The 126 Book I Read in 2011

The 126 Books I Read in 2011

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace

The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal

Independence Rock by Debra Terry Hulet

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) by Lauren Oliver

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Delirium (Delirium, #1) by Lauren Oliver

The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain

Carving Angels by Diane Tolley

Crossed (Matched, #2) by Ally Condie

The Chimney Sweep Charm by Marcia Lynn McClure

Can You Survive: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Ryan Jacobson

Pride & Popularity by Jenni James

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John

Daughter of Smoke and Bone(Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #1) by Laini Taylor

Slayers by C.J. Hill

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Haunting of Autumn Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Life's Lessons Learned: Personal Reflections by Dallin H. Oaks

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange, #3) by Lesley Livingston

Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer

If I Tell by Janet Gurlter

Darklight (Wondrous Strange, #2) by Lesley Livingston

Wondrous Strange (Wondrous Strange, #1) by Lesley Livingston

Crossroads (Crossroads Saga, #1) by Mary Ting

Torment (Fallen, #2) by Lauren Kate

Hang'em High by Tristi Pinkston

The Pirate Ruse by Marcia Lynn McClure

Witch Song by Amber Argyle

The Breakup Artist by Shannen Camp Crane

Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy, #1) by Lani Woodland

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Illusions (Wings, #3) by Aprilynne Pike

Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4) by Julie Kagawa

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The Trove of the Passion Room by Marcia Lynn McClure

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband: How to Put a Smile on His Face by Pam Farrel

Wellness on a Shoestring: Seven Habits for a Healthy Life by Michelle Robin

Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

Dearly Departed (Secret Sisters Mystery #2) by Tristi Pinkston

Hope's Journey by Stephanie Worlton

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman

Siren's Storm (Siren's Storm, #1) by Lisa Papademetiou

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

The Royal Treatment (Princess for Hire, #2) by Lindsey Leavitt

Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

Nia by Mella Reese

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

The Language Of Souls by Lena Goldfinch

Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs

Flavors by Emily Sue Harvey

Orthomolecular Treatment by Abram Hoffer

Hereafter (Hereafter, #1) by Tara Hudson

The Crazy Daze of Motherhood by Jane Still

Calling for Angels by Alex Smith

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Growing Up Gracie by Maggie Fechner

Demonglass (Hex Hall, #2) by Rachel Hawkins

I Sit All Amazed: The Extraordinary Power of a Mother's Love by Steve Mikita

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Priscilla the Great (Priscilla the Great #1) by Sybil Nelson

Lost Truth (Truth Series, Book 4) by Dawn Cook

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

Nickel Plated by Aric Davis

Forgotten Truth (Truth Series, Book 3) by Dawn Cook

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Girl Wonder by Alesa Martin

Haunted (Dreaming Anastasia, #2) by Joy Preble

Dreaming Anastasia(Dreaming Anastasia, #1) by Joy Preble

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

Letters From Home by Kristina McMorris

Secrets and Shadows (13 to Life, #2) by Shannon Delany

Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1) by Laura Kreitzer

Don't Throw Rocks at His Window: Real Advice to Mend a Broken Heart by Julie C. Donaldson

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Unlocking the Power of the Spirit by Campbell Gray

Hidden Truth (Truth, #2) by Dawn Cook

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor by Robert G. Pielke

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

First Truth (Truth, #1) by Dawn Cook

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brenden Halpin

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

The Road Show by Braden Bell

Fused (The Samantha Granger Experiment, #1) by Kari Lee Townsend

Between by Jessica Warman

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Impractical Grace by John S. Bushman

How Sweet It is by Sophie Gunn

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz by Laura Toffler-Corrie

Falling Under (Falling Under, #1) by Gwen Hayes

The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley

Spells (Wings, #2) by Aprilynne Pike

Pearl by Jo Knowles

Lost On Spirit River: Spirit River Trilogy: Book 1 by Tommy Batchelor

The Blood of Cain by T.L. Gray

Sapphique (Incarceron, #2) by Catherine Fisher

Artemis the Brave (Goddess Girls, #4) by Joan Holub

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

Incarceron (Incarceron, #1) by Catherine Fisher

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3) by Julie Kagawa

Secret Sisters (Secret Sisters Mystery #1) by Tristi Pinkston

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa

Star Prophecy by Joan Sowards

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls, #3) by Joan Holub

BELLYACHE: A Delicious Tale by Crystal Marcos

Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr

33 Habits of a Really Good Man by Yvonne Swinson

Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Gross Junior Edition by David Borgenicht

And now that I took all that time to get book covers I found an easier way on goodreads:

Inspired Kathy's read-in-2011 book montage

Inspired Kathy's favorite books »

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2011 Totals:
126 Books Read in 2011
(229 Books if you count picture books and short stories I remembered to add to goodreads)
For a total of 41,261 Pages

Ask Me Anything - The Price of Blogging

Today's Question is one I am asked all the time.

How do you afford to do so many giveaways and buy so many books?

Please be aware that this is just my personal opinion and experience... I'm not suggesting anyone follow what I did... just sharing some ideas that have worked for me.

1. Pay for it Out of Your Own Pocket.
When I first started seriously book blogging I paid for everything I did out of my own pocket.  I bought books for giveaways and paid to ship them or I gave away books that were sitting on my bookshelf. Once I'd been blogging for a while I had piles of review books sitting around and being someone who rarely ever reads a book more than once I decided to start giving them away. (Soapbox - Personally I don't think it is honest to sell a book I receive for review so giving them away to others seemed like the best thing to do). It wasn't uncommon for me to spend $50 to $75 a month on gift cards, books and the cost of shipping.   I justified the expense of so many giveaways because I wasn't buying the books - I was receiving review copies for free so I thought nothing of paying $3 or $4 to ship them on to another blogger or a giveaway winner.  However over time I realized just how fast these expenses were adding up.  When I hit $100 in one month I realized this was not something I could afford to keep doing so I looked for other ways to finance my reading/blogging hobby.

2. Have Giveaways Shipped by Authors & Publishers.
One of the first thing I did was to start asking authors and publishers to send the books directly to the giveaway winners instead of to me.  Prior to that review & giveaway copies were being sent directly to me.  By not having to ship them out myself it cut my expenses drastically but didn't completely eliminate them.  I still wanted to giveaway books. I run a lot of giveaway hops and I don't end up with enough time to ask authors & publisher to provide books for those hops so I provide the books myself.  I needed a way to fund these giveaways.

3. Use an Amazon.com or another Rewards Credit Card to Earn Points.
While shopping on Amazon they had a deal where you could save money off your purchase if you opened an Amazon.com Credit Card. Since I love Amazon and use it way too often is seemed like a good fit for me.  I started using my Amazon.com Credit Cardfor groceries and miscellaneous expenses. I paid it off in full every month so there were no interest charges and I started to rack up a lot of points that I could then use on Amazon.com for books.

4. Join MyPoints
I have been a long time participant on MyPoints.  It's a rewards program that gives you points for reading emails.  I joined the program back in August of 1998.  Since then I have earned over 50,000 points and regularly redeemed those points for gift cards.  Once I started blogging I switched from getting Olive Garden gift cards to getting Amazon Gift Cards so I had the ability to buy books and gift cards.

5. Try Swagbucks
Another way I earn Gift Cards is through Swagbucks.  Honestly I find Swagbucks a little annoying and I don't use it very often but it's an easy way to earn $5 Amazon Gift Cards.  You can complete offers or use their search box or search toolbar and earn points.  Once you have 450 points you get a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card.  It's easy and they do send the codes out.  Of course you can earn lots of other things from them too but I've stuck to Amazon.com Gift Cards.





6. Become an Amazon Affiliate
The only place where I am an Affiliate and have actually earned something is Amazon.com. Most affiliate programs have such high thresholds before they send you a check or gift card that is is nearly impossible to hit the minimum and actually receive something from them.  I've tried several of them but Amazon.com is the only on that I have actually earned something from on a regular basis.

You simply place banners or links on your site and if people click through and purchase you earn a small commission.  They don't have to purchase the item you are featuring.  Anything they purchase after having clicked through from your site counts. I got lucky one month - someone bought a Wii and a printer through a link on my site so I earned over $20 that month.  The next month I only earned $2.50.  Commissions carry over each month so if you don't hit $10 one month you might the next.

Once you hit $10 they will email you an Amazon.com Gift Card.  If you earn larger amounts they will send you a check.



The commission earned is small. Usually just 4% to 6% but overtime it can add up.

*Whenever you shop Amazon.com use an affiliate link to shop.  Whether it is on my blog or another blog you enjoy it's an easy way to help someone out.  You don't have to purchase the item they are featuring, any purchase you make will help support that site.
Edited to Clarify: Amazon will not pay a commission to you if you purchase through your own link.

What is Amazon’s policy for Associates placing orders for themselves?

You may not purchase products during sessions initiated through your own Associates links and will not receive referral fees for such orders. This includes orders for customers, orders on behalf of customers, and orders for products to be used by you, your friends, your relatives, or your associates in any manner.

7. Adsense
If you have a blogger blog it is really easy to enable adsense ads on your blog.  This places google ads in your sidebar & under your posts.  The threshold for payment is high - I think it is $100 so unless you have a lot of traffic to your blog it will be a long time until you see a payment.  The funds roll over to the next month and I think in January I will finally see a payment come my way.  With Adsense you earn money by impression & by click throughs. As tempting as it may be you can't click on any ads that show up on your own site or you will be disqualified from your earnings, also you can't encourage others to click the ads or have a friend click them for you or it will disqualify you from receiving a check.  Adsense tracks IP addresses and if the same address shows up multiple times it red flags your account.  I will occasionally click on ads on other blogs but I'm cautious.  I know it is a way for bloggers to make money but I make sure the ad is something relevant that I'm really interested in before clicking on it.



So those are my suggestions to help offset the cost of blogging.  Of course blogging doesn't have to cost anything.  Books from the library are free (as long as you don't rack up late fees - have I mentioned how much I hate late fees!) and giveaways are not a requirement of blogging.


How about you? Do you have any suggestions for how to pay for blogging & giveaways? What has worked for you?

Do you have a question for me? Send me an email toobusyreading(at)gmail(dot)com or fill out the form below.

Author Interview: The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams - Comment to be Entered to win a Kindle Fire

Welcome to Author Ivy Adams!

Bio:

Ivy Adams is the pseudonym for three friends and writing partners: Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts and Tracy Deebs. Though The International Kissing Club is their first novel together, they have written more than thirty novels between them. They shop, gossip and watch movies in Austin, Texas.

Around the World in 80 Kisses Smooch Stop #33

Write a Haiku about your book

Four best friends travel

Learning about life and love

And kissing cute boys

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

It’s okay not to be what everyone wants you to be.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

The theme song for The International Kissing Club would be Young Blood by The Naked and Famous. It’s an anthem to youth and having fun and making mistakes, everything Piper, Cassidy, Mei and Izzy do in spades.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

It’s better to finish your book, than to get it perfect. If you have an idea, write and write and write until it’s done, then you can go back and fix it. But if you continually stop to tinker with it, trying to make it perfect, you’ll never finish. I know too many writers who start and never finish a story.

What is your dream cast for your book?

Oooh, this is a fun one.

Piper: Anna Kendrick

Cassidy: Amanda Michalka

Mei: Brenda Song (though she’s not Chinese)

Izzy: Emma Watson

Please tell us in one sentence only why we should read you book.

You should read The International Kissing Club because it fun and flirty, not dark and depressing.

Thank you for hosting us today!

Now tell me the book I should be reading right now (leave your email so we can contact you) to be entered to win the Around the World In 80 Kisses daily and weekly prize and also become eligible to win the Grand Prize, a Kindle Fire. For a list of all our Smooch Posts you can visit and earn more entries to win, visit us here.

The International Kissing Club

The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams is the story of four best friends: Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy--the misfits of Paris, Texas. Their whole lives, they’ve dreamed of escaping small-town life and seeing the world. So when Piper is the victim of an embarrassing prank that goes viral online, she gets the idea that the girls should escape via the school’s international exchange program, in search of fun, love and internet redemption.
Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts and Tracy Deebs write under the pseudonym Ivy Adams. They shop, gossip and watch movies in Austin, Texas.

Ebook Deals!

I'm becoming a huge fan of ebooks. Mainly because they are so cheap! Here are some great deals that are available right now.  You don't have to have an ereader to read them.  You can download them right to your computer and read there.

Prices are accurate at the time of posting.  I have no idea how long these deals will last.

FREE!






Just .99 Cents
Today Only:


Just .99 Cents



Just $1.99




$2.24




Just $2.51



And don't miss this one - I loved it:
2.99



Thanks to Mandy who let me know that if you have a nook many of these titles are the same price at Barnes & Noble.