bbaw

This week from September 14 - 18 marks the second year of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, an initiative started by passionate reader and twentysomething blogger Amy Riley, proprietor of the blog My Friend Amy. BBAW is a week devoted to the appreciation of bloggers of all things books, from reviewers to cultural commentators to writers to those blessed with loquacious or taciturn writing style. The winners are chosen by a group of panelists who represent a spectrum of bloggers, readers, and authors.

I have closely followed the awards as they have been announced, and am extremely excited to have discovered a wealth of new blogs devoted to my favorite pastime. Whether a winner or shortlisted, these blogs and sites represent the best of the best in the online publishing world.

If you are an author looking to start or improve your blog, or an enthusiastic reader of books who wants to share your thoughts, or a member of the publishing industry wanting to represent yourself or your company digitally, explore the blogs who were nominated for inspiration and ideas.

To see the complete shortlist for the 2009 BBAW Awards, visit http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com/index.php/awards/comments/the_2009_bbaw_awards_shortlists/

Wondering about the past blogs who were given awards? For a taste of the variety of blogs that captured attention last year (and in many cases continue to do so this year), look below for the list of last year’s winners by category:

• Best General Book Blog: Bookgasm
• Best Kidlit Blog: Jen Robinson's Book Page
• Best Romance Blog: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
• Best Christian/Inspiration Fiction Blog: Free Spirit Blogs
• Best Literary Fiction Blog: Caribou's Mom
• Best Book Club Blog: Reading Group Guides
• Best Thrillers/Mystery/Suspense Blog: Bookgasm
• Best Non-fiction Blog: A Striped Armchair
• Best Young Adult Lit Blog: Bookshelves of Doom
• Best Book/Publishing Industry Blog: Galley Cat
• Best Community Builder: My Friend Amy
• Best Challenge Host: The Hidden Side of a Leaf
• Best History/Historical Fiction Blog: Medieval Bookworm
• Best Design: Bookgasm
• Most Chatty: Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin?
• Most Concise: Bookgasm
• Most Eclectic Taste: Bookgasm
• Best Name for a Blog: Bookgasm
• Best Published Author Blog: Neil Gaiman
• Best Meme/Carnival/Event: Book Blogger Appreciation Week
• Best Cookbook Blog: Books and Cooks
• Best Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi/Spec-fic Blog: Fantasy Book Critic
• Most Extravagant Giveaways: Maw Books Blog
• Funniest/Most Humourous Blog: Rip My Bodice
• Best Commenter/Commentator: Musings of a Bookish Kitty
• Best Book Community Site: Good Reads
• Most Altruistic Blog: Maw Books Blog
• Best Book Published in 2008: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Be sure to check out the big bad book blog's blogroll in the next week or so—we'll be adding new blogs to our list of favorites and recommendations!