BEA: Ask the Experts

This week in New York City the annual BEA is taking place!  For all the book bloggers who can't make the trip there is "Armchair BEA."  If you want to learn more about Armchair BEA head over to their website here.

 

Today's topic: Ask The Experts. "In your post, ask the visitors to your blog for blogging advice. What did you always want to know about blogging but were afraid to ask? Now is the time!"

Okay, my one question that I'm a bit hesitant to ask is: How do you guys get to all of your review books?  I don't really request very many ARCs yet I still have trouble getting to them along with all of the other books I want to read for the year.  Also, I see other bloggers with HUGE stacks of ARCs each week in their mailbox and think to myself "how in the world do they get to all of those?"  Do you actually read EVERY ARC you request or do some get left behind?  Do you guys have any tips for ensuring you get to your request books?  I was thinking maybe creating some sort of review schedule might be helpful.  Anyways, I had a lot of fun reading everyone's Armchair BEA posts and I hope that the bloggers that physically went to BEA had an amazing time!

Armchair BEA - Intro Post!

This week in New York City the annual BEA is taking place!  For all the book bloggers who can't make the trip there is "Armchair BEA."  This is the first time I'm taking part in this fun event and I'm super excited!  First up, bloggers must introduce themselves by answering several questions.  If you want to learn more about Armchair BEA head over to their website here.

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

Hi y'all!  My name is Kat and I live in lovely Bloomington, IN (home of the IU Hoosiers!) with my tall, dark, and handsome hubby and two adorable pups.  I've been blogging since 2010 but only really got into book blogging since 2011.  I decided to start book blogging because I had finished up grad school in the spring of 2010 and wanted to get back to my love of reading.  I thought blogging about it would be a really fun adventure and so far I'm loving it!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

My favorite book that I've read so far in 2012 is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.  It's a retelling of the Iliad that's a really well written page-turner.  Feel free to check out my review!

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

Hmmm...I feel like I've let quite a few tidbits of my life leak into my blog.  I've shared photos of my puppy, my husband, and even my crafts.  So, how about this:
My feet are ridiculously accident-prone. A piece of wood floor splintered into my foot while I was sliding across the floor (let this be a cautionary tale to all you floor-sliders). I have also stepped on a thorn, a nail, and a sewing needle.

What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)?

I've always really enjoyed participating in the Top Ten Tuesday meme.  Also, I had a really fun time creating Foodie Fiction February for my blog - I think I'll do it again next year!

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

Oh, absolutely!  I've been reading much more YA than I used to (as I follow some really great YA blogs that keep convincing me to add new books to my TBR list) and I also have been reading a bit more fantasy than I normally would (again thanks to recommendations from the blogging community).

To get introduced to more book bloggers be sure to stop by Armchair BEA!

BEA Books I'm Excited About!

So, I took a gander at BEA Buzz Books over at NetGalley and boy-howdy I'm excited!  I know some other bloggers have started talking about this and I wanted to put in my two cents.  So, in list form (because that seems to be my modus operandi these days) here are the books that I'm most excited about:

Origin by Jessica Khoury (9/4/2012) - Blurb: Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of "Lost."

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (9/27/2012) - this one's kind of a no-brainer!  So curious to see how Rowling does with a departure from Harry.

Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe (10/23/2012) - his first novel in eight years!!

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver - it's Kingsolver, that's reason enough.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde - Anyone who's ever read the Thursday Next series should be excited for Ffordes first foray (how's that for alliteration?) into YA.

The Diviners by Libba Bray (9/18/2012) - YA novel involving 1920s NY, the occult, and a bunch of murders...also, it's Libba Bray.