The Fourth Annual 2020 Book Blogger Awards

It’s finally that time of year again – time to dust off then roll out the red carpet and throw some confetti in support of our ever growing bookish community. It’s officially time for the Annual Book Blogger Awards [co-hosted this year by the lovely May and Marie].

The Book Blogger Awards serve as an opportunity to showcase those bloggers who go above and beyond. A peer nominated award, it celebrates creativity, passion and individuality within the blogging community. [You can learn more about the awards and how to nominate/vote here].

 Before I get into my nominations, I just want to stress that I wish I could nominate all of you. I believe that every blog is deserving of recognition. In fact, the very best thing about Reading by Starlight are the talented people I’ve met and the beautiful blogs I’ve discovered. I also want to send a big social-distanced-approved hug to my good friend [and fellow Disney enthusiast] Kay for nominating Reading by Starlight for a category. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! 💙

And so, without further ado, behold my 2020 Book Blogger Award nominations:

★ BEST OF THEIR AGE ★ 

☆ Best Pre-Teen/Teen Book Blogger 
Emma | A Few Chapters Til Love

Emma and I bonded over our love of Twilight and hatred of all things eczema [eczema sisters for life!]. She’s such an old soul and I absolutely love stalking her fantasy reviews and discussion posts. Side note: Emma has the most amazing home recipes for body scrubs – especially if you have sensitive skin!

☆ Best Adult Book Blogger 
Alana | The Bookish Chick

Alana has one of the best blogs in the community – I’m always stalking her reviews and wrap-ups to find my next read! What I love about Alana’s blog is that she can always be counted on to be both honest and respectful. Her reviews feel like a lively conversation over a cup of coffee.

★ BEST GENRE BLOGGERS ★

☆ Young Adult
Kay | Hammock of Books

I am absolutely obsessed with Kay’s blog [I basically stalk Hammock of Books – it’s seriously required reading]. If you need a recommendation then Kay will do the hard yards for you, sifting through the best and the worst of YA. I found so many new favorites thanks to Kay’s honest but kind reviews.

☆ Romance
Carly | Reading Is My Kind Of Thing

Whenever I’m in the mood for an angsty romance, you can bet that I’m combing through Carly’s blog for a quick recommendation. Carly focuses on promoting diverse books with positive body image and representation. Also, she’s actually the nicest person – I love chatting in the comments.

☆ Science Fiction / Fantasy
Octavia | Mermaid Reads

Sometimes I think Octavia and I are actually the same person – we have such similar tastes in books! Octavia isn’t afraid to tackle those hard topics but it’s her amazing fantasy reviews that I love the most. If you’re in the mood for anything even remotely related to pirates or mermaids she’s your girl.

★ BEST OF BOOK BLOGGING ★

☆ Best Book Reviews
Marie | Drizzle and Hurricane Books

I am in complete awe of the way Marie writes her reviews. I mean, she always just seems to capture the vibe and feeling of a book perfectly. Marie’s reviews are unbiased but always kind and fair. Also, Marie is a big supporter of trigger warnings and implements them in all of her book reviews.

☆ Best Book Recommendations
Clara | The Bookworm of Notre Dame

Okay, I basically stalk Clara’s beautiful blog. I love her aesthetics [Clara can capture the essence of any character or book] but more than that, I love her seasonal recommendations. If you’re in the mood for something with a summery vibe, Clara’s got the book for you! As a serious mood reader, I rely heavily on Clara for go-to recommendations.

☆ Best Discussion Posts
Caitlin | Caitlin Althea

Caitlin is more than happy to get controversial – just take a look at her reactions to Book Twitter’s unpopular opinions. That being said, Caitlin has such a positive presence in the community. Caitlin’s discussions are always unique and a lot of fun to read.

☆ Best Blog Aesthetic
Tracy | Truffle’s Literary Wonders

Ahhh, blog design – something I’m still learning. But, if you’re wanting some inspiration look no further than that of Tracy’s bubbly blog; Truffle’s Literary Wonders. Tracy is a fellow Aussie blogger and her blog is one of the happiest in the community. Fun fact: she’s also a fabulous designer specializing in blog glow ups!

☆ Best Blogging/Writing Voice
Daria | Bookaholic’s Therapy

I honestly can’t get enough of Daria’s blog. Daria has a seriously witty sense of humor that borderlines on snarky. I love that she talks in GIFs, strikes through her words and rambles about her personal life – it’s like having a very loud conversation with your best friend. Also, thank you Daria for introducing me to Brooklyn Nine-Nine!!!

★ MISCELLANEOUS ★

☆ Most Helpful
Kal | Reader Voracious

If you’re new to blogging or in need of some advice then you’d better bet that Kal has the resources for you! From self-hosting and social media to requesting ARCs and accessibility, Kal’s blog is full of nifty little guides. Most recently, Kal published a post in support of the Black Lives Matter movement outlining how you can get involved.

☆ Most Supportive
Belle | Belle Can Read

Belle is honestly one of the most friendliest and positive people in the bookish community. Her supportive presence just bleeds into everything she creates. She’s always leaving me these essays [usually filled with emoji’s!] in the comments section. Belle is also known to highlight and promote her favorite blogs.

☆ Most Engaged in the Community
Siobhan | Siobhan’s Novelties

Siobhan always has her finger on the beating pulse of the community. If there’s drama or a discussion happening you can bet that Siobhan’s getting to the bottom of it! I love her Beyond the Blurb series and it’s focus on current bookish affairs. When Sarah J. Maas announced an ACOTAR cover change she was all over it, explaining why re-branding is unnecessary marketing ploy.

☆ Best Social Media Influencer
Jen | Book Book Owl

Fair warning: this is the part where I turn into a gushing fangirl. If you’ve got Instagram, do yourself a favor and check out Jen’s account because oh my gosh – her photos are just a magical riot of color. I’m constantly scrolling through Jen’s feed for shelf inspiration [check out her rainbow shelves] and some new book recommendations. Side note: Jen also designs bookmarks which I’m absolutely obsessed with.

☆ Best Personality
Emma | Emma Reads

It’s honestly unfair how well Emma can write. Just kidding but not really. Emma’s personality just seems to bleed through everything she creates evoking this unique, witty and sometimes snarky voice. Her posts come across as lively and hilarious – she’s brutally honest and isn’t afraid to voice her opinions!

☆ Best at Promoting Diverse Books
May | Forever and Everly

With the current Black Lives Matter movement and the amount of awareness spreading through the community, I have to give a huge shout out to May who has always promoted diverse books with broad representation. May’s blog is required reading – she discusses the hard topics with a focus on promoting #ownvoices books.

★ MOST IMPORTANTLY ★

☆ Best Overall Book Blogger
Nish & Ngoc | Nish and Ngoc’s Book Nook

How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to nominate my #saltmates Nish and Ngoc for best overall blogger??? Nish and Ngoc are honestly Australian ICONS – their blog is an INSPIRATION. Most recently, these girls have been using their platform to spread some much needed awareness [and amazing resources] to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. But, for when you need something lighter, Nish and Ngoc are the reigning queens of hilarious, downright snarky reviews [I still haven’t recovered from that one time they roasted the actual heck out of After].

I wish you all the very best of luck – don’t forget to complete your nominations before July 26. I’ll see you all when the voting commences in August. Good luck!