One year of book blogging. What began as my New Year’s resolution to myself at the end of 2011 has become an unbelievable adventure that is still going strong exactly one year later. I DID IT! For the first time EVER I kept a New Year’s resolution. If that’s not a major accomplishment, then I don’t know what is.
Oh, what a joy this year has been! Using my blog as an outlet to express my excitement for the many books I’ve read… I thoroughly love this hobby of mine. So I promise that I will continue to be here in the years to come. Making the Grade has evolved quite a bit over the past twelve months, and it will continue to do-so in the future. But one thing will always remain the same: Each and every post will be filled to the brim with my love for the written word.
Here are some blog stats I’d like to share with any inquiring minds out there:
Blog Post Count: 352
Book Reviews: 93
Most Visited Post
Tiger’s Destiny Blog Tour: Read the Prologue + 1st Chapter!
Favorite Review
Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Email Subscribers: 450+
Twitter Followers: 3,450+
Facebook Followers: 1,800+
Total Page Views
143,000+
So what exactly is Bookapalooza!?
As many of my frequent followers know, I tend to be quite… generous… when it comes to giving away stuff here on the blog. With that in mind, I plan to be even more-so as I celebrate one year of blogging. But more importantly, I want to celebrate the very reason many of us read, write and blog to begin with:
Our collective love of books.
Which is why I have invited numerous bloggers and authors to celebrate with me in this month-long BOOKAPALOOZA! Over the next month, 12 authors and 9 bloggers will each be sharing their stories of appreciation – for you, for each other, for reading.
Each of the Rafflecopter forms for these giveaways can be found below. But you should visit the respective Event pages to get the most out of Bookapalooza!
A Big Box of Bookish Fun!
As a THANK YOU to the followers of my blog, I will be offering a giveaway of EPIC proportions:
Ten books hand-selected by me, a SIGNED Beautiful Creatures movie poster + plus a plethora of awesome (most are signed!) swag. One winner takes all! Open to US/Canada only, to entrants aged 13 and older.
New opportunities to win all month long! Be sure to come back after January 6 and complete the Bookapalooza! Scavenger Hunt for the chance to earn up to 35 bonus entries into this giveaway!
What’s included?
SIGNED Beautiful Creatures Movie Poster (not framed)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Hardcover)
Origin by Jessica Khoury (Hardcover)
Dust Lands: Rebel Heart by Miora Young (Hardcover)
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (UK Paperback Edition)
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Paperback)
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Rare Slipcase + Arc)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (ARC)
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (ARC)
Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons (ARC)
Everbound by Brodi Ashton (ARC)
Beautiful Creature Swag (Shirt, Lip Gloss and Phone Cleaners)
Bookmarks and Stickers (Most are signed!)
Dust Lands Water Bottle
Giveaway ends at midnight on January 31, 2013
Signed Books by the Dozen!
Twelve fantastic authors. Twelve amazing signed books. Starting tomorrow, January 2nd, I unveil the first author taking part in an EPIC signed book giveaway! One author will be revealed every two to three days until all twelve authors and all twelve signed books are revealed by the end of the month.
PLUS! Each author will share their own Appreciation Stories here on the blog as part of Bookapalooza!
One winner will receive all twelve signed books! Open to US/Canada only, to entrants aged 13 and older.
New opportunities to win all month long! Be sure to come back after January 6 and complete the Bookapalooza! Scavenger Hunt for the chance to earn up to 35 bonus entries into this giveaway!
LINKS TO AUTHOR POSTS
Author Reveal #1 (January 2)
Author Reveal #2 (January 4)
Author Reveal #3 (January 6)
Author Reveal #4 (January 9)
Author Reveal #5 (January 12)
Author Reveal #6 (January 14)
Author Reveal #7 (January 16)
Author Reveal #8 (January 18)
Author Reveal #9 (January 20)
Author Reveal #10 (January 23)
Author Reveal #11 (January 26)
Author Reveal #12 (January 28)
Giveaway ends at midnight on January 31, 2013
On January 6 (the actual date of my one year anniversary) I will be opening the Bookapalooza! Scavenger Hunt. Nine blogs will be listed here on the site – each with their own unique post that includes a Secret Word that you will need to complete a bookish phrase. This phrase will allow you to gain up to 35 bonus entries for the two giveaways mentioned above. In addition, each blog will likely be offering a giveaway of their very own. The Hunt will last all month long and will be filled with prizes! You won’t want to miss it!
THE HUNT HAS BEGUN! Click here to start it now!
The Scavenger Hunt will begin January 6, 2013 and will end at midnight on January 31, 2013.
THANK YOU again to all who follow Making the Grade. I hope you enjoy Bookapalooza! as much as I enjoy presenting it to you. We have one fabulous month ahead of us!
Happy Blogoversary! I wish you all the best in this new year and in the future! :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, best follower ever! ;)
YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY! Congrats on the epic achievement. May 2013 be even more awesome and magical than 2012. :)
*hugs girl!* Here’s to plenty of magic in 2013!!
Happy Blogoversary!!!! My best book experience of 2012 was starting my own blog and having a lot of fun doing it. Thanks for the giveaway! This all sounds like a lot of fun!
It seems that many of us share the same “best experience” this past year! But dang if I don’t say that blogging is SO MUCH FUN! What’s not to love, right?
Happy Blogoversary, Jenna! I’ve been consistently and continually amazed at the growth and quality of your blog. I hope you do indeed keep at it for many years to come, and that this blog and the connections that you make continue to enrich your life. :)
My best book experience in 2012 was starting my own blog. :) Without it, I probably wouldn’t have been motivated to read half the books I read last year, nor would I have gotten to you know you or any of the other wonderful people I now call friends.
Yay! Thank you, dear! You put it all so eloquently, I seriously need to start getting you to write for my blog. ;) Happy to consider you a friend, as well. Here’s to many, many years of blogging!
I finally read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. ( I was named after Vivien Leigh who played Scarlett O’Hara). It was absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Best book experience of 2012 for me was getting more involved in the online book culture. I found out about so many great bloggers, books and authors this way.
I’m so happy for this giveaway :) I can’t wait for the BC movie to come out!!
Fantastic giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity. I’ll have to say my best book experience was spending time on my blog and getting to know the book blogging and author community better.
Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway! My best book experience of 2012 was getting together with friends and reading and discussing our favorite books of that year.
Best book experience of 2012 was discovering book blogs and Goodreads! I never knew they existed and now I don’t know what I would do without the book recommendations and reviews! Happy blogoversary and thanks for the chance to win! :)
My best book experience of 2012 was attending book signings. I love hearing about how authors came up with their ideas as well as all the stories about how they got published. Plus it’s fun to get my books signed.
Thanks for the amazing giveaway opportunity.
My best book experience has just been meeting other bloggers (both offline and online)! I love it!
It sounds like this is going to be an amazing month on MTG! :D
best book experience going to a warehouse sale and getting at least 20 books at 75% off but winning this giveaway would top it.
Making new friend who love books like I do :D
Congrats on your blog’s success!! & Happy New Year! :)
My best book related experience has been doing what I love and being able to review books I’m interested in and getting to speak with authors I admire about there works – it’s been incredible! I just recently started blogging but it’s been fantastic to get to discuss all different types of books. So that’s really the greatest thing!
Best of luck, and happy blogoversary!!!
My best book experience of 2012 was either… reading The Raven Boys (I was just like, WHOA!) or attending Wordstock in Portland, OR where I heard many great authors speak/read, and discovered a few new books!
My best book experience was reaching my goal which is to read at least 50 books! Also discovering the book blogging community and creating my own blog. Happy birthday to MTG!!
Congratulations, Jenna!!!! You’ve done such an amazing job with this blog in the past year. Here’s to many more Blogoversaries to come!!!!
Oh, gods, congratulations!! I can hardly believe a YEAR has passed, really, but in a bigger, great way.
Your blog has changed so much from the beginning *gasp*
& that’s exactly my Bookish related experience.
I mean, to find blogs that I like & bloggers that likes books as much as I do & UNDERSTANDS that feeling.
Well, & the fact that I started writing my pseudo-reviews for real this year. My hobbie.
Felicidades! :D
Thank You Doing These Giveaway’s :D I Appreciate It So Much :)
Wow, Jenna! Congrats and happy blogoversary to you too!!!
This is all so very amazing, and very generous of you!
Here’s to many more amazing bookish years :)
Happy blogoversary! My best 2012 book experience would have to be meeting Jennifer Armentrout!!! Love her!!!
Vivian
Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
Deity Island
My favourite bookish event of the year was going on the release date to pick up a book I had pre-orderd that I was super excited to read (this was the first time I ever pre-ordered a book). And it was AWESOME!
Congratulations, Jenna! You’re extremely generous – I know I’m too selfish to let go of the few ARCs I have. Amazing giveaway and happy blogoversary!
And my best experience was having an ARC of a book I wanted shipped to my house. Best feeling eeeeevverrrrr, especially when you see the people at bookstores buying them AFTER you’ve read it already. <3
I’d like to say in general to the authors that I just ran out of time and haven’t read all your books yet, but I hope to catch up this year:)
I started beta reading and reviewing for book tours
My best book experience was reading Cinder! I was so hesitant to read another Cinderella story but this completely blew me away!
My best book experience was joining the book blog community in 2012.
Congrats and happy blogaversary! Thanks for the generous giveaways. My best book experience would probably be joining goodreads and discovering book blogs.
Best book experience was winning tickets to the Hunger Games prescreening showing. I read all the books and was super excited to see the movie early!
The 4th edition of the travel guide to India . . . Tiger’s Destiny by Colleen Houck. I must confess . . . yet again . . . the best book-related experience for me in 2012 was another journey with Kelsey, Ren, Kishan, Mr. Kadam and Nilima . . . this time traveling across time & space! Such a GREAT wrap-up to Kelsey’s story. But . . . still can’t wait for the other bookend to Tiger’s Curse. Hoping that Tiger’s Dream will be MUCH more of Ren . . . with a look at the journey taken by Kelsey and her tigers, thru Ren’s eyes. Will keep hoping! ‘Cause without HOPE you have nothing. So my hope springs eternal!
LOVE your books, Ms. Colleen! Thank you for sharing so much of your heart with your readers!
I read close to 100 books and am so proud of myself! I found some genres I love and even have some notes jotted down to write my own book soon!
I read The Immortal Rules in 2012 and it was absolutely phenomenal just like everything Julie Kagawa writes. I cannot wait for the sequel. Thanks for the giveaway!
There are so many amazing books coming out in 2013 and I wish the author so much fun signing and touring for their books. I hope I will get to be at some of your events!
What an amazing giveaway!! Best book related story: meeting Colleen Hoover! She’s amazing!
My best book experience of 2012 was reading so much awesome books!
This is such a fun and fabulous giveaway. The best bookish thing I did last year was probably go to ALA in Anaheim. I met some amazing people, authors, publishers, and got to hang out with my friends. What more could you ask for?
Oh, I am so envious! I was planning to make it to ALA Midwinter this month, but that is not happening anymore. But I had my fun in Miami this year as their massive book fair, so I am content. :) Thanks for stopping by!
Discovering new books and getting to know authors and bloggers has been my favorite part!
BTW-I don’t know how this is the first time I visit this blog. I need to synchronize my blogger and twitter followers…
So glad you discovered the blog at last! Glad to have you here! :)
I can’t wait to read Tiger’s Destiny!
This is an awesome, super-creative giveaway Jenna! Thank you so much for the chance to win :)
I have been planning this event for so long and love the fact that it’s finally happening! Thanks for stopping by Hafsah – good luck!
Oh, no, too many good book experiences to count! I would have to say my discovery of the Library Book Clearance, though. 27 books for $3! Can you believe that?
Holy stromboli! That’s a lot of books! And what a DEAL! (More like a STEAL!) ;)
My best book experience consists of reading some of the most awesome YAs that have ever been released–Cinder tops the list.
One of the most awesome giveaways I’ve seen
My best book experience this year was frantically running around Barnes and Noble’s with friends, desperately looking for the perfect Secret Santa gifts.
Something Like Normal has been on my radar for a long while and I hope to finally get to read it this year (I’m trying to read more contemporary books this year.)
Lilian @ A Novel Toybox
Winning a **signed** copy of Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine along with an election t-shirt, a Common Grounds coffee mug, and a sticker! ♥
i really want every single one of the books. theyre some of the best YA reads I know of an it would be amazing to have them
Hihi! :3
I loooved touch of power by maria v snyder. Her books are so amazing.
Thank you to all of the authors who partook in this event, you are all fantastic!
I think my favorite book in 2012 was the Beautiful Creatures.
To the authors who are taking part in this contest, you guys are amazing. Thank you so much. I love when I pick up a book and can escape to another place.
Happy blogoversary! Thank you for the awesome, and very inventive giveaway! =)
My best book-related experience, other than reading a bunch of awesome books I loved, was the Ontario Blog Squad Book Blogger Meetup – 77 bloggers, tons of books, lots of authors…I had a high for days!
Fantastic giveaways! I have been wanting to read these books but cannot afford them. So thank you for the opportunity to win them!
I went to the Orange County Children’s Book Festival and got to meet Sarah Maas and Gretchen McNiel :D
Definitely my best book experience of 2012!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway… I mean seriously awesome!
Also, two of the facebook links in the entries don’t work!
Just sayin :]
This is such a great contest full of really great books and authors!
I can’t wait to see who else is revealed!
Awesome giveaway! My best experience is just reading the books!
I think my best bookish experience was a combination of meeting a fellow blogger friend and getting to a couple of signings. Hoping to duplicate that this year!
Happy Blogoversary and thank you for the giveaway!
My best experience in 2012 was finally getting books in months and spending the holidays with family. Along with getting to know new friends!
My best 2012 book-related experience was winning an ARC of Scarlet. I was very excited for Scarlet to come out, and I’d never gotten an ARC, so I was pretty dang excited.
To ALL Authors (and hopeful authors), not just those in the giveaway, I would like to say, thanks for dreaming. The world’s you create, whether realistic for fantastical, are amazing and provide such a ride for your myself and your other readers.
I’m more of a recent follower but have really enjoyed your blog! It’s so put together and I loved that review of Shades of Earth!
I think the best bookish thing that’s happened to me this year was meeting new authors and people who enjoy books as much as I do. Also, I work at a bookstore and have been given many new opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
I think the thing I have to say to them is THANK YOU! And keep making more awesome books! I don’t think I will ever stop reading, however I wish I had more time to read all the books on my shelves!
Thank you MTG Reviews for this awesome giveaway! Happy Book Blog One-Year Anniversary!!!!
Happy Blogaversary!!
And thnaks to all the authprs participating in this :)
I think the best of 2012 blogging related was the chance of talking to so many amazing authors and meeting awesome new friends. It really was a great year :D
Congrats! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. I would love to get my hands on those books. ;)
I would have to say that my best book experience for 2012 was signing up and receiving ARC’s via NetGalley and Edelweiss.
i got to experience a lot of amazing books this year. found a lot of new authors to fall in love with.
I can’t wait for the chance to read all the new books coming out. Congrats on getting published.
I think my favorite book related moment of 2012 was being a Advocate in the YA Sisterhood’s Summer Crush Tournament. I met a ton of really great bloggers and it was just all around great =)
I’m going to have to say when Patrick Carmen wanted me to call him to talk books. Maybe making the YA Rebels vlog with Gretchen McNeil out in Cali and then having lunch….BUT there was Leah Cliffords A TOUCH MORBID release party we got all dressed up for and drove too – all in all I think I had some good ones and hope 2013 has just as many good ones!
Woah! Those are great bookish experiences! Here’s to a fab 2013 for you, as well! (I am jealous of your lunch with Gretchen. But then again, I enjoyed a nice lunch and had a great time hanging out with Trish Doller in Tarpon Springs recently… So I can’t complain!)
I started a book club :) Now I finally have people to talk with about the great books I read!
I have SO been thinking about doing that in my area. There are many “Adult” and “General” book clubs here, but I can’t find any specifically tailored to YA… Must remedy that.
Kudos to you for the accomplishment!!
A big thanks to the authors for all the hard work they do and for giving me an escape when I’m having a bad day :)
I got to meet Pepe and Jennifer L. Armentrout on my birthday! I think that was my highlight of 2012!
NeverEndingStoires
No real book related experience unfortunately, but maybe one day haha
Smart chicks kick it tour stop in my city! First (and only) book signing!
My best book experience would have to be when I won my first ARC of Poison Tree by Amanda Hocking. It was my very first book that I had won, I got so excited I forgot that I was even on my laptop and jumped up to telling everyone in my house that I actually won a book. I dropped my laptop pretty hard on the floor and was so terrified that I broke it.lol Thankfully I didn’t. :D
Whoever wins those books can guarantee i will be jealous!:) Finally got my hands on Opal a-ma-zing!!!!
What a great Bookapalooza! So many great authors I am a fan of them all! Especially Colleen Houck, I love the Tiger’s Curse series! Thank you and all the amazing authors for the giveaway!
My best book related experience of 2012 was when I won my first giveaway because I never one anything.
Thanks so much for the giveaway and thank you to all the amazing authors involved : )
My best book related experience of 2012 was pretty much rediscovering the joy of reading again. I finally have time to read and I’m hoping to read more books this year too. Thanks for the awesome giveaways.
My best book related experience was getting into YA dytopian. It started with the Hunger Games, and led me to the Delirium series, the Divergent series, and more. I am obsessed; I just cannot get enough!
Bookapalooza has been really fun! I only wish I had seen it earlier in January instead of two days before it was over!
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Thank you so much for this giveaway! It’s amazing.