Are You a Booktuber? Now I Am!

In March I made a huge discovery!  Thanks to my friend Camilla, I saw her post about her new channel on Facebook called Our Bookish Obsession and checked it out.  She is very nice and is doing it together with a friend which is different than most.  I encourage you to check out her videos.

I found on YouTube there is a whole lot of people who make videos about books.  They discuss books, come up with fun book tags (in blogland they were called mimis), give tours of their bookshelves and all sorts of book-related videos.  The community is called BookTube and I am now officially a Booktuber.  If you are a booktuber, please leave a link to your channel or a specific one of your videos in the comments below so I can visit you! 

In trying to find other Booktubers, I discovered a whole group on Twitter using #booktube and #booktubers.  Not only that, but one of the booktubers told me there is a group on Goodreads and I can even post my channel link there.  Of course, I'd love for you to visit my channel and leave a comment or even subscribe!  You can find my channel on YouTube by putting in kzemek in the search box.  Currently, I have a giveaway going on through April 22.


I am still in the process of finding the best place and setup for taping my videos.  We do not get a lot of sunlight in Cleveland before I go to work and in the evenings so lighting is my biggest challenge in making my videos.  I am also experimenting on getting the right distance from the camera and getting it at the right height but I'll get there pretty soon, I hope. 


This has given me new inspiration for doing videos.  I am currently working on doing a "Divergent" book tag and hope to get that taped and edited this weekend for LionsandTigersandbooksohmy.

This post is in response to Mama's Losin' It's Writer's Workshop prompt:  Share something you learned in March.  Why not go check out her prompts and link up too?

Happy Reading!

"Quiet--The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain

Review first published Jan. 7, 2013

Today I am doing one of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompts:  Open your picture folders, close your eyes and pick a random photo to share and write about.  This is the picture I got from my "Favorite Reads 2013" folder so I am just re-posting this book review with the picture.

There was a lot of hype about Quiet--The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain and it won awards in 2012. Now having read it, I can tell you the hype was spot on! What a wonderful book!! I thought it was going to be a text book but it's not. The great thing about this book is that I enjoyed it and learned too. It's hard to beat that combination. The examples Susan Cain gives of people are very interesting. That is why I'm giving it 5++ stars. Well done, Ms. Cain! I LOVED it!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

I started reading this book and found it to be quite boring. I even decided I'd skim it instead but couldn't even make myself finish it then. I was surprised to see that "brainstorming" sessions do not produce great results. A better way would be to let each person brainstorm their ideas by themselves, then review them together and possibly add to them as a group then. I just didn't want to keep plowing my way through. I read the first 100 pages or so.
(Karen's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Sutton" by J.R. Moehringer--Fantastic!

Sutton by J. R. Moehringer is a fantastic book! Don't let the word "novel" fool you, Willie Sutton was an actual person. He made the first FBI Most Wanted list. He robbed banks but never hurt anyone or shot a gun. When asked why he robbed banks, he responded, "Because that's where the money is." This page turner will for sure make my top ten books of 2012. I loved it!
(Gerard's review, rating 5+++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are adding this one to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop in response to this prompt:  Book Review time! Recommend a great book, perfect for these stormy fall days! Hope you will subscribe to our blog so you get all of our reviews!

"One For The Murphys" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is about being someone’s hero and showing unconditional love. Although it is considered juvenile fiction, I really liked it! The main character, Carly, has been neglected and abused but finds a good foster home while her mother recovers from a beating she took from her husband. Julie Murphy, the foster home mother, is the wife of a fireman with three boys that shows kindness and love to Carly who doesn’t quite know what to make of it. This heart-warming book has humor, a good message, and is a touching quick read. It made even made me tear up at certain parts. If you like stories about kids and family, I recommend this one! It will tug at your heartstrings.
 (Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

Here's a trailer for the book:
(This is the author's debut novel, her first draft of it received the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature.)


This book was recommended by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are linking this up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop in response to this prompt: Book Review time! Recommend a great book, perfect for these stormy fall days! We'd like for you to subscribe so you get all our reviews. Click the link to check out the other prompts and perhaps link up a post of your own.

What Do You Think of When You Hear the Word Plaid? (Writer's Workshop)

When I hear the word "plaid" I think of my dad because he ALWAYS wore plaid flannel shirts (except on Sundays to church).  

The Best Shirts Ever!

My dad loved flannel shirts with two front pockets and I don't think he threw any out. When I went through his closets after he died, he had three closets full of flannel shirts and some flannel lined shirts from L.L. Bean. He would wear these all yaar round, even on hot summer days! If he got paint on some, he'd still save those to wear the next time he painted.

My dad had so many shirts because he'd usually get flannel shirts for his birthday and Christmas. I found one still in the original plastic so used it to lay him out in for his funeral. He was never big on suits and I just thought he'd look more like himself in a flannel shirt. Here we found a picture of when he got that shirt which was about 20 years earlier! Who knows, maybe he meant to save that one for his funeral one day--sounds like something he'd do!

I gave most of them away but kept a few for my husband and me. It's really nice to have these because it makes me feel close to dad still when I wear one of his shirts. My husband discovered how nice they are too. He never used to wear flannel shirts but likes them a lot now, especially in the winter to wear to work. They are so comfortable!

One of the biggest fights my parents, thus most memorable, was over him stubbornly insisting that he wear a flannel shirt for the church directory picture.  I thought it was hilarious!  Here is the picture that we purchased which appeared in the church directory:

Read more about my dad and me at "My Funny Dad Harry" blog:  http://karenzemek.blogspot.com.  Better yet, purchase the book I wrote in him memory about my dad and me and how as he grew old, the frustrations about being his primary care giver and how our roles reversed.  (Available on Amazon and Barnes Noble)

Be sure to see what our cats wrote about this over at our other blog, Right Where We Belong. 
This post was inspired by Mama Kat's Writers Workshop prompt:  What comes to mind when you hear the word plaid?.  Stop by to find more or link up one of your own.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Behind The Scenes Of Our Blog Header (Writer's Workshop)

This vlog is in response to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt: Tell us the story

behind the title of your blog. What is it? What inspired it? What other options did you consider? Are you happy with it? (I am very happy with it but forgot to mention that little fact in the video. My cats really cooperated nicely for me and were very patient. We tried four times to do this and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. I wanted to do it at the dining room table where I've been stacking the books, but the lighting wasn't good enough there.

Notice, you cannot make cats do anything.  You can only suggest, entice and wait patiently for them.

Check out our book giveaway of "I'm Outnumbered--One Mom's Lessons In The Lively Art Of Raising boys" to a mom (or gift for a mom)--winner to be announced May 1 so you have it in time for Mother's Day.

I Admit it, I Broke The Rule (Writer’s Workshop)

I usually follow rules so the only thing I can think of is those blog awards we get from each other where you are supposed to link back to the person who gave it to you and then list however many blogs it says to pass it on to with links.  Then you are supposed to let them know you have given them an award so they can come and get it. 

Shortly after I started blogging, I received my first blogging award and was very excited!  Only two of the blogs I passed it along to are still blogging--one has changed the blog's name since.  When I first started blogging, I thought these were great but soon found out they are a time gobbler.  It got harder and harder to find blogs that did not already have the award and decide who to give it to.  It became a chore and I began to think of them as just a nuisance.  When I received the Versatile Blogger Award and One Lovely Blog Award for this blog, I broke the rule.  I accepted the award with a link back to the one who gave it to me, but did not forward it along.  I just said that anyone on my blog roll could take it if they wanted it.  I did not go leave messages for all of them to let them know about it either.

What do you think of these kinds of blog awards?  Do you even bother reading these kinds of posts?  I generally do not.

This post is in response to Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop prompt:  “Why Did You Do It?  Write about a time you chose to break a rule.” 

Why Do I Blog? Good Question! (Writer's Workshop/Back2Blogging Day 5)

I ask myself this question a lot lately because I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by Linky deadlines and the feeling that I should visit all the other links but just don't have the time and if I did, why would I want to spend all day and evening on the computer?  I guess I'm just addicted to blogging now but do get pleasure out of posting things people find funny or interesting, but this SITS Back2Blogging Challenge has really put the pressure on and tuckered me out—talk about time-consuming! 

So, why do I blog? 

• We learn a lot through blogging—tips, places, needs of others and new things like blogging pets! 
• I enjoy writing over talking.
• It’s fun to read about thoughts, views, lifestyles and experiences of others, including the cats and dogs.
• Sharing with others is just something I like to do.
• We have made some new friends through blogging through exchanging comments.
• I find blogging challenging and I like a challenge.

What if we all stopped?  I know I would miss blogging now that I’ve been bitten by the blogging bug.  We would have so much more time though to do other things such as:  Watch TV, clean, get to know our neighbors, go places, read more books, visit people face-to-face, exercise, play more with my pets and talk more with my husband.  What would you do if you didn’t blog.  I think I would get bored after awhile.

Here’s my blogging challenge:  Let’s everyone stop blogging completely for two weeks—no posting, no scheduling posts, no commenting or reading others blogs.  If everyone stopped at the same time, we wouldn’t be missing anything.  I think it is a great idea!  Everyone may come back refreshed with lots of ideas and anxious to do it some more.  On the other hand, we may find that we really don’t miss it and could get on with other things in our life.  Now, which two weeks should the blogosphere take a vacation?  I’m thinking maybe November.  We have to plan it far enough ahead to get the word out.  Who’s with me on this?  Leave your suggestions in the comments.  What do you think?

This post is in response to Day 5 of SITS Back2Blogging  and Mama Kat's Writer’s Workshop prompt:  Why do you blog? What purpose does it serve you and how have you benefited from sharing a piece of yourself online this way?  Here are links to my other posts I wrote for this challenge--Whew!



Day 1--The First Blog Post I Ever Wrote
Day 2--Lenore, The Love of His Life
Day 3--A Title I Am Proud Of:  Why Wash Your Car
Day 4--Inspired By Marva Collins

Over at SITS there is a giveaway going on in connection with "Back To Blogging." The giveaway is a washer and dryer from sponsors, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances.

This is part of Saturday Samplings at Half Past Kissin' Time.