Armchair BEA: Bookish Things Beyond the Blog + Fun Facts

Today's topic is Beyond the Blog: has your book blog opened up any opportunities to you beyond your blog? Maybe writing for real publications? How about monetizing off your blog? Or pushed you further somehow in writing or pursuing what you love to do? Share some tips or your story about extending your blog and bookish life past it! And if this DOESN'T apply to you, it's a free topic: share an aspect of your life that's completely separate from books/blogging!

I'm going to cheat and do both, since I don't have much to say for the first one. I haven't monetized off the blog; maybe one day I'll set up an Affiliate program through Amazon or TBD, but right now I don't have any intention of doing so. And I don't expect to try and monetize with ads or going "professional." While it'd be nice for a publication to pay me and print a review, it would change the way I write; I'm a trained journalist, but I keep a lot of that learned craft out of blog reviews. It's purposeful to keep reviews very casual, with a lot of personal thoughts mixed in (and yes, I do curse on my blog - I do in real life, so I choose to put it on the blog*) because that's how I approach books and reading: with very personal views and connections. But I have done reviews for publications in my pre-blogging days, and it's entirely different in voice and technique. For now, I'm happy doing what I do the way I'm doing.

The one way blogging has influenced my bookish life though is that it got me back into writing. I've always been a writer, since before I could properly pick up a pencil. For varying reasons, some very personal and others just trivial, I stopped in the last few years. I still kind of kept it up, did NaNo every year, but never took it seriously or really figured out a plot/outline. But that changed when I read Nina LaCour's The Disenchantments (review here!) - her writing style and subtle meaning reminded me exactly what I love about writing and reignited that passion. Shortly after, one of those lingering plot lines that'd been swimming around my head came back and practically shouted a direction at me. I'm quite happy to say that I'm back to writing, with an idea that I quite like :)

So, my blog doesn't extend much past itself - but I like it that way! I do look forward to reading others' posts about it though, maybe there are other aspects I had no idea about!

And since that wasn't much, I thought I'd tack on some random facts about me completely unrelated to books! It was surprisingly tough - pretty much everything I do leads back to books somehow - but I managed to scrape up some Fun Ashley Facts :)

• I am an awesome person to know for 6 degrees of separation. Somehow it always works out that I know someone who knows someone and can lead you to who you want to get to. And yes, I can get you to Kevin Bacon. In 4 degrees.
• I speak English, French and Italian. I can understand Spanish.
• I'm a nail polish-aholic. I own 120+ bottles, a whole rainbow of colours, and insist on changing my nail colour at least 3 times a week. I love how it's such a small part of you that can speak loudly.
• I bake. A lot. I started in college because it relaxed me, and I've loved it ever since. I make a mean peanut butter cookie.
• Related: I don't like peanut butter! Hate it. Can't stand the smell, taste, texture, all of it. So I've never actually tasted my own peanut butter cookies! People just request them all the time.
• I love the NFL. Give me a good football game any night and I'm a happy girl.
• Music is big in my life. I sang in every school choir, my family and I play several instruments, and I'm usually listening to something at any time of the day. Not a moment goes by without some sort of tune in my head.

What are your tips to go beyond the blog?

Leave your link in my comments!

(and if you're not doing Armchair BEA, tell me a random non-bookish fact about you!)

*Gayle Forman's awesome response/opinion on cussing in YA.

Armchair BEA: Real Life Bookish Experiences

Today's prompt is "to share a positive "real life" experience with books! Either by way of your own partnerships in your community, a book signing you went to or possibly even a get together with fellow book bloggers. Tell us all about it!"

*If you visited between midnight and 4am PST, read again! This is an entirely new post! I didn't think my original post fit the prompt that well, so I scrapped it and wrote a whole new one :) Thanks!

Truthfully, I don't have much experience networking outside of my blog - I'm still relatively new, and I've been hesitant to really embrace the title of Book Blogger, for some reason. I've been fortunate enough to go to a ton of author events (all shared here!), but I haven't really ever put myself out there as a Book Blogger and specifically met up with people as a direct result.

I can tell you that one of the most fun things I've done that was a result of being a Book Blogger was Rock the Drop (read my recap here!). For those that don't know what it is, it's a specific day hosted by Readergirlz that's meant to promote teenage reading. Basically, you donate books by leaving them around your community to take - for FREE! You can't guarantee a teen will take it, but I tried to choose specific places I knew they hung around: my old high school, the local Boys & Girls Club, the library during after school hours. It's oddly thrilling to be leaving a gift of a book for someone. I revisited most of my drop sites an hour or two after I dropped them, and they were all taken! It was fun to meet up on Twitter with others who were participating, and I think I've actually gotten 2 buddies for next year to go around my city and Rock the Drop with me. The only reason i knew about it was through some book blogger friends participating, and then I decided to get involved. So, not quite Networking Offline…yet!

Screencapped from their Facebook page.

I actually think most of my Networking has yet to come - but I know it's coming! Tonight is the Fierce Reads tour stop in San Diego, and this is my first author event I'm attending where I specifically know 3 (maybe 4! Please go Jon!) bloggers who will also be there, and we're intending to say hi and meet for the first time. Which will be a lot of fun, I'm so excited to meet them!

The next thing that I know is coming is ALA Annual! This will be the first year I'm attending, and I'm SO excited. I'm practically giddy at the thought of chatting with real people in the publishing industry and meeting up with industry professionals, book bloggers, and other authors. My dream is to surround myself with books, and this is pretty close to it, don't you think? I'm going to be going to The Great YA Blogger Meet Up hosted by YA Highway and Stacked Books, and I'm really looking forward to meeting and mingling there. (If you're going to the conference and/or Meet Up, tell me! I'd love to meet you!)

Which, attending ALA is a weirdly indirect result of being a Book Blogger and sort of an Offline Networking thing. To make an incredibly long story short (you can read the whole exciting story here!), I went to an author event that was moderated by Kirsten Hubbard, the author of Wanderlove. As mentioned yesterday, Wanderlove is my top 2012 read -- and when I was reading the ARC, I was seriously HARASSING poor Kirsten on Twitter because I couldn't stop tweeting her about how amazing the book was. Usually I don't do that, but I just could not help myself with her book - it was that good. Kirsten recognized me from Twitter and we started chatting before and after the event. Cutting out several details and moments of happenstance, I ended up hanging out with her and a few of her friends for the rest of the night - which was AMAZING and I'm still in awe that it happened. BUT anyhow, how this relates specifically: I had entirely separate conversations each with Kirsten, Cindy Pon, Debra Driza*, and Shannon Messenger and they were each very adamant that going to conferences were the best places to really meet people in the book industry. They all recommended BEA and ALA, as well as SCBWI (if you're a writer as well), Comic-con, and other smaller conferences. I'd always considered going to ALA, but hearing the insistence from them was definitely a driving force as to me pushing to go.

Basically, I have a really exciting June lined up because of my blog and the want to Network. I don't quite have real stories to tell yet, but I have the prospect of them - and that in itself is something quite exciting!

What's your real life experience?

Leave your link in the comments!

(and if you're not doing Armchair BEA, tell me one event you would DIE to attend!)

*I would post Debra Driza's Mila 2.0 cover, but it technically hasn't been officially released. Don't want to perpetuate the leak!

Armchair BEA: The Best of 2012

Day 2 focuses on 2012! Today we choose the best we've read of the year so far, and/or the books to be released that are being highlighted at BEA that we think will be some of our favourites!

My Favourites of 2012

(all links lead to my review)

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

And of course, because how could this not be here...

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Books Featured at BEA
That Will Probably Become Favourites
(all links lead to Goodreads site)

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
I had the pleasure of hanging out with Shannon and chatting with her at a bookstore a couple months ago (woo for local San Diego authors!) and we were talking about this book - it was already on my radar, and after talking with her and getting details, I'm even MORE excited!

Prodigy by Marie Lu
I absolutely LOVED Legend (review here!) and am eager to find out what's up with June and Day.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Libba Bray is one of those authors that's an insta-read for me. Love her, and this sounds PHENOMENAL.

Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant
I dare you to read the synopsis and not be curious. It sounds brilliant.

The Evolution of Mara Dayer by Michelle Hodkin
So I wasn't the biggest fan of Unbecoming, but I still have to know! I think a lot of the questions I have that ultimately left me disappointed with Unbecoming may be answered here too, which means I'll like it more. Plus, Noah Shaw. Duh.

Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
I've gotten to meet Jenny and Siobhan and they are both AMAZING. I love their work, and I'm excited for this. (I do have an ARC already so it's a bit cheating it's on here...but still!)

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi *No Cover Art Revealed*
Obviously, since Under the Never Sky appears up on that Favourite list. Aria + Perry <3

What's on your 2012 Book list?
Leave me your link in the comments!
(and even if you're not doing Armchair BEA, tell me what books you're looking forward to!)

Armchair BEA: Introductions!

In a last minute decision, I'm participating in Armchair BEA this week! Click here to find out what it's all about, but it's basically a way for book bloggers to "participate" in BEA even if they can't be in NYC. Day one is all about introductions!

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

Hi everyone! I'm Ashley, and I've been blogging for 6 months (June 1 was the official mark!). I got into blogging for a very popular reason: I love books, and wanted to talk about them. Not many people around me shared my appetite for reading, or if they did it wasn't in the category/genre I enjoyed - so I went online to find those who did!

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

Fun question! Hmmm...I've mentioned it in passing, but I grew up outside of the States. My father was in the Navy when I was born, so I spent most of my life traveling around. I was born in England (London); and since then have lived in Florida, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, and California (San Diego and Orange County). I've been in California for 12 years, and while I love it, I'm definitely getting the itch to move again.

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

This is something that I'm really lucky to have, but I love all the author event/signing recaps I've done. (Read them here!) I'm incredibly fortunate to have a city that gets a lot of fun events and people coming to town, and I love sharing the experience with readers. Plus, it's fun to look back and relive those amazing days/nights.

What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?

Is Hogwarts just a given? Because yeah. I also would LOVE to visit the Realms in Under the Never Sky. They're fascinating!

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community?

My favourite part of the book blogging community is probably how open-minded and accepting everyone is. No matter how crummy your day has been, or weirdly excited you are about a particular line in a book, or unpopular your opinion is, someone is always there to be completely supportive and wonderful for you. I can't tell you how many book bloggers have completely turned my day around with just a comment or a tweet.

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

They've definitely expanded! I was fairly vanilla in my reading before blogging: always popular books, always contemporary. But since blogging and connecting with other blogs, people's reviews and suggestions have really pushed me into ones I wouldn't normally read. And it's wonderful, because some of my favourites are ones I never would have gone for!