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One of the very best things about book blogging these past three months (would you believe I've only been at this officially for three months??) has been interacting with other readers across the world on the blogosphere. I've always loved to share my passion for reading with other people and it's fun and exciting to read what others have to say about books I've enjoyed and to find new authors and titles based on the reviews of other readers and bloggers. I got into all this never really expecting any recognition for what I do. Truthfully, comments are the best praise I can ask for, that someone would read my thoughts and care to take the time to converse with me is hugely gratifying. And yet, one of my fellow bloggers has graced me with an award: The Versatile Blogger Award!
1. R.A. Salvatore is my favorite author. I think that counts as a random fact because I've yet to blog about one of his books.
2. I am a research scientist in the field of pediatric oncology. I don't know why I picked such a challenging and frustrating career, but I really hope one day I can look back at the progress we've made and say that it was all worth it.
3. I'm the opposite of a picky eater. I'll try anything once, and with the exception of super spicy foods and onions (which don't agree with me) there's very little that I don't eat.
4. If time and money were no object, I would take some serious vacations. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Italy, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Peru are all countries I'd love to visit. (I'd also love to travel more across the US and really want to visit more National Parks - especially Yosemite, Yellowstone, Denali, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon.)
5. I come from a pretty big family and my siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents are some of my very favorite people to hang out with. They're all really fun, interesting, and entertaining and our gatherings - big or small - are almost always marked by boisterous laughter.
6. I'm a collector and along with massive amounts of books, I collect stamps, spoons, Cubs bobbleheads, and stuffed monkeys (the plush kind, not the taxidermy kind - creepy!).
7. I'm planning a new blog feature for next month: Series in September, where I plan to make progress on all the series that I'm in the middle of. I haven't announced it before now, so if you're reading this, you heard it here first! And if you're a blogger that wants to join me in the venture, let me know and we can team up and enjoy our progress together!
And now for the new recipients of The Versatile Blogger Award! (Officially the award says pick fifteen, but I'd rather make this a little more special by picking fewer winners. And don't feel that you have to pass it on, you're more than welcome just to sit back and know that someone out there thinks your blog is pretty darn cool!)
Paperback Pirate is the first blog I want to recognize. Not only do I love the blog name (am I the only one that mentally sings "Paperback Pirate" to the tune of The Beatles' "Paperback Writer" in my head?) but blogger Captain Nick Sparrow shows great versatility by mixing book reviews with fun pictures, scrapbooking, and other pop culture news as well.
beyondthecurtain is my next choice with my apologies that the award, with its cute little flower, is a bit girly. Greg is a talented blogger who shares his writing pursuits on beyondthecurtain and also writes a great sports blog called My Baseball Fantasy.
And while I'm recognizing male bloggers, I'd also like to pass this award to M. Clifford Author. For those that enjoyed, my interview with M. Clifford earlier this year, the blog has updates, related articles, and interesting tidbits about his work.
Another blog that I've recently discovered and want to recognize is The Window Seat Reader. Blogger Bailey has a beautiful layout and writes really great reviews with a cute method of rating books too - instead of star ratings look for how many seashells are awarded each new read.
(Side note: I have another pick here, but the blog seems to be having technical difficulties so think of this as a placeholder until that blog is back online.)
The Reading Journey is my next selection. Great reviews mark lots of blogs around here, but something that really makes The Reading Journey stand out to me is the visuals and specifically the photography that's often featured there.
I also want to pass this award to Nouns and Violets. This is another blog that first caught my eye by title alone (so much so that I had to inquire about the title's origin - it's from a T.S. Eliot poem), and blogger Melissa's posts are full of wit and interesting anecdotes about life and pop culture - definitely versatile blogging.
Last but not least, I want to award the Versatile Blogger Award to The Broke and The Bookish. Subtitled "...will read for food" the blog is a compilation of reviews and fun "Top Ten Lists" by an engaging and talented group of college readers. The multiple writers bring new perspectives and a great variety of reading tastes to create a highly enjoyable blog!
Congratulations to all of you and thanks again to Zee's Worldly Obsessions! You all make the world of blogging an immensely enjoyable experience!
(Quick update: Between composing and posting this entry, I was informed that Bailey over at The Window Seat Reader won this award from another blogger and generously chose me as a recipient! All the more reason for everyone to hop over and check out Bailey's lovely blog!)
August 5, 2010 at 6:02 PM
I received a similar award this week via Email and that's where it stayed. I just couldn't pick 15 blogs. I should have sent it to you 15 times!
As for your above #2, look today and know that it's all worth it. Otherwise, knowing you, you'd move to another job.
August 5, 2010 at 9:09 PM
Congrats on the award, Lisa! You definitely deserve it. And yes, it's hard to believe it's already been 3 months. The time has flown by.
And thank you for including me in the next group of bloggers to receive this Versatile Blogger Award. It's much appreciated! Now I just need to brainstorm 7 random things about myself... ;-)
August 8, 2010 at 12:00 AM
Thanks so much! You totally made my day. And congratulations on your versatility!
P.S. I often sing that in my head too!
August 9, 2010 at 3:51 PM
Wow! I'm so honored! My first award! :) This comes at the PERFECT time too because I'm about to write my 100th post. What better time to accept this award and pass it on?
Thank you SO much!
August 9, 2010 at 9:42 PM
Thank you so much, Lisa!! I'm very honored that you mentioned my blog. Can I re-award you as one of my 15?? :)