BBAW 2012 Day 3: What Does Book Blogging Mean to You?

Today is day 3 of Blogger Appreciation Week.  Today I discuss what book blogging means to me.

 

 

 I have been book blogging for about 1 year and 5 months.  For me blogging has been a way to find new books to read, and meet people who have reading in common with me.  In my real life I don't know too many people who enjoy reading like I do.  My husband reads but not as much as I do. 

I have really enjoyed reading posts on blogs, not just the book reviews but topics about reading.  I like some of the memes I have discovered too!!  I enjoy not only writing about a book but using images to help describe what I am feeling.  I know you can do that on goodreads but sometimes it is such a hassle to get images on there.  The never fit and I am always resizing them and it takes forever.

 

I have also enjoyed learning a new "trade".  Everything you see on my blog I have learned to do myself.  Except the template which I am using a free one.  Otherwise I learned how to do the sidebars, adding the about author section, widgets, really everything.  I could've easily asked my husband since he is a web designer but I did it myself!!

 

I appreciate every follower I have.  I remember day 1 when I had 1 follower!  It is actually quite difficult to get your blog out there and post topics interesting enough to get people to come back.  So I hope that if you have stopped in to read this little post that you know I do try to make my blog entertaining and keep you coming back for more.  I think most of my followers are YA readers... but I read a WIDE variety of books so I hope when they see some oddball title reviewed they come back.. because next week there might be a totally different genre of book reviewed!!!  

 

Well so that is blogging for me!!

BBAW#2- Fellow Blogger Interview-The Hopeful Heroine

Today is day 2 of Blogger Appreciation Week 2012!  And today is the day where we swap interviews with other bloggers!  I was fortunate enough to meet Cait from The Hopeful Heroine !

I am really glad I got to meet her because I find it's a lot harder to discover blogs on wordpress for me.  I finally set up some bookmarks to keep track of the blogs on wordpress.  And this is definitely one of those blogs I keep on the list.  I absolutely love the art work on her blog... but more about that in a minute!  I am so surprised to find out Cait has ONLY been blogging for one month and 2 days.  Her blog is fantastic for such a short time!

Here is my interview with the great Hopeful Heroine!  

Of course the big question!! How long have you been blogging about books?  What inspired you to begin your blog?
I have been blogging about books for one month and two days! I only just officially launched my blog last month, though I have been jotting down reviews in notebooks for years. The reason I started The Hopeful Heroine was because I read so many books that I finally decided I just need a place to collect my thoughts for others to read! I am also hopeful that someday I can break into the book reviewer world somewhat professionally writing for journals or newspapers and such. Plus I am working on my teaching certification, and I thought that someday my blog might be a good resource for my classroom especially if parents have questions about books their child should/n't be reading.

 I love the art work on your blog… did you draw it yourself?
My doodles are a collection of my husband's and my art. He's the artist of the two so he drew the character of me. I just traced her for all of the seperate drawings. I sort of gave my husband my idea's and he came up with the banner design, then I doodled it out while I'm waiting for his professional version.  Captain Nosy is all my talent though!

Tell us three non-bookish things about yourself.
 Three non-bookish things about myself:
  1. I'm back in school working on my teaching/librarian certification. (I suppose that's still bookish!...)
  1.5  I'll be married two years this month.
  2. I really love to run, workout, and do triathlons, and I'm *hopefully* going to run my first marathon next spring.
  3. in my other life, I dream of owning my own bakery and I'm always perfecting my treats in the kitchen.

Have you ever liked a movie better then the book?  Which one?
I can't say that I've ever enjoyed a movie more than it's book because honestly, I always go into the movie looking at it as a separate entity. And, my hope is that the movie version of a book will inspire the audience to want to read the book!! As for truth time....I usually always love movie versions of books mainly because I enjoy seeing other people's vision of the story and seeing if my imagination is anything like there's. Some of my favorite movies from books are the Harry Potter's, Bridge to Terebithia, and How to Deal (a version of two Sarah Dessen novels combined into one plot). I recently just read that my current fav book Daughter of Smoke and Bone has been optioned for movie rights and I couldn't be more excited!!!

What three books are currently at the top of your to-read list?
Top three books TBR are  1. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (LOVED Daughter of Smoke and Bone on pure imagination alone!)  2. Ten by Gretchen McNeil (a somewhat retelling/tribute to Ten Little Indians by Agatha Cristie which was a favorite book of mine in high school), and 3. Reached by Ally Condie (I cannot wait to see how the trilogy ends!!!)

Where do you get most of your reading material? Real books vs. ebooks? Purchasing vs. library, etc.? How do you track your reading and organize your collection?
I'm very old school when it comes to reading material and I go for real books over ebooks. I just received my first two ebooks last week for reviewing, and I love reading them, BUT, there's nothing like holding a physical book in my hand. On that note, I also believe in libraries so I utilize my town's public library as well as my university's 6 story library! They have an amazing YA/MG fiction section. However, when I've got some extra cash, I'm all about buying. I try for smaller, used book stores and local, then I got to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

This question is stolen from inspired by this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Who would be on your literary Mount Rushmore (i.e. the four authors you would place on the mountain) and why?
My literary Mount Rushmore would include C.S. Lewis because he opened up the world for me with his Chronicles of Narnia books, Shel Silverstein because he's just so fun and SUCH a genius with his poetry, Jane Austen because as far as classics go she is my favorite and I love her writing voice. So full of wit and humor! Finally, Sarah Dessen because I fell in love with her book in high school, and I have never read one I didn't enjoy.

For which book do you engage in the most bibliovangelizing – the act of obsessively recommending a book to almost anyone who will listen and sometimes those who wont?
Well, it changes all the time because I read so many books I fall in love with! Currently it's Daughter of Smoke and Bone simply because I want everyone to fall into Taylor's imagination and world. She has created such a beautiful and deep story which is something I've been looking for in YA for a looong time.  As for my constant go too, that would have to be A Wrinkle in Time. It's just such a classic story, and I feel that anyone can pull something great and wonderful and beautiful from it every time they read it.

Well that is it!!!  Please stop by Cait's About Me page!  There is really some wonderful information there!  You can find out who exactly Captain Nosy is!  Very Clever.  Here he is again!

One thing I can say about this is that I am pretty sure I found a friend in the blogging world.  I am glad that I got to meet Cait!  We were great in getting our interviews done in 1 day!! :)  Please stop by and visit her blog... you will not be disappointed!  Be sure to check out my interview on her blog too!

BBAW: My favorite blogs

 

Well I never participated in Book Blogger Appreciation Week before but this year I jumped in at the last minute.  So here is today's discussion:  

Appreciation! There are no awards this year, but it can still be hard to navigate the huge universe of book blogging. Share with your readers some of the blogs you enjoy reading daily and why.

So here we go!!

LC's Adventures in Libraryland  .  I just have always loved this blog since the begining.   I love love her them on her blog and she created it herself.  Her giveaways are clever and the book reviews are fun. I also love that she does blog design now.  Just wish I could afford it!  I know it takes a lot of time to do that and one time I asked her about it and she said that she learned how to do blog design all on her own!!

I have always like Jessica at a Great Read .  
She doesn't have a fancy layout.. but she makes sure to stop by blogs all the time.  She truly tries to have relationships with other bloggers.  She ALWAYS stops by my Follow Fridays so I am going to leave this up and see if she sees it without me telling her about it.  I love that she mixes reviews about books with little fun posts that aren't about books.  Really she is great you guys should check her out!

I really enjoy this blog too, Wordsmithonia .  I love the community this blogger has.  The books aren't exactly what I read but the people who visit this blog and and comment are great.  Plus I have started participating in a meme he does called Favorite Fictional Character Wednesday!  Which is really fun and not well known!  So if you are looking for something to do on Wednesdays other then the "waiting on Wednesdays memes" stop by here!  He doesn't have a badge for me to post here so you will just have to click on the link above.

And I really enjoy the discussions on Word For Teens.    Nicole always has some great thoughts not just on books but on subjects about books.  She was taking a fantastic young adult literature class and I couldn't wait for the new post each week!!  I didn't see a badge on this site either but believe me great stuff!

Well if you are participating in Book Blogger Awareness Week leave me a link to your favorite bloggers.  And if you are not... still leave me a link to your favorite blogs!!

Other then that I really don't have any "blog friends" like other people. I just have blogs I enjoy reading!

Showcase Sunday (lots of stuff going on!)

Hello and welcome to Showcase Sunday. Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week. You can find Showcase Sunday here.!

Wow!!  So many things are happening this week AND in the month of September! I am participating in several events so I have to mark my calendar.  OK 1st up I am going to participate in Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2012.  Not sure what to expect, but I hoped I signed up early enough for the blogger interviews that are happening on Tuesday this week.


Then I am going to participate in Bloggiesta for the first time too. I have seen people participate in this one and I always think it looks like a good idea!! I need to come up with some good ideas for the blog. A few things I want to change.

Then I LOVE LOVE Halloween, so I am found this really cool challenge!!! There are two simple goals for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VII 1. Have fun reading. 2. Share that fun with others. As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. VII without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have many other commitments) but want to participate all the same. R.I.P. VII officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. You guys should really check this one out... click on the icon below!

I also have a Q&A coming up in my goodreads book club with Courtney Summers!!  So I have to make sure that runs smoothly.  It takes place September 15th!

So wow... busy.  Plus of course I plan on reading.  Is there anything you are participating in this month?

Bloggiesta!!!!

Time for Bloggiesta!!

Hello all! It is time to spoof up your blogs!!! I saw people participating in this last time around and really wanted to join!! So here I am.. not sure what I am going to do to my blog yet but it will be something great!! If you haven’t heard about Bloggiesta before, it’s a weekend (September 28th-30th) where we all sit down to work on our blogs, do those things we keep putting off, as well as network and meet new bloggers and participate in challenges and giveaways. Definitely check it out, it’s a lot of fun!

Bloggiesta is hosted by It’s All About Books and There’s a Book, and you can sign up here.

Are you going to participate this time around????  When looking at my blog do you see any improvements I could do???? 

Locke & Key Volume 1 Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill Review

Locke and Key Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

I have been wanting to read this for a while... and then when I saw my library has them I checked them out right away!!!  Here is the goodreads description:

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

Oh wow!! I love graphic novels. And I have to admit when I found out Joe Hill wrote one I was in. For those that don't know Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. And I love Stephen King. In fact I run the Stephen King Fan group on goodreads.  I will admit when I first heard about Joe Hill I thought he is a guy who is an author who is probably just popular because his dad is.  BUT NO! I promise you Joe Hill is good!   And I must admit I love all the graphic novels based on King's books.  Especially the Dark Tower graphic novels.  So I was totally in when I heard about these.

I have tried to get Hill to stop by the Stephen King group for a Q&A.  Though I am sure when your dad is as famous as King and the group is called "Stephen King Fans" then he probably totally expected to get bombarded with King questions.  Though I wouldn't let the group ask about King and if I saw I King question I would've just deleted it.  But alas the Q&A never happened.  :(  I also saw Joe Hill at Comic Con San Diego this year signing copies of Locke and Key.  I ALMOST got in line but I hadn't read any of them at that time and I was not sure how the conversation would've gone when I got in line.  So what was your favorite part... well I haven't exactly read them yet.  So I skipped out.  :(  Now I regret it.  Here is a pick though that I snapped of him!

OK so onto the review... this graphic novel is amazing!!!!  I love love love it.  I mean the story here is great.  Several keys that open several doors in the mansion (Key House) and each door opens different things.  The book is creepy and spooky and the art work by Gabriel Rodriguez is amazing.  It adds so much to the story!   Here are a couple images:

LOVE THESE!
I see some people compare this to the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman.  I don't know what to say about that since I could never get through Sandman.  I don't even know why!!!  Also did you know this was almost picked up for a TV series?  Here is the trailer... which is quite well made




I suppose I should stop here.. I mean I am about to put the next books on hold at the library!! If you like graphic novels, a good story, or anything spooky... read this now!!
Want to see my review on the other novels? Head Games Volume 2
  Crown of Shadows Volume 3
Keys to the Kingdom Volume 4
Clockworks Volume 5