Friday, September 16, 2011

BBAW and TGIF!

How is it Friday already?  But Book Bloggers Appreciation Week is coming to an end, and it's been a great week of getting to know other bloggers and enjoying everyone's posts about this fantastic community!

One last prompt then from the week:
The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you think are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.
I don't think I've been blogging long enough to have any tried and true practices!  But I think one of the things to remember is that we're always getting better at what we do, and it's important to let your habits and practices change as things make sense to you.  But then I think that about everything so I can't say it's restricted to blogging!

One of the things I've adapted recently is the use of letter grades to preface my reviews.  I feel like I want to indicate in some way - beyond my often lengthy reviews! - my overall thoughts on the book, but I'm unsure if this is the best way for it.  It's so difficult to decide what letter grade to give!  And then how do I distinguish between them and...it's been a bit of a crap shoot so far.  I'm not sure I like them, but I can't think of a better way to go about it.

I've also tried to be more aware of linking to Amazon to purchase a book and to Goodreads to find more reviews and thoughts on it.  I'd love to start the practice I've noticed on other blogs where one links to other bloggers' reviews of the same book, but I'm not sure I'm quite that organised yet to start it!


And now on to two Friday memes that I've been wanting to participate in for weeks and finally am!


 



 This week's featured blogger is Alaskan Book Cafe who's a snarky outdoor lover with as many problems picking a favourite book as I have!  Go check her out! 

Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?
Such a difficult question!  I'm tempted to answer Harry Potter's world since it's just so well-drawn and magical, and I desperately (still!) want to go to Hogwarts!  But I think I'll have to go with an older book world - can't I have Narnia be real?  I've always wanted to crawl through my wardrobe and end in up in that magical land with Talking Beasts and Cair Paravel...

This Friday's Question:

Book Disappointments: Have you ever come across a book you were so stoked to read, but it failed miserably in your eyes?

 Haven't we all?  It's a very, very depressing fact of reading that sometimes the books we look forward to disappoint us utterly.
I'll choose three books that I read before starting this blog that left me colder than I'd hoped.  I'm sure these books have people who love and adore them, but for some reason, they were not for me.

Where I Belong
by Gwendolyn Heasley

I loved the idea of a fish out of water story - the New York socialite moving to rural Texas, but I couldn't connect at all with the rather spoiled main character of Corinne.

...and maybe as a slightly country (though Northern country) girl myself, I hate the implications about how New York is always so much better!


Die for Me
by Amy Plum

It's set in Paris!  About sisterly bonds!  There's a swoon-worthy love affair and scenes set in the sidewalk cafes that abound in the City of Lights.  How could I not love this book?

But I didn't.  And I'm still really quite sad over that.

 The Pickwick Papers
by Charles Dickens


Any Dickens really that's not Tale of Two Cities or Hard Times could go here, but Pickwick Papers disappointed me the most.  I tried to read it right after falling in love with the descriptions of it in Little Women, but...no.

Dickens is just too overly indulgent in his writing.  It turns about and about and never goes anywhere. To be fair, this is a problem I have with most 19 century male English or American novelist, but Dickens, oh Dickens, I want to love your work!

11 comments:

  1. haha Narnia would be GREAT!! :)

    new follower

    Here's our FF

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, that is too bad. I loved Die for Me. I think it was the book for me at the time I picked it up. :) But to each their own, it what makes us unique!

    Black Disaster Fairy



    A World of Personality

    For the L♥ve of Reading

    UnRead Brains Eat Bloody Words

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Sash and Em - I think I just want to meet the Pevensies and Mr. Tumnus!

    @Black Disaster Fairy - it's so true. Sometimes it's just the perfect time for a book! I keep thinking I'll pick up Die for Me again. Even just for the Parisian atmosphere.

    ReplyDelete
  4. your answer is awesome! i'm watching Prince Caspian as i type this!

    new follower!

    (I'm having a Giveaway on my blog!)

    My FF

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Richard Good movie choice! I've been meaning to rewatch those movies for some time now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Where I Belong was a disappointment for me, too. In fact I couldn't finish it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have Die For Me on my TBR. I know what you mean - there are some books that I really wish I could get into or I was psyched up about them and Boom. Fizzle. Fizzle. On the flip side - I have had books I have gotten to review, thought to myself - what the heck were you thinking? Don't answer email request for reviews when your drunk! - only to be blown away by them! So I guess answering email drunk can be positive. I'm just kidding - I don't answer email drunk, (don't pay any attention to that fairy flying around singing in a snarky voice, "she's a liar". I have been trying to send her over to the other side for awhile now. She won't go away. Don't suppose you could shove her in the wardrobe?)Thanks for stopping by my blog and the awesome intro above. Me? Snarky? Thank you. http://www.alaskanbookcafe.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. it sucks when you want to love a book but just cant... I have seen die for me around and it always got my interest because of the beautiful cover.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Narnia is a great choice for a book world made into reality. I've always been partial to the Wood Between Worlds in The Magician's Nephew as well. Imagine being able to step into any world you want!

    Die For Me is on my wishlist, but I've been dithering other buying it. On the one hand, I'm a little sick of paranormal romance but on the other hand...Paris! So I'm still undecided.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've always thought a place like Narnia should really exist. I loved all of those books.

    I've only read Die for Me on your TGIF, and I loved it...sorry you didn't enjoy it. I really should read more Dickens. I'm trying to read more classics, beyond what was required in school, but with all the other books I want to read, I don't think I'll ever find the time. :P

    Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Narnia. Great choice! Again, this is one of those magical worlds that did not come across my mind. And don't worry, you're definitely not alone on the whole conflicting rating reviews and stuff. I have a hard time myself, but I guess we'll get the hang of it in no time. Nice blog and I'm a new follower!

    Here's my FF: http://rockeemusikreads.blogspot.com/2011/09/follow-friday-1.html

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I read and adore each one.