In celebration of BBAW, I have the distinct honor of interviewing a fellow bookblogger. I was teamed up with Marie of Boston Bibliophile, an excellent blog that you should be reading if you haven't been already.
Marie was kind enough to answer my questions; after you're finished reading her thoughts, be sure to head on over to Marie's site to read my answers to her questions. Happy BBAW!
1. How has reading influenced your life?
I learned to read before I started kindergarten and I can't think of how reading hasn't influenced my life. My love of reading is what makes me who I am!
2. Why did you start blogging about books? What is the most surprising thing that's happened to you as a result of your blogging?
I started blogging in August, 2007. The biggest surprise has been just all the great people I've met. I had no expectations at all when I started and just thought it would be something fun to try.
3. Are you ever at a loss as to how to review a book? What do you do when that happens?
After I finish procrastinating, I just start writing and see what comes out.
4. Have you ever read a book that you did not blog about? What kept you from doing so? (If not, could you imagine anything that would keep you from writing about a particular book?)
Yes, I've read several I haven't blogged about. One, called Money and the Ways of Wisdom, was a very dry and academic theological treatise I was assigned to review for a professional journal. I did the review, but it just didn't seem right for the blog -- apart from seminarians it's hard for me to imagine most people would want to read the book, or read about it for that matter!
5. What are your favorite genres to read? What makes them so enjoyable for you?
My favorite genre is literary fiction, because I love really good writing and I like a book that challenges me and keeps me thinking.
6. What are your least favorite genres to read? What do you find unappealing about them?
Probably fantasy. I just don't have any interest. I also dislike certain types of religious fiction because I don't like my reading didactic.
7. What has been your favorite book to review? Is that the same as your favorite of the reviews you've written?
Tough question! So far this year (and forgive me for being a broken record!) my favorite review to write was Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone, because that book was just such a wonderful surprise and figuring out how to write about it was a very satisfying challenge. I love reviewing graphic novels because I have to work a little harder to describe artwork and it's a good exercise.
8. How does blogging influence your reading life? Does blogging about books have a large impact on your life as a reader, or not so much?
Blogging about books has had a huge influence on my reading life because things get in front of me that I would never pick up, or would never have heard of. Reading blogs and getting offers from authors and publishers has exposed me to a whole new world of books. It's also helped keep me current on recent fiction; in the past, I never- and mean never unless the author was a favorite- bought or read hardcover fiction.
9. When you're not reading books (and then writing about them), how do you like to spend your free time?
I like to do crafts like quilting and wool felt embroidery, and I love to exercise and bake. I work out five times a week and sew often.
10. Finally, if you could offer one piece of advice for the future book blogger, what would it be?
I would say, figure out what your goals are- what you want to do with your blog. Do you want to review books in a specific genre, or a wide variety; do you want to do blog tours and giveaways and publicity stuff; is it important to you to get free books; do you want to be a blogging superstar or write for a niche audience; do you want to blog about things besides books. Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, read blogs and find some that do some of the things that you want to do and see how those bloggers go about it. Ask questions and just get out there and blog! You can always change your blog's name, its look and its focus but it's good to know what you want to do when you start so you can get on the right path.
Thanks again to Marie for taking the time to answer my questions. Of course, I can't forget to send a big THANK YOU to Amy, without whom BBAW wouldn't exist. And finally, thank to all who worked so hard on the BBAW adventure!
Marie was kind enough to answer my questions; after you're finished reading her thoughts, be sure to head on over to Marie's site to read my answers to her questions. Happy BBAW!
1. How has reading influenced your life?
I learned to read before I started kindergarten and I can't think of how reading hasn't influenced my life. My love of reading is what makes me who I am!
2. Why did you start blogging about books? What is the most surprising thing that's happened to you as a result of your blogging?
I started blogging in August, 2007. The biggest surprise has been just all the great people I've met. I had no expectations at all when I started and just thought it would be something fun to try.
3. Are you ever at a loss as to how to review a book? What do you do when that happens?
After I finish procrastinating, I just start writing and see what comes out.
4. Have you ever read a book that you did not blog about? What kept you from doing so? (If not, could you imagine anything that would keep you from writing about a particular book?)
Yes, I've read several I haven't blogged about. One, called Money and the Ways of Wisdom, was a very dry and academic theological treatise I was assigned to review for a professional journal. I did the review, but it just didn't seem right for the blog -- apart from seminarians it's hard for me to imagine most people would want to read the book, or read about it for that matter!
5. What are your favorite genres to read? What makes them so enjoyable for you?
My favorite genre is literary fiction, because I love really good writing and I like a book that challenges me and keeps me thinking.
6. What are your least favorite genres to read? What do you find unappealing about them?
Probably fantasy. I just don't have any interest. I also dislike certain types of religious fiction because I don't like my reading didactic.
7. What has been your favorite book to review? Is that the same as your favorite of the reviews you've written?
Tough question! So far this year (and forgive me for being a broken record!) my favorite review to write was Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone, because that book was just such a wonderful surprise and figuring out how to write about it was a very satisfying challenge. I love reviewing graphic novels because I have to work a little harder to describe artwork and it's a good exercise.
8. How does blogging influence your reading life? Does blogging about books have a large impact on your life as a reader, or not so much?
Blogging about books has had a huge influence on my reading life because things get in front of me that I would never pick up, or would never have heard of. Reading blogs and getting offers from authors and publishers has exposed me to a whole new world of books. It's also helped keep me current on recent fiction; in the past, I never- and mean never unless the author was a favorite- bought or read hardcover fiction.
9. When you're not reading books (and then writing about them), how do you like to spend your free time?
I like to do crafts like quilting and wool felt embroidery, and I love to exercise and bake. I work out five times a week and sew often.
10. Finally, if you could offer one piece of advice for the future book blogger, what would it be?
I would say, figure out what your goals are- what you want to do with your blog. Do you want to review books in a specific genre, or a wide variety; do you want to do blog tours and giveaways and publicity stuff; is it important to you to get free books; do you want to be a blogging superstar or write for a niche audience; do you want to blog about things besides books. Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, read blogs and find some that do some of the things that you want to do and see how those bloggers go about it. Ask questions and just get out there and blog! You can always change your blog's name, its look and its focus but it's good to know what you want to do when you start so you can get on the right path.
Thanks again to Marie for taking the time to answer my questions. Of course, I can't forget to send a big THANK YOU to Amy, without whom BBAW wouldn't exist. And finally, thank to all who worked so hard on the BBAW adventure!
6 comments:
thanks for pointing me in another good direction. thanks very much
Great questions! I have enjoyed getting to know the real Marie behind the blog.
i love marie's answer to #10--it's so true! like any good book, a blog needs a theme, so to speak.
happy BBAW!
Fun interviews! Thanks to both of you.
Fabulous interview! I couldn't agree more with the advise Marie gives to new bloggers. Being new myself I'm still wading through some of these issues.
I've been reading Marie's blog for a while now, and it was great to get to know her better. I think she offers some good advice.
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
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