Armchair BEA: Blogging Q & A

My first foray into participating in Armchair BEA (ABEA) continues. I'm now seeing photos of my book buddies at the convention with all of the wonderful books they're getting and my jealousy just keeps growing. One of these years I will be able to go. One of these years...

Until then, it's armchair time. I'm living vicariously through them and talking about books and blogging with a pile of other people who weren't able to go to book Mecca this year. We're having fun on our own terms.

Today's topics are Character Chatter and Blogging Q&A. I'm not feeling uber character creative today, so I'm sticking with the blogging approach and I'm going to share a bit more about why I blog, how I started my blog, and things I've learned along the way. Hopefully some of it will be useful for some of you.


My Blog History

I originally started blogging back in 2006. I got started because I was going through a divorce and I needed an outlet. I needed something to do. The blog was pretty random for the first little while, both in topic and in posting. I would post once a month and then disappear for large stretches. I refined my approach, changed the blog name to Erratic Project Junkie, and started blogging fairly regularly in the summer of 2011.

My blog is now my baby. It's my outlet. It's my hobby. I like to create and share with others. I like to meet new people through it and I love the sense of friendship and community it allows me. I would love it to make me money some day, but that's not what I'm in it for. In fact, I recently removed my AdSense account from the blog because I didn't feel it was worth it. It wasn't adding enough value to my blogging, it was just adding more clutter to my pages. I prefer just to focus on my content at this point. I'm doing it for fun. I want to keep it that way.


Readership

EPJ was initially extremely small, getting only a few hits daily from my friends and family as well as some random hits from individuals using search engines. I slowly gained readership. In October of 2011, I did my first Halloween pumpkin display. My younger brother posted a link to it on Reddit and things exploded. Suddenly I was seeing my 20-30 hits per day grow to 100...150... It was ridiculous. I now get an average of about 8,000 views per month. My regular readership is in the hundreds and I get readers from all sorts of different social media platforms. I'm not a blog mogul by any means, but I like seeing the steady growth and I like knowing that other people are enjoying what I'm putting out there. Validation is nice.

Growing readership is an important part of blogging for most bloggers. It's unlikely that you're suddenly going to be inundated by readers right of the bat, but you will most likely see steady growth in your blog if you stay involved. This means that you need to respond to you commenters, you need to visit their blogs, and you need to take part in social events and activities that will get your name and the face of your blog out there. Don't be afraid of a little self promotion, just don't be too spammy or desperate about it. Don't beg for followers and recognize that your content will not always be for everyone.

When I get a comment from someone I've never seen on my blog before, I will usually head over to their blog (if they have one) and see what they're all about. Most often, I'll leave a comment so that they know I've been there. A good portion of the blogs I now follow regularly are the result of either a blogging event or having them comment on my blog. Blogging is very much about community. You have to be involved.


Blog Design & Layout

I have redesigned the blog layout pretty majorly about three times since I began regularly blogging back in 2011. I'm always tweaking things. The most recent redesign was just a few months ago when I took part in Bloggiesta. I asked for help with my redesign, asking other bloggers what they thought of my layout, my color scheme, and other things as I made changes. That helped me get a wider sense of what works for readers. I want it to be pretty and organized for me, but I need it to be user-friendly for them.

If your blog layout is a mess, you will either gain readership more slowly or you will lose readers more easily. If they're reading through a blog reader like Feedly or Bloglovin' then they won't be exposed to your layout as much, but you want your blog to be attractive, easy to navigate, and not overly cluttered.

My big tips in this field are simple:

• NO CAPTCHA! Trust me on this. You won't get a lot of spam and it's easy to filter out. If you have any form of captcha, you will alienate some readers and you will get fewer comments. It's not worth having. Just get rid of it.
  
• No automatically playing videos or audio. There's nothing I hate more than visiting a blog and having random crap start up. Sometimes I'm reading blogs late at night or sometimes I read them on my lunch hour. I don't need everyone in my vicinity having to hear crap from my computer. Also...I don't like the mini-heart attack the autostart gives me and I really don't appreciate the drag it takes on my computer memory.
  
• No dark backgrounds. Sometimes they look cool, but they can be really hard on eyes and can be difficult to read. White space is your friend. Help your readers out.
  
• Use a simple font. Make sure your font is easy to read. You can do something "different" just make sure it's not crazy scrolly or in a color that's difficult to see on your background. Simple is better. Be nice to your readers.
  
• Don't overload your sidebar. Too much clutter can frighten off readers. They need to have things easily at their fingertips. Don't overwhelm the sidebar with icons for different blog parties or other bloggers. Stick to the basics and maybe one or two additional features.

Posting

I try to post at least once a week, but most of the time I post 2-3 times per week. My topics are varied and it may depend on what activities I'm taking part in or what crafting whim I've gotten myself stuck on. I really make an effort not to abandon the blog for more than a week. If I'm going on vacation, I'll try to either preschedule a post or two or I'll notify my readers if I'm taking some kind of hiatus. My readers are my friends; I like to keep them informed and happy.

I work really hard to make posts with content. Fluff pieces waste your readers' time. Don't do that. Make sure you would find it interesting as a reader. That's how you know it's worth it. A lot of readers have several blogs they follow and time can be limited. Just make sure that what you're putting up is something that's worth that time and you'll be fine.

Proofread your posts before you put them up. You're bound to have an occasional grammar or spelling error, but you don't want them everywhere. Preview and read back through your post before you hit publish and clean up anything crazy you find in either your writing or your formatting. Your readers will thank you.


Networking

Networking and socializing is important in blogging, but you have to do what works for you. I like to take part in read-a-thons and I sometimes do blogging link-up parties for my crafts. That gets me new visitors, but it also helps me find new blogs to read.

The bigger events that I take part in include: Top Ten Tuesday (a weekly event), the A to Z Challenge, Bloggiesta, Bout of Books, and Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. Armchair BEA is new for me, but it's example of such a socializing event.

Find the things you like and join up. Don't be afraid. The worst that can happen is that you won't want to do it again. I have found most of my activities through other bloggers. Read other blogs, check out the blogs of your readers. You'll be surprised at the great stuff you'll find and the awesome people you can meet.

I talked about commenting earlier, but another big help can be helping others find you. When I comment on someone else's blog who may not know about EPJ, I leave a blog link at the end of my comment. This hyperlink reads "Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie". Clicking on it will take them directly to my blog. Some comment platforms (specifically Google's) will make it really difficult for them to figure out where you came from. Make it easy for them and you'll see more people visiting you.


Time Management / Managing the Blog

A blog can be a time suck. Be forewarned. Posts typically take me at least an hour to write--longer if I have to edit photos or if I'm doing a tutorial or book review. Don't try to bang things out in a hurry...it will show.

Prescheduling posts can be a big help. Sometimes life gets crazy and you just don't have time to blog, but you want to keep your posting regular. This is where writing ahead of time and scheduling your post can totally save your bacon. Do it when you can, especially if you're taking part in a big event like A to Z. It's easy to get overwhelmed otherwise.

Blog planning can also be useful. Write a list of posts you might want to do in the future and then spread them out. Get ideas of things to talk about and just keep them handy in case you hit writer's block...it happens.

Make your blog do some of the work for you. I use a platform called IFTTT. As soon as I hit publish, IFTTT is programmed to post my link to Facebook and Twitter as well as my WordPress backup site. If I post a picture to my Instagram, it ships it to my Twitter feed and Facebook page as well. If I have a post that I've used the label "crafts" on, it automatically posts it to Reddit. IFTTT saves me a ton of time in cross-posting. It takes a little time to get used to, but it is very much worth it.


The Big Picture

Don't forget why you're blogging. In my case, I do it as an outlet. I do it because I like it. I want to keep it that way. Don't let the little things bother you. Just make sure you're still having fun with it.

Don't worry about your stats. The numbers don't define you. Readership comes over time. And sometimes it doesn't. It's okay. Just keep doing what you're doing if you're enjoying it.

Don't get overwhelmed trying to do too much. Do what your schedule allows and be happy with that. Certain events aren't for everyone. Sometimes you won't have time to do the ones you really want to...life can be crummy that way. Be present, take pride in your blog. Love your blog and it will love you back.

Oh...and sometimes you'll get an occasional mean commenter. Blow them off. People can be rude and some people are just trolls. If you get an out of line or offensive comment, delete it. It's your blog. You can do that. Don't let them push you around. Most readers are genuine and nice.

Be yourself and you will find readers who identify with you and what you have to say. You'll find people who like you for who you are and what you post. Don't change yourself for readers. Being authentic about your writing will grow your blog faster than anything else. Staying real will keep you relaxed and it will keep it fun. I promise...that is really what it is all about.

Armchair BEA : Social Media

I haven't felt much like writing for the last couple of days, so I kind of hid out for part of Armchair BEA and just read other people's posts. Basically I was a blog lurker since I wasn't social enough to leave comments either. Sometimes I just get in a funk.

Today though...I think it's time to do a little catch up. Well...maybe today and tomorrow. We shall see...

Yesterday (Thursday) everyone was talking about visual expression and social media. Since I'm not much of a picture/comic book reader, I'm skipping out on that topic. I have little to bring to the party on that one. However...let's talk social media. That one I can handle.

First...a definition of social media. It's pretty simple. If you use it to interact with others on the web in some form of individual way, then I consider that to be social media. That means there are a lot of options. It's good, but it can also be scary sometimes. Don't worry...it doesn't have to be. The best thing about social media is that you use it in a way that works best for you. Hopefully some of my words here will help you find new options for yourself (or maybe just reinforce that you're doing the things that work best for you already). It's all good...you can't really do it wrong, you just sometimes can use social media in a way that makes your words (and by extension yourself) more accessible.

You'll notice I have a lot of social media buttons in my sidebar. Why? Well...mostly because I realize that not all blog readers are the same. We all have different preferences. Some like to read their posts via a reader like Feedly or Bloglovin'. Some just like to follow things on Facebook and Twitter and then click over to individual posts from there. Since I want my readers to be able to locate me easily, I've decided that it's important to have several options available.

Let's talk about those individual options. Maybe I'll introduce you to ones you don't know about and I'll share my likes/dislikes along the way. Like I said...we all have preferences. I am not immune. Some social media just doesn't work for me and some I just can't live without. Obviously, I'm not going to go over all social media options, but we'll cover some basics. I'm including all of the ones represented by my buttons as well as a couple of additional ones that may be good places for you to check out (if you haven't already).

Alphabetically, here we go. Buckle up...

Blogger

This is where I start off by lumping two forms together right off the bat. If you're a blogger then you likely use one of two base platforms: Blogger or WordPress. I use Blogger. Why? Well...honestly, because that's where I started when I began blogging a bajillion years ago and I'm terrified of change. There you go. It's really that simple.

There are pros and cons to both platforms, so it's really just dependent on what works for you. Just because you use a Blogger platform doesn't mean you can't interact with WordPress bloggers or vice versa. It's just a matter of where you want to write. Will I someday move my blog over to WordPress? Maybe. WordPress tends to be a better platform for those who use a private web host and have their own site. 

I'll tell you a secret...this blog is actually also on WordPress. What? Yep. I'm sneaky like that. I've created a WordPress account and I use a program called IFTTT (which I'll talk about in my next post) to synchronize my posts to both platforms. At this point in time, other readers can't read the posts there, but they're all there quietly waiting if I decide to change platforms. It's part blog backup and part accessibility options. I sometimes like to cover my bases.

Email

YES...email is social media! You can use this a million different ways. Obviously you can send individual messages or small group messages, but more and more bloggers are beginning to use emails for stronger methods of delivery. Maybe you want to send out a weekly newsletter. Maybe you're a crafter and you want to have a set of free patterns you want to disperse, but only to your most loyal of fans. There are also some readers who like to have their blog posts delivered via email. They don't use specific readers and they don't like to go out to other sites to track you down. Having the ability for them to receive emails of your posts can be a good option.

Facebook

Ah...Facebook...the king of social media. I personally like Facebook. I'm a bit of an addict. But...I'm finding that it's more helpful for me in a personal sense than a blogging sense. I do think that Facebook is one of the best in terms of mobile accessibility, so it does work really well for your readers who are always on the go.

I've set my Facebook page up to receive post links and other materials from additional social networking platforms, but I don't regularly use Facebook as my primary means of blogging communications. I'll talk a little bit more about that next time when I talk about IFTTT.

On a side note, I understand trying to get more followers on different types of social media sites, but I do find myself getting occasionally peeved when a Rafflecopter giveaway requires me to sign up for fourteen different ways of following the same blogger. Nope. Not what I want to do. I'll follow you in my reader and then maybe on Pinterest and Instagram. I'm not going to have you flood all of my feeds, so just chill the heck out. Pick one or two people.

Feedly

Let's talk about readers. If you're not using one, you're totally missing out. They are SOOO handy.

When I first started blogging, I kept track of the blogs I followed by adding bookmarks to my browser. Then I would have to go through every time I was reading and click on each individual blog to find out if they had maybe posted something new since last time I headed over. Holy crap was that annoying.

Then I found Google Reader. I loved Google Reader. It was my buddy. I got all organized and was able to click through easily. When they discontinued it, I nearly had a breakdown.

I tried other readers (including Bloglovin'), but ultimately I found my love in Feedly. I have a site on Bloglovin', but I find it just isn't as user-friendly for me. Feedly is my new favorite (and by new I mean I've been using it for more than a year). I can organize my blogs by type, I can just read my book blog posts if I want to, I can add and delete different blogs easily without feeling like I'm making a complete disaster. It lets me try out new blogs without feeling like it's a complete hassle. Their mobile platform needs some work, but I love using Feedly on my computer. It's super handy. Have I convinced you yet? I heart Feedly.

Google Plus

I do not heart Google Plus. To me, it's a waste of space. It's more of a primitive set up. Good try Google, but you were better off with Reader. I find that it's too difficult to specifically jump from blog to blog and the feed feels totally messy. I also don't think it's as intuitive as some other social media platforms. Maybe some day. But today is not that day. I more or less ignore Google Plus. I only keep it around because other people like it and I hate to alienate readers.

Goodreads

Are you a book blogger? Are you a book reader? Either one of these categories of people...you need Goodreads. It's freaking awesome. You can build your TBR list, keep track of things you have read, rate books, read reviews...it's a literary wonderland. 

I link up with other book bloggers as my Goodreads friends so that I can see what they've read, what they're reading, and get ideas for what I might like to read next. It's dangerous for my ever-growing TBR, but I find books that I otherwise may not have known about -- and sometimes they are A-MA-ZING. You can also enter to win ARCs and you can get recommendations from the Goodreads system based on your prior reading history and ratings. Seriously...if you read, get a Goodreads account.

Instagram

I'm not going to lie, my Instagram is primarily full of pet pictures. That's what happens when your kid is very nearly a teenager and he doesn't want you taking pictures of him and he rarely does cute things anymore -- you either take pictures of your food or your pets. Okay...I do both, but I do share other things too...I promise.

I really like Instagram. It's good for sharing random things and just basically opening a window into a different angle of your life. I use it a lot when I'm doing read-a-thons or participating in other group activities (like ABEA). It's handy. I also like seeing what other people's lives look like. You can only get so much information from a blog. Like they say...sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. Instagram helps me feel like my virtual world is sometimes a little more real. I can connect differently with readers and other bloggers by using it.

 

LinkedIn

I dabble in LinkedIn, but I'm not its biggest fan. LinkedIn is mostly helpful in a professional sense, especially if you're looking for a new job or you run a company and are looking for potential candidates for employment. It's easy to find individuals with appropriate skill sets and you can get more info on them based on who it shows they know...who they're "linked" to. Sometimes this can get you background information that they wouldn't otherwise provide you. It's like having a little bit of an inside track. 

Like I said, I don't use it much. I think it has it's place...it's just not for me.

Pinterest

For about a year, I had an intense love affair with Pinterest. If you haven't used it before, I'm sure you've heard of its addicting properties. It's true. It's crafting crack. Pinterest is like a giant corkboard to store all of your ideas in. It's a way to keep track of things you like without having a thousand bookmarks in your broweser. I don't have a thousand bookmarks. I do have thousands of pins...everything from crafting ideas to recipes.

I do actually use my Pinterest pins, but I've evolved in how I use the site. I now primarily pin things based on blogs I read. It helps me keep tabs on book lists for things I might want to read, get ideas for what to make for dinner, and get ideas for things to make. Instead of using Pinterest on its own and scrolling through the bajillion ideas on the site, I now use it more like a holding tank for things I find on my own. I think it's useful in both regards. I'm still a pretty big fan, I'm just not as big of an addict.

Reddit

I'm not going to lie...Reddit still intimidates/frightens me. I'm not good at it. My brother introduced me to Reddit a few years ago when we first started doing our pumpkin displays and it blew up my freaking blog. People showed up by the hundreds daily to my little blog that had previously been getting maybe 30-40 daily views. Obviously, it can be handy.

I do have an account on Reddit. I don't usually go search through it, but I cross post any of my craft projects to it. Once again...an item we'll talk about with IFTTT.

If you're good at Reddit, kudos to you. Seriously. I'm a total noob in that department. I have now totally shown my lack of cool. Yep...I'm too old to be in the hip Reddit group apparently.

RSS Feeds

Okay...RSS feeds are important. This is how your posts get regularly delivered to things like Feedly and Bloglovin'. It makes your blog more accessible. It can also help make sure that your SEO (search engine optimization) is increased and you can be found a lot more frequently by random searchers...thus helping to boost your readership.

If you're a blogger, you need to make sure your RSS feed is operational. It speeds delivery up and makes it streamlined. 

I use FeedBurner for my RSS feed. It was one of the first things I did when I started blogging. It's easy to set up and it works well. Plus...added bonus...once you set it up, you can pretty much just ignore it. Yes, there are things you can do to make it more optimized and helpful, but if you set it up and get it going, you're already going to be miles ahead of not having a functional feed.

StumbleUpon

I haven't used StumbleUpon for quite some time, but it's still around. StumbleUpon is basically a nice little time suck. If you're bored and you're on the internet, StumbleUpon will find you something to read or do. 

You create an account, input a list of things you like to see on the internet based on their list of options, and (when you press the StumbleUpon button you install into your browser's toolbar) it takes you to a random page based on those preferences. 

Sometimes it's great. Sometimes not so much. Once you're directed to a page, you can then give a thumbs up or thumbs down and StumbleUpon will keep track of what you like so it knows how to send you better things later on. 

Tumblr

Tumblr hasn't quite become my favorite. I look at it as a substitute for either Facebook or Twitter in a way. You have a scrolling feed based on people you follow. It then gives you photos, videos, blog posts, and random blurbs any time those people post something. It's a mishmash of a bunch of other social media types. I use it occasionally, but I'm not really in love. This is another one of those platforms I automatically crosspost to, but spend little time on.

Twitter

Twitter is tricky. I still need to get better at it. It's good for little chats and it's really handy for immediate social interaction. I really like it for blog chats like when I'm involved in a readathon. 

In those cases, I set my feed up using TweetDeck, a platform that allows you to follow tweets based on a specific user or hashtag. It's very handy for keeping things up-to-date and allowing you to weed out things that might otherwise be in the way if you're taking part in a fast paced chat environment. You can also use TweetDeck to preschedule your tweets, which can be super handy for bloggers.

The best thing I've learned about Twitter recently is the use of lists. Now I can switch my feed from everyone I follow to people I know in real life to book bloggers, etc. with one click. It's super handy and keeps me from feeling lost in a gigantic sea of tweets. Twitter can become pretty overwhelming for me otherwise.

YouTube

Last but not least, we have YouTube. I love YouTube, but I'm not on YouTube. Why? Because I'm freaking awkward people. I do much better hiding behind a keyboard. One of these days maybe I'll be a vlogger. Today is not that day.

I follow a list of YouTube accounts including some book vloggers, BuzzFeed, My Drunk Kitchen, and Vlogbrothers (author John Green and his brother Hank) among others. I quite enjoy watching random videos from time to time. I use the recommendations tab to help me find new feeds once in a while. It's definitely a social media platform that is growing on me.

Holy crap that was long! If you made it all the way to the end, you totally deserve a cookie. Well done. I'm impressed. Obviously I'm not a social media guru, but I'll do my best should you have any questions on any of these platforms. Follow any of those buttons at the sidebar to take yourself to my personal pages/feeds/etc. on the majority of the ones I've discussed today. 

The big lesson about social media is this...it's not going away, it can be helpful, and you don't need to be afraid of it. Give a new platform a try now and then. You won't like them all, but sometimes you can find something that you suddenly realize you can no longer live without. Yay for more addictions! I'm such an enabler...

Armchair BEA Introduction

A lot of my blog buddies are hanging out at BEA (Book Expo America) this week and I'm totally jealous, so when I saw the non-attendees like myself participating in Armchair BEA, I knew I needed to join in.

Today is introduction day...so let's do a little introducing with 5 of ABEA's suggested questions...


1. Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

Let's see... I'm from the Pacific Northwest...more specifically southwestern Idaho. I'm a dentist by day but I prefer to do other crafty things. I'm a project lover. I'm always finding something new to do. I do a lot of crafting here on the blog, including more and more sewing as days go on, but I also like to blog about books. You'll find a pretty eclectic group of stuff here at EPJ...hence the "erratic" part.

I've actually been blogging for a long time. I can't even remember exactly when or why I started, but I've been running EPJ pretty regularly for about 4 years. It's another one of my notorious projects. I love just hanging out on the blogosphere spouting about random things and making new friends.


2. What is one book everyone should read?

Oh boy, now there's a dangerous question. I have a lot of favorites. I know a lot of people don't really like the classics (and to be honest, I usually struggle with them as well), but my favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Of course, since I know not everyone will want to tackle that one, I'm nice enough to provide a back up. A really good (and quick) read... Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.

3. What is your favorite genre and why?

I read a little bit of everything. I'm a mood reader, so my choices tend to change here and there. I went through a big mystery phase for quite a few years, then I was really into historical fiction for a while. Right now, I'm loving YA fiction. I just can't get enough. It's so easy and comforting to read most of the time. I like that the plots are easy to follow but the characters, still have depth. I also like the variety of plot choices to run with. I've read a lot of dystopia.YA contemporary also ranks pretty darned well with me these days. But...I still do branch out into other genres.


4. What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer?

My TBR list is gigantic and continues to grow by the day. Right now I have a small stack of books patiently waiting on my bedside table, but I think Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is topping my antsy pants list.


5. Shelfie time!

I've started doing a lot of e-reading over the past few years, but I still love actual books. I always wish there were more of them. My library is my happy place.


Since this is my first time participating, I'm not quite sure how I'll be doing this Armchair thing. I'll just be rolling with the punches. Happy BEA week everyone!

Bout of Books 13: Wrap Up Post

Bout of Books 13 is all done. I got a great batch of reading done and I'm actually making progress towards catching up on my woefully behind Goodreads goal for 2015.

I finished reading City of Heavenly Fire, so I'm pretty stoked about that. It was a good read, but Cassandra Clare is a master at setting up her next series. It became pretty obvious about 1/4 of the way through this one that there needed to be another book. Sure enough, the first book in her next series should be released early next year. Now the question becomes, do I read the first book when it comes out (like I accidentally did both The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series) and then suffer trying to be patient while I wait for the other two or do I just hold my breath until 2018 when they will hopefully all be released and available for me to read in one fell swoop? Decisions, decisions.

I'm sure those of you who hang out around here on occasion figured out that Darian totally ditched me on this readathon. He has become preoccupied with his tablet and the PS4 video game he bought with a gift card he received from his orthodontist. He's almost 13...this is what we have to look forward to. I'm pretty sure my reading buddy isn't going to be hanging out with me for these things anymore. Sad, but true. We'll see...maybe I can bribe him with snacks for the next Dewey's or Bout of Books.

Even by myself, with no one to hang out with, I managed to get some reading done. Really I just holed up in the den while Collin played his video games so that I wasn't completely isolated in the house. It was a productive week. Here's where I end up...


Currently Reading :

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

I'm not sure what I expect from this book. Both a good friend and my sister-in-law rated it kind of meh, but a couple of book bloggers I follow rated it pretty high. We'll see what happens. Thus far I'm not terribly impressed, but I don't feel the urge to ditch the book and move on either. Time will tell...

Minutes Read Yesterday: 110 minutes

Total Time Read: 814 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Yesterday: 103 pages

Total Pages Read: 822 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Yesterday: 1

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Total Books Finished: 2

Goal: 3 books

Ultimately, I didn't meet my three book goal for the week, but I did read a 725 page one so I'm totally counting that as good. It also proves to me that without a whole huge amount of time I should be able to finish 2-3 books a week regularly. I just need to make reading a bit more of a priority. An hour before bedtime should do it. Let's see if I stick with that (especially after classes start back up).

Now I'm off to surf the blogs of other Bout of Books participants to see how they did and maybe steal a few books for my TBR. I'll be back around here later this week, though I'm not sure what for yet. I'm flying by the seat of my pants around here for a short while. I suppose if you have anything particular you want to see me post, now's the time to put in your requests!

Bout of Books 13: End of Day 6 Update

This week has gone by quickly and now Bout of Books 13 is almost over. It's so sad.

Yesterday I participated in the lively Twitter chat and the challenge for the day - The Favorite Read Photo Challenge hosted by Once Upon a Chapter. After that, I read for a little while before becoming drowsy and taking a nice two hour nap. Family craziness ensued after that and I never made it back to my book. It didn't help that I got sucked into a new game on my iPad. Ugh. It sometimes gets ridiculous.

Regardless, I still got some decent reading done. I have met two of my three goals and I'm well on my way to finishing City of Heavenly Fire. I consider that a pretty hefty achievement.

Currently Reading :

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Minutes Read Today: 132 minutes

Total Time Read: 704 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Today: 150 pages

Total Pages Read: 719 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Today: 0

Total Books Finished: 1

Goal: 3 books

I now have a short window for reading before we head over to my parents' house for family dinner. My brother and his wife are in from out of town this week, so we'll be hanging out with them for the evening. In the meantime, I also have to put together dessert for tonight's dinner. I'd better get moving!

Bout of Books 13: End of Day 5 Update

Yesterday was a very hard day. After nearly 12 years, we had to say goodbye to my best friend, Piper.

She had been fighting osteosarcoma for about six months, but the cancer had spread to her lungs and her stomach. She was a trooper. I'm just happy she's no longer hurting. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through and I'll miss her every day.

Between losing her and having the next 4-5 days slated for nothing but rain, it was a good time to take comfort in a book. I settled in and did nothing yesterday but read and play on my iPad. The plan is more or less the same for today and tomorrow, though we will actually have to leave the house for a while for family things.

We have a niece's dance recital this evening (our third such recital in two weeks -- that's what happens when you have a handful of nieces and only one nephew) and then my brother and his wife will be here from Ohio to visit, so we'll be doing a big family dinner tomorrow night. We only see them once or twice a year so I'm excited to hang out with them.

Other than that, it's all reading. Here's where I'm at this morning:

Currently Reading :

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Minutes Read Today: 167 minutes

Total Time Read: 572 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Today: 177 pages

Total Pages Read: 569 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Today: 0

Total Books Finished: 1

Goal: 3 books

I've almost met my page and minute goals and I might actually finish this book today. It's soooo long, but soooo good. (I had to make sure my number of "o"s matched there.) I'm pretty happy with my BoB progress so far.

Now...I'm off to the Bout of Books Twitter Chat!!

Bout of Books 13: End of Day 4 Update

Finally! A decent reading day. I got to relax for a little while and take a good chunk of pages out. I'm super happy about that.

I have been bailing on the challenges for the last few days...I just haven't been super into them. But...there are still a few days to go, so I may change my tune.

Right now, I'm looking forward to a nice rainy weekend and lots of good cuddled up reading time. Oh...and Saturday's Twitter chat! Can't wait!

Currently Reading :

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Minutes Read Today: 196 minutes

Total Time Read: 405 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Today: 217 pages

Total Pages Read: 392 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Today: 0

Total Books Finished: 1

Goal: 3 books

Let's be honest...this book is crazy long. To think I'm actually going to finish three books might be a little far fetched. But...you never know.

How's your reading going? Are you having a relaxing Bout of Books?

Bout of Books 13: End of Day 3 Update

The good news is that I've had a massage and my neck and shoulder are beginning to feel better. I can now turn partially to the left for the first time in almost five days. The bad news is that after posting yesterday, I took a three hour nap and then read only briefly before succumbing to the need for pain medication and sleep. It's been a rough week.

I'm on the mend now, but my stats for yesterday are a little sad. I'm still enjoying my book and plodding along, so hopefully now that my neck is on the mend I'll be able to put forth a little more reading effort. Also, my stats may be unimpressive, but I'm still kicking the pants off Darian, who is sitting at a nice fat goose egg due to his penchant for video games and tablet apps over reading this week.

Currently Reading :

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Minutes Read Today: 52 minutes

Total Time Read: 209 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Today: 42 pages

Total Pages Read: 175 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Today: 0

Total Books Finished: 1

Goal: 3 books

Tomorrow could be a rough day, so I'm hoping that the weekend affords me plenty of relaxing reading time. We shall see...

Bout of Books 13: End of Day 2 Update

I'm a little slow getting this post up thanks to a lovely pinched nerve in my neck that is wreaking havoc on my plans for the week. I'm currently laid up in my family room. Such good times really. Thank goodness I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow...I'm hoping that will make things more tolerable.

I skipped out on yesterday's challenge and was totally bummed to realize the Twitter chat I missed on Monday is one of only two such chats this week. Drat. I will definitely have to do my best not to miss Saturday.

Despite my currently partially crippled state, I did still manage to get some reading in yesterday...

Currently Reading :

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

I'm not very far in this yet, but it is already really good. I have a feeling it will read pretty quickly.

Minutes Read Today: 77 minutes

Total Time Read: 157 minutes

Goal: 600 minutes

Pages Read Today: 78 pages

Total Pages Read: 133 pages

Goal: 600 pages

Books Finished Today: 0

Total Books Finished: 1

Goal: 3 books

Now I'm going to try and take advantage of my inability to move and get more pages in. Back to the books! Or maybe some stronger pain meds and a nap. It's up for debate...

Oh...and if you're wondering about Darian's progress...he got a new PS4 game the other day and hasn't read a single page. Of course. We're just winners over here...