What a great topic! Armchair BEA had a great list of questions to address in today’s blog post. I’ll be answering them and hope that it helps my readers understand what and why I do things the way I do and maybe help some new bloggers out there.

How do you utilize social networking in relation to your blog? What may be the pros and cons of doing so?

On the right sidebar of my blog you’ll see my “Connect with Me” section. That’s about all I do for Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads). I don’t use the Facebook page very often (I do on my personal page though), and I use Twitter just slightly more because it’s easier to access (Google Chrome add-on) and I’m a Goodreads junky (I use it to track my reading progress and stalk the books I plan to read).

All Social Networking have the ability to be good and bad, if used incorrectly. I’d just stress caution on how you present yourself.

Share some of your favorite blogging technical tips.

About a year ago I reimaged my blog by creating a new blog name and then I hired a graphic designer to create my blog header and theme. Before I didn’t have a personalized or creative blog name or theme and felt lost in all the other bloggers. I’d stress this to any new blogger: be creative and original.

When it comes to blogging I can’t stand writing my posts on internet based sites (Blogger or WordPress) so I use Windows Live Writer and save my drafts often. I just love the layout and think everyone should try it. :)

Create a “rule list” of things you should and shouldn’t be doing on a book blog.

This is a tricky topic. Generally I’d say your blog is yours and you are entitled to do whatever you want. I’d just stress that you should always be polite or at least be accepting of any feedback you receive. My general rule is to not post anything I wouldn’t want my young daughter to read.

What are your tips for balance life and blogging?

I don’t do a very good job of this really. I put life before blogging all the time now. I’d probably recommend lots of preplanning on the blog front. Write and schedule reviews in advance. I usually wait to write reviews until I have a few books done and ready to review then I schedule them a few weeks apart. I don’t usually do memes so my content isn’t as much as some other blogs.

How do you keep your blog fresh and interesting to your readers & yourself?

I try to read and review the ARCs I receive just slightly before they are set to release that way my readers are kept up to date one what’s about to be published. Again, I said try because I really do suck at getting books read recently (new baby and all).

There are quite a few book blogging events out there. Which are your favorites and why? How do they affect your blog directly?

I’m not exactly sure what this is asking…. Do you mean BBC (Book Blogger Con)?

I usually attend BEA but I haven’t been to at BBC. I usually only go to BEA for one day so I probably won’t attend a BBC unless I plan to stay in NYC for more than one day and budget wise that just doesn’t work for me.

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I hope everyone had a blast at BEA and that all the Armchair BEA participants had a good time too. I sure did, even though I didn’t participate much on Days 3 and 4.

Disclosure: Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to The Cozy Reader.

Today is Day 2 of Armchair BEA and I’m kinda excited abut this one! The topic of today is “Best of 2011” as well as giveaways galore! Be sure to check out the Armchair BEA blog today for all the cool giveaways!

My giveaway is listed below. Please follow the directions to enter below!

Best of 2011

Picking a “best” book is not an easy task for me. As I stated in yesterday’s intro post I don’t usually accept or read books that I don’t expect to like. However, today’s pick isn’t hard for me for several reasons.

1. Dystopian elements

2. Strong female protagonist

3. Awesome technology

4. World building

5. Romance

6. Unexpected twists and turns

7. Emotion – when a book makes me cry, OMG Love.

8. Debut Author – seriously?! I want more books!

What book could possibly have all of these? A book I recently read but have not sat down to review. A book that will be released in August and is truly worth pre-ordering RIGHT NOW!

However, I love this book so much I’m going to pre-order it for one lucky winner and this giveaway is International if you live in one of the countries listed on this list that The Book Depository ships to.

Summary (Goodreads)

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for 62 years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically-induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose – hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire – is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes – or be left without any future at all.

Anna Sheehan says of A Long, Long Sleep, her first novel, “I always thought the interesting thing about Sleeping Beauty wasn’t why she was put to sleep, but what she had to come to terms with afterward. Everything would have changed radically—technology and politics as well as social structure. She would have seemed like a foreigner in her own country.”Anna Sheehan lives in rural Oregon. (Candlewick Catalog)

Giveaway

Interested?

To enter this giveaway there are TWO PARTS (both must be done to qualify!):

Part 1 – Leave a comment letting me know your “Best of 2011” and why or link me to your review or your Armchair BEA “Best of 2011” you posted today. Please note: Comments are moderated if you haven’t commented and been previously approved. Be patient!

Part 2 – Fill out the form! GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!

Followers are always welcome but not required. I’d rather you followed because you want to, not because you have to. :)

Details

Giveaway has ended!

Congrats to Alyce for her win!

I can’t wait to see all of your “Best of 2011”!

P.S. – Today is the last day to enter my other giveaway of Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky. Enter here.

Disclosure: Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to The Cozy Reader.

Today I’m crying a little inside. Why you ask? Because I’m staying home this year instead of attending BEA in New York City. I’ve attended BEA the past two years as a book reviewer and I’m really sad to not attend this year.

But the reason I’m not attending kinda makes up for it. I’m at home with my beautiful baby boy, Riley, who turns 4 weeks old today! He’s a bundle of cuteness and keeps me super busy with changing diapers, nursing, and just some good old cuddling.

But to all those lucky other bloggers that get to attend this year: have fun and grabs lots of books! I can’t wait to see all the ARCs that are there this year. I’m a bit jealous of that but I’m hoping to get in contact with the publicists so I can receive some of the good ones too.

Here at The Cozy Reader I’m a huge fan of the Young Adult genre; mostly paranormal of some aspect but I enjoy a good contemporary and coming of age novel too. And don’t forget the dystopias; LOVE them! I also still read adult books too, usually of the same content.

I’ve been blogging my reviews for 3 1/2 years now and I really enjoy it. I haven’t been reviewing as much lately because of the pregnancy and ultimate birth of our son. Reading fluctuates for the best of us any way.

My reviews tend to differ from a lot of other reviewers that’s for sure. I don’t like to get off topic or tell too much about a book so I follow a detailed structure and point system that isn’t really that detailed but helps showcase which areas of a book I enjoyed the most. I tend to not pick up books I won’t enjoy, therefore, most of my reviews are positive and if they’re not they tend to be really negative.

So, while all the other bloggers are attending BEA I’ll be at home with my little one, doing some household chores (GAH! They never end!), maybe a little reading, and trying my best to keep up with all the happenings via blog posts, Twitter, and such and I’ll be thinking about attending next year!

What to attend Armchair BEA? Head over to their blog!

Disclosure: Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to The Cozy Reader.

I know I’m WAY behind on posting this so please accept my apologies!

Here’s a brief explanation of my visit to BEA in NYC!

Basically I walked the booths and stuck to my schedule of events.

I met up with a good friend of mine, Lacey, and her friend Valerie. A great big thank you to them both because with out them I would have missed out on a few of these books. The author signing area was a mad house and a few of the signings took forever and I couldn’t be in two places at once so thank you ladies!

Here’s a Goodreads widget of the books I grabbed.

And here are a few pictures of the pile!

Stacked up!

What a helpful kitty. Only NOT!

There were a few books I didn’t get my hands on, again with the can’t be in two places at once issue, such as Beautiful Darkness and Unraveled by Gena Showalter, who is such a super sweetie because she saved me one and shipped it to me herself! How cool is she? I can’t wait to read it because I just LOVED Intertwined.

So, overall it was a great day. I was very picky with the books I grabbed. I think I only got 3 books I didn’t intend to get.

And some of the booths were madhouses! Take the Harlequin Teen signing for example. I’m in this crowd, can you find me!?

I also meet quite a few bloggers! So many I can’t even shout them out here. Here’s a picture I stole from Bloody Bookaholic’s blog.

BEA Bloggers 2010

Stay tuned for some giveaways! I’ll be scheduling a giveaway of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer very soon. :)

Disclosure: Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to The Cozy Reader.

Next week is Book Expo America (BEA) 2010. I’m going to be there on Wednesday and here’s what my schedule is looking like!

HERE’s a link to my Google spreadsheet.

I know there are a few other author signings for this day such as Melissa Mar but I’m not a fan so I didn’t include those. However, if you think there’s something I’d enjoy and it’s not on here please feel free to fill me in!

What does this mean for my followers?! Hopefully I’ll come back with some swag and extra copies of some of these awesome books!

Disclosure: Amazon.com Associate. If you click on my links and purchase anything a very small percentage of the purchase price will be awarded to The Cozy Reader.