Archive for the ‘Polls’ Category

How Do You Access AAR?

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

We’ve got some decisions to make at AAR and in order to help us make the right ones, we’d love to know  how you log onto the site.  We’d appreciate if you’d take the time to respond to the poll below by selecting the answers that are true for you. There’s no limit on the number of answers you may select – multiple choices certainly work for me.

And here’s another way you can help us:  If you experience any peculiarities on your Smart Phone  or on any specific Web browser, could you please let us know in the comments what you see and when you see it?

Thanks!

-Sandy AAR

How do you access AAR?

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AAR Annual Poll Panic Time

Friday, December 18th, 2009

WomanHeadacheI had a mild panic attack this week while looking at my calendar for January. There, marked in red, on January 18th, were the words “First day AAR Annual Poll.” Yikes! How could this be? In one month, voting will start. While this is exciting for me as one of AAR’s pollsters, it struck terror for me as a romance reader.

I have voted in every one of AAR’s Annual Polls, and am usually one of the first to vote. Most years, I have used used elaborate record-keeping devices to keep track of my reading, solely to help with my Annual Poll ballot. All that has changed this year.  As we announced earlier, this year the Annual Poll will begin on Monday, January 18, but will last only two weeks, until Sunday, January 31. This leaves almost no time for catch-up reading during the polling period, meaning I really need to have done all of my major 2009 reading by January 18….and there’s my problem.

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Poll: What’s Your Recession Reading Pleasure?

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Romance sales are up.

Which is a total no-brainer, right?  After all, it’s scary out there.

But here’s what’s got me curious.  What are you reading these days?  And, just as interesting to me, have your reading tastes changed since the recession began?

For me, the answer to the second question is a definite yes.  I’ve always loved historical romance and have since I first began reading the genre when I was about 13.  It’s my first love and, as romance readers know, first love is a powerful thing.

I also love contemporaries, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and – yep – great paranormals, too.  Lately, though, I’ve found myself much more set to lose myself in a great historical romance.

But enough about me.  We want to know what you’re reading to escape from a reality that’s gotten a bit too real.  And, for a special bonus question, please tell us if your reading habits have changed since the recession began.

Note: Since most of us read a variety of types of romance, you may choose more than one answer for the first question.  The second, though?  You’ve got to go with one.

Ready to tell us what you’re reading?

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AAR Annual Reader Poll: A Heads Up About Some Changes

Monday, November 30th, 2009

voting_mWe’re coming up to our yearly tradition here at AAR and we wanted to give our readers a chance to prepare for a few changes in the Annual Reader Poll.

The annual poll when readers get to choose their best (and worst) of the year got a face lift last year and the pollsters came out of it with some great reader feedback and a few thoughts of our own.

The first change is big and we knew our readers would need a heads up.

Last year was our first year to enter ballots, and we quickly discovered that a full month isn’t necessary for voting since the vast majority of your ballots were entered either on the first three or on the last few days of the poll. The weeks in between were largely dead, with only a trickle of ballots entered. This was a sure sign to us that the voting period could be shortened, provided we give ample notice to AAR readers.  So, here goes:

The AAR Annual Reader Poll will be open for 2 weeks only and will run from Monday, January 18th, 2009 until midnight Sunday, January 31st.

We realize there are readers who power read in January and February for last minute reads for the previous year, but you won’t have that option this time around.  So definitely get your 2009 reading in early!

Also new are two additional categories being added to the ballot this year: Best Kick-Ass Heroine and Most Tortured Hero categories are back by popular reader demand.  Keep in mind that AAR is still going with the streamlined approach  that we first took in the 2008 Annual Reader Poll, but, based on your comments after least year’s poll, it was clear that these two categories were missed.

We know many of you keep reading charts to help you keep track of books read, personal grades, and special notes for categories.  If you haven’t kept a reading chart, you’ll find the AAR Power Search is a great way to search for reviews for the 2009 reading year.

We’re very excited about the 2009 Annual Reader Poll, and look forward to seeing all of your ballots in January. So, get reading!

– Cindy, Lee, and LinnieGayl

Ready to see the Categories for the Upcoming 2009 Annual  Reader Poll?

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Who’s Your Favorite Vampire?

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

vampirekiss With the premiere of New Moon looming, suddenly everyone’s talking about vampires. The diehard Twilight fans I know never entirely stop talking about it, but the chatter grows ever louder. I’ve read all the books and I suspect I’ll end up seeing all the movies, but there is so much more to read once you’ve run through Bella and Edward (and Jacob)’s story. If you’re hooked on vampires, there are a ton of good books out there.

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A Pollster’s Dilemma

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

0808-0712-3117-5831Let me start by saying I love being an AAR pollster. From a personal standpoint, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, and become friends with, Lee and Cindy, my wonderful fellow pollsters. From a romance-reading perspective, I get to see the characters and books that AAR’s readers like. After all, I don’t see just the results posted on AAR, I know which books land in 20th, 50th, and 100th place in top ten polls. Sadly, I also know which characters will receive no votes other than my own; ah, there’s my dilemma.

When I first volunteered to be a pollster, I made certain that we would be allowed to vote since the polls were one of my favorite parts of AAR from the beginning. Once assured that I could still vote, I hopped onboard.

As a pollster, I know weeks in advance what our polling schedule looks like. Initially, I would fill out my ballots well before each poll began, and would submit it at AAR as soon as polling opened. Lately, like many AAR readers, I’ve been taking my time preparing my ballot; hence, my dilemma.

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Vote for the Next AAR Book Club Selection (Poll Closed)

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

First of all, the easy part:  Thanks to everyone who suggested books to be considered.  Now, it gets a bit more complicated.

I wanted to stick with in print contemporaries and romantic suspense.  I also wanted to hold over three titles from the last poll.  It also seemed to be fair to limit the selection to just one choice on the list from each author.

Another note: Books by Nora Roberts were suggested multiple times, but there was no consistency in titles put forward.  So, I’m going to table the author for now and see what happens in our next book club poll.  Hey, I know, there’s an impressive backlist there and choosing just one isn’t easy.

So, with the understanding that creating this poll is as much art as it is hard math, here are the books up for your consideration for the next AAR Book Club.  I think we’ve got a nice variety of choices here so I hope you’ll find a book you’d like to see on the table.   The poll is open until Tuesday, October 6th at midnight eastern time.

Date and time for the next discussion TBD, but it will be announced here soon.

-Sandy AAR

What Book Would You Like to Discuss in Our Next AAR Book Club?

  • Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie (23%, 52 Votes)
  • Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (21%, 49 Votes)
  • Paradise by Judith McNaught (21%, 47 Votes)
  • Cry No More by Linda Howard (17%, 38 Votes)
  • Black Ice by Anne Stuart (14%, 31 Votes)
  • Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson (4%, 11 Votes)

Total Voters: 228

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