Blogger Spotlight! – INTERVIEW

Tell us a little something about yourself!
I am in my fourth year of psychology at university, and hope to specialise in trauma counselling. I live in Australia, have loved books and words since I was a baby, and have been writing – in one form or another – since I was about five. I also love the rainstorms and forests. Walking through a forest in the rain is my own personal heaven. I also tend to use too many dashes when I write. And my absolute favourite word is “incandescent”.

How long have you had your blog?
Since the very end of January 2012, so that’s what, just over seven months now? I am loving it. Especially since I learned how to schedule posts. (I’m not very tech-savvy, so it took me a while). Most of my friends in everyday life aren’t readers, or if they are, don’t read the genres I do, so this has been the first time in my life that I have been surrounded by fellow bookworms, in an environment in which it’s not just OK, it’s kind of expected that you get wildly excited about new books, and swoon over fictional young men, etc.

Is there an interesting background story to the name of your blog, if there is, tell us!
Eh, not really – I adore names, but (oddly) I also suck at coming up with titles, and apparently my brain decided to classify “Giving my blog a name” as “Needed: One title” and promptly went blank. So it’s not especially creative, but it works.

As we’ve got this far without mentioning it, why not tell us a little something about your blog, what you post, how it runs, who you cater to, etc.
I’ve sort of settled into a weekly routine now (I’m one of these people who likes a comfortable routine). Most weeks, I do a Blogspiration (hosted by Saz and Kristin) and a Behind the Blog (hosted by Faye, Melissa and Kathe). Both are awesome memes! I also make lists on various topics, or talk about a particular issue that I’ve been thinking about, occasionally post poems or favourite words, and of course, post book reviews. I mostly review YA books (contemporary and paranormal) because that makes up the bulk of what I read. But I also do some adult fiction reviews too. Oh, and I’ve also just started doing a semi-regular post called “How Novel” which combines my love of fictional characters with my love of clothes and jewellery, and I’m having a lot of fun with that.

What is the best book you read in 2011?
Eh, 2011? So long ago. Hmm, I discovered Alyxandra Harvey’s Drake Family Chronicles – so much fun, with surprising depth. Gayle Forman’s If I Stay was the first book to make me cry in ages – I get emotionally invested in books all the time, but I actually rarely cry over them. Agh, that scene at the hospital with her grandfather gets me every time. Oh! And I loved burn bright by Marianne de Pierres, but was sadly less enthralled with the sequel, angel arias. Oh x2! I also LOVED Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. How on earth did I nearly forget that one?

What about in 2012?
Does anyone ever actually manage to put one for these questions? I adored Brigid Kemmerer’s Storm – the heroine Becca immediately jumped onto my list of all-time favourite heroines EVER, and Melina Marchetta’s Jellicoe Road (can’t believe it took me so long to pick it up). And I remembered my love for Adrian in Richelle Mead’s The Golden Lily. Also, I reread Holly Black’s Modern Faerie Tales trilogy (Tithe, Valiant and Ironside) – I’d read them a few years ago and thought they were OK, but this time round I absolutely loved them. Not sure what the difference was – maybe I was in a different headspace this time?

Has there ever been a book that you haven’t been able to finish? If so, what was it? And why couldn’t you finish?
I am a very, very curious (my Dad would call it ‘nosy’) person, so I can’t not-finish books because I NEED TO KNOW what happens. Fortunately for me, I also read very fast, and am pretty good at skim-reading. So if the book really and truly sucks, I’ll skip the middle and skim through the end. Curiosity satisfied, and all is well in Alex-land.

I didn’t not-finish them, but the books that this question bought to mind were Jessica Shirvington’s Violet Eden Chapters – I loathe the main character, get annoyed by much of the plot, BUT I CAN’T STOP READING THEM. It’s my personal brand of heroin, to quote our favourite sparkly vampire. So it’s a case of “I wish I couldn’t finish you, but I just have to”. And to be fair to the series, I think I’m in the minority – most people out there seem to love ‘em.

Quick Fire Round
ebook or hardcopy?
Hardcopy. At some stage, I will buy myself a kindle/kobo/some other e-book reader, but until that day, I will continue to break my arms lugging a stack of hardcopy books with me whenever I travel. I have perfected the art of making my carry-on luggage look like it fits the weight restrictions, rather than being the ten + kilos over that it really is.
ya or adult?
YA.
vampires or werewolves?
Vampires to read about, but if I actually had to be one, weres. Though I’d rather be a werecat than a werewolf.
chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate.
harry potter or twilight?
Twilight. Nah, just kidding. Harry Potter. So much more depth of world-building and character.
four or peeta?
Definitely Four, although, in the interests of full disclosure – I haven’t actually read The Hunger Games. I know, ay, it’s terrible. I do know the basics of the storyline and characters – I think it would be almost impossible to be a YA book blogger and NOT know that. Anyway, Four’s intelligent and deadly in combat, respects Tris and encourages her to be the best her that she can be. Um, yes please!
series or single?
Hmm. Single for YA contemporary, series for YA paranormal. But the series can’t just keep going and going forever, and each book in the series should have a full, proper and satisfying story-arc of its own, as well as being part of the big overall story-arc.

Related side note – Sarah Dessen’s books are all stand-alone, but various characters and places in from previous books pop up in cameos in later books. I love that.
blogger or wordpress?
WordPress, but I’ve never used blogger. Perhaps if I had, I’d have loved it. We’ll never know.

And finally,

Is there anything else you would like to say about you or your blog?
Hmm. If there’s any other questions you guys have, post them in the comments. Hope to see you over on my blog!

Also, thanks for having me Faye, and letting me write long answers to short questions!

xo

Thanks for the interview Alexandra. If you like what you see, feel free to go visit her blog, Alexandra’s Scribblings, and follow her! It’ll be worth it, I promise.