BookBlogWriMo | Wrap-up

Welcome to Day 30 of BookBlogWriMo! Sadly, this is the last day of this challenge, but not the last time we will be participating in an amazing challenge by Book Bumblings!

This fantastic challenge was hosted by Book Bumblings. She had the idea to try and get bloggers into the NaNoWriMo spirit, without making us want to pull out all of our hair. And, she succeeded! I think the challenge was an amazing success!

If you have no idea what I am talking about, you should check out our intro post. It explains the challenge and has the links to all of our other posts.

Thanks to this challenge, we got back into the habit of blogging. I might even say that we are still here because of this challenge. We found our motivation (it was hiding underneath a pile of old books) and made new goals for the future.

Feedback

As I said before, I loved this challenge and thought that it was a huge success for our blog. We had more traffic and gained a lot of followers. More importantly, I made new blogger friends!

The daily topics were diverse and never got boring. 

The only complaint that I have is that I wish that there was an easy way for participants to connect. I had trouble finding the other participant's posts. Apparently, if you have a Facebook page (which is what I use for the blog), then you cannot join a group. I was not aware of this until Facebook denied me access to the BookBlogWriMo group. I also found that not a lot of people were using #BookBlogWriMo. 

Since we enjoyed this challenge so much, we would love to participate in Book Bumblings' newest scheme, which was inspired by BookBlogWriMo. 

We would be happy to participate (or even help) with BookBlogWriMo next year.

All of the previous BookBlogWriMo posts are listed here:

Day 1: History of Crazy for YA
Day 2: How We Read
Day 3: Where We Read
Day 4: Why We Read and Why We Blog
Day 5: Where We Blog
Day 6: Our Favorite Childhood Books
Day 7: Our Blog's First Design
Day 8: My Blogging Toolkit
Day 9: My Blogging Workflow
Day 10: Memes we Meme
Day 11: Our Top Ten Most Popular Posts
Day 12: Advice for Newbie Blogger
Day 13: Our Review Process
Day 14: Our Ratings System
Day 15: Favorite Blogging Things
Day 16: Least Favorite Blogging Things
Day 17: Our Favorite Book Tropes
Day 18: Our Favorite Subgenres
Day 19: My TBR List
Day 20: Best Books of 2014
Day 21: Our First Reviews
Day 22: Show Me Your Shelves
Day 23: Our Book Boyfriend Criteria
Day 24: Our Reading Cave Fantasies
Day 25: How I Deal With Book Hangovers
Day 26: Cheating on Book: Our Favorite Movies and TV Shows
Day 27: Authors We Are Thankful For
Day 28: Book Pet Peeves
Day 29: The Future of Crazy for YA

If you want to see what the other participants did, I recommend using the Linky below. The links will take you to their introduction posts, which have links to all of the other posts.

BookBlogWriMo | The Future of Crazy for YA

Welcome to Day 29 of BookBlogWriMo! This is also *sniff**sniff* the second to last day of this amazing blog event.

Thanks to this challenge, hosted by Book Bumblings, we have all really upped our blogging game. So, we are planning a lot of new and exciting things for the blog, and we are going to give you a sneak peek today!

Today's topic is....

The Future of Crazy for YA

Tessa

1. Posting at least 3 times a week. Before the challenge, we were lucky if we posted once a week. 

2. Catching up on memes. Cassia is going to continue with Soundtrack Saturdays. We are also going to try and start up with Top Ten Tuesday again.

3. More discussion posts. Up to this point, we have mainly been posting reviews and memes. Now that we have more followers, we are going to try to do some discussion posts. (Now that we think people will actually comment!) If you have any ideas for what you want us to talk about, then leave a comment!

4. GIFs! If you have not noticed, I have (finally) discovered the magic of GIFs. You can look forward to more of them popping up in my posts.
5. Being more active in the blogging community. I will be honest, we are not good with visiting and commenting on other blogs. I have come to realize that this is a pretty important part of book blogging. So, I am going to start browsing other blogs and leaving more comments.

6. The one that I am the most excited for.... a Christmas surprise for you all! This will be coming in the next week or two, so keep a look out for it. It is something we have never done before!

Cassia

7. More reviews, faster. At least for me, my reading (and reviewing process) has been slow lately, and I hope to read faster and give you all some more reviews.
8. Promoting new books. We've been asked to review ebooks for new authors, and we hope to do more of it. 

BookBlogWriMo | Book Pet Peeves

Welcome to Day 28 of BookBlogWriMo!

Everyone has pet peeves. This is a broad spectrum that covers everything from biting your nails to texting during dinner. As a slightly OCD book lover, my list of pet peeves is longer than most people's.

Today's (fun) topic is...

Book Pet Peeves

1. When someone borrows a book and gives it back in terrible condition. 

2. Dog earring pages. This is an irreversible sin in my book, because once that crease is on the page, you cannot get rid of it (Did I mention that I am "slightly" OCD?) Is it really that hard to find a piece of paper to mark your spot in the book?

3. People who are obnoxious in libraries. For some reason, people believe that libraries are social hangouts. I do not mind book discussion and stuff like that, but anything that I also believe that parents should actually watch their children while they are in the library.

Now, on to my peeves about books.

1.  Love triangles. I hate it when books stop focusing on the actual story and create unnecessary drama by adding a love triangle. Most of the time, it is obvious who the character is going to end up with anyway, so why even make the stupid thing in the first place? There are some exceptions, like in the Throne of Glass series, and The Hunger Game series. Personally, I think that readers get too caught up in the Edward versus Jacob rivalry that they do not pay attention to the plot.

2. Dead/absent parents. In YA, there is an abundance of characters without parents. Kat, from the Lux series, Harry Potter, almost everyone in the Percy Jackson series, and on it goes. Basically, if characters have their parents at the beginning of the series, they end up dying, becoming lost, or getting sick somewhere throughout the series.

3. Manic Pixie Syndrome. Sometimes called "Manic Pixie Dream Girl," this is my least favorite kind of character. She (normally a girl, but in some cases is used with males) is practically perfect-- she is beautiful, smart, funny, kind, etc. The main character develops a creepy obsession crush on the Pixie Girl. But, this girl always remains aloof and unattainable. The reason that this character exists is to teach the main character "valuable life lessons." Unfortunately, the first example that comes to mind is Margo from Paper Towns by John Green. I have tried reading this book, but I truly did not really care about Margo. Sorry John Green.

4. Insta-love

The only thing that I can think of when it comes to insta-love is this song (and I am not even a Carly Rae Jepsen fan!). I knew that this is harsh, but I think that insta-love is a way for authors to avoid trying to write a meaningful relationship between characters. Authors need to realize that there is a difference between love and attraction. I believe that real love is made over time. I understand that most authors do not have books that are long enough to sustain a relationship like that. I have found that my favorite character relationships are from longer series, like the Divergent trilogy and The Mortal Instruments series. My favorite relationship that was made in one book, is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I believe that he makes up for Margo with this book. Even though it is not a long span of time, the relationship between Hazel and Gus is real.
Thank you for patiently reading my rant! What are your most annoying book pet peeves?

BookBlogWriMo | Authors We Are Thankful For

Welcome to Day 27 of BookBlogWriMo!

And to all of the Americans out there, Happy Thanksgiving. For those of you who are not celebrating, I promise that I will eat some turkey for you.


Today's topic is..... Authors We are Thankful For
Tessa
1. John Green Thank you for teaching me that every great story does not have to have a happy ending. Also, that there can be humor in sorrow when you look for it. Thank you for breaking the stereotypes that have been forced onto authors for decades. Finally, thank you for reminding me to be awesome!  
2. J.K. Rowling Thank you for helping me to discover my love of reading. Thanks for showing me that love can conquer everything, even death. You made me realize that reading can be magical.
3. Cassandra Clare Thank you for teaching me to never give up, and even if you already reached your goal, make a higher one. Also, thank you for adding humor to the world of YA fantasy.
4. Veronica Roth Thank you for showing me that it is alright to be different. Also, for explaining that I do not have to fit into a category. Thank you for showing that it is important for authors to stay true to their characters, even if it is not the popular choice with your readers.  5. Suzanne Collins Thank you for reinforcing the fact that in order for a story to be great, there has to be humor, love, and sorrow. Thank your for showing me the power of one spark that can start an entire revolution.
*If you have not noticed, I finally figured out how to get GIFs into posts. For better or for worse, you can expect a lot more of them coming your way.

BookBlogWriMo | Cheating on Books with Movies and TV

Welcome to Day 26 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's topic is...

Our Favorite Movies and TV Shows

Tessa

Max and I have recently starting watching Doctor Who, the British television show produced by BBC. 

I know that most of you have probably already heard about this "low-budget, terrible British show," but that is so wrong. In reality, it is more complicated than that.

This GIF sums up the whole show...

It is really a complicated show, and definitely one that you have to watch all of the episodes to understand. Basically, the Doctor is an alien who travels in time with a human companion to save the universe with British accents. 

It is one of England's longest running television shows, and for good reasons. Honestly, it is seriously weird and messed up sometimes, but it also has its inspirational moments. There is plenty of action and a ton of humor, too.

If you are already a fan, then comment down below with your favorite Doctor and companion!

Cassia

During the summer, I started watching Big Brother. It's a game show that lasts for three months, and 24 young to middle-aged adults live together in the Big Brother House, totally cut off from the world. If something happens with their family, they notify them, but other than that, they know nothing. The goal of the game is to be the last one standing. Through a series of challenges, players can gain advantages. Every week, one person is eliminated. There are a lot of other rules, but those are the basics.

Tessa said I could talk about musicals, since I don't watch a whole lot of TV. :D

While I love the classics (Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Annie, etc.), here are a few newer musicals you should know about:

Love Never Dies -- The sequel to Phantom! While it doesn't go with the book at all, which I do not like, it is a beautiful musical. The soundtrack (the whole thing, actually, since it's a sing-through) is gorgeous, and if you thought Phantom was an emotional roller coaster, this is even more emotionally exhausting. [Note: The video above is the official music video for a song from the musical. It is not the actual staging, but the idea is still the same.)



Catch Me If You Can -- Yes, like the movie. The movie is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. Let's just say that it's a fun, adventurous musical with big dance numbers. The video above is a music video for the opening number, "Live in Living Color." (You may have seen it on my Soundtrack Saturday for To Kill a Mockingbird.)

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder -- This is a musical comedy about a man who, when he finds out that he is the heir to a family fortune, with eight relatives between him and the fortune, decides to get rid of them. And since you're all book people, you know what that means. But he does it in a comical way, with one actor playing all eight relatives. Add in two girls who want to marry him, and you have a hilarious comedy with a grand, beautiful score. At the 2014 Tony Awards, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder won the Tony for Best Musical. The video above is their performance of "I've Decided to Marry You" at the Tony's.

There are many other wonderful musicals that I love, these are only three of them. Maybe I'll do a post about it sometime. Oh, and for all you Harry Potter fans, here's the Tony Performance of "Brotherhood of Man," from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

BookBlogWriMo | How I Deal with Book Hangovers

Welcome to Day 25 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's topic is...

How to Deal With Book Hangovers

Tessa

I am very familiar with today's topic and I have dealt with it many times after the end of beloved series. Most recently, I suffered a major reading slump after finishing City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. I invested five years of my life in that series, and I had (still have) a hard time coping with the loss. I could not read another book for weeks afterward, because everything paled in comparison. I was afraid that nothing would ever be so good. Some series hold such a special place in my bookish heart that I am reluctant to read other books.

For those of you who have never experienced this tragedy, it is called a book hangover. It happens after you finish a really good book/series and you just cannot bring yourself to read anything else. The symptoms can vary, from anger and sadness, to extreme hunger for chocolate. This slump can be devastating to your reading life if you do not take serious steps to stop it.

1. Get your emotions out. Having all of this pent-up anger and sadness is not going to help you get back into reading. Let your emotions flow. Some ways to do this are writing a book review/rant, making a video about it, or finding a friend/victim to rant to.

2. Search your book prospects. Sometimes, the best way to get out of a reading slump is to find another great book to read. Go through your Goodreads TBR or visit your favorite blogs to see what they are loving.

3. Re-read one of your favorites. This could help you realize why you love to read and that there are other amazing books out there.

4. Browse your local bookstore/library. My library is like my second home. I love the feeling of being surrounded by books. Also, I am really good friends with my librarian, so she can hook me up with some book recommendations.

5. Watch some BookTube. When I say BookTube, I mean the part of YouTube that is solely about books. I have spent a lot of my time during reading slumps on BookTube, and it always seems to cheer me up. If you do not know where to start looking, go to polandbananasbooks, Katytastic, or Elizziebooks. These are my personal favorites. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Here is a video from polandbananasbooks that explains my feelings toward book hangovers.

BookBlogWriMo | Reading Cave Fantasies

Welcome to Day 24 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's topic is...

Reading Cave Fantasies

Hey everyone! Cassia here! I don't know about you, but my house is never quiet. Usually when I read, I either have to tune everything out, or hole up in my room. And don't get me wrong, I love my family, but sometimes I would rather be alone.

I also love my room, but it's not my ideal place to read.

If you gave me a room and told me to make it my personal "reading cave," here's what I would have:

Tons of bean bag chairs. I love them. I say tons because when I read, I like to change positions, and bean bag chairs are great for that. Oh, and make sure they're not flat. But not too full. Ooh, and don't forget the soft carpet!

It would include my own personal library. Shelves on every wall, and one of those cool ladders on wheels that I could ride around the shelves.

Low and natural lighting. Maybe an overhead light that I could adjust the brightness of for night reading, lamps, and a fireplace.

As far as the wood paneling and furniture goes, I would want light wall paneling and dark colored furniture.

A medium sized room. If it's too big, it doesn't feel...cozy. If it's too small, it feels cramped. I would like the size of the room in the picture on the left. And most everything about it, actually.

Hmm...that's about it. Too demanding? ;)

Have a great week!

BookBlogWriMo | Book Boyfriend Criteria

Welcome to Day 23 of BookBlogWriMo!

Tobias Eaton, William Herondale, Jace Lightwood, Peeta Mellark, William Darcy, Prince Maxon.

What do all of these characters have in common?

They are perfect book boyfriends.

Today's topic is...

Book Boyfriend Criteria

Cassia here! I've got a lot to say about this one. ;)

For me, they've got to have some kind of history; that makes them interesting. Preferably a tortured soul kind of thing. Also, they have to have some sort of "smart," whether it's wit (Will Herondale) or if they don't put their intelligence to use in that way (Tobias).

Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Okay, not all of them have to fit under the Dark category (Peeta, Jace, Maxon).

If they come across like jerks, there's got to be something good underneath.

They know how to treat a girl right. If they don't treat her right in the beginning, it's probably because they're scared. (Going back to the tortured soul thing, I can deal with that.) But when they finally let her in, all of a sudden they're a knight in shining armor.

 

I like bad boys for my book boyfriends. I don't know why. But I like the good ones, too. More, actually. There's just something fun about falling for a bad boy in a book, if you know what I mean. But I really do like the good ones better.

The ones I admire the most, I think, are the ones where they do have a past, but they don't take it out on others; they're still so sweet and kind. (Yes, I'm thinking of Maxon.)

What are your must-haves in your book boyfriends?

BookBlogWriMo | Show Me Your Shelves

Welcome to Day 22 of BookBlogWriMo!

Bookshelves are amazing. I have always been astonished by them. We even made a whole Pinterest board about them.

Unfortunately, my own book collection is somewhat lacking, since I get most of my books from a local library.

Today's topic is...

Show Me Your Shelves

Tessa's

This is my only personal bookshelf. (Sad, right?) 

So, I would talk about my organization, but I think that it is obvious that I do not have any organization.

I do not have many books, but the ones that I do own are my favorites (or were on sale, don't judge).

Cassia's

So...organization...it is organized by author's last name except for the first books on the first shelf, which are my Melissa Marr books. And the books that are stacked are books I got after I filled my shelves and just kind of got put there. So there is a method to the madness. ;)
If you want to know what any of the books are and you can't tell, just ask in the comments. 
(The reason I don't have the pictures bigger is they're from my phone and when I make it bigger they get blurry. Sorry about that.)

BookBlogWriMo | Our First Book Reviews

Welcome to Day 21 of BookBlogWriMo!

You know the feeling when you go back through your Facebook posts (or other social media accounts) from years ago, and wish you could go back through time and tackle yourself before you hit the post button.

Well, sometimes that happens with blog posts, specifically my early book reviews. When I look back, I see so many things that I would have done differently. But I guess that is a sign of my progress (if you can call it that) as a blogger.

So, enjoy laughing at my naive, inexperienced writing in our first book reviews.

Today's topic is....

Our First Book Reviews

Max

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Posted on November 21, 2012

(Finally, the first book in the series!)

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Posted on December 1, 2012

Tessa

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Posted on November 20, 2012

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Posted on December 2, 2012

Cassia

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Posted on November 13, 2012

(This is actually the first review we ever posted. Which does not make sense, now that I think of it, because it is the second in a series.)

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Posted on December 1, 2012

BookBlogWriMo | Best Books of 2014

Welcome to the twentieth day of BookBlogMoWrimo! It's Max here once again with my favorite
books that I've read this year. Feel free to include your favorites from 2014 in the comments below as well!

Cress by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles)

This shouldn't be unfamiliar to anyone who's a fan of the series or YA Science Fiction

 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

A fantastic conclusion to a series that I wasn't a big fan of at first but grew on me tremendously.

 

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Another conclusion to a trilogy I adored and recommend to everyone ever.  

 

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins has so surpassed my expectations after Hex Hall with this first book in a series.

 

 

 

 



BookBlogWriMo | TBR Books

Welcome to Day 19 of BookBlogWriMo!

For those of you who are acronym challenged, TBR stands for "to be read." This can include books that you already own, but have not gotten around to reading yet, or the hundreds of books that you marked "to read" on Goodreads.

Today's topic is...

TBR Books

Tessa

*These are not in any particular organization, just in the order that I thought of them.*

Winter by Marissa Meyers

(The Lunar Chronicles #4)

There is not a cover yet.

Winter is coming....

I have been a fan of this series since Cinder came out so many years ago. I have fallen in love with all of the characters, which is unbelievable, considering how many there are. As I have mentioned before, fairytale retellings are my favorite subgenre. If you have not read Cinder yet, read it before it is too late.

*By the way, I should get bonus points for a Game of Thrones reference.

Fairest by Marissa Meyers

(The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)

See above for my rant of praise for this series.

This book is completely unique to me. Secretly, I love when villains get to tell their side of the story. To me, it is a test of an author's skill. Right now, I hate Levana's alien guts, but if Meyers can convince me otherwise, then she must truly be a writing genius.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

(Throne of Glass #3)

 

I am like two months behind because I still have not gotten my hands on this book. At first, I procrastinated because I did not want this wonderful series to end. I also want to re-read the other two. I know this is a lame excuse, but do not judge my laziness.

While we are on the topic of heirs...

The Heir by Kiera Cass

(The Selection #4)

I still have mixed feelings about this one. I absolutely adored the first book in the series, The Selection, but the rest of the series went downhill for me. Don't get me wrong, they were still enjoyable books, but they did not live up to the expectations set by the first one.

My reviews of The Selection, The Elite, and The One.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

By: Various Authors, but all that matters is that Laini Taylor is one.

For the sake of being random, here is a Christmas book! (And for all of you Scrooges out here, IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS!)

Basically all of my favorite authors have contributed to this book and it is Christmas themed, so how could I not?

What is on your TBR? Have you read or are planning to read any on my TBR?

BookBlogWriMi | Our Favorite Subgenres

Welcome to Day 18 of BookBlogWriMo!

This post is for the misfits. The books that do not really fit into any category, so we take pity on them and give them their own subgenre. 

Today's topic is...

Our Favorite Subgenres

Max

1. Paranormal-esque or Fantasy Romance. When done well, these can be fantastic. I agree that it's been a very overdone trend, but things become popular for a reason, you know?

2. Light contemporaries. There will always be a time and place for fluffy and cutesy books in my heart.

Tessa

1. Retellings. This is by far my favorite subgenre. I am a firm believer that everyone should have a chance at a happily ever after. There is no better way to experience this than through fairytale retellings. Honestly, most of my favorite books are retellings, like Cinder by Marissa Meyers and The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. I love how authors can take a story that everyone thinks they know and completely rewrite it into a book if its own.

What is your favorite subgenre? Do you also like retellings and contemporaries?

BookBlogWriMo | Our Favorite Book Tropes

Welcome to Day 17 of BookBlogWriMo!

Just for a little background on today's topic, a trope (as defined by dictionary.com) is any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in otherthan their literal sense.

Today's topic is...

Our Favorite Book Tropes

Max

(who, by the way, thinks LEAST favorite tropes would be waaaay easier to come up with)

A 'You're actually a long-lost princess' sort of situation, because a girl can dream, right?
Similarly, time travel. 
The hilarious and cocky friend/sidekick (I'm thinking Captain Thorne from the Cinder Chronicles, or Nikolai from The Grisha trilogy) 

Tessa

Spies and anything that involves the FBI. I have always secretly wanted to be a spy. I just finished reading The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and I desperately want to be a crime fighter like Cassie.

Star-crossed lovers. This is probably the oldest one in the book, but I only like it when it is done right, and not in an obvious way. Like Annabeth and Percy from The Percy Jackson series. Technically, they were not supposed to be together because his father is Poseidon and her mother is Athena. I also think that it can be so romantic when couples overcome ridiculous odds to be together. So, call me a sap, I do not care.

The epic summer. I really love books when one summer can change your life, like Just One Day by Gayle Forman. Again, the hopeless romantic in me is revealed. I do believe that one summer, even one day, can completely alter your life. I especially love the ones where there is some kind of road trip or journey.

BookBlogWriMo | Least Favorite Blogging Things

Whoo! Day 16 of BookBlogWriMo! This is Max, and today we're talking about something that's not exactly happy--my least favorite blogging things. Don't worry, I don't have too many.

1. The work. This is actually just me being lazy, but blogging takes quite a bit of time and effort, which of course I understand but am not always thrilled with.

2. Negativity. This isn't something we've personally experienced here, but it's the internet, so of course there are going to be people out there who are going to be rude online. While this stinks, it happens.

Thanks for reading!
Max

BookBlogWriMo | Favorite Blogging Things

Welcome to Day 15 of BookBlogWriMo! We are officially halfway through the challenge! I would be lying if I said that it was easy. Honestly, we are not used to posting so often. So bear with us as we try to figure out a schedule. Also, thanks for sticking with us for so long!

Cue the Sound of Music!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages wrapped up in strings,
these are a few of my favorite things!

Today's topic is....

My Favorite Blogging Things

Tessa

1. Books. Obviously I love them, or else I would not be writing this. I would not be able to function properly without books and writing in my life.

2. Social Media. Even though I am not the most tech savvy blogger, I still love to use social media to keep up with my favorite bloggers. I especially love to use Bloglovin and Goodreads. I also think social media, when used in the right way, can be a great way to promote my blog without being obnoxious. I have gotten into some pretty cool conversations with other bloggers on social media.

3. The people. I have really gotten to know some other bloggers, and let me tell you, they are AMAZING! I do not want to start ranting, but book bloggers (and most bloggers in general) are just awesome people. They are willing to give any help that you need and they try to make sure that everyone is included in the community.

4. The feeling of community. I love the fact that we actually have a community. I know that I have mentioned this is several of my other posts, but that should tell you how important this is to me. Basically, we have taken this enormous thing called the Internet, and made it our own little home for people who enjoy books. Personally, I believe that this is somewhat of a miracle, considering the usual lack of organization on the Internet.

5. Learning. For me, blogging is always a learning experience. I have learned so much in the past year about writing, technology, and communication. I feel that blogging is the experience that I needed to motivate myself to learn a new skill and make something amazing along the way.

BookBlogWriMo | Our Ratings System

Welcome to Day 14 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's topic is something that we, the bloggers at Crazy for YA, are very conflicted on. We would love to hear your opinions below in the comments, or shoot us an email!

Today's topic is....

Our Ratings System

Tessa

I have a love/hate relationship with rating systems. I personally do not like the label of giving a book a certain number of stars. I believe that books are too complicated to be rated on such a simple scale. So, if you have not noticed, I do not include star ratings in my reviews anymore. I think that the readers should be able to figure out how many stars the book would be for them based on the pros and cons that I describe in my reviews. I find it hard to fit a book in a rating scale because the scale can mean so many different things. Some things that tick me off about a book could make a book wonderful for someone else. For example, if I sense insta-love in a book, I immediately lower my expectations for the book. It is an instant turn off for a book for me. BUT, I know that other (crazy) people like insta-love, and it could be the factor that make the book worth five stars to them.

This video from Ariel Bisset basically explains my view on rating scales, and why I do not include them in my reviews.

BookBlogWriMo | Our Review Process

Welcome to Day 12 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's post is the nitty-gritty part of blogging-- how to write reviews. Honestly, reviews are the meat and potatoes of book blogging. Memes, tags, and discussion posts are fun too, but reviews are really what our blogs are based on.

Today's topic is...

Our Review Writing Process

Max

First, if there's anything I especially want to say in my review, I write that down first so I don't forget. Then I work on a summary of the book, which is usually what takes me the longest. Lastly, I review the book, highlight what I thought of the writing, the characters, and the plot. If it's a book I really like, I try to explain why I loved it so much and why I think other people would enjoy it as well. Then I add pictures, read over it a few times and have someone else edit, then I post it!

Tessa
First, I read the book. (Shocking, I know) Sometimes I take notes while I read, but not frequently. Mostly, I rely off of my memory. Like Max, I start with the summary of the book. This is normally the hardest part for me, because I want to accurately describe the book, but in a unique way. Sometimes I like to add quotes from the book into my summary. Then, I ramble and rant. If you have read any of my reviews, then you know what I mean. I try to include both things that I liked about the book and things that I did not. The main things that I focus on are the characters and the plot. After I realize that I have been rambling for too long, I have someone (usually Max) edit the review. Then, I post it.

BookBlogWriMo | Advice for Newbie Bloggers

Welcome to Day 12 of BookBlogWriMo!

If you have been following our BookBlogWriMo posts, then you probably know how much we love blogging. We kind of just started one day, and took off on our own. Man, do I wish there was someone there to help us. Trust me, the best advice you can get about writing, reading, and blogging comes straight from the source--bloggers.

Today's topic is.....

Advice for Newbie Bloggers

Tessa

Just start. Blogging is one of the things that you have to do hands-on to learn. 

I hate to break it to you, but you will probably never make money blogging, so do not start just to get some cash.

Also, do not just blog for the free books and swag. Blog for the sake of blogging and because you love books and bookish people.

While knowing how to write is good, it is more important to know how to talk to people. Blogging is a community before it is a hobby.
Be original. I know this is hypocritical because it is used so much, but it is still important to know. Do not just do a post because everyone else is doing it. Write about the things that fascinate and inspire you. Eventually, (this will not happen overnight) the people of the Internet will realize how amazing you are and how passionate you are about your blog. Then, they will have no choice but to follow you.
Try your best on social media. It is crucial to be on social media, but you do not have to do everything. Pick a few sites that you like and update them frequently with good content.
Give back to the blogging community. It is common blogging courtesy to check out bloggers who comment/follow your blog. You do not have to follow them back, but let them know that you appreciate their attention.
Communicate with other bloggers. You can do this anyway you want! Email us, comment on our blogs, reach out to us on social media. ANYTHING! I speak for the whole blogging community when I say that we would love to talk to you. If you need help with a technical thing or are in a blogging slump, all you have to do is ask for help.
 If you are a new blogger and need more tips or just someone to listen to you rant, then just email me (you can find the email in the sidebar), talk to us on Facebook, or simply comment below.

Max

• Post often, and add variety to what you write about--who would want to read tons of posts in a row that seem exactly the same? 
• Don't stress yourself about little things. Realize that if you don't get as many comments as you wanted, life will go on, and that the world won't end if you don't get that one post up.
• I think Tessa covered this pretty nicely, but involve yourself with other bloggers. Comment, follow, and just become a part of the community whatever ways work for you.
• Don't be afraid to be yourself. Put a little bit of you in everything you do and write.

BookBlogWriMo | Our Top Ten Most Popular Posts

Today is Day 11 of BookBlogWriMo!

In honor of the popular meme, Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish, today's topic is....

Our Top Ten Most Popular Posts

(In order to build suspense, I am going to countdown to our number 1 post.)

10. If I Stay Trailer Talk by Tessa 

9. Top Ten Tuesday #9: Top Ten Characters We Would Want to be on a Deserted Island With intro by Tessa 

8.  The Book Life Tag by Tessa

7. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson review by Max

6. Top Ten Tuesday #11: Top Ten Books that We'd Give to Readers Who Have Never Read Adventure  by all of us (Fun fact! This is also our longest blog post title!)

5. BookBlogWriMo 2014 Introduction Post by Tessa 

(Thanks you guys!)

4. City of Bones Movie Countdown by Cassia

3. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen review by Cassia

2. Top Ten Tuesday #7: Book Cover Trends by all of us

1. Fan Fiction: Irial/Niall "Confessions" by Cassia