TGIF (8) and Follow Friday (8)

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TGIF is hosted by Ginger at Greads! This week's discussion is about

Social Networking

Do you use Twitter or Facebook to promote your blog? How has it benefited your book blogging experience? If not, how do you promote your blog? Share your twitter handle and/or Facebook link!

I use Twitter to promote mine for now; Facebook pages seem very official and since I'm still a bit new I don't quite feel up to that yet haha. I know I will soon, but probably once I hit the 5 or 6 month mark.

Surprisingly, Twitter's been a big help! I'm not sure how directly it's been an influence on page views or clicks, but it really helps me connect with other bloggers.  I've chatted with a lot of bloggers that I love and admire, and I've gotten some great recommendations on books.  I also like to lurk on the #yalitchat that happen every Wednesday, it's fairly informative and I learn a lot.

The other way I've learned to adore Twitter in terms of book blogging is how it connects you with authors! I remember the first author to "interact" with me was Jennifer Bosworth when she retweeted my Waiting on Wednesday - I was ecstatic that I even crossed her path!  When Cath Crowley (Graffiti Moon) actually tweeted me, I'm fairly certain I flipped out.  I'm still starstruck any time any author tweets me (Ned Vizzini and Jennifer Echols were big ones, I think I squealed), and always a bit honored that they take the time to really connect with fans.

Follow me on Twitter! @italylove19

How has Social Networking influenced your blogging?

Leave me your link and I'll come check it out!

Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View, meant to spotlight two blogs and allows bloggers to link up and meet other fabulous bookish friends and share the Following love!

This week's spotlight blogs are: The Fairytale Nerd & Reading With ABC (who is one of my favourites actually!)

And the question of the week is:

What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

Oh goodness. I've read some phenomenal books the last month, but I think I'm going to have to go with Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard (read my review here!). It is seriously filled with wanderlust and whimsy and romance and emotion and just...it will make you feel everything and want everything.  It's such a fabulous story, and I absolutely beg beg beg you to read it.

As for the worst...it's not that this book was bad, it was just not for me: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (read my review here!).  The concept was great, the nostalgia was really fun...but it fell short.  It was a bit underdeveloped and some of the main points were unexplored.  Again, it wasn't a bad book - just a bit lacking.

What are your recent best and worst books?
Leave me your link and I'll hop by!

And of course I'd love to return a follow if you are kind enough to follow me :)