BBAW: Reading Meme

Well the topic of today's post is a reading meme with "brevity" being key. Hmmm....this is an area in which I struggle, but for the sake of the BBAW community, I will try to comply:

Do you snack while you read? Not really....but I do enjoy a cup of tea every now and then

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I constantly mark in my books: underline - circle - asterisk - notes in the margin. When I finish reading it it is truly mine (a la Mortimer Adler's essay, How to Mark a Book.)

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Well, since I already write in the book, I go ahead and dog ear the pages too (don't hate me -- please)

Laying the book flat open? Yes, I find it difficult to read otherwise

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both, but I lean toward fiction

Hard copy or audiobooks? Hard copy used to be my exclusive format (trade paperback preferred), but I am really trying to work on becoming an audio learner.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point? Since I am rather structured, I like to stop at end of the chapter, but life does not always allow for that

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? If I read on my Kindle, absolutely. Otherwise I make note and look up at another time.

What are you currently reading? I just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley; just started The Suspicions of Mr. Wichler by Kate Summerscale

What is the last book you bought? Dog Gone It by Spencer Quinn

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? I can only read one novel at a time - but I do like reading short stories or a non-fiction book along with my novel for variety.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? I read any time I have free time. I enjoy reading in my book nook

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? I have really only read stand alones up until now but I am looking forward to trying some cozy mystery sequels.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? No, although I do find myself recommending thriller/suspense novels more than anything (besides books on dogs, that is)

How do you organize your books? I organize by genre - and then within the genre try to organize by author's last name.,

Well, I didn't exactly keep it to the 5 word minimum, but for me, those are pretty concise answers. So how do we compare - and - How do we differ in our reading styles?or’s last name, etc.?)

BBAW - the long list

OH MY GOODNESS --- it has finally arrived! The week we have all been waiting for!! BOOK BLOGGERS APPRECIATION WEEK. This time last year I did not even know what a book blog was (I had heard the term "blogging" but just didn't get it). My - what a difference one year makes. I am so very excited about this week and look forward to reading posts for old friends, and meeting new friends along the way.

Amy has encouraged us to spotlight some of our favorite blogs that did not make the short list, but are worthy of recognition none-the-less. I am thrilled to be a part of this BBAW posting. I read, on what I would say a very regular basis, a minimum of 50 blogs; I follow about 200. I am always learning something new from each and every book blogger and the length of my TBR list is visual proof. Here are a few blogs that I hope you take the time to check out this week, as I think they are fabulous!

Best Literary Fiction Review: while I find something to love about every single review that I read, there are three blogs that truly inspire me. Matt, at A Guy's Moleskin Notebook - who uses his professorial calling to give each and every one of a literary education; and then two bloggers who live "across the pond" - Simon of Savidge Reads and Jackie of Farm Lane Books. Both of these bloggers challenged themselves to read the Booker Long List - and have posted wonderful, thought-provoking reviews for each of the nominees. These two bloggers not only challenge me to read more, but to read more works that challenge my intellectual curiosity.

Best Historical Fiction Blog: now I must confess that I have not read much historical fiction --- yet, but Meghan's Medieval Bookworm blog is so inspiring that I feel as though I have missed out all the years and need to make up for lost time. If you are not familiar with her site, then you simply must check it out. If you are familiar with it, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

Best Thriller/Mystery/Suspense Blog: THIS is the genre that I most enjoy and the following blogs have offered such wonderful reviews - and introduced me to some great new authors - that I will always put their blogs at the top of my list: Lesa's Book Critiques. Lesa is not only a librarian (so she obviously knows her books) but she is also a published book reviewer! Her detailed reviews are great, but when she transcribes an author's visit - you feel like you are in the room with them. Bookish Ruth. Ruth ran a series of posts on Sherlock Holmes was that just amazing. I wish I had time to read more of his works, because Ruth certainly inspired me! and Pudgy Penguin Perusal. First of all Kaye's animated and decorated penguins are enough to make me want to visit her blog everyday! But Kaye also loves cozy mysteries and writes great reviews for all of them. She even has amazing give-aways on a regular basis. You need to check her out!

Best Speculative Fiction Blog: this category has always scared me --- just a little. I really don't understand the whole alien, scifi, rich fantasy kind of literature. I am a realist - and I have a difficult time climbing outside that box. But Susan of You Can Never Have Too Many Books has helped me to ease into this genre. She writes with such passion that I can't help but be attracted to the books that inspire her. It was this post that Susan really managed to explain this kind of literature in a way that I somewhat understand. I am determined to read more of these books and expand my horizons - thanks to Susan!

Best Blog Design: Melissa's Bookshelf is a MUST see for this category (in my humble opinion). Once her page opens you instantly feel Melissa's personality bursting forth! She is always so upbeat and bubbly - and it is a true pleasure to visit her site. In addition, Melissa offered bloggers many invaluable tips and tricks that she found to help create her site (including how to add tabs in the header!!). You can easily find her helping hints in a tab at the top of her blog.

Best Commenter: For me - personally - that would have to be Kim of Page after Page. Kim has left such encouraging and supportive comments from nearly the first time I posted to the web. We seem to be kindred spirits and I only wish that Washington state was not so far away from Kansas.

Funniest Most Humorous Blog: ok - this is a no brainer for me - Jenner's of Find Your Next Book Here brings a smile to my face each and every time I visit her site! Her upbeat, positive attitude is evident by the profile picture posted of her giving a 'thumbs up'. I love you, Jenners!

Best Meme/Carnival/Event: I am not sure if this counts for this category, but I want to mention her blog so I will make it fit.....Sherry at Semicolon runs a Saturday Review feature where bloggers from all over post links to their book reviews for that week. This is a wonderful compilation of reviews (better than the Book Review section of the New York Times as far as I am concerned) and I have benefited greatly from this weekly event.

Best New Blog: I am not exactly sure what constitutes "new" - but hopefully these blogs qualify - and if not, then let's call this category, Molly's special interest blogs. Joann of Lakeside Musing has a wonderful blog that I truly enjoy. I think a part of the reason is the header picture is always a peaceful, serene photo of the lake - and this instantly puts me in a relaxed mood. Joann and I are in similar places in life, and I always enjoy hearing her perspective. I also feel a kindred spirit with Margot of Joyfully Retired. Now it could be that I envy her place in life right now (how I look forward to being "joyfully retired") - but I also enjoy her book reviews and thoughtful discussions.

Best Blog for Literary Education: ok, I made up this category but I feel that Ann's blog, Table Talk, fits the description. She is a retired teacher and lecturer who has just recently returned to school to obtain another Master's Degree. Ann writes wonderfully detailed posts about her Shakespearean classes and her book reviews always offer great perspective and detailed analysis. If you are unfamiliar with Ann and her "bears" you simply must check her out.

And while I know that we are all familiar with Amy and her incredible sacrifice, dedication and hard work on the BBAW celebration - I simply cannot post a Best Of......without mentioning her and her appropriately named blog, My Friend Amy. She truly is a friend to all, and we all appreciate her so very much.

BBAW short list

The voting for Book Blogger Appreciation week has begun! On Monday the short list was announced - and truly I cannot imagine how Amy and her faithful helpers were able to narrow the field from 1,000 registered book blogs to only 5 nominees per category. I am so excited to read all the "new to me" blogs over the next few days, as well as catch up on the prize winning entries of my favorite blogs. I know that casting my vote will not be easy, but I am looking forward to the week's awesome events (September 14-18, 2009).

While my blog was fortunate enough to be nominated in two categories, it just could not compare to the other wonderful blogs out there. I have SO much more to learn about blogging in general and writing cohesive, interesting book reviews. I am thankful to all of you who have helped me along the way - and I look forward to honing my skills in the months - and years to come. I was nominated for the Best New Book Blog and Best Book Reviews this year, and in honor of those who were shortlisted, I would like to feature their blogs here. PLEASE check them out -- comment on their posts -- and vote this week at BBAW!

Best New Book Blog:

Beth Fish Reads

Books and Bards

GalleySmith

Scifiguy.ca

Steph Su Reads

Best Book Reviews:

Savvy Verse and Wit

S. Krishna's Books

She is Too Fond of Books

Stacked Blog

Things Mean a Lot

I am humbled.....

Most of you reading this post are very well acquainted with the BBAW event: Book Blogger Appreciation Week that will be held September 14-18. This celebration of book bloggers is the brainchild of My Friend Amy and I simply cannot imagine the amount of "behind the scenes" work she and her team of helpers must do to ensure a smooth, successful event. She deserves a HUGE round of applause (clap clap)

I was notified this week that I was nominated for two categories: Best New Blog and Best Reviews. I don't know which one of you kind souls out there thought enough of my blog to nominate me, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was asked to submit a list of 5 blog posts that I thought most pertained to my nominated category, and then Amy's team of helpers will read through all the posts, analyze them, and develop a 'short list' of final contestants. While I have no expectation of making the short list (there are too many wonderful blogs out there), I am truly grateful to have my humble blog nominated.

And...if that weren't enough for one week, I was notified this morning that Cathy of Kittling: Books has bestowed her I Keep Coming Back for More! Award to My Cozy Book Nook. The following is a description of the award:

The I Keep Coming Back for More! Award is for a blog you just can't stay away from. If you've been busy and your Google reader is over 1,000 unread posts, these are the blogs that you single out to read. These are the ones that are never victims to the dreaded Mark All As Read. There may be many different reasons why you can't stay away: a taste in books that mirrors your own, the same sense of humor, always knowing the latest in the book world... for whatever the reason, these blogs are flat out addictive and you have no wish to be cured!

Cathy, I truly cannot thank you enough for this recognition. And.....if you haven't visited Cathy's blog, I guarantee she is a worthy recipient of the award as well!

BBAW - Introduction

If you have been a part of the blogging world for any part of this summer, then you are well acquainted with the BBAW or Book Blogger Appreciation Week coming up September 14-18, 2009. For the one or two of you who may not be familiar with this term, this is the brainchild of the incredible Amy of My Friend Amy as a way to recognize and celebrate the book bloggers in the blogosphere. This will be the second anniversary of the celebratory event. I was not a part of last year's festivities, as I had never heard of a book blog in my life, but Amy had over 400 participants at that time and is hoping for 1,000 or more this year!

If you have a book blog yourself and would like to register, there are 9 days left to do so here. It is quick and easy and I know it will be worth your while (not to mention the fringe benefit of discovering new book blogging buddies). In an effort to help us get to know one another, Amy has posted a few questions to help us introduce the person behind our blog. So, without further ado, here is the blogger behind "My Cozy Book Nook"

What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
I know that I will sound like a copy-cat here, as the same answer is given by most book bloggers, but without a doubt the highlight of blogging has been discovering that there is a community who is truly accepting, caring and encouraging of one another. We may have never met face-to-face, but we are definitely NOT strangers. The very nature of reading is a solitary activity - it allows us to escape from the realism of our every day world and enter the world of others. I have tried (unsuccessfully) several times to establish a book club in my area where I can add that social component to my favorite activity. I tried the local bookstores, libraries, and even Craig's list. Apparently all the literary souls in Johnson County Kansas have no room to add a newbie to their group. I even tried a couple of online book clubs and yahoo book groups, but I never felt comfortable enough to "participate" and therefore never really became a part. BUT....the book blog world welcomed me with open arms! They would make friendly comments on my simple entries (and with each comment I feel like Sally Field, "you really do like me"); they encouraged me to write my own book review - and gave me the confidence to do it again; they have totally understood my 6 week hiatus this summer and sluggishness at getting back to my blogging routine. I have been truly blessed by all these cyber friends who happen to enjoy reading as much (and some even more) than I do.

Some other highlights of this new endeavor however have included the discovery that I love the writing process: I like brainstorming ideas, trying to develop those ideas into a cohesive essay, and then revising the essay for "public" eyes. I need to work on tightening up that writing (obviously), but until then, this wonderful community is willing to just skim over the long-winded parts. I attended the Book Expo of America, where I not only got to meet some terrific authors and obtain some awesome new book releases, but I was able to meet some fellow book bloggers face-to-face and I have to tell you ---- I recognized them a mile a way! The personality of each blogger is so evident in their writing.

What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
Ok --- well I have nearly 200 blogs in my google reader and I can honestly say that the majority of them have helped me in some way: either by inspiring me to read a certain book; or by inspiring me to better my blog because of the way they maintain their own; or by leaving a thoughtful comment that encourages me to keep on keeping on. Due to space and time considerations, however, I will not list all 200 blogs in this post. If you are interested in those blogs I follow on a regular basis, you can access that list (with links to each blog) found in the header at the top of the page. A few bloggers that I will choose to highlight, however, are found below:

• Sheri of A Novel Menagerie: Sheri was the first blogger to reach out to me and welcome me to the community. We both have a fondness for our pets, and she is a very outgoing, friendly individual who loves books, movies, and family.
• Matt of a A Guy's Moleskine Notebook: Matt probably has no idea how inspirational he has been to me, but I greatly admire his intelligent blog. Matt is the English professor that I wish I had several years ago, but I am glad that I have discovered his wisdom now.
• Kim of Page after Page: Kim is a faithful follower and always has a kind word to say. The fact that she signs each comment with *smiles* is a testament to her optimistic outlook on life. Her comments can brighten my darkest mood.
• Wendy at A Novel Challenge: I had NO idea that reading challenging existed until the fall of 2008, but this has opened my mind to a whole new way of reading! Wendy maintains this amazing site where she lists all on-going challenges and then provides link to the hosting site. My reading has greatly improved because of her.
• Lesa at Lesa's Book Critiques: I started reading mysteries about the same time I discovered book blogs. It wasn't too much later that I came across Lesa's amazing book reviews, which focus on mysteries (both classic and contemporary). If Lesa recommends it, I know I need to add it to the TBR list.
• Stephanie of Stephanie's Written Word: Stephanie was kind to reach out to me at BEA (Book Expo of America). We met on the first day and navigated through the thousands of people and books together. For a shy wall-flower like myself, Stephanie was an angel in disguise.
  

What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?
I am sure I have a ton of questions, but since I have never participated, I really don't know what to expect. I suppose my biggest question right now is ---- How do you narrow down your list of recommendations??? There are SO many deserving blogs out there, that I feel guilty recommending only 1 for a category when I can easily recommend 10-20. Any tips??

Indulge Me

I did not realize how much I missed this book blogging community until I started reading your blogs again. I spent two hours this morning leisurely reading through your posts and I have enjoyed every single minute. I have missed you so much, but I am anxious to reconnect.

The problem with being absent for so long is that I want to run full-steam ahead, and I am afraid that I will set myself up for failure. I know that once I get back to Kansas the daily life will resume and in three weeks I will be back into the school routine. In these final days of summer school however, when I have completed all papers and have no household responsibilities, I find myself romanticizing about all the free time I will have. I will be able to read any book that strikes my fancy, to develop the daily writing discipline, and to blog for hours on in. So, while I know that this fantasy world will not become a reality, let me indulge myself today.

I have already discovered two new reading challenges that I want to join - and I am sure there are others out there that I have not yet read about. These two challenges I did not even allow myself to contemplate whether I should or shouldn't --- I just joined. I will write separate posts about each, but I simply couldn't resist sharing my excitement now.

Stephanie is hosting the Everything Austen challenge from July 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010. I had so hoped to take a Jane Austen class this summer where we would read each of her six published novels and then watch a corresponding film adaptation, but alas, that class was not offered this year. I am debating about "developing" my own class for this challenge. BUT...there is always the option of making this an Everything P&P challenge. I have had Pamela's Aidan's Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman trilogy on my bookshelf for months and this would be the perfect opportunity to read those in conjunction with Pride and Prejudice and then watch the Colin Firth film and compare it to the Keira Knightley film. Oh my, which direction shall I go? Personally, I think Stephanie needs to offer an Everything Austen Challenge #2 starting in January and I can do both options over a one year period.

Michelle at Galleysmith is hosting a Harry Potter challenge from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010. In that time period we are to read all seven books in the series. I never thought I would be interested in these books, as I do not have much interest in fantasy fiction. But, due to the powerful recommendations of the book blogging world, I decided to give the audiobooks a try. I listened to the Sorcerer's Stone in April and cannot decide if I am more in love with Harry Potter or Jim Dale. I found that I would invent errands to run just so I could listen to one more chapter of the book. I am thrilled to now have a "viable" excuse to listen to all seven books. And, I think I would also like to watch each of the six movies as well (I have not watched any of them yet).

I am VERY excited for both of these challenges and look forward to reading about other challenges as well.

One more event that I have just discovered in my morning reading is the BBAW - that is, the Book Bloggers Appreciation Week that will be held September 14-18. I am so very excited to see what all this is about. This will be the second annual event, hosted by My Friend Amy, but since I did not even know "book blogs" existed last September, this will be my first time to participate. It is my understanding that 400 different book blogs were represented last year, and this year they are hoping for 1,000 or more. Isn't that exciting?! There are over one thousand people out there that enjoy reading books and writing about books as much as I do! I anticipate finding many more blogs that I absolutely MUST follow, and I am sure to add hundreds of books to my TBR pile as a result.

I still have a lot of catching up to do in blog reading. I hope to that over the next couple of days as I gear down from Asheville and gear up for Kansas. I am looking forward to routine again.