BBAW Friday Topic - Future Treasures

After all the hours of planning our BBAW team spent for 2010, it is amazing how quickly it all goes by. And it has been so much fun. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for all those that worked behind the scenes to make all of this happen. BBAW is an amazing community builder.

So what were the highlights? I think top highlight HAS to be meeting new bloggers. Even through the interview swap, I met Gayle, whose reputation as a first-class blogger preceded itself. I added more new blogs to my reader. I added more books to my TBR list, some of which I want to read NOW, but realistically might get to in a year or two.


I was pleased to be awarded the Best Audiobook Blog. I will proudly display my badge, even though I had no competition this year. I know a few of you out there that publish excellent audio reviews, and my wish is that you would please give me some company on those longlists next year. The best news of all is that audio books are beginning to make an impact on the literary scene, and more people are trying them and loving them. (For an excellent audio book primer, you definitely need to read Beth Fish's post on the BBAW website yesterday!)


And what of the upcoming year? What are my goals? Call me an underachiever, but I think my biggest goal is just to maintain my pace. I have been fighting something...writer's block? Burnout? And I need to make sure that I don't let it get the best of me. I love blogging and I love reading. The key is to find balance.

Another key for me will be challenge management. I get excited at the beginning of the calendar year and sign up for things that sound fun, then find myself feeling resentful because I can't read what I want. Which is ridiculous, but I like finishing what I start, even if it is just a personal commitment. Many bloggers declared 2010 a year of reading deliberately, which I think is a fine idea, and may adopt this mantra for 2011.

Of course, I will continue to adore my audio books, I will continue to nurture my new interest in graphic novels, and I would like to dip my toe into historical fiction. Just a toe. I will be soliciting recommendations when that time comes!

So until next year! It's been great!

BBAW Wednesday Topic - Unexpected Treasure

Welcome to Day 3 of BBAW 2010. Today's topic relates to Unexpected Treasures. We have been invited to share a book or genre we tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made us cave in a try something new and what was the experience like?

This one is easy for me. This year was the year of the Graphic Novel. Now first, let me clarify that I am aware this is not a genre per se, but was a type of book I'd never tried before in my life. Why was that? I guess I may have been intimidated, or thought it would be like those comic books I read as a kid, I don't know. But then I witnessed several of my favorite bloggers (Nymeth, Jackie, Gavin, Beth) review some incredible-looking graphic novels throughout 2009, and I became determined that I was going to join a 2010 challenge and DO IT.

I signed up to read three books for the challenge, but I didn't stop there. I just kept going, reading a total of 7 so far, and I will continue to do so. It makes me wonder what else I am missing!

BBAW Interview Swap with Gayle @ Everyday I Write the Book

Welcome to Day 2 of BBAW, the Interview Swap! I was lucky enough to draw the name of Gayle from Everyday I Write the Book. Gayle has been blogging since 2006. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and twin six-year old girls. She's a DC native (one of the few and proud) and loves living in such a beautiful and livable city. She was a lawyer in a former life, but now serves as the Vice President of Social Media Communications for Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, where she oversees social media communications and strategy for Discovery's networks. In addition to reading, she loves her dog, watching TV, pop culture in general, and social media.

1. My first question is a silly one, but one I have to get off my chest. So are you a fan of Elvis Costello? Because each time I log onto your blog, the song pops into my head and won’t leave. (I happen to be a big fan of Elvis.)

I am a fervent 80s music fan. When I was trying to settle on a name for my blog back in 2006, I wanted to incorporate my love for 80s music, and Everyday I Write The Book seemed to fit the bill. It doesn't make any sense, of course, since I don't write books, but it's memorable. I do love the song as well. It reminds me of college, and it's a very intelligent and witty song. I love that it gets into people's heads when they read my blog. The only downside is that if you Google my blog name, you get a lot of results that have nothing to do with me. Also, it's a little long, which was fine before Twitter came along.


2. I see that you have been blogging for four years, which is like 30 years in regular life, isn’t it? That is amazing. It seems like these days, everyone has a blog, but four years ago, it was still a fairly novel idea. What originally inspired you to start a book blog?

Yes, I know - I am a blog veteran. There weren't that many book blogs around back in 2006. The community has really exploded in the last two years. I started working in social media back in 2006, and as I started reading more blogs, I knew I wanted to write one. Books was a natural topic, as I'd been an active reader and had collected book reviews for years. Once I got into my head that I wanted to start the blog, I was hooked. I also write a daily blog about my kids, and I co-write the Discovery corporate blog. Blogging is a natural fit for me - I love it.

3. I’ve only been blogging a little under two years, but I can feel myself having some internal issues that might be writer’s block, or maybe burnout. With four years under your belt, can you offer the rest of us some words of wisdom? How you do find the balance, and keep the spirit of blogging fresh and new?

Burnout is tough. I don't blog every day - I just don't have the time - so I haven't made that daily commitment that is often so hard to keep up. I have two thoughts on this. First, blogging should be fun, and the minute it isn't, it turns into a chore. If you aren't having fun, take a few days off. Don't feel pressure to post every day, or to stick to a schedule or a weekly meme. If you need to take a break, take a break. Your readers won't go anywhere. And second, don't feel that you have write about a particular topic, or participate in challenges or memes. Only do so if it''s what you actually want to be writing about. Sometimes, when I have writer's block, I just ask myself, "What is on my mind? What's the biggest challenge I am facing today?" and then I write about that. When I find myself staring at a blank screen or procrastinating, then I know that I am writing the wrong post.

4. What are some of your passions outside of blogging?

My kids. Social media in general - I have been Internet-obsessed for years, and I run social media communications for Discovery, so I am immersed in it all the time. Reading (duh). Pop culture and television.

5. What is the best book you’ve read this year? OK, you can list two or three if you must!

The best book I've read this year wasn't published this year - it's Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. I suspect that So Much For That by Lionel Shriver, which I just finished last night, will rank pretty high on my list of best books of 2010.

6. OK, here is my last question, and is one that I always like to end interviews with. If I could ask you to tell us one surprising fact about yourself, what would it be?

I am so not surprised by myself anymore. Hmm - would have to go with - I love to gamble, and I love Las Vegas, and go there at least once every year or two.




Thanks so much Gayle! Each and every one of us has a story, and that is the beauty of the interview swap...we get to meet the person behind the blog. Hop on over to Every Day I Write the Book to see the other side of the Gayle/Sandy swap!

BBAW Monday Topic - First Treasure

Welcome everyone to the start of the 2010 Book Blogger Appreciation Week! Each day this week, we will be given a topic to discuss, all dealing with various treasures we have discovered in our lives as book bloggers.

Today, we have been asked to talk about a great new book blog we have discovered since (or because of) BBAW last year.

I doubt that any of you will be shocked when I say that after BBAW last year (my first year), the number of blogs in my blogroll EXPLODED. I went from a handful of favorite blogs to well over a hundred, and created a bit of an issue with time management in my life! There are two blogs that I started following, though, that have become highlights in my day:

Find Your Next Book Here - I'm probably not telling you anything new here, but Jenners is one of a kind. As far as her reading tastes, she is all over the place...children's literature, non-fiction, literary fiction, mystery, you name it. And she is FUNNY has hell. Killer sense of humor. I was pretty excited to collaborate with her on a little project that we shall publish this Thursday. You won't want to miss that.

Books I Done Read - Raych is another one of those bloggers that I was probably the last to discover. I first got a taste of her crazy, manic, pee-your-pants insanity when she wrote a recap of the year for BBAW 2009. I thought to myself "who IS this girl?". I checked out her blog and I saw that this was not a one-time deal. She always has this level of energy and wit. It almost makes me dizzy reading her posts, but I always come back for more.

OK, I know I was only supposed to list one blog, but this is my house, and I make up the rules.

BBAW Registration Post

It's almost that time of year again! Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be celebrated September 13 -17. If you haven't participated in this event in the past, it is not be missed. There are blogger interviews, daily memes, and awards. In 2009, I was lucky enough to interview the amazing Nymeth from Things Mean Alot - I think my blog almost crashed from all the hits! You are introduced to so many wonderful book blogs, I think my blogroll doubled after last year! My only regret is that during BBAW in 2009, I was on vacation, and had to sneak in my time on the computer. I'm going to make sure I'm home this year!

This year, instead of bloggers nominating each other for various award categories, we nominate ourselves. I have to admit, I am extremely uncomfortable with this. I honestly don't view myself to be in the same league as some of the blogs I follow, but I also think it would be a shame not to participate. So what the hey. Please accept my humble offerings. Here are the categories I am entering:

Best Audiobook Blog

The Girl That Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson (ISBN #9780307269980)

Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann (ISBN #9781400063734)

Belong To Me - Marisa de los Santos (ISBN #9780061240270)

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (ISBN #9780316776967)

Sandy's Audies

Best Eclectic Blog

YA: The Heart is Not a Size - Beth Kephart (ISBN #9780061470486)

Graphic Novel: Fun Home - Alison Bechdel (ISBN #9780618477944)

Biography: Christian Encoungers: Jane Austen - Peter Leithart (ISBN #9781595553027)
Literary/Movie: Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (ISBN #9781573229722)

Non-Fiction: The Body Scoop for Girls - Jennifer Ashton (ISBN #9781583333693)


Best Non-Fiction Blog

What I Know: Uncommon Wisdom and Universal Truths from 10 Year-Olds and 100 Year-Olds - Roger Emerson Fishman (ISBN #9780307454225)
The Good Good Pig - Sy Montgomery (ISBN #9780345481375)
Murder in Baker Company - Cilla McCain (ISBN #9781556529474)
The Liar's Club - Mary Karr (ISBN #9780140179835)

Run At Destruction - Lynda Drews (ISBN #9780982000922)