This is my third year participating in the Armchair BEA event. While I am not an American I do like the opportunity to join with book bloggers around the world and talk about our favourite subject, books. I am sure most people know already but just in case; BEA is the Book Expo of America, held in New York, where people in the book industry of America get to be enticed with new books from publishers. There is an event now known as BookCon where book lovers can experience the same enticement, however they won’t get any diversity. Putting aside the problems with BookCon, I’m pleased to join all the fun with Armchair BEA. This is a virtual conference for the book bloggers that can’t make it to BEA. Over the next few days I will be joining in with this event and their daily blog post topic suggestions.
For the past two years I’ve been enjoying this event, it is a great way to meet new bloggers and show off your own book blog. As this is the first day of Armchair BEA I probably should move on to the topics for the day. Today we are introducing ourselves and talking about my favourite topic…literature. As a way of introduction Armchair BEA has provided ten questions and asks everyone to pick their favourite five and answer them.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from?
My name is Michael, I hail from North Queensland in Australia and I only became a reader in 2009. I started blogging not long after that over at Knowledge Lost as a way to sort my thoughts and explain what I had learnt along the way. I know I need to spend more time on that blog and I’m hoping to get back into it now that I’m forcing myself to write every day. I started Literary Exploration as a way to document my book journey and soon discovered I’m very passionate about books and book blogging. There is one thing I hate about book blogging but for the most part I really enjoy the whole experience.
Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. — so we can connect more online.
Literary Exploration is documentation of my bookish journey as I explore literature in all its forms.
You can normally find me on twitter: @knowledgelost or my blog @litexploration as well as Facebook, Instagram, sometimes Tumblr and Pinterest. I’m also very active on Goodreads (also check out the Literary Exploration Book Club), Literally and Booklikes.
What was your favourite book read last year? What’s your favourite book so far this year?
Highlights of 2013 include;
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
- The Machine by James Smythe
- If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
For more books check out my best of 2013 post
Highlights of 2014 (so far) include;
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- The Dark Path by David Schickler
- Encyclopedia of a Life in Russia by José Manuel Prieto
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan
What is your favourite blogging resource?
One of the best investments I’ve made for my blog is the Ultimate Book Blogging Plugin. This one plugin has saved me a lot of time and makes my life so much easier. I can collect a lot of relevant information thanks to this plugin and it automatically updates my review index. It has a lot of cool features and I highly recommend it to all book bloggers. Of course you’ll all have to move to a self-hosted WordPress platform but that is a good idea anyway.
Spread the love by naming your favourite book blogs:
I’m always happy to recommend some great book blogs; here are some that I’m always happy to see updates from;
- 52 Books or Bust
- Reading Matters
- River City Reading
- Savidge Reads
- The Relentless Reader
- The Steadfast Reader
Time now to look at that all important topic of Literature: I’m a bit of a pretentious reader, so I’m always interested in reading books that are considered high literature. I’ve even set myself a life goal of reading the entire 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die List, I might even try to review them all too. I find myself drawn to literary more as I become a better reader; there is something about the prose and structure that stands out. As a literary explorer I try not to entrench myself in just one genre, but luckily there is plenty of great literary genre novels out there. I don’t have to sacrifice quality in order to read genre fiction.
However there are so many classics out there that I still have to read and I feel bad for not having read books like Middlemarch, The Brothers Karamazov, The Woman in White, The House of Mirth and so on. I want to catch up on all these great novels and I think classics are an essential part of the reading journey. I recommend every reader try to read more classics and to help you along, I suggest joining something like The Classics Club is a great way to challenge yourself to more classics. I want to take to the conversation to the comments but I’d like to ask some questions of the readers to help the conversation along;
- What is your favourite literary novel (in any genre)?
- Which classic would you like to read but are dreading?
- What genre do you spend most of you time reading?
- What genres tend to scare you?
- Finally, are there classics that just seem too hard and why?
ArmchairBEA is a virtual convention for book blogger who can’t attend Book Expo America and the Book Blogger Convention. Button by Sarah of Puss Reboots
Wow, i can’t believe I made the cut and am alongside some of my favorite bloggers. I always forget that you’ve only really been a reader since 2009. You are so well read and your reviews have far more depth than mine. Impressive.
And as an aside, just glancing through the list of bloggers, it seems like there are more males participating this year. IE/ you are not the only one. What’s your impression?
Why wouldn’t I like your blog? We have similar and differing tastes, I enjoy your blog. I may not agree with your opinion on all books (The Rosie Project in particular) but I like that you try different posts and not just book reviews.
I’ve had a quick look at some of the posts, I’ve found plenty of new blogs to follow but haven’t found a new favourite; yet.
Thanks. Just a confidence thing I guess.
You have nothing to worry about, you’re blog is great and it will continue to improve. I’m impressed that it’s so new, you make it look so easy
Hi! Have a great week.
I read The Bell Jar last year too. It was definitely interesting.
I’m not sure if I’m dreading it, but I keep putting off reading Moby Dick. I am going to get to it someday.
I keep putting off Moby Dick too, I’m not really sure why
I am tempted by the Ultimate Book Blogging plugin every time someone mentions it! Great to see your list of admired blogs; I believe I follow all of them already, too.
It is a small investment well worth making, I can’t believe how much help it had done for me. Look into it, I think you won’t be disappointed.
I think I’ll put it on my next Bloggiesta to-do list!
I read classics almost exclusively when I was younger, so now, I’m trying to read a lot more contemporary literature that is still written in the “literary” style that is more pretentious than your standard beach read. I’ve had a lot of fun with it, but surprisingly enough, my favorite contemporary literary read was The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Brenda @DailyMayo
Good to meet someone that reads pretentious books. I’ve still not read The Time Traveler’s Wife, I do plan to read it but I keep get distracted by other books
Great intro, Michael! Glad you’re joining Armchair BEA this week! And how was I not following you on Facebook already? That’s been corrected. 🙂
That’s ok Andi, I don’t use Facebook as well as I should. I should practice more.
You’re reading War and Peace? WOW, I’m impressed. I wish I had the inclination to attempt it but I guess I’m a little too shallow lol! I really enjoyed reading your intro, Michael. It’s a pleasure to meet a male book blogger for a change!! I hope you enjoy the ABEA this year. It’s my first time 🙂
Suzy Turner, Fiction Dreams
I have read and enjoyed War and Peace, it did take me a few months but so worth it.
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was an amazing book last year. And yay for reading War and Peace! I read it years ago, before I started blogging seriously, and I wish I kept notes on it. Been meaning to get around to 84 Charing Cross Road for years…one of these days 🙂
Great intro! Looking forward to the rest of your Armchair BEA posts this week 🙂
Day 1 @ on my blog
You could always reread War and Peace, it isn’t a big book…oh wait, it is. I think I’ll be rereading it at some point, I loved it
I just joined the classics club! I posted about my list here
I hope you enjoy it
I think I’m afraid to read Anna Karenina. I like Russian lit but I’m afraid I won’t like it and it will disappoint.
Thanks for joining up with Armchair BEA. http://mwgerard.com
I’m of the opinion Russian lit never disappoints; it isn’t entirely try but the majority of it is amazing, Anna Karenina is worth reading
Love your blog here! Some of the books your favorited are on my favorites list, and the others on my must-read list. This is my third time too doing Armchair BEA and it is one of my favorite events so far.
You obviously have good take in books, you should read the ones you haven’t read 🙂 Happy Armchair BEA
Whoa, War and Peace? Your reading selections are quite high brow, and I simply adore you for it! I could, perhaps, use a bit more pomp and circumstance in my literary life choices. Prime, my goodman. Just prime.
My goal to become the most pretentious reader in the world is on track then.
I’ve read 2 of your highlighted books – Calvino’s and W & P.
One of the advantages of being a (former) teacher was the long summer break. However, I now associate W & P, Anna Karenina, Middlemarch, A Suitable Boy, Gone With the Wind & the entire Harry Potter series with hot, sultry summer nights!
Glad to see there are at least 3 Aussie’s doing their bit for Armchair BEA 🙂
Russian lit is not really summer books, you need a good cold climate.
I count three Aussie bloggers too.
I haven’t braved War & Peace. I read the chunkster, Anna Karenina, and was not as happy with it as I hoped to be. It’s put me off from reading more of Tolstoy. In hindsight, maybe I should re-decide that front.
I’m a huge Russian Lit fan and I think both Anna Karenina and Ware and Peace were fantastic for different reasons. What didn’t you like about Anna Kerenina?
It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just felt I may have put too much expectation on it, and it was more sophisticated than I am used to reading. For me, it was hard to push through all the debauchery as well. Of that, I’m not a fan.