Bloggiesta: In Which I Reveal the Sad State of the Maw Books Blog
I’m almost embarrassed to reveal to you my current bloggy to do list for the Bloggiesta, the blogging marathon party that started this morning. But here it is. Considering that I’m hosting the darn thing, I’ll be thrillled to get half of it done during the next 48 hours! I want to be available to answer questions and help bloggers out. I do enjoy it. So, we shall see.
And please, don’t laugh too hard:
- Reader spotlight questions sent to:
- Kathy
- Ali
- Suey
- Laura H.
- Jeane
- Kim
- Jen
- Book reviews for:
- Charlotte’s Rose by A.E. Cannon
- The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by A.E Cannon
- Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
- Long Shot by Mike Lupica
- Dessert First by Hallie Durand
- Down at the Sea Hotel, A Greg Brown song illustrated by Mireille Levert
- Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight
- Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
- The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer
- Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton
- Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
- That Went Well, Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
- Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
- Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
- Benny the Baffled Behemoth by Melissa Leembruggen
- Unite or Die, How Thirteen States Became a Nation by Jacqueline Jules
- Little Skink’s Tail by Janet Halfmann
- Brothers in Hope, The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams
- Heroes by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
- Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Dom Lee
- Send author interview questions to:
- Elizabeth Scott
- Janet Halfmann
- Ann Dee Ellis
- Emily Wing Smith
- Make author interview inquiries with:
- Hallie Durand
- A.E Cannon
- Laura Schaefer
- Rachel Renee Russell
- Luis Alberto Urrea
- Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton
- Download, convert and prep Shannon Hale videos from The Actor and the Housewife signing for the book review.
- Write the Richard Peck post from clear back in October when I met him and do signed book giveaway.
- Write giveaway post for a signed copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
- Write my chocolate cake author recipe post.
- Write my Potty Training 101 post (it’s been in draft for a year!)
- Send book club questionnaire back to Trish for kidlit book club
- Send book club questionnaire back to Trish for neighborhood book club
- Send my blogging space photo to Cathy
- Fix my www.mawbooks.com main page so it doesn’t have errors.
- Install the WordPress plug-in that Bart talked about that link a title auto to Indibound, Powell’s and Amazon. (installed but a bit wonky, so it’s not active)
- Update my “Now Reading” sidebar and make sure links are present in most recently read books in “My Library.”
- Return a lot of emails.
- Figure out what is making my blog load so slow.
- Talk to my sister about my huge list of template sidebar changes that needs to be done.
- The very, very late BEA post. Get it done!
- Update my summer calender with tours, etc.
- Visitor spotlight post. I forgot it last month.
- The questionnaire that everybody already sent to Penguin? Yeah, still on my to do list.
- Record latest video for our “group vlog.”
- Schedule the date for the Utah Book Bloggers Summer Social
- Read my two Nerds Heart YA tourney book selections (Feathered by Laura Kasischke and I Know It’s Over by C.K. Kelly Martin, review both and post decision. By Sunday! LOL.
- The Chosen One giveaway. Still haven’t picked a winner. Terrible of me!
- At this point, do I finish my half written post about the panels at the LA Times Festival of Books?
- Install the WordPress plugin that gives a little message to encourage new visitors to subscribe. Come to think of it, I need to figure out which one it is.
Things I keep adding to the list (sometimes just so I can feel good about myself for crossing something off I didn’t remember to list earlier!)
- Pick winner for Freckleface Strawberry.
- Update all my plug-ins.
- Add blog to dmoz directory.
- update blog to newest WordPress version.
- update wordpress version for challenges.mawbooks.com
- update the theme for challenges.mawbooks.com
- update wordpress version for bookreviews.mawbooks.com
- update theme for bookreviews.mawbooks.com
- I haven’t touched bookreviews.mawbooks.com for 9+ months. Decide if I want to continue project or fold it.
Okay, okay. You can pick yourself up from rolling in laughter on the floor. Just watch me cross those babies off!
Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!
Category: The Community
Tags: bloggiesta
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Wow! You just made me feel better about the state of my blog! Good luck!
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:18 amwow! I hope you don’t run out of things to do…
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:19 amAnd I thought my to-do list was overly-ambitious
I think you’ll have fun though, none of those projects seem like the kind that are tedious and annoying.
Good luck today!
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:19 amWow, that is quite a list
How in the world do you remember all those books to write the reviews? I’m horrible just remembering stuff from the last book I read and am constantly referring back to the book. LOL. Good luck!
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:21 amI thought mine was bad. Phew!
Don’t worry Natasha, I’ll be cheering you on. *cheers*
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:28 amOh, I’m not laughing, Natasha. I’m just glad that I’m not the only one with a huge to-do-list.
Loved Thirteen Reasons Why, so I’m interested in hearing your take. Picking Cotton is currently waiting for me a hold shelf.
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:34 amHoly guacamole! Maybe Pedro can help?
on June 19th, 2009 at 9:57 amNatasha – holy moly, are you serious?!?! Good luck with all of that. You are amazing!!!!!
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:08 amYou left out: Bring peace to the Mid-East.
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am(Sorry I can’t participate; I’m traveling all weekend.)
What a great list – I look forward to see how you get along.
Its Friday early evening in Denmark and I have been home from work for a couple of hours.
I need to fix some dinner, and then I am going to sit down and begin the challenge. Plan to be at it some hours tonight and then I will see if I can make a schedule, allowing me some hours both Saturday and Sunday. Can’t wait.
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:48 amI wish my blog was big enough for me to have that kind of to-do list!!!
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:48 amI’m not laughing, I’m cringing in fear. Just that list of reviews is scaring me. I thought my 9 outstanding reviews was bad! By the way, I haven’t noticed your blog loading slowly.
on June 19th, 2009 at 11:15 amOh, by the way, if you’re thinking of the plug-in that I’m using and that I’ve been seeing around a lot lately, it is the WP Greet Box.
http://omninoggin.com/projects/wordpress-plugins/wp-greet-box-wordpress-plugin/
on June 19th, 2009 at 11:16 amI can’t wait to see when your list is crossed completely out! Good Luck and have fun, madam hostess.
on June 19th, 2009 at 11:18 amLOL…And I thought my to-do list was bad ;o). I’ve got to get my starting post up, too…right after I finish going though all my Tweets! Ye gads…
on June 19th, 2009 at 11:22 amThe first part of getting more done than humanly possible is compiling the list and now you have all of us to make you accountable! Good Luck. You are such an inspiration to us all.
on June 19th, 2009 at 12:00 pmGood for you for admitting it all! I probably have that many, but I’m too afraid to write them down. I’ll be most looking forward to your Graveyard Book give away, Potty Training, and book blogger get together posts. Have fun crossing them all off as you get through them! (PS: Your page doesn’t seem slow to load for me in either Safari or Firefox, for what it’s worth. My blog, on the other hand, freezes up Firefox on me EVERY time I open it. Ugh).
on June 19th, 2009 at 12:03 pmHoly guacamole, that’s a long to-do list. I think I have a bruise from when my jaw hit my keyboard.
on June 19th, 2009 at 1:05 pmWhat do we do if “post bloggiesta to-do list” is on our to-do list below other things on the to-do list? LOL
Finish 2nd book for Nerds heart YA: done
on June 19th, 2009 at 1:15 pmWrite Diversity Roll Call post: done
Write Bloggiesta to-do list: next, (after drum lessons and mini-golf outing…)
Good luck Natasha. Oh my, I don’t think I’m even getting through my short list very quickly. Ahh, so much to do so little time.
on June 19th, 2009 at 1:25 pmWOW!
I have about a dozen books to review (hmmm…maybe it’s more like 15) but WOW – that list in unreal. I think if you get half of it done you will be a certified superwoman!
on June 19th, 2009 at 2:03 pmStill looking on in extreme envy. Maybe even sending a few daggers with my eyes to those lucky enough to participate. Although, I’m eating ice cream right now at work–so that’s something.
Anyway, I didn’t come here to whine.
I came here to say–your huge long list, Natasha, is why your blog is so great and successful. It is evident you put a ton of work into it and really shows.
And those reviews! Don’t you forget? I find that if too much time passes for me, I completely forget the book–or at least can’t remember it in a way that would allow me to write a well-written review.
on June 19th, 2009 at 2:21 pmOooh!
on June 19th, 2009 at 3:13 pmAnd I thought MY list was long!
I have lots of review to do too (although, not as many), and that’s what I want to work on the most. That, updating my pages and my GoggleReader.
Anyway, good luck with your list!
OMG Natasha you have a lot to do. I thought my list was bad AGH poor you. I know you can get through that list. Go Natasha Go! LOL
on June 19th, 2009 at 4:38 pmWOW….just wow!
That is quite a list you have there. Fabulous.
I’m hoping to cheerlead Bloggiesta participants as well but don’t forget the whole thing that started this great event was the thought that you had to get some of your own work done.
on June 19th, 2009 at 4:57 pmNo pressure but that is a huge review list, and I for one am waiting………..
on June 19th, 2009 at 5:34 pmOMG! Ever heard of the phrase “to bite off more than you can chew”?!?
on June 19th, 2009 at 6:33 pmYour very optimistic thats great! Good luck on your list,i haven’t even started mine LOL!
on June 19th, 2009 at 6:51 pmYou came up with a great idea to motivate everyone to make changes and be creative. Thank you and i’ll be posting soon with my Bloggiesta!!
Natalie :0)
I clicked on this post in my reader and it thought I came from google. So I do think that plugin needs looking at….
Have fun getting caught up this weekend!
on June 19th, 2009 at 8:40 pmTrish – I would love to be able to start writing my reviews right away! If I can catch up then maybe I can start doing it. Sometimes I forget a little bit but all’s it takes is a short description to bring it all flooding back.
Rebecca – Ah, dang it! Thanks for letting me know. I have google.com/reader down as an exclusion. So nothing should show up, I’ll have to go see what’s wrong. Thanks!
Thanks everybody for the encouragement! It’s very slow with my two boys and visiting everybody else (I estimate I’ve left nearly 90 comments today). I have LOVED seeing what everybody is doing and the enthusiasm they have for the project!
on June 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pmI’m nowhere near that ambitious! I mean I should probably add the reviews I need to get up…hmm…its only 7…surely I can get that done!
on June 20th, 2009 at 1:07 amThat’s a very long To-Do List! Mine is about a fourth of that.
Good luck with it.
I’m about to start Day Two
on June 20th, 2009 at 9:15 amOk…. I have to tell you, I am having so much fun and learning so much! I have been working on the mini challenges (saving my to do list for late tonight as my big finale) and I just created my Guest Blogger page and have 2 reviews up in that category I am pretty excited about. If you have time, please stop by and check it out!
(I am still looking for a way to create a contact me button or something… I use wordpress so some things do not work with that.)
In the last 26 hours I have pretty much upgraded my entire blog. Thanks again for this challenge!
on June 20th, 2009 at 9:32 am*If you go to my blog click on the Gust Blogger Page*
You’re making some good progress.
on June 20th, 2009 at 10:06 amThank you so much, Natasha, for posting this list! It definitely makes me feel less alone with my huge pile of unreviewed books! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who gets behind with blogging.
And are you serious about me having won The Chosen One? I’m so stoked about reading that book. Thank you! (I’ll send you my addy right away.)
on June 20th, 2009 at 10:06 amYou really have crossed off quite a few. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and giving me some encouragement.
on June 20th, 2009 at 10:41 amNatasha, I don’t feel like I’ve done much either despite what I was able to mark “finished”.
on June 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pmWow! Look at you go!!
on June 20th, 2009 at 7:49 pmWow.. that is a list.. That I am glad I didn’t have to create.. or finish..
on June 20th, 2009 at 8:35 pmWOW
Well, Bloggiesta is almost over and I’m only just checking out your To Do list. Very impressive – it makes me feel much better about my own list.
I think I might create a monthly to do list on my blog – perhaps knowing that others might check it to see how I am going will inspire me to get more done and keep on task.
on June 20th, 2009 at 9:51 pmThat is just plain scary! But I’m so excited to see myself on the spotlight list! Wahoo! How fun.
on June 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm