BBAW Interview Swap!

Posted by: Redhead on: September 11, 2012

• In: BBAW
• 7 Comments

Hi Everyone!  This week is Bookblogger Appreciate Week!  They do a ton of themed activities, but the one I mostly participate in is the blogger interview swap.  Each blogger is randomly paired with another blogger, and you ask each other some fun questions, make some new friends, and the best part is that i get to discover a new blog that truly, I would have never found on my own. It’s like getting a random penpal. this is my third year doing Interview Swap, and I’m still in contact with the bloggers I was partnered with in previous years. How cool is that?

This year, I got lucky enough to get paired with Allison from On My Bookshelf. She runs the blog with her friend Holly, and they have all sorts of fun, reviewing novels of many genres, cookbooks, some crafty books, and children literature as tested by their young children. You might know Allison from the Stainless Steel Droppings R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril) challenge a few years ago too. Make sure to visit On My Bookshelf for Allison’s interview with me. We talk e-books, vampires, and  scifi in pop culture!

here’s my interview with the super-cool Allison:

You run On my Bookshelf with Holly. How did you two meet? How did you two  decide to start a blog?

Holly’s husband and my husband went to high school together, so Holly and I met through them and found a mutual love (obsession) with books.  Our book blog actually started as a book club with a few other members, but Holly and I were the only ones who always read the book, and eventually, the blog was born.

 You review a lot of non-fiction too, like memoirs, cookbooks, and books on  crafts. How is reviewing a non-fiction book different than reviewing  fiction?

Reviewing memoirs is pretty much the same as reviewing fiction for me.  I’m looking primarily at the story being told, and how successful the author is at telling that story.  Even though memoirs are based on actual events, the art to choosing what to include, what light to cast, and what boring bits to skip is still the core for me. Cookbooks and craft books, on the other hand, are all about how well they convey instructions.  Although I read these books for enjoyment and inspiration as well, I’m reviewing them first based on utility, then noting beauty and style.

You review a lot of children’s books, often by seeing if your kids like  them.  How has your blogging (and being obsessed with books!) influenced  your kids?

My daughter has books and books and books.  She is in kindergarten and learning to read on her own, so we read loads of books together. She’ll often request a special chunk of time to “read a big stack of books” or read a chapter book together.

Of books that you’ve reviewed recently, which one was your favorite?

THE GIRL BELOW by Bianca Zander was a fabulous read that defies genre.  POTBOILER by Jesse Kellerman was a hilarious send-up of the thriller genre.  The two are so different from one another, I can’t choose just one!

What would you like to see more of on your blog in the next year?

More of everything, really.  I’m working to schedule review posts ahead of time and actually sit down to write the reviews (the reading part is easy, but finding time to write reviews can be a challenge). I have a frightening virtual stack of ARCs that I actually use a spreadsheet to keep track of!

E-readers: love ‘em?  hate ‘em?

I was a late adopter for e-readers.  I swore up and down that all I wanted was a real book I could flip through.  And then I got a Kindle for Christmas.  First, I realized how delightful the Kindle is for travel: no more packing a dozen books for a two-week trip!  Then, publishers began offering e-galleys.  I now have about 40 e-galleys on my Kindle.  I use the “highlight” feature to save key spots as I read for review, but it’s still not the same as being able to flip back through the  book to spots I’ve marked in a “real” book.  I have accepted the e-reader as a part of life, and it has its uses.

Tags: BBAW, blogging, interviews