Andi from Estella's Revenge

Andi from Estella's Revenge here! If we haven't met, it's a pleasure. If we have, "Hi, y'all!"

Please note: I am not really a pirate. Swearsies.  

I've been blogging for a little over eight years at my current location. While the blog started out as a catch-all of emotion and angst in graduate school, it eventually evolved to mostly books and reading with a hefty dose of other stuff I like: cooking, decor and home improvement, and anything else that strikes my fancy. Oh, and lots of pics of my child. 

I snagged my blog's name from one of my favorite novels, which I read at a formative age, Great Expectations. I tend to be a little on the sassy side, and Estella seemed like a good fit. As she mellowed over the years in the novel, I have, too. 

When it comes to books, my choices tend to vary. Contemporary fiction? Sure! Memoir? Why not! Pop science? Yes, please!

In general, I find that deadlines suck my soul away, so I've sloughed off most reading-related obligations in the last few years. I don't accept ARCs except in rare circumstances, I don't do blog tours, I don't set deadlines. However, I do wholeheartedly believe in and relish the blogging community. My buddy Heather and I founded the Estella Society, which has existed in multiple formats for nearly eight years. We also host Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon in April and October. 

And now that you're thoroughly asleep-falling...some offbeat questions. 

1. My earliest memory of reading...

When I was growing up, I stayed with my grandparents during the day while my mom was at work. My grandmother read to me before nap time every day, and I will be forever indebted to her for introducing me to a love of books and for never complaining (too much) about reading She-Ra books over and over and over and over again. 

2. My bookshelves are...

Full of unread books!!! I recently culled quite a bit. I have three bookcases in my house. One for books I would keep, re-read, or teach. And the other two are full of unread books. The ratio is not promising!

3. A book I like that no one else seems to...

This is one of those instances when others don't seem to dislike the book, they've just never heard of it!!! 

The Golems of Gotham, by Thane Rosenbaum, is offbeat and beautifully written. 

This is the story of Oliver Levin, a mainstream mystery writer who suddenly finds himself navigating a massive case of writer's block. His concerned 14-year-old daughter takes it upon herself to summon her grandparents back from the dead. They were Holocaust survivors who committed suicide, and Ariel's experiment calling forth the "Golems" unwittingly produces 8 ghosts--her grandparents, along with some of the most famous atrocity writers of all time....Primo Levi, Jean Amery, Paul Celan, Piotr Rawicz, Jerzy Kosinski, andTadeusz Borowski. What results is the chronicle of Oliver's attempt at navigating life as an inheritor of the Holocaust experience via his parents and his crippling fear of loss as a result of their suicide (and some other stuff that would ruin the book for you, so I'll stop there).

Thanks for having me here at Book Bloggers International! I hope to see you soon!