About

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Hi, I’m Nicola and thank you for finding your way here. Anybody who knows me will tell you I am mad about books and am never without a book on the go. I work part time and have a young son so I grab whatever time I can for reading.

I decided to set up the Short Book and Scribes book blog because I was reviewing every book I read on Amazon and so it seemed like a good idea to have them all in one place. I also really love to connect with authors and publishers. For me, every bit of the process of producing a book is interesting, from the writing to the publishing to the reading.

I’ve always been a reader. The first books I remember loving were Topsy & Tim. I only read ‘tree’ books at the moment, although I’m fast running out of space!

The name of my blog (think short back and sides!) came about because my reviews were generally concise and I have the attention span of a gnat and so have always liked reading shorter reviews. However, since starting my blog I find I’m more inclined to put more thought into my reviews and they’re consequently a bit longer. I hope you will still find them ‘to the point’ though.

I’m an Amazon Vine reviewer (not just of books). I have also had some of my reviews posted on the New Books magazine/Nudge website and also have sometimes contributed to their content in other ways. I do try to fit in some of the books from my own humongous TBR pile too but the poor things do tend to get pushed aside by the review books.  Some of them have been waiting patiently for years!  I also catalogue and review my books on LibraryThing and Goodreads.

I always find it hard to know what to say when asked what kind of books I like to read. I generally say women’s fiction (but that covers contemporary fiction and literary fiction) and crime (which covers crime procedurals, ‘conventional’ thrillers and psychological thrillers). I also enjoy some historical fiction and am a sucker for books set in Italy and on Scottish Islands. I love time travel but am not a fan overall of science fiction and fantasy, and I’m not into horror. Please see my Review Policy for more details of what I do and don’t like to read.

I enjoy literary festivals and events and I in the past have been to several events as part of Sheffield’s annual Off the Shelf Festival of Words. I love to hear authors speak about their work and maybe get a book signed afterwards.

I hope you enjoy my blog and look forward to reading any comments and finding out what you are reading.

13 Comments

  • Great to see my ‘book twin’ joining the blogging community – be yourself and enjoy yourself.

  • Great to see blogging Nicola. Good luck xx

  • I’m pleased you have started a blog, Nicola. I always read your reviews on Amazon, so I will follow your blog now. I’m a fan of concise reviews.
    Hope you enjoy doing your blog – it looks good.

    • Hi Caroline, what a lovely surprise to see you here. I really used to enjoy chatting with you on the Book People forum. Thank you for following me.

  • Good luck with the blog, Nicola!

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  • I like your crisp style Nicola and will now check some of your reviews (where our tastes coincide) but anyone who loves that blend of “fact and fiction” (and crime) is bound to be reviewing books I enjoy – – plus a connection with Sheffield where I have loads of good friends – – – so, glad to find you and good luck blogging with a toddler! all the best, simon

    • Thank you so much for your kind words, Simon. I hope you can find something that interests you on here.

  • Hi Nicola! So glad to have landed here…all the way from India :-! Got here thru’ Adele’s kraftireader blog, and following you now … Thrilled that you have my new book “The Writers’ Retreat” in you TBR pile. Would be so happy if you could do an honest review some day too–I am headed to London for the Book’s Launch end Aug-Sept. It is a light-hearted romance set in Greece! All about 3 girls who run away from India to become Writers. I love your short n sweet approach to reviewing books, and will look forward to your reccos from now! If you want a digital/NetGalley/real paperback copy, do reply, will reach it to you at once. Hope to meet you in person some day Nicola!

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