Blog Name: Playing by the book
Blog URL: http://www.playingbythebook.net/
Twitter Name: @playbythebook
Goodreads: Playing by the book

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I started Playing by the book in July 2009. I wanted to find a way to both read and play more with my children, and to be in contact with more adults who were also interested in creativity and children’s literature. It seemed like a blog might give me the structure I needed to achieve these goals. I don’t keep a diary but I did want to find a way to treasure the good times – I’ve a terrible memory and didn’t want to forget all the funny moments or sparks of imagination that fill my kids’ days – and my blog has also helped with this. Playing by the book is now a place where I review the kids’ books we’re reading as a family and share the crazy, fun stuff those books inspire us to get up to!

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

My favourite space in our house is my spice cupboard – I love to cook and opening the spice cupboard doors is always an invitation to travel the world!

If I could live anywhere at any time I would love to travel back to the very early 1900s in Budapest – I happen to speak Hungarian and Budapest is a beautiful city, full of amazing architecture and coffee houses to linger in. If I couldn’t make it to Hungary, then I’d accept time traveling to Skara Brae 5000 years ago instead.

I was once offered a job which would have involved traveling the world and learning how to shoot to kill (if only I were making this up…). On days when being stuck at home with two poorly children in a rather uninspiring part of the world I ponder how differently my life could have turned out. But in the end I always know I made the right choice.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

I was born in Zambia and we didn’t have access to many books at all until we moved to the UK. However, one of my favourite books from my early childhood there was Tiger Flower by Robert Vavra with wonderful paintings of tigers and butterflies by Fleur Cowles. I have vivid memories of losing track of time reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in the playground at primary school – and when my second daughter was born I kept myself awake during night feeds by re-reading her books – it was such a treat! Later I couldn’t get enough of The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper and now I can’t wait to read these with my own daughters.

“I adore Zoe’s site! She is always involved in sharing her love of reading with her own children in such creative ways and in that way, getting them ‘hooked’ on books. It’s hard not to find something in every post she writes to use in your own home, from activities to new books, it’s wonderful!

“She’s also hosting a great giveaway right now for a signed copy of Wake Up! by Katie Cleminson! It’s also an international giveaway, so there’s no reason to miss out on this fabulous book. The giveaway closes at 6am UK time on the 3rd of August, so don’t miss out! And make sure to subscribe to her blog while you’re there, you won’t want to miss a post for sure!

“Thank you again to Zoe and her site Playing by the Book for participating in When I Was Young!”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Blog Name: Stiletto Storytime
Blog URL: http://www.stilettostorytime.wordpress.com
Twitter Name: @Stiletostrytime
LibraryThing: Stilettostorytime

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I started my blog in December of 2007. I was in my first year as a children’s librarian. It was great platform for me to review books, talk about library related subjects and even express opinions on other topics of personal interest. I read so much back then to be acquainted with my collection that it seemed a shame not to review and keep track of what I was doing. And so my blog was born and bred at the children’s reference desk of a public library.

My blog is called Stiletto Storytime, which may seem a little odd but as always there is a story behind it. I graduated from library school at the age of 25, I didn’t exactly fit the profile of what people expected of a “librarian”. I was young and refused to act old before my time. I was innovative and always trying a fresh approach to old school library practices. Instead of clogs, I still dressed in stilettos and heels. I did storytime, dancing and shaking my sillies out dressed to the nines. My colleagues all joked I should have a “Stiletto Storytime” since I was always creating new themes and dressing fashionable. From then on…the name stuck! Stiletto Storytime is a blog devoted to helping readers find that perfect book! I review everything from board books to classic literature. There is also a large amount of Jane Austen related material since I am a devoted Janeite.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

I am a twenty something wife and mother to a one year old son. Little man and his Daddy are my world. We also have a dog Zoe who is a cocker/westie mix that rounds out our family. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Masters in Library Science. I am now a SAHM and am working on my first book, which is the first in a middle grade series for girls. I am a southerner born and bred. I love to read more than anything and carry a book everywhere I go. Reading is my escape from the busy world around me. When I pick up a book all my stress and worries float away and it is simply the story and I.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

One of my favorite books as a child was The Chimney Witches by Victoria Whitehead. It was this magical book about a girl who finds a way into the world of witches through her chimney. In fact it had a lot in common with Harry Potter in some ways now that I think about it. I have no idea where that book came from. The author was British and I remember the cover was solid blue with gold lettering. I so loved that book though and the idea of going to another world. I also loved The Little House on the Prairie series, Anne of Green Gables and oddly enough I was obsessed with R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series. By fifth grade I had every one lined up in perfect order on my bookshelves. I wish I had kept them. I now collect them and am always on the hunt for a new one at yard sales or library book sales. In all honesty as a child I was such a voracious reader, I read anything and everything I could get my  on. I just loved and still love books!

“Courtney is fabulous! I just love her to pieces and her site always has something I’m interested in reading. I’ve been reading her site for some time now, but I think I really caught on during the last Dewey’s Read-a-Thon when she read through an entire stack of Charlaine Harris Sookie books. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge fan. Not to mention she also loves Sarah Addison Allen (another favorite), she loves children’s books and she’s a mom!

“Stiletto Storytime absolutely has something for everyone and if you haven’t stopped by yet, what are you waiting for? A must read for book lovers!

“Thank you so much, Courtney, for visiting There’s A Book today!”

Blog Name: SMS Book Reviews
Blog URL: http://smsbookreviews.blogspot.com
Twitter Name: callista83
Goodreads (and/or others): callista83

When did you start your blog and why?
It all started with book reviews on my geocities webpage, and then moved to amazon.com so more people would see them. Them amazon made the rule that you couldn’t submit reviews unless you had purchased from them so I need somewhere else for my reviews. I found blogger and created a blog in 2003 and added my reviews back to 2001. From 2003 to 2007 I added reviews when I found the time, which wasn’t very often. In 2007 I discovered a few book blogs and realized I could post more reviews and talk about books more regularly and actually get a following of people who would read my blog. I also found blog challenges. Now it focus on non-fiction for all ages and children’s books.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.
I’m a mom of two girls and I’m a Girl Guide Leader. I also run another blog that is for parents and women in Canada and is about typical SAHM type topics.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it. Also, you can include a short review of the book if you have time.
My absolute favourite book from childhood is The Giver by Lois Lowry. I know a lot of people have read it but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s Dystopian for older kids. There are two more books that come after it but I haven’t gotten around to read them yet. I’ve read The Giver at least 3 times which is a lot for me as I don’t normally reread books. You can read my review of The Giver here: http://smsbookreviews.blogspot.com/2007/10/giver-by-lois-lowry.html

“I’m so happy to have Callista on today!The Giver was my very first attempt at Dystopian fiction and I’d have to agree with her on this, I highly recommend it!

“Callista’s site is packed full of great books for kids and adults alike, especially if you’re a fan of non-fiction. She’s also extremely active in the book blogging community, which is a huge plus in my eyes. Make sure to stop by and say hello, you may just find the next great read!”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Blog Name: The Lost Entwife
Blog URL: http://thelostentwife.net
Twitter Name: @lrpresley
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/50581

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I technically started my blog in November of 2006. When I started the blog I intended to just write about my day-to-day life.. but as time progressed my life started to change and I never had time to write. Then I started up on GoodReads and discovered that I loved reviewing books – it helped cement the books in my memory (I have a horrible time remembering names!), and it gave me something to send my friends and family to when they were looking for a good book to read.

Then one day last December I thought.. why aren’t I posting these to my blog? I considered starting up a new blog but couldn’t come up with any names that were unique and fit me as much as The Lost Entwife did. And.. being as an Entwife is a literary character written about by the great J.R.R. Tolkien.. I decided to stay put and I’ve been blogging since.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

I’m a family girl. I’m the eldest of nine children, all from the same two parents. I’ve been playing piano since I was four years old and even went to college in pursuit of a piano performance degree. I also game quite a bit and have love exploring the lore behind some of my favorite games. Right now I get plenty of time to read because I am a full-time caregiver to my 7 year old nephew, Cole and my 5 year old niece, Grace. Since I’ve been living with them I’ve watched them grow from pre-schoolers to Grace now entering Kindergarten and Cole 2nd grade. My love of reading has always been apparent to them and I am having a blast introducing them to some of my favorite literature.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I have so many fond memories of this book. I’ve read it more than two dozen times in my lifetime and the first time the story was told to me was by my Dad. He said, and I believe this as well, that The Hobbit is a book to be read out loud and just this past year I read it to my nephew, Cole. More than once I found myself moved to tears watching his expression. To this day, he still talks about the story and talks about how he can’t wait to be able to read and understand it by himself.

“Lydia is one of my favorite book bloggers and just a fabulous person to chat with as well. Her reviews are awesome! I only wish I could read as much as she does in a week. One of the other fantastic things about Lydia is her obsession with Tolkien. Definitely a favorite in our home. His books were also my late Uncle’s absolute favorite.

“Also, at the end of this month, Lydia is starting a new feature called ‘Cross-Bloggination’. Each month a few of us book bloggers will be guest posting on other sites just to share something a little bit different than what we normally review to our audience. This month I will be posting on Lydia’s site and I can’t wait!

“If you’re a fiction fan of almost any variety you will definitely want to take a look at The Lost Entwife! There’s no doubt in my mind that you will find something fabulous to add to your growing list of books to read as well as a wonderful blog to subscribe to. Thank you so much to Lydia for stopping by and sharing her favorite childhood book!”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Blog Name: Amused By Books
Blog URL: http://amusedbybooks.blogspot.com/
Twitter Name: @amusedbybooks
LibraryThing: amusedbybooks

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.
I started my blog in September of 2009. I’ve always been an avid reader and I was getting a lot of my book recommendations from magazines and discovered that they were often leading me towards books that were not very good. This soon led me to searching the internet for recommendations which lead me to book blogs. A light bulb went off. What a wonderful idea! Cataloging and discussing your books online with like minded people! It sounded like so much fun and I am so glad I started my blog because everyone is so friendly and there are always so many wonderful events going on. I have learned so much since starting my blog and believe me, the book recommendations have vastly improved since reading blogs and I hope others have gotten a lot of great recommendations from reading mine!

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.
Besides reading and blogging, I work full-time but nobody wants to hear about that, so in my off-time, I also love to cook and when that fails, head out and try one of the many delicious restaurants in the city. My boyfriend and I enjoy fixing up our house by visiting flea markets and plant indoor gardens in our small space. My green thumb is getting better but if you have any tips I will gladly take them because so far I have spent a lot of money on plants that I quickly throw out! In the summer time we love to bbq and make delicious cocktails.I also love to do a bootcamp near my house in the park – it kicks my butt but it’s totally worth it!

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.
When I was little I absolutely loved the Berenstain Bears books. I had the full collection! I would make anyone and everyone read them to me. I remember sitting on my mom’s lap or having her get into bed with me and read them. Something about living in a tree really sparked my imagination. I think I also liked the fact that I had a dollhouse that had a bear family and the Berenstain Bears were bears, well you get the picture! As I grew older, I fell in love with ‘Little House on the Prairie’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love history and always have. This probably sparked my love of it. I read the whole series but the first is the best. I even loved the TV show. The Pioneer spirit and the love that family had for each other was so wonderful to read about. It’s hard to imagine living in modern times, giving up everything you know to move to some unknown wilderness and having to only rely on each other and build your house on whatever was around you. I just found this book fascinating. How can you not?!

“So, I had the pleasure of meeting Leah at the LA Times Festival of Books this year and I’m so glad that I did. She reviews a lot of the type of books I love to read in my spare time, like Jill Mansel, Harriet Evans and tons of other great contemporary women’s fiction. Besides her fabulous taste in books, she’s also incredibly fun and so so helpful! Every time I am part of an event she’s always right there offering to help out however she can, even just for moral support.

“In addition to all of her wonderful character traits, Leah’s childhood favorites will no doubt strike many of us as some of our own favorites. I can’t even remember all the Berenstain Bears books we went through when I was very little, definitely classics that I hope to pass along to my own children as well. And we’ve already had a few mentions of Little House on the Prairie here on When I Was Young.

“Amused By Books is a book blog you don’t want to miss. She doesn’t only have reviews, but also some great conversation starters like her piece this last week titled ‘Magazines vs. Books‘ that you don’t want to miss. Make sure to stop by and take a look…you may find your next favorite book!

“Thank you so much to Leah for being on, I’m so happy you participated!”

Blog Name: Lale on Lit
Blog URL: http://thelifeoflale.blogspot.com
Twitter Name: lale_g
Goodreads (and/or others): http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3328128
Photos: http://flickr.com/photos/lale-photos

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.
Officially speaking, I started my blog in June 2009- back then, I posted very sporadically and only shared pieces of writing. That all changed this January when I made the decision to change it to a blog devoted primarily to books. Why? Because there are so many incredible books I’ve read and loved that absolutely no-one seems to know about, and I want to show them to the world. So many of my friends can count the number of books they’ve read on one hand, which seems plain wrong to me! I firmly believe that sparking a love of reading is just a question of finding the right book. It’s my goal to get the right books out there. That’s why I review a whole slew of genres as well as some non fiction.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.
I’m a Turkish-American-British teen (with the passports to prove it!) splitting time between Turkey and the United Kingdom. Although I’ll always choose to snuggle with a book over anything else, I also love creative writing and photography. Career-wise, I’ve had a passion for genetics ever since I was eight and read ‘The Future: An Owner’s Manual’ which mentioned scientists engineering bananas to contain the TB vaccine. Instead of getting jabbed, you’d just eat a banana! For someone who’d try to jump out the doctor’s office window rather than have a shot, that sounded pretty epic. In terms of extracurriculars, I’ve taken singing lessons since I was three and am in a gospel choir, and I’ve been fencing epee for five years. (You’ll find out why below.)

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.
Well, there have been many, but if I had to pick one I’d definitely go for ‘Alanna: The First Adventure‘ by Tamora Pierce. My older cousin first lent me a copy when I was probably about eight (although the later books in the series are definitely not appropriate for an eight year old!) and I’ve been a Tammy P devotee ever since. It’s about twins who are being sent away from home- Thom to the palace to become a knight and Alanna to the convent to become a lady. Needless to say, neither is very happy with this arrangement, and they swap places!

The story follows Alanna through her years as a page when she’s pretending to be a boy, and though there are (of course) funny moments, what I loved most about it is that Alanna never, ever gives up– she’s always training training training, proving that she’s just as good as any boy, going above and beyond the norm. I still adore the idea of a female knight as well as Pierce’s brand of magic and the characters. In fact, I love them so much that I took up fencing. Even though I’ll never be quite as good as Alanna, I content myself with reading all of Tamora Pierce’s books over and over- there are four series set in Alanna’s Tortall Universe, and another three in the Winding Circle universe (which has some very cool ambient magic!). Her books are a definite must read for anyone who’s into girl power.

“First I just need to say what Lale said above is exactly what I hope to be helping with everyday that I blog, ‘I firmly believe that sparking a love of reading is just a question of finding the right book.’ Isn’t it perfect? Honestly, I think that most of us who share our love of books with others do it with this intention, but I love how Lale put it! Reading is all about finding that one book, the one that changes us.

“Lale is relatively new to the blogging community, but has an incredible passion for the books she reviews. She reviews just the way she feels about the books and every one of them is meaningful in their own way. She’s also a fantastic photographer! I’d highly recommend taking a minute to stop by and find your next favorite book and quite possibly another fabulous book blogger to learn from!

“Thank you so much Lale for stopping by There’s A Book!”

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Blog Name: A Novel Idea
Blog URL: http://a-novel-idea-by-maryelizabeth.blogspot.com/
Twitter Name: I don’t tweet! (Can you believe it?)
Goodreads (and/or others): http://www.goodreads.com/mary1975rocks

1. When did you start your blog and why?
I started my blog in 2008 as a way to make myself sit down and actually write the children’s novel I have always wanted to write, thus, the blog’s title, “A Novel Idea”. My plan was to write a little bit of the story each day, no matter how small the entry. I figured this would be a solid path to making progress and at least get me started. I took a break from blogging for a while, and then seriously re-entered the blogosphere in March of 2010 with more ideas and ways to implement them! At that point, I wanted to showcase more creative activities on my blog than just write novel entries; I wanted to incorporate a variety of ideas and suggestions related to children’s literature. Since my Bachelor and Masters Degrees are in Education, coupled with my teaching and parenting experience, I thought I might be able to offer some insight on bringing children and literature together. It is definitely a subject area I love and with which I have a variety of experience!

2. Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.
I have four small children – two boys and two girls! Their ages are 6 years, 4 years, 2 years, and 4 months, so I am super, super, super busy!! I love being a mother, and I am very blessed to be able to stay at home with my awesome little ones! My other interests include: reading, blogging, writing, yoga, running, and scrapbooking. I love to unwind by reading a magazine or watching a really funny sitcom. I love to laugh!

3. Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.
I would have to say I have two favorite books from my youth – Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary and Superfudge by Judy Blume. I must have read both of those at least twenty times each!!! I remember reading about Ramona getting her new spelling words at the beginning of each week, and as she looked at that list, feeling like she had a fresh start with everything. That new spelling list made everything right with the world in her eyes! I could relate to her so well!! With every thought and experience Ramona had, I remember thinking, “Wow! That’s exactly how I feel!” Looking back, that shows Beverly Cleary’s incredible writing ability. Superfudge was a childhood favorite, too, due to Judy Blume’s ability to perfectly capture those intense feelings of adolescence. I could completely empathize with the embarrassment Peter would feel as a result of Fudge’s antics, as I have a younger sister and brother of whom I am much older. The dichotomy in those two books was the fact I could strongly identify with the main characters, and that felt wonderful.

“Mary Elizabeth is one of the best new Kidlit bloggers out there! She’s the perfect friend for a parent looking for new (and old) books for their little ones. Not only does she have the expert advice of being a mother of four tremendously cute kiddos, she also has an education to back her up. All of her reviews are the perfect balance of review and recommendation, often with multiple books being offered in a single post.  She also makes a tremendous effort to be a part of the blogging community at large, without ever being on Twitter!

“Not only is A Novel Idea one of my new favorite Kidlit blogs, but Mary Elizabeth has superb taste in books. Because you all know how much I love Beverly Cleary! Don’t miss out on this fantastic new site and friend! Take a look at A Novel Idea and find the next great book for the little one’s (or yourself) in your life.”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Blog name: Live Green Mom
URL: http://livegreenmom.com
Twitter: @LiveGreenMom
Facebook: Live Green Mom

First of all, I want to thank Danielle for inviting me to guest post. It’s a wonderful idea that invites us all in to ‘chat’ about what has shaped us as adults, specifically the books we latched onto when we were young.

When did you start your blog and why?
I began blogging in late December 2009, so, in other words – not for too long! I have always felt compelled to write – stories when I was a child, long (‘very long!” says my husband) letters to friends, family, loves. I never thought I have a book in me to write, but I still felt like I had something to say. Which intersected with my need to divert paths in life, the path from just raising my children and going through my day to day motions, to a greener, more sustainable, earth-friendly path. The road to going green began at a young age, spending the summer of 1982 in Germany with my grandparents. There were recycling centers and special bins for old batteries around the city, and my Oma & Opa brought their own cloth bags to the markets. They shopped a few times a week to buy fresh foods, and they grew their own fresh fruits and vegetables. The first time I had ever tasted a real cherry was that summer! Imagine! This was all very different and new to a 12 year old girl from Texas. It wasn’t until I became a parent and started learning more about being green and the benefits not only for planet Earth but for my children. I am not fanatical or preachy, but I try to live by example. That does not mean it is always easy, though. Sometimes I just want to throw away all my fruit and vegetable scraps instead of trekking out into the snow to compost. Or I want to pack the kids lunches in plastic baggies so that they can throw them away, instead of the scramble sometimes to clean out their lunch boxes right before the bus gets here, because we all forgot to unpack them and clean them out the night before. But I forge on, learning from others all around me, as well as figuring out what works for me on my own. My theory has evolved to “small changes add up”. I make small changes that work for me, not comparing myself to someone else that might have more time or money to make bigger leaps. It’s not a race, it’s not about who wins, it’s about all of us doing what we can, big or small. It all adds up. My blog is about my small changes and my struggles.

Tell us about yourself outside your interest of books.
I am a mom to an 8 year old girl, Sophie, and a 6 year old boy Max. Being a mom defines so much of who I am these days, I almost forget who I used to be. I love to be active, be outside, work in my yard. I taught myself to unicycle last summer! I was surprised to find that there is a large uni-cycling community in my town! Who knew? I hurt my back last autumn (not uni-cycling) and I am scared I won’t be able to get back on this summer and practice. It isn’t easy! I am a homebody and while I am outgoing and social, I’m not pressed to go out much. I just like the peaceful, healthy home I have created for my family.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.
I have always loved to read, it was such an escape for me as a child watching my parents divorce when I was 8, rough patches with siblings, then going through my awkward years. I don’t think I can pinpoint one particular book that I loved as a child. However, I can say without a doubt, that there was one author that I came back to over and over again. Beverly Cleary. I know many of you who are reading this have just smiled and nodded your head in agreement. Who hasn’t read her books as a child? Her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950. I loved it when I read it is the late 1970′s and even now, as I read her books to my little girl, I see my son Max in Henry. I see Ramona in Sophie! Her characters are timeless, and they give me an opportunity to present characters to my children that aren’t overly preoccupied with their clothes, their looks, or technology. There is no premature witty banter that make adults look clueless. (That is one of my main gripes about television shows and some books aimed towards kids my daughter’s age). Her characters are engaging and endearing, especially Beezus and Ramona. Who, with siblings, couldn’t relate to those two? When I was a young girl, I used to say to myself, I hope when I become a mommy, I have a little girl and I can read all these books to her. I got so lucky! I have a daughter that loves Beverly Cleary as much as I do. I get such a kick out of re-reading and rediscovering these gems with Sophie. I do not think that any parent can go wrong picking up any book from Beverly Cleary and reading it with their children. Books like these are such a valuable way to open up conversation with my children that aren’t preachy. Instead of “You know what I did about that when I was a kid?” which can have my children’s eyes glazing over, I can read a chapter and ask Sophie what she thought about that situation, or how she would have responded to what was going on in the story.

I also loved the fact that as I got older, she had books like Fifteen, The Luckiest Girl, and Jean and Johnny that I could relate to as I began to like boys and unravel their mystery.

I’d love to hear from other readers what their favorite Beverly Cleary book is!

Thank you again for this opportunity to guest on your site. I love how you have reminded us about the value of books to a child in this very fast paced world.

“Dee is absolutely wonderful! Our family is personally trying to improve our interaction with the environment around us and I love getting new ideas from the Live Green Mom site. Dee is also a fabulous friend to have on Twitter, she’s always willing to help out friends by sharing tweets of your most recent posts. Most of all I’ve loved getting to know her and the tremendous positive impact she has on everyone around her including the environment.

“Of course I’m partial to your book selection because I’m a huge Cleary fan, but I’m so glad you picked it! Thank you so much for sharing Dee!”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Blog Name: The World of Peachtree Publishers
Blog URL: http://www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com
Twitter Name(s): @PeachtreePub and @EGDeedy

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I started my blog this past January 2010. I had been working with book bloggers on blog tours and started to really enjoy reading the various reviews and talking about books on twitter with all of the interesting people I was meeting. I figured, “Why not have a publisher’s blog for Peachtree Publishers?” I try to write about things of interest to me in regards to books and publishing, but also answer people’s questions about writing, submitting manuscripts, the editorial process etc. I’m lucky in that I have a lot of freedom with my blog and really get to run with the ideas that I get. I try to loop posts back to my publisher and our books, but the posts aren’t always about us. I think that part of having an interesting blog as a publisher is not always talking your own books to death. Sure, blogs, twitter, and facebook are great publicity tools, but they are more than that. I try and use this blog as a way to connect with readers, writers, and book lovers. I have a cool job.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

I have a not-so-secret love of video games. I know this seems strange in a book lover, but I LOVE playing video games. I have almost every system. The Legend of Zelda and Kingdom Hearts are my two favorite series. However, I enjoy playing games like Call of Duty with my guy friends as well.

Anyone that follows my twitter feed also knows that I am crazy about my boyfriend, Hampton, my niece, Ruby, my pets, and Monty Python. In case you’re curious, I have a black cat named Isis that I found abandoned in a storm drain when she was just five weeks old, a Miniature Pinscher named Eddie that I came across at the pound while I was trying to find my cat who was lost at the time, and Athena, a Royal Bahamian Potcake, who is my and Hampton’s newest rescued pet, at just three months old, straight from the Bahamas. As you can see, I have a habit of rescuing abandoned animals. According to my mother, this is not a new trait in me.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

This is hard! Can I name two? Fine. Just one. One of my favorite picture books as a kid was The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters. The Jolly Postman has to deliver letters to various characters in the Fairytale Kingdom. I loved seeing characters I recognized, like Cinderella or The Big Bad Wolf, in new, almost mundane, situations. They were so normal in their homes (except for the Wolf, who is at Grandma’s House, obviously), reading their letters. I could relate to them. Baby Bear gets a birthday invitation to Goldilocks’ birthday party. The Wicked Witch receives “Hobgoblin Monthly” to order witches supplies. My favorite thing about this book though was that each illustration had an envelope with a real letter that you could pull out and read for yourself. This extra element made the book so awesome for me as a kid. My copy miraculously survived my childhood still containing all of its letters. Whenever I need to pick out a book for a young kiddo, this is one of the first ones I go to.

P.S. I also love Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere is still one of my favorite books that I often give to friends who claim they aren’t readers. They always come back completely hooked on reading and asking for more books. It is exciting from the very beginning. And that whole chapter with “The Ordeal?!” I mean come on… how is that not incredible?! (ha… now you want to know what The Ordeal is if you haven’t read the book. Bwahaha!) I also keep bees, like Neil Gaiman, so I hope that maybe one day we will share tweets about bees and books. A girl can dream.

“Erin is exactly what you think…professional, intelligent and absolutely fun. It’s been a treat getting to know her through twitter conversations and the occasional email. To me Erin is one of the best parts of book blogging. You get to meet authors and publishers who just knock your socks off – so to speak. They are more than you would have ever hoped and in the end, just all around great people. Her site has a little bit of everything, including book reviews, insight into the back end of the publishing business, discussion pieces and educational posts.

“For book bloggers the Peachtree Publishers site and blog are not to be missed! And for everyone else…you can’t miss it! Erin does a superb job and gets you thinking about what book to pick up next. Make sure to stop by, say hi and enter to win a fantastic new book!

“Thanks so much for stopping by Erin!”

Erin’s Blog for Peachtree Publishers is holding a special Giveaway just for this week’s event. Make sure to stop by The World of Peachtree Publishers Blog to enter!

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Blog Name: Yay! Reads
Blog URL: http://yayreads.blogspot.com
Twitter Name: @yayreader
Goodreads (and/or others): http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2603216

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I started my blog last fall. I discovered The Story Siren and got inspired to share my own thoughts about books. Since then, I’ve come to find such an amazing community. I didn’t even know how much people loved books. I don’t remember the previous websites I used to visit before joining the community because now it’s all about the book blogs.

Yay! Reads features contests, book reviews, interviews, and a bunch of other cool stuff including some posts about my writing. I mostly read YA but there have been a few adult titles here and there.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

I live in Puerto Rico which is probably the most interesting part about myself in the community because I haven’t met another person from where I am who has a book blog. I am also sixteen and an aspiring author. I love to be on the computer and design/code some stuff although I haven’t done that since a long time ago and I think I’ve forgotten. Anyways, I really love photography, too. I’m not very good at it but photography is one of my favorite arts; more than painting and sculptures! I am a politics junkie and very outspoken about my thoughts.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it. Also, you can include a short review of the book if you have time.

If I’d tell you, you probably wouldn’t know them because they were in Spanish. But after that, during my tween years, I was very into Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. I have more than fifty Nancy Drew books and every time I see one I get nostalgic about them. I don’t have a favorite but I remember that I used to sleep with a night light because they scared me. Oh, and I was in love with Ned. They were really good mystery books. Funny because I don’t read lots of mystery now.

“Patty is such a great addition to the book blogging community! One of my favorite parts of book reviewing, like Patty, is the community. Especially the diversity behind it. You are able to take in reviews from all over the world from all different age groups and personal circumstances.

“Yay! Reads is all about Young Adult novels and their authors. So if you are in need of your YA fix you’ll definitely want to stop by Patty’s site. Her reviews are always honest, to the point and current.

“Thank you so much Patty for stopping by There’s A Book!”

Make sure to stop by Yay! Reads before May 25th for her 100+ Followers Contest!

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.