I think I've drilled this into your heads already, but Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming up soon: September 14-18, 2009. Nominees for the various categories have been nominated and I love the excitement I see on twitter when people tweet what category they have been nominated for. The enthusiasm is overwhelming!
Well, Jenn's Bookshelf has been nominated for Best Reviews! I woke up to find the email waiting for me. I'm suprised, humbled, and honored! Thank you to whomever nominated me!
I also have to thank the awards committee that has been spending a tremendous amount of time sending out these notificiations. It's a lot of hard work, and we all appreciate your dedication to spreading the excitement about book bloggers!
So, I have until midnight tomorrow (Friday, August 21st) to come up with 5 posts that most reflect my blog and this category. It's going to be a lot of fun to go back and reflect over the posts I've done over the past year, and to see how much Jenn's Bookshelf has grown and matured.
Be sure to keep following the BBAW blog and be sure to vote for your favorite blogs! Voting starts Monday, September 7 and ends on September 12 at 11:59 PM EST.
Those that know me are aware of my obsession with thriller and horror fiction. Thrillfest is like my dream come true; the opportunity, according to Jon Land, Vice President of Marketing for ITW, to "mix and mingle with some of the biggest names in the business." But, alas, since I took time off to attend BEA in May, I can't take off any additional work time without experiencing intense feelings of guilt.
One of the highlights of the event is the coveted ThrillerMaster Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to the thriller genre. This year’s winner is noted author David Morrell, widely considered the “father” of the contemporary action novel with his 1974 debut First Blood (which introduced the character of Rambo to the world). The award celebrates Morrell’s amazing career, spanning 37 years and 28 novels published in dozens of languages across the globe.
The prestigious Silver Bullet Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in the encouragement of literacy and the love of reading, will be presented to the #1 New York Times bestselling suspense novelist Brad Meltzer (The Book of Fate).
Additional bestselling spotlight guests that will attend are last year’s ThrillerMaster award recipient Sandra Brown as well as Robin Cook, Katherine Neville, and David Baldacci.
The four-day event includes numerous author signings, a complete bookstore on premises, a cocktail party and reception for readers, a roasting of Clive Cussler, and a breakfast featuring first-time authors. The highlight is the annual ThrillerFest Awards Banquet, which this year will take place at Cipriani, one of New York City’s most spectacular event venues.
Some of the biggest names in the genre will be holding court with interactive panel sessions, including Kathleen Antrim, Steve Berry, Peter Rubie, William Bernhardt, James Rollins, Barry Eisler, Andrew Gross, David Hewson, Jon Land, Eric Van Lustbader, Gayle Lynds, Steve Martini, Donald Maass, Joan Johnston and many more.
2009 Thriller Award Nominees:
Best Thriller of the Year
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery DeaverT The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross The Last Patriot by Brad Thor
Best First Novel
Calumet City by Charlie Newton Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
Best Short Story
Between the Dark and the Daylight by Tom Piccirilli (Ellery Queen Magazine) Last Island South by John C. Boland (Ellery Queen Magazine) The Edge of Seventeen by Alexandra Sokoloff (The Darker Mask) The Point Guard by Jason Pinter (Killer Year Anthology) Time of the Green by Ken Bruen (Killer Year Anthology)
So, if you are able to attend Thrillerfest, do so! I plan on attending next year. For more information, and to register, visit The International Thriller Writers Web Site.
After blogging for over a year now, I figure it was about time I created an "About Me" page!
I'm a full-time working mom with an amazingly supportive husband, John, and two boys John-John (9) and Justin (3). We live in the DC metro area. I work at a non-profit and provide chapter support (leadership training, conference planning, etc.).
I've been reviewing books for around 10 years now, but decided to take the plunge and create a blog in March of 2008. Reading has always been a big part of my life. Since I can remember, I've always had a book nearby or a book in hand. I began blogging about books because I love to discuss and recommend books.
My oldest son was/is an reluctant reader, so blogging has actually improved our relationship because I've been able to discover books that interest him. He begs to read each night, so that brings such joy to my life!
My husband, boys & I also have two cats ,Sylvester (tuxedo cat), Jadzea (tortoise shell) and a dog, Jack (Doxie/Chihuahu Mix).
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me! If you have any questions about my reviews, the books I blog about, or about me in general, please stop by my Contact Me page or email me at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.
Natasha at Maw Books has announced the first edition of the Bloggiesta!! The Bloggiesta will focus on blog content, improving/cleaning up your blog or working on your social network profiles.
The official times are Friday, June 19th beginning at 8am, Saturday the 20th and ending Sunday the 21st at 8am.
Here are my plans on what I will do during the Bloggiesta:
Write backlog reviews
Clean up my labels for my posts
Write my meme posts for the next two weeks
Since it's Father's Day weekend (yes, we celebrate the entire weekend at our house) I didn't want to create a list that was too daunting. I may add things to this list, but it's a great starting point!
Interested in signing up for the Bloggiesta? Visit Maw Books and sign up now!
I will contact each of the winners by the end of the day today. Winners have 48 hours to respond. The books will be sent directly from the publisher. Congratulations, everyone!
Despite the long and stressful day I had on Thursday, I still awoke bright and early at 4:15 am so I could join a bunch of other book bloggers who stood in line for tickets to author signings.
When we checked in to the hotel, we were informed that the city was working on the sewer system, and hot water wouldn't be available until after 4 am. I'm an eternal optimist and assured myself that I'd be able to hop in the shower at 4:15 am and the hot water would be available. Once again, I was wrong. Nothing but cold water! Needless to say, after my very quick shower, I was awake and invigorated.
We arrived at the Javits Center around 5:30 and stood in line for author signing tickets. My goal was to get a tickets for the Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates. Luck was on my side...tickets were obtained.
After getting breakfast at a local diner, it was finally time for the exhibit hall to open. The ribbon was cut and I walked in to a book lovers heaven! Rows and rows of publishers, "bookish" vendors, you name it. I finally had a chance to meet Miriam from Hachette after working with her for over a year now!
Finally it was time for my first ticketed author signing. First up, Joyce Carol Oates. Now, I have to admit, I didn't really look at the author signing schedule before arriving in NY. After getting my signed copy of Little Bird of Heaven, I had to rush upstairs for my book blogger signing at the Firebrand booth. I was impressed at the number of people interested in book bloggers and what we did, and spent an hour answering their questions. I was pleasantly surprised when Shane Briant, author of The Worst Nightmare stopped by to introduce himself. I will be reviewing his book (and hosting a giveway) in the next month. I also finally got to meet Tyler from Scholastic Books-an amazing resource and overall great guy!
Immediately after my signing was Suzanne Collins' author signing, so I literally ran across the exhibit hall and downstairs to the signing area. I was dismayed at the seemingly endless line, but it moved quickly and I obtained my signed copy.
I remained in the author signing area for several hours, and got to meet Melissa Marr, Sarwat Chadda, Luis Alberto Urea and his wife, Cindy (who both squealed in delight when I told them who I was!).
Late that afternoon, I met with Emily from Sourcebooks. My family has always been a fan of the books Sourcebooks publishes (expecially Horrid Henry!) so I was thrilled to sit down and talk with Emily about ways that we can work together.
By this time I was exhausted. I'd slept for a mere 3 hours the night before and had been on my feet for several hours. But the night wasn't close to being over!
After a quick trip back to the hotel for dinner (complimentary due to the lack of hot water!) we went to the BEAtweetup, the first Tweet up for Book Expo America. It was packed with bookish people, of all types, including publicists, authors, etc. Here I met Valerie Russo from Hachette, Frasier and the GetGlue gang, Bethanne Patrick (aka Bookmaven) and many many other great people!
The night was still young, so we jumped in a cab and went to a Kidlit party. I met some great YA authors, which I was exceedingly happy about because I'm interesting in expanding my reviews to YA fiction.
The night came to an end and after returning to the hotel, I quickly succumbed to a deep sleep...
I'm on the train headed home from NY and BEA (Book Expo America). I opted for the quiet car on the train, needed time to reflect and absorb the entire weekend.
This was my first trip to BEA. I'd seen write-ups on past BEAs and thought I had a general understanding of what to expect. Boy, was I wrong!
My trip to NY was downright horrid. I decided to fly up to NY rather than taking train. We were experiencing thunderstorms in the DC area and air traffic control shut down all air traffic. My flight was supposed to depart at 5 pm and didn't depart until almost nine. To make things worse, we weren't even sitting in the airport. We were in the plane, stuck on the tarmac, waiting in line to take off. Over an hour passed and they started letting planes take off. Of course, half of our plane was filled with passengers with connections. They were no longer going to make these connections and requested that they be returned back to the gate. So, our plane gets out of line and slowly returns to the gate to allow people to get off. Luckily, we're able to get back to our spot in line and take off three hours after we were scheduled.
Now, I must mention, Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? was waiting for me at JFK. She and I were roomies for the duration of BEA. Originally, had my plane been on time, she would have only had to wait around 30 minutes for my plane to arrive. Instead, she waited at the airport for 5 hours! So I wanted to thank her again for waiting for me!
Ok, so I get to JFK, meet up with Trish, and then we board a shuttle to Manhattan. Have you seen The Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix movie? Remember the really scary bus driver, who zoomed all throughout London, barely avoiding several severe accidents? Well, I think that was our bus driver! He drove at speeds that exceeded, in my opinion, the safest speed for a bus of that size.
We arrived at our hotel around midnight, and hit the sack relatively early because we had plans to head to the Javits center to pick up a few author signing tickets. While my travel experience to NY was less than desireable and I was beyond exhausted, it was difficult for me to fall asleep, knowing what I was about to experience the following day...
On Thursday, I'm hopping on a plane to NY to attend BEA (Book Expo America) for the first time. I can't tell you how excited I am to have this opportunity to meet some amazing authors and finally get a chance to meet some of the wonderful book bloggers I've been following and tweeting with over the past year and a half! In addition, I'll finally get to meet some of the amazing publicists I've worked with over the years.
Some things I'm really looking forward to:
Friday
From 2-3 pm I will be one of over 40 bloggers at the Firebrand Technologies booth (#4077). If you are coming to BEA, stop by and see me! Be sure to bring your business cards! Visitors to the booth will be entered to win a Sony Reader! Click here for a list of book bloggers that will be signing.
Friday night is the BEAtweetup, which is the "unauthorized, unofficial, and entirely necessary Tweet-Up for Book Expo America 2009, complete with music, dancing, Belvedere Vodka literary themed cocktails, and Bookish Tweeps from all corners of the universe." Over 400 bookish people will be in attendance (plus there's a waiting list!)
Saturday
I will be interviewing Neil Jones, inventor of COOL-ER, the elegant and affordable e-Reader. Any questions you'd like answered?
Book Blogger's Panel. Six talented book bloggers will discuss how bloggers, publishers, and booksellers can work better together. If you can't attend BEA, you can call in and listen to the panel via Blog Talk Radio.
Here is a line up of the panelists:
Amy from My Friend Amy Beth from Beth Fish Reads Dawn from She is Too Fond of Books Julie from Booking Mama Natalie from Maw Books Stephanie from The Written Word
I'm attempting to learn how to post via my blackberry, so check back later in the week for BEA updates!
Congratulations! I've contacted the winner via email to obtain her mailing address. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hrs, another winner will be selected.
I have contacted the winner to obtain her mailing address. If I do not receive a response within 48 hours another winner will be selected. Check back later today when I announce the winner of the Mother's Day Hardbacker Giveway!
Happy Mother's Day, everyone! I hope all you mothers out there are having a wonderful day! This morning, I was allowed to sleep in until 7 (I typically get up around 5). I awoke to cinnamon rolls and a hot mug of coffee. Within a few minutes, I had a delicious breakfast in bed-eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage. It was delicious. When I finally decided to get up and come downstairs, I discovered a nice gift my three year old left for me: he decided to use a funnel and pour syrup all over the kitchen table! A mother's work is never done!
I couldn't think of a better day to start my next contest than Mother's Day! My next giveway is sponsored by Hardbacker.com. You may recall a few weeks ago I reviewed Hardbackers. Hardbackers turn any paperback book into a hardback, without damaging the book. The covers are designed to extend the life of your book by protecting both the front and back covers. The winner of this contest will win two hardbackers: one in trade paperback size and the other in workbook size (8 1/2 x 11").
To enter this contest, please comment below. You MUST leave your email address in your comment in order to be eligible.
For extra entries blog and/or tweet about it. Please post a new comment for each entry.
Open to US and Canadian residents only, please. Contest ends Friday, May 22nd.
I'm the proud owner of a Sony Reader (PRS 505). I've owned my Reader for about a year now, and I can't say enough about this amazing gadget. I'm a frequent traveler, and my Reader has lightened my load considerably.
The Reader's specs can be found on the Sony Web site. The PRS 505 Reader can now be purchased for $279. The PRS 700 BC, the next generation Reader, features an interactive touch screen display and built-in light. The 700 can be purchased for $349. The Reader is compatible with several different file formats, including Word & PDF. You simply have to import these documents into your library via your computer.
Amazon has releases two new Kindles in the past few months, the Kindle 2 ($359) and the Kindle DX ($489). The Kindle allows you to download books wirelessly and has a new Read to Me Feature. You can add your personal files to your Kindle, but you must pay a per document delivery fee.
The Kindle DX can display textbooks, and Amazon hopes that this will entice students to purchase it. I remember my college days, and I could barely afford my textbooks. I'm not certain students will be able to afford the $489 price tag, plus the cost of the textbooks. I could be wrong.
Now, I must state that I haven't had the opportuny to test drive the Kindle, but I'm hopelessly devoted to my Sony Reader. I'm not a fan of the "control" Amazon has over the books that you can purchase for it, and the fact it is only sold in the States astounds me. Perhaps, given the chance to test the Kindle, my opinion might change, but don't plan on it.
Let me finish by stating that yes, I still read "traditional" books, and no, I do not believe they are bordering on extinction. There will always be a use for traditional books.
e-Book readers simply make reading while traveling easier and make multiple books more portable. I receive on average 25 galleys or advance reading copies per month. Think about all the space I would save if those books were available electronically (and my husband would stop pulling his hair out at the site of books piled all over our home).
So, I have a few questions for you. Do you have an e-book reader? If yes, which one? If no, what are your thoughts on e-book readers? Which one would you buy?
Premieres June 14! I can't wait! For those that don't know, Season One of True Blood is based on Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark, book one of the Sookie Stackhouse/southern vampire series. Here is a preview of Season Two:
What is your favorite book turned movie/television series?
I'm afraid that my recent posting announcing my giveaway winners was lost in the jumble of my Read-a-thon posts. So, I'm posting them again!
The winners of THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos are:
Jo-Jo
Toni
Heather
Marie Burton
scottsgal
The winners of The Women's Murder Club audiobook are:
MJ
Bev
Sue W.
The winners of the Run for Your Life audiobook are:
pissenlit
okibi-insanity
sharon54220
The winners of the Drood audiobook are:
caseykelp
Annie
windycindy
The winners of the Max audiobook are:
Sue W.
okibi-insanity
kalea-kane
Also-
My email provider has been doing something strange with my emails--I keep losing large amounts of emails (that I know I didn't delete!)
So, to be safe, I will ask the winners to fill out this form to provide me with their shipping information. So, if you won, please fill out this form.This includes those that already emailed me their shipping information. The form is secure.
I will give everyone through the end of the weekend to respond.
My brain is still a bit frazzled! I completely forgot to mention how much money I was able to to raise for Books for Soldiers. I indicated I would donate $5 for every book I read. I received another donation for the same amount (Thanks, Shelley!). So, since I read 4 1/2 books in the 24 hours, I raised $45.
I'll continue to keep the donation box in my sidebar through the end of the month.
