Meet the Book Blogger: Jana

Good morning everyone! Today I'm happy to have Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl answering some questions. Please help me in welcoming her to the blog!

What can readers expect from your reviews?

I have a pretty unique review style. Rather than writing out a big novel of a review, I break my reviews down into numbered points and then bold the main ideas of those points. This way if my readers would rather skim through, yet still get the best bits of my review, I’ve made it easy for them. I’ve been known to fan girl over books with lots of caps, OH man!’s, and exclamation marks, but also smack my head into the keyboard over my frustration with a book. Books bring out a lot of strong emotions in me, and I make those known to my readers. And I WILL point out grammatical errors. Don’t you worry. Basically, I’m really honest and it can be funny sometimes.

I love your review style! Very easy to read and fun when you're excited about a book. :)

What was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?

I was part of a blog tour for the self-published novel, On the Island, by Tracey Garvis Graves. I loved her novel, and she even sent me a signed paperback after the tour to thank me for reviewing it. And THEN when Penguin bought the rights to her book and MGM bought the movie rights, I went ballistic. I was SO happy for her, and so happy that I got to help get the word out about such an amazing book. She sent me a signed copy of the professional publication of On the Island months later, with a thank you note, and I seriously almost cried in excitement.

Very cool! Kudos to Tracey for making you (and I'm sure other readers) feel so special!

What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?

I recently read a book that was just wrong all over the place. It was about a group of boys who were in a band. They talked about iPods and CDs, but spoke like they were from the 70’s, talking about “chicks” and “eats” and “jams”. And there was this obsession with Teflon (a nickname), which I know was a major thing in the 80’s when it was first used to describe Ronald Reagan. I was so annoyed that the language did not match the present-day story. Plus, the grammar was terrible and I did not like any of the characters. Those are the three things that bother me the most: poor editing, plot inconsistencies, and characters I hate. I can usually stick it out otherwise. 

What makes you a fan for life?

I love beautiful, lyrical writing with flawless, gorgeous descriptions. It has to be done right, though, and not just for the sake of making a book longer. Purple prose is not my thing. But if you give me a well-written description with eloquent word choice, I’m yours forever.

Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read?

Yes! My cat Misty loves to snuggle up to me no matter where I read. Sometimes she even looks at the book, as if she is reading it too. J

Jana and Misty

Misty is beautiful! You two are cute together. 

Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?

I’ve fallen victim to this curse so many times throughout my life that I can’t even think of one particular time this happened. I did it with Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Frost by Kate Avery Ellison, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, etc. I’m one of those people who loves to be an insomniac whenever they have the chance to do so.

So my question should've been "Do you remember the last time you got a full night of sleep?" *grin*

What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?

When an author sends me a book and swag, and is SO excited to have me review their book… and then I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it, I feel just as heartbroken as the author does. I hate having to eject someone’s pride and joy, and I hate feeling like I’ve wasted an author’s money by accepting a book and then not finishing it. The most rewarding thing is all the friendships and opportunities I’ve made and received as a blogger. I’ve got so many blogger, author, and publisher friends. The book community is the best ever. Plus, I’ve read amazing books I never would have known about if the author had not come to me.

Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?

I love it, as long as they are nice and respectful. I recently received a thank you note from an author whose book I rated very low. She thanked me for reviewing it, and told me she plans to hook me with another book in the future. I loved hearing from her! I wrote a 1-star review on a book once, and the author attacked me on my blog, and on Twitter. How unprofessional is that? I was so upset that I was being ripped apart for not liking her book. I even bought it myself, so she got her money out of me. On the flip side, authors like Tracey Garvis Graves and Kate Avery Ellison (who wrote and thanked me, and even offered me more of their books) are wonderful to hear from. Authors are like celebrities to me, so when I hear from one of them I go a little nuts.

So glad the unprofessional authors are way outranked by the wonderful authors. 

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?

1. Anna Banks/Scarlett
2. Lynn Kurland
3. Stephanie Perkins
4. Lauren Oliver
5. Syrie James.

Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?

I just checked my list on Goodreads, and I have over 1,200 books on my to-read list. Holy moly. I don’t think I have enough time to get through those, especially since I’m adding to it faster than I’m checking books off of it!

Holy Moly is right! I can see why you stay up reading so many nights. LOL

Thank you for being here today, Jana! I hope you continue blogging for a long time to come and have many more memorable fan-girl moments!

Readers, it's your turn: Is there anything you'd like to ask Jana? 

You can find Jana, That Artsy Reader Girl, right HERE:

http://thatartsyreadergirl.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/SweetestJana

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/983479-jana

https://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Artsy-Reader-Girl/303130236394805

http://pinterest.com/chocostrawberry/

The Broke & The Bookish