Giveaway: Signed copy of Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Thanks to the wonderful people at Albert Whitman & Company, I have a copy of Being Henry David by Cal Armistead to giveaway! Thanks to the awesomeness that is the ALA Annual Conference, this one is even signed by the author.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything--who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Waldenby Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David--or "Hank"--and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.

Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

From Albert Whitman

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win! And be sure to also check out Young Adult Books, The Book Muncher, (I love her blog!) & Fire and Ice for more chances to score of signed copy of this awesome book!

Rules: You must be 13 years or older & must reside in the United States or Canada in order to be eligible for this giveaway. Tattooed Books is not responsible for any damaged or lost prize as the publisher is sending out the prize. Giveaway ends Sunday 8/11/13.
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Free Kindle Book: The 2011 Book Blogger's Cookbook!

You may or may not remember, but back in 2011 I posted about being included in the Book Blogger's Cookbook. Christy Dorrity of Dearest Dreams put together a wonderful cookbook of recipes to go along with popular YA books. There are recipes to compliment Shiver, The False Princess, and Before I Fall just to name a few. We start off with the book jacket description, then move into the explanation of why the recipe goes with the book, the recipe itself, & then blurbs about the book from book bloggers. There is a total of 25 book bloggers featured, including some personal favorites like Parajunkee's View & Mundie Moms.

You can read my review and check out the interview I did with Christy. Hurry up if you want to see how awesome this book is because these offers don't usually last more than a day!

Note: I do not have an Amazon Affiliate account and am not/will not be compensated in any way for this. I just thought y'all would like to have as much fun as I did!

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?

Giveaway: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Okay, so you remember how a few months back I read the incredible book If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch? Remember how I raved about it? Well apparently it got noticed because St. Martin's Press chose me to host a giveaway! FIVE lucky readers will get to win a copy of this outstanding book.

But don't just take my word for it! Here's what other bloggers have had to say:

“AMAZING!!! It was incredibly intense and impossible to put down!!!”

—Becky’s Book Reviews

“I advise pre-ordering to make sure you get your hands on a copy early.”

—Kerry Schafer

“Heartbreaking and hopeful all wrapped up in one!”

—The Story Siren

“If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is horrifyingly awesome.”

—Proud Book Nerd

There are some things you can’t leave behind…A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

From Goodreads


Still not convinced? How about an excerpt? Go ahead, read it; I'll wait.

See what I mean? Now fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win one of FIVE copies of this extraordinary book about truth & hope. Good luck!
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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 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 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!

Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash: How KatnissEverdeen would celebrate Halloween & GIVEAWAY!

I'm proud to say that I am fortunate enough to participate in Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash. She'll be hosting giveaways & guest posts throughout the month of October. Be sure to check out the schedule of spooktacular fun!

I chose to explore how our favorite Hunger Games tribute would celebrate Halloween in her world. I'll be describing how I think she would participate in the Halloween festivities before we meet her in The Hunger Games.

Katniss Everdeen, our 16 year old heroine, will think that she has outgrown the kiddie faux-holiday that is Halloween, but will be obligated to take her little sister Prim around the neighborhood to collect their meager gifts. Over the years, more and more houses have stopped leaving their lights on to let the kids know that there are treats available. Even more kids have stopped going out because their families simply can't afford the luxury of a costume. Luckily Katniss & Prim's mother is a miracle worker & pulls together a simple, yet cute owl costume for Prim to wear made from old clothing scraps.

As they get ready to head out, Prim decides that Katniss needs to dress up too. Sure to please the young one, Katniss grabs a few bags of herbs from her mom's storage area to tie around her belt. When she returns announcing she's read to go, Prim exclaims that Katniss still isn't dressed. Katniss is sure to inform her that she is dressed as an apothecary, complete with medicinal herbs.

Gale shows up then to escort them around the neighborhood. There's really not much to see in The Seam since all the families here are coal miners, but there are a few houses where people are generous enough to spare an apple or slice of bread. The real score is in town at the merchant families' houses. While no one really has an easy life in District 12 (one of the farthest districts from The Capitol) the merchants seem to be doing better than everyone else because they have an actual product to sell. The miners just get what they can based on the hours in their shifts.

Prim starts to get quote excited to see all the other kids running around giddy & hyper because it's one of the few times she gets to interact in such a jovial manner. Things are quite regimented in the districts with lots of runs that must be followed. Prim enjoys just getting to be a kid. While everyone thinks she is oblivious to what's really going on around her, she knows that Katniss is doing a lot more than she should have to in order to provide for the family. Prim just wishes she could be more like her big sister.

As they wander the streets, moving from house to house, they come upon the Mellark family bakery. Despite having beat her son when he gave away their bread to a starving family, Mrs. Mellark is handing out warm sweet rolls to all the children stopping by. They smell divine & Katniss can't help but think back to the night that Mrs. Mellark's son Peeta saved Katniss's family by giving her some bread. Even now she looks around for him & finds him hard at work inside the bakery making the next batch of sweet rolls. Each of them takes a roll & thanks Mrs. Mellark right before the announcement is made that the curfew has not been extended & all citizens should return to their homes.

Gale walks the girls back to their mother thinking about how this wasn't the "huge waste of time" that Katniss had predicted. Actually, he rather enjoyed the respite from the daily grind of hunting, foraging & trading at the Hob. It was nice to think about what it will be like when he & Katniss get to walk their own children around the district.

So how about it folks? Do you think I hit the nail on the head with that dream? I sure hope so. It was a lot of fun to imagine myself as Katniss & to think about her emotions in such a serious way. I don't do much fiction writing, but after this I may start to think about taking it up as a hobby. There are a few stories I have started over the years (from English & Creative Writing classes), but nothing that I've thought about it years.

Now on to the real reason you might have stopped by. :D There will be 4 winners in this contest.

Grand Prize:
A Hunger Games wordle t-shirt from ParamountPacific on etsy.com
It comes in sizes Small to XL

Three runners up win:
Hunger Games bookmarks from sotheysay on etsy.com

To enter, go to Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash page. There are several giveaways going on, so be sure to enter as many as you'd like!!

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!

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.

My Reading Challenges: Updates & Future Challenges

So I think something has become abundantly clear to me: I start out strong & struggle to continue my efforts. I took on the 2010 Debut Author's Challenge & J.Kaye's 2010 YA Reading Challenge. I even posted my own reading challenge about the Teens' Top Ten. I am sad to report that I didn't finish as much of these challenges as I would have liked.

For the 2010 DAC I managed to read 19 titles. Technically I completed the minimum of 12, but there are so many more I just didn't manage to get my hands on. Here are the ones I did get read:

1. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (Read review here)
   
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Read review here)
3. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (Read review here)
4. Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (Read review here)
   
5. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Read review here)
   
6. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (Read review here)
7. Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers (Read review here)
   
8. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (Read review here)
9. Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (Read review here)
10. Party by Tom Leveen (Read review here)
    
11. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony (Read review here)
12. The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (Read review here)
    
13. The Line by Teri Hall (Read review here)
    
14. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Read review here)
15. The Mark by Jen Nadol (Read review here)
    
16. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (Read review here)
17. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Read review here)
18. Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards (Read)
    
19. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (Read review here)

For J.Kaye's 2010 YA Reading Challenge I was going for reading 50 YA books this year. I'm coming in at 43 of the 50 I have read being YA. I'm quite pleased considering I thought I would have read more this year. I really wanted to read 150 books this year, but I didn't factor in how much reading I was doing at my 8-hour data entry job. :) Whoops.

For 2011 I am trying harder. I think that I bit off more than I chew based on my reality & the fact that my life kind of got flipped upside down in 2010. I am determined to make 2011 more productive in the reading realm! So I am going after the 2011 Debut Author Challenge & the 111 in 2011 challenge! So far there are only 12 books on my DAC challenge reading list, but I'm sure as more information is released on the later titles that I'll add several more. Here's hoping 2011 will be full of great books, great friends (online & off) & lots of love.

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!