Something Almost Ruined CommonBookSense

Since the beginning of CommonBookSense, we have been using Google Drive for all of our post graphics and page headers. We worked very hard to get all of our graphics just how we liked them, we even color coded them!

A few days ago, Shell had to log out of the CommonBookSense email to check some personal things....and she noticed that our graphics weren't working. She asked about it and reloaded the page, still just broken image graphics. I just waved it off, saying that it sometimes does that. Some authors had brought it to our attention before and we just assumed that it was a glitch or slow internet because WE could always see them.

As it turns out, if your documents aren't shared with the people viewing the graphics, they can't see them. It appears as a broken image. The only way to get around this is to make a document with all the images you plan to (and ever will) use on your blog...unless you wish to download them, crop them, take up unnecessary space on your computer, and risk loosing the transparency that they may have. Ours always do because we sometimes like to change the background color, and our mobile template likes to act up. Luckily for us, most of our graphics are centralized on one document, which was actually done recently, but we still have to go through and put every drawing and image ever used on that document. Not only is it a major pain in the butt, it's quite discouraging to see that we put so much hard work into our graphics, but we were the only ones that can see them....

So, dear readers, authors, and fellow bloggers, if you ever want the convenience of Google Drive and Drawings to do your post graphics, make sure you make the file public.

We are SO, so sorry that you couldn't see our images. Please, comment below to tell us if you can see them.

~ Shell and Kailei

We have ask.fm!

We're going to be answering questions on ask.fm now! You can find us *here*.  You can ask your questions anonymously, if you'd prefer to. We'd love to hear from you! <3

One Year Of CommonBookSense

Hello, lovelies! Today is the day! We really don't have anything uber special planned, but we just wanted to pop in for a quick second to talk to you guys.

In case you didn't know (or see the massive header image), today marks one whole year of CommonBookSense! We really wish we would have saved pictures, so that we can show you just how much it's changed since that very first day.

We started CommonBookSense this time last year because Kailei had wanted to start a book blog for several months. She actually tried a few different blogging platforms before choosing our current one.  We did a minuscule amount of research before jumping in head first (and without floaties), so we had NO idea what we were doing…..But we  don't regret one single second.

Some people have asked us why we decided to start a blog, and why we chose this particular niche. Our answer has differed as a week turned to a month, turned to six months, turned to a year, but the basis has always stayed the same. We love to read. It's just something that really has always been a big part of our lives.

   Books offer you this great escape. You can sit down after having a bad day and become someone else for a few hours. You pour your heart into the words that are on the pages, and you always get something in return. We created CommonBookSense because we wanted to share our voice with the world. We always had so much to say about our latest read, but no one to really listen (besides each other)...So, we made a place where we could be heard.

Every day, we get to wake up and do what we love. We get to read. We get to virtually meet new people, and authors. We get to share our voice and our opinions with the world. We can make someone's day with just a few keystrokes. We get to build these amazing relationships with amazing authors and bloggers. We get to sit at our desk, every day, and make some kind of difference! We know we just sit behind a computer and type up a few sentences telling someone what we thought about their book, but it's bigger than that for us. Amazing opportunities have opened up  for us. We’ve gotten a VIP pass into this elusive world that authors live in.

     Authors, for us, have always been on this pedestal -- untouchable and distant -- no matter how much we loved or hated their book. Now, we get these emails from these people that we hold in such high regard, telling us that they really appreciate what we do here, what we've created, that it's people like US that help people like them [authors] get noticed. It's always so humbling for someone to tell you that you just made their day...You made their day, JUST by doing something you already love doing! That's what makes all of the stress, hair-pulling, and late-nights worth it.

There were a few times where  we almost gave up, but something always pulled us back to our computers. Reviews were slow coming, but not because we weren’t  reading, rather because we were trying to teach ourselves how to juggle real-life responsibilities, and  those that come with running a blog and getting it to function..That was until CommonBookSense became a  real-life, every day responsibility.

We're here for the long-run, no matter where our future takes us. We’ll  still be here, sitting behind this keyboard, when  Kailei starts college, or after Shell moves to the beach.. And we hope you guys will be here with us.

Here's to all the late night tutorials, the stress, the reviews, the new friendships, and most importantly, to you, our lovely readers.

You can see some of our favorite reviews and a few of our accomplishments below, if you feel like reading some more :)

We'll blog you later. ❤

We got over 10,000 views......IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS

We wrote and posted over 100 reviews

We posted a review every weekday in June

We received and accepted over 200 review requests (since September of last year)

We made over 2,000 Facebook friends (in the last six months)

Pedal by Louis K. Lowy (Shell)

A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain (Kailei)

Mother by Alistair and Cross (Shell)

Halversham by R.S. Anthony (Kailei)

The Room by Brian C. Cooper (Shell)

Mount Everest by Jim Meirose (Kailei)
I’m Not Your Baby by Joy Jennings (Shell)

Outspoken by Lora Richardson (Kailei)

In Vitro Lottery by Ed Ryder (Shell)

Titanborn by Rhett C. Bruno (Kailei)

Updates and Excuses...

Hey, guys! I feel like I should explain why there haven't been hardly any reviews this week...Monday and Tuesday I had doctors appointments for some health issues I've been having (nothing too serious), so they scheduled my appointments on Monday and Tuesday...Then they had a crazy hard time drawing my blood (They stuck me 5 times and sent me to two different places), and then I had to get some X-rays...so we were gone all day Tuesday. And then my new medicine makes me crazy dizzy..and I can't focus on books when I'm dizzy (unless I want to vomit..which I don't). And thennn Friday and today is because I've not been able to read (dizziness), as well as the fact that today's my sixteenth birthday! I don't FEEL sixteen, but ya know, it's kinda a big deal to some peoples.

We also have another guest author! She's currently reading a book to review for us...which is fun! She's a family member, so she's very reliable. You guys can expect to virtually meet her soonish!

Anywayysss, we made an author interview form, so we're going to have LOTS of author interviews coming up soon! Which is going to be SUPER fun. If you're an author you can find and answer those questions here.

Alsooo, if you're an author, we have a newsletter specifically for AUTHORS, which you can sign up for here. All you need is your email and your name! Super easy. You'll get emails that let you know when we're accepting cover reveal requests, giveaway 'requests', and other cool things we want to do that involves you guys! If you've sent us a review request, you're already on the list. If you're not comfortable clicking random links, go ahead and comment your email (or dm us on twitter or facebook) and we will manually add you! You can sign up for our normal newsletter, too. It just pops up on the blog.

Okay, anyway. I hope you guys have a lovely weekend!

I'll blog you lovelies later! <3

Some minor issues

Hello, lovelies! Our navigation menu is a little..okay, a lot broken right now, but we're working on fixing it. I have to sleep, so I'll get right back to working on it when I wake up tomorrow. I'm so sorry, guys,
Blog you later, lovelies,
Kailei

Updates

Hello, my loves.

I am so very sorry that you guys haven't had hardly any reviews this year. We were going to get back on schedule this week (Naomi's returned from trips, I was getting out of my reading funk, and Shell was finishing up some adult things), but I am terribly sick...and, as you may know, I'm the one that stands over everyone's shoulders, breathing heavily, with my eyes bugging out of my head saying "WRITE A REVIEW! DO IT!"and I haven't been able to do that this week. I've tried to be more active on our social media because it's rather thoughtless and I don't have to leave my bed or the bath to do it, but I'm the "lay in bed and try not to cry/puke" sick, so I haven't been on my phone much.

I have finished a book, and begun writing the review, but the more I type, the more I realize that I can't focus enough to write a sound review for you or the author. I'll try to get everyone back on schedule, whether I get better or not, but I can't say whether or not I'll be able to this week. And for that, I am very sorry. I feel like we had the perfect schedule up and then winter break had to go and ruin it! How unfair!

Before my sickness got VERY bad, Naomi and I were brainstorming some new blog segments for you guys, and talking about ways to make the blog even BETTER! We are very, very excited for the new year with you guys.

Anyway, when we get these new segments up and running, we will be sure to let you know!
I was also in the middle of updating some blog pages and other key things (before my stupid body decided it needed to make me feel dreadful), so you'll get to see that, as well!

I am very, very sorry about this, my lovelies, but I'll have to blog you later.

Add CommonBookSense on Snapchat!

Yay! You guys can now add us to your SC! How exciting.You guys will get updates on our reading progress and the such! We're under commonbooksense, so make sure to friend us!

My Thoughts on..The Fifth Wave Movie

My thoughts on...The Fifth Wave movie...


Hello, my lovely readers! I'm kinda back! I have been in a huge reading rut lately, but I think I have found a book to bring me back into the wonderful world of literature (Thanks to my boyfriend, who is making me read it). So yay!

Okay, before I start this, I must tell you that this is going to be a new segment on the blog. Instead of "Rant-a-Poluza" we're going to do this....mostly because we couldn't figure out anything to rant about, and also because this is a much, much broader thing ( i couldn't find the word), so we could talk about book covers, or movie adaptation, or anything. AnYwAy, let's get to it!

Alright, my dears, as you may know (i hope you know), I read and reviewed The Fifth Wave here on the blog...a while ago, actually, and i FREAKING LOVE IT! Oh my gosh, I'll link the review at the bottom of this post so you guys can read it.

I saw the movie this last Saturday, I went with my family -- both my parents, as well as my brother--and my boyfriend. And it was weird because it was very short, but it also dragged on a bit? If that makes ANY sense.

There were a few things that were just...wrong (i'd make a noise and Brian (boyfriend) would look at me and say "how wrong is it?"). And I felt like people watching it without reading the book would be slightly confused, as to what was happening, because you didn't get all of the little informational bits. Like when she stayed at Evan's for a while, or while they were in a refugee camp (And the adults died wrong (spoilers, sorry)), and you didn't get hardly any information at the military base. I just feel like it could have been a little better....My brother said it must have been a low-budget film, and, if it was, then they did a really good job.

Overall, it wasn't a bad movie, at all. It mostly stayed true to the book, which makes me a very happy person. If you haven't read the book, you really should, it was a VERY good book, as was the second one! I would recommend reading it before watching the movie because I watched Maze Runner before reading the book and it made the book not appealing to me when actually I attempted to read it (which, ik it makes me a horrible person, but what can ya do?)

The Fifth Wave book review

YAY UPDATES!
I hope you enjoyed that, and, if you did, please, please tell me. I don't wanna post things that you lovelies hate. It's OUR blog, so tell me!

I am going to update our navigation menu at the top, to make finding our extra little things slightly easier, so  stay tuned to that later today, perhaps (i have it coded already, I just need a few more pages made and things), but yes! Very excited for that! I'm reading a book that's short by my standards, right now, so you should see me with a review soon! Also! I GOT NEW BOOKS!! Yay! If you guys want us to show you when we get new books, let me know, because I'd love to show them to you guys! I love new books. Such beautiful, expensive little things.

I will blog you later, lovelies! Carpe Librum! <3

Updates

Hello, people of the interweb! I'm having trouble typing and spelling today..which is weird.
Anywhoo, I just wanted to update everyone on a few things...

RANDOM REVIEWS ARE A THING OF THE PAST, PEOPLE! WE HAVE A FREAKING SCHEDULE! Oh yEaH. This is great.

"Well, what's the schedule, Kailei?"

Yes! Don't you worry...I will tell you right now!......Every five days you guys will get either a review post OR a Rant Post....if we get out of these reading slumps faster, then we can post maybe twice a week....but not right now! Updates or little chitty-chat posts, or even Promo/Giveaways DON'T COUNT! You guys are some lucky lil internet ducks.  So, if you guys haven't been up to date on the blog, tomorrow will be the fifth day...which means you guys can expect a review tomorrow sometime! Yay! We've succeeded!

AUTHORS, LOOK HERE!!!!!

I am currently about two months behind on getting to review requests.....Which is really bad, I know. But, I swear that I open and read EVERY SINGLE email, and if we don't reply to you in about a month-ish, please feel free to email us again....It usually gives me a kickstart to get back to replying to reviews. It was just such a hassle to go back and forth between email and Smartsheet...and the Smartsheet expired, so I can't even TOUCH the document, so I was looking for a way to get all the requests organized and easy to update, but nothing was like smartsheet, and just..*rips luscious locks out*. Plus, I've always been someone that likes having a physical copy of things (I can always scan them in). Since I'm the one who replies to emails, I think it's what's best for me...which is typicaly how people make life decisions..

I have decided to move us to paper, which I know that sounds weird because people usually talk about doing the opposite... But yes. I will even have Naomi start helping me with the emails. I'm really sorry that you guys have been waiting for so long.

Why does the blog's navigation bar look so weird?!?!??!?!?!

Ahhhhh, yessss, that. Well, just yesterday, I wrote our Review Policy, and I felt that it needed to be up on the navigation bar........well.....that just ruined EVERYTHING! And....the blogger that I got the template and tutorial from is apparently doing blog maitenence......so yeah, everything is probably going to look like garbage, unless, by some miracle, I figure out how I messed it up so badly and fix it.....
...Yeah...it'll be messed up for a while..

*sigh* sO MuCh fOr ReaDinG tOdaY!

Blog you later, I guessssss. Gosh, I'm so annoyed.

We have BlogLovin!

Follow us on Bloglovin

I recently discovered BlogLovin'...and by recently, I mean late last night/this morning.... But, you guys should follow us on there! You'll get updates when we post and all those great things...

If anyone that looks at our blog actually HAS an account/blog, first, we'd LOVE to follow you, but we'd also love to hear any tips/tricks on how to actually USE BlogLovin'! (a.k.a Why aren't all of our blog posts showing up there?!)
I'm going to try to get Naomi, Shell, and Sophie set up on there with both the CBS account, as well as personal ones, because, let's be honest, it's pretty cool, and, on personal accounts, we can freely follow all of you guys!!

 I know that our content has been mostly updates and "Hey, look here"'s, but we're slowly getting the hang of it. We're not going to give up on CommonBookSense, and neither should you!

On a sidenote, if you're an author or publisher, and want us to review your book you can head over to our Review Policy! We'll gladly accept any requests!

Anywho, I'm off to Wonderland (I almost typed Neverland there, haha), I HOPE to finish my "currently reading" book today!

Blog you later, Lovelies!