Book Blogger Resources: Stuck on How to Review That Book? Here are 63 Prompts to Help You Write That Book Review!

Writing book reviews is hard.

Book blogging is a fast-paced activity. Blog posts that you may spend hours and hours on may generally have a life span of only two to three days – and sometimes, not even that. This can make book blogging tricky, and can put bloggers under immense time pressure. The truth is, although book bloggers give a lot of thought to their book reviews, consistently reading and churning out thoughtful and well-written book reviews can be a big challenge – and sometimes the task of writing one can feel so immense that it turns you away from doing it.

To help the amazing book bloggers out there, I created a resource to help you write those pesky book reviews!

Thank You, But Please Don’t Call Me ‘Talented’

Hello friends. No pond friends today, though I thought I’d draw Amina and Gen together because this is going to be an art and discussion post. 🥰

Before I begin, I want to make it very clear that I have appreciated every single compliment and praise that I have ever received about my art. I am acutely aware that the support that I receive from everyone in this community has inspired and motivated me to continue my art, and has been integral to my growth and exposure as a small artist.

No matter their content, I understand that compliments and praise come from a good place and mean no ill intent. Therefore, if you have ever expressed your support for my work, liked my work, retweeted my work, shared my work – thank you. Please, please know that I appreciate you, appreciate your support, and am grateful.

On Praising ‘Talent’ and What ‘Talent’ Means

“You’re so talented!”

“I wish I had your talent!”

Friends, let’s talk about the word ‘talented’ and how we use it to praise an artist’s work.

Want to Read More Diverse Books? Here are Six Tips to Diversify Your Reading! 🌈

You are sitting by the pond, discussing the intersections of written-magic and sewing-magic with Varian the Toadshifter, when you hear, what seems to be, Xiaolong’s approaching footfalls and her yelps of delight.

“Friend! Everybody!” says Xiaolong, emerging from the brush with a massive smile on her face. “Amina’s coming! She’s almost here!”

Oh that’s right, Amina the Hedgehog Bard! Xiaolong had mentioned her when you first met all your pond friends, but you haven’t had the chance to meet her yet. Seeing how excited all your pond friends are at seeing Amina again warms your soul a little bit, you can’t help but feel a little excited too.

You feel a ripple in the air, a light wobble at your core, and – look! Over there, Amina, carrying a beautiful lute and a knapsack, is wading through the thicket of bushes. When she looks over and sees all her friends, she smiles.

“Oh, how I missed you all so much,” are her first words, her voice gentle and soothing.

“Amina!” they all yell, running over to her. Xiaolong tackles her in a big hug, and Varian looks absolutely delighted. Even shy Gen is grinning from eye to eye and is nuzzling Amina’s cheek. Cuddle approaches shyly – it’s the first time Cuddle has met Amina too! They all seem so happy to be together.

Over Varian’s shoulder, Amina spots you and smiles knowingly. “Who’s this, my darlings? Is this our newest friend?”

“Oh yes!” exclaims Xiaolong, pulling Amina over to you. After Xiaolong introduces the both of you, she turns to Amina, her gills bouncing. “Amina, what stories do you have to tell today? Did you learn new kinds of magic? Did you meet new magical beings from other places of magic?”

“Yes, Xiaolong! I had the most wonderful adventure and I’ll tell you all about them, but first!” She sits down on the floor, opens her knapsack, and pulls out what appears to be a well-loved and worn journal. “I have to share this piece of wisdom for you. Sit down friends, let me tell you about…”

Hello friends, and welcome back to The Quiet Pond! I hope you all are reading some lovely books and are enjoying your current reads. ✨

Today’s post will be on how to read more diversely. This is, interestingly, quite a common question that I receive on Twitter, and the question always excites me! Reading diverse books is something I am incredibly passionate about and I’m always happy to help people diversify their reading. So for those of you who are thinking of reading more diverse books but aren’t quite sure how to, or even for those of you are reading diverse books at the moment but want tips on how to find more books — this post is for you. 💛

Is It Just Me Or Do Your Pond Friends… Look A Little Different? [April Fools!]

It’s the first of April, the beginning of a new and exciting month of books, but the Pond looks a little strange. Everything seems a little more crisp. And sharper. It’s like you suddenly have a magical pair of goggles and you are seeing the Pond with a new lens. The magic is still in the air, you can feel it, but you have a sneaking suspicion that something is very… off about the Pond.

Meet the Inhabitants of The Quiet Pond!

“What do you mean, old friend?” you ask the axolotl. You have many questions after what you’ve just seen – a gardening tortoise? a frog sewing? a talking axolotl? – but you feel a familiarity here, and hearing ‘old friend’ tugs at your heart.

The axolotl tilts her head, the flower hat sliding off-center. “The pond is magic,” she says, “and only people with goodness and curiosity in their hearts can visit us. A lot of friends and strangers visit, but sometimes they forget about the magic in their hearts. So, the pond’s magic pulls people here to remind them of that magic in them.”

You aren’t quite sure what to say to that but the axolotl just smiles and nods knowingly. “You are here, and that’s all that matters. But, I want to introduce you to everyone, just in case.” She turns back towards the pond, a bounce in her step. “Gen! Varian! Come and meet our friend!”

Who are the inhabitants at The Quiet Pond, and what kind of magic do they do here at The Pond? Thankfully Xiaolong loves making introductions! Don’t be shy and say hello.