Feature and Follow Friday #176

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

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Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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How To Become a Featured Blog?

We pick our featured blogs randomly each week from the blogs who participated the week before.

Please be sure to feature your e-mail address clearly on your blog. Either on the main blog, on a Contact page, or on an About Me page. If I can't find your email easily, I will choose a different blog to feature.

Our Feature - Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

1. When did you start blogging?

Wow, almost four years ago! In April 2010 I stumbled my way into the book blogging world and haven't looked back since. I was fascinated by the fact that there were other people out there who loved books as much as I did! It was like a dream come true!

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?

I'd have to say it's a tie between being able to share my opinions with other like-minded individuals, and the community that I found since I started up. I know people come and go, but there are always bloggers to talk to. Always other bibliophiles to gush over new titles with and drool over new covers. It's nice to have a set of people who don't run screaming when you babble on and on about your favorite series. I also completely love helping people find favorite new reads or, better still, helping them rediscover why reading is such an awesome pastime. It makes me feel good to share what I love!

3. What type of books do you mainly blog about?

In truth, I dabble in reading a little bit of everything. I think Young Adult books dominate my blog a lot of the time, simply because they end up being blog tours. However if you take a look at my reading list, you'll see everything from picture books to Historical Fiction. I read whatever strikes my fancy, and blog the same way. Can I just say I mainly blog about good books? ;)

4. What are your favorite books?

Once again, it's a tie! There are two books that I've dog-eared, smashed, torn, and then had to buy another copy multiple times since I was young. The first is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I still remember the first time I cracked open a copy and was lost inside. I loved the puns, and the playful writing. To quote my favorite part, “So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.” That's just what a young reader needs to hear. The second is more recent, and that's The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I don't know what it is about Gaiman's writing, but I'm drawn to it. Nobody Owens became my favorite character from the moment I met him, and I've happily passed copies of this book on to as many people as I can since then.

5. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

Honestly? The friends I've made. People who, despite never having met them in person, I've had phone conversations with, laughed with, and totally connected to. It's always funny to me how the people I've met through blogging are such an important part of my life, even though we've never been in the same room together. Social media has really changed the way people interact. I totally love it!

Q: You Are It! We are playing #FF tag this week. Comment on as many blogs as you can, even if they aren’t participating in #FF. Just say Happy #FF! At the end of your comment. Keep a running total if you want and update your post with it. The bigger the number the more impressed we will be!

Off I go to visit people! Checking out all the blogs is my favorite part of FF. I hope to see all of you around!

My goal this week is to follow as many people via Bloglovin' as I can. I've been a loyal GFC person for years and I'm trying to transition more to Bloglovin'

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Now for the Follow Fun!

With GFC going the way of the dodo bird for many bloggers, there is no better time to start following blogs via RSS feed. If you use a reader, it would be great if you followed my RSS directly.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

We have a new button, so update your blogs if you are used to doing this meme!

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Next Week's Question:

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Day food? If you’re not American or Canadian, what is your favorite holiday food?

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