I write mostly reviews, so I may be off-trend by the standards of your quoted blogger, but whatever. My readers read me because they like what I write. I don't have it in me to be a trendy blogger. My issue is the pressure to always write positive reviews, and that has taken some of the pleasure of writing and sharing my opinions out of blogging for me. Not that I enjoy being negative, but I enjoy being me, and being honest, and being open about how I responded to a book-good and bad. I almost never blog about blogging, because while those posts are interesting to read, they are for me very boring to write. I don't think people come to *my* blog for navel gazing. From everything I've heard from my readers over the years, they come for book reviews, so that what's I give them.

Great post. I agree with you almost 100%. The success of the thriller is so dependent on not knowing the twist that I think for me, knowing that Nick was being played helped make him seem more sympathetic at the beginning. When I read the book, even though I knew something was up, I didn't know exactly what, and Flynn tries hard to convince us that Nick is guilty of something in the book. I do think he was easier to like in the movie.

LOL I can't imagine what my life would be like wihtout blogging. I wouldn't have my bookstore job for sure; I'd probably still be struggling to work as a librarian somehow. And I wouldn't have my network of friends and professional contacts that have been invaluable to me over the past almost 8 years. Never mind all the books! There are so many books I wouldn't even know existed, so many things I wouldn't have read or thought to read. Blogging has done so much to expose me to new avenues in literature and life!

I don't think the pencil skirt was right for you. Did you send it back? If it's too tight... try another one. Fit is really important. And send ME that sailboat sweater- I love it!