I think I enjoy writing book reviews the most. A lot of the times I have issues with the reviews I write, but every once in a while, I feel good about it. Gosh, that's a great feeling.

In a year, I hope to see the quality of my writing improve.

That is my biggest goal and likely to be the one that is hardest to achieve. Thanks to all who have stopped by due to BBAW, and I hope to see you around again soon.

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Posted by Melanie at 8:00 AM View Comments    

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For the BBAW interviews, I had the opportunity to interview Debbie, from Debbie's World of Books. Thanks, Debbie!

How did you discover the book blogging community?
Can you believe Google? I was blogging for about 4 months and then started to hear here and there about other book blogs. So I actually Googled book blogs and next thing you know I found one blog, started going through their blog roll which lead to another blog and the rest is history. I now follow almost 200 blogs and follow several book bloggers on Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new/aspiring bloggers?
Just focus on writing about what interests you. I get emails on how to get more followers or more review copies but it's just something that comes with time as long as you are being yourself in your posts.

In a year from now, where do you see your blog?
Gosh, I can't even imagine. There has been so many changes in just the year I've been blogging so far. I really want to try and improve my reviews. Other than that I will just be taking things a step at a time.

Is there a negative side to blogging for you?
Not negative about the blogging itself but more of the change I've seen in myself. I love blogging and reading blogs but with the good comes some negative in that I sometimes am more self-critical and I start to feel some of the self-consciousness I feel in real life invading my blogging life. I started coming across talk about page hits, followers, etc. I just decided that I consciously need to avoid dwelling on those things and just focus on writing what I feel and think and don't worry about the rest.

Looking around your blog, I can see you review a wide variety of books. Do you have a favorite genre?
It's hard for me to pick one genre. I tend to go through phases where I will only read books in that genre for weeks or months. Right now I am in my young adult book phase. There are so many great ones out there that I think I will be calling it my favorite genre for awhile.

What are some of your favorite blogs?
Where to start? There are just too many out there to list. Some of my favorites include GalleySmith, Green Bean Teen Queen and Fantastic Book Review, but really there are a ton of other great ones I read too.

How would you describe your blog?
My blog covers the things I enjoy which mostly consists of books, book news and at times my favorite tv series recaps.

I see you’re a fan of Jane Austen. I am too! What’s your favorite book and why?
To be honest I have only read one Austen book and that is Pride and Prejudice. It is my all time favorite book! I love Lizzie and Mr. Darcy. I think I have a thing for guys who can sometimes come across as a jerk but really have a heart of gold on the inside. Thanks to the Everything Austen challenge I've also seen the movie adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and want to read that next. I don't think it will beat out Pride & Prejudice as my favorite though.

Were you surprised by anything after you started blogging?
I was surprised that other people were actually interested in reading what I write. That may sound silly but I really never imagined that I would even get a handful of steady followers.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
I've been lucky and have read a bunch of great books recently. My favorite series is the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and the latest book, Blood Promise, just came out. Awesome book! I also read Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel which was also excellent.

How do you juggle blogging with all the responsibilities that you have?
It is really tough. I wish I had discovered the blogging world before I had my daughter. Right now I squeeze blogging and blog hopping in after she goes to bed and my reading is usually during my 2 hours of commute to and from work. I'm still hoping to find that dream job that would pay me to read and blog ;-) If anyone hears of one...

Be sure to check out Debbie's World of Books!

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Today is the first day of BBAW, and I've compiled a list of a few of my favorite blogs. You can consider this my own personal shortlist. If you would like to join in on the daily blogging topics, just go to BBAW and scroll down to the August 31st entry. It has everything you need to know.

Pirate Penguin Reads: Along with having the cutest blog header I've ever seen, Sandy was one of the first bloggers who stopped by my blog back in May. She writes great reviews on books in several genres, and if you ever want to know what exactly there is to like about John Thornton, she's your girl. :)

Sarah's Random Musings: I only recently discovered this blog, and I'm already loving it. The layout is gorgeous, and the entire blog is very easy on the eyes. Sarah has a lot of awesome author interviews that I really enjoy reading, and her vlogs are pretty cool as well.

Jane Austen Today: I've been reading this blog for quite some time. It keeps me up to date on everything related to Jane Austen's works. They also have amazing occasional giveaways. Currently, they are giving away five copies of Pride and Prejudice which has one very cool cover.

I could go on and on. Take a few minutes to check them out. I think you'll fall in love with them just as I did.

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I just recently found out about this and thought it was pretty interesting. BBAW is set for September 14-18. It looks like a lot of fun! Here's some info off the site:

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

You should definitely go check the site out! The award nominations are now open. There are so many categories, definitely plenty of awards to go around Go check it out and get involved!

Posted by Melanie at 10:24 AM View Comments    

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