Book Charm Jewelry!

I know, I know. I should be posting some reviews. I do have several almost finished and will be posting like crazy soon.

My excuse: I was distracted. I have recently discovered my crafty side. I decided to try making some tiny books. It was fun so I made a Harry Potter necklace for a friend.

I wanted to make something for myself, so I made some WiLoveBooks earrings. I couldn't help myself. 

This is just too much fun, and a great stress reliever. :) And they're not hard to make. Basically paper and glue with an eye pin to attach to jewelry.

A Trip to Bookworm Gardens

A fellow teacher told me about Bookworm Gardens back in winter and I immediately knew I needed to take the kids there this summer. Located in Sheboygan, WI it is less than a two hour drive for me. It was a fun day for the kids and for myself and if you're anywhere near Sheboygan, maybe you'd like to check it out, too. There is no admission fee, they just ask for a donation. 

The first thing you see as you are walking to the entrance is The Magic School Bus. My daughter loved it. You can pretend to drive and open and close the doors. 

The best thing about Bookworm Gardens is all of the hands-on activities. 

Washing Harry the dirty dog.

Digging for fossils.

Writing a letter to Twitch the mouse.

 "Check this out, Mom! I'm building a fairy house!"

Building a fairy house.

"Look, Mom! I'm typewriting!"

And they really know how to bring a story to life.

Exploring the three pigs' houses.

Helping Horton hatch the egg.

Exploring the little house in the big woods.

"I'm going to cook!" 

Trying out the three bears' chairs.

It's also just really pretty. 

Passing through the caterpillar. 

A place to eat your picnic lunch.

Watching the fish in the pond.

Stopping for a snack.



There are also plenty of places to stop and read a book.

Each area has books available for reading. 

A reading break. Of course we need to read Harry the Dirty Dog.



There is so much more than I can show you here.  There is even some construction in progress, so I know they are adding even more great things! I would definitely go again. And bring friends.
 

Here is the link if you would like to find out more about Bookworm Gardens. You can also find them on Facebook. 

Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation Pictures

Saturday I spent the day in Milwaukee at the Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation Lunch. This was my first reader event and I had a great time. It was a little overwhelming at first. There were close to 500 people and 60 authors. All the authors I talked to were so incredibly nice. Authors are the best people. :)

Welcome

Raffle

Goodie Bags

Lunch

Cupcakes and Author Goodie Bags

I sat at Kate Meader's table.

Book Signing

Kate Meader

Eloisa James

Dianna Love

Tracy March

Maddie James

Darynda Jones

Sara Humphreys

Elizabeth Hoyt

Tonya Kappes

Susan Elizabeth Phillips 

Ruthie Knox

Sylvia Day

Books!

Swag!

Kate Meader Goodie Bag

More Goodies and Books I Bought

Goodies I Forgot In My Purse

I now have so many new books to read! I had so much fun and met great people. I would definitely do it again. If you want to see more pictures, check out http://barbaravey.com/. There should be pictures up soon. Or check the social media of the authors that were there. Like Twitter. 

Tell me, have you been to any reader events?

Classification of Readers Infographic

I borrowed this cool infographic from Laura E. Kelly at laura-e-kelly.com. What kind of reader are you? I had a hard time choosing just one. It was fun to read through them, though. I think I am an Immersive Reader and an All-The-Timer. Oh, and a Kindle Convert. And an Audiobook Listener. 

Visit Laura-e-Kelly.com for more about books, reading, and authors.

Authors: What's On Your Website?

You do have a website, don't you? Or a blog. Doesn't matter. I just need a way to find you and your books. When I go to your website or blog, there are a few things I am looking for.


* Who are you?
I like to know a bit about who wrote the books I read. Do you have an about me section? Tell me a little about the person behind the words.

* What have you written?
Show me your books! I want to see the cover, title, and blurb for each book.

*Where can I get it?
I want to know everywhere I can possibly buy your book. And I want links so all I have to do is click to take me to the page where I can get it. Make it easy for me.

*Where can I find you?
Are you online anywhere else? Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest? Can I get your Authorgraph? You don't have to be everywhere, but one or two would be nice. And I want links!


So there you have it. Just a few things I am looking for when I visit an author's blog or website. If this seems pretty basic, good for you! I have been to authors' sites that were missing one or more of these. And there are authors with no blog or website at all. So do you agree or disagree with my list? Something I'm missing? Let me know!

What Makes a Five Star Read?

Rating books is so subjective. I admit, I am an emotional reader. I tend to rate a book based on how I felt as I read it, or when I finished. So what makes a book good? Of course, it depends on the genre, but I have found that a five star read for me tends to have most of the following characteristics:

• Characters I can care about. 

They shouldn't be perfect, but need to be relatable in some way. I need to at least understand where they are coming from. I have to care what happens to them and really want them to reach their goals, whatever they might be.

• Evokes strong emotion.

Laughter, fun, tears, rip-my-guts-out angst, suspense that has me biting my nails. This definitely depends on the genre, but I tend to love a book that makes me feel something strongly.

• Unpredictable plot twists.

"I didn't see that one coming" almost always gets five stars from me. It has to make sense in the context of the story, but I like being surprised. 

• Readability.

I don't like to be bogged down with unnecessary description or narration. Wordiness tends to turn me off, as well as a lot of jargon or unfamiliar terms. I want the story to pull me along. I can overlook some typos, but the fewer the better.

• Unputdownable.

I stayed up too late, neglected the housework, and fed the kids pizza. For whatever reason the book held my attention so much that I read every spare moment I could manage until I finished. 

• Something different.

There is something to be said for books that are comfortable and predictable, and it can be risky to step outside of the expected. But again, I like surprises and I usually love a book that gives me something different and that isn't like anything I've read before.

So there's a little peek into my mind. If a book has all or most of these, it generally gets five stars from me. So what's on your list? What makes a five star book for you?

Bouquet of Books Sale

Introducing the Book Lovers’ Buffet. Load up, you won’t gain a pound!

The Buffet’s “Bouquet of Books” sale will be open May 1-3. More than 175 ebooks, all reduced in price to just 99 cents. Save in categories such as Young Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense, Erotic Romance, and more!

PLUS, visit the website to win gift cards to your choice of online retailers. $400 in gift cards up for grabs!

Titles from popular authors such as:

• Gemma Halliday
• Angie Fox
• Jenna Bennett
• Amanda Brice
• Jennette Marie Powell
• Clover Autrey
• Carly Carson
• E. Ayers
• Genevieve Jourdin
• CJ Lyons
• Renee Pace
• Sophia Knightley
• Tori Scott
• Meredith Bond
• Emily Ryan-Davis
• Anthea Lawson
• Diana Layne
• Lindsey Brookes
• Gina Robinson
• McKenna Chase

And many, many more!

Hosted by Indie Romance Ink.