Meet Jacinda and Jasmine, the Reading Housewives of Indiana!

If you had to choose a book/series in which to live the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Jacinda:

Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward

Jasmine:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Show us your dream bookshelf.

Jacinda:

Jasmine:

If you published a book, what picture would you use for your biography?

Jacinda and Jasmine:

See photos below along with mini-biographies. :)

Show us your face when the book you're reading ends with a crazy cliffhanger!

Jacinda:

Jasmine:

Which book do you never hesitate to recommend?

Jacinda:

Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Jasmine:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

             Jacinda

I’m a 26 year-old Hoosier. Currently I’m a SAHM to a 4 year-old boy and a 3 year-old girl. I’ve been married to my hubby, Seth, for 6 years and I’ve known him since I was senior in high school. I have two dogs and a cat which I love dearly even though they can make my life more hectic than it needs to be. Besides my love of reading which is obviously obvious, I love my Keurig, crafting, and football. I’m afraid of heights to the point where I will not stay in a hotel room above the 7^th floor or drive in mountains unless it’s at night. I dislike milk and anything banana or coconut flavored so I’m limited on my cocktail choices. I’m a big young adult reader, but I do read an occasional adult book. My favorite types of books would have to be contemporary and historical fiction, but it used to be paranormal before I became more of an avid reader.

Jasmine

Hello there! :) My name is Jasmine. I am 22 years old, though most of the time I feel at LEAST middle aged. I graduated high school in 2007. That summer I met my husband. I went on to Indiana State University to study English Education, but I soon found out that I hated reading. WHAT!? I know, I know...I love it now, but loathed it then. So, I came home and decided to go to beauty school. After finishing I worked at a salon for almost 2 years and just recently quit. My heart just wasn't in it and let's face it, people are mean. My husband and I were married in April of 2010. We have 2 awesome dogs...Perdita and Dexter. They are our children for the time being. I recently started a job at Pier 1 Imports which I love! Welp, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Don't forget to visit Jacinda and Jasmine's blog, The Reading Housewives of Indiana where you'll have a chance to see my answers to the same questions!

BBAW #4-- Forgotten Treasures

Today's topic for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week is Forgotten Treasures:

Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction.  This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!

I had a difficult time with this one because so many of the mysteries I enjoy aren't well-known (or known at all) here in the United States. I finally decided that I'd turn to my Favorite Mystery Series page on my blog and just choose one. A bit like closing your eyes and sticking a pin in a map, you might think. I wouldn't disagree.

My pin in the map landed on a wonderful series that most mystery readers will probably be... well... mystified over-- Fidelis Morgan's splendid four-book historical mystery series featuring the Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her buxom maid, Alpiew.

It is the end of the seventeenth century, and sixty-something Lady Ashby de la Zouche, Countess of Clapham (a former mistress to deceased King Charles II) is more than a bit down on her luck. Living in a crumbling mansion in London with her quick-witted maid, Alpiew, and a manservant that reminds me of Lurch from The Addams Family, the Countess manages to eek out a living by writing for a scandal sheet.

Not only are these books a sparkling window to the seventeenth century-- to the point where you feel you're walking the streets of London with the characters-- they are so outrageously funny at times that it's been known for Denis to hear me laughing all the way down at the other end of the house. (Naturally he had to come find out what he was missing out on.) 

The setting, the characters, the plots, the humor-- all of these elements combine to form four very special books:


 

Unnatural Fire
The Rival Queens
The Ambitious Stepmother
Fortune's Slave




In them, there are not just interesting mysteries to solve and living, breathing characters to connect with, but tidbits to be learned about 17th-century life, acting on the London stage, even a trip to the court in France. Never once do I feel as though I'm learning something dry, dusty and dead, and I always close these books with a smile on my face. 

These four mysteries are so much fun that I just can't understand why more people haven't read them. I certainly hope you'll give one a try! 


 

BBAW #3-- Unexpected Treasures

Wednesday's topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is...

Today we invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger.  What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

I quite literally grew up in a library, and I'm hard pressed to think of a genre of books that I haven't tried reading. (My librarian mother taught me at an early age to be adventurous!)

When it came time to respond to this topic, there's only one answer for me. I love reading crime fiction, and many of the recommendations I receive have been from book bloggers and authors who belong to the Crime and Mystery Fiction group at FriendFeed.

Many of the people in this group have their own blogs where they review the books they read, and most of us visit each other's blogs to leave comments and suggestions, but FriendFeed is the one place where most of us can be found.

If you're interested in crime fiction, you might want to join this group. I've never seen a more helpful and caring group of people who are well-read and give excellent reading recommendations. Due to their influence, I now read much further afield than just North America and the UK, and I've read some marvelous books. For a bookaholic like me, that's Pure Gold!

BBAW Treasure #2-- An Interview With Lorin of Arch Thinking!

This year's Book Blogger Appreciation Week Interview Swap paired me with a familiar person-- Lorin of Arch Thinking. Why familiar? Because she graciously participated in my weekly feature, Scene of the Blog.

It's not always easy for me to interview anyone. I tend to suffer an immediate case of blank-slate-itis. Can't think of a thing. But in Lorin's case, my puny brain kept going back to one thing: architecture.

The natural world means a great deal to me, but in my natural world, architecture plays an important role. Probably because I live in 2,000 square feet of architecture, and since I live in a very large metropolitan area, each time I hop into the car and go somewhere, I find myself noticing a lot of it.

Why would my mind keep thinking "Lorin...architecture... Lorin... architecture"? Probably because it's her source of employment and one of her passions. (My mind does have huge flights of fancy, but usually not when asking people questions.)

There have been two instances in my life where a magnificent example of architecture has moved me to speechlessness and tears because it felt as though the architect had been inside my mind and my heart and knew exactly the type of house that would make me happy. My assignment for Lorin in this interview was for her to tell us about two spaces that affected her the same way-- one exterior and one interior. Here's what she told me:

For the exterior, I am going to cheat and pick a house that I know really well - I was the project manager for the architect who designed this one and therefore got to have a hand in its design. I've attached a photo of the exterior. The house is best known, though, for its interior - it was featured in the first Sex and the City movie.


For the interior, I chose Villa Mairea by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. (Photos of the space can be seen in this Flickr album.)


What I like about both of these houses is that they are modern, very contemporary, but not cold. 

The house I live in now is very non-traditional - it's a loft-style condo where the only rooms that are actually separate are the bathrooms and laundry. Otherwise, it is just one big open room, with incredibly tall ceilings. There are exposed pipes and beams, most of the walls are brick or hollow clay tile, and it has a concrete floor. This may sound scary to some people, who would prefer to live in a traditional house. But it is, I think, a very warm and inviting place to live.

I hope you take the time to follow both links to the homes chosen by Lorin. They are beautiful. The view of the trees through the windows of the Finnish house are superb.

Can you deduce something about a personality by the spaces in which they want to live? I think so. I hope you do, too. What I learned through this interview is that, although Lorin's choices and mine couldn't be more different (mine are 200- and 400-years old, for example), we both like the same things: plenty of windows, plenty of light, plenty of rooms with views.

BBAW Treasure #1-- Favorite Book Blogs Discovered in the Past Year

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is once more upon us. I'd wonder where the past year went, but this week is so much fun that I don't care.

One of the ways we celebrate is to participate in daily themed topics. Today's topic?

"For those of you who participated in BBAW last year, what's a great new book blog you’ve discovered since last year’s BBAW?"

Try as I might, I couldn't choose between two book blogs, so I decided not to fight it. Except for their overall excellence, they are very different blogs.


Desert Book Chick is the creation of Amanda, an Australian anthropologist, and it's obvious that her blog is a labor of love.

It's fast becoming a blogging resource for anything from blog design to writing book reviews to blog commenting programs.

Her reading is wide-ranging, and she has themed weeks on her blog-- Classics Week, for example, and the recent Men Don't Read Week.

One of the things that comes across so clearly in Amanda's blog is her passion, and this sometimes means that she's very blunt when voicing an opinion. Do I always agree with her? No, but that's part of what makes reading her blog so much fun.  If you've never visited Desert Book Chick, I certainly hope you'll make the effort to do so.

The second blog I want to talk about may not qualify under the strictest reading of the rules, but I'm going to talk about it anyway. Murder Is Everywhere is an author blog with alternating posts by crime fiction writers Cara Black (France), Leighton Gage (Brazil), Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip (South Africa), Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Iceland), Dan Waddell (England), and Tim Hallinan (Thailand). These alternating posts about their respective countries, their news items, their traditions, and their food have opened my eyes repeatedly. They've made me learn, they've made me laugh, and they've made me cry.

Their posts have persuaded me to go out and buy their books. Slowly but surely, I'll read and review them all on this blog. They may not be "book bloggers" in the strictest sense of the word, but they represent a few of the many authors who are responsible for inspiring me to give voice to my own passion: reading and writing about crime fiction. I feel they are more than deserving of acknowledgment on this first day of Book Bloggers Appreciation Week.

You don't have to like crime fiction to enjoy reading the posts in Murder Is Everywhere. What you do have to enjoy is reading well-written posts and learning about countries other than your own. This is another blog that I sincerely hope you'll take on a test drive. I think you'll like it. A lot.

BBAW: Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

One or two of you may be wondering why I'm waiting until the last second to post my registration for 2010's Book Blogger Appreciation Awards. After all, I did win one of the awards last year for my weekly feature, Scene of the Blog, and I was nominated in other categories. Winning that award and being nominated for the others was so thrilling! Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2009 will always be one of the highlights of my blogging "career". Always. However....

(You knew there was a "but" in there somewhere, didn't you?)

More than once I've stated that I'm not blogging for awards. Last year I did not nominate myself in any of the categories, and I didn't vote for myself. I almost didn't send in the requested information after I was nominated, and if I'd been true to my principles, I would not have.

This year, I'm backing my words with my actions. I will not be registering for any awards in the upcoming 2010 Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I'll be a cheerleader, I'll participate in those great daily themes, I'll be adding new-to-me bloggers to my Google Reader, and I'll be thrilled for all the nominees and the winners. However, as I've said before: receiving an award is a thrill, but that's just not why I blog.

BBAW-- TBR Shelves???

I could've sworn that there was something on the Book Blogger Appreciation Week website about taking photos of your TBR shelves and letting everyone take a look. I do remember seeing photos on other blogs, and I do remember something about "be creative", so I don't think my rememberer is totally on the fritz. (If anyone has a link back to that, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!)

Well, I could've been creative. I could've written an autobiography using book titles. I could've color coordinated them all. I could've done many things. But my final decision was based on two things:

1. Although I meant to party all week in honor of BBAW, I'm still getting rid of the dregs of the nasty bug that caught and hog-tied me last week.
2. I have too many books on my TBR shelves, and I did not feel like taking them off and then putting them all back on.
   

What I did decide to do was show you Then & Now. I took photos of my TBR shelves this past May. I just went out there and took photos of the same shelves. (They're probably going to get conceited.) May, June, July, August, part of September.... Do you think my TBR shelves have changed any? Do you think there are fewer books? More books?

Let's take a look! (If you want to see any of the photos full size, just click on them.)




Okay...here's TBR Shelves Part A. On the left is how they looked in May. Heavens...look at that fine wood veneer on top of the bookcases! There may even be an empty space here and there on the shelves. Now... take a look at the photo on the right. That's how those same shelves look today. Oops. Cathy fell off the wagon and go boom. Very little free space on top... now there's two Leaning Towers of Phoenix. That one stray book all by its lonesome on top is the last ARC I have left to read.

But wait! There's more! (One of these days I'm going to sue the advertising agencies for cluttering up my mind with all those TV commercials....)



On the left, the TBR Shelves Part B as they looked in May. On the right... how they look today. The only reason why they don't look as bad as the other shelves is because I didn't want to put anyone's life in danger by stacking books up on the top. I know from personal experience that concussions are to be avoided.

Hopeless, aren't I?

BBAW-- Best Series or Feature Awarded to Scene of the Blog

I think I'm still in shock. I was sitting here going through all the posts in my Google Reader when a light yellow background on a tweet informed me that someone was speaking to me on Twitter.

I'd just won the Book Blogger Appreciation Week Award for Best Series or Feature for Scene of the Blog. I (rather incoherently) mentioned it to Denis, who practically jumped up and down in his chair. He was excited for me. I was...stunned.

Just look at the other shortlisted features:

• 451 Fridays at As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves
• Author Recipes at Maw Books Blog
• Spotlight on Bookstores at She Is Too Fond of Books
• What a Girl Wants at Chasing Ray

Looked a bit like a battle between Book TV, the Food Network and HGTV. Although that comment sounds smart-alecky, I didn't think my HGTV series had a prayer against the other two networks. (By the way...if you haven't checked out those other "networks", what are you waiting for??)

Stunned or not, Kittling: Books won, and I'd like to thank each and every person who stuck with Scene of the Blog all the way through the nomination and voting process. I'd also like to thank the competition because they are all absolutely great. I've participated in two of the series and I read the other two, so none of them are strangers to my Google Reader. No way, no how!

It's odd how I won an award for the weekly post that is the easiest to write. Since photos and text are provided by the participants, all I have to do is put them together in my editor without screwing anything up, and add a couple of Master of Ceremonies bits. Easy peasy! It just goes to show...

One thing Scene of the Blog reinforces is the feeling of community amongst all of us book bloggers. Of the 31 book bloggers who've participated in this series so far, one third of them were also nominated for BBAW awards. When I emailed all these folks about my harebrained idea, they agreed to help a newbie out. Their trust in me blew me away. How can you not love being in a community like this?

I'd best cut this gush short. There are more Scenes of the Blog to come, and it won't be long before I'll be looking for more. (If you're interested, let me know!) And all of the events throughout Book Blogger Appreciation Week have given me even more ideas.

Watch out...you never know what this mad scientist will cook up!

BBAW Reading Habits Query

Wednesday is the day during Book Blogger Appreciation Week when we can find out a little bit about each other's reading habits. A long list of questions has been provided on the main page, and we were either supposed to choose one question, or answer them all as creatively and concisely as possible.

Well, I probably couldn't be concise unless Denis's life were at stake. Since he's sitting at his desk behind me and doing just fine, I think I'd best choose just one of those questions and let my camera do the talking. The question I chose to answer is:

Do you have a favorite place to read?

As a matter of fact, I do. Some of you may have seen this before, but it doesn't hurt to take another look at my favorite reading spot right in my own back garden....


Want to read more about book bloggers' reading habits? Head on over to the Book Blogger Appreciation Week website!

An Interview With Mel of He Followed Me Home...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the best part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week is that you have to expend very little energy to meet many, many, many wonderful bloggers. A case in point is this interview swap.

Volunteers from the studio audience were asked to sign up for interviews, and it was very wisely decided to pair a more established blogger with a new one. This is how I've come to know Mel, whose blog He Followed Me Home...Can I Keep Him? sprang to being in August.

When I learned that Mel was my interview buddy, I immediately hot-footed it over to her blog, where I got the giggles at her choice of graphics for Mailbox Monday. Anyone who'd choose a graphic like that is my kind of blogger!

Let's get to know a bit more about Mel, shall we?

Name: Mel

Blog Name: He Followed Me Home...Can I Keep Him?

Blog URL: http://hefollowedmehome.blogspot.com/

About Me: Well I obviously love books, lol. What you may not know about me is that I am a wife & mom to two cute boys. Like Peter Pan, I’m not sure if I’ll ever grow up…I really don’t feel that old! I live in Canada but hate the winter (no, I do not live in an igloo). Thanks to my boys, I consider the park across the road my second home.

When and why did you start your blog?
About two months ago I realized it was time to do something for myself and decided to read more. My best friend & I Googled, discovered the world of book bloggers and the rest is history! I love the opportunity to find so many new books!

What is your blog all about? Any favorite features that you'd like to share?
If you've had the chance to read my blog, you'll quickly notice that my taste in books is pretty eclectic. I hope to add some value with my reviews and love when I have the opportunity to host giveaways. On Thursdays I started a meme style posting to see what people have read, where their books have taken them & what they've learned. I love chatting and try to reply to all the awesome people who comment on my blog :)

Do you have a review system? If you do, would you like to explain it for us?
I rate my books on the typical 1 - 5 scale, 5 being best. I hope not to read many 1's and 2's though!

Any tips or advice for those starting or thinking about starting a blog?
The community is so friendly, just jump right in with both feet! Start commenting on other book blogs and get to know everyone.

What are some of your favorite genres and/or books currently?
I'm a fan of both fiction and non-fiction (specifically psychology, business & memoirs). YA is my guilty pleasure. Books I recently read and loved are hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

Hardcover, trade paperback, or mass market paperback?
I'm a big fan of hardcover. I carry my books back and forth to work so sadly they can take a beating. I buy trade paperbacks if I can't get the hardcover but generally avoid mass market paperbacks...oh no, am I a book snob, lol??

Buy or borrow? If buy, Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
99% of the time I buy and usually online with free shipping!

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
Author, didn't realize there was any other way, lol!

Read with dust jacket, or remove it?
Remove it so the book looks to be in perfect condition on my book shelf.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
During the day, I read until the next chapter. When reading late at night, I read until I realize I've had to read the same line like three times.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
All of the above, anytime I have an opportunity really. I read on the train ride into work, at lunch (when I can), on the train ride home and once the kids are in bed.

Stand-alone novels or series?
Both but I must admit that waiting for the next book in a series annoys me.

Five of your favorite books of all time?
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

What are you reading right now?
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (and it's awesome!!)

I had such a great time getting to know more about Mel, and I hope you did, too! If you'd like to get to know more book bloggers, head on over to the Book Blogger Appreciation Week website to check out more interviews!

Wild Geese That Fly With the Moon on Their Wings...

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my....

Oops. Blame the multi-symptom cold and flu meds! This is my favorite part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. For the inaugural party, I was almost fresh-out-of-the-box new to blogging so I spent my time on the sidelines, checking out blogs and becoming acquainted with some of the players.

Checking out the blogs is still the best part of BBAW. The week has barely begun, but as I've gone through my Google Reader and read countless posts, I've already added over a dozen new-to-me blogs to an already overloaded reader.

Unfortunately this post never made it out of the pipe dream stage before the killer germs hit. I was going to list my very own shortlist of blogs. Each description was going to be a paean to that blogger's way with words, their ability to make me laugh, to make me think, even to make me cry...and the powerful hold they have over both my Paperback Swap wish list and (gulp) my wallet.

Well, you can kiss the paeans good-bye. I may be able to breathe now, but those lungfuls of air came at a price: coherent thought. So now all I'm going to do is list each blog that I read without fail whenever Google tells me they have something new to say. These blogs may not have made it to the official BBAW shortlists, but they are forever on mine.

Long may these bloggers post!

Professor B. Worm
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
Books and Movies
BooksPlease
Farm Lane Books Blog
Joyfully Retired
Medieval Bookworm
Necromancy Never Pays
Reactions to Reading
Whimpulsive
a lovely shore breeze
DJ's Krimiblog
Kyusi Reader
Lazy Thoughts From a Boomer
my cozy book nook
Mysteries in Paradise
Passages to the Past
Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff
Tutu's Two Cents

Best Monday Morning Wake-Up Comment

I'm one of these folks who takes a long time to wake up, so I wasn't ready for prime time when I sat down at the computer this morning shortly after 4 AM.

Here I sat, munching from a bowl of granola and reading my email. Everything was normal until I read a comment Blodeuedd had left on my Mailbox Monday post: "Congrats on the shortlisting at BBAW!"

I hadn't forgotten all about Book Blogger Appreciation Week and the fact that the short lists were going to be announced today. Even I'm not that groggy in the morning, but Blodeuedd certainly made me hotfoot it over to the BBAW site where I found that I was in the running for two awards.

I had to sit here and look at that for a while because I thought I was reading it wrong. I thought I might have a chance for one. But two? Wow. Maybe I need a swig of something besides Ocean Spray Crangrape right now.

It is true, though. I'm in the running for two awards: Best Thriller/Mystery/ Suspense Blog and Best Series or Feature for Scene of the Blog.

I was honored to be nominated for anything at all, but to have my selections of posts be scrutinized and to make the short list on two? I'm still not quite sure what I should say. Honored and thrilled doesn't quite cut it.

Now's the time when I should beg you to head on over to the voting booth and vote for Kittling: Books. Might even throw in a bribe like turning Skype on and tap dancing on my desk. But I'm not going to. You either will or you won't, and I have very little say in the matter-- which is as it should be.

You don't have to be a book blogger to vote, and you have two ways of getting to the voting booth to take a look at the nominees and think about voting. You can either (1) click on the official Book Blogger Appreciation Week logo at the top right of this page, or (2) you can click on the sexy librarian at the top of this post.

At the end of the day, it's really not about winning awards. It's about all of you taking the time to read what I have to say. So many of you show up everyday to read my posts. For me, that is the award. Your loyalty and readership are what make me continue to share one of my greatest addictions (passions) in a very public forum.

Thank you-- from the bottom of my heart.

Saturday Soliloquy-- Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Last year, I'd barely begun blogging when I started to see Book Blogger Appreciation Week mentioned. I think that was back in the day when I actually had time to spend on LibraryThing! The more I read about this brainchild of Amy's (My Friend Amy), the more I liked the sound of it. I was just beginning to know some of the book bloggers out there, and I thought this would be an excellent way to become acquainted with more. I was right, and I have the Google Reader to prove it!

For the uninitiated, let me go over some Book Blogger Appreciation Week facts:

• WHO: Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
• WHAT: A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recognizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
• WHEN: September 14-18, 2009
• WHERE: Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
• WHY: Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

Speaking as a newbie book blogger last year, I was flabbergasted to learn there were so many like-minded people out there. I visited all the nominated blogs, saw how other bloggers were doing things, got tons of ideas, and began forming friendships that are thriving today. I got more out of that inaugural week than if I'd been nominated in each category.

I expect to gain even more from the Second Annual Book Bloggers Appreciation Week. I've been around long enough to actually be nominated for things, and I'd be thrilled to bits if I were, but that's not really the point.

The point is to come together for a week of celebration and sharing. If you're new to book blogging, don't let that stop you from registering. Again, if you're new, don't let that stop you from nominating your favorite book blogs. (You don't have to nominate a blog for every single category, ya know!)

Are you so new that you really don't know of that many book blogs? No problem! Do what I did last year: visit all the blogs that you'll see listed. You're going to find several that are your perfect cups of tea. (Over 400 blogs last year, and I'm hoping for 1,000 this year. Hey-- it's entirely possible if folks spread the word!)

Part of this week of celebration involves giveaways. If you like free stuff, there's another reason for you to register. However, the free stuff doesn't drift gently to the ground from the free stuff tree. If you'd like to donate prizes, let Amy and her team know!

Once you've registered for Book Blogger Appreciation Week, and you've clicked on the Awards and Nominations tab, keep in mind that nominations are open until August 15, 2009. And those items that you think would make great prizes? Don't forget to donate them. Please, please, please don't snooze and lose!

(One thing that I'd better make perfectly clear: You do not have to be a blogger in order to nominate your favorite book blogs!)

I know y'all are observant, and you've noticed that I've given the registration, awards and giveaway links more than once. That's just a sign of how much I want every book blogger who reads Kittling: Books to participate in this fun event.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is more than nominations, awards, and free stuff. It's all about books. It's all about the people who live and talk books. It's all about joining in with folks who feel the exact same way you do about books so all of us can have a whole lot of fun.

I'll see you there, won't I? Of course I will!

Curtsey to the Queen of Book Bloggers!

Amy, you pulled off this huge event with grace and aplomb. You more than earned a well-deserved rest. This has done so much to bring us together as a community, and as friends. I think my Google Reader is about to go under for the third time with all the new blogs I've added! Thank you, Amy, from the bottom of my heart!

If you haven't already, visit Amy here.

BBAW: Blogging Tips

The award-winning Amy asked these questions as part of Book Bloggers Appreciation Week:

What is one thing you wish you knew about blogging when you started or what advice would you give a newbie blogger?

I wanted to say that I am a newbie blogger, so what on earth would I have to say that's of any value? But newbie or oldie, I think we all have something of value to share. Here's what tidbits of advice I can think of at this particular moment:

• Be true to yourself. The book blogging community is so large that your voice is just as important as anyone else's. Yes, look at other blogs, find the ones that you like, read them, and see how they do things. But the end result on your own blog should be your words, your opinions, your thoughts.
• Blogging can be addictive. If you don't want to be chained to your chair and computer 24/7, set aside blocks of time that allow you to blog--and still have a life. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want it all!
• Try to update your blog daily. Blog readers like to see that you have new things to say. (Now that I've said that, I'm wondering how to handle when my husband and I go on vacation! Although I can be very outspoken, I can still be a shy child and nervous about asking how to set up guest bloggers.)

What is your best blogging tip?

• If there's something you don't know how to do and you want to do it--ask! I wanted sections of my sidebars to scroll like Wendy's at Musings of a Bookish Kitty. I asked her, and she was more than happy to help me. Book bloggers are some of the most helpful people you'd ever hope to find. So if you want a 3-column layout, a slideshow, more traffic to your blog, or instructions on how to insert a link when you comment on someone else's blog, ask!
• You're going to have blogs that you want to keep track of, and setting up Google Reader is one of the best ways to do that. I know that it saves me a ton of time.
• I've found that two of the best ways to bring traffic to my blog is by participating in memes and by making thoughtful comments on other blogs. If someone takes the time to comment on something I've posted, you know I'm going to head on over to their blog to check it out. There are a ton of memes out there, so try to choose the ones that are a good fit for you and that won't overwhelm the rest of your content.
• I tend to be a very visual person and want my blog to look "just right". Trouble is, I don't want to be tinkering with it when someone might be trying to read what I've taken the time to write. I have a "dummy blog" set up just for tinkering and tweaking. I have it set to be invisible, and that way I can try new things without having a catastrophe on my "real" blog(s) or disturbing my readers. Which reminds me...I'm still trying to solve that stubborn header problem of mine...!
• Proofread...use your spellchecker!

Thanks, Amy, for posing such interesting questions! I know I've gotten some great tips by reading other bloggers' answers.

Let the Festivities Begin!

The Official BBAW Giveaway List

If you follow along for the festivities of BBAW at My Friend Amy, you will find many chances to win LOTS of goodies! Like what? Well have a look below. All of these things will be given away between September 15-19. There will be a huge variety of ways to win them and giveaways will be announced constantly throughout the week. So be sure to check in often!


A HUGE thank you to Hachette Book Group, Penguin Group USA, Harlequin, The B&B Media Group, Shera of SNS Blog Design, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, Catherine Delors, Pamela Binnings Ewen, Andromeda Romano-Lax, Ceceilia Dowdy, Sormag, Book Club Girl, Savvy Verse and Wit, Cafe of Dreams, Fashionista Piranha, and Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?.

Daily Raffles:
Monday--Books and Chocolate sponsored by My Friend Amy and Hey Lady! Whatcha' Readin?
Tuesday--Books and Going Green sponsored by My Friend Amy
Wednesday--Books and Coffee sponsored by My Friend Amy
Thursday--Books and Charity sponsored by My Friend Amy and Fashionista Piranha
Friday--Books and Movies sponsored by My Friend Amy

Win a Book Club Girl Hostess Survival Kit!
Do you find it's your turn to host book club and not only do you not know what to serve but you don't know what books to offer up for the next month's selection?! Let Book Club Girl come to your rescue with the Book Club Girl Hostess Survival Kit.

One lucky winner of the kit will receive:

* A basket of cheese, crackers, cookies and wine for up to 12 people
* 5 great book group books to vote on for your group's next pick. And Book Club Girl will then donate 12 copies whichever book is chosen for your entire group to read.
* 12 Book Club Girl mousepads to give out as party favors that night
* 12 Book Club Girl bookmarks to mark everyone's favorite passages
* 12 Book Club Girl coasters to protect your coffee table from all those wine glasses!

TWO SORMAG Goody Bags containing books and more!


A Special Pamper Me Basket from Cafe of Dreams!
From Avon Foot Works
~ Inflatable watermelon shaped foot tub
~ 3.4 FL oz Watermelon Cooling Foot Lotion
~ 3.4 FL oz Watermelon Exfoliating Foot Scrub
~ 12 count Watermelon Effervescent Foot Tablets
~ An ARC of So Long At The Fair by Christina Schwarz
~ A variety of Hot Chocolate and Tea mixes

A pre-made blog template from SNSDesign!

A Subscription to Poetry Magazine from Savvy Verse and Wit!

BOOKS
Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors
The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Binnings Ewen
The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax
John's Quest by Cecelia Dowdy
Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy
Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley
A Tale Out of Luck by Willie Nelson with Mike Blakely
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken
Exit Music by Ian Rankin
The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik
Gunmetal Black by Daniel Serrano
Isolation by Travis Thrasher
The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
Every Freaking! Day With Rachell Ray by Elizabeth Hilts
Dewey by Vicki Myron
The Shiniest Jewel by Marian Henley
Keep the Faith by Faith Evans
The Book of Calamities by Peter Trachtenberg
A is for Atticus by Lorilee Craker
After the Fire by Robin Gaby Fisher
Mike's Election Guide by Michael Moore
War as They Knew It by Michael Rosenberg
Fixing Hell By Col. (ret.) Larry C. James
Wild Boy: My Life with Duran Duran by Andy Taylor
The Last Under-Cover: The True Story of an FBI Agent's Dangerous Dance with Evil By Bob Hamer
Border Lass by Amanda Scott
Insatiable Desire by Rita Heron
Hungry for More by Diana Holquist
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Trespassers Will Be Baptized by Elizabeth Emerson Hancock
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Trish Ryan
Never Surrender by General Jerry Boykin
Dream in Color by Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, Congresswoman Loretta Sánchez
Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton
Cobain Unseen by Charles R. Cross
Doing Business in 21st Century India by Gunjan Bagla
Branding Only Works on Cattle by Jonathan Salem Baskin
Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady, Orrin Woodward
How to Hear from God by Joyce Meyer
Knowing Right from Wrong by Thomas D. Williams
Pope John Paul II: An Intimate Life by Caroline Pigozzi
Pure by Rebecca St. James
He Loves Me! by Wayne Jacobson
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobson and Dave Coleman
Move On, Move Up by Paula White
The Rosary by Gary Jansen
Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Right Livelihoods by Rick Moody
by George by Wesley Stace
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly
Hollywood Crows by Joseph Wambaugh
Dead Boys by Richard Lange
The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez
Sisterchicks Go Brit! by Robin Jones Gunn
Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky
With Endless Sight by Allison Pittman
Harlequin Titles: To Be Announced

Many other blogs are giving away books and prizes for BBAW as well! You can see the links to all of these giveaways here.

Interested in gaining entries into the daily raffles? Post this complete list on your blog with links and you'll earn two extra entries!

A Contest For Those Who Read Book Blogs!

The Literate Housewife has a contest for the most important segment of the book blogging world: the readers. Here are the details copied from her blog:

Book bloggers would be no where without readers. Many readers also happen to have their own blogs, but not all do. During Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we would like to take time to honor those who do not. You are so special to us and we want to recognize you for all that you do for us. If you are a loyal reader of one or many book blogs but do not blog yourself, this is the contest for you!

To enter, simply fill out the following sentence in 200 words or less and email them to me (Jennifer) at literatehousewife (at) gmail (dot)com:

"I read book blogs because..."


It's that simple.

All of the entries received by end of the day (EST) on Saturday, September 13 will be considered. Of those entries, the top 10. What happens to the top 10? First, they will be posted on The Literate Housewife Review on Monday, September 15 to help kick off BBAW on my blog. But it gets even better!

Those entries will also be sent to Joshua Henkin, author of Matrimony! Josh has been a great supporter of book clubs and book blogs and I couldn’t be more thrilled that he was ready, willing, and able to help us honor you. He has graciously agreed to read them all and select the first, second and third place winners. The winners will be announced here at noon on Friday, September 19th.

Other than to have your writing be singled out by such a wonderful author, what what are the prizes?

• The first place winner will receive a signed copy of the new paperback edition of Matrimony and a book grab bag containing 6 books!
• The second place winner will receive a book grab bag containing 4 books!
• The third place winner will receive a book grab bag containing 3 books!

How much fun is that? To whet your appetite even more, here is a list of the books you might find in your grab bag if your entry is selected by Josh:

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley
A Tale Out of Luck by Willie Nelson with Mike Blakely
The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken
Exit Music by Ian Rankin
The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik
Gunmetal Black by Daniel Serrano
Isolation by Travis Thrasher
The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

What are you waiting for? We love you and we want to hear from you. We also want the opportunity to give back to you for all that you give to us. Your views, comments, Amazon purchases, and well wishes are what keep us going. I can’t wait to see the emails start rolling in.