No, seriously :o)
It's been a little while coming but it's time to bring this blog to a close. Obviously there are a whole load of reasons (none of them particularly interesting to you guys) but the bottom line is that I'm not really enjoying it anymore and that means that it's time to stop. That's not to say that I won't come back, in the future, and start something up again; just not here. I've got some ideas but I just want to stop and chill out for a while.
I'm going to try and keep this relatively short and sweet... :o)
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by and read the blog since it started. I may not have replied to all your comments but it meant a lot to me that you posted them and kept coming back to read what I've been writing. I'm sure that I'll be here and there on the internet so we'll probably bump into each other again.
Thanks as well to all the publishers who have very kindly fed my book habit and enabled me to post stuff here. I really appreciate what you have all done for me and I'm sorry that there will inevitably be books of yours, on my shelves, that I promised to review and haven't. I had to draw a line under it somewhere.
There will be an email going out shortly, asking you all to take me off your mailing lists. Don't feel that you have to by the way, I love getting books in the post ;o) They just won't be reviewed if they do turn up.
I think that's about it. It's been an amazing experience but you have to know when it's time to stop. It's time to stop :o)
Happy Reading!
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79 comments:
This is very sad news, Graeme. Yours was the very first blog I started following before I ventured out into starting my own, so I credit you as the inspiration for what I've achieved so far. It's been an absolute pleasure and I'm glad I had the chance to write for you before the end. Best of luck in the future for whatever you've in mind; hopefully you'll be back sooner rather than later with more awesomenes!
I'll have to claim that offer of a pint sometime in the near future too :)
Jamie
So, the day has finally come. We were all ready for it (subconsciously in most cases) and kidded ourselves that we were ready for The Day.
However, The Day is now TOday and perhaps we're not quite as ready as we all thought.
In the immortal words of Vinnie Jones Esq:
"It's been emotional."
I will miss your blog. Sorry to see you go.
All the best Graeme! I always enjoyed your posts -- here and previously over at TBF.
Oh, no. :(
You're right, of course: if you aren't having fun any more, then the time has come and gone to call it a day. But from an entirely selfish perspective, I'm going to miss this site so much. You are, or I guess you were - nothing horrifies me more than the past tense - the most down-to-earth, open and entertaining blogger in the business.
So don't be a stranger, eh?
Best of luck with whatever you do in future. And if you ever fancy pulling together a supergroup of sorts...
It's been a good ride and I really liked your blog Graeme. It was one of the first to add to my google reader, sad to see it lie down. I won't remove it though, I keep hope that one day you'll be back! :)
You will be missed. Don't be a stranger, especially on twitter!
Good luck and thanks for all the good reviews introduced me to a few authors i had otherwise overlooked.
Oli
Thanks for all the great reviews.
Good luck for the future and thanks for introducing me to some great authors & books.
Wow, you have been a staple of the reviewing scene all the years i've been aware of it. Strange to think you won't be doing it anymore.
While I'm going to miss reading your blog, I'd like to wish you the best of luck with your future projects! Thanks for all the great blog posts.
Will miss the blog. Thank you for all the books and reviews.
All the best.
Wow! I've always enjoyed reading your posts Graeme. I wish you all the best.
Best of luck, Graeme!
Oh no! Well, I have to say I was always impressed with your level of output and the quality of that output. But sometimes a break is required to recharge the batteries.
Best
Rob
Yikes! This is big stuff, dude. I hope you will still be talking books though - cannot imagine signing on each day and not adding more books to my wishlist without your recs!
L x
Terribly sorry to hear it - we'll miss you! Thanks for all the thoughtful, articulate reviews; they've always been appreciated.
Sorry to see you go Graeme, but if this means that you'll enjoy your reading more then hurry up and bugger off, shut the door behind you!
It's a shame, and you'll truly be missed, Graeme, but I think you're doing the smart thing. Best to get out now, before that sense of obligation in reviewing takes all the pleasure out of reading.
Hopefully you will be back at some point, in some new fashion, but enjoy your much-deserved break.
Well, that's a bit of a bugger, isn't it? You're right though, if it stops being fun and it's not paying the electricity get out. Good luck with what comes next.
Graeme,
Thanks for all the fish! er, you know.
Thanks for all the reviews and posts about upcoming books. Hope your current and future plans and works go well.
Sorry to hear that you're not enjoying the blog anymore. Sometimes these hobbies can become overwhelming, though. Take care of yourself and enjoy what you do ;)
Sad to see you go but thanks for all your reviews!
Thanks Graeme. You've sent me a few books over the years, and your well written reviews have really made my shelves bulge with the acquisitions I've made. I am not happy, but my wife certainly is happy to see you will not be influencing my purchases anymore. Your contributions have been appreciated, and you will be missed.
You'll be missed, but we all completely understand. I've enjoyed your reviews and have read some amazing stuff after your recommendation. Enjoy life and best luck in whatever follows!
Good luck to your in future endeavors sir, I always enjoyed reading your site.
Bummer. I visit this site every day. Thanks for all the reviews. I read a lot of books that I would not have due to the reviews on your page. You'll be missed.
I'll miss your posts but 6 years is an amazing record and I do wish you all the best in your next project!
It's sad to see someone go who's been around a long as you have.
Best of Luck!
Your's was one of the first blogs I started reading, way back in the day. The blog will be missed, but I hope you'll remain a part of the community, Graeme.
All the best to you and yours.
~Aidan
It's sad to see you go Graeme, but well, best of luck and all that. Stiff upper lip, what! Keep calm and carry on etc etc...
I'll miss you.
I'm sadden by this...one of my favorite blogosphere voices.
Graeme,
all the very best for the future. Wives and girlfriends all over the land will no doubt be hoping that we collectively order less books now that you are not guiding us gently through all the SF, fantasy and zombie fiction out there!
Take care of yourself, and the family.
Oh Graeme, this is sad news. You and Wert are my two go-to guys for all things fun.
Thanks for all the reviews over the years.
All best wishes to you and your family.
Sad news, all the best and hope to see you back soon.
I will miss reading your posts. Best wishes and hope to see you again in the future.
Thanks for all the great work Graeme. I've enjoyed following your blog over the years and will miss it.
It is sad to see that of the very first blogs I started to follow comes to an end.
Thank you for all the reviews and inspiring posts.
Wish you and your family all the best for future. May your next projects as successful as your blog.
Anyway your blog will be part of my google reader blog list ....
I just finding out of your blog and enjoying reading your posts and now you are to be going??? Gah! I guess I will just be saying I wish you good fortune in your life future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You will be missed, sir.
Not an easy decision to make. You will be missed.
Best of luck to you, Sir!
Definitely going to miss your updates!
It will be your fault when I get into the black library stuff sometime soon... so thanks in advance.
In the meantime best of luck with "stuff" whatever that ends up being.
Thanks man for all the good times and the books you've introduced me too, take care.
And here I thought this day couldn't get any worse. Gonna miss this blog. Thank you for all the great post. Best of luck.
Thank you for all the years you were writing the blog. I've discovered many a great book through you.
Good luck dude! All the best for the future.
This is very sad news, but it's still your decision.
All the best!
You'll be missed Graeme. I always enjoyed reading your thoughts in things you were looking at.
Sorry to see you go, really enjoyed your take on all things fantasy.
Really sorry you're bowing out, but hopefully it won't be permanent.
Sad news. Best of luck in your future endeavors, whatever you find that you *enjoy*.
I'll miss reading your blog. Best of luck!
Thanks for all of the insightful reviews and being a great blogger.
You will be missed and best of luck!
Jennifer
Oh no, dude, I'll miss your reviews! But I hope we will still talk books over on Twitter and other places :-)
Best of luck, Graeme. I'll miss your reviews. And don't think you're getting out of that pint when I'm next in London! I'll track you down...
Best wishes.
Wow, sorry to hear that Graeme, but I totally understand. It just seems that the first speculative fiction blogs, the ones that I began to read and inspired my blogging, are more and more coming to a close.
Good luck and do all the things that give you satisfaction! I hope we can still meet on the online medium though :)
So sorry to read this Graeme. Having discovered your blog quite late I'll still miss it and some of the fab books I have discovered through your reviews.
I hope you have lots of fun in whatever else you do :)
Sad to see you go. Your blog was one of the first I found and followed regularly. Many thanks for the many book suggestions I got from your reviews!
I wish you all the best for your future!
I just GOT here! April from the old BSC days mentioned your blog. I couldn't remember you, but I checked out the site two or three days ago.
Reviewing is a lot of work. TONS. It can start to take away from reading. That's one of the reasons I stopped reviewing for BookSpot.
Well, you win some, you lose some. Your readers might (or might not) care--there's a site that posts UK Kindle bargains. I meant to write and tell you about it myself, but never got to in the two or so days since I found you!
I don't think the site does reviews very often, but it's a good site if you have a kindle and are looking for cheap books.
http://www.dailycheapreads.co.uk/
Have you ever considered just doing guest reviews at another site? I still do some reviews at my own site and if you're ever looking to do a review of something, I'd be happy to have you on as a guest post! And there are a lot of other blogs that I am sure feel the same way!!!
Best of luck in your new, (lazier????) ventures!!!
Maria
Sorry to see you go but I hope that you are moving on to wonderful things!
A big shame sorry to see you go. Will Look out for you in the future.
Disappointed we never got the fan nostalgia post on the fighting fantasy though!
Sad news for us, but all the best! The nicest person on the internet just got a little meaner with you gone.
Your blog is a valued part of my internet browsing routine and now you are saying that it will end.
I know this is selfish and you must have your reasons but I do not like change and disruption leading to chaos to my routine.
RECONSIDER SIR! This most errant course of action!
Your site is awesome and has been part of my rediscovery of reading alongside gaining my SONY PRS-T1! Whatever you do in the future GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING (but also reconsider!!!) :P
I'm very sorry to see this Graeme but of course wish you all the very best. I hope that you do return to the venue in some form later on down the line, and in the meantime rest up, read some good books, and have the best of success in whatever you put your hand to.
You suck.
Don't go.
Please.
Mike. ;)
(You don't suck, I will miss this blog!!!)
Yours was the first blog I started to follow and through it I discovered that there was a whole world of fantasy and science-fiction out there, when previously my knowledge of such matters had been limited to a very few books and series'.
I can positively say you were my very first mentor on speculative literature and I later discovered other great blogs via Graemes Fantasy Book Review.
You will be missed.
Have enjoyed your reviews and will miss your perspective. Good luck with what's next.
Sorry to see you go. Have enjoyed your reviews and posts over the years.
Best of luck to you in all your future endeavors.
hey Graeme, Yeah gonna be sad to see you go, homeboy. Good luck on all your ventures, man!!!
Darn, that's too bad. I've liked your blog. But like you say, if you're not enjoying it anymore, then it's time. Thank you and good luck!
Sorry to see you go. Hope to catch you lurking around though!
If you'll miss Graeme, come and join the bunch on LibraryThing - we could do with a few more Brits. The GreenDragon, Fantasy Fans and SciFi Fans groups will keep you going and do really bad things to your To Be Read pile.
Oh, no! Have fun with wherever your life takes you next, and remember that you'll be missed:^)
¡Oh no! Very Sad really.
I ever enjoy your reviews, thank you to make me discover new fantasy books.
From R.L Stevenson & Me:
"Let Graeme go, if go he will.
Seek not, O fool, his wanton flight to stay.
Of all he gives and takes away
The best remains behind his still"
Stay Safe, Good Luck!
Thanks for all the great posts, and best of luck in the future!
Thanks for all your comments guys, they all mean a lot to me :o)
Just a couple more things that I should have mentioned last week (but didn't)...
I'll be disabling comments about two minutes after I post this. I wasn't sure whether to or not but didn't want have to keep coming back to moderate stuff, especially with all the spam this blog gets... Basically, blame the spammers!
Feel free to pop back and visit though :o) The domain name is good for another couple of years and then I'll transfer the url back to blogspot (or whatever it is). I'm proud of what I did here and don't want it to disappear.
Cheers :o)
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