Winner of the Hush, Hush Giveaway!!

And here I bet you all thought I forgot!! No. I didn't forget. I just didn't get to it right away. Complete and utter difference!!

So...for my BBAW Giveaway, I ended up assigning everone a number. I give you the winner, from Random Generator #39:

Nikola of Nikola's Book Blog

Thanks so much everyone for visiting and entering!! I appreciate every comment!

Thanks For Introducing Me to this Book!!! BBAW

From the BBAW Website, here is today's assignment:

Can you believe it’s already Day 4 of BBAW? Where has the time gone? Well hopefully you’ve discovered plenty of new book blogs to clog up your RSS feed readers and introduce you to more marvelous books throughout the year! But let’s talk about that book you know, the one you discovered only because you read about it on a book blog and then you realized you couldn’t live without it! And then you read it and you loved it so hard! Tell us about it and about the blogger (or bloggers!) that introduced the book to you!

Well, as you could probably tell from yesterday's 5 words answers, I don't do very well following directions!! It's not like I don't READ them. I do. I just choose to ignore them, and make up my own. Besides, since I've started blogging, I have read some of the most wonderful books!! And I'd have to say that 95% of the credit goes to bloggers. With that said, I'm going to list a few more than just one. Because, when you say that book, the one you can't live without - I say there are more than just one!!

When I started blogging, I discovered Neil Gaiman. I haven't read anything that he's written that has been a disappointment to me. Not in the least. But one of the best of his books so far has been Neverwhere. I read this one last year for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. It was through urging from Carl. Although Gaiman has legends of fans (me included), Carl could possibly be one of his biggest!!

Preludes & Noctures: The Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman is the very first graphic novel that I've ever read. Not only did I love it, I was blown away by the awesomeness of it!! The story itself is a first-rate fantasy tale, but the artwork is amazing. I can't remember exactly who the first person was to bring up this series, but I'd lay money on a couple of people: Carl, Chris, and Debi. And because it's a graphic novel, I'm throwing Nymeth in to boot. Because she is one of the people that pushed me into reading a GN in the first place.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series. There is just something so incredibly appealing to me about books with strong female characters. And Mercy is definitely one of the strongest. This isn't great literature, by any means. But it's escapism at it's best: it's fun, fast, and exciting. I first read about this from Kailana. She reads enough fantasy/paranormal/speculative fiction, that if she likes it, I'm positive I will too!

Looking for Alaska is another book that I give full-credit to bloggers for. It's quite possible the first review of this book came from the phenomenal Dewey. In fact, I'm sure that's the first place I saw it. But since that time, it was Nymeth, Chris, and most recently Debi that pushed me over the edge to read this WONDERFUL book. Have you ever felt like you were a better person for reading a certain book? THIS is one of those books.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is such a new read for me, I haven't even had a chance to review it yet. In fact, I just finished it this morning. But I wanted to add it to the list because it was completely and utterly delightful!! And I wanted to give Nymeth peace of mind. Since I had a less than stellar reaction to one of her favorite books, I just wanted to let her know how fabulous I though I Capture the Castle was! So much so that I need to savour it for a few days before I write the review.

Don't forget to sign up for my Hush, Hush Giveaway!!

Happy BBAW!

BBAW Meme.....and a BBAW Giveaway!!

Today's "assignment" for BBAW is to complete a reading meme. It's one that is listed on the BBAW blog, so everyone can answer the same questions. The trick is to do it with few words. Anyone that knows me, will know this is an impossible task. I like words. I use them all the time. LOTS of them. To answer these questions in 5 words or less is well..... Ridiculous!! I'll try to shorten my answers, but don't count on them really being all that short!!

Do you snack while you read? Nope. Not usually. Unless you count Diet Pepsi.

If so, favorite reading snack? Did we decide Diet Pepsi was a snack or not? Still unclear. But if it IS a snack, that's my answer!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? NEVER mark up my books. Sacrilege!

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open? Bookmarks, if I ever have any (the girlies tend to steal them!) Usually just scraps of paper. Never dog-ear.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both. Mostly Fiction, though.

Hard copy or audiobooks? Hard Copy only.

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? End of Chapter person. With anything else, there is no closure. I'm all about the closure!

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Usually. I hate not knowing something. Immediately.

What are you currently reading? I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and Book 2 of Gregor Series by Suzanne Collins (although I am told that The Knife of Never Letting Go MUST be my next read!)

What is the last book you bought? The Hunger Games for Chad's Birthday (and The Preacher: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis - graphic novel for me!)

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? Can do more than 1, but has to be different genres or the confusion sets in.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? Any time/Any Place

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? Either. (But I do like closure, as we discussed above)

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? The Stand by Stephen King. To everyone that will listen.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?) WHEN they are organized, it's by author.

Now that was fun, not all too taxing. Since it IS BBAW, I decided I would do a giveaway as well. Although I didn't love the book, there is a ton of buzz about it on the Internet these days. And since it isn't being released until October 13th, I thought I would giveaway my ARC copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzgerald. I didn't love, but it doesn't mean you won't! It is a used copy. Try as I might to keep them perfect, there always ends up being at least a little reading wear on them!

Since this is for BBAW, I'm only running the giveaway for a couple of days. So enter quickly. Enter now!! All you have to do to enter is tell me your favorite read of 2009. No jumping through hoops. Not posting on your blogs. You don't even have to tweet it, if you don't want to. See? I'm pretty easy to get along with, aren't I? This contest is open worldwide, and my girlies will draw a name this Saturday: Sept. 19th!!

Thanks for stopping by, and Happy BBAW!!

BBAW Interviews and Some Left-Over Blogger Love!

As you all, this week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. If you blog for awhile, you find a niche and stick with it. I have made some great friends and found some great blogs. I didn't, however, realize until this week just how many book blogs are actually out there! I'm hoping by my day off Friday I get a chance to visit many of these "new-to-me" blogs.

One new blog Blog: Bookworm with a View. Mari is my interview parnter for today's assignment!! And just in case you want to follow her on Twitter, her name is BookwormMari.

And here is my interview with Mari:

Can you give my readers a little Background information: I met my husband when I was eighteen, we celebrated our 21st anniversary earlier this year. We have one son and three dogs. I work remotely (from home) in an international organization, which might explain why I appear online all the time (I support Singapore , UK , Brazil and Canada ). When I’m not working you will find me running, working out, practicing yoga, keep my house organized, and relaxing.

I also manage two book clubs, my local BC (The Omaha Bookworm’s) and an online BC for the Manic Mommies.

What made you start blogging in the first place? When I started my blog (last November) I had no idea anyone blogged! I thought my family was moving and wanted to post my book clubs book list somewhere. I had no idea this ‘world’ existed until this spring when an author asked me to include an interview on my site for an upcoming book club discussion. The interview was hosted by a blogger.

Have you always been a reader? I didn’t read much until I was a teenager. In seventh grade I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and relearned how to read. I have been reading ever since! I don’t remember reading a real novel until I was in junior high.

Does your family read? My husband used to read all the time but doesn’t read much these days. My son and I are the readers in our family.

What are you favorite types of books? Historical fiction or fiction with an educational element (about the medical industry, culture, etc). I like to learn while reading.

5 top all-time favorites and you can include classics, if you like: The English Patient, The Red Tent, The Poisonwood Bible, Anna Karenina, Resistance (to name a few)

Favorite author(s): Five years ago I would have said Anita Shreve. My expectations are high for her new book coming out later this month. I hear it’s wonderful.

A book you loved as a kid: I loved Judy Bloom as a young girl, Forever & Are you there God, it’s me Margaret.

A book you loved in high school: Okay this is not a book but hands down… Romeo and Juliet! In ninth grade I read all of Shakespeare’s work one semester and was beside myself the day I was asked to read Juliet and the boy I had a crush on read Romeo J. It’s the simple things….

And yes, I have some fun ones too!

Favorite Movie: About last Night

Favorite Food: Does a Starbucks coffee Frap count? I only let myself have one on a rare occasion.

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Song: Living inside my heart, by Bob Seger

And finally, if you could have dinner with any 4 LITERARY CHARACTERS, who would it be: This would be easy if the invites were authors! I think these characters would make for a lively dinner though: Elizabeth Bennet, Anna Karenina, Dinah (The Red Tent) and Skeeter (The Help).

Thanks Mari!!! That was fun!

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Since I wasn't able to post yesterday, I just wanted to add just a few names to the blogger "lovefest" that went on! I have a few awards of my own that should be presented!

Michelle from Master Musings by Michelle is a very good friend of mine. I've known her for quite a few years, and hers should definitely earn an award for Best New Blog! She writes wonderful reviews that are not only well-written, but incredibly insightful. She's also a HUGE Twilight Fangirl!

Kailana from The Written World is like the Michael Jordan of reading. I think she is nearing 300 books this year, and it's only September!! Besides having fantastic taste in books, she's also a dear friend. If there was a blog award for Reading the Most, she'd win in a New York Minute!

Nicola from Back to Books. Nicola reads and reviews tons of children's and YA books. There are always great recommendations for my kids. And although we may disagree on a lot of topics, she is never afraid to state her opinions. And always in the nicest possible way. I repect her a lot, and consider her a friend, as well.

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings. Carl is a super guy that has a passion for anything in the arts: literature, painting, photography, music, movies....and the list goes on and on. What makes Carl so special is his need to share this passion with everyone. Besides that, he is the GREATEST Challenge Host....EVER!

Finally, Nymeth from Things Mean Alot, Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made On, and Debi from Nothing of Importance as the Bloggers that add the most books to my TBR!! All 3 are fantastic people. All 3 are considered my friends. And all 3 read books that somehow end up on MY TBR!! It's because they are all 3 so cool, smart and well....just like me!! (at least in the sense that we have very similiar belief systems!) In some alternate universe, I have a feeling we are all siblings...and somehow, here we just sort of got separated! The simple fact of the matter is, I feel closer to these people, that I have never even met, than I am to 95% of the people in my "real" life. And THAT is what blogging has done for me. I feel like I have come home! (just a special, special thanks to you 3!)

And those are just a few of the Awards that should have been presented!!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Unless you have been living under a rock the last month, you all know about Book Blogger Appreciation Week. It's coming up soon: September 14 - 18.

The brain child of the wonderful Amy, at My Friend Amy, Book Blogger Appreciation Week is "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."

There is even a dedicated blog for BBAW this year. You can find it here. And if you visit there right now, you'll find this meme:

If you were a part of BBAW last year, please answer these simple questions on your blog and drop your link into Mister Linky so that others can learn all about BBAW! Feel free to tag other bloggers to play along!

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

2) What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year?

3) What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience?

1. The absolute highlight of BBAW last year was the fact that I got a chance to host 4 of the awards!! Blog Name, Best Romance Blog, Best Kid Lit Blog and Best Challenge Blog. And what was even more special, to me anyway, was being able to present an award to Dewey @ The Hidden Side of the Leaf. We all know the impact Dewey had on the Book Blogging Community, and the loss we felt when she was gone.

2. New blogs? I discovered tons of new blogs, but one of the ones I remember most is The Literate Housewife. Jennifer was one of the presenters for some of the blog awards, and I remember going to her blog for the first time. She has some great reviews and is a rockin' blogger!

3. The best thing I can say about BBAW is it's a chance to "meet" a whole bunch of really great book bloggers. It's a chance to get to know people that share a common bond: the love of books and reading! If you don't do anything else during the week, at least visit a few new blogs!!

This year it's going to be bigger and better. And I, for one, can not wait!!

More BBAW Winners!!

Yes....for the final day we are back to the Red Carpet with 2 more Winner Presentations!! Isn't this fun?? I feel like a star!! So.....let's pass over that envelop and get to it!!




In the category of Best Kidlit Blog, here are the nominations:

A Patchwork of Books

Christian Children's Book Review

Jen Robinson's Book Page

Well Read Child

Young Readers

And the Winner is:

A Tie!!!

Well Read Child

and

Jen Robinson's Book Page

And Finally......the nominations for Best Romance Blog are:

The Book Binge

Dear Author

OCD, vampires, and amusing rants, oh my!

Rip My Bodice

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

And the Winner is:

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Again....I want to thank My Friend Amy for such a great BBAW!! All the nominees and winners should be congratulated. Each blog is fantastic!!

And the Winners Are......

Today, I have the honor of announcing 2 of the Book Blogger Appreciation Week Award Winners! All the votes have been tabulated, and we have some winners!

The nominees for Best Name for a Blog are:

Bloody Hell, It's a Book Barrage!

Bookgasm

Books on the Nightstand

Rip My Bodice

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

The Nominees for Best Challenge Host are:

1 More Chapter

The Hidden Side of a Leaf

Maggie Reads

Stainless Steel Droppings

Thoughts of Joy

Drumroll please.......and can I have the envelope.

In the category Best Name for a Blog, the Winner is:

Bookgasm

In the category Best Challenge Host, the winner is:

The Hidden Side of the Leaf

Congrats to the winners!! Many Thanks must go out to all of you that voted for your favorites. And thanks especially to My Friend Amy for all her hard work at putting on a GREAT BBAW!!

Tune in tomorrow for the winners of Best Romance Blog and Best Kidlit Blog!