Join In
One of our goals from the beginning was to create a community here at 5 Minutes for Books, and we are so glad to see it come together, because it's one thing that's out of our hands and into yours — we can't do it without you.
You can get involved in a number of ways:
We invite you to give your own thoughts and reviews about books each Tuesday in one of our regular Tuesday community events. On the day mentioned at 8:00am EST**, we will have a post up with a Mr. Linky set up for you to add your own post so that others can visit and read your thoughts.
After you write up your own post, I hope you'll take some time to visit the others as well. You can also expect a visit from at least one of us here on staff at 5 Minutes for Books (even though we'll probably be signed into the accounts tied to our personal blogs).
You can get codes for all of our buttons (for the site and for each of our weekly features) on our Link to Us page (found right under our header on the main page). Feel free to display them in your sidebar on your blog, or in the post that you write up.
If you aren't a blogger, you are still invited to participate in the comments section.
Click the link on each title for specific information about each carnival/meme/event:
- On the FIRST Tuesday of every month, you can participate in our quarterly I Read It! carnival.
- The SECOND Tuesday of each month is devoted to children's classics. January – June 2010 we are hosting the Children's Classics Mystery Challenge.
The Children's Classics carnival is on hiatus. You click through the link to find the schedule for each month as well as links to past topics.
- The THIRD Tuesday of each month is Kids' Picks. This allows us to showcase what our children have enjoyed from that month. When you write this post, think beyond what they should be reading, or what you've told them they have to read and look closely at what have they chosen to read (or if they are pre-readers, they want you to read over and over again). This is one of my favorite events, because hearing what other children love to read often gives me great suggestions for my kids.
- The FOURTH Tuesday of each month is by far our most popular monthly happening. What's on Your Nightstand? invites you to share what you plan to read that month, and/or short reviews of what you did read the month before. You can show a picture of your stack of books or you can give backstory on why you decided to read a certain book, or just write a list. It's up to you.
**To give everyone a shot at being at the top of the linky, we'll post it at midnight Eastern on odd numbered months and at 8:00am Eastern on even numbered months for the Nightstand carnival.
- The FIFTH Tuesday of each month is the 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub. We have found that some people want to read classics, but fitting them into a schedule was difficult. So now you pick the books you want to read, and when you want to read them. Each quarter you can link up the reviews of classics you've read. It's our hope that it will still have a feeling of community. If you've read the book that another blogger reviews, click over and join in the discussion. You can also get ideas for your own future picks by reading the links each quarter.
Check out our archives of past bookclub picks, where we all discussed the same book.
Guest Posting
Another way to get involved is to submit a guest post. We are currently accepting guest posts in two areas:
- On Reading runs every Sunday. These are essays on reading. You can share about why you love a certain genre, a fun family reading experience, tips for squeezing in reading time for yourself or encouraging your children to read, or reflections on the magic of reading. Anything goes. Posts should be between 400 – 800 words long.
- Books on Screen runs every Thursday. This column looks at a movie adaptation of a book (from the big or small screen). Do you have a great adaptation of a book that you'd like to recommend? Or perhaps warn against? Did a recent blockbuster movie make you pick up and read the book it was based on? These posts should also be under 800 words.
If you have an idea for either of these columns, send me a note at 5minutesforbooks (at) gmail {dot} com. We welcome contributions from bloggers and non-bloggers alike.
Recent Comments