Maw Books

Maw Books – book reviews, book recommendations, book lists, author interviews and more!

Book Bloggers Appreciation Week (BBAW) is an annual celebration to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.  BBAW is happening right now!   To fully participate in BBAW visit the official blog.

Today’s blogging topic is a hard one.  And that’s to share with you some of our favorite and best blogs that were not shortlisted for the BBAW awards.  Where does one even start with this?  My blog is a fairly eclectic, general review blog so I feel that I have my toes dipped in the kidlit community, the YA community, and the “adult” community.  What this means is a Google Reader that is simply overflowing (I won’t disclose the number of blogs which I subscribe too) and the nearly impossible task to narrow it down to a few favorites, which I am not going to attempt here.

I truly believe that while I find certain blogging practices do make for a better blog, it’s near impossible to say that this blog is better than this blog simply because I love different blogs at different moments in time.  Each blog contributes something different and unique to the blogosphere, thus creating a rich and diverse community.  My personal best is not somebody elses’s personal best.

Speaking of being able to define who are your favorite bloggers, I read a snowball of posts about this topic.  First was Colleen at Chasing Ray, in which she said:

You’re all part of my shortlist which will not result in wide accolades or even a button for your sidebar. However there is also no drama here either. And you’ve got me plus a lot of other dedicated readers who have been there all along and will continue to enjoy your thoughts, literary and otherwise. Awards come and go but faithful readers, we’re the real achievement.

Liz at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy launched her post off of Colleen’s and wrote:

A favorite can depend on many things. Who are my favorite bloggers? Those I link to. Those I comment at. Those I follow. Those I email and tweet with. The ones I read and don’t comment at, but my reading shows in your statistics. Basically, it’s those I read.

Liz goes on with a fantastic cafateria analogy and then continues with this thought:

Do I have favorites? Hell, yes. It may be someone who just by mentioning a book, I want to read it. Or someone sharing industry news. A wry take on things that makes me laugh. A great voice. Interesting interpretations on books. Writing that shakes me up. Writing that makes me welcome. Should I begin listing all my favorites, I’d leave someone out, and who wants to do that to a favorite?

Jen at Jen Robinson’s Book Page continues the conversation at her blog and muses about being a floater, having different places that she likes to visit depending upon her mood.

But they’re all people I’m happy to hear from when they post, or email, or Twitter. They’re people I look forward to meeting face-to-face, if I haven’t already. They’re people who inspire that moment of connection when they write exactly what I was trying to say, or have the same reaction I did to a book. They’re my colleagues, in this book blogging world. And they are my friends.

She ends by saying she can’t list favorites because “You all know who you are, don’t you?”

Each of these bloggers struck a chord with me and I found myself saying, “Yes, that’s how I feel too.”  These wonderful bloggers opted to not share some of their favorite blogs because the task was already impossible and plus, “they already knew who they were” anyways.  But that’s the thing, they know who they are but I don’t know who they are.  BBAW is about celebrating blogs and furthering their exposure.  How would you stumble upon these blogs if we don’t talk about them?  (Although I do admit that I follow these three bloggers closely enough that I can take a pretty easy guess as to who their favorite bloggers are – but you may not).  I must admit that I’m a fan of link love.

I’d like to share some blogs with you not because they need the pat on the back (although I’m patting their back all the same), but rather for you, the reader visiting me here, the chance to further explore the richness of the book blogosphere.

That said, I have no idea even as I type these words out which blogs I’m going to spotlight.  I’m going to give a huge shout out to all of my Utah book bloggers.  I have a guest post about our group going up later this week on the BBAW blog, so make sure to check that out.  And now, in no particular order and knowing full well that I’m not even touching the surface of my favorite bloggers, here are a few that I think you should check out:

• Jeannette from  A Comfy Chair and a Good Book has been spotlighted on my blog before but I wanted to mention that she’s due to give birth this week!  Very exciting!  I just wanted everybody to be aware of that little fact.

• I was seriously surprised that Joy at Thoughts of Joy didn’t make the cut for most concise blog.  Whenever I see that she’s reviewed a book that I’ve also read, I have to know what she says simply because she doesn’t beat around the bush.  I always know immediately if she liked it or hated it.  Short and sweet.   Sometime I wish I could blog like that.

• I usually want post titles to be clear and straightforward with name of the book and author, but whenever Susan at Bloggin’ ’bout Books posts a review, I have to stop and check it out because her titles always catch my eye.  She doesn’t beat around the bush either.  I always know exactly what she thought of a book.  One of my favorite bloggers.

• I love Tara’s from Books and Cooks farmer’s market posts.  Such beautiful pictures and beautiful food.  Let’s not forget the books of course.

• I love following Janssen at Everyday Reading because she’s so funny and full of life.  Not only do I get to check out her great book reviews but read fun posts about her random tidbits of her life.  In hindsight, it seems that I’m not very exciting at all.

• I have to give a shout out to Jen Robinson’s Book Page and Terry at The Reading Tub for their literacy round-up posts which I think are singlehandly one of the best features around and one that I always click on first when I see it come up in my reader.

• Jill at The Well Read Child has always been one of my favorite kidlit bloggers.  I can always count on her blog to give me some great recommendations for my two boys.

• I just discovered Dawn at Moms Inspire Learning during the judging process for BBAW.  I put her blog into my reader right away as it focuses on simple resources and strategies to inspire lifelong learning, reading, and leading.  I’m looking forward to getting to know her.

• Hands down my favorite author blog is Shannon Hale.  She puts up so many thought provoking posts that it’s just crazy.  I get all excited when I see a new post go up over there.

• Have you guys seen the new blog called Awful Library Books?  Hilarious!  Seriously, subscribe to this one and then sit back and plan to be amused.

• Another blog that I think is really entertaining is The Worst Review Ever where authors talk about the worst reviews that they’ve received.  Love it!

• Adele at Persnickety Snark probably doesn’t even know that I exist.  But she’s another blog that I just discovered and I was really impressed.  I seriously wonder where these people have been hiding and how do I not know about their greatness?  Adele reviews YA and I am looking forward to following her blog.

• Becky at Becky’s Book Reviews is hands down the most prolific blogger that I know.  Honestly, I don’t think anybody could keep up with her if she tried.  And you never know what you are going to get.  Shakespeare on day, graphic novel the next.  Something for everybody.

• Melissa at Book Nut has always been on of my favorite blogs.  What can I say?  She’s simply full of awesome.

Okay, well.  I think I better stop.  I could keep going all day and by no means is this list even close to listing my favorites.  Rather, it’s a small random selection of bloggers from my reader.

This day is just about over and I need to make my way over to see who everybody else is posting about.  Do you follow any of these blogs?  Which ones are you going to go check out?

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