September 15, 2008 • Uncategorized •

BBAW Kickoff: A Survey and a Giveaway!

My Friend Amy sent out this little survey to the bloggers who registered for Book Blogger Appreciation Week, but since I didn’t get it done in time to send back to her and get it counted, I’m just answering the questions here as my own little kickoff event. Feel free to leave your own answers in the comments, and there could be something in it for you – just keep reading to find out more!

1) What is the craziest place you’ve ever read?

I really don’t know. I’ve read almost everywhere, including at sporting events and while waiting in line at the DMV. But the oddest place that comes to mind right now is in my car – while going through the car wash (what? I have it in park!).
2) How many books are in your TBR pile?

It’s really more like a TBR collection. That’s actually one reason I started cataloging my books on LibraryThing – so I could keep track of that. I currently have 166 books tagged as “to be read” – and to be honest, some of them have been there for three years or more. I still intend to read them, but I just don’t know when!
3) How many hours a week do you spend on reading?

Not as many as I did before I started blogging, unless you count blog-reading, which has definitely cut into book-reading time. Even so, I’d estimate around 5-7 hours a week, more or less, depending on what else is going on (and how quickly I fall asleep!). However, if you add the blog-reading, it would be quite a bit more, since I tend to do that in spurts all day long.
4) How many hours a week do you spend blogging?

Far too many, if you ask my husband…but it probably works out to 6-8 hours a week, and that may be a conservative estimate, since I’m not counting reading blogs here, just working on posts.
5) What’s been the best experience you’d had since you started blogging about books?
Finally, an easy question – getting to know other book bloggers via visiting and commenting has been an unexpected and exciting benefit of becoming part of this great community!

It took me almost a year and a half to have my first giveaway here, but my second one is hot on its heels – in fact, it’s starting right now!

Matrimony: A Novel by Joshua Henkin

I was recently offered a copy of Joshua Henkin‘s novel Matrimony to read and review – which I did here– and now you have a chance to get your own, personally autographed copy of the brand-new paperback edition, direct from the author! Here’s how to enter

  1. Leave a comment on this post – please include your e-mail, or a link to your profile where I can find it – and, while you’re at it, feel free to answer a survey question or two!
  2. For TWO extra entries, post about this giveaway on your blog and link back here.
  3. LAST DAY TO ENTER is SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21!
  4. One winner will be selected at random, and I will forward that person’s mailing information to Joshua Henkin, who will send out your autographed copy of the book!

Good luck in the giveaway! Meanwhile, why not check out Joshua Henkin’s recent guest appearance at my friend Literary Feline’s blog, Musings of a Bookish Kitty?

COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSED.
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This is a special BBAW/Bulletin Board announcement for Los Angeles-area folks with fond memories of reading Judy Blume: The author turns 70 this year, and that milestone will be commemorated in the celebration of “Blumesday” this Friday, September 19 – find out more via this post at LAist. (I won’t be going, since I’m out of town this weekend, but I wanted to share the info.)

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30 comments

  1. I don’t know how I missed that survey. I know what you mean – blogging has definitely cut into my reading time, but I love it. I don’t feel bad about my TBR pile now – it’s only 25 deep. Don’t enter me in the giveaway – I already have the book.

  2. Bermudaonion – Amy sent that survey out in an e-mail to the BBAW list. I think she wanted to collect the responses via return e-mail, but I didn’t get it done fast enough.

    This book’s been a very popular giveaway; I know at least two other blogs are also hosting giveaways for it this week. Hopefully, there are still some folks around who haven’t read it yet :-)!

  3. The craziest place I’ve read? Hmm. I’m trying to think of someplace I HAVEN’T read. And I can’t come up with any. Well, I haven’t read in flagrante delicto, so to speak. Other than that, I’ve read pretty much anywhere you can think of reading. Even in a movie theater. In a shoe store. On nitrous (gum surgery)–not that I can remember much of what I read–I do remember a conversation with the endodontist about the nature of G-d, however. BTW, I happen to think the automatic car wash is an EXCELLENT place to read.

  5. The craziest place I have ever read was on the back of my dad’s motorcyle. It was a bit windy…lol!!

    And how many books are in my TBR pile….ummm….about 30, but then that is just the ONE pile… LOL!!

    angelleslament @ gmail.com

  7. Karen and Ruby – You’re entered!

    Karen – I’ve read in a movie theater too, but the lighting makes it difficult.

    Ruby – On a motorcycle?! Must have been a book you couldn’t put down!

    LaShaunda – Nice to meet you! Thanks for visiting during BBAW!

  9. I didn’t get the survey done in time to send it back to Amy either. I also spend far too much time blogging or online! Oh, and this may make you feel better, I have over 650 TBR books!

  13. April – No problem! If you go, please blog about it so I’ll know what I missed :-)!

    Tanabata – I am humbled by your TBR mountain.

    My husband thinks I seriously understated the amount of time I spend blogging. I told him I just counted writing time, and he disagreed with my methodology. But it’s my blog, and I can say what I want :-).

    Lori – You’re in!

  16. Well, it’s not “that” crazy, but maybe the crazies place that I’ve read is the bathroom…locking the kids out so I could finish an especially good part! Bad mom! LOL!

    sj3girls(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Sunny

  17. Debbie – Now, I can understand reading in the bathtub, but the shower is rather tricky :-).

    Sunny – My mom used to do that too. She said it was the only place she could get some peace and quiet :-).

  18. I enjoyed reading your survey responses, Florinda. 🙂 My TBR pile is definitely a collection too–and some of my books have been there for years as well. Someday . . .

    Thank you for the link to Josh’s guest post. 🙂

  19. I would love to be entered in your contest heard so many good things about this book. The craziest place i’ve ever read was in my closet so no one would bother me.
    photoquest(at)bellsouth(dot)net

  20. Literary Feline – Considering that your TBR has its own ROOM…well, I’m humbled by your collection too :-)!

    Since I just reviewed Matrimony a couple of weeks ago and linked to quite a few of Josh’s posts then, I wanted to use a new one. I’m glad he was one of your guest bloggers!

    Photoquest – You’re in!

  21. When I was a kid I used to climb trees for private reading time. I haven’t done that in a long, long time. But it’s got to be the craziest place. I usually go for comfortable, not crazy!

  23. Here’s my entry for matrimony. Email VDRUCKMAN AT HOTMAIL DOT COM.

    Craziest place I ever read: on the floor of hotel bathrooms while my kids are sleeping in the room we’re all sharing. After a while you run out of places to shift to and pretty much your whole lower body goes numb. Delightful.

    Books in my TBR pile – they are EVERYWHERE. falling out of my car, next to the toilet in each bathroom (what’s with all the near toilet activity?)

    Best experience since I started book blogging: when publishers send me copies of books I’m really excited to read. Like the 19th wife, American Wife, and the new Nelson Demille!

  24. Vanessa – You got American Wife? Ooh, I’m envious. I really want to read that one; I like Curtis Sittenfeld a lot.

    You’re in for the giveaway! BTW, let me know when you receive the package with those other books you won.

  27. I also placed the contest information in my Contest listing on the side bar at Savvy Verse & Wit. Feel free to enter my week's worth of contests related to BBAW!

  28. I WANNA WIN! LOL.
    I blogged about it here:
    http://www.apooobooks.com/2008/09/19/matrimony-joshua-henkin/

    Okay and two survey questions…I blogged about these also but I will post my answers here:

    1) What is the craziest place you�ve ever read?
    Hmmm I read everywhere. I read at sporting events, concerts, church, meetings, funeral�yep�I�ve done it all. And I�ve also read in the bedroom at a most inappropriate time. boots. What he was a boring �—!

    2) How many books are in your TBR pile?
    Excluding the ones that I have not bought� but that are on my wish list or amazon shopping cart�about 60. Hope to knock out at least 13 of them before the end of the year. Wish me well!

    3) How many hours a week do you spend on reading?–Does reading blogs count? If so, I spend about 20 hours a week reading for pleasure!

    4) How many hours a week do you spend blogging?
    About 1-2 hours per day; so about 7-14 hours a week�probably closer to the higher end each week. Oh and this is only for WRITING blogs�not reading them.

    5) What�s been the best experience you�d had since you started blogging about books?
    Discovering other bloggers and new authors/books, memes�I am just loving that there is a bigger online book world than the one I was originally privy to.

    Did I win? J/kidding but I loved reading your review for this book as you whet my appetite and made me want to read it.

  29. Like the 19th wife, American Wife, and the new Nelson Demille!

    Hey Vanessa how did you get copies of those…did you win them…or request them from the publisher?
    Thanks

  30. Please enter me in the MATRIMONY giveaway. No place is crazy if I can read my book. I’ve never counted my TBR pile, but I own more books that I will read than I have already read – have to keep making space! I probably read for pleasure about 20 hours a week. Thanks for the chance to win a book so I can read more!
    geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com