It always catches me by surprise, that annual notification from WordPress informing that yet another year has passed. As of yesterday, May 31, 2025, roughghosts is eleven years old.
Each anniversary leaves me a little bemused. After all, this modest corner of the internet was birthed at the height of a major manic episode—one that would end my career and fundamentally change my life. And although I created this blog with the vague notion that it might offer a space for my own writing, I could not have imagined where it would be eleven years on. It has not only become a place in which I write, primarily about books, but an avenue to writing and editing for online journals.
I have found that I find writing about books very rewarding, but am bemused by the ongoing complaints about a lack of book reviews, especially of titles published by smaller independent publishers. For some reason, book blogs don’t count. (Personally I prefer to describe roughghosts as a “literary site” because of this stigma even though I do not have a problem with the other designation.). My intention with the majority of the reviews I publish is to maintain the same practice I was first exposed to when I was invited to contribute to Douglas Glover’s late great journal Numéro Cinq. They are the same principles that I have preached when invited to speak about reviewing to others, and relied upon as Criticism Editor for 3:AM Magazine.
Basically, my goal is to fashion a piece that is well-written and entertaining, that attempts to open up a way into a text for a potential reader (especially with books that may be more complex or unconventional) and that aims to call attention to what is interesting about it. In a longer (2500+ word) piece for publication elsewhere, I will take this aspect to a greater depth, but for my blog I am generally aiming for a simpler, shorter (less than 1500 word) review. Most critically, I try to stay out of my reviews as much as possible unless I have a very good reason to share a little of my own experience or a particularly personal perspective. As Doug Glover would say—I try to limit the “I” statements. You are still reading my reaction, of course, and at times my enthusiasm is palpable, but I always want to leave a text, especially one that raises more questions than answers, open for a reader to explore on their own. I may have very strong feelings about what is really happening, or what something really means, but my specific opinions to that end have no place in a review. That kind of response is for a book club or a conversation with a bookish friend over coffee. However, I do occasionally allow myself to be more present when I am writing what I describe as a “response” to a book—typically one where I know the author fairly well, in person or virtually—or where my own lived experience strongly colours my reading of particular work.
I also tend to spend a ridiculous amount of time writing most of the reviews on my site, regardless of how long they might be. It can take me days to complete a piece, much of that time spent spinning my wheels trying to find the best way to frame my approach. Then, when I finally find my footing it rarely takes less than six to eight hours of focused writing, often a lot more to complete a post. So, I’m a slow reader and an even slower writer. My productivity is not high (I like to imagine it’s quality over quantity) and when life gets complicated, as it does from time to time, it’s even lower. But between reading, writing about books, and editing essays for Minor Literature[s], I am quite content with this blogging life. It has introduced me to so many interesting, intelligent people, opened unexpected opportunities to travel, and, of course, led me to so many wonderful writers, translators, and publishers—not to mention more books that I will ever have time to read.
And now, on to year twelve!
roughghosts 
one of my favourite book sites! Here’s to year 12!
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Many thanks, Theresa. In turn I always enjoy your essays and reflections.
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First off, congratulations Joe! A real achievement (and I’m always exactly the same when my blog anniversary comes around, I can never remember when it is!). And you make some good points, I feel. There is still a snobbery about book blogs, but that’s where I get most of my recommendations from and where I look for the interesting books, the ones from smaller or indie presses. I guess people are just lazy and can’t be bothered to look very far for that kind of coverage. I enjoy writing about the books I’ve read, but I also love to interact with other booklovers via their blogs, so that’s still a win for me.
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Thanks, Karen. I do love the unique evolution of individual book blogs and the way their creators can explore their own interests. And I’ve certainly picked up more than a few books on your recommendation over the years!
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Congratulations on another year of blogging Joseph! Yours is one of the book blogs I read most consistently and I agree that blogs are the place to find reviews of small and indie press books. I’m so not surprised that your carefully crafted reviews take so long to write and appreciate the time you take. Here is to many more years!
Jo
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Thank you, Jo. It is always good to know that the hours I invest are appreciated. 🙂
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Congratulations on 11 years – I must admit, it feels like it should be longer as your blog seems like a permanent part of my reading! I appreciate how much time you spend crafting your reviews – it certainly shows. Unfortunately I don’t have the patience!
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Thanks, Grant. Your blog is likewise very vital to my book related reading. As for my attention to writing reviews, I suspect it is where I have settled having once desired to write a book but found my own creative release writing about books instead!
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And we are the fortunate ones, to have had your literary company for so long. I understand the frustration at times – that the posts that have taken the longest to craft are not necessarily the ones that get most views, but I’m terms of quality you are certainly one of my favourites.
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Thanks so much, Marina!
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I join the others here in expressing gratitude and admiration and in good wishes for a rewarding twelfth year, but I also hope you’re aiming for another twelve years, which would probably feel as though they’ve passed just as quickly as these twelve have! 🙂
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Well, I’ll be 65 this year, so I’ll take it five years at a time!
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Congratulations on eleven years! Roughghosts is terrific because you are such a good writer, Joe. P.S. I’m glad to find another slow writer.
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Thanks for your kind words, Terry. I have come to accept that it’s okay to give a review the time it requires—and also to take a few days to sit with the book before even beginning to write. I used to put much more pressure on myself which didn’t really speed anything up at all.
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Congratulations, indeed – and I’m impressed you can spend so much time writing! I certainly wouldn’t be able to focus on one post for that long…
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Thanks, Tony. I used to force the writing, not wanting to move on to the next book until i was finished. Now I wait a few days before beginning to think about a review and, even then, I tend to chip away at it over a few more days until it flows. I think I do it for my own writing practice as for my blog.
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Happy 11th anniversary! I love your writing and found many gems here. Hope you have the energy to continue and enjoy it. I see it’s also a milestone birthday year so even more cheers and confetti 🎉
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Thank you, Kate. And yes, another milestone lies ahead.
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