The Book Shelf discussion

Hello all and thank you so much for supporting my group!

I am the kind of person who goes into a group and immediately wants to know who the mods are, which of the mods started the group, and why. I want to know a little about them and if they are strict or laid back (am I going to be kicked out if I make an error?). So this is me answering those questions for you.

Why the Book Shelf...

I am the sole creator of The Book Shelf and invented this group because I wanted a place on Goodreads that focused on the reader, while providing limitations to the authors to avoid harrassed readers. I wanted a reader sanctuary with a reasonable balance for the authors. The Book Shelf keeps a tight leash on authors because this group is, after all, for you. That is why we are all here. For the love of readers and story.

Angela, the Author...

Here is my bio as seen in my books. Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats. http://www.angelabchrysler.com/

Angela, the reader...

I grew up without books (Yes. I know. Go ahead and scream). I spent my early life reading the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, and the encyclopedia for fun. And that... was all I had. By mid-teens, I gained access to the school library, and began working my way through The Great Books. I considered myself grossly behind in reading and literature. At that time, I spent many an afternoon in an old opera house turned library in the town where I grew up. Through the words of Hugo, Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Poe, I found and developed my passion for reading and writing (and theater as I had an entire opera house to myself).

Angela, the family life...

I am married with three children, am 35, and live in New York. I am a full time writer and am always on the computer armed with my cup of coffee and Daryl Dixon mug :) I love emoticons.

Angela, the moderator...

I am pretty laid back and if there are errors made, I send out a gentle reminder with a smile. We're human and it happens :) I only kick members out from the group if I receive a number of complaints from multiple members (usually 3 complaints) depending on the severity of the offense.

Racism, prejudice, slander, disrespect, and vulgar language is not tolerated and the member will be immediately blocked and rejected from the group without explanation or warning.


I brought in Aurelia Casey, owner of AVBC, as the official Book Club for the Book Shelf.

Angela asked me to be a moderator when she asked to include AVBC (Aurelia's Virtual Book Club, for long) here at The Bookshelf.

I write fiction in every genre (but my favorites are science fiction and fantasy and romance) and I edit an annual domestic violence awareness anthology. I'm a writer, an engineer, and a fashion designer because I love transforming ideas from imagination to reality. Oh, and I'm a fairy godmother too :)

I started AVBC in February 2015 because I had stopped reading fiction. This realization horrified me, so I started brainstorming right away. I wanted a format I could stick to in the long term that would also help authors connect with readers, and I wanted to push myself to read "outside my comfort zone" which is why I choose books across all genres of fiction.

I interview the author at the beginning of the month and host a discussion at the end of the month, all live via Google hangouts.

You can choose your own level of participation with AVBC.

You can lurk, just watching or listening to the recordings.

You can post questions you'd like me to ask the author during the interview, and you can post comments as and after you read the book to contribute to the discussion.

You can even get invited to the live discussion if you're really in to the book that month.

You can nominate books you'd like to read on my website at http://amcasey.com/AVBC-nomination or submit your own book if you're an author yourself at http://amcasey.com/AVBC-author-sign (But do be aware that I schedule the books out about a year in advance and I pick books I think we're all going to enjoy from a broad spectrum of genres.)

As a moderator, you'll discover that I'm prone to lurking with seemingly random spurts of activity. I'm an ambivert, so sometimes participating fuels my energy and other times just the thought of going online is exhausting. Regardless, I'll do my best to keep up with everything here. As far as dealing with comments etc, I defer to Angela's rules.

Want to know more about me? Feel free to ask :)