1. Who are you?

I'm C. I fell into scifi when I was 13 and found in the attic boxes full of 1960s scifi novels my dad had read in his youth. The next year, I read by chance The Lord of the Rings. I've been hopelessly addicted ever since.
I've also been a guest book blogger for Black Girl Nerds from May 2017 until April 2018.

2. When do you publish your reviews?

The reviews are published on an irregular basis, though I aim to publish between one and three reviews a month. But life, work and the universe often get in the way.

3. How come my (hateful) comment doesn't show up?

Comments are closed, having neither the time nor the inclination to moderate them. I do believe in freedom of speech. I also do believe that while freedom of speech entails your right to spout whichever you like it also entails my right to not read nor spread your hateful views. But feel free to open your own blog and take your opinions there. Or, as Angry Salmond would put it...

4. Are you paid by authors / publishers for your reviews? Because you mostly say nice things.

I choose to only review the books I've liked.
If I receive a free copy from a publisher, it is freely given without the obligation to review the book on The Middle Shelf and a disclaimer is written at the end of the review. My book review policy is here.

5. I like the art at the top of the page. Where does it come from?

The one on the left is by Albert Robida, a 19th century French illustrator, the one on the right is by Joshua Mays. Do I really need to explain the middle one?

6. Why is your blog called The Middle Shelf?

I read once Juliet McKenna describing herself as a "middle shelf writer" and I realised then that I was a middle shelf reader.
I tend to steer clear of the the little spindly table with towers of books (because I'll knock it down and it's either filled with books that fit the particular sub-genre that recently made it into the mainstream - novels tend to become too formulaic for my taste when that happens - or with authors I already follow, so nothing new, move along). The back shelf has all the classics (I've already read most of them, thank you) or some really niche sub-genres I'm not into.
So, yes I'm definitely a middle shelf kind of reader, that's where I find real gems and that's those I want to share about.

7. What is your editorial line?

• I review only science fiction and fantasy novels, sometimes but rarely horror novels (for my scale of horror, please check here). I don't review romance at all even if it has a scifi or fantasy setting.
• I only review books I've liked, but my opinion may be nuanced.
• Before 2020, I followed a strict personal guideline of alternating reviews between books written by women writers (including trans women) and books written by men writers (including trans men). Reviews of books by non binary/intersex+ writers were inserted between reviews by women/men writers if they publicly identified as NB/intersex+ (please contact me if I've missed it). As of 2020, I review regardless of the writer's gender (or non-gender) since my own personal tastes make it quite easy to find a book written by a woman or a queer person that I like.
  
• As of 2016, at least a quarter of the reviews per calendar year are about books by writers of colour, not including the reviews in the collections. As of 2017, it is a third.
• I don't follow at the moment any personal guideline about QUILTBAG writers and/or characters (QUeer-Intersex-Lesbian-Trans-Bi-Ace/Aro-Gay) but I tend to favour diverse books and many books reviewed here have QUILTBAG characters though it may not be apparent in the review, unless if it's relevant to the point I'm trying to make.
  
• I don't review indie writers.

8. Are there any spoilers in the reviews?

Never.

9. DO YOU HAVE A PATREON?

Wow! Are you seriously considering giving me money? Then no, thank you. I can afford hosting the blog and the domain name. But do me a favour instead: buy the books I review and support the authors. They are usually all very nice and talented people and they rarely make a living out of their writing.