Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Infantina from Periodical Gazette

Today please welcome Infantina, who blogs at Periodical Gazette.


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

Seriously, i am not sure how to answer this question.The name of my blog came into my mind randomly.As my blog is a journal of book reviews that I post at a certain interval. I kept it's name as Periodical Gazette.

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging since March 2013.

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

I blog about both fiction and non-fiction books.I guess this makes my blog unique.

What genres do you write about most, and why?

Mostly I review general fiction, horror novels, contemporary romance , YA and plan to review much more in the future. In terms of non-fiction, I review motivational and inspirational books only as for now.

What's your earliest memory of reading?

My earliest memory of reading is when I was my 7 years old though I don't remember much of it.

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

That would be A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith which I brought from my college library last year and A Hole in the World by Sid Hite when I was 13 years old.

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

Actually there are four books, three novels which I couldn't get off my mind:  A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith, The Promise by Nikita Singh, House of the Lost by Sarah Rayne.  In non-fiction, The Saint, the Surfer and the CEO by Robin Sharma.

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

When I'm not with books I usually hangout with my TV and listen to my favorite music over and over again.

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

Q&A by Vikas Swarup is my favorite novel that was made into a famous movie called Slumdog Millionaire by Danni Boyle.

What are 3 of your must-read blogs?

Donnie Darko Girl
Whit's Book World
Alison Can Read

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

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. 

Thank you for joining us today, Infantina! Remember to check out Infantina's blog, Periodical Gazette, and leave a comment or question.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Kimberly from Reflections of a Book Addict

kim and todd from reflections of a book addict


Today please welcome Kimberly, who blogs at Reflections of a Book Addict.



1.      NAME OF MY BOOK BLOG(S):

My blog is Reflections of a Book Addict (http://lifeand100books.com), but I'm also a regular contributor to the Austenprose blog! (http://austenprose.com


2.      I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING SINCE:

I started blogging in October of 2010!


3.      GENRES COVERED MOST ON MY BLOG:

Besides myself there are 6 other staff bloggers that write for my blog.  Between the seven of us we cover every genre that exists.  I primarily review historical fiction, young adult, new adult, erotica, memoirs, and romance novels. The rest of the staff cover graphic novels, science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, poetry, thrillers, mysteries, etc.


4.      MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF READING:

I remember reading one of the Little House on the Prairie books on the couch in my parents' living room.  My mom was making dinner and I had just gotten to the part where they were fording the river.  Laura's dog (I think his name was Max) was swimming across the river behind the wagon, when he suddenly disappeared! I remember being so distraught that when my mom called me for dinner I couldn't even get off the couch.  I just sat there and cried and cried and cried.  It's definitely my earliest memory of reading and also my earliest memory of how a book could make you feel emotionally.  (For those wondering, the dog didn't die.  He got swept down the river a bit and had to find his way home!)


5.      FIRST BOOK I READ OVER AND OVER:

It's definitely a tie between the Little House on the Prairie series and the first book in The Boxcar Children mystery series.  I was completely obsessed with those series when I was a kid.  I remember branching out to all the Little House spin-off series once I finished the original nine.  I became completely enamored by the life of a prairie kid, and was constantly telling my mom I wanted to farm and ride horses all while solving mysteries a la the Boxcar Children.  


6.      THE BOOK I HAVE RE-READ THE MOST TIMES:

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  ::sigh:: Perfection.


7.      MY FAVORITE PLACE TO READ:

Definitely in my bed with tons of pillows, a blanket, and my kittehs.


8.      MY MUST-HAVE READING ACCESSORIES:

Kittehs (they are the best reading accessories), a blanket, some music, and obviously the most important thing - a great book! 


9.      MY BOOKSHELVES ARE:

Not big enough! I've begun stacking books under lamps, in piles on the floor, on shelves, etc.  I even have some underneath my TV!


10.   MY TBR LIST/PILE IS:

EVER GROWING.  The amount of books that get recommended to you as a book blogger is simply astounding.  People hear that I enjoy reading and it becomes a "Have you read this? That? This? That?" conversation that results in me adding 10 books to my TBR list.


11.   A BOOK THAT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE IN SOME WAY:

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory.  I'll explain in a minute - The reason I started my blog was to challenge myself intellectually.  My job wasn't stimulating, I had graduated college, and the only thing I seemed capable of at that point in my life was planning my wedding.  I remember reading The Other Boleyn Girl and falling head-over-heels in love with that book.  Once I finished that I started reading again and the blog was born.  StartingReflections of a Book Addict has definitely changed my life in more ways than one.  Between the friendships I've established with other bloggers, authors, and publishers, to the amazing amount of books I've been able to read - I can tell you one thing....life is definitely stimulating again.


12.   A BOOK I LIKE THAT NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO:

The Odyssey by Homer.  It's not that people don't "like" it, but I never hear people discuss it/recommend it outside of a classroom setting. I LOVE The Odyssey.  When I do talk to people about it nobody is ever as impressed or as mesmerized as I am by it.


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

Hmmm.....there are definitely a lot of books which I loathe that have huge followings elsewhere.  Fifty Shades of Grey anyone? I could not stand this series. So much so that I made a drinking game to get through it.  I'm also not a fan of Maya Banks' Sweet series. My blogging bestie Kelly and I penned a review questioning what we had missed that everyone else seemed to have found in the series.  We also didn't understand what women found to be sexy about Banks' book Rush.


14.   A BOOK THAT INTIMIDATES ME:

Definitely Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, and Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. (Sorry that's three!)


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

SO MANY PLACES! I need to give more than one here.  First and foremost the world of Neil Gaiman's Stardust.  While reading that book I was absolutely enthralled by the world he had created.  It seemed so so awesome.  Narnia would come next.  How awesome would it be meeting Aslan!?!  Finally, Hogwarts! Does that even need an explanation?  


16.   MY FAVORITE NON-BOOKISH ACTIVITY:

I studied media production in college, so I love watching films and studying the production of them.  I'm a huge fan of old films, so you can usually find me watching old black and white films.  Besides that I've come to love home brewing beer my with my dear old hubby.  We've brewed just about every type of beer you can, with our favorites being a chocolate oatmeal stout and a pumpkin beer brewed specifically for Halloween each year!


17.   MY FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION:

Hmm. This is a super difficult question.  I could better answer with my least favorite adaptations (The Other Boleyn Girl, Angels & Demons, Watchmen)but since you're making me choose......I'd go with V For Vendetta.  I thought that the message of the graphic novel came across great in the film and just loved every second of it! 


18.   MY BOOK BLOG STANDS OUT FROM THE CROWD BECAUSE:

It's so eclectic! The staff and I truly touch upon every genre that exists.  For that reason alone we're an eclectic reader's dream blog!  There is truly a book AND staffer for every type of reader.


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

Kelly @ Reading With Analysis - http://readingwithanalysis.wordpress.com/

Tasha @ Truth, Beauty, Freedom, & Books - http://heidenkind.blogspot.com/



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

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.


Thank you for joining us today, Kim! Remember to check out Kim's blog, Reflections of a Book Addict, and leave a comment or question.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Harvee Lau from Book Dilettante


Today please welcome Harvee, who blogs at Book Dilettante http://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/.    

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

My first title was Book Bird Dog, to reflect my interests in reading, birdwatching, having a pet. I changed the name to Book Dilettante to avoid confusion with Bird Dog, for those people looking for hunting dogs or books on birds. 

 
How long have you been blogging?

Since 2007.


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

I started out reviewing mostly mystery novels and expanded to other genres, including women's fiction. Now I review almost all genres, except for horror, sci-fi, serial killer crime novels, vampires, and books with extreme violence.


  What genres do you write about most, and why?

Mysteries, because I love a good puzzle.
Literary fiction, because I enjoy good writing.
Historical novels, because I'm interested in the past and how it affects the present.
Women's fiction because I like to read women's points of view.

  What's your earliest memory of reading?

The comics in the newspaper.
Books I found in our bookcase- a picture book on silk worms and the making of silk; a picture book on Gawain and the Green Knight; an illustrated book of dance steps.
Later on, Nancy Drew books.

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

The books I read over and over as a child were the ones I mentioned above. I have reread Gone With the Wind and Rebecca several times.

  Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

Oh, no. Never. Unless it's a paperback for a difficult class you are taking or teaching.

  What's your favorite place to read?

Somewhere next to a window.

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

A bookmark or two.

  Finish the sentence: My bookshelves are...

not nearly long enough.

  My TBR pile is...

outrageous.

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

The Nancy Drew books.

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

Some people have a hard time with Haruki Murakami's books. I like them all.

  To DNF or not to DNF?

Do Not Finish if the book is too badly written or plotted or too violent, or not at all your genre.

  What's one book that intimidates you?

The Stephen King horror novels.


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

Back to Stratford-on-Avon, the home of the Bard.

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

Gardening and birdwatching are some of my other interests.

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway was made into a great movie a long time ago.

  What are 3 of your must-read blogs?






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

Eclectic reader.



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

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Tanya from Mom's Small Victories



Please welcome Tanya, who blogs at Mom's Small Victories. Tanya's blog is known for a mixture of book reviews and recipe reviews.  She's also super nice and fun to talk to. :)


Questions:

1.      NAME OF MY BOOK BLOG(S):  Mom's Small Victories 

2.      I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING SINCE: 2011 on my old blog, 2012 on this blog

3.      GENRES COVERED MOST ON MY BLOG:  Contemporary Fiction, Classics, World Fiction, Historical Fiction but I read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction.

4.      MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF READING:  I don't really have one from childhood. I became an avid reader as an adult.  I read the book Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and was so enthralled and moved by it, that I wanted to find more books I enjoyed as much as that one.  That sparked my obsession with books over the past couple of years.

5.      FIRST BOOK I READ OVER AND OVER:  I don't typically read books more than once, there are too many great books I haven't read even once yet! 

6.      THE BOOK I HAVE RE-READ THE MOST TIMES:  If I did re-read book, I would totally re-read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain.

7.      MY FAVORITE PLACE TO READ:  Tucked in my comfy bed.  

8.      MY MUST-HAVE READING ACCESSORIES:  My Kindle.

9.      MY BOOKSHELVES ARE:  The one in my room is full of books I need to read and we won't even start on the Kindle books that I don't even realize I have.  I am obsessed with collecting books! 

10.   MY TBR LIST/PILE IS:  way too long, I'm a sucker and can't say no to good books.

11.   A BOOK THAT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE IN SOME WAY:  I wrote a whole post about that during Armchair BEA, the books that earned my Thanks for Changing my Life Awards. On the top, The Book Thief. I was captivated by Death, the narrator, and it made me question what Death really might be like.

12.   A BOOK I LIKE THAT NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO:  I don't really have one.

13.   A BOOK I DON’T LIKE THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO LOVE:  Twilight. I know don't shoot me. I just felt it moved too slowly with unnecessary long....dramatic...pauses.  I watched the movie but couldn't get through the first book.

14.   A BOOK THAT INTIMIDATES ME:  Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett even though it's on my Classics Club list.

15.   IF I COULD GO TO ANY LITERARY DESTINATION I WOULD CHOOSE:  A previous blogger had mentioned but I totally would choose it too...Hogwarts!

16.   MY FAVORITE NON-BOOKISH ACTIVITY:  cooking, watching movies, going to the park or pool with my kids

17.   MY FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION:  I usually don't both read the book and watch a movie, I feel like it detracts from my enjoyment of either the book or the movie when it doesn't live up to my expectations.  The only one I have read the book and watched the movie was The Hunger Games and I didn't care for the movie.

18.   MY BOOK BLOG STANDS OUT FROM THE CROWD BECAUSE:  For now, I focus on what I want to read and completing challenges.  I am an avid library reader so the books I review are often free and easily accessible.  I also cover other topics on my blog including reviewing recipes my family enjoys and positive ways to deal with my chronic illness.  

19.   MY MUST-READ BLOGS:  For books: Love at First Book (www.loveatfirstbook.com), The Relentless Reader (www.therelentlessreader.blogspot.com), and The Book Wheel (www.thebookwheelblog.com)

20.   MY READING PERSONALITY (http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/) IS: well cool..but I could've told you I am very "eclectic" when it comes to what I read/enjoy.


Thanks so much for joining us today, Tanya!

Remember to check out Tanya's blog, Mom's Small Victories, and leave a comment or question for her below!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tips for Dealing with Blogging Block

writer's block


In Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, Lawrence Block wrote, "...when I want to write and can’t write I find myself possessed of murderous rage." I don't believe in forcing yourself to blog when you don't feel like it, because this is a hobby. It's supposed to be fun. But what about when you really do want to blog but have no idea what to blog about? So frustrating! Here are a few strategies I've collected:


  1. Plan ahead—I don't know about you, but my desk is littered with note cards that have ideas and notes scribbled randomly all over them. I also have notes on my phone, most of which are completely obscure even to me. For example, "Someone shows up demanding heroine save her true love whom she's never met re: Grimm." I have no idea which episode of Grimm I was referencing there, but interesting idea. Or, "The polis—people outside aren't human. Anna Karenina." Hmmm, I know I wrote that in my Ancient Greek class but I have no idea what Anna Karenina has to do with it. Still, it might fit into another idea I have in the future. Some of these ideas I'll write about when I have time, some I won't, but when you're searching for a topic it's always good to have a list of ideas somewhere to go back to.
  2. Read through some of your old posts—You can also go through your blog history and see if there are any posts you can expand on or update. Maybe you'll notice a theme or trend in your reading that you hadn't before, or you've been neglecting one of your features.
  3. Read through other blogs—Another great place for inspiration is other blogs! Naturally I don't mean stealing their content, but maybe you can curate a list of favorite posts by topic, or create a wish list of books or bookish things. You can also respond to others' posts: do you agree with a top ten list (answer: no, no one ever agrees with lists)? What would you have chosen instead? Did a certain article about a topic you care about go far enough? And so on.
  4. Random topic generators—If you're REALLY desperate or just feeling lucky, you can try a random topic generator. There's a ton of these all over the intertubes. A few I've come across are
  5. Go off topic—Sometimes you're just not in the mood to blog about books. So blog about something else! It may feel like cheating, but per Murphy's Law these posts usually end up being the most popular. The most popular post on my blog is the one where I basically just collected a bunch of pictures of Christopher Gorham shirtless, no joke.




Those are my strategies, but I'm sure you have your own! Share them in the comments.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Melanie from Fang-Freakin-Tastic Book Reviews

Today please welcome Melanie, who blogs at Fang-Freakin-Tastic Book Reviews http://fangfreakintasticreviews.com.

Questions:


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

I love all things Paranormal, but Vampires are my favorite.



What genres do you write about most, and why?

Mainly Paranormal because that is what interests me the most.



What's your earliest memory of reading?

When I was a kid I had a book called "Socks for Supper". I remember reading it with my parents almost every day.



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

"Socks for Supper"



Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

oh no no no



What's your favorite place to read?

In bed



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

a random piece of paper or something to use as a book mark.



Finish the sentence: My bookshelves are...

Way too small.



My TBR pile is...

Way too long!



To DNF or not to DNF?

I try to always finish, so it's rare for me not to. It's like I'm waiting for the author to turn things around somehow.



What's one book that intimidates you?

the Lord of the Rings Trilogy



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

Sang. From Delilah S. Dawson's Wicked as They Come series.



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

I like to fish. Mainly because I can read and fish at the same time.



What are 3 of your must-read blogs?






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

Apparently I fit equally into all 4 of the reading personalities. lol




Thank you for joining us today, Melanie! Remember to check out Melanie's blog, Fang-Freakin-Tastic Book Reviews, and leave a comment or question.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Rebecca from Algonquin Side Table

rebecca from algonquin side table

Today please welcome Rebecca, who blogs at Algonquin Side Table, http://www.algonquinsidetable.com.

Questions:


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

The Algonquin Round Table was a regular lunch group of writers, critics, and all-around clever people (including my heart, Dorothy Parker) who met at the Algonquin Hotel, also known as The Gonk, in the 1920s.  ”Side Table” works for my kind of casual approach to reading and bibliophilia.  I was halfway through a book about female writers from the 1920s when I came up with it, needless to say.



How long have you been blogging?

Daily for almost four months.



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

I wanted to create a non-judgmental, inviting place to just be people who love books.  A place to read and talk about books that was accessible to readers who wouldn't normally read book blogs-- a combination of genres, lists, links, photos, and fun discussion that also actually *explains* things like literary awards and local events.  I'd like to think I've succeeded at that :)


What genres do you write about most, and why?

I'd like to say a little of everything, really.  I guess it's mostly contemporary literary fiction and pop non-fiction, but I also cover graphic novels, some fantasy and sci-fi, some kids' and teen books...  I don't like to get too bogged down in one genre!



What's your earliest memory of reading?

My dad would sometimes come and read me to sleep at night (ALWAYS either a Dr. Seuss or Where The Wild Things Are,) but apparently had such a soothing voice that he would drift off mid-sentence.  I remember taking Oh, The Places You'll Go! out of his sleeping hands to finish reading it myself.  Definitely not my first time reading on my own, but the first that I remember.



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

In childhood, I would reread Roald Dahl books over and over.  Lifetime most rereads? I'd say Boy and The Witches by Roald Dahl, Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, and most of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (I've read some of them upwards of a dozen times.)



What's your favorite place to read?

In a deckchair at a cottage somewhere.  Failing that incredibly specific situation, I have an overstuffed chintz armchair that I got specifically for reading in.



Finish the sentence: My bookshelves are...

Obsessively organized in a shelving system only I seem to understand.



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

I'm almost tempted to say Westeros (A Song Of Ice And Fire by George R R Martin) just to get a direwolf, but I expect that it wouldn't be worth it, being both a woman and poor in that context.



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

I also do some illustration, spend way too much time on the internet and money on food, and walking.  I sound like an unbelievable mega square, but I really like walking.



What's your favorite (or least-favorite) book to movie adaptation?

From a book I've read?  The 2006 Joe Wright Pride And Prejudice with Keira Knightley.  I'm not a Jane Austen fan, and I expected the movie to be too Hollywooded anyway, but I absolutely loved it.



What are 3 of your must-read blogs?





Thank you for joining us today, Rebecca! Remember to check out Rebecca's blog, Algonquin Side Table, and leave a comment or question.