Thursday, June 5, 2014

Feature and Follow Friday #204

Welcome to the Feature & Follow


Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.





How To Become a Featured Blog?

We pick our featured blogs randomly each week from the blogs who participated the week before.

Please be sure to feature your e-mail address clearly on your blog. Either on the main blog, on a Contact page, or on an About Me page. If I can't find your email easily, I will choose a different blog to feature.

Our Feature - The Pegster - Reads


1. When did you start blogging?

I have posted my first blog post on January 1st 2014. I have had a general blog for a few years, talking about my family, needlework and books. Over the Christmas Holidays 2013 I decided to log books I read in a separate blog and chat about it a bit so I came up with the idea of a book blog. Did some online research - wow, and the whole big world of book blogging opened up to me. I loved it straight away and thought: "yes, that's what I want to do!"

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?

Being in contact with like-minded people and authors. I would love to be able to write books, so I still feel honored when I receive a book and asked to review it. I would not have picked up many of the new authors otherwise and I'm truly amazed at the quality of their work (most of them anyway!). Also, no-one in my family is an avid / crazy reader like me, so it's only my fellow bloggers who can understand the excitement of a new book and a book shop.

3. What type of books do you mainly blog about?

I run a weekly feature on my favourite author Stephen King. My favourite genres are dystopian, crime, thriller and horror but I try to keep my reading very much open to almost anything. I also review quite a few non-fiction books, mainly on language learning, writing manuals, craft related, dieting.

4. What are your favorite books?

It would have to be Stephen King's The Stand and 22.11.63.
Donna Tartt The Secret History
Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let me Go

5. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

It feels good to receive emails from publisher, asking me if they can send me books to read. It seems pretty obvious- but for me, it is still amazing that people want to hear my opinion. The Internet and my blog give me the chance to chat books to just about anyone, in any place around the world, which is just great.


Question of the Week: What are your non-book guilty pleasures? Like TV shows, food, websites, hobbies, etc.


*First thing:  A reminder that if you want to be chosen as the Feature for #FF, please have your email address somewhere on your blog. I know there are other ways to contact people including Twitter and contact forms, but I've set up my #FF system in such a way that I need an email address. So for better or worse, that's the requirement for now.

With books, I'm usually quick to argue that there is no such thing as guilty pleasures...But with non-book things, some of the things really are pretty trashy.

Let's start off with celebrity gossip. I love celebrity gossip. I spend far too much time each day reading my favorite blogs: Gossip Cop, Lainey Gossip, and Celebitchy. I also read People and US magazines every week.

Websites: I love reading nail polish blogs and polishing my nails. This is a pretty new habit, so I feel like I have a lot to learn.

As for TV, I don't watch a lot of it and most of what I watch would be considered "quality," but I am fascinated by 19 Kids and Counting. I've never watched the Kardashians but I still keep up with them on the celebrity gossip sites.

Food: I came up with the idea of this question during Easter time. I had an unhealthy Cabury Mini Egg habit. One of my work friends turned me onto these a few years ago and I quickly became addicted. Each year they've become easier to find, which is both wonderful and terrible. This year, Target had them out by Valentine's Day. I can't count how many bags of that stuff (the Dark Chocolate kind) I went through between Valentine's Day and Easter.

Hobbies: This isn't really a hobby - more like an App. I downloaded the Tetris Blitz app about six months ago. I'm obsessed. I could spend hours playing this game. Luckily, I can listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I'm doing it so I can consider it somewhat productive time.


Now for the Follow Fun!

With GFC going the way of the dodo bird for many bloggers, there is no better time to start following blogs via RSS feed. If you use a reader, it would be great if you followed my RSS directly.

Follow on Bloglovin



We have a new button, so update your blogs if you are used to doing this meme!

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  8. If you're new to the Follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


Next Week's Question:

Armchair Travel! Tell us about your favorite book in a setting you’d like to visit (a real place for this question).

CAPTCHA:

I have an updated CAPTCHA post!

If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at my CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.



33 comments:

  1. Celebrity gossip is probably the best guilty pleasure I can think of! I really want to know what the deal is with Tom Cruise!

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  2. I have to much an interest in Celebrity gossip aswell. Specially with my favorite celebs from my shows, movies, and music.

    I don't really play Tetris but I do have this app, Farm Saga Heroes which is a lot like Candy Crush and I am a bit addicted.

    Thanks for stopping by my #FF :)
    -Amanda

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  3. I have the same sick obsession with my app phone game. It's pretty sad how long I will spend playing on that thing. Celebrity Gossip can be buckets of fun. I find it to be amazing how much it makes me feel better about myself.

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  4. Oh, I have a celebrity gossip website that's really funny... It's very snarky, and often making fun of the red-carpet shenanigans (and clothes) celebrities wear.

    Have a fantastic Friday, Alison :)

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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  5. I love Cadbury Mini Eggs, but then again, I love anything chocolate.
    Hope you have a lovely weekend.

    Marilyn @ Marilyn's Mystery Blog

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  6. Nice guilty pleasures :) Cadbury mini eggs are also really good.

    Old Follower
    My FF .
    Zareena @ Books and Books

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  7. Celebrity gossip is a good one I didn't think of that!
    Old follower saying "hi".
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Sharon @ Sharon's Book Nook!

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  8. I've been a follower since I started blogging a few years.

    OMG!!! I love that I'm not the only blogger that's a celebrity news junkie AND that loves 19 Kids and Counting. I will admit that I watch that more to gawk in wonderment. I mean GAHHH!!! How do they do it? You know the daughters wrote a book about their upbringing and commitment to God. It's interesting. I don't agree with it, but it's amazing to see another point of view and have it presented non-confrontationally.

    I hope you're having a good day :)

    Rebecca @ Vicariously!

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  9. Oops I think I did the wrong question, i.e. the one I thought was on last week's post! Hope that's alright :) I had this massive binge of gossip sites a few years ago and it has now slowed down a bit, thankfully! I just tend to watch a lot of Dr. Phil nowadays. I have a strange love for that man! Thanks for hosting :) Juli

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  10. Oh, celebrity gossip! I hear you on that one! I don't know why, but it's just so entertaining! I've got a few guilty pleasures TV shows myself - and they are not all "quality," lol

    Old follower :)

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  11. I used to browse gossip sites like crazy but it lost it's spark about two years ago at least for me but I definitely can see how it would be entertaining. Heck it entertained me for awhile. Thanks for dropping by my F&F. Enjoy your weekend :)

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  12. Nice guilty pleasures! I'm an existing follower.
    Diane @ Diane's Book Blog

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  13. Oh I love Cadbury eggs too! So addicting!

    Tina @ Pages of Comfort - old follower
    My FF

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  14. Thanks for stopping by my FF. And I have heard of Skip Beat but I've never read it. :D

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  15. Hahaha! Nice! I love playing Bejeweled myself! Never downloaded any other game app! Totally got addicted to the newly added Poker version! I have badges to earn because I had earned all my previous ones!

    And Easter candy yay! I just bought the mini cadbury eggs white chocolate myself this year! They were awesome! I find myself always needing to buy bags and bags of Reese's pieces Eggs! Those are phenomenal! Sooo much better than the regular Reese's pieces because there's soooo much more peanut butter! I like to kid myself and say they're "healthy" and filled with protein because of all the peanut butter! ;)


    Here's my Follow Friday

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower :)

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  16. OMG I used to love playing tetris on my super nintendo. I know a long time ago, lol.

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  17. I remember the original tetris. I know it's very addictive.
    Existing follower :)

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  18. Ohh we have Cadbury Creme eggs at Easter. They are sickly sweet but sooo yummy! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier Alison!

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  19. Oh, I used to be bad about trashy celebrity gossip. Now, I just don't have the time! Either thankfully or unfortunately, I never got the Cadbury egg crave.

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  20. Great guilty pleasures! I'm an old follower.
    Diane @ Diane's Book Blog

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  21. I watch 19 kinds and counting as well! :D Thanks for stopping by my blog today :D

    Old follower (:

    Jackie @Jackie's Book World

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  22. Hi! I've tried Kingdom Hearts, but never really got into it. I'm planning to buy the new PS3 remix version! Oh, and I LOVE Cadbury Eggs!

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  23. lol i love playing apps too and reading celebrity gossips! lol used to read everything about brad and angelina and then that hunkie australian actor yuummm,liam

    happy friday!

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  24. I do love celebrity gossip too! Thank you for stopping by. :)

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  25. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. :)

    I absolutely love nail stuff! I have a bunch on Pinterest, so many sites bookmarked about it and I have so much nail polish, it's ridiculous! Yay, nails. There's so much fun stuff to do with them.

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  26. I used to love playing tetris. Still enjoy it but its not the same anymore. Thanks for stopping by my FF!

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  27. I'm a sucker for celebrity gossip too! Thanks for stopping by my blog! :)

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  28. I too feel privileged when a publisher emails me! It is so fun!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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  29. My current app obsession is jelly splash. I feel like it's sort of similar to candy crush, but it's even more addicting for me.

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  30. Yum, mini eggs! Thanks for commenting on my blog. :) I'm already following you. :)

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  31. Mini Eggs - omg I love them, they are so addictive. I can see why you would have a problem with them - think I do too.
    As for Apps - I play 'Minion Rush' (based on Despicable Me) and I am totally addicted, play it everyday much more than i should!

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  32. Oka so total fail on my part! I completely didn't realize that YOU are the person from Feature and Follow. Now I feel silly! I used to do these for a time. Anyway, nice to put your face to your blog! And it was fun to hang out at BEA. xo

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  33. I feel the same way about 19 kids and counting! And it's a little silly how excited I am knowing that Jill is getting married next weekend.

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