Hi there,
and welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m Eli – bookish artist, fantasy lover, and chronic daydreamer.
This space has been growing quietly in my mind for a while now. A home for the things I love most: magical stories, ink-stained sketchbooks, characters who stay with you long after the final page, and the creative mess that happens when you mix them all together.
Things you can expect to find here:
- Bookish art inspired by the stories I read (and obsess over)
- Thoughts on fantasy tropes, cozy reads, underrated gems, and beautiful editions
- Behind-the-scenes of my creative process – sketches, work in progress, and finished illustrations
Whether you’re here for the books, the art, or the blend of both – I’m so glad you stopped by.
Welcome to Blend by Eli.
(PS, if you are looking for my coding related geekyness you’ll find my blog on acupof.dev, and code samples and stuff on GitHub)
How I Rate Books
I like to keep my reviews positive and focused on what I enjoy, so here’s a quick breakdown of how I rate the books I read:
5 stars – I loved it. The story hit all the right notes for me and was exactly what I needed in the moment. Whether it was the characters, the world-building, the writing style, or just how it made me feel — it was a perfect fit.
4 stars – A really solid read! I still enjoyed it a lot, but it might have been missing that tiny spark or emotional punch to make it a full five-star for me. Still something I’d happily recommend.
3 stars – It was okay. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it either. It might work better for other readers, depending on their tastes or what they’re in the mood for.
2 or 1 star – You won’t find reviews for books I didn’t enjoy. Writing a book is an incredible achievement, and just because a story wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be perfect for someone else. I don’t want to discourage readers or authors with negative reviews. (That said, if you’re curious, I do still rate books on Goodreads — I just keep my reviews reserved for books I connected with.)
View all my reviews on GoodReads | Follow me on instagram