Book Blogger Appreciation Week has kicked off, and all week long there are activities, scavenger hunts, and memes. Savvy Verse & Wit will be offering a ton of giveaways this week, and we hope that you will participate in BBAW, read reviews, enter giveaways, and other activities.

Today, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite book blogs that I read everyday. These are blogs that did not make the shortlists this year.

Let’s start with my nomination for Best New Blog: Book Chick City

She has a great color scheme and the sidebars and post sections are streamlined. Enough of aesthetics though, what I really love best are her reviews. I wanted to provide you with some of the best reviews I’ve read on her site, and I hope you will check them out and add Book Chick City to your reader.

1. She’s already started participating in the community here and here.
2. Passionate book reviews.
3. Insightful interviews.

Another blog that I feel should have been shortlisted this year is The Literate Housewife Review.

Jennifer’s blog has a great design for her blog with a unique representation of herself, and this blog is easy to navigate as well. I love her honesty and her anecdotes about her girls and family. You really feel at home reading her blog, like you’re sitting down to tea with her. Here are some of my favorite posts:

1. Her Dog Days of Summer challenge was exceptional.
2. Read her post about BBAW.
3. And she is creative in other ways, with her bookmark of the month club.

Have you checked out Bookgirl’s Nightstand?

Iliana is one of the most creative bloggers I’ve come across, and you can easily check out her journal-making skills at her Etsy shop or on her blog. Her blog has a great color scheme and nice set up, where you can easily find what reading challenges she’s joined and the progress she has made. Here are some of her latest, greatest posts:

1. A book review in pictures.
2. Her post on foreign bookstores.
3. Adventures in Bookbinding

You must have known I would talk about my buddy, Anna’s blog, Diary of an Eccentric.

She works hard on her blog and on our joint venture War Through the Generations (but we’re not talking about that because it is on the shortlist). Not only is Anna reviewing books, interviewing authors, and offering guest bloggers the spotlight, but also she shares her blog, on occasion, with her daughter, known as The Girl! Reading their joint reviews is fun, but let’s not forget her hidden talent, knitting. Ok, enough blabbing, check out her posts for yourself.

1. Review of He Was My Chief
2. Knitting–maybe I’m biased since those are my feet modeling the goods.
3. A review by The Girl

Finally, I wanted to highlight is Everything Distils Into Reading.

Gautami has phenomenal tastes in books and poetry, she even writes her own. Yes, we have another multitalented blogger on our hands. Everything Distils is a reimagination of her blog that was “disappeared” earlier this year, and it has been a hard road back, but she has never let that slow her down. I, for one, am glad she decided to keep her blog going and build it back up. Here are some great posts:

1. Can of worms?
2. Wait Until Twilight
3. Mermaids and poetry

What are some of your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists?

In case any of you were wondering which five links I submitted for the Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2009 Best Reviews category, I wanted to provide them for you.

I hope these will help you make your decision:

1. Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
2. Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert
3. Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly
4. The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein
5. The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

As for the Best Challenge Host Category for the War Through the Generations blog, Anna and I submitted these posts:

1. Reviews: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

2. Reviews: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki

4. Guest Blogger: WWII Reenactor Mauriel Joslyn

5. Valkyrie [Movie Review]

Remember to vote by Sept. 12, 2009, at 11:59 PM

My Friend Amy and the BBAW busy bees have asked three simple questions that will help readers understand Book Blogger Appreciation Week.

1) What was the highlight (something that happened, a post, an activity, etc.) of BBAW for you last year?

I was thrilled to see everyone visiting the various blogs, even new ones like mine and leaving comments and participating in memes, activities, giveaways, etc. I really enjoyed the posts in which bloggers interviewed one another–that for me helped to shed light on who some of these people are.

2) What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year?

Gosh, there were so many blogs I discovered last year, and for some reason right now I am drawing a blank. . . oh, wait, The Magic Lasso and Cafe of Dreams and Morbid Romantic.

3) What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience?

Remain calm–there can be a multitude of activities and giveaways and other events, but pace yourself. This is about building community, exposing yourself to different genres and people, and above all having fun.

Have a great time and go vote for your favorite blogs through August 15!