Blogger Spotlight – INTERVIEW
Tell us a little something about yourself!
Hmmm, well, I’m in my twenties, I live in Sydney, Australia, which is very sunny today, but has been pouring torrentially all week. I’m vegetarian, addicted to caffeine and I’m a Doctor Who fanatic, you have to understand that ‘fanatic’ doesn’t really convey the intensity of feeling I’m talking—I’m pretty sure I’ve cried from excitement in the opening credits before. True story. I’m married to an incredibly patient man who hasn’t read single novel since he left high school. He DID, however, allow me to read him a my favourite short story ever, The Price by Neil Gaiman (http://www.bitchwick.com/amacker/bean/price.html), and it was one of the happiest days of my life.
I have this weird compulsion which makes me eat M&M’s in pairs… after sorting them into colours, and I’m oddly self-conscious about my eyebrows. First thing I notice every time I look in the mirror.
(Oh, and this one’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone, but… *whispers* I really like reading books)
Too much information? Errr… *backs away*
How long have you had your blog?
This is actually hard to answer. My blog started out as something else entirely. I’ve actually had it since 2009, but I’ve been actively book blogging since late October 2011 (that’s just over 3 months)
Do you enjoy running your blog?
Not at all. I loathe it, and I curse the very day I decided to… *cough* OK, seriously? I LOVE it. I love meeting other book bloggers. I love
talking about books. I love reading about books, and I love READING books. Sometimes it’s hard work. Sometimes I spend hours and hours on a review and come out thinking it’s still overwhelmingly mediocre. But I really do enjoy it. SO much. Yes, sometimes it’s hard work… but I enjoy that hard work!
When you started, did you ever think that it would end up the way it has?
Uh, no! I was so excited when someone actually followed my blog for the first time. I never thought all these seriously cool, big deal bloggers with hundreds and hundreds of followers, incredible reviews and blogs would talk to me, or take the time to leave a comment on my blog. I never expected for an author to actually to talk to me. I also didn’t expect to spend so much time on my blog. Like I said, I enjoy that work, but sometimes I have to step back and remind myself I have
other things I do actually need to do in life… like the dishes, feed the cats, talk to my lovely, patient, wonderful Husbandman on occasion…
Is there an interesting background story to the name of your blog, if there is, tell us!
It’s not necessarily interesting, but there’s a story behind the lame name of my blog. It’s long, I’m sorry… Waaaaaay back in 2009 I stumbled across the Day Zero Project (http://dayzeroproject.com/), and decided to do a 101 in 1001 challenge—create a list of 101 goals I wanted to do in the next 1001 days. I found the challenge blog of a girl called Tara (who now www.25hourbooks.com), and one of her goals was to read 101 books. I’d just read the Twilight books, which for me—as they did for a lot of people—really rekindled a love of reading. I started reading a lot following that. It went on my list.
101 books in ONLY 1001 days? It seemed huge and scary. Well… it quickly got out of hand. I read that many books in just over a year. I started posting the occasional blog about a book I’d read, and I started using Goodreads and reviewing there. In October last year, I decided I was going to start blogging.
So that’s what happened. I started blogging. I re-tooled my 101 in 1001 blog to blog about books… but the name stuck. By the time it occurred to me that it was a bit rubbish for a book blog, I had just under 100 followers, and regular commenters. I panicked that if I changed it, no one would remember me, and I’d undo all my hard work. So yes. I don’t love it, I’m not sure it makes sense, but it is what it is!
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.
Well, I blog about books! Predominantly Young Adult, but I read Adult Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy and blog about it, too. I’ll read almost anything, but I really like books with a romantic subplot or element. I post reviews on Tuesdays and Saturdays (AEST time), and I post an In My Mailbox on Sundays (when I have books). Kristin from Growing Up YA and I post Blogspiration posts on Sundays.
Do you participate or host and blog memes? If you do, which is your favourite?
Yes! I co-host a meme called ‘Blogspiration’ with the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, hilarious gorgeous Kristin from Growing Up YA (http://growingupya.blogspot.com/). She deserves all the credit–it was her idea, her baby, her work. Every weekend we post something ‘inspirational’ to help inspire a little spark of creativity. Whether
a writer, a reviewer, or someone who just loves to read, we try to post things that make you smile or think or want to do something amazing.
I also (intermittently) post Follow Fridays and IN My Mailboxes, which I LOVE. Such fun ways to perve on other peoples books and meet other bloggers *hugs you all*
What about blog tours and blog hops? Have you ever or do you ever want
to participate in them?
I’ve not, and I don’t. But I’d love to!
What is the best book you read in 2011?
… Only one? I seriously can’t pick. But, if I narrow it down to 2011 releases I can give a reasonable answer: my equal favourites were: Across The Universe, Shatter Me and Touch Of Power. I read a few older releases at the beginning of the year. I fell crazy-in-love with Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress books, and Ally Carter’s Heist Society… err, and The Vampire Academy Books (DIMKA! DIMKA!)
What about in 2012?
Mwaha! More 2011 releases! Anna and the French Kiss and Divergent. I want to make babies with them. My fave 2012 releases so far are The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and A Million Suns.
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?
Yes. So far, only one, I have chosen not to finish. I’ve had to return unfinished books to the library before, but always with the intention of revisiting them. I’ll finish books, even if I don’t like them. But it was Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. The concept and idea is BRILLIANT, but I hated the execution. The tone of the writing was really unpleasant for me–dark and perverse and uncomfortable, but not (for me) in a good way. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I couldn’t quite follow what was going on (which made me feel stupid). But please don’t get me wrong. I actually think the book is genius. The dark, perverse, uncomfortable writing? Maguire’s created a world that is dark and perverse. It is uncomfortable. It’s confronting. He’s interwoven the story with brilliantly subversive undertones and questions of both human and animal rights. The tone and style of his writing is very deliberate, carefully measured, and utterly extraordinary, but it made me uncomfortable to read in a way I was either unprepared or unwilling to deal with right at that point in time. So, just because I couldn’t finish it? Doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not. It’s brilliant. Perhaps just not for me.
What is your favourite book genre?
Ermm… I’m going with ‘fantasy’, because it covers any number of things, from Paranormal to Urban Fantasy, to High/Epic Fantasy right through to Dystopians and Harry Potter :D
Quick Fire Round
Ebook or Hardcopy?
YA or Adult?
Vampires or werewolves?
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Harry Potter or Twilight?
Four or Peeta?
Series or single?
Blogger or WordPress?
And finally, Is there anything else you would like to say about you or your blog?
I think I’ve spoken myself out. How about I love you, think you’re amazing, and, uh… 42.
2 Comments
Theta Sigma
Great interview and I’m now following Sarah’s blog as a result.
Sarah (saz101)
Sammmiiiiie! Thank you! ♥♥♥♥ you!