Who Literal Dad is
First of all, thanks for taking your time to come to my site! I know all too well how extremely limited our time is. The fact that you are sharing some of that time with me is an absolute honor.
My name is Blake Tolliver. Online I go by 'Literal Dad'. I have only recently started thoroughly enjoying reading. I started what I would call 'habitually' reading in 2023 shortly after I read Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book had a profound impact on my life and how I decide to spend my time.
As for the 'Dad' part - I have quite a few kids in my house. I have two children of my own, and four nieces and nephews - so SIX kids total (and they're all under 13!!).
What LiteralDad.com IS
This is a passion project of mine. I really enjoy not only reading books but also writing about how they make me feel. I think reflecting on what I read is a critical part of committing the information to memory and fully processing my thoughts and feelings.
That being said, I'm relatively new to writing reviews, so please consider that when reading.
What LiteralDad.com is NOT
This is NOT a hype machine where books get high ratings because someone sent me a free copy. I'm not here to 'aura farm', and I will never promote a book I wouldn't genuinely recommend to a close friend.
I'm NOT worried about the latest BookTube trends and I likely won't be reading the new hot thing every time it comes out. I'm a busy Dad with a full time job and plenty of other commitments. This is a way for me to be creative and relax, not feel pressured to perform.
My site is NOT meant to be objective or 'the final word' - we might disagree and that's ok! My reviews are meant to feel more personal than calculated. If you're looking for prose dissection and comprehensive breakdowns of symbolism, I'm sad to say this isn't the right site for you. I'm simply a regular Dad who likes to read, think, and share my thoughts.
My promise to you, the reader
I will never use AI to write my thoughts for me - the words on these pages are 100% authentically from my brain. In the spirit of transparency, I have and will continue to use AI to help with site formatting and coding. Unfortunately this is necessary due to my current skill levels and time constraints.
I will never allow a publisher, author, or invested party to influence my opinion of a book or other product. Honesty is a dying value in our world, and far too many people are influenced by monetary gain. This isn't my primary form of income, and likely never will be - even if it does I will continue to keep this promise.
Thank you
If you've made it this far down the about page, I would like to commend you for having more attention span than most. Thank you for showing interest, and thank you again for visiting my site.
If you have any questions, if you just want to talk, or if you would like to collaborate on a project, please use the contact form.
Sincerely,
Blake Tolliver AKA - THE Literal Dad