The Hardcover Lover Confessions | Headphones and Book Cover Design

Hey, there, and welcome to the latest edition of my discussion post feature, The Hardcover Lover Confessions! In these confessional-like posts, I confess my bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things about the book community with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing the issue with everyone else in the comments. It's a really fun way to get some bookish confessions off your chest, but it's also a great way to get to know other people in the blogosphere by commenting and interacting.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Sometimes, an issue just eats away at me until I finally decide to write a post. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. There could even be a month when I don't post a Hardcover Lovers Confessions at all. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

The Hardcover Lover Confessions | Bookstagram

Hey, there, and welcome to the latest edition of my discussion post feature, The Hardcover Lover Confessions! In these confessional-like posts, I confess my bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things about the book community with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing the issue with everyone else in the comments. It's a really fun way to get some bookish confessions off your chest, but it's also a great way to get to know other people in the blogosphere by commenting and interacting.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Sometimes, an issue just eats away at me until I finally decide to write a post. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. There could even be a month when I don't post a Hardcover Lovers Confessions at all. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

Hardcover Lover Confessions | My Messy Shelves

Hey, everyone! I know it's been a while, but I'm back with another Hardcover Lover Confessions post! 

In case you forgot what Hardcover Lover Confessions is, I'll remind you! These posts work as a discussion post here on The Hardcover Lover. They are a way for me to express my thoughts and opinions on events going on in the blogosphere, or just for me to confess something about my bookish self.

Hardcover Lover Confessions | My Commenting Habits

Hello there, everyone, and welcome to another Hardcover Lover Confessions post! I'm sure that many of you now know that Hardcover Lover Confessions is a discussion post feature on The Hardcover Lover. In these posts, I confess my feelings and thoughts on things going on in the blogosphere, but sometimes I just use them to share advice or habits of mine.

Hardcover Lover Confessions | Dark Themes in YA Literature

Hey, everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of my discussion post feature, Hardcover Lover Confessions! In these Hardcover Lover Confessions posts, I confess bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things with my readers. For me, it's a really fun and informal way to get some bookish confessions off my chest, but it's also a great way to get to know other people in the blogosphere by commenting and interacting.

I have a special Confessions post for you today, brought to you by Penguin Teen and Gayle Forman. Because of this, it's set up a little differently, but my thoughts and opinions are still represented.

So let's get to it. Today, I'm talking about darker themes and issues in YA books.

Hardcover Lover Confessions | Upcoming Book-to-Movie Adaptations on My Must See List

 

Hey, there, and welcome to the latest edition of my discussion post feature, Hardcover Lover Confessions! In these Hardcover Lover Confessions posts, I confess bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing the issue with everyone else. It's a really fun way to get some bookish confessions off your chest, but it's also a great way to get to know other people in the blogosphere by commenting and interacting.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Sometimes, an issue just eats away at me until I finally decide to write a post. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. There could even be a month when I don't post a Hardcover Lovers Confessions at all. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

Hardcover Lover Confessions | Morals in the Book Blogging Community

Welcome to the latest installment of my discussion post feature, Hardcover Lover Confessions!

In these Hardcover Lover Confessions posts, I confess bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing the issue with everyone else. It's a really fun way to get some bookish confessions off your chest, but it's also a great way to get to know other people in the blogosphere by commenting and interacting.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Sometimes, an issue just eats away at me until I finally decide to write a post. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. There could even be a month when I don't post a Hardcover Lovers Confessions at all. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (8)

Hello, everyone! As some of you may know, I unveiled a new blog feature awhile ago, and so far, people have been enjoying it. Sadly, I think we're coming to a close on these Throwback Thursday posts, so savor them while they last! They won't be around for much longer.

It's called Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. In these posts, I explore my notes from my undergrad YA class, and I share them with you. I've been organizing them as mini-lessons, so sometimes how they are structured differs. But at the end of all of them, I include a discussion post so that everyone can comment and discuss the week's lesson.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (7)

Hello, everyone! As you know, I unveiled a new blog feature about two months ago, and so far, people have been enjoying it. I've also enjoyed creating these posts and exploring my teacher side.

It's called Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. In these posts, I explore my notes from my undergrad YA class, and I share them with you. I've been organizing them as mini-lessons, so sometimes how they are structured differs. But at the end of all of them, I include a discussion post so that everyone can comment and discuss the week's lesson.

 

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (6)

 

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful day. It's Thursday, which means it's time for another Throwback Thursday lesson from me!

This feature premiered on The Hardcover Lover almost two months ago, and it's called Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. As the title suggests, the posts go up on Thursdays, and they involve something that I learned about in my undergrad YA class.

I've also been exploring my teacher side while creating these posts. You've probably noticed that they are set up like mini lessons to either inform you or just to tell you a little bit of what I learned when I was in school. I've also been encouraging everyone to discuss the week's topic in the comments, and I hope that you join in as we explore my notes.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (5)

 

Hey, there, everyone! It's Thursday, which means it's time for another Throwback Thursday lesson from me! This new feature premiered on The Hardcover Lover about a month ago, and it's called Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. I've been setting the posts up like little mini-lessons, and so far, I'm having a blast exploring my past and seeing what you all have to say about what I learned in my YA Literature class. 

In case this is the first Throwback Thursday post you're seeing or if you're a brand new follower, these are notes that I found from my YA lit class that I took way back in the spring semester of 2011. I've set these posts up to work as a different kind of discussion post; they are acting as a lesson and a discussion post in one! I'll be sharing my notes, and reflecting on them. I'll also be asking what you think of each week's topic.

Throwback Thurdsay: Lessons from a Past Erin (5)

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin is a newer feature to The Hardcover Lover that allows me to share what I learned in my Young Adult Literature class. I've been setting the posts up like little mini-lessons, and so far, I'm having a blast exploring my past and seeing what you all have to say about what I learned in my YA Literature class.

I'm hoping that you're enjoying this new feature, but I must warn you that it's only here for a limited time! The class was only a fifteen week course, and eventually, I'm going to run out of notes! So grab a seat, and welcome to today's lesson!

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (3)

Welcome back to Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin, everyone! In case you missed it, I unveiled this new feature a few weeks ago that helps me explore Young Adult Literature through my college self. I take the notes that I took during my classes, rewrite them, and reflect on them with my readers. I'm not always saying that I agree with what my professor or classmates had to say, but it's interesting to look back on the class that really helped spark my interest in YA literature.

At the end of each post, there is a "class discussion" feature, where I invite everyone to share what they think about the notes or my personal thoughts. I thought it would be a fresh way to get people talking about YA.

Hardcover Lover Confessions (13)

Hardcover Lover Confessions is one of two regularly posted discussion post features on The Hardcover Lover.

In the Hardcover Lover Confession posts, I confess bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing the issue with everyone else. It's a really fun way to get some bookish confessions off your chest.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Sometimes, an issue just eats away at me until I finally decide to write a post. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. There could even be a month when I don't post a Hardcover Lovers Confessions at all. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (1)

Today, I'm trying something new out on the blog. I'm not sure if this has been done before, so if it has, I take no claim for it at all. I just thought it would be cool to share some of what I learned in college. What you're going to find in these Throwback Thursday lessons are notes that I took during my Young Adult Literature class. Some of what I use will be notes that I took during class, and other times, I'll share the thoughts that I came up with while learning.

Keep in mind that I don't really have a lot of notes from this class. It was only a fifteen week course, but I'll share as much as I can, and if it proves to be a much loved feature, I'll keep this format and share some of my own lessons.

So I give you Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. In this feature, I'll be sharing some of my old notes and thoughts that I had when I first started to really read YA. It's kind of hard for me to even believe that before that class, I hadn't read many YA novels, especially considering where I am now.

Hardcover Lover Confessions (12)

Hardcover Lover Confessions (or HCL Confessions) is a discussion post feature on The Hardcover Lover. In the posts, I confess bookish habits, thoughts, or other random things with my readers, and then I encourage everyone to start discussing that comment with one another.

There really isn't an order as to when I post my Confessions - I kind of come up with them when an issue arises or a thought pops into my head. Ergo, there could be one a month or there could be a few a month. It just all depends on what's going on in the book community or how I feel.

Hardcover Lover Confessions (10)

Hello there, Hardcover Lover readers! By now, HCL Confessions are a pretty important part of my blog, and I'm sure many of you have now become a little more acquainted with the discussion feature.

In case you're not familiar with it, I'll briefly explain what it is. Basically, every few weeks or so (or whenever an issue arises), I take a bookish subject and write about it. I'll confess my thoughts or worries, ergo Hardcover Lover Confessions.

I'm encouraging all of my followers, and even non-followers to join in and discuss your thoughts on each topic with me and with the other bloggers/people who leave comments. Seriously... we'd all love to hear what you have to say because everyone has an opinion! It's all about kindly expressing ourselves and making connections with other bloggers and readers while forming blogging friendships.  Don't be afraid to reply to a comment made by someone you've never spoken to! I can promise you that all of my followers are kind and outgoing.

Hardcover Lover Confessions (9)

Hello there, Hardcover Lovers! I'm sure many of you have now become a little more acquainted with my discussion feature, HCL Confessions. In case you're not familiar with it, I'll briefly explain it. Basically, every few weeks or so, I take a bookish subject and write about it. I'll confess my thoughts or worries, ergo Hardcover Lover Confessions.

I'm encouraging all of my followers to join in and discuss your thoughts on each topic with me and with the other bloggers/people who leave comments. Seriously... we'd all love to hear what you have to say because everyone has an opinion! It's all about kindly expressing ourselves and making connections with other bloggers and readers while forming blogging friendships.  Don't be afraid to reply to a comment made by someone you've never spoken to! I can promise you that all of my followers are kind and outgoing.

HCL Confession on Assigned School Reading

I'm sure you all had a feeling this this one was coming when you consider the fact that I'm an English teacher. Right? Okay, okay. Even if you didn't know this post was coming, it's here.

We've all been there... even though we love reading for fun, sometimes the thought of reading a book for school can be daunting or drive you crazy. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't like everything that I read in English classes. Sometimes the books are good and keep you interested, but other times... not so much.

Today, I'm here to share some of my favorite and least favorite assigned readings.

Least Favorite School Reads:

• Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt - This was a book that was assigned to me in eighth grade, and I just remember dreading class when we were reading it. I felt like it was boring back then. 
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - GASP! I guess I should tell you that eighth grade was a bad year for me, and it really affected who I was as a student. I didn't enjoy reading this one either. I do plan on revisiting this book in the future because I don't understand how I didn't like it.

Favorite School Reads:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I loved reading this book during my junior year of high school, even though we had to rush it. It's just one of those books that I'll treasure forever because I loved the setting, plot, and the characters. It was magical the first time around, and then years later, in college, it was even more magical.
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - I didn't think I'd like this book when it was assigned during my junior year of high school, but I loved it for showing me that all people have flaws, and that it's okay. The story had me on the edge of my seat, and I'd love to teach this book in the future.
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Umm, can you say best assigned reading ever!? There's just so much symbolism in this one, and it's beautiful and comical. I loved reading it, and I am currently loving re-reading and teaching it.
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller - Okay, technically this one is a play, but it's probably my favorite thing I ever read while I was in school. (It's also another book from my junior year.) It's also my favorite work that I've taught in my short teaching experience. I'd love to have a chance to teach this if I ever get a full time job because there is just so much to do with this stunning play.
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - During my senior year, we had a new teacher, and while we didn't read the whole thing (we read bits and pieces), I remember loving this book. I am definitely going to make sure that I reread this one before I die.
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare - I don't know why, but this was my favorite Shakespeare play back in high school. It was just fun to read, and I remember reading ahead of everyone because I was just loving it.
• The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare - This was a play that I read during my Shakespeare class in college, and I loved it. It's my all-time favorite Shakespeare play because it's just realistically hilarious, and I recommend this one to everyone!

Your Confessions

Now I want to hear from you! The school year is almost over, so I'm sure many of you who are in school probably have a lot to say about what you read this year. And for those of you who are no longer in school, I'm sure some titles from your teenage years stick out as being great reads or ones that made you want to skip school.

Let me know about your favorite and least favorite assigned readings in the comments. We can even keep track of how many times people respond with the same books!

Oh, and happy summer vacation!

Hardcover Lover Confessions (8)

Welcome back to Hardcover Lover Confessions, everyone! I know, I know... it's been a while since my last HCL Confessions post, but remember I said I'd only post them when the occasion felt right? Well, that's kind of how this post came to be - I felt like I needed to address this issue.

I'm sure you're all familiar with how these confessionals/discussion posts work. I get an idea. I write a post with my thoughts or confessions, and then you (like everybody and anybody) can join in and discuss your thoughts with me and the other commenters and bloggers.

I'm encouraging all of my followers to join in and discuss your thoughts on each topic with me and with the other bloggers/people who leave comments. Don't be afraid to reply to a comment made by someone you've never spoken to before! Don't be afraid to leave a comment at all, even if you've never commented on any of my posts before. I can promise you that all of my followers are kind and outgoing, and that you might even make a new friend after commenting.

HCL Confession on Beta Reading

This post has been brewing for a while now, and it's just now coming to fruition for me. So please forgive me if this post is a little rough. You might know by now that when I get fired up, I get really fired up. I'm just passionate about things, and I guess this is one of those things.

A few weeks ago, I saw something online about readers charging authors for beta reading services. The lovely people of the book blogging community voiced their concerns, and it looked like it was dying off. I think I even retweeted a few of the Tweets about it, me taking the side of not charging. But then I started noticing links being posted everywhere on Twitter and on blogs about the very same thing. Uh oh...

So I guess that I charging authors for beta reading services has become a thing. Um, no! Like hell no! That is just wrong!  I can't even believe that this is happening. I'm very against this idea of amateur bloggers charging authors to read a draft. Beta readers should not be paid because they aren't typically professionals. In my opinion (and a quick internet search shows that a lot of people agree with me on this one), beta reading should be a free service provided to an author by peers and/or friends. Up until recently, I really thought that the established definition of beta reading was free service done by peers. (Correct me if I'm wrong on that.)

Simply put: Beta readers are "typically unpaid" for their services.

Why, Erin? Well... because it's the right thing to do! Would you charge your friend to read over a draft of their final paper? No. You would read it and give suggestions and feedback for free because you know that your friend would most likely do the same thing for you. (Hello... that's why you often see blurbs on book covers from other authors - peer reading. ) Keep in mind, most beta readers are not professional editors who have gone to school and studied the ins and outs of grammar and publishing. A beta is getting a first look at a rough to slightly edited and revised piece of literature and is giving feedback based on what's been written.

Have you beta read, Erin? The answer to that is yes, but I don't do it often. When I first started blogging, a college friend of mine sent me an ARC of one of his books. I read it, and reviewed it. A few months later, he contacted me again to beta read a short story that he will be publishing in the future. Even though I had never beta read anything before, I knew that my reading of something could help my friend in the long run. I kindly read his story and gave him feedback as to what I liked and didn't like and how I felt it matched up with the book it would be a companion to. That's it. End of story. Short and sweet.

So do I think it's wrong that bloggers and reviewers are charging for beta reading services? Yes. A million times yes, especially if you aren't a professional editor. It's not often that I think I should tell people what to do, but in this case, I just can't even deal with the fact that I'm seeing bloggers and reviewers trying to charge authors to beta read. Leave it to the pros. If you're interested in beta reading, please do it the right way; don't charge.

What Do You Think?

I want to hear from you! Did  you know about beta reading and beta readers before reading this post? Have you ever beta read something? Do you agree with me that beta reading is a free service or have you charged an author to beta read their work?

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with me and everyone else, but please be courteous to everyone. Any and all rude or harassing comments will be deleted.

Hardcover Lover Confessions (7)

Welcome back to Hardcover Lover Confessions, everyone!

By now, I'm hoping that you've become a little more acquainted with my new every-once-in-a-while feature, Hardcover Lover Confessions. These posts are kind of like discussion posts, wherein I share a little bookish secret or two of mine. Every few weeks (or whenever I find something I want to share), I'll post my thoughts on something going on in the book blogging world or just general bookish thoughts.

I'm encouraging all of my followers to join in and discuss your thoughts on each topic with me and with the other bloggers/people who leave comments. Don't be afraid to reply to a comment made by someone you've never spoken to before! I can promise you that all of my followers are kind and outgoing, and that you might even make a new friend after commenting.

HCL Confession on Dog-Eared Books

Here's something that people might not know about me - I hate seeing when people dog-ear books! Gasp! I just find it cringe-worthy to see someone purposefully deface a book. Strangely, I didn't always feel that way...

When I was a senior in high school, my English class was reading Tuesdays with Morrie. As usual, everybody got a copy of the book to take to and from class. One day, we were reading silently because our teacher needed to grade some of our stuff. When the bell rang, I gathered up my things. I was the last person to leave class, and of course, I was busted folding the page. My teacher wasn't mad, but she wasn't happy. She handed me a bookmark and told me that I was only ruining the book if I dog-eared it. I haven't folded down a page on a book since that day.

Before that moment, I'd never really given dog-eared pages much thought. I didn't have an extensive book collection then, and if I didn't have a bookmark, I'd just fold down the page. Now I'm pretty anal about trying to keep my books in pristine condition, but I LOVE finding used books with dog-eared pages. Weird? Yeah... I'd say so. But... I'm kind of a freak.

What Do You Think?

Now I want to hear your thoughts on dog-eared pages. Are you okay with folding down a page to mark your place or when you find a quote or passage that you really enjoy? Does seeing a dog-eared page make you cringe like me? What do you think of my weird habit of finding dog-eared books? Do you prefer to fold a page or a bookmark?

Feel free to leave a comment to let me know, and be sure to interact with everyone else who comments. I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there who have some of the same habits as you, so don't be shy - say hi!