Amazon Giveaway Winners!

As part of Armchair BEA - I hosted a giveaway of TWO Amazon gift certificates.

The first gift cert for $25 went to Alyssa!  She "liked" The Bibliophile's Digest on Facebook!  

The second gift cert for $15 went to Cynthia!  She also "liked" The Bibliophile's Digest on Facebook!

I have e-mailed winners.  :o)

Armchair BEA Day 3: GIVEAWAY!

Who doesn't LOVE a giveaway?!  I know I do!  So for my first giveaway and to celebrate my first Armchair BEA - I've decided to have TWO giveaways.  Or rather, two prizes.

The first prize... a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.  Easy enough, right?!

The second prize... a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.  

That means TWO WINNERS!  

*Edit:  Contest will end at midnight on Sunday, June 2nd.  I'll do a random drawing and announce the winners here on the blog on Monday, June 3rd!  Good luck everyone.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

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Armchair BEA Day 3: Literary Fiction

Before I get started discussing today's Armchair BEA topic - I want to share some good news.  All the traffic from my posts yesterday got me so excited to develop this blog even more!  Some I thought I'd share some good news!

You guys!  I did some research, and I found someone who is going to revamp the blog!  Yay!  I couldn't be more excited for an awesome blog background, logo, etc. to really start this journey of mine!  Secondly, I received a couple of books on netgalley for review... one from one of my FAVORITE authors, Richelle Mead, author of The Vampire Academy series.  I could NOT be more excited, so thank you to everyone for visiting, and sharing the love of books and blogging with me!  

And... just because... I'll be hosting a giveaway starting later on this afternoon.  There will  likely be two prizes, so check back for details!  

On to literary fiction...

For me, when I think about literary fiction, it tends to be those novels in high school that we had to read as part of Advanced Placement English.  You know, the ones that we all tried to read the Cliff's Notes versions because we had way more important things to do as teenagers than be consumed with ::gasp:: a book. 

For me, literary fiction is something that touches the soul and changes your life, but it's deeper than just words on a piece of paper.  It's the characters, the language, the plot, the lasting feeling long after I've finished the last word.  

Some of my favorite books are considered literary fiction, and for the most part, I really enjoy the genre.

Armchair BEA Day 2: Genre Fiction

If you’re a reader of genre fiction do you have a favorite author or series? And what keeps bringing you back for more fantasy/sci fi/horror etc? And if you don’t read one (or more) of these genres what is it that deters you from those sections of the bookstore? I’m also curious to hear why you think these genres often don’t get the recognition they deserve.

I definitely gravitate more towards young adult fiction.  I think it's in part because there have been some amazing books released within the past few years that have really drawn me towards that genre.  Another reason I tend to gravitate towards young adult fiction and fiction in general is because so much of my free time was spent with my nose in an accounting text book.  After awhile, a girl just wants to read ANYTHING but.  I'd like to think that I'm a well-rounded reader in such that I'll pick up just about anything, but I definitely tend to stay away from the horror books.  I can remember as a child being terrified of the movie IT, and still being leery of clowns at 30.  Below are some of my favorite books...

If the book is one of a series, I've probably read them all, but am only choosing to put the first book in the series.  

Armchair BEA Day 2: Better Blogger?

Day 2 of Armchair BEA is upon us, and part of today's discussion is how to be a better blogger and how to focus "blogger development."  For me, this discussion is two fold, because it allows me to dig deeper and investigate what other book bloggers have done to be successful in their own endeavors, but also to allow me to really pinpoint what I want to do to develop my own style and blog.

Have you branched out into your community? Do you partner with other bloggers? Have you gone "pro" or tried generating some income through your blog? If you're a long-term blogger, how has your online personality developed over the years? 

As a newbie book blogger, I haven't really expanded into my community or partnered with other bloggers, although I do hope to do both in the future.  Going pro isn't really something I want to actively pursue, but if in the future, it went that direction, I most certainly wouldn't be opposed.  I mean, making money for my opinions, YES, please   :o)  But... my primary focus has been and always will be to share my love of books and reading with the masses.  It's just who I am, and what I like to do.  

So for my own development... here's a list of what I'd like to do with The Bibliophile's Digest, and where I'd like to eventually see this blog.

*  Create a logo
*  Create a lay out and blog design
*  Update The Bibliophile's Digest Facebook page
*  Maybe create a Twitter account?!
*  Become part of a book club
*  Take the ol' blog off of blogger, and maybe obtain a .com domain
*  Take part in more weekly meme posts hosted by various bloggers 
*  Develop a signature for closing each post
*  Develop a "review" policy
*  Create an about me section
*  Link up to Goodreads on my blog

You see - there's a thousand ways to network, and I want to start doing just that!

~ Christina

Armchair BEA: Introduction

Armchair BEA is a virtual blogging conference for those of us unlucky enough to be sitting in New York at Book Expo America.  One of these days, people, one of these days.  As a hopeful book blogger, I thought participating virtually might be a great way to get my name out there, and establish The Bibliophile's Digest as a blog out in the world.  So without further ado, here's my introduction.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:  Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

I'm Christina.  :o)  I'm a 30 year old accountant by day in the airline industry.  I enjoy my job, for the most part, but spending all day crunching numbers leaves the brain, well, mushy.  I turned to reading as an outlet.  It's always been a hobby of mine, since I was a little bitty girl.  I can remember, 1st day of 1st Grade, I got sent to the principal's office for being able to read at a higher level than my classmates, and my teacher didn't know what to do with me.  She then proceeded to keep me inside during recess to teach my classmates how to read.  

I started this blog several years ago... 2011, to be exact.  But I never spent much time on it.  As a full time student with a full time job, blogging always took a back burner.  I enjoy reading, and more than that, I enjoy writing, so I figured it was time to get back into it.  It's just a hobby, and I don't hope or plan to every make money off of this journey.  It's just a good outlet for me to publish my thoughts about a book, and keep up with what I'm reading in one nice, neat, package.

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA?  What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event? 

I have not participated in Armchair BEA in the past.  I was drawn to the event because of the network of book bloggers that are involved, as well as the daily topics and insight given by Armchair BEA to bloggers.  It's just a  great resource, and I'm happy to be a part of it!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

I'm currently reading Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews.  It's been on my bookshelf at home for awhile, and looks like a light summer read, so I picked it up.  Plus, it's set in one of my favorite places in the US... Nags Head, NC!  So far, so good.  :o)  I'm looking forward to doing the review.

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

It'd definitely be J.K. Rowlings.  I'm a huge follower of the Harry Potter series.  I want to just pick her brain.  A woman who has accomplished as much as she did, considering her circumstances in the beginning, is just an inspiration to me.  I'm always amazed by her every time I hear an interview.  She's such a gracious, humble, human being.  

Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

For me, personally, I'd like to see The Bibliophile's Digest take off as a book blog.  I can't promise that it'll be the greatest blog out there, but I promise to give it my heart and soul.  Heck, who knows, there might even be a giveaway coming up soon.  :o)