Meet a Book Blogger: Teresa's Reading Corner

Our April Meet a Book Blogger post features Teresa of Teresa's Reading Corner. Her blog is a wonderful mix of book reviews, author spotlights, blog tours, and reading challenges.

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started blogging just over a year ago. Teresa's Reading Corner celebrated its first birthday on February 23rd. I have always been an avid reader and love talking about books. I started out writing reviews on GoodReads and creating my own space was the next logical step.

2. How often do you post?
I try to post 2-3 times per week. One of those being a "Kids Corner" post highlighting a title that my little monkey and I are reading.

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
I review a variety of books on the blog. You will find historical fiction, classics, chick lit, children's books, mysteries (cozy and otherwise) and the occasional non-fiction title.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
I come from a family of book lovers so I tend to get books as gifts. I do receive books from publishers and authors. I also frequent a couple of local bookstores to get my "fix."

5. Where do you find out about new books?
I still rely heavily on other blogs for news on new releases. I also subscribe to the newsletter for my favorite local bookstore.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
I read A LOT of book blogs. There are a few bloggers that I have really clicked with and have highlighted on my blogroll. [Ed. note: these include Book Journey, Crazy for Books, Jenn's Bookshelves, Reading Without Restraint, Red Headed Book Child, and Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.)

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
The book that I always mention when asked about my favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Of course I give the warning that it can be a bit explicit, but I love the characters. My favorite book that I've read in the last six months is Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen. As soon as I put it down I was ready to start it again.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
I really enjoy reading and discussing the books. There is always someone within the book blogging community that is interested in talking about the book you've just finished. The worst part is that it can sometimes feel stressful and overwhelming. There are so many great titles out there and I really have to reign myself in and not say "yes" to everything. So far I've kept the blog fairly bookish. I've thought about adding some other content but am still not sure about that.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
I am a total gadget lover and I've read a couple of ebooks on my ipod, but I don't really have an ereader. I don't think I'm ready to take the plunge yet.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
I certainly keep busy. I have a wonderful husband and of course there is my little monkey. We have a Rottweiler Lab that rounds out our little family. I have a full time job that keeps me busy during the week. Weekends you will find us doing any number of things from working in the yard to riding bicycles to the park.

Thanks, Teresa! Have a wonderful spring and we look forward to more of your reviews!

Meet a Book Blogger: Melissa at YA BookShelf

The March edition of Meet a Book Blogger falls on St. Patrick's Day, so let's all raise a green toast to Melissa of YA BookShelf! She's active on Twitter (@YABookShelf), so feel free to say hi to her there, too.

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started book blogging in April of 2010, so it’s been less than a year. I’d thought about starting a blog for some time as a means of building a writing portfolio, but I could never think of a focus for the site that would stick. However, I’d always loved reading and when a friend of mine started a book blog, it inspired me to try it myself.


2. How often do you post?
I post between five and six days a week, sometimes with multiple posts a day.


3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
While I read books that are outside of the young adult genre, the vast majority of novels I review are YA. Occasionally, I’ll review an adult novel with a teenaged protagonist or a middle-grade novel that catches my eye. As for the type of YA novels that you can find on YABookShelf.com, I review a pretty large variety of genres, including contemporary, Gothic, paranormal, historical, LGBT, fantasy, and dystopian books that are marketed to both boys and girls. While I certainly review a lot of American and UK authors, I also love reading and reviewing books by Canadian writers.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
The vast majority of books I review come directly from the publisher, author, or a third-party publicity company in either a physical or ebook format. I also use services like NetGalley and the Simon & Schuster Galley Grab program to pick ebooks or ARCs that I really want to check out.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
I learn about new books in a number of different ways. Sometimes it’s through checking the publisher’s website (or when they pitch a new book for me to review), but often I hear buzz about them on Twitter or Facebook from fellow book bloggers or authors that I follow. I love hearing about new books through someone else’s recommendation, especially when I know that their taste in books is similar to mine, as it gives me a better idea of what to expect. That said, when someone pitches a new book to me for review, it’s great because I’ve had the chance to read some phenomenal books that I might not have picked up of my own accord. Books like these that surprise me are always sure to leave a lasting impression.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
Yes, I do read other book blogs on a semi-regular basis. Some of the ones that I come back to again and again are Good Books And Good Wine and A Tapestry of Words.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
My all-time favourite novel is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, but I also really love Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. As for the best book I’ve read in the last six months…oh that’s definitely a hard choice to make. However, if I have to choose, then I’d say Nina LaCour’s Hold Still. It’s a beautiful portrait of a teen’s grief over her best friend’s suicide and shows how she is finally able to move on with art, love, and the joy of new friendships, which not only rings true, but also is very moving.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
The best part about book blogging is getting to read some of the best new YA novels and spreading the love about them to other readers of teen fiction. I just love to hear that my review made someone want to pick up a particular novel. The worst part would have to be losing everything I’ve written when my wifi connection fails (it happened quite a bit while I was travelling in Costa Rica recently, so the pain is fresh in my mind). And to answer your other question, yes, I have blogged about other topics on YABookShelf.com for some memes, but the majority of content on my site is related to the book industry or the marketing of it.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
Yes, I have a Sony eReader Pocket Edition, and I love it (only partially because it’s a gorgeous pink colour). Don’t get me wrong…I love the physicality of books and enjoy reading them as well, but personally, I think that there are a lot of pluses for ebooks and eReaders. When it comes to bookshelf space, I have a limited amount of room to store my books, so I try to keep only the ones that I plan to read again. When that isn’t likely, I have no problem with giving them away on my site or to a friend who I think will enjoy them. With ebooks, I don’t have to make this choice because they don’t occupy any physical space. As I’ve said more than once to anyone who would listen, I would love if more book publishing companies offered egalleys as an option for book bloggers, rather than only making physical copies available.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading? 
I read a lot, but when I’m not reading, there are many things I enjoy. Here is a small rundown of some of my favourite non-reading activities. I love designing and illustrating the covers and interiors of books as well as other web and print documents (which I get to do on a regular basis…yay!). I enjoy travelling throughout the world and have been to several countries in Europe, Asia, and Central America, where I recently learned that I really love snorkelling. I have two cats that I love a lot, even when one of them (who is a beautiful Maine Coon) uses me as a scratching post. Finally, I love cooking and baking vegetarian cuisine from all over the world.

Thanks for stopping by, Melissa, and hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Meet a Book Blogger: Tahleen's Mixed-Up Files

Meet Tahleen! She blogs at Tahleen's Mixed-Up Files, and also collaborates on The Broke and the Bookish, too. She's this month's Meet a Book Blogger guest, so read on to find out how she started blogging, why she loves it, and what her favorite books are...

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?

I started blogging this past summer, in June. I had been thinking about starting a blog for young adult and children's literature for a while, since I wanted to use it for professional development (I am at Simmons College studying library science with a focus in youth services). But what really got me going was collaborating on a blog started up by Jamie of The Perpetual Page-Turner, called The Broke and the Bookish. Jamie is our moderator in the College Students group on GoodReads that I'm involved in, and she wanted to start a book blog with a bunch of us in the group. So we started up that one, and I started up mine. And here I am now.

2. How often do you post?

I try to post at least twice a week, but sometimes life gets hectic and I don't get to review things as often as I like. I feel accomplished when I do post that often though!

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?

I review mostly young adult, middle grade and occasionally children's books. I also just posted my first movie review, of The Secret of Kells, a fictionalized story about the origin of the Book of Kells (and a fantastic film). I'll also review the occasional adult title if I feel it will appeal to teens.

4. Where do you get the books you review?

I work at a library, so that's where I get most of them. That said, I do own a TON of books already, since I also work at a Barnes & Noble, where I get most of the books I buy. And sometimes I'm lucky enough to be approached by publishers and authors who ask for a review, but that's not very often (but always exciting!).

5. Where do you find out about new books?

Mostly from other bloggers, but I also try to pay attention to Twitter and what publishers and authors are saying.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?

I read a lot of other blogs, mostly YA ones, but I've got other genres in there too. I'll have to say one of my favorites is The Broke and the Bookish, not only because I collaborate on that one, but also because it's got the most diverse reading list out of all of the blogs I've seen, since there are so many reviewers. I also like April's Good Books & Good Wine, Steph Su Reads, and the always hilarious Forever Young Adult. I'd be here forever if I tried to mention all the ones I like to keep up on!

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?

Oh, tough. MY favorites are probably To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, A Voice in the Wind by Kathryn Lasky, and Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. All children's/young adult (except maybe TKAM, depending on who you talk to), but all ones that I NEVER get tired of rereading. As for the best book I've read in the past 6 months, I'm going to have to put two down: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and Diamond Willow by Helen Frost. Both very different from each other, but both fantastic in their own ways. I've got reviews of both on my blog. :) (Links: Knife review; Diamond Willow review.)

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?

I love this community—that's probably the best part. Everyone I talk with is just great, and I get so many good suggestions. Plus it helps me keep up on what's going on. I love having people to talk with about books and reading, since not many of my friends I know face-to-face read as much as I do. The worst part is probably trying to figure out how to conduct myself and do things a certain way on my blog, like ratings and the like. I'm never sure if what I'm doing is the right thing as far as etiquette goes—but no one has complained to me yet, and hey, it's my blog. I'll occasionally blog about topics in the bookish world, especially about issues that have to do with libraries, or censorship.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?

I do have a nook, which I love. It's great to not have to carry a giant book if what I'm reading is hefty in real life (like Tolstoy's War and Peace, which, yes, I have actually started to read). I also love being able to take out digital books from the library and read books from NetGalley for free before they're published, like Lauren Oliver's Delirium. Not to mention I got a ton of free books (mostly classics) over the past months while I was waiting to get a nook.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?

I work two part-time jobs, both bookish (library and bookstore), and I go to school part-time. I also spend time with family and my boyfriend when I can, sing in a small a cappella group, and am an assistant leader for my town's middle-school Girl Scout troop.

Thanks, Tahleen, and all the best with your studies! We're always thrilled to see YA-lit-loving librarians. (I especially liked your recent post about teen areas in libraries!)

Meet a Book Blogger: Becoming Sarah

For the first Meet a Book Blogger post of 2011, let me introduce you to Sarah Christensen. Her blog, Becoming Sarah, features beautiful photographs, slice-of-life posts about parenthood, and reviews of children's books (including Chicken, Pig, Cow!). Here she is with her adorable daughter Charlotte:

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
My blog was always intended to keep family and friends up-to-date about our growing family. I began blogging about books a year ago when I discovered that many of the fellow mothers I had come to know as a first-time mom did not read to their infants or young children. Most of them said they couldn’t find books they enjoyed or that they didn’t know how to read to their children. My daughter, who was named after E.B. White’s famous spider, was five or six months old at the time and I had read to her every day of her life.  Reading has been an activity I have loved since the day my father sat me down and told me it was high time I learned; I cannot imagine my childhood without the magic of books. It occurred to me then that if I could encourage just one family to read more frequently with their children or try out new books they had not heard of... it would be worth all the trouble.

2. How often do you post?
I try to post regular blog updates several times a week, but I only post about books and reading four to six times a month.

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
Thus far, I have only reviewed children’s books. Since most of my readers have kids near my daughter’s age, I stick to books aimed towards young children. In 2011, I will also be discussing books related to food, crafts, parenting, and the like on different sections of my website.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
Because I host a regular story-time playgroup in my home, I always approach the publishers for review copies first. The children in the story-time range in age from infants to eight-year-olds. We read the review copies that publishers send so that I can get a good idea of how different ages respond to each book. If I cannot get a book from the publisher, then I approach authors or explore used book sales, garage sales, and book shops. In a pinch, I will go to the library. I love the library, but I try to steer clear of library books for review purposes because there are so many books floating around the playgroup that some are bound to get lost.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
I ask for suggestions from fellow parents and children’s librarians. Parents always know which books their children love best and which books do not drive them insane. Children’s librarians always know which books appeal to a variety of ages and which fit specific family preferences or needs. They also have access to hundreds of books, so they know which ones are duds.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
YES! I can’t pick a favorite, though. I read several publisher blogs, a few author blogs, and many MANY individual blogs. I usually tend towards food and children’s book blogs.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
One of my favorite books is Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. The way to my heart is clearly through humor writing. The best book I’ve read in the past six months was probably Richard Louv’s The Last Child in the Woods. It isn’t the best-written book or the most entertaining book, but it completely revolutionized the way I think about children and their interaction with their environment. Sometimes the best book is the one that makes me reconsider my choices and perspectives.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
The most enjoyable part of book blogging is the feedback, hands-down. I love hearing from people who have just discovered the joy of reading with their children and I love picking up reader suggestions at the library. The worst part of book blogging is remembering to write the post! The rest of my blog is personal topics – parenting, gardening, marriage, home ownership, friendship, learning, and the like. Mostly parenting. And mostly tongue-in-cheek.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
No, I do not have an e-reader and no, I do not want one. Part of the magic of reading is curling up on the couch, smelling the pages, bending the binding, hearing the rustle of paper. My husband and I try to make environmentally-friendly choices so I am certain that one day we will consider e-readers, but in the meantime I still love books.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
As a full-time mother, I spend a lot of time on the go with my daughter. We spend quite a bit of time hiking, taking nature walks, creating art on the kitchen floor (and the walls), gardening, visiting the library, having play-dates with friends, taking the train to visit her father for lunch, visiting places like the zoo, chasing the dog around the yard, and similar activities. Outside of motherhood and reading, I love the outdoors (my first date with my husband was rock-climbing) and I love the kitchen. My husband and I are both big fans of cooking, baking, and having family over for dinner. We do it as often as possible.

Thanks, Sarah! We look forward to many more adorable pictures of Charlotte enjoying books!

Meet a Book Blogger: The Book Muncher

I feel like I start off every Meet a Book Blogger post by exclaiming that yet another month has passed. What can I say; time flies! It's December now, and Toronto has had its first major snowfall (though other areas have had it much worse). For this month's edition of Meet a Book Blogger, I interviewed The Book Muncher (who remains anonymous).

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started my book reviewing blog in December 2007. I had always been an avid reader and had become very active on a book discussion forum called BookDivas. It was there that I stumbled upon my first book blog, The Page Flipper. I took a look at her blog and realized that it was something that I could do. So I did!

2. How often do you post?
I schedule my posts in advance, so I usually have something go up every other day or so. I like to have new content up frequently, but not so frequently that it becomes overwhelming.

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
I prefer reading and reviewing young adult books, but occasionally, I stray into middle grade or adult fiction.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
I get a little bit from practically everywhere! When I started out reviewing, most of the books I reviewed came from my personal collection, the library, or my friends. Then I started getting books from authors, publicists, and agents. In addition to that, I also get books from reviewing programs such as Amazon Vine.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
Sadly, I’m never as up to date about new books as I’d like to be. If I’m lucky, I’ll get an ARC of an upcoming title that I haven’t heard of yet. Oftentimes, though, it’s a combination of skimming other book blogs, chatting with other book reviewers, and browsing the new release sections in bookstores.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
Once in a while, I’ll have the time to skim other book blogs, and when I do, I make sure to visit The Compulsive Reader, The Page Flipper, The Story Siren, and La Femme Readers. Unfortunately, I’m generally too busy to closely follow other blogs, and generally visit only if something particularly catches my eye in Google Reader.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
Ooh, that’s a tough question, and one that I always try to avoid answering! I never like naming my favorite book because I feel like I don’t have just one or even just a few. My favorites list is always growing and includes everything by Siobhan Vivian, Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girl series, Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien, and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, among over a hundred others. As for the best book I’ve read in the past six months, there’s a tie between Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part?
My favorite part of being a book blogger is being able to interact with other book people, whether they’re authors, other book reviewers, or just another teen bibliophile like me. The worst part would be the general maintenance of the blog, because it can become tedious to update my review archives every time a new review gets posted.

9. Do you have an eReader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
I don’t own an eReader, like a Kindle or a Nook, but I do have several ereader apps on my iPod Touch. I have the Kindle app, but I don’t use it very much because I don’t usually buy ebooks. However, I am in love with the Bluefire Reader app. You can transfer practically any ebook file to this app, and it makes reading on the go so much easier, because I already carry my iPod everywhere!

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
I’d say I’m pretty obsessed with books, and reading and reviewing take up a large part of my life, as do other book related things. For example, I frequent book signings and hope to work in the book publishing industry. So understandably, books take up a lot of my time. In my (rare) spare time not spent on school, you can find me chatting with friends about everything and nothing, from fashion to movies.

Thanks for stopping by, Book Muncher, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Meet a Book Blogger: Callista at SMS Book Reviews

It's November, and you know what that means: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Movember, and last but not least--time for another Meet a Book Blogger post! This month, I interviewed Callista, who blogs at SMS Book Reviews.

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started my book blog in 2003, but I started reviewing books in 1999. I started reviewing on my geocities website, then in 2001 I found Amazon.com and started reviewing on there. In 2003, they stopped letting you review there unless you had bought from there, so that's when I needed another place to blog. I found some book blogs and decided a blog would be perfect for my reviews. I wasn't an active book blogger in the community with regular posting till 2007, though.

2. How often do you post?
I don't have a regular posting schedule. I tend to post many times a week for a few months and then get busy with life or interested in other things for a bit and rarely post for a few months and then start posting again. I'm just finishing up a lag in posting right now. I love book blogging but sometimes I just need a computer break.

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
I mostly review children's books and nonfiction. I rarely do adult fiction, maybe one to three a year. As for children's, I like everything from picture books to YA, fiction as well as nonfiction. For children's fiction, I prefer realistic fiction.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
I started out with library books and books I owned but the last few years I've gotten most of my books through publishers, authors, and publicists. I've been trying to cut down on the amount of review books I get lately because it's hard to catch up and I want more time to read the books I choose out of the blue during library visits.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
I learn about some books from blogs but I also get catalogues from publishers and direct offers.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
Yes, I subscribe to more than 200 other book blogs. My top favs would be Maw Books, Caroline Bookbinder, A Striped Armchair, A Reader's Respite, At Home with Books, and Reading Through Life.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives by Richard Wiseman is one of the best adult nonfiction books I've read. It was VERY interesting. Best book in the last six months? Writing for the Web by Crawford Kilian.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
I love helping others find books to enjoy that perhaps they might not have picked up on their own without reading a bit about it first. I especially like introducing people to nonfiction, which I don't think enough people read.

The worst part is keeping up the blog when you need a break. When you let it go, you lose readers, are behind on special community events, and get tons of spam. I only blog about books and reading/literacy on my book blog but I have another blog that I use for other topics.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
No, I don't have an ereader. I'm reluctant to use them as I love real books, but they would be good sometimes for books only available on an ereader. I don't like that you can't just donate an ebook when you are done with it like a regular book, though. I prefer to share my books.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
I am a stay-at-home-mom of two girls ages three and four plus I am pregnant with another child due in April. I love listening to music and I'm a Girl Guide leader. I currently work with three different age groups: 5-6, 7-8, and 9-11.

Sounds like your life is full of children and books, how wonderful! Thanks for telling us the story behind your blog, Callista.

Meet a Book Blogger: Anastasia Suen

It's October already? Well, that means it's time for this month's edition of Meet a Book Blogger! Today, let me introduce you to Anastasia Suen, who maintains six (yes, six) active blogs:

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started blogging in 2005. At the time I was posting children's book biz news once a week on my webpage for my writing students. A blog looked like an easier way to manage that, so I took the plunge. Over the years I have had 15 or so blogs. (I've lost count!) I've used LiveJournal, Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress and Twitter.

2. How often do you post?
I have 6 active blogs now, so I post 4 times a day Monday through Friday. (I write ALL of the blog posts over the weekend and then schedule them to post throughout the week using Hootsuite.)

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
I blog about the book genres that I write. (It helps me see what is selling.) I don't "review" books the way many bloggers do--I "booktalk" them instead. I write a short teaser and include a snippet of text from the book. (No spoilers!)

I like to have one kind of book per blog, so I have a board book blog (Read to Me), a picture book blog (Picture Book of the Day), an easy reader blog (5 Great Books) and a chapter book blog (Weekend Reads). I also have an activities blog for my own books (Book of the Week), and a new version of the Children's Book Biz News blog that started it all.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
I used to find all of my books at the library but now the publishers send them to me directly. (I also write a monthly column for the Booklist's Quick Tips for Schools & Libraries.)

5. Where do you find out about new books?
Publishers send their books to me several months before the book comes out now, so I place them on my shelves by the month of publication and plan my blog posts that way. (I blog for parents and teachers, so I only write about a book after it is available to the public.)

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
I have a massive blogroll on my webpage at Blog Central. I read editor blogs, agent blogs, artist blogs, author blogs, and reviewer blogs. (My blogroll is always in need of updating as I continue to add more blogs to my reader.) For favorites, bookmark the Cybils blog and the blogs of my Cybils committee members! We'll be reading lots of easy readers and early chapter books for the next four months.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
I read so many books each week that I can never answer this question, unless I were to say that my favorite is the book I have in my hand (and that changes daily!) I just love to read books.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
I love having all of these books come to me. I have stacks and piles of books to read, so I never run out! The other side of that coin is that I never seem to catch up. (There are always more books to read than there are hours in the day.)

I also blog about my other day jobs. For my writing students I share "children's book biz" news once a day. I'm also a children's literature consultant, so once a day I also share a literacy link.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
I don't have an e-reader yet. It would be a nice toy for plane trips, but I'm waiting for the market to mature before I buy one. (VHS vs Beta anyone?)

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
When I am not reading, gardening, or watching mysteries on TV, I work as a children's book author, consultant and teacher. (Yes, all of my "day jobs" involve children's books!)

Thanks, Anastasia! Best of luck with all of your blogs, and have fun with the Cybils awards this month!

Meet a Book Blogger: Steph Bowe at Hey! Teenager of the Year

Happy September! Last month, I started a new feature: Meet a Book Blogger. This month, let's get to know Steph Bowe, who blogs about books at Hey! Teenager of the Year. She's also an author: her debut novel, Girl Saves Boy, will be published by Text Publishing this fall. This is Steph:

1. When did you start book blogging, and what was your motivation?
I started blogging in April of 2009, because I wanted to talk about what I was reading and connect with other writers and readers.

2. How often do you post?
It varies - sometimes daily, sometimes once a week. Depends how I'm feeling/if I have anything interesting to blog about!

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
Young adult.

4. Where do you get the books you review? 
Usually from publishers.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
Other blogs, of course! Plus recommendations from friends.

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
I do read other book blogs, but I love so many it's impossible to choose a favourite.

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell is one of my favorites. In the past six months, the best book I read was Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part? Do you blog about other topics too?
Enjoyable: reading and responding to comments, talking about books we've read and loved.
Worst: nasty anonymous comments.
I do blog about other things - about being a writer and teenager.

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
No! And I prefer paper books. One day I'd like an ereader incorporated into a phone, maybe.

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
Writing! And doing schoolwork, and spending time with family.

Thanks, Steph! Looking forward to more great book reviews... and may your own books receive many glowing reviews, too!

Meet a Book Blogger: Stacey at Word of Mouse Book Reviews

Welcome to a new feature of Tea Time at Annick Press: Meet a Book Blogger! Our books are reviewed by many fine book bloggers, so I thought it was high time to profile some of them. Our very first interview subject is Stacey from Word of Mouse Book Reviews. Here she is, enjoying a summer read:

Luckily, I was able to get her away from her book long enough to answer a few questions for us!

1. When did you start book blogging and what was your motivation?
I started Word of Mouse Book Reviews in July of this year. I have always had a passion for children’s literature and really wanted to highlight Canadian children’s book authors and illustrators and local talent as I found there was a lot of it and not a lot of attention paid to many great books!

Plus, I was also returning to work after 14 months of maternity leave and KNEW I needed a project to help take my mind off missing my daughter. It’s certainly helped!

2. How often do you post?
Daily! Can you believe it? I decided to immerse myself so I review a book a day. Occasionally I also post interesting topics related to kids’ lit and my musings on my blog.

3. Which kinds of books do you like to review?
I review all kinds of books for children (picture books, board books, YA fiction, educational, etc.) from Canadian authors and illustrators and I try to exclusively focus on Canadian publishers as well.

4. Where do you get the books you review?
I wish I could say I own all the books I review but sadly my budget doesn’t allow for that! I often troll my local library (the Markham Public Library System rocks!) and local bookstores and see what strikes my fancy but I do also receive some Advance Readers’ Copies (ARCs) of books, some gifts and many suggestions.
Surprisingly, Twitter has been an invaluable resource in connecting me to some lesser known authors in my local area and book suggestions.

5. Where do you find out about new books?
Same as above plus I frequently visit publisher’s websites for new titles and their catalogues and I am a member of the Canadian Children Book Centre which offers some great suggestions too!

6. Do you read other book blogs? If so, which are your favorites?
I wish I had more time to read other people’s blogs as there is some great original content out there but it’s tough especially as I have to fit in my own blogging time. Here are some of the blogs I frequent:

http://abookadaytillicanstay.wordpress.com: A fellow book-a-day reviewer who reads the most obscure books! Really fascinating, his wife put him up to the task as he waits for his work visa. I think he’s on his 50th post and is currently completing a children’s literature week!

http://bisforbooks.ca: I love Thao’s aesthetic for finding great looking picture books. She is an illustrator and often posts about great looking picture books. I haven’t seen anything for August so I hope she’s just taking a break and not giving it up!

http://32pages.ca: Donna’s musings on picture books are both hilarious and insightful. She’s an illustrator and writer and always has a fresh take on things. She also loves a lot of books I do!

7. What’s one of your favorite books? How about the best book you’ve read in the past six months?
One of my favorite children’s books of all time is Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery! My dad read the entire series to me and my sister and the stories have stayed with me since. I’ve read almost everything she’s written; another favorite is The Blue Castle, a great tale for young women even today!

It’s extremely difficult to pick a new favorite as I love so many of the books I have reviewed but for different reasons. A few of the top ones: ME HUNGRY! by Jeremy Tankard, Baboon by David Jones, and anything by Ruth Ohi makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

8. What’s the most enjoyable part of book blogging? What’s the worst part?
I love reading all these children’s books! It’s so amazing to be immersed in this world of kids lit! I love writing and sharing ideas and starting a discussion

I really appreciate all the comments I get and the small but loyal following I have already gained in such a short time. It’s been a great distraction for me and I love forcing myself to write daily especially on a topic I feel so passionate about.

It’s harder than I thought to craft a post every single day, especially when life happens! Sometimes I have writer’s block and there are times when I feel panicked when I don’t know what I will write about but it always seems to work out in the end. I think the worst part is thinking about a BETTER review I could’ve done three days later! In the end you just have to “ship” it and hope for the best. Your readers let you know what works and what doesn’t

Oh, and I miss the time to read adult novels. I still get the occasional one in but it’s a challenge!

9. Do you have an ereader? If so, do you like it? If not, do you want one someday?
I’m not opposed to them but I just don’t think they are for me. One of my greatest joys is feeling a book in my hand, touching it, physically turning pages. I love the smell of them (even the sour-smelling library books) and I just don’t think I could stare at a screen for that long.

On the other hand, the idea of being able to take a bunch of books in one small gadget is appealing. (Ask anyone who has helped me move in the last few years, books can be heavy and I like having as many as I can around me at all times!)

I think an ereader would be ideal for going on vacation so I’ll probably end up getting one just for that reason!

10. What do you do when you’re not reading?
Aside from reading and blogging, I do have a “real” job in the communications/PR field and love spending time with my beautiful daughter Emmerson, my sweet husband Neil and our two hounds, Harry and Lady (or as I more likely to call them lately, Larry and Hady) and our Siamese fighting fish Spike (although he’s not really great with conversation). I also love writing my own children’s stories and short stories and whenever I can, I love painting. Somewhere in between all of this I also do laundry, cook meals, scrub bathrooms and repeatedly clean up toys from the floor. Oh, and I tweet!

Thanks, Stacey! All the best with your blog and thanks for your dedication to Canadian books!