2nd Blogoversary Celebration + Giveaway!
- 208 posts (420 total)
- 62 reviews (114 total)
- Read 62 books (118 books read in 2012 and 2013)
- 1194 comments (4359 total)
- 75,860 page views (123,105 total)
- 7,099 unique visitors (10,604 total)
- Visitors from 13 new countries (124 countries total)
- 101 new GFC followers (508 total)
- 6 new Linky Followers (49 total)
- 7 new Networked Blogs followers (48 total)
- 13 new email subscribers (28 total)
- 335 new Twitter followers (796 total)
- 493 total subscribers via Feedburner (previous data unknown)
- 203 total Bloglovin’ followers (previous data unknown)
- Number 1 keyword search leading to the blog: “overstuffed bookcase”
- Received 25 books for review, excluding BEA books (3 from authors, 4 from NetGalley, 18 from publishers)
- Was nominated for the BBTC Overachiever Award
- Participated in tons of events (Book Blogger Love-a-Thon, Levithan Loveathon, C.S. Lewis Read-Along, one Mini-Bloggiesta, one full Bloggiesta, two Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-Thons, Under the Dome readalong, etc.)
- Attended YABFest, BEA, and Austin Teen Book Festival
- Had 4 giveaways
- Followed several more blogs, but failed to comment as much as I did in 2012
- Met lots of other book bloggers, some in real life!
- Moved halfway across the country
Now I’d like to move on to a new feature here at The Overstuffed Bookcase: the Bonus Points Awards! Let me explain. In my reviews I sometimes give bonus points to authors if their books include things like Harry Potter references or bath tubs that are big enough for someone to swim in–the most important stuff, obvs. And I got the idea to tally up all those points and give away awards for the authors with the most points. Thus, the Bonus Points Awards were born.
Before I give the awards, I do have to clarify that previously I have stated that the bonus points in my reviews were a lot like the show Whose Line Is It Anyway. In other words, “Where everything is made up and the points don’t matter.” But for the purpose of these awards, I went ahead and fixed my points system. It’s MY system–it still probably doesn’t make sense to anyone but me, but I did fix it. For instance, in one review I may have given an author 50 million bonus points for a Harry Potter reference, but in another review I gave 50,000 bonus points for a Harry Potter reference. So I went ahead and changed those so that they would get the same amount of points for that reference. I didn’t go back and change the points on the reviews, however, so the errors will still be there. Also, with some authors, I gave them things like “ALL THE POINTS” or “Infinity points”. I went ahead and equaled these out as well. And now I have a list (yes, Courtney, I have a list to go by now), so all the bonus points in the future will be correct.
So, without further ado, I give you the first annual Bonus Points Awards!
With multiple pop culture references, a character who recreated his childhood home hundreds of time in a virtual world, and by putting an Easter egg in his book about Easter eggs, among other things, Ernest Cline racked up a whopping 1,001,100,000 bonus points. And, somehow, I think he’d like the fact that his total is a bunch of ones and zeros…
With things like Willy Wonka references, Star Wars references, and Doctor Who references, Rainbow Rowell gained tons of bonus points. But the thing that allowed her to win the Bonus Point Queen Award was that ending in Eleanor & Park! Her grand total: 1,000,295,000 bonus points.
Elizabeth Norris scored points with things like Harry Potter and Firefly references, the fact that one character’s favorite movie was Donnie Darko, and, most of all, the line “Harry Potter is a classic” in Unraveling. Her grand total: 1,000,150,000 bonus points.
Laini Taylor garnered some of my bonus points with things like Monty Python references, but her high score is mostly due to the character of Zuzana, who is one of my favorite characters of all time. I mean, she’s up there with Sirius Black. Laini’s grand total: 1,000,060,000 bonus points.
Eve Marie Mont also gained some points for pop culture references (like Harry Potter), and for a super fantastic twist that I was hoping would happen. But the majority of her points are due to the fact that Emma’s grandmother makes fun of Crocs in A Breath of Eyre. We see eye to eye, Grandma. Eve’s grand total: 1,000,060,000 bonus points.
Congratulations to all the winners! I’ll have to make sure to give away lots of bonus points this year, so I can hold the second annual Bonus Points Awards at my next blogoversary!
*EDIT 01/16/14* I’ve added another, surprise book to this giveaway! All I’m going to say is that it’s an already published book and that most of my friends on Goodreads gave it 4 or 5 stars!
Giveaway Rules (Please see my Contest and Privacy Policies on my My Policies page for more info.)
- Giveaway is US ONLY. (Sorry international friends, I’ll try to have a giveaway for you guys soon!)
- Ages 13 & up.
- One winner will receive an ARC of This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready, which is set to publish on April 1, 2014, and a signed ARC of Changers Book One: Drew by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper, which is set to publish on February 4, 2014. Plus a surprise third book!
- Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.
- The winner will be contacted via email as well as announced on this blog following the end of the giveaway period.
- The winner will have 72 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be selected.
Thanks again to everyone who follows my blog, or even if you’ve just stopped by once or twice. I really appreciate it! Here’s to another awesome year!

Kate Midnight Book Girl
January 14, 2014 at 12:19 pmHappy Blogoversary, Andrea!!!! You had me cracking up over all the Bonus Point Awards! I love all of the authors you picked, for similar reasons, only I obviously need to read Eve Marie Mont, because she's the only one of your list that I haven't read. You have impressed me from the start with your blogging dedication, mostly because it has strengthened our friendship (which of course is the only thing that matters!). Can't wait to see you and Jeremy at BEA!!!
Jessie Marie
January 14, 2014 at 5:06 pmYAYYY! Happy Blogoversary! : ) I'm so proud of you BBWifey and glad that you've stuck with it. Your commitment has definitely pulled me out of some serious blogging slumps and I hope that continues. I freaking love your Bonus Point system – I even used it on my The Darkest Minds review! – so I like seeing the awards.
Like Kate said, can't wait to see you guys at BEA (I THINK I can make it this year!!)
Brandi Kosiner
January 14, 2014 at 7:51 pmHappy blogoversary. Great bonus point awards idea
pagesunbound
January 14, 2014 at 9:41 pmHappy blogoversary! Two years is fantastic!
You know, I totally took up knitting for one day once. (I mean, I stopped primarily because I lost the knitting needles and the instruction book, not due to lack of interest but still.) I hear crocheting is easier anyway.
I LOVE your bonus point awards! I think it's hilarious how the totals are so high. It's probably the only awards system where people can routinely earn a billion points. I would feel so accomplished if I got a billion points for doing something. These authors must be super excited!
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
January 15, 2014 at 11:59 pmLOVE the bonus point idea. I may have to try that out….
Jen @ YA Romantics
Sarah
January 16, 2014 at 1:59 pmWait wait. Did you read Rainbow Rowell's "Attachments"? Because like a bazillion bonus points.
Bittner
January 23, 2014 at 4:46 pmI'm sorry I missed your giveaway but those awards were amazing! I love the graphics you created! Well done Andrea!