Top Ten Tips for New Book Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

I just want to say before I begin that I consider myself a newbie blogger. I have been blogging for a little over five months and these tips still apply to myself and help me every day.

1. Be Yourself. Be Unique.

Don't fit in with all the other blogs out there. Find some sort of theme or something that it unique to you. Be sure it fits your personality too.

2. Participate in memes.

This skyrocketed my number of page views. It's a great way to get your blog out in the blogosphere and to make blogger friends, even.

3. Be social!

This is another thing that boosted my blog traffic. I have a Facebook page for my blog. That generates some traffic but what really has an impact is Twitter. I tweet about all of my posts at least twice and have some automated. It really works!

4. Don't sweat it.

A lot when I was first starting out, I started to get panicky if I went a few days without posting. I don't know why really, but I realized later that if I have to worry about it, then it sucks the fun out of blogging. I recommend posting consistently, but don't get upset if you miss a day here and there.

5. Have fun!

Being creative and social is one thing that makes it fun. But above all, know that there are some great perks to blogging. Like making acquaintances with authors and other bloggers. Take advantage of this!

6. Read what you want.

Don't feel pressured to read books that have been spewing hype by other bloggers. If it interests you, go ahead. In fact, your readers might like your blog even better if you have some good diversity.

7. Comment on posts.

Another thing that helps with incorporating yourself into the world of book bloggers is commenting. I struggle with this a bit as I am short on time a lot, but I am working on it. It helps to respond to other bloggers and they appreciate it too!

8. Don't give up!

Sometimes blogging can feel like a failure in the first months. It can feel like nobody is paying any attention to it. This will go away if you keep being consistent and social. Don't let it bring you down!

9. Ask questions.

Bloggers often provide their email address for questions and comments. I did this a few times and I'll still do it if I need to. If you have any questions about anything regarding blogging, feel free to email the bloggers that provide email addresses. Don't worry, we won't bite!

10. Be diverse in your posts.

I struggle with this sometimes myself. Try not to only post reviews and meme posts. You should mix it up a bit and create your own meme or have discussion posts. Even some personal posts are okay. Its a blog, after all! This will make your blog stand out and people will remember it.

Be sure to leave a linky to your Tuesday memes in the comments section!



Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Broke My Heart A Little

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

Ink Exchange by: Melissa Marr: This book had so many emotions clashing against one another, in certainly a heartbreaking way. Irial was using Leslie for his selfish purposes but there was a connection between them that lay beneath the surface. Niall and Leslie had great chemistry that I think could’ve been something more if it wasn’t for Irial.

Forbidden by: Tabitha Suzuma: Admittedly, this book probably broke my heart more than just a little. I never thought a book like this one existed. I was quite literally weeping at the end. There was a stark reality to it that made it seem so real and made me wonder if something like this story actually happened.

Just Listen by: Sarah Dessen: With Annabel, there was so much beneath the surface that changed her. It broke my heart a bit when she had to deal with the verbal bullies that were once her friends on top of everything else she was holding inside.

Breaking Dawn by: Stephenie Meyer: During the parts when Edward and Bella were dealing with the inevitability of her death, my heart broke a little for them. Also, when Jacob saw what the baby was doing to Bella, it made me feel a little sad for him.

The Iron Knight by: Julie Kagawa: When Ash was seeing what his life would be like as a human, it broke my heart for sure. He was always so immortal and strong. Seeing that diminish and him grow old while Megan stayed young was so sad.

The Hidden by: Jessica Verday: Abbey and Caspian’s love was heartbreaking and wonderful from the start, but in the conclusion to the series, it really got to me. Thankfully, it ended in a way I thought brought closure to the series and happiness to Abbey and Caspian.

If I Stay by: Gayle Forman: The whole premise of this book is heartbreaking. It ends well, but from the very beginning, Mia loses almost her entire family in less than a minute and that resonates through the story as she fights for her life in the ICU.

A Walk to Remember by: Nicholas Sparks: Nicholas Sparks has a way with words strikes a chord in me in all of his books. Jamie and Landon's love story is one of my all time favorites. It was incredibly sad how she had to go so shortly after they wed.

Hourglass by: Claudia Gray: Lucas and Bianca were going to spend their entire lives together, they decided. Having left the hunters behind, Lucas was willing to do anything to protect her. When she dies, my heart broke for Lucas and Balthazar. It broke all over again when Lucas gets bitten by Charity and has to turn into the thing he hates most.

Delirium by: Lauren Oliver: The author wove so much emotion into every page. It really allowed me to get inside Lena's head and understand the events that took place. Also, it made for a good heartbreak in a society that forbade love.

Don't forget to leave a link in the comments to your Tuesday memes!

Top Ten and a Teaser Tuesday: Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks and Fateful

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading where we share a passage from the book we are currently reading!



The Truth About Forever by: Sarah Dessen: Honestly, most of Sarah Dessen's books could qualify as excellent book club picks. She writes with such a raw understanding of emotions and reactions and how beautiful being imperfect can be.

Forbidden by: Tabitha Suzuma: I think this is already a pick for the Forbidden Book Club over at Reading Teen and a bunch of other blogs. With a group, I know I could spend hours talking about the way Tabitha crafted such an amazing and beautifully tragic story.

The Hunger Games by: Suzanne Collins: My mom just started reading this and we talked for a while about it. All of the dystopian themes and things that Katniss and Peeta have to deal with would make for perfect conversation at a book club.

New Girl by: Paige Harbison: I just finished reading this one. I know it would have helped to vent some of my wonderful frustration with a group of people feeling the same! There's also a lot of mystery that would make good discussion.

Incarceron by: Catherine Fisher: This is a confusing dystopian. At first I thought it was historical. There are a lot of things that can be confusing but great once you've figured it out.

Just Listen by: Sarah Dessen: Annabel is one of those characters who is living a seemingly perfect life with a modeling career and a stable family, yet she feels like she's been thrown away by her friends. Something happened to her and it changed her. And Owen would also be a wonderful discussion topic!

Delirium by: Lauren Oliver: The great thing about an author who previously wrote contemporary deciding to write a dystopian is that you know that the emotions and thoughts of the narrator are going to be spot-on fantastic. Enough said.

The Pretty Little Liars Series by: Sara Shepard: (Disclaimer: for those of you who only watch the show, it has absolutely nothing to do with the books) This is like a socialite mystery series that would leave everyone on the edge of their seats, conspiring on who "A" is!

Project 17 by: Laurie Faria Stolarz: A few years ago I read this and I still remember how freaked out I was the entire time. Even though it would be extremely difficult not to read all the way through it, it would make a good club pick for its haunted essence and always wanting to know what happens next.

                                                  

Don't Breathe a Word by: Holly Cupala: This author must be made of pure genius. She crafted the setting and characters so intricately and developed tension and other emotions with nothing short of perfection.

Teaser Tuesday (3)

This weeks teaser is from: Fateful by: Claudia Gray 

 "It's the strangest sound-like a thousand marbles being spilled across a stone floor, though deeper and larger than that. The vibration of it ripples up through our feet, and there's another kind of motion too. A shudder. As though the ship herself were as afraid as I am. And it's so close..."

Top Ten and a Teaser Tuesday: Books I'd Recommend to Someone Who Doesn't Read YA and the Alchemy of Forever

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading where we share a passage from the book we are currently reading!

The Curse Workers Series by: Holly Black – I have only read the first book in this series, but I can tell you that there is a lot of gritty crime and punishment going on. People who like crime novels and dark fantasy would love this.

The Body Finder Series by: Kimberly Derting – These books are very dark and morbid. Murder and mystery surround the story and keep you on your toes the whole time. Definitely a great series for a murder mystery lover.

The Mortal Instruments Series by: Cassandra Clare – I find myself pointing out similarities between this series and the Lord of the Rings Series. They both have a complex plot and fantastical elements galore.  Fans of LoTR would love these.

  
The Near Witch by: Victoria Schwab – My mom, who doesn’t read YA, would love this novel. It is very creepy and has a lot of mystery. Truthfully, I think it could pass for a general fiction book.

Forbidden by: Tabitha Suzuma – This book has teenagers in it, which is about the only thing that makes it YA. The controversial subject matter and emotional gravity of the entire book would absolutely be absorbed by someone who doesn’t read the genre.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by: Suzanne Collins – The things that Katniss, Peeta, and Gale deal with in each of the books are well beyond their age. They are forced to become adults and live and fend for themselves and their families. One could argue that this series would suit even the person most bent on ignoring YA.

 

The Iron Fey Series by: Julie Kagawa – Any lover of fantasy, YA or not, would enjoy this tale.  Whether you prefer Puck’s witty humor or Ash’s broody manor, you can’t go wrong with the Fey.

Delirium Series by: Lauren Oliver- this heavy dystopian is a favorite of mine. Lena deals with so much stuff that a teenager should never have to carry the burden of. In many ways, she if forced to make difficult decisions at a level way beyond her years.

Incarceron Series by: Katherine Fisher – If you are looking to explore steampunk, this is your jackpot.  Any lover of historical fiction or fantasy would be enchanted by this series. The writing is so imaginative; it is easy to get lost in the world of Incarceron.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by: Rick Riordan – I know this is classified as Middle Grade, but I think the later books lean towards YA. The mythology seeping through the pages will wrap around you like a warm blanket and you won’t want it to end. It’s as simple as that.

Teaser Tuesday (2)

This week’s teaser is from: The Alchemy of Forever by: Avery Williams

 “A thwack from the direction of the window sets my heart thudding, and I leap up and back away toward the door. Oh God, I think, suddenly sure I will see Cyrus’s face at the window. The thought arrives with a sheen of sweat and a shot of adrenaline coursing through my veins.”

Be sure to link your Tuesday memes below and let me know what you think of mine!

Top Ten and a Teaser Tuesday: Supernatural Beings and Still Waters

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading where we share a passage from the book we are currently reading!

Shadowhunters- the Shadowhunters are unique to Cassie Clare’s books. They are Nephilim that serve the purpose of destroying demons. They carve runes on their skin to give them special abilities (ex; healing, agility, energy). I love everything about them!

Vampires (Evernight) - There are countless variations of vampires in YA. Claudia Gray’s Evernight vampires are my favorite.  Not because of their attributes but because of the characters themselves. I love Balthazar. And in the last book, Lucas’s transition to a vampire really brought light on the fact that vampirism isn’t just all the Twilight glamour nonsense that some people think it is.

Faeries (The Iron Fey) - Faeries are quite accurately depicted in this series; as inhuman, careless, misleading beasts. But then there is Ash and Puck. They both possess some of those qualities but I love them so much, I think it blinds me!

Werewolves (Nightshade) – This is my first werewolf series and I loved the way they were depicted! They had a set of ancient laws that were strictly followed and revered by the packs. Calla is one of my favorite edgy heroines too. She can kick some butt.

Angels (Fallen) - I’ve read so many angel books and this is no doubt above all of them.  Maybe its Daniel’s endless devotion to Luce or maybe it’s the way no human can look at angels without dying of the glory. Either way, I think that angels are depicted with a lot of great imaginary truth, if that makes sense!

Witches (Revealers) - Admittedly, I haven’t read too many books on witches but I doubt many could match this one.  They take witchcraft like a job, much like Shadowhunters. They have a duty and a time to do it. There is also a lot of tension about receiving their magic, which I always like.

Warlock (Cassandra Clare) - This one is specifically for Magnus Bane, my favorite warlock of all time.  Enough said.

Demi-Gods (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)- Mythology is one of my favorite genres, and this adaptation of the Greek gods/goddesses is my absolute favorite! Percy and Annabelle being demi-gods (Part god) really struck me as a completely fabulous and amazing concept.  

 Shades (The Hollow) - Oh, Caspian. *swoons*.  Seriously, he comes as a close second for best males in YA to Jace Wayland.  I love the attribute that Shades can only be material on their death day. It added so much tension to the entire series between him and Abbey. Shades are basically the same thing as ghosts but they exist to find their other half, who may still be living, like in Caspian’s case.

 Machines (Incarceron)- I use the word ‘machines’ because I’m not sure what other way to put it, but I am referring to the Prisoners who were severely injured and had the body part they lost replaced with something metallic/robotic. Sometimes they are so made up of metal that they aren’t even human anymore.  They made this list because of Keiro. In the second book in this series, I really began to understand the burden he carried when all the metal he had was a simple fingernail. Still, it tormented him that he wasn’t completely human.

Teaser Tuesday (1)

This week I’m reading:

Still Waters by: Emma Carlson Berne

Teaser:

“Hannah never imagined such darkness. She could barely see the end of her arm when she held it out. She took a few steps blindly, until something caught her foot and she tripped, falling heavily against a nearby tree trunk. The rough bark scratched her cheek and something hard dug painfully into her upper thigh. She rubbed the sore spot and her fingers encountered a hard bulge in her jeans pocket.”

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books of 2011

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

2011 was such a great book year! It was so hard to narrow down ten favorites. After much debating on what to feature as the BEST of 2011, here is what I came up with.  I would love to hear in the comments what your favorites were for this year as well!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by: Laini Taylor:  This may be the most imaginative book I've ever read. I loved the fact that every character's name in this book I had never heard of before (ex: Karou, Issa, Madrigal, Akiva, Zuzana)

City of Fallen Angels by: Cassandra Clare: As the latest book in my absolute favorite series, The Mortal Instruments, I was already brimming with anticipation upon reading this.  Every time I think of Magnus, Jace, or Isabelle, I get goosebumps at how much I love them!  Still, every time I look at this book on my shelf, I think to myself "I can't believe how perfect this was!". Despite the wonderfully awful cliffhanger, of course.

Clockwork Prince by: Cassandra Clare: So many emotions coursed through me when I read this. Good and bad. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't totally mesmerized by everything. The way that Cassandra Clare writes, she reveals the deepest parts of all her characters and I absolutely cannot get enough of it.  Team Will!

The Iron Knight by: Julie Kagawa:  There couldn't be any better way to end a series. Being from Ash's perspective, we were able to see so much deeper into the brightest and darkest parts of him. The mystique and nature of the NeverNever and River of Dreams never ceased to sweep me into it's world in the pages.

Beautiful Chaos by: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: I always adore books that are set in the South and this is positively my favorite! Ridley and Macon made me laugh and cry, as well as the other characters. I felt so in sync with everything in this book. It was one of those books that everything was rapidly building up to a climax that you were both dreaded and exited about.

The Power of Six by: Pittacus Lore: Six is my favorite YA female character, hands down.  She is so tough and unbelievable strong and will hold no prisoners. I especially came to love her  more this time around because she explains in depth her imprisonment by the Mogadorians. She is a fighter, to say the least. Also, I think it is great that some of the aliens are portrayed to have good intentions instead of the world dominating aliens we always hear about.

The Near Witch by: Victoria Schwab: The mystery alone in this book would be enough to gain it a spot on this list. Along with that, there was romance, suspense, dread, and obsessive page-turning to make it exceptionally fabulous!

Forbidden by: Tabitha Suzuma: This is the first book ever that has made me bawl my eyes out, literally. I honestly didn't know that I could develop such an emotional connection with characters. Alas, I was blown away by Maya and Lochan. The book alternated between their perspectives, which I think helped me understand more, especially because of the heavily controversial subject.

Passion by: Lauren Kate: Compared to the other books in the Fallen Series, this was immensely different, in a good way. Every chapter was set in a different time and place, each one unique. Daniel's devotion to Luce became all the more clear to me as he waited for her in each of her lives.

Afterlife by: Claudia Gray: This was another conclusion to a favorite series of mine. The last book, Hourglass, ended in such a way that I couldn't imagine there being a happy ending, and I was ecstatic when this ended and everything was in a stable place. I thought that after everything Lucas and Bianca went through for their love, that they deserved the peace that they got in the end.