Book Blogger Hop (15)

From Sue at Cookie’s Book Club:
What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?

Hmmm... Well, first of all, I have to enjoy the narrative voice. If I'm not connecting to the character(s) or the story at all, I'd definitely be tempted to put it back. So, while I don't need the narrator or character to necessarily be exactly like myself, they at least have to have some similarities, or something inherently interesting that makes me want to read more about them.

Secondly, pacing is a big motivator. If it's been 50-or-so pages and nothing's happening, I'd probably be closer to falling asleep than excited to continue through that book. Of course, that partly depends on the type of book, but on the whole, I need something to have grabbed me by at least page 50 that makes me want to continue.

Thirdly, I have to be able to understand what's happening. Mostly, this means the language has to be at my level (which, I don't think is that hard to accomplish), and I shouldn't be confused by whatever's going on. If I get to chapter 3 and realize everything I thought I knew is wrong, I'm probably going to be frustrated enough to throw the book across the room.


Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books!

Book Blogger Hop (14)

Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?

Well, primarily I read one book at a time. Until I have an approaching deadline...in which case I drop what I'm currently reading and pick up what I need to be reading. Or I pull an all-nighter and finish my current read.

I find reading one book at a time easier to keep plots and characters in my memory. Then again, with all the plots/characters I follow in the shows I watch, I don't know that I'm really accomplishing anything differently.

But yeah, if I had my druthers, I'd read only one at a time.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books!

Book Blogger Hop (13)

If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?

Gosh, $80!? That's a lot of books.
Well, averaging them at around $8 a piece, I'd say my top ten books would be...

City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, and Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare
~She's coming up for a book signing in April and I have nothing for her to sign!~

Artemis Fowl
The Time Paradox and The Atlantis Complex
by Eoin Colfer
~Love this series, now I just gotta complete it!~

Graceling and Fire
by Kristen Cashore
~LOVED these books, but haven't yet talked myself into splurging for them.~

And then if I had any money leftover, I'd splurge on some used books.
Of course, if I shopped at Jan's or Powell's to begin with, I'd have PLENTY of choices.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (12)

Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?

Definitely not.

To make a long story short, I've always had a love for wolves and werewolves. When I first started venturing online, I picked the screenname "StormyWolf" and used this for a few years at various RolePlay sites and made quite a few friends. When I was starting this blog, I reached out to some of these friends for advice (though all of them by this time knew me by Vicki) and one came back with The Wolf's Den. Since I couldn't deny my love for wolves, and the double-meaning of "Den" worked in my favor, I went with it. And I've never looked back since.

I've always considered myself EXTREMELY fortunate to be friends with the person who gave me my blog name. He's smart, funny, horribly sarcastic, and an all-around great guy. Even though we've never met in person, and he lives around 20 hours in the future, I still consider his friendship one of my greatest assets.

Thanks, Todd.


Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (11)

What book(s) would you like to see
turned into a movie?

Frankly, I'm torn about this. On the one hand, a movie adaptation can be an amazing spectacle that enthralls fans of the book. On the other, it can repulse fans due to huge (and seemingly random/needless) deviations from the book. Then again, some adaptations have taken enormous strides away from the original material, yet successfully produced a movie that appeals to book-fans and newcomers alike (such as How to Train Your Dragon or Ella Enchanted).

I guess, if we're hoping for the best, I'd love to see Tamora Pierce's Tortall books adapted into movies. I think with technology where it is now, Alanna's story would still be the best place to start, since it has minimal need for special effects. But I'd love to eventually see Stormwings and Spidrens running amok with Daine or Kel.

But please, PLEASE let the screenwriters be great!

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (10)

Tell us about one of your posts from this week and give us a link so we can read it!

Well, this week was pretty slim pickings, so I guess you can all check out my Top Ten Character/Literary Names I'd Name My Children. I hadn't done any Top Tens in a while, and even though I'm not planning on kids any time soon, it was still a fun exercise.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (9)

What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

Oh gosh, how can you expect me to narrow it down to one?!

Well, if I really must, I suppose I'll go with Mastiff by Tamora Pierce, which is scheduled to come out in November. Not only do I love her books in general, but Mastiff is the conclusion to the Provost's Dog Trilogy with Beka. And I'm a sucker for a good ending ;)

Close runners up include Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, and (hopefully) Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (8)

Why do you read the genre that you do?
What draws you to it?

I read mainly Fantasy. This then trickles down into the subgenres of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal (Romance), Supernatural, Fairytales, etc.
I also enjoy reading a lot of Fantasy directed at YA.

Now for the big question...
Why?

For me, reading means escape. It means taking a step out of my boring/depressing/stagnant life and jumping into someone else's for a while. While it's nice to have some similarities between characters and myself, I want something new, exotic, fantastical. I don't want to be reminded of normal life, I want to be whisked away and not think about it.

High Fantasy takes me away to a world where anything is possible. In worlds where magic is in charge, everyone seems to have more of a fighting chance. Sure, there's sometimes some tricky vocabulary to tackle, but once that's done it's easy to forget everything and become lost in the pages.

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Supernatural books tend to be rooted in our world, but contain fantasy elements. I love werewolves, vampires, wizards, witches, demons, angels, superheros, villains, and the like because they take a small part of what I'm familiar with, but have so many more possibilities. When I'm reading these, it's hard not to glance around for traces of magic lurking just out of vision.

Young Adult fiction reaches me because in many cases I'm still young and inexperienced. Though I'm 5-8 years older than a lot of the characters, I still feel I can relate to their problems, their questions, their pain. And in that way, I'm with them through their triumphs, too.

So to me, reading is an escape.
It's exciting, it's eventful, it's not anything I'll ever experience.
Except through a book.

What about you? What do you read, and why?

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Getting A Bit Deviant

By now some of you have probably noticed some new graphics popping up here as of late.

It all started with the Whisper Stories In My Ear Challenge hosted by the Bewitched Bookworms. They had this amazing Audiobook Impressions icon to highlight their reviews. I used it in my first review, but decided that no matter how cute it might be (and I assure you, it is MAJORLY cute), it didn't quite fit The Wolf's Den...

And so I set out to create my own unique icon, in honor of both the audiobooks I would be reviewing and the Bookworms' challenge. A few hours of work later and there it was, ready and rearing to go!

Of course, making this one was so satisfying and so much fun that I had to find something else to make! Next up were icons for the In My Mailbox meme from The Story Siren and Crazy-For-Books' weekly Book Blogger Hop, followed shortly by a new banner to match! (So, of course, if you're reading this on a feed-reader, come see!)

Though the final images were created by me, all of them are collaborations of stock images found on DeviantArt. I can't thank these selfless artists enough, not only for capturing or creating masterpieces, but for sharing them with the community.

What follows are links to the original artwork and their artists. Be sure to give them a visit and check out the rest of their art!

~Venture Into The Wolf's Den Banner~
Elven Woodland by ~Nieblastocks
Wolf Template by =blueshinewolf
Victorian Book Open by *barefootliam-stock

Free Lineart by *superhyperbunny

Free Canine Lineart by *SilverWolfSpirit3

Wolf Line Art by ~CaptainMorwen
Open Book by ^FantasyStock

Wolf Paw Print by ~Missionpb

I'm currently looking into adding some more graphics around here so keep your eye out for some exciting future changes!

Oh, and lastly, if you're curious about my past and future deviousness, you can check out My DeviantArt Page! Oh, and feel free to share your own profiles below. Have a delightfully devious day!

Book Blogger Hop (7)

This week's question actually came from... OMG Me!

What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?

Well, believe it or not, I have lost one or two followers in my 8 (Really?! Wow 8!) months of blogging. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

My first thought is usually along the lines of,
"Oh no! What did I do wrong?!"

Of course, this is mostly brought on by my self-esteem issues, and after
a firm talking down by the voices in my head
some reassurance from my cats
my confidence returns I usually experience a short stint of,
"Who was it?! I'll make them come back!"

Luckily (for me and for them), that line of thought passes quickly. Eventually, I just take a deep breath and go about my business as usual. After all, I can't control who likes what I write any more than they can control what I like to write.

As for stopping following blogs...

I posted a long time ago about my first Blog Hop experience
and the mistake I made in following EVERY SINGLE BLOG in the hop.

For me, following is an interactive experience. I follow my blogs daily through Google Reader and I feel committed to reading every blog I follow.

In following over 250 blogs, I've found there's definitely a fine line between having a large variety of blogs I enjoy and having an overwhelming wave of posts I'm obligated to.

I'm currently in the process of whittling down what blogs I follow. I wait until a blog builds up at least 15 posts, which seems to be a good sample-size, then I read through them and see if they catch my interest. Do I enjoy their writing style? Am I interested in the types of books they review? If I find it a chore to get through the 15 posts, or nothing grabs my interest, then I go ahead and unsubscribe.

It's really nothing against those blog owners, and I'm sorry if their heart falls a little when they see that lowered statistic. I just feel I'm not the right fit for that particular writer, and that I'm lying to them if I call myself a follower.

What about you?

Following Jennifer's answer, she issued this amazing challenge:

BLOG HOP CHALLENGE:
This challenge will take some dedication on your part this week. I want you to find ONE blog in the Hop list that you genuinely WANT to follow (try to find a new blog, if you can!) and make at least 5 comments on their blog this week on 5 different posts. Get to know this blogger and what they post about.

Next week, as part of your Hop post, I want you to post about your experience with this challenge. Just tell us what you thought of the challenge, who you found to follow and link to the posts that you commented on. I hope you will participate and help us all to build our community! Let's dig a little deeper and get to know each other! Remember, the point is to be genuine! Not to follow for the sake of following! Because, if you are genuine, you are much more likely to get people to follow you back. Trust me on this.

So? Are you up to it?

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

100th Post & Book Blogger Hop (6)

~~~POST 100!!!~~~

I want to thank all of my followers:
Thanks for sticking with me
through good times and bad,
I couldn't have made it this far without you.

When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?

Wow, that's a great question, one that I haven't yet come up against as a reviewer.

In fact, the only reason I've 'given up' on books in the past was due to time constraints: the book was due back at the library or I had another requirement for school. Now that I'm running on my own schedule and truly reading for the fun of it... I don't know what I'd do.

However, here's what I think I'd do.

I give every book at least 50 pages to hook me.

After that...

If it's a book I own (either have bought myself, or won in a giveaway) and I can't get into it, I might put it down for a while. Maybe I'll pick it up again later, when I'm in a different mood. Maybe I'll try to power through it. Or, maybe I'll give up and give it away/sell it. It will probably depend on what 'the problem' is.

If I pick up a book from the library and just can't get into it, I'll probably return it without much guilt and simply not review it. I might revisit it if I have it recommended to me, or read a stellar review, but I'm not completely committed to completing or reviewing it.

If I was given a book specifically for review (from author, publisher, or an ARC) and I didn't like it, I think I'd push through anyway and finish it. The only reason I can see not finishing a book is if there's something in it that made me physically ill (detailed or extreme gore or sickness has made me nauseous in the past) and had nothing else that drew me in. I've never had an experience where I've hated a book, so I can't say how I'd react. But if it's a matter of boredom, not clicking, or slight discomfort with a book, I can and will most likely still finish it.

What about you?

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (5)

Do you listen to music when you read?
If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

Yes and no...

Lately, because I've been interested in speed, I've been listening to the audiobooks as I read. I play them through Windows Media Player at 1.7x or higher, which makes the audio about the same speed as I read.

When not reading with audiobooks, however, I cannot read in silence. My mind wanders, or I pick up distracting noises (like my family moving around/watching TV) that draw me out of the story.

Sometimes I choose simple white noise. A babbling brook CD, or a thundering rainstorm. These provide just enough to drown out the random noises of the house, but have enough consistency that I'm not drawn out of my book.

Other times I listen to a soundtrack. I cannot listen to music with lyrics—who could read or write with people singing/talking in their ear? But I find that movie scores allow for drowning out other noises without becoming too jarring themselves. It helps if it's from a movie I've seen multiple times, or if I've listened to the soundtrack enough, so that I'm not actively listening to the music.

 Also, depending on the soundtrack, I'm able to get a better feel for the mood of the book. Certain soundtracks are better for certain books.
Pride & Prejudice, for example, might fit more appropriately to literary books than spy novels. Meanwhile, nothing beats Lord of the Rings for battles of good against evil.


Here are a few others of my favorites:
Titanic, Spirited Away, Pirates of the Caribbean, Batman Begins,
The Dark Knight, Avatar, Happy Feet, Treasure Planet, Catch Me If You Can, Independence Day, Harry Potter, Ever After, Prince of Egypt, WALL-E.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (4)

Tell us about the book(s) you are currently reading!

Well, alright then.

For the first time in a long time, I'm actually reading two books at the moment:

~ Northanger Abbey ~

by Jane Austen

I'll be reading this one for a while, actually. See, I'm taking part in a read-along group (hosted at Reading with Tequila) and we're taking a few chapters each week and blogging/chatting about them. This first week was just the first 9 chapters (about 50 pages), so there's still time to sign up and join us.

Catherine Morland pictures herself a heroine, but is finding it quite difficult to play the part. She's not all that skilled, no one is acting villainous toward her, and she can't even find a dashing young man to fall hopelessly in love with. The book is actually a sort of parody of gothic novels, so I'm finding it quite humorous. Especially if I think of it in terms of Bella of Twilight...or perhaps more appropriately, the parody book, Nightlight.

~ City of Bones ~

by Cassandra Clare

Okay, so I'm not even a full chapter in yet. Forgive me, but I felt I needed a break after the reading binge I forced upon myself with the Young Wizards series. Still, I am intrigued at the premise, if not a little miffed that the demon's been snuffed out before I can get to know him. Yes, I'm a demon sympathizer, but what do you expect when you've been writing about one for nearly 5 years?

When Clary Fray heads out to a nightclub, the last thing she suspects she'll do is witness a murder. Much less a murder of a demon by three teens covered in strange tattoos calling themselves Shadowhunters.


Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (3)

Right this instant,
what book(s) are you DYING to get your hands on?
(past, present or future)

Hmm, that's a good question.

I'm actually not in the middle of any series with cliffhangers...
but I suppose there are a few titles that I'm eager for.

~ Personal Demons ~

by Lisa Desrochers

Now, it may be that I'm a sucker for awesome-looking covers. Or it may be that I've been on a bit of a demon streak ever since I started planning my own book. All I know is that if this has even half of the intrigue that it promises, it's going to be one hell (heh, no preferences here) of a read.

Check out Lisa's Blog for sneak peaks and updates.

~ Raised By Wolves ~

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

It should be no secret that I'm a werewolf fan, so how on earth could I not want this book? Granted, I don't think the main character is a werewolf, herself, but I can put that aside so long as she's strong and well-rounded, which I've heard she is.

Check out the author's LiveJournal for more information.

~ Mistwood ~

by Leah Cypess

Another one that's out already, but darn my schedule, I can't work it in. Two things I can't resist: shapeshifters and kick-ass heroines. Granted, Isabel doesn't know if she's either one of these yet, but I think I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. I can't wait to see if she ranks as high as Daine (Tamora Pierce) or Mercy (Patricia Briggs).

Check out Leah's site for more info.

~ Harry Potter Encyclopedia ~

by J. K. Rowling

Jokingly named The Scottish Book, I don't think there's any Potter Fan on the planet who wouldn't rush to stores for what very well may be the final piece of the Potter Collection. Though I haven't heard any more progress about it for some time, I still think and dream about it every so often.

Keep your eyes trained on Rowling's website for any new updates.

~ 10th Young Wizards Book ~

by Diane Duane

I know I haven't yet posted my review of #9, A Wizard of Mars (it should be up today or tomorrow), but I must say I'm eagerly awaiting #10. There was a mystery started at the end of #8, and it was not addressed at all in #9, so I'm hoping (and trusting) Duane doesn't leave us hanging through another book before tackling it.


Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Book Blogger Hop (2)

Oi! What am I doing?!
Didn't I learn anything from the LAST time?!

Well, we'll see how it goes this time...
So here goes...

Tell us about some of your
Favorite Authors 
and
Why They Are Your Favorites!

Well, okay then.

~ Tamora Pierce ~
She introduced me to a world of strong, kick-butt heroines:
Alanna conquered my heart with her fiery passion
Daine won it with sheer magical awesomeness
Kel earned it with her determiniation
Sandry spun it a comfy nest
Tris showed it a soulmate
Daja won its admiration
and Alianne tricked it outright, but it loves her nonetheless.

~ Patricia Briggs ~

She was my introduction to Urban Fantasy (and werewolves) that rocked. After a horrible experience with Twilight, I was pretty desperate; surely someone had to know how vampires and werewolves were supposed to be! I got more than I bargained for when my dad got me Briggs' books. Not only was this paranormal society fantastically crafted, but it was presented through the eyes of another kick-butt heroine! And not only is the main character amazing, but practically every 'secondary' character is developed enough to lead a story! I have to admit, I'm a little tempted to go looking for a Ben of my own...

~ Diane Duane ~
Coming off of a Harry Potter buzz, and slightly forlorn at the diminishing prospect of receiving a letter from Hogwarts, Duane's Young Wizard series offered me a readily available alternative. Why wait for a silly piece of parchment to tell you there was magic when it's already so accessible in the world around us? Her world is not only whimsical and awe-inspiring, but calculated and real enough for those of us less open-minded. Needless to say, I don't feel at all foolish walking around with these 'kids' books.

~ Eoin Colfer ~
Having first found him through his Artemis Fowl series, I loved and laughed with his quirky characters. Then I found and bought his unrelated book, The Wish List, and found it surprisingly insightful and complex, with the main characters relatable and driving the plot. Finally, with his update to the Hitchhiker's series, I was once again taken by his characters to an extent even Adams hadn't managed. Colfer's books are driven by characters, pure and simple, and it's an amazing ride every time.

~ J.K. Rowling ~
I really don't have much to say about Rowling that hasn't already been said. She created a world that captured my imagination for the better part of 10 years. In the down-times between books I found fellow fans and made lifelong friends. These friends and I continued our adventures within her world long after the books were done. I thank her for her unending contribution to my life and the lives of so many others.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

In semi-related news, I'll be trying my hardest to read the last 4 Young Wizards books this weekend.
Continued reviews should be up shortly.

Some Hopping Tips

or
The Results of My First Blogger Hop

Blogs Visited:
262

New Blogs Followed:
200+

Total Blogs Now Following:
375

Comments on My Blog:
83

New Followers:
77

That's right, I visited, commented on, and followed every blog I could.
(Blogs that did not support Google-Followers, I passed on)

I made it my personal goal to visit every single one this weekend; even stayed up way past exhaustion last night to finish.

Today, I was rewarded with over 300 posts (from Sunday and Monday) in my Google-Reader, which I diligently skimmed and read. It took me (I'm guessing) over 3 hours.

I just got back from an hour-long massage-shower to release my headache and shoulder tension.

Do NOT Do What I Did.

Have you ever gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet, filled yourself to full, then gone back one more time for dessert? Or how about gotten a gym membership and spent two hours going full-speed/full-strength?

Do you remember how it felt the next day?

Yeah, that's about what I'm feeling right now.

So here are my tips on how to safely and successfully Blog Hop:

1. Set a Realistic Goal
Pick a number you're comfortable with following and stick to it. No one is judging you on how many blogs you visit. In fact, there's no (easy) way to keep track at all. The only judge you have is yourself, and I think they'll understand your reasoning.

2. Be Sure to Leave Comments
Remember what I said about 'no way to keep track'? Well, when you visit someone's blog, be sure to leave them a comment. It doesn't have to be super fancy or detailed, but there are a couple things it should include:

A Polite Greeting
As in any correspondence, this helps break the ice and establish a connection.
"Hi there!"
"Hey ho, how's it hangin?!"
 "Caught you through the Hop!"

 Some Positive Detail You Noticed About Their Blog/Post
 An added bonus to the ice-breaker, this gives the blog owner a reason to further their connection with you. It always makes people feel good to know their hard work is being seen/read.
"I loved [insert book title] too!"
"Your banner is really ugly."
"Wow, your story is really similar to mine!"

A Tactful Link to Your Own Blog
Always leave a link. This is about establishing connections. How are we supposed to do that if you say 'hi' and disappear? However, don't be forceful about it. Provide it as an opportunity, not an obligation.
"I also review SciFi in my blog, (link)"
"Go to my blog if you ever want to see your family again: (link)"
"Hope you can hop over my way too! (link)"
"I visited you, now you visit me! It's only fair. (link)"
"Care to venture into (The Wolf's Den)?"

Now, while it's best to make each and every entry unique, if you are dealing in mass there's nothing wrong with creating a template that you can copy and paste. Especially when it comes to links—you don't want to mistype your blog-page and accidentally send them somewhere else!

3. Be Smart About Following 
Don't Expect a Follow for a Follow. 
While it's nice to think the above is some sort of unwritten rule, this can't be farther from the truth. I've seen some blogs with over 1000 followers, and you can bet that that person isn't following 1000 blogs. Well, at least not actively. They might be 'a Follower', but that's not the same as 'Following'.
I'll expand on this more below.

Don't Try to Force Followers
Ever gone into a store and been besieged by salespeople? Or have you gotten solicitors at your door? Most often your immediate reaction is "I'm not interested, GO AWAY!" Trying to force people to follow you just makes them that much more eager to say 'no'.

Follow Your Interests
If you can't stand Romance, why follow someone who only reviews Romance? You'll never actually read their posts, and that just defeats the purpose of following in the first place! It's like someone handing out all their pamphlets only to discover they've all been thrown in the trashcan around the corner. Be honest about what you'll read.

And in the same respect, don't expect people to follow your blog if it doesn't interest them.

4. Organize Your Reader
If you're like me, and you may have overshot your bounds, be smart about how you read things. Don't spend hours trying to sort through things you may not want to read... I dumped ALL Book Blogs into ONE folder, so it took forever to sort through it all.

Set Up Genre Folders
That way you can hit certain blogs when you're in the mood, or save others for another time.

Set Up a Probationary List
If you did select too many blogs to follow, put some in a folder that you can browse at your leisure to see if you really do like their writing style. Give it a couple weeks. If you can't remember liking anything of theirs in that time, it's probably best that you un-follow them.

5. Review and Make New Goals
After it's all over take into account what you did and what results you got.
How many did you visit?
How many did you like?
How many will you follow?
What was your blog's visiting rate?
DID YOU HAVE FUN?!

As for me, I visited over 200 blogs and got around 80 visits.
I had a lot of fun, but I also overexerted myself.
Next time (yes, I will do this again) I probably won't visit (or follow) every single blog I find. I'll definitely be more selective in my genres, and I'll stop when I feel like stopping.

Big thanks to Crazy-for-Books for hosting this weekend's Hop.
I hope you all enjoyed your own hopping.

Until next time...

Book Blogger Hop (1)

Okay, honestly I don't know how many of these I will be doing.
Probably not too many, as I generally browse around book blogs enough on my own and add them to my GIGANTIC LIST as I go.
But...hey, why not try something new, right?

So here goes...

Tell us your NAME and WHY YOU STARTED BLOGGING



Hey, I'm Vicki.

I started blogging because I was told it was the best way
to get my writing out there.

See, I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing in May of 2010, and after months of stagnancy and joblessness, I started wondering what was the best way to market myself. My dad and/or a friend suggested that blogging was the best way to put myself out there, start having my voice heard.

The first couple months went slowly. I only had one or two readers, so I wasn't really inspired to post much. Then I decided to start posting some book reviews. I'd done a little of that on Facebook, but, again, I didn't feel like it was getting anywhere. Here, on a blog, I felt it at least had the ability to be read.

Thus, I retooled my blog (slightly) and began posting more bookish subjects.
I've reviewed 14 books (in 6 blogs) as well as posted a couple speculations.
I mostly stick with Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, SciFi, and YA,
but I do branch out from time to time.
I've also included a post or two of my own writing!

It's been a fun trip so far, and I hope I've piqued your interest.


Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

In semi-related news, I'll be finishing High Wizardry either tonight or tomorrow then starting on the next book quickly after that.
So, my next review pairing should be up Monday or Tuesday at the latest.