highlights

I did it. I blogged every day in the month of April. I even kept to my regular Sunday schedule (except for one Sunday when I was just too tired to have a coherent thought). It was a lot of fun researching the authors on my shelf, talking about my favorite books and connecting with fellow book lovers. Most of all, I enjoyed the incredible, entertaining, and educational content I found with other bloggers participating in the challenge. I want to give the spotlight here to a few of them whose blogs I especially enjoyed reading every morning:

Claire Gillian: Oh my goodness, did Ms. Gillian ever have me laughing and giggling over my coffee! In her theme Regrettable Books A to Z™, she gave us a new cover and back blurb for a new ridiculous, completely fictional romance novel each day. While they were each over the top with their tongue in cheek romance tropes, I admit, there were a few days when I found myself genuinely wanting to read some of those books that do not exist. Maybe Claire will pen a couple of them and satisfy my curiosity.

Editorial Stand: Giving fantastic advice and definitions from the editing side of the publishing industry, I looked forward to a new fact every day to add to my writing notebook. For writers, this blog is a must read. If you have a manuscript in need of professional copy-editing, Editorial Stand provides that service.

Jay Noel made me feel old, then young, then old again with his theme One Hit Wonders from 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s pop music. Many of the songs he featured threw me back to my childhood. Many more I’d never heard in my life. In addition to enjoying spending a few minutes in my past every morning, I also enjoyed the originality of the theme, which is what earned this blog a spotlight here.

Mina Burrows: I don’t watch a lot of classic movies (or really any movies much anymore) but I love a good monster story, and Mina took us through A – Z of classic movie monsters. Quizzes, trivia and clips from old classics–this blog was a delight for looking back into what scared us in the past, and what still does.

MopDog: With a new strange Hungarian cultural tidbit every day, MopDog was a delight to read for me who sometimes feels as though I grew up in a cultural vacuum. As the adage goes, the grass is always greener (or more interesting, in this case) on the other side– these quirks and oddities from Hungary more than once made me want to visit the country on my next vacation.

Murderous Imaginings: Love a good slasher story? Writing a crime novel and just can’t pick the right murder weapon? Murderous Imaginings has you covered. From Axe to Zip Line, throughout April this blog gave us murder weapons and the bizarre, gruesome, horrific true stories that go with them. Don’t forget to lock your doors at night.

Notes From My Apartment: In case my theme for this challenge didn’t make it obvious enough, I love books and the people who write them. It’s no surprise then that I loved stopping by this blog through the challenge for a new author and applicable book recommendations every day. I was both saddened and delighted by the number of books and authors featured here that I had never heard of before, but that is the way of things. I recommend going back and giving this A – Z a look if you’re interested in filling your shelves with more books.

Olivia Waite: Doing her challenge on intersectional feminism in romance, Olivia Waite amazed me daily with deep analyses of the romance genre and how it portrays women and people of color. There were some great recommendations and some well deserved dressing downs, and for someone who takes an interest in feminism in literature, this was a great blog to keep up with.

SaylingAway: I love history; I love art; I loved this blog which explored the life and work of a new historical artist every day. Some of the works I was familiar with but for the most part, every entry was entirely new information for me–something I also adore.

Tales of a Pee Dee Mama: This was one of the blogs I especially looked forward to reading each morning. As a kindergarten teacher, this A – Z animal crafts theme was and still is a great resource for my lesson plans. Each letter gave a detailed craft idea, and several facts about the animal in question, which I also very much enjoyed.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping: With tales from life that were sometimes stranger than fiction, this blog had me giggling and chuckling through most of the month. A must read for those who enjoy everyday humor.

I’d also like to give my thanks to the following blogs for being so active in the comments. You guys are awesome, and I really looked forward to seeing what you had to say about my shelves! Please come by again. I have cookies!

Tina DC Hayes
Elizabeth Hein
Dean K Miller
Shere y Paul
Defending the Pen
Linda Covella
Donna’s New Day
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams
Anabel’s Travel Blog
Tell Me Another
Doorway Between Worlds
StrangePegs
herding cats & burning soup
The Transgentle Wife