Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews


Book Reviews are a great way to spread the word about a new book. Readers are more apt to buy a book from an author they are not familiar with if they see endorsements from other readers and professionals from the writing community.

I have recently started a separate book reviewing blog called Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews. It for a review site featuring books intended for the children through young adult age range and is hosted by a character from my current work in progress, a young adult fantasy, The Destineers and the Legend of the Netherscape.

Millicent Prendergild, is the nearly departed Cybrarian at Greenbrier Academy who hosts the blog. Why nearly departed? Well, Ms. Prendergild began working at the Academy when it first opened its doors over 100 years ago. When her time had passed in our world, she could not bear to leave her beloved school behind so she remains overseeing the mortal library as well as the Inter-Realm Cybrarie. The Cybrarie is an Inter-Realm library, a place where the stories from the other Realms are transmitted through cyberspace to our ghost writers for weaving into the appropriate archive. Einstein, HG Wells, and many others from our world have offered theories and suggested stories from the other Realms. Ms. Prendergild oversees a staff of very loyal ghost writers that sort it all out – separating fact from fiction and archiving them appropriately (well, where did you think the term "ghost writers" came from?).

The Cybrarie website is an interactive forum all about exchanging and sharing information. This is a fun place for friends to meet, converse, share and discuss books and ideas in the Fantasy Realm or whatever else happens to come up. Think of it as a virtual coffee house. If you have a book appropriate for children through young adult age that you would like to promote, there is a room called the Cybrarie Exchange that would welcome your contribution (book blurb, copy of the book cover, and of course a link to where the book can be purchased), just send me an email through NetherscapeRealm@aol.com.

The most recent review of a fantasy entitled The Lost Lake Digs by PW Corss (geared towards children aged 9-12) has just been posted by our loyal Cybrarian. Stop over if you get a chance, the Cybrarian would love to meet you.


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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good idea. And I love the word "Cybrarian" you coined - cool. :)

Marvin D Wilson
http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
http://tiedyedtirades.blogspot.com/

N A Sharpe said...

Thanks Marvin!

I decided to keep the book reviews on a separate blog and this seemed like a good tie-in to my site and book :)

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://nancysharpe.blogspot.com

Traci said...

I love writing book reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I am a true book nerd. Very good idea to separate the two, especially if you write a lot of reviews. Thanks for visiting my blog...glad I found yours! ;-)

joe doaks-Author said...

I very much like the Millicent Prendergild approach, very clever. I also visited the website...nicely done, too. But, it wanted me to register/signup just to look around. Have you found that hinders visitor particpation there? Thanks, Galen.
http://www.GalenKindley.com/blog

N A Sharpe said...

Yes, I think I am going to like having the book reveiew on a separate site better. It's fun, anyway! lol

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com

N A Sharpe said...

Hi Galen,

Actually you don't need to register to look around the site, only to post comments. There is supposed to be a way to turn off the registration thingee, but durn if I can figure it out! I even tried to install open ID on the site so you didn't have to register on the site (hangs head in shame) but I couldn't figure that out, either. Sigh. Sometimes I feel so computer challenged and other things just seem to flow easily on the computer. It's probably some simple adjustment that I am just over-thinking. I'll try to get back there later today and try to figure it out again.

Thanks for stopping by, anyway!
Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://cybrarie.com

Patricia Stoltey said...

Really good idea, Nan. I plan to send the link to this blog and to the book review site to friends from Northern Colorado Writers. Several of them are are published or soon-to-be-published in children's or young adult fiction.

Patricia
http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com

N A Sharpe said...

Hi Patricia,

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!!

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://Cybrarie.com

Alexis Grant said...

Great! I love book-review blogs, especially ones that are by super-readers instead of professional reviewers. Good for you.

Your blog looks like it's all in italics. Is that just the style?

I'll be back!

N A Sharpe said...

Hi Alexis,
Hope you'll stop by the book review site.

As for the italics...??? Probably something in the setup page, I don't type it that way.

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://Cybrarie.com

Danyelle L. said...

I'm always on the hunt for new blood--er, I mean books. :) The review blog looks great!

N A Sharpe said...

Hi Windsong,

Thanks! And thanks for checking out the book review blog!

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://cybrarian.com

KK Brees said...

I love it! And I love the whole concept of a cybrarian. Looks like a fun place to visit and share.

Karen K. Brees, Ph.D.
http://www.karenkbrees.com
http://www.practicalpreserving.blogspot.com

N A Sharpe said...

Karen,

Thank you - I know I have a blast with it. I tend to "play" too much with the sites though (she adds sheepishly)

Nancy
http://cybrarianbookreviews.blogspot.com
http://cybrarie.com

 
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