About

ME
Hello, my name is Emily, and I have a lot of thoughts. I consume a lot of stories, whether I read them off a page or watch them on a screen. When I read or watch something, I become dedicated to the story, and as such, I have thoughts. I can't help it, my brain likes to dissect and analyze things, and what I'm left with is a bunch of thoughts that will make my brain explode if I don't share them.

I used to use this blog, Emily's Crammed Bookshelf, as an outlet for those thoughts. I used to be an avid reader, I had all the publishing houses memorized and knew all the upcoming releases. I was really passionate about it, so I turned that passion into a business of sorts. I created this blog, I worked with authors and publishers, and I reviewed books. I was doing great, I had an active following, I was posting every day, and my reviews were quoted in several books. I wasn't paid for it (which, looking back, was stupid. I should have monotized this site lmao), but I loved it.

Then reality hit. I was getting older and I didn't have as much time as I used to. My life was this blog, I dedicated most of my day to it, which was only possible because I was homeschooled. But then I grew up, I went to college, I got part-time jobs, I got a degree, I went outside and lived a little, and this blog was put on the back burner. Reading wasn't a priority anymore. So this blog kinda died.

I'd come back a few times over the years with these grand ideas of a revamp and that I'll get back into it, but I never did. It's usually when I'm on break from school or work and I read one good book and get obsessed again. It dies out pretty quickly though, especially because this blog doesn't get much traffic anymore.

But that doesn't mean I've stopped reading, or loving books, or having thoughts, or writing reviews. Whenever I consume any kind of media, I form opinions that will drive me crazy if I don't share them. For the past couple years, I've been writing analysis and rant posts (which are basically reviews lmao) on my fandom Instagram account, @thefandomfeeels. I've kept my Goodreads page up-to-date with the few books I read. And I want to try again.

Right now, I'm in a weird time of my life where I have just graduated college, I can't find a full-time job, I am working part-time, and it's cold and dreary out and I don't have anything better to do than read. Every day I have off, I drive into town to the Barnes & Noble, buy a java chip frappuccino, and sit in the store for hours, browsing the YA shelves, reading hundreds of pages and then buying the book. My bank account won't be able to sustain that habit for long haha. But I've read some damn good books recently, and I've written reviews on them, so I want to share. Plus, I don't know how long I'll be out of a job, so I might as well treat this as a project and get this shit rolling again.

So here's to the future. I hope you'll follow me on my journey.
- Emily, 2/18/2019

THE BLOG

Emily's Crammed Bookshelf is less of a review blog and more of a discussion blog. At least, that's how I see it. It very much used to be a review blog, but honestly I don't know how anyone took me seriously. My reviews used to be very bland, they followed the same outline and basically said the same things (and were terribly written). Good/bad characters, loved/hated the writing, the romance was great/terrible. I didn't even proof-read before I posted! You get the idea. It was terrible. If you want proof, dig around in my blog archive. You will be astounded by what you find. But I like to think I've gotten better at my craft.

This blog focuses predominately on books from the Young Adult catagory. I have a personal soft spot for fantasy books because I like my stories with substance, but I'll try and read just about anything. i also enjoy television and movies, especially ones that are adapted from books.

I discuss how I review in my Review Policy (which includes a bunch of other important information), but reviews aren't the only thing I will post on here. I might want to expand on some of what I've written on my fandom Instragram, in which case you will see Bellarke plastered all over my blog. I am very into movie and tv show adaptations of books, so I will be making posts about those. I want to bring back the old book memes like Waiting on Wednesday, Teaser Tuesday, In My Mailbox. I also want to bring back my Young Adult Debut Promotions. I might want to throw in a couple other random posts here and there, I don't know. Whatever I'm feeling that day.

But I want to make one thing incredibly clear: this blog is a safe space. I absolutely will not tolerate hate speech of any kind. This is a space for discussion, for sharing opinions, for talking to people who have the same interests as you. This blog isn't just about me, it's about you. I post the stuff, but you guys read it and comment. You're what makes this something, instead of me just shouting into the void. I won't ever forget it or stop being grateful.

So welcome to the community.