Today please welcome Eric, who blogs at Frodo's Blog of Randomness.
What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?
I've been a fan of Lord of the Rings since I was little, back when the movies were still coming out in theaters. I joined a LotR chat and used frodoscompanion as my handle, and when people there shortened it to frodosco it stuck, so that's been my nickname for over a decade. I figured Frodo would be easier to remember.
How long have you been blogging?
I've been blogging since September 2012.
Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?
What I believe makes it unique is a few features that I came up with, my own brand of humor, but mostly that I review any and all genres and age ranges of books.
What genres do you write about most, and why?
Well, I write most about all genres that are within the YA age range, but specifically contemporary, fantasy, dystopian, and horror. I feel like Young Adult authors speak to me in a way that Adult ones never have, and it hasn't mattered what genre specifically, because (generally) their tone and characters are easy to connect with.
Every blogger feels pressure at some point. What's something you feel pressured to do or not do on your blog? How do you deal with it?
For a while I was able to afford to buy most of the new releases that interested me, but I did feel pressured to quickly read and review them so that the posts would be as relevant as possible. However, that is no longer the case, so the pressure is off, unless I receive ARCs, but I'm always happy to review those in whatever window is best for the author.
Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?
I don't personally write in books, and I wouldn't be happy with anyone doing so if I gave them one to borrow, but I don't cringe when I hear people say they do. The only time I write in books is if they are textbooks, and even that is sparingly.
What's your favorite place to read or blog?
As lame as it might sound, my bed is my spot to do both. I don't really have a standard desk, or anything nearing a professional setup, but I do have my laptops and that makes it easy to blog or read via Kindle. My books are always nearby for easy grabbing, or just gazing longingly at the adventures I have yet to experience.
Is Amazon.com the evil empire? Discuss.
Amazon isn't anything close to evil. They are a very successful business that has used it's higher success areas to branch out as much as possible, and I don't think anyone should find fault in that. Do I want them to have a monopoly on what books are sold? No, I don't. However, that is up to other companies and stores, to provide an experience or environment that makes customers willing to spend there, and often times, spend more.
Do you judge a book by its cover, or its lover?
I try not to judge a book by anything but the words on the pages, but I do know that I haven't bought certain ones because of how bad the cover was. If I can't bear to have it on my shelves, I'm certainly not going to buy it. If it is one I was really interested in, though, I'll get it as an eBook and skip that first page.
One book you like that no one else seems to, or vice versa?
Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and I was not a fan at all.
To DNF or not to DNF?
To DNF sparingly is my best answer. I'll give a book a minimum of 100 pages (longer if the book is quite lengthy) and if I can't stand it then I won't read any more. I know authors put an incredible amount of time and effort into their work, and I want to give them a chance, but there has to be a point where I draw the line, and 100 pages is it for me.
How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?
I have too many hobbies it would seem. I'm really into sports so a lot of my time is devoted to that, plus I blog about that too so I'm writing quite a bit. Video games are another hobby of mine, both playing and watching, and I have a YouTube channel devoted to that. I like to dabble in a lot of things, so I stay busy, but it always comes back to books.
What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?
My favorite has to be Lord of the Rings, they did an amazing job with those movies, and I couldn't have asked for more. My least favorite is easily Eragon, from the Inheritance series, that was one of the worst movies I've seen in general, and it didn't stay true to the books whatsoever.
What are 3 favorite posts or reviews you've read by other book bloggers?
"Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen" @ Fiction Freak
"Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: Requesting ARCs" @ Doing Dewey
"How Well Do You Market Yourself & Your Blog?" @ Nose Graze
What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)
The Involved Eclectic
Thank you for joining us today, Eric!
Remember to check out Eric's blog, Frodo's Blog of Randomness, and leave a comment or question For Eric below!!
I've been a fan of Lord of the Rings since I was little, back when the movies were still coming out in theaters. I joined a LotR chat and used frodoscompanion as my handle, and when people there shortened it to frodosco it stuck, so that's been my nickname for over a decade. I figured Frodo would be easier to remember.
How long have you been blogging?
I've been blogging since September 2012.
Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?
What I believe makes it unique is a few features that I came up with, my own brand of humor, but mostly that I review any and all genres and age ranges of books.
What genres do you write about most, and why?
Well, I write most about all genres that are within the YA age range, but specifically contemporary, fantasy, dystopian, and horror. I feel like Young Adult authors speak to me in a way that Adult ones never have, and it hasn't mattered what genre specifically, because (generally) their tone and characters are easy to connect with.
Every blogger feels pressure at some point. What's something you feel pressured to do or not do on your blog? How do you deal with it?
For a while I was able to afford to buy most of the new releases that interested me, but I did feel pressured to quickly read and review them so that the posts would be as relevant as possible. However, that is no longer the case, so the pressure is off, unless I receive ARCs, but I'm always happy to review those in whatever window is best for the author.
Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?
I don't personally write in books, and I wouldn't be happy with anyone doing so if I gave them one to borrow, but I don't cringe when I hear people say they do. The only time I write in books is if they are textbooks, and even that is sparingly.
What's your favorite place to read or blog?
As lame as it might sound, my bed is my spot to do both. I don't really have a standard desk, or anything nearing a professional setup, but I do have my laptops and that makes it easy to blog or read via Kindle. My books are always nearby for easy grabbing, or just gazing longingly at the adventures I have yet to experience.
Is Amazon.com the evil empire? Discuss.
Amazon isn't anything close to evil. They are a very successful business that has used it's higher success areas to branch out as much as possible, and I don't think anyone should find fault in that. Do I want them to have a monopoly on what books are sold? No, I don't. However, that is up to other companies and stores, to provide an experience or environment that makes customers willing to spend there, and often times, spend more.
Do you judge a book by its cover, or its lover?
I try not to judge a book by anything but the words on the pages, but I do know that I haven't bought certain ones because of how bad the cover was. If I can't bear to have it on my shelves, I'm certainly not going to buy it. If it is one I was really interested in, though, I'll get it as an eBook and skip that first page.
One book you like that no one else seems to, or vice versa?
Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and I was not a fan at all.
To DNF or not to DNF?
To DNF sparingly is my best answer. I'll give a book a minimum of 100 pages (longer if the book is quite lengthy) and if I can't stand it then I won't read any more. I know authors put an incredible amount of time and effort into their work, and I want to give them a chance, but there has to be a point where I draw the line, and 100 pages is it for me.
How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?
I have too many hobbies it would seem. I'm really into sports so a lot of my time is devoted to that, plus I blog about that too so I'm writing quite a bit. Video games are another hobby of mine, both playing and watching, and I have a YouTube channel devoted to that. I like to dabble in a lot of things, so I stay busy, but it always comes back to books.
What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?
My favorite has to be Lord of the Rings, they did an amazing job with those movies, and I couldn't have asked for more. My least favorite is easily Eragon, from the Inheritance series, that was one of the worst movies I've seen in general, and it didn't stay true to the books whatsoever.
What are 3 favorite posts or reviews you've read by other book bloggers?
"Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen" @ Fiction Freak
"Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: Requesting ARCs" @ Doing Dewey
"How Well Do You Market Yourself & Your Blog?" @ Nose Graze
What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)
The Involved Eclectic
Thank you for joining us today, Eric!
Remember to check out Eric's blog, Frodo's Blog of Randomness, and leave a comment or question For Eric below!!
Okay, you just totally made me feel old when you said that you were little when the movies were coming out in the theaters!!
ReplyDeleteI totally and completely agree with you about Eragon. Such a disappointing movie when the book is so good. It had so much potential!