leaves one dead. Sam is so obviously traumatized by the event that the narrator makes it her life's mission to learn physics and build a time machine that will take her back in time to change her brother's life for the better. The story is told over the course of seven years, in which the narrator strives to protect her brother.

Overall thoughts: Translated books can be pretty hit or miss for me. I think a lot of the time, something can be lost in the story through the translation. But Real Life was so wonderfully translated. The book is haunting and sad, and at times truly sickened me. I could definitely see this book being read in a literature class and fully analyzed - it's just that kind of book. I'd recommend this one for fans of The Glass Castle or A Wolf at the Table, though Real Life is not a memoir. Full review here.







I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver ★★★★★

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by a trans or nonbinary author

Brief synopsis: Ben has a secret, one they no longer want to hold in. They are nonbinary, and are ready to share this integral part of their identity with their parents. But things don't go as planned, and they get kicked out of the house. Shoeless, phoneless, and alone, Ben calls their estranged sister for help. She rushes to their side, and takes them in. Now Ben's halfway through senior year, in a new place, in a new school, and worried about having to come out again and again. They just want to get through senior year, so they can feel like they can finally be whole and open about their identity.

Overall thoughts: It was a great pleasure to read I Wish You All the Best. I haven't read many books written by trans or nonbinary authors, but this was my first time reading a novel from the perspective of a nonbinary individual. I love YA books so much because of the diverse perspectives, and that was something I really appreciated about this book. I also just really loved the characters. Ben and Nathan are precious humans. Full review here.







You Are Not Alone* by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book that passes the Bechdel test

Brief synopsis: Shay Miller is unfulfilled. Her roommate is a man she's in love with, whose girlfriend visits often. She has no friends, and no prospects. When she witnesses a horrific event one morning in the subway station, her life is quickly flipped upside down. She's thrown into a whirlwind of anxiety and PTSD, and stumbles right into the path of Cassandra and Jane Moore, who quickly take her under their wing. Only now, her situation has spiraled into "too good to be true" territory, which has become, well, too good to be true.

Overall thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I think Hendricks and Pekkanen are a great writing duo, and their books are always page turners. I felt You Are Not Alone was super twisty and I never knew what would happen next, which I loved! I also think that, unfortunately, their novels are very lacking in terms of diverse characters. I would definitely like to see more diversity in future novels they write. Full review here.







Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ★★★★★

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with more than 20 letters in its title (advanced)

Brief synopsis: Zélie is a teenage divîner who should've become a maji as a preteen; only magic disappeared when she was a child, when her mother (a full-blown maji) was taken from her and slaughtered by the king. Since then her family has struggled and her people (the divîners) have been treated as second class citizens. When their debts become too much for them to bear and she risks being entered into servitude, her brother Tzain and she travel to the capital city of Lagos to barter a rare fish for money. While there, they accidentally rescue Amari - princess and daughter of the murderous King Saran - who has in her clutches a scroll that can return magic to the land of Orïsha. Together, they all embark upon a journey to restore magic to the land and ultimately defeat the king.

Overall thoughts: Wow. I loved this book, and I very much loved the inspiration from West African and Yoruba culture. I learned a bit about these cultures after Googling things after finishing Children of Blood and Bone. Though this is fantasy, a lot of the world-building, magic, and creatures were easy enough to understand and follow along with. I really loved the story, the connection to real life issues, and the characters. I very much look forward to continuing with this series. Full review here.
























* denotes book was received free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own. 

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with more than 20 letters in its title (advanced)

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A bildungsroman, A book with a map, A book than won an award in 2019, A book by a WOC, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads, A book you meant to read in 2019, A book written by an author in their 20s

TW: Racism, classism, death, violence and abuse, animal death



I know Children of Blood and Bone has been around for a good minute, and has had a ton of hype. I finally bought it back in November to prep for book two (Children of Virtue and Vengeance). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get tickets to see Tomi Adeyemi and so CBB went to the backburner. I felt really intimated by the book, but I am so glad I finally picked it up to read it because it is so good. Now to get my hands on CVV.


Zélie is a teenage divîner who should've become a maji as a preteen; only magic disappeared when she was a child, when her mother (a full-blown maji) was taken from her and slaughtered by the king. Since then her family has struggled and her people (the divîners) have been treated as second class citizens. When their debts become too much for them to bear and she risks being entered into servitude, her brother Tzain and she travel to the capital city of Lagos to barter a rare fish for money. While there, they accidentally rescue Amari - princess and daughter of the murderous King Saran - who has in her clutches a scroll that can return magic to the land of Orïsha. Together, they all embark upon a journey to restore magic to the land and ultimately defeat the king. 


Beginning a new fantasy novel always comes with a certain set of challenges. I enjoy fantasy novels, but don't typically read new ones often because world-building can definitely be exhausting. I won't say that it didn't take me some time to really find myself immersed in the story, because it did take several chapters for me to find my footing in the world of Orïsha. Once I found my footing though, I was completely immersed. I was interested and into the story from the beginning, but once I became immersed it became difficult to put the book down.

I particularly liked that the creatures, the magic, and the world itself didn't feel too "fake." In fact, most things seemed to have a heavy basis in today's world. A lot of Adeyemi's story stemmed from West-African mythology and Yoruba culture - which I didn't realize until after I finished the book. In fact, I thought Yoruba was made up particularly for the story, but it was really great to find out that the story had basis in cultures and mythology I wasn't aware of. So it helped me learn and open up to new cultures.

I love a book with switched perspectives, but I'm not sure I've ever read a fantasy novel with multiple perspectives - they're often from one perspective or omniscient. I really loved knowing more about the thoughts and feelings of different characters. It helped in terms of understanding and empathizing, but it also made me need to know what was going to happen next - what things would go good, and what things may implode. It definitely kept me on my toes.

CBB is a book full of action, but is truly a book about social justice. It's a Black power fantasy novel that is also a beautiful and emotional statement about police brutality, and the ways in which people in power abuse those who they deem different.





I really loved this book and the story so much. I connected with the characters, who were beautiful and flawed, but their thoughts and emotions were so real. I can't wait to jump into book two and learn more about Zélie's story, her mission, and her magic. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy to any degree. It's milder than many other fantasy novels I've read. I got some Aladdin vibes  (particularly in the marketplace - I imagine Princess Jasmine sneaking out of the castle and meeting Aladdin). I also thought the book reminded me a lot of The Bone Witch, which I really liked (but never continued with the series after book one). Again, if like fantasy novels at all, I'd definitely recommend Children of Blood and Bone.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★

*An item mentioned in this post was received for free, but all opinions are my own. Receipt of mentioned item was not contingent upon a blog post - I published this post of my own accord. 



I've talked a lot in the past about how I am not a fan of e-readers. I don't typically read any kind of digital book, but sometimes it's the only way I can get early access to books that I really want to read. I bought an Amazon Fire tablet several years ago, but I don't typically find myself using it. Instead, I tend to use my Kindle app on my phone, which makes it easier to read on-the-go instead of a tablet - in my opinion anyways. I always have my phone, and it's always charged - which was something I found tended to be an issue with trying to read on a tablet. And realistically, I'm not sure I'll find myself using a Fire tablet to read in the future. I thought I'd be able to use it in a variety of ways, but it was actually very limited. So, when I do read digital books (often from Netgalley), I'll continue using my phone so I can literally read anywhere - including bed without bothering my husband by keeping a bright lamp on.


I do get bad migraines though, and have been utilizing blue light reflecting glasses since 2015. They help prevent constant blue light (working on a computer, and now reading on my phone) from causing so much eyestrain and thus resulting in more headaches for me. Discount Glasses was kind enough to send me a free pair to use. I picked out this super cute WestEnd Hayden Falls pair. I love a bold pair of glasses and I've been wanting some clear frames, so these were a perfect choice for me. I was able to plug in my prescription and these were sent right to my door. I didn't have to utilize insurance or anything, and these were still about a quarter of what I paid out-of-pocket for my other pair using insurance. The worst part was that it took me several days to actually pick my favorite pair because there were so many good options to choose from. I'd definitely choose Discount Glasses again in the future for more pairs of glasses. You can even get them with no prescription, or choose prescription sunglasses. Even though I did receive my pair free, I am so incredibly pleased and would highly recommend DG to others.




I'm looking forward to wearing these glasses more because I have so many good digital ARCs to get through over the next few months. I made a goal with myself to be more intentional this year with the ARCs I accept. Every year I tend to get in over my head because I feel bad saying no when folks reach out with requests (physical or digital), and I end up accepting too many to read when I just don't have time to do so.

And this year, I have accepted and requested several ARCs, but they are ones I've been very much looking forward to. I'm being more organized with those I accept to read and review. But I've been saying no more, which is still uncomfortable, but absolutely better for everyone involved.


Here are five upcoming digital ARCs I've been granted access to and I'm very much looking forward to reading:

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (out May)
This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling (out May)
The Mall by Megan McCafferty (out June)
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris (out June)
Florida Man by Tom Cooper (out July)