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!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 4

 

Day 4: What's the last book you flung across the room?

If I am going to read a book it is going to be a good one.  Honestly, I don't have time to read a bad one with three children under three running around, my reading time is precious.  Here is what I do, I will give a book between 50 to 100 pages, and if I'm not "feel'in the love," I don't continue.  There has to be something I feel really needs to be shared for me to spend the time to even write a less than positive review.  My feeling is, if I spend the time writing a review it is because I am giving it my seal of approval, and want to help build an audience for the book. 

 

I will say, I did stop reading a recently published "high profile" book.  It came to the top of my TBR pile with some major hype, but the story and the characters were not for me.  The main characters were three grown siblings who are brought together by a family tragedy.  I not only did I try reading this one, but listening to it, as well.  I dreaded doing either.  You know if you dread reading, STOP, like I said earlier, "So many good books, so little time." 

I recently read a classic where the writing was stunning, but the subject matter was revolting: pedophilia dressed up in a pretty package.  I desperately wanted to like the book, but because of the subject matter, it, instead, revolted me; yes, I could have easily thrown it across the room were it not for the fact it was an ebook.    

 

I will refrain from naming any specific books because how one feels about a book can be very subjective, and  honestly, I don't want to taint someone's opinion, and thereby prevent them from reading a book they may really like.  I will say, I do research a book before I start reading it.  I don't just randomly start a novel, which I also think can prevent any flinging!  

 

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 3

 

Day 3: Who are your blogging BFFs.

The Things You Can Read was born on June 7, 2012, and for the first year of its life, I have been very busy building my blog.  I believed in the Field of Dreams philosophy, "If you build it, he [they] will come."  My goal was to have at least five posts a week, and I did it, but in my zest to achieve this goal, I have failed to establish personal relationships like I should, so I guess my blogging goal for the second year of The Things You Can Read's life is to build relationships and find some BFFs out there in the blogosphere.  Anyone need a BFF?  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!