15 Book Blogging Challenge: Day 14

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

Deal breakers?  In terms of what I won't read?

I'm not big on thrillers.  I don't like scary movies, and I won't read scary books.  You can thank the movie IT for that one.

I don't like books that deal with infertility.  In fact, if I know ahead of time that struggles with infertility are in the book, chances are I won't read them.  They hit way too close to home for me.

I don't mind romance books, but I don't like the over the top, annoying, nothing but sex scenes in them books either.

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 13

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

I really think this book for me is Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick.  I mentioned this book as one of my favorite blog posts on Day 11.  But really - this book didn't get much exposure in terms of the blogging world (that I saw, at least) but it's really an eye opening, touching, emotional book.  You should all read it!  Just sayin'

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 12

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

Ha!  In all honesty, I don't.  If I don't want to blog or read for that matter, I just don't.  I think all of my readers understand that life exists outside of this blog, for all of us.  If I had an established review policy, or people counting on me to post reviews, I'd probably be more streamlined in my process and would make time to keep up.

But for me, for right now, this is a hobby.  Hobbies aren't supposed to be work.  The minute this blog becomes one more chore for me, I'll probably stop writing it.

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 11

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

Ahhhh!  This one is tough since I just started blogging...

Armchair BEA Introduction - I only highlight this entry because it's the one that really got me started back to blogging.

My very first entry - It's not much of an introduction.  

Purple Heart - One of my favorite books!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - The start of an amazing series!

New Layout - Just because I still really love new layout of TBD. 

Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 10

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

I'm very much a pick up whatever I can get my hands on kind of girl.  I will say that I tend to pick up a hard back/paper back that is hanging out on my shelf at home before I'll give into the iPad style of reading.  I don't know what it is.  I have a ton of books saved on my Kindle/Nook apps - but I still really enjoy the comfort of an actual book.

For me - I will browse the covers and pick the one that fits my mood at the time.  There's really no rhyme or reason to it, at all.

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 9

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

Why, oh why, do I blog about books?  That's an easy question, right?  Well, not exactly.  For me, blogging became my outlet.  Well - reading was my outlet.  But then I'd completely forget about the number of books I read, what they were about, whether or not I liked them.   I had noticed several book bloggers out on the web, and I thought, I read a lot, I should start one too. 

Many of my friends come to me for book recommendations as it is, so I thought this might be a central place for everyone.   So TBR was born.  In 2011.  And very little was done about it.  I got wrapped up in finishing up a second Masters, and then a rocky relationship, a divorce, and learning how to start over.  I once again found myself wrapped up in a book.  

I don't remember what blog it was (and I should) but someone posted about the BEA event that was being held for bloggers, and I thought here's my chance to really get into this.  So I did.  

I love to read.  I love to talk about books.  But more importantly, I love to write about books. It's my outlet.  

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 8

Check it out!  I'm officially half way finished with this challenge.  It's been fun.  But I haven't been as diligent as I should have been about tagging myself in each day.  Maybe next time!

April at Good Books and Good Wine is hosting the 15 day challenge.  Make sure to check out her blog, and see what others are saying.

Ekk!  Quick 15 bulletin points of things that appeal to me on blogs...

• Clean, organized, well laid out blogs.  I can't even begin to say how overwhelming some blogs are when completely loaded.
• Information about the author... glimpses into their personal life... who they are outside of the books they review.
• A recap of the books that have been reviewed, in one central location, organized somehow.  
• Social media links.  How can I follow you on Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads?
• Color, or an overall theme.  Something to make the blog cohesive.
• No noise!  I hate when I do have my speakers on, and I'm blasted by some random sounds/music.  It's annoying.
• Random book challenges.  Like reading a book about every single US President or something.  
• Replies to comments.  That's the best.  When a blogging actually acknowledges you've visited their page.
• Weekly memes.  I love these.  Seriously, pink puffy heart love them.  Plus, it's a great way to generate traffic to your blog.
• Rating systems.  It's nice to know what they are.  
• A direct link to Goodreads.  It just makes my life easier to add the book if I'm interested in reading it, if there's a direct link on the review.   :o)  
• Quotes.  I looooove quotes.  (You should check out my Pinterest board...) But, I love finding new quotes.  Maybe we should host a weekly Quote Meme.  I'll work on that, unless it's already been done.
• Reviews that do not contain spoilers.  It's so hard sometimes to write a review without giving away any spoilers, but at least LET A PERSON KNOW ahead of time.
• Giveaways are always fun.  :o) 
• I love when pictures break up the monotony of the words.  

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 7

Talk about blogging quirks.  I'm pretty OCD when it comes to real life, but I haven't found that groove  yet, so to speak, in blogging.  I'm surprised that I don't have a schedule and a calendar, and a given day of the week for book reviews and things of that sort.  I like things organized, and complete, and this blog is neither, so it's definitely a work in progress.  Honestly - that part drives me insane!

I label the heck out of everything.  For book reviews - I label it with the author, genre, year I read the book.  I used to label it with the month and year I read the book, but I stopped doing that.  I want to start labeling book reviews with the # of stars so that it's easy to find, plus, I have another page for that too.

It'll all come together.  I don't think I ever realized just how much work book blogging is.  It's a full time job, but I'm trying to be patient with it all, and just know that someday, it'll all be as close to perfect as possible.

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 6

Book shopping for me is typically done online.  While I wish I had the time to peruse the local bookstores or the chain bookstores, I typically don't with school.  I'm famous for browsing book blogs all the time to get new recommendations from my peers, I have a TBR list on Goodreads, so anytime I have some extra cash, I just look there.  I also definitely judge a book by it's cover, and have picked up books that way too.

How do you shop for books?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 5

A tear jerker, huh?  The one book I can remember seriously bawling while reading was Marley and Me by John Grogan.  Now, let's not even pretend that the book didn't make me INSANELY furious at times, but it was definitely a tear jerker.  I refuse to watch the movie because of that.

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 4

Apparently, I have lived, but I can honestly say I've never thrown a book across the room.  I don't know if it's because I'm scared to hurt my books, or what.  Maybe I need to find one?  LOL.  Who knows.

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 3

I know it's only day 3, but I'm kind of proud of myself to remember to log in and post these every day.  :o)  Only 12 more to go!

Since I'm very new to book blogging in general, I don't have many blogging BFFS.  I would say that the person I talk to the most about book blogging, book events around our area, online reading events, how to get my blog out there, etc. is Kate from Too Read or Not Too Read.

We both had book blogs but neither of us had put much effort into getting ourselves out there until the BEA event(s).  So yeah - Kate - you're officially my book blogging BFF!  :o)

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day 2

In response to today's question - my bedtime reading ritual varies from day to day.  I'd say it would all depend on how the day went at work.  But typically, I take a shower at night so that I don't have to put heat to my hair in the mornings.  After getting out of the shower, brushing teeth, putting on moisturizer, doing all the things girls do to get ready for bed, I usually read anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.  It allows my brain to focus on something other than what it's focusing on, and helps me eventually fall asleep.

What's your reading ritual?  Do you have one?

15 Day Book Blogging Challenge: Intro & Day 1

I'm a girl that likes, no, LOVES, a challenge.  :o)  I'd like to say it's in my blood, but really, I'm never satisfied just being.  With a break in school, I have more time to focus on TBD, and well, that means more posts, and more content for you!  

I stumbled upon this 15 Day Book Blogging Challenge today, and it seems fun, and a great way to get to know your blogging neighbors, so I thought I'd give it a shot. 

This challenge is hosted by Good Books and Good Wine.  Check it out!

Make 15 book related confessions.

1.  I'm a book hoarder.  But only of books I haven't read yet.  Once I've read a book, I post it on PaperBackSwap for the next person to enjoy.  The reason I stopped hoarding read books is because books are a pain to move.  Trust me on that one.

2.  I have almost 1,000 titles on my TBR list on Goodreads.  I'm never going to get to read them all.  It's insane.  I do however go through it every so often and get rid of titles I am no longer interested in.

3.  I really try hard to finish a book once I've started it.  Even if I hate it.  I think I've only stopped reading maybe two books in my life.

4.  I never thought I'd be a YA girl.  I always thought it'd be like reliving high school all over again, but I'm glad I gave it a chance.  Some of my favorite books are YA.

5.  I'm notorious for refusing to read a book until the entire series is finished.  I've been reading the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series for YEARS!  I'm just ready to know who she picks so I can move on.  I mean, isn't 20+ books enough?  But I love Stephanie Plum, so I'll continue reading until JE decides to put an end to it.

6.  I'm obsessed with the beautiful bookshelves where all of the books are arranged by color. I always dream of someday.  But not until I'm out of an apartment, and in a house, where I'll stay, for awhile.  I can't wait to have a room full of books.

7.  I refuse to watch a "movie adaption" until I've read the book.  But I won't watch the movie right away, so I can forget the details, and enjoy the movie.

8.  I'm usually reading more than one book at a time.  Currently - I'm reading 3.  How I keep the stories straight is often beyond me.  I'm reading one religious book, one on my Kindle, and one in print.

9.  I read anywhere and everywhere.  I have *some* version of a book with me at all times.  If I'm stuck in traffic, yup, I'm reading.  Sitting in line at a drive thru, yup, reading.  It's awesome.  But I often get dirty looks.  

10.  I judge a book by it's cover.  All the time.

11.  I love the nerdy tough boy characters in books.  Let me explain.  The boys that are "manly" in public, but super sweet and sensitive in private.  They remind me of my own boyfriend.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I love sappy romantic sweet boys the most!

12.  I've only listened to one audio book to completion in my entire life.  It was Angels & Demons.  I have a 10 minute drive to work, where I talk to my mom via my car's bluetooth.  (No handheld talking for me!)  I don't know when I'd find the time to listen to an audio book.

13.  I love the library.  I'd rather check out books from the library than spend the money to buy them myself.  One year - I calculated how much money I saved by checking them out and donated that money to the library.  And then we moved.  Too far away from the library to make it at all convenient.  I'm still sad.

14.  I hate when a book I love ends.  I don't know if I think the book will magically continue to write itself or what.  But it leaves me feeling sad, and lonely.

15.  I love free books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  (I have an iPad so I download them from both.)  There's no way in heck that I'll ever get all those books read, but it makes me feel good to have options.  

What are your 15 book related confessions?  Let's hear 'em.