BBAW: Blogging

The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you think are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

I feel highly unqualified to be writing a post on this topic. I am not exactly a Top Blogger. But I thought maybe I would offer up some practices and advice for/from bloggers like me: laid-back, unfocused, non-goal-oriented bloggers. I know you guys are out there!

Rule #1: Do what you want when you want
The top complaint I see from bloggers is the dreaded BURN OUT. Post after post has been made about how bloggers have just gotten tired, have collapsed under the stress of daily posting and keeping up on reading and commenting on other blogs, and dealing with review copies and reading deadlines, and blah, blah, blah, blah. And all of these posts come with an apology and an overall tone of guilt. I totally understand that bloggers who are looking to brand themselves and receive A-list review copies and have 100 comments per post are stressed. But I often find myself wondering why... Unless this is your career goal, you need to relax. If blogging gets too stressful, you will start to hate it. Then you will quit. Take a breath. Realize this is supposed to be fun. That it's about a community of readers-becoming-friends, and just like with your real life friends, your true blogging buddies won't abandon you if you only post a few times a week, or even miss a week altogether. Believe me, I know.

Rule #2: Be Comfortable with "Mark All as Read"
I'm not sure if this is a standard for all the laid-back bloggers, but I find myself subscribing to new blogs all the freaking time, leaving me with 200+ blogs to read every day. That is just not going to happen. Since I like variety and meeting new people, I'm not going to stop subscribing. I've just learned how to organize my blogs into folders and how to hit that "Mark All as Read" button without feeling any guilt. Just like with Rule #1, Rule #2 is all about realizing that blogging is not my job and it's not a chore, it's fun.


Rule #3: Review Copies are Awesome, 50 Review Copies are Horrid
At first, I accepted almost every review copy I was pitched. Then I got so backed up, review copies were all I could read. And I hate having to read from a list. I'm more of a spontaneous reader, picking up what I want, when I want (hello Rule #1). Now I am very, very selective with the books I accept, and honestly I am not accepting many right now. All that pressure. *shudder*

So those are some Rules that bloggers like me follow. I assume this also counts as Advice for those bloggers who are a bit more focused on Developing a Readership and Acquiring a Reputation and the such not. Now here's a bit of Advice for the more relaxed blogger:

Advice: Remember that You Rock
Sometimes it's difficult realizing that your number of followers is chump change compared to the number of followers other blogs have. When you have 50 and they have1 800, you can feel like small potatoes. Don't. First of all, those 1800 followers may be the result of pure and simple following and have nothing to do with the number of people who actually read and comment on the blog. Second, exactly what are you winning with more followers. Is someone paying you per follower? Decide if that's something you really care about or if it's just something you think other people care about. And finally, remember that this blog is for you, not for other people. And of course, you rock because you are a reader who's out there promoting, discussing, reviewing, and interacting with books.

So there's the rules and advice from a small-time, spontaneous, sporadic blogger who's happy where she's at.

BBAW: Readers

BBAW: Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!

Oh Mary has my reading changed since blogging, and I mean drastically. My reading life in short:

Gradeschool: Scholastic books for kids
I think of this time as my reading for pizza years.

Junior High: Shakespeare and other "Classic Authors"
This is my reading for intellectual development years.

High School: Intellectual writers, primarily from the 1920s through the 1970s, and Stephen King
These years were taken up with reading for coolness factor. Albeit, a very specific and nerdy kind of cool.

College: Classic novels from 1750 through 1920, Creative Nonfiction
I think of these as my reading for being "smart" years. Not intellectual development, just plain old I can join in this conversation smarts. On the opposite end of that was my creative nonfiction reading. That was so I could bring something up no one else knew about.

Graduate School: Ancient Texts, Philosophical Texts
Just like junior high, I think of these as my reading for intellectual development years. It's just that this time my intellectual development was taking up with ancient and medieval times, and philosophy for that intellectual-slash-cool factor.

First years working: Trashy romance novels and Harry Potter
These are my reading for pure entertainment years. I believe this was the result of my brain being downright tired from the first portion of my reading life.

Blogging: Variety
I'm happy to say that now I'm in my reading simply because I love it years. All I really care about is that I "want" to read the book. I don't care to read because I have to anymore. I don't want to read a book because it will challenge me, or because it's historically important, or because everyone else is reading it, or any other reason other than that I want to read it.

While there were certainly exceptions to the hard and fast categories listed above, I can honestly say that my reading life, overall, shapes up in this fashion, and I am thrilled to be in my blogging years, and I am very thankful that blogging got me out of my trashy romance novel rut. Not that there's anything wrong with them - I still read and enjoy them - but it's nice to be back to a more eclectic style of reading. I have so many interests, and I finally feel like I'm indulging in them with  my varied reading.

BBAW: Interview with Maria

Maria Grazia lives in Italy, not far from Rome. She teaches English as a foreign language to teenage students and loves her job. Fly High is her main blog about books, art, period drama and movies. She’s also got a Jane Austen- dedicated page, My Jane Austen Book Club, where she “meets” Janeites to discuss everything Austen and reviews Austen-dedicated fiction and non-fiction. She’s also created a blog for her students, Learn on line (actually it is her first, oldest one). She’s married and has two teenage sons.


Why do you like being a book blogger?
Since I started blogging I could really widen my horizons. I’ve met so many interesting people - both readers and writers – and I’ve read so many new books. To compare tastes and and share opinions has made reading an even more stimulating activity. Then, last but not least, I go on receiving lots of books from publishers and authors. Though I can’t actually read them all, I love that!

What is your favorite place to read?
Sitting on the beach facing the sea, but I actually read wherever and whenever I can.

What do you do when you aren't reading or blogging?
If you mean as another hobby, watching a period drama or a costume movie. That’s another of my passions. I especially like watching and reviewing adaptations of classics. I collect DVDs of adaptations. If you mean out of leisure, working, working, working. Preparing my lesson plans, tests, PPT slides, correcting papers and tests, studying and preparing notes. When I’m not cooking, ironing, doing the housework, driving my sons…

Who is your favorite character in a book? Which bookish character would you like to be?
Actually , I don’t like her very much as a character but … I’d love to be her. I’m thinking of Margaret Hale in North and South by Mrs Gaskell . I’d like to be her to meet Mr Thornton my favourite hero in a classic novel. He is my … Mr Darcy!

Who is your favorite author?
There are few authors whose work I’ve read and loved as much as Jane Austen’s, Elizabeth Gaskell’s and Edward Morgan Forster’s. I‘ve read almost everything they wrote and more than once. I love English 19th century literature most of all.


How can we promote reading to those who say they don't like it?
Well, that’s my job. Or better a thorn in my flesh. I cope with teenage students hating reading everyday. I teach them English (language and literature) and it’s hard to convince them to read even a chapter from a book. Most of them simply hate reading and find it difficult and boring. Their tasks must be quick and easy. I try to make my classes more interesting using multimedia sources: the Net, PPT slides , films and videos, music. This make them got interested in the “stories” I tell them. Sometimes it works, they get the book, they read it. And that one time out of a hundred, it’s a great joy to me.
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I hope now that you've met Maria, you will head over and check out all of her blogs! And be sure to head over and read my answers to these oh-so-awesome interview questions!

BBAW: Community

The first prompt of BBAW is here and it's perfect! "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 find creating a list a bit disingenuous. I don't have the time to honor the many, many blogs I have fallen in love with over the years. After some serious paring down last month, I am down to 199 blogs I subscribe to through Google Reader, and each one captured my fancy in one way or another. I figured you guys wouldn't want a list of 199 blogs, so I had to think of a way to narrow it down. So here are some kooky categories which helped me make a short list: (the pictures were selected randomly by who had pics and what fit after typing up the post):

Same Name
Trish (pictured left) from Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity gets first place in this category. First of all, we share a name - Trish (-a in my case, but hey close enough). Second, she is one awesome woman: one of the first bloggers to comment on my blog, and a big reason why I joined the book blogging community to begin with.

Same Books
While there are many bloggers who enjoy the same books I do, Ana from things mean a lot shares my very specific (and obsessive) love of Neil Gaiman, so she wins out in this category. She also writes thought-provoking, intelligent, and insightful posts about a wide variety of books with a wonderful emphasis on fantasy-based novels.

Role Models
I have three in this category. First, Amanda (pictured right) from Ramblings is my role model in that she consistently writes intelligent posts on a variety of topics. She has also been rocking out the weight loss this year. Second, Amy from Amy Reads shames me with her focus on women and minority studies type books which are important, intelligent, and downright interesting. Finally, Sandy of You've Gotta Read This has to be the busiest but most on top of things blogger out there. Seriously, that woman leads one awesome and hectic life but still manages to read great books and write great posts.

Goal Setters
Two bloggers stand out to me for this category: Allie of A Literary Odyssey and Erin of Erin Reads rock my world with their ability to set and keep goals. These two make lists of books they want to read, and then they *gasp* actually read them! I am notoriously bad at this, so I'm really impressed by people who can stay on task!

Funny Girls
Humor is something I love but struggle with. I hate to admit it, but I am not exactly a funny person. I have a great sense of humor, but an inability to translate my thoughts to the funny. Jill (above right) of Fizzy Thoughts and Jenners (above left) of Life...with Books, on the other hand, are absolutely freaking hilarious!

The Writer
Heather of Raging Bibliomania writes amazing book reviews. They not only review the book but also add a bit of analysis or social commentary to the mix. When I (and many others) do this, the commentary can overrun the review - which is, of course, not a problem - but Heather manages to do both without rambling on for dozens of paragraphs and wasting readers' time.

The Professionals
There are two professionals I love to read: Neil Gaiman (below left) and Stephen  Fry (below right). They rock. Nuff said.

I could keep going, but here are 10 book bloggers and two professional bloggers that I love to read. I hope you check them out and start following them too.

Forgotten Treasure: Brief Encounters with Che Guevara

Thursday—Forgotten Treasure
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!
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What a wonderful question! I really wasn't sure what book to offer up - I haven't been blogging long enough to know which books older than a year or two received any attention.  A quick look through my shelves had quite a few books popping out at me, so I did a quick search of each on the Book Blogs Search Engine. One of the books I chose had only one review, so I knew I had a winner.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain is a collection of short stories which reaches out and wrings compassion from my heart. This is one of the few books I've immediately wanted to include in one of my classes to help my students explore that current educational trend of global education.

The settings of the stories range from Haiti to Sierra Leone to Columbia, and these settings drive plots which reveal the human situation in the midst of political and social upheaval. Sometimes funny and sometimes brutally sad, each story drew me in, made me question the good and evil in terrorists and freedom fighters, in tyrants and heroes, labels which are entirely the result of perspective.

Fountain's writing is crisp and concise, and yet the level of detail offered really immerses the reader in a world of Fountain's creation. The settings, the characters, the stories themselves feel so amazingly authentic. And bizarre. Some of the situations portrayed in these stories easily slip over into the strange and sometimes even the dark, but even so, each story reads more like a non-fiction history than a fictional tale.

If you haven't had the chance to read this yet, you should run out and get yourself a copy as soon as possible.

Unexpected Treasure: Three of the Best

Wednesday—Unexpected Treasure
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?
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I am a rather eclectic reader, so I haven't exactly been exposed to a new genre due to blogging. I do, however, spend more time in certain genres and less in others due to blogging. When it comes to books though, there have been quite a few that I would probably not have heard about or read if it weren't for the wonderful world of blogging...and the amazing bloggers who share their love for books with the world.

One of my favorite reads of 2010 actually came from one of my favorite bloggers, Ana from things mean a lot. Based on her recommendation, I picked up Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. This book rocked my world. A moving, complex, and intelligent tale of two women struggling against the circumstances of their lives, Fingersmith awes the reader with beautifully written prose that is simultaneously delicate and powerful. I wish I could tell you more about it, but this is a book which must be experienced. To reveal the plot would totally skew the first-time impression.

Jenners, over at Find Your Next Book Here, is another blogger who consistently adds to my wish list. One of my favorite reads I snagged from her blog is gods behaving badly by Marie Phillips. In this wonderfully snarky and humorous book, the Greek gods are floundering in the twenty-first century.  Slowly losing their power, worshiped by none, they live together in a London home amicably insulting each other and dreaming of better days.  When Aphrodite and Apollo start fighting and drag two mortals into it, things go from boring to devastating fast.
If you like fun, irreverence, and quick reads, you will like this book!  If you are offended by swear words and poking fun at the gods and God, you should probably stay away.

One recommendation was not a new book to me; instead it was a quick kick in the pants motivating me to finally read it. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde languished on my TBR shelves for years, sitting there, judging me, but I kept putting it off misguidedly believing it would be a tedious, boring read. Amanda from The Zen Leaf, an intelligent, prolific, and fun blogger, motivated me to finally pick it up when she referred to it as one of her favorite reads. I was not disappointed. Every single beautiful page of this fascinating story has an idea, a claim, that is discussion worthy.  The plot itself offers wonderful themes: the construction of identity, hedonism, naturalism, the art and artifice manipulation, love, the role of literature, and on and on.  Dorian's fall into self-aggrandizing and immorality, and his sporadic and half-hearted attempts to escape present readers with a warped mirror with which to judge their own beliefs. Do not be scared of this book. Read it!

There are so many more books I could add, but as this post is already getting a bit long, I'll leave you with the following:

Book Bloggers wreak havoc on your TBR piles, but they also introduce you to some amazing books!

New Treasure: Jessica the Bluestocking

One of my favorite parts of Book Blogger Appreciation Week are the interviews. Today, I'm absolutely thrilled to introduce you to Jessica from The Bluestocking Society.

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What are some of your favorite books?
I love that this question is posed in the plural. Books. I have many favorite books (and they change all of the time), but here is a brief, non-exhaustive, current list:

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan
Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck
84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff
Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Are there any characters that you would like to be?
Yes. Let’s see. I would like to be, at least for a little while, Elizabeth Bennett. You know, married to Mr. Darcy and mistress of Pemberly. Yeah, good times. As a kid, I desperately wanted to be Harriet of Harriet the Spy. To walk around on your spy route and record your observations? Awesome. For a while there, I would’ve wanted to be Hermione Granger. That is until she hooked up with Ron. Forget that. For now, I think I’ll just stick with my own life.

What book would you like to see made into a graphic novel?
I’ve only read a few graphic novels so far in my reading career, but I’m intrigued by the format. (I recently heard about Jane Eyre the graphic novel, and I can’t wait to read it.) If I had to pick one book to turn into a graphic novel, I’d pick Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. I think it would translate well, because it’s so visual. But they might have to speed things along a little, because they spend A LOT of time on that boat.

What book would you like to see made into a film? What film would you like to see made into a book?
I’d love to see The Book Thief and Bel Canto made into movies. Of course, The Hunger Games series would also make excellent movies. And I’m very excited to see that three of the books I’d love to see on the big screen, The Help and On Chesil Beach and Life of Pi are currently in development.

As for a movie that I’d like to see turned into a book, I think there are more problems with this kind of transition, but I think Inception might make a good book, as there would be more time to explain things. I’d probably also read a book based on The Paper Chase or An Education or The Queen.

How do you organize your book collection?
At the moment, there isn’t really a rhyme or a reason to my book collection. It’s mostly just based on what is pretty. Most of my prettiest books are in my formal living room here:

Or in the family room here:

(Can you tell that I’m in love with the EXPEDIT line from IKEA?) Anyway, the rest of the less-pretty books are downstairs in my office. (Sorry less-pretty books.) Someday, I’d love to have a better organization system. Probably organized by author’s last name. With a card catalogue. Sigh. Someday.

What is the book you remember most fondly from childhood?
This is pretty hard. I was a particularly voracious reader as a child, so there are lots of books to pick from. But, if forced to choose, I would have to pick Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and James and the Giant Peach), by Roald Dahl. I received lovely hardback copies from my parents for my seventh birthday (some twenty years ago), and these two books have been my companions ever since. There is something about Roald Dahl in particular and discovering books as a child in general that have infused my memory of these two gems with a magical, rosy haze that has never lifted.

Ebooks - the way of the future, a mere distraction from real books, or a nice addition to real books?
My husband got me a Kindle for our eighth wedding anniversary. And it will have only just arrived a few days prior to the posting of this interview. So, I have no concrete evidence to support the following statements.

I think that ebooks will be a convenient and nice addition to real books. As a bibliophile, I’m fairly positive that I’ll never give up the look, touch, and smell of real books. I love and collect and read them. I always will. BUT, I definitely see the advantages that ebooks bring. For one, there is no limit to the supply. When I was calling bookstores on the date of Mockingjay’s release to find a copy because I foolishly forgot to preorder mine, I thought that if I’d had my Kindle, I could’ve downloaded a copy within seconds. Also, the space! Every time we move or I need to buy more bookshelves, I think of the glory of hundreds of books held in six pounds on a Kindle or other reading device.

Why did you decide to start blogging and how did you come up with your blog name?
Once upon a time, I had a personal blog. And it slowly turned into me blogging mostly about books. I just needed a place to put all of my book-related thoughts together. Then, somehow, I found out that there were blogs devoted entirely to books! I quickly decided to create my very own. I love the term “bluestocking,” which means “a woman with considerable scholarly, literary, or intellectual ability or interest.” So, in January 2008, The Bluestocking Society was born.

Thanks, Trisha!

~You are quite welcome Jessica. It was wonderful featuring you on my blog!

First Treasure: New and Shiny Things

Monday—First Treasure
We invite you to share with us about a great new book blog you’ve discovered since BBAW last year!  If you are new to BBAW or book blogging, share with us the very first book blog you discovered.  Tell us why this blog rocks your socks off and why you keep going back for more.

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Asking me to name just one? How about two? In the past year, I have discovered so many new-to-me blogs, that my Google Reader (and my husband) is protesting vehemently. Here are just two of the blogs adding to my daily blog reading and my book wish list:

The New Dork Review of Books
Greg is a fellow Midwesterner, actually we live within two hours - assuming medium to heavy traffic - of each other. I must meet him...I will begin stalking immediately.  Er...what I mean to say is.. Greg defines his reading as follows: "I read and blog about mostly contemporary literary fiction, but often stray into the classics, historical fiction and all varieties of non-fiction as well. Sometimes, I even read Dan Brown." I really appreciate his conversational tone, his honest and personal reviews, and let's face it, his intelligent humor. I like my blogs with a bit of the funny in them.

Amy Reads
Not only do I love her blog, I love her. Amy and I met at BookExpoAmerica/Book Blogger Con, and over the course of five days, I really felt like I got to know her. And she's awesome. Amy's blog features some of the most unique and interesting theme-reads. Recently she's reviewed books with an international spin, particularly Africa-based reads (we can even narrow it down to Nigeria). She also reviews women's studies, literary fiction, YA, paranormal, non-fiction, um...yeah, she's definitely an eclectic reader, which is something I admire in a blogger. Amy's reviews are intelligent, detailed, and honest, and she adds to my wish list something fierce.

 Alix, Amy, and I outside the Javits for the BEA

If you haven't gone over to these blogs yet, go. Now. No, seriously, go.

BBAW: The Eclectic Five

Last year was my first go-round with BBAW, and I quickly fell in love.  As a new book blogger at the time, it was a wonderful way to get more involved in the community, to meet people and to really get a feel for what it was all about. And the fun, the amazing quantity of geekish fun!!! Take the week off from work, give the kids to the grandparents, and tell the spouses they need to feed/entertain/clean up after themselves. Now that I've peaked your interest, head over to the BBAW site and sign up immediately.

This year you have to nominate yourself for an award in a niche category if you want your blog considered (last year others nominated you).  While many people have to consider and ponder which category their blog best fits, mine was easy. Best Eclectic Book Blog. One word from the title of my blog is in the category name.  No brainer.  My problem came when I had to choose just five posts.

Choosing five posts to highlight the eclectic nature of my reading is difficult as many more than five categories would be needed to classify my books. But rules are rules so I'll refrain from putting up a list of like 100 posts... In this selection we have a classic, non-fiction and fiction, GLBT, a graphic novel, the real and the supernatural, YAL, a historical and a contemporary setting (and a mixture of the two), gravitas, the ridiculous, the heartrending and the gut-busting. 

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

Badass by Ben Thompson

Paper Towns by John Green

On a side note, these are all excellent reads, so those of you who don't care about BBAW Awards can check out the reviews and then go buy the books.  Happy Reading!

*On a side, side note: Sorry for the double post today.*

Introducing the Eccentric One

I've noticed that a few bloggers have been posting self-introductions in the aftermath of Subscription Frenzy which hit many after Book Blogger Appreciation Week. While I've been blogging for some time, I'm a relatively new book blogger and my foray into this unique world has been slow. For those two reasons, I thought I'd make my own introduction...to new readers and honestly to myself.

Who Am I?

Ah, such a philosophical question with deep and profound implications. Seriously though, my name is Trisha, and I live in Illinois with my wonderful husband Brian. He's a vegetable farmer, which means he brings home yummy deliciousness for dinner. I'm a professor teaching composition, literature, and film to freshman and sophomores at a local college, which means I bring home stacks of papers to grade. Doesn't seem fair does it?

versus

Why eclectic / eccentric?

When I first started blogging, it was merely a collection of odds and ends: things I was thinking about, saw online, read, whatever struck my fancy at the moment. This, combined with the fact that both eclectic and eccentric are adjectives which have been used to describe me...and insult me for that matter...gave birth to the title of my blog. Once my focus shifted to a more book-centric theme, I just didn't bother changing it. eclectic / eccentric doesn't have the bookish feel other titles have, but I still think it well represents both myself and my reading habits.

Why Books and Blogging?

Put simply: I love books. Reading, reviewing, organizing, tracking, discovering, anything to do with books and I'm there. Originally, I merely tracked the books I read. I was curious to see how many I read in a year and to discover what types of books I was reading. A big part of my brain was yelling at me for my fall into guilty pleasures, which I'm completely blaming on the lack of reader buddies I retained after college. This lack is also a main factor in my jump into book blogging. Once I found out there was an entire community of book-obsessed people sharing their reading experiences, well, I was hooked.

Where do I go from here?

This question has been on my mind quite a bit since BBAW. Seeing all the other book blogs out there - and how much better they are than mine - really made me focus on what exactly I want to do with my blog and what I want from it. I've got a whole list in my head, but here are my top four:

1. Reviews: I'm still not happy with the way I'm setting up my reviews, so I'm working on a new format....more to come

2. Design: I really do love my design itself, but I want to figure out a more aesthetically pleasing way to organize my sidebars. I'm thinking about having a separate Challenges page instead of having the images/links in the sidebar.

3. Content: I've been so focused on book reviews and memes that I've been not posting other pieces of information I find interesting. While I still want to have a bookish focus, I don't think that has to be the only thing on my blog.

4. Discussion: I'm really interested in sparking more active discussion through comments. As part of my new format for book reviewing, I want to add relevant and interesting questions at the end, so that people have something to comment on. I've also started a You Can Quote Me on This posting that asks questions based on quotes from books. Hopefully this will spark some conversation.

So that's Trisha and eclectic/eccentric in a nutshell. If you have any advice, I would LOVE to hear it!

Weekly Geeks: Burn Out

Weekly Geeks wants to know: Are you burnt out after a week like BBAW? How do you counter burn out? Take a break? Soldier on? Or if you don't feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? Also why are you a book blogger? From what I've seen and experienced, it's certainly not the fame or the glory that you get. So what is it? Why? Why? Why?

The answer in self-interview:

Good Trisha: Ah, it's been a long week. Time to get back to our normal routine.

Bad Trisha: *mutters" How come it's gotta stop?

Good Trisha: Come now dearie, you know you've been slacking on work. We have a ton of papers to grade, projects to assess, and lesson plans to create.

Bad Trisha: Don't wanna. I wanna blog and read and blog and read and blog and..

Good Trisha: That's enough now Trisha. Be a big girl and get to work.

Bad Trisha: No.

Good Trisha: *a bit exasperated* These papers won't grade themselves you know.

Bad Trisha: Don't care.

Good Trisha: *rolls her eyes* Of course you do sweetie. You want your students to learn, don't you?

Bad Trisha: *sulks prettily*

Good Trisha: Aren't you even the teensiest bit tired of books and blogging? Afterall it's been pretty hectic this last week.

Bad Trisha: NO! I'M NOT TIRED YET! I DON'T WANT IT TO END! I DON'T WANT TO WORK! AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!

Good Trisha: Well I think we should rest. Next week is Banned Books Week and then we have the 24 hour Read-a-Thon, and NCTE's National Day on Writing is coming up. You want to be rested and ready for all those fun things, don't you?

Bad Trisha: I guess....

Good Trisha: There now, be a good girl and let's get some work done, so we'll be ready for the rest of the book blogging fun.

*Good Trisha turns to pick up a stack of student papers. Bad Trisha bashes her over the head with Douglas Adams' Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, grabs a book and a computer and proceeds to do what she wants.*

Go Bad Trisha!

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I love reading and talking about books, so book blogging is a fun past time for me. I really do this for myself, so I never feel pressured to hurry up and post a review. Because of this lack of pressure, I don't really get burned out. I do what I want when I want and so far that's working out for me.

Ah, My Love, My Life, My Blog...

What do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now? ...in 50 words or less...

I love the opportunity to read, review, and discuss books with other bibliophiles. No question that's my favorite part of blogging. A year from now, I hope I've finally learned the tricks of the book blogging trade and that I've met even more wonderful people.

Books from Blogs

Today's BBAW meme wants to know about a book I've read because I found it on another blog. I am embarrased to say I haven't yet read a book just because of a blog recommendation. With all of the challenges I signed up for, I haven't been randomly reading lately so those I find on other's blogs don't pop into my hand quickly. I do, however, have a list of 37 books found on blogs on my TBR list. I thought I would highlight two of them.

Everyone She Loved by Sheila Curran

I found this novel on Girls with Books when they announced an interview with the author. It was my first time asking an author a question, and I was excited. Then I was doubly excited when I actually won a copy of the book! Another first for me.

Plot Synopsis: Penelope Cameron, loving mother, devoted wife, and generous philanthropist, has convinced her husband and four closest friends to sign an outlandish pact. If Penelope should die before her two daughters are eighteen, her husband will not remarry without the permission of Penelope's sister and three college roommates. For years, this contract gathers dustuntil the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, everyone she loved must find their way in a world without Penelope.

I can't wait to read this!

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

I saw this book on so many blogs I'm not even sure which was first. I think it may have been the review at Hey Lady! but then again it could have been when She is Too Fond of Books did a TLC Book Tour interview with the author. Traveling through Sunday Salon posts, I found Rhapsodyinbooks' review and A Novel Menagerie wrote a really interesting post including a Mormon's perspective. Believe me, I could keep going...

Plot Synopsis: It is 1875 and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of her family's polygamous history is revealed, including how both she and her mother became plural wives. Yet soon after Ann Eliza's story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds - a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth begind his father's death. And as Ann Eliza's narrative intertwines with that of Jordan's search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love, family, and faith.

Now if I could only find the time to read challenge AND non-challenge books!

BBAW: Quick List

The Quick List



Fave Reading Snack


Writing in Books: Absolutely!


Bookmarks: Whatever's handy but recently bookthongs


Current Read


Last Book Bought


Fave Place to Read


Book or Author Recommendations


Book Organization: My Library

BBAW: Interview with Christina

For the BBAW Interview, I was paired up with Christina at book-a-rama. Chris is a stay-at-home mom who loves reading, photography, scrapbooking, and crochet. Her book reviews are insightful and interesting as she mixes the information you need to know with quirky observations and real-life connections. Reading her blog is like listening to a friend talk about books. I was very excited to interview her, and I highly recommend checking out her blog.

Why did you start blogging? Did your blog begin as a book blog?

I can blame this one on Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic. Stephanie and I belong to the same online book club. Back in 2006, she invited us all to visit her blog. I asked, "What's a blog?" before having a look. I liked the idea of having a place to record my thoughts on what I read and maybe having a discussion with others about them. I started my own and it went from there.

What is your favorite genre and how did you start reading that genre? What book got you interested in that genre?

Maybe not so much a genre but I love reading the classics. The first books I'd call classics were the few I found on my parents' bookshelf back when I was a teen. Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were the first. From there I read all the Austen novels I found at the library.

What do you like about Austen's writing? Do you have a favorite among her works?

Austen had a very interesting way of looking at the world. She's was partly cynical, partly romantic. Her commentary on society always gives me a chuckle. As for a favorite, I think it depends on which one I'm reading at the time, but if really pressed, it's a toss up between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. The only one I'm not really fond of is Mansfield Park.

You are being forced to live on Mars and you can only bring three books. Which three would you bring and why?

Forced to live on Mars, oh dear. Sounds lonely. I'd have to bring some old friends. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, my favorite novel. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, adventure and revenge, plus if Edmond Dantes can break out of prison, I can get off Mars. And for a little romance, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

What influence has book blogging had on your reading choices, if any?

I've found a lot of new-to-me authors and books. I'm especially influenced when bloggers I respect are excited about a book. It's contagious.

Do you have any favorite titles you discovered on someone else's blog?

Blogging has really expanded my reading preferences. I had never heard of Colleen Gleason or Neil Gaiman until I started blogging. I ended up reading The Rest Falls Away and Coraline. I'm glad I did. They are both great books.

What is the strangest place you have ever read and why were you reading there?

I don't know if it's strange but I noticed that I was the only one reading at the skating rink where my daughter was having lessons.

I noticed you also post pictures on your blog. What do you like about photography?

Photography allows me to be creative without words. I like how a photo can tell a story or let my readers see the world as I see it. I have a love for nature and that's my favorite subject, particularly flowers.





Have you ever had a crush on a literary character? If so, who and why?

*blushes* Yes, I've had crushes. I've always had a soft spot for Mr Rochester. Then there's the hero of Outlander Jamie Fraser and for something completely different Dr Stephen Maturin from the Aubrey/Maturin series (that might have something to do with Paul Bettany in Master & Commander). I like smart guys.

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I would like to thank Chris for answering all of my questions and congratulate her on book-a-rama, a wonderfully interesting blog that has become a must-read for me!