Best Australian Blogs Competition 2013 – People’s Choice voting has begun

Sharp-eyed readers of my blog will have noticed that a few weeks ago this badge quietly appeared in my sidebar.

I started blogging about books in what almost seems like a life time ago, September 2009, with no grand plans.

What had been the catalyst for my putting putting pen to paper (virtually)?

I  had set out to reorganise my bookshelf that day and kept getting side-tracked reminiscing on all the wonderful stories contained and the under appreciated talent of the authors that created them.

What started on a whim, quickly became a much loved hobby, and Booklover Book Reviews is today a vital creative outlet for me to balance against my busy day job (which uses an entirely different side of my brain).

While I do not hold a degree or professional experience in a literary field that qualifies me to do so, I aim to as accurately as possible convey my personal reactions to books and my reasoning behind those feelings. In doing so, I hope readers will come to learn more about my personal tastes and the extent to which they align with their own, so that over time my reviews will be helpful in finding their next book to enjoy. I know some people read more for the story while others read for an appreciation of the written word. This is why I rate each book for both ‘The Story’ and ‘The Writing’.

While I confess to being a capitalist at heart, in my opinion, anyone with a platform (no matter how modest) also has a duty to use that for something other than personal gain.  I really enjoy promoting the works of authors I think get less commercial success than their talent warrants.

Using the Booklover Book Reviews platform I am pleased to have been able to support the work of our home-grown talent by hosting the annual Aussie Author Challenge (now in its fourth year).

I get so much from hosting this blog, a creative outlet and a way to broaden my own reading horizons through interacting with other book lovers.

This is the first time I have nominated Booklover Book Reviews for the Best Australian Blogs Competition run by the Australian Writers’ Centre (and sponsored by Random House Australia).

While I have no great expectations, other than an opportunity to make contact with more book lovers, if you enjoy what is offered here at Booklover Book Reviews please take a moment to vote via the shiny badge to your right.

Voting for the People’s Choice category closes 30 April 2013.