Book Bio

As of 1/1/10, the book bio will be moved to a new URL. The new location is:

http://bookbio.pbworks.com/

Our own Julie has taken over and done an excellent job in making it user friendly. You can still find our monthly book club selections along with genre recommendations and constantly suggested books/series.

Happy Reading!

eBook Readers

We've been getting a lot of questions on the Nest's Book Club lately about the differences between Amazon's Kindle, Sony's reader, and Barnes & Nobles' latest addition to the fray. There are others as well. Most of the NBCers (not all) prefer actual books to the electronic readers but they are becoming more and more popular with business travelers and others.

We have a site which compares the various features of the readers so that you may determine which one works best for you:

http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix


There was also one from the New York Times which gives the basic overview of the more popular ones available now:

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/12/03/technology/personaltech/03ebook-chart1.html

Another question that we get often is about free books. Once you actually get an eReader, can you download free books and where do you find them? The answer depends on the device. Recent software patches allow the Kindle to download PDFs. Sony's product does allow for PDFs but you have to jump through hoops to get them to work or you can utilize their database. A couple of sites where you may find free books follow:

http://www.manybooks.net/

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Come on over to the Nest Book Club and let us know how they work. If you find other sites for free books, share them with us as well.

Happy Reading!

The Time Traveler's Wife Movie Trailer

I know by now we have all seen this trailer....how excited are you for this movie?!?




The movie opens August 14th. I can't wait!

July's Book Has Changed!

Just a reminder that we will be reading Summer Sisters by Judy Blume in July and the original July pick in December.

Lord of the Rings Read-Along!

Everyone is welcome to join this read-along, first time readers of the series, and people that have read it 50 times! I've never read it, I've always meant too, and I'm so glad to read it as a read-along.  

We'll start with The Hobbit, although if you don't want to read that one, feel free to join us 2 weeks later when we get started on The Fellowship of the Ring.

Here are the discussion dates for the books:

June 29th: The Hobbit

July 13th: The Fellowship of the Ring

July 27th: The Two Towers

August 10th: The Return of the King

Discussions will take place just like the standard NBC discussions, with open forum.  Feel free to ask questions, make comments, start posts, the whole sha-bang.

I'm looking forward to reading these together! 

SuBC Icons

Just wanted to get these up early so you can get them in your siggys. Once again I coerced my husband into making us something pretty. He found this picture on flickr in Joseph Robertson's photostream. 

 I posted two different sizes. 

In order to post this in your siggy, go to your profile on the Nest, click on Edit My Profile, and down at the bottom is a signature area.  

Insert this: <*img src="tinyurlhere" width="200" />  

Right click on whichever size you want to be in your siggy and choose "copy image address". 

Now, paste that address where it says "tinyurlhere" and delete the * from in front of img.   

All done. 

75 in 2009

A group of us all felt that 50 book in 2009 wasn't enough of a challenge but 100 was a little too far, so we decided to go for 75 books in 2009. Feel free to join us (and take the graphic if you'd like).

SBC: Book Being Made into a Movie

Just to clear up some confusion. The book that you read for the category of book being released as a movie can be any book/movie coming out in 2009. So for example Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will work, even though that doesn't actually come out until July (perfect for those doing the HP read along as well).

Here is a post from this morning that talks about this and includes a list of movies based on books that are coming out this year.
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/13286028.aspx

Spring Bookmark Exchange

In case you missed it earlier today we are doing a Spring Bookmark Exchange!

Here's the info:
The deadline to sign up is April 3, email me and I will email you the invite.
You have until the end of the day April 3 to go to Elfster and set up your info (nestie name, real name, mailing info *remember only your elf can see your address)
After the 3rd names will be drawn and you will get an email with who your elf is.
Mail your bookmark so they are there by April 20.
The money limit is $15. You can buy or make the bookmark.
Let me know if you have any questions.

The basics of the exchange:
Since I know we have some new people since the last one and I'm sure there will be questions.
Basically here are the steps.
*Someone sets up an exchange on Elfster and then lets everyone know to email them, they then send out an invite so that nesties can go to elfster and sign up
*Nestie then goes and signs up (putting their nestie name, real name, and mailing info (this is set to private so that ONLY the person who gets your name can see it).
* Once the deadline to sign up passes the organizer tells Elfster to draw and match names, nesties then get an email telling them who they will be sending a bookmark to
* Now you can ask your nestie questions on Elfster (they come across without a name so they don't know who you are) and/or you can do polls here to get an idea of what to send (for example last time my elf asked if I liked Twilight and she made me a Twilight bookmark)
* You then mail them a bookmark by the date we set (these can be homemade, bought from the store/etsy/etc). Make sure you put your nest name somewhere so they know who you are
*You get your bookmark in the mail and post on here to let your elf know you got it
The important thing to remember with this is to only sign up if you really intend to mail out a bookmark, it's not fair to someone if they send one off and don't get one in return.

200 Book Challenge

100 just isn't enough for some people. 

Here's a graphic for them:

Enjoy!

All info on Spring Book Challenge

General SBC Info


Here is the link to the completed spreadsheet. This includes all 25 point challenges: SpringBC Master 2009



The 25 point challenges were all created by the 5 winners of the Winter Book Challenge. To find out who made up which challenge, follow this link. Feel free to send them PMs or messages on the NBC to ask any questions you may have about their tasks.
We have our 5 -25 point tasks



Here is the graphic to put in your siggy. How to put a graphic in your siggy is on the lower right of this page.




Task Specific Info


Task: Book/Related Music
You can enter a book or a band and it will give you suggestions.
: : Artists for Literacy - Projects : :



Task: Book by gay/lesbian author or with gay/lesbian main character
A really nice list of books that fit perfectly into this category.
Lambda Literary Foundation :: LL Awards :: Current Finalists



Task: Read a book that was released the year you were born
Actually, there are a couple sites to help you out with that one. Here ya go:
Category:1984 books

(You can change the year once you follow the link.)


New York Times Best Seller List





RevJen is our Official SBC researcher. If you have any further questions, drop her a line and she will help you find something incredible to read!


Task: Read a book that is being made into a movie coming out in 2009
Just to clear up some confusion. The book that you read for the category of book being released as a movie can be any book/movie coming out in 2009. So for example Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will work, even though that doesn't actually come out until July (perfect for those doing the HP read along as well).Here is a post that talks about this and includes a list of movies based on books that are coming out this year.http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/13286028.aspx

The Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse series)

The Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse series)
By Charlaine Harris

When vampires announce their existence, thanks to the discovery of synthetic blood, Sookie Stackhouse felt nothing but excitement. Being a telepathic barmaid in a small Louisiana town, she wanted some adventure in her life, and she got exactly that.

Through her vampire boyfriend, her world expands to werewolves, fairies and witches – all who need her telepathic powers to solve various mysteries. Each adventure brings a new supernatural suitor and some romance – leaving Sookie in a growing love triangle throughout the series.

Series order:
1. Dead Until Dark (HBO’s “True Blood, season 1)
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead To the World
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Dead Together
8. From Dead to Worse
9. Dead and Gone (released May 2009)

Nest Book Club Facebook Group

Yeah, we're official and stuff now that we have a Facebook group, right? Right.

To join, just search for "Nest Book Club" in groups and request to be added. This is a private group because we have our nest names posted, but our admins are pretty nice girls, so most likely they'll let you in! 

That's all. 

List of Book Fairs

With all the talk of gtgs and book fairs I thought I'd post this here for anyone who missed it. Ceresas posted this link to the Library of Congress web site. It lists a ton of book fairs and events by state. So check it out if you're interested. Even if not for a gtg then at least for yourself. And maybe another nestie or two would be interested and you could do your own little mini gtg.

All Mapped Out

Just wanted to post the map that we've worked out over the last few days.

There are a lot of NBC members represented. If you aren't, but want to be either leave me a message here or contact me on The Nest.

Here it is! 

--Jacki

Harry Potter Read Along Update

It's discussion time for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! The discussion is taking place on the new Harry Potter board. We're talking about the book and the movie, so come join us!

And get ready to start Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Feb. 2. We're planning to have the book done by Feb. 21 and then watch the movie. The discussion will be the week of Feb. 23.

So put on your robes, grab your wand, and come talk Harry Potter!

Info on the Challenges

Since there has been some confusion with the challenges Jacki and I thought we should clarify.

There are 3 challenges dealing with number of books read in 2009. They are: 25 books, 50 books and 100 books. If you want to do one of these all you have to do is pick which one you want to do, start reading, and keep track of your books however you want (goodreads, a spreadsheet, whatever). There will be some checkins on the board to see how everyone is doing. Feel free to add the graphics to your siggy as well.
One thing that has been asked a lot is whether re-reading a book counts. This is the decision of the board: if it is the first time you have re-read the book this year it counts, anything more than that does not. Other than a multiple re-read this year any book that you read counts toward these challenges. The point of these challenges is to simply encourage us all to read, not dictate what we read. We want everyone to have fun!

The other challenge is the Winter Book Challenge. You can find the information for that in the book challenge blog, the link for that is on the right of this page (scroll down).

Goodreads/ PBS Log is available

Thanks to everyone who gave me their PBS/Goodreads info.  Now we have it all together in one place. 

Here it is. 

If there is a problem with your entry or you need added, leave a comment here or PM me or Kayash on The Nest & we'll get it changed!

100 Books in 2009 Challenge

Yep, that's right, there is now a third form of the book challenge. A few members of the book board decided to really challenge themselves this year and have decided to go for 100 books over the year. If you'd like to participate in this challenge simply read 100 books this year, that's it. There will be check ins on the board and some girls have started keeping track of them in their siggys. And feel free to put the graphic in your siggy.

Nest Book Club FAQ

Q: What are the official Nest Book Club selections?

A: You can find a list of the Nest Book Club selections on The Book Bio.

Q: How are these chosen?

A: Every October/November, a series of polls is conducted to find what books everyone wants to read in a handful of different genres. No one person decides on these, it is a group decision.

Q: When will they be discussed?

A: On the fourth Tuesday of the month, the discussion for the month's book starts. The discussion lasts though out the week.

Q: How does the discussion work?

A: The discussion is not 'run' by any one person. Different people pose discussion questions, opinions and general conversation about the particular book & people respond. It is not an 'organized discussion', but instead a more loosely formed discussion that lasts for several days.

Q: I am crazy about Twilight. Where can I let the Twilight-crazy flow freely?

A: There are now two 'mini' boards at the top of the main page now. No more stealing boards, Harry Potter and Twilight have their own little special boards for you to enjoy!

Q: What is Paperback Swap?

A: Paperback Swap (often referred to just as PBS on the board) is a website that a lot of Nesties use. It is a way to get new books and get rid of older books for just the price of postage. This is a fun thing anyway, but The Nest Book Club makes it even better because if Nesties are posting a good, popular book, a lot of times it will be offered on the board before it is listed publicly.

Q: What is GoodReads?

A: GoodReads is another site that is used by a lot of Nesties and referred to frequently. It is a site used to keep track of books read, read reviews, keep track of what everyone else is reading, and keep a tally of books that you haven't read yet but want to. This website is huge and has tons of features just waiting to be explored. There is a Nest Book Club group on GoodReads that can be found here: Nestie Book Club.

Q: How can I 'friend' the Nesties that use these sites?

A: Here is a log of all the Goodreads & PBS users. Feel free to add everyone as friends. Some people do not feel comfortable adding you if they don't know where you got their name, so make sure you add a message saying who you are on The Nest!

In addition, there is a Nest Book Club on Facebook. To join, just search for "Nest Book Club" in groups and request to be added. Because our Nest names are posted on there, this is a private group, but our admins are pretty nice girls, so most likely they'll let you in!

Q: How can I keep from spoiling/being spoiled?

A: Because there are a lot of people in the Book Club reading a lot of different books, it is important that we not spoil endings/story lines for other people. The easiest way to do this is to put Spoiler in the title bar. For example, you are curious how everyone feels about the ending of The Notebook. A good title would be "The Notebook ending *Spoilers*". This will keep people who have not read The Notebook yet out of there.

If a discussion is in full-swing and you want to post something about the ending make sure you indicate that you are about to post a spoiler, push enter a handful of times and then write your spoiler. This will save people who don't want to read it from reading it.

The only exception to this is the Book Club selection for the month. It is assumed that people who are clicking on those discussions have already read the book.

On the same note, if you want to review a book/ask a question, feel free to put *no spoilers* if it is spoiler free!

In addition, keep in mind that everyone can read all the titles of posts, so please don't include anything that could be taken as a spoiler in the title. Think of a vaguer title and be sure to include *spoiler*, then put the content in the post itself. This will save people from accidently finding out what is going to happen in the book.

Q: What are all these abbreviations?!

A: The Nest is chock full of abbreviations. Here is a list of ones that are used specifically on the Nest Book Club.

NBC- Nest Book Club

NBR- Not Book Related

BR- Book Related

TBR- To Be Read

TOBG- The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

TTW- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

DIA- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

NaNo- National Novel Writing Month

ATAT- All Twilight All the Time

BD- Breaking Dawn

NM- New Moon

PBS- Paperback Swap

HP- Harry Potter

WIAR- What I Am Reading

WIJFR- What I Just Finished Reading

LOTR- Lord of the Rings

WBC/SBC/SuBC/FBC- Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall Book Challenge

ABOSAA: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

OSN: Operation: Skinny Nerd

Q: Where can I get more information on the current challenges?

A: In addition to the official NBC book selection for the month, there are often other challenges and read-alongs going on. This was one of the main reasons for starting this blog. The challenge and read along information will be able to be found here and any updates/changes will be posted both on the board and on this blog. The seasonal challenge also has its own blog, which is posted below.

Here are links to the current happenings:

Nest Book Club Challenge (Seasonal)

Spreadsheets for this challenge

100 books in 2009

50 books in 2009

25 books in 2009

Stephen King Group Reads

Harry Potter Group Read

Lord of the Ring Group Read

Operation: Skinny Nerds

Q: How do I get those little challenge boxes in my siggy?

A: There are several different boxes that have been made to show that you are participating in a NBC challenge. They are all posted at the right side of the blog, about halfway down.

To get these into your siggy, go to your profile on the Nest, click on Edit My Profile, and down at the bottom is the signature area.

Insert this: <*img src="tinyurlhere" width=200>

Right click on the box you want to be in your siggy and choose "copy image address".

Now, paste that address where it says "tinyurlhere" and delete the * from in front of img.

This will put the box in your siggy.