BBAW Spotlights…

Welcome to Day 1 of BBAW Week (*gushing with excitement*)!!! Today the topic is spotlighting our favorite blogs. This is something that is very easy for me to do and several blogs come to mind as my tried, tested, and true favorites. At the very top of my list is Books On The Brain by Lisa. If you hunt through my archives, you will see that I have posted about this wonderful blog on more than one occasion. But, what I wanted to focus on in sharing this blog with you today is the QUALITY of her blog. Here are my Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Books On The Brain:

    10.    There are always cool pictures of herself & her family doing cool stuff.

    9.    She hosted the Summer Reading Series – which means she’s a community builder and loves talking books to others.

    8.    She loves book clubs and shares about her book club picks and activity with her readers.

    7.    She finds the most humorous videos to share.

    6.    She’s a mommy (*like me*) and tells the truth about her experience as a mom.

    5.    People around the world love reading her blog!

    4.    She dares to tell the truth about not-so-great books!

    3.    She loves The Office (*Jim & Pam are preggers and getting married at Niagra Falls this season… yeah!*).

    2.    She let me join her “real life” book club.

    1.    Her book reviews are all “written from scratch.” She puts so much thought and time into recapping the story and sharing her true opinion about the book. She is, BY FAR, one of the best book review writers in our blogisphere!

A little more insight…

Lisa was my blogging mentor! She really got me started with A Novel Menagerie and has guided me through my entire blogging process. Her words of encouragement have been invaluable to me. She also knows just how to give me the right words of advice about blogging! I think about all the new bloggers out there and just hope for them that they can find a blogging mentor to be there for them as they learn the world of blogging. You know… some of the more “seasoned” bloggers are very willing to lend a hand with advice, technical help, or whatever they can to share what they’ve learned. So… I thought that maybe I could have Lisa share some of her words o’ wisdom with new bloggers…. About what works and what doesn’t!

S: Lisa, thanks for being at A Novel Menagerie today! I hope you’re ready to help share your “pearls of blogging wisdom” with some of the younger bloggers out there.

L: Thanks for inviting me! You are too kind and I’m not sure I can live up to all that glowing praise J

S: What would be your biggest piece of advice for new bloggers when they start their blog?

L: Don’t compare yourself with everyone else. Be yourself. You have a unique perspective and people will want to get to know that. Also, reach out to other bloggers. The book blogging community is so welcoming and helpful. Find a blogging buddy and help each other.

S: What do recommend they avoid in the beginning while they are “learning the ropes,” if you will?

L: Don’t obsess over stats, because in the beginning your numbers will be low. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Be interesting. Be different. If you are writing from the heart, your audience will find you.

S: Disclosure about the source of your books in providing a review seems to be a hot topic of late. What is your opinion on this?

L: I don’t care if a book came from the library or your neighbor or if you bought it yourself. But I think it’s a good idea to acknowledge if a book came from an author, publisher, or tour group. Personally I like to publicly thank whoever sent me the book. But I’d never allow a free book to sway my opinion of it. If I like the book, I say so. If I don’t, I say that too. I assume that’s true of other bloggers as well.

S: You have a true love for books and for reading. This goes back a long way and you were an avid reader before the days of Books On The Brain. Where did your passion for reading come from? What is the greatest gift that you get from reading?

L: I remember long summer vacations with nothing to do all day but swim, ride bikes, and read. I grew up in a rural area in southeast Michigan, where it rained a lot. This was back in the “olden days” as my kids like to say, with no video games, computers, cable tv, or cell phones. Reading was my entertainment and my escape from boredom. Now it is my escape from chaos, my time filler as I wait at one of my kids’ activities, my calming influence at the end of a long day.

S: Can you please share what you think makes a good book review?

L: Hmmm. I think there is a big difference between a book review and a book recommendation, and I think they both have a place in the blogging world.

A recommendation is less analytical, less critical. It might feature a synopsis from somewhere else (Publishers Weekly, maybe) then a short blurb from the blogger saying “I loved it!” and little else. But that’s ok, especially from a blogger I like. Their enthusiasm for a book will sometimes be enough to make me want to read it.

A review, though, would go deeper. It wouldn’t rely on a pre-written synopsis. It would tell what the book was about, what worked, what didn’t, and why, and perhaps give an example or two of the writing. It might also suggest what type of reader would be interested in this particular book, rather than, “It was good!” or “It sucked!,” which of course is totally subjective.

S: You are the Co-Founder of TLC Book Tours. You take such care in placing the right blogger with the right book for selected book reviews. This means you look at A LOT OF BLOGS! What really jumps out and grabs you in a GOOD BLOG?

L: Thank you! I do try really hard to match books with their perfect readers, although at times I’ve failed quite spectacularly in that pursuit!

I read a ton of blogs, and a blog that might grab me personally could also be all wrong for TLC. In general, though, I think a good blog, first and foremost, has good writing. A blogger needs to have something interesting to say. And blogs that have a ton of spelling or grammatical errors are not blogs I’ll return to regularly.

S: In your opinion, how important is design and ease of navigation in blogs?

L: I think it’s really important. If you read an excellent review on a blog and are interested in reading more of that blogger’s reviews, but can’t figure out how to do it, that’s an obvious design flaw. Anything a blogger can do to help readers find what they’re looking for is a good thing. Tabs and sidebars that sort out what your blog has to offer really help.

I have a few personal pet peeves about design- one is music that comes on automatically when I click over to a blog. That drives me crazy. I probably won’t go back.

S: I know that you are a book connoisseur… you know the best of the best. Now… it’s time to tell… share your secrets with the world… what are your TOP FIVE, ALL-TIME FAVORITE books?

L: I don’t keep a list like that because my feelings constantly change! But if someone held a gun to my head, and forced me to come up with a list (“Right now or I’ll shoot!”) I’d say: From childhood- Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, and The Secret Garden. More recently I have loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Kite Runner. YA stuff I’ve loved recently: Speak, The Hunger Games, Life as We Knew It. That’s more than 5..sorry!!

S: Lisa… thank you so much for sharing yourself with A Novel Menagerie’s BBAW readers. I am going to recommend to new bloggers out there to reach out to you for any “blogging advice”… hopefully that’s all cool with you!

L: Thanks so much for inviting me, Sheri, and congratulations on all of your much deserved success with A Novel Menagerie! The student has surpassed the teacher, by a mile!

Your blog is fabulous and your effervescent personality really shines through to your readers. You should be very proud of all you’ve accomplished!

I am so grateful for our friendship. Thanks again. xoxo

S: Tah-Tah For now… Lisa!

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