I have been a reader all my life, but once I retired, I began reading and reviewing books on Goodreads. (I can’t believe that was 12 years ago) Shortly after that, I was introduced to Netgalley and have been reviewing new books on a regular basis. I wanted somewhere to review books where people could come and look at them as well as see them somewhat categorized.
As a retired elementary school principal/teacher/teacher-librarian, children’s literature is very important to me. I love seeing our young people read, as well as parents reading to them. I try to read a lot of Children’s books from toddlers to Young Adult as well as picture books. There are also a couple of Christian series geared to young readers (age 7 – 11) which I have reveiwed. I am a grandma to three wonderful grandchildren and read to them whenever I can. I also include their thoughts in my reviews where applicable. My husband passed away in 2017, so I now have even more time to read and that is what I do.
You can click on the links above to take you to the pages that contain reviews for specific genres of books.
I hope you enjoy this site as well as my comments on the books I have read and reviewed.
Carla Loves To Read 
October 24, 2023 at 10:22 am
Hello Carla! My name is Ericka Clay, and I’m a former atheist turned born again believer. I write about dysfunctional people Jesus loves. I’d love to send you a free ebook copy of my book, A Bird Alone, in exchange for your review. You can learn more about the book here: https://erickaclay.com/a-bird-alone/
If you’re interested just let me know at support@erickaclay.com.
I appreciate your time, Carla, and hope to hear from you! 🙂
– Ericka
LikeLike
October 10, 2021 at 2:47 am
Celebrating the release of my new book Miller Avenue Murder, I would love to make you a part of my book blog tour team! I would provide you with a free ARC copy of the book in exchange for a review on your platform! You will also gain a lifetime membership (if interested) in the Nenny May Newsletter which guarantees discount prices and seasonal deals on Nenny May books!
LikeLike
October 10, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Thanks for the offer, but I am going to pass Nenny May. I am so behind in my reviews, I can’t take anymore on for quite awhile.
LikeLike
September 8, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Hola Carla! Wondering if you’d like to review my book: “Running in Heels: A Memoir of Grit & Grace.” This book is a promise of hope for anyone who was abandoned as a child, to anyone who woke up hungry and went to bed hungrier every day, for every wife who has loved a husband who left bruises on her heart and on her body. https://www.amazon.com/Running-Heels-Memoir-Grit-Grace
LikeLike
October 10, 2021 at 7:57 pm
Hello Mary,
Your book interests me, but I would not be able to read and review it until January or February due to previous commitments. If this works for you, then you can send me a mobi/kindle copy at carlajohnsonhicks@gmail.com
LikeLike
August 23, 2021 at 2:34 pm
Hi, Carla, A while back you did a lovely review of my book A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch!, for which I’m so appreciative. I have another book that has just released titled Who Is Singing?, and I wondered if you’d like to review it also. If so, I can e-mail you a pdf.
Synopsis:
Have you ever heard a bird whistle wheet, wheet, wheet, birdie, birdie, birdie? That’s the song of a cardinal. Every bird’s song is different. Bird songs often sound like familiar words. That makes it easier for us to tell Who Is Singing?
This book is a celebration of birds and their songs. Young children love hearing and repeating the sounds that animals make. While enjoying the musical sounds of birds, children will learn that the song of each bird is different. Children may even learn to recognize some of the songs. This book also includes interesting facts about the birds written in lyrical prose.
You can find the cover, more info, links to reviews, and my contact info on my website: https://www.janethalfmannauthor.com
Thank you so much for your time.
LikeLike
August 7, 2021 at 11:25 pm
Finally read your About page – and see we have a lot in common. I am a retired Canadian teacher (mostly gr. 3, altho also was a librarian for several years). I lie in Cambridge, ON. I too value education, reading and literacy for all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
August 8, 2021 at 7:18 am
We are so close then. I started my teaching career in Belleville before I moved back home to Windsor. Boy I was never so glad to be retired than I was this past year.
LikeLike
July 7, 2021 at 7:20 pm
Hi there I love to read also! I am hosting a book giveaway and I would like to invite you to enter! Stop by my blog for details and have a great day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
July 7, 2021 at 8:10 pm
Will Do.
LikeLike
May 4, 2021 at 12:10 am
Interestingly, my own blog began as a venue for my book reviews, but in 2015 took a sharp turn into a political blog! I still love to read and will enjoy following your blog! Thank you!
LikeLike
May 4, 2021 at 7:06 am
Thanks Jill.
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 1, 2020 at 2:56 am
Greetings!
I am from Ethiopia,East Africa.
Amharic is my native language.
Contact me If you need English to Amharic translation,and voice service
LikeLike
October 28, 2020 at 7:38 am
Hi Carla,
I enjoy reading your reviews and would love it if you’d consider reviewing my new release. A blurb can be found below. Thank you for your consideration.
Jill
Homemakers’ Christmas
A recent error in judgement has deposited Cricket Williams, her daughter, and a son spiking a high fever into a homeless shelter. A touch of Christmas magic is sprinkled upon her family when an eccentric volunteer invites them into her New England farmhouse. Blindsided with the proposition of a contractual living arrangement, Cricket is seized with renewed hope for her future.
Boris Glynn is in town visiting his grandmother but harbors a secret that will impact her life and the lives of his dearest friends. Complications arise when he is unable to restrain himself from pursuing his grandmother’s beautiful new neighbor.
As Cricket begins to succumb to Boris’s attention, her new world is shaken by a series of events that have the potential to destroy her plans for a fresh start.
LikeLike
October 17, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Hi Carla, I’ve been following your blog for awhile and I’ve just had a new early chapter book come out. You can check it out at this link https://www.eifrigpublishing.com/products/copy-of-cleos-big-ideas-onward-and-upward. I’d so appreciate it if you’d be able to read and review it some time in the future. If you’re interested I’d be happy to send you a copy of the book.
All my best,
Jan Milusich
LikeLike
September 25, 2020 at 4:03 pm
Hi Carla, I’m contacting you about my upcoming novel because another blogger who is reading it, Nilisha Vijaya, told me that you would love it. I had hoped to send an email, but I don’t see any contact info here, and it seems this is the only way. Here is the blurb for the book, Where Hope is Found:
One tiny moment in time can shatter your whole world.
A family beach vacation turns to tragedy and Marissa must find a way for her and her traumatized eight-year-old daughter, Maisy, to move forward and heal. But memories of what she lost surround her, threatening to take her to a dark place; a place she can never go again.
When her brother extends an invitation for her and Maisy to move in with him on Princess Island, Marissa thinks it might just be the fresh start she needs. But can she really find hope and healing on an island surrounded by the same ocean that broke her heart?
If you are interested, please reach me by email, authorrebeccalmarsh@gmail.com
LikeLike
August 31, 2020 at 9:16 pm
Hi, Carla, A few years ago you wrote a lovely review of my book Grandma Is a Slowpoke. I have a new picture book out titled A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch! and I wondered if you’d like to review it. If so, I can e-mail you a pdf.
Synopsis: Will Joey, a little gray kangaroo, ever find his mum’s pouch in a mob? Find out in this fun story of creativity and friendship—sprinkled with Australian words.
You can find the cover, inside pages, more info, links to reviews, and my contact info on my website: https://www.janethalfmannauthor.com
Thank you so much for your time.
Janet Halfmann
LikeLike
July 10, 2020 at 10:28 am
Hi Carla,
I love your passion for books. Seeing that you worked as a librarian, I wanted to ask you if you’d be interested in reviewing my book No Guts, No Girl. The main character, too, is a librarian and book lover. Apart from that, he is also a self-confessed coward and multi-phobic, which is why he gets into a lot of trouble when he sets out to impress the woman of his dreams.
It’s a different kind of romcom, full of twists and turns, and family-friendly (no sex or swearing).
If you’d be interested, I’d be happy to send you a mobi or pdf file (it’s also free on Kindle Unlimited)
I know my story will make you laugh and surprise you.
Thank you very much for all you do for us authors.
Tessa
LikeLiked by 1 person
July 10, 2020 at 11:03 am
Hi Tessa, I have a huge backlog of titles to read over the next few weeks. I will try to fit yours in as it sounds like something I would enjoy. I do have KU, so can access it there. I will keep you posted.
LikeLike
June 23, 2020 at 8:25 pm
Hi Carla, thank you for visiting my blog. Good to learn that you are a retired principal/teacher.teach librarian. I taught preschool for a couple years, taught elementary for 15 years, then moved on to an administrative position in the school district for ten years before I retired.
I believe that literature is very important to students especially young children. My daughter and son-in-law started reading to my older granddaughter from day one. Autumn loves to read. For a while I worried that her development wouldn’t be well rounded, but she does play well with friends and in the children’s museum. She asked us to read to her book after book. She started reading by herself in her bedroom when she was 15 months old (that was the earliest photo I got). She is two-and-a-half right now. She “reads” to her three months old sister a lot. It was so cute!
LikeLike
June 23, 2020 at 9:52 pm
Wow, we have a lot in common. My grandson (he is 6) reads to his sister and brother. I love seeing him do that. When they are here, we read a lot together, but also play and do crafts etc. I love spending time with them.
LikeLike
June 23, 2020 at 10:26 pm
I used to visit Autumn once month for her first year then every six weeks in her second year. I wish to do the same at least every six weeks, but have to wait until the pandemic dies down. They are 1000 miles away. I live in California and they live in Oregon.
LikeLike
June 24, 2020 at 7:14 am
I am lucky, my son and his family live about 20 minutes away. I see them once or twice each week. During the pandemic when we only talked via technology, it was tough. I now understand how grandparents who live far from their grandchildren feel. I am truly blessed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 24, 2020 at 4:23 pm
Yes, you’re blessed with your son and his family living so close by.
I wish for the same but my husband and I are used to the warm and sunny weather. My back and elbows are sensitive to the cold air.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 1, 2020 at 1:29 pm
Your blog is lovely. I am going through your posts and adding books to my list of things to read. I have encountered so many books from you that I would otherwise never have known about. I am currently reading “Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keefe (which I think you would probably enjoy), and afterwards plan to read from my finds on your pages, starting with “Salt to the Sea” and “Between Shades of Gray”.
LikeLike
March 1, 2020 at 3:14 pm
I am happy that you have found some books that interest you. Both of those you selected are excellent and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
LikeLike
January 24, 2020 at 11:35 am
Hi there! Do you have a social media presence (Facebook or Instagram)?
LikeLike
January 24, 2020 at 6:04 pm
No, I do have twitter, but not facebook or instagram.
LikeLike
October 25, 2019 at 4:32 am
Hi Carla, I see from the Secret Library Book Blog comments that you’re interested in my Spirits novels. Would you like to review them on your blog? I will happily send free download codes. My contact details are on About Me at robkeeley.co.uk. Many thanks! Rob Keeley
LikeLike
March 26, 2019 at 12:23 pm
This is a fantastic platform you’ve created here to review books. I am amazed by what I’ve read so far, I’m glad I can keep coming back to read more. Have a blessed day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 11:20 am
Carla, Thank you for your wonderful review today of THE PLUNGE! You captured the essence of the story and how Aggie and Sam are catapulted by what happened here to the next chapter in their lives. Thank you for hosting me on your site!
Nancy G. West (and Aggie Mundeen)
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 12:42 pm
You are very welcome Nancy. I enjoyed the Aggie Mundeen mysteries so am looking forward to seeing where she goes next.
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 24, 2018 at 1:43 pm
My name is David Belau and I have a short story I’d love for you to review.
It’s called The Demon Hunter. I can send you a free Kindle copy if you’d like to review it.
https://davidbelau.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Demon-Hunter
https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Hunter
LikeLike
December 24, 2018 at 11:04 pm
I have so many commitments right now, I think I will have to pass. Sorry.
LikeLike
December 26, 2018 at 12:23 pm
Okay, thank you!
-Dave
LikeLike
September 2, 2018 at 10:58 am
Hi Carla,
I participated in the children’s Readathon as well and I wanted to ask if you’d be available and or interested in reviewing my early chapter book Cleo’s Big Ideas: One Thing Leads to Another published by Eifrig Publishing. You can view it on Goodreads. Let me know, I’d be happy to forward you a dropbox or hard- copy. Best, Jan
LikeLike
September 2, 2018 at 2:30 pm
I would give it a go. You can send me a dropbox copy if that works. Email is carlajohnsonhicks@gmail.com
LikeLike
July 3, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Hi Carla, I noticed you just started following my blog and now I’m following yours. Nice to meet you! I’m also wondering if you might be interested in reviewing my new book (published in May, 2018). I’m not sure if it’s the kind of book you’d normally read, but since you’re following my blog, which the book is based on, I thought you might enjoy reading it. My book seems to be vaguely similar in sensibility to “A Dog’s Way Home.” It’s called, “Over the Hill on the Yellow Brick Road.” Any thoughts? Cathi
LikeLike
July 3, 2018 at 12:10 pm
I actually just read a review on your book that Jay did and that was why I started following you. He spoke very highly about your blog. Sure, I would love to read and review your book. I enjoy different things. If you want to send me an ecopy that would be great.
LikeLike
July 3, 2018 at 5:13 pm
That would be fantastic! Thank you so much! Is there a specific email address I should send the ebook to? Also, through that email address can we converse about the details?
LikeLike
July 4, 2018 at 12:16 pm
I sent you an email message.
LikeLike
March 7, 2018 at 1:15 pm
Hi Carla! I was going to message you the tips for Edelweiss, but couldn’t find you on Goodreads. Are you a member? or do you have another email acct?
LikeLike
March 7, 2018 at 1:40 pm
Yes, I am on Good reads. Carla Johnson-Hicks. Thanks Holly.
LikeLike
September 1, 2016 at 3:56 am
Thanks Carla.
My daughter is reading “President of the Fifth Grade” and “The Magnificient Maya Tibbs” by Crystal Allen
LikeLike
July 11, 2016 at 3:07 am
Hi! I nominated you to do the Book Buying Habits Tag. 🙂 https://bookhuntressworld.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/bookish-tag-book-buying-habits-tag/
LikeLike
July 1, 2016 at 4:49 pm
I do a weekly post on my blog about bloggers. I would love to interview you and feature you. If you’re interested, please let me know. I love your blog.
LikeLike
July 10, 2016 at 5:31 pm
I am not sure if it is really a blog or just a place where I review books but I would love to be featured on your blog. Thank-you, let me know what you need me to do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
July 10, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Great, I’ll send you interview questions that you can respond to. When I have the questions, I’ll need to know where to send them.
LikeLike
June 21, 2016 at 11:14 pm
You’re nominated! I’ve picked you for a Liebster Award if you’re interested. https://t.co/2kicJPv6CX
LikeLike