Book Blogger Round Up

I have been obsessed with this blog!  Since beginning construction on January 22nd, I have spend hours on it - working on the layout, then the pages (tabs at the top), then the lists, the actual book reviews (or my version of book reviews) and now most recently, have been engrossed in reading other book blogs.  It is a bit overwhelming.  But also encouraging to find other people who are also obsessed with books.

I thought it would be helpful to have a post of some of the more memorable thoughts or ideas found on other blogs.

March
 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte read-a-long beginning April 1.  Sponsored by She is Too Fond of Books.  Hmmmm - the Villette read-a-long will be done.  Maybe I should sign up?

 - Interesting post by So Many Books on a NY Times article on Marginalia.   Right up my alley as I am a like marking in books while reading.  And the reason why I'm not totally sold on e-readers.

- A Work in Progress shares her progress in a stitching project.  I have been working on a mega crosss stitch project that will probably take my lifetime to complete -  I should post pictures of my progress too.

- Of Books and Bicycles is listening to author podcasts and is a fan of Twitter.  I do neither but after her post, I am intrigued.

 - Enjoyed reading this post from Musings on "Why I Read Jane Austen".   She also speaks of a book that is now on my wish list at Amazon.

- My Porch and Savidge Reads are co-hosting the International Anita Brookner Day (7/16/11).  Participants need to read one of her 24 novels by her 83rd birthday and post a link to my review.  I have never heard of this author - I should join this easy challenge.

- Directors and voters for the Indi Lit Award: Books awards given by book bloggers.  I have not visited many of these blogs and need to do so.

 - iubookgirl is hosting an Edgar Award Reading Challenge. Her goal is to read all Edgar Award Best Novel winners since her birth year in 1978.  This makes me feel old - I'd have to go back to 1961.

February


- I am always looking for good book blogs.  Here is a list of the February literary blog rankings in the UK, by blogger, Stuck In a Book.

- Of Books and Bicycles gives a list of books to re-read.

- The Prairie Library has signed up for the Persons of Color Reading Challenge 2011.

- Dovegreyreader is involved in a team read of Tolstoy's War and Peace.  That sounds like a good way to tackle a humongous and challenging book.

- I might be interested in joining this "read-a-long" hosted by Unputdownables.  They are reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte.  This intrigues me as I remember Corrigan referencing this book as an excellent but disturbing read in Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading.  She is also signed up for an insane number of challenges.

 - I would love a hallway/stairwell like this in my house.  More pictures of libraries from The Captive Reader.  And another picture....

- Fingers and Prose reads an insane number of books in one day - even by her standards.

- Farm Lane Book's post on the 2011 Commonwealth Writer's Prize Shortlist.

- Caribousmom has joined an interesting challenge - based on a song.

- Savidgereads had a very bookish day - wish I could've tagged along....

- A very bookish day in NYC by Of Books and Bicycles.  I've got to check out the bookstores the next time I go....

January 

- one blogger acknowledges the time and mental energy needed to write a well thought out book review.  Agreed!  Which is why mine are short and sweet.  Only the salient points - often in bullet format.  What can I say - I'm too lazy to take the time to write the sentences.   Also, I can always link to other book reviews which discuss the plot, characters, setting etc etc.  Why re-invent the wheel?

- A Guy's Moleskin Notebook has a picture that has stuck with me.  How he takes notes while reading a book.  Very organized.  Very neat.  I have been thinking about my own note-taking habits ever since.  Complete with purchasing my own "moleskin" type notebook, even though I have been using a small Moleskin for my book journal since July 09.  Have even journaled about this "issue."  In the end, I have concluded that my small journal works just fine.  And that I am not in the business of writing full blown book reviews - only what I need to remember a book, if I liked it or not and why and what I learned from it.  That's all.  Another post on his note taking process.

- A Common Reader confessed to forgetting about books after reading them which is why he began blogging.  Me too!

- all bloggers talk about "Mount TBR".   Old English Rose Reads has 700 books in the pile!  That made me feel better about my measly 80 or so.

- there are a lot of challenges out there, either personal or as a group.  Pulitzer Prize, Booker list, Orange list, Verago list, Chunkster Reading, Victorian Literature.  Up until the couple of days ago, I had never heard of Verago.

- Savidge Reads interviewed his gran who reads for an hour when she wakes up and at lunch.  And in the evening - no TV.  I also liked his post about a bookshop he found - complete with pictures.  My all time favorite independent bookstore is located in Manchester, VT.  I could spend hours there.  Oh - and they have their own blog!

- Fingers and Prose poses the question about reading first lines in books and what they can tell us.

- Books and Chocolate blogs about book selection anxiety.  I can relate!

- English Major's Junk Food posts about her Nook and e-readers in general.

- One of my favorites, Reading Matters, has posted a whopping 540 reviews as of today, Jan 28, 2011.

- So Many Books writes this post on the ideal library.  There is also a post on E Books and Libraries.  These thoughts are from her reading in Alberto Manguel's A Reader on Reading.  I went to the library today and brought home two of his other books, A History of Reading and A Reading Diary (along with 8 other books).

- Of Books and Bicycles blogged about a very bookish day: new Nook and bookstores!

- I found the following sites from Heidi Burrow's post on journaling her morning pages.  Moleskinerie - how Moleskin notesbooks are used.  One interesting example  of documenting hiking trips.

- "Be a Better Reader" by Laura Miller along with a whole list of challenges.