Ahhhh, it's Friday.  That means it's Book Blogger Hop time.  If you've never done the Hop, click on over to Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer to get all the details.  It's lots of fun—you should most definitely join in!

This week's question is:  You're going on a long train ride.  What books will you bring to read?

-- Well, if it was the last train ride before I died or something, maybe I would take along my scriptures or some great classic.  But, if it was just an ordinary train ride, I'd bring along whatever I happened to be reading at the time.  Or, maybe just my Kindle so I'd have lots of options.  If I was going on this train ride tomorrow, I would most definitely grab The Wanderer, the first book in a new series by my favorite romance writer, Robyn Carr.  Her wonderful publicist just sent me a finished copy and I can't wait to read it!

How about you?  What books would you be reading?

--

Thanks so much for Hopping by.  I love "meeting" new readers and "chatting" with old friends.  It just makes me happy :)  If you're new around here, welcome!  Please take a look around, leave me a comment or two (or ten) and, most important, come back often.  I promise to return the favor.  Until then, have a wonderful weekend.  Happy reading!

It's Friday and that means it's time for the Book Blogger Hop.  If you haven't heard, the Hop is being revived by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.  It works the same way it always has -- sign up on the Linky at Billy's blog, the Hop around and visit the other blogs on the list.  The point?  To find new book blogs, visit old favorites and have a good time.  It's fun, trust me!

So, the question of the week is:  Do you prefer reading printed books or using an e-reader?

- Well, not so long ago, I refused to even hold an e-reader in my hand.  I loved "real" books too much—I loved the feel of them, the smell of them, the whole bit.  Then, NetGalley came along and I needed a way to read e-galleys (I still won't read a book on my computer!).  So, I caved and bought a Kindle Fire.  And guess what?  I love it.  I didn't think I would, but I do, I really do.  These days, I still mostly read printed books, but I enjoy a fair amount of e-books (most of which are e-ARCs), too.  I'm no longer anti e-readers because I believe what Stephen Fry said:  "Books are no more threatened by [e-readers] than stairs by elevators."  Too true.

If you're new to BBB, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Please take a moment to look around my blog, make a comment (or two or ten) and, most importantly, come back often.  I promise to return the favor.

Happy reading!

Once upon a time, the Book Blogger Hop was a huge, really popular weekly event here in the book blogosphere.  I had tons of fun with it, especially because it introduced me to awesome new blogs to read as well as keeping me up-to-date on some of my old favorites.  Then, for various reasons, it kind of lost steam. I forgot about it, you forgot about it, it was kind of forgotten (although never abandoned by its intrepid host, Crazy For Books).  Well, guess what?  The Book Blogger Hop is back!  It's gotten a teensy facelift as well as a new host.  I'm excited to see how this new-old Hop goes.

As for the weekly question, it is this:  What upcoming 2013 book are you most looking forward to reading?

- Well, there are tons, of course, but the one that comes to mind most readily is Orleans by Sherri L. Smith.  It's a dystopian YA by an author who usually sticks with historical YA (Flygirl) or contemporary YA (Lucy the Giant).  So, I'm interested to see how she does in this new genre.

I've actually had the ARC for awhile, but I'm holding off reading it until we get closer to the book's publication date in March.  It's been a tough wait, though!

How about the rest of you?  What 2013 releases are you most excited about?

For those of you who are new to BBB, welcome!  I hope you'll take a look around, leave a comment (or two or three or ten) and, most of all, come back often.  For you old reliables, thank you!  Your enthusiasm and devotion makes writing this blog so very worth it.

Happy Reading!    

I'm a little late to the party this week, but that's okay!  The Book Blogger Hop is in full swing and I'm joining in the fun.  You can, too—just go to Crazy For Books to get all the details.  It's a good ole time, a great opportunity to find awesome new blogs and spread the word about yours.

This week's question is:

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

- Easy.  For me, it's all about mingling with other book lovers.  I love talking about what I'm reading, my favorite authors, what's new in the book world, etc. with other people who get it ('cause, you know, not everyone does).  It's just a whole lot of fun for me.  Because of this blog, I've gotten to "meet" tons of readers, authors, bloggers, publicists, booksellers—both in the virtual world and the real one.  I learn something from each and everyone one of you.  What's not to love about that?

What about you?  What's your favorite part of blogging?

If this is your first visit to BBB, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Take a look around, leave me a comment (or two or three or ten) and I'll definitely return the favor.  If you've been lurking around this joint for awhile now, thank you!  Your support means so much to me.  

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!  I'm going to be spending the next few hours watching my daughter get her hair braided, then I'll be back to do some hopping.  See y'all soon.     

It's Friday and you know what that means here in book bloggerland—it's time to hop!  This is my favorite weekly event because it's just a good ole time.  I love finding new book blogs to follow.  It's always fun to see what's going on on other blogs and to see what books everyone's recommending.  If you want to join up (and you really should), click on over to Crazy For Books to get all the details.

This week's question is:

What is the one genre you will NEVER read?

- Easy—I'll never read erotica.  Ever.  There are other genres I shy away from (poetry, comic books, textbook-ish non-fiction, etc.), but, if a book in those genres sounded intriguing enough, I would still pick it up.  Not so with erotica.  When I say never, I mean never.  

What about you? 

If this is your first time visiting BBB, welcome!  I'm so excited you're here.  Please take a look around, make a comment (or two or three or ten) and, most of all, enjoy yourself.  I'll definitely return the favor.  If you're an old follower, a thousand thanks for your support of my blog.  I love writing it and it makes me happy to know that other people enjoy it, too.

Have a great weekend, everybody.  Happy reading!  

It's Friday again and, since my favorite book blogging party is back (Yay!), I'll definitely be taking part.  If you haven't heard of the Book Blogger Hop, click over to Crazy For Books to get all the details.  It's a fabulous way to discover exciting new book blogs and to help others find yours.  I love spreading the book blogging love every week.  So.  Much.  Fun.

This week's question is: Who is your go-to author when you are in a reading rut?

- Honestly, when people talk about reading ruts, I have no idea what they're going on about.  A reading rut? Isn't that like an oxymoron or something?  I never get tired of reading.  Never.  Are there times when I get a little cranky after reading a bunch of mediocre books in a row?  Sure.  When that happens, I do turn to some old favorites.  These folks can always reignite my reading passion when it starts to burn a little dim:  Kathy Reichs, Jodi Picoult, Neal Shusterman, Maeve Binchy (Just read on her website that Maeve Binchy died less than two weeks ago.  How did I miss this news?  Sad day for her fans, of which I am definitely one.), L.A. Meyer, Joanne Harris, Patrick Ness, Brandon Sanderson, Robyn Carr, and the list goes on and on and on ...

How about you?  Who are your go-to authors?

If you're visiting BBB for the first time, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Take a look around, leave me a comment or two (or three or four), and, most of all, enjoy the browse.  I promise to return the favor.  And, to my trusty old followers, a heartfelt thanks for your support.  Happy reading, everyone!

I don't know if I'm the last to hear the big news or not, but the Book Blogger Hop is back in business!  Or, rather, it has returned in its original form.  Squee!  I understood why Jen had to change the Hop from a monthly thing to a weekly thing, but I was really sad about it.  My participation lagged, then stopped altogether.  A monthly meme was just too hard for me to keep up with.  But, now that it's back to weekly, I'm excited to join up again.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain:  The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly (YAY!) meme hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books.  It's an opportunity to discover new book blogs, find new readers, and just show the love to others in this big, glorious book blogging world.  Fun, right?  If you want to join in (and, trust me, you do), you can find all the details here.

For those of you who are visiting Bloggin' 'bout Books for the first time, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Please take a look around, leave me a comment (or two or three) to let me know you stopped by.  I will absolutely return the favor.  Also, check out my right sidebar—I've got two great book giveaways going on right now.  I don't have a lot of entrants, which means you have an excellent chance of winning.  So, please, enter and feel free to spread the word.

For my long-time readers, a heartfelt thank you.  Interacting with you all is what makes blogging so much fun.

Now, onto this week's question:

When a book goes “viral” (Hunger Games, Fifty Shades, Twilight), do you rush out to read it like everyone else, even if it’s not in your typical genre?

 - Not necessarily.  It really depends on what the book's about.  I don't mind reading outside my usual genres, but there are some novels that I'll never read no matter how many people rave about them (ahem, Fifty Shades).  Even if I do want to read a gone-viral novel, I won't necessarily rush right out and get it.  I'll stick it on my TBR list and get to it when I get to it.  What about you?

Happy hopping, everybody!

In Book Blogger land, nothing heralds an upcoming weekend more than the logo above. Traditionally, the Book Blogger Hop begins on Friday and lasts through the weekend. No longer. For various reasons, our host (Jen) has given the popular event a facelift. She almost dropped it altogether and I'm so glad she's decided to keep it going. It really is my favorite book blogging event. The rules have changed a bit, though, mostly in the fact that the Hop is now a monthly thing, not a weekly thing. Hopefully, this will allow more bloggers to participate and in more meaningful ways.

No matter its format, I'm always get excited about the Hop. It's one of the best methods out there for finding great new book blogs. Who doesn't love that? So, please, head over to Crazy for Books and sign up for the Hop. It really is a whole lot of fun.

Whether you're an old friend or a new one, welcome to Bloggin' 'bout Books! I'm so glad you've found me. Feel free to browse around, enter the contest I'm running for a $25 Amazon gift card, and leave me lots of comments. I will definitely return the favor. Happy Hopping!

After spending a few days at Lake Powell floating around on a houseboat, my world's still rocking a bit. The swaying motion has mostly subsided, but everything else is a-tilt - the house is a mess, I'm way behind on reviews, I've got piles of laundry to tackle, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (as Yul Brenner would say). So, instead of doing this:

In honor of Halloween, this week's question is: What's your favorite spooky book (mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?

- I'm a little stumped on this one. I used to read a lot more horror than I do now, so I'm just going to go ahead and say anything by Stephen King. A cop-out, I know, but that's all I can think of. How about some suggestions? What's the spookiest book you've ever read?

If you're stopping by via the Hop, welcome! I'm so glad you found me. Feel free to take a look around BBB, leave me a comment or two or ten, and please be sure to leave a link to your blog so I can return the favor. If you're one of my faithful readers - thanks for sticking with me. You don't know how much your loyalty means. Have a great weekend, everybody!

It's been a little while since I Hopped, so I think I'll join in the fun this week. Besides, I'm still *recovering* from my Hawaiian vacation (which was fabulous, by the way), so this will be a nice break for me while I'm still frantically trying to catch up on book reviews. I'm only 4 behind at the moment - someday I'll get back on track! In the mean time, you should really Hop along with me. All you need to do is head over to Crazy For Books and sign up. Easy cheesy, as my kids would say.

On to this week's question: As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?

- The short answer is: Look over on my left sidebar and you can see for yourself. The long answer? I decided to go with more of an introduction to the blog rather than to myself on the main page, since I figure that's what new visitors most want to know. My intro's kind of wordy, but it gets the job done :) The (More Than You Ever Wanted to Know) About Me tab at the top of my blog gives readers the - optional - opportunity to learn more about me personally. This way really works for me.

How about you? What's your approach? And what do you think of mine? Should I snazz up my profile? My About Me page? What say you?

If you're visiting BBB for the first time, welcome! I'm so glad you're here. Feel free to take a look around and leave me lots of comments. I'll be sure to return the favor. If you're one of my "oldies-but-goodies," thanks so much for hanging out with me. Hopefully, you already know how much I love you and appreciate your loyalty. I'm working on all kinds of new reviews, so whether you're a new reader or an old one, keep checking back for new content.

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody. Happy Reading!

I loved The Last Survivors, Susan Beth Pfeffer's post-apocalyptic YA series about teenagers scrabbling to survive in a country forever changed by violent natural disasters. Blood Wounds is also YA, but it's a contemporary mystery about a teen girl grappling to understand a violent crime committed by her father. Sounds uplifting, no? Well, no. Compelling, though, right? I've been begging Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this one for a while now - unfortunately, my pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears. *Sniff* I may have to buy this one come September 13.

You may recall me raving about Ilsa J. Bick's debut novel Draw the Dark in this post. It was such a riveting read that I cannot wait to see what the author does in Ashes, her about-to-be-released dystopian thriller. I don't know anyone at EgmontUSA, but I seriously wish I did just so I could get my hands on this one. It comes out on September 6 and I, for one, cannot wait.

How about you? Which ARCs are you dreaming of?

If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm so glad you're visiting BBB. Take a look around, leave me a comment (or two, or three, or ten) and be sure to enter my giveaway for a boxed set of Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series. If you've been here before, thanks so much for coming back. Your loyalty means a lot to me.

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

I haven't done the Book Blogger Hop for a few weeks and since I've got such a fun giveaway going on right now, I thought I'd join in the fun. You should, too. Check out all the details over at Crazy For Books.

This week's question is: What genre of books do you wish you could really get into, but you just can't?

- I would have to say non-fiction in general. It's not that I don't read any non-fiction, but what I do read tends to be memoirs, cookbooks or self-help type stuff. I wish I could get into reading more about history, science, politics, etc. - I would be a whole lot smarter if I could!

How 'bout you?

If you're new to BBB, welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by. If you've been here before, welcome back. Please take a look around, leave me a comment or two, enter my giveaway and please leave me a link to your blog so I can return the favor. I love finding new blogs!

So, I spent the morning celebrating (?) the onset of summer by floating around in my swimming pool. After my 12-year-old son fished a field mouse out of the water, chased me and his little brother around with it, then tossed the corpse over the fence, that is. It took me awhile to get used to the *chilly* water (especially since I kept imagining what else might be bobbing around beneath me), but the warm sun/cool water combo felt awfully nice. Now that I'm all refreshed, though, I feel like Hopping around inside my nice, air-conditioned house. If you feel like joining me (and you know you do), click on over to Crazy For Books to get all the details on this fun, weekly event.

Since I don't like this week's question - it has to do with choosing your favorite blog post and explaining why it's dear to your heart - I'm going to ask you one of my own. It's a little bit generic, but I really am curious: What are y'all reading this summer? Which upcoming titles are you most excited about?

- I've got all kinds of books to read for tours, but as soon as I have a spare minute, I'm going to delve into City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, Crossed by Ally Condie (as soon as my ARC gets here, anyway), and Carol Lynch Williams' new one, Miles From Ordinary.

Whether you're coming by from the Hop or you hang out here all the time (God bless you!) or you just happened to stumble across my blog, thanks! I hope you'll stay, look around and leave me a comment or two. I promise to return the favor.

Have a fabulous weekend, everybody!

Even though I already posted today, I wanted to get in on this week's Blog Hop. I always love hopping around the book blogosphere checking in on blogs I love and discovering new ones. It makes me happy, especially since I'm currently mourning the ending of the school year. Not that I don't adore my kiddos. I just foresee a very long summer full of arguing and "I'm bored"s. Since I need a little cheering up (and because I really, really want to get to 500 Followers), I'm going to start hopping. Join me, won't you?

This week's question is: Which book-to-movie adaptation have you liked? Which have you disliked?

- The movies that first come to mind are the Harry Potter ones. I thought the casting was incredible - the actors brought the characters to life just as I'd pictured them in my head. And with the sets, the adaptation and everything else, well, magical is all I can say.

As far as movie adaptations I didn't like, the two that stand out are Twilight and Stardust. If you've seen the former, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's so bad, it's funny. Stardust just didn't do the book justice. Loved the book, detested the film.

What about you? Which have you liked? Which didn't work for you? I'd love to know.

Thanks for stopping by BBB. Please leave me a comment and a link to your blog so I can hop by and visit you. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

I haven't done this for a few weeks, so I thought it was about time for some hoppin'. You can join in the fun by heading over to Crazy for Books. It really is a good time and it's always exciting to find awesome new book blogs.

This week, Jen asks: If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which would it be?

- Hm, this is a tough one. I've been reading a lot of dystopian lately and none of those worlds sound at all appealing. So, I guess I'd have to go with Harry Potter's world - not the cupboard under the stairs one, but the Hogwarts one. Even with He Who Shall Not Be Named on the loose, it would be a thrilling, magical place to be.

How about you?

Thanks for hoppin' by my blog. Have a look around, leave me a comment, and be sure to leave me a link to your blog so I can hop by and check you out!

I'm a little behind on book reviews (again), so while I *try* to get my act together, how 'bout a little Hopping? Yes? Okay, then ... Click on over to Crazy for Books to join the fun.

This week's question: Since today is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank you have ever played on someone OR that someone has played on you?

- First, let me say that April Fool's Day is one of my least favorite holidays. I'm not into practical jokes at all, but I'm so gullible that I'm often the target of them. My FIL loves to tell the story of how he and my husband-to-be tricked me on my wedding day. We were married in Portland, Oregon, so my husband's family had to travel from Arizona to attend the wedding. They stayed at a nice little hotel in Hood River, Oregon, which overlooked the Columbia River. Since we were penniless college students and neither of our families really had any money, we weren't planning on a big honeymoon or any other kind of extravagance. In fact, the plan was for us to spend our wedding night in the hotel room my in-laws had been using, while they stayed in a different room of the same hotel. I didn't love the idea, but since I'm nothing if not practical, I agreed with the plan. Imagine my surprise (and relief!) when, a half hour or so after we got married, my new husband pulled a receipt out of his wallet showing that we had a room booked at Skamania Lodge, a very nice hotel/resort where I had worked as a teenager. He had reserved the room a month earlier, but thought it would be funny to tease me with the idea that we'd be spending our wedding night down the hallway from his parents. Despite its rather unauspicious beginning, the hubster and I have enjoyed 13 very happy years together.

And he hasn't stopped taking advantage of my gullibility yet! What about you? Are you totally gullible? How have pranksters taken advantage of you? C'mon, tell me I'm not the only one out there who falls for everything ... If you're here from the Hop, thanks so much for stopping by. Leave me a comment so I can stop by and check out your blog. Have a wonderful (read: uneventful) April Fool's Day!

I'm a little late to the party this week, but then again, I've never been big into parties :) Except this one. Because it's actually fun. If you haven't joined in the Book Blogger Hop before, do it. It's a great way to find new blogs. Your Google Reader won't thank you, but you'll have a good time checking out all the great book blogs out there. If you're here because of the Hop, welcome! Enjoy your stay and have a fabulous weekend. Looks like it's going to be a rainy one for us, which is just fine with this reluctant desert dweller.

This week's question is: Do you ever wish you had named your blog something different?

I really missed doing the Hop last week, so I wanted to make sure to participate this week. If you've never done the Hop, click on over to Crazy For Books and sign up. It's a lot of fun!

It's been a few weeks since I've participated in the Book Blogger Hop, so I'm excited about this first one of the new year. The question this time kind of stumps me, though: Ivan over at Ivan Bookworm asks what book influenced or changed your life and how? I can't really think of one specific book. What a cop-out, huh? Are you as stumped by this question as I am? What's your answer?

If you want to join in the Book Hop fun, click on over to Crazy for Books and sign up now. Happy Hop!

I usually don't post twice in one day, but I wanted to chat up the Book Blogger Hop before I crawl into bed. I've been (unsuccessfully) fighting a cold, so I'm officially admitting defeat and taking a nap. The baby's sleeping, the big kids won't be home from school for a couple of hours, the house is nice and quiet - yep, I'd say it's a solid plan.

This week's question is: What do you like most about reading book blogs?

- For me, it's all about camaraderie. I love interacting with people who love books as much as I do. It's fun to "meet" so many other readers, peek into their lives (and bookshelves) and swap comments, reviews and recommendations. It's just fun!

If you want to join the Hop, head over to Crazy for Books to get all the details. If you're visiting from the Hop, thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment so I can return the favor.

Happy weekend, everybody!