My Blog Bestie (BFFBlogHop Stop + Giveaway)

I am so excited to be a part of the Blog Friends Forever Tour hosted by Fiction Fare and Swooney Boys Podcast.  These awesome four ladies put the word out there that they wanted to celebrate all of us book crazy nuts who blog, vlog, instagram, podcast, and just generally get excited about books!  I'm happy to help shine some light on this amazing and welcoming community that I have been a part of for the last almost 5 years (my blogoversary is November 29th)!

For this tour since it's Blog Friend themed, I thought what better way to celebrate but to talk about not only one of my blogger friends, but one of my real best friends!!!

This girl right here:

That's Erin, or better known on the 'net as Uniquely Geeky Girl.  I met her back during our Undergraduate program.  We were both Creative Writing majors, but we actually met in Spanish I.  She is so sweet and soft-spoken that at first I was like "I'm going to completely alienate this girl!" (It's because I'm pretty loud and opinionated).  But luckily, she didn't care and we struck up a friendship filled with Spanish tutoring (her helping me...I'm hopeless at Spanish) and mutual love of tuna with jalapeños (we hit up Subway every day after class...they started pur order when we walked in).

From that class on, we tried to make sure to have at least one class together; it helps when your majors are the same.  Then we found out we worked at the bookstore on campus together, so we were able to hang out even more.  And through all of these situations where we were together, we found that not only was writing a passion we shared but books, and more importantly Young Adult books, were totally our jam!!!!

By our senior year of UG I had already started my book blog.  At first it was an everything blog, but my second major (sadly of which Erin was not a part of) Education really jump started it with an assignment for one class where we had to "blog" about attending the NCTE Annual Convention.  So with that a gateway to book blogs opened up and off I went.

Meanwhile, Erin and I were talking all the time about books: which did we like, which we hated, which would make good movies and on and on and on.  And then the time came for graduation and the BIG QUESTION: What the heck are we going to do with our lives?!  That answer, luckily, came in the form of Graduate School and the Library and Information Sciences Master Program at our university.

Okay, so now HERE's where book blogging really starts up for both of us.  I'm still going strong with my little ole blog here, and Erin is embarking on a grand adventure of co-blogging with two of our friends over at Y.A. Book Addicts.  As some of you who also co-blog may know that can come with blessings and curses.  But they do still post over there, and now that all three are in a more stable place with their adult lives (ahhhhh adulthood is sooooo much fun), hopefully that blog will be getting some good ole TLC!

But during that time, Erin and I were also on our grand journey through the world of library science!  We got to attend YALSA's Young Adult Services Symposium, which was so very cool!

In St. Louis, MO at YALSA Symposium

We're just the cutest, right?  I think this is an event which really kind of hit home for both of us that YA literature was our passion, and we want to be involved with it in any way, shape, or form.

So on top of Y.A. Book Addicts, Erin also has a personal book/pop culture blog over at Uniquely Geeky Girl.  I think she is doing a really great job of infusing the blog with all of her multiple geeky interests (superheroes, vampires, hobbitsies, all kinds of things) and so I really want you to check her out!!  She is working on still building this particular blog up, but she does some really fun features, like Top Ten Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesdays, and Fanart Friday (which I believe is her own invention).  She also highlights the books and comics (we're both huge comic nerds) that are newly released each month and which she is excited about.

So this is my Blog Bestie, who also happens to be my Real Bestie.  I think the best friends are the ones you share interests with, and Erin is just the girl I want to geek out over books!  And now that you've read this looooooong diatribe (hey, cut me some slack, I love the girl!) keep moving down to find not just one but TWO giveaways for you to enter!!!!

STOPS ON THE HOP

For some extra fun and to hop around to some of the other blogs participating, check out my fellow day posters below!

ReadWriteLove28 – Favorite Newbies 

Once Upon A Twilight – Top Bookstagrammers

Rattle the Pages – Top 10 Book Bloggers

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!

First up is MY giveaway in order to celebrate my awesome bestie and to thank all of you for stopping by my stop on the blog hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Second up is the HOP WIDE giveaway!  A bunch of us chipped in to bring you all an amazing prize opportunity!  So check it out!!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a6ca59ee278/

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Top Ten Tuesday (36)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on their post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: 

Top Ten Things That Make Your Life As A Reader/Book Blogger Easier

1. Scheduling posts! Being able to schedule my posts is a lifesaver, especially if I'm busy. I can write up posts weeks in advance and set them to automatically post. A blogger's best tool.
2. Paying a Hosting Fee! While many people have a problem with Blogger, that's the platform I use. I pay $10 a year to keep my domain name my own, and they forward any body who have my old name to the new one. Easy as pie. So no matter what platform you use, paying a hosting fee or domain fee is worth it.
3. Netvibes! This is the blog feed I use to keep track of all the blogs, book and other alike, that I read. It works as a really excellent feedreader, as you can make different pages to separate the blogs from one another. I have always used this over Google Reader, and when they shut that down, I didn't have any issues adding those few blogs I did follow over to Netvibes.
4. Goodreads! What would I do without Goodreads? It's probably a bad idea to be so reliant on a website, but alas I wouldn't have half the book info I do without this amazing resource.
5. Connecting my Social Networks! Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr are my best friends, and I cross-post most of the time. They also are good outlets to post smaller points of interest, or get info out to my followers quickly!
6. Youtube! Not only do I blog, I vlog (or create "content" as the fancy term is). I love Youtube for the visual aspects of the book blogging world. I'm an extrovert, so being able to connect to my followers more "in person" is so awesome. And sometimes it's just more fun to show off your books in your own hands.
7. My Fellow Bloggers! The ladies and gentlemen of the book blogging world are all fantastic, enthusiastic people! We all love the same thing and the passion that pours out of the writing just makes it so fun to be a part of the community. I've had some favorite bloggers over the years, and there are always newbies popping up. Camaraderie at its finest!
8. Professional Organizations! I am a member of both ALA, YALSA, and NCTE. I love all of them, and they connect me with professionals (librarians and English teachers) across the country. I also get to meet so many authors at all the annual conferences, as well as gain some kick butt book savvy to utilize in my future profession. Go librarians!!
9. Using a Book Lamp! This is probably a no brainer, but I think people forget how very handy book lights are. They don't have to be used just to read books, and boy are they nice on those long car rides when you can't just flip the car light on. I horde mine, and the one I have can run on batteries or can be charged. Convenience!
10. Keeping a Book Journal! This is a tool I use to keep track of the books I've bought/read/reviewed for my blog. This helps me do New to My shelves, Genre Favorites, Book Reviews, etc. If I didn't keep lists I would be totally lost!

What are some of your reader/blogger tools? Leave me a comment below!

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Happy Birthday to Jenny from Into the Morning!

Into the Morning was one of the first blogs I read when starting my blog.  I love her reviews and all the different things she tries on her blog.  One such thing was New Books for New Bloggers, which was a place for new bloggers to get a hold of ARCs and books for review.  I was a part of this opportunity, and I loved it! 

Jenny is really lovely, and I've recently guest blogged on her site, along with other awesome bloggers.  And this week, Jenny is celebrating her BIRTHDAY!  In celebration of her birthday, she's hosting an AMAZING giveaway, and I wanted to let my followers know about it!

Jenny is great, and deserves to be recognized as such!  So spread the word, because the more new followers she gains, the more books she's giving away; it's a win-win!

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Top Ten Tuesday (14)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers


I suppose I could call myself a seasoned book blogger (even after just a year and 4 months), but I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing.  Believe me there are a ton of bloggers out there way more savvy then me, BUT I do have some advice to impart on you younglings!!

1. Figure out which blogging platform works best for you!  There are two main ones which people use: Blogger and Wordpress.  Both of these have their pros and cons, but it's really what works best for you.  I'd read some reviews of both to gain a feel for them.  Both are free to use and web-based, so they're simple to start with.  
2. Set up a separate email account for your blog!  It is easier to have all your blog comments, email inquires, and review requests come to the same email.  This helps avoid you missing something, and if you ever stop blogging you still have your personal email intact.  This also makes it easier to set up other social networking sites which I will talk about as well.
3. Get on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest!  Social networking is you friend; it can help you reach a larger audience and allows you to post content in a multitude of places.  If you have to pick one go with Twitter!  It is the fasest way to get information out, and to connect with other bloggers.  Then after that I'd go with Facebook.  The other three are fun, but not as important from the get go.
4. Browse other book blogs and find ones you like!  Do a Google or Twitter search to find relevant blogs.  And there are all kinds out there.  Some specialize in certain genres, others certain age groups, and others that are a mixed bag.  For instance, I read mostly YA book blogs because that's my interest.  To keep all of the blogs you find organized, you can use a feedburner.  there are several out there, but the one I use is Netvibes.  Super simple, and keeps all my blogs in order!
5. Comment, comment, comment!  Once you find those blogs you like, start commenting!  This is a fast way to get followers yourself, and to make friends within the blogosphere.  It's also good manners to comment on a post; the blogger puts time and effort in posting and it's nice to be appreciated.
6. Make a schedule you can keep!  Don't try and be super blogger because you'll burn out.  It may seem easy at first, especially if you start during a slow time in your life, but as you get more and more busy, it becomes harder and harder to keep up.  That's why I suggest keeping a schedule.  Pick days or times you write posts that work with your life.  And don't be too hard on yourself if you miss a post.  This needs to be fun not just for the reader, but for you as the writer; a schedule helps with that!  Some online options are: Remember the Milk, Day Viewer, & picoBeat
7. Write extra posts early!  If you have a free couple of hours then I suggest writing extra posts up and scheduling them to post.  This saves my butt a ton of times!  Usually there's a schedule button that you use to choose both date and time of post.  Very convenient for vacations or busy times .
8. Don't focus so much on what you don't have yet!  This could include the number of followers you have or getting ARCs for review.  This stuff will come, believe me!  Ask any season blogger, and they'll let you know that those things didn't come right away!  It takes perseverance, and time to show how awesome you are!  Because we all know it, but sometimes it takes publishers a little bit of time to find out ; )  Also, if you do the comments thing, you should be getting reciprocal action.  See it's all part of the circle of blogging!
9. Features are fun, but try to find your own thing too!  There are a TON of features to choose from all over the blogosphere (including this one).  Some of my favorites are In My Mailbox, Top Ten Tuesday, Teaser Tuesday, and Waiting on Wednesday.  There are other awesome ones as well.  They are great for pageviews, but original content is really what makes followers stay.  Think of things you really love, and blog about those!  If you like movies, go ahead and blog it up!  Knitting your thing?  Then let us know what it's all about!  When you're a book blogger remember that's not the only thing you are, and your followers are just as diverse!
10. Have fun!  The last thing I have to tell you is just to have fun with it all!  Seriously, that is the one thing I hope the most that you take away from this little list!

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Vote for Me in the IBBAs!!!

Remember, you can only vote once so definitely choose the blog you like!

If you like mine, click here -> Eli to the nth

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