Tag Archives: BBAW

BBAW: Future treasures

Posted on September 17, 2010 | 19 Comments

We’ve nearly reached the end of Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010! Today’s prompt asks: “share what you enjoyed about BBAW and also what your blogging goals are for the next year!“

Although I’ve been more than a little overwhelmed at a number of points this week (This thing is huge, y’all!), I’ve enjoyed BBAW immensely.

But first, I wanted to answer yesterday’s prompt, since I didn’t yesterday. A book that I love, that I feel deserves more attention: Lying Awake by Mark Salzman [my review]. While I haven’t been nearly as impressed with the other Salzman books I’ve read, this one was fantastic. But OK, enough of that. Back to today’s topic.

In particular, I’ve enjoyed:

  • Seeing the immensity of the book-blogosphere anew.
  • Finding more than a few fabulous new-to-me blogs to add to my Google Reader. (Not too many, Honey, I promise!)
  • Getting to know a few bloggers a bit better, by reading their interviews, for example.
  • My husband getting in on the action by designing a fun BBAW mascot.
  • Knowing I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed by this thing.

And now for the other half of that prompt.

Goals

  • In October:
    • New theme (I’ve got it all picked out, I just need to take the time and implement it.)
    • New buttons, etc., to go along with it.
  • ASAP:
    • New medallion, and a post explaining it.
    • Reading Manifesto (finish, polish, publish)
  • Ongoing (but I haven’t told you about it yet, and still relatively new):
    • Be more open, vulnerable, real.

I realize some of this may be cryptic, and I promise that isn’t my intention. I want to write posts as I roll out these new things, and if I explained it all here, this post would be entirely too long to read (or write!) at the end of a very long week. So, I guess if it’s cryptic, that’s the way it’ll have to be. For now.

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small commission on sales through my affiliate links.

→ 19 Comments

Posted in blogging, WordLily

Tagged

BBAW: Unexpected Treasure

Posted on September 15, 2010 | 14 Comments

Today’s prompt for Book Blogger Appreciation Week: “Share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?”

I always feel bad, or at least a little guilty, when I try to answer this prompt (and others like it). I’m not one of those bloggers who has picked up a book from a genre she’s totally opposed to on the sole basis of another blogger’s recommendation. Does that mean I shouldn’t be answering the question? I think I’m still justified.

One book I picked up because of a blogger: Wounded: A Love Story by Claudia Mair Burney. It’s one of my faves of the whole year, and I probably wouldn’t even have heard of this author if it hadn’t been for My Friend Amy — and now I’m seeking out her entire back list.

But. It’s a book I would have totally read. Although I likely wouldn’t have found it apart from this (Alas).

Others:

So, I do read books based on bloggers’ recommendations.

On a larger scale, perhaps I’m stubborn. Or cautious. Just slow?

I am definitely ready to explore more young adult literature, and this is largely because of book bloggers. It’s taken me a long time to get this far, though. Hopefully the rest of the journey won’t be nearly as long.

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small commission on sales through my affiliate links.

→ 14 Comments

Posted in blogging, books

Tagged , ,

BBAW interview swap: Rachel from Under a Star-Studded Sky

Posted on September 14, 2010 | 21 Comments

This is, I think, my favorite part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week: The book blogger interview swap! This year I’m pleased to interview Rachel Star from Under a Star Studded Sky (@UnderAStarSS). She’s a teenager from England, and she blogs mostly about young adult (YA) books.

Word Lily: Under a Star Studded Sky is actually your second blog. Tell us about your first blog and why you decided to ditch it and start afresh.

Rachel Star: Well, I discovered book blogging in June ’09 and I started my own blog pretty much straight away. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I didn’t do it very well! I then moved house in October ’09 and I lost my internet, and then I was very distracted by other events that were happening in my life at the time, and I felt that it wasn’t fair to just leave it, so I closed it down. Then, in January ’10, I started Under A Star Studded Sky, with a three month break between March and June, where I focused on my GCSE exams, and I feel as though I know so much more about what I’m doing now, although of course, I’m not claiming to be an expert!

Word Lily: What’s the origin / meaning of your blog name, Under a Star Studded Sky?

Rachel Star: I love the sky. I think it’s beautiful, especially at night, when the stars are out, and I find it fascinating; astrophysics/cosmology is something that I find incredibly interesting. And right now, I’m sitting at the window, Under A Star Studded Sky.

Word Lily: I love that! You just moved and were away from the internet for a couple weeks. What did you miss most?

Rachel Star: OK, this is going to sound awful, and teenagerish, but Facebook and Msn. I wasn’t at college, and I didn’t have a phone signal and I couldn’t chat to people, or arrange to meet up with them, which made me feel very isolated, to be honest. It’s kind of scary how much I depend on it, and it’s made me much more grateful for it!

Word Lily: What do you do when you’re not reading/blogging?

Rachel Star: Books are a pretty big part of my life, but the other stuff that helps keep me busy includes climbing, studying, volunteering and acting, as well as the occasional bit of cooking and looking after my newly acquired bonsai tree (I’ve named it Beryl. It was house-warming gift).

Word Lily: Why did you start blogging? What keeps you blogging?

Rachel Star: Well, I happened to chance across a book blog, and I thought, this person is like me; they read. A lot. And then I found loads, this massive linked up community of people all reading, and it just seemed the sort of thing that I’d love to be part of. And I was right; I love it.

Word Lily: That’s awesome. Tell us about a bookish pet peeve.

Rachel Star: SEQUELS THAT AREN’T CLEARLY MARKED AS SUCH. Gosh, that really, really annoys me.

Word Lily: Oh, ugh. Me too. Turning your hardest question back to you: What’s the first book you can remember reading, or having read to you?

Rachel Star: Agreed, that’s a pretty hard question! I guess the first book I can remember being able to read on my own would be a book called The Giant Jam Sandwich. It might not have been the first, but it’s the one I remember the most. It was awesome, about this town that was plagued by wasps, so created an enormous jam sandwich to trap them.

Word Lily: Describe your perfect/ideal book (genre, length, characters, setting, etc.).

Rachel Star: About 500 pages, completely gripping plot, not too many characters and beautiful writing style, would be the ingredients for my ideal book, I think. But so often I am surprised and pleased by books that I read for review purposes, ones that are perhaps different to what I might normally read, that I don’t really have any definitive “recipe” for an amazing book.

Word Lily: Thanks so much, Rachel, for being my BBAW interview swap partner! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you a little.

To see Rachel’s interview of me, visit her blog: http://underastarstuddedsky.blogspot.com.

→ 21 Comments

Posted in blogging

Tagged , ,

BBAW 2010: First Treasure

Posted on September 13, 2010 | 22 Comments

Yay! Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010 is finally underway, and I’m thrilled! As part of the festivities (in addition to tons of giveaways and awards and just general book blogging frivolity) there are specific blogging prompts for each day this week.

Today’s prompt asks us all “to share with us about a great new book blog you’ve discovered since BBAW last year! [If you are new to BBAW or book blogging, share with us the very first book blog you discovered.] Tell us why this blog rocks your socks off and why you keep going back for more.”

    The Lost Entwife
    Why do I love this Lydia’s blog?

  • She a Nebraska fan, for starters.
  • She’s incredibly prolific in her reading and blogging.
  • She’s emboldening me, I think, to stretch that reading comfort zone in a direction I’ve wanted to for quite awhile now but haven’t quite managed thus far. (fantasy and young adult, mainly)
  • Plus, how could I not love her blog, with the great Lord of the Rings reference to the Entwives, I ask you?!?!

I could list several more here, but the rules request a singular response, not a whole list. So I’ll stop there. What new (to you) book blog(s) are you loving right now?

To learn about the blogs others are raving about today, visit Book Blogger Appreciation Week headquarters.

→ 22 Comments

Posted in blogging, books

Tagged ,

BBAW registration

Posted on July 6, 2010 | 3 Comments

I always look forward to Book Blogger Appreciation Week for months beforehand, and this year is no exception. This year’s awards process is a bit different than in years past, but I think the changes are for the best. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to register, in the Best Spiritual, Inspirational or Religious Book Blog niche.

Best Spiritual, Inspirational, or Religious Book Blog — This blog features the best consistently excellent reviews, recommendations, analyses and other content on books that address a life of faith. This blog is not necessarily associated with an organized religion and may discuss either fiction or nonfiction books.

My posts for consideration:

Have YOU registered yet? There’s not much time left!

→ 3 Comments

Posted in blogging, books

Tagged ,

BBAW: Book discovery

Posted on September 17, 2009 | 10 Comments

BBAW09_Celebrate_BooksToday’s writing prompt for Book Blogger Appreciation Week asks us to “blog about a book you read only because you discovered it on another book blog. Preferably, this will be a book you loved! You might also write a bit about the blog you discovered it on!”

This seems appropriate. But also hard. Other book blogs have enriched my life in countless, innumerable ways. It’s difficult to express how, and so it’s tempting to not try. That’s why this post wasn’t drafted ahead of time. But, I’ve convinced myself, I must try (I’m avoiding a Yoda quote here). Thus:

• I read In the Deep Midwinter by Robert Clark based on the recommendation of author Sara Zarr. While I didn’t love it, I hadn’t heard of the book or the author elsewhere, and the writing was gorgeous. My life was enriched by reading this book.

• I read and loved The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash after reading about it on (and winning it from!) Natasha’s Maw Books Blog.

• I’m sure bloggers played a role in me picking up (finally!) the Harry Potter series last year, for the first time. And since then, I’ve committed to reading the whole series again.

• I know bloggers played a part in me picking up The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last year, but I don’t remember who exactly.

• And, of course, I can’t forget the blogger push on behalf of Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart. I’d been reading her blog for months (at least) when the book was released, and I loved Kephart’s voice, but My Friend Amy and Lenoreva were really the impetus for me reading this excellent book. I loved it. I’m still on the hunt for more Kephart.

There are more. But I must stop here.

Thank you, readers. Thank you, bloggers.

→ 10 Comments

Posted in blogging, books

Tagged , ,

BBAW reading meme

Posted on September 16, 2009 | 8 Comments

BBAW09_Celebrate_BooksToday’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week prompt is in the form of a meme:

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Actually, I don’t look up unfamiliar words I read immediately. I’m now in the habit of writing them down, along with the page number and part of speech, in a notebook I keep with my current read. Once I’ve finished the book, I create a blog post with all the new words, and it’s then I look them up. Words from my reading is a regular feature here (on Wednesdays), and I’ve also created a page with all the words from my past Words posts. The process of writing them down, typing them, looking them up, typing the sentence containing the word, etc., I hope helps me learn and remember all the new vocabulary I garner from my reading. Otherwise, I haven’t really garnered them, have I?

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

I’m pretty much a one-book-at-a-time girl. I have thought recently, though, that I could perhaps manage a nonfiction, a fiction, and a poetry title all at once. I bet the time spent on each would be pretty uneven (weighted toward the fiction, naturally), but it may help me read more (and incorporate a bit more nonfiction and poetry into my reading) — instead of a lull between books, I envision that I’d be able to step from the finished fiction title into the nonfiction title, at least for a little while, rather than the brief but bewilderingly frequent break between books. Is this how those of you with multiple reads manage it? Or do you, like me, mostly read only one book at a time?

→ 8 Comments

Posted in blogging, books, word, WordLily

Tagged , ,

BBAW interview swap: Meet Nora St.Laurent

Posted on September 15, 2009 | 6 Comments

BBAW09_Celebrate_BooksAs part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I interviewed fellow blogger Nora St.Laurent and she interviewed me.

Nora, of Finding Hope Through Fiction and Beyond, has been running two book clubs for the Christian bookstore she works at for nearly 3 years. She also helps run the ACFW online book club. She enjoys writing a book club column for the Christian Fiction online Magazine. Everyone other month she interviews book club leaders. She writes book reviews that regularly appear on Novel Reviews. “I’m all about book clubs — as if you couldn’t tell,” she said.

bbaw_interview_swap

Without further ado, here’s my interview with Nora:

1. How did you get started with book blogging, Nora? Why do you blog?

I originally started a blog so that I could share pictures from several author visits that we had at book club. I thought a blog would be a great way to share them, and the ladies could comment on the photos, etc. Soon after starting my blog I discovered two book alliances. My blogging changed dramatically after joining these groups. I was exposed to a wide variety of books and authors. What a great tool for the book club selection process.

This year I started doing author interviews. I interview the authors in a book club style. The authors and my readers have had fun with the interviews I’ve done. Once the interview is complete I enjoy telling everyone about it being on my blog. I tell my friends on Facebook, Twitter, book club loop, and anyone else that will listen. Ha!

2. Has your taste in books changed since you started your blog? Do you read more genres than you did previously or do you specialize more?

I have to be honest with you I wasn’t a huge reader before starting book clubs and belonging to these book alliances. I’ve been on a very interesting quest to discover books and the authors that write them. I mostly read to find books that would make good book club selections. I’m checking out books that are fun, interesting, powerful and have something in them to discuss.

The book clubs I run read a variety of authors and book genres. My ladies have joined book club to broaden their horizons. They agree with me that variety is the spice of life. I also do not read sequels in my clubs. I have introduced the ladies to a series but we don’t take up book club time to read every single book in that series.

3. What’s your favorite thing about blogging? Do you have a least favorite thing about it?

I’ve enjoyed doing author interviews the most. It’s been fascinating to get to know the authors behind their books. What I enjoy the least are reading books under a deadline. I find it difficult to hurry up and read a book so I can review it and then post my review with the author blog tour. I like it when I have lots of time to read and review the book. This way I can enjoy the book and not rush through it.

4. What are the best books you’ve read so far this year?

I have a few books that have really touched my heart deeply this year:
• Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge (fun and funny)
• June Bug by Chris Fabry (powerful story of a father’s love for a child)
• If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky (one couple’s struggle with infertility)
• Vanish by Tom Pawlik (a very different story, powerful and moving story)
• Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner (a cozy mystery, filled with love, forgiveness and adventure).

I’ve read some of those books! 5. How do you feel about series books? Are you more or less likely to pick up a book that is part of a series?

I feel overwhelmed sometimes to sign up to read a series of books. I am deterred about reading the first book in a long series, for sure. Three books in a series is doable for me; anything longer than that I just won’t read. I’m less likely to pick up a book that is part of a series. I don’t want to be committed to something that long and/or buy that many books.

6. Where do you get most of your book recommendations? How important are reviews to you when you choose your reading material?

I belong to two book alliances and I work at a book store. Both alliances have the author’s first chapter included in the blog tour. I keep my eyes and ears open at work. When I see a book flying off the shelf or being frequently requested I pay attention and check it out. I really don’t take the time to read reviews often.

7. Do your family and friends know about your blog? What do they think of it?

Yes, my family and friends have checked out my blog. They even leave comments on my blog, especially when I have book giveaways. Ha! Ha!

8. If you had a $1,000 gift card to your favorite book store and only half an hour to spend it, which section of the store would you head to first?

Where I start in the store would be determine by what time of year I got the gift certificate. If it was right after Christmas, the first place I would go would be the children’s Christmas picture book section because they would be on sale. I love to read these books to my kids every year. After that I would go to the DVD section and then finally the cook book section. The books I read normally I can get at the library or borrow.

9. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or are you a multiple book reader?

I’m dyslexic so for me reading one book is absolutely essential for remembering what is inside. I can only enjoy and remember one book at a time. Not kidding! Ha! Ha!

10. Do you have any reading rituals (taking notes, favorite reading spot, etc.)?

I write book reviews and pre-read for the book clubs that I run. So I mark up my books in pencil so I can remember what parts to share with my ladies. I also mark parts that will help me with the book reviews that I write.

Thanks so much for swapping interviews with me, Nora! (You can check out my answers to Nora’s questions on her blog, http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com.)

→ 6 Comments

Posted in blogging

Tagged , ,