Weekly Link Round-Up (Jan. 31)

Here are the blogs and posts I want to highlight this week.

Conversations

I'm sure you've seen the Booking through Thursday meme that many book bloggers participate in. This week Deb changed the rules just a bit and started a discussion through comments and blogs about books in the digital age. You shouldn't miss this conversation.

Amy from My Friend Amy wrote a thoughtful post about the joys of assigned reading. This topic has come up a couple of times in the book blogging world recently, and Amy talks about how exposure to the classics in school can spark a lifelong love of reading. Do you agree or disagree? Let Amy know.

Blogs

This year I expanded my horizons by reading my first graphic novels. Laza of Gimme More Books is hosting a graphics novel challenge. If you've been even a little curious about graphic novels and the wide range of genres available, please stop by the Graphic Novels Challenge blog. Can you believe that there are almost 40 reviews up and the challenge is barely one month old!

Have you been reading the great mini-reviews on Jenny's Page? It's amazing how many books Jenny reads and how wonderful her reviews are. She has the talent to say more in a few sentences than I can say in several paragraphs! She has eclectic tastes, so you're sure to find a book that interests you. I hope you explore Jenny's blog.

Posts

I know a lot of you get used books from BookMooch, contests, giveaways, and other sources. Have you ever gotten a book that came from the home of a smoker? If so, you might have noticed that the books carried a smoke stench. Keira over at Love Romance Passion has some tips on how to get rid of the foul odor. You might want to bookmark her post.

Julie from Confessions of a Book Habitue has a nice review of State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy. This cozy mystery features Olivia Paras, an assistant chef at the White House. Here's what Julie had to say: "Great story. It was lots of fun. Not overly complicated."

Historical fiction fans should go to Wendi's Book Corner to read the review of The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. I thought the novel sounded interesting, but Wendi has convinced me that it's a must read: "This book gives the reader a wonderful view of what life was like during [the late 1600s] and a shocking look into what can happen when people turn against each other out of spite, bitterness and jealousy."

Steph, a.k.a. Reviewer X, put together a terrific post for bloggers who review ARCs. She asked a number of publishing companies this question: "How far ahead of the release date do you consider ideal for bloggers to post about ARCs you send out?" Almost a dozen publishers replied; don't miss their responses.

You might not know that Shelly at Write for a Reader conducts author interviews. Her latest is with Merrily Kutner, who writes books for children. Kutner says, "I aspire to write with the whimsy of Dr. Seuss, the skill of Jane Yolen and the sensitivity of Eve Bunting."

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Some of these links were part of a link-sharing group started by Amy of My Friend Amy. If you would like to join in, leave your email address in the comments, and I'll send you the information. Link sharing is open to anyone who wants to participate, and you don't need to share links every week.