Armchair BEA Is Underway!

Armchair BEA 2013 is officially underway! It's the fourth time around for this popular annual event, and the first time I'll be able to go (mostly) all in on the festivities since 2010. We're starting off by going around the virtual table and introducing ourselves today, as we choose five of the official Introduction Questions to answer.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

I answered some of these very same questions for a profile at Book Bloggers International last month. I've been blogging in this very space since March 2007, and I started because I'd never developed the habit of keeping a reading journal; doing so online seemed like it might be easier than writing things down by hand in notebooks. As it happens, I discovered pretty quickly that I wanted to "journal" about many other things besides books--but they're still the primary reason I keep doing this, and am closing in on 2000 posts here.

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?

I am pleased to have been present for the "birth" of Armchair BEA during a Twitter conversation in the early spring of 2010, and am part of the original founding team for this event. I was less of an active participant in 2011 and 2012 because I attended the real BEA, but I've continued to help with the preparations and behind-the-scenes coordination each year, and I'm glad I'll be able to join in this year's activities more fully!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

I have about three or four books in various states of completion right now: one audio, one ARC, one paperback, and a couple of ebooks. The only good news is that none of them has a review deadline (the ARC did, but I got my dates mixed up and missed it, so now I'm just working on finishing it for myself). My reading year started out well, but the last couple of months have been...well, let's say challenging (and not in the "reading challenge" sense). I've dialed back my "required" reading--a freelance review gig, an online book club, and blog tours--till after vacation next month, and then I really hope I can get back on track!

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community?

I have gotten to know people whom I feel have become real friends. My only real regret about not being in New York City this week is that I'm missing the only opportunity I get to see some of them in the "real world." But online or off-, I love the support, the camaraderie, and the knowledge that you can almost always find someone to join you in a project, no matter how nutty it might be!

Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

I'm seeing an interesting change lately, particularly among bloggers who've been around for close to as long as I have; there seems to be much more selective, considered approach to being part of the publishing-industry marketing apparatus. Much of the "FREE BOOKS!" review-copy excitement appears to have faded, and some bloggers have taken--or taken back--an "I'm doing this for myself" attitude. Personally, I'm trying to find a mix that works for me; I suspect I'm not the only one who's working on that, and I'm curious to see where it all goes.

If you're stopping by today for Armchair BEA, I'm glad you did--please say hello!

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