.jpg)
 |
| Marie & Sweetie; May 2011 |
The Short Version:
I started this blog without a clue as to where it was headed. It became very historical fiction (lots of Tudors!) focused from 2009 through 2011, with some general fiction here and there. As 2012 comes, you will see I have become bored with all those royal families and I am now reading a lot more historical romance and christian fiction genres. Now there will be a little bit of everything for 2012, and don't forget to visit the Master Review list which will show you links to all of the reviews ever written here.
The Extremely Long Version that you really don't care about but since you are bored enough to be here I will go all out:
The Burton Review (aka Burton Book Review) was created in late 2008 as an effort to share the books that I read. It was primarily created as a positive distraction away from the grief I felt after losing my father. It really helped me focus on something else other than my tormented soul, so it has served its purpose. I was also losing track of what books I was reading, had read, and couldn't remember what books I owned. The blog helps me get organized.
Burton Book Review brings you reviews of upcoming or newly released books as well as some books that I may just have picked up due to a fellow blogger's recommendation. I have always been an avid reader, but the book blog community has widened my horizons and I have enjoyed the communication between the other bloggers and myself through commenting and blog roll exploration. I participated in The Sunday Salon and Mailbox Monday memes to help perpetuate the discussion of books, so you may find some books to add to your wishlists from there. At this point, I am publishing mostly only book reviews and skipping all the meme type things, and unfortunately not getting a lot of time to comment on other blogs although there are a few that I still read and follow. I am a fabulous lurker!
I primarily read within the historical fiction genre, and have focused on England and the Tudors during 2009 and 2010. I do enjoy Regencies, general literature, and non-fiction on my favorite historical subjects. I have also always had a soft spot for mysteries, but not really into the thriller or paranormal types. 2012 will bring more Christian Fiction reviews to the blog as well. I hope to expand my historical reading to include more diverse reads that include everywhere from America to France to Russia.
Here is a list of my reviews published to date, with their ratings and links to the review. Those you will not find are the strictly YA, contemporary romance or pure chick-lit types, fantasy, GLBT or erotica genres. You will find that I prefer to read about the past, and when I want something to break up the monotony that's when I read more of the general literature such as Follow Me by Joanna Scott or This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia or Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok, and most recently those of the Christian Fiction genre.
I have also begun reading Georgette Heyer and I love her Regency romances and mysteries because of her clean and classy wit with her easy writing style. I am beginning the pursuit of Jane Austen as well, hoping to read more of her classics as well as the many Austen adaptations and sequels. I have an expanding list of favorite authors, but they include Jean Plaidy a.k.a. Victoria Holt, Sharon Kay Penman, Elizabeth Chadwick, C.W. Gortner, Anna Elliott, and Georgette Heyer of course.
I have participated previously in the (now disbanded) monthly Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table Events which consist of some other of your favorite historical fiction bloggers. I have also taken part in blog tours for certain titles which will bring you either author-created guest posts, or interviews I've done with the author. I do not do these events any longer, but you can see all those that I have done by following the links. I simply cannot adhere to a publisher or publicist schedule and need the freedom to post my reviews when I see fit.
Another website I help maintain is the Historical Fiction Connection, where we all have the opportunity to submit posts, interviews and reviews, etc. Please visit that site if you are interested in promoting a historical fiction book for that site and would like to offer a piece for submission.
I have also written short articles for Examiner, as a reviewer for the Historical Novels Review and you can also find a fan page for The Burton Review on Facebook. I catalog my books primarily on Goodreads, as I have given up on on LibraryThing, and I post my reviews to those sites as well, as time permits. I also use Twitter to help promote certain posts that I write and interact with other bloggers. I will not post reviews to Amazon any longer, as there are many cruel people there that are akin to trolls.
I live in the booming town of Rockwall of over 35,000 residents that is just east of Dallas, TX. As the Texan saying goes, I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could! I've been married since 1998, and we have two kids together who are five years apart that cut in to my reading time but I wouldn't have it any other way. I also work full-time as an office manager (meaning I do everything from payroll to accounting) for a local general contractor.
This site is an off shoot of my hobby of reading, and I use it to promote books that I enjoy and perhaps to steer you clear of those that should be left behind. Everything I write will be of my opinion and are my own words, and can either differ from others or be of similar opinion of others.
See my Review Policy if you are an author or publicist. I appreciate my readers, my followers, and my fellow bloggers.. but most of all.. the authors and publicists that have provided me with the fantastic books that I have read thus far! It is at this point that I humbly plead 'UNCLE!' and realize that I should not in good conscience accept another offer for a book review. Congrats to you if you've read this entire mini-bio!
