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Hello everyone!  This is the culmination of everything we've celebrated for the last few months, the 5th Blogoversary Giveaway Extravaganza!  Here is where I am giving away 30 prizes to you, my blog readers.  Cuz prizes are the best part of any birthday.  :)

Before we go any further, if you have not completed registration, STOP!  Go do it.  You cannot win anything before completing that first. 

So here's how things will work.  As I mentioned in the beginning of September, this will work in a silent auction style, with a slightly modified format.  At the end of this form will be 3 Google forms, one for each set of "lots" (aka prizes).  Fill in your name and email address.  Using the number of points you totaled up in registration, you can then "bid" these points on each prize that you wish.  There is one slot for each prize. 

For example: Say you earned 30 points.  You have 30 points to spend.  You really want Lot #201, so you bid 10 points.  You have 20 left.  So you bid 5 points on Lot #309, 3 points on Lot #107, 1 point on Lot #100, and 1 point on Lot #206.  There's your 30 points.  You can bid as much or as little on any combination of lots. 

The person who bids the highest number of points for each lot will win that prize.  In the case of a tie (say 2 people bid 10 points on the same thing) then the winner between those who tied will be picked by random.org. 

Rules:

• You must be registered to bid
• Auctions will be open from now until 11:59 pm PDT on Saturday October 8th
• All prizes are open internationally
• You must provide either your mailing address or country of residence (if you don't want to give your address unless you win)
• You cannot bid more than the points you earned in registration

Any questions/problems?  Let me know and I will update this post as need be.  Otherwise, the forms you need to enter are linked below. 

Good luck!

Lots 100-109 Bidding form (Preview of these prizes found here)
Lots 200-209 Bidding form (Preview of these prizes found here)Lots 300-309 Bidding form (Preview of these prizes found here)

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Well, it is now officially October 2nd, which means registration for the 5th Blogoversary Extravaganza is now open!  Remember, you must complete registration in order to win prizes starting October 5th!


For those of you who want a refresher of how this will work, here you go.  30 prizes are being given away starting October 5th.  (Prize preview posts here: one, two, and three).  The giveaway is being conducted in a silent auction style, which means you will "bid" for the prizes using points you have earned throughout the blogoversary.

The purpose of registration is to help me know how many points everyone has.  This way I can keep track of your bids and make sure that no one bids over their limit.  After completing registration, you will know how many points you have to spend come October 5th.

If you are still completing open challenges (some are open until 11:59 on October 3rd), the please wait until you have submitted all your challenge entries before registering.  That way you won't have to submit more than once.  If you earned any bonus points from your entries, I will total them up and email you to let you know of the change to your point total.

To register, all you have to do is fill out the Google form using the link or entered below.  If anyone has problems, please contact me at shadyglade AT mail DOT com and we'll get you entered manually.  Any questions?  Feel free to let me know.

Good luck!

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So I figured we'd make this a round dozen of challenges. Once again, this will be another great way to rack up points to earn prizes.

October 1st is a very important day in the kid lit blogosphere. It marks the opening of the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Literary Awards) nominations. I've been participating in the Cybils for 5 years now, so they are near and dear to my heart. But the awards wouldn't be possible without nominations, which brings me to this challenge.

Challenge Details:
Points: +1 for every nomination you submit.  There are 10 categories, and you can nominate up to 1 book per category, for a possible point total of 10 points.
Deadline: Nominations are open until Oct 15, but if you want points for this, you must submit your nominations by midnight on October 3rd
How To Enter: Head over to the Cybils page to enter your nominations.  Once you're done, come back here and leave a comment on this post with the titles of the books you nominated.

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Well, we're getting down to the wire here.  Registration for the Giveaway Extrvaganza starts tomorrow, so I figured I'd better get up these last two challenges before then.  Both of these are pretty easy, so this is a great way to rack up points right before the end here.

As some of you may know, and some of you may not, I'm hosting my first reading challenge this fall: the Tamora Pierce reading challenge. The idea is to celebrate the upcoming relase of Pierce's new book in October.  All you have to do for this challenge is sign up to participate, or spread the word about the challenge.

Challenge Details:
Points: +5 for signing up for the challenge, +1 for grabbing the button, +1 for linking to the challenge page
Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd
How To Enter: Sign up on the challenge page.  If you have grabbed the button for your blog/website or linked to the challenge page, leave me a comment on this post with the link to enter.

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And here we are at the final prize preview for the Blogoversary Giveaway Extravaganza.  Here I am presenting the final 10 prizes that will be given away starting October 5th.  More info can be found on the introduction page, and details will be coming soon.  Don't forget registration on October 2nd!

If you missed the previous prize previews, you don't know what kind of awesome prizes you're missing.  Check out the first and second posts to see what else you'll have to choose from. 


Lot #300: Graphic Novel Mystery Box
By now, you should recognize the wrapped ribbon boxes. It means it's another mystery box! After four years on the graphic novels nominations committee, I've had a lot of graphic novels come and go in my house. Plus, I've found plenty of graphic novels on my own too. So if you like graphic novels, or wanting to give them a try, this is the prize for you. I've got traditional comics, unique art styles, manga, color, black and white, and a mix of all genres/ages/bindings. The winner of this lot will get at least six books (probably more) many in new/like new condition.

Lot #301: Dark Divine Nail Polish
You may have recognized this prize from contests past. Well, in cleaning out my shelves the other day I found I still have a bit left. This lovely fuchsia purple/pink shade has been perfectly matched to the color of the The Dark Devine by Bree Despain. So now you can paint your nails just like the model on the cover! This lot includes two bottles, one for you and one for you to share (or keep for yourself, whatever you want :).

Lot #302: History Prize Pack
Now don't run anywhere when you hear the word history. This pack actually includes a couple good books. For those of you who do Twitter, what do you think history would look like in 140 characters or less? Well, you can find out in Historical Tweets by by Alan Beard and Alec McNayr. And then if you like to take a more *ahem* accurate version of history, this pack also includes Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis. So you should be pretty well covered in the history department.

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If you missed it yesterday, don't forget to check out the first Prize Preview post.  There's some more details about how this contest will work so if you haven't seen it, make sure you don't miss it.  And here's another reminder that these open blogoversary challenges close soon, so this is your last chance to earn extra points to win the fantastic prizes below:

Lot #200: Mystery ARC box
In the same vein as yesterday, this is a mystery prize box. I've got a lot of ARCs laying around the house recently, and it's time to send them off to new homes where they are enjoyed. The winner of this lot will get at least 6 ARCs, some more recent, some older, and all genres/ages. Will you get more? What will be in the box? It's a mystery, you'll have to win it to find out.

Lot #201: Handmade Pumpkin Bookmark
I love bookmarks, and I love making them just a much. The winner of this lot will get this lovely pumpkin bookmark. Okay, so it looks a little different. The colors aren't variegated like this, but otherwise it is the same pattern (this is the only picture of this pattern I had). The bookmark is hand stitched by me, and it's perfect for those fall afternoons spent reading.

Lot #202: Tamora Pierce Prize Pack
A blogoversary celebration with my favorite things wouldn't be complete without Tamora Pierce books. The winner of this lot will win a box of assorted Tamora Pierce titles. They aren't in order, and there's some from several different series (although all of them are Tortall books). This would be a great prize if you're considering going for the Tamora Pierce Reading Challenge. These books are gently used paperbacks.

Lot #203: The Man You'll Marry by Debbie Macomber
Here's a prize for those of you who sometimes get sick of YA and want to venture into adult books. In addition to share some of my favorite books, my mom wanted to donate a book by one of her favorite au

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Woohoo!  We made it up to 10 challenges!  Now, the deadline to complete these is fast approaching, as most of them have deadlines of October 2nd.  If you missed any, don't forget to check the roundup page which has all of the currently active challenges listed.  And if you're curious about the prizes you will be winning with the points you earn, the first prize preview was posted yesterday. 

Today's challenge comes from blog reader M. A. D. (Mary).  In honor of poetry Friday, your challenge today is to compose a haiku poem about the best book you've read (so far) in 2011.  You can complete up to three poems, at three points each.  And there will be bonus points if your poem is shared at the end of the blogoversary challenges. 

And if you don't know what a haiku poem is, you can check out this Wikipedia article to get you started. Basically, it's a 3 line poem: first line made of 5 syllables, second line with 7 syllables, and last line with 5 syllables.

A few examples taken from this site to get you started.  These are mostly classics, but you should use a book you've read this year:

"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe
Black shiny feathers
Quoth the raven nevermore
That bird won't shut up

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
As young Edmund learns,
You should never take sweets from
Strange women in white.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Crescent moon shining?
No, it's the smile of a cat
strange place, wonderland.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Earth, mostly harmless
Blown for Hyper-space bypass
Book says, Don't Panic!

Anyway, you get the idea. As always, you can look these up online, so PLEASE come up with your own and DON'T CHEAT!

Challenge Details:
Points: +3 for each poem, up to 3 submissions, bonus +5 if one (or more) of your entries is shared at the end of the celebration
Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd (since it is so late in the month)
How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.

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This is a guest post I've been especially looking forward to all week. It is my great pleasure to have two of my favorite bloggers here today, Kate and Kristen from The Book Monsters.  The Book Monsters is their newest co-blogging venture, but you might recognize them from their former blogs, Kate from The Neverending Shelf and Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century.  I was so happy they were able to do a feature for the blogoversary, and they decided to speak about co-blogging, since they are quickly becoming experts on that subject.  So without further ado, take it away!


Kristen’s Side:

Kate and I began blogging around the same time over two years ago. I’m not sure how exactly we found one another’s blog and began talking, but we did. At first, it was a bit of a rivalry, but soon it become a friendship. Sure, it was mostly through twitter and google chat, but we had a connection that kept going. We talked so much that we started doing some blog projects together, anywhere from Readathons to Features and eventually just helping each other out from time to time. Also, we talked about our husbands, our lives, our jobs and everything in between.

I remember searching daily for Kate’s name to show up on google chat so we talk about books, our blogs, and life in general. And about a year ago, we started getting discouraged on and off about blogging. Life got in the way a lot and we wanted to find a place to put our ideas together. But we weren’t quite ready to give up our blogs yet. They were like our babies. And to start over with 0 followers was scary at the time.

Last January, I put out a call for someone to help on my blog. It was going okay, but it didn’t feel right and then I got busy again and so did my new blog partner. Kate was going through the same thing and we finally were talking about starting a blog together. Numbers didn’t matter as much anymore, we just wanted to work together. It took months to get our new blog together. We both had some great ideas and kept going back and forth on blog names and themes and ideas.

I remember when we settled on The Book Monsters. We were looking at blogs we thought were cute and I noticed that the design was using a specific artist’s online scrapping collection. So I went hunting around through some of her other collections and found these cute little monsters and there were books and I showed it to Kate. We were in love, and that’s how we came up with our blog name. Kate took the kit and created our marvelous blog and we both worked our butts off to back up our reviews and get everything savvy for when we launched it in June.

I have to tell you, best decision I ever made. I love talking to Kate and we keep each other on task. When school started, I felt so happy to have her on my side, filling in where we had gaps, pushing me to get something read and reviewed and just being an awesome blog partner. It was a bit hard to give up Bookworming, but it’s so much more fun to blog and easier as well.

Kate’s Side:

And... that is our history in a nutshell.

Basically, co-blogging was the best thing I have ever done. And I think Kristen will agree. Well, besides starting a blog in the first place.

Let’s sta

1 Comments on Blogoversary Guest Post: The Book Monsters, last added: 9/30/2011

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Kristen said, on 9/30/2011 2:23:00 PM

Thanks dear! I've always loved your blog and am glad to be apart of your Blogoversary!

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I was thinking about the upcoming Giveaway Extravaganza that will wrap up the blogoversary activities, and I realized something.  Although I told you how the giveaway will work, I haven't given you any idea of the prizes!  So over the next three days, I will be posting "prize previews" so that you can see all 30 prizes (aka auction lots) for the giveaway.

If you're new to the blog or the blogoversary, you can read all about the Giveaway Extravaganza here.  Basically, it will proceed like a silent auction and you earn points to "bid" with by completing challenges/tasks.  The breakdown of how you can earn points is on the details post, and also check out this post for links to all the additional active challenges.

As a reminder, everyone will need to register for the giveaway to win these prizes.  Registration opens October 2nd and auctions will start October 5th.  But enough of details, you want to see the prizes, right?


Lot #100: YA Mystery Box
Everyone loves a good mystery right? Well, here's one for you... what's in this box? This box includes a mix of YA books of all bindings, genres, release dates (recent and not so recent) and conditions (new and old). How many books will you get? Well, at least six, but beyond that, it's a mystery!

Lot #101: Recycled Book Purse
Okay, so it's not this exact book purse (I got this picture from Google images), but you get the idea. I just learned how to make these cool little bags out of recycled hardcover books. Aren't they cute? The inside is lined with fabric and creates the perfect little tote that will get lots of envious looks and compliments. As soon as I finish the one I'm working on, it will be offered to the winner of this lot.

Lot #102: Paranormal/Fantasy pack
Kind of a weird combination, and yet somehow they work together. The winner of this lot will get two gently used paperback books: a copy of Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde and a copy of Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Both stories were groundbreaking in that they re-imagined the creatures they are about long before such stories became popular (ie pre-Twilight vampires).

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Today's guest post is a little bit different. Today's post comes from Katie of Katie's Book Blog. Rather than writing a post, Katie decided she wanted to interview me about this milestone. So here are Katie's questions and my corresponding answers. I hope you enjoy it!



What made you decide to start your blog?

Really, it was kind of a spur of the moment impulse thing. My first post was on September 1, 2006 which if I remember correctly, was the day I decided to start it. I was bored and looking for something to do on the day before the semester started that year, and it just kind of happened.


Did you always plan on it being about books?

Yes, it was always going to be about books. I had always loved sharing books I’d read with others, and I’d just started writing reviews about 6 months before that. Two girls I "knew" from a YA book forum stated they had just started their own blogs and I thought "hey, I could do that". The focus has changed a lot for me over the years, but it’s still mostly about book-related things.


What is your most memorable moment from your five years of blogging?

Ooh, that’s a hard one. I have to say one of my favorite things I’ve done is meeting some of my readers in person. There’s a family I know that lives close to me and we meet from time to time to exchange books and ideas. It’s the highlight of my year. :)

A close second would have to be when I had the chance to be interviewed by Barry from A Book and A Chat on his blog radio talk show. I had never done anything like that before, and I was super nervous, but it was lots of fun. There were some wonderful bloggers who got interviewed during that month, and I was very honored to be one of them.


What is your favorite thing about being a book blogger?

It used to be the ability to share books I love with other people. And while I still love doing that, blogging is also an outlet for me. I really have to blame my blog on why I chose the major I did in college. If it hadn’t been for what I’ve done in the past 5 years and the people I’ve met and the events I’ve participated in, I don’t know what direction I would have gone in.

But I also love hearing from other bloggers and people who read my blog. It’s nice to know that sometimes I’m not talking to just myself. That’s why I love hosting guest posts and events like the YA Bloggers Book Battle. It’s a great chance to get to know and network with other bloggers. There really are some amazing people out there, and I really look up to a lot of them.


Can you pick a favorite book that you have read since you started your blog? Or two or three? =)

Haha, probably not. I hate these kinds of questions, they are so hard to choose one or two favorites. Hmmm… narrowing it down a bit, one of my more recent (within the last year) favorites is Heist Society by Ally Carter. I just love that book, and I’ve reread it several times (Note to self, get hands on sequel!). I also have to say there are many graphic novels that I would count among my favorite books that I would have never even heard of/tried if it weren’t for my blog and my participation in the Cybils awards every year.


Do you think you will continue to review YA books for many years to come? And why YA?

I would hope so, altho

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I was looking at reviews on Goodreads the other day for a book I recently read. I was really just skimming them to see what the average star ratings were, when something jumped out at me. One reviewer mentioned that they enjoyed the book, but the ending was wrapped up too neatly and was a little too happy.
That got me thinking. An ending can be too neat and happy? Granted, I realize real life isn’t that way, but from my fiction, I think I prefer happy endings. Most of my favorite books have happy endings, or at least a hint that someday it could be happy. I like having the girl end up with the right boy, the orphan finding a new family, the quest coming to a successful end. I like all the questions to be answered, all the foreshadowing to be revealed, and to get a good idea about where the characters are headed next. I don’t always need a sequel, but at least give me an idea of what will happen next.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I like retold fairy tales so much. Even the retold ones usually have some sort of happy ending; we expect it from the genre. And on the other side, I’m not a fan of many contemporary books. Real life is hard enough for me to live, I don’t enjoy reading about all the pain and anguish everyone else is going through. Some people like those kind of books because they can relate to the experiences the characters are going through. Me, I’m more of an “escape from reality” reader.
So yeah, sometimes a happy ending isn’t realistic. But I’ll take neat and happy over heartbroken or cliffhanger any day.

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As promised, here is the second blogoversary challenge of the day. Have you been keeping up? There's only a few more days to complete them...

Today's challenge partly comes from an idea submitted by Lieder Madchen, and partly from something I saw in a forum a few weeks ago. I call it Titles in Other Words. The idea is to create a new title for a book using alternate language. Here's two great examples I found on this Scholastic blog. Can you guess what books they are?
1. The Starving Contests
2. Harold Planter and the Two Quarters Hemoglobin Royalty

Did you get them? How about these from another site:
3. Exaggerated self-esteem and bigotry
4. Derivative of Adelaide's encountering of danger within imaginary land replete with marvels

Give up? The answers are The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Pride and Prejudice, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

You get the idea. So get creative and recreate those book titles! You can submit up to 5. If I get enough responses, I'll have a little quiz at the end of the blogoversary and you can guess the best ones for even more bonus points.

There are only two rules:
1.  They must be book titles and
2.  I know you can Google these, so PLEASE come up with your own.  No cheating!
(Young adult books or classics are preferred, but that isn't a requirement)

Challenge Details:
Points: +2 for each title, up to 10 points. Bonus +3 if one (or more) of your titles is chosen to share for the quiz
Deadline: Midnight on October 2nd
How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. You can submit up to 5 entires, and make sure you include what the answer is.  If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.

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Oops!  I meant to post this challenge and completely forgot apparently.  So you'll get 2 challenges today, one now and one later on! 

There was a great response to Eleni's guest post on how reading has changed her life.  This has caused my own reflections over the past few days, and inspired the idea for this challenge.  So here's what you need to do. 

I want you to share a favorite reading memory.  Maybe you remember the first time you discovered you enjoyed reading.  Maybe it's about a book that particularly excited or touched you.  Maybe you remember going to the library for preschool storytime or a family member reading to you as a child. 

To jump start your ideas, here's one of my fond reading memories:

I don't really remember when I decided I loved reading.  But I can remember when my reading habits took off.  You remember those Scholastic book orders you used to get in school?  Some of them had subscription-type clubs on the back page, where you could sign up to have a book(s) with some sort of theme sent to you every month.  When I was in 2nd grade, my mom signed me up for the Boxcar Children club.  I'd get 3 books a month, along with a newsletter of related acitivities like how to make your own peanut butter, etc.  And I never touched them.  So by the 5th month, she cancelled the subscription, saying she was sick of paying for books I never read.  So all 15 books just stayed on my shelf, sitting there unread. 

About a year later, one night I decided to pick up the first book on a whim.  It took me 5 months to get through the first 3 books in the series, but I was determined to finish them.  By the time I started the 4th book, I was starting to really get into these books.  By the time I was reading the 7th one, I would start the book when I went to bed, and stay up late into the night (without my parents knowing) so I could finish the book and solve the mystery.  It was wonderful, and I've considered myself a bookworm ever since. 

So what's your favorite reading memory?  I'll post some of your memories later on in the blogoversary, so we can all share and celebrate our love for reading and books.  :)
Challenge Details:
Points: +5 for sharing your memory with us
Deadline: Midnight on October 2nd
How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.

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A series of posts about my favorite book-related things would be incomplete without a mention of one of my favorite things to do with books online: trading. The idea is simple. You post books you are done with or no longer want online. Those books can be requested by other members of the site, and when you send books out you have the opportunity to request new books that you do want in return.

I’ve participated in many book trading websites over the past 5 years, and I have to say that when all is said and done, Paperbackswap.com is probably my favorite. There are pros and cons to just about every trading site out there, and Paperbackswap (PBS) is certainly not perfect, but I have to say I think it has the best combination of good and bad. So here is a list of my favorite things about this website.

Free credits – Every member who signs up and posts 10 books on their account gets 2 startup credits. So you can request 2 books right away without having to wait to send anything out. And, if you decide the site isn’t for you later on after sending a few books, you can always close your account and walk away.

Wish List – Out of all the wish list features on sites I’ve done, this one is probably the fairest. Everything is done First In, First Out. So the first person to put a book on their list is the first one given the opportunity to get that book when it’s posted. Granted, sometimes it’s hard to be patient, especially when it’s a book I’m excited about. But people can post books directly to a personal wish list too, so sometimes someone takes pity on me and offers a book on my list.

The Forums – Specifically the Wish List Multiples thread. All the forums are great, but this particular thread is awesome, both for book senders, and book wishers. If you have a lot of wish list books and want to save on postage by sending them all to one person, you can post them there and have people request multiple books from you. On the flip side, this is one of the ways you have get a book posted directly to your wish list, which is always a fun thing.

Credits – I’ve done trade sites that are based on points as well as direct trade systems. I like PBS’s system. 1 credit per book, 2 credits for audiobooks. Yeah, sometimes it sucks to pay the postage to send out a heavy hardcover book and spend that credit on a light paperback in return. But I figure I order plenty of hardbacks from other members too, so it all evens out in the end.

Swapping Criteria – PBS is one of the few sites I know of that has “swapping criteria”. This means that books must meet basic rules to be swapped there. Rather than mess with condition notes, it is expected for all books posted to swap will meet the criteria. So I can order books knowing that they shouldn’t have water damage, writing/highlighting, etc. and avoid the whole “buyer beware” problem.

Tour Guides – Maybe I’m a little biased with this feature, since I am a Tour Guide. But I think the Live Help feature is great. Emailing a site admin can sometimes take days for a response, and if it’s just a little question sometimes it isn’t worth the hassle. But you can use the Live Help feature to ask a Tour Guide, and oftentimes they can solve the problem/question for you within an hour. A Tour Guide is assigned to all new members, so if you have questions about how things work at the beginning they can help a lot with that. I had a great tour guide when I signed up, and it made me want to become one myself a few years later. And I love helping other members.

Okay, so this post has gotten long, so I’ll stop gushing and wrap up. Bottom line is, if you haven’t tried trading, give it a try. Whether it’s through a site like PBS, Goodreads bookswap, or just interacting with your online

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Going along with today's post about the book trading website Paperbackswap.com (PBS), I'm hosting a new blogoversary challenge for those who want to sign up. The main reason for this is that one of the prizes I am giving away at the end of the celebration will be specific to people who have signed up for Paperbackswap, and I'm trying to guage how wide my audience is. So I get a better idea of numbers, you get extra points, it's a win-win situation. And the site is a great way to share books you're done reading with people who'd like the chance to read them, and get new books yourself.

This challenge is open to both new and old members of Paperbackswap.com

Challenge Details:
Points: +3 for completing this challenge
Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd
How To Enter: If you are new to PBS - Sign up to create your account, and use my username Greycat133 as your referral when you sign up. This means your name will show up in my account and record that you completed this challenge.

If you are already a PBS member - You can also earn points for this challenge if you have a PBS profile. Send me an email at shadygladeATmailDOTcom and send me a link to your profile. If you don't have a PBS profile, then you can also sign up for one.

If you have any questions, or any trouble, feel free to email or comment. Good luck!

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We've got something a little bit different for you all today. Natalie from Mindful Musings is here to our blogoversary guest post today. I pretty much gave everyone free reign when choosing a topic, and Natalie is here to discuss a topic that is near to her heart. All of you who have your own book blogs (especially if you're just starting out) will want to pay attention to this, since Natalie is here to talk about Blogger Relations. So take it away Natalie!


How do I get people to follow and comment on my blog?

I’ve been asked that question more times than I can count, and there’s a reason for it. Very few of us blog solely because we like to see our words on the screen. Usually, we blog because we have a passion about something (in this case, books), and we want to share that passion with other people. Half the fun of blogging is getting comments and opinions from other people. However, getting those comments can be kind of tricky, especially if you’re new to the blogosphere.

First of all, I like to view blogging as a conversation. It isn’t just made up of post after post after post that have absolutely no relation to one another. It’s like one giant discussion that people are constantly joining in on. But what’s the best way to get people to come have that discussion on YOUR blog? Well, you have to give a little to get a little, guys. Before people are going to come and visit you, you have to put yourself out there. Every successful blog I know of has good relationships with at least a few other bloggers. Just like in the job market, a little networking can go a long way.

Perhaps the easiest and most important aspect of blog networking is commenting on other blogs. However, there are some things to avoid when you start leaving comments on other people’s blogs. First, there’s the obvious: don’t be rude or disrespectful. That’s the quickest way to be ignored in the blogosphere. Just like in real life, no one wants to talk to you if you’re a jerk. It’s okay to disagree with something, but make sure you voice your opinion in a respectful manner. Second, make sure you leave meaningful comments. If you’ve been going around writing “Great review” or “I’ll have to check this out” on every review, there’s a good chance people aren’t going to go check out your blog. Why? Because you didn’t put much effort into checking out theirs. Leave a comment that shows that you actually read the post and thought about it. I can tell you from personal experience that meaningful comments make my day, and I’m MUCH more likely to go check out a blogger if they show me that they took some time to read what I have to say.

Once you’ve established a few relationships with other bloggers, you’ll see how much more fun blogging can be. Being able to interact with people who love to talk about the same things you do is rewarding enough in itself, but I think you’ll also find that you can learn something new from them. This post is just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re interested in learning more about the subject, I’d personally recommend checking out Parajunkee’s feature, Book Blogging 101. There are tons of other articles out there on how to make your blog successful and how to interact with other bloggers. All you have to do is look!

Congratulations to Alyssa for hitting her five-year milestone!

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So I suppose today's post requires a little bit of an explanation.  I was lamenting to my brother about having to prepare for the lesson I'm teaching tomorrow and how I expected it to keep me away from the blog most of the day.  And then it hit me.  In the interest of the blogoversary theme of "my favorite things" I could do a post about my brother and some of his favorites.  And one of the things he really loves is random YouTube videos.  So here today, we have some of the most random videos I could think of to share.

So one of the things my brother is really into these days is a video game called Portal 2.  If you haven't heard of it before, you can check out this wikipedia article (or not, it doesn't really matter).

Anyway, in the game there is this robot/machine thing that's called the Space Core.  And it, predictably, is obsessed with space.  So randomly on YouTube one day, my brother showed me this video, where someone has taken all the Space Core's phrases and combined them with some animation of Pinky Pie from My Little Pony.  It's pretty funny, even if you aren't familiar with either source:


In this video game, there's also a character called Cave Johnson (he is the founder of a the company where the game takes place).  At one point he starts to a little crazy, and it leads to a rant about lemons.  Someone made a video of it, so here it is to share with all of you:


And now salvage any semblance of book-relatedness this post has...

I know I've posted about How It Should Have Ended.com before, but one of their newest videos is about Harry Potter. So if you're a fan of the books (or the movies) check this one out. The best part is the last few seconds after the credits. :)



And with that, I'm off to go work on my lesson again. We will return you to your regular book-related posts soon.

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I'm very excited today to host Eleni from La Femme Readers for my blogoversary guest post today.  She is always busy with her blog, so I was so excited she had an oppertunity to take time away from her busy schedule!  She's here to share a topic that's near and dear to her heart, so take it away Eleni!


Books are my escape. Without them, I'd obviously live on, but I'm sure I would feel some type of void somewhere in my self consious. I started reading about three years ago, thanks to the Twilight series. Since then, I've been an avid reader and book collector. It's crazy how many books I own now, I could probably start a library.

Reading for me cured all occuring stresses and brought comfort to me. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I curl up with a good book and get lost in the author's world. There I experience pure serenity within myself, it not only stimulates my brain but it also relaxes it as well. Some people who aren't book lovers, such as my husband, don't understand why bookworms love reading so much. It's a shame they can't use their imagination the way we do. But, as long as I love it, I don't care what others think.

All in all, reading has changed my life for the better. I want to thank all the authors of the world who take the time out to bring us amazing stories. They are the reason for my bookworm title, so I appreciate them wholeheartedly.

Thank you Alyssa for including me as a guest post on your great blog. Congrats again on your blogging milestone, I wish you many more!

Thanks so much for coming Eleni!  I totally feel the same way you do.  Without books my life would feel very... empty.  If you'd like to read more from Eleni, check her out at La Femme Readers. 

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Today's blogoversary challenge is a great way to earn some extra points by doing something that's really easy.  When I asked Ashley if she had any suggestions for a challenge to go with her guest post, she had told me she was always surprised by the amount of book bloggers who don't use the library.

I agree that libraries can be great tools (for bloggers or any reader) so your challenge today is to use your local library! Sign up for a library card if you don't have one, and if you do, go down to your library and find something you haven't read before (try something new!). 

Challenge Details:
Points: +3 for completing this challenge
Deadline: You have one week to complete this challenge.  Visit your library before Sep 27
How To Enter:  This one is on your honor.  If you'd like, feel free to share your library finds in the comments below. 

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In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're having a pirate challenge! In the vein of today's post, tell me about your favorite pirate books. They can be about pirates, involve pirate characters, etc.

Submit as many ideas as you want. Share your "pirate name" with us to earn a bonus point. Make something up and be creative. :) Some of these will be added to the list that went up later today to share with other pirate-enthusiast readers.

Challenge Details:
Points: +3 for submitting at least one idea, +2 for sharing your pirate name
Deadline: Submit ideas before midnight on September 22nd
How To Enter:  Submit your ideas using the Google form below, or email to me at shadygladeATmailDOTcom

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I hope you're all ready to get your creative juices flowing, since this challenge requires a thinking cap!

I'm a bit of a cover art junkie.  I'm one of those people who considers repurchasing a book when it's released with new cover art just to have the pretty new cover (its one of the reasons why I have multiple copies of Pride and Prejudice). 

So in being a cover art enthusiast, I really notice when a cover doesn't hit the spot.  Take this one for example.  It's nice, and this is one of my favorite series so I like it for that reason.  But there's just something off about it.  It's just not as great as the old covers for this series (which is unusual for me, because I tend to like updated covers much better than the old ones). 

So I decided to do my own version a little over a year ago:

Your challenge for today, should you choose to accept it, is to redesign a cover that you think could have been done better.  It has to be a book that is already out and available (no pre-release titles), but other than that, it can be any book.  Since this challenge requires more time and effort,  you will get a lot more points for completing it.  I'll be selecting a few of the entries to share at the end of the month, and you will get bonus points if your cover is one of the ones selected. 

Challenge Details:
Points: +15 points for submitting a cover (that's a lot of points up for grabs).  If your cover is chosen to highlight at the end of the month, then you will also get +5 for being selected. 
Deadline: Covers must be submitted by October 1st at midnight Pacific Time.
How To Enter:  Email your entries to shadygladeATmailDOTcom with the subject line "Cover Contest".  You can either email the picture as an attachment, or post the cover on your blog, photobucket, flickr, etc. and send me a link.  Whatever works for you.

Questions?  As always feel free to ask!

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So as I was working on getting the last of things organized for the celebration this month, I realized I neglected to mention something.  Just in case the selection of posts over the next month seems random, it really isn't.  I've put a lot of thought into what's happening this month, and decided to unify the posts with an overall general theme.

The theme for this month is "my favorite things".  Kinda corny, I know.  But really, reaching milestones makes me do a lot of reflecting.  And what better things to share than those that are my favorites? So in addition to some great guest posts (from some of my favorite bloggers) and a few new features, this month will be focused on my favorite things about blogging, reading, books, authors, etc.

I know not a lot is going on yet, and I hope you'll bear with me for  few days.  There's still a lot to organize, and did I mention my brother is going off to college next week?  Life's busy as always.  :)

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