Monday, Sep 14, 2009

BBAW Spotlights… The Literate Housewife Review

BBAW Spotlights…

Today is all about the blogs we love… I love, love, love Jennifer of The Literate Housewife (*as evidenced by me proudly displaying her button on my blog*). Jen is just TOO KOOL FOR SKOOL in my book. She’s a mommy, a wonderful writer, a hard-working career gal, and a dedicated blogger. She is so committed to the book review blogging community, always getting involved, and she even helped with BBAW judging this year. I have been a subscriber to her blog for nearly a year now. I watched her grow, expand, and fit into a new personalized design (*which I adore*).

What makes Jennifer’s blog great? For me, it is the person behind the blog. What Jennifer gives you is her truth. She comes from such a place of honesty and her posts just reflect her true personality. Going to The Literate Housewife Review is like coming home to a comfy couch, curling up, and reading. She welcomes and honors her readers. I truly believe that she appreciates each and every one of us… Personally, she always makes me feel as if I’m important to her… just in the fact that I read her blog. I mean… HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

Well, for you readers who are not from “Plastic Land” (aka An Affluent Area in Southern California.. the true “Silicon Valley”)… in general, the women in my neck of the woods aren’t always true-blue. You know, more concerned about the way that her life looks to the outside world than being honest and open. Jennifer is SO NOT from Plastic Land. Jennifer is that kind of gal who emulates what a good woman friend & mom should be! Even though we’re miles apart and may never meet in person, she’s been a friend to me and will continue to be a person that I hope to grow my relationship with as we deluge forward into the book blogging future!

Here’s my interview with Jennifer…

S: Jennifer, thanks for agreeing to come over to A Novel Menagerie today and letting me pick your brain!

J: Thank you so much for having me, Sheri. I am so touched by your kind words. You know I love you too and think of you as a long lost friend I’ve never met.

S: How and when did you decide to become a blogger? And, why book reviews?

J: My sojourn into book blogging was by accident. 2005 – 2006 was a rough time for me personally. After dealing with infertility early in our marriage and becoming proud parents to Emma through adoption, I had given up thinking about becoming pregnant. I did and gave birth to Allison 25 minutes before Emma’s 2^nd birthday. Ally ended up being colicky and I fell into a deep depression. I dabbled in blogging about parenting, but that seemed to keep my wounds open instead of helping me to get better. By the end of 2006, I decided to do something just for myself. I found myself reading a lot around 2am when I couldn’t sleep. That time of the night was soothing to me (thank you, Jodi Picoult) so I decided to challenge myself to read 52 books in 2007. I created a blog to document the books that I read so that I would remember them. The rest, is history.

S: On average, how many books do you read per month? When do you find time to read with your busy schedule?

J: On average I read two books a week, so 8 to 9 books per month is my usual. It’s a lot for me, but certainly no where near as much as other book bloggers. I read whenever I have a few moments – at stop lights, while my computer is booting up, while I’m waiting for anything, while my girls are watching TV, and at night before I sleep. I usually try to sneak in some reading before I get ready for work.

S: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about book review blogging, and blogging in general?

J: Wow. There is so much I find rewarding. It has to be the connections I’ve made with other bloggers and readers out there. I don’t think I would still be maintaining my original book blog if that hadn’t happened. It’s true that I do this for myself, but a big part of that is about creating relationships.

S: On the flip side, what do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining your blog?

J: The most challenging thing I find about blogging is maintaining balance. I love my family, reading, blogging and reading other book blogs. How do I prioritize them? I also am still working out my relationship with review copies. I get so overwhelmed by what I feel I must read that it can make reading seem like a chore. It’s all a work in progress.

S: What tips would give to new book review bloggers? What works and what doesn’t?

J: Don’t worry about the number of comments left or your stats. Those things will drive you absolutely crazy for no good reason. Comments come with time and even then there is an ebb and flow. Just keep at it. You will also come across tweets and posts about Alexa ratings, etc… and how important they are. While it is fun to see how many people have viewed a post or your blog in general, I have spent way too much time worrying about my stats and how I rate among other bloggers. What I’ve found is that very few people actually care. If people aren’t interested in reading my blog or contacting me about review copies because my traffic or Alexa ratings don’t meet their criteria, I haven’t lost anything. Be proud of your readership and your traffic, but simply do what you love. You will be satisfied and so will your readers.

S: Earlier today, I chatted with Lisa of Books on The Brain about mentoring and the importance of helping younger blog. Are you open to being there to younger blogs and sharing what you know with “newbies?” If so, how can they best contact you?

J: Mentoring is so important. Even though my blog had been around for a while, Jen at Devourer of Books served as my mentor and I will never forget it. I would be so happy to answer questions and support new bloggers. I’m not a technical expert, but I can help out with a few things there. If anyone is thinking about starting a new book blog, feel free to send me an email at literate housewife (at) gmail (dot) com.

S: In your opinion, what makes a great blog?

J: This is a tough question because most of what makes a great blog isn’t tangible – like a unique voice, enthusiasm, and a sense of humor. The way a blog looks is nice, but if I can’t connect with the blogger or if the blogger takes himself/herself too seriously, I lose interest. Be honest and true to yourself and your readers will think your blog is great.

S: You’re a lover of great books…. And, now it’s time to fess up! What are your TOP FIVE, ALL-TIME FAVORITE books?

J: Are you really doing this to me? LOL! Okay, you asked for it, you got it. If I had these five books I could conceivably live without any others – but thank God I don’t have to!

1) Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – I have read this book no fewer than 7 times since my sophomore year of high school.

2) The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory – Although Gone with the Wind is historical fiction, reading this book changed the course of my reading more than any other.

3) Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott – This is my most favorite novel of my childhood. It will always have a special place in my heart.

4) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This book made me fall in love with literature and the use of symbolism.

5) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – To me, this book says it all about life.

S: Oh… Gone With The Wind is in my TOP FIVE, too!  Yeah!  And, I cannot wait to read The Other Boleyn Girl.    See.. we have a lot in common!

Jennifer… thank you so much for sharing yourself with A Novel Menagerie’s BBAW readers. I only have one last question for you… What’s in your menagerie?

J: One giraffe-like hubby (6’7″ and skinny as a rail), two monkey girls, and a jungle full of wonderful books to read and share.

S: 6’7″… WOW!  My ex-hubbie is 6’4 1/2″ and I thought that was tall.  WOW!  Wondering how you kiss him!  (*smirk*)  Thanks, Jen… and, talk to you soon!

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