Blogger Spotlight; Interview!

Tell us a little something about yourself!
I’m a twenty-something currently living in one of the most amazing cities in the world – New York City. I collect books and stories like nobody’s business, and I’ve embraced this whole book blogging community with tons of passion! I love to write, and I also love to travel. I’m always in search of my next big adventure – and in 2013, that big adventure is my wedding!

How long have you had your blog?
I’ve been blogging since 2005, but the book blog formally began in April 2011 with a few scattered reviews. I don’t consider that my blog birthday though, because I really only started getting involved and invested in October 2011. So I’ve been blogging for a year and two months!

Do you enjoy running your blog?
I do! Even when I find myself struggling to craft the perfect review or realizing that I put in a lot of extra time and effort, I still find that book blogging has become a deeply ingrained part of my life.

When you started, did you ever think that it would end up the way it has?
Honestly, no. I never expected to make so many wonderful friends, or to be able to interact with authors and publishers the way I have! I consider it a gift.

Is there an interesting background story to the name of your blog, if there is, tell us!
I wish I had been clever enough to come up with a unique name for my blog sometimes. But then again, I do like the simplicity of “Alexa Loves Books” since that’s really the truth when I dig down deep – I do love books.

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 mainly post book reviews, though occasionally I do participate in memes or write special posts. I usually try to be about two weeks ahead with my scheduled posts (though that doesn’t always work out) since I’m the only one who creates my blog content!

I read all kinds of books, and that’s usually reflected in my reviews. I’ve been slacking a bit on writing about adult novels, non-fiction and romances, but I have a plan to make sure that the variety of reviews on the blog is better in 2013!

I’d say my blog primarily caters to fans of young adult fiction, since that’s what I review most of the time. I’m a big fan, and I plan to become a writer of YA myself!

Do you participate or host and blog memes? If you do, which is your favourite?
Like I said, I do occasionally participate in blog memes. My favorite, as of the moment, is Top Ten Tuesday. Like the girls over at The Broke & Bookish, I absolutely LOVE making lists.

What about blog tours and blog hops? Have you ever or do you ever want to participate in them?
I love doing blog tours! It’s always fun to take part in tours for books that I absolutely loved or authors that I admire. I like contributing to the promo for an upcoming book, and it’s a joy to participate in them when the organizers are… well, organized!

What is the best book you read in 2011?
I tried to stick with one, but I couldn’t. Here were my two favorite reads of 2011:

Divergent by Veronica Roth (“Divergent was a gripping, amazing, could-not-put-it-down dystopian novel for me.”)

Lola & the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (“Lola and the Boy Next Door is AMAZING and you MUST read it.”)

For more about which books I enjoyed in 2011, you can check out this end-of-year survey I did!

What about in 2012?
I did talk a little about this in the end-of-year survey I answered for this year, but if I had to pick,
here are my top five reads of 2012:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (“Seraphina is a remarkable, addicting debut novel that has easily become one of my favorites of this year.”)

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (“It features everything I could ever want in a YA novel – a beautiful setting, a tight-knit family unit, a sweet boy-next-door and a story that touched my heart.”)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (“There are so many aspects to please all kinds of people – romance, friendships, self-discovery, uncovering mysterious plots – that I think I will be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this book.”)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (“Fantastic story, multi-dimensional characters, an intriguing lore, a love triangle well done – these elements have made Throne of Glass such a success to me.”)

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (“It’s got an incredible and quite unique story, as well as elements of romance, paranormal and science fiction.”)

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?
Honestly, I can’t remember any of the titles I was unable to finish since I don’t think it’s happened very often in my life. I’m one of those people who has a very hard time letting go of a book, since I always hold out hope that it will redeem itself at some point. I’m actually working on being okay with leaving a book unfinished if I’m not enjoying it.

What is your favourite book genre?
Though contemporary novels are certainly becoming a bigger part of my reading life these days, I must say that fantasy is still my favorite genre. I love the fact that I can get lost in a completely different world that the author has crafted, and I love the ensuing heroics and adventures that the characters get into.

Quick Fire Round

ebook or hardcopy?
I still prefer hard copies of my books, and I actually love hardcovers! Even though they’re heavier, I like the feel of them in my hand.

ya or adult?
YA, though I do read plenty of adult books too.

vampires or werewolves?
Hybrids – which is something that only exists on The Vampire Diaries, but that would be my pick!

chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate.

harry potter or twilight?
Harry Potter. I grew up reading the series, and it is still one of the best series I’ve ever read.

four or peeta?
Four, because his character is AMAZING in the Divergent series.

series or single?
It would really depend, though I’ve found I prefer series for my dystopians/fantasies and stand-
alones for my contemporary books.

blogger or wordpress?
I use Blogger, mostly because it’s easy and it’s what I’m used to, so I’ll have to go with that.

And finally, is there anything else you would like to say about you or your blog?
Thanks Faye, for taking the time to spotlight me on your blog! You’re the sweetest. Oh, and thanks to everyone who reads my reviews and comments on posts – you’re all wonderful, and I wish I could send each and every single one of you a book from your wish list.

Thank you so much for chatting with me today Alexa! If you liked the interview, why not head over to Alexa’s blog here and go follow her!