BBAW Adoration

In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite bloggers. I usually hate this type of singling out of people, especially because I follow several blogs and have made several blogging friends and connections, but this handful has become truly special to me and I wanted to shower them with appreciation. Thanks you guys for simply being who you are.

Thoughts of Joy – Joy has a really special place in my blogging heart. She was one of the first blogs I grabbed onto when I first started, and even though she won’t agree, I pestered the heck out of her about this and that. She was patient and friendly and supportive and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor turned friend. And what’s funny is I think Joy knows my taste in books better than I do!

Melody’s Reading Corner – I met Melody about a year ago, and I really wish I could remember how exactly. She was one of those who I immediately felt comfortable around and have since shared stories and reviews with one another. She's always leaves such wonderful comments here and in response to comments she receives on her blog and I always look forward to what she's going to say.

Peeking Between the Pages – One of my favorite things about hosting challenges is the great people I’ve met in the process. I met Dar last year during the Classics challenge and if I’m not mistaken she has just started blogging. She rapidly found a comfortable place in the blogosphere and has become a quite popular gal, but she hasn’t lost the personal friendships along the way. Dar has the sweetest disposition and I always look forward to her thoughtful posts or her wonderful comments. Plus, that Buddy is so adorable!

Books.Lists.Life. – Lisa Lisa Lisa. I have a special bond with Lisa and has just kind of evolved over time. We started emailing a few summers ago when we were both reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. She re-introduced me to the term “freezer book,” and that little bond has grown over the years. She was my best cheerleader during my first read-a-thon and I cajoled her into joining me for the last one. She’s also the first blogger I’ve met and we’re still talking so I guess that went well. :P I can always count on Lisa to give me a pick-me-up or laugh when I need it.

Musings of a Bookish Kitty – I don’t want to put in a whole bunch of hoopla about who was short-listed and who wasn’t, but I was pretty disappointed that Wendy wasn’t nominated for Best Literary Review Blog this year. Wendy writes such wonderful reviews and has added a number of books to my TBR list. In addition to her fabulous writing, she also is such a warm and welcoming blogger. I remember feeling rather intimidated by Wendy when I first started blogging, but she couldn’t be a more accepting person.

Dolce Bellezza – Is there a blogger with a bigger heart than Bellezza? Well, she’s got a lot of strong contenders, but I’ve always been drawn to her warmth. Bellezza, like Wendy, intimidated me a bit when I first started blogging. She is always able to find such beauty in the books that she reads and the way that she conveys her feelings just tugs at your heart. Besides all of that, she’s helped introduce me to Japanese Literature, which I’ll always be grateful.

My Year of Reading Seriously – I’ve talked a lot over the past few years about CJ and how cool I found her reading project to be. When CJ first started blogging she decided she would dedicate her year of reading to her mother who had passed away. I loved this idea, especially as I have a special reading bond with my own mother. Once her year of reading “seriously” ended, I was thrilled that she continued to blog away about this and that—love her Sifting Thoughts. I also secretly think that our cats are soul-kitties. Hers, Maddie, and mine, Maggie, do look curiously alike (in a cattish way).

Nothing of Importance – Debi. What can be said about Debi that hasn’t already been said. Everyone loves Debi. And if you don’t know who I’m talking about—put her on your list! Debi is one of those bloggers who I secretly wanted to get to know but just didn’t know how to go about it. She was a frequent commenter on some of my favorite blogs, so when Dewey did one of her first Weekly Geeks—meet other bloggers—I headed straight over to Debi’s. The awesome thing? Debi found me that week, too.

Also, quickly I know we're supposed to be talking about blogs who weren't short-listed this year, but I couldn't help mentioning Amanda and Nymeth who have been such wonderful blogging friends. And of course their blogs are "must check out" blogs.

What bloggers have you met that have gone above and beyond being just a blogger to being a friend?

Happy BBAW Week!