BBAW 2012: Appreciate!

So you may have noticed it’s been a bit quiet around this here little ole blog. New semester, germs, and an ailing (but feisty, improving) grandmother in hospital have all put blog writing on the back burner. But I promise I’m still here! Wishing you happy reads!

So with all that going on, I completely missed that BBAW is this week. For those of you who don’t know, BBAW is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Part of the goal is to show appreciation for the bloggers we love, but the other part is to introduce our readers to blogs they may not follow…yet. Last year’s post featuring my favorite bloggers is here, so check it out because I want to feature different people this year. Many people have qualms about this because they don’t want to leave anyone out, and I certainly understand that. However, I love coming across lists of blogs that may be a bit different from the ones I follow.

Insatiable Booksluts – Susie is hi-larious. Plus, she’s a relatively new blogger with tons of energy and a lot to say about books and publishing. Her Reading Rage posts on Tuesdays are so thoughtful and funny but also incredibly well stated.

Unabridged Chick – Sometimes I think Audra and I are reading soulmates. If she loves a book, I know I’ll love it. She gets irritated with privileged, narcissistic male narrators. So do I. All I have to do is see the first line of her review in my reader to know whether or not to add her reads to my TBR shelf. (But, of course, I still read the whole thing.)

Sophisticated Dorkiness – Kim is a nonfic champion, whom I met last year at BEA. In the past year, I’ve come to really appreciate her take on the nonfiction she chooses. Because nonfiction isn’t prominent on my shelves, she helps me to narrow down which books I definitely need to read.

Regular Rumination – Lu! I met Lu this year at BEA, and we had so much fun. She’s young and passionate about poetry and works hard to introduce her readers to poems or collections both under and above the radar.

JulzReads – Julie is a ball of energy. She asked to be my pen pal (and I’m sorry, Julie, the past couple months I’ve been horrible) and has even sent me some really neat handmade bookish gifts. We finally met at BEA, and her blog is a regular in my reader. Her posts are short and to the point, and she’s a pretty eclectic reader like I am.

The Worm Hole – Charlie commented on my blog for the first time a couple months ago, and The Worm Hole was new to me. The reviews are deep, more discussion than review, and I like that. I also like that Charlie questions the ethics and trends of the book blog world.

The Feminist Texican [Reads] – I feel like Melissa and I are in the trenches together. We both teach at universities in Texas. She has a feminist blog (I used to). She enjoys many of the same types of books. But man, she kicks my b-u-t-t when it comes to multicultural lit. Plus, we both have a crush on Junot Diaz. If you haven’t checked her out, you most definitely should.

TNBBC’s The Next Best Book Blog & Book Sexy Review – Lori and Tara were just about the best things at BEA this year. We are very different bloggers, but how we blog and what we think about blogging lined up in a lot of places. Lori is a champion for indie authors and publishers and is seriously an advocate for the authors she believes are worthy. Tara does the same for translations. These ladies work hard to introduce their readers to books they would likely never know about otherwise.

in so many words… – Yvette. Yvette blogs about books, film, and art…the trifecta. She’s also a mystery fiend, and so many of my mystery recommendations come directly from her. The woman is crazy knowledgeable about mysteries of all sorts, as well as film and art. Her blog is a gem.

The Book Smugglers – You guys know I don’t read much middle grade or YA, but when I do, it comes from the gals at The Book Smugglers. In fact, out of all the blogs I’ve followed through the years, theirs is the only one I still follow that covers these areas. That’s how consistent they are in their recommendations.

I know that’s a lot of information, but I also know that for those of you without blogs, you may want a blog with a bit more focus or a slightly different focus from my own scattered one. Plus, I really wanted to say thanks to these bloggers for pushing the boundaries of my own reading. The bloggers on this year’s list and last year’s are of the highest order. And if they so choose (or any of you really), here’s my seal of approval. As Susie said about her Bookslut button, no strings attached. Doesn’t even have my blog address. But if you consider yourself a picky or, ahem, discerning reader, have at it: