Featured Blogger: Celticlady's Reviews

Today please welcome Kathleen Kelly, who blogs at Celticlady's Reviews.

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What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?

I am Irish of course and the name comes from my love of anything Irish. I have been to Ireland twice and loved it.

How long have you been blogging?

I was deemed disabled in 2009 after a second spinal fusion and had some residual affects left from that. I was also diagnosed with Parkinson type symptoms.  I have always been an avid reader so to keep myself busy and not get bored since I could no longer work, I decided to try my hand at blogging. So I know have three blogs, Celticlady's Reviews being the main one I maintain.

Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?

Celticlady's Reviews started as a book blog but has evolved into sharing on social media, reviews of books, spotlights of indie/self published authors and I now do product reviews as well.

What genres do you write about most, and why?

My favorite genre is Historical Fiction but I will write about most any genre although I do not read westerns, fantasy, dystopia or erotica. I also love a good mystery or thriller. I also read women's fiction.

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?

Most people think that blogging is just a hobby. Well it can be I guess but sometimes it feels like a full time job. I am not really pressured into doing anything I chose not to. I have worked with some wonderful authors and tour companies. Rarely do I have an issue.

What's one book you think everyone should read?

There are so many options but I think that the classics should be read, Gone with the Wind, Tom Sawyer, Black Beauty, anything by Charles Dickens. etc.

Aside from that, as far as historical fiction, anything by Anya Seton, Norah Lofts. My favorite contemporary author would be Barbara Erskine and her book The Lady of Hay.

Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

No

What's your favorite place to read or blog?

I have three computers, an iPad and a few Kindles. I still love to read print books. I read in bed at night, almost every night.

Our youngest daughter had moved back in with us a few years ago and recently moved out. I took the room she was using and turned into a mini library/office. I needed a place to put my expanding library and also a place to keep all the products I receive for review and a place to read. If I do not get off the computer, which is hard for me to do, I am never able to read. So I force myself to go in my sanctuary. My favorite place to work on the computer is the desktop I have in the kitchen, I can do chores, baking and cooking and still be able to get back to whatever I was working on.

Is Amazon.com the evil empire? Discuss.

No I do not buy into that. Amazon provides a valuable service to consumers and authors alike.

What have you learned from other bloggers or your readers?

I learned how to do reviews and be part of social media.

Do you judge a book by its cover, or its lover?

Actually I do judge a book by it's cover, which is not fair I guess. I figure that if an author takes the time with the cover to make it appealing, then what is inside must be good.

One book you like that no one else seems to, or vice versa?

I refuse to read Fifty Shades of Gray. Period.

To DNF or not to DNF?

It depends, I finish more than I don't. If I can not get into a book by at least 100 pages and since I am on a strict schedule to finish books, that is the best I can do.

What's one book that intimidates you?

Lord of the Rings, I read The Hobbit years back but could not get into the rest.

If you could go to any literary destination, where would you go?

Anywhere in Dublin. So many greats came from Ireland.

How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?

I bake and cook. I received a Kitchenaid a few years ago and it is a godsend. This year I received a food processor. Needless to say both of them are put to good use. 

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

I can't really say, I do not watch a lot of movies as I have to spend my time reading.

What are 3 favorite posts or reviews you've read by other book bloggers?

Ghosts
Was Prince Eddy Jack the Ripper?
Of honeymoons and death by starvation

What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)

I am an all rounder:

Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.

Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin and eagerly await the next in the series.

Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

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Thank you for joining us today, Kathleen! 

Remember to check out Kathleen's blog, Celticlady's Reviews, 

and leave a comment or question.

Featured Blogger: Tracy from postcard reviews

Today please welcome Tracy, who blogs at postcard reviews.

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What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?

short straight to the point reviews 

How long have you been blogging?

since December 2014

Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?

they are reviews you could write on a postcard so i have to be creative in what i write 

What genres do you write about most, and why?

i read anything and everything

What's one book you think everyone should read?

second life s j watson its about online danger

Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

noooooooooo

What's your favorite place to read or blog?

i like to read on my sofa in front of the tv

Is Amazon.com the evil empire? Discuss.

i think there is a place for everything and everyone

What have you learned from other bloggers or your readers?

that everyone is different but we are interested in the same things

Do you judge a book by its cover, or its lover?

both, a good cover draws you in, a lover creates 'life'

To DNF or not to DNF?

if you don't like a book after the first few pages move on, then go back. you might be in a different mood 

What's one book that intimidates you?

one that tries to be too clever with words. where a writer hasn't really thought about its reader

If you could go to any literary destination, where would you go?

i would go to greece victoria hislop style

How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?

i sew, knit and crochet and i also like papercrafts. i am addicted to pinterest

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

i loved gone girl, both book and film. it helped that the author did the screenplay so it followed the book 

What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)

i am a faddy reader. what i like today i may not tomorrow

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Thank you for joining us today, Tracy! Remember to check out Tracy's blog, postcard reviews, and leave a comment or question.

Jazz Up Your Mystery/Thriller Reading with Chris

Please welcome Chris of Wildmoobooks to Book Bloggers Intl.!

Do you love mysteries and thrillers but feel a bit burnt out by them, as if you’re reading the same book with a different setting over and over? Or have you read all your favorite series and now wait around for the next release, randomly picking up other books like filler? Or have you never really read much in the genre and want to start, but don’t know where?

Try alternating a new release with a classic or significant back list title. Mix it up further by cycling in subgenres that you haven’t yet tried: cozy, hard boiled, medical, legal, western, LGBT, espionage, supernatural, etc.

The beauty of reading this way is that you stay in touch with what’s current, yet learn about the history of the genre and subgenres. You’ll expose yourself to new-to-you authors and may discover that a subgenre you’ve avoided actually interests you. Through reading older titles you’ll come to have a deeper appreciation for newer releases because you’ll understand the tradition from which they’ve grown. You’ll be able to see when a new release does something original. Or how, perhaps, it fails to live up to the demands of the genre or subgenre.

This approach works well for independent reading or for book groups. I used it in a past book group and my current group is using it. This month we read Tana French’s new release, The Secret Place. Next month we’re going back to 1868 for The Moonstone by Willie Collins which is considered the first mystery novel. After that we’ll read Still Life by Louise Penny (2006) and then Cover Her Face by P.D. James (1962). We’ll discuss the merits and pitfalls of each novel in and of itself (the mystery, plot, characters, etc), and then also discuss which subgenre(s) it fits into and how well.

There is no right or wrong to reading this way.

But crime fiction is such a huge category, so where to begin? Your local librarian can certainly point you in the right direction. Or a simple internet search for “mystery subgenres” or “history of mystery” will pull up helpful information from which you can begin creating your own reading list. There are even books and lists of the top 50 or 100 mystery/thrillers everyone should read.

Another option is to check out the websites of organizations like The Mystery Writers of America, the Crime Writers’ Association, or International Thriller Writers. Compare their lists of award winning books. Look at the Agatha Award list for the best cozies or the Shamus Award list for the best PI novels.

After a while you see the same titles showing up across various lists and will feel the need to read that book.

If you enjoy audiobooks there’s a course from The Modern Scholar series that your library may carry or be able to get for you called Detective Fiction: From Victorian Sleuths to the Present by Professor M. Lee Alexander which explores the origins of the genre, significant eras, subgenres, and trends. You can download the course booklet from the website linked above. It’s an excellent resource.

I hope this method jazzes up your mystery/thriller reading or gets you started. I’d love hear about what strategy you use to read around in this vast and diverse genre.

When Mysteries / Thrillers Cease to Surprise by Sarah from Sarah's Book Shelves

Today, please welcome Sarah from Sarah's Book Shelves, who's here to discuss unthrilling thrillers and unmysterious mysteries. Welcome, Sarah!




*Warning: There are spoilers for We Were Liars and Big Little Lies in this post!

This year, I've read more mysteries / thrillers than ever before. I'm not sure why...I didn't purposely seek out this genre, it just happened that a lot of the books that sparked my interest were thrillers! I actually found myself reading so many in a row that I got a little genre burn-out, if there is such a thing.

In fact, I got to a point where I'd read so many thrillers back to back that the plot twists all started running together and failed to stand out anymore...

Have you ever read so many thrillers that they cease to surprise you?

I remember reading Gone Girl when it first came out...before all the media hype and before people (I mean the general public, not book bloggers) were talking about the huge twist. I also wasn't reading a lot of mysteries / thrillers at that point. And, I was SHOCKED by the plot twist...I think because mysteries / thrillers were a pretty fresh genre for me and I went into the book blind to the fact that there even was a big twist. What I loved about Gone Girl's twist was that, though it was completely shocking to me, all the details still made sense even with my new, post-twist perspective.

Following Gone Girl's success, there were the copycat thrillers. The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison, in particular, was marketed as "the next Gone Girl". Sadly, The Silent Wife's plot twists and overall "screwed up people in a screwed up marriage" theme felt completely warmed over. However, I probably would have loved it had I not read Gone Girl first, thus alerting me to what was probably going on in The Silent Wife's marriage.

Warning: Spoiler for We Were Liars (by E. Lockhart) ahead

Fast forward to this summer's We Were Liars, which I read in the midst of my mystery/thriller binge. I did not go into this book entirely blind. I knew there was a big plot twist, I just didn't know what it was. Weirdly enough, I didn't even try to guess the twist (lazy reader!). When all was revealed, I smacked myself in the head and said "duh...this is 'The Sixth Sense' all over again". I was mentally berating myself for not guessing the twist in advance. And, although I did really like We Were Liars and recommended it on my blog, I was a bit annoyed that the central plot twist had already been done in a big way.

Warning: Spoiler for Big Little Lies (by Liane Moriarty) ahead

Though Big Little Lies isn't technically a thriller (I don't think?!), it relies on surprise to hook readers, so I'm going to bring it into this discussion. I listened to Big Little Lies during my second mystery / thriller binge of the year and it was the fifth in a string of eight thrillers for me. And, guess what?! I wasn't surprised at all by the ending. As soon as Perry was painted as the perfect husband (which was early in the story), I suspected it was a facade. And, the reveal that Perry and Celeste had an abusive marriage happened so early in the book that it erased any remaining doubt that he was the one who would meet his end at the school trivia night.

Mystery / thriller authors ride a thin line of having to surprise their readers in a unique way over and over again. But, if they go too far, they run the risk of "jumping the shark". In TV terms, this is when a show's writers run low on material and resort to something completely bizarre that makes no sense within the context of the show. Remember the "Melrose Place" moment when Dr. Kimberly Shaw (Marcia Cross) miraculously rose from a coma to pull off her wig, revealing her stubby hair and vicious scar from the car accident that almost killed her?! That show was never the same again! Mystery / thriller writers face the same dilemma...plot twists have to shock and awe, but still make sense in hindsight to be truly effective.

My Favorite Thriller Reads I've Read This Year by Wesley from Library Educated

Today please welcome Wesley from Library Educated. He's here to recommend a few mysteries and thrillers for your fall reading!

If you’ve been around the blog lately you might have seen that I’m not one for scary, Halloween-y reads. However, when I want a pulse racing read there are still books for someone like me! Suspense and thrillers provide the excitement, twists and turns without the overtly scary imagery that makes nightmare fodder for me. The only suspense books I can’t get into are spy novels. I have tried “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” a few times and can’t get past the first few pages. Sorry John le Carre!

I’ve read a couple of good thrillers lately, and one I’m really looking forward to reading and I want to share them with you!

“A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain” by Adrianne Harun

On the surface, this book is about a group of teenage friends living in a small Canadian town. The town is pretty miserable; poverty, addiction, abuse and worse are the norm here. There’s also a string of disappearances of native, teenage girls along the local highway, so that’s also bad. Then the Devil comes to town (yeah, THE Devil). He appears in different forms to different people in this already fragile community. Things disintegrate quickly! I love when a book has a pretty normal setting but then there’s a subtle supernatural twist that can surprise you. This book does that so well!

“The String Diaries” by Stephen Lloyd Jones

This book starts with a bang: a woman names Hannah is speeding through the nighttime English countryside with her daughter asleep in the backseat while her husband bleeds profusely in the passenger seat next to her. They are on the run from a dangerous enemy that has stalked her family for a very long time. The story takes us back in time and all around Europe as Hannah does everything she can to protect and save her family members. I found myself holding my breath as I was reading this book. The story is face paced and taut, the characters complex but relatable. I can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel!

“Hold the Dark” by William Giraldi

This book is on the tippy top of my to-be read list! I forget where I heard about it (I can never remember!) but I knew I had to read it when I read the “blurb”! The story takes place in a tiny, remote Alaskan village. Wolves have begun sneaking into the village and snapping up children. A wolf and nature expert whose life is in ruins, a father of a missing child and his childhood friend set out to see if they can find the wolves and end the village’s terror. But instead of answers about the wolves they find out something much worse…Doesn’t that sound exciting? I’m pumped for it!

Do you have any favorite thrillers to recommend?

Featuring: Chris of WildmooBooks

Today please welcome Chris, who blogs at WildmooBooks!

What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?

I have an affinity for cows and years ago my mom (or was it my sister?) gave me a cow print sweater. (I swear it was in fashion at the time!) I was often moo'd at by students and friends when I wore it and that morphed into calling me Moo. Then one day while driving a bit too fast (behavior I do not condone) the words "wild" and "moo" came together and there you have it. WildmooBooks seemed to fit as a blog name and I thought it sounded fun. It's also a reminder not to take myself too seriously (I'm a recovering book snob). Over the years I've thought about changing my blog's name to something more literary sounding (snob creepage), but so far have not come up with anything that makes me as happy as WildmooBooks.

How long have you been blogging?
I started in January 2010. In the fall of 2009 I stepped down as a manager at Borders to pursue my interest in massage therapy. Although I continued to work at Borders part-time until the company went belly-up, I missed the daily engagement with readers and books. I also missed writing about books--for much of my time with Borders I held positions where I wrote newsletters, press releases, event signage, etc. Through Goodreads I noticed more "regular readers" starting book blogs. "I can do that!" I thought, and so here I am.


Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?
I still feel so new at this so I'm not sure. I enjoy attending author and other literary events and then write about them. That's probably a hold-over from my Borders days when I had to write event recaps for the home office. I think its a nice way to get word out about authors even if I don't read their books.


What's your earliest memory of reading?
Spending hours pouring over The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary. I have a strong visual and sense memory of sitting against the couch on the living room floor doing my best to read the words that explained each letter and trying to remember the letters in order. When I got tired doing that, I'd make up stories about what was going on in each picture. I think I was probably 3-4. It was before I started pre-school. I still have that book!


What was the first book you read over and over, or the book you've reread the most?
DRACULA, hands-down. I wasn't a big reader as a little kid. While I read books that people gave me and didn't dislike reading, I was just too busy playing outside. After dinner my parents usually read and I'd often join them. I'd spread out on the floor with the book about golden hamsters that I repeatedly checked out of the library or the latest issue of Cricket magazine that my parents subscribed to for me and feel quite content. Then I'd hear the delicious sound of a baseball smacking the well-oiled web of a glove or a skateboarder zoom by and I'd be out the door (I was a tomboy).

Then one day in middle school Mr. Fruits (real name), our English teacher, gave us time to look through the latest Scholastic catalog. My desk was directly in front of his, so I complied. It may have been the first time I actually looked through a book catalog. I turned the page and saw DRACULA. I almost jumped up and shouted out in my excitement, but instead restrained myself and thought, “NO WAY! They made a book out of Dracula?!” I grew up watching Creature Features and Sesame Street. Bela Legosi and The Count where my favorites.

That evening my parents where thrilled when I asked if I could get the book. They were younger then than I am now and I imagine their eyes filled with tears and they did a thumbs up behind my back.

I remember long summer days spent reading DRACULA in the hammock in the backyard. It seems like it took the whole summer to read the book and maybe it did. The language was a little tough for me to get into, but I kept going because the story was similar enough to all the vampire movies I'd seen up until that point, but different enough to keep me wondering what was going to happen next. The book was so much richer than the movies!

I've re-read DRACULA at least a dozen times since then. It is the book that turned me into a self-selective reader. After Bram Stoker's DRACULA I went on to Stephen King's Salem's Lot, The Stand, and a host of now forgotten “trash” novels. I believe it was reading these novels for pleasure that helped me enjoy the novels we were reading in school, classics like Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth and John Steinbeck's The Pearl, much more than my non-reading or not-yet reading for pleasure peers.


Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?
I'm all for writing in books, but I don't do it as much as I used to. If it's a book that I think I'll read again, I don't want my prior reading to influence the new reading. I'm one of those who never buys used books that have been underlined. Still, sometimes I do underline and I tend to do it more with non-fiction than fiction. Most of the time I use those little sticky flags to mark a passage and will later (the same day or the next while things are still fresh) go back to the passage and see if it's something I want to write a note about. I use a sheet of printer or loose-leaf paper, tri-folded, as a bookmark and upon which I take notes. When I finish the book I read through the notes I've jotted down and then write a few paragraphs about what I thought of the book. This has given me a pretty nice reading journal and I can go back and skim the notes, read my concluding thoughts, and have a much better refresher of the book than if I'd just underlined certain passages. That said, it has been interesting to re-read a book that I have underlined and in which I've written marginalia—sometimes it's blatantly clear how much I've changed since that first reading and other times I'm still “on the same page.”


Do you have any reading accessories you can't do without?
Sticky flag notes and a piece of paper to take notes on (see above). Also, a cat or dog. Although we're currently catless (we had four at one time, but they've all gone to kitty heaven), I love it when a cat lounges on me while I read. My dog Lola reminds me when it's time for a break. Rather than being annoyed, I've since learned that taking regular breaks actually increases my reading endurance!


Finish the sentence: My bookshelves are...
...currently a mess! We moved into our new house three months ago and although my books are on shelves, they are in no order. I have two bookcases in my office and we have shelves in the den. Fiction is mixed in with nonfiction, Edith Wharton is next to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Willa Cather is in two different rooms...its scary. It used to be that the first thing I did upon moving into a new place was unpack and organize my books into categories and alpha by author. Times have changed. Maybe I'll get them organized by this summer.

To DNF or not to DNF?
DNF. I used to feel compelled to finish every book I started, but those days are long gone. When I got out of graduate school I vowed to never again read a book I didn't want to read. That said, I will finish a book that I'm not thrilled about if there's a reason to, like a classic I want to read or a book that I know I am learning from even if the experience isn't all that pleasant.


How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?
I enjoy gardening, hiking, canoeing/kayaking, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing. I also like to draw mandalas and cartoons.


What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

I love movie adaptations, even "bad" ones. I find the translation of a story from one artistic form to another fascinating. Why was that changed? Did doing it this way make a "better" story? What is left out? What is included? Why? One of my favorite "faithful" adaptations is The Reader by Bernhard Schlink starring Kate Winslet, David Kross, and Ralph Fiennes. I appreciated how closely the novel was followed, and the way the time period(s) and characters were brought to life is visually subtle, yet stunning. The story is one of the strongest pleas for literacy that I've read/seen. A favorite "unfaithful" adaptation is Slumdog Millionaire, which is based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup. It didn't bother me that the movie took so many liberties with the novel's story because the movie was so visually stunning and the storyline compelling.

What are 3 of your must-read blogs?
My Porch
Tif Talks Books
The Classics Club Blog


What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)
That was interesting. Turns out I'm an All-Rounder.

Thanks so much for this opportunity to talk about myself and take a bit of a walk down memory lane.


Thank YOU for joining us today, Chris! Loved getting to know you better!


Remember to check out Chris' blog, WildmooBooks, and leave a comment or question for Chris below!

Featuring Kathleen Kelly of Celticlady's Reviews

Today please welcome Kathleen Kelly, 

who blogs at Celticlady's Reviews.

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What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?

I am Irish and love anything associated with Ireland. I have been to Ireland twice and found it to be a beautiful, mystical place.

How long have you been blogging?

Since 2009

Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?

I love to share my passion for reading and I do participate in a lot of book promotion tour companies. 

What genres do you write about most, and why?

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and has been for as long as I can remember. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong era. I do prefer Irish/English history, in particular the Tudor era.

What's your earliest memory of reading?

I can't remember exactly when this happened, but I found that I could escape my real life and become someone else, even for a short time.

What was the first book you read over and over, or the book you've reread the most?

I do not care to reread a book but I have to say the only one I remember doing that with was Gone with the Wind.

Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

Oh no....

What's your favorite place to read?

I guess I would have to say, in my living room although I do read every night in bed before I go to sleep.

Do you have any reading accessories you can't do without?

I have an iPad and two Kindle Fires and I also read on my phone when I go somewhere. I also love books too.

Finish the sentence: My bookshelves are...

numerous, the only room in the house that does not have a bookcase is in the bathroom, only because the humidity would ruin the books.

My TBR pile is...

a mile high.

What's a book that's changed your life?

I can not really think of a book as changing my life other than the fact, like I said before, I can escape into someone else's adventures.

One book you like that no one else seems to, or vice versa?

I would have to say that some of the books my husband reads, especially the Civil War ones. I just am not interested in that type of book.

To DNF or not to DNF?

I guess it depends on the book. I have so many books that are scheduled to read that if I can not get into a book in at least the first 75 or so pages, I can not read it.

What's one book that intimidates you?

I think that the book that intimidates me would be the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I have read three of the series but there are so many after that I got tired of the series..

If you could go to any literary destination, where would you go?

Anywhere in Ireland.

How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?

I love to spend time with my family, traveling and video games.

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

I am not a huge fan of book to movies, I think a lot is lost in the translation of the story. I would prefer to read the book than watch the movie.

What are 3 of your must-read blogs?

Barbara Erskine
Historical Novel Review
Passages to the Past

What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)

The Eclectic Reader

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Thank you for joining us today, Kathleen Kelly! 

Remember to check out Kathleen's blog, Celticlady's Reviews, 

and leave a comment or question.

Kelsey from Ketch's Book Nook

Today please welcome Kelsey, who blogs at Ketch's Book Nook.

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NAME OF MY BOOK BLOG:

The name of my book blog is Ketch’s Book Nook. My review schedule, interviews, and guest posts are mainly posted on Wednesdays and Fridays. Book hops, tours, blitz, cover reveals, and giveaways I participate in are throughout the week. I also post on Mondays on a group blog called YA Bound.

I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING SINCE:

May 30^th, 2010. Yeah, hard to believe it’s been that long. LOL.

GENRES COVERED MOST ON MY BLOG: 

I mostly read and review Young Adult novels, but recently, I have been doing a bit of New Adult as well. Within these, I focus mainly on Fantasy—I especially love anything involving Egyptian and Greek Mythology—Science Fiction, Paranormal, or anything that’s a Mystery/Thriller. I’ve also read a few pure contemporary romance, but not as many.

FIRST BOOK I READ OVER AND OVER: 

Ah, that would be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I was in high school, the first movie was about to come out, and I wanted to know if it was worth watching. So I picked up the novel and ended up reading all the HP books available. Then I read them again. And again. And again. I think by the time the seventh book came out, I had read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone four times. It’s still one of my favorites.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO READ: 

Right now, my soft, brown, comfy chair with my Union Jack pillow. It’s my favorite spot to read in the entire house.

MY MUST-HAVE READING ACCESSORIES: 

Ah, do my cats count? LOL. Whenever I’m reading in my comfy chair, one always drapes himself over my shoulders and purrs in my ear while the other curls up beside me, loving the natural spectrum reading lamp. Otherwise, I just need my novel (or nook), a bookmark, and my Goodreads App so I can update my status.

MY BOOKSHELVES ARE: 

Too few and too small. LOL. I live in a townhouse with a flatmate, and really, we don’t have much space. So to make space, one of the things I feature on my blog is a monthly raffle where a winner can choose two books from my Book List.

MY TBR LIST/PILE IS: 

Piled high. I have 85 novels on my TBR, and with my average of reading 53 novels a year, I might not get to all the novels I want to read. But I do my best with the time I have.

A BOOK I DON’T LIKE THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO LOVE:

I just did a review like this recently. I LOVE Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series (<3 Daemon!), so when people started recommending the Covenant series and sharing how much they loved all the books, I thought, “Hey, why not?” Well, I enjoyed reading Half-Blood, but Pure? Yeah, I just wasn’t that thrilled with it. I found the characters a bit annoying or disappointing, especially Seth. And I was sick of all the inaccuracies. I even had to put the book down for a while, I was getting so frustrated. In the end, Pure averaged out to be a 2 star, and I do still plan to continue the series, but it definitely did not appeal to me.

You can read my full review on my website.

IF I COULD GO TO ANY LITERARY DESTINATION I WOULD CHOOSE: 

The Eagle and the Child tavern in Oxford, England. It’s were J.R.R. Tolken, Charles Williams, and Hugo Dyson met as a writer’s group to chat about their novels. Even C.S. Lewis was there, later, in the 1950’s. I got to visit once for a short time, but I wish could’ve stayed for a while, read a novel and/or wrote in my journal.

MY FAVORITE NON-BOOKISH ACTIVITY: 

I love art, and my skills lean toward graphite sketches, watercolor paintings, and now, I'm even trying oil pastels. Most of my inspiration comes from scenes in my favorite books. I even sent a few pieces of my works to my favorite authors and friends.

MY FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION: 

StarGate!! Ha, bet you thought I was going to say Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Hee Hee. Well, I liked that one too, but StarGate was my first love. I know, I’m such a geek!

MY MUST-READ BLOGS (PLEASE LIMIT TO 3): 

Hmm… That’s really a tough one. I have a lot of Must-Reads, including YA Bound, but since I blog for them, and if I was going to choose my top three, I would say: Jenna{does}Books, The Cover Contessa, and Mostly YA Book Obsessed.

Jenna is awesome! I’ve been following her blog, Jenna{does}Books, for over a year and a half now, and we always seem to have the same tastes in Young Adult novels. So if I start hearing hype about a book I want to read, I visit her blog first to see what she thought of it. She hasn’t steered me wrong, yet, and I totally trust her judgment.

The Cover Contessa, Brooke, is a blogger I met through one of my posts and have been following her ever since. She’s totally a cool person, and I love reading her posts, especially her reviews. A lot of times, they’re on books I never heard of before, which I love. I like exploring new authors and novels and branching out.

Mostly YA Book Obsessed is run by a fellow YA Bound blogger: Nereydra. I first met her through a mutual friend on twitter, and she is another blogger who has tastes similar to mine in young adult. Though, lately, I notice she’s branched more into contemporary New Adult.

MY READING PERSONALITY (http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/) IS: 

LOL. Apparently, I’m an All-Rounder! My personally fits equally into all four categories:

Involved Reader: You don't just love to read books, you love to read about books—This is true! I do love learning more about a book and discussing them with people.

Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose—Definitely! But not only do I not have as much time as I like, I’m a slow reader because of my trouble reading during my younger years. I never quite caught up.

Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin—Mostly, yes, but as you can tell with Jennifer L. Armentrout, I don’t necessary love all their work.

Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors—Again, true! I love discovering the new and unusual.

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Thank you for joining us today, Kelsey! Remember to check out Kelsey's blog, Ketch's Book Nook, and leave a comment or question.