Happy Blogaversary to ME!

That's right, my friends. Today is the day Books Etc. turns FIVE! I cannot believe I've been writing this blog for five years now. It seems like just yesterday I put this Blogger blog together. (Yep. Five years in and I'm still using Blogger...once I'm back from vacation I plan on changing that. I hope.)

SO many amazing things have happened over the past five years. I have made new friends (IRL and online), met more authors than I ever imagined possible (including a few of my all time favourites), read way more books than a normal person should (but I'm not normal), interned at Random House of Canada and Project Bookmark Canada, helped plan a chick lit author event, and oh so much more. (You can read about my second blogaversary here, third here, and fourth here.)

This past year was really hard for me, particularly in the career department (which directly relates to how much money I have and therefore determines everything else I can - or, more frequently, can't - do). My blog really took a hit and it's only been in the past few months that I've gotten back into the swing of things. I'm still getting there but one of the things that really helped was finally making it to BEA and the back-from-hiatus Ontario Book Blogger meet up.

I'm still learning as a blogger (and a human!) and I'm hoping for even more change and amazing things over the next year.

Now, a couple of bloggers - Jaime of Two Chicks on Books and Amber of Me, My Shelf, and I - are both celebrating their five year blogaversaries as well and wanted to open up the celebrations to anyone else who is in the five year cllub. The start of the Fantastic Fives celebration starts TODAY and because the start date falls on my actual blogaversary, they granted me the first spot. How sweet is that?

Fantastic Fives Interview Questions

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm a 28 year old, tall (6'), Canadian (I live about 20 minutes away from Niagara Falls) female. I'm obsessed with books (duh), tea (someone may need to stage an intervention and ban me from David's Tea), and my bunny (her name is Tonks…yep, like the Harry Potter character). I've lived in enough places to have collected four different library cards. I have a background in communications, events, and fundraising and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

How did you get started blogging?

The short answer is I just started because I wanted to talk about books. The longer answer includes a previous knowledge of blogging thanks to my fourth year seminar class in university (my final assignment was writing a blog…it's still live if you want to check it out!) and finding a few blogs online thanks to Twitter (I'm pretty sure Chick Lit Plus was the first blog I fell in love with).

How did you pick the name for your blog?

I hardly remember! I think I settled on it because I knew it wouldn't strictly be about books.

If you could go back in time and tell your newbie blogger self one thing what would it be?

Pick a better url, haha! But also to just do your thing and not worry about what anyone else is reading or how they're blogging. It took  me awhile to learn that.

What have you learned in your five years of blogging?

The book community can be really great and welcoming but there are catty/cliquey moments that make me feel like I'm back in high school. So, I've learned to ignore those moments and focus on the good, which includes the amazing friends I've made and the insane opportunities I've been given. I've also learned way more about the publishing process which has been eye opening and so much fun.

What was the first ARC or book you ever received from a publisher?

It wasn't an ARC but the first book I received was A Scottish Ferry Tale and it was part of a blog tour (review is here if your interest is piqued!). I adored it! It took time though. I didn't get it until almost six months after starting my blog.  

When you’re not reading or blogging, what can we find you doing?

Not reading…I don't understand…Kidding! I'm a pretty average girl. If I don’t have my nose in a book, I'm either hanging out with my boyfriend or friends, likely watching TV shows, movies, baseball or the odd hockey game, or my whackadoodle rabbit act like the crazy nut she is. I could also be at the gym. The whole fitnessing thing is kind of recent (even though I played basketball many moons ago) since I screwed up my back earlier in 2015 and working out and getting stronger has helped immensely.

I couldn't NOT share a pic of Tonks (there are many more
on Instagram and Twitter, promise.)

The Fives

Five Favourite Books

Harry Potter (Ugh. FINE! Prisoner ofAzkaban) (review)
Anne of Green Gables (though I might love Anne of the Island more)
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (review)
Arranged by Catherine McKenzie (review)
Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr (review)

Five Favourite Book Boyfriends

Marcus Flutie from Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling series (I think he was my first book boyfriend)
Brook from Laura Chapman's First & Goal
Dex from Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby (review)
Any of the three brothers from Nora Roberts' Inn Boonsboro series (review of book one and book three)
Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables (actually, he may have been my first book boyfriend but I don't think I realized it at the time. I was, like, 10 when I first read it.)

Five Favourite Book Quotes

"'All life's lessons are not learned at college,' she thought. 'Life teaches them everywhere.'" 
Anne of the Island

"As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly and then all at once."

I may have my issues with John Green but I adore this quote from The Fault in Our Stars.

"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

“I am simply a 'book drunkard.' Books have the same irresistible temptation for me that liquor has for its devotee. I cannot withstand them.”
Lucy Maud Montgomery (I actually have a bracelet with this engraved on it)

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Jane Austen

Five Blogging Tips For New Bloggers

1. Don't say yes to every review request.

2. Be polite and courteous to authors and publishers. This may be a hobby but you should conduct yourself in a professional manner. They don't have to send you books so make them want to work with you. Review books when you say you will! (I'm still working on this. So many books, so little time.)

3. Interact with other bloggers! It's an amazing community. And we won't bite, promise. (Er…except for the crazy chick I heard about at a past BEA.)

4. Schedule. You don't want to miss reviews/promos/NetGalley archive date because you forgot to write it down. It will also help you decide what to read next.

5. Have fun! Your blog is just that: yours. Give it personality! Write reviews how you want to write them and don't worry if you're doing it "right" because right is the way that makes you happiest.

Five Blogs You Want The World To Know About – Canadian (er...Ontario) Edition!

1. Browsing Bookshelves (Natalie is now one of my closest friends and we met because of blogging!)

2. Just a Lil' Lost

3. Mostly YA Lit

4. Ms Lady Critic (she started blogging and is now focusing on booktubing)

5. Emilie's Book World

Now for even more fun...I've decided I WILL do a giveaway this year. I don't exactly have the money (working part time is such a delight) BUT the book community has done so much for me so I want to give something back. Here's a bit of fine print: I'm away on vacation right now so I have no idea if the Rafflecopter will even decide to work. And because I'm going away well in advance of this post going live and have a ton of other things to think about...it's a bit of a generic giveaway. I'll work out with the winner where the book will come from and, depending on where the winner lives, I might send a few little extra fun things. So make sure you leave a way for me to contact you in the blog post comment. If, for some reason, Rafflecopter doesn't work, leave a comment for me telling me what one of your favourite books is and I'll do a manual giveaway on the 29th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out the other blogs that are turning five this year!

November 9 Fiktshun

November 10 Two Chicks On Books

November 11 Me, My Shelf and I
November 12 Bewitched Bookworms
November 13 Novel Novice

November 14 Book Angel Booktopia

November 15 Maer Wilson

November 16 Taking It One Book At A Time

November 17 YA Book Shelf

November 18 Musings of a YA Reader

November 19 Bookish Lifestyle

November 20 Once Upon A Twilight

November 21 Annette's Book Spot

November 22 Bookaholics Anonymous

November 23 Deal Sharing Aunt 

Books Etc. is Turning Four!

Image via The Daily Awe

I cannot believe that it's been four years since I started this blog. Between last year's three year blogaversary and now a lot has happened. So, let's get started!

The day before my third blogaversary was one of the best book events I've ever attended...and I helped plan it! Because I was unemployed, I had some time to work with authors Samantha Stroh Bailey and Lydia Laceby on bringing Book Buzz to Toronto. The event was absolutely amazing and I am so proud of what we put together.

Nine amazing chick lit and women's fiction authors...and me.

Work-wise, the past year has been better than the year before. I started a four month grant-funded job in April and then moved straight into a full time position this past September. Things are still a little rocky and I don't know when I'll stop panicking about money but at least now I can breathe a little easier and attend a few more book events! If you've noticed that I've been slacking in posting lately, it's because of this new job. I have a crazy commute and an early morning so blog writing and reading has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping I figure out a solution soon!

Speaking of book events, I didn't go to many over the past year. In February, friend and fellow blogger Natalie (of Browsing Bookshelves) and I went to our local library to hear a talk about animals and Jane Austen. I also went to my second Emily Giffin event which I loved mostly for the girls night out vibe than actually meeting the author again. A week later I got to meet Jennifer Weiner at a signing and it was amazing. In early September I went to a signing with four awesome Atria authors (K.A. Tucker, Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire, and Abbi Glines) and Tucker recognized my name and Twitter/Instagram avatar. Late September had me traveling to Midland to help sell books with my best friend at two Joseph Boyden events. He's amazing.

One of the best books ever. And the nicest authors ever. 

Once again, because I wasn't working, I had a lot of time to read. Silver lining, right? And I've read a lot of great books in the last year: Gayle Forman's Just One Day and Just One Year, three of K.A. Tucker's (Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, and Burying Water), Just Friends with Benefits by Meredith Schorr, Hard Hats and Doormats by Laura Chapman, and Judy Greer's memoir I Don't Know What You Know Me From, just to name a few.

I finished Allegiant last November (I didn't hate it but I did have a bit of a meltdown after reading it) and watched Divergent on opening night. I finally read The Fault in Our Stars (bawled my eyes out) and watched it on opening night (the theatre was full of sobbing teenagers and the mothers, no lie). All Shailene Woodley, all the time, apparently.

Many tissues were harmed in the reading of this novel.

One of the very best reading decisions of this past year has been rereading the Harry Potter series. There were a bunch of us bloggers who have been wanting to reread the series but hadn't been able to fit it into our reading schedules. We banded together and decided this would be the year we finally reread it (or read it for the first time, in some cases). I will always say that the Harry Potter series is one of my favourites but rereading it reminded me of how amazing it really is.

Two pretty awesome bookish things happened this year. The lovely Lucie Simone contacted me awhile back and asked if I would be willing to read manuscripts for her small press Simon and Fig. Getting a glimpse into the world of an indie publisher has been so cool. The second awesome thing is that I'm now writing book reviews for a real publication! Niagara Life is a magazine published by one of our local newspapers and it comes out every two months. It is a super amazing feeling to be paid for doing what I love - writing about books!

I'm published. Mind. Blown

The very best thing to happen was my trip to Australia. It was a once in a lifetime experience (that I'm really hoping I can have again). I can't even really begin to explain how amazing it was (which is probably why I haven't finished the posts I've been meaning to write for almost six months...) but I can link to the post where I talked about all the bookish parts of my trip. And urge you to visit Australia if you haven't!

Most of the books I read on my trip!

Overall, the last year has been...well, it's been interesting. Some awesome stuff (Australia! Jennifer Weiner! Reviewing for Niagara Life!) and some not so awesome stuff (not having a job for so long). But, I think this year has been more positive than negative. So that's something, right? :) Thank you, so very much, for reading. I think you're awesome, no matter if you've been here from the beginning or are a new follower. I hope I can continue to grow as a blogger and bring you great, honest reviews for many years to come. Here's to another great year!

PS I think it's super cool that I was able to work it that this post is number 600 on Books Etc. I can't even wrap my head around that!

Happy Third Blogaversary to Me!

Photo via Tnooz

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday that I was writing about my second blogaversary and here we are, celebrating the third anniversary of Books Etc.

A lot has happened over the past year. Some great things, some totally awful things, some things that fall somewhere in between. The biggest thing was that I left my job at a non-profit to do an internship at Random House of Canada from January to April. It was a surreal experience and I'm really glad I did it. (In case you missed it, here's my recap post.) Then, because you can't just do one internship and expect a job, I interned at the fabulous bookish nonprofit, Project Bookmark Canada. I had an awesome time working with Executive Director Miranda Hill. (Recaps here and here.) Then, because you can't do two internships and expect a job, I settled into the life of unemployment. Sigh. I've been looking all over the place since the end of June and have yet to come up with a job. I've had six interviews, which is good, I suppose, but nothing lately. Because I'm a blogger, I wrote a post about it that will detail more about what I'm looking for and how the search has been. Of course, because of this unemployment, I don't have any goodies to give away. Once again I'll say...next year!

I think I've grown a lot as a blogger over the past year. I've been writing more bookish posts that aren't necessarily reviews and not worrying (too much) about when I post or how often I do so. I've also got a good schedule going now. I was all over the place before but now I've had to really organize myself because I have so many more review requests coming in. One thing I'm still working on is not letting NetGalley books expire. I have been pretty good about requesting but when I go to search for titles and request one, I end up requesting a bunch and they all show up at once! As much as unemployment completely sucks it has led me to be on top of my blogging. Once I read a book (and I have a lot of free time), I can get to the review right away. Silver lining, right?

I've been able to read a lot of really great books this year and I've attended SO many book events (and there are a ton more that I could have gone to but didn't because it's just too expensive to go into Toronto all the time). Not only have I attended lots of bookish events, I've also helped plan one, too! Last night was BookBuzz Toronto and I loved working on this event. I'm writing this the day before the event so I have no idea how it'll go. Stay tuned for a recap post! Another great thing about this year is that I've met lots of industry people and I'm getting more comfortable talking with them (as I realized at the blogger meet up). I'm still (slowly) working on what I want to do with my life but until then, and until I get a paying job, this blog is what's keeping me going.

I think this post now calls for a bunch of photos! Here are some of my favourite bookish moments from the past year:

1. Random House of Canada's Blogger Love event.
2. A conversation and reading with Kate Atkinson at Harbourfront.
3. Word on the Street. I finally made it!
4. Meeting Rainbow Rowell.
5. Random House of Canada blogger lunch with L. Marie Adeline.
6. Conversation with Jo Baker and viewing of Pride & Prejudice at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
7. Third Annual Ontario Blog Squad Meet-Up

1. I got to see the Random House of Canada imprint sign and offices every day for 12 weeks!

2. A lot of those days were spent mailing books to professional reviewers.

3. On my last day at RHC they let me loose in the book room and I got to take all the books I wanted. I restrained myself. 

4. With Project Bookmark Canada I went to visit Amy at Penguin. Loved seeing the office! And Amy giving me a few books wasn't bad either.

5. Sending out winnings from the Page Turner campaign.

6. I did a lot of reading for Project Bookmark. Amazing.

7. This is me at the Bookmark in Port Colborne, near where I live. Fun!

1. I won a huge City of Bones prize package from Simon and Schuster Canada. Woah!

2. I also won a lot of goodies from the Retreat by Random House The Midwife of Venice online chat.

3. All my lovely things I got after last week's blogger meet up.

1. I was SO excited to get a new bookshelf. A sign you're a true book nerd, me thinks.

2. I spent a lot of time reading outside in my backyard this summer. Glorious.

3. I had given a copy of S.E.C.R.E.T. to my boyfriend's mom and she passed it around to her friends. They loved it and sent me a card and Boston Pizza gift card in thanks.

4. My grandma and I went on a road trip in September and we each brought two books. I say my love of book is genetic!

It's been a fabulous year, friends. I'm hoping for another fantastic year of blogging. Thank you, as always, for reading. :)

Win a Blog Make-Over!

By now some of you may have heard about Avery's Designs, a design service run by fellow blogger Avery of Avery's Book Nook. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Avery in person (yet) but I always love chatting to her on Twitter. Avery's aim with her design service is to make blog design easy and affordable- with blog packages, including a header, button, and avatar, for just $25. She's having a grand opening celebration and you are invited! You can enter to win one of two complete blog makeovers (including winner's choice of her premade designs and installation of said design- $35 in value)! Just click on the Rafflecopter link below. I've taken a peek at her designs and they're lovely. My favourite is the "Piled Up Princess". 

This is the perfect opportunity for those who have always wanted to start a blog, but have yet to do so, or for those seasoned bloggers who feel like their blog could use a facelift! As Avery notes on her site, you can use your own blog name and choose the font you'd like for whatever package you choose. Make your blog stand out with her one-of-a-kind, professional designs!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy First Birthday to Books Etc.!

I can hardly believe it...I've been writing Books Etc. for a whole year now! I think that deserves a lovely, er, electronic cake...

There, I think that does the trick, doesn't it?

Now, I don't have any fancy giveaways or anything, but I wanted to take the time to thank all of you who have been with me from the start or stumbled upon Books Etc. sometime in the last year. Sometimes it's surreal to think of all of you reading my ramblings. I hope I've managed to keep you entertained and introduce you to some great books (and some TV shows) along the way.

I started this blog as a way to talk about one of favourite things - books. I can't get enough of them (seriously, ask anyone who knows me). I am happiest when I have time to read on breaks at work or am able to suggest titles to people. It means so much to me that you guys are reading this and commenting and I hope I can come up with reviews and other posts that inspire you to get more involved.

My very full bookshelf!

My hope is that I can keep growing Books Etc. over the next year. There are so many great blogs (like Chick Lit is Not Dead and Chick Lit Plus) out there and I hope to get up to their level someday. I'm going to start doing some weekly memes hosted by other blogs (stay tuned for "In My Mailbox" and "Top Ten Tuesday"). I love doing challenges (I've adored the Chick Lit Plus Challenge and hope Samantha hosts another one next year!) and have been introduced to some amazing novels through blog tours (also hosted by Samantha). As much as I love those things, I may try to cut back because I have a massive amount of books on my shelf that I haven't had time to read yet. I feel like the books that I've bought for myself aren't getting the attention that I wanted them to get. I also haven't visited the library nearly enough lately and that makes me sad. Must change that! Another goal of mine is to write more posts that aren't strictly reviews. I feel like I have more to say about books, authors, genres, and other happenings in the book world and want to try and incorporate that into this blog.

So now you know where I'd like to go with this blog and how I plan on shaking things up a little bit. I hope you all stick with me to see where this crazy blogging journey will take me in the next year. Thank you. Really.

Happy reading :)