Amy, of My Friend Amy has conceived a brilliant celebration of book bloggers!  Seems that I fall into that category these days, so I’m excited to share the news!  I’m signing up!  Here’s the information from her blog:

Book Bloggers: You work hard. You read books, you write reviews, you maintain relationships with your readers, publicists, and authors. You are constantly running to the post office to mail your giveaways and participating in carnivals to help boost traffic. You sometimes want to faint when you see the size of your TBR pile, but faithfully you read. And you do it because you love it. Book blogging is for most a hobby. But it’s a hobby that takes a lot of work and time. It’s a labor of love.

I’ve been blogging for three years but only really got into book blogging in the last year. I have found, without a doubt, that book bloggers are the kindest, most open minded, and supportive group of bloggers on the internet. With book blogging, it’s about community and a love for the written word.

The Readers: We love you! You don’t have a blog, but you read our reviews and share your thoughts with us. You enter our giveaways and click on our Amazon associates link. We do this for you and appreciate your readership. We hope you’ll join in the fun and festivities of BBAW! (we’ll have a special contest just for you!)

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Acknowledging the hard work of book bloggers and their growing impact on book marketing and their essential contribution to book buzz in general, I am excited to announce the first Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Think of it as a retreat for book bloggers and a chance for us to totally nerd out over books together. And of course, shower each other with love and appreciation.

Register: In order to experience the maximum impact of the week, I invite you to register your participation (just like a retreat)!
To register, just send an email to bookbloggerappreciationweekATgmailDOTcom with your blog url and what you consider your niche…i.e, general book blog, classics blog, personal blog with a healthy dose of books, YA books blog, etc. Then, add one of the two buttons at the bottom of this post to your sidebar. If you are a reader (no blog) just send an email announcing your plans to follow along.
Why bother? If you register, you will be added to a book blog directory which will exist long after this week is over. Additionally, you will receive one raffle entry into the daily giveaways during BBAW here at My Friend Amy.

Awards: Oh yes, there will be awards. The Oscars of Book Blogging. Nominations start next week.

Spread the Word: If you are excited about this idea like I am and the other book bloggers who are helping, please consider writing a post on your blog announcing this event and inviting other book bloggers and readers to join.

Help Wanted: If you have a talent for designing buttons (like those below) and would like to donate some of your time and skill to me, please email me personally at mypalamyATgmailDOTcom

THE BUTTONS

Enjoy the celebration!

My sweet husband built me another bookshelf (what a dear!), now we can take some books out of storage!  This one is in the bedroom, right over my head when I’m sleeping.  But no worries,  I trust DH’s carpentry skills!  The books on the shelf in the photo aren’t there now, I’ve filled this case partially with our chapter books/fiction read alouds.  Two other bookshelves are going to non-fiction and all of our binders and bible study materials.  One bookshelf has most of the children’s picture/board books, and their craft supply tub.  Maybe I’ll take more photos once I get all my books reorganized!  They are in a bit of chaos now that we have a new shelf and are being shuttled around.  I’m just thrilled that Larry built this for me!

I’m joining in a new monthly carnival at 5 Minutes for Books called “What’s On Your Nightstand”. I actually don’t have a nightstand but I do have a bookshelf right above my head in bed. So this is more like, what’s on my bed-bookshelf ;).

Since I’ve started reviewing books on my blog I don’t have a lack of reading material, so here is what is up next for me:

Hot Apple Cider (this is a compilation of stories fiction and non-fiction with some poetry thrown in, from over 30 Canadian, Christian authors). I actually won this from Sheila at To Love, Honour and Vaccum. It is in progress, maybe 1/3rd through.

The Deuteronomy Project by Richard Couser - I recently posted the blog tour for this one. It is big! I’m only on page 8 so far!

I’m also reading Unleash the Poem Within, just started that one. Very witty though, surprising for a how to discover yourself through poetry book.

I’m also reading Finding Ever After by Dr. Robert S. Paul - just started. Almost finished Jesus Talks to Krishna by Ravi Z. (I might have the title wrong here - I’m just about finished, but I’m re-organizing my bookcases, so I don’t have it on hand at the moment.)

After these next on my list is Be Last by Jeremy Kingsley and Exposing Darwinism’s Weakest Link (also blog tour books).

I just finished Beyond the Night (last night), so the review for that will be coming soon, as well as What’s the Big Deal About Other Religions (today). I’ve posted blog tours for both of these, so if you’d like to read more about them, hit the Blog Tour category on the left.

I’ve actually had more time to read than I have had to review lately so I still have a few books in back-log that are finished with no reviews yet. Some of these include: Keeping His Pants On Until He Gets Home, When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister, and a few children’s books.

So, there’s my reading life for you this past little while! As always, stan tuned for reviews of ALL of these books, and more! Whew!

It is Bloggy Giveaway Time again already! If you are here for the giveaway - welcome! Please take a peek around my blog. I’m a conservative, born-again Christian, wife and mother of 3 so far. Here on my blog you’ll find a lot of book reviews - mainly of interest to Christians, homeschoolers and children, parenting insights, cute pictures of my children etc. I also host a giveaway here at least once a month, I’d host weekly if I had prize sponsors.  Contact me - jennifer at quiverfullfamily dot com if you’d like to sponsor a giveaway here.  I’d love to meet you, so feel free to leave me a comment as you browse.

Now for the giveaway!

I am giving away 4 free BookMooch credits! With 4 credits you can request 4 used books of your choice to be sent to you by mail for free domestically, or 2 used books internationally! The BookMooch database has many, many books to choose from. My inventory is here if you’d like to take a peek!

So - what is BookMooch, and how does it work? Members add books to their inventories that they are willing to send to others (each book added earns 0.1 points). Members with points can then request books that are inventoried and available (1 point per book domestically, 2 points per book internationally). The member who is ‘mooched’ from receives 1 point domestically and 3 points internationally (BM throws in an extra point to cover shipping). The member with the requested book sends it in the mail, no money every exchanges hands. When the requesting member receives the book they mark it received (0.1 points for this), and leaves feedback. Voila! Book trading by mail!

I have received 373 books, and sent out 163 - yes I am a book, and BookMooch addict! And remember - BookMooch is an international book trading service! Many trading sites are country specific, so this is a bonus! Members can choose to send within their own country only, internationally, or ‘ask first’ which means they are contacted by international members and asked if they will send specific books internationally. There’s much more to learn - wishlists, deals, charities etc. but you’ll need to join up to learn about all of the features.

I will transfer the BookMooch points into your BookMooch account after you win. No need to sign up for an account in advance if you don’t already have one, but this is such a fun service that you may feel compelled to join! Note: I don’t receive any incentives or monetary reward if you sign up, I’m just a happy user!

CONTEST RULES:

This contest is open to everyone worldwide with an email address. Winner will be contacted by email, so be certain to include a valid email with your entry (it will not be publicly displayed).

To enter visit BookMooch and use the search function to see if any titles you’d like to read are available. Leave a comment on this post with a book title that you would like to spend your free BookMooch points on if you are the winner.

To earn extra entries (one extra entry per choice, leave an additional comment for each additional entry earned):

1. Subscribe by email to my blog updates. Sign up box is in the left hand sidebar.

2. Blog about this contest, and leave a link to your post in your additional comment.

The contest will be closing Friday, August 1st at Midnight MST. A winner will be randomly chosen by one of my daughters on Saturday. Winner will be emailed and posted on the blog, so be certain to include your email address! The winner will have 72 hours to respond with their Bookmooch ID, or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks for entering!

The eighth in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7. Today’s article features the opportunity to join a fledgling children’s books blog tour, Kidz Book Buzz.

This installment of the How To Get Started series is shorter than most of our pieces, but I believe it will prove useful to those of us involved in online book reviewing.

If you have been involved in doing research about online book blog tours, you may have noticed the lack of an organized blog tour for children’s books.  I know that I had noticed that children’s book reviews on blogs were not found as often as book reviews for adults (fiction being the most common).

I’m happy to announce the first organized resource for children/youg adult book tours on blogs.  Whether you are an author/publicist/publisher looking to tour a children’s/young adult title, or a blogger seeking to add more reviews of children’s titkes to your blog, you should consider joining Kidzbookbuzz.com.  As with any blog tour, an existing blog is required, this tour also requires a Technorati authority ranking of 50+.  You can find their list of blogger requirements here.

Keep in mind that they are just getting started, so this is a great opportunity to become involved.  As this is a new tour it may be slow in getting started with author’s and books coming online, but they already have their first blog tour scheduled.  This is a ground floor opportunity!  Enjoy!

P.S.  Although this is an ongoing series I am also entering this post into the Island Life Group Writing Contest.  I hope I’m blessed to win the $30 Amazon g.c.!

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.

The seventh in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, and Part 6. Today’s article features an interview with established online reviewer, Heidi Strawser. In addition to her blog, Heidi also reviews for The Old Schoolhouse, and is running their Summer Reading Splash Contest blog as well.

How long have you been reviewing books for?

About 2 years.

How and why did you get started writing online book reviews?

I actually started out by doing product review for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. I have a friend who is one of the founders of Curr-click (a site that sells e-books to homeschoolers); she encouraged me to start doing e-book reviews and it just spiraled from there.

How does your faith impact the types of books you review, and how you review them?

I much prefer to stick with Christian books, just because I know they will be more uplifting and encouraging to read. I do, however, on occasion, find a secular book or novel that sounds interesting to me, and I will agree to review them.

On average, how many books do you read and review each week?

Life is so busy and I don’t have a lot of time to read these days. The most I can read in a week is 2-3 books tops. I do, also, review children’s books and homeschool curriculum, etc. Children’s books are easy and don’t take a lot of time. Homeschool curriculum is something that I like to be able to use in our school for a few weeks or months before writing a review. Also, I am the E-Book Reviews Specialist for the Schoolhouse Store; so I review as many E-Books as I can each week.

What do you feel are the main differences between print and online book reviews?

So many people are online these days that I feel that online book reviews are more effective at spreading the word to a broader range of readers.

What do you feel are the most significant benefits of online book reviews, both for the reviewer and for the author?

There are so many people who are doing online reviews these days. I think the online blog tours are a very effective way for authors and publishers to promote their books. The online audience is HUGE.

Who do you tend to review more books for? Blog tour alliances, or books that are submitted directly to you and your blog through authors/publicists/publishing houses?

I do participate in some blog tour alliances- Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and FIRST and Non-FIRST. I still continue to do product and book reviews for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine and review e-books on a daily basis for our online store (the Schoolhouse Store). I do reviews for several publishers, including Kregel. And I will take on freelance reviews when asked (which is turning out to be quite a bit).

What advice would you give to an individual who is just getting started reviewing books online?

I think the most important thing to remember when doing book reviews (or product reviews) is to remain objective, but to also be honest in your review. If you truly hate a book, you need to say so, and include the reasons why. Maybe those very reasons are what someone else actually likes in a book, so it’s still a good review if you are balanced with it. People want you to be honest so that they know they can trust your words. And words are very important, especially with online reviews, where people can’t see your facial expressions or hear your tone.

If you have anything else you’d like to share, please feel free, we’d love to hear it!

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts. I love doing reviews. I hope people appreciate my work and efforts and enjoy reading my blog. I try to keep it light and fun.

Thanks so much for joining us Heidi! To read Heidi’s reviews please visit her at Reviews by Heidi.

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.

The sixth in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5. Today’s article features an interview with established online reviewer, Laura Williams.

How long have you been reviewing books for?

Since August 2007 approximately

How and why did you get started writing online book reviews?

I joined one of the book review teams and it took off from there.  Here are a few places to consider checking into:

http://christianfictionblogalliance.com/

http://www.csffblogtour.com/

http://fictioninrathershorttakes.blogspot.com/

http://nonfictioninrathershorttakes.blogspot.com/

http://teenfictioninrathershorttakes.blogspot.com/

http://firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com/

http://frontstreetreviews.com

http://pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

I also wrote reviews (still do for many of these) for Random House, Zondervan, Harper Collins, Bostick Communications, The B&B Media Group, Sylvan Dell Publishing, and a couple others that I’m drawing a blank on (sorry guys!). I’ve also had authors or their publicist to contact me directly to request a book review.

How does your faith impact the types of books you review, and how you review them?

I choose not to read certain genre of books and prefer to read books that are child friendly if I am reviewing a children’s book. I know that sounds odd but there are some books on the market that are geared toward children and they should be for young adults.  I also prefer to read books that of the Christian genre.  I don’t read books that are about blood and gore with sex thrown it.

When reviewing books, I try to be very open in my reviews without hurting the author’s feelings and giving my blog readers an honest review.

On average, how many books do you read and review each week?

This varies I couldn’t even begin to throw out a number.  Some months are more scheduled than others.

What do you feel are the main differences between print and online book reviews?

Both type of reviews are going to be a hit or miss when it comes to how many people see it and read it.  I think the bloggers have a little advantage over the print reviews as each blog has various readers and new visitors who may stop into that particular post to read what you have to say about a book.

What do you feel are the most significant benefits of online book reviews, both for the reviewer and for the author?

I think it benefits the author as well as the reviewer because the author is getting his or her book out there and the reviewer is getting the chance to read a book that they may not have heard about prior to being contacted for a review of same.  It’s a win-win situation.

Who do you tend to review more books for?  Blog tour alliances, or books that are submitted directly to you and your blog through authors/publicists/publishing houses?

Oh goodness, right now it’s probably a close race.  In the beginning though, I definitely did more for blog tour alliances such at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour , Fiction In Rather Short Takes, Non-Fiction in Rather Short Takes, Teen Fiction in Rather Short Takes, and  Fiction in Rather Short Takes WILD CARD Tours.

What advice would you give to an individual who is just getting started reviewing books online?

Be honest in your reviews and be timely.  If you are scheduled for a certain day to post your review, then be sure to adhere to that scheduled date. If you are sent books to review at your convenience, set yourself a date in which you strive to have that review posted.  Personally, I set myself a two week time frame on these types of reviews. It gives me enough time to read the books and post a review on my blog while I’m doing other reviews, etc.

Above all, have fun, be honest, and don’t overschedule yourself. In the end, you’ll have a review that has yourself shining through it and the authors, publicists, etc. will note you as a trustworthy reviewer and you may get more offers for books to review.

Thanks so much for joining us Laura!  To read Laura’s reviews, and take in the other excellent features on her blog (I love the daily contest round-ups) please visit her at Laura Williams Musings.

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.

Such sweet words to the ear of a bibliophile and Mother.  I’ve never had early talkers, my youngest turned 2 in April, and she is now starting to speak in complete sentences and phrases.  One of the earliest to surface, as well as one of the most oft repeated is “Readee me Mommy!”, often repeated two to three times in rapid succession if I don’t respond quickly. 

At times this request is followed by the title of a book “Readee me Mommy, JeeJee lubs bee (Jesus Loves Me).”  Sometimes it is the title of the book that is repeated several times, accompanied by book waving in the air.  The incessant demands can become a bit trying, but above all else, I’m thrilled that she has discovered the delights to be found in books, and that their value is already well established in her life.

I am a dyed in the wool reader, which makes me suspect that my parents must have read to me often as a small child, though I have only sporadic memories of this taking place.  Both of my parents love books, and I have followed in their example.  Fostering this love of literature in my own children has proven to be surprisingly simple: regular storytimes scattered throughout the day, consistent bedtime stories and devotionals each and every night, books within easy access of little hands.  Before I knew it my children were entertaining themselves by ‘reading’ books without me.  Just sitting on the floor, quietly leafing through books to look at the pictures, sometimes stopping to ask me questions.  My oldest daughter, K - 5, pointing out pictures and events in storybooks to her younger sister.

How have you fostered a love for reading in your tiny ones?  What are the fruits of your efforts that you are now seeing in their lives?  Please share in the comments of your adventures with literature and children!

The fifth in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Today’s article features a link to a series of interviews with online book reviewers, as well as presenting the opportunity to review with Blogcritics.org.

Here is a treat for those of you who have been enjoying this series of posts about writing book reviews online (and interviews with online book reviewers).  It seems that I’m not the only one who has been thinking along these lines.

A series of articles has been running at Blogcritics.org, featuring interviews with well known online book reviewers with established book review sites of various types.  I have found reading them very enjoyable!  The series is running throughout the month of June, with many installments left to come.  If you want to get started reading, check out The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.  This list of interviews will be updated throughout the month as the new interviews are released.

I’m a newbie reviewer with Blogcritics - only three reviews posted there (you can see my writer profile here, with a list of reviews), and a stack of materials in the mail and on their way for me to review.  If you think you’d be interested in writing for them - books available in a wide variety of genres, DVDs, music cd’s etc. or writing news, commentary or social opinion articles… then check out their introductory guidelines here.  If you are accepted you will receive a lot of information on their detailed guidelines and submission processes - a bit of a learning curve.

From the looks of their content they may not have many Christian reviewers, and perhaps not many Christian readers, but I hope to do a small part in raising the profile of Christian titles by reviewing them through their site - they receive 50,000 hits each day!

Happy review writing, and reading!

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.

The fourth in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Today’s article is the first in a series of interviews with established online book reviewers that will be distributed throughout the larger series.

Today I have the opportunity to share with you an interview that I conducted by email with Deena Peterson of A Peek at My Bookshelf Book Reviews.

Deena is known online for her insightful and relevant reviews of a variety of titles. She has a strong reviewing focus on Christian fiction, but reviews other titles as well. She has shared with us her personal experiences with book reviewing, and some great advice for those new to the craft.

How long have you been reviewing books for?

I’ve been reviewing books online for about a year and a half, but I used to review them (tell customers about what was good) for years before that.

How and why did you get started writing online book reviews?

My mom and I used to share books, and when she passed away, I didn’t really have a ‘reading buddy’ anymore. My husband started a blog, and I thought about starting my own. I began sharing about books, and it kind of took on a life of its own.

How does your faith impact the types of books you review, and how you review them?

My faith impacts my reading heavily. I avoid books with an “ick” factor–explicit language and sexuality. I have a vivid imagination, and it doesn’t need any help getting me in trouble Plus, books always have a message or a motive, whether to simply entertain or inspire. I want to fill my mind with the good stuff. But that doesn’t mean I only read Christian books. I’m always on the lookout for a clean and encouraging author.

Because I read faith based books, I look for solid, Biblical truth. If it’s non-fiction, I look for Scripture. I don’t want man’s opinions; I want God’s truth–I’m just picky that way! I also want to be entertained, but pointed in the right direction. Many books claim to be Christian, but there’s not much in the way of Christ in them.

On average, how many books do you read and review each week?

I usually can read one per day, but lately I’ve been a bit slower. I try to get a review posted every day; there are so many great books out there, it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s so-so. Plus, I want to keep my readers coming back for more! They are the reason I do this–that, and the books:-)

What do you feel are the main differences between print and online book reviews?

Online book reviews are more easily accessible, and since most of us are amateurs, we have no ulterior motives…that means we’re more honest with our readers. We’re not bound by payment or anything…we do it for the love of books and of reading.

What do you feel are the most significant benefits of online book reviews, both for the reviewer and for the author?

Exposure and publicity. Plus, getting to meet wonderful people who also love to read :-).

Who do you tend to review more books for? Blog tour alliances, or books that are submitted directly to you and your blog through authors/publicists/publishing houses?

It’s a wide mix. Lately I read more on request, but once in awhile I read just because a book appeals to me.

What advice would you give to an individual who is just getting started reviewing books online?

Meet other bloggers through joining book blog groups, stay up on what’s new in fiction, and when you write a review, email the publisher or author your review link. And do what you do for the love of books.

Thanks so much Deena for joining me for this interview! Don’t forget - you can find Deena’s reviews at A Peek at My Bookshelf (I peek regularly).

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.