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Yes - it's true! Shirley Marr has packed her suitcases and is now catching the next unicorn outta here!

So as such, this will be my very last post and I will be online for a few days to field any responses and just to round things off.

There has been a singular incident which has made me make this decision, but as my mantra has always been "Keep it classy (BB)", I decline to publicly divulge any details. Just know that it definitely did not occur on Goodreads itself and was definitely not caused by any member of Goodreads.

The incident did make me think about the nature of authors using Goodreads as reviewers and although I have no problem with this concept - and I suspect many of you don't have an issue with me doing so either - I am after all, part of the "industry" and it be best that I commit 100% to being on that particular side and no longer blur the boundary.

But my time here was incredibly fun and I will miss all my friends, especially the little Aussie contingent, the group of "Moll Dolls". Just wipe a tear away then. Silly Shirley.

Do understand one thing:

Two years ago, I sat on the panel on the topic of social media at a writers festival and I publicly denounced Goodreads to a sold-out room that included bloggers, industry insiders and members of the media. Yes! I denounced Goodreads! I said that Goodreads scared me, the members scared me, the reviews scared me and I would never touch it with a barge pole.

Later on… back on the ranch... I decided that I needed to face my fears and understand why "peoplz were so meanz" so I joined Goodreads as a Goodreads Author and I got down to business. I don't know what I expected. To put on my David Attenborough and prove that the site was full of savages I suppose.

But instead, the very first few people I friended (which incidentally turned out to be the Aussies) were really nice, made me feel so welcome and were actually... wait for it... in it for the books. YES. They didn't get paid, they did it for the love. If they loved a book they shouted it from the rafters and they didn't receive the salary of a publicist, while doing something utterly more priceless. And once in a while there's a bung book so they just say it because dammit, they're entitled to that too.

As I forced myself into the shoes of a reviewer, I surprisingly found myself understanding "how things worked" and one day - I finally understood it. I "got it". I got the whole freedom of speech thing, I wanted to write smartass entertaining reviews, I wanted to be truthful and…

OMG I THINK I FOUND MYSELF!!11!! I r a reviewerz! Gah! Are my author friends going to think I am a traitor? (as it turned out, I had none, so that was an easy question to answer. And regardless, the answer turned out to be yes).

I don't care if people give me one or two stars anymore! (especially if they are as cute as this one. Aww). At the beginning I only wanted to rate books 3 stars and above. I found that this is IMPOSSIBLE. Full stop. So I quite naturally, through the process, evolved into a reviewer that gave anything from one to five stars.

If only every author did what I did, then they would understand Goodreads as well as I finally understood it. And if I was ever invited back on that writers festival panel I would say that not only would I touch Goodreads, I would touch it all over in a completely tasteful way.

I've learnt a lesson. I hope that I've been a good author and taught you that there's hope for "us" yet.

So thanks for the memories. I'm kinda proud I'm leaving Goodreads on a sweet note, on my own terms and not because I'm running off on a criez or being forced out (is that a first?)

If I could go back in time and do it all over? Yes. Yes. YES

I won't delete this account. I might come back in a year or so if I have a new book to do a write up on. But I will no longer be an active member. I will leave all my reviews intact for posterity and if you read and like them, then I thank you in advance.

Lastly: I got interviewed here and referred to myself as the David Bowie of YA (LOL). Anyway, you remember how he killed off Ziggy and everyone thought it was the end? Well, David Bowie is more than just Ziggy Stardust. I'll leave you with that thought ;)

To shamelessly quote myself -

"This is not goodbye; this is just see you later. So I say see you for now. I just don't know how soon is now. I sit in the middle and I wait."

I love youse all!