Thanks to Amy from My Friend Amy's Blog, I'm excited to announce the dates of the 2009 Book Blogger Appreciation Week. For those of you that don't know, Amy has devoted a ton of her personal time to recognize the value book bloggers have, and to celebrate the book blogging world!
Last year over 400 blogs came together to celebrate the art of book blogging during the first ever Book Blogger Appreciation Week! The second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be taking place September 14-18.
WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
WHEN September 14-18, 2009
WHERE The new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word.
WANT TO PARTICIPATE? Please help us spread the word about Book Blogger Appreciation Week by posting about it on your blog, twittering about it, and telling everyone you know that it’s time to have a party and celebrate book bloggers!
Please register by filling out the registration form! Registering ensures your inclusion in the BBAW 09 Database of Book Bloggers and enters you into the drawing for the BBAW 09 Grand Prize!
Award Nominations opened July 15 on the BBAW Awards Blog.
Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is just a little over a month away! Have you nominated your favorite blogs yet? The deadline is August 15th, so nominate now!
I created my blog in March of 2008, and unfortunately I didn't learn about BBAW until it was over. This year, a little meme was created to spread the excitement about BBAW.
1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
Without a doubt, I'd say the community. I've met a number of amazing people since creating my blog. This includes other bloggers, but also authors and publicists as well. It was wonderful to know that there were other people out there who appreciated reading as much as I do.
2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
Where do I begin? Well, the first blogger I followed was Becky from No More Grumpy Bookseller. She and I both reviewed for Bookbitch and she was definitely an inspiration to me. She gives the best book recommendations and has introduced me to a bunch of "new to me" authors. My book collection has grown tremendously since I started following her blog.
In addition to Becky, there are dozens upon dozens of other bloggers who have helped me improve my blog and my blogging experience. Here are just a few:
Kathy from Bermudaonion's Weblog-Kathy was one of the first to comment on my blog. She's the commenting queen!
Beth from Beth Fish Reads-We both swear we are long-lost twins, separated by time and space.
Julie from Booking Mama-Her blog has introduced me to a wealth of great books for my boys.
Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?-Trish offers the best suggestions when it comes to improving and enhancing a blog. In addition, she was my roomie at BEA, and I truly enjoyed the time we spent together and the conversations we had.
Amy from My Friend Amy-Another blogger that offers great advice when it comes to books and blogging. She alleviated my nervousness about attending BEA for the first time always has the best responses/solutions when drama pops up in the blogging world. She and I don't always have the same opinion, but hers is one I definitely value.
Swapna from S. Krishna's Books-Swapna is one fast reader! She inspires me to read more!
Dawn from She is Too Fond of Books-Dawn is an amazing monther and woman. I love when she features receipes on her blog. I always try them out. They aren't always a hit, but the experience is unforgettable. Dawn also inspired me to join the Game On Challenge, an experience that forever changed me and my eating lifestyle.
Stephanie from Stephanie's Written Word-Stephanie is a brave and strong woman, an inspiration to us all!
Michelle, aka Galleysmith- Michelle gave me the great idea to create my Virginia is for Lovers feature. She also supported my Supernatural addiction by lending me two seasons-worth of DVDs :). Michelle is a true bibliophile--her book shopping extravaganzas relieve the guilt I have after buying a few books.
Ok, I know there are a gazillion other bloggers I'd like to thank, but for fear of this post turning into one of those never ending award acceptance speeches, I'll stop for now.
3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?
Short, easy answer: How on earth do you only select one blog to nominate from each category!?
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.
Two events are happening at the moment: Bloggiesta and Book Blogger Appreciation Week Registration. Both provide an opportunity to reassess your blog and your blogging goals.
If you are participating in either one, great but even if you are not you can still take part in this week's Weekly Geeks.
During Bloggiesta participants are asked to take a look at blogging goals. What are your blogging goals? Maybe you did this for the last Bloggiesta, find that post and reevaluate those goals. Have you reached them? Do they no longer apply?
And/Or
If you are a book blogger*, register for BBAW. It's a great way to find new readers. To register you must find your best 5 posts from the last year. Find yours even if you don't register for BBAW. In your Weekly Geeks post, link to your registration post or put the 5 links in your Weekly Geek's post.
Then tell us why are these your best posts of the last year? By looking at these posts, you can figure out your blogging goals: be more funny, personal, concise, topical, etc.
*If you're not a book blogger, find your 5 best posts of the last year anyway.
So, it's a bit of work but a chance to see where you are and where you want to go. Good luck!
** I've been bit by Mr Linky too many times. Please leave your links in the comments.
This past week wrapped up Book Blogger Appreciation Week, in which I'm sure many of you participated. In two weeks will be Banned Books Week, in which I'm sure some of you also will participate. I'm also sure that many of you participated, and will participate, with at least a post per day, if not more, on your respective blogs.
Personally, after such weeks, I feel almost burnt out and think, "Why am I doing this? I'm not getting paid for this." Do you ever feel the same way after weeks like the ones mentioned above? If you do, what do you to counter it? How do you keep going? Do you take a break from posts after that, or do you just "soldier on"?
Or if you don't feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? Also why are you a book blogger? From what I've seen and experienced, it's certainly not the fame or the glory that you get. So what is it? Why? Why? Why?
Sign in with Mr. Linky by putting a link to your post and leave a comment if you're so inclined. Thanks for participating. Hope this doesn't contribute to your burnout. ;) I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
For the second day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week I was paired with Melody of Melody's Reading Corner to do an interview swap. Melody's blog is new to me but I'm excited to start reading it more regularly! Here are Melody's answers to my questions.
Ash: Do you like to eat or drink anything while you read? Melody: While I’d love to munch on snacks (my favourite snack is chips!) and drink green tea while reading, I try not to do so whenever I can as there is the risk of dirtying my books.
Ash: We've read a few of the same books this year and I noticed some of them were YA titles. Why do you think adults are attracted to reading young adult books? What attracts you to them? Melody: There was once a bookstore assistant who asked me why I read YA books when I should be reading adult theme books. Her question had sparked some thoughts in me then and I remember telling her this: “I enjoy reading books. Books, to me are a great escapism and also another channel where I can broaden my horizons. I believe we have things to learn and think about from any books, no matter if it is a literary fiction or a children’s book. Also, I find some YA books cover important topics and contain some wonderful messages and I like it that they create awareness and make young adults think.” I am not sure about other readers, but I do think my above reply are just some of the few reasons why adults would pick up YA books and read them.
Ash: I noticed in your review guidelines you said you do not read nonfiction or memoir. What turns you away from those genres? Melody: I used to read non-fiction and memoirs some years back, but they have all taken a back seat since the day I started my blog and reading so many wonderful reviews on fictions. I have a huge TBR pile due to that and thus my current main focus is on them. I will still read a non-fiction or memoir from time to time, but that will have to depend if the topic interests me or not.
Ash: You've been blogging for a long time! About four years it looks like. How has the blogging world changed since you started and how have you changed as a blogger? What do you recommend other bloggers do to create such great longevity? Melody: I started blogging in July 2006, and at that time I was not aware of the book blogging community. I started my blog because I think it is an excellent place where I can record the books I read and how I felt about them without misplacing it like a journal. At that time, I didn’t even care if anyone read it until I received my very first comment from a fellow blogger. It then made me realise that there are people who read my blog and from there onwards, I strive to work hard on my writing. And as for the rest, as they say, is history.
Besides the above, I have to say being a blogger has definitely widen my reading horizons as there are so many wonderful bookbloggers and recommendations out there, waiting for my exploration! It is through reading these blogs that made me read out of my comfort zone, and I cannot imagine how many books I have missed during my pre-blogging days! That said, it is always better to be late than never, right?
As for ways for creating longevity for blogs, I don’t have any good recommendations except that to blog whatever you like and also to take some time in visiting and commenting on other blogs. After all what other ways to start a friendship other than saying hello and reading a new book blog you have visited? That said, I need to remind myself to comment as much as possible but sometimes, it sure is hard when you have about 250+ blogs to read and you can only read and comment so much in a day, but I will try to remedy that!
Ash: Is there any specific message you want your readers to take away from your blog? Melody: Have fun and be yourself.
Ash: What are your three favorite books you've read in the past year? Melody: Just three? That’s a hard one since I had read a few good books in the past year. Anyway, here are just a few which I loved (not in any order):
1) Ritual by Mo Hayder 2) Skin by Mo Hayder (Now can you tell I’m a huge fan of her?) 3) Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory 4) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne 5) The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister 6) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 7) Sweethearts by Sara Zarr 8) The Lost Hours by Karen White 9) Stolen by Lucy Christopher >10) The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
I could go on and on, but I think listing 10 books will suffice (after all I have added 7 books instead of listing only three to the list, haven’t I?).
Ash: Are you from a family of readers, or is reading something that sets you apart from other people in your family? Melody: This is sad but true that I am the only reader in my family. My parents read the papers but rarely books, and as for my husband he mostly read books which are related to his work. My younger sister doesn’t have the interest of reading books, so that left only me. Though they are not as much as a voracious reader as I, they are supportive of my reading habits (read: buying books and occupying much of our room space) and I am thankful for that.
Ash: If you were to start a blog about anything besides books, what would it be? Melody: I absolutely have no idea! Frankly speaking, I cannot think of anything else besides blogging about books and my reading. I don’t think anyone would want to read about my personal life anyway, haha.
You can read my answers to Melody's questions at her blog, Melody's Reading Corner!
Before we get started with this week’s roundup, I’m happy to announce that Weekly Geeks has been nominated in three categories for Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW): Best Series or Feature, Best Challenge Host and Most Collaborative Blog. Last year, Dewey's blog won
in two categories – Best Community Builder and Best Challenge Host. She did much more than host Weekly Geeks, this meme that a group of us have kept going in her honor since the first of the year. (For those who don’t know, Dewey died in November of last year.) We’re proud to be nominated and acknowledged as carrying on this part of her legacy. Thanks to all those who participate in this unique meme!
The short list for BBAW will be announced September 7th and voting will take place between the 7th and the 12th. Be sure to check the BBAW website after the 7th and vote for your favorite blogs!
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog program. Last week’s Geek exploration was about Second Chances: Becky asked if we’d given up on a book (or movie or music) only to discover that it’s “lovelier the second time around.” (OK, I’m dating myself with Frank Sinatra songs.) Or have you contemplated giving a book or author a second chance? And if not, she challenged us to do so. Says Becky: “It is just very interesting to me how time can change tastes and perceptions. How subjective the reading experience is and always will be.”
There were a variety of responses to this challenge.
Maree found Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin well worth a second read “…because there's always more to find..” Gautami gave up on The Blind Assassin at first, but then picked it up again after six months and now considers it one of her best reads to date. (Edited 8/22/09 after getting it so wrong!)
another cookie crumbles finds it miraculous that she talks “about Anne Enright, Salman Rushdie and JK Rowling in the same post.” She’s given up on one of these and embraced the others after a second look. You’ll have to read her post to find out who and why!
The Lord of the Rings showed up in several posts: Lahni at Nose in a Book went from being unable to finish it the first time to having it make her top ten favorites list. Kim at Page after Page thinks she’ll give the trilogy another try next year.
One genre that showed up in several posts was the classics. Melissa hasn’t broken out in hives yet rereading The Grapes of Wrath. Michelle had a more negative reaction to Gone with the Wind on a second read; her life experience affected how she felt about it. She’s curious what her reaction will be the next time she reads it.
Classics guilt (which many of us suffer from!) drove Coversgirl to give Dickens a second chance after her inability to get past the first page earlier in her life. Now she “can foresee a lifelong literary love ... proving that stubbornness pays off.” Suey tried Dickens’ Great Expectations again after experiencing an 8th grade nightmare. "I felt very sorry for my 8th grade self and all that she missed during that foggy first reading," says Suey. Now Great Expectations is one of her alltime favorites.
Some contemporary authors have come under the axe: Tricia has decided to try Atonement by Ian McEwan again; maybe she’ll have the same experience as Care did and come to love it.
Gigi blogged about Alice Hoffman. “She's an author I'm forever giving another chance to - not always with good results.”
After a 2-year hiatus Ali is finishing A Prayer for Owen Meany. Here's her Twitter message: Went to bkstore to buy #Owenmeany. Reread a few pages & couldn't do it. ... I'd forgotten how Owen grated on me. I can hear his voice all too well and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. And though Ali came to like it, she’s not inclined to give John Irving another try.
Great responses, Geeksters! I wonder what Ruth has in store for us tomorrow! .
With Bloggiesta and Book Blogger's Appreciation Week (BBAW) registrations kicking off, Chris thought this week would be the perfect time for Weekly Geekers to reassess their blogs, clean up the cobwebs, fix the broken links and have a general tidy-up. How successful were we? Well...
Amanda at The Blog Jar has been stymied by a lack of internet access and so was looking for suggestions in helping her find the quiet time she needs to blog without internet access bills blowing a hole in her savings
Rikki at the Bookkeeper updated us on her blog improvement projects - I think she was a bit hard on herself but I did laugh that she included one task twice just so she could have something else to tick off her long list. Now that's innovative motivation for you.
And these blogs all used the opportunity to pick out their five brightest, shiniest posts (for inclusion in their BBAW registration or not). What a great chance to read the best work from some terrific book blogs:
Here's To Us
Literary Transgressions
Mysteries in Paradise
Notes from the North
I, of course, didn't manage to post anything for Weekly Geeks this week but it was deliberate this time. I have only recently finished a blog makeover and clean-up that took several months so had no desire to do that again just yet and I still haven't made up my mind about BBAW registration.
Thanks to all those who participated in Weekly Geeks this week and come back tomorrow to find out the next topic for discussion.
Two conversations inspired this Weekly Geeks. First, during Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, Amy asked us to write about our blogging goals. I noticed many people's goal was to acquire a larger readership*. Then during a Twitter conversation Natasha from Maw Books said she was told by a non-book blogger that book blogs were confusing. Which brings me to our topic.
Take a look at your blog as if you were someone who has never seen a blog before. Imagine they are looking for something specific. Could they find it? Could they find YOU again? Be able to contact you? Would they understand your jargon?
With these questions in mind, start making your blog more reader friendly. You can do as much as upload a new template to adding a subscription button. Here are some ideas:
*Add meta tags to help people find your blog. *Add a RSS feed button. *Add a contact page. *Make sure as many people as possible can comment on your posts. *Make your blog searchable. *Check your links. *Explain your rating system, if you have one. *Create a glossary if you use a lot of blogger acronyms ie- BBAW, BTT, ARC.
These are just suggestions. There are probably a million more. Check out Blogging Tips on the Book Blogger's Ning for more ideas and advice.
After you've accomplished all you can, write a post telling us what you did or even what you plan to do down the road on your blog to help your readers.
Now if you haven't thought about your goals, it's a good time to do so. Maybe you haven't thought about readership, maybe you could care less! Then where do you see your blog in a year. How do you plan to accomplish that? Write a post about it.
*Adding Google Analytics to your blog will help you figure out who your current readers are and how they found your blog.
My Friend Amy is asking bloggers to answer two questions about blogging, in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I've answered them below.
What is one thing you wish you knew about blogging when you started or what advice would you give a newbie blogger?What is your best blogging tip?
How addictive it can be! Not just posting on my blog, but reading other blogs! Seriously, though the book blogging community is great! I've made tons of new friends, done a lot of networking, and have come in contact with a number of great publicists. I've been introduced to some pretty amazing books as well. So for all you new bloggers--visit other blogs, post comments. Don't fret too much about the design of your blog (ok, I'm being a total hypocrite...how many times have I changed my layout!). In time, your blog will get a pretty static chain of followers.
So, my fellow book bloggers! How would you answer the questions above. Post your answer in comment and you will be entered into a contest to win an autographed Tess Gerritsen The Keepsake bookmark!
This week’s Weekly Geek was very mysterious. Kristen and Chris challenged us to talk about favorite mysteries and detectives, or to even create a TV show or movie from a favorite mystery story or character. Here are a few of this week’s Geeks:
Gautami tripathy talked about all the mysteries she has loved.
Kerrie created a beautiful Wordle.
CoversGirl traces her love of mysteries back to Nancy Drew.
Rikki focused on Lord Peter Wimsey.
As usual, a big thank you to all of our participants!
Also, if you haven’t already heard, there are two upcoming events in the world of book bloggers:
Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be September 14-18.
The autumn 2009 Read-a Thon will be October 24-25.
Check out their websites for details on both of these fabulous events!
When Terri asked us to write about our reading plans, I fully expected to see samples of the ultimate spreadsheets and flowcharts, illustrating how fully geeky some of us are when it comes to reading. There I was, cowering in the corner with my multiple TBR piles, ready to be totally intimidated by everyone's superior organizational skills.
Not the case, after all! Maybe the geekiest of us were too busy writing up and editing their spreadsheets (or immersed in Book Blogger Appreciation Week) to post them.
In fact, far more of us—at least of those who responded—are inclined to agree with Maree of Just Add Books who writes: I never plan my reading. I sort of stumble over books in a clumsy and graceless fashion and read whatever smacks me in the face the hardest.
Kerrie, of Mysteries in Paradise, treated us to a nifty flow chart to show how her monthly reads are determined. It's not so much a system, as an outline of how her priorities come into play. It's simple enough not to require the type of regular updating that would eat away at reading time. And it's in color!
The closest we got to a big-time planner was Puss ReBoots, who used to have a master reading plan but recently gave it up in favor of the "willy-nilly approach." Puss Reboots is a planner at heart, though. She even has planned randomness, using random.org to schedule the order that she posts her reviews. Now that's dedication!
