Hi! My name is Julie and I live in North Carolina with my husband and our two children ~ a 7 year old boy, C, and a 4 1/2 year old girl, M. I work full time as a marketing writer/editor and I love to read in my spare time. But as the mother of two young kids it's been hard to set the time aside for reading. So a few years ago, I joined my neighborhood book club and committed to reading at least one book each month.
In 2009, I decided I wanted to read even more. So I started My Book Retreat, as a place where I could go to immerse myself in books. At first, I reviewed the books that I read for book club and any other books I happened to find interesting. I also reviewed books that I read with my children ~ something I did previously on my "Mom" blog, Just Playin' Around.
But then I got my first offer for a free book from a publisher. I enjoyed it and realized what a great resource publicists, publishers and authors are. I love discovering new books, and with the help of many new contacts in the book world, I've been able to experience many books that I would never have found before.
I still balance my reading between books I am personally interested in reading, books I'm reading for book club, books my kids want me to read, and books I'm given for free to review. So far, it's been a nice balance and I intend to keep it that way. I hope you enjoy visiting me here at My Book Retreat!
