Welcome to the February 2023 newsletter for the Book By Book blog! 

E-mail me at [email protected] to let me know what you think of this newsletter and what you would like to see here in the future.

Book Quote of the Month

"Abandonment. The word was so heinous and ugly. It couldn't even begin to capture the pain it left behind. But Jacob knew what his issues were. He could pinpoint them, name them--he just didn't know how to stop them. It was like he was a hamster, bound up in a wheel, forever running in the same endless cycle."

-- from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, a romance novel about a woman with a chronic illness (ME/CFS, the same illness I have). It is filled with amazing passages that tell the honest truth about what it's like to live with this disease, while also being a fun and funny romance. This line really hit me. It feels like a universal truth: that we can often name our issues but still feel helpless to stop them. I know that hamster wheel feeling! You can read my full review of the book here.

Blog of the Month

This month's pick is a blogger that I found through her Youtube channel (like me, she does both). Her blog is Linda Jo Martin and her YouTube channel is Linda Book Lady. I enjoy both of them and have gotten to know Linda since I joined YouTube two years ago. She reads a wide variety of books, including fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade and YA, romance, history, classics, and more. And she makes artwork, too. Her most recent blog post is Linda Book Lady's February 2023 Reading Report and Diary, and one of her recent Booktube videos is Mr. Midship Hornblower and Other Nautical Novels I've Read, which includes a wide range of fiction at sea! So check out her blog and/or videos, and let her know I sent you!

My Reading Life

I mentioned on my blog that in 2023, I'm not going to write full-length reviews of every book I read--I'm trying to reduce stress, improve my health, and make space for more freelance writing. This was a difficult decision because I was a professional reviewer for decades, for FamilyFun magazine, Publisher's Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. I thought that if a book really bowls me over, I can still write a review here and there. Well, as it turns out, my first two books read in 2023 completely blew me away, and I suspect both will end up on my Top Books of 2023 list! So, I have already written a review of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and watch for an upcoming review of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

I am enjoying this time of year, when I have no special reading obligations (other than one book group), so I read whatever I'm in the mood for. In February, I'm focusing on Black History month (though not exclusively) and wintery settings!

A Look Back

February 16 is my Blogaversary! I started my book blog in 2006, so this month marks 17 years of blogging - wow. In honor of that anniversary, I'm sharing the first-ever post I wrote for my book blog, Welcome to My Reading World. It's a fun look back at my reading habits back then and includes some of my top books read in the previous six months. I still remember most of these!

You can connect with me on: 

My blog: http://bookbybook.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueBookByBook

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bookbybook

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SueJacksonDE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzan-jackson-8436878/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20014156.Suzan_L_Jackson