15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 15

Day 15:  Who are your book blogging mentors? 

Mentors?  Well, I don't have a one-on-one relationship with an experienced blogger, but I do have blogs which I think do it right, and visit almost daily.  As I said in an earlier post on the challenge, one of my blogging goals this, my second year of blogging, is to find some of that mentoring love out there in the blogosphere.  So, here are my go-to blogs and why:

I've got egg on my face, after writing the above paragraph a day ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I do have a mentor! First off, I have to apologize to Alexis over at Alexis @ Reflections of a Bookaholic because it actually took me a day to realize my big boo boo.  Back when I first started blogging and it felt like no one even knew by blog existed Alexis was leaving comments. She gave me a big boost to my blogging ego when it was most needed. So, yes, I do have a mentor and it would be Alexis over at Reflections of a Bookaholic. Thanks Alexis. I knew when I wrote this post I'd forgotten something!
 
So, here are my go-to blogs and why:
Reflections of a Bookaholic-Adult Fiction, Great Reviews, and Commenter Extraordinaire
Leeswammes' Blog Adult Fiction, Great Reviews, Challenges, Hops

Film English Writing Ideas and use of shorts

Roof Beam Reader Adult Fiction, Great Reviews, Challenges, Read-Alongs

Book'd Out Adult Fiction, Reviews
Silver's Reviews Adult Fiction, Reviews
Unabridged Chick Adult Fiction, Reviews
Rose City Reader Adult Fiction, Reviews, Challenges, Hops

Nerdy Book Club Random Thoughts on Children's Literature 
 

I'm sure I'll think of a few more, but these came to mind immediately!  Like I said earlier, personal relationships with folks out in the blogosphere is a priority this year!

  

Happy reading to all! ☮ 

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

Day 8 of Challenge

Day 9 of Challenge

Day 10 of Challenge

Day 11, 12 & 13 of Challenge

Day 14 of Challenge

How would you answer any of these questions?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading☮ 

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 14

 

Day 14:  Describe one underappreciated book EVERYONE should read. 

Okay, you may have noticed, I got day 13 and 14 backwards...oh well...I don't know if I know of an underappreciated book EVERYONE should read, but I AM reading a book that according to some very big literary gurus, like novelist Ian McEwan, it is a novel that should not be looked over, in fact, they are praising it up and down. What novel is causing such a commotion? The novel is Stoner by John Edward Williams, which was published in 1965. Some of these literary giants have gone so far as to say it is one of the great novels of the century.

A little-known book called Stoner has caught the imagination of readers and writers alike. Written by American writer John Williams, it was first published in 1965, and is now being hailed as one of the great novels of the century. Author Ian McEwan explains the book's appeal to the Today programme's Sarah Montague on the BBC. He said: "As soon as you start reading it you feel you're in very, very good hands. It's a very authoritative prose. The story, just to list its elements make it sound rather dull, and a little too sad, but in fact a small life out of which John Williams makes a very, very beautiful novel. "It is the most extraordinary discovery for us readers." BBC

 

Happy reading to all! ☮ 

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

Day 8 of Challenge

Day 9 of Challenge

Day 10 of Challenge
 
Day 11, 12 & 13 of Challenge
 

How would you answer any of these questions?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 11, 12 & 13

 

Day 11:  Show off five of your best blog post. 

Here are links to five posts I'd like to showcase:

Active Readers

Hunger Games Review?

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald Review

The Rosie Project

Psychopath Test Review

Extra Show offs:

The Book of Secrets

Maryand Lou and Rhoda and Ted


DAY 12

How do I fight blogger fatigue?

I just keep reading.  Eventually, I'll want to write about something, whether it is a review or something interesting I've found related to the book world.

Day 13

Tell us your deal breakers.

I'm still thinking on this one.  I try to be open minded about the blogging world.  I know I'm not interested in reading erotica type blogs or books (no judging here...it just not for me).  It would simply be a waste of my time, since I don't read in that genre...its not my thing, so I guess that would be a deal breaker for me.

Happy reading to all! ☮ 

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

Day 8 of Challenge

Day 9 of Challenge

Day 10 of Challenge
 

How would you answer any of these questions?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 10

 

Day 10:  How do you choose what book to read next? 

How do I choose what book to read next?  Well, it used to be a lot easier before I started to blog, but now it is often influenced by the ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy) I have been given from various publishers.  I try and read one ARC a week, since my ARC list is really starting to grow, so this list is the first "go to" spot, in order to make a new "what to read" book selection. 

The next list I peruse is my Samples list.  The samples are from Amazon, and they vary in length depending on how much the author or publisher wanted to share with a potential purchaser.  These books tend to be books I just heard about or could not, for whatever reason, obtain an ARC of the full book.  Sometimes I might read these simultaneously while having already started another book.  

After that comes library Ebooks, which I either have already checked out or the book is on my list to be checked out.  I only check out Kindle books because they return themselves without a trip to the library.  I have trouble enough remembering due dates for the humongous number of children's books we check out (not to mention the children's videos).

Then comes the physical books I already own.  However, I have a terrible time with physical books because my son loves to look at books, and he is very physical with them.  In other words, he destroys them, which is why I moved to reading on an Ereader.  Let me give you an example.  I purchased Joyland by Stephen King, I had to purchase the book because Stephen King decided not to release it in Ereader form.  You can only read a hardcopy, so I bought it.  I planned on starting it the other night, but didn't, so I hid the book in the sideboard railing of my bed, and now this morning, I found it all bent up on the floor.  I can't believe he found it, but he did.  Now, my brand new books doesn't look so new anymore, which again is why I use an Ereader.

Well, I'm sure I've left something out in my quest to get this post up and running , but I do recognize the ARCs jump to the top of my TBR pile, but I'm not complaining because I am very lucky that so many publishers are trusting me with an ARC to review.  THANK YOU PUBLISHERS...wherever you are!

Happy reading to all! ☮ 

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

Day 8 of Challenge

Day 9 of Challenge

 

How would you answer this one?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 9

 

Day 9:  Why do you blog about books? 

Why do I blog about books?  Well, because I've always loved a good story.  As a child it was fairy tales.  I was lucky enough to have a mother who took me to the library and read to me, and she, in turn, passed on her love of reading to me.  Where did she learn to love books?  She learned from having her mother read fairy tales and Bible stories to her.  Like all family traditions, I hope to pass on my passion for reading to my almost three year-old twins, Samuel and Irene, and their almost two year old sister, Lillian Marcella.  I read to them, and they see me read, which makes them interested in the printed word.  Books and old movies are my passion.  I don't have time for movies any more, and I can't imagine giving up books, so I read and blog about what I know best, BOOKS.

"Are you the art teacher?" That's the question I get all the time. No, I'm not the art teacher, but I am a frustrated artist trapped inside the body of an English teacher, and my blog also allows me to express myself visually.  So by day, I'm an English teacher who spreads her passion for reading to her students, where I often use my visual extension of myself, my blog, in my lesson, which is why during the school year, I have more teacher oriented posts mixed into the bunch.  Like my blog says, I want to be a "Book Whisperer" to those who find me in the classroom or out in the blogosphere, therefore, I blog!  Happy reading to all! ☮ 

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

Day 8 of Challenge

 

How would you answer this one?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 8

 

Day 8:  Quick!  Write 15 bullet points of things that appeal to your on blogs or questions that I consider as I visit a new blog! 

1. Interesting sidebar information
2. Reviews that fit my reading habits
3. Are there any resources this blogger is using that I might find beneficial? For example: Net Galley
4. Is the blog visually appealing?
5. Are they posting on a regular bases?
6. Are they participating in any Blog Hops I might enjoy?
7. Do they use Goodreads?  If they do, what Goodreads information are they sharing on their blog?
8. Do they have what they are currently reading posted?
9. Is the blogger doing something that I should consider doing?

10. Are they involved in any challenges I might enjoy?
11. No noises/music when the blog loads
12. I'm still working on 12-15

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

Day 7 of Challenge

 

How would you answer this one?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 7

 

Day 7:  Talk about your blogging quirks.

Well, I hadn't really thought of them as quirks, but I guess they are quirky habits I've established over my year of blogging.  I save lots of what I call "Possible Future Posts" in the draft folder of my blogging template.  To give you an idea, I have 700 drafts in my folder right now.  In comparison, I have only 330 published posts (remember I've only been blogging for a year).  Now these might be simply a quick fragment of an idea or an article that I found, which will ultimately lead to a germ for a future posts or they might be partially written posts.

Recently, I've developed another habit of making sure I have scheduled at least five posts to automatically post over the upcoming five days.  Right now, I have seven scheduled to post, which is great because next week I am very busy as a helper/teacher with VBS plus all my children's other summer activities.  This is also a really good quirk to have established because we will be going on vacation in a few weeks, and I don't have access to the Internet during that time.  In connection with this quirk is another little thing about these five or so posts-of these posts-I like to have at least one or two reviews in the mix.

I never write on paper first.  I always type my posts.  I don't care if it is in Word or in the template of the blogging post, I type.  I learned early on that I am a far better writer when I type.  In relation to the actual writing, if I am typing a review, I like to have the image of the book posted first then I write the written word that goes along with the post. 

During the day, I check my blog, at various and sundry times, to see where folks are visiting my blog from and what material they are viewing.  This helps me plan content for my blog as I begin writing those scheduled posts.  

 

One of my blogging goals for the year is to develop more blogging friendships, so I have seen another quirk develop, and that is to make sure to [TRY] and reply to any comments I receive on my blog, and to try to leave comments on blogs I visit.  This is sometimes harder than you'd think it would be because of the time this takes.

My last thoughts on the subject of blogging quirks are in relation to returning to a post.  I will often go back to posts and edit or add information if I think it should be modified.  Especially, now, with the five day ahead scheduling system, I can let a post sit a few days and then read over it with "fresh eyes" to catch basic grammar mistakes or even add a thing or two to the post. 

Well. these are my blogging quirks or preferences, I'm sure I'll be coming back to add a few that I think of later, but in the mean time, what are your blogging quirks?

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

Day 6 of Challenge

 

How would you answer this one?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 6

 

Day 6: How do you shop for books.

I shop for books many different ways.  One way is to watch what books my FRIENDS on Goodreads are adding to their TBR pile.  I have several folks who I know have similar reading tastes and I trust their judgment.  I also belong to several Goodreads group, and I watch what books crop up in the conversations within the group.  I also subscribe by email to several blogs and other Bookie related resources, which continually mention "new to me' books.  I keep a master running list on my Goodreads profile.  I use reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and on various and sundry blogs to research whether or not I think a book is for me.  I often am able to acquire new "soon to be released" books from the publisher in return for a review, but if I have to purchase the book, I will first use the sample feature on Amazon to decide if I will put "real money" on the line to buy the book or not. 

Once upon a time, I used to go to a wonderful bookstore in Richmond called Black Swan Books, but that was pre-children.  The nearest Barnes & Noble is forty minutes away, so regular visits are not feasible.  However, we do have A Books A Million nearby, but I've never been a big fan. 

Now, most of my paltry purchases are online.  Once the children are old enough, I hope to return to visiting my favorite antiquarian bookstore, Black Swan, but that is still a few years off.  I also use my library's Overdrive system to checkout Audiobooks and Ebooks.  Not having to physically return the books you checkout electronically is one of the best technological inventions since sliced bread. 

That's how I shop for books  How do you shop for your book purchases.  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Additional Resources:

Day 1 and 2 of Challenge

Day 3 of Challenge

Day 4 of Challenge

Day 5 of Challenge

 

Again, how would you answer this one?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!