Introducing...New England Bloggers

For awhile now I've been a member of blogging group called New England Bloggers which was started by Elizabeth of Thoughts of an Evil Overlord as a way for NE bloggers to find each other. Right now New England Bloggers is hosting a blog carnival called Introducing... New England Bloggers, where members visit another NE Blogger and then introduce them on their own blogs. I've never participated in a blog carnival before, but it sounded like fun. It was very easy to decide which member to introduce here on Pam's Perspective. Her blog title says it all. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Jem from A Reading Journal.

As her title suggests, Jem blogs about books and other book, library and literature related topics! What's not to love? She lives in Nashua, NH, is a member of several book clubs (both in person and online) and she studied literature in college. I'm so jealous. Why didn't I think of that when I was a college student? Think of all the time I wasted not reading and learning about great books.

Anyway, back to Jem. She has two very cool lists on her sidebar. One consists of links to photos she has taken of various libraries around the country. Who knew I wasn't the only person who obsessively takes photos of libraries when I travel to new places. The other list consists of posts she has written about her "Literary Excursions", which include visits to the homes of Robert Frost, Edith Wharton and Louisa May Alcott. How cool is that? This is something I've been meaning to do for a while now and my personal book club was just discussing this very thing as a way to celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2012. I think it was serendipity that I found Jem and A Reading Journal. But that's not all, she is also participating in a reading challenge. And not just any reading challenge, but an Art History Reading Challenge. Really? This is uncanny. I just spent the last 9 months taking an Art History Workshop at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum! I think Jem just might be my long lost twin.

In addition to all that, she also writes very concise and informative book reviews. And the books she's reads are fascinating. They are not your standard "hot" books that are on every list from Oprah to the NYT. She finds interesting and amazing books that I'm not familiar with ( and I work in two libraries and am surrounded by books). Amazing. Her newest post is the fictionalized account of a real life legal case of unintentional bigamy that takes place in the late 1800s. It sounds fascinating.

Needless to say, I've added A Reading Journal to my blog roll and a few books to my tbr list. I think that all you bookworms would love Jem's blog as well. If you do visit her, let her know you're visiting compliments of the NE Bloggers Blog Carnival.

Interested in visiting other NE Bloggers? Here's the complete Blog Carnival List. Maybe you'll find a blog or two that speaks to you, too.

Calling All Book Bloggers

This week I spent way too much time searching the Internet for book and blog related blogs and websites. And I did find a few gems among the rocks. But, as I said, it took up a lot of time. Since many of you are bibliophiles and book bloggers, I thought I would share what I found with you.

Book Blogs:

Here's what I discovered about book bloggers. There are oodles of book blogs out there dedicated to Romance, Fantasy, and Mass Market paperbacks. Not so many deal with contemporary literary fiction. Which is a bummer for me. The good news? I found three!

Curled Up with A Book is a very unique and visually gorgeous blog written by a young woman who lives in San Francisco. She loves everything books, libraries, words... and lists. Basically a girl after my own heart. While she does do some book reviews, what she does very well is highlight (in spare, but gorgeous photos) book related art. Yes, art. Right now she's showcasing photos of libraries. I can't adequately describe the beauty and fascination that is Curled Up with A Book. Go check her out. You won't be disappointed.

Book by Book is Sue Jackson's book blog. Sue is a writer who loves to read. And it shows in her oh-so-well-written posts. Book by Book was the first blog I found that deals with literary fiction. What a relief that was! She and I have similar tastes in books. Sue not only writes wonderful book reviews, she also does a couple of weekly book memes. Thoughtful and illuminating memes. I love a silly meme as much as the next person, but I really love a great book meme. Book by Book is also definitely worth a look for all you bookworms out there.

State of Denmark is written by Ms. Mazzola, an English teacher in living in Maine. Ms. Mazzola also writes fabulous reviews of literary fiction. She has a TBR tab on the top of her blog. What a great resource for finding new books to read. Her reviews are very will written, her blog has a professional and calming "feel" and she spices things up a bit with an occasional book meme and interesting book related lists. Visiting her blog feels like taking a break from the hecticness of life. State of Denmark is a must visit for anyone who loves literary fiction.

Book Related Blogs

During my search I also found 3 other sites that deal with books/blogs in some way. OK, I found lots more than 3, but I've separated the wheat from the chaff.

Book Blog Directory is the brainchild of Kay - a book blogger and a book blog reader. She created this site as a clearinghouse for book blogs. Anyone can submit a book blog to be included in the Book Blog Directory. All it takes is an email to Kay. I am now a proud member of the Book Blog Directory and will be putting their badge on my sidebar soon. So, if you're looking for book blogs to read (all types of genres are represented) or if you'd like to get your blog listed be sure to visit the Book Blog Directory.

Weekly Geeks is a great website that presents a different "theme" every week. Usually the themes are bookblogcentric. Themes are posted every Saturday and can be posted about at any time during the week. The following week, Weekly Geeks will feature 5 bloggers' posts from the previous week. Great exposure for your blog. Weekly Geeks also provides a choice of buttons that can be displayed on your sidebar. I'll be adding one soon. For all the necessary information on EXACTLY how Weekly Geeks works click here.

And last, but certainly not least is Best Post of The Week. BPOTW is another great site that can help you get exposure and more readers for your blog. (BPOTW is not only for Book Bloggers). This site is a venue for bloggers to showcase their best posts each week. It's as easy as emailing your best post to Bettyl (who runs BPOTW) before Saturday and voila a link to your post will be listed. She also has a button you can display on your sidebar.

Well that's it. The sum total of seriously hours and hours and hours wasting time trolling the Internet. I hope you find something here that you like. Please feel free to share any bloggy treasures that you've found in the comments. I would be eternally grateful.

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