Are you a fan of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings?
Then you won’t want to miss this event!

Among many of the activities planned for the week we will be doing a group read and discussion of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. I can’t wait!

Besides, who wouldn’t want to participate in an event with such a beautiful logo? Isn’t it gorgeous? The fabulous Juju from Tales of a Whimsy is responsible for the beautiful logo and the amazing NotNessie from Today’s Adventure is hosting the event. It’s going to be spectacular!

We all love books, right? Well, I’m taking a guess that at least you or someone in your life that you really really love is mad about them the way I am. Well, maybe not that extreme; living on 3 hours of sleep a day due to severe reading addictions are worth seeing a professional over…possibly. Considering that you are here because you love them, then you don’t want to miss this next great book event!

In an effort to spread some bookish love, the fabulous GMR from Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and myself have put our heads together to come up with Got Books? An annual (and possibly bi-annual) event that takes place over two days, July 23-24, 2010.

See, after participating in the wonderful bi-annual event, BLOGMANIA, both Gina and I decided we wanted something exclusively book. We wanted an event that revolved entirely around everything “bookish”, including the blogs involved. We love books and everything about them and wanted to give them the opportunity to shine. So, for two entire days (as well as many weeks leading up to the event) we will be shinning the spotlight on all things bookish, culminating in a huge giveaway event that currently stands at over 80 participating blogs!

We’ve already started to highlight the blogs and sponsors (including authors and publishers) we’ve got lined up. So make sure to take a look and see what you may have the opportunity to win, and possibly find your newest “favorite” book blog. Not only will there be prizes at the individual blogs we’ll be hosting a big kick-off giveaway on the actual Got Books? site as well!

As for me, I’ve got some incredible giveaways lined up here, I mean truly you do not want to miss it! Got Books? is going to be the Book event you don’t want to miss this year. So, what are you waiting for? Run over to the site now, take a look and if you’re a book blogger…Sign Up!

This is a weekly event, hosted by Jen from Crazy For Books, where book reviewers and readers can connect to find new sites to read. I actually haven’t participated in this in a few weeks, but thought it was about time I jumped in again, I need to get out a little! So, if you’re interested in testing the waters a bit, jump in and join the fun over at Crazy For Books. You may just find your next favorite site!

Parajunkee has also started up a book blogger hop and like I mentioned, I need to get out a little! So, I’m jumping in here as well. How about you? Take a look at her Follow my Book Blog Friday for more fantastic details!

Coming to a book blog site near you!
Sign up has begun and sponsors are on board for the big Kick-Off Contest.
Have you joined the fun?
For more information, check out the site!
Got Books? Event Page

Bloggiesta finished up this morning and I’m finally able to put together my wrap-up post. This time around Bloggiesta was a little different for me. With the Mini-Challenge that I hosted about Stats, I was able to help answer some questions via email and Twitter. It was really really fun! Sorry for any of you that were on the receiving end of my long winded emails, but when I get going with that type stuff I can go on for a long time. So, most of my time with Bloggiesta was spent doing that, BUT I did get a lot of other great tasks accomplished and I’m feeling pretty good.

So, this is what I started with when I began Bloggiesta:

• Schedule at least 14 Posts.
• Post my reviews to the following sites: Goodreads, LibraryThing, Indiebound, Amazon, Kidlitosphere, Book Army, B&N, etc.
• Set up a Calendar on Google.
  
• Organize my Author Interviews & Websites into a separate page.
• Gather a List of Bloggers I love and post a separate page.
• Create a Book News Page.
• Create an Awards Page.

Here’s the skinny on what I really accomplished:

• Set up a Calendar on Google. I was able to put this together, plus coordinate it with my Google Docs & Reminder Fox scheduling data so that I’m all planned out! YAY!
• Add more “Guests” to my “When I Was Young” Feature. I sent out a total of 15 requests and just looked again, I have 3 more to send out. Wohoo! This is a huge thing, because this is one of my favorite parts of the site and I want to see it keep going. So yay!
• Scheduled a total of 2 Reviews, but set up about 16 posts/reviews so they’re ready to go when I am finished with the books.
• Post all of my reviews to the following sites: Goodreads, LibraryThing, Indiebound, Amazon, Kidlitosphere, Book Army, B&N, etc. I’m just about done with all of this (although, I did give up on Book Army, every time I entered a review it went away to nowhere, boo!), but I still need to add them to the Kidlitosphere. All-in-all pretty good I think.
• Gather a List of Bloggers I love and post a separate page. This is the page titled “Links” and so far it’s not looking so hot. So, this is definitely still a work in progress.

Things I’m still planning on doing this coming week:

• Schedule out a few more posts.
• Organize my Author Interviews & Websites into a separate page.
• Create a Book News Page.
• Create an Awards Page.

All in all, pretty good. I’m so glad I was able to help so much this time around and I can’t wait to join in Bloggiesta again next time around. Although, next time I may just be a cheerleader, I seriously need a nap now. )

On to Day 3 of the 3rd Bloggiesta! Today was kind of rough. My hubby was able to go help someone move this morning and The Turkeybird decided it wanted to be up at 4:30 AM, which didn’t exactly bode well for my concentration. I was still able to press on and got a few things I wanted done accomplished. How about everyone else? Any fabulous new progress to report?

• Set up a Calendar on Google. Done!
• Add more “Guests” to my “When I Was Young” Feature – So far, I’m up to 14 (and I’ve emailed them all!), but would still love to schedule more!
• Schedule at least 14 Posts. – So far, I’ve done 14 reviews and some templates. Not bad. Still need a few more
• Post my reviews to the following sites: Goodreads, LibraryThing, Indiebound, Amazon, Kidlitosphere, Book Army, B&N, etc. (I’ve done about 20 and I’m still plugging away!)
• Organize my Author Interviews & Websites into a separate page.
• Gather a List of Bloggers I love and post a separate page.
• Create a Book News Page.
• Create an Awards Page.

Wish me luck and I’ll be stopping by a few of my fellow participants to see how they’re doing during my rest stops!

Make sure to check out my two Mini-Challenges! Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: It’s All About the Numbers (learn all about how to utilize your stats to make your blog even better) and Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: It’s Not Cheating (learn all about backing up that data you desperately don’t want to lose).

So, it’s day two of the 3rd Bloggiesta, you’re starting to lose a bit of speed and need a bit of a push. Pick up your favorite Mexican snack food and your must-have sweet and dig in! Saturdays are always great for getting tons done and I can’t wait! I’ve only accomplish a few things, but still been able to cross some difficult tasks off the list. Hopefully today will be a banner day and I’ll be able to cross of most of it. What do you think? You think I can? Let’s see how it goes!

• Schedule at least 14 Posts. – So far, I’ve done 2, with templates set up for about 7, just need to add reviews. Not bad.
• Post my reviews to the following sites: Goodreads, LibraryThing, Indiebound, Amazon, Kidlitosphere, Book Army, B&N, etc.
• Set up a Calendar on Google. Done!
  
• Organize my Author Interviews & Websites into a separate page.
• Gather a List of Bloggers I love and post a separate page.
• Create a Book News Page.
• Create an Awards Page.
• Add more “Guests” to my “When I Was Young” Feature – So far, I’m up to 10, but would still love to schedule more!

Wish me luck and I’ll be stopping by a few of my fellow participants to see how they’re doing during my rest stops!

Make sure to check out my two Mini-Challenges! Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: It’s All About the Numbers (learn all about how to utilize your stats to make your blog even better) and Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: It’s Not Cheating (learn all about backing up that data you desparately don’t want to lose).

This is my second Bloggiesta and it seems like just yesterday I completed my first. Time flies! Experience has taught me though to be more concise with my goals and expectations for the amazing weekend. That way I can enjoy more of the challenges and social aspects of Bloggiesta. So, without further adieu, my list of goals for the weekend:

• Schedule at least 14 Posts.
• Post my reviews to the following sites: Goodreads, LibraryThing, Indiebound, Amazon, Kidlitosphere, Book Army, B&N, etc.
• Set up a Calendar on Google. Done!
  
• Organize my Author Interviews & Websites into a separate page.
• Gather a List of Bloggers I love and post a separate page.
• Create a Book News Page.
• Create an Awards Page.

Good luck to everyone involved! Make sure to enjoy some fantastic food, cross off some goals, and enjoy the great company! I’ll see you around!
Make sure to check out my past Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: It’s Not Cheating, for those of you in need of a “back-up” list, it’s perfect!

Also, for those of you wondering, what in the heck is Bloggiesta? It’s basically a weekend long event that bloggers (primarily book bloggers, but anyone can really) join together to focus on “sprucing-up” their blogs. It could be anything from adding buttons, writing posts, requesting guest posts or cleaning up tags & categories. Truly, the sky is the limit and it’s all about your blog for an entire weekend. Interested in joining in? Checkout the sign-up post over at Maw Books Blog for all the details.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming and I can hardly wait!

Last year my site had just launched and I caught the tail end of this fabulous event celebrating book bloggers from around the globe.

For those of you wondering just what exactly I’m talking about, direct from the BBAW site here are the nuts and blots: Book Blogger Appreciation Week is a week long festival celebrating the community of book bloggers and their contribution to preserving a culture of literacy through book reviews and recommendations, reading reflections, and general bookish chat.

This year I’m hoping to participate in more ways than one. First, I’ve volunteered to work on the content for the event week by helping with that development and posting. Secondly, I’m hoping to nominate myself for the Awards portion of the week. Hopefully I will qualify for a nomination in Best Kidlit Book Blog as well as the features, Best New Book Blog and Best Written Book Blog. I’m also hoping the Armchair BEA Event I was a part of makes it to the voting round!

I know this may seem a little odd to everyone, I mean nominating myself, but I guarantee it is absolutely normal. Once I submit my information a separate panel will judge my selected posts and once closer to the event they will announce the blogs that made it through the nomination process to be voted on. So, cross your fingers, I’d love the opportunity!

I mentioned that I have to submit a few posts. For each of the categories I have to provide a certain number of posts, some with a specific requirement of reviews. So, here are my posts for the judges:

Reviews:
Book Review: From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Book Review: Cat the Cat Who Is That? by Mo Willems
Book Review: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
Book Review: The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
A Sticky Situation – Using Activity and Sticker Books – A Story of the Turkeybird

So there you have it! I’m nervous and excited all at the same time! I can’t wait for BBAW this year, especially for the opportunity of cheering on all the other bloggers I love so much. See you there!

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.

Blog Name: Today’s Adventure
Blog URL: http://ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com
Twitter Name:@NotNessie
Goodreads (and/or others): http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2197573

1. When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too. I started my blog in April 2009.  I love to read (obviously) but I don’t really have any friends in real life to discuss my reading with.  So I started my blog as a way to connect with people who had similar interests, as well as keep track of my thoughts on what I’d been reading.  Little did I know I was creating an obsession for myself.  I know that that story sounds exactly like the “how I got started with blogging story” that many of you have, and that’s one of my favorite things about the book blogging community- you’re all as crazy as I am!  I’m a very eclectic reader, and so the selection of books you’ll find on my blog has a little of everything from fantasy to mystery to YA to contemporary fiction to non-fiction.  Really, whatever happens to strike my fancy.  Some of the features on my blog include “Cream of the Crop,” a weekly post in which I highlight some of my favorite posts by other bloggers, and “Fun Finds” which talks about what I find when pursuing my other obsession, Etsy.
2. Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.  I’m a 29 year old, stay-at-home mother of three (ages 4, 2 and 1 month).  I am married to a wonderful man who puts up with the fact that he often sees more of a book cover than he does of my face.  Single ladies, should you find a man with this quality, be sure to snap him right up.  Another man, that is.  Not mine.  I have a degree in psychology, which comes in very handy for diagnosing the different ways in which I am going insane.  If I have any spare time after the children, the husband, the housework, and the blogging have all had their share, you will probably find me in the great outdoors, soaking up the rare Canadian sunshine.
3. Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it. My favorite book when I was little was Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman.  A mother bird is sitting in her nest on an egg.  Suddenly, the egg starts jumping, so the mother bird flies off to find food for her soon-to-hatch baby.  While she’s away, the baby bird hatches and, finding himself alone, sets off to find his mother.  This is such a simple story, but I loved is as a child and I still love it.  I read it to my children, and they love it so much I’ve probably read it about fourteen thousand times.  A talking bird wanders around the countryside asking various animals (and some construction equipment), “Are you my mother?”  It sounds a little bizarre, but it works.  I suppose this was an early sign of my lifelong love of the whimsical.

Thanks so much Danielle for having me!

“Vanessa has long had one of my favorite book review sites. She has fantastic taste in books (maybe because she reads everything I like to read, but that’s beside the point) and writes fantastic reviews. Not only that, but she is one of the most supportive bloggers out there. Even with her hectic schedule and a newborn she still manages to make the rounds and stop by numerous sites to comment.On a more personal note, for me it’s so nice to have someone to connect with whom I share so many similarities (ie. love of books, kids, great husbands, etc.). (By the way, the picture above is actually Vanessa reading when she was little, too cute!)

“If you haven’t read her reviews yet or even just stopped by her site you are certainly missing out. Also, if you haven’t already signed up for her Blogoversary Giveaway you really need to! She’s giving away an incredible amount of books and it’s even open internationally! The contest ends on April 30, 2010 though, so hurry and stop by!

“Thanks so much for being on today Vanessa!”

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.