OH MY GOD! Thank You and My BBAW Meme (Finally!)
by Jenners • 08/21/2009 • Book Talk • 28 Comments
If you weren’t aware of it yet, Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is coming up soon (September 14-18), and I’ll tell you one book blogger who feels totally appreciated right now … me!! I was notified this week that I was nominated for four BBAW awards — Most Chatty, Best New Blog, Best General Review Blog and Best Challenge Host. I was totally speechless when I got the notifications and felt so honored. I know that you guys took the time to nominate me, and I cannot even tell you how much it means to have been nominated. Even if I don’t win, I feel like I’ve won already! (Do I totally sound like an actress at the Oscars or what?) But I do sincerely mean it. Of course, it would be a total kick to get on the shortlist for a category and possibly even win, but I know the competition is fierce so I’m happy even if I don’t get to “formally” compete. So thank you so much, my lovely readers! You made me so happy and honored.
In addition, I was thrilled to be invited to participate on one of the BBAW award panels. This will involve reading 5 posts for each nominated blogger in a category. I should get the information next week and have until September 4th to complete my scoresheets. And since I’ll be on vacation for the beginning part of the week, I imagine that I might have my hands full with reading the nominated blog posts so I might be a bit scarce until this task is done. Just a heads up if I seem like I’ve disappeared!
Finally, I’ve been meaning to complete the BBAW meme that has been going around. There is a version for people who participated last year and people who didn’t participate. Since this is my first year participating in BBAW, that is the one I did. So no more blabbing (was this why I was nominated for “Most Chatty???), on with the meme!
1. What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
When I started this blog back in November 2008, I had no idea how rewarding and exciting book blogging was going to be. So cue up Barbra Streisand’s Memories and I’ll tell you some of my highlights from the past year:
- Receiving my very first review copy of a book. (I felt like I’d “pulled one over” on somebody somewhere. Sometimes I still feel that way.)
- Getting my very first Advanced Reading Copy (ARC). (I remember showing it to my husband and feeling so very special to have a book that hadn’t been released yet!)
- Interviewing my very first author. (I was terrified — even though it was via e-mail.)
- Getting my very first comment from someone I didn’t know.
- Getting a comment on a book review I wrote — from the author themselves!
- Hearing from people that read a book because I recommended it and saying how much they liked it.
- Having two people purchase a Kindle based on my review of it. (Seriously. I was floored!)
- Hosting my very first reading challenge and having way more people sign up for it than I anticipated.
- Being nominated for these BBAW awards.
But most of all, having fellow readers to talk with, learn from and share book recommendations with has been so rewarding and fun. I never knew it would be so interactive when I started blogging, and the quality of the books I’ve been reading has improved tremendously. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m married to a non-reader so having fellow readers to talk with has been a godsend. I wish I had more time to blog than I do as it is so fun!
2. What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
There are so many bloggers who have helped me out since I started blogging. Here are just a few, and if I didn’t mention you, it was because I’m a bit tired when writing this and I probably just spaced it out.
- Alyce at At Home With Books was so welcoming to me when I started blogging and provided such great information like how to get ARCs, giving me advice on how to write a review for a book I didn’t really love, and so much more.
- Dawn at She Is Too Fond of Books was also one of the first bloggers to support me and help me out (including advice on writing negative reviews). Plus I owe her big-time for inviting me to participate in the Game On Diet challenge.
- Serena at Savvy Verse & Wit was another early supporter — both of this blog and my personal blog. She was especially wonderful about helping me promote my first author interview when I was panicked about no one reading it!
- The girls at Padfoot and Prongs inspired some of what I consider to be my best posts — the ones I did for their totally fun scavenger hunt. It was this scavenger hunt that inspired me to create my own Take A Chance Challenge.
- Bermudaonion at Bermudaonion’s Weblog is seemingly able to comment on every post I write — and seems to do so on every blog I read! Plus she is always adding to my TBR list with the wide variety of books she reviews on her own blog.
- Beth at Beth Fish Reads is another amazing commenter and has provided me with lots of support — both on Twitter, the Game On Diet and learning how to make those little buttons at the top of my blog.
- Caite at …a lovely shore breeze inspires me with her “grumpy wit” and her writing style. I just love reading what she has to say — even if I’m not interested in the actual topic (like her obsessive love of LibaryThing — wink, wink). She helped me to realize you can write about books but still have some personality in your posts.
- J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog was the first blog I found that had reading challenges and so I credit her with introducing me to the wonderful wacky world of reading challenges.
3. What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?
If you have limited blogging time like I do, what events would focus on during the week?
Congrats!
–Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
I've sent you 2 emails. You were also nominated for most humorous.
Please double check your inbox and spam inbox.
Thanks.
Sheri
Truly an honor being nominated even if I don't get on that shortlist
Congrats on all your nominations!
Oh that meme, meant to do it this week but uni was crazy so will do it today
Congrats on all of your nominations! Ahh we both just squealed and almost cried when you said we helped inspire you! Like we say all the time you and the few others like you are the main reason we do what we do, so to hear that we are an inspiration to you as well is so touching!! You rock womannn prepare your self for our onslaught of votes when you make those shortlists!
Congratulations on your nominations! I am totally NOT surprised! You deserve every one of them.
Thanks for saying all those nice things about me and my blog! I'm going to be on a panel too (and part of my vacation happens during that time as well – it should be interesting).
Congrats on your nominations — I'm not surprised that you got them! Thanks so much for kind words, it's been so much fun to meet you over the year.
Great question for the BBAW pros. This is my first one too.
Congratulations on these well-deserved nominations, and Good Luck! If you find out how on earth Kathy (Bermudaonion) manages to do all her commenting, could you please share the info with me?!? LOL
Congratulations! I hope you have your acceptance speech ready —and for heavens sake, don't be in the ladies' room when your name is announced.
I hope you win!
I thought I was already following you over here. No wonder I didn't know what BBAW stood for. Oh, the shame!
Congratulations on all of your nominations! You deserve each and every one of them!
Yes, yay for Dawn!! And congratulations on your nominations…how exciting!!
Congratulations!!!!! Good luck!!!
Congratulations on all your nominations. You deserve them all. Here's hoping you make all the short lists.
Congratulations on all those nominations. So via Twitter you even got a couple more. Yay!
Cool Beans! Congrats on the nomination. Very happy for you. Know exactly what you mean about receiving that first book and ARC. It just made me giddy and special.
Congratulations! Good luck on the final voting!
Congrats…well deserved indeed.
Congratulations! Thanks for having such a great blog!
Congratulations on all the nominations! And great chatty meme post!
"…Do I sound like an actress at the oscars?"
Yes, Sally, we love you! We really do. You deserve every one of these awards.
Good luck with the short list. I'm rooting for you.
Congrats on your nominations!
Congrats on all the great nominations…you totally deserve them! I hope you are short-listed. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
I completely agree about receiving the first ARC and every ARC I receive.
And I was happy to promote your first interview! It was a promotion I did with love! Thanks for the mention.
Keep up the great work.
Ok, for your questions. Focus on a short time period where you will be following BBAW and I highly recommend the interviewing another blogger activity–http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com/index.php/site/comments/interview_another_blogger_during_bbaw/
Sign up if you haven't!
Yes, thank you very much for the mention too…even if I could have done without the 'grumpy' part. Personally, I think I am quite cheery!
…and I am glad you forgive me my Anti-Kindle, Anti-Twitter, Pro-LibraryThing obsessions.
I also totally understand what you mean about the excitement at getting your first review copy, your first ARC, you first comment from someone I did not know, who was, I just looked to see, PamT from Good Books For Kids..It is still exciting, or I would not do it.
BTW, I got a nom. for the BBAW…most chatty…which I just do not understand…lol
Congrats on your nominations, Jenners! Thanks for mentioning me in your post … I feel like I've known you forever; hard to believe you've been blogging less than a year!
As to your question … I try to write the themed post (if there is one that day), and spend a set amount of time (like, 1 hour in the morning, and 1 hour at night) reading and commenting on the other themed posts. There is a lot going on, so I have to pick and choose, too (If only My Friend Amy would tell us the secret to cloning herself!)
Congrats on all your nominations! They are definitely deserved.
Congratulations on all your nominations! I know exactly what you mean about ARCs – I still feel that way every time I receive one. Thanks for the kind words!
congratulations!
Congratulations!!!
wow!!! great job on all the nominations!!! there is something to be said about peer recognition, right? it makes you feel so validated as a blogger!
good luck and i look forward to seeing the results of BBAW!