Feel free to contact me with any questions.
I am on hiatus from accepting books to review, hosting guests or giveaways.
Brandi Breathes Books formerly Blkosiner's Book Blog: I am a book blogger who writes reviews of the ya / teen books that I read. I am a 30-something stay-at-home mom to two girls (Katie in elementary school and Jillian a preschooler.)
As a blogger, I write reviews, promote and host contests, and participate in social memes like In My Mailbox, Top Ten Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesdays or blog hops like Follow Friday to find new blogs and encourage new followers.
I focus on Young Adult books, especially paranormal especially with romance, dystopia, and contemporary books dealing with illnesses, tough issues such as cutting, eating disorders, issues at home, etc. I occasionally read fantasy and science fiction. I do enjoy New Adult books. I normally do not read historical fiction, non-fiction including biographies, mysteries, or horror.
My reviews consist of cover image, book description, publication information, and my review. I don't review grammar or technical aspects of writing, rather I focus on characters and plot. I normally write my reviews right after I read the book and then schedule them. For ARCs I usually review the in the month before the release date but if you prefer the review to be posted at a certain time in regards to release date, I can usually accommodate.
As for negative reviews, I know my reading style pretty well, and I can tell whether I will like the book or not accurately about 80-90% of the time. If I finish a book, then there are aspects of that book that I enjoyed. I never talk about the author in a negative way, I only say what doesn't work for me. Normally if I finish a book, I give it at least 3 stars, meaning that I liked it. As for the books that I don't finish, I've started a feature on my blog "DNF" (my did not finish pile) where I will tell what caused me to not get into the book. These are usually shorter than reviews of books I finish. I also link some positive reviews from my blogging buddies.
I do not receive monetary compensation for writing my reviews. I do have ads on my blog which pay for contests and blog upkeep.
You are welcome to send a book without corresponding with me first, but these books are not guaranteed reviews on my blog. I will make every effort to do so, but it may not be my type of book.
Traffic details from (when I started my blog in earnest) Aug 2010 to Jan 15 2014:
1250 have me in their Google Plus circle
I try to respond (by email or in comments) to those who comment on my blog and also visit theirs to encourage return visits.
I cross post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Librarything, Shelfari, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble, YA Books Central, Random Buzzers, and Google Books... I sometimes post video reviews on Youtube.
Email: brandileigh2003@yahoo.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2614253-brandi
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/brandileigh2003
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/brandileigh2003?feature=mhee
Librarything: http://www.librarything.com/profile/brandileigh2003
Amazon public profile: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3QW3JI0ZK13PI?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_56
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1514204543
I am also a member of YALITCHAT.
(Some of my review policy is inspired by and a modified version from Kristi at the StorySiren)
My Reading/Blogging History:
When I was younger, I read only babysitters club and Lurlene McDaniel. When I outgrew BSC, I would read anything McDaniel wrote (and still do, in fact). That is contemporary, mostly about sick kids, so emotional contemporary. And in some aspects, I still read a lot of that. But with Harry Potter and Eragon, it began to open some of the doors for me to read fantasy-- then I started on Robert Jordan's books. Though, that is where I mostly stopped with adult fantasy series.
Next phase of my reading began with Twilight. I was then addicted and nothing else would do (huge reading hangover and post-amazing-series depression, until I found fanfiction, and there was about 6 months of that. And THEN I discovered book blogging because I started searching for what to read after Twilight.
So then I had fantasy, paranormal vamps, and contemporary. Meyer suggested The Hunger Games and then I fell in love with dystopia.
Some of my favorites are Mead, Armentrout, and McGarry.
With the River of Time series, I found historical fiction that I enjoyed. I read a lot of bible study books as well. I adored His Bright Light by Steele about her bipolar son, as well as another biography about a girl with cystic fibrosis.
As far as new adult, I got into it with K.A. Tucker and Christina Lee. I have tried books with poetry like Speak, and although I don't like many of them, I have found a few. As far as novellas, I have finally given in with Elementals and Ignite Me series. For poetry collections, classics, graphic novels as well as anthologies, that is something that doesn't really speak with me, as is most non-fiction except cookbooks with pictures.
As for adult novels, I've read Sookie Stackhouse by Harris, Outlander by Gabalon, Mead's Succubus Blues and Dark Swan, Cat and Bones by Frost and Mercy Thompson by Briggs.
I'm also a big reader of Twilight and Sookie fanfiction.
