Six years, six discoveries

I told Charlotte that I might steal this idea.  (I modified it a little.)  In Bed With Books is now six years old, which I cannot believe.  I started this blog on a total lark.  It's been six years of reading, writing, attending author events, attending conventions, judging awards, and more.  It's been incredibly rewarding and I intend to do it for the foreseeable future.

You might have noticed a little schedule slip lately.  What can I say?  I just moved (and, in fact, went two weeks without internet).  I've got a full-time job.  Writing an average of 215 posts a year ain't easy.  It's hard work.

But it's the funnest sort of hard work.

So in celebration, here are six of my best bookish discoveries that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't a book blogger.

1. The 2013 Cybils Speculative Fiction Finalists in Middle Grade/Elementary

I started out reviewing YA books.  I was 19, it was still cool.  I never really got shamed for reading down when it came to YA.  I had given up kid's books, however.  (Except for special things, like finding out how A Series of Unfortunate Events ended.)  Book bloggers - adult book bloggers - proudly talking about middle grade and its merits helped me pick up some books for younger readers again.  Unsurprisingly, many of them are good books.  I'm hella proud of the shortlist that I helped curate, especially because they're all books I might not've picked up a few years ago.  I hope I lead others to them, child or adult.

2.  Maggie Stiefvater

She's a bestselling author, so I probably would've read her books eventually.  But I'm so happy I've been able to read her stuff from the beginning, when she reached out to me as a debut author.  Plus, her books just keep getting better.

3.  So many small presses!

I was the weird kid who paid attention to imprints, but I still tended to stick to the big names.  Blogging has opened me up to several smaller imprints that I adore, like Flux, Strange Chemistry, and Carolrhoda Lab.  Even at the library, I tend to be limited to the spines that jump out at me.  I've become more adventurous because blogging has made me more aware.

4. A.S. King

Shortly after I started blogging, everyone started going crazy over THE DUST OF 100 DOGS.  (Particularly the then hugely popular Reviewer X.)  Everyone was right to go crazy, because A.S. King is a national treasure.  She's got the Printz Honor to back it up.

5.  Angieville

I love all of you, I promise.  Angie, however, can talk me into reading anything.  She's got the silver tongue of book persuasion.  And I let her reviews talk me into buying stuff because she is right, like, 99.9% of the time.  (If you'll excuse me, I just wasted time reading her newest review instead of finishing this post.  She is so spot on about Laura Weiss and she says so many things I wish I'd said first, but I'd never have managed to articulate them so well.)

6.  Tumblr!

I am not social media savvy.  I mean, I'm not hopeless, but I'm not gonna pretend to be expert level.  But Tumblr is so much fun and so filled with people who love books and talking about books and drooling over pretty books and bookshelves.  (BTW, I could use some bookshelf recs for my new place.)  Tumblr is the social network for me, and I never would've found it if not for book blogging.

So there's my six discoveries!  Thanks for visiting, commenting, sharing, whatever.  And if I've helped you discover anything through my blog, please let me know.