Saturday Review 11-15

Bulletin Board
****** BlogHerCon ’09 (including BlogHer Business): July 23-25, Chicago Sheraton and Towers. The official “save-the-date” announcement came out this past Monday – registration announcements will be forthcoming. Who’s already thinking about going?

****** Many of us are already thinking about holiday gifts too. While it can be tricky to know exactly what to give to the reading addicts in your life, books can still be great gifts even for the “non-readers” (I have heard such people do exist) – sign on for the Books For the Holidays Campaign! And speaking of the holidays, Book Bloggers Secret Santa Sign-up is going on until November 18find out the details here!

****** Have you checked out BookTrib? It’s a new site rounding up all things book-related, and if that includes your blog, you may find a review of yours previewed and linked there, and your blog included in their list of “book and literary sites.” They’ll be doing weekly book giveaways, too. They may have already found you and your book blog, so maybe you should find them too!


New in Google Reader

Shrink Rap, via Books on the Brain
Both Eyes Book Blog, via Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
Miss Britt
Philosophy of Chairs
Elise’s Ramblings, added to the LA Moms Bloggers blogroll in the sidebar

From around the blogiverse
The election was over almost two weeks ago – now it’s time to think about moving forward and (political) family harmony, if not true unity. But let’s also take a look back with someone who knew him when, and look befuddled by those who would literally “cash in.”

Letters to a daughter and a son; never underestimate the power of a girl

I’m looking at my first Christmas without my son this year (although he IS coming for Thanksgiving), and I’m not the only one considering the ways that family traditions can change

Thinking about how where you live (or just where you happened to be born) shapes who you are

What do teachers really do all day? Also, the working-mom scorecard

So, you’re a writer? Here’s a story for you…

Looking for another job before you have to is usually a good idea; but to keep it more under the radar, you may be interviewing by phone.

I’ve reflected on this myself, and I think it’s not an uncommon question: is book-blogging counterproductive to reading books? (Weigh in on this one in the comments, you book-bloggy types!) Also: how do you handle it when an author strikes back against a negative review? I’ll post my own thoughts on it soon – behind the curve as usual – but it’s the controversy of the week.

And in more meta meditation: what hooks a reader into a particular blog, and what chases them away?

Well, after several weekends of moving-related activity, this weekend will actually include almost NO unpacking! However, there are plans for some socializing and fun, and I do think we’re ready for that. Have a great weekend!

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7 comments

  1. More fun links to visit! Yay!

    On the subject of book blogging being counterproductive, I do spend too much time online these days, but I am not sure my reading has suffered as much as some of my other interests. Reading has always been a passion of mine, but it was one of many. Now it seems to consume my “me” time. If I’m not reading a book, I’m online blogging about books, reading about books, and talking about books. Sometimes it feels like books have taken over my life. I even talk about them at work now, something I never really did up until a year ago. It was a part of my life I kept private–other than people knowing that I liked to read. One of my current goals is to get back to some of my other interests. As much as I love reading and books, I don’t want it to consume me and become who I am.

  2. Miss Britt – You’re welcome :-). Thanks for stopping by!

    Wendy (Literary Feline) – I tend to agree; it’s not book-blogging per se that has negatively affected my reading, but online activity in general. I do blog about other topics, so it seems like there’s more online reading to keep up with because of that, and I have a biweekly posting responsibility to the LA Moms Blog that is not at all book-blog-related.

    I do find that even though I don’t take a lot of review books, my discretionary reading seems to have taken a back seat to those, and I’m not sure I like that.