When and how did you get started with book blogging?
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| Randi |
n Randi: Well, this is a bit of a long
story. I’ll try to make it short. J
Back in January 2009, Becky and I met as fellow English majors at a little
college in rural Iowa. Our snarky attitudes and love for books created a slow
bond. Fast forward to the summer of 2012. Becky and I had been hanging out on
Goodreads and Skype together, and one day I mentioned “hey! We should start a
book blog!” Since I’m a pre-service language arts/English teacher and Becky’s a
soon-to-be youth librarian, it was one of those “duh” moments. We both thought
it was a cool idea and pretty soon, while chatting on Skype, Becky informed me
she had started our blog! And the rest is recent history. ;)
n Becky: Here’s my version of the same
story…Randi made me do it ☺
LOL I love it!
What
can readers expect from your reviews?
n Randi: Readers can expect honest reviews,
first and foremost! We mostly review young adult books, with the occasional
middle grade, picture book, and adult book thrown in. We try to keep them brief
and to the point, though sometimes fangirling is unavoidable. We also try to be
conversational and informal in our reviews so that they’re more like
conversations about books rather than the stuffy kind of reviews you might see
from literary critics. We love books and we want to share that love while
having fun and meeting other readers!
 |
| Becky |
n Becky: I think we also try to provide a
usability aspect to our blog and reviews that is not common in book
blogs. We have our reviews separated by ages (picture books, tween, teen,
adult…) so if you’re looking for something to hand someone right away then you
can just do a quick scan. In the works are a series of booklist pages
such as “books for boys, GLBTIQ books, Historical Fiction etc). I think
they will be helpful to teachers and librarians who need a quick reference.
What
is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
n Randi: My favorite genre varies. By far,
my favorite is young adult, so I’ll try to break that down a little. (Favorite
adult genres are gothic and fantasy!) It used to be primarily fantasy, though
the broader my reading becomes, the more I find I need different kinds of books
at different times. Fantasy still catches my eye the most, but I’ve been
reading a lot of young adult contemporary this year and have fallen in LOVE
with this subgenre. I like the occasional paranormal, dystopia,
post-apocalyptic, mystery, thriller, verse, etc., but honestly my favorite
changes from book to book and week to week! I won’t review erotica, and I’m
picky about nonfiction, but that’s really it.
n Becky: My favorite genre hands down
for any age is horror/scary. I never feel all the way invested in a story
unless it creeps me out. I read fairly broadly in the other genres,
particularly fantasy and science fiction. I gravitate to darker stories
and don’t care much for romance. I won’t review erotica or most
romance. I don’t review much nonfiction either. I do love picture
books, though ☺.
What
was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?
n Randi: I read a spectacular book by Trent
Reedy called Words in the Dust (read my review HERE). It was one of those
hard-hitting make-you-feel-all-the-things books. So I just had to send Mr.
Reedy an email (also, he’s from me & Becky’s beautiful state of Iowa!) and
he RESPONDED. I almost passed out. Especially because, as a pre-service teacher
who hopes to teach middle school, this is a book that I would lovelovelove to
teach in my classroom. I included that note in my email, and Mr. Reedy
responded that he does Skype visits and such! WHAT?!?! Total fangirl moment. There was also a tweetback from Courtney Summers about me talking someone into
buying her latest book, This is Not a Test, and that was also a fangirl moment!
n Becky: I’m not a fangirl lol.
I don’t have those moments. So sorry.
Randi, that's awesome! And Becky, don't apologize. Viva la difference!
Is
your significant other/family supportive of your book addiction?
n Randi: Luckily, my husband is also a
reader, though I read far more often and more quickly than he does (he also has
all those video games to play, ya know). So he understands my addiction to book-buying.
And besides, I have that nice little phrase “But I’m building my classroom
library!” which usually garners an eye-roll, a sigh, and reluctant acceptance.
My friends always give me crap every time they see my ever-expanding
bookshelves. But they know it’s just part of me!
n Becky: I don’t really buy mass amounts of
books. I’m an avid library user, as you might expect from a future
librarian. I do have a bad habit of checking out 20 books at a time hee
hee. Since I don’t have that towering stack of books that Randi does, my
reading addiction stays (for the most part) off my family’s radar.
Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read?
n Randi: I have three! Hester Ann, Brady, and Bacon are my three cuddly guinea piggies. Hester Ann is especially cuddly so she’s my most regular reading buddy. They sit on my chest (one at a time) while I read and/or do homework. J
n Becky: I have a new-used English Cocker Spaniel named Kit who chillaxes with me on my bean-bag chair when I read. When she feels left out she either shuts the book with her paw or comes and sits on my book…she’s very direct.
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?
n Randi: Generally, bad writing. I notice
typos and bad grammar, so when there’s a lot of mistakes like that, I get
really annoyed. I wouldn’t say I’m either pro-plot-driven or
pro-character-driven, because I like both and there are different times when I
prefer reading one over the other, but I need whatever book I’m reading to have
at least strongly written characters or plot, otherwise I won’t finish it.
n Becky: I’m always up for good book toss
and I usually love books or hate them, as Randi can attest. I’m a woman
of many feelings lol. My biggest issue with books, particularly YA,
is that characters don’t have consistent personalities or actions. They
do and say things just to move the story that don’t really make sense for them.
What
makes you a fan for life?
n Randi: Short answer: a book I can get
lost in. If I can fall into a book’s world, that’s my kind of writer!
n Becky: I’m a fan for life if the author
has 1 book that I absolutely loved, even if I don’t like all of their
others. I’ll keep trying until they stop writing. The key element
for me is atmosphere. I’m all about a richly described setting and tone,
hence my love of gothic literature. Stephen King is an all time
favorite for this reason, Juliette Marillier, and Shirley Jackson are two more.
Do
you have a popular blogger meme started by you?
n Randi: I’ll let Becky take this one since
it was her idea! J
n Becky: We are a very new blog, so we’re
still figuring things out. We do have a meme that we’ve started, called Twice Baked Thursday. Randi and I read the
same book and “argue” with each other about it in a post. It’s great fun
and if you have more than one blogger on your site or a guest partner, feel
free to join in.
You mentioned earlier that you try to keep your reviews conversational, which is what I love about your Twice-Baked Thursdays. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you don't, but it truly does come across like two friends chatting (discussing/arguing) about the book. :)
Can
you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
n Randi: I can’t wait for these authors to
write MORE: Huntley Fitzpatrick, Erin Morgenstern, Ruta Sepetys, Diane
Setterfield, and Trish Doller. All of their debut novels are absolute favorites
of mine, and I will auto-buy anything they write!
n Becky: I never auto-buy. I’m a very
selective buyer and I can count on my hand the books I’ve purchase this
year. If I had a full-time job and a huge bookshelf, though…. Stephen
King, John Green, Joanne Harris, Maggie Stiefvater, and Juliette
Marillier.
Definitely some great authors!
A huge THANK YOU to Randi and Becky for taking the time to answer my questions and spend the day with us here.
Find Becky and Randi here:
Twitter: @BeckyandRandi (blog twitter)
@randinicole13
(Randi's twitter - better to get ahold of us!)
Reader's, now it's your chance to ask them any questions you may have.
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