I Interview Celi.a from The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia

Posted by: Redhead on: September 14, 2010

• In: BBAW | interviews
• 10 Comments

Welcome to Book Bloggers Appreciation Week! I know a lot of blogs do contests and give aways and such, but honestly, I was just super excited to get to know another blogger, and gossip about things we like, coffee (also falling under the category of “things we like”) blogging, and books of course!

Celi.a runs The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia, and she is super cool blogger and lover of all things yummy.  Read the interview below, then go visit her!

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Can you tell us a little about your blog?

My blog is me…wait, just kidding. It’s me on a good day, with lots of icing on top. So it is basically a book blog, and mostly a YA book blog at that…with a heavy side of sci-fi/fantasy fiction, a little bit of romance, tasty recipes, and sometimes embarrassing (wait, I mean funny) stories.

A blog is a labor of love. What made you decide to take the plunge?

I started the blog as a challenge to myself after a really rough Lenten season where I gave up coffee. I know, I know, not smart. REALLY not smart. It was mostly stories from day-to-day life back then, but it gradually it morphed into its current state of book-focusedness. I just made that word up. Don’t judge. Also, it’s kept me sane during a lot of crazy changes in the last year or two, so I’m going to keep it up for the foreseeable future.

I know you like short stories, what short story should I read, right now, to get me hooked on someone I’ve never heard of before?

Have you read Kelly Link? Anything by Kelly Link is amazing. All of the stories in her anthology Pretty Monsters will do. Seriously weird, though…be ready for that!

Best book you’ve read this year?

Totally cheating on this one. The three best books I’ve read this year: White Cat by Holly Black, Cold Magic by Kate Elliott, and Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal. But keep in mind that I’m seriously behind on my reading, so I probably have several absolutely fantastic novels on my nightstand, and I don’t even know it.

What advice would you give to a new book blogger?

Challenge yourself to be funny. Even if it’s not really your style, try it once. If you get someone to laugh, they’ll come back to the site. At least, I do.

Do you find that your tastes in books is widely varied, or that you’ve got very some specific things that you look for?

I have to say that I will read almost anything, given the right conditions. Example: even though they’re not deeply interesting, I read the labels of condiment bottles whenever I’m out to eat. I sometimes amuse myself (and annoy my friends) by reading those complicated preservative-type ingredients aloud. But, if it’s just me and a limited time frame and budget, I do go for favorite genres. I like sci-fi and fantasy, YA, some children’s, history…and then it starts getting shakier from there.

Recommend a Jane Austen for me to start with, keeping in mind that I’m a tomboy potty-mouthed cretin.

Difficult! Try Persuasion. And I don’t say that just because it’s my favorite.

Like you, I get a ton of books from the library, for various reasons. But sometimes I worry that I’m hurting my favorite authors by getting their books from the library instead of outright purchasing them. Do you ever worry about that?

I do! It’s why I’m a book collector as well as a library patron. If I find myself wanting to get the book out of the library for a re-read, I definitely buy it for my collection (and to support the author). And then the next time I want it, it’s instant gratification via my bookshelves.

What genre/subgenre or specific book did you not expect to like, but you loved?

I think I can safely say that zombies were NOT on my radar until last year, and somehow I’ve become a fan. Especially of the ironic ones.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what book would you want to have?

Well, if we eliminate the obvious answers, like Robinson Crusoe (aka desert island survival guide) or the Bible, it’s a toss-up between Sabriel by Garth Nix and Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Both novels features girls being strong in less-than-ideal circumstances. Like I’d want to be.

What are your thoughts on e-readers?

I don’t see myself buying a dedicated e-reader. I read books on my laptop and on my crackberry, but for other purposes I love a bound copy in my hands. And as for the future of publishing…I don’t think print books are going to go out of style in my lifetime. At least, I hope not.

What’s the ultimate grilled cheese recipe?

Two slices of buttered homemade french bread, with a filling of gruyere (or extra sharp white cheddar, depending) and crumbled bacon, grilled and piping hot. I think I just made myself drool.

Iron Chef (original) or Iron Chef America?

I’m going to say Iron Chef America, simply because I like the commentary in English and watching Bobby Flay not get flustered. I swear, that man is magic. AND, I want to eat everything he makes.

Thanks for having me!

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And thanks for letting me torture you with my silly questions!   On Redhead’s to do list for this week:  Get some Kelly Link. Get Persuasion from the library.  Buy some Gruyere!!

Tags: BBAW, interviews