Today I have an extra-special guest blog: One by a fellow book blogger, Book Chic! Oh, and before I forget, a winner of Love, Meg (last week’s guest blog giveaway). And the winner is….(imagine the drumroll here)…girljordyn! Jordyn, please email me your mailing address to claim your prize. This week, we’ll have but not one but two winners, thanks to Book Chic! The prizes will be copies of Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling. I’ve decided to make this contest a little harder than the others. One winner will be chosen at random, and the other winner will be the best comment–the most thoughtful or thought-provoking or funny or interesting or creative…Whatever you like. But relevant, please, something about your life with books or YA books. And now, without further ado, Book Chic:
When I first agreed to do this guest blog, for a very short second, I thought to myself “This will be so much fun! I can write about whatever I want, and it’ll be great! People will bow down before me when they read all about my wisdomosity!”. Then it all came crashing down when I realized that I suck at coming up with my own topics, let alone actually writing about said topic. This is exactly why I decided to do an interview for Harmony Book Reviews rather than the other option, which was a guest blog. See, questions I can handle because all I have to do is answer someone else’s thoughts and I’m good at that. Coming up with my own stuff is a bit harder, although if you’ve noticed, I’ve got a whole paragraph now! Rambling really works, and that’s pretty much all that you will get from me.
But I decided to bite the bullet and do a guest blog when I saw that the lovely, amazing, and smart Jocelyn had TONS of guest blog spots open during the summer months. I felt like I needed to help her out, so I agreed (to myself-she had no idea of this yet) to do it. Now, I’m not a drinker or druggie of any sort, but I’m starting to think that I must have been on something when I voluntarily (key word there- I actually INITIATED this whole situation) said that I would write a guest blog for her site. She seemed very excited about it though, so hopefully I met her expectations of guest blogs.
Now, I’m supposed to talk about something book-related, which I suppose I will, should my rambling take me in that direction. And that direction starts now: Reading has always been a part of my life. My parents read to me when I was little, I read books on my own, and-I always loved to do this and actually still do, haha-I would even read books to my parents. Usually, it would be Dave Barry for my dad and Terry Pratchett for my mom whenever I’d be in the car with them. They fostered this love of books and reading in me, as well as the inclination to be completely surrounded and overflowing with books. Almost every room in our house has books in it. When my sister left for college, my dad moved a bunch of his books into her room, taking up her bookshelves that had been used for other things when she was there. So it’s really no surprise that I ended up running my own site dedicated to reviewing books and talking about them. However, it probably might not have happened if it weren’t for one thing.
As I got older, like into the 8th grade or so, I lost touch with books. I wasn’t like shunning them by any means, but I read very little. And then when someone recommended a book to me, like my friend Tyler did with Terry Pratchett’s books, I ended up focusing on that one author and reading nothing else. I did this for a couple years with Terry Pratchett and V.C. Andrews. Then, in late summer of 2001, the Princess Diaries movie came out and, being the total gay boy that I am, I absolutely LOVED it. I found out a bit later that it was based on a book and so I started reading the series (starting with the second book because I thought, for some reason, that the first book was written in straight prose rather than diary format and that it would be exactly the same as the movie, which I’d already seen, so why bother reading the same thing?), which I also loved. Meg Cabot became my newest author fad, creating this fun little trifecta thing.
Now, it wasn’t just the Princess Diaries movie that immediately spurred on my love of all things YA. It just led me to Meg, who fostered my love of YA and chicklit. I started reading all of her books shortly after reading all the Princess Diaries books that were out at the time. But it still took several years before I even thought about other authors. When Meg started up her book club in 2004, I started branching out to read other authors that Meg was having as her Book of the Month. Because if Meg liked it, it obviously must be very awesome. I started reading these books to participate in the monthly chats with Meg and the author of the monthly book. Then, it actually happened- I started reading other YA books that Meg had NOT recommended, and finding other books on my own that looked interesting. I devoured them all, loving each story, paragraph, and word.
I was so excited because it was like I’d finally found my niche-the section of the library or bookstore where I could just keep finding amazing books to read. Several years later, I ended up turning that unconditional and immense love for all things YA into a fun and informative book site, which I’ve been running now for just a little over a year. It’s fantastic to be working on the site and chatting with YA authors and other YA readers about not just books, but anything that comes up in conversation. It’s such a great community, and I’m glad that I can be a part of it.
So, here’s the condensed and numerically ordered version of my guest blog (i.e. what you should have learned while reading it):
1) Rambling is good- go with it, embrace it, take it out to dinner, play around in the hot tub with it, etc. It gave me almost two pages for a guest blog-you can’t beat those results (but feel free to slightly maim them)!
2) You never know what event will trigger a series of future events to put you where you are today. It’s actually kind of fun to think about too, and imagine a “If this didn’t happen to me, then I wouldn’t be doing or thinking about <insert fun new thing you wouldn’t be doing or thinking about if it hadn’t been for that one past event>.”
3) YA books rock and are made of awesome, but if you’re here on this site reading this guest blog, then you know this already (I hope).
4) I have no idea how to really end a guest blog, but I can’t really ramble on because this is already long enough as is, so I will try the patented, wonderfully effective plan of just randomly stopping in the middle of the sente-.
June 25, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I love the whole idea of rambling for blogs. I personally believe that that is the way to clearly write something original and you. It’s good to also have a general idea of what you want to write, but to follow a plan is really restricting sometimes.
Like you, I’ve been a keen reader since I was little. Unlike my sister, I learned to love reading from my mom. My sister and cousins used to tease me mercilessly and call me names like “book worm” and such. However, I don’t believe that I ever strayed away from my love of reading. Clearly they were missing out.
I am so glad that Meg Cabot was mentioned because she is one of my favourite fiction authors ever. I started reading her teen fictions, and eventually, read her adult fiction. I love her novels, especially The Boy Next Door.
Ending of the blog– so cute. =)
June 25, 2008 at 7:37 pm
THANK YOU.
I have been waiting (im)patiently for 4 hours for someone’s comment, lol. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Alright, I’ll shut up for now, so I don’t mess up the whole random comment thing, though I’ll probably reply to everyone’s comments once the contest is over because I love replying to peoples’ comments and starting a conversation. So be sure to check back here once the winners have been announced next week to see what I had to say about your comment!
June 25, 2008 at 10:10 pm
im a myspace friend
i follow your blogs!
my daughters love it too
June 26, 2008 at 2:53 am
Best comment huh? What a way to give us all blog comment performance anxiety! *pauses for an uncomfortably long period while trying to think of something witty or insightful to write* I was struck most by Book Chic’s comment about losing touch with books for awhile. I know this happens to me sometimes – not ever for eons or anything – but there are some periods where life gets in the way and there is no time for reading. I keep a book journal, so I can go back and see which periods of my life were barren of books. From April-September of 2006, for example, I did not read a single book! And that feels like a tragedy.
June 26, 2008 at 2:57 am
I’m your friend on myspace too! :P I love your book contests although I’ve never won (yet!) I’ve always loved reading since I was young. My parents are booklovers too and made all my siblings and I love to read too. Going to the library was always fun! And I agree, YA books really DO rock!!
June 26, 2008 at 3:28 am
I’m not going in for the contest, which leaves me free to ramble. lol
Book Chic, I loved reading this! It was brilliant. I also love your reviews and author interviews. I’m so glad I e-met you, back in those heady readergirlz days of October ‘07! :)
June 26, 2008 at 8:42 am
I am never really good at sticking to one subject when I write as well; my thoughts always seem to weaving, like a drunk man driving on the highway.
When I was younger I was never really one for books, but about five or six years ago I became obssessed. Now, I never leave the house without a book in my bag; most of the time you never see me without a book in my hand.
It was actually The Princess Diaries that got me back into reading, so I thought it was really crazy when you mentioned that. I gobbled up any of her books I could get my hands on, but after awhile there were no more! So, that was when I started branching out to other YA authors, and after that you couldn’t get me to stop reading.
June 26, 2008 at 8:45 am
YA books do rock. I have a problem and it’s not a small one. Just ask my American Express card. I love YA books and I buy them by the dozen. I try to be good and go to the library, but sometimes I fall off the wagon.
My name is Betsy and I’m addicted to books.
June 26, 2008 at 12:22 pm
YA books are awesome, I must agree. I’m a fan of Adult books too though, but I think the YA community is a lot more open and fun. People just seem to express their love in a lot more ways…and in more obvious ways as well, which is amazing.
My parents themselves weren’t really readers. I’ve always pretty much been though, and as time went on, my older sister started readind more and more. I still think, in my immediate family, I’m the one that reads the most….which is fine, but it’s good to have my sister for some things because I LOVE talking about books.
Now, just because my parents didn’t really read on their own…I did read books to them, as you mentioned. My mom hated listening to it, so I think I’ve only read a bit to her, but I did read a lot to my dad at one point.
It was just the Harry Potter books, and only 2-4, but I loved reading out loud, even if he kept falling asleep and I’d have to wake him up and go back to what he remembered last…hahaa! It was fun though and gave good memories.
I love to read. I’ve had times where I wouldnt’ really want to read much, and then I’d get back into it and read a ton. I think no matter what…I’ll always love to read. It’s an addiction. :)
-Lauren
June 26, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I love the rambling. It makes the blog more personable.
The other day I was thinking that I had only started to really read books in like junior/high school. But then I realized that I had been reading all my life. I thought that I had taken a break, gone through a book drought if you will, when really I just hadn’t kept track of it all. I mean I still have most of the books I read when I was little and the books that I read when I was in elementary school and in the “drought” were from the school library which is why I don’t remember reading them!
Nowadays, if you look in my room you can see tons of books overflowing from my bookshelf, my bag from the local libraries, and books in purse. I carry a book with me everywhere because you never know when you will be caught in a boring situation where the book will come in handy!
OK, wow. I think Book Chic’s rambling is contagious! I just copied this and pasted it to my blog!
June 26, 2008 at 4:27 pm
OMG…I love Book Chic and I love this post! So awesome to hear about your life growing up, surrounded by books and about how you lost interest and then how it got resurrected. Uber-cool. Now I’m going to print this up, take it outside and play with it in the hot-tub. (That was my favorite line!) LOVE YOU BC! xo
June 26, 2008 at 4:55 pm
i still love you Book Chic (why i wouldnt, i dont know) :D that was funny. and of course YA books rock. who would ever think differently? :D
June 26, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Fact: I never buy a book unless i read about it on Book Chic.
Fiction: I’ve never been on this particular blog before.
Fact: I’ve read so many books that i assume that all of my friends do too, and i’ll do quotes from the books, and nobody understands them.
Fiction: I have never rambled aimlessly.
Fact: I don’t know how to end a comment.
June 26, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I love rambling. It’s how I write all my papers. I ramble for a couple of pages, figure out what I actually want to say, and add in a few edits in the first section to make it look like I was actually headed somewhere. I usually get A’s, so there must be some merit to this method, no?
I actually got to YA because one day I couldn’t find enough books I wanted in the children’s section and thus I wandered over to the YA until my chicken arms could hold no more. (Until I went through puberty I was scary skinny. Actually, I was pretty skinny for about three or four years after puberty. But then I stopped doing ballet and exercising regularly and sprouted curves. I’m not fat or even curvy but I do have curves and it’s quite fabulous. This rambling isn’t even on topic. I just happen to be having a love affair with tangents. Does it count as an affair if I’ve been doing this for years? Aren’t we in a relationship yet?)
I tended to read the books expected for my age group until third grade. I had an awesome teacher who made me read Watership Down (love that book). My mom took me to the library every Wednesday, and my dad would put stuff by Heinlein and such in my hands since I was a SF junkie. (My mom taught me to like mystery and romance; my dad fantasy and SF. They don’t understand why I love manga. Well, my dad didn’t until I got him hooked on Death Note.) But I find a ton of stuff through just needing more to read. I pick up crap other people left lying around, I clear out the clearance stuff no one wanted, I crawl through the library one shelf at a time, etc. And I find PURE SOLID GOLD. Tamora Pierce was one of my best finds.
See, the rambliness covers up the fact none of that was the least bit insightful.
. . . I feel like a stalker.
June 26, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I wish I could write something funny or original but I sometimes like that creative spark that most people have which I lack. I try to be funny or creative but it sounds forced or weird and people end up laughing at me instead of with me. I’ve read what other people commented and they were really good. I feel like a 5 year old in a room full of adults. I don’t get rambling, I mean how do you know you’re rambling? Is it something you that’s embedded in your genes or is it something that you learn? You probably think I’m a bubble head or something. I probably am but I just try to hide it behind my stylish glasses which BTW are very cool looking and I’ve been told they make me look smart. Did I not look smart before or is it because when you see someone with glasses that you instantly assume she/he is a geek, nerd, dork, or whatever else there is. Hmmm… that just got me thinking. I know some people that were glasses and are not geeky, dorky, or nerdy like my aunt. Now let me tell you that lady is funny and far from geeky, nerdy, or dorky.
I love YA books they’re the best. I’ve read some adult books and they’re ok. Maybe it’s because I’m a teen that I prefer YA over adult books. I don’t know.I hope this is rambling. Well anyway I got to go.
-Carol
P.S. I really liked your guest blog Book Chic.
June 27, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I’m only here because I love the Book Chic, okay and maybe because I would like a copy of Dream Girl too, but mostly for Book Chic.
I don’t have anything interesting or creative to say. I guess I’m not a very interesting person. I mean I once had a blog, not the one i have now, but a personal one about my life. And it had no visitors! I don’t know what i was expecting really, i mean my life is pretty boring. Well it was pretty uninteresting until i had this wonderful idea to review books. And yes I’d always read. My grandma taught me how to read before I even started pre-school. It might have been memorization on my part, but hey i can’t really remember. And i too had a lack of books in my life that was mostly stemmed from insecurities and trying to fit in with my peers which i never successfully did, except again when i started a book blog.
My humble little book blog has not only made my life more interesting and exciting, but I’ve also made friends that i actually talk to on a regular basis. Who would have thought that little pieces or paper bound together would have such an impact on a persons life. I love books!
July 1, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Like everyone here I love books too.
Well in The Princess Diaries, Mia was failing Algebra in her freshmen year. I was failing Geometry sadly in my freshmen year also. My mom forbid my grandfather to drive me to the bookstore or the library.
I was a bit sad that I wasn’t allowed to go to those places. However, my grandfather saw my love of books and didn’t follow my mom’s orders. So, I guess you can see my grandfather supports my loving of books too. That’s my life. =)
July 1, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Great guest blog Book Chic! I’ve been reading YA since I was like 15. I seriously can’t get enough of it. I just love books, they’re so amazing. And I do the same you did. Once I discover an author I’ll just read their books for a long time until I’ve read all the books that they have ever written. I’m weird that way. I too at one point lost interest in books for a while. But two years ago my interested picked up again at full force. If I didn’t have my girls I’d be reading 24/7! Or well almost 24/7 anyway. Alright I’m starting to get rambly now so I’ll shut up.
Loved how you ended your guest blog! haha
-Breanna
July 1, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Have the book, so therefore I don’t have to be funny or cool in this comment. I just want to say hi to BC. Hi, James! XO, MW
July 2, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hey BC, I know you’ll be checking this today to reply to the comments . . . can I enter your final giveaway? My sister’s internet won’t allow me to log in to myspace.
July 3, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I would looove to enter the draw too, not sure how..?
July 4, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Carmen- I’m glad you liked the rambling idea! It certainly worked out pretty well, didn’t it? :) I was never called any names like that as a child, though I was called a few others, lol. And Meg Cabot is pretty much made of awesome, isn’t she? ;) hehe.
Tami- Aw thank you! You’re so kind!! :)
Lenore- Not my idea, totally Jocelyn’s. Blame her for your blog comment performance anxiety. Being away from books, looking back on it now that I’ve been so immersed in them, just seems so sad, like you said, as well as a bit unreal. I actually now can’t imagine not having books- it was hard to think back to that time when I didn’t read because it felt like it almost didn’t even happen, lol. (Don’t worry- it did happen; I was not lying just for the sake of a guest blog).
Bunny- Aw, that’s great that your parents are book lovers too!! This is what parents should be doing- fostering a love of books and reading. Glad your parents got the memo about that. ;) hehe
Luisa- It was a pleasure e-meeting you as well way back then!! I’m glad you enjoy pretty much everything I do! :)
Kelsey- Your comment is awesome, esp. the phrase “my thoughts always seem to be weaving, like a drunk man driving on the highway.” I think the PD series is something a lot of people credit as starting them back on the reading track. And there’s always a new Meg book, it seems, haha. Love her stuff.
Betsy- OMG, I totally know what you mean, although my obsession extends toward music and DVDs too. lol. I bought three DVDs today, haha. My Visa and your AE should totally chat. The library is my friend though, but I still need to get a library card for my local library now since I recently moved (and by recently, I mean two months ago… yeah, I’m kinda lazy).
And great last line- I think I’ll be joining you at Book Addicts Anonymous (or BAA, much like a sheep).
Alright, I’m gonna take a dinner break, but I’ll be back later to finish replying to comments!
July 5, 2008 at 11:14 am
Lauren- That’s great that you have at least someone to discuss books with. I don’t really have that other than the people who comment on my reviews and stuff, although I do sometimes chat with my friend Becca about the Bard Academy series.
And great little story about reading to your dad, hehe. :)
Meredith- Rambling is VERY contagious. I actually ended up rambling a lot after watching a bunch of Ellen episodes (her 90s sitcom), lol.
Books are overflowing here too, though I don’t always take one wherever I go cuz I know I won’t always need it (also because I don’t have a purse, lol). But that’s great that you do. :)
Alexa- Why thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Hope you didn’t get my guest blog too wet ;P LOVE YOU TOO ALEXA!
Book Muncher- I love you too! Wow, lots of love up in here, hehe. And you’re right, who would think differently? But unfortunately, people do and it sucks because all they see from YA is Gossip Girl and Stephenie Meyer and seem to make a generalization that it’s all like that and don’t give it a chance, which sucks. But hey, at least we’re enlightened about how awesome YA is, hehe. ;)
Danni- Loved the way you structured your comment!! :) I loved the first fact, and that’s so sweet of you to say! You rock!
Liviana- I wish I was able to get As like that, lol. I mainly got Bs and Cs, though I did get an occasional A.
haha, love the affair bit. And manga does indeed rock- yay for fellow manga lovers. :) Tamora Pierce is awesome too- I love her, but it’s been a while since I’ve read anything from her. The last book by her I read was Trickster’s Choice. I really need to read Trickster’s Queen and Will of the Empress.
Also, don’t feel like a stalker. Feel free to stalk anything I do- I love getting comments! :)
In regards to the contest, it would’ve been hard for me to include you with the other comments, so I didn’t do that. Sorry.
Carol- The queen of rambling is Ellen Degeneres- watch her and you’ll see what rambling is, but you did a great job of it! I enjoyed reading your comment. :)
Story Siren- I figured that if I gave away something, more people would come by and comment, lol. Although now I realize that more people might have commented if there wasn’t a contest going on because some authors and other people didn’t want to be entered into the contest and so didn’t comment on the entry. But the winners have been chosen, so anyone who wants to comment, feel free to comment away!
Books are a great way of connecting, and I’m glad I was able to meet you through it all! :)
And I have my own personal blog too that no one really visits, lol. I’ve started posting more often, but it seems like people don’t care that much, so whatever.
Pretty- Your grandfather rocks! I’m glad he disobeyed your mom and let you get books.
Breanna- Glad you liked the ending! I really had no idea how to end it, haha. I’m glad that idea came to me.
I haven’t done the reading-everything-an-author-has-out for a while. I really only did it with the authors I mentioned above, but now I have so many books that it’s easy for me to go from one author to another, which is great. :)
Melissa- You are so sweet for stopping by!! You are made of awesome too. :) Hi to you as well!
Jen- All you had to do was leave a comment, but unfortunately, the contest ended on July 2, so you were a bit late. Thanks for stopping by though!
February 4, 2009 at 1:06 pm
[...] can also see his previous guest post for Teen Book Review here, and his video page [...]
October 8, 2009 at 7:01 am
I think Book Chic must have had a little injection of cuteness. That last ‘rambling’ post is so sweet. I wish I could say I had a book for teen book and book chic to review but for now I am merely a diary tripping across the ether filled with novel intentions. I love reading your blog. If you ever have time to drop by, come check out my story at http://www.butterflydiaries.wordpress.com...
x