Happy Sunday everyone!

It’s been a chaotic couple of weeks in Galleysmithland. My mom (and her neurotic dog) are here visiting from Florida for the month so I’ve not had the usual weekend blogging time.  I’m trying to be productive but, yea, not so much.  Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

I’m going to try and highlight a few things here today in the hopes of giving a small status report.  So without further ado here is Galleysmith’s last few weeks in a nutshell:

Galleysmith Re-design
I got a brand spankin’ sparkly new look to my blog and my Twitter page.

**preens**

If you’re checking this post out through a feed reader may I suggest you click through to see how pretty I am now?  I hope you like it! I contracted the design through a company called Better in Pink and I have to say that Maddie and her programmer Clemente did a super fantabulous job!  Let me tell you, it was no small feat on their part either because I’m not easy to please.  They showed increadible patience with my continued feedback and inquiries, were super timely, beyond accommodating and tremendously professional.

I gotta say, if you are every looking to get a theme Better in Pink is the way to go for sure!

BBAW

If you haven’t heard about Book Blogger Appreciation Week by now check out my post of last week (Book Blogger Appreciation Week and You) explaining exactly what the event is about and how to get involved.  I’m all registered and I’ll be putting together my nominations to submit this week.  Remember, you can enter your nominations through the deadline of August 15th so go show your favorite blogs and bloggers some love!

The Literary Road Trip

The outpouring of support for my Literary Road Trip feature has been amazing.  From participating bloggers signing up to publishers and publicists reaching out to offer up suggestions it’s just been a most gratifying experience.  I myself am going to be covering the DC area and I’ve already got a few books lined up to focus on.

In case you may have missed it The Literary Road Trip is a local author spotlight.  Bloggers from near and far have signed up to showcase their hometowns by featuring it’s authors on their blogs then allowing me to link to those postings here on Galleysmith.  Each Sunday (you’ll see it later today) I’ll be creating a Road Map that provides links to all the posts provided so that all our readers can travel near and far together.

The Harry Potter Reading Challenge

If you aren’t aware of what exactly this challenge entails check out my Harry Potter Reading Challenge introductory post.  I’ve listed the particulars there and would love to have you all join in if you haven’t already!

WOO HOO approximately 56 people have signed up to participate!  I’m super thrilled that so many have found their way here and have decided to join me. According to my records it also looks like 16 of you have linked up kick off or other posts.  I hope to get to comment on them today but just in case time gets away please know that I appreciate your participation and can’t want to spend our Harry Potter time together.

Lastly, a participant asked if there was a button available so I scaled down the image I created for the intro post and added it above.  Feel free to save it and use it as much as you like.

Notable and Newsworthy
There were some great discussions and industry tidbits that happened around the blogosphere this week.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to see them yet please visit the following:

Borders Ink Launches, Aimed at Teens [FiledBy Blog]

Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover [A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy]

A Pile of Guilt, Do you Fret Over Your TBR’s? [Book, Line and Sinker]

Book Banning is So 1642 [bookalicio.us]

Blog Neglect and Reviews [Books on the Brain]

Awards

Laura from I’m Booking It has sweetly awarded me the Friendly Blogger Award.  I strongly encourage you to check out her blog she (and it) is great!

In turn I award this to the following lovely ladies who have welcomed me into the book blogging community with open arms:

BethFishReads [Beth]
Jennsbookshelf [Jenn]
Pop Culture Junkie [Alea]
1330V [Natasha]
MyFriendAmy [Amy]

Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of award giving (though I am supremely grateful) mainly because I always feel guilty for not awarding something to everyone.  Each and every person I follow on Twitter or subscribe to in my feedreader is worthy of mention but I can’t really put a list that long out there.  So, know that even though I’ve chosen the ladies above to receive this award please remember I hold ALL of you dear.

Tag I’m It!
This is the scary portion of the post. Well, if you don’t already consider the length of it to be horrifying that is.  The lovely Debbie from Debbie’s World of Books has tagged me in her State of my TBR and What’s on My Desk post.  I jokingly told her that I was afraid for people to see it all but alas, I will give you all a taste of what it is my desk, work space and TBR pile look like.  Pass at your own risk, LOL

This is a long shot of my desk….not too bad right?

The books piled on it were so I could take a picture for a post that will go up tomorrow related to books purchased, won and given to me from various resources.

This is a close up of the right side on it you can see my webcam, scanner, and hard drive for backing up all my files. I’ve got the cord for my iPod and the cordless mouse for my PC laptop that’s obsured by the books in the previous image.  There are also two pictures that you’ll see better in the next pic.

The picture below shows the middle of the desk so behold my monitor, a pair of scissors, a few cute alien shaped stickie note pads, a couple of tiny notebooks for my purse, my sun glasses, and a few pictures.  The one you can only see half of is a picture of my dog Bear (RIP) sticking her tongue out at me.  I’ll have to post the original if I can find it.  It’s my favorite. There is a second picture of her directly below it and then to the right a pic of my niece Shelby with the aforementioned neurotic dog my mom has with her. haha

Now before anyone gets all “wow you really are tidy in your workspace” I’m going to pan to the right of my desk:

This would be the catchall corner where all my office supplies, printers, bags, and general piles of crap go.  Clearly it needs some work. haha

Lastly, here is a picture of my bookcase in which you can see much of my TBR pile.  I’ve opened the glass doors so you avoid the glare from the flash hitting it.  I’d say that about 10% of what is in there has actually been read.  Yet I still continue to add to it.  I know….I have a problem.

So that’s about it for the past couple of weeks.  I’ve got a couple of new ideas for features percolating so I’ll be working on this some this week.  Hopefully I’ll get a couple of announcements for you soon.  Have a great week all

….on Friday!

I’m terribly late to this game but I saw it on Vasilly’s blog and thought it was too fun not to post.

• Reading something frivolous? Or something serious?
  I’m all about the frivolous!  Give me total and complete mindless entertainment almost any day.  I will read serious but it has to be paced between loads of not so much on the thinky thinkers.

• Paperbacks? Or hardcovers?
  Both actually.  I am horribly impatient so more times than not when I want a book I tend to get it right when it releases thus more times than not its hardcover.  Paperback is obviously easier to handle though so if I can get it I’d likely go there first.

• Fiction? Or Nonfiction?
  Fiction, hands down.  I am *not* a non-fiction girl at all.

• Poetry? Or Prose?
  Yikes that’s a hard one.  I’ll just say it depends on what the situation calls for.

• Biographies? Or Autobiographies?
  Biographies — I tend to think that third party perspective might bring to light aspects and autobiographer may not want focused on.

• History? Or Historical Fiction?
  A little from column A a little from column B.  Flat out dry history books that make me feel like I’m in school are a big fat no.  But if you can jazz it up like historical fiction I’d give it a whirl.

• Series? Or Stand-alones?
  I love me a series.  I like getting to know characters and then following them over time.

• Classics? Or best-sellers?
  I lean towards best-sellers but can read a classic on occasion.

• Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose?
  I’m not a fan of an over abundance of words in my prose so it’s all about the straight-forward.

• Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness?
  Give me plot anyday.

• Long books? Or Short?
  Depends on what the story calls for.  But….I’d likely shy away from books with thousands of pages right out of the gate.

• Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated?
  I honestly don’t care.

• Borrowed? Or Owned?
  Owned.  I’m too selfish to borrow.

• New? Or Used?
  There is nothing like a new book.  But….if there is something I want and I can’t get it new I’ll go for the old.

What are your preferences?

Calling all muggles!  Do you aspire to master the craft of wizardry or witchcraft?  Well if so you can start your research here!

**waves wand**

Introducing the Harry Potter Reading Challenge

<<cough cough>> Dang all that awesome mist and fog is getting me all verklempt.

Anyway, the deets:

What: Read or listen to all seven books in the Harry Potter series

• Sorcerer’s Stone
• Chamber of Secrets
• Prisoner of Azkaban
• Goblet of Fire
• Order of the Pheonix
• Half-Blood Prince
• Deathly Hallows

When: The challenge will run from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010.  I know we’re all busy with life and work and other such fun things so join up whenever you want, there are no deadlines to the challenge besides the end date above. 

Where: E-to the Everywhere!  Post reviews on your blog, chat about it on messageboards, post vlogs or podcasts, comment on and converse about it in the monthly post I create here on Galleysmith.  It’s entirely up to you, as long as there is some evidence of your having completed each book along the way you are good to go.

How: Get thee to Mr. Linky below.  Sign up to join in and play, cause you know….Harry would want you to and all!

Then, post a kick off post on your blog and link it back up according to the details on the monthly HPRC post also available here on Galleysmith    You can find August’s post already up! If you don’t have a blog then comment to the post I put up each month and point us to where you are chatting about it or join/start a conversation of your own right then and there.

Oh but the fun doesn’t stop there!!

I have one more thing you might want to hear about….

Party Gifts!!
I mean come on….what is a party like without gifts?  So, over the course of the year there will be giveaways y’all.  All things Harry Potter are game so keep an eye out to see what’s happening as we’re truckin’ along.

Since I want to start this party off in style I’m going to give away two Harry Potter box sets (one paperback and one hardcover)!  See….look….pretty!

All you need to do is sign up to participate in the challenge by August 15th and I’ll draw two lucky winners at random to recieve all seven books!  How’s that for incentive right?

So get yourselves on over to our friend Mr. Linky up there and sign on to participate in the challenge.

Welcome to August’s Harry Potter Reading Challenge discussion post.  Use the Mr. Linky widget below to link up your blog posts,  vodcasts, podcasts, or other forms of participation.  You don’t have to link here to indicate participation you’ve already done that!

If you don’t have the ability to link to an outside resource please start or join in a conversation already in progress by posting and replying to comments below.

Remember, the deadline for the challenge kick off give away (one paper back and one hardcover Harry Potter series box set) is August 15th.  Don’t miss the boat there!

Welcome to the challenge!

Hey you….yea you!  Look over here!

**waves**

The 2nd Annual Book Blogger Appreication Week (BBAW) festivities have started and we want all of you to participate.

**jumps up and down excitedly**

Who constitutes “all of you”?  Well that’s easy, anyone who blogs about books, anyone who thinks of blogging about books, anyone who has anything at all to do with books (that means you Mr. Publisher man and you Ms. Publicist), and every single one of you who reads a book.  We want all of you to participate.

Whew…that’s a whole lotta bookin’ goin’ on ain’t it?

But hey, look, it’s going to be a fabulously fun time.  Taking a full week to spend time together to celebrate a hard working and fun loving bunch of people who adore and appreciate…..wait for it…..BOOKS!  Oh and did I mention that there will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways?  Cause there’s gonna be loads of cool stuff going down you’re not going to want to miss out on.

Right, so now that I’ve sold you on the idea mark this date down: September 14-18, 2009.  This is when all the awesomeness is going to happen and you don’t want to miss a single minute of it.  And no you shouldn’t get your knickers in a twist because I didn’t forget to let you in on the where of it all.  In fact if you want to you can cruise on over to the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog at http://www.bookbloggerappreciationweek.com and check out what’s already happening.  It’s important to know too that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.

Alrighty, now that you know all the good logistical details lets talk about the juicy stuff.  The *why* of it all.

Why, Michelle?  Why are we having this really super fun week long event? You ask….

Because who doesn’t love books?  Well besides all those banners and burners, but hey I don’t know about you they don’t matter much to me.  So in a world filled with so many choices, we’re going to feed you just a few thousand more — there are so many people talking about books pouring blood, sweat and tears, hours of time, and unmeasurable energy, into creating this fabulous community.  It’s not just any community, mind you, but a great goup of diverse people who know how to have a good time dang it!  Not only do we like to get down with our bad selves we like to be showered with attention and maybe the tinest bit of appreciation for the joy we (hopefully **fingers crossed** and all that) spread across the Internets.

Basically what I’m trying to say is participate, get involved at some level, let people know that you like what they are doing, that they are in some small way entertaining you or brightening your day.  Shout it out from the rooftops, ride your horse through the town square Paul Revere style screaming “Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming….Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming”! Heck even blogging and twittering about it will do if you don’t have a mustang to saddle up.  Tell everyone you know — young and old, short and tall, left and right…..oh you get the point….just tell them it’s time to have a party and celebrate book bloggers!

If you’re a blogger and you’re not sure where to start may I suggest you begin by filling out the registration form?  It’s right at the BBAW site listed above.  This is an important first step because it ensures your inclusion in the BBAW 09 Database and enters you into the drawing for the BBAW 09 Grand Prize!   Then once you do that mosey on over to the nominations form and give your colleagues a shout out.  If you’re not a blogger then jump right into the latter and nominate to your heart’s content.

Finally keep informed, follow us on Twitter @BBAW and bookmark the blog!  Happy nominating all!