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Sep
17
BBAW Day 4: Books I've met in the blogosphere
2009 at 10am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Before I say anything else, let me say this: If you haven’t read Raych’s superfantasticophenomenal wrap-up of this year’s book blogging highlights, go do it now!
Now on to business.
Anyone who thinks that book bloggers don’t sell books is just straight up crazy. And I’m not just talking about book bloggers like me who sell books for a living. I’m talking about the whole wide bookblogonetosphere. We spend hundreds of hours each year raving about the books we love, explaining why we abandoned the ones we abandoned (but giving them air time anyway), and wishinghopingthinkingpraying that our reviews will be the ones that get those great comments where someone comes back a week or a month or a year later and says, “After I read your review, I just HAD to buy this book, and DAMN, WAS IT WORTH IT.”
I just love it when that happens.
But this is the part where I confess that I am really and truly awful about keeping track of where I first heard of a book. I know way down in my little heart of hearts that book bloggers have been responsible for at least a dozen of my reading selections in the last year. At least.
Here are a few of the books I’ve found and loved because of book bloggers.
84, Charing Cross Road: Several bloggers mentioned this in conjunction with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I don’t know why I hadn’t heard of it before, and I loved every minute of it.
Beowulf on the Beach: Ann and Michael at Books on the Nighstand ran a summer reading challenge themed around this fantastic book, which I have been recommending like crazy ever since. It motivated me to finally read Jane Eyre, and it resulted in my confessing to having a HUGE literary crush on the author. Page for page, this is one of the most useful and informative (not to mention entertaining) books I’ve read in a long time. The reading challenge is over, but you should go visit Ann & Michael anyway. Their numerous BBAW wins testify to the consistent quality of their blog. It is not to be missed.
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire: Pretty much everyone around here was raving about these books, but it was Amy and Michelle whose incessant (in a good way) blog- and Twitter-based discussions made me cross the line from mildly interested into MUST. READ. NOW. Michelle even made badges for bloggers to display their support of Peeta or Gale. I don’t read much YA, but I have LOVED The Hunger Games series, and I never would have picked it up if not for bloggers.
The Lace Reader: When this book arrived on the ARC pile at work, I took one glance and figured it was some kind of mushy women’s fiction, and I was not interested. Then the blogosphere and LibraryThing discussion threads lit up with advance praise, and I moseyed back over to the pile for a second look. HOO BOY am I glad I did. I loved the book, and I recently had the great pleasure of hosting the author for a guest blog. And I wouldn’t have had either of those experiences without this community.
A Reliable Wife: This is one of those quiet, character-driven novels that I just love, and I think it’s going to become something of a sleeper hit. Jen, Amy, and S. Krishna did a mini-blog tour and all posted reviews on the same day. I nabbed an ARC a few days later and am so glad I did. I’m not sure I would have picked this up otherwise.
What’s the best book you discovered on a blog this year? Which blogs do you consistently rely on for new finds?
No related posts.
YAY! I’m glad to have been your pusher!!
Seriously though, I am truly glad you got to experience The Huger Games and Catching Fire. They really are phenomenal books.
Like you I have a horrible memory as to exactly who recommends specific books to me but in the end I know it’s book bloggers and that’s what counts!
The Hunger Games is all over the place as the book blog recommended pick. I wonder just how many pre-order and first day sales Catching Fire owes to bloggers.
A lot of good mentions here!
I got The Hunger Games for my little sister after hearing other book bloggers rave about it. I don’t read YA, so YA book blogs are a great resource for me in finding age-appropriate titles for her.
P.S. I read ” . . . Dairy Queen” last month and really enjoyed it. A great cover makes or breaks my interest in picking a book up — loved this one.
It was your overall gushing over Shadow of the Wind and Angel’s Game that had me picking them up. Although I did not think Angel’s Game was quite as good as Shadow, there is no doubt in my mind that Shadow will be one of my fave books of all time.
http://www.askmelissa.com has a lot of great book reccomendations this week. They just did an article on all fashion related books (to commemorate fashion week) and they’re great reads for women and girls of all ages. I’ve already read 2 of their picks and I love them! Here’s the link to get the titles: http://www.askmelissa.com/index.php/features/fashion-books_09-15-09
I also have The Hunger Games on my list!
And I’m also terrible at keeping track of where I heard of a book
.
OMG, that post that Raych did for BBAW? Frigging brilliant. What a wit she is. I was peeing my pants laughing! You’ve got a great list of books there! I am really really bad about remembering where I heard about a book. I keep saying I’m going to get better at keeping track, but have done absolutely nothing to remedy my frailty!
I’m sure you’ve influenced tons of people yourself virtually and in real life.
I suck at the remembering thing, too. I’m trying to be better, but we’ll see how that works out.
Reading this post truly exemplifies the beauty of the book blogging community. I’ve always wanted to read 84, Charing Cross Road and now I’m determined to bump it up my pile. You have also answered my curiosity about The Reliable Wife and The Lace Reader, which have waved at me at the bookstores for so long!