Every Minute

Even though I announced it here in March, I finally put up a post at the BBAW site about ending BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week).

It's so weird because even though I really made this decision a long time ago, and I KNOW it's the right decision, both times I've written these posts I've felt so sad and nostalgic.

I think part of it has to do with how much blogging has changed. When Ana and I hosted a Halloween swap this past fall, we were both surprised by the relatively small turnout. And that's a consistent pattern for any community type event or meme I've tried to host in the past year. It's just not the same place or my place in it has changed.

When trying to figure out if Film Club was still something we could do, Sheila mentioned that it comes down to FOMO in a lot of ways. That's Fear of Missing Out for those who don't know. She says she sees it online and also in real life. People are just very very hesitant to commit to anything nowadays because they don't want to end up missing out on a better offer later.

This makes me so sad. And also it's kind of insulting to anyone who plans things in advance out of consideration!

It also made me think of one of my favorite Sara Groves songs and since someone recently said they wished I'd talk more about music, I decided to write about this song. (this person will probably be sorry)

I don't listen to much new music at all, unfortunately, I listen to like the same stuff over and over. When I was writing about The Americans, I wanted to use some of Sara Groves lyrics and that like opened a floodgate to listening to her stuff all over again like it was brand new--I'm not even kidding! (it's not. Brand new. And it's certainly not brand new to me!) But there are few lyricists who I really admire and feel like...I don't know see the world as I do and are able to capture it in words that are both revelatory and familiar. Words that feel like they came from deep inside of me even though I didn't write them.

This song, "Every Minute", is from Sara Groves 2002 album All Right Here. Hahaha yes it is that old. Still one of my favorite songs.

It's a song about spending time with someone, really spending time with them. It's a song that both mourns the loss of the way relationships used to be and talks about the dangers in really letting yourself be with someone.

When I was junior high/early high school I did this thing called Bible Quizzing. Yeah no sports for me, just Bible quizzing! Which was basically a (surprisingly really competitive) program where we learned a book of the Bible and then once a month we'd drive to a church in our district and have a meet. The questions were super specific and by the time the finals rolled around, you'd know from one or two words out of the quiz master's mouth what question they were going to ask. I only went all in one year, and was so crushed in the finals (which were basically what determined who went on to the nationwide competition) that I can still feel the pain of that defeat in my heart!

Anyway, the group from my church was pretty close and we had a Christmas party/slumber party at our coach's house. We went Christmas caroling in her neighborhood and came to this elderly ladies house. She was delighted to have us and told us it meant so much to her, she'd been so lonely and worried about Christmas this year. She couldn't even get her decorations down, she explained, they were up in the attic and she couldn't manage it. She was kind to us and I think we all really felt for her. We went home, baked some cookies for her, and the next day went back to offer to help her decorate her home for Christmas.

When we returned, though, she seemed quite different. She thanked us for the cookies, but insisted everything was fine, and she was fine. The return visit was short, and we left confused. I was still young and I hadn't learned this really important thing about life yet, that my quiz coach offered up. "Sometimes," she explained. "When people allow themselves to be really vulnerable, they feel embarrassed about it afterwards. She was protecting herself."

It's so hard to really get to know one another in our time. We put up so many walls and by the time we reach adulthood we've learned to play games in our relationships with others. At some point in our lives, we're rejected and that rejection is going to be painful enough to alter the way we interact with people in the future. (being stingy with our love as Ana recently put it) It's maybe even part of the reason that we get busy and worry about the latest and greatest thing we might be missing out on..filling our lives with activities rather than each other. And also....well we're human and it's our natural tendency to get what we can out of things, including people. I mean I know this all works together.

But anyway, that's what I love about this song.

"At the risk of wearing out my welcome," Sara Groves sings, "At the risk of self-discovery."

I love these lyrics because I think they capture my feelings exactly. I do worry, of course, that people will eventually tire of me, that I'll end up being too demanding, too needy, too much. Too much me, lol. But also, the very best friends and relationships are the ones where I feel like I discover myself more and more, who I really am. And it's not always pretty. There's a lot of ugliness in me, I realize it all the time. But the right relationships are the ones where you don't feel any less loved once you realize this. When someone sees this in you, and loves you anyway. (and yes they are RARE)

This song specifically reminds me of my old church. We had meetings on Friday nights at our leader's apartment and I'd often stay for hours afterwards sometimes until 2 or 3 am. And we talked about everything, mundane and deep and I felt so loved and accepted. (and I loved so much in return)

"I couldn't think of one thing I'd rather waste my time on than sitting here with you."

Aw I love this because it speaks to being fully present with the people we are with and not worrying about missing out on other things.

But my favorite part is of course the bridge which I have up there in that rudimentary graphic. Because YES. The longer you live and move around and the more people you know, the more people you love--your life becomes fragmented. Parts of you are everywhere and there's just this longing to connect those pieces..and to connect all the wonderful people you know and love together. I hate camping, lol, but nothing in the world sounds better to me than having all the people I have ever deeply loved together and telling stories and loving each other well. I think this is what heaven is like...a place where the fragmented pieces get sewn together into something whole.

Anyway, this is one of my favorite songs in the world and just writing this has made me really teary. It's a song about the whole acceptance and joy of another person's company..."always know that you're invited my friend."

Anyway, I've embedded the video for anyone who wants to give it a listen...the style might not be to your taste, tbh, but ugh I love her so much.


(Bookish note!I sort of associate this song with Life As We Knew It. The reason is that I was listening to it a lot at the time (not surprising--there's a reason I DO NOT connect my spotify account!) There's this part where Miranda says she never knew she could love so deeply, and the forced "time together" in that book makes me think of this song!)

The Future of BBAW

Vintage BBAW button
Book Blogger Appreciation Week, otherwise known as BBAW, has been weighing on my mind lately.

I started Book Blogger Appreciation Week in 2008 for two reasons. I'd grown really tired of seeing snide and cutting remarks from traditional media outlets directed towards book bloggers. These are some of the same things we still see today, so it's not exactly like BBAW reversed any trends! The other reason was that I love book bloggers. I just really loved book bloggers and I found the community to be so welcoming and open minded and smart and funny and kind and I still think to this day despite everything that happens and has happened that the book community is one of the best. I know everyone says that about their own communities, but it's true okay? At the time I'd had experience in other kinds of online communities and while they were fun nothing was like book blogging. So I wanted to give something back to book bloggers and let them know how much I loved them because it's my fate to be that kind of person.

Every year has been a little bit different and the event changed with the times. It was never drama free, and I know by virtue of being called Book Blogger Appreciation Week--started and primarily run by a book blogger-- that it invites jokes of all kinds. Every year I thought about changing certain aspects, but the truth is that it was never meant to be more than what it ultimately is--a week to celebrate book bloggers, to let people know the kind of impact they have, to have fun and find new blogs and just be appreciative and receive appreciation. It was always imperfect in managing to accomplish this, but it has always been my best effort.

The event itself has taken weeks of work in my life. Although last year's calmer event was much more manageable, the first couple of years I remember spending my entire weekends working on the event. It is not an easy thing to take on and while it has always been its own reward I think the time has finally come when I have to admit I no longer have the energy or the enthusiasm to continue coordinating BBAW.

This is a really hard decision for me. BBAW is my baby. It's the first blogging event I ever dreamt up and I've always had a particular vision for it--for better or worse. I've always enjoyed the week and it's been a big part of my blogging identity and life for the past five years.

But I also know that all good things must come to an end. The blogosphere is no longer the same place it was in 2008 and I'm no longer the same blogger or person I was during that time either. I still love book bloggers and I'm still grateful for this community and this way of talking about books and expressing ourselves, but I also know that I'm ready to focus my time and energy on something new, to be ever moving forward.

So much has happened since 2008 for book bloggers! We've even had our own in person conference started and book bloggers are so big and widespread and accepted now! There are so many sub-communities and bloggers have taken on professional careers in the industry, some have been published, and others have gone away entirely. It's a different world.

Thank you for letting me be a part of the wonderful book blogging community for so many years through BBAW. Thanks for all your patience and your friendship and your help with the event. So many thanks to Monica for helping with the technical aspects and the design for so many years. It's been a pleasure and an honor to be a part of this community.

For Fun!
Five Years: A BBAW Retrospective
Another Year, Another Pile of Crazy
Let's Do It All Again!
A Tribute for Dewey

(the nostalgia was thick as I went through old BBAW posts to write this post I tell you THICK)

Like this button you guys made me after the first BBAW. So untrue now, but it was so touching and perf at the time! And it was purple! <3

BBAW Day 4: Pimp That Book

I struggled with today's topic because I feel like I am already obnoxiously evangelistic about the books I love and also because lately I feel like I'm reading all the big blockbusters everyone already knows about. I mean, I spent the summer rereading Harry Potter and I'm reading Gone Girl at the moment. I think everyone in the whole world already knows about those books!

But there is one book/author I love that I feel like still goes under the radar a little. Earlier this year I read The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas. Don't get me wrong, this book was reviewed by some great blogs. But I'd still love to see more people read it, because it's such a wonderful book. And I think Donna Freitas is a wonderful author--I also really enjoyed Gold Medal Summer her middle grade book that came out this year. I think Freitas creates really believable and realistic scenarios, and I think she writes her characters and situations with empathy and warmth. Sometimes my favorite books aren't the ones where big dramatic things happen, but instead where I feel moved in a sort of hopeful/wistful way. I feel as if books can serve many different functions...they can depict reality, comfort, entertain, inspire, instruct, and amuse. And while I appreciate all the different ways books function in our lives, I like it when they make me feel glad to be alive. There is something very special about a book that makes me feel inspired.

And that's the kind of book The Survival Kit was for me. I loved it a lot and I hope more of you can find time in your hectic busy lives to read it and love it, too! You can read my original review of The Survival Kit! And if you've already read it and loved it, I'd love to hear that, too!

BBAW 2012 Day 3: What Book Blogging Means to Me

Book Blogging is a topic that carries with it some baggage. It's funny because I sort of fell into it..this blog was originally intended to be place where I could write and all of my friends in real life could keep up with me. I was moving around so much at the time and keeping up with people was difficult, and I thought blogging was the answer. But it turns out that while blogging quickly became a way of life for me...something I do naturally and enjoy, that's not true for everyone!

So I started making online friends and tried blogging about different things that interested me. And then I started having a lot of time to read and it felt like a waste to be reading so many books and not blogging about them and the rest is history.

I remember feeling completely swept off my feet by book bloggers. I was so excited and delighted by this whole group of people that loved books and were fun and open and kind and did things like read for 24 hours and share the experience on the computer. I was in love. And this was at the beginning of the time when publishers were taking notice of book bloggers and so it was a very bustling exciting time and I felt like I was part of something important.

Things have changed a lot in the years since I've been blogging. But the one thing that never changes is that I still really appreciate the opportunity to share the experience of reading a book with you. I don't think I'll ever leave blogging entirely because I would miss all of you and also because writing about a book and discussing it have become an essential part of the reading experience for me. I am not the same kind of reader at all that I used to be and I think most of the changes have been for the better. So that's what book blogging means to me! :)

BBAW: All My Appreciation!

I'll be participating in Book Blogger Appreciation Week this week. I'm kind of excited because in the past I've been so frazzled by the organization side that my posts are never very good and I can only get around to a handful of blogs. But this year it's so incredibly low key that I'm going to get to actually participate! So yay for that.

Today's topic is a traditional topic for BBAW...talking about the blogs you read regularly and love. I read a lot of blogs. And as always, there's no way to talk about everyone, but I do want to highlight a few because this is my chance to tell you about how great they are! I just want to note I got in a Twitter conversation about how difficult this prompt is and why. I'm not going to lie...these ARE some of my favorite blogs. I love having an excuse to gush over them because I am naturally a very gushy person but I find that freaks people out. At the same time, this list is in NO WAY exhaustive. I read a lot of other blogs and the ones I'm drawn to....fluctuate and change.

Angieville--Angie writes the kind of blog that just makes me happy to be a reader. Again, we don't always end up liking the same things...she was Team Gale and all (something I'll never forget) but her love for books is refreshing in a very unique way. I always enjoy reading her reviews because they are so heartfelt. I'm pretty sure I've bought books I would never have thought of twice before reading her reviews, she's just that persuasive. Her review of I'll Be There is one that made me buy the book.

Rhapsody In Books--Jill's blog is like a breath of fresh air. She's completely honest in her reviews and also very intelligent. She knows a lot of stuff. But she enthusiastically loves big heavy history books right alongside awesome YA. And she makes me laugh a lot, she's so funny. And thoughtful! Plus she sent me this awesome purple present during the Secret Santa swap last year. And she always sends me blog posts that she thinks I'll be interested in. I love her! Her review of Crescendo is one of the funniest ever and her review of Jellicoe Road is beautiful and perceptive.

Things Mean a Lot--I'd be surprised if Ana's blog isn't on a lot of lists today. She's just that great. I honestly don't know a single other person that manages to be so incredibly diplomatic and forceful, kind and unwavering, thoughtful and intelligent. We don't even share a lot of the same tastes in books but it doesn't really matter because I learn so much from reading her reviews anyway. She really puts herself into her reviews and it shows. And she's nice! And articulate! And gracious! I'm just such a huge fan. She's also given a lot to the book blogging community--she used to help organize the readathon and the Secret Santa Swap along with countless interesting challenges. She reviews a wide variety of things...she loves science, fantasy, the classics, anything feminist or subversive. So if by some freak chance you don't know who Ana is, I highly suggest you fix that! Her recent post on the Edinburgh International Book Festival is a great example of how she writes about books and life and living in the tension and it's just so Ana!

Booklust--To give you an idea of the kind of reader Aarti is, she read both Middlemarch and A Suitable Boy this year. In the same year. And a lot of other stuff, too! A long time ago, we organized a small press blog tour together, and it's her heart for things like that...elevating and giving prominence and a voice to the quality fiction in our world that goes overlooked for various reasons, that makes her feel like a kindred spirit. And like all my favorite bloggers, she's not afraid of being introspective and personal in her posts, I'll never forget this post she wrote about racism in fantasy or the post she wrote after the shooting at the Sikh temple. I feel like I'm a smarter person for reading her blog.

Book Addiction--Heather is a voracious reader, I'm so impressed with how many books she manages to read! Heather and I have had a lot of different issues we've been able to connect over and she's also just a great writer! I always love reading her posts.

Lady Business--This is Renay, Jodie, and Ana's joint blog about media through a feminist perspective. And I love them all and love this project of theirs, but I feel like there's not nearly enough conversation going on over there. So please check it out! I know it's on dreamwidth which is a less familiar platform for traditional blogging, but they have openID and anonymous comments enabled so it's great!

Ottawa Lit Snob--This is my friend Shu's newish book blog. I actually met Shu via a television show that-must-not-be-named that we both watched, but she loves books too! She's currently reading Harry Potter (for the first time!!) and she likes classics and popular fiction. She's funny, a writer herself, and a smartie. Please check out her blog!

There are so many other blogs I read daily and love, it's hard to narrow it down. But I know you'll want to read everyone else's posts as well so I won't keep going. Happy BBAW everyone!

The Cabin in the Woods and more

I feel like we've been hearing about The Cabin in the Woods forever. Or anyone that pays like a tiny bit of attention to what Joss Whedon has going on has been hearing about it forever. I knew I wanted to see it but last week's priority was Blue Like Jazz. I have a really busy week with family stuff coming up so I decided to squeeze it in this Friday.

I didn't know...a lot about it? I'd seen a few trailers that I found confusing, but I thought it was going to be your typical horror flick, only with a touch of goofy funny. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how different and thought provoking I found it. I didn't think it was perfect, I'm not here to tell you that I think it's better than The Hunger Games (current pet peeve is how everything is better than The Hunger Games) but I do find myself wanting to talk about it.

If you haven't seen the movie and wish to remain unspoiled, than I'd suggest just moving on the rest of this post!

Click for spoilers, and I mean ALL THE SPOILERS. The Cabin in the Woods invites comparisons to The Hunger Games because it's set up in a simliar fashion. We first meet the "game makers" as they are setting things up to go and then the unknowing teens who are setting out for a weekend of fun at a cabin in the woods. Everything about their stories feel like your typical teen slasher horror flick, but then we cut away to the guys behind the curtain at strategic points in the story that make you wonder what exactly is going on...why are they doing this? Why did they put stuff in Jules' hair dye to alter her behavior, why are they placing bets, why does no one care,etc.

And what's interesting about how they set this up is that you have your typical roles, the innocent good girl, the more flirtatious girl (who they later call the whore), the jock, the fool, the nerdy guy. And even though they don't exactly fit those labels and expectations, the guys running the game are doing everything they can to make sure they do. Basically they are attempting to engineer your classic horror slash film, all for some greater good, it seems like a corporation, there was a worldwide attempt, but why?

And the thing about it is that even while the film seems to be critiquing this very voyeuristic culture, (it does kind of remind me of The Hunger Games, and to a lesser degree,Sucker Punch in that regard) it is also delivering what you think you came to see. You see every bloody death. You watch the blond girl character do all manner of sexy provocative things including take off her shirt. And you don't exactly feel any impact from it for the guys engineering everything, because they're funny to be honest. So I'm not sure how successful it is if it intends to say anything at all.

The other thing, though, that I liked was how these five kids were chosen for what is revealed to be a sacrifice and forced into these roles. And you can take away from that how society chooses our roles for us, and we sacrifice our true selves so often to play them. This is perhaps the most interesting idea in the film to me, and it's only hinted at.

I did like all the horror story creatures and I can see how this could be a franchise, because there are endless possibilities and combinations of stories to tell. And that blood bath at the end was something else.

Anyway, I did really like it and I recommend seeing it if you can and then coming back to talk to me about it, because I want to talk about it!

Nikita

I just watched this episode and it was everything I love about this show. I had only one small gripe, but mostly this episode was a perfect example of why this show is so freaking good. I mean it hits every important emotional note for me, it really delivers. I genuinely like all the characters, and I love that they allow Nikita to be complex and interesting.

Part of my love for this show is that I just generally like stories about people fighting the good fight against impossible odds, and how it makes them tired, and they doubt themselves, and they wonder if they're doing anything really good at all, and they form impossibly close bonds with the people they work with. I loved this about Buffy and Supernatural in its early days, and now Nikita. And here's the thing, I just really liked that Nikita was allowed to acknowledge that sometimes she likes hurting people, that sometimes she likes to do bad things and that Michael was there to say sure, maybe part of you is evil, but that's only part of who you are. This makes her so relateable and real, and it was a very earned moment for the show. And even though I don't really ship Michael/Nikita, I thought that scene at the end where he said she didn't love herself but it was okay, he would teach her, was so sweet. And true! Because why, after everything she'd been through, would she love herself? It was a really follow-up to her conversation with Amanda as well.

It just makes me so sad that this show will probably be cancelled and we'll be stuck with all the boring stuff on TV foreverrrr. Why don't other people like what I like? :(

Randoms!

Libby of Libby's Book Blog is hosting a really fun challenge where you read a book and then make a pilgrimage to the place in the book. It sounds like a fun summer project so I highly suggest checking it out! She has sign-ups open now.

I could actually use a few people to bounce BBAW ideas off of. I have a couple of people already listening, but if you still care about BBAW and don't mind a few emails from me to chat ideas, will you let me know? You can either email me at mypalamyATgmailDOTcom or leave me a comment with your email address. This isn't an official volunteer sign-up, just looking for friendly advisers!

That's it from me! I'm off to the Festival of Books today and looking forward to it. I need some renewal of my bookish love. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I'll catch up with you soon!

BBAW 2011 Day One: Community!

BBAW stands for Book Blogger Appreciation Week. It's an annual celebration for book bloggers to acknowledge all the hard work we do and the great community we have. Everyday there is a prompt to discuss on our blogs.

While the awards are a fun part of BBAW, they can never accurately represent the depth and breadth of diversity in the book blogging community. Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!

I am so grateful to book blogging and book bloggers for completely expanding the way I read and think. Book bloggers are so different...we come from many different walks of life and backgrounds. We have very strong differing opinions on things, the only thing we ultimately share is a love for books. What I have loved about BBAW in the past is the way we're able to celebrate that shared love as the most important thing.

This time I thought I'd give a shout-out to the group of people who are helping me organize the Inspys. The INSPYs are a blogger award for faith driven fiction. I don't think I can tell you the hours that go into making it work...the reading, the plotting, the discussing, etc. It's a lot of work. And a lot of fun. I hope if you have an interest in faith driven fiction, you'll check out their blogs:
Books, Movies, Chinese Food
Relz Reviez
Overweight Books
Michael D. Bobo
Wordlily

And go learn about all the other people that make this book blogging community work!

Looking Ahead (BBAW)

The week of BBAW always flies by to me considering how far in advance we plan it. And we'll be getting an earlier start than ever on BBAW 2011 as we consider how things went this year.

I want to say thank you to all of you for this BBAW. Apart from Bluehost going down for several hours last night, it has been drama free and your joy and enthusiasm has been contagious. I have to admit there were times I wondered if BBAW would even happen this year as I was severely burned out from piling-too-much-on-my-plate syndrome. But thanks to some awesome volunteers (who will get a proper shout-out on the official blog) it happened! And I'm so glad because this week has reminded me of everything I love about book bloggers. The growth of this community and its amazing diversity continues to be something I truly appreciate and I hope maybe after this week the world appreciates it a little bit better, too.

So the highlight of BBAW for me has truly been book bloggers. :)

Now for a few goals. I just mentioned that piling-too-much-on-my-plate syndrome? My goal is to stop doing that. I want to read to become, to write what I'm inspired to write, and to focus on what builds me up. Life is hard enough without adding in more strife voluntarily online.

What are your goals?

Some Forgotten Treasures

The BBAW topic of the day encourages us to discuss books we wish would get more chatter in the book blogosphere.

Talking about books that don't seem to get enough internet buzz is tough. There's quite a few books I love that maybe haven't been read by many of the bloggers I read. Additionally, some of the books I love passionately slip under the radar because they're faith driven which automatically makes the market smaller. So I had to think really hard for this question. I decided to go with two books I loved but have seen little chatter about.

The first is Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor. I read this book pretty much cover to cover which is a rarity for me. I absolutely loved it, it felt like such a true story of grief and growing up. And the good news? Jillian has an adult novel coming out this fall!

Another book I really loved and have recommended like a thousand times but still haven't seen many bloggers in my sphere reviews is The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci. I devoured this book when I read it and longed to talk about it with people so I started recommending it to everyone, but alas! No one read it.

Have you read either of these books? Looking for more suggestions? Head over the BBAW site and find out what everyone else is recommending!

Unexpected Treasures

Today's prompt for BBAW encourages us to share about a genre or book we only read due to the influence of other bloggers.

One of the better parts of book blogging for me has been the way it has introduced me to so many new genres, authors, and kinds of books. Before I was one of those readers I now roll my eyes at, the one who only knew the obvious recommendations to make. :)

Pinpointing one influence becomes much more difficult. I like to think of it as a big huge mish mash of someone saying something on Twitter here, and another person reviewing a book over there. Eventually the combination of enthusiasm pushes me over the edge into new book love.

I can say that rediscovering YA, or rather discovering what it is now, has been due to the influence of book blogs. Three years ago I found the notion, like many of you still might, of reading YA as an adult ridiculous. Then I finally caved and read one and OH WOW. I've been reading some of the bigger and/or more "literary" YA titles the past three years, but in the last month my appreciation for both Young Adult literature and Middle Grade fiction has deepened as it's been the only kind of book I've wanted to read. And every title has been enormously rewarding, delighting me, making me feel, allowing me to slip outside of my own skin and experience something other.

I saw someone say on Twitter that YA can't be taken seriously as literature since it's written for younger people (which, by the way, is NOT always true) and man did that annoy me. If you hang out here long enough, you'll soon learn things like, "what can be taken seriously as literature" is the kind of comment that drives me over the edge. In truth, I understand what s/he's getting at, but literary hierarchy is not my game and any story that moves someone, inspires them, impacts them, and makes them think can be taken seriously as literature. In other words, I believe in good readers even more than I believe in good books.

Now I've gone and gotten on my soap box all to say I love YA, I think some of the very best stuff being published today is YA and I'm so THANKFUL that book blogs were there to introduce me to this huge market of books!

BBAW Interview with Kailana of The Written World

It's Day Two of BBAW which means....blogger interviews!

I'm so excited to share my interview with you of Kailana of The Written World someone I think of as a veteran in the book blogging community and also someone who it always makes me happy to hear from. Here we go!

What is the most rewarding part of book blogging for you?
When I started blogging I just wanted to keep a record for myself of what I have been reading. Then, people started reading it and I started meeting lots of new bloggers. Fast forward a few years and I have made a lot of friends from my blog. I have 'real life' friends, but when you reach a certain age it is really hard to make new friends. I was headed to that age, so I think all the people I have meant has been the most rewarding part of blogging. It was nothing that I was necessary looking for, but since it happened that way I wouldn't change it for anything.

What can someone expect when they read your blog?
Sporadicness. Especially this year! I have hardly been blogging, so you never know when you are going to hear from me. When I am blogging you will see variety. My reading tastes change from time to time, so you never know what I will be in the mood for.

Have you ever wished you could unread a book?
There are moments, yes. There are moments when I read a book that is really popular and I hate it. Then, there are moments when I love a series and the next book in the series really disappoints me and I really don't want to read them. If I had just read the book then it might be a lot easier for me to read that next one that I am avoiding! I hate it when people recommend a book and don't like it, too.

What's the title of a book that describes your life?
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future.

You're stranded on a desert island. What fictional character would you want with you?
I hate questions like this! I read a lot of books, but I don't get the same connection with characters that other people do... I can't get beyond the idea that they are fiction no matter how much I like them...

If you had to live in a fictional dystopian society, which one would it be?
Probably the society in THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. That is the lesser of the evil, I think.

Who's your favorite fictional pet?
Sassy from THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

Is there any topic or genre you feel gets neglected by book blogs?
High fantasy. In the days of urban fantasy and the paranormal it seems to get ignored.

I know you've been watching Supernatural...Sam or Dean?
Dean. That is no contest.

Vampires or werewolves? Why?
Werewolves. I have always like the vampires, but then they started writing a lot of werewolf novels in the last few years and I have discovered a lot of characters are capturing them really well. It could be that I like Elena and Jeremy from Kelley Armstrong's series and Mercedes from Patricia Briggs' series.

If the book blogging community said one thing about you, what would you want it to be?
That my blog is accessible. Even when people don't necessarily comment on my blog; I like to think that people want to read it and it appeals to them.

You do a lot of buddy reads. What's your favorite part about them?
The friendship! I enjoy friends and I want to do things with them. When you don't actually 'know' them, writing posts with them at least brings you as close as is possible.

You can read Kailana's interview with me on The Written World!

I Hope You Read Iris on Books!

It's the first day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, a week long celebration of book bloggers!

Today for BBAW, our topic is to write about a new book blog we've discovered since last BBAW. I have to admit this IS A hard topic because who can remember exactly when they started reading the blogs they read?

After some careful thought, though, I can say one new blog I just adore that I've started reading in the last year is Iris on Books. What I love about Iris is that she seems like a very genuine person and she writes very thoughtful reviews. But not only that, she also brings up very interesting points of discussion, such as this discussion about reading and writing about religion.

Also, I love it when I'm reading a book blog and I learn about something I didn't know about before, such as why Iris might have avoided Dutch literature in the past and why she blogs in English.

And finally, she liked Wicked Lovely. That's like instant friendship!

I hope you will all check out Iris' blog!

What's a book blog you love? If you're looking for more great blogs, check out all of the posts at the BBAW site!

Thanks, Pop Culture Junkie, for Introducing me to Beth!

While I have read many books from blogger recommendations, like Jacqueline Woodson's books because of Natasha's reviews, or If I Stay because of Lenore's review, the one that maybe had the biggest impact was meeting Beth Kephart via Pop Culture Junkie or as we know and love her, Alea.

And it wasn't even a review! It was a twitter conversation! Alea said something on twitter about how she loved Beth and this might sound really strange, but I liked Beth's name. Beth Kephart. So I looked up her blog and fell head over heels. I absolutely knew from the very first post I read that I had found a true treasure of both a writer and a person.

And she is. I don't know how she does everything she does and always remains so gracious and wonderful. But knowing Beth and connecting with her, discovering her books, and the treat that is her blog has been one of the finest rewards for book blogging I've had. It is one of my missions to make sure that as many people discover her books as possible.

So thanks Alea for tweeting about Beth, and thanks Beth for simply being who you are.

BBAW Giveaway: One of my Favorite Bookish T-shirts

I know you're probably a wee bit disappointed that I'm not offering a book, but wait! Just look at this awesome t-shirt!!!



There are no words for the love. So here's the deal...this t-shirt is an exclusive product of my local (an hour away) independent bookstore. So not only do you get an awesome shirt, you're also helping me support my indie! Win-win!

To enter for a chance at this shirt, and sadly I can only afford to purchase one, leave me a comment and tell me the worst film adaptation you have EVER seen and WHY. Make sure to leave a valid email address! I'll leave this open until Sunday at midnight. Open worldwide! :)

BBAW Giveaway: The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova Galley

Miriam Parker graciously said I could give away one galley of The Swan Thieves for BBAW on my blog! Isn't she the best? I know this book is hotly anticipated so I was really excited!

Here's what the book is about according to Hachette: Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

To enter this giveaway you must be a United States or Canadian resident. No purchase necessary. Odds of winning depend on number of entrants. A valid email address must be left so I can contact you if you win.

Now for the fun stuff! Leave me a comment and tell me if I should prioritize reading the Historian this fall or Her Fearful Symmetry and if you a fan of the show Supernatural, explain to me why The Historian book was prominently featured in an episode. :) Contest ends September 18th!

I Love Fiction!

Today's topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is a meme and the idea was just to choose one or keep it as short as possible. In other words, mix it up a bit so as we go around and visit different blogs we don't just see same-same. ;)

I chose the question, Fiction, non-Fiction, or both? to answer.

I love fiction. Passionately. I also enjoy nonfiction.

I once heard a book blogger say they prefer nonfiction because it was all right there. So much truth. They said fiction was a lot of work for a little bit of truth.

It's possible, of course, that they're right though there are some heavy weight novels that pack so much truth in every word. But the way truth is revealed through fiction is usually in a way that I remember.

I do like nonfiction, but I generally don't read more than a few titles a year. The books take me much longer and I probably come away having learned the same amount as the number of fiction titles I could read in the same time.

And then of course...I just love reading fiction. It's fun. It moves me to tears, it angers me, it inspires me, it lets me walk in someone else's shoes. Fiction makes me laugh and slip away to another world. Fiction alters my perspective, opens up endless possibilities and hits me with the truth. Fiction can be both escape and salvation...pure art and while there are certainly a million practical reasons to read nonfiction, fiction brings the same truth and knowledge wrapped in a prettier package. I love it! :)

And speaking of...imagine my joy when I read on Twitter yesterday that Wicked Lovely is set to be adapted to film!!!(I suspect Chris is especially stoked about this news ;) Let the casting predictions and hopes begin!!

Interview with the fabulous Deborah of Books, Movies, and Chinese Food!

Deborah, blogger extraordinaire at Books, Movies, Chinese Food stepped in as an emergency interview partner for me even though we already know each other really well! (my goal was to match up people that don't really know each other that well!)

She asked me some awesome questions and I'm not quite as clever so I asked her the standard fare.

Why blog about books?
As opposed to a blog about chicken sandwiches? Well I love books. I've loved books since I was 2 years old. Books are pretty much my life. I started my blog back in 2006 because I was reading all these books and the only people I really could talk about the books to was my family (and they were getting pretty bored with it) and the occasional people from the church library (but they were mostly old ladies and didn't like Ted Dekker). So I had seen some book blogs online and I thought, well why not? I'll be able to share with other people all over the world about the books I like and maybe someone will find my review interesting and go out and buy the book. I had no idea that I would be blogging for 3 years and discover all the wonders of book blogging.

I think we all want to know the answer to this one...Why don't I see more recipes for Chinese food on your site?
well the truth is...i don't really cook chinese food. I call take out. I can cook a few things, but that is mostly from getting the recipes off the internet. my mom didn't really like to cook herself so she only knows a few recipes from HER mom. i can tell you how to cook rice. get a rice cooker. 2 cups of water to every cup of rice (if it's a half a cup of rice, 1 cup of water) and press the cook key. simple as that. The Chinese Food in my blog, I just used as a play on my ethnicity and the fact that I really do enjoy books, movies and chinese food and could be satisfied if that was the only things i had in my life.

Why read Christian fiction?
Just wanted to start off by saying, I don't ONLY read Christian fiction. I'm a huge fan of general chick lit and YA. Now as to why I read Christian fiction, well I guess it would probably be because I just enjoy it. I like reading books that don't have harsh language or gratitous sex in them. There are some REALLY good Christian fiction authors out there whose writing rivals those in the general field. Now I'm not saying I read or endorse ALL Christian fiction. As I've stated before on my blog, I don't like preachy Christian fiction nor do I like books where the characters are unrealistic because they are uber christians. I like Christian fiction that has a good story and where the characters are real and flawed. I like Edgy fiction because I enjoy seeing Christian fiction push the edge and go in places where most Christian fiction won't go. Every now and then I do enjoy reading Amish or the prairie romances but even then I prefer the ones that aren't just romances and flowers. I know the genre is not everyone's cup of tea but if you are ever in the mood to pick up one and you don't know where to start, email me! I can give you recommendation of where to start.

Who are some bloggers who inspire you?
The first blog I ever read was Camy Tang's blog. Her blog is what started me to write my own blog. Also Rel from Relz Reviews, Swapna from S.Krishna's books, Natasha from Maw's Books Blog and my friend Amy from My Friend Amy. Oh wait that's you!!!

What's the best book you've read so far in 2009?
You of all people know better than to ask me this question and then expect me to answer with just one book!! Can I give 5? I mean as of today i've read 334 books in 2009, it's hard to pick just one!
1. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
2.Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita
3.Play it Again SAHM by Meredith Efken
4.The Knight by Steven James
5.Fools Rush in by Janice Thompson

You recently got married...what has surprised you about married life?
I could write a book on this. Warning to all single girls who are pouting because they're not married yet. It's not all roses and candy. I think the hardest thing is getting used to the fact that you have to get used to someone else and their way of life. I grew up in a family with 3 girls so we are used to yelling all the time when we want to be heard. My husband had just one brother, and they don't yell. Just that alone is hard to get used to. We also have trouble remembering to clean up the kitchen after one cooks.... But I really can't complain because my husband is cool with my ever growing book collection (he even opens the packages for me when I am out of town so I can find out what they are) and even helped me to build my bookcase.

How do you want LOST to end?
This is the worst situation ever. I don't want it to end, but I want to know all the answers. This is the best show that's ever come on TV and I am devasted that this is the last season (what on earth am i going to do on wed nights after this??) The funny part is the only reason why I started watching the show was because Dominic Monaghan was on it and I had a crush on him from LOTR. I had no idea that I would get hooked. Anywho back to the question, I know I dont want Penny or Desmond to die. Can Kate die? I don't like her. I want Sawyer and Juliet to somehow get back together. I want Jack to stop breathing hard and be happy. Please don't like Jin and Sun die or be separated. As long as they answer all the questions we've had over the years, I will be happy. Oh and don't do a spinoff. It would do the series injustice if they did.

What's been the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you've started blogging?
I'm breaking rules again as several things stick out. One is getting to meet all these other fabulous bloggers. Honestly it's so awesome about how great the blogging community is and the fact that I'm actually able to meet these people face to face. I'm so excited about the National Book Festival later this month because I finally get to meet you!!! Probably though the most exciting thing was that my name and blog got published as endorsements in 4 books. I was so incredibly geeked and floored that forever in history of the printed page my name is enshrined forever for all to see. That sounds a bit dramatic but that's how i felt! Oh and also of coolness was when I went to meet some authors at a book signing, after telling my name and my blog, they recognized ME because they had visited my blog! to quote the guy from the magic bullet ads "How cool is that?"

Don't you just love her? I do! I get to meet her next week!!

So Many Blogs I Love!!

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to welcome you here if you are visiting from Book Blogger Appreciation Week as we spend a whole week celebrating the fantastic world of book blogging.

I love so many book bloggers! I think everyone brings something special and unique to our community and I've seen so much kindness around these parts in addition to, of course, so much sharing of the books we love!

So without further delay here are some bloggers I love!

Meghan of Medieval Bookworm is a fantastic reviewer and blogger and person. She covers quite a few different sorts of books on her blog and will give you the true scoop on historical fiction that she reads!

Nicole of Linus's Blanket is actually one of my favorite reviewers. Her reviews always send me into fits of envy, because they are so well-written and insightful. Then I met Nicole in real life at BEA and she is also gorgeous!!! and very nice.

Jennifer of Literate Housewife has one of the gentlest and sweetest spirits in book blogging and she always seems to be doing the kindest things for people. Love her!

And even though she's been missing in action, I love Steph of Reviewer X who is so much smarter than I could ever hope to be but also really nice, and Dar of Peeking Between the Pages has always been such a class act!!

Monnica of Monniblog has helped me out so much with BBAW!!! She designed the site and the awards and those nominated buttons! She rocks!

All of these people are top notch bloggers in my opinion and deserve tons of appreciation this week!

I could go on and on and on and on. But I bet there are a lot of other bloggers you want to visit today! So off with you!

Thank you for the BBAW Love! And a little love of my Own

Everyone else is writing about their nominations so I feel I should. I really struggle with this part of BBAW because I do so much of the organization. On the other hand, most people who would think to nominate me know this and I want to respect the appreciation of my readers.

So...I want to say thank you for all the nominations I received. I withdrew from a few categories and didn't come anywhere close to shortlisting in others, and I was really surprised to shortlist in categories determined by panel. (the others were determined by popular nomination--which have nothing to do with how good a blog this actually is)

But also I want to say that I've seen people upset about the shortlists. I was surprised with each and every shortlist. And you know what? I think that's good! I think it shows we did have diverse panels who weren't influenced by the bloggers in my favorites folder. (and let me tell you. They really weren't influenced by the blogs in my favorites folder. A whole huge stinking heap of my favorite blogs didn't shortlist) I think if you looked at the list and thought. Yes that's exactly right, then something would be wrong because this here book blogosphere? It's bigger than any one person has time to keep up with. That's not to say I think we had a flawless system and yes of course there will be changes, but I think every blogger who made a shortlist should feel proud of their accomplishments. :) I have a few more thoughts about awards, but I think I'll save them for a time long after this BBAW has closed.

Anyway, here's where I was nominated:

Best Spiritual/Inspirational or Religious Book Review Blog
Thank you so much! I feel there are much better reviewers out there so this one really really touched me. To be honest I have always felt like I don't quite fit in with the Christian reviewers and because I review a lot of Christian books I don't quite fit in with the general book blogs. So it means a lot to me. The others nominated are absolutely fabulous blogs I already read! 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews, Callapidder Days, Semicolon, and A Novel Menagerie.

And for your consideration (this is like those clips they show at the Oscars...and actually the way actors submit one episode for Emmy consideration is how I got this idea) the posts I submitted to the panel:

Reviews: The Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson, Tender Grace by Jackina Stark, Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Anne Dayon and May Vanderbilt
Faith 'n' Fiction Saturday: The Pastor Character
Reflections: What Christmas Means to Me

Most Eclectic Taste
I do have eclectic taste!
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
Christmas Wedding by Tracy Wolff
Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson (again)
The Ruins by Scott Smith
And as luck would have it, I'm nominated alongside some other fabulous people: Books on the Nightstand, Ms. Bookish, Pop Culture Junkie, and Presenting Lenore.

I was also nominated for most prolific blogger, most altruistic blogger, Best Community Builder, and Best Blog Post.

If you think I fit any of the categories above, I sincerely appreciate your support. But I want you to vote for the blogs you love, and the ones you are think are deserving.

Now, I want to take a minute to give a very big thank you to the awards committee. I have been really torn about this due to some of the accusations that have gone around. I know some committee members feel their integrity has been called into question and there are just absolutely no words for how sad that makes me. But I think they deserve recognition for all the work they did. Here's what they did: Starting in January we developed a process for the awards to try to make them more fair than last year and hammered out the awards categories. Then I hit a big snafu with developing the blog and that delayed everything. So we are definitely aware of he time crunch we were working on. The committee tracked nominations, sent letters to the nominees, answered their questions, collected their urls, put them into a spreadsheet, went around and collected the 5 most recent posts of blogs that didn't respond, put together the scorebooks for their panels, sent them off, scored blogs themselves, collected their panelists scores, determined the shortlist and sent it to me, not to mention dealt with hundreds of e-mails flying around between us. They took time off work, worked through family emergencies, ended their vacations early, and sacrificed more than just their free time to do this. We are talking MANY MANY HOURS. There is simply, absolutely, no way any of them would have done this for a little badge they can put on their blog. And especially not if somehow threw the results to get it. They did it because they love YOU. And that's a love you can choose to accept or reject. So ladies and gentlemen, here are the people I would go to bat for any day of the week on issues of integrity and work ethic, who have humbled me with their commitment, and who are top notch in every way. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Elizabeth of As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves
Julie of Booking Mama
Rebecca of The Book Lady's Blog
Swapna of S.Krishna's Books
Ann of Books on the Nightstand
Florinda of the 3 R's Blog
Sheri of A Novel Menagerie
Lu of Regular Rumination
Trish of Hey Lady! Whatcha' Readin'?
Dar of Peeking Between the Pages
Lenore of Presenting Lenore
Deborah of Books, Movies, Chinese Food
Michelle of Galleysmith

Many, many thanks ladies. We owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Meme!

I started this little meme over at the BBAW blog to help everyone learn more about each other and BBAW. I decided to answer the questions myself as well. :)

What was the highlight (something that happened, a post, an activity, etc.) of BBAW for you last year?

Oh my gosh. This is so impossibly hard! I loved just about every moment of BBAW last year, and was truly touched by the positive energy around it. I was especially blessed to be given this note:



Did you notice it's purple? This was the perfect encouragement I needed after I hit a few bumps in the BBAW road. :)

What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year?
So um yeah, I discovered SO MANY. Seriously, I had no idea how huge the book blogging world was, and it's double the size now! One new blog I discovered was Books 'n Borders Collies written by the fabulous Lezlie!

What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience?
You get what you put into it. If you host a giveaway, participate in the daily blogging topics, leave comments, and actively search out new blogs, I think you will enjoy the experience so much! This year I really recommend subscribing to the BBAW feeds to keep up and also following BBAW on Twitter. We have a huge amount of giveaways already lined up and we'll be announcing award winners everyday! You weren't planning on doing anything but blogging that week were you?
My sincere hope is that everyone will be able to relax and enjoy, make new friends and solidify old friendships...and just give yourself a pat on the back!

Go read what other BBAW veterans have to say and meet the newbies! And post your own answers to the meme!