The Librarian Next Door

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fan of book blogs in general (or you’re my mother – hi, mom). Either way, you probably like books and reading books and even reading about books.

So you’ll probably get really excited, like I did, when I remind you that the 3rd Annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming up in just a few short months – specifically, September 13-17.

One of the things I love best about BBAW is that it was created by book bloggers themselves, not to be self-congratulatory, but because they genuinely enjoyed other book blogs and wanted a chance for book bloggers of all kinds to come together, meet new people and celebrate the online community of book lovers. In my short time blogging, I’ve only just begun to discover the depths of the book blogging community. It’s a varied and diverse place with so many people who sincerely love books like I do and who enjoy sharing that book love with others.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder: what the frak took me so long to start my own book blog?!?!

At any rate, if you’re a book blogger interested in participating in BBAW, head over to the website to register. You will be asked to register yourself in a niche category and those categories will also be used to determine the winners of the niche awards. If, like me, you’d rather opt out of nominating yourself for an award, you can do that. If you want to sing your own praises, you can also nominate yourself for a featured category. You’ll also get the chance to vote for your favorite books of the last year.

BBAW is open to anyone who self-identifies as a book blogger. As it’s my first time, I’m not quite sure what to expect, but I know there will be daily blogging topics, interview swaps, special guest posts and giveaways, in addition to the bestowing of the above-mentioned awards. I’m excited to have the chance to “get to know” some more book bloggers.

Since I’m not putting myself up for an award, I don’t have to select five posts to highlight here on LND. But I thought it might be fun to do so anyway. I’m only just starting to write book reviews more regularly (which is why I consider myself part of the “eclectic niche”), but here are some of the posts that I think best represent LND:

• Something Wicked This Way Comes (Oct. 2009) – a review of Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely;
• What’s Literature Worth? (Oct. 2009) – an exploration of the Accelerated Reader program and assigning “value” to books;
• Thanksgiving Salute to Dysfunctional Literary Families (Nov. 2008) – what would Thanksgiving be like if we celebrated it with memorable literary families (watch out for the wine at Hamlet’s)?;
• Friends Forever (Feb. 2010) – a review of J. Courtney Sullivan’s Commencement;
• Literary Guilty Pleasures (Nov. 2009) – in which I reveal my secret obsession with romance novels and trashy love stories; and
• A Story Unraveling (Nov. 2009) – a review of Heather Gudenkauf’s The Weight of Silence.

I hope to “meet” some of you in September!

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]