Hi kidses.

Wow, my blogging has fallen SO by the wayside.  This was brought to my attention by a friend a few nights ago, when he asked me when I was going to post something new.  So, here goes.

Let's get business out of the way - I'm obviously still doing the Cannonball thing, since there are new reviews being posted on Pajiba nearly every day.  It's gotten a little harder to switch up the rotation, but there are some troopers out there still going strong.  I promise you I will update the main page tomorrow, since I'm stuck in the house with some sort of mutant summer bug.  I feel terrible that I haven't done it sooner, but by my calculations I spend about 45 hours a week at work, not counting the two hour commute.  It's pretty draining.  Still that's no excuse for neglecting the Read, and I apologize to the participants and to my boss DR.  



I've been doing other stuff too...blood drive, beach holiday, random evenings in my sister's garden, three hour car inspections...hell, I don't know where the time goes.  I'm looking for a new job; rocking the single life again; trying to figure out what I'm doing with the rest of my life and what I want to be when I grow up.  All of my friends and family are hitched and raising offspring, so I've been subjected to a litany of "When are you going to meet someone?  Aren't you worried you won't have kids?  Don't you want a husband?"  Why, thank you, well-meaning family and friends.  I'm just going to drink a bleach cocktail and stick my head in the oven, thanks.  You've reduced the meaning of my life to the sum of my left ring finger and my ladybits.   

Ah, it's all so confusing.  Maybe it's the early 30s blues.  Maybe it's exhaustion.  Maybe I missed the boat when I was younger - it could be true that you only get lucky enough to really fall in love once, or that could just be a Nora Roberts romance novel myth.  All I know is that I have to make the best of what I've got, and I'm going to work on that every day.  Starting today.  While I lie on my couch and ignore my throbbing ear canal.

This is me doing my fun job. Kind of.

I did a review for Pajiba, just like what's in my job description.  I got a copy of a really awesome book called Firefly: Still Flying from the good peoples at Titan books, and on top of the review, we're giving away three copies to the winners of the contest that Dustin made up in honor of the book.  If you want to read the review, go here.

The other part of my fun job is running the Cannonball circus.  I have to tell you something.  The participation level has dropped off a lot, but I'm not complaining, for swearsies.  I just want you to know that we're going to keep running reviews by the same participants over and over unless the field widens.  On that note, we have a new participant who joined about a week ago - The Other Nicole.  Game on, Other Nicole!  

I know that I have to update the tallies on the main page, and that's going to happen this week.  (I'm not a liar; I just work lots - the interwebs at the office won't let me on Pajiba, which is how I do the updates and keep score, etc....it's complicated.)  I also owe you the list of superstars who finished at 52, and I'll be getting to that as well.  

Now, cross your fingers that I don't have to work more than 45 hours this week; otherwise, my eyeballs might just bleed out of my headspace.

Well, hey, y'all.

Do you know how disgraceful it is that I haven't updated this here blog in literally MONTHS?  I should be ashamed of myself.  To use a cliche, it's not you, it's me.  More accurately, it's not you, it's my job.  Those ridiculous damn spreadsheets have taken over my life and I'm clocking in hours that would make a first year law associate blush.  

Back to the point.  I am totally keeping up with my little Cannonballers thanks to the miracle of Google Reader, but I haven't had time to update the main page, and I'm sorry.  I promise I'll try to get to it this week.  I also have a Pajiba review due that I haven't handed in yet either, so I'm slacking all over the place.  

One last thing - I want to ask the Cannonballers a favor.  Right now there are a few diehards who are reading and reviewing like nobody's business, but I feel like I'm seeing the same names over and over again, and if that's the case, there are going to be reviews by the same names being posted a couple of times a week, and then some people are going to call shenanigans and favoritism.  So if you got a little behind, no big deal, but toss in a random review here and there so we can put your name in lights.  C'mon, do it for me.  

Have a lovely week, kids!

In Memoriam

On a day when we're all remembering, I just wanted to do something I never do - a re-post.  This is what I wrote 364 days ago when I finally got my head around the fact that my friend was gone.

Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye 

Holla

If you didn't know by now, I am spending the weekend in Boston, so I'm not updating the Read until I get home.  My laziness is legendary.  


Anyway, this is just a quick one to let you know that of course I haven't forgotten, I've just been busy and will update the main page on Pajiba either tonight or tomorrow night (barring any work emergencies).  I'm guessing that we're going to close in on a thousand reviews by the end of April, honestly.  I need to buy more Visine, but I'm loving every minute of it.  I really am so excited by the way that y'all have gotten so into it, and I especially appreciate the incredibly insightful discussion and thoughtful consideration shown in last week's comments on Alli's review of Impossible Motherhood - this is the kind of thing that I aim for when choosing reviews, and the commenters delivered.  


I've said it before and I'll say it again, the body of work being churned out is impressive.  I love checking my Google Reader and seeing new reviews.  I've begun reading books recommended by the Cannonballers, because your tastes and choices are divergent and your opinions are compelling.  So thank you, every one of you, for being a part of this.

MIA

Hi kids!  I know I haven't given you a new update for a few weeks, but, you know, life gets in the way.  I am still reading every review and the Cannonball is going strong over on Pajiba.  We even had our very first winner, the lovely Ms. Jen K, who heroically kicked ass while serving in the military.  (We've got another active duty soldier, the impressive kingsmartarse, who is currently sending us reviews from the deserts of Afghanistan.)  

While we're discussing kingsmartarse, I need to address what happened last week.  One of his reviews was posted and had to be pulled because the comments were degenerating into a flame war.  Some people still think it's okay to attack the Cannonball Readers and their reviews.  News flash:  it's not.  I deeply admire those of you who jumped in to defend the review and the reviewer, mainly because I can't.  As a staffer I need to stay out of the fray, but I've said before and I'll say it again, don't fuck with my Cannonballers.  The fact that a review had to be yanked (although I agree with Dustin's decision to pull the plug before it got even uglier) makes me sad and angry.  You guys are doing an amazing job, and you're a community of book lovers who have banded together in the spirit of fun and charity.  When someone takes it upon themselves to denigrate that, I get fired up, and a fired up Nicole is not a good thing.  

I just want you to know that I'm in your corner, and that any concerns or issues with reviews should be directed to me via email or Facebook message, because I'm the one who picks the reviews.  I welcome feedback, because I want to make this the best competition that it can possibly be.  Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment.  But don't, don't, don't mess with my Cannonballers.  

Now that's what I call awesome.

Hi kids!  It has been a busy couple of weeks in Cannonball Read Land.  (We should totally make a board game and sell it to Milton Bros.  We'd be rich.)  Cannonball Read Day was a huge success two weeks ago, and this past week the Pajiba Book Club discussion of Lolita was a hit!  I just want to say, again, how great everyone is doing, and how much I appreciate everything that you guys are bringing to the table.  You've given Pajiba a whole new facet and more depth and I don't even think you know it.  I tallied up your total reviews late Friday and guess what?  You guys have posted 786 reviews in just under four months.  That is ridiculous and outstanding and it makes me want to do a happy dance in my robe.  

Now, I want to clear the air just a bit.  Some people have been sad in the pants because I was being a little bitchy (or a lot bitchy) about the lack of participation on some fronts.  I do actually have a reason behind the bitchface.  We've got the superstars, listed below, and superstars are awesome.  That said, I don't want them to get ALL of the spotlight.  I'd love to feature you even if you just write two reviews this whole time.  My goal at the outset was to rotate as much as possible so it wouldn't look like I was favoring anyone or snubbing anyone.  So, even if you know you won't make it to 52, just post one or two reviews so you can see your name in lights over on the mother site.  I really want to just share every one of you with the world.  Sorry for being a dick.  

Did I just get sap in my coffee?  Damn.  

Okay, here are your superstars:  

Jen K - 49 (!)

Malin - 28

Pinky McLadybits - 31

mswas - 27
  
carrie - 26

Snuggiepants the Deathbringer - 21

Vikky - 20

Jelinas - 20

Prisco - 19
  
dene - 18

Rusty - 18


Janel - 17

KingSmartarse - 17

jeremy feist - 15

Caroline - 15

Sara - 15
 

Baby, you're a star

Yes, yes, I'm late with my update.  (I iz a rhyming FOOL!)  I already told you I was taking the weekend off, and I've been too knackered to tally.  So I figure tonight is going to take me two hours to get through everything.

Remember, if you still have zero book reviews by March 25th, you lose your spot in the read.  That's nearly five months into the competition.  More than a third of the way in.  And while I do love you all, let's face it, I don't need to spend time reading about your breakups and makeups and family problems and mental issues.  Not that I'm not sympathetic, I am, but for the love of Job just post a damn review.  It's not fair to the others.  Some of you begged to join and I had to turn you away.  Not fair.

Here's something else I want to address:  You may have noticed by now that some of the participants have had multiple reviews posted.  That's because they're prolific.  They're reviewing like mad, and so they give me more to work with.  Stop drinking your cherry Haterade and read a book.

Ok, enough bitchface.  (I've only managed eight hours sleep in three nights.)  Here are your superstars:



Jen K - 46 (!)

Malin - 28


Pinky McLadybits - 27

mswas - 25
  
carrie - 24


Vikky - 20

Jelinas - 20

Prisco - 19
 
Snuggiepants the Deathbringer - 19


Janel - 16

dene - 16

Rusty - 16

jeremy feist - 15



Caroline - 15


KingSmartarse - 15




The overall total? 741 reviews!



Well played, my friends.  Well played. 


 

My fake CBR

I'm totally going to cheat, but here's the link to my Goodreads page: Nicole's Goodreads.

I'll be posting mini-reviews over there and keeping this for my Cannonball job.  And other reviews I might post, like The Yellow House.

I hope you like it.

The Big Reveal

If you haven't figured it out by now, today is Cannonball Read Day over at Pajiba.  All book reviews all day.  Go check it out!