Oh the times they are a changin'

Now, this is the story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there
I'll tell you how I fell into blogging despair

Catchy right? So, many of you I'm sure have noticed my absence and whether you mourned it or relished it, I'm here to apologize. I grossly underestimated graduate school, work, & my personal life. I thought that reading and posting would continue, maybe a little slower than usual, but I didn't expect it to stop completely. I am truly sorry for abandoning you dear readers and authors. For a long time now y'all have been a constant source of fun and entertainment & I have been so thankful to be a part of the blogging community. I still am thankful and I think it's time I get back into the swing of things.

I'm hoping to get a new background soon & the content of the blog will change slightly. Most notably will be the addition of movie/tv show reviews (which have been a wonderful source of entertainment & reward for completing homework assignments) & more personal posts. I don't read quite as much as I used to, but what I do read is still YA so look for those book reviews too.

I can't promise I won't relapse again. I can't promise anything really, but this blog was once a place of enjoyment for me and I want it to be that way again. So hold on to your hats & enjoy the ride with me!

Where have the posts gone?

So I'm sure you're all beginning to notice the decrease in posting. I just thought I'd give you a heads up that things will be slowing down around here. I was accepting into graduate school for Student Personnel Administration & am taking 6 hours this semester. While I fully intend to keep up with my Genreflecting posts & Waiting on Wednesdays, regular review posts will be sporadic as most of my time is spent reading for class and/or writing papers.

I'm still around & don't plan on going anywhere, but things will be a bit more sluggish than usual.

Armchair BEA Day 5: Keeping It Real & Children's/YA Fiction

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

Keeping it real. Now that's a throwback phrase if I've heard one. All it means is keeping yourself up to date, active, & attractive. I've had Tattooed Books since July of 2009 and the most important tool I've used to keep myself motivated & encouraged to continue writing is break time. I have taken a few breaks from blogging: when I just didn't have time, when my heart and mind weren't really in it, and when my personal life needed some attention. Making your blog your be-all-end-all works for some people, but for the majority of us we realize that with such a large commitment, you'll need some breathing room.

What I believe keeps people coming back for more is the honesty that I put in my reviews. I don't tell you everything is peachy & a do a fairly comprehensive review of content, quality, and appropriateness. While I started by aiming my blog at my teen readers from work, I soon realized that the majority of readers were fellow bloggers and (of all people) teenagers' parents. The former is mostly co-bloggers that I worked with or have interacted with in some fashion. The latter was a shock to me, but they find my reviews most helpful in keeping up to date on the types of things their teens are reading.

I haven't spent a lot of time growing my readership intentionally, but it has definitely grown since I started. The best asset I've found has been Twitter. By tweeting my reviews to publishers & authors, I get more exposure if they favorite, retweet, or respond to my posting. I tried hooking up with different social networks (aimed specifically at bloggers) and with the follow-me-I-follow-you memes, but they were more work than I had time for since I wanted to focus my time on reading and my content.

The easiest part about continuing the fun is in making new friends and learning new things. I am constantly in awe of our community. We've got some incredibly imaginative thinkers and some wonderfully engaging bloggers. If it weren't for them, I don't know how much fun this would still be. If you're still reading this, thank you. You, dear reader, along with the myriad of bloggers, are why I still love this blog.

The genre topic today is my favorite (naturally) as I read mostly Young Adult books. But instead of me continuing to talk about why I love Young Adult books, I would rather talk about children's books. I really want to give you my "top five books I think every child should read" list. As a former public library assistant, I know a lot about helping people look for the right book. Sometimes though, you don't have to look for the most current thing; sometimes you have to look back a bit to find the best books. :D My suggestions are:

1. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
2. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by C.S. Lewis
4. Matilda by Roald Dahl
5. Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch

These are just some of the books that I absolutely ADORED as a kid. I know that most of them are for older children, but Love You Forever and even The Lorax are very toddler-friendly. That doesn't mean that they will necessarily grasp the concepts and fully understand them, but at the very least the rhythmic lyrics in Love You Forever will be a cadence that they are familiar with. There are so many great books to choose from that it was difficult to narrow them down so much, but these are some of the core books that I read/had read to me. 

My parents (and sister) really stretched my imagination with The Princess Bride and Alice... because while the ideas and images presented therein are fairly commonplace (talking animals, larger than life creatures, etc) the scenarios that these images are found in are fantastical. I firmly believe that I developed a love of the fantasy & paranormal genres from these types of readings.

What do you think of my list? What would you add or take away? And most importantly, what was a formative reading for you as a child?

Armchair BEA Day 4: Ethics & Non-Fiction

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

After a fun-filled day of giveaway hops, we're back at the serious business with a discussion on ethics in blogging. Blogging (and doing anything on the web really) can be a risky business. You have to know the rules and agree to play by them in order to be taken seriously and keep out of trouble. Some simple rules of thumb are:

1. Ask permission. If you didn't create it and the creator hasn't already given full permission for something to be used, then ask. It is their creation and therefore they have rights over how and when it can be used for any purpose.
2. Credit the source! I don't care if it's a picture, an article, a quote, or something else entirely, be sure to give credit to where you found it. Pinterest has gotten into a lot of trouble recently for having misguided pins (the links didn't go to the original source) and for allowing users to pin anything from any site. I recently discovered that the reason some of my posts were so heavily trafficked is because they were pinned by readers. (To see if your blog is being pinned, check out these instructions from Mashable)
3. Be yourself and be respectful. No one will want to read your hard work if you aren't respectful. I'm not saying you can't defend your position or yourself, but meeting challenges and questions with respect will get you along a lot farther.
4. Take baby steps. No one jumps in knowing everything they need to in order to run a successful blog. Take your time to really set yourself up for success. I didn't immediately start tweeting and I still don't have a Facebook page, but that's fine by me. What I have works and that's all that matters.

There have been some pretty nasty blowups over the last year in blogging due to plagiarism and not citing sources. I think some of them went over better (where the person took responsibility, apologized, and we all moved forward) than others (when there was a huge fallout creating rifts in our community). What I really want to stress to everyone reading is that we all make mistakes. It's how you choose to fix those mistakes that really matters. If you want some good ideas on how to react to plagiarism, be sure to read Parajunkee's post on the subject. She's also got a good one about copyrighted images and artwork.

I am far from perfect. I know that in the past I used images that I just found online or clipart, but I made sure fix the situation once I learned that even that was a no-no. If anyone ever finds any that I missed, please be sure to inform me so I can correct the situation. In short, do your research, be authentic, and try to keep the fun in it!

The genre discussion for today is non-fiction. As I stated on Wednesday, I mainly read Young Adult books. Occasionally I will read a non-fiction book or two, but that's about it. Since I read so much for the blog, I don't necessarily have time for books that I don't think would interest my readers. I will say though that when I do read non-fiction I prefer memoirs, pop culture-based materials, & health books. From The Hiding Place to Finding Serenity (that last one is about Joss Whedon's fabulous space cowboy tv show "Firefly" and it's movie followup "Serenity") I prefer a diverse set of non-fiction books that still allow me to feel like I'm enjoying my reading, whether it's for fun or educational purposes.

What do you think about blogging ethics & non-fiction books?

Armchair BEA Day 2: Blogger Developments & Genre Fiction

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

Today we're focusing on how we develop ourselves as bloggers. Having blogged since July of 2009, I'd like to say I've seen a lot of things change over the years. I got into blogging right before it became the new way to advertise. I honestly have to say that my style & personality haven't changed much since I started.

This isn't a way for me to make additional income (at the moment) and it's not the most stress-reducing thing I do to relax. My blog is my outlet for my bookish thoughts. While I've tried participating in readalongs & reading challenges, for some reason my brain just felt like it was back in school being forced to read something; it took the joy out of the activity. So over the last four years I have come to figure out that I should read what's calling me at the moment & just express myself as openly as possible.

Once I was fairly well established, I started requesting ARCs and really trying to stay ahead of the game on what were the newest & greatest books. That started to feel like too much work and effort for so little return. I'm not saying I'm not grateful for those wonderful publishers who did send me books and for the struggling new authors who have sought me out as a venue. Words do not describe how incredibly humbled I have been to have people seek me out and choose me as a reader and reviewer. But at the same time there are so many larger bloggers and media outlets to choose from that I didn't feel like I could compete because, to be quite honest, I didn't really want to compete. Now I simply let the public library, Goodreads, & Twitter keep me up to date on what's coming up and currently available.

Another thing that hasn't changed is my stance on e-books & e-readers. I know that a lot of people nowadays work at a computer all day. I am one of those folks. As a cataloger I look from print to screen all day to do my job. At the end of the day my eyes are so tired from looking at a screen that I just want to focus on paper right in front of me. I have a NetGalley account & am participating in the NetGalley Wellness Challenge, aimed at helping some of us struggling users to optimize our accounts, but it still will be a very select few books that I choose to request electronically. One day in the nearish future I'll make the switch, but for right now, I am hooked on what I still call "real" books. ;)

Today's bookish focus is on genre fiction. As you can tell, this is a primarily Young Adult book review site, but that doesn't mean I don't read outside my preferred venue. As I continue to grow as a reader, I am finding myself pulled in multiple directions. Occasionally I will post "What Else Have I Been Reading" posts featuring the outside-my-reading-comfort-zone books that I've read (or at least attempted to read). For the most part though I stick to urban fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary fiction, & issues books. My preference for realistic, believable characters is my driving force. If I can't get in with the characters or feel anything for them, it doesn't matter what genre they're in. I do love good recommendations both within & outside of the Young Adult parameters, so be sure to sound off in the comments with your recommendations.

Armchair BEA Day 5: The Future of Book Blogging

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

The future of book blogging. Does that sound omniscient enough to anyone else? I feel like we're getting ready to hear a graduation speech about how the world is your oyster & the future is what you make of it. While at least that last one is true, I don't honestly know what to say about the future of book blogging. In the three short years I've been blogging I would never have expected it to flourish the way it has. I mean, we have our own convention tied to BEA, that's real y'all!

I don't think we can talk about the future of book blogging without discussing e-books. This nifty little invention has opened up a whole new world not only to blogging, but to the literate population in general. In regards specifically to blogging though it has allowed a wider audience access to books early enough to really get the hype up. With memes, blog tours, & Twitter word spreads like wildfire about books & authors. While I don't think it's a make-you-or-break-you kind of deal, the blogging world does have a hand in success.

Everyone knows that negative things travel faster than positive ones, but I find that in the book blogging world we have a tempered opinion. Books are a very subjective thing, so no one really takes one person's word for it anymore. There are so many people's opinions to ask that there is no way that one person can really lord over all.

What I would like to see in the future of book blogging is more camaraderie. There have been several nasty incidents in recent months that are causing fractures in our community. These pursuits, while for the most part noble, are helping to tear us apart. I think more frank, open discussions & more inclusiveness is a must. There is no way that we can be taken seriously (and there are those who take this seriously, as in it's not just a hobby) with publishers, authors & editors if we are fighting amongst ourselves & behaving irrationally.

I personally see blogging gaining an even stronger foothold in the media field. Provided we can conduct ourselves professionally while still making our community fun & inviting, I think we'll go a long way. For my blog personally I hope to change up my layout, host more author interviews & get back into Nostalgic Fridays. I'm also hoping to look at joining an affiliate network. If there's one thing we've learned during ABEA week it's that none of us can do it all alone. For book blogging to be successful we have to succeed as a community. I look forward to the new relationships I plan to build around that principle.

It has been such a wonderful pleasure meeting A LOT of bloggers this week with Armchair BEA. I have learned so much & found new blogs to follow that I wasn't even aware existed. I want to give a big shout out to committee who brought us this wonderful event. These folks have worked hard to make this a wonderfully exciting & educational experience for those of us unable to attend BEA in NYC. I look forward to next year's event & hope you have a fun & prosperous year!

Help bring Monica of Bibliophilic Book Blog home!

I have to say that I am very happy to be part of such a wonderfully supportive community that really pulls together to make things happen. And while I don't normally do these kinds of things, Monica really deserves some help.

I'm here to bring you up to speed on what's happening with one of our very own. Monica of Bibliophilic Book Blog is in the Armed Forces & is currently stationed in South Korea. Due to unavoidable circumstances (i.e. her unit taking a ridiculously LONG TIME to officially approve her leave) she may be stuck in-country for her leave. She's even trying to sell her beloved iMac in order to get home. Plane tickets are now costing around $1600 & that's just not laying around because she used most of her savings to pay the vet bill when her cat almost died. Monica just can't seem to catch a break.

In order to get home for some well-deserved R&R Monica is asking that anyone who can spare anything to help her out. Times are tough all around, but I believe in our community. I have seen amazing things happen in short amounts of time & I really think we can do this. Her leave is from Sept 8-22, so the sooner we get started the better!

To donate you can send money via Paypal to meaghanstevens@gmail.com. This is Meaghan at A Book Worm's Haven's Paypal since Monica's isn't working. She trusts Meaghan implicitly.

Armchair BEA: Blogging Community Relationships

Today for Armchair BEA we are focusing on relationships in the blogging community. I have several stories to share about relationships because in the last almost 2 years I have had several wonderful experiences that I'd love to share!

Unofficially, I have always loved getting items signed by their "makers": cds & t-shirts by band members & books by authors mainly. Well when I realized what a GOLDMINE I have in Quail Ridge Books (our local Indie bookstore) I definitely got to ramp up my number of signed items. While I am not on a first name basis with the staff there, they have started to recognize me for the sheer number of events I have attended there recently. They get to bring in some of the BIG names in not just adult book, but teens & kids books too. I have met Adrianna Trigianni, Beth Revis, & Ally Condie just to name a few. It's such a great resource!

I have to say though, the best relationships I have discovered so far are the ones with authors. These wonderful people have so much talent & they are so patient with the fans that I can't help but admire them.

• Terra Elan McVoy (author of Pure & the newly released The Summer of Firsts & Lasts) is actually the author you have to thank for my blog. I met her in July of 2009 at a signing in a local library. I had read her book & was in love. I asked her honest opinion about blogging & what she thought about me & she strongly encouraged me to at least try it out. Without her nudge (as her book was one of the first I publicly reviewed) you might not be reading this at all. :)
• Rachel Vincent is a phenomenal author with a huge heart. She gives her loyal fans lots of sneak previews & even asks their opinions on things that end up influencing her writing! She has always been extremely courteous & helpful when working together on extensive projects (I hosted a Soul Screamers week celebrating her series & she really took an interest). Rachel is also an amazing cross-genre author who can write differently for her fans.
• Finally, Maggie Stiefvater is also one of my favorite newly-developed blogging relationship. I drove 3.5 hours to see her in Virginia & despite the smaller crowd turn out (this was a signing for Shiver, before it got big) she stayed the whole time, answered every single question we had, told hilarious stories & really made us feel like we were rockstars. She is extremely helpful & patient at signings & in communications. All around she's just fun. Not to mention she also believes in keeping her fans in the loop & enjoys creating exciting things for us to explore (her art, her music, etc).

The other relationships that I have really come to love are the ones with fellow bloggers. I have had email conversations, met in person & really come to enjoy all the different types of bloggers that exist. There are moms & students, full-time workers & high schoolers & we all bring something different to the plate. Just to name a few, my best memories of blogging lie with these people (in no particular order):
Zombiegirrrl from Crackin' Spines & Takin' Names (A pleasure to meet another local blogger)
Cindy from Princess Bookie (she's so cool, she also runs Around the World Tours)
Misty from Book Rat (I love her style!)
Katie from Sophistikatied (This girl is so quirky, I love her panache!)
Taryn from Super Librarian (We library people have to stick together!:) )

So what are some of your favorite memories or relationships created through blogging or even just related to books? Share some stories with me!

Book Blogger Hop (10) & Follow My Book Blog (7)

Hello again from the Book Blogger Hop & Follow My Book Blog hop! This is a weekly get-together so that we can showcase our blogs and discover new ones!

NEW part of the Book Blogger Hop ~ Crazy Question:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Words cannot describe how much I LOVE that my friend introduced me to Rachel Vincent! I fell in love with both of her series: Soul Screamers for teens and Shifters for adults. I was enamored so much that I hosted Soul Screamers week earlier this year & I'm hoping to do something special for the release of the final Shifters book in September. You should really check out her work if you haven't already!

I review mostly YA books with a definite slant towards paranormal/fantasy & realistic fiction. Historical fiction & prose work occasionally pique my interest as well. This week I reviewed Virgin Territory, This is What I Want to Tell You & posted Dear America in my Nostalgic Friday feature. Be sure to look around, follow if you like, check out my reading challenge or grab my button! Comments are a pleasure too, so fire away!!

The time has come to close the giveaways. Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I did make 275 followers, so there will be FOUR winners for the blogiversary contest. I will announce both the blogiversary contest & Linger contest winners by Monday! Thanks again to everyone who made this possible!

Blogiversary Giveaway (sadly I must use a form)

So I totally thought that Blogger would just give me a listing of my followers. Apparently that's not possible. So in order to be considered for the blogiversary contest, please fill out this form. Thanks for your support this past year! My official blogiversary isn't until the 31st, so you have plenty of time to enter! I've got more giveaways coming soon, so stay tuned!

What's Up Blogosphere?

This post is all about what is going on around the blogosphere. It will feature links to reviews, contests, and other interesting tidbits I have found around the internet. Hope you enjoy!

Contests:
A BookLover's Diary is having a giveaway. There will be 4 randomly selected winners who can choose from a variety of books that she has generously collected for her first giveaway. Enter here.

The ever awesome Story Siren is having a giveaway featuring two of the biggest angel books of the year: Hush, Hush and Fallen. There are multiple ways to enter and you can find them all here.

Kate over at Read This Book! is also giving away a copy of Fallen. I am really hoping to win one from somewhere. You can find her contest here.

Lori, of Pure Imagination, is hosting a Twilight Month celebration for the movie release of "New Moon". As part of that celebration she is having a giveaway of some great Twilight merchandise. Check it out here. Also remember to stay tuned throughout the month. I have a guest post about a certain Twilight discussion board on The Nest that should be coming up any day now.

Reviews:

The Compulsive Reader did a great review of Scott Westerfeld's new dystopian novel Leviathan. I just got my copy from the library and I was very intrigued by what she had to say about it. We'll see what I think in a few weeks.

Vania at Reverie Book Reviews has a handful of author interviews talking about character names and their latest works. They look really good!

I'm also featuring Princess Bookie's review of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. It's a well-written argument about her reaction to the book. While I never go out of my way to bash anything (I know none of us do), sometimes you just can't help it that a book doesn't grab you. I appreciate honesty in reviews. Go Cindy!

Miscellaneous:
I have recently been introduced to the AMAZING world of cleolinda on livejournal. She has these great summaries of movies entitled Movies in Fifteen Minutes. They are phenomenal! Not only do they get the main storyline across, but they are so funny I have actually fallen out of my chair on numerous occasions. Check them out if you haven't seen them before. Be forewarned, some of them do have "mature language and content."

I think that about does it for now. I don't expect this to be a regular habit, but you never know. Until next time...