Introducing - Alisha - Black Nailed Reviews - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

ALISHA – BLACK NAILED REVIEWS

Introducing Alisha from Black Nailed Reviews. Alisha is 16 and he has been blogging since January 2010. Alisha is the administrator at Black Nailed Reviews where she blogs with two other girls. Now that I have a team blog, I understand how fun it can be! Alisha has a special interest in both romance and paranormal books. I like that Alisha is always so friendly on twitter and she isn’t too shy to join in the conversation.

Alisha is guest posting about her Favorite 2011 Books by Genre today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support Alisha and the other young bloggers. You can also find Alisha on Twitter as @blacknailreview and on Black Nailed Reviews.

Lightning Fast Interview

What has been the most enjoyable thing about the book blogging experience?

I would have to say the bloggers. I’ve met many interesting people that have taught me the ways of blogging. If I didn’t start blogging, I would have never met an amazing friend of mine, Brooke, who’s also my co-blogger.

What book did you recently read that you loved?

Right now I’m reading Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and absolutely loving it! I seem to be getting more into historical fiction this year.

What do you think is the hardest part about book blogging?

The hardest part would have to just be the schedule. I love blogging and every part of it, but with my junior year overloading me with homework and projects, I don’t have much time to blog. However, I always try to make time each day to check up on emails and try to squeeze reviews in when I can. I’m hoping it’ll get easier as I get used to my insane schedule.


Thanks Alisha!

Introducing - Hayden - The Teen Bookworm - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

HAYDEN – THE TEEN BOOKWORM

Introducing Hayden from The Teen Bookworm. Hayden is almost 15 and he has been blogging since June 2011.  I just recently met Hayden on Goodreads.  He writes some of the most memorable reviews ever.  Sometimes he includes photos and images, but you will always know exactly how Hayden feels.  Check it out for yourself HERE on Goodreads.  You have to see for yourself.  Oh, and he probably has the longest and funniest list of Goodreads bookshelves EVER.

Hayden is guest posting about The Top 5 Books I’d Microwave Baby Owls to Purchase today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support Hayden and the other young bloggers. You can also find Hayden on Twitter as @haydenmcasey13 and on The Teen Bookworm.

Lightning Fast Interview

Your blog theme incorporates owls. Why owls of all animals?

Owls have always been one of my favorite animals, because they remain mostly unseen and they're very mysterious and beautiful creatures. Also, a blog theme I found, made by the fabulous Leelou Blogs (http://www.leelou-blogs.com), featured them, and I loved it so much I had to use it!

How has the blogging community been treating you?

I haven't gotten a lot of recognition in the blogging community -- none at all, really. I get a new follower every week or so (it was established in early June, and I have 18 followers) and a comment about every three blog posts. I decided to have you feature my blog (thank you for doing so, by the way) so I could get a little more recognition. I am hoping this will be just the push I need to get going!

Hardcover of Paperback? Why?

This is the hardest question I've ever had to answer. :)

I like hardcovers because I can take the jacket off and keep the book neat, and the spine can't break easily (my #1 pet peeve). Paperbacks have all the faults that hardcover's don't, but they're totally cheap.

So, as far as overall advantages, I'm going to have to say hardcovers.

Also, if I start purchasing a series in a certain format, I have to get the rest of the series in that format as well. This is one reason I totally hate redesigns -- I'm a stickler for matching. :)

Thanks Hayden!

Introducing - Alex- Electrifying Reviews - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

ALEX – ELECTRIFYING REVIEWS

Introducing Alex from Electrifying Reviews. Alex is 15 and he has been blogging since he was 13. He is one of the very first bloggers I met when I first started Reading Vacation. There are so many things that I love about Alex and his blog that I am going to have to make A LIST!

Alex is

My friend!

Fun to chat with on Twitter.

Someone who gives awesome advice.

Creative.

Great about sharing his books.

Smart.

Going to be very successful in his life.

Loved by the blogger community.

Electrifying Reviews Has

Reviews that are detailed, thoughtful, and honest.

IMM vlogs that range from funny to serious to all out CRAZY.

Future Favorites that tells me what I should be reading next.

Dust Collectors that Alex REALLY needs to read.

A reputation for providing steady and interesting content.

Alex is guest posting about This or That today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support Alex and the other young bloggers. You can also find Alex on Twitter as @ABennettBooks and on Electrifying Reviews.

Lightning Fast Interview

What has been your favorite part of blogging?

My favorite part of blogging is definitely meeting all of the people I have thanks to my blog. I got to go to NYC and attend BEA this past May, and it was so fantastic to get to meet so many of the people I talk to online, in person. I mean, I have friends who have also written some of my favorite books--how awesome is that?

Alex, I feel the same way!  Meeting everyone is my favorite part too.

How do you juggle both school and blogging equally?

To be honest, I don't really work super dooper hard at when it comes to school work. I get all of my homework done in my free period, and I have the gift of being able to retain just about everything I learn, so I barely ever study. But balancing extracurriculars and blogging isn't as easy. I'm involved in: Little/Big Pals, Students for World Awareness, Student Council, Envirothon, The Fall Musical, Choir, and Tennis. Yeah, that's a lot to handle. But those things and school come first, and then I thankfully have a lot of time after to do blogging stuff.

Alex, Whoa!  That is A LOT of extracurriculars!  

Your blog design is definitely an eye-catching one. Has this been the design since the beginning?

No. My blog design and name has changed very often since I started Electrifying Reviews. At first, my blog was called Alex's Book Adventures, then Tales of a Teenage Book Lover, but I wanted a shorter name, so I decided on Electrifying Reviews. The design I have now was done by a professional designer and I love it much more than anything I had before.

Alex - I remember Tales of a Teenage Book Lover!  Can you believe we can say things like, "I remember when" in regards to our blogs?  LOL

Thanks Alex!

Introducing - HD - Reading Writing Breathing - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

HD – READING WRITING BREATHING

Introducing HD from Reading Writing Breathing. HD just turned 13 and he has been blogging since this summer. I met HD online and now we are friends in real life too!  REAL LIFE!  Isn't that COOL?  Making connections like this is one of the very best things about blogging.

Okay, so HD is not shy. At. All.  If he loves a book, you (and anyone else on Blogger or Twitter) will KNOW ABOUT IT.  HD will make it clear to everyone that the book is AMAZZZZZING and you MUST get your hands on a copy NOW!

HD is one of my blogging partners on Young Bloggers Unite, where our enthusiasm is overflowing with young blogger fun.  I am so fortunate to have such an awesome blog partner!

 HD is guest posting about A Guy's Point of View today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support HD and the other young bloggers. You can also find HD on Twitter as @rwbofficial and on Reading Writing Breathing.

Lightning Fast Interview

What do you see as your biggest challenge as a relatively new book blogger?

The book blogging community is a huge, huge, huge one, and I’m just a small fish swimming into a very large, vast pond! I’m new, and will go unnoticed if I don’t distinguish myself with reviews that speak more than just words, but have a personality. I tell publishers that they can expect a lot of jazz and pizzazz from my reviews, because I had to make sure that my reviews were different, that they were fresh and unique, to get noticed by other bloggers and publishers!

Do you feel that you have a different take on books than the typical book blogger because of your gender?

I think sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes, with books such as Matched by Ally Condie, I have different takes on the books because, well, they’re for girls. The kissing and the heart break and the “poor-little-old-me” and “I’m-in-such-distress” can get kind of sickening to a guy because I, and no one else, really understand those feelings. This is because, frankly, we’re not girls! But sometimes, in books such as Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, the romance is intense and interesting.

I see you are a big fan of dystopian books. What are a few of your favorites? There are so many to choose from and 2011 feels like it’s the year of the dystopian novel.

Since the release of The Hunger Games and its sequels, authors have been emerging from every end of the earth with a “heart-stopping action romance dystopian” that is trying to sell and keep up with the time. Sadly, some of them have failed. But there have been a few that have almost (almost) topped The Hunger Games.

Divergent by Veronica Roth because it’s so dang LONG and it’s full of intense romance and EDGE OF YOUR SEAT action! It was the first book I ever reviewed on the blog, and I absolutely ADORED it! It’s so amazing, full of great characters that deal with identity problems and, you know, the occasional knife and punching fight!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is ten times better than The Hunger Games, in my opinion, because of the writing style! Run-on, disjointed, and open ended sentences litter the pages, and also words crossed out to show symbolism of distress! The writing style is fresh, and the romance is intense and AMAZING! It’s my favorite book of 2011 and my favorite dystopian.

Thanks HD!

Introducing - Fran - Book Chow Down - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

FRAN – BOOK CHOW DOWN

Introducing Fran from Book Chow Down. Fran is 16 and she has been blogging since July, 2011. She may be fairly new to book blogging, but girlfriend can write some great reviews. No joke! I think I may have to ask her for some review writing tips. Welcome to the book blogging community Fran!

Fran is guest posting about BLOGGING IN THE UK today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support Fran and the other young bloggers. You can also find Fran on Twitter as @bookchowdown and on Book Chow Down.

Lightning Fast Interview

I see you have been blogging since July, 2011. You are still a baby in our community. How are you finding your place among all the other blogs out there?

Haha yes definitely a baby in the blogosphere! It can be a bit intimidating to see all these amazing book blogs and the even more amazing book bloggers, but for me it’s something I aspire to be like! Everyone contributes so much to the community and it’s wonderful to be apart of it. One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone is so friendly, especially on Twitter! Without Twitter I would not survive. Whoever said social networking sites are not educational, are wrong, seriously! You learn bucketloads on Twitter, LOL. BUT the coolest thing about Twitter is that you can actually talk to authors. Like real, living, breathing authors. Oh wait sorry, sidetracked a bit by the wonders of Twitter. I think what I’m trying to say here is that I love everything about the book blogging community, especially the people behind them.

Living in the UK, what sorts of differences do you deal with when compared to the US based bloggers?

To those of you in the US, you have it lucky. I love living in England, don’t get me wrong, but living in the US as a book blogger makes life so much easier! First off live chats, say they’re held at 7 EST time, a perfectly respectable time for you guys but for me...2 am. During summer this was fine but now school’s started it’s a bit harder. In summer I went to bed at like 3 am and woke up at well...you don’t wanna know. 2 am was for the weak willed during summer, but now...not so much.

I think the most obvious thing though that international bloggers will agree on is postage. I’ve just closed a giveaway and am dreading the p and p.

Haha but no complaints really, being a book blogger is awesome wherever you may be in the world.

Interesting Fact: I was actually born in the US (San Francisco) so am technically American, but I am also British. Yeah, I bet you’re confused now.. dual citizenship is what I have, pretty awesome eh?

Oh, you read comics too! Tell me about that.

Yeah I love comics too! I collect Archie Comics. They are for all intents and purposes American comics therefore they’re a bit of a commodity over here, which leads me to use eBay if you hadn’t already guessed. There’s nothing like cracking open a comic book from the ‘70s. I also love reading French comics. I’ve been studying French since the age of 10 and the French language is sort of a passion of mine. Reading French comics improves my French whilst providing a great source of entertainment. OMG I sound like such a geek. Anyways...yeah comics books are really good and there’s loads of different genres, it’s not just for comic book nerds:p

Thanks Fran!

Introducing - Kat - Katmunster Reviews - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

KAT – KATMUNSTER REVIEWS

Introducing Kat from Katmunster Reviews. Kat is 17 and she has been blogging since August, 2011. Since she is practically brand new in our community, I am rolling out the welcome mat and waving hello! As a brand new visitor to Kat’s blog, I thought back to my first months of blogging and how exciting it was to get started. She is REALLY nice and friendly, so I have a feeling she will be making a lot of book loving friends.

Kat is guest vlogging about INSPIRATION today on Young Bloggers Unite. Check it out to support Kat and the other young bloggers. You can also find Kat on Twitter as @mrscupcakeman and on Katmunster Reviews.

Lightning Fast Interview

Welcome to our book blogging community. I see that you are taking part in memes and meeting other bloggers. Do you find everyone to be helpful and welcoming?

Yes I do! Everyone in the book blogging community is so nice and helpful. They are also really personable and great to get along with. It’s one of the main reasons why I decided to join the community. Kindness is important to me and I have not once found one mean spirited person! I highly recommend anyone to join in on the fun!

Which five books are you most looking forward to this Fall and Winter? What makes them tops on your to-read list?

My number one is The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson. I have always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and when I heard about a YA book coming out about him I knew I had to get it. It’s the mystery of him that really interests me, the fact that no one caught him or knew who he was. I’m really excited to read Maureen John’s take on him and his crimes!

My Second is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. All year people have talked about how wonderful this book is. I read a preview somewhere and fell in love with Michelle’s writing style. I know I won’t be disappointed in this book and seriously cannot wait for it to come out!

Third is Shatter Me By Tahereh Mafi. Someone told me this book is basically a cross between the Hunger Games and X-Men. That just sounds so original and cool to me! I seriously can’t wait for November so I can get my hands on this book!

Fourth is Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel. I am a huge fan of the Victorian Era. When I heard this book was set in that time period and had ZOMBIE HEROES I knew this was a top read. I love the idea of a zombie being a hero. I loved Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies, which was basically a zombie love story too and am interested to see how Dearly, Departed plays out in comparison.

And the last book I am looking forward to is, Ruthless by Sara Shepard. Ruthless is number 10 in the Pretty Little Liar series. I have loved this series ever since it began, even if it is cliché sometimes. It’s one of the only series I keep up with and I can’t wait to see what drama pops up in Ruthless!

You mentioned on your blog that you are finding it a challenge to juggle blogging and school. What is your game plan to keep up with it all?

I plan to read as much as I possibly can during the days and weekends and post my reviews during the weekend. I have been doing it for the past couple of weeks and it seems to be working out the best. The hard part about juggling school and blogging is finding time to do both. I decided to dedicate thirty minutes a day to just blogging. By doing that hopefully I will be able to post more!

Thanks Kat!

Introducing - JP - YA Urban - Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

INTRODUCES

JP – YA URBAN

Introducing the first young blogger in the Young Bloggers Unite feature – JP from YA Urban. JP is 14 and he has been blogging since June, 2010. I have known JP online since he first got started. I even helped him out with a Science fair experiment last year that involved reading while listening to various genres of music. Good times!

The thing that I notice the most about JP, is that he is very supportive of YA authors. JP is great at getting the word out about his favorite authors, and I am sure they appreciate it.

 JP with Victoria Schwab

 JP is guest posting about UNDERRATED BOOKS today on the Young Bloggers Unite blog.   Check it out to support JP and the other young bloggers.  You can also find him on Twitter as @jpmsull and on YA Urban.

Lightning Fast Interview

1. You have the most simply uncluttered blog I have ever seen. Sometimes less is more! Do you think the design reflects your personality and how you go about your blogging?

Thank you! After I started blogging, I wanted to make mine stand out. I looked at other blogs to compare mine with, and found that some sites have way too many things all over the place, so I cleaned mine up. It didn’t used to be that way, trust me!

I do think the design reflects my personality and how I blog. I write pretty concise reviews and try my best to get to the point. Others give their own summary of the book and go into much detail, while I simply share with readers why I did or didn’t care for a book.

2. Okay, give me a recommendation for a paranormal, urban fantasy, and a contemporary book you recently read.

Oh, wow! Okay—my recommendation for a paranormal would have to be Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Popular, I know, but I am so in love with Maggie’s books. The Demon’s Lexicon, also a series, is awesome, addicting urban fantasy! As for contemporary, I’ll go with Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. I love that book so hard. Heartbreaking yet fulfilling stuff.

3. You are pretty active on Twitter chatting with authors. Who are a few of your favorite authors to tweet with and why?

*raises eyebrows and puts on innocent face* Twitter? Me? All the time? Hmmm? Yeah. Okay. I admit it. I love tweeting with Jackson Pearce (@jacksonpearce) because she’s hilarious and I’ve met her twice. She lives pretty close to me. And Maureen Johnson’s twitter is my drug (@maureenjohnson). I love her. She’s also hilarious and she is a great voice to have in the YA community. And the last person I’ll tell you about is Victoria Schwab (@veschwab). She is one of the sweetest people ever, and her blog is really fun. All of these authors’ books are excellent, too.

Thanks JP!

Young Bloggers Unite - The Blog

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

THE BLOG

Remember two weeks ago when I told you that I would be featuring young bloggers on Reading Vacation? Remember how I wanted to celebrate book bloggers who are under 18?

The response was HUGE and now nearly forty bloggers have signed up to take part. That’s right- FORTY! You will get to meet them all here starting on Thursday of this week. You will see brand new bloggers, others who have been around for a while, and bloggers from all over the world. I can’t wait for you to meet all my young blogging friends.

But wait – there’s more!

Y’all know how much I like meeting new book lovers and blogging has brought so many of us together. Well, when I was looking for volunteers to help me, the first one to step up was a fairly new blogger, HD from Reading Writing Breathing. He suggested taking the feature a step further and creating an entire blog dedicated to young bloggers. I like the way this guy thinks!

For the last two weeks, HD and I have been busy setting the groundwork for the Young Bloggers Unite blog. We’ve been scheming all sorts of ideas like there’s no tomorrow and we are having a BLAST! Right HD?

We aren’t doing it alone though. We have Hafsah from Icey Books/Icey Designs creating an exciting blog design too. We LOVE it and we just know you will too!

The official launch date for the Young Bloggers Unite blog is October 1, but I made a silly stop-motion video to help kick things off until then. Come on over and check it out! Leave us a message and follow us so we don’t get too lonely over there.

Here's the link to join the young madness!

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

Young Bloggers Unite

YOUNG BLOGGERS UNITE

There is reason to celebrate! When I first started Reading Vacation, I was ten years old and in fifth grade. I was a bit of an oddity in the book blogging community because of my age. I was welcomed with open arms, but there really wasn’t anyone who I could totally relate to. I was in elementary school after all.

That was 18 months ago, and things have really changed. Sure, I’ve gotten older; I am twelve and in seventh grade now. But something bigger is happening. There are other bloggers my age now, and I’m meeting more and more who are only a bit older. Blogging about books is becoming the thing to do for the younger bookish crowd.

As I see it, we are the future of book blogging. As the young members of this community, we have responsibilities. We are here to share book love; but we are also here to educate and set the tone for our community. The more experienced bloggers have been so wonderfully supportive of us, and now we can take what we’ve learned and run with it.

There is no limit to what we can achieve. Young bloggers unite!

To celebrate young bloggers, I am planning to feature a different young blogger each week. I want to make this fresh and fun, so I am open to your ideas. In addition to introducing you and your blog, I would love for you to hi-light something that makes you special. Maybe you would like to do that in a guest post, a short story, a vlog, a song, photos from your life, or something entirely different. I want every week to be special, just like you.

I hesitate to put an age limit because age is a state-of-mind, but I’ll go with under 18 for now.  Yes, this is international. If you’re in, please fill out the document below. I’m really excited to get rolling. Oh, and if you know anyone who would like to create a button for us, please send them my way.