Book Blogger Appreciation Week: All Posts in One

I've been crazy traveling this week, so haven't gotten to participate in BBAW beyond hugging bloggers at the Brooklyn Book Festival (Jaime of The Perpetual Page Turner, Lori of the The Next Best Book Club, Erica of The Olive Reader, Allie of Hist-Fic Chick, and Nicole of Linus' Blanket, among others), doing an interview swap and celebrating mightily when I heard that I had won both Best YA Blog and Best Author Interviews (I still can't quite believe it! Thank You!).

So I am making up for that now, with a POWER BBAW post!

First up: First Treasure

Since last year's BEA I've discovered a ton of fab new book blogs, but two of my favorites are blogs that were also shortlisted for Best YA Blog this year: Forever Young Adult and Angieville.

I was in absolute heaven when I got to hang with Sarah of FYA and Angie of Angieville at Book Blogger Con this year.  So. Much. Fun. 

Sarah and her 3 FYA partners in crime always amuse on their irreverent blog.  I love the format of their book reviews - especially the bonus factors.  My dream is to one day be invited to a FYA slumber party and play the Sweet Valley High board game with them (I'd even play Elizabeth *gasp*).  I would of course also insist that Angie attend.

Angie is so passionate about the books she reads, she makes me want to ditch my current read to pick up immediately whatever she's pushing.  She's the one who got me (and many, many others) hooked on Gen (from Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief series). She even had the power to make me think more positively about Mockingjay, which let's face it, was a letdown.

Keep on blogging!  Lylas, Lenore

And now: Unexpected Treasure

One of the best things about reading a lot of book blogs is being exposed to so many different kinds of books and genres.  Earlier this year, I become aware that I wasn't reading that many books with POC characters - thanks to blogs such as Reading in Color, Color Online and Steph Su Reads.  I looked around in my huge TBR and dug out Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves.  That has been one of my most interesting reading experiences of the year (read my review), and I owe it all to book bloggers.

And also: Forgotten Treasure

In my last post, I introduced the Nerds Heart YA finalists and picked a winner.  Both of those books, Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee and Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Aline Saenz deserve much wider audiences.  I nommed another book which didn't make it so far into the tournament, but was one I just loved: The Blonde of the Joke by Bennett Madison (read my review).  It's a brilliant portrait of a complex, messy character. 

And finally: Future Treasure

Goals? I gotta have goals?  I guess my main goal for Presenting Lenore is to keep up my current level of quality while possibly spending less time on the blog and more time on my writing.  I want to be able to abandon books more easily and not feel so guilty about doing so.  I want to be more consistent about commenting, especially to encourage new bloggers.  And most of all, I want to keep having fun, discovering new books, and sharing my love for literature.

A huge thanks goes out to My Friend Amy and the rest of the BBAW team!

BBAW Interview Swap: Allegra of My Library Card Wore Out

My interview swap is with Allegra, a teen blogger, and you can read her interview with me at her blog My Library Card Wore Out.  Extra post with exclusive new kitten pictures is here!

Tell us a bit about your book blog: What made you decide to start your blog? What genres do you cover? Favorite posts?
I wanted to start a book blog because I was so in love with books and wanted to share my love of books with others. I also thought blogs were really cool. Not one of my friends had one and I wanted to be the first.  So what I did was I talked to my mom about a name and we came up with Book Worm, Book Lover and others but they were all taken. Then my mom suggested "MyLibraryCardWoreOut." I liked the name and obviously no one had it, so I used it. I also wanted to start a blog because I hoped it would make my friends feel jealous. Silly thing to start it for, and it turned out that no one really cared, but I didn't mind because I was having fun with my blog. I liked sharing my thoughts and all that.

I cover YA books mostly. Anything that a young to older teen might enjoy. I also do fun book related things like fun facts about books, or fun information about books and each Friday (FunDay Friday) I do a post that is normally a video that is funny. It is normally off the topic of books. I also do Books to Movies. They are fun to do because that means I get to watch a whole lot of movies sometimes.

I like all of my posts but my Top Ten Must Read YA Books is one of my favorites.

What is a book reading experience that really stands out in your mind?
Night by Elie Wiesel. This book was about WWII and we had to read it in school. This book was touching and I just could not put it down. I did cry reading this book because what I was reading was all true. Elie Wiesel was in a concentration camp and it was all about his experiences. It was really a powerful book and I would recommend anyone to read it if they wanted to read a powerful and life changing book.

Let’s say someone asks you to recommend a few book blogs to them. Which blogs come to mind immediately?
In Bed With Books

Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books

YA Books Central Blog

Who is someone you really appreciate?
I really appreciate my mother because she has helped me with my blog. When I am stuck for an idea she always had a bank of them in her head. She is currently a guest blogger on my blog (M.O.M; My Own Mother) but hopefully in the next month she will become a full contributor. She also reads YA books sometimes so she does posts on those type of books too. She also helps me out with all my blog problems. She also is my editor. Without her, my posts would have some spelling or punctuation errors. Without her my blog might not be as good as it currently is.

Obligatory cat gushing! Tell us about your gorgeous cats and share a picture!
The indoor cat is Merlin and the outdoor cat is Harry. My indoor cat cannot go out because he has a heart problem and his tough goes blue when he runs outside so he is strictly indoor only. Merlin is currently 5 years old and Harry is about 8 or 9. Merlin still acts like a little baby and he is the only cat I or my parents have had that actually bathes us. Hands, face, feet. The whole bath. If he is in his loving mood, we sometimes don't need a shower at the end of the day he bathes us so much (but of course we do). My outdoor cat is a big marshmallow and I do not mean he is fat. If you can stroke him (which is normally, just sometimes he is skittish) he will start drooling (literally) and purr and rarely (and this has only every happened with my dad and I) he might do a quick lick to the hand. They are both my little babies and we all love them so much so that I think I give Merlin too many kitty treats.

And here is Merlin:

BBAW is coming up...and I am on award shortlists!

You might recall that I registered my blog for Book Blogger Appreciation Week (September 13-17) back in July and put Presenting Lenore up for awards consideration in two categories, Best YA Blog and Best Author Interviews (see which posts I picked here).

Well, I am thrilled to say my blog made the shortlist in both categories - yay!  And alongside such amazing blogs too.  Thank you so much for your support :)

But of course, BBAW is not just about awards. BBAW has their scheldule up already for next week's festivities, so check it out and see how you can get involved. Though I'll be traveling, I am going to try to participate as much as possible!  Hope you will too.

The one where I register for Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010

The third annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week is to be held this year from September 13th-17th. It's a great week of celebrating everything that's awesome about book blogging. This year, everyone is invited to register their blogs for the week and to choose a niche category that best represents their blog. Part of this process is picking out 5 posts that you feel best represent your blog for awards consideration (optional).

Although I have very eclectic taste (and was in fact shortlisted for Most Eclectic Taste during last year's BBAW proceedings), my blog is most associated with reviewing Young Adult books.

Here are some of my favorite posts from the past year for consideration in Best Young Adult Book Blog:

Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Review: Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Interview: Lauren Bjorkman
International Book Blogger Mentor Program Featured Bloggers (2)

I'm also quite proud of my interviews and would love to be considered in the Best Author Interview category:

Interview: Lauren Bjorkman
Interview: Patrick Ness
Interview: Diana Peterfreund
Interview: Mary E. Pearson
Interview: Thomas Randall

Hope you'll register too!

BBAW: The future of Presenting Lenore

My main goal for the upcoming blogging year is to....keep blogging. Seems like a no-brainer right? But I've been hit with blogging burnout in a big way and several of my go-to blogs haven't updated in ages (sparking feelings of sadness but also a tiny degree of envy).

The biggest reason for my burnout is simply this crushing sense of obligation I have to get to certain books that have come for review. I'm afraid to count them, but yes, I am very, very behind. I hate letting authors down though, so if you are an author (or publicist) who sent me a book ages ago and I still haven't read it and you still care that I get to it, please e-mail me (lenoreva at hotmail dot com) and I will put it on the front burner. As I strive to reach a better balance of review books, bought books and classics borrowed from the library, some review books may have to wait a very, very long time to be picked up.

In any case, I will still be attemping to continue to post at least 3 book reviews a week most weeks. And of course, I will still feed your Emmy and Finn addiction on Tuesdays.

Though it is still a ways off, I want to let you know now that I will be taking a blog break for two weeks in November while I am in Africa.

Thank you for your continued support of my blog. It's really all the friends I've made and the awesome sense of community that keeps me going, even when the going gets tough.

Book Review, Author Interview and Giveaway: Things are Gonna Get Ugly by Hillary Homzie

Before her radical reinvention, Taffeta, leader of Cambria Middle School's popular clique, used to be a nerd named Ernestine who liked reading about unicorns and getting good grades (the horror!). When Taffeta is caught cheating, her teacher gives her the option of making a fresh start. Little does Taffeta know that it involves a reverse transformation back into how Ernestine would be if Taffeta had never existed.

And then things get ugly...

Taffeta is one of those characters that is so annoyingly self obsessed you actually wish her ill, so that makes reading about her transformation to a social zero all the more satisfying. Of course this a novel about redemption and true friendship so obviously Taffeta learns her lesson having to slum it as poor nerdy Ernestine. As predictable as the book may be, it still feels fresh and fun thanks to the breezy prose and an interesting mix of supporting characters. Tweens whose families are feeling the crunch of the current economic crisis will also identify with Taffeta's attempts to deal with her economically downgraded life.

THINGS ARE GONNA GET UGLY is out now in paperback. Watch the book trailer and find out more about the book at the author's website.

Author Hillary Homzie also answered some of my questions!

How did you come up with the character of Ernestine/Taffeta?

I came up with Ernestine/Taffeta while I was taking a class on fairy tales at Hollins University Graduate Program in Children's Literature. The professor, J.D. Stahl, asked the fiction writers taking the class to adapt a fairy tale. I chose King Thrush Beard, one of my favorite stories, which is about a spoiled princess who harshly mocks every suitor who comes through the palace doors. When the king marries her off to the next beggar who raps on the castle gates, the princess's life is utterly transformed and she learns to work hard and be appreciative. I wanted to a create a contemporary young teenager who encounters an equivalent reversal of fortune, and show how this transformation actually helps her to re-align her priorities. In Taffeta's case, her life changes economically, physically and socially.

Did you create a character profile with stuff that didn't make the book?

I have a tendency not to create classic character profiles, where you list traits. Instead, I love to interview my characters and ask them directly about their life, habits, likes and dislikes. Perhaps, this is because in a former life, I was a journalist and so interviewing feels natural to me. I will do this multiple times and find out all kinds of information that doesn't end up in the book.

My characters get very opinionated and will ocassionally tell me to stop bugging them. It makes me feel like their parent. For example, Taffeta really loves dogs and during lunch at school she once rescued a stray dog and found a home for him to adopted into by standing in front of Petco with him. What was left in the book about her love for canines was how much she misses her dog who has passed away.

Another character trait is that Taffeta thinks she wants to be the person who comes up with names for new cosmetic products. I think there is one place in the book where she mentions this. In actuality, she's come up with dozens of names for lip glosses, such as autumn bliss.

What advice would you give to parents and their tween/teen children who are struggling with the economic downturn?

When I wrote Things Are Gonna Get Ugly I truly didn't have a crystal ball but now it sure feels like it. Taffeta like so many tweens/teens and their parents are dealing with a shrunken economy, which translates into big changes. I know that this is something that my family is personally facing.

I would say that, although having parents who are losing a job or having to cut out lots of spending can feel painful, it's also an opportunity to re-assess what is really important. Instead of buying plastic baggies, you can pack your lunch in sandwich boxes. Instead of going somewhere far away you and your family can get creative and plan a staycation. Consider cutting out cable bills and instituting family read at night or renting videos from your local library.

It's also a great opportunity to learn about compassion. If you're losing your house, and moving to an apartment I know that it is not easy but still there are those who have no roof over their heads. Now is the time to visit a soup kitchen and feed the hungry.

You still be the life of the party and not be Ms. Money Bags. I have a friend who doesn't have a lot of money but she's one of the most popular people that I know. She's always having parties at her house--she just does potluck and doesn't try to impress anyone. In some ways, when you're broke you no longer have anything to lose because you've lost it all. You don't need to impress anyone and this allows you to be yourself. This is the time to re-evaluate. Who are you? What do you really want and then go for it!

After college you traveled through West Africa and had some crazy adventures. Do you still have some wanderlust? Where would you most like to visit?

Yes, I absolutely do! In fact, the summer before last, my family took a three month sabbatical. For half the time, we lived in Barcelona, Spain and for half the time in Toulouse, France. It was absolutely amazing. We did it by exhanging our house in California for houses in Europe so all it cost was the airfare. It was great because we felt like temporary residents as opposed to conventional tourists.

Next up, I'd really love to go to Australia. Last year, we had an exchange student from Tasmania so I have all of these wonderful postcards just beckoning me down under. Also, I have a special fondness for the country since ABC Australia purchased 36 episodes of the animated version of my chapter book series ALIEN CLONES FROM OUTER SPACE!

What's up next for you? Any new projects in the works?

I will have a new book out, THE HOT LIST, which is another tween novel and will also be published by Simon & Schsuter's Mix line. That should be out next year. I also have in the works some older YA projects, as well as middle grade projects that I'm very excited about. The later two involve quite a bit of research, although they are contemporary. It's a blast going out into the field so to speak. I actually did that for THINGS ARE GONNA GET UGLY. In order to write the dance scene, I went to a middle school dance and tried to blend into the walls. Walls with big ears, that is. Being a writer is an excellent job for a professional snoop!

Thanks Hillary!

Hillary has kindly offered a signed copy of her book to 2 lucky readers as part of BBAW. Just leave a comment on this post about the interview to enter. Contest will remain open until September 24th at 11:59 pm and is open internationally! Gain an extra entry by linking to this contest from your blog (sidebar is fine) or social media site.

BBAW: Reading Meme

I am joining BBAW here mid-week after visting Basel and Zurich the past few days. I'll post about my Tori Amos concert more extensively on the weekend, but the short version for those who care is that I'm still waiting for Northern Lad, but I was incredibly lucky and got upgraded to front row at the Zurich show (thanks to Rachel and Steve who are attending every European show) and it was beyond words amazing! In Basel, I was row 6 which was also spectacular. Great set lists and energy for both shows.

I missed posting about my favorite blogs though, and I really wanted to do that. So I will soon. Better late than never right? And my interview partner and I had some timing issues, but if you are dying for an interview with me, here's my interview from last year at Literary Escapism.

And now for the actual content you came for...

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
No snacking while reading. Otherwise it turns into oversnacking – not pretty! (Confession - I am snacking right now on some Starburst that author Michelle Zink sent me!)

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I don’t write in my books, but I will rip off a piece of paper to mark pages with quotes I like.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I grab whatever’s handy and use it as a bookmark. Dog-ears are a big no-no. I might lie a hardcover flat open, but never, never a paperback. I hate spine creases.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Mainly fiction, but I do enjoy non-fiction as well.

Hard copy or audio books?
I cannot pay attention to audio books. I get too lost in my own thoughts when I am not actively engaged by the act of reading.

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?
I can put a book down in the middle of a sentence!

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
It rarely ever happens that I come across a word I don’t know when I read in English. But when I read in German or Spanish, I will look up the word if I feel it’s vital for my understanding of the story.

What are you currently reading?
I’m between books! I just finished a middle grade novel that I’m reviewing tomorrow – THINGS ARE GONNA GET UGLY by Hillary Homzie. And I’m just about to start Thomas Randall’s THE WAKING: DREAMS OF THE DEAD because I need to get my questions in for an author interview.

What is the last book you bought?
I bought a bunch of books at the same time and you can see all of them here. The last impulse buy I made was TOKYO CANCELLED by Rana Dasgupta, but I haven’t read it yet. It's about 13 people stuck at an airport who tell stories to pass the time and looks really fascinating though it got mixed reviews.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

One novel at a time, but I might have a short story collection going and a non-fiction read in addition to the novel.

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

Any spare moment I can find. Seriously. But I like it best when it's someplace I can snuggle up with my fluffy kittehs.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

Stand alone. Though series can have their charms too - as long as they avoid cliffhangers.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

David Mitchell – especially GHOSTWRITTEN.

FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters.

HUNGER GAMES and all my other dystopian favorites of course.

I am forever lending out Lemony Snicket.

THE LIKENESS by Tana French.

French noir writer Sebastien Japrisot’s stuff, especially TRAP FOR CINDERELLA.

My YA favorites this year have been IF I STAY by Gayle Forman and DUST OF 100 DOGS by AS King.

As for classics, HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad and THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

My books are organized roughly by genre, though my husband would claim that they are disorganized.

So that's it! Learn anything new? ;)

BBAW and me

I found out I was shortlisted for Most Eclectic Taste shortly before getting on a plane and heading back to Germany, so I was unable to immediately react and express my excitement. After being nominated for a flurry of awards in the initial stage, I am of course thrilled that at least one stuck.

So…do I fit the category? Does my blog? I like to think I have eclectic taste – I generally won’t turn down a great book just because it is in a genre I don’t usually read and I have been actively seeking out reads from less frequented genres as well.

These are the posts (all reviews) that I submitted for the category that reflect a range of genres from humor, speculative fiction, short story collections, non-fiction, children’s picture books, paranormal romance and literary fiction. I could have also chosen to highlight reviews of historical fiction, Christian fiction, health & beauty, or mystery and thrillers. It’s true that while my focus is YA and literary fiction, you never know what genre might pop up on my blog.

Humor
http://www.presentinglenore.co.cc/2008/12/book-review-santa-responds-by-santa.html

Short stories and non-fiction (marketing/business)
http://www.presentinglenore.co.cc/2009/01/book-reviews-for-mini-book-expo.html

Children's picture books and non-fiction (oceanography/science)
http://www.presentinglenore.co.cc/2009/05/hot-topic-deep-sea-monsters.html

YA paranormal
http://www.presentinglenore.co.cc/2009/05/book-review-swoon-by-nina-malkin.html

YA realistic fiction
http://www.presentinglenore.co.cc/2009/06/book-review-alive-and-well-in-prague.html

So am I the book blogger with the most eclectic taste? Now it is up to you decide – go to the BBAW awards voting booth now!

And now for some confessions of a BBAW panelist....

I’ve gotten a number of mails expressing outrage and disappointment that I didn’t make the best YA blog shortlist like I did last year and complaining about some of the ones that did. While I’m flattered that you all care so much, I don’t think anyone needs to “boycott BBAW” because of it.

First of all, BBAW is NOT just about the awards, which are just a tiny part of the whole celebration (check out the BBAW blog for all the events that will be going on and ways you can get involved).

Secondly, the 5 blogs that did shortlist in the YA category are all solid, deserving blogs that I read regularly and enjoy a great deal. Yes, my personal shortlist would be pretty different, but this a community process, and the community has spoken.

Thirdly, the fact I didn’t make this particular shortlist is my own fault. How? I simply ended up chosing the wrong links to submit – my chosen 5 were too long (most likely exasperating an already tired panelist), 4 out of the 5 were book reviews (perhaps perceived as not diverse enough), and none included pictures or video other than the book cover (probably earning a deduction).

I realized this as I was reading through the posts submitted in the panels I was judging and going through the line item scoring. You see, I submitted links not realizing the sheer amount of work the BBAW awards would turn out to be for the volunteers involved (way more than any of us on the awards committee ever bargained for – or we would have set it up differently, I assure you). In order to carefully read through every post submitted in most categories, BBAW awards panelists would have needed DAYS of reading blogs – time that most of us just did not have. Add the fact that some panelists were on more than one panel (I was on three, chairing one), and you get an idea of the immensity of the project.

And so, judges needed to skim at times and to develop shortcuts. Now, I don’t speak for any of the other panelists of course, but I can tell you a few of my own coping mechanisms.

For line items with a scoring value of 10 (such as quality of writing, originality, diversity of content, and fresh perspective) I assumed a start value of 7 (indicating an average blog). If a blog struck me as particularly good (or bad), I would add (or deduct points).

I also had a few automatic deductions. For example, if a blogger used the publisher summary in a book review instead of writing their own, I took off points for originality. If the summary went more than a paragraph, I deducted points off for not being concise. If the background of a blog was black or another dark (or too bright color), I could not say it was “easy on the eyes”.

I know there have been some complaints about nominated blogs not seeming to fit the category they were nominated in. Based on the line item scoring of 5 eligible posts, there was no way to disqualify blogs which submitted 5 posts that fulfilled the category requirements even if their focus lies elsewhere.

This is obviously not how every panelist approached judging, but I hope it shows what a time-consuming task it was and how we tried our best to be fair and consistent across judging. The system certainly wasn’t perfect, but I think we did end up with a fairly representative cross sample of the amazing book blogs that are out there. I bet by visiting some of the shortlisted blogs, you will find some new favorites. I know I did. And if you have any specific recommendations for how the awards process might be improved for next year, the awards committee welcomes your input. There will be a form at the end of BBAW that you can fill out, or if you need to get it off your chest now, feel free to e-mail me (lenoreva at hotmail dot com), Amy, or anyone on the 2009 awards committee.

PS: For more insight into the judging process, see this fab post over at the Book Smugglers.