The Indie Lit Awards – Have You Voted Yet?

Indie Lit Awards

I hope you’ve discovered a lot of new Speculative Fiction this year that you want to enter for the Indie Lit Awards. You can nominate books until the end of the year, but you may as well do it now, unless you have another potentially great book waiting to be read.

The Indie Lit Awards are awards for Best Books as voted by you, book blog readers and writers. If you’re reading this, then you’re eligible to vote (unless you’re professionally connected with the publishing industry), so go for it!

Speculative Fiction includes Fantasy, Science Fiction, and also include anything supernatural, horror, dystopia, etc. Books have to have been published for the first time in 2011.

Out of all the nominations, the five books that are nominated most often will be read by the voting members of the Indie Lit Award and I’m one of them! So, you decide what I’m reading in January and I decide, with the other voting members, which of those five books is the best speculative fiction book of 2011.

Don’t delay, vote now! And also check out the other genres that you can vote for.

Indie Lit Awards – Lots To Read Still

As you may know, I’m a voting member for the Indie Lit Awards 2011. These awards are given by you, the literary blogger, to books published in 2011. The category I’m involved in is Speculative Fiction. This is fiction that couldn’t be real, like magic, science fiction, horror, etc.

In other other categories, I’m allowed to nominate books so I am reading not just Speculative Fiction (in case they get nominated) but also books in other categories.

This is what I still want to read before the end of the year (and counting):

Speculative Fiction

The left one I hadn’t heard of before I got it, but The Night Circus? I’m sure this has a good chance of ending high in the Speculative Fiction category! So I want to read it soon to make up my own mind already.

Biography/Memoir

The left-hand side book is Dutch, but it was out in English this year, too, called My Year with Eleanor. The other book is already quite well-known. I’d love to see if these books are good enough to nominate. I have read a few other memoirs this year already (more than ever, it seems) so I have something to choose from.

Mystery and Fiction (2 categories)

I love a good mystery/thriller and have read several that are worth nominating already. Maybe this new one by S. J. Bolton is another candidate. And Left Neglected is the new book by Lisa Genova. As I read her other book, Still Alice, I have great hopes for this one for the Fiction category.

So, these are the books that I need to read before the end of the year. Erm, that’s on top of the other books that I “need” to read. It’s a good thing there’s a Readathon next week. Hopefully I can catch up a little on the new books of 2011!

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About the IndieLit Awards:

You can nominate your favorite books in each of these categories. The rules for nominating are:

• Books nominated must have a 2011 release date.
• The books with the most nominations will be added to the Long List
• You may nominate books in more than one genre, up to 5 per genre.
• Nominations are open to all readers who do not make their income through the sales of books (i.e. not authors, publishers, or publicists) — hence “independent” from the publishing industry.
• Nominations are open midnight PST September 1, 2011 – 11:59 PST December 31, 2011.

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After the nomination deadline of December 31, 2011, the five books that were nominated most in each genre are then read by us, the voting members, if we haven’t read the book yet. We then decide on the winner.

Check out the Indie Lit Award website for more information.

Have YOU nominated any books yet?

Book Blogger Events in September and October

There are some great events happening in September and October in Book Blogging World.

There is a new Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, the Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, and the Indie Lit Awards. Don’t miss them!

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop – October 15-19

Do forgive me for mentioning my own event first. It’s not the first event to happen!

Yesss!  Another Literary Giveaway Blog Hop! It takes place from Saturday October 15th to Wednesday, October 19th.

If you were around in February or June, you know exactly what this is: a blog hop for people interested in books that have a certain literary merit.

There are a lot of Giveaway Blog Hops around but most seem to be directed towards young adult and romance audiences. For people that like to give away (or win) books that are more literary, the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop was created.

The last two Literary Giveaway Blog Hops had 30 and 70 participants (people giving away books), respectively. If you’d like to participate and give away a book or book related item, keep an eye on my blog, the “official” announcement where you can sign up, will be posted in a week or so.

Book Bloggers Appreciation Week – September 12-16

The Book Blogger Appreciation Week is only 8 days away! It’s a great celebration in the book blogging community. There are awards for best book blog in different genres (and you can still vote for best meme, best feature and some other categories – look HERE and click on your BBAW account in the first sentence).

There will also be daily themes that you can discuss on your blog if you want to, interviews with fellow book bloggers, giveaways, and much more. So keep an eye on the BBAW blog: HERE.

Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-Thon – October 22-23

Happening twice a year, the 24 Hour Read-a-thon is a big event in which many book bloggers (and other readers) like to join in. There are hourly challenges in which prizes can be won, there are cheerleaders to cheer the readers on, and it’s just a great excuse to read as much as you can in one 24 hour period.

Now, some people actually try to fill the full 24 hours without sleeping, cooking, or getting out of the house. Others take it more easy and will make sure they don’t miss out on their beauty sleep. In any case, it’s a great community event! Have a look HERE.

Independent Literary Awards – Nominations for 2011 now open

Nominations for the Indie Lit Awards are now open! You can vote which book published in 2011 is the best book in one of these genres:

• Biography/ Memoir
• GLBTQ
• Lit Fiction
• Mystery
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Speculative Fiction

You can nominate up to 5 books in each genre. Check out the FAQ for more information. Do nominate your favorite books of 2011 – this award is about what we think are good books, us, the independent readers that are not connected to the publishing industry!

Which of these events are you planning to “attend”?

Independent Literary Awards – Update

As you may know, I’m a voting member for the Indie Lit Awards 2011. These awards are given by you, the literary blogger, to books published in 2011. There are seven categories:

• Biography/ Memoir
• GLBTQ
• Lit Fiction
• Mystery
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Speculative Fiction

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In September 2011, you can start nominating your favorite books in each of these categories. The rules for nominating are:

• Books nominated must have a 2011 release date.
• You may nominate a book that has already been listed (the books with the most nominations will be what we add to the Long List).
• You may nominate books in more than one genre, up to 5 per genre.
• Nominations are open to all readers who do not make their income through the sales of books (i.e. not authors, publishers, or publicists) — hence “independent” from the publishing industry.
• Nominations are open midnight PST September 1, 2011 – 11:59 PST December 31, 2011.

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After the nomination deadline of December 31, 2011, the five books that were nominated most in each genre are then read by us, the voting members, if we haven’t read the book yet. We then decide on the winner.

The category I’m involved in is Speculative Fiction. This is fiction that couldn’t be real, like magic, science fiction, horror, etc.

Your task for now: keep track of what your favorite book is in one or more genres. Then by September, you can nominate them for the award.

Check out the Indie Lit Award website for more information.

Speculative Fiction and the Indie Lit Awards 2011

As I’ve told you in an earlier post, I’ve been chosen to be a Voting Member for the Indie Lit Awards 2011 in the Speculative Fiction category. This means I’m one of the people to read the shortlist and vote for who I think should win.

Now, what is Speculative Fiction?

Let’s ask the all-knowing Wikipedia

Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more highly imaginative fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.

In other words, SF, fantasy and horror are the main genres here.

I myself really enjoy dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. Last year, I read a lot of those. For this year, I have some fantasy novels lined up to be read soon:

Among Others by Jo Walton

From the cover: “Startling, unusual, and irrisistibly readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and science fiction and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.“

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The White Devil by Justin Evans

“From the celebrated author of A Good and Happy Childcomes the scariest gothic thriller of the year—for fans of The Shining and Heart-Shaped Box“.

The story is partially a ghost story so it fits nicely in the Speculative Fiction category.

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The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

 “With her fifth novel, critically acclaimed writer and journalist Bella Pollen takes readers into the private dynamics of a family grappling with the loss of the father and husband in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, where between the elemental beauty and utter bleakness of the islands, strange forces are at play.”

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And of course, I hope to read a lot more than these. But these are for starters!

Maybe you have already read some speculative fiction that qualifies for the Indie Lit Awards: the book has to have been published in 2011. Nominations are open from September through December and can be entered on the Indie Lit Award website. You can only nominate one book per genre, so keep in mind what is the best new speculative book you’ve read this year.

Trisha of eclectic/eccentric is also on the Spec Fic panel and she has made a list of new speculative fiction coming out this year. Check it out for some further ideas.

Voting Member for the Indie Lit Awards 2011

I’ve been chosen to be a Voting Member for the Indie Lit Awards 2011! This means I’m one of the people to read the shortlist and vote for who I think should win.

The Independent Literary Awards are organised and nominated and voted on by independent literary bloggers. After a nominations period, a panel of voting members read the five short-listed books and decide on a winner.

I’m a voting member in the Speculative Fiction genre. This includes a whole range of genres, such as science fiction, fantasy, dystopia, horror and alternate history.

As some of you will know, I’ve been reading a lot of dystopia last year and I’m always on the look out for more great dystopian books. I also love science fiction, some fantasy and yes, even horror I do read.

The other genres for the Indie Lit Awards 2011 are Literary Fiction, GLBTQ¹, Non Fiction, Memoir/Biography, Poetry and Mystery.

Nominations won’t be open until September 1st, but keep in mind what book you would want to nominate and join in!

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¹ If you don’t know what that is, ask! It’s not a stupid question!