Blogging: Behind the Scenes (Day 1)

There is nothing I love more than when a blogger shares a sneak peek at the inner workings of their blog.  Features like Blogger Confidential from Emily's Reading Room and Book Blogging 101 by Parajunkee's View never fail to teach me something new about blogging.  What I especially love is when Bloggers share how-to's for keeping their blogs up-to-date and organized.

With these loves of mine in mind, I decided I'd do my own version of the topic --I'm taking a week to show you how I rule this roost.  Please keep in mind that I will only being show you how *I* organize and maintain *my* blog, which means it is not necessarily the best way there is to do something.  My thinking is that if it works for me maybe it will work well for someone else too!

Let's take a look at what I'll be covering this week, shall we?

Monday -- The Book Blogging Bible
Tuesday -- Utilizing Blogger
Wednesday -- Tackling Review Requests
Thursday -- Organizing Posted Reviews
Friday -- Managing Social Media
Saturday -- Weekend Wrap-Up

Basically, I'm sharing all the tools I use on a daily or weekly basis to keep my blog running!  Hopefully I'll have some good stuff in there for everyone to benefit from!

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I kick this week off with my Book Blogging Bible.  You won't want to miss it!

Follow Friday (27)

This week's question is: Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?
Oh wow -- that's a toughy!!  This is the first one I thought of, so I'll go with this:

I was a total math nerd in High School and four years later still retain some (note: though not all!) of that nerdiness.

Bookaholic Does Blogging is looking for another Reviewer!  See the details here.
Be sure to stop by next week for Blogging: Behind the Scenes where I share my tips and tricks for organizing your book blog!

Cover Crazy (4): Special Edition!! Witchful Thinking

I decided a special edition of Cover Crazy was necessary tonight because HP Mallory just released the cover of her newest book in the Jolie Wilkins series (one of my fav series)!! YAY!

Check it out:

Don'tcha just love it?!  It's so stinkin' cute!!

Review: A Desirable Residence

A Desirable Residence
Author: Madeleine Wickham
Characters: 2 out of 5
Plot: 2 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased by Myself

About the Book: (Author Website) Liz and Jonathan Chambers were in trouble. Mortgage trouble. They'd stretched themselves to busting with their new exciting project - well, Liz thought it exciting - buying and managing the Silchester Tutorial College, and now couldn't sell their old house. Here they were, stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts and a miserable adolescent daughter who hadn't wanted to move anyway.

Then Marcus Witherstone came into their lives - and at first it seemed he would solve all their problems. Marcus, senior partner in Silchester's leading estate agency, was large, assured, and wore an expensive overcoat. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house - glamorous PR girl Ginny and almost-famous Piers. Everything was going to be OK.

But soon Marcus found himself involved with Liz in a way he'd never intended. Keeping his adulterous trysts secret from Anthea was uncomfortably easy - most of the time her head was firmly buried in Improve your Child's IQ. Meanwhile, as Liz was lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan was left to run the tutorial college. Neither of them had time to notice that teenage Alice was developing a desperate passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny.

Everyone seemed to be entangled with everyone else, in the most awkward possible way. And as events closed in on him, Marcus began to realise that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.


From My Point of View:


Likes: As far as the story goes, there wasn't a whole ton that I really enjoyed.  It seems Madeleine Wickham was a much better writer under Sophie Kinsella than as herself.  I did, however, enjoy the narrator on this audiobook.  She did a fantastic job reading this book.

Dislikes: I always feel so unsatisfied after finishing Wickham's book.  I wish the ending had a wrapped up in a happier way.  I also disliked the characters - so many of them had flaws I couldn't relate to nor did I want to.  Marcus and Liz both drove me batty.  Jonathan needed to realize his wife was a tart.  Alice needed some serious parental supervision.  Anthea was just nuts.  I really liked Andrew and Daniel though, Marcus' children.

Why 2 stars: If this book has not been an audiobook, it would definitely not have been finished.  It was remotely enjoyable because the narrator was great!

Recommendation: Overall, I was not impressed with this book, but if you are a fan of Wickham's other work, than you will definitely enjoy this one as well.

US vs UK (20): Harry Potter

 

It's that time again: another US vs UK challenge! US vs UK was created by Jenny from Wondrous Reads.  Thank you, Jenny for being so brilliant! =)

We've already looked at the Harry Potter covers, but in light of the last movie being released I thought it would be fun to check them out again -- this time comparing all the different UK versions to the one, lonely US version!  I'll describe each version beneath the picture so you know what you're looking at!

US covers

UK Children's Version

UK Adult Version

Newly Re-Designed UK Adult Version

Penguin UK Version

First, UK gets major points for multiple covers.  I definitely think they have a great idea marketing to adults and children separately.  The US needs to do this!  I would buy both versions!

Moving on...  The UK Children's version and the US version are super similar.  They have the same style artwork and color scheme going on.  What I really love is the Adult versions.  While the original version is great, I especially love that redesigned Adult version.  The simplicity is fantastic and I love the pictures they used.

The Penguin version is also unique.  They arn't my favorite of all the covers, but they still win out over the US version for for me.  I guess that means that UK wins this month!

Our new total so far is: US 11, UK 9.  Which covers are your winner for this week?!

Do you have a book or series you'd like to see featured on my US vs UK meme?! Click here to tell me about them!  I'd love to hear your ideas!

Giveaway Winner: Book Art!

Congratulations to:

J9 from Blood Rose Books

who won the fabulous book art!

The winner was chosen by Random.org.  I will be contacting them within the hour to let them know they're the big winner! =) 

Reviewer Wanted!!

I've been on the fence about bringing another reviewer on board here at Bookaholic Does Blogging.  I keep telling myself that I have to hit 500 followers (I don't know where that number came from) before it really feels appropriate to take on another reviewer, but as my work schedule is picking up and my senior year of college is about to start (yayyyyyy! almost done!!) I can see that I am definitely going to be needing some help!  This is a hard gig to run on your own and, frankly, I'm scared too much work might make me hate book blogging.

So, in an effort to help myself out and make sure my followers are getting the best of Bookaholic Does Blogging, I'm putting out a help wanted ad!  Please note that aside from the occasional review copy from authors and publishers (which we obviously review in exchange), there is NO compensation for this job!  BDB's new reviewer will be considered a contributor -- this means that you only CONTRIBUTE to my blog -- I'm not offering up half ownership of BDB, just the opportunity to help make it better!

Here's what I'm looking for in a reviewer: 
-- Loves to read (given!)
-- Has similar taste in genres as myself
-- Is self sufficient
-- Can meet deadlines
-- Good English writing skills
-- International or Domestic applications welcome!
-- Able to commit to 4-8 reviews a month


If this sounds like you, fill out this form here.


I'm not putting an end date to this application.  I'll continue to review them until I find someone who I think will be a good fit with me and BDB.  Once I think I have someone, I'll send them an e-mail with some more details about the position and we'll go from there!

Feel free to e-mail me any questions you might have, or simply leave me a comment here!

Review: Feeling Naked on the First Tee: An Essential Guide for New Women Golfers

Feeling Naked on the First Tee: An Essential Guide for New Women Golfers
Author: Ann Kelly
Overall: 4 out of 5
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed from my Library

About the Book: (Amazon.com) Finally a book that will boost the confidence of a new woman golfer, written by someone who knows how it feels! Packed with helpful hints, Feeling Naked on the First Tee explains parts of the game that other golf books don't talk about, in language the beginner can understand.


From My Point of View:


This book is a one off, I know, but it was so helpful to me I had to review it!


Likes: Kelly's book was incredibly well designed and written.  As a new golfer, I knew the basic rules of the game, but Kelly provided hints and tips that even my experienced fiance did not know.  Not only that, but she writes in a way that is super easy to read and understand.  While reading books on golf won't make me a better golfer, Kelly's book definitely made me understand the game a lot better.  I can think of at least four tips I picked up from this book that I actually remembered to use when I went out golfing last time -- I'd consider that a success!  I definitely plan on picking up a copy of my own for reference.

Dislikes: Honestly, I can't think of anything I didn't like about the book...

Why 4 stars: I went with 4 stars instead of 5 because of the book's length.  I would have loved to see more included in this book.  However, the short length does make for a quick and easy read.

Recommendation: I would HIGHLY recommend to this book to any new girl golfers.  I can't tell you enough what a great help this book was!

Teaser Tuesday (9): Fatal Embrace

Teaser Tuesday was created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesday Rules:
-- Grab your current read
-- Open to a random page
--Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
--BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
--Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's Teaser:

"I think he chooses these girls at random.  If he's lucky enough to get one to go with him, that's when he strikes.  If not, no big deal, he moves to another."

-- at 6% of Fatal Embrace by Aria Whittier. 

Review: Beautiful Sins: Leigha Lowery by Jennifer Hampton

Beautiful Sins: Leigha Lowery
Author: Jennifer Hampton
Characters: 3 out of 5
Plot: 2 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5
Format: e-Book (on my Kindle)
Source: Provided by the Author

Part of The Thaneaddus Chronicles

About the Book: (Author's Website) The skies of the Dark Coast, the Pacific Coastline of U.S. States has been infected with a strange chemical reaction from a military experiment gone awry. Constant cloud cover rules over the lands. Leigha Lowery, a sixteen year-old popular fiction writer in the local free press is pulled from the only home she knows in Detroit, MI when her mother decides on an impulse to marry a doctor she’s been dating over the internet and moves to the small town of Banks, Oregon. As she adjusts to her new life of wealth and power, she begins to realize that the rumors about the Dark Coast aren’t even close to what she’s witnessed. Prince Alexander Sommers, the son of King Royce, and heir to the throne has taken a fascination to her. He pulls her into a world of vampires, werewolves, witches, and many other creatures of the night that have decided to make the Dark Coast their home.


From My Point of View:


Likes: Before I even started the book, the author included a disclaimer stating that she edits all her own work.  Initially, this was a big concern for me.  I have a minor major OCD problem, so editing errors drive me nuts and I tend to notice them all.  Once I started this book, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was really well edited.  I only noticed a small handful of errors and I've noticed that many in a New York Times bestseller before.

Another big plus for me was that I felt compelled to keep reading.  Many times I thought "OK, just put it down now," but for whatever reason, had to keep reading.  I think the biggest reason was the writing -- it was really well done!

Dislikes: As much as I hate to admit it, this book felt like a Twilight knockoff to me.  There were too many similarities in the two series for me and having done the Twilight thing a hundred times, I'm pretty much over it.

Another issue I had with this book was the storyline.  It was very rushed and lacking some serious details.  I felt like I was only getting a shell of a story.  One day she was moving to a new school and the next she was bff's with a bunch of the students.  This kept happening over and over.  It was hard for me to really connect to the story when it was lacking depth.

Why 2 stars: This book was good - but not for me.  Like I said, I saw too many comparisons to Twilight and I'm not looking to read anything else remotely like Twilight -- One series like that is plenty for this girl.

Recommendation: Fans of Twilight (especially the younger ones) will really like Hampton's Beautiful Sins.  It's clean, but also with enough romantic interest to keep pre-teens happy.

Bookaholic Picks (4): $0.99 Kindle Finds

For this week's Bookaholic Picks, I thought I'd share my favorite $0.99 Kindle Finds!  There is nothing better than discovering a truly fabulous book with a $0.99 price tag (well, unless it's free)!!  All of these books have already been reviewed by me -- just click the title for me review!

Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Astor

(Amazon.com) Josephine McMaster is pretty and smart, but very much a klutzy mess. Finally, at 26, she may have actually lost the dreaded ‘McMaster the Disaster’ nickname that has followed her around her whole life.

Josie’s quite content to be single, much to her mother’s disappointment. So when a bizarre contest is announced where a socialite is holding a lottery to pick her bridesmaids (and rake in a little extra cash), she can’t roll her eyes fast enough, even if it does mean meeting Jake Hall, her one and only movie star crush. Obviously, Josie doesn’t enter the bridesmaid lottery, so you can imagine her surprise when her picture pops up among the winners, thanks to Mom. With a little prodding -- okay bribing -- Josie agrees to participate.

The wedding turns into the event of the year, and Josie finds herself in the middle of a paparazzi feeding frenzy, which gets even crazier after Jake Hall takes a special interest in her.

Can Josie handle the pressure in the spotlight? Is it possible she might really have a chance with Jake Hall? And if she’s busy worrying about all that, how in the heck is she going to keep ‘McMaster the Disaster’ from showing up in front of the entire world?

To Kill A Warlock by HP Mallory

(Amazon.com) The murder of a dark arts warlock.
A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose.
A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate.
Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie.

Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full.

As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.  

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by HP Mallory

(Amazon.com) A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.  A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.  A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches.  The Underworld in a state of chaos.  Let the games begin.

Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

(Amazon.com) L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her...