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Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!
Book blogging has definitely changed my reading habits. I have read so many books that I would have avoided if I didn’t run a book blog. Horror books are the first thing that pop into my mind, because it was a rare, rare horror novel that I would pick up prior to my blogging days. I have developed a new appreciation for zombies, though I am still reluctant to watch a zombie movie, or even a zombie TV series, for that matter. They are still to gross for me to sit through the green gunk and bloody gore.
I have actually learned that there aren’t many books now that I am not willing to at least give a try. I have received a few books for review that I would have bet money on that I would hate, and guess what? I enjoyed them immensely! Just trolling around the library for new material has forced me to look at picture books in a new light as well. A couple of these wonderful gems even got me choked up enough that I thought I was going to cry – Yes, City Dog, Country Frog, I am looking at you! I loved this book, and if you haven’t read it yet, run up to the library and check it out right now! You will love it, too!
Recently, I have started digging into the realm of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I love these, too! I don’t know why I avoided them like the plague before. I think most of the reluctance stemmed from an overwhelming fear of all of the series. Some of them are very long, and therefore, rather intimidating. So, I am taking baby steps and starting with recent releases that are either stand alone novels or the first volume of a new series.
What about your reading habits? How have they chanced since you have been blogging? If you aren’t a blogging, have your reading habits changed because you read book blogs?
Hi Nat! Lovely to meet you too, love the blog. I am definitely a fan of romances!! How about you describe yourself or your blog in 140 characters- Twitter style.
Okay, let me open my twitter so I don't have to keep counting the characters! LOL
"I love reading anything related to the subjects I'm interested in, like sci-fi, fantasy, history, art and philosophy." (checking the characters). 24 to go, all right." And obviously, romance" 140!
That was a heck of a challenge, I love to talk.
What was the first blog you read that made you want to create your own? And what made it stick out for you?
That's interesting, cause I started to think about blogging when I had a book discussion forum. We discussed books but didn't follow any reviews or blogs till we started using goodreads. From there, I found a lot of cool blogs but I didn't really FOLLOW any, and I thought it was so cool! I didn't imagine how many book bloggers there are out there. So that's how I started to blog, just wanted my ideas to be read by other people that loved books too.
Not a very cliche but still a cliche answer!
If you could blog interview one author (alive or dead) that is like your idol, who would it be and name 2 questions that you would ask?
Wow, I would LOVE to interview Kresley Cole someday! Now I have to think about what I would ask her...Okay, I'd ask some very spoilery questions about her Immortals After Dark series, one would be about the character Nix and the other would be about the mythology around the books. I'm dying to know!
What are some things you like to see in a book blog? Does design make you want to keep reading? Or certain types of posts?
If we're talking about book bloggers, I love to read good and solid reviews, and creative features like memes, challenges or hops that make them unique. Ana yes, the design is very important to me since I have a fine arts BA! It's something that can really annoy me. I believe that the content and the visual have to work together to make the reader interested to read the material. My favorite posts are, usually, when the blogger is excited for one book, reads and reviews it. You can feel the excitement.
How do you deal with balancing your personal, professional, and blogging life? Do you find you sacrifice one for the other often?
Good question. Well, I believe that blogging has to be a hobby, when it becomes a "job" things can get complicated unless you can live out of that. I think that sometimes my social life includes more and more books: blogging, reading, writing reviews etc. You get to meet a lot of good people, so even if I'm not out shopping with friends or something, I still have another social life that will balance that. However, sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing to get another, it's life. Depends on what your priorities are.
What are the types of things you love to see in a romance that you fall in love with? Hot male lead? (obviously) Love triangle? etc.
The good dialogue is what gets to me. That's why I love Jul
0 Comments on BBAW Daily Topic: Interview Swap as of 1/1/1900
September is here and you know what that means -- the end of summer, the start of school, and let's not forget about Book Blogger Appreciation Week! This week (September 12-16) is a time for book bloggers to discuss the best of the best, to network and to talk books and more books.
One of my favorite parts of the week is interview day. I spend a lot of time reading other bloggers' posts, but it's really fun to find out more about the people behind the blogs. It's even more exciting to discover new bloggers, especially bloggers with a passion for children's literature.
I'm not sure how the organizers go about pairing up interview partners but I lucked out this year. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Ellen, a newish children's book blogger from Madrid, Spain. Ellen posts reviews at her blog, We Read it Like This. Her reviews include a special twist. Can you guess what that special twist might be? (The blog title provides a clue.) Read on to learn why you should regularly read (and listen to) her splendid blog posts.
We Read It Like This Wind-up fish (c) Imogen Duthie. Used with permission
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BC (Janelle): Many children's book bloggers write about the "read-aloud" potential of the books they review. You take a slightly different approach in your book posts. You often provide your own audio recordings along with your reviews! (Very cool, by the way) What made you decide to start a blog and adapt this format for your reviews?
WRLT (Ellen): One of my son’s gifts last Christmas was a recording of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are read by both his parents, with music and effects added on in a bit of a rush but rather professionally by my radio journalist husband (http://wereaditlikethis.blogspot.com/2011/02/where-wild-things-are-be-still.html). This was the first review and audio I posted on the blog.
Janelle, congrats - a really great interview. Super questions and you've given Ellen a lovely chance to shine - I only recently found her blog and it's already becoming a favourite, so I'm really glad that I can point my readers to this interview to further whet their appetite!
Hi Great interview,it's fun to learn more about fellow bloggers! As a native English speaker I hadn't given much though to translations of children's books
When I first started blogging, I didn’t really read many other blogs. I had a few sites that I checked for bookish news, but they weren’t really book blogs. As I became more active on Twitter, and people started leaving comments on my blog, I became aware of all of the wonderful blogs out there. I will share my favorites today.
First, my favorite manga related blog is MangaBlog. If anything is happening in the world of manga, Brigid knows about it. She is quick to share news and tirelessly links to reviews. I have discovered so many websites from perusing MangaBlog that it’s not even funny. If you have any interest in manga, check her site out!
My favorite site for reviews is Dear Author. I love the reviews and the articles, but more than anything else I love the intelligent, respectful discussions. Comments are plentiful and I have discovered many, many new books to read from just the comments. I check Dear Author every day, and you should, too!
Smart Bitches Trashy Books is another blog I check daily. I love Sarah’s snarky reviews and features, and again, the comments are also interesting to browse through as well.
The Book Smugglers is another fun site. I enjoy the mix of books that are reviewed, and the reviews are well-written, in-depth, and well-thought out. I don’t always agree, but the reviews are so honest and solid that it’s hard to find fault with any of them!
Rachel runs a tight ship over at Parajunkee, and that is another blog I visit daily. So many great features in addition to intelligent reviews. Rachel also has a very helpful feature, Book Blogging 101. I have learned so much from that meme! And, Rachel made my bloggy button!
My, the week sure flew by! While I didn't participate each day and answer all the Book Blogger Appreciation Week "treasure" questions, I still very much enjoyed visiting a variety of new-to-me blogs this week and tagging along for the adventure. I participated in the interview swap for the first time, a big step for me because normally I don't really like to answer questions about myself or post interviews on my blog. The best part about BBAW, at least in my opinion, is the chance to mix things up a bit. But, like Zoe from Playing by the Book, I admit I was a little disappointed that more children's book bloggers did not participate this year.
Today's BBAW prompt is all about FUTURE treasures and goals. After reviewing my last year's goals post, I guess not much has changed as far as goals. Management and balance are still top on the list, and I'm still considering a design change, though it makes me cringe to think how much work would need to go into a large scale blog overhaul. I'd love to get a little more involved in kidlitosphere and maybe attend the upcoming Kidlit Con 2010 conference to meet a few kidlit bloggers in person, but I'm not sure if it is going to fit into my schedule. We'll see!
While I am a book blogger, I also enjoy varying my content. I often visit other mom blogs that feature crafts or education-related posts. I've been participating weekly in the book-themed St-Art (Story + Art) meme on Thursdays since last year. Starting this month, you'll find science projects on Sunday here on Brimful Curiosities. Adventures in Mommydom hosts a Science Sunday meme, and so far, I'm having fun sharing my love of science with my kids. I hope my readers enjoy this weekly diversion.
What are your thoughts on the direction my blog has taken in the last year? Is there anything different you'd like to see on Brimful Curiosities in the future?
4 Comments on Book Blogger Appreciation Week - Final Thoughts and Goals, last added: 9/18/2010
I like the shift. I've shifted a lot recently too. I got bored with just the books blogging, and I felt like the blogs that I personally liked to read all had more learning activities and personal stories, etc. involved. So I finally made the leap, and it has renewed my love of blogging, for now at least.
Today, all over the book blog world, blog readers can indulge in reading about the people who write the blogs they love, and discover new ones that they might want to add to their list.
I was paired up with Lyndsey who writes amused, bemused and confused. Her website is: www.teadevotee.com.
Here's what Lyndsey wrote about herself: "28, living in London writing by day, reading by night. When they make a film of my life, Tina Fey will play me. We have the same taste in glasses.When I grow up, I want to be a biographer. Until then, I mostly write about books and reading; but also sometimes films, the general madness of London life and…well…writing."
I encourage you to pay her a virtual visit. She has a wonderful sense of humor, and a picky snobbery for tea!
And if you're curious what questions she asked me in exchange, please go to her site today.
1. What was the moment when you decided, "I must write a blog!"
I had a few of these! I'm a speechwriter so I spend my days thinking and writing like other people; but I constantly itch to write my own things too and decided a blog would be a good outlet. I had a practice run by writing a blog about my progress while training for a race. Then I started up teadevotee.com, which was more or less an online journal splurghing out my random thoughts for about a year before I decided to concentrate on books.
2. How did you define what your blog's focus would be?
Oddly enough, it was some feedback from the very nice people at wordpress that I got a lot of traffic when I wrote about books. So it was a case of giving the punters what they want!
3. Did you design your own blog look, or have someone do it for you?
It's just a basic wordpress theme. This is actually something I want to work on over the next few months. Apple was handing out free training like sweeties for people buying new computers, so I'm going to be taking them up on that and doing some crazy design work. Alternatively, if anyone wants to do it for me, I'd love to hear from you. I'll write you some speeches in return...or maybe make you a cake?
4. What are you hoping to achieve with your blog?
Actually, my blog is one part of my life where I feel like I don't have to "achieve" anything. I just like to write and please myself, and hopefully please some other people too! It's more a chance to stretch my writing muscles, ramble on a bit and meet some nice like-minded people.
5. Are you out to make tea drinkers out of readers?
Sure. In fact, I'd like to start my own cult of tea-devotees.
6. What do you think of coffee drinkers?
They don't know what they're missing. I only like coffee in cake.
7. What's your favorite thing to be doing while sipping tea?
Reading in bed.
8. Like pairing wine with cheese, what book would you pair with tea and which flavor?
Any book tastes better with tea. Though there is only one flavour. I can't be doing with these fancy-schmancy herbal teas. They aren't tea, they are just hot, coloured water.
9. Who likes cookbooks more, you or your husband?
I would say about even. Favourites include Nigella Lawson's Express, the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, Rachel Allen's Home Cooking. And we've just bought Plenty, by Ottolenghi - yum veg
0 Comments on Book Blogger Appreciation Week as of 1/1/1900
Book Blogger Appreciation Week gives me the opportunity not only to discover new book blogs and wade through the expansive book blog world, but also to learn more about the bloggers behind the blogs. Today, it's my pleasure to introduce my readers to a fellow book blogger, Margot at Joyfully Retired, as part of the BBAW interview swap. As you can probably guess from her title, she doesn't blog much about kidlit. Rather, her blog is more of a mixture of posts on cooking and traveling combined with all her book reviews of mainly adult fiction and cookbooks.
Could you share a little about your life and how blogging fits into your weekly routine?
When my husband and I retired four years ago our goal was to travel around the country in our RV. The first two years we were in a hurry to see it all. I wanted a way to record what I'm doing plus keep our friends and family up-to-date on our activities. My son suggested blogging and I've been at it for almost two years.
I know this may sound weird but blogging has helped us to slow down and focus on the things we really want to do. I've always loved to read so a blog about my life would have to include books. Food and travel are two other passions so I also do posts on those things. I've found there are so many other people besides family and friends who love to talk about these subjects, so blogging has led to many new friendships.
On your sidebar you list a number of reading challenges, including one you started, the All Things Alcott Challenge. What do you like about doing challenges? Why Alcott?
Joining challenges is like playing a game or accepting a dare from a friend. For instance, I'm in the Agatha Christie Challenge and it was as if someone said to me, "I bet you can't read every single book she's ever written and in order of their publication date." And it was as if I said, "Of course I can. I'll prove it to you!" In this case, it helps that I love Agatha Christie's books because there are 87 of them. Most of the challenges I'm participating in are like that.
I started the All Things Alcott Challenge for a number of reasons. One is that I've loved Little Women since I was a child. I've always wanted to read the other things she's written. This year I read The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNeed and that renewed my desire for more of Ms. Alcott. I was sure there were other people who wanted to do the same so I issued the challenge. It's been great to meet so many other people with the same interest.
As a Wisconsin gal, I was most interested in your post about the place you fell in love with books -- Simmons Library in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Did you grow up in Wisconsin? What is your favorite thing about Wisconsin?
I was born in Kenosha and lived there until I was 14. My parents moved me and my three siblings to Southern California for my dad's job. We left behind grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. It was a traumatic move for me. Fou
10 Comments on BBAW Interview Swap with Margot from Joyfully Retired, last added: 9/15/2010
Lovely interview. At first when, like you, I was paired with a blogger who blogs about books SO different from my main interest I was a bit taken aback, but actually it's all worked very well.
I'm glad to see you all doing a swap, because I follow both of you, love your blogs, and think you two are a natural fit - often you each talk about things that would interest the other!
Great interview. I love the idea of traveling around the country in an RV and I'd love to do something similar some day. I've been trying to think of some good books to read to my kids and Laura Ingalls Wilder books are a great idea. I'll have to give that a try.
It was great to meet you, Janelle, and learn of the things that interest you. Your blog is now firmly in my Google Reader. I'm looking forward to your book recommendations for my granddaughters and those fun science projects.
Seriously great interview. I follow both of your blogs, and it was fun to see you interact through this question and answer format. I'm tempted by that Alcott challenge too...for the re-read aspect!
I only recently discovered Margot's blog, so it was great to get to know more about her. It sounds fascinating to be able to travel around the country like that.
Don't forget that this week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Head over to the site every day to see all new stuff going around.
P.S. I'm in the middle of doing some behind the scenes tweaks to the blog, so I may be scare in posting for the next week(s). But I'll still pop in every once in awhile. :)
0 Comments on Book Blogger Appreciation Week is Here! as of 1/1/1900
I guess it is. And if it is, I guess I'll be negative. But then, I never thought criticism = negative.
One part of the BBAW was the Best Awards. Only one part, but the part that got a lot of ink; both on the BBAW website itself, because of the length of time from nominations to the last award, but also on publishers tweets and newsletters and library tweets and newsletters, directing people to find out about the best blogs via BBAW.
Both Colleen at Chasing Ray and Jen at Jen Robinson's Book Page asked serious questions about blogging, popularity, and best following the Award portion of BBAW.
I had my own questions. From the start, I wanted to know how "best" was defined. The brief definitions at the BBAW website didn't show the criteria, which was published after the time nominated blogs had to respond. Now, we can see that for BBAW, a blog can have less than 30% of its posts be about one genre yet be the shortlist and winner for the Best Genre award. That's neither good nor bad; it just is, and its helpful to know when evaluating both your own blog for submissions as well as knowing to what degree to participate in and report on the BBAW's best blogs.
There was also the problem of multiple submissions; I, along with others, read it to mean that the better path was to self-select out and only submit for one. Later, I found out that others decided the smarter route was to submit for all and see where the panelists gave you the highest points. Very smart! But, not something everyone would have thought of doing. Those with more familiarity in the process had a better grasp at the way to best submit. And it means that those of us who self selected out never heard back our scores.
When the last award was announced, the judging panelists were shared. I'm not sure if the actual BBAW committee itself, outside of founder My Friend Amy, was ever shared. But of the blogs thanked for being panelists (or otherwise involved), over one half won awards. Including Amy, who won three awards. And of those connected to BBAW, they won about two thirds of the "bests" out there. This despite over 1000 blogs submitting.
Some comments said "that just shows that those involved are the best!" While others, like me, wondered if it more reflected a club. Not a club that deliberately gamed the system; rather, a club that has their own definitions and ideas of what is "best" that wasn't always clear to the others who were asked to participate and post and blog about "best." So we asked the questions, what does it mean when 2/3 of the awards are won by those involved in BBAW?
And were told it was negative to ask. That it was elitist to ask. That while panelists couldn't be shared before hand because of possible favoritism (where the panelists open to being swayed? Or bloggers not to be trusted?) we had to trust in BBAW, despite not knowing organizers, standards, who knew about standards, etc. And had to just go "yay" and be happy that places like the ALA said, this is a place to go to cheer the best. We had to be nice bloggers, be quiet, don't ask questions. Don't snipe. Don't complain. Don't be a hater.
I wasn't going to post about this, but then Babbling About Books raised the question of critiques of BBAW. Including whether there would have been critiques if a place like SLJ had run these awards. Are you kidding? Hell to the yes. Look at the responses to the Newbery, run by ALA! The critiques of that are legendary. Go, google Newbery and popularity and check out the articles and posts at SLJ and Horn Book.
And if its elitist to know standards? To understand the process to appreciate what is being done? To question? To ask? I'll gladly be elitist.
Susan - I had no idea why that question was in the nomination emails asking about use of social media. Thanks for clearing that up. Very odd that it was part of the judging process though. (Twitter makes someone a better writer/reviewer how exactly???)
Nymeth, thank you for your words. It means a lot. I especially respect that what is being said is being listened to and heard, without being dismissed as "sore losers". I'm not saying that snything here is 'right' and anything is 'wrong', but just that its nice to be heard. Thank you very much for that.
Color Online, thank you for the insights into the process. There is no doubt that the judges had a lot of work to do for this, with all the blogs nominated and trying to figure out criteria, etc. Part of my confusion for all of this is that I've read various posts and comments and I've seen such different statements from judges that its made it all that much more confusing. So thank you.
Liz, when I read your post this morning, I kept thinking about the person/people who cry "fire" in a crowded theater. Not because there is a fire, not because they want to see the chaos, but because they want to draw attention to themselves.
I was surprised at some of the commentary (not criticism - that has value)leveled at folks I consider the most honest brokers I know. Heck, I'm so naive/foolish I didn't even connect your blog writing with your day job. I read you - as others - as women with something for me to think about. Do I agree all the time? No. But you don't yell, rant, or belittle anyone or THEIR opinion.
As to the event itself, there were plenty of inconsistencies ... even in the notifications from the panel chairs. We were nominated for [I don't remember what] where we needed to submit 5 posts and also for philanthropic blog. I couldn't get answers from one chair, and the other said she would send my concerns "up the chain." I specifically asked about how we could "move forward" in two categories, because it was clear to me that I was responsible for self-selecting. I was told that we didn't need to submit anything for philanthropic blog ... we didn't make it to the short list phase.
Frankly, I didn't really pay much attention to the event. Other than Lee - who I am THRILLED for - I have no idea who won what. Posts that crossed my radar from my reader I read, but I didn't seek out or head over to lots of new spots. I have, however, paid close attention to the after-party, as I think these are the more valuable discussions.
Interestingly enough, the person who created this event is also the creator of Blog With Integrity. BWI is VERY important ... but it is absolutely imperative that you walk the talk. Otherwise, you've got nothing. Nymeth's insight is valuable to have ... and I hope that the discussions move away from the zealot positions (religious or otherwise) to more colloquial discussions. As MotherReader said, when you do something like this, you take a risk. The point is that you learn and grow and BUILD community, not scatter everyone in every direction when you yell "fire"!
Terry - Just to clarify that Amy did not create Blog with Integrity. That's a whole different thing which she just partook of.
As far as the scores, nobody was told their scores and "allowed" to choose after scores were submitted. I know because I asked before judging even took place, if a blogger happened to shortlist in more than one category would they be able to choose afterwards. The answer was no, they'd need to withdraw from that category before. It truly was a number game. And I personally chose to let the numbers decide. And while I consider myself a kidlit blogger (more than half of my posts are kidlit) I do blog more generally as well.
And to Colleen - nothing about scoring said anything specifically about dark backgrounds, but rather is blog easy on the eyes. Lots of blogs w/ dark backgrounds are easy on the eyes.
No, I don't think questioning things is a negative. But I think it's how those discussions take place that could be conceived as negative. Feedback is vital. But when people just throw up their hands in the air and say "never again!" then what good will come of that? Growing pains are expected. I think the premise of BBAW is a good idea and the feedback received will make it stronger. I do think it's natural to be a bit sensitive when you put your project out there for the world. But if we couldn't handle it, then why are we blogging in the first place?
Oh shoot . . . and I wasn't going to be drawn into any more of these conversations. :)
Just so you know, my comment about dark backgrounds came from reading a couple of posts from judges (I really wish I could link to them but...man it was days ago and I just don't remember who said it). Yes, it was the "easy on the eyes" bit mentioned but these judges both said that they preferred light background to dark - so all dark backgrounds automatically received fewer points from them.
This is, of course, a totally personal preference and I understand that. But maybe it's an example of something to be clarified for the future. (In other words - what does "easy on the eyes" mean from one person to the next?)
Anonymous said, on 9/26/2009 9:31:00 PM
Not negative, of course, those who speak out serve a valuable function. Important to note that transparency must/should exist prior to such a process as well as after it; otherwise, even the most unbiased judges and participants can easily forget or be swayed away from previously set goals. Worse, the participants aren't operating with the same understanding.
What seems a shame to me is that most bloggers are busy with their jobs/other responsibilities and took valuable time to participate in this process, and are now left with a bitter taste in their mouths. It is a pity.
Specifically to easy on the eyes which is OT, web design experts do frown on dark backgrounds/light font combination. Easy on eyes by industry standards refers to elements that increase eye-fatigue: black background/white text combo, neon colors, abundance of images, large text blocks, scrolling or flashing images, too small or overly large font size and patterned backgrounds.
Many people ignore the dark background/light font. The only time this combination works is for entries that have small blocks of text, like a poetry or photography blog. If however, you're posting essays, reviews, fiction, any large blocks of text, the color combination does cause fatigue. The glaring contrast of neon colors has the same negative effect.
Blogs with the black background look good. And visitors will frequent them, but the amount of time per visit on these sites is lower when compared to other color combo.
While the combo will not stop visitors from reading blogs,I personally am among the readers who has trouble reading these blogs. For me, I visit a select few and I read them in shorter intervals. I visit Guy Lit Wire because the content and writing is exception so I tolerate the strain, but I can't read there as long as elsewhere. There are plenty of other black backgrounds blogs I skip over. Without knowing know the blogger or content, I don't have the same motivation to deal with the combo.
RE "easy on eyes," it does also come down to how is BBAW defining it, so that bloggers know ahead of time and can take that knowledge and use it.
Susan has interesting things to add to the conversation about this. Personally, I don't like the white text/dark background, but often its because of the exact contrast or font being used. I also know that I find it easier to read shorter paragraphs on line, so break up blog writing in paragraphs that I wouldn't elsewhere. (Which may have backfired on me for BBAW; one of the comments out there was that summaries, or what I call "the plot", that was more than one paragraph counted against a blogger because it was too long.)
Another consideration in web design is low vision users; then, contrast is what is important; and so some may change what they are viewing to a dark background/light font. It's also about glare, and more glare coming off a white background. One of the complaints about the Kindle I've heard from those with low vision is that Kindle does not allow the user to reverse contrast (ie change to white on black) (or to change the font itself).
My personal preference (as you can see from this blog!) is dark text on white background; part of the reason I like my blog reader (bloglines) is I can read all blogs that way. And, of course, those who do have eye strain/ low vision can adjust the font size/ background/ color/ etc to suit their own vision needs.
You know this is funny. Sarah designed GLW as she liked it, my designer selected the colors for Chasing Ray - I just wanted something different (no idea what that was). Background color has never ever bothered me so I'm kind of bemused by this (and my comments here have nothing to do with BBAW). What puts me off on a blog is too much - too many columns, too many bars, too many lists of links, etc. Color is literally a nonissue. None of the posters at GLW have ever said a word either. I guess I should ask them what they think. It's probably easy enough to change to white as it's at blogger.
I would have to pay to change Chasing Ray though - I'm afraid we are stuck with that color for awhile still! ha!
You're right, it does matter how BBAW define 'easy on the eyes.' I was thinking outside of BBAW.
Colleen, colors may be a nonissue for you but it is a concern for many online readers and in the corporate environment it was a big enough issue that many companies switched from business systems that used black backgrounds with neon green letters to light backgrounds with black letters or other light background pages. The change was not a cosmetic one.
Like Liz points out about glare and low vision, color combinations are not simply a matter of preference but user-friendliness. For companies, it's a matter of productivity. Our blogs are public so to some extent we do need to consider who our audience is and how our content is presented. Great content means less if you can't access it, read it or find it.
You might want to ask your readers. The color issue has been discussed often and recently. And your readers might not have said anything in part because you never asked. Maybe your audience doesn't care about the black background. Low vision may be less an issue with your core audience.
Years ago, when I published an e-zine we did survey our core audience about resolution sizes, colors, fonts and color combinations. Our core audience was adults over 35 and font sizes, background colors and resolution size did matter.
At A Year of Reading, Mary Lee and Franki regularly write about 'thinking about 21st century literacies.'Their posts about about the how our children are learning via technology, how children process information and how information is delivered online mirrors a great deal about all online users. Our blogs do not exist in a vacuum.
Back to BBAW, 'easy on the eyes' is a relevant concern that needs to be clearly defined and weighted reasonably against all other concerns. It was 2-3 points, versus content and writing qualities that were up to 10 points.
Colleen just posted about the background color issue on her blog. Which, Colleen, is why I respect you -- you listened. Are considering it. Now, you may not change it; and you will be listening to a variety of voices, and you can never make everyone happy. But you're open to the criticism/ critique.
Susan, part of my problem now -- and I'm the "read the back of the box rules" girl -- is it has been frustrating to figure out the various things for BBAW. For example, one category (not kidlit) had a shortliser and then a winner who commented herself that her blog was less than 25% of the genre. That's not what I would think of for "best" and its not how I originally read "best." Now I know, in terms of how/if I participate next year and how/if I point others to the BBAW best.
Natasha said "I know because I asked before judging even took place, if a blogger happened to shortlist in more than one category would they be able to choose afterwards. The answer was no, they'd need to withdraw from that category before." And now I'm curious; was there a general q&a that I missed? I was on vacation for part of this, so did miss stuff. Was there an open place for people to be able to ask for that type of clarification? The link to that would be helpful, as right now, as I'm trying to decipher the rules, I'm relying more on blog posts by judges and comments at blogs, which frankly often appear to be contradictory in how things were evaluated. For example, comments -- either counted or only did so for a tie.
a dark, and especially black, background color in graphic design has a negative history (so to speak) because of "eye fatigue" but some of that may be cultural experience. if you were raised with with text on dark backgrounds, the first time you started reading against white it would hurt your eyes as well. and as designers have long favored light or white backgrounds, our expectation is that "dark" is easy to read.
large areas of darkness also scares people emotionally, and they'll project these emotions (and sometimes prejudices) into design as well.
i am, sadly, not surprised by those who judge a blog's content by the color of its skin.
Yes, I saw Colleen's question. She rocks like that. :-)
David,
Lighten up. lol I'll speak for me and my experience with other online readers. I'm not judging the blog's content.I am saying a black background with a large amount of text is hard to read.
Yes, I did admit I will pass by a blog I don't know if it has a black background. I also skip dizzying patterned backgrounds, scrolling, blinking, flashing crap. I visit blogs to read. If I can't read it, I skip it.
Prejudice? Ok. And you might be right, if I were accustomed to always reading white on black, it might be a nonissue. But I read a lot of books. They all are printed on some shade of white and I find this easy on my old eyes. By the way white, stark white can
Liz, you make a good point. I asked a lot of questions via email. At the time, I was caught up in getting answers. I didn't think why wasn't this information posted in one place beforehand. I think we'll likely see changes that address these issues next year.
While I read a lot about standards that doesn't mean I follow them all, but I do make an effort to be aware and to make an informed decision about what I do on my blog. I'm not writing to hear myself talk. I blog to interact so for me, blogging and not hearing from readers, not having exchanges on my blog, defeats a primary purpose. I blog in part because I want to know what readers think. Well, if they aren't visiting, reading or hanging out, so much for engagement.
I like coming here in part because of Liz's response time. I like that I can read here, learn something, comment and Liz responds. Yes ,another one of my expectations: engagement. You won't find me at blogs where bloggers routinely fail to respond to their readers. I'm needy like that. lol
to bring it back to BBAW, the question becomes not what individuals like (or how they read, ie, I'm via bloglines) but what is the criteria for a BBAW best blog? If you have two blogs that scored "the same" (I now, impossible!) and were tied for the no. 5 shortlist slot, per BBAW the design pushes one blog onto that list instead of the other. Is that the best? Or is best to consider other factors that have to do with content, not appearance?
There are no easy answers; but like others have said, known, publicized answers helps. Especially when this part of BBAW - the best - has been publicized & promoted amongst those outside of one corner of the blogosphere. If you're saying "best" and american libraries jumps on that, yes, we need to know whether and how much "best" includes design.
Susan, my response time varies, lol! I don't do blog stuff at work and so it depends on how much time I have at the end of the day whether/ how much I can respond. Today is a rainy sunday where I can jump between bloggish things and presentations I'm finalizing.
Yes, I know you can't comment instantly but you are consistent. :-) I'm enjoying the quiet of an early Sunday morning, too.
I love how you bring the conversation back to key points. One of my chief concerns with "best" is exactly your point about others like libraries seeing these designations and endorsing them.
Where I used to work, web design was a big deal. While I'm not techie, my exposure to those who were concerned with it has influenced how I look at design. I likely was one of the most critical panelist in this area. And I did wonder if scores were close, would something like design/navigation points make a difference.
Well, I'll be completely honest here and say that yes, I'm completely biased by design. If two blogs are equal in content, the blog that is better designed and set up in such a way that makes reading it enjoyable then yes, I'll prefer that one. If a blog is a mess of a design, then I'm less likely to return. There are some blogs that are so hard to read with such annoying sidebars that I prefer to read them in GR.
Natasha, I read all my stuff in bloglines. It's easier, it's quicker, and I avoid the non-content that overall I find distracting and immaterial. Often when I do click thru to the blog there is a minishock to the system as I see all this other stuff. Which is reflected, I think, on the rather minimalist appearance of my blog.
The bigger question is the difference between one person's preference versus a blog award standard; and how well known & constantly applied that standard is.
Liz, I do understand what you mean about personal preference and blog award standard. It's a very valid question. Although each panelist judged scored and judged differently it's my hope that having a panel rather than a single individual, it at least averaged those scores together thus minimizing one judges scores as being more influential than anothers across the board.
I read everything in GR as well but I do like to leave comments and that does involve clicking over. I'm also surprised by what I see. But I must admit that design does play a role of whether or note a blog will make it into my reader in the first place. If a blog has a black background with four to five different neon glowing colored fonts in a single post (because believe me a lot of people can't even stick with ONE annoying color) with blinking stuff in the sidebar then I don't care how good their content is. I won't stick around long enough to even find out.
From comments over at my latest post, clearly one person's "too dark" is anothers "just right", which just proves the difficulty with subjective judging standards. That's why I think there has to be discussion among judges to come to a group decision.
But whatever. When it's your event you can do whatever the heck you want and if someone does not like it then really, their only recourse is not to participate.
I'm more bothered by being lumped into a group called "haters" over all this just because I have a problem with the event. It's like there's only one accepted opinion and if you don't share it then there's something wrong with you.
Sigh. Any day now I expect support of BBAW to be proof of patriotism or something.
Natasha - Thanks for the clafification. As I said in my email to you, I heard about Blog with Integrity via Amy ... she is an inclusive thinker, not to mention quick with websites, so I concluded (though assumed seems to fit) that she was part of the powerhouse that created it.
BBAW is a neat idea and it has the potential to be a very worthwhile event. Because it is SO inclusive, it would be nice to get away from A for award and focus more on A for appreciation - the passion, the dedication, the opinions of one and all.
My whole angst about this thing is watching those who have asked hard questions or expressed discomfort (which now includes me) be labeled as "haters." Isn't the whole point of the week we're now celebrating that people are entitled to freely express their opinions?
I just happened to see your post in Natasha's shared items. I don't think questioning things is negative or wrong. I'm sorry so many of you had a negative gut reaction to BBAW before it even began, though!! :)
I had never done anything like BBAW before when I did it and so I recognize it's far from perfect. I did take a few things that happened to heart because of the way things were expressed and also because I think I'm a fairly approachable person and would welcome private discourse. Not because I want to hide anything, but it does feel like a bit less of an attack or desire to stir up trouble or shoot something down.
We have already discussed in great detail ways to make it more representative of the smaller communities...doing it the way we did I had hoped to avoid the popularity issue in shortlisting but I guess it will be better to err on that side than the other.
As far as the A moving from awards to appreciation...so MUCH of BBAW has nothing to do with awards but I explained why I'm willing to keep working to get the awards right in Katie's post. I think it's up to each individual blogger how much stock they put in the awards....if it's not for you...GREAT, but that doesn't mean it's not for everyone.
I've said on my blog and also the post I wrote for katie that I welcome the feedback particularly from people that feel BBAW has potential or who care about its future. I feel like from many commenters here I am learning your true feelings for the first time...on someone else's blog post as opposed to me directly through email.
If we are to make BBAW better and if you care to help us make it better it would be fantastic for you to email your comments, offer your help, etc. instead of hope that the people organizing randomly stumble across your blog posts.
I do not think I have said questioning BBAW or asking me questions is wrong, and I've openly admitted we had many mis-steps. What about this makes me unapproachable? Because I've also admitted to being sensitive? Because in a personal post I talked about how my faith ties into my life?
I am just really really trying to understand here.
I think we'll have to disagree whether its best to have public or private conversations. Had questions not been raised publicly, some of us would have been sitting back thinking "its only me".
It's not a question of negativity. It's a question of wanting to know how something that is public is run.
Yet for asking these public questions, here are just some of the comments I've read (and this is just one blog post, not counting tweets and other comments): "nay-sayers", "egos and narcissism", "negative nellies" and, of course, my favorites -- "haters" and charges of elitism. I am trying to understand why asking questions generates such a dismissive response in various commentators.
Until the most recent charges, publicly, of elitsm, I was drafting my private email. I felt that these public charges had to be answered publicly. On your blog, you also said that you were most interested in hearing feedback from those who want to volunteer. I'm overcommitted to things as it is; so since my feedback isn't part of that, I didn't go that route.
The reason for my post is not about those questioning BBAW. I totally understand why people would have questions. I am all for asking these questions in public.
My problem was that I noticed some would go on these blogs that applauded the BBAWs and enjoyed being a part and these commenters would go on and on how stupid they thought the BBAW's were and couldn't believe that other blogs would take part in such a "meme" event. I found that to be a bit rude and condescending to those who really were honored to be a part of the BBAW awards.
One such blog I visit did a post on why they weren't taking part in BBAW and the tone of their post gave off this sense of being superior than everyone else of, "I am too good to take part of the BBAW awards". They talked around the issue in such a way that I still don't understand why they backed out.
I never meant my post to insult those who wanted to know how the blogs were chosen and the rules. I even has some questions myself.
I just felt a bit annoyed by some of these opinions, they they were putting their noses up in the air about the event and made those who were involved, such as I was, as if we being ridiculous to be so excited about being a part of a great blog community event.
Katie, thank you very much for your comment. It helps to know the context of your post and that it wasn't about the questions being asked but other issues.
I know a lot of work goes into these types of things; it's neither easy nor simple. I've bowed out of doing anything with the Cybils for two years now, despite enjoying them very much, because I have to say "no" even when I want to say "yes" because I have yet to learn to either clone myself or get by on less than seven hours sleep.
There are many areas and corners and niches in the book blogosphere; and I think celebrating what we have in common (a love of stories and books) is great, as well as learning about things outside of our own usual crowd of bloggers. And that the week of various things connected with BBAW allows people to elect to do what they want to do -- whether its one thing or the whole week of events.
With over a hundred and fifty book blogger interviews noted so far at the Book Blogger Appreciation Week site, it is no wonder that my blogreader is filling up so quickly! I'm seeing a bunch of bloggers from the kidlitosphere taking in part in this interview trade, which is wonderful. I'm getting a chance to find out about blogs that I didn't know before, and I'm sure we're introducing some KidLit and YA bloggers to other folks. What a great opportunity!
I had signed up for an interview partner, but wasn't paying attention enough to realize that I hadn't been assigned one. My bad. By the time I noticed that the interview thing was moving on, I was afraid to be that last idiot person in the meeting who comes late and doesn't have their agenda and forces everyone to dig through their papers to figure out if they got two copies of the agenda instead of one or could someone share the agenda or it's okay someone will make another copy but nevermind I'll do without, but what are we talking about now because you see, I don't have the agenda.
I suffer that person too much in my life to be that person.
What's one thing that you'd like other book bloggers to know about the kidlitosphere community? Well, KidLitosphere Central for sure which offers an access point to the blogs, resources, news, and events in the area of children and Young Adult Literature. I'd also let them know about KidLitCon taking place on October 17th in the Washington, DC area which is open to people who write, illustrate, and/or blog in the area of children's and Young Adult Literature. Oh, and about the upcoming Cybils nominations, which are awards to given to books and judged by bloggers - again - in the area of children's and Young Adult Literature.
Um, that was three things. Yeah, but since I'm writing the questions I thought that it would be okay.
That's really taking advantage of the interview structure. No wonder no one wanted you as a partner. That's not what happened! There were a lot of people who wanted to participate and it's perfectly understandable that some would have been lost in the shuffle.
Okay, if that's what you want to think... This interview is so over!
Maybe the wrong approach. Instead enjoy the real interviews of and presented by our KidLit/YA bloggers at a number of sites including:
Today is BBAW’s day for the Blogger Interview Swap and we’ve been partnered with Stacy over at Stacy’s Books. Head on over there to read my interview with Stacy…
I’ve really enjoyed exploring her blog - she has some great book quizzes, as well as reviews and discussions. She has worked as a librarian herself and her Aunt Betty, who is also a librarian in an elementary school, has contributed reviews of children’s books… Stacy has a great author-interview series called “9 in ‘09″ so I thought I’d follow her rubric and ask her 9 questions too - here’s what she had to say:
PaperTigers: How long have you been blogging and what got you started?
Stacy: I started in January 2008 after an article in Writer’s Digest suggested it. I knew what a blog was, but didn’t read any regularly, so it has been a fun process of trying new things - some work and some don’t.
PaperTigers: What do you like best about blogging about books?
Stacy: The obvious answer is the wonderful community of book bloggers. I have met so many great women (and a few men lately) and everyone is so supportive. I have online friends and before I started blogging I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. And my wish list grows longer by the day. I’m addicted!
PaperTigers: What genres of books do you most enjoy?
Stacy: I prefer fiction, but do read a non-fiction book or two a month. I like fiction, classics, romances, mysteries, and thrillers best, but read an occasional sci-fi or horror novel.
PaperTigers: what were some of your favorite books as a child?
Stacy: I loved the Little House series and I think I read every Trixie Belden and Hardy Boys book back in the day. And then I transitioned into the Sweet Valley High series. I’m so glad my tastes have changed a bit.
PaperTigers: Can you recommend any books which raise cultural awareness and diversity issues?
Stacy: I’ll be honest, I need to do better about reading books that challenge me culturally. Until I started blogging I didn’t realize how narrow my reading choices had been. My goal for this year was to read more women than men, which I didn’t even come close to last year. In this next year I need to make diversity more of a goal. A few that come to mind are classics like Native Son by Richard Wright and To Kill A Mockingbird. Recently I read a book about the homeless that was moving, Children of Eve by Kevin Casey; and The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer made me really think about the our prison system and the death penalty.
PaperTigers: Have you always been an avid reader? What memories do you have of reading as a child?
Stacy: I have always been an avid reader. As an only child I think books became my at home companions and friends. My dad used to give me a little money for books most paydays and I loved walking to the bookstore to browse and make my weekly selections. My mom was also good about taking me to the library. As a teen I read romances almost exclusively. I am happy that was just a phase and now they are just one part of my reading.
PaperTigers: How big is your To Be Read pile and what do you think it would take to get to the bottom of it?
Stacy: I think a picture is worth a few hundred words, at least. Here is a photo of my TBR taken in May. Since then I have read 17 and given away 3 from these stacks. But I have acquired many more. I have given up the hope of ever reaching the bottom, but I would like very much to get it to under 100 within the next few years. I can always hope!
PaperTigers: Where is your favorite place to read?
Stacy: I will read anywhere, but I do love reading on our deck or curled up on our sofa.
PaperTigers: You allude to possibly writing your own book in the future – can you give any more details about that?
Stacy: I could talk about it but then I would have to abandon it. Talking about it ruins it for me, much to by husband’s consternation. I can say that I’m working on a mystery set in Washington DC.
Thank you, Stacy - I loved your pictures of your To Be Read pile! Good luck with your writing!
Head on over to BBAW to find links to all the other blog interviews that have been posted today… and for great posts from all corners of the book-world, plus giveaways..
0 Comments on BBAW Blogger Interview Swap: Stacy’s Books as of 1/1/1900
Although Brimful Curiosities did not make it to the shortlist round, several of my favorite blogs did make the cut. Be sure to check out the list--you might find some great new blogs to follow. I would like to thank all those that nominated this blog in the following categories: Best General Review Blog, Best Kidlit Blog,and Most Extravagant Giveaways. I do appreciate your support and thoughtfulness!
Each day this week I'm participating in the BBAW daily blogging topic postings. Today's post centers around this topic: "write a post thanking and spotlighting your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists."
Several other wonderful kidlit/YA blogs made the cut in other categories but I'm not going to list them because I'm afraid I'd leave out a few and would feel bad! Congratulations to all the blogs shortlisted. Thanks to BBAW I've found a few new book blogs to follow! How about you?
4 Comments on Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Shortlists, last added: 9/14/2009
Great summary! I got overwhelmed and had to stop at 10. I think I'm subscribed to most of these you mention, but I'm going to go peek at a few and make sure.
Per teh official BBAW website, "Monday September 14. The shortlists for the awards will be announced next Monday, September 7th. The first day of BBAW, Monday September 14th, we encourage you to write a post thanking and spotlighting your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists."
Colleen, always articulate and thoughtful, posted her personal shortlist at Chasing Ray last week. Much of what she said about blogs and blogging had me nodding my head in agreement.
For example? I blog for me. I write for me. What am I interested in? What am I exploring? While why I blog may be selfish, at the same time, I'm aware this isn't personal, it's public. So yes, I also blog for an audience. I realize that there are people who are reading this who aren't related to me. I know that the blog, while a "hobby" in that I blog during my own time, is at the same time professional -- I include it on resumes. Speak at conferences. Write articles. It's part of my professional face, and what I blog about (and don't blog about) is affected by that knowledge.
I blog because I like to talk about story; whether its in books, movies, or film. It may be a picture book or a children's book or a young adult book. You really cannot label Tea Cozy; and I wouldn't want to limit myself or what I write in seeking one label or another.
This all bleeds over into what blogs I read. I read a lot of blogs; admittedly, sometimes it is just skimming. Sometimes its more. Sometimes it depends on what day it is, what I'm interested in, how much time I have. I may follow a link or Tweet to a new blog.
Usually, I read via bloglines. Which means while I appreciate the artistic talents of other bloggers, I don't usually see it. I have my basic Blogger template; and if people think my blog isn't as good because I use that basic template, so be it.
What is a personal favorite? What is best? What is good criteria? Put two bloggers in a room, you'll get three opinions. I'd say no jacket copy or publisher's blurb original writing only; someone else would say why not, the opinion is what needs to be original; someone else would say, well, it all depends on how you credit the source. Do we really want to end that discussion by saying one of those is the only one true way to blog? The act of creating a definition is controversial because it creates a standard where there hadn't been one and it leaves some people meeting it and others not.
A favorite can depend on many things. Who are my favorite bloggers? Those I link to. Those I comment at. Those I follow. Those I email and tweet with. The ones I read and don't comment at, but my reading shows in your statistics. Basically, it's those I read.
Those I read. And who do I read? Those I know. Have I shared my blogosphere as cafeteria analysis? Different bloggers eat at different tables in the caf. It's not about cliques; just about who you know and have fun with and talk with. But it's important to remember that there are many tables in the lunchroom and many lunchtimes, and maybe even the caf is open for breakfast and dinner so there are those times and tables, also. And each blogging group has -- the way groups do -- their own protocols about what blogging is and isn't. So when I find "new to me" blogs (not new blogs!) I try to keep that in mind. The diversity. The groups. The different tables. Not to assume there is only one group, one table, one lunchtime. And to realize this diversity has to be acknowledged and considered and respected.
Do I have favorites? Hell, yes. It may be someone who just by mentioning a book, I want to read it. Or someone sharing industry news. A wry take on things that makes me laugh. A great voice. Interesting interpretations on books. Writing that shakes me up. Writing that makes me welcome. Should I begin listing all my favorites, I'd leave someone out, and who wants to do that to a favorite?
What else is there to say?
I blog because it's fun. I enjoy it; and I read your blogs for the same reason.
So, I guess this isn't what BBAW had in mind. But that's part of blogging, isn't it? Bloggers get inspired, but not necessarily by what you'd think. I may read something about puppies and get inspired to write about picnics because of the connections made in my head; a post by someone else may have a major point and one throwaway line, and what will I react to? The throwaway line. Here, the throwaway line was favorite. It got me musing... what is a favorite? What is best? Who decides? What does it mean to use those words? What does it mean to have a favorite?
So, that's my take on personal shortlists! Head over to the BBAW site for other shortlists.
What else to expect during this week at the BBAW site?
If you're a parent, you know of The Reading Game and have probably been forced to play along. Unsure? Maybe this will ring a bell, "Well, we can't tear little Jacob away from the Harry Potter books. He's sooooo advanced. What is your child reading?" Ah, yes parental competition as practiced through one's children. At Booklights, I talk about the only way to win The Reading Game, along with ways to help your child and your child's teacher this school year. Head over and add your opinion. (And no, winning does not involve my trademark response of, "Oh, my girls are really into Balzac right now.")
My special articles at ForeWord are done, but my relationship with this wonderful review site continues as part of their blog network. I believe they are still tweaking the format, but they'll be pulling some blog posts over with a blog aggregrator and MotherReader will be among them. That is, until they realize how I really write.
We're continuing the last week push for registrations for Kidlitosphere Conference, but are keeping it fun with a meme for past conference attendees. It has started to make the rounds at Jen Robinson's Book Page and Finding Wonderland. Posts are on the schedule for Fuse#8, 7-Imp, and Lee Wind. You don't have to wait to be tagged to participate. In fact, I'd prefer that you not wait. Because while we are sure to have a flurry of posts after the conference that makes people wish they could have gone, what we need now is a flurry of posts about such conferences that makes people decide that they will go. The conference will likely be in the MidWest next year, so East Coasters especially won't want to miss this chance. Register now.
Today I'm guest blogging over at Foreword, talking about library summer programs, reading lists, and prizes. Come by to talk about what your library does to promote reading in the summer. Share your thoughts on prizes as incentives for encouraging reading or trinkets that devalue the book experience. Or somewhere in between. How about reading lists? Does your area have required reading for summer or lists of suggested books? Head to Foreword and unload your Summer Reading angst.
Today I'm also deciding what blog posts to submit for consideration for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week. It's been very interesting going back over this calendar year of posts while thinking about what writing best defines me and my blog. Honestly, I've learned so much in forcing myself to select my favorites and get a good sampling of what I write. It's was a great exercise in seeing what direction I've been taking, what books are driving my best writing, what features are filling my pages.
I realized how few book reviews I've been doing lately. Now, part of this was a conscious choice. I was feeling overwhelmed with keeping up with the books, and rather than let myself burn out, I backed off for a while. But I think I backed off from reviews more than I thought I was, which surprised me.
I stumbled on posts that I thought were great to find that they had no or few comments, making me question if I know what my readership is looking for. If I know what I'mlooking for. And yes, along the way, I also cracked myself up with my own little bits of funny or whole posts.
With some new insight under my belt, I'm more excited than ever for the KidLitosphere Conference.. I can't wait to talk to other bloggers in person and with more than 140 characters. I always come away energized and ready to try new things, and I'd highly suggest the conference to anyone in children's or Young Adult literature who blogs or would like to learn about blogging. More information and the registration are available at KidLitosphere Central.
4 Comments on Foreward and BBAW, last added: 8/20/2009
I know what you mean about the comments...I am doing the same thing for BBAW, and some of my best reviews have a pitiful number (ie, 0 or 1) comments.
Would it be in poor taste/inappropriate, do you think, to share which ones you pick? I'd be curious to see what you thought were the five posts that best summed you up.
Your two most memorable posts, for me, were the one about your last day on your job, and the first one about the ethics of blogging and reviewing. And you should include one about the 48 Hour Challenge, because that is your niche.
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It’s great news that Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW), which was such a flying success last year, will soon be back. Make a note in your diaries for September 14-19 2009 - it promises to be just as action-packed a fiesta of book discussions, encounters and give-aways.
You can sign your blog up here - and whether you write or read book blogs, the BBAW Award nominations are now open for you to choose your favorites…
Some details:
BBAW Award Nominations will be open until August 15, 2009. At that time, the nominees will be shortlisted by a preselected panel. Nominees will be asked to submit their best content for review by the panel. Final voting will begin in September.
We’ll let you know our nominations when we submit them… And thank you, Color Online, for nominating PaperTigers in the Best Design and Best Kidlit categories - you’ve made our day!
0 Comments on Book Blogger Appreciation Week - Award Nominations Now Open… as of 7/27/2009 4:34:00 PM
Book blogging has definitely changed my reading habits. I have read so many books that I would have avoided if I didn’t run a book blog. Horror books are the first thing that pop into my mind, because it was a rare, rare horror novel that I would pick up prior to my blogging days. I have developed a new appreciation for zombies, though I am still reluctant to watch a zombie movie, or even a zombie TV series, for that matter. They are still to gross for me to sit through the green gunk and bloody gore. 
Recently, I have started digging into the realm of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I love these, too! I don’t know why I avoided them like the plague before. I think most of the reluctance stemmed from an overwhelming fear of all of the series. Some of them are very long, and therefore, rather intimidating. So, I am taking baby steps and starting with recent releases that are either stand alone novels or the first volume of a new series. 
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Janelle, congrats - a really great interview. Super questions and you've given Ellen a lovely chance to shine - I only recently found her blog and it's already becoming a favourite, so I'm really glad that I can point my readers to this interview to further whet their appetite!
My passion for children's books predates my children too. Come meet Sara of Glorified Love Letters.
Hi
Great interview,it's fun to learn more about fellow bloggers! As a native English speaker I hadn't given much though to translations of children's books
Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out
Terrific interview! I'm so happy to now know about Ellen's blog!
I'm tempted to brush up on my Spanish so as to read the translated Going on a Bear Hunt!
Great interview--thanks!
Charlotte, you can listen to it here, and at least appreciate the wonderful rhythm of it!
http://loleemosasi.blogspot.com/2011/09/vamos-cazar-un-oso-plochi-plochi-plochi.html