BBAW: Out-of-this-World Bloggers

“While the awards are a fun part of BBAW, they can never accurately represent the depth and breadth of diversity in the book blogging community. Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!”

Everybody make some noise because… IT’S BOOK BLOGGER APPRECIATION WEEK!!! The week in which nothing but e-love and appreciation is to be heard being shouted from the rooftop of your local book blogger! I’m so glad that it’s that time again, and that I’m finally taking the plunge to involve myself this year. I just got done voting, and although most years I just silently observe and cheer to myself, I’ve decided that as a part of my plan to be more active on my blog, I’m going to be more active in my blogging world! Which means no more silent observing! And, as today is all about giving accolades to those that lead, inspire, and support, and seeing as how I couldn’t do what I’ve done and what I continue to do without some of these lovely bloggers, here’s my Monday dishing out of BBAW love!

• Eva from A Striped Armchair: This was literally the first ever reading/book blog that I discovered, and this was the blog that introduced me to the idea that there was a whole world of people on the internet, gathering to do that thing I already love to do: sit around and talk about books. Since then, Eva has gone on to inspire me with everything from the number of books she reads (GOOD GOD!) to the insightful, beautiful, and most importantly honest way that she writes about them. She’s had to stop blogging quite as much recently for medical reasons, and it just means more waiting for the day when her name pops up in bold on my feed reader and I get another chance to hear from my favorite blogger!
• Ana from things mean a lot: She’s busy at the moment busting ass and being awesome, finishing up her MA dissertation, so she’s away a fair bit at the moment, but that doesn’t keep me from tuning in to everything she posts when she gets the chance! Ana has also always done a great job of commenting on my blog – leaving feedback, asking questions, and just going out of her way to strike up a conversation and making me feel absolutely toasty inside. I just can’t wait until she’s back around the blogosphere a bit more for good!
• Kit from Books are my Boyfriends: OH. MY. GOODNESS. There is, in my opinion, no funnier book blogger on the planet that Miss Kit from BAMB. Not only has she taught me that really dirty innuendo about a book is a great way to review it, that pictures taken with your books should always feature kissing, and that it’s always great to get your guy friends to act out the part of your book, but almost all of her non-fiction reviews lead me to find and read them immediately. A lot of these titles are most likely going to be on my Best of ’11 lists, actually. So do yourselves a favor and let her brighten your day!
• Ashley from English Major’s Junk Food: Not only was this, I thought, the best book blogging title in the world, I’m amazed at the amount of brilliant posting on great non-fiction books that Ash is able to do. She also seems like she might be a bit of a lost soul-sister (although she probably doesn’t know it!) – we seem to click on everything from recently being engaged to interests in essay work and efforts to be sustainable and conscious of issues pertaining to our great planet! I’m always reading and waiting for what she has to say, and I’m just so glad I stumbled across her one day!
• Claire from The Captive Reader: Whenever I waiver in my dedication to doing my best to honestly review and critique whatever work I’ve just finished, Claire is always my go-to inspiration for sticking to it. Not only do all of her reviews leave me knowing exactly where she stood on the book, she manages to do so without being rude, and while also featuring books that sound absolutely delicious. I love that I always seem to see her name popping up all over the community (three cheers and a pat on the back for community involvement!) and, I know I can trust that if Claire’s on board, whatever it is must be worth looking at!

And there you have it! If you weren’t one of the five (and still managed to sift through all that glowing adulation) please don’t think  I love you any less, but as my feed reader currently sits at 196 subscriptions, I thought it a bit much to write to all of you saying how much you mean to me. Just know – if you’re out there, and you’re reading books and writing about them, I more likely than not love you. And you better feel appreciated – because you are, and you deserve to be, for all the great things you do for reading and for talking about reading – openly and honestly. Wherever you may be and whatever your tastes – happy reading!