Armchair BEA Day 1: Introductions First

Welcome to the first post in a series for Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters. They sum up the event with:

So, what exactly does being a[n Armchair BEA] participant entail? First and foremost, you'll be able to celebrate and participate in an event that happens each year in New York City, Book Expo America, from the comfort of your very own home, hopefully a snugly armchair! Secondly, and we hope equally as important, you'll be able to meet new book bloggers and join together in a celebration of the wonderful community that comes out of book blogging. Last year we had over 600 participants, so you're bound to meet some new great bookish friends! Lastly, it means participating, however you're able to. This can be by posting, tweeting, discussing, or even by simply reading and commenting on participating blogs. Your level of participation is entirely up to you, but we hope you'll find something to get you involved in this fabulous event! 

Each of us has an entirely valid reason for not being able to make to BEA in NYC, including many of the organizers. Because of that the organizers and publicity team are working hard behind the scenes to give you an event that you won't soon forget!

-Posted from 2012 Participant Registration Now Open

Needless to say, for another year I am unable to attend BEA. Having recently moved 800 miles from my home state of North Carolina to the corn-filled fields of Illinois, it just wasn't in the budgetary plan to spend a long weekend in a very expensive city. One of these days I will make it. In the meantime I am perfectly content to sit at home in my green, oversize, covered-in-cat-hair armchair with my tea & computer to participate in Armchair BEA.

Now down to business for the day! It's introductions day so here are my five self-interview questions.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

So there is a little bit of confusion surrounding who I actually am. My handle usually says loreleimarsh & my blog URL is lisettebes. In reality these are both variations on my real name. My name is Laura. I'm a 25 year old, cataloging assistant at a private college in the Midwest. I started Tattooed Books in the summer of 2009 as a way to get my opinion about books out into the world. At the time I was a YA program specialist in my local public library. Teens found it easy to relate to me & often asked my opinion about books. As I have been writing personal book reviews since elementary school, it was only natural for me to transfer my thoughts into a digital format. I will admit though that it took the convincing of the lovely Terra Elan McVoy for me to finally take the leap & commit to blogging.

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I have been with my husband for 12 years as of this fall. That's right, do the math. Accounting for the fact that my birthday is before our anniversary, I was 14 when we started dating. He was 17. We are that sickening couple that despite all our time together still act as though we're newly dating. It helps that we are both the children of older parents, so many of our values & ideals are a little old fashioned for our contemporaries & we just seem to get each other. I truly hope our future children can find that same kind of happiness & support.

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

It's hard to believe that I wrote it over 2 years ago, but my post on Age Appropriateness & Content is my favorite. After working in libraries for several years, you expect all sorts of issues, but working with young adult/teen readers lends itself to a special set of rules or rather guidelines. There are no hard & fast rules for what books are appropriate for specific age groups at any particular time. There are a number of factors to be included in the decision making process & this post highlights that issue as seen from a public library worker's standpoint.

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

It took me FOREVER to decide on this one. Obvious answers would be Shakespeare, Harry Potter, or Scout (from To Kill a Mockingbird), but I decided to go with the author Jennifer Echols. While I have met some incredible authors and there are so many more I would like to meet (Ellen Hopkins, Rachel Vincent, Patricia Briggs to name just a few) I can't shake the desperate wish that I could meet Jennifer Echols. I have reviewed several of her books & I can't imagine a better lunch/dinner discussion partner. She creates such strong, independent characters, even if they don't start out that way. I really would have given almost anything to have some of those kinds of characters in my books at a younger age. Seriously, realistic fiction for teens doesn't get more powerful than her writing.

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

When I first started this blog I was reading YA almost exclusively. I just didn't like "adult" books because the ones I had been exposed to were murder mysteries, psychotic thrillers & hum-drum "woe is me" fiction. As I spent more time exploring my options I found several adult authors who carried on the themes & character-driven books that I found myself drawn to in the YA genre. I've even read somethings outside of my comfort zone & preferred reading niches just so I can say that I've tried them. Some I've liked & some I haven't. While my reading tastes are ever-evolving, I try to review books that are still mainly geared toward teens & young adults looking for books to help bridge the gap between children's books & adult books.

There you have it folks! Please feel free to ask me any questions you like & I'll be sure to give you the best answer I can. You can find me on Twitter & Goodreads as well. Let the Armchair BEA fun begin!

Welcome to Armchair BEA Day 1: Introductions & Classics

Welcome to the first post in a series for Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters. They sum up the event with:

Armchair BEA is an online conference that runs in conjunction with Book Expo America in New York City. There are a large number of people around the world that are not able to join in the literary celebrations in the Big Apple, so Armchair BEA brings the celebration to you by allowing networking among other book bloggers, authors, and publishers as well as special coverage of the event, all from the comfort of your own comfy armchair.

Posted from Armchair BEA Registration is Open

I used to get really bummed out this time of year when I realized that once again I had not accomplished my goal of attending BEA. With Armchair BEA rapidly growing in popularity, I think I enjoy this more than I would walking around a giant convention center with thousands of people. This gives me the chance to save up my precious vacation time from work for more family-oriented events throughout the year.

1. Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures. 

I am blogging from a small Illinois town outside of St. Louis, MO. I moved here in the fall of 2011 after my husband found better work here. As a born & bred Tarheel, with founding families on both sides, I am the first person in my family to move out of state! Fun fact: the town that I currently live in is actually the town that my husband grew up in before moving to North Carolina.

2. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

My favorite book is a three way tie. I adored Stay with Me by Paul Griffin, Just One Day by Gayle Forman, and If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I hadn't read any books by the first two, so they were first time authors for me. All of these books took my breath away and were very different from one another. Fans of Simone Elekeles will like Stay with Me, fans of Jennifer E. Smith will like Just One Day, and fans of gritty/heartwrenching/heartwarming realistic fiction will like If You Find Me.

3. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. 

I don't own a television. It's true. I sold my television in June of 2010 & haven't owned one since. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "I refuse to have a television" types, it's just not been practical to own one for a long time. Now that I've adjusted to life without it, I happily enjoying watching my television programs at my leisure. I've been able to discover so many more shows since I got rid of my television thanks to Netflix & the public library that (since I'm all caught up) I can watch them online (more that 90% for free). Some of current favorites are: Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Doctor Who, Revolution, Covert Affairs, Army Wives, Once Upon a Time, & Bones. All of those (with the exception of Doctor Who) air online within a week of the live airing & are held in a queue for approximately 4 weeks, so even if I miss a week, I can just let it roll into the next week & then I get two episodes!

4. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read? 

I'm going to kind of cheat on this one. If I had to direct you to a series of posts that I want everyone to read, it would be anything with the Genreflecting tag. I decided to do an educational experiment with genres & subgenres. One of my favorite (and most useful) tools when I did teen reader interest surveys was the Teen Genreflecting book. It contained the descriptions of the genres, the subgenres, & so many examples divided out. If my teen said they really wanted a book about survival adventures, I could pull this book out & give them a list. For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. On Fridays there will be a basics post, a details post with author excerpts, and 2 reviews of books in the genre with a giveaway in the final post of the month. I'd love some input on your thoughts about genres, subgenres, & what they really mean for readers.

5. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

I gotta say, I've had the great fortune to meet some awesome authors: Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah Dessen, & Patricia Briggs just to name a few. Last year I said I'd love to meet Jennifer Echols, but this year it's a tie between Jackson Pearce & Rachel Hawkins. Both of these women are bada$$es for creating such incredible worlds for their books. Jackson Pearce has brought fairy tale retellings into a whole new ballgame. Her twists on the classics tales & the way she interweaves details connecting them all is incredible! Rachel Hawkins has a witty sense of humor that shines through her books so well. I feel instantly connected to her characters and enjoy their adventures. I was sad to hear that Hex Hall was ending, but ecstatic to hear that it got a spinoff in School Spirits.

As for classics, I am a lover of traditional classics & newer agey classics. While I wasn't thrilled with being forced to read & over analyze books in high school, I do appreciate the breadth that we covered over my four years. I loved Shakespeare from childhood, but found myself falling in love with the more contemporary books that I read in class like Nectar in a Sieve & All Quiet on the Western Front. For quite some time I hosted a feature here on Tattooed Books called Nostalgic Fridays where I covered a classic YA or middle grades book or series. While working on that feature I realized just how many classic books I had read that I really liked. From The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I even covered authors in general because I couldn't choose just one book to cover (Lois Duncan & Roald Dahl being my biggies).

I think what makes a book a classic to me is it's ability to be timeless. When I say timeless, I don't necessarily mean that it's so generic that it can't be pinpointed as belonging to a certain era; I mean that the premise of the story & the point of the story is timeless. The message that you take away at the end of the book & the way that it makes you feel should be always be able to happen no matter when someone reads the book. With that in mind, I have no qualms about calling some newer books (newer agey is my technical term) as classics. Things like Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Hate List by Jennifer Brown, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, & The Luxe by Anna Godbersen are all classic YA books to me. I cannot fathom a time when these books will cease to stir something within the reader. 

Now that I've give you my humble opinion, what are your thoughts? Do you stick with the traditional classics or have you expanded your definition to suit the changing climate of reading?

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!

Armchair BEA Day 2: Best of 2012 & a giveaway!

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters. They sum up the event with:

So, what exactly does being a[n Armchair BEA] participant entail? First and foremost, you'll be able to celebrate and participate in an event that happens each year in New York City, Book Expo America, from the comfort of your very own home, hopefully a snugly armchair! Secondly, and we hope equally as important, you'll be able to meet new book bloggers and join together in a celebration of the wonderful community that comes out of book blogging. Last year we had over 600 participants, so you're bound to meet some new great bookish friends! Lastly, it means participating, however you're able to. This can be by posting, tweeting, discussing, or even by simply reading and commenting on participating blogs. Your level of participation is entirely up to you, but we hope you'll find something to get you involved in this fabulous event! 

Each of us has an entirely valid reason for not being able to make to BEA in NYC, including many of the organizers. Because of that the organizers and publicity team are working hard behind the scenes to give you an event that you won't soon forget!

-Posted from 2012 Participant Registration Now Open 

I haven't kept the closest eye on the books that are available at BEA mostly because I am always more interested in the authors. Collecting signed books is a hobby of mine, thus my attendance at author events & signings, but the books that I am most excited about are:

 Alpha & Omega: Vol. 1: Cry Wolf (graphic novel) by Patrica Briggs
 This is the graphic novel version of the book with some exquisite artwork!
 Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer- and son- of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf- a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack.

Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Years later . . . what really happened to Christopher Creed? When Torey Adams posts on his blog that a body has been found in Steepleton—four years after Christopher Creed disappeared—college reporter Mike Mavic sells his laptop and hops a plane to capture the story that will undoubtedly launch his journalistic career. But what Mike finds is a town suffering under a cloud of bad frequency and people with an underlying streak of meanness. To the teens of Steepleton, Chris is nothing more than history—but to Justin Creed, a teen obsessed with his older brother’s memory and balancing on the edge of sanity, discovering what really happened to Chris Creed is a matter of life and death.

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Sacred by Elana K. Arnold
Growing up on Catalina Island, off the California coast, Scarlett Wenderoth has led a fairly isolated life. After her brother dies, her isolation deepens as she withdraws into herself, shutting out her friends and boyfriend. Her parents, shattered by their own sorrow, fail to notice Scarlett's pain and sudden alarming thinness. Scarlett finds pleasure only on her horse, escaping to the heart of the island on long, solitary rides. One day, as she races around a bend, Scarlett is startled by a boy who raises his hand in warning and says one word: "Stop."

The boy—intense, beautiful—is Will Cohen, a newcomer to the island. For reasons he can't or won't explain, he's drawn to Scarlett and feels compelled to keep her safe. To keep her from wasting away. His meddling irritates Scarlett, though she can't deny her attraction to him. As their relationship blossoms into love, Scarlett's body slowly awakens at Will's touch. But just when her grief begins to ebb, she makes a startling discovery about Will, a discovery he's been grappling with himself. A discovery that threatens to force them apart. And if it does, Scarlett fears she will unravel all over again.

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

TILT is the story of three teens inter-related through their parents' family relationships and friendships. As their parents pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the kids' worlds tilt, through love--good and bad:

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year, and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer, and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister's impending death. Can he accept Alex's love, knowing his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

(all blurbs from Goodreads)

While I'm rather saddened that I will most likely have to wait until these books come to my local library, one of you lucky folks can win a book! It won't be one of the ones mentioned above, but you will have your choice between one of four novels. To enter, you must be 13 years or older & live in the US. Fill in the Rafflecopter information & you're good to go! Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Armchair BEA is coming back again!

Last year I was fortunate enough to participate in Armchair BEA & I am thrilled to announce that it'll be coming back again this year! For those of you who may not be aware, BEA (Book Expo America) is the book event. Over 3 or 4 days in New York City, thousands of publishers, authors, fans, professionals, librarians & pretty much anyone related to the book trade meets up to host panels for discussions, sign books, hand out ARCs of upcoming books & generally promote the book industry.

Armchair BEA was born out of the desire to still be involved in this event, even if you couldn't afford to actually attend. There are live Twitter feeds from the event, interview videos, local (online) networking & tons of tips & giveaways! Be sure to keep updated on what things will be taking place by visiting the official Armchair BEA site & following them anywhere you can.

I certainly will be participating again this year since I enjoyed my posts so much last year. I also won like 3 books from all the giveaways, so it was an even bigger bonus. Be sure to spread the word about this incredible online event!

Armchair BEA Day 4: Beyond the Blog: Author Events!

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

I don't have much desire to write outside of my blog & I don't currently monetize, so today's post is going to focus on a fun aspect of my blog.

While I could talk about Nostalgic Fridays (which is something I'm trying to bring back) or how my blog got its name (I love tattoos [I have 3] & books, so kind of not much to talk about there) I'm going to discuss the shenanigans of author events/signings.

I thoroughly enjoy collecting books that have been personalized at an author signing. Over the last 2.5 years I have attending at least a dozen events (some larger than others) & collected several autographed books. Although I am proud of these books & love them to death (they have their very own shelf on one of my bookcases), the most fun are the authors themselves. These people are what make it all worthwhile. Without their hard work & dedication to their craft & their fans' experiences, the book community just wouldn't be as wonderful as it is. On top of responding to comments on their Facebook, Twitter & blogs, these authors hit the road (sometimes in style & sometimes with very little fanfare) to visit with their fans.

For me, it's all about the stories they tell & the relationships that build. Yes it's nice to hear them read from their book or discuss their writing process, but for me the stories behind all that are the most important. Ally Condie remarked that she had a writing epiphany while trying to match up her sons' tiny socks. Any excuse not to do laundry is a good one, right? I have seen Maggie Stiefvater twice (once in Charlottesville, VA & once at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh). As stated in those articles, Maggie is hands down the best live author event ever. Her quirky sense of humor & hilarious tales (TSA woes & real-life wolves licking her face) leave you in awe of her writing talents. Even better was that on Maggie's last trip to Raleigh she was kind enough to take a picture with me and Loki (her gorgeous car) while telling me about all the things that had happened on the tour prior to that stop.

I find that I tend to forget that authors are just people. Incredibly talented & unbelievably kind people, but people none the less. They have this kind of celebrity aura surrounding them & a lot of people feel like they might be unreachable. I go to the author events to meet the real people, not just the feeling you get from blog posts, books, & interviews. In person is where the magic happens & I am drawn to the magic. The authors I have met are some of the most amusing & humble people I've had the pleasure to encounter. If you've never been to an event I highly recommend them!

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 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?

Humorous BEA survival tips & Armchair BEA for those unable to attend!

Every year thousands of people flock to the publishing mecca & event of the year that is Book Expo America at the Javits Center in New York City. While I have never had the good fortune to go (I will make it one of these days) I love reading the articles leading up to it (where to go, what to see, where to eat) and the recaps from my favorite bloggers.

Luckily a few years ago, a few lovely folks decided that they were tired of missing out on all the great bookish action, so they created the virtual convention Armchair BEA. I've participated for the last two years & it makes a world of difference in my opinion. You get to hop around the blogosphere meeting new bloggers, publishers, authors, & just getting to enjoy all the bookish things we already love like interviews, sneak peeks, & of course giveaways! A newer component is the live reporting from BEA. I think this enhances the experience even more because you feel like you're actually there!

Registration is free and currently open & the agenda for posts is live. If you've never participated, don't be nervous. You don't have to do everything; the beauty of this is that you get to choose just how involved you want to be in everything. Take it from me, you'll have may more fun than you thought possible & you'll be counting down the days until the next Armchair BEA.

For those of you fortunate enough to be able to attend, Shelf Awareness has posted some humorous survival tips that I think can help anyone. Enjoy the snippet below & let me know in the comments if you'll be attending the live or virtual conference!

Swag carefully. Each ounce of free galleys and gewgaws will double in weight hourly. If you need to understand the science behind this, please watch an episode of Doctor Who.

The holy trinity of publishing is ink, paper and booze. The first two may have gone virtual, but the last can still be found trickling from various booths. Look for the sponsored happy hours and free wine. It is sanctioned drinking on the job. It will also make your feet feel better.

Don't be a jerk. People will remember how you made them feel. This goes for everyone--from the vaguely dubbed industry professionals to the novice author-publishers.

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 3: Giveaways & Literature

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

Before I jump right into the giveaway, I want to talk about what I'm giving away. Something we haven't talked about officially all week are series! If you have had time this week to check out my archive, then you'll see LOTS of series. I'm a pretty big fan of book series. To me they are like a television show with seasons, multiple episodes featuring the same core characters that I love to hate and just flat out love and my heart breaks when it's over, either for the season or series ending. Some of my favorite series are: Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs, Revenants by Amy Plum, & Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent. I've been fortunate enough to meet some of these women (it's not intentional that they're all ladies, I promise) and I've even hosted a week celebrating one of these series.

Now here's where the fun part comes in. While I don't have a first copy of all of these to give away, I've got something just as good. There will be two giveaways. The first one is for US residents only and will allow you to win your choice of one of the following books:

• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
• My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
• Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
• Die for Me by Amy Plum
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

The second giveaway is open internationally! I'm giving you the chance to pick your own book(s)! I will pay up to $15 (US) for you to choose your own book(s). You tell me your selection and I will pay for it on your behalf.

Contest rules: You must be over 13 years old to enter; if you submit an entry into the US only giveaway, you must have a US address for me to ship to; if you submit an entry in the international giveaway you must tell me your book selection(s) within 72 hours of receiving my winning notification email; both giveaways close at 12:00 AM (CST) on June 1.

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you're still with me, we'll now progress to the more "high brow" portion of today's segment. :) General literary fiction is a term I associate with assigned readings in high school and college. That being said, there are still a few great ones that really had a profound impact on my life or helped me to see another point of view:

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood was the first book I read about women's roles in society that actually frightened me; and it's fiction! There were so many parallels between this book and our world that caused me to take pause and reevaluate how I was thinking and behaving in regards to what's going on this world. I also think this book started me on my post-apocalyptic/futuristic world kick. It also encouraged me to educate myself about real women's roles & lead me to reading more women's memoirs (like Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali & Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi).
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett doesn't always get the credit it deserves. While the content wasn't earth-shattering, the execution was incredible. Told from three very distinct points of view, we follow the events of a few months in the lives of a non-traditional Southern belle writing a book about "The Help", her maid, and another maid. This book shone a fairly accurate light on the reality of life in the South during this time period. It had such a profound impact on me because of the conversations it opened up with other people about that time period. 
• L'assommoir by Émile Zola was one of the first books I read completely in French. In my literature class during my semester abroad we read selections from several time periods and only a few select books. This one was one of the books we read. It was a whole new way for me to learn a language. By reading it on my own, digesting what I thought was the meaning, and then dissecting it in class I gained a new respect for writers, their craft, and second language apprehension. If you've never tried it, give it a shot some time!

There you have it folks. Three of my most influential, and most non-required by school, reading assignments. What books did you choose?

Armchair BEA Day 3: Networking in Real Life - How to Get Your Book Fix

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 discussing networking. I find this to be just a fancy word for interacting within your chosen community. In this case, we're talking about meeting & working with people in your bookish community. As it was part of my job, I am pretty good at working with groups & individuals to fulfill their bookish needs. Rather than bore you with some of my successful events, I'm going to tell you a few things I have learned along the way.

1. Befriend your bookseller, especially the indie stores. They can tell you what books are coming out when & even host some great events! I spent a great deal of time at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC for several events. They seemed to be in touch with a variety of authors & genres that appealed to all ages. Even better though was my book relationship with Sarah at Borders. She was a regular employ who was almost always the one ringing me out, so she kind of got to know my reading habits. We'd make small talk on slow nights & one day I came in to find books being held for me in case I was interested. I also got lots of promo/display items that were being tossed out & dozens of book recommendations. Find that person or that store in your area (I know it can be harder when you live in a small town, but making the drive for some great events is totally worth it!) & just start talking. You'll be amazed at how much you can learn!
2. Use your library! I know that sounds dumb, but they are so much more than a place to pick up and drop off books. Many libraries now have bookclub resources that vary from library-hosted bookclubs, kits with books & discussion guides for outside-the-library bookclubs & sometimes even meeting spaces. Does your library not own the book you want? Do you know about InterLibrary Loan (ILL)? Most (if not all) libraries have the ability to request certain items from other institutions. It's a way for book collections to be shared at a mutual benefit to both groups involved. Ask about this option the next time you want a slightly less popular title. Don't forget about the library's events too! While a lot of programs are aimed at getting the younger folks into reading, there are still some teen programs with prizes & even some adult programs with incentives.
3. Join Twitter! While many people have been tooting this for a long while, I was very skeptical & very resistant to getting on Twitter. I would see people tweeting & wonder what all the fuss was about. Finally I thought, "I'll give this a week. If after that I don't get it, then it's just not my cup of tea." It was such a relief to find it so simple & interesting. I am able to follow several of my favorite authors, businesses, & other bloggers. There are contests with authors & publishers, snippets from daily writings, & get some all around fun! A lot of my daily news comes from this source because it's just so easy to get the information out there. At times I do get frustrated because I can't keep up & I miss out on some things because I'm not attached to it, but that's part of the fun. It's constant & never dull.
4. Don't be afraid of interacting with strangers, in real life or online. I'm sure "Stranger Danger" is running through your mind right now, but I'm sure you all understand my meaning. A smile & comment in a waiting line can make all the difference. I've met other book bloggers (like the ever so lovely Vania, queen of the book trailers!), new friends & several lovely authors by simply being nice. You never know who you're going to meet or how awesome they can be if you don't at least try. A lot of time other people are just as nervous as you, but as social creatures we usually find something in common to bond over.
5. Finally, think outside the box. Can't get anything good at your library? What about a bookswap (wither locally or via one of the many online versions like Swap.com or PaperbackSwap.com)? Want to do a giveaway, but don't have a book? Why not team up with a seller on Etsy.com to giveaway something related to something bookish? Got a lot to say & think it'll take more than one post? Create a special week long event! There are no real rules, so have fun with it! I have done all of these things & the ideas came to me when I was running out of options. I LOVE partnering with other bloggers, artisans, & websites. My motto has always been, if you don't ask then the answer is always no. You never know what you might get in return either. Some of the Etsy artisans were even kind enough to give me a discount & work with me on designing something special for my giveaway.

There you have it folks! I've tried all these methods over time (as my confidence grew & I became more comfortable in my blogging role) when nothing but success. This list is by no means all encompassing, but it's a great start. Feel free to leave a comment talking about an experience that you've tried. I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve my book community experience!

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!

Armchair BEA: Welcome Visitors!

My cat Sophie & I reading Tale of Despereaux

Welcome visitors! My name is Laura & Tattooed Books is my haven for my book outlet. I'm in my mid-20s & married to a very supportive husband who helps my blog & its HTML-challenged writer. I have worked in libraries for the last 9 years & have spent the last 3 years of that in a public library as a Young Adult programmer. That's just a fancy way of saying that I plan the teen programs & work with the teen book collection.

95% of the books I review, authors I interview & giveaways I participate in are YA oriented. I love everything from paranormal/urban fantasy to realistic fiction in the YA genre. While YA is my main love, I do branch out occasionally to some adult genres like Sci-Fi/Fantasy or even a little Romance. Basically if it's a good book up my alley, you can bet I'm gonna read it & tell you my thoughts.

Feel free to poke around in my archives, grab my button, or visit any of my favorite bloggers! Be sure to check in for my Armchair BEA posts! I'll be Armchairing from home mostly. I do actually work in a library, so time at the computer there is reserved for business. :)

Book Blogger Hop (1) & Armchair BEA

I discovered two WONDERFUL things this week.


First: I've seen the "Book Blogger Hop" icon for the last few weeks, but wasn't really interested in clicking on it. BIG MISTAKE!! I sooooooooooo should have done this earlier. It's a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books. You simply link your blog and then "hop" over to other linked blogs. The whole point is networking and spreading the reading love. Check it out if you haven't already!

The other thing I discovered this week is a wonderful online event for those who can't make it to BEA this year. Check out the BEA themed posts, giveaways, and discussions that these folks have got lined up. It's gonna be fun!

Armchair BEA: My Interview with Julie of My 5 Monkeys

Today I am hosting an interview with Julie of My 5 Monkeys. She's a terrific mom to 4 girls & 1 boy and she still manages to find time to read & blog! Here's what she has to say:

1. Describe your blog in three words.

Fun, whimsical, positive

2. How did you stumble upon book blogging? Did your blog start out as something else & become about books or has it always been book-centered?

It started as a family blog but when I did some book reviews it slowly changed 2 years ago. I do post personal stuff about the kids once in a while.

3. Do you have a favorite book managing website? Goodreads, Shelfari, Librarything…? What makes it your favorite?

Goodreads because it is easy to add books that I want to read.

4. Which e-reader do you have & how does that compare to reading a print book?

I have a Kindle but it doesn't always compare to holding a book in my hand.

5. Do you participate in memes (Friday 5, Waiting on Wednesday, etc)? Do you have a favorite?

Well I do my own meme of Get to Know Book Bloggers and On Round 3. I participate in In My Mailbox by Krisiti and my own WOW is called Cover Lust.

6. What’s your favorite part about the book blogging community?

The great friends I have made..let me tell you a story..last year about this time was BEA, and I had a list of must reads. I have made a dear friend when she shared with me some books that I had to read from BEA.

7. Have you ever met an author? What was it like? Did you go fangirl or stay calm & cool?

I have met a local author and remained calm.

8. What does your family think of your blog? Do they ever help you with your reviews or layout?

My kids love when I post about them.My daughter M helps with some reviews of middle school books.

9. If you could have known only one thing that you know now, that you didn’t know when you started blogging, what would it be?

Social Media Experience -- I didn't know that I would have to have know all this to have a successful blog. It takes a lot of time to share and drive traffic to the blog. Oh Vlogging is fun , but I need do more of it.

You can find her at http://www.tableforseven-julie.blogspot.com/

If you want to know more about me, be sure to visit Melissa at One Librarian's Book Reviews.